Girls Nights Out

Yep...that's plural...two nights in a row!!! What a fabulous husband I have to put up with not one, but two girls nights...and back to back even!! Whatever for, might you ask....NEW MOON, of course!!! That's right...it's that time of year again...time for the second installment of the Twilight Saga...and I saw it twice!! The first night (Thursday) we had a group of 19 total at the theater. Half of us opted to go to a special showing of Twilight before New Moon began. We lined up at 7:30pm for the movie and made some friends that were just as crazy as we were!! Our group got separated so before the midnight movie began, we bounced from theater to theater chit-chatting with our friends...then the movie began...and oh, what a movie it was!!! I thought it was SOOOO much better than the first one (and I'm sure the half-naked guys didn't have anything to do with my decision either!!) But then day 2 (well...technically, it was later that night) we were standing in line and had brought in a few pizzas. We had some left over and they would not allow us to take them into the theater. I took it upon myself to hand out pizzas to our fellow "Twihards" behind us in line. I told the usher (named Al, who had just asked us to make friends with each other in line) that I should get a reward for being so nice to everyone!! He agreed (even though I was kinda kidding)...well...he asked me what I thought was a good reward...there were these cups, you see...4 of them in the set; one with Jacob, one with Bella, one with Edward, and one with all three of them together. I had all but one...all the Jacob cups were gone...so I asked my new BFF Al if he could "find" me one...and so the hunt began. A 3 hour hunt to be exact and he told me it wasn't looking as though it was going to end in my favor....when I came out of the movie theater after the movie, however, who was waiting for me...AL...with a Jacob cup in hand!!! Ahhh....sweet victory!!! We just may have to have a Twilight dinner one of these nights...with my new cups....thanks for another great memory, girls...see you again in June!! Until next time.........

God Bless America

So it was really hard for me to sleep last night...which is really unusual for a narcoleptic...but I found myself thinking back 8 years ago and what I was doing when I heard about the attacks on our great nation. I felt very emotional and began to cry thinking of all the people that have suffered because of it. Of course there are those who have paid the price with their lives and for that we are grateful. But there are those who have gone and fought for our freedom that have come back and have to live with images and sounds that they have experienced and may never recover from. My heart goes out to all of those who serve this country we live in and am eternally grateful for the sacrifices you endure to keep us free...sometimes sacrificing true freedom yourselves...thank you for your service and may God hold you in the palm of his hand. God Bless America!!

picture dump!

Just got the camera back from Eric...really wish he would get his own!!! Here are some pix of what we've been up to the last few months...

A trip to Sea World...

Hailey

Cayson


Jaxson

Deni

OOPS!!! Didn't see the sign until it was too late...it says "ALL TIDE POOL ANIMALS MUST REMAIN UNDER WATER TO BREATHE!" Sorry little star fishies!!

More to come........

we are back!

Well...we have been back for 2 weeks but I haven't had a moment to myself to blog...as many of you have expressed to me...and I apologize! Just an update on Eric...he is doing better-for those of you who didn't hear...Eric was hospitalized nearly a month ago for a week due to blood clots in his lungs and one of his legs. Since his hospitilization...we have found out that he had multiple clots that, according to the many test results he had to endure, were about to pass from his lungs on their way to his heart...thankfully, he was scheduled to work at the hospital on a day that he wasn't supposed to be and his co-workers sent him to the ER just in the nick of time. It was scary leaving him while he was still in the hospital but it was nice that we were surrounded by family to help keep our minds on other things. Eric's co-workers were also nice enough to donate their sick time to him so that he wouldn't lose pay (he missed 68 hours of work all together). Our lives are truly blessed...but I told him if he tries to die on me again...there are no guarantees that I won't help him in the process (just kidding!!:-o)I didn't think I was THAT hard to live with! To show apprecitation to his co-workers...I baked 8 loaves of bread and sent 3 jars of freezer jam (we picked strawberries at Green Bluff the day we got home!) plus some cookies and some other yummy treats! I have MANY, MANY more stories to fill you in on (Reese, the new neighbors, my FABULOUS surprise that I came home to and more....stay tuned! Until next time.................

Be Patient With Me...

So, the kids and I are in Arizona for our annual visit. I'm not even gonna pretend that I am gonna be able to post while I'm here (exept this one)...but I got some great stories stored up for when I get back (3 airplane rides each way from WA to AZ and back, Eric's week-long stay in the hospital, Deni (who's 4) finally being reunited with Reese (a 17-year old lifeguard), a family reunion, and a visit to grandpa charlie's farm (in the wind, mind you...), and Roland's kids using juice to slip and slide in his kitchen while his wife was at girls camp...I bet y'all can't wait...hang on to your hats and glasses...I got some good ones comin your way!!! Until next time.............

