Last week was way nice and tranquil because the kids were out of school for the week.  It still went by in a blur, but the break was nice.  It gave us a chance to get unpacked and all of the clothes wershed. 
     The week started out normal enough.  Rooshkie wanted to take over FHE on Mondee night because she wanted to pass some stuff off in her "Faith in God" book.  We all gathered around and she started in on this humongous lecture on keeping the house clean.  I cannot be too critical because she sounded just like me.  I was quite surprised to hear it all coming from her, though.  Everyone, Ryan included, was kind of annoyed at Rooshkie.  He was hoping that she would have a more scripture oriented topic.  Finally Sage bursted in with a "Let's wrap this up already, and have a cookie!"  Rooshkie had made some cookies, and because I was too weary to assist her, they were greasier than all get out.  Everyone still ate them, but hey, I gotta hand it to Roosh-ke-bab....I had no desire to make any treats, or to lecture anyone on cleaning house.  I was grateful for the break.  She also is working pretty hard, and will probably be the first out of my girls to earn her Faith in God award.  Sadly, I was too space-y to push Jams and Sags to get theirs.  Luckily Rooshkie is way self motivated.
     On Monday night, Mo man got sick and threw up on me all night long.  I finally passed him off to Ryan at like 4am so that I could get some time to excercise.  Seriously, little to no sleep.  Anyhow, we got informed that someone wanted to view the house on Tuesday evening.  I had no time to nap because after the trip, we had tons of work to do.  I was way glad that the kids were home and could help me.  Mo acted like he was ready to run a marathon.  He acted like his usual energetic self all day.  I was glad because usually when the kids are sick they want me to hang out with them in the rocking chair all day.  It all worked out well.  I am not sure what the gal thought of the house, but it was way clean.  I really have a hard time looking at my house impartially.  I feel very confident that I could sell this home.  It has been a wonderful place for our family, and Ryan has done everything that he can to make things extremely comfortable and easy on me.  Sprinkling systems, instant hot water, water softener etc.  I have loved this home, and just cannot understand how anyone could ever be critical of it.  I know that I am going to have to ask for some outside criticism if I am ever going to sell it though.  For some reason we have still had no offers.
     On Wednesday morning, I got up and made myself a waffle after all of the kids had eaten cereal.  Mo wanted to join me.  I was not too happy with him because he got up on my lap and proceeded to shred the waffle all over my lap.  He then grabbed a banana out of my fruit bowl and begged for it.  The kids had named all of the banana's this week.  Their names were printed clearly on their peel.  Mo partook of "Tiffany" that morning, which resulted in the kids being mad at Mo.  Apparently they were rather fond of Tiffany.  They still had "Ricardo, Sam'" and others, but apparently Tiffany was missed.  Mo was really quite careless with food all week.  On another morning, he got up demanded toast, and then a bath.  I frowned when I went in to get him out to find his toast discarded, shredded and floating distastefully all over the bath.  Mo needs to learn the value of a dollar.
