Family History, I am doing it. Or…just sticking my big toe in and testing out the temperature.

With my Stake YW calling, I was asked to help moderate a training meeting for the newly called youth family history consultants in our stake.  Uh…Yeah…Um…Well…Oh crap now everybody will know how I know nothing about family history. 

So in order not be a total hypocrite, I got online at Family Search, signed in and looked up my family tree.   I realized very quickly that I am in big trouble.  It was overwhelmed both in information and feeling as I realized how much I love the people who's names I recognized, how enthralled I was with the names I didn't know, and how big one's family tree truly is.    I felt insignificant and empowered all at the same time…if that even makes sense at all.

One thing I discovered was that there were no pictures of my Grandma and Grandpa Walker posted.  It made me sad, so I decided to post them myself.  (Just once again trying not to be hypocritical when I talk to the youth.  If I can do something on this website, surly these tech savvy kids can.)

My mom had given me copies of my grandparents pictures a few years ago so I simply took a picture of the picture with  my phone and then uploaded them to the website.

Lickity split I tell ya.

Elma Annie Wright Walker

Love this woman more than I can express.

And yes, she was this beautiful every day of her life.

Paul Dean Walker Jr.

What a looker!

You can't tell in the photo, but those eyes were blue blue blue.  I love that I named my only blue eyed child after this wonderful man.  Its fitting.

As I posted pictures of my grandparents a wave of emotion came over me.  I miss these two and am looking forward to seeing them again one day.  

I'm so grateful for the knowledge I have that families are forever and I can be with these two amazing people again. 

 Now for some pictures of relatives I obviously have never met.

Ira Horton Walker

 and his wife...

Mary Elizabeth Hill

I joked with my sisters that she must have had five kids or more because she looks how I feel.

(I hope she doesn't hate me for saying that)

I have one except from a letter that Ira wrote to his wife while he was serving in the civil war.  I'm anxious to learn more about these people and how they lived.

Totally different subject???

This little dude got on his hands and knees today and started rocking like crazy.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Please, please heaven help me when this boy is fully mobile.  The house is falling apart at it is and I don't need a child choking on the junk I haven't swept or vacuumed up because I'm too busy taking care of the other four kids and all their stuff.

The next few months might honestly do me in.

Also added to my plate besides mobile boy…

All three older boys are in swimming again.  I'm hoping to carpool with a few neighbors to save us all the extra trips to the pool.   Andrew is ecstatic about swimming full time again and admitted that swimming was much harder than running cross country.  I can see Andrew light up when he swims.  I think its his home away from home and I adore that he has a passion for something active.  Carter is being a trooper and is going to the pool armed with diabetes kit to battle low blood sugar while I am away.  (this is the first time I am not staying at the pool while he swims)  This kit includes a phone so he can text me his numbers 45 minutes into the lesson.  Colby is finding that he too loves swimming and I'm thrilled that he can keep up swimming laps for 45 minutes.  (I think I would die after 15.)

Something you don't want to hear from you child as he hands you his progress report...

"Mom…now don't freak out."

Doesn't he know how those five words automatically start the freak out process?!

"Before I hand you this, you have to know I already brought these grades up…I don't have a "-" in this class or that class."

Good think young man, good thing.

The weekend we could have renamed our family Yoder.

We had family pics...again...Friday night.

I thought my family would murder me and I'm wondering if my friend Kerianne might want to too.

The thing is, Steve and I came up with a pretty great idea for our costumes this year and we decided to get the kids involved too.  Family themed Halloweens are fun like that. (ok...maybe I'm the only one who thinks they are fun, but I appreciate my family going along with it.)

We went Amish.

I found a website that sold authentic gently used Amish clothing.  I sent in our measurements and a slightly musty smelling box arrived at my door about a week later.

I was pleasantly surprised with the contents. (after a few washes of course)

Steve grew his beard out for a few months, we bought an extra hat and...the rest is history.

My kids thought they were being tortured, but we got them all dressed up and had pictures taken.  If I'm going to go to this much work to make everyone look like they came from a community in Pennsylvania- I am going to document it!