There is a reason it's called "Jump ROPE"

So, we were at Young Women's the other day (I'm the new secretary and Eric teaches Wed nights...so the kids come with me!) and I was helping the Laurels sew aprons for their pioneer trek dresses. The kids were all in the nursery making a HUGE mess with all of the toys (there were my 4 plus 5 other kids) but at least they were quiet! After cleaning up, we took some girls home and went home ourselves. The kids went and got in their pjs and came downstairs for prayer. That's when I noticed it...Cayson's cheek was bleeding (how did I miss it? I don't know). It wasn't bleeding bad, just a little cut. I asked him what happened to his cheek and he just rolled his eyes and started shaking his head as he said, "Mom...it was so stupid!" Great! You never want to hear those words coming from a bleeding 7 year old...."Tell me what happened while I clean it up". He chuckles a little bit and says, "well, I was in the nursery showing off for the girls and tried to jump rope with a baby stroller and I forgot to bend my knees." Oh, brother! After processing this in my head for a minute...I just simply said, "Cayson, I am proud of you for recognizing that as probably not the smartest choice...what can you learn from this?" "Well, I think next time I will remember to bend my knees!!!" BOYS!!!! Until next time..........

LIlly Belle

So, Walt Disney loved trains! It was said that after Disneyland closed for the night, Walt could be found driving the train around the park...His wife's name was Lilly, and he named a train car after her. Not just any train car, mind you...his own personal train car. It is filled with antiques and personal photos. We were lucky enough to have been able to ride in this beautiful train car on a trip around the Magic Kingdom. Thomas was the name of our escort (there are expensive and irreplaceable things on the train car so whenever someone rides on it, so does an escort). Thomas gave us lots of interesting facts about Mr Disney and the park...such a great experience! If/when you get to visit Disneyland, make sure to go by City Hall and ask to ride on the Lilly Belle...they will even give you souvenir tickets...One of my favorite things in the car was a picture of Walt and Lilly (a rare picture of her, even more rare of them together). An experience my kids can't stop talking about! Thank you Mr Disney for sharing your dream with the world....Until next time...............

Breafast with the Characters...its a long one, bear with me!

So, the first day @ Disneyland...we decided to have breakfast with Minnie & Friends...we met a lot of characters and the food was scrum-delish! Cayson liked Captain Hook the best, I think...he took a picture with him and CH put his hook around Cayson's throat...he thought that was cool! The Fairy Godmother (i have been to DL lots of times and this was the first time I have met her...)she came and tied the kids' balloons on their wrists for them. Winnie the Pooh came by and gave the kids some honey. We got pictures and autographs of the characters and went about our business. The next day we noticed that our autograph book was missing! Aaaggghhh! Not that we had a huge amount of autographs...but we had quite a bit...so we went to lost and found to see if they had our book...the lady was gone for quite a while and she said that she went through about 100 books and couldn't find ours...bummer! So the third day, I decided to go to the breakfast and ask them if they would just take the new autograph book around and have the characters sign it again. One lady was not very nice (very un-Disneyland attitude, she had!) so I asked another lady who was walking around with the characters and she was very nice about it. She took our book and went around to the characters and had them each sign it (which was nice because there were characters there that we hadn't had a chance to meet before). I took the book and went to City Hall to give Tammy (the nice lady) a compliment...they get special things when they go above and beyond for the guests...she did something for me...I was gonna do something nice for her...so I was filling out the compliment sheet and the lady that was helping me asked me if she could take my book and have each of the kids' favorite character autograph it...SURE! She told me to come back in a couple of hours and she would give it back to us. So we went over to CA Adventures to the Aladdin show (which is great!) and then came back to City Hall...I picked up the book and ran outside (the kids were in line to meet Cruella DeVil and Mary Poppins and Bert). After we met them, we were sitting down contemplating our next move and I picked up the autograph book...Holy Cow! They had added about 30 or so more names in the book...now, I know that when you are hired to be a character, you have to learn all of the signatures so you can play any given character so I know that one or two people sat down and filled up our book...now that is Disneyland attitude! Anyways, I went back to City Hall to thank them and the lady said that the man that was "in charge" of the project had remembered my kids from breakfast and wanted to do something special...we got autographs of characters that have not nor will they probably ever be out doing autographs...that is something special! More to post later...until next time!




P.S....Grandpa really likes his picture taken with the characters!

Guess What I Am?!?!

So we have this game called Guess What I Am (target...$15-ish). Anyways, you put your face in the hole of these pictures and people give you clues as to what/who you are...my kids love it! We were playing a while back and Deni was a peacock and couldn't remember what it was called...we described it to her "Deni...it's the bird with feathers that look like eyeballs"...she would answer, "what's it called? Don't tell me!" Finally she yelled out..."i know...it's a POOCOCK!" She was so proud of herself! Here is a picture of the cutest poocock ever!

We Have Returned!