     We all kind of ended up with Mo's little virus off and on all week, but I am not complaining.  We have been so blessed with good health this winter.  Chlo and Oak somehow escaped it all, but they were the only ones.  I borrowed the "Phantom of the Opera" one night from a neighbor when Jams and Sags weren't feeling too good.  They have played some of the music out of Phantom.  Anyhow, I love the music from the play, but the story is pretty disturbing.  Anyhow, Chlo got somewhat annoyed in the middle of it, and finally said, "What is up with all of the woses (roses)?"  Chlo had had enough of the red roses and the black ribbons already.
     On another evening, Rooshkie somehow got the kids all stirred up about a ghost.  She even had Mo all frightened and bright eyed about the so called ghost.  Mo kept saying "ghost....door!"  Apparently the ghost was knocking on our door.  He was quite unnerved by the whole thing.  I had to get after Rooshkie because Chlo refused to even enter her room to get her pajamas on.  In a fit of rage she finally dictated a note to the ghost for Jazzerz to write.  It said, "Dear Ghost...I want to put you in the fire and lock you out.  Then I will let you die in the light.  I will let you eat yucky food and then I'll stuff bugs in your mouth."  After this tersly worded letter, Chlo was able to settle down and go to bed.  Whatever works.  Ryan has put a ban on all screen time during the week, and I have noticed that when the screens go off, their imaginations really come out.  They had fun getting scared of Rooshkie's ghost.
     Shrsh, was nice.  Mo got ready really early, and demanded to get to shrsh right then.  Ryan finally walked to the church with him because none of the rest of us were ready.  He actually acted a little better because of this.  He must have gotten a lot of his energy out on the way to church.  Chlo was having underwear flashing issues again, and Rooshkie and Jams needed to be separated.  Mo also required much coaxing to go to nursery.  I tried to just bring him to class with me, but he kept screeching and carrying on.  Finally, a kind man gave him a small bag of m&m's.  This was good until he would drop one.  Then he would screech until I would locate the missing piece.  I finally just went to the nursery with him until he was settled in there.  I enjoyed Relief Society.  There was no interfering Mo, and we had a great discussion on Elder Christofferson's talk from October confernce.
     Today has been kind of dumpy because Ryan called me first thing needing some parts ran down to him from the plumbing supply store.  His current job is in St. George.  I really don't mind helping Ryan because he takes on a huge task being our sole supporter.  The problem is Mo.  He is still horrible in the car.  I also had to spend some time chasing parts at Scholzen Products.  Mo was awful in that store.  He kept running into some random guys office, and running up their stairs.  Upstairs is just more offices.  When the guy finally did locate the part I needed, he stepped out to get it, and seemed to take a year.  Mo was jerking around that place and he would go limp when I would grab him.  He would then squirm and squeal in my arms until I released him again.  When I finally did get my parts, the guy smelled strongly of tobacco.  Yeah, I appreciate him taking a smoke break as I rastle around with Mo in a steel product store for twenty minutes.  Needless to say, it made me grateful for the fact that I stay home with my kids.  It is a great blessing.  We were only on the job site for a few minutes before the foreman was hollering at Ryan to remove the kids. They didn't have their hard hats on apparently.
    

