Beware, yucky pictures! Only check them out if you can handle gross ear cuts!!!!!

Well the whole time I was growing up I can't remember not having a coffee table. When Charles and I got married I met his sister Verna. After going to her house to meet her family and 4 girls I noticed that they didn't have a coffee table, at the time I thought it was really empty in their family room. I think I asked Verna once why she didn't have a one and she said"are you kidding me, it's just something that one of my kids will fall and crack their head open on". At the time I thought SMART! After that I never had a coffee table when my kids were really little. We always had an empty family room too. Well, when we lived in California I got a used coffee table at a yard sale. I put it in our formal living room because the kids didn't go in there much! So far so good I thought when we moved to Indiana, I painted the used coffee table and put it in our family room. For one year we have had no problems with the coffee table-until yesterday!!Shelby loves to run into the living room and fling herself over the corners of the sofa and the love seat. Seroiusly, Charles and I tell her at least 5-6 times a day "don't climb on the couch, you are gonna get hurt". I ran to Sams club yesterday, I was gone all of 45 minutes, Justin was watching the kids and I left my phone in the suburban by accident, I was on my way home when I saw I had a missed call and a voicemail. I called home, Justin said that 20 minutes ago Shelby was climbing on the sofa and hit her head on the corner of the COFFEE TABLE! All I heard was cut and head and maybe she need stitches and I got it to stop bleeding. I am trying to get home, and I am wondering why traffic is not moving and low and behold I am waiting for a funeral procession. Of course, I call Charles, I tell him he needs to run home and check Shelby's head because she fell and cut it. I knew he could get there faster than I could. By the time I got home I found Charles taking photos of Shelby's EAR! Not her head. Mom's of kids with cuts don't hear details real well. Seven stitches later Shelby's ear is OK! The whole time we were waiting at the hospital I kept thinking I hope her ear won't be deformed! I am so silly! The Nurse Practioner that sewed her up did a great job. It looks really good! Justin insisted that I blog about this! Sorry

As if anyone cares!!!

My coat was safely returned to me a few weeks ago! Except fot the fact it smelled kinda funny, it was in good shape! I guess I will try to find better things to BLOG about! Our lives here in Indiana are pretty uneventful!!

The coat mystery is solved!!!

OK, so here it is! Last Christmas Charles got me this great leather coat from Kohls. We had to buy real coats when we moved to Indiana.The 2nd or 3rd week that I had the coat, I wore it to Church and hung it in the foyer just like any other Sunday. During my primary class, I sent Samantha down to the coat rack to get my coat because my classroom is freezing. A few minutes later Samantha came back with the coat and tried to put it on and when I did the coat had miraculously shrunk to a size M. I told Samantha, you grabbed the wrong coat. Go down and get MY coat. She went back down and looked and came back and said "Mom, that is the only coat I can see". So, thinking my daughter was somehow overlooking my $185 leather coat, I went to look myself. When I got there, my coat was gone and very similar and smaller version of my coat was all that was left. I was crazy, asking everyone if they had taken it by mistake. I figured someone had graabbed it instead of their own. During the next month, I became the weird lady at church who was freakin out about her coat being lost. Every week, I would go to church and see the size M coat just hanging there and think to myself, who on earth would go home with a coat that was that much too big and not notice. Charles kept telling me you need to take that size M coat and hold it for ransom in case for some strange reason your coat shows up. I told him no, what happens if someone really stole mine and this coat was just left by mistake. The size M coat hung there forever until the church donated all the stuff from lost and found to charity! So since this happened , every once in a while people from the ward would jokingly ask me about my coat, and laugh at me because I will not let anyone in my family hang our coats in the foyer at church. So fast forward to last night, we were at the church for scouts and I was sitting in the foyer with my friend Laurel. We were chatting and talking to all the YSA as they arrived for institute. On of the girls from the other ward that we share the building with walked in wearing a very large coat that looked eerily familiar! I thought to my self, it couldn't be! I said "Laurel, I think that girl is wearing my coat" she hopped up and without alarming this poor young girl too badly Laurel said"Can I look at the tag of your coat" She said "OK". Sure enough, the coat was a size 2X Sonoma brand from Kohls! What a coincidence. I proceeded to share this story with this young girl and she said her mom got her this coat for Christmas. She said she thought that coat did feel a "little big". During this conversation I think she was getting a little worried that I was going to snatch the coat and run ( No lies, I thought about it ). My wonderful husband Charles reminded me that if I would have taken the size M coat and held it for ransom I just might get my coat back, but because I didn't heed his advice now I am stuck without my coat. I hate it when my husband is right. I don't know the family of the girl very well, my friend Colleen knows them pretty well and she said she would talk to the Mom about possibly getting my coat back. I feel bad because this poor girls coat got donated to charity and if she gives mine back she will be without a coat. I would love to have my coat back, but the best part of this story is the mystery is solved. I don't have to wonder anymore! I will have CLOSURE, no matter if I get the coat back or not. Ok, I have to admit I loved that coat, I want it back. We will see! Once I talk to my friend Colleen or to the girls family I will post an update! Til then.....