Okay...so we've been back for a couple of weeks but it has taken this long to get back into the swing of things! My vacation posts are going to be out of order 'cause Eric borrowed my camera with all my pics on it and still hasn't brought it back from work...if I don't get it back tomorrow, I'm gonna have to go repossess it...Anyways, these pics are our "in-betweeners". This is after our 3 days at Disneyland on our way to Sea World...the kids once again got carsick and we stopped at a little "rest area"(no bathrooms or trash cans...just a park your car and look at the ocean spot). Anyways, our kids look like orphans because it was a travel day...anyways, we stopped and got Jaxson and his car seat all cleaned up and let the kids get out and walk around a bit and look at the ocean. Along comes a military helicopeter right in front of us...they were doing practice drops that day for supplies...it was cool to watch. They saw the kids outside so put on a little show for them-it was fun to watch! Anyways, the spot that we were at, there was a little nest of chipmunks and Eric put a chip on the ground to see if the chipmunk would come close enough for the kids to see...it sure did...and they kept feeding it...it ate the chips right out of their hands...that is until mom came around and spoiled the fun (they were feeding it MY salt & vinegar chips...HOW RUDE...especially since, not 3 hours before, talked my mom into handing them over to me!) You can mess with a lot of things...but keep your hands off my salt and vinegar chips...it will get ugly! Anyways, after the hour we spent on the side of the road, we headed into San Diego to our hotel to meet another set of grandparents and another amusement park...such fun we had! I will post more pics in the next day or two...we had lots of adventures to share...Until next time!

Be Back Soon...

Okay, folks...I know it has been a while since blogging...sorry about that...a few things have happened that I will blog about when I get a chance...right now, I am sitting in a hotel room in Mesquite, Nevada on our way to Disneyland...I will try to blog about our trip along the way...no promises, though! We have had a fun time traveling here, though (7 stops for puking yesterday-saturday). On one of our puking stops on the side of the road, Jaxson had to go potty but couldn't pee on the side of the road because there were 9 deer on the other side of the freeway and he didn't want them to watch him...crazy kids! Anyways, our long day starts early tomorrow so...until next time...............

Greg Jones

Okay, family of mine...(friends can join in, too!)...We are getting ready for our trip to Disneyland...now, growing up, we used to go to Disneyland every year for Spring Break...spoiled...I know! We have had a TON of fabulous memories...so I was hoping that you would comment on YOUR favorite memories...here are a couple of mine....maybe they are the same...I'll start with...you guessed it, girls...GREG JONES!!! Greg was a bellboy at Quality Inn right by Disneyland and we all thought he was HOT HOT HOT...he was in his 20s and was tall, dark, handsome, and hairy!!! Well, one day he caught me playing in the elevator (I think I was 6 or 7-ish)and I thought I was busted (I was actually just infatuated with him and forgot to get off on my floor). Later on, my two sisters and our Aunt Shelley went downstairs and took a picture with him (I tried to find it to post but I think Kim has it...)Boy, it's sad that 20 years later we still remember his name! And, Denise...do you remember getting lost in Aneheim with Jean...I'm sure you will never forget the look on Mom & Dad's faces when they found you! And Brother...it's a good thing they don't have the "people mover" anymore, right?!?!? We really have been blessed with great parents that were able to take us on vacations a lot and give us great memories to share with each other...like....Kim and Denise...do you remember waving to the truck drivers while using the port-a-potty in the back of the camper!?!?!? Good Times!!!! Until next time................

Dedication....

I originally was gonna do this once a week...but I just can't wait for this one...this one is for my sisters, Denise and Kim....we had a '78 Ford SuperCab and when we went on road trips...this song was always a must...and poor brother was the recipient of our kisses on the cheeks....we always pretended he was Fred...hahaha...soooooo funny! I'm happy I found this song...it took me awhile but was well worth it...for those of you who don't have sound...the song is "Seven Little Girls in the Backseat" by Paul Evans and the Curls. A song from the 50's (I think)...sometimes, when my kids are being loud or my husband is being distracting...I belt out this song (I do NOT sing well...)it usually does the trick! We've had some good times, girls, good times! Until next time..........

This Week's Song Dedication

Disclosure: First of all...this is totally not meant to offend ANYONE...this song is one we grew up with and back in the day when you could live in peace and harmony and say things to people and they wouldn't be twisted around and have you being accused of being racist...which I totally am not (you should see our wedding photos...I think we had just about every race represented in our wedding party alone)...having said that...Okay, brother...this one is yours...Ray Stevens' "Ahab the Arab"...makes me laugh everytime I hear it! Brother would totally get into performing this song....I think Roland (cousin) would get into it too he liked the bone in the nose part...hilarious to think about all the trouble we used to get into...btw...here is a funny story about my brother...so, for a while, after we moved to Spokane, we were in the same ward. I would walk up to him and say, "hey, brother..." and thought nothing of it...well, one Sunday, he was sitting in the chapel talking with a guy named Bro. Duncan...anyways, I walked up to my brother and said, "hey, brother...do you want some jolly ranchers?" Brother Duncan said," His name is Brother Nelson"...confused for a minute, I said, "Yeah...so?!?!" He said, "You just called him brother...his name is Brother Nelson" I turned to Bro. Duncan and said, "I know...but he really is my brother, so I shortened it!" We had been in the same ward for, crud, I don't know...over a year...hardly anybody knew we were related...they thought I called him "brother" because I couldn't remember his last name! I still laugh everytime I run into Bro. Duncan...anyways, I had a bunch of songs that reminded me of you, brother remember the "eternal flame?!?!"... but this one made me laugh the hardest! I've got a good one in mind for my sisters...I just have to find it online...it's a good one...just be warned...it may be embarassing! Until next time..........