 It's apparent that Wames is getting a ton out of scripture study

 Chlo's note to the ghost

Mo standing proudly by his varnish stain.  Ryan and I still need to clean it up....lovely

     Ryan threw a monkey wrench in my universe last Sundee by letting me know that he had decided to take the whole family (including me) to the World Ag Expo in Tulare, California.  The show started on Tuesdee morning, and he planned on leaving Monday.  Well, I must admit that the thoughts of traveling all that way with a shrieking Mo did not entice me at all.  I knew that when I got there, I would thoroughly enjoy hanging at the "farm show" but getting there was going to be no fun at all. 
     I got up Monday morning and got scrambling.  My dishwasher had broken down on my last load, so all of the Sunday dishes had to be washed by hand.  This took all morning, plus I really needed to get packed.  I always need to pack up a cooler for trips, and so I really needed to stop at a grocery store.  Unfortunately, between all the backed up dishes and laundry, I didn't get to it.  We left in a big old rush on Monday evening.  Ryan wanted to push as far as we could go.  Well, with no cooler, and with no dinner, Mo was bawling loudly by the time we reached Mesquite.  Ryan pulled into McDonalds, instructed the kids to use the bathroom, and went in to get Mo some chicken nuggets.  I was appalled at Oak, who chose to use the bushes in front of the restaurant (right in front of their store front windows) instead of the bathroom facilities.  After witnessing Oak pee on the bushes, several customers left.  I sometimes feel like such a failure as a parent.  How could he possibly not know that this is totally not ok.  Needless to say, that he had a lengthy lecture about public behavior.  He didn't realize people were watching, and he did do better after.  I also realize that leaving the kids home has become a convenience, we rarely eat out, and Oak needed some tips and pointers.  Not peeing in front of the restaurant was one of them.
     Ryan blew through Vegas, and all of the lovely border casino's.  He went through Baker, and I was getting really tired.  Luckily, Mo fell fast asleep after his nugget fest.  I finally fell asleep too, and we eventually did get a room in Barstow.  I fell asleep, but everyone else stayed up late watching some show about Moles I believe.
     We got up early, and started traveling.  I have decided that some of California is kinda dumpy.  It was amazing when we climbed a hill with a bunch of windmills and dropped into a fragrant, and green valley.  It was gorgeous.  I love traveling through the orchards with all of the clean citrus smells in the air, and I love the foggy mistiness of the area.  California is gorgeous, and this is farm country in California.  Ryan stopped to meet his dad at a Richie Bros auction yard that was close to Tulare.  We spent most of the afternoon looking at tractors, tool beds, and tires.  I could tell that the farm show was going to be a huge fiasco.  I could not keep track of my little ones to save my life.  I would blink, and all three of them would just be gone.  They would tuck themselves away in a stack of tires, or they would climb in one of the tractors and blare the horn loudly.  Luckily, everyone there seemed very chill about the whole situation.  No awkward, "he he, keep your kids off the merchandise."  The only time someone said anything, was when they climbed a ginormous tractor, that was used for picking and sorting fruit.  And I was in total agreement with them.  Mo had no business being on top of that.  In Mo's defense, it was Wams who had taken him up there.  She was keeping good track of him, but wow.  Not too happy with Wams.
     After looking at farm tractors for awhile we went to the farm show.  The first day was nice because there really weren't that many people there yet.  I was so relieved, but after two hours of hauling Mo, and at times Chlo around, I was way ready for a wagon or a cart of some kind.  I began scouring all of the displays for a red wagon.  I decided I would pay just about anything for one.  We not only had to carry them everywhere, but we were constantly having to pull the kids off of stuff too.  Seriously, Mo has a death grip too.  Anyhow, Ryan and I both agreed, if we were going to spend an entire day looking at the farming displays, we were going to have to have a stroller or a wagon.  I ran to the first Walmart that I could find and purchased a garden wagon.  Seriously...the best decision ever.  Ryan did have to spend several hours assembling it, but it saved me.  Oak even rode in it at times, and they all three would nap in it.  There was so much to see and learn at the farm show.  There were displays of all varieties.  Ryan stopped at a squeeze chute display at one point, and studied them for a long time.  In the meantime the kids climbed all over their squeeze chute displays.  The vendor also had some balls that were attached to springy strings that the kids all got, and they were a ton of fun.  They got into many ball bapping fights after that, and everyone loved those things except for Sage.  She didn't get one, and she just got beaten to death by everyone else's balls nonstop.  Don't worry about Sager though.  Once she had had enough, she made those who beaned her nonstop with balls live to regret it. 