I'm not going to post pictures of the finished product because I have other plans for them.  Let me just say that they are pretty sweet pictures.  My friend Kerrianne never disappoints.

The above picture is from Steve and I right before we left for a costume party Saturday night.  I think we look pretty convincing if I do say so myself.  (Steve's beard took the cake. This man is a trooper!)

 There is only one problem.  My children REFUSE to wear their costumes on Halloween.  REFUSE.

So much for trying to be a fun mom.

After pictures on Friday night, we rushed Andrew to the Canyon Ridge football game where his band played with the high school band before the game and at half time.

Him waving obnoxiously was for my benefit.  Thanks Andrew!

This is the back of his band shirt.   He and his friends have begged thier band teacher to have this on the shirt for the past three years.  He caved this year.

Live on Dobby...live on.

Saturday afternoon Steve and I drove around and dreamt of buying land.  It must have been the Amish clothing rubbing off on us.  For about 30 minutes we felt like being mini-farmers.  (and by mini I mean 1 acre's worth)

The feeling passed when I came home and looked at my own yard and all the work that still needs to be done before winter.  Blah.

Last night I looked over in bed and saw this Amish dude sitting next to me.  AHHH.  That beard is hilarious...and as of this morning is gone.  Whew.

This morning my kids further demonstrated their hatred for Amish clothing by getting out the viking costumes from two years ago and vowing to re-wear.

Whatever guys, as long as I don't have to buy anything else.

Random...oh so random.

Andrew bought this beauty Monday morning at 7:30 am with his summer lawn mowing (slaving) money.

My parents pay their slaves a little too well.

Steve is a really nice dad and took him to Walmart before school.

Had one of those "Holy Crap I have five kids and I have to feed them all three times a day!" moments.

I feel like I should live in a shoe some days.

 Baby push ups.

Decisions decisions.

(Can I say how much I hate magazines coming to my house sometimes?  Next time they will go straight to the recycle bin.  Do not stop.  Do not collect $200.   Do not turn my daughter into a green eyed greedy monster.)

Carter received his Bear award last night.

His smile was adorable and the paint was itchy.

Taken before he was given four shots in the legs.

Poor little guy.

Happy he will not get rotovirus or whooping cough amongst a few others.  Hurray for vaccines.

Hip-hip hurray!

Hip-hip hurray!

Hip-hip hurray!

Really nasty high blood sugar.

(really really nasty)

Now home rotting his brain on a screen.  Makes me wish I had a trench that needed dug out back.

We need to give Little Mermaid a rest.

I just walked into the room to hear my three year old daughter say, and I quote, "And DON'T underestimate the importance of body language!" 

I have no one to blame but myself.

Saturday was a special day...it was Carter's birthday

 Even though Steve and I were home late Friday night, the kids spent the night at my parents.  They were excited about seeing their Johnson cousins early Saturday morning.

I stayed home working on the "I've been gone" catchup and didn't show up to my parents until around 11am Saturday.

The kids were outside enjoying the beautiful weather and fall leaves.  My parents yard is a leaf haven.

I wouldn't let Colby give his cousin bunny ears so he did it to himself.

The best buds.

 Saylor and her right hip.

Whit is a trooper and puts up with Saylor's feisty whims.

 Piling leaves for a soft landing.

 Getting ready to jump.

 The oldest grandchild with the youngest.

I likes Whitney's flippy hair in this picture.

I also like Saylors backwards shirt that she claimed I taught her to wear this way.  Nice try Saylor Girl.

 

Grady and JaNae

My mom had all the grandkids cutting teasel weed from the canyon edge (but not too close to the edge) to spray paint and make into Halloween spiders.  The kids loved this project.

Walker and Dad driving off to run errands.

They are too cool for spider crafts.

The best part of the day was when Andrew finished helping with two Eagle projects and came home just to leave again with my dad, Walker and Holly.  They did baptisms at the temple for family names.

Pretty sweet.

Ok...maybe the best part of the day was celebrating Carter's 10th birthday with cousins.

It was really (really) low key...we didn't even have candles...but Carter was happy like he always is.

He chose a pumpkin pie over cake and relished in his cold hard cash.

He promptly handed the money over to help pay for his half of his new I-pod.