Song Dedications...

Yes, people...there is a method to my madness...I have decided when I put a new song on my blog...it will be a dedication to someone...so...I will start with this one..."My Little Buttercup" from "The Three Amigos" which, in my book, is one of the best movies of all time (my family hates it)...I could watch it daily! Anyways, this dedication goes out to my cousin, Brett. I think he sang this song at every family gathering...and I never got tired of hearing it! Probably one of the most nonsensical (it is a word in MY dictionary) songs EVER....but I love it...and it drives my kids nuts when I sing it to them...but it makes me happy...Thanks Brett for keeping the Amigos alive! Until next time..............

Please Help....

So, I am making my menu out for the next couple of weeks or so and am looking for some new recipes...I know you got 'em...are you willing to share 'em? Please do...post it in a comment or email me...tiphaine(dot)brewer(at)gmail(dot)com. Thanks....Until next time...........

My First Giveaway...Just Copy and Paste!!!

We love you and how will we show thee???

A Giveaway!

What a perfect way for ME to show YOU my love.

The first 5 people to respond to this post will get something made by me, my choice, for you. (I know... a little scary, but maybe fun? Huh?)
This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:
1- I make no guarantees that you will like what I make.
2- What I create will be just for you.
3- It'll be done by the end of March.
4- You have no clue what it is going to be. It may be a story, poetry, picture, but it will be something I will make and give or mail to you. Who knows...not you, or me! :)
The CATCH?? Oh, the catch is that you must copy this post and re-post it on your blog and offer the same to the first 5 people who respond to yours. The first 5 people who leave a comment asking me something they want to know about me will then win a handmade gift by me!
Oh, and be sure to post of picture of it when you get it!
(And if I don't get any responses within 72 hours, this Giveaway will disappear!)

Who's the grouch in your life?

Today is "National Do a Grouch a Favor Day"...I keep waiting for my favor but perhaps I haven't given enough hints this week...I knew this day was coming up and have mentioned it daily...maybe someone will be nice and cook dinner tonight...we'll see....Until then.........

CBOTB

Okay, Okay, Okay...seriously, people...quit sending me hate mail...A few posts ago, I stated that I had fired Cutest Blog on the Block because their site was ALWAYS down...they apparently have a HUGE fan base because I have rec'd 32 hate mail messages from people defending them. I get it...don't take it personally, guys...I was frustrated with them...maybe I'll give them another try for next month's background since it seems they have gotten their act together...now, everyone retract your claws and go eat a Snickers...I didn't know that many people even looked at my blog...next time...just leave a comment...a nice one! Until next time.........

Action Jaxson!

Man...not only does his body move 1000 miles an hour...so does his mind! So, the new song on the blog is Human by The Killers. It was playing on the radio in the van while we were waiting for the other kids to come out of school and Jaxson and Deni were getting restless so I turned up the radio and was singing along with the radio..."Are we human, or are we dancers?" Jaxson said..."MOM...TURN IT DOWN!" I turned it down and he said, "What did that song say?" I repeated, "Are we human, or are we dancers?" Not even missing one beat...Jaxson replied, "Are those my only choices?" I tell ya...I could write a book! What a nut! I love him anyways! Until next time............

What are you having for dinner?

Well...at our house we are having Napoleon Dynamite's Dang Kay-sa-dillas (formerly brewer quesadillas...I kinda like the new name)...Here's how you make it....

1 pork tenderloin (or pork roast-even beef would work...we like pig, though)
Cook in crock pot on low overnight (I say overnight 'cause mine is always frozen when I put it in)
Take pig out and shred it...put it back in crock pot
Add 1 jar salsa...mix well...
Take a tortilla and lay it out on a hot skillet...put pig meat on 1/2 of tortilla & sprinkle w/cheese
Fold tortilla over and let the cheese melt and tortilla brown. Flip it over and share the love with the other side. Take it off the skillet, put it on a plate and do it all over again! We like to cut the tortillas in wedges like a pizza and serve with more salsa, sour cream and homemade guacamole...ole! YUMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!Until next time............