     A nice gal at an ice cream stand asked Chlo what grade she was in.  Chlo smiled and told the lady that she was in sunbeams.  This left the lady kind of confused.  Oak also charged at a golf cart that was hauling the business personnel around.  He backed up, and run full steam ahead at the golf cart.   The men in the cart were laughing at him and tried to swerve around him.  Luckily they didn't hit him, but I guess in their game of "chicken,"  Oak won.
     There were some intriguing displays on bugs and fruit flies, and Oak would sit there and study them for long spans of time.  I would finally have to pull him away from their microscopes because a line would form behind him.  We also learned a lot from a fruit sorter display.  It was a huge machine that inspected fruit and sorted it into the good and "spoiled" piles.  Anyhow,  We had great fun.  At one point Mo had fallen asleep in the wagon.  Ryan was checking out the Praxair tent.  Lisa had informed me that Ammon had spent hours in the Praxair tent, and so I expected the same from Ryan.  I told him that I was going to be in the women's tent while Mo slept.  In the women's tent they had chef's come and teach cooking tips and recipes.  It was perfect to just sit in the shade for awhile.  Sags and I were watching an intriguing lecture on making live wreaths when a nice woman came and asked if we would like some chocolate milk.  I was blown away by this because if there was anything that I would have wanted right then, it was chocolate milk.  Let me tell you, the chocolate milk was creamy and cold.  Sags and I had seconds.  It was way pleasant.  I love it when things like that happen.  I know it sounds small, but I always feel like those are just huge blessings.  Small ways that life can be so good and enjoyable.  I see the Lord blessing me constantly. 
     Another funny incident occurred when we were looking at tractors.  They were blue tractors, which used to be Ford tractor's but they are now called "New Hollands".  Anyhow, at this particular dealer, they had a model type blonde woman who was kind of scantily clad to entice buyers.  She had a ribbon across her body that labeled her as "Miss Blue."  I noticed that many men liked to come to this tractor display and get their picture taken in front of the tractors with Miss Blue.  Chlo ended up in many of these pictures without their knowledge.  I wish I could see their faces when they look on their cameras or print up their pictures to find Chlo in their picture.  She was in the tractor behind them with her little Holstein cow figurine while many of these pictures were snapped.  Photo-bomber Chlo.  I just couldn't help but laugh and leave her there.  It adds a wholesome aspect to the picture I am sure.
     After the farm show, Ammon found us a really nice place to stay on his I-phone.  It was way spacious and nice, after a few nights in the Motel 6.  We had some great soup-in-a-bread-bowl too.  We headed out the next morning for the Sequoia National Park.  The road up through the park was extremely narrow, and wind-y.  We were all glad to stop and take a few breaks.  At one spot we found a big rock over-hang and the kids caught orange salamanders.  At another spot, Ryan found some chestnuts and the kids climbed all over some rocks.  When we started to reach to the top, we all were freaking out about the size of the trees.  They seriously looked like a freak of nature.  We stopped at one so the kids could climb in the cave that was at the bottom of it.  We were appalled to find millions upon millions of ladybugs.  They were crawling all over the ground.  Jerusha freaked when her cousin Halle threw a handful at her, and they landed in her mouth and hair.  It was interesting to say the least.  We decided to reach the top because they had a museum that we hoped would answer a bunch of our questions.  Well, we reached the top, and we thought that Ammon and his family were right behind us.  Not so.  It took them awhile, but they eventually did meet us where there was a nice little museum.  Apparently Halle had filled her camera case with lady bugs.  I heard Ammon tell his kids that they were not allowed to bring the ladybugs into the car, but Halle brought her camera case and it was chock full of ladybugs.  Apparently Lisa looked behind her, and Bowen was just covered in them.  Ammon chucked the camera case out the window, and they had to spend a bunch of time cleaning the ladybugs out of the car. This is what caused their delay. We spent some time learning about the trees, and we also went up the road and saw the biggest sequoia in the world.  It was huge.  This trip was a little problematic because Oak had just been cooped up in the car too long.  He and Bowen got sword fighting with sticks and they were all over the mountain having a swashbuckling good time.  At one point Oak jumped and landed in a big pile of slushy snow.  It sprayed all over a couple who just happened to be walking by.  Instead of being mad at Oak, they looked up and glared at me.  It was true that he was totally out of control.  I apologized and we all moved on.  Sadly, they were probably soaked the rest of the day.  Oak swears up and down he didn't mean to, but he needs to start thinking things through a little better.
