Lessons from the Calico boy's

Every Tuesday I get to keep Payton and Porter and it has been so fun for me to get to hang out with them for one full day. I am so glad that I get to spend this time with them and make a few memories with them. They make me laugh every day and it is usually something small and simple but they bring a smile to my face. In the morning hours my three boys are all gone to school so it is just Khloee, Payton and Porter. This morning I was folding laundry in my bedroom, Khloee was asleep and Payton and Porter were out in the sand box playing. I had the french doors wide open letting in the nice cool air we were having today and listening to the boys outside. I couldn't see them but I could here them. After playing for a while, Porter comes to the door and says that Payton is throwing dirt at him. Not wanting to leave the stacks of laundry surrounding me I took the lazy way out and told Porter to tell Payton to not throw any more dirt and if he did he would have to come in the house. (I said all this in my nicest, "I am your favorite aunt" voice.) Porter yells from the door way. "Don't throw dirt Payton"

Payton - "Porter, will you tell Tiff that you were throwing dirt at me too?"

Porter - "No!" (Obviously, no dummy)

Payton - "Tell her!"

Porter - "I am not going to"

Payton - "Tell her, tell her, tell her!"

Porter - "Hey Payt, you wanna go ride bikes?"

Payton - "Ya, sure"

There were a few lessons I learned from this interchange, first of all never send someone with a message that incriminates themselves. Unless they are a ding dong, that message will not get delivered. Secondly, when faced with confrontation, change the subject as quickly as possible and hope the other person takes the bait.
I am grateful that my kids get the chance to spent this time with their cousins and that they love being together. Luke always says that Payton is his best friend! I hope it stays that way.

Miracle Story

Check this amazing story out. This is my cousin, Anna, that now lives in Colorado. Click the link below to hear a little bit about her story. I am sure that they have seen and felt Heavenly Father's hands in their lives, a few times over the past few weeks.
http://www.kwgn.com/pages/video/?clipId=2970948&topVideoCatNo=undefined&c=&autoStart=true&activePane=info&LaunchPageAdTag=homepage&clipFormat=

POLL

My Super nice friend and neighbor, Tamara, took some pictures of Khloee for me the other day and I am having a hard time choosing the best one. And so in true Tiffani fashion I am taking a poll because I can't make a decision without getting everyone else's opinion first.

Which one do you like the best?

The changing of the seasons

When I talk about the changing seasons, I don't mean spring, summer, fall and winter. Around here it goes from Basketball season, fishing season, hunting season and football season. We are now in the middle of hunting season and at the start of football season. (I know, 2 season's at once, we are blessed). Kory finished the bow hunt deer less as well as elk less. And he was quite satisfied knowing he still gets the chance to hunt the black powder as well as the rifle hunts.

This was the closest he got to an elk during the bow hunt.

Tanner just started his first year of flag football. His dad was nice enough to take some time away from his season, to coach Tanner's team. They had their first game on Friday and me being the "pro" on the game of football, still thought that they did a great job teaching these little beginners, the basics of football. In am not sure who won but for being their first game I thought they did awesome.

Kory got Jeff Stevenson to help him coach. This is Tanner and Kyle standing on the sidelines. Isn't that the way it goes, when your dad's are the coach, you get the least amount of playing time. (It should be the other way around)

On Saturday, Kory and I got to go to the BYU football game, courtesy of Dr. Heideman.

It was a blow out by BYU but we loved that we got the chance to go. It was nice to spend the day together and see Kory in his element. He was busy yelling at the refs and players that couldn't catch the ball, while I was busy watching the cheerleaders and the cougar and the other fans. I missed most of the game but you can bet I learned all the little hand signals (1st down, safety etc. . . ) as well as the actions to the fight song!

We had a great time and am way in debt to Kandice, for taking Khloee (all weekend) as well as My nephew Tason, who came to our house and played with the boy's for the morning hours, and then Kory's parents came and picked them up and kept them till we returned home. It takes a village to . . . leave town. So thanks to all of you who helped this weekend.

A little of this and that

WOW! Pocahontas has definitely overstayed her welcome. I thought that things would slow down once school started and three of the four kids would be in school. Apparently I was wrong. Here is a brief look at a few things that have been going on with us this last few weeks.
Tanner and Luke were excited to start school. Tanner is a big 2nd grader and Luke wasn't the least bit apprehensive to start kindergarten.