Giveaway: Emmie Cakes

Giveaway: Emmie Cakes

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WinCo Update

So it is about 1 am...just got back from grocery shopping...I have to tell you...although I loved not having a ton of people at the store, I just wasn't that into bagging my groceries when I could hardly keep my eyes open...you just can't sleep deprive a narcoleptic...anyways...here's some of the good deals I got (mind you...I was a tad bit hungry)...Pork Tenderloins---$.98/lb., B/S Chicken Breast---$.98/lb., 5 lb bag of apples---$.98(not a lb...$.98 for the whole bag!)doritos---$.98, fritos---$.98, Oatmeal Creme Pies---$.98, and because I love him dearly...I sat at the bulk candy bin for 20 minutes and picked mr brewer a pound of watermelon jolly ranchers...you're welcome! That is just some of my good buys-gosh, it makes me happy to find good deals! I can't wait to go back tomorrow (I mean later today)...Until next time.................


p.s....I didn't even have to wait in line!!!

I love WinCo!!!

Oh...today is a great day! WinCo finally opened! They started building a building across the street from Wal-Mart a few months ago and when I inquired to a wal-mart employee about it, they told me it was going to be a Sam's Club...we don't have one of those, either! Anyways, a couple of months went by and the sign went up saying "Coming Soon...WinCo Foods"! Boy, was I happy! I don't even know how to describe the store to you...it is a bag-your-own-stuff grocery store! I think, overall, their prices are pretty cheap (I was browsing today). I have gone to a WinCo before in Boise when visiting my sister and fell in love with it there! They also have some bulk items that you can get (kind of like Costco). Anyways, they opened today...when you walk in the door, there was a lady handing out maps of the store who was saying, "Just to let you know...there is a two hour wait to checkout!" 2 HOURS!?!?! Seriously....let me put into perspective what the store was like today---you are at Splash Mountain at Disneyland and need to get to It's a Small World and there are 2 parades---yep...it was that ugly! There were people who were tag-teaming with other people...one would wait with the cart while the other one shopped...they did have a ton of good deals today but I have a life and could not wait in line for two hours (I came home and read a book...just kidding!) but when Big Daddy gets home from work tonight...I'm off to the store (while browsing...I made a list of the good deals and marked on the map where I need to go)...hopefully the line will be shorter (after all...it's gonna be midnight)...let's hope......Until next time........

Funny Girl...

I should have put this under my "They Said What?!?!" section...but I thought it was good enought to post...so Eric was getting ready for work (he works graveyards on weekends) and we called the kids downstairs so we could all have nighttime prayer together. It was Deni's turn and I was helping her...she was blessing everyone and I whispered to her that she needed to ask that Daddy be safe at work...she looked at me funny and so I repeated it again...she looked at me funny again and shrugged her shoulders and said. "please bless daddy to be a dork!" There are days he doesn't need help for that! Just Kidding! Anyways, I thought it was funny...we could hardly get through the rest of the prayer! Until next time..........

I have good news and bad news...

The bad news is...we did not get chosen for Supernanny...a few months ago we applied and they came to our house and filmed us for 5 hours (with 1 hour notice!)...they followed us to the grocery store and just observed us doing regular stuff...chores, dinner, bedtime, etc. I think it would have been kinda fun to have Nanny Jo come in and help us on a couple of issues (Big Daddy says there are two women on the planet that could bring him to tears...Judge Judy and Nanny Jo...needless to say, he's a little relieved!) Anyways...to the good news...our kids aren't the worst kids in Spokane! While they were here filming us, they were here doing an open casting call and had 18 other families apply...they went and filmed some of them as well...the guy that came in and filmed us (Tim) said our kids were some of the best behaved kids he has seen (and not just from the ones he had filmed in the past)...I think he was drunk (just kidding!). Anyways, sorry I couldn't get her autograph for you, Audrey...Until next time..........

One Less Bill!!!

HOORAY!!! Today, my dear, sweet husband paid off our van! YIPPEE!!!

What a day!!!

So, yesterday (Sat.) Hailey and I ventured out for a mother/daughter outing...Eric was kind enough to watch the other 3 kids so Hailey and I could spend some time together. We went to the mall and looked around a bit (we were supposed to get our nails done but the wait was too long). Anyways, we went to dinner and then dashed across the street to the INB (formerly the Opera House) to take in a broadway performance of Annie...now, folks...not that I am a broadway snob...but seriously-this is not the movie theater, people...leave the babies at home! We had people getting up all around us to take their kids potty and there was a lot of talking around us...I was getting annoyed (frankly, I wanted to get out my cell phone and play some ringtones to see how they liked the noise). These tickets were not cheap...I say to all of you idiots that couldn't keep your kids quiet---next time, stay home and rent the DVD! Okay, so ranting aside...Hailey and I had a great day together! We ended with an ice cream shake from McDonalds (after all...all great days end in ice cream!) Thanks for another great memory, Hailey...I love you! Until next time...