     The trip down was all wind-y again, and everyone was getting pretty carsick.  I thought we had lucked out with Chlo because she fell fast asleep.  Well, when we finally did reach the bottom of the hill, she started whining that she didn't feel good.  I knew that she needed to see the road, and get her bearings about her, and so I told her to come up and sit by me and watch the road for awhile.  I was slightly annoyed that Ryan rolled my window down, but he was trying to think ahead.  Well, too late, she didn't make it to the open window, she puked all over my lap.  Needless to say that it didn't make me smile too much.  I told Ryan to watch for a secluded spot by the river where I could clean up and change my clothes.  He turned off and found a spot across the river.  I began running down to the water, ripping puke-y clothes off in the process.  I had stripped down to my garments, and was just about to start scrubbing when Ryan came over and mentioned that I might want to find a spot behind some trees before I removed any more clothes.  He was looking up and across the river.  I hadn't even noticed, but we were right across from a restaurant.  It was full of people eating on their patio.  At that moment, it seems that it was just them, me, and cricket noises.  All of them had their eyes on me just wondering what the heck I was doing.  Needless to say that I was grateful that Ryan called my attention to this, and I was slightly annoyed that he hadn't found a secluded spot.  Anyhow, after finding some cover in some trees, and splashing up in the river, I had clean clothes on, and felt great.  Poor Chlo, I was getting carsick too.
     We found a nice Mexican restaurant that had a patio too, and the evening was tranquil.  We were right on the river, there was a grassy area where the kids could play, and the waitress and the food was great.  Ryan also found us an excellent place to stay at the bottom of the canyon.  California is beautiful.  The river ran right behind it, and there was a nice park for the kids to play.  The kids attempted (again) to swim but their pool was frigid.  My kids are impossible to stop when it comes to swimming pools.
     In the morning we drove all the way to Needles California where Ryan and Cliven have been checking out a ranch.  It was a way long drive with many fights and squabbles coming out of the backseat.  Yells, and bawls, and screams were abundant. At one point, Chlo asked Jazzerz to throw her a water bottle.  This was not a good thing.  Jazz chucked that water bottle hard and it hit Chlo right in the eye.  She bawled and bawled, and I felt bad because I didn't take her bawling very serious.  Chlo bawls often.  Anyhow, when we got to Needles her poor little eye was all swollen.  Poor Chlo. I was way glad to get out and let the kids run around the farm ground in Needles. I must admit that I want to buy that farm ground.  It is right on the Colorado river, the fields next to it are gorgeous, and my kids would have irrigation ponds to swim in.  It is also near three cities so it isn't in the middle of nowhere.  Perfect spot, I say.  Anyhow, one of the tribes was having a powwow and so all of the rooms were gone.  We went and got the kids some Chinese food, and ate it on a fake beach at a Casino.  This was all great and good, but then the kids got throwing dirt.  Most of the kids left with their hair chock full of sand. 
     We decided to camp out because there was really no other choice, and it was a nice evening.  We made thr kids a bed in the van, and Ryan and I took the one sleeping bag that we had and Ryan found us a spot in the middle of a brush/stick farm.  I was questioning his logic.  What was I supposed to do when Mo woke up bawling?  He explained that there was no way that Mo was going to fit in the sleeping bag with us.  He was right too, no room for Mo.  Anyhow, he started one of his bawling fits at about one, and by the time that I finally emerged from our sticker/brush maze, he had peacefully fallen asleep on Sagers neck.  She complained about it in the morning, but thankfully it was her neck and not mine.  He had slept on my neck the whole trip.
     We visited awhile the next day with Ammon, Cliven and families and then we left for home.  Mo had pretty much had it by the time we reached Mesquite.  We toyed with the idea of staying at the ranch, but I was out of clean clothes, and I was really homesick.  We did make it at 9pm.  We decided that Mo just cannot handle it if I drive.  He throws huge tantrums about it.  Poor Ryan has to drive the whole way.  I had to pull over by Mesquite so Ryan could drive.  Home is great.  I am glad to be cooking and cleaning up.  It was a great trip.  We had our moments, that is for sure.  I got a little upset at Rooshkie because she used a whole package of baby wipes on her feet, and Chlo looked like she had been in a bar fight...her eye was black and swollen.  Mo also bit the dust at the national park and had a streak of road rash on his face.  We are happy to be back.