  (I used the $$$ to buy groceries.  Boring.)

Cousins are sweet.

So is Pie.

We arrived home late Saturday night.  As the kids were getting ready for bed, Colby started monkeying around with Steve.  They had an epic battle of head-bunt wars.  Colby won hands down.

The next thing I knew, I looked up and Colby was climbing the walls.

This kid really is a monkey...or squirrel.

Lastly, Sunday morning we sang to Carter again at breakfast.  His birthday was extended into three days!  It finished off yesterday when I took in donuts to his class. 

Love my 10 year old!

photo dump from weekend shenanigans

Steve had a implant course to attend in Midway Utah starting this last Thursday.  I hemmed and hawed and changed my mind multiple times on whether I should go with him.   Tuesday morning I decided I would go and spent the rest of Tuesday scrambling to prepare to leave our four oldest kids with my parents for the weekend along with packing Grady and I. 

By Wednesday afternoon I was exhausted and frazzled, but ready to go.  

Thankfully Saylor had no problem keeping herself entertained while I packed.

 However, she was NOT happy with my choice of clothing.

She informed my mom she would never wear this coat again because it is not a girl color.

So much for buying coats on clearance a year early without the Diva's approval.

Steve's course kept him occupied all Thursday and Friday.  The only time I saw him was breakfast both mornings and at the dinner Thursday night.  You'd think we would have gone out late both nights and played in Salt Lake, but no, we are old, tired and had a six month old in tow.  

I was passed out asleep in the hotel both nights by 10 pm.

 So what did I do to keep myself and Grady entertained for two days?

Well...I ate...a lot.

We had stopped by Trader Joes in SLC on our way to Midway and luckily for me they offered an enormous variety of gluten free treats.

These chocolate cupcakes were my favorite.

 I enjoyed the beauty that is Midway Utah.  The colors were beautiful and so were the mountains.

 We took self portraits in the hotel.  I think I used to be better at these.

Oh...and we shopped.  

Park City is only 20 minutes from Midway and I spent most Thursday and Friday walking the outlet mall and surrounding shops.

I found that Park City is WAY out of my comfort zone when it comes to $$$.

I didn't feel like I fit in with the clothes I was wearing, what I was driving or any other aspect.

I did find out that ritzy TJ Maxx stores have better carts though...one of the best redeeming qualities about Park City.

So my vote???

Midway:  Thumbs up.  I would live there.  It was SO beautiful.

Park City:  Thumbs down.  But the shopping was fun.

Salt Lake City:  Been there, done that.  Happy to live in Idaho.  However, I wouldn't mind a Trader Joes, Whole Foods (just for the gluten free stuff), PF Changs and In and Out Burger.

 So so happy to live in Twin Falls.

We don't ever get freeways like this thank goodness.

Steve, Grady and I drove home late Friday night.  All my kids except Carter spent Friday night at my parents house even though Steve and I technically were home.  We picked up Carter around 10:30 pm due to diabetic reasons.

Saturday morning was the beginning of his 10th birthday.  

I let him have my last gf chocolate cupcake.  That's how much I love this kid.

Steve spent Saturday morning cleaning out our flowerbeds and working on the yard.

I unpacked a little, did a little laundry and then headed to my parents house to spend the day with my sister JaNae and her family.

Much more to post about that later.

In the meantime, here are a few pictures that were sent to me on my trip courtesy of my mom and dad.  They are wonderful grandkid sitters.

Saylor repeated over and over all weekend that she was moving in to my mom's house...without any parents.  I adore how much my children love being with my parents!

Ready for school early so they could play games on Carter's I-pod.  We bought half of it for his birthday and let him have it before we left for Utah.

 Playing with Grandpa in the front yard Thursday night.

 The tire swing is the best!

Two little cats showed up and wouldn't leave my kids alone.  The kids took many pictures of them and the cats and set them to me.  

No...we are not getting a cat.

Yes...this picture might end up on a t-shirt.

Carter took this picture with his I-pod.

Sunsets in my parent's yard are beautiful.

This picture was from Saturday morning.  Saylor and one of her favorite cousins had matching hair!

Tomorrow hopefully I'll post about Carter's birthday.