A great organizational give-away!

Confesstions of a Yummy Mummy is having a FABULOUS give-away...check it out here

Pac Man Fever!

I think I have just been in a time warp lately! I sing this song to my kids all the time and they think I'm nuts (I am sure not only for singing silly songs to them, however). Anyways, browsing on iTunes the other day...I came across the song Pac Man Fever...please tell me you remember it?!?! I called lots of people with my excitement only to find there are people who do not share my excitement and couldn't care less...thanks a lot! Just a hint: you might find that I will leave you alone and quit bothering you if you humor me once in a while-that's just my personality...but you still love me...anyways, what was I saying...let me read, for a minute... ... ... ... ... okay, I am back...anyways, I was excited to add pac man fever to my playlist...hope you enjoy! I think I will start on costumes for Halloween (yes...it will take me that long-Mom, will you help?)I have enough ghosts!!! Until next time....

Cutest Blog on the Block

So...I usually try to get backgrounds from cutestblogontheblock.com but the last few times I have visited their site...it has been down...well...you're fired! I'm now officially not a fan...i'll try out jellypages.com for now...you better not fail me...Thats all I have to say about that...Until next time.......

I forgot the dang camera!

Well...so I didn't exactly forget it...Eric borrowed it and left it at his office (which happens with a LOT of our stuff)...anyways...it would have been handy at the field trip I went on today with Cayson's 1st grade class....plus 2 other classes...that's right...roughly 50 1st graders-downtown-and nobody got lost or hurt! It actually turned out to be a great day! We left the school at about 9:20 and headed to the main post office downtown. Each of the kids had 42 cents to buy a stamp and put on the letter that they had written to a loved one the week before. They then put their envelopes in the drop slot (Benjamin...your letter is on its way!). The kids then went behind the scenes of the post office to see what steps the letters have to go through to get to their destinations...we then walked a block and a half to River Park Square and invaded the tables at the food court to eat lunch...there were a lot of people who were not happy having their lunch interupted by 50-ish kids---they'll get over it! We then went down 2 flights of stairs via the escalator to Mobius Kids (science center)...click here to learn more about it...anyways, we spent almost 2 hours there...what fun! Then we took the bus back to the school and got there at about 2:15...it really was a long but fun-filled day for all-the kids were so sweet and it was fun to see them excited about everything! Thanks for the invite, Cayson...Until next time................

Be Patient.....

So Eric has been out of town for 6 days and just got back at 1-ish this morning...I haven't even turned my computer on the whole time he was gone but you better believe I've got a few things to say about stuff...inauguration, weather, etc...I will post a few hopefully tomorrow or the next day....let me sort out my thoughts so I can post the correct opinion to the correct topic (i'll try to hurry)...have a fabulous day!! Until next time.........

Flashback!!!

867-5309...I always wanted this to my phone number...but then I thought of all of the weird-ohs that would call it to see if it really worked (I've been tempted!)...Anyways, I put this song on my playlist and my kids thought it was funny that someone would make a song out of a phone number...and it gave me an idea....all of my kids now know their phone number (Hailey knew it before...but the others only remember it if they sing it...)I can only imagine what would happen if they were lost (heaven forbid) and they had to give their phone number to the cops (Deni has to shake her hips as she sings it...)very, very cute!!! Anyways, Eric is out of town for six days so we have to fill in the time doing something (our address is next on the list). Until next time........

Happy Delurking Day!

I just found out that today is national delurking day!

"What is that" You say?

A lurker is one who reads a blog but does not comment. I will be honest...I do it sometimes!

What this means for you is that if you are reading this I expect you to leave a comment even if it is just this once to let me know that you are out there and that I am not just talking into the oblivion they call the internet.
I want you to say hi if it is the first comment you have ever left on a blog or if you comment on my site every day. Show yourselves. Please. (This includes you (you know who you are!) I promise I won't bite if you leave a comment.)

You don’t have to be witty or clever. But if you can't think of anything to say, here is a couple of ideas for you...you can answer these or think of something on your own...

Where are you from?
How did you find my blog?

What's for dinner?
Do you have a blog yourself?...Leave the link and I will check it out!

Until next time.........

EEEEWWWWWW!!

Okay...there is not one of you I would ever do this to.....I have a neighbor who just moved in across the street less than a month ago....she has been over not once, not twice, but three times now asking to borrow our plunger...WHAT?!?! A plunger, really? The first time she brought it back...I poured bleach in a 5 gallon bucket and soaked it for an hour...the second time, I told her to keep it (I found it on my front porch after a jaunt to the store to get another one...jaxson likes to flush things!) Again, bleach...I could own Clorox... So today I am sitting at the table making out a menu and shopping list for the next couple of weeks when 'knock, knock, knock' "Can I borrow your plunger?" I told her, again, that she could keep it because I have another one....I swear...if she brings it back...I'm gonna duck tape it to her front door! GROSS!!! You don't borrow someone's plunger (I don't care if this is Hillyard) I think I need a bath.....gross.....it gives me the willies.....Until next time......