 

 Brinklee and Mo

 This pool was way cold...they were kind of ridiculous to be trying to swim

 

 Oak was all tuckered out and didn't care about laying down at someone's booth

This is Mo eating ice cream on his dad's shoulders....he dripped it all over Ryan's head.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chlo and her shiner

 

Mo and his road rash



 

 



 



    

     I am going a tiny bit insane today.  I will admit that perhaps I am not in the best of all moods.  I also realize that this is my fault even though Jazzerz of all people has been pretty awful all day.  I love Jazzerz.  She is usually pleasant and low maintenance, but today she is stirring up all kinds of problems.
     Things are difficult on Sunday mornings with 9 am shrsh looming.  I wish I could say that I had no problem getting everyone ready and getting there on time.  This morning, I woke up 30 minutes late, and in spite of my best efforts I looked like a Reba when all was said and done.  Don't get me wrong.  Reba's are often great and pretty people, but I just felt kind of out of sorts.  I tried to mention my Reba feelings to Ryan, but I think that he thought that I meant that I looked like Reba Macintyre.  That wasn't it at all.  Something about the way that my hair was piled atop my head made me look Reba-ish.  Jazzerz immediately began complaining about Sager's long shower and Jerusha's wardrobe choices.  This got trouble brewing first thing.  When we got to shrsh, Jams was in tears because she wasn't ready, and Chlo ended up without shoes, which is no big shock.  Ryan did not inform me that he had been assigned to be one of the speakers today ( I am not sure if he was trying to be a secret agent man or what.)  Needless to say that Mo was awful, I ended up tackling Oak at one point because he and Chlo ran back and forth on the bench during the rest hymn, and Jazzerz and Oak ended up in the hall at one point in a scratching fight.  Seriously, my beautiful little calm Jasmine flower....on a bad streak today.  On the upside- Ryan's speech was excellent.  I did hear most of it in spite of Jazzerz bawling fit because I had to get after her for scratching Oak up in the hall.
     To top things off, we had the home teachers over.  Jazz was horrible.  She took some sparkly gem of Rooshkie's and licked it and spit it out of her mouth right at Rooshkie.  She stuck her feet on Mo's face and kicked Rooshkie a bunch of times.  I am kind of shocked at Jazz.  She has been on one.  When I try to correct her she laughs.  I must admit that Jazz doesn't get disciplined a whole lot because she is usually so even keel.  A peacemaker, and a nice presence.  Today she just must be feeling rebellious.
     We had a pretty calm week overall.  We had the usual tussels with Mo and Chlo.  Mo came up with a new word in his language.  He calls cereal "poke" and often wakes up in the morning begging for poke.  This kind of makes me frown because I don't really like to feed my kids cereal for breakfast.  If I do, then they get hungry in like 30 minutes and they are begging for cereal again.  He has turned into a Daddy monster too.  Ryan has been around the house a lot more lately helping me with some broken appliances etc.  Mo has loved having his Dad around and begs and bawls to be included in everything that Ryan does.  He wants to go with him everywhere.  He will even tell me to go away when he is spending time with his Dad.  This has made me mad enough that Mo just find himself sleeping without my neck in the night.  He expects me to just be fine and dandy with him wallering all over me all night, but wants me to go away all day?  I don't think so.
     My washer and dryer was having issues.  This is never good.  Laundry piles up extremely fast around our place, and so Ryan immediately went uptown hunting parts.  He pulled the dryer out into the living room and had it torn apart in no time.  We had to get after Chlo because her desire was to be in the dryer eating popcorn while it was being worked on.  I had to explain to Chlo that this was not going to happen.  She was quite disappointed.  Mo kept trying to get into the tools and screws and scatter them.  Mo also kept climbing up on top of the appliances.  I don't think it is very easy to repair stuff when Mo is on top of the machine, and Chlo is in the machine with popcorn.
     Jerusha has been teaching Jazzerz how to play the violin lately, and she has made up some song on the piano.  Jazzerz seriously will play four low squeaks to four high squawks over and over and over again.  Rooshkie's piano song is a happy little song but it is played for hours and hours at a time.  I finally had to beg Jams and Sags to borrow an ipod.  I don't want to yell at the kids when they are being creative, but really, there is only so much noise I can take. 
     Currently I am frowning because Mo has dumped one of those monster sized cereal bags on the floor, Jams fizzled on finishing up the kitchen, and there is popcorn scattered everywhere.  Then we wonder why people aren't flooding into to buy this joint.  It has definitely been lived in and messed up over and over. I realize that I probably sound like a negative nellie.  I need to straighten up and that is for sure.  I am really blessed in so many ways.  We have been quite healthy this winter, and the kids seem to be doing well in many aspects.  Jams is doing great with her violin.  We bought her a new and more expensive instrument this week, and I am so happy that she does well in the orchestra.  Sags is doing rehearsals for a play that she and a few of her friends wrote, and Rooshkie is doing great in school and makes friends with all kinds of people.  Helpful Jazz is usually so great to take care of Mo, and help her dad especially with anything.  Oak is a great big brother, who always looks out for Chlo and especially Mo lately.  Chlo is loving and affectionate, and Mo is energetic and happy.  See, I feel better already.
     Speaking of Mo, he has been better this week to look after Chlo.  Ryan sat down with him at one point to eat lunch and Mo kept mentioning "Bean."  Ryan thought that he meant that he wanted a bowl of beans, but he was concerned about the Bean getting some lunch with him.  The Bean is what we usually call Chloee.  He wanted to take care of the Bean quite a bit this week.  Nice and thoughtful Mo.  Ok...in spite of feeling like a Reba, today is not so bad.