They love to be able to ride their bikes to school, and I love that I don't have to take them and pick them up. (well Tanner at least. I still have to go get Luke.)

RJ didn't start school the same time as the other boy's did and his teachers told me to not send him in nice clothes because he was there to paint and play and get dirty! So I completely failed to get a picture of him on his first day of school just for historical purposes. He will probably be glad for that because we seriously roll him out of bed, get him dressed and head out the door, bed head and all. He is attending the Head Start preschool and they feed them breakfast and lunch so there is no need to get him up any earlier than is necessary. He has yet to find the joy in going to preschool. He cries everyday I take him, but he is getting easier to console. (So his teachers say.) I got to help one day last week and it was good for me to see what goes on while he is gone from home for 4 long hours. That is a long time for him to be gone and I wondered what in the world could entertain 17 little kids for that long. I was really happy with the structure and just the basic social skills that he will be learning this year. (If he sticks it out.)

Peach Day's has come and gone and I thought the Volleyball Tournament went oh, so, good! We had 6 teams this year and all the teams were really fun women. It was such a fun 2 day's of volleyball! I am glad to say that is over for this year but I can't wait to do it again next year. A Big thanks to Misti for helping through the year on getting it put together. As well as Kandice for her help the night of the Tournament. We could have never pulled it off without her help. She was a lifesaver!

As soon as I was done with the tournament and all was cleaned up, I came home and the family and I headed to Cedar Mountain for Labor day weekend. It was so fun to just relax and hang out with my family. I loved talking and playing games with my nieces and nephews (as well as my brothers and sisters.) I just don't get to hang out with my nieces and nephews very often, and I absolutely loved it. They are such good examples to my kids and my kids love them.

I hardly took any pictures at the mountain but this one with Khloee and Emmie sharing the water bottle and water melon. I hope they grow up to be the best cousins.

And this one of Tanner. I don't think I could have gotten a picture of Tanner without the 4-wheeler being in the picture as well because that is where he was most of the time. He should be a mail man someday because "come snow, sleet, rain or hail", Tanner rode on!

I just started reffing high school volleyball games and it was been a lot of fun so far. I still can't believe that I am getting paid to watch volleyball! It has been fairly uneventful thus far. No boos from the audience about poor calls. It probably helps that most of games have been right here in town so if there are any yells from the audience it's people I know just joking around. All I have to do is flash them my red card and they shape right up=)

Last on the current happenings is, Kory needs to have a talk with our cat about the birds and the bees and proper protection! We should have named her LUCY, instead of Sassy. She should know that she should be saving herself for that special someone and not just any old cat the wanders into the garage at night. . . or the middle of the afternoon.

Sassy had 4 little kittens in August. Now if you count, there are more than 4 kittens there. Obviously word got out that our cat is "easy" and she became a wet nurse to 2 other abandoned kittens. Let's hope we can get her spade this time before she gets pregnant. (that or teach her some values.)

I'm Pocahantas?

You Are Pocahantas!

Free-spirited and wise. You have a strong passionate spirit that touches and changes all who know you. The wisdom and common sense that you have is really what guides you through life. Even so, you also have a very playful side that loves adventure and excitement.

Which Disney Princess Are You?
I was Pocahantas once for Halloween but I never considered myself to be like her. I wish I could run barefoot through the forest, with my beautiful hair flowing behind me, and dive gracefully off a 100 foot cliff and enter the water below, with no splash.
And if I'm Pocahantas, does that make Kory, John Smith?
Check it out and see what is "Just around YOUR river bend"

Ode to Summer

In as much as school is starting tomorrow, I must say farewell to summer as I know it. So long to the day's of letting the kids sleep as long as they want, and the nights of going to bed whenever we get around to it. I will miss those chances of taking off in the morning with the kids to go swimming or to the park or some new splash pad that we haven't tried, and not having to be home until were too tired to play anymore. I will miss the slip-n-slide, the "kid wash", camping, fishing, hiking, biking, popsicle's and snow caps. Movie nights on a Tuesday, night games with the cousins, water balloons wars and naps in the late afternoon. It's so fun to have a little break from the routine that school brings. And although the kids (and I) are excited to head back to school, I am sad to see the days of summer vacation disappear. And so . . .

Until the summer of 2009,

I will remember this summer as simply divine!

Khloee shares my pain.