Scattergories

Rules: It's harder than it looks! Use the first letter of your name to answer each of the following questions. They have to be real places, names, things...nothing made up! You can't use your own name for any of the questions...except #1!!! Be a good sport and post this on your blog if you get tagged...I did!

Have Fun!!

1. What is your name? Tiphaine
2. A 4 Letter Word: Tons (like I'm tons of fun!)
3. A Boys Name: Trevor
A Girls Name: Tara
5. An Occupation: teacher
6. A Color: tan
7. A thing you wear:t-shirt
8. A Beverage: tap water (yuk!)
9. A Food: tangerine
10. Something found in the bathroom: toilet
11. A place: Tahiti
12. A Reason for being late: tire got a flat
13. Something you shout: TOUCHDOWN!!!

Okay, so I'm tagging Shaina, Lauren, Audrey & Kass (payback...love ya) Until next time....

Follow me!

Okay...I'm talking to all of my fellow bloggers....the "followers" feature is my new best friend! I am a follower of many but I'm not sure if others know how it works...here is my tutorial. On your dashboard, you have the option to put in someone's blog address in order to follow them...this means that when you sign on to your own blog, it will inform you of when they post on their blog. On some blogs (mine, very recently included) there is a place for you to click that says "Follow This Blog" just click on it and it will give you the option to follow publicly (picture added) or anonymously(no picture)...I have about 20-ish blogs that I follow...it sure does save time checking all of them everytime...now when I sign on my blog...it tells me who has recently posted...I love it! Anyways, feel free to follow me (but not too closely-that would be stalking :-D). Until next time.....

School is in Session!

So yesterday while out on my outings, I spotted many of our military personnel at various schools and school crossings making sure the roofs were plowed and that the crosswalks were safe for our kids...thanks for that! They then announced on the news that there would be school today...hooray! My kids (and myself) were so ready...except that tomorrow starts the weekend! They are pretty bummed about that (odd, I know)...they miss their friends and mom makes them do chores ALL DAY LONG (according to Hailey)...I can't wait to get back to a normal routine (and my living room to stay clean for more that 15 minutes)... Until next time.....

I have decided to embrace it!

There is no school tomorrow...and my guess is Friday as well...it may be 2 days of pajamas at the Brewer's house...my house won't get cleaned until the kids go back to school...i've tried to clean this week...hahahahaha...i've decided that I will just embrace whatever may come our way...i still don't have to like it, but I will accept it (at least we have clean underwear)! Until next time....

I am moving.....

That's it...I'm packing up and moving somewhere else...anywhere else (except Alaska or Antarctica)...No school AGAIN today...seriously...what changed? No school Monday...school Tuesday...no school Wednesday (are they trying to teach us patterns...I think I got it now)...Jaxson & Deni had school though...Head Start is associated with the Community Colleges of Spokane so when SCC and SFCC have school...so does Head Start...it makes it kind of a pain, though when District 81 doesn't have school...I have to remember to pick up the little ones (they haven't been forgotten yet!)...Anyways, we'll see if the pattern is broken tomorrow or not...I think the problem with today was that we got some rain and there is now water everywhere...and here is today's science lesson...what happens when water gets to freezing temperature? Raise your hand if you know the answer....that's right, boys and girls...it freezes...the only problem with today's science lesson is....its 40 degrees today....that means it's not freezing temperature...what is the problem? Yes, I was aware that I have a bad attitude...I want to see the sun and then I shall be happy (until it gets too hot...) Did I ever tell you that I have an opinion on everything?!?! Until next time.......

What a Day!

So...I had just pushed the "publish post" button on my last posting when my phone rang. It was my friend, Maria (I babysit her boys & they live 2 doors down)...she said, "Did you go get the kids?" Ok...my first thought was 'seriously...they better not cancel school today...the kids are already there!'...instead, i said, "no, why?" Maria replied (in a frantic voice) "kxly.com said that they are evacuating the kids because Arlington is on fire!" What? Seriously? I tried to get as much info from Maria as I could while yelling at Eric to go pick up the kids...my second thought was 'SOMEBODY HATES ME!!' Eric got to the school only to find it surrounded by 7 fire trucks and a bunch of police cars...and all the roads to the school blocked off...by this time I was off the phone with Maria but trying to call the office (why would someone be in the office while the building is on fire?) hoping that they forwarded the phones to someone who could tell me if my kids were safe. Eric was able to get to the school on foot and was stopped by a cop who told him that there was smoke coming from the boiler room but that the building was inspected by Avista (utility company) and the Fire Dept. and was deemed safe for the kids to return to class but that parents were more than welcome to pick up their kids and it would be counted as an excused absense. Eric called me on the phone and explained the situation to me and asked me what I wanted to do...I put him on hold and called the office one more time this time getting an answer. The secretary in the office told me basically what the cop had explained to Eric and told me that the kids were safe and were now back in their classrooms...I got back on the phone with Eric and told him to leave them there and if there was another problem that the school could call us. After school, Cayson told us that there were only 5 kids in his class and Hailey said there were about 11 in hers...they thought the whole thing was cool....We'll see what tomorrow brings...until next time...............