 Grandpa H brought us a gigantor candy bar this week...the kids have been sneaking chunks out of it.

 Grandma Grapes and Lucy

 Grandma Grapes and Baby Houston

 Grandma's cake

  

Brinklee, Maddi, and Emrie on Hot Toddy

 Big Dummy

 Big Dummy-taking a break from the golf course

     Mo and a tiny puppy

     I love to start a new month.  Bring on February.  It was an interesting week at our house and we had a great weekend with Ryan's family.  We also got some snow which was needed extremely bad.  I am grateful that Heavenly Father answers our prayers.  We had a stake fast for snow and it came almost immediately.  It was needed, even though I loved that we had a great January.  It was nice enough that the kids played outside most of the month.
     Oak and I had a few interesting conversations this week.  He wondered if the requirements to become a giant, included eating people.  I was quite surprised at his question and asked him if he had decided that he wanted to be a giant.  He said that he had no desires to be a giant, but just wondered if that was what it took.  I told him that giants didn't have to eat people.  Giants don't exist anymore.  The Bible talks about giants, but I highly doubt that they got big because they ate others.
     Mo has started a new trend this week.  He likes to get into the bread and eat large or small holes out of the center of the slice.  When I would go to make the girls a sandwich for their packed lunches, there would be Mo-holes in the center of their bread.  I just told him to smile and think of their baby brother when they ate their lunch.  I guess it is all about attitude, but I still don't know what Moroni is thinking.
     Also, I have really struggled with Mo and Chlo this week.  It was so nice when Chlo was smaller, and Oak was the big brother.  He spoiled the heck out of Chlo and took good care of her.  He didn't accept a treat without asking to for her one too.  That was just the type of big brother he was.  He shared his toys, and he and Chlo played well together, thanks to his thoughtfulness. We had peace and contentment in the home until the older kids got home from school. Well, Chlo and Mo just fight over everything all day.  If she has a toy, he wants it.  If he has a toy, she wants it.  Bawling is pretty much all that I hear.  Chlo even went so far as to get up onto Rooshkie's bed with a baby buggy that she had, and he wanted.  She just sat there, unable to play with it so that he couldn't get it.  I mean, what is the point?  She couldn't play with it up there at all, but it kept him bawling and bawling about it.  I really hope that they outgrow this phase and get along.  It is making me slightly insane.  Chlo hasn't always been so mean spirited.  In fact, Chlo is a very affectionate and loving kid.  She is great to help me with tasks around the house, and she always hugs me and tells me she loves me.  She and Mo just don't mesh too well.
     This past weekend we had been invited to Ryan's Grandma's 90th birthday.  She is a cute Grandma.  Anyhow, we headed south on Fridee.  I was glad, because it had been snowing quite a bit and it was raining at the ranch.  Rain at the ranch smells wonderfully fresh.  I love it.  Anyhow we got the kids all cleaned up, and met with all of Ryan's extended family at the Bunkerville Community center.  I had to laugh because there was a certain room that the doors had been taped together.  I recall that the last time we got together, the kids had somehow gotten into that room and dumped glitter everywhere.  