It's A Great Day!

Hallelujah...my prayers have been answered! The kids finally have school today! I have waited 19 days for today! Not that I don't love having my kids home, but seriously...when the snow is piled so high outside and they have played every game in the house...twice (or three or four times)...it's time to go to school...I know there are some of you out there who dread your kids going to school...I am not one of those...I love them dearly...but they need their friends and to be somewhere other than the walls of this house! (Hey, I might want to go to school!) Anyways, I think the surrounding school districts are still out so to that I say "sorry!" I still have 2 to get ready for pm school so...until next time........

Did I mention I HATE snow?!?!

Ugh! All This white stuff is getting on my nerves! I will give you the condensed version of my day...My baby started Sunbeams today...WAH!!! If that wasn't enough...everything went downhill from there! I got home from church (hoping for a nap) and instead was greeted with water all over my kitchen floor...fabulous...where is it coming from? The window...yep...that's right. Why would water be coming in from the window, you say? It's because there is 8,000 inches of ice and snow atop our roof...15 towels later...I called over the neighbor (Eric was asleep after working all night and all morning and had only been asleep for 2 hours at this point). Anyways, Phillip came over and assessed the damage...I then called my friend Aimee and she brought over her 2 boys to help shovel off the roof (while she was on her brother's quad shoveling our sidewalk). Eric was awakened at this point due to all the commotion. I then called a member of our bishopric who, coincidentally, is a roofer...YEAH! (Be nice to the people in your ward so when you need them, they will come!) Terry Simpson brought over 2 daughters (who my kids LOVE) and a son (who they didn't know....but now love him, too!) The girls kept the kids occupied while I hauled bucket after bucket of hot water to the men on the roof(thank you Ashley for feeding the kids and doing the dishes...i love you! (I hope Edward was a good payment...pass him on to Christina)...I think, by the time they left, that they were in agreement that Supernanny would be helpful at our house (all the extra people, of course, did not help with the caos factor). Anyways, during all of this, someone had called in sick at Holy Family and they called Eric to go in early...hahahahahahahahahaha! Well, in a nutshell...the roof is fixed for now but it is now snowing again and we are due to get 6-10 inches during the night...and they have already cancelled school for the kids...will this winter break ever end?!?! Give me a call to make sure we are all still breathing and sane...until then...here are some pictures of our fun times! It sure is a blessing that we are surrounded by good people who are willing to give service to you...and that they think highly enough of you to be willing to do it...hopefully one day, we can return the favor...Be good and stay safe...until next time....

Eric and the Hatchet... Phillip the neighbor

Jaxson & Cayson... Aaron & Jericho... Terry Simpson & his son Tyler

Where did all the snow from the roof go?

And this is only in the front yard!

What is the first day of kindergarten going to be like?

Oh, heck...so my baby graduated from nursery today and is now a Sunbeam...what is the world coming to? I don't think I'm okay with this...I was fine all morning and through sacrament meeting...then came time to take her to class..."the big girl class!" I'll admit I got a little bit teary-eyed...but I was so proud of her...she stood in the hallway quietly with her arms folded until the primary presidency came and got her...then she sat quietly in her seat through sharing time (yes...I snuck a few peeks in at her)...my baby is growing up! If this is what it is like at church...what is it going to be like on her first day of kindergarten? AAAHHHHGGGG!!! (Deep Breath)...I think I'm okay now...Until next time...

I hate snow!

Let me rephrase that...I HATE SNOW!!! I hate it, hate it, hate it! We have been stuck in our house almost the whole winter break the kids have had from school...in fact, they had extra days off because they closed the school 2 days before the break started! I told Eric...it's time to put the house up for sale and move back to Phoenix. Here are some pix from the first storm...that's right...I said the first storm...we've had a few...the news said that Spokane has had 59 inches of snow in the month of December...If the snow were a person...it could ride any ride at Disneyland...that is ridiculous! I hate it! (Did I mention that I hate it?!?!) I've tried to find snow pants for the kids...none available within 100 miles of Spokane...none on the internet...none, nowhere...none! There has to be an upside to this...I don't know what it is...but there has to be one (like one day it will melt...yes, but then there will be floods). I can't wait for summer...and then it will be too hot. Believe it or not, there are things that make me happy...

Here are just some of the pictures... I'll post more later!

Happy New Year!

Hope this year brings love, health & happiness to all of you!