I am sure that the glitter dumping was not appreciated.  Anyhow, it was a lot of fun to see everyone.  They had brought Grandma's rocker and everyone brought her silk flowers and she was the queen of the day.  Bailey had also done a video library that was very well done.  It was a great day.  The kids all played well together, and we got to see a lot of people that don't usually come to our family reunions and gatherings.  Wazz got injured, and I am still not clear what exactly happened to her.  She fell off of some cat walk she claimed, but I cannot think of a catwalk in the building.  She got bandaged up and went back to playing with Naomi.  Cute Wazz.
     On Sundee we all got up and got ready for shrsh.  Chlo was eager to go to Oscar's class even though technically she is too old to be in sunbeams anymore.  Oak and a bunch of the boys wanted to build a huge fire, and of course Grandpa B told them to go ahead and do it.  A few of them were apparently caught trying to roast Barbie's over a fire at some point.  Anyhow, Oak was not too eager to get cleaned up for church.  We finally rounded everyone up, but we were late and ended up having to sit in the foyer.  This is never a good thing because the hall brings way too many distractions.  I got so embarrassed at one point I just started laughing.  Ryan just gave me a questioning look.  I explained that I was so embarrassed I almost couldn't handle it anymore.  Chlo kept putting her feet straight up in the air, revealing her blue Dora the Explorer underwear.  Oak put himself between the two doors and was acting like Sassy the calf.  He was head butting the glass louder and louder.  Everyone that came in the doors had to deal with Chlo's abandoned shoes and socks, and Oak/Sassy.  Mo was running to and fro, and Jazz began to entertain herself by trying to annoy Sage.  This is always a dangerous game.  We had a few extras with us too, Gracie, and Whitley.  They of course were behaving very well.  Anyhow, Jazz kept irritating Sags.  Sags asked her over and over to stop.  She was polite at first and then got madder and madder.  Finally Jazz got yelled at and pinched pretty hard.  I cannot say this was justified, but she was asked to stop repeatedly.  This whole fiasco, got Jazz bawling really hard.  I just started laughing because what else can ya do?  I had tried to reason with Chlo about her legs, only to see them in the air again.  I had rastled with Mo until I just had enough of it, and Oak did stop playing between the doors only to run the halls with his cousin Braxton.  Braxton is three by the way.  Great example Oak! Sometimes the kids win.  They won.
     We went back to the ranch, and Grandpa Bundy made us some savory sourdough biscuits to top off the day.  They were great.  We packed everyone up and headed home with a lot of scuffles and fighting coming from the back.  Chlo actually caused a whole lot of trouble.  She was pulling Rooshkie's hair, and knocking Oak in the head.  Ryan had to threaten her and she finally did stop. 
 

 Chlo, on top of Rooshkie's bed with her buggy

 Mo's bread holes....a new business idea?

 Sags feeding Sassy with Mo and cute Emrie

 again

 Gracie and Mo

 Gracie, Justus, and Wams

 Maysa, Chlo, Grandpa and Aunt Leen

 The kids all came and gave Grandma silk flowers

 Most of the Cliven Bundy family...Chlo had managed to disappear

 Grandma and Grandpa with most of the Grandkids...again no Chlo

 Carol and daughters and daughters-in-law

 Grandma and her family

Cute Grandma 2-4-2