The Employee Club Halloween Party!

On Saturday October 25 in the evening, we went to the prison's annual Halloween party! The kids were excited to get dressed up a little early! We had a Punk Rocker(Spikes and all), A Viking, Snow White, Alice in Wonderland, and Belle. The kids had fun at the party, they had a costume contest for all the different age groups. Sammie won 1st place and a $25.00 gift card for her age group! Unfortunately Justin didn't get the memo that most of the teenagers don't dress up for this party. So at the party they proceeded to ask all the kids 13 and up to come up for their age group, Justin was the only one. He had to parade around the room all by himself and can you believe it HE WON! HA HA. Our neighbor said "Wow that is 2 years of therapy in the making". Justin is a good sport and he did win the $25.00 gift card!!

Parades in Indiana are CHILLY!!

On Saturday, October 25 we enjoyed the ISU Homecoming parade. Both Allison and Justin were in the parade, Justin plays percussion for the band and Allison and Justin are on the Scholastic bowl team for their school. This year, the students are learning about Norse cultures and the Vikings. The students built a Viking ship for the parade. Allison is behind the ship, we sat on the wrong side of the street to see her but we did catch a glimpse of Justin and his big drum! I decided I better take a picture of the little ones, Sammie had a terrible time because it was so cold. There was a plus, Every parade entry throws candy to the spectators, we left before the parade was over because the kids bags they took to put candy in wouldn't hold anymore! Halloween came a week early for them!

Happy Fall Y'All

Well here in Indiana we have lots of trees, so that makes a lot of leaves for my girls to play in! In California there weren't very many leaves or trees for that matter. We have big trees in our front yard and the girls think making leaf piles is so fun! My older kids remember playing in the leaves in Colorado but the twins were too little to remember! FUN TIMES!!

Happy 11th B-day for Allison!!

Well on August 14th our "little ladybug" turned 11. I cant believe how fast the days go by. It seems like she was just our little first born girl. Crazy how time fles. We had a dinner out at Olive Garden and then came home and had cake and ice cream with the neighborhood! Good times!!

VROOM VROOM!!!

Well today the Employee's club from Charles' job sponsored a car show here on the grounds of the prison. Because it was right down the street we decided to check it out. After about 10-15 minutes of talking about going Shelby asked me what kind of tricks the cars were going to do at the car show. Wow, to be 5 again! The cars were pretty cool! Shelby and Rachel even got to sit in a few. We had a fun time!

Samantha's Baptism!!

On Sunday, Samantha finally got baptized! We have been waiting since her birthday on June 15th. Because of all of the flooding there was a bunch of stuff going on, the bishop encouraged us to put it off for a few weeks until everything settled down. It was a great day. Even though we didn't have any family here because we are so dang far away, it was still awesome for Sammie! We did have alot of friends from our ward here and that was awesome, we are grateful for the great friends we have made here in Terre Haute. We are grateful for them and for their support. I am grateful for Sammie and the joy she brings to our family. We are so proud of her for her decision to be baptized.

ONE GOOD THING ABOUT INDIANA! FIREWORKS!!!!!

Happy 4th of July! Well we have been in Terre Haute for about 8 months and we haven't found too many positives about this place. Well it finally happened! Just about any fireworks you want, they have them here(and they are legal). We had a great 4th, we had some families from our ward over,we had a BBQ, and then the fun started! We headed over to the softball field across the road from our house and after 30 miutes of just sparklers(when you have 20 kids they take a while), we started the big guns. The guys started a great show! We got a few fountains but the best part was the big ones you can shoot off in the air. We got alot of compliments on the show from our neighbor! He wanted to know where we got the "commercial grade fireworks" we told him we just went to Sam's Club and got them there. As the show was winding down the older girls got a little distracted trying to do their best showgirl immitation. I'm thinking Allison's long legs might come in handy one day. We had alot of fun!

HUMANITARIAN EFFORT!!

Well today was a great day! We were able to be part of the flood relief in our (Bloomington)Stake. Church members from all over Indiana met today at our meeting house in Terre Haute, I believe the count was some where in the neighborhood of 400 people. After arriving all of the volunteers were assigned a group and they were assigned an area. Charles was a team leader of about 40 people. The groups were sent to give relief to the thousands of people whose houses were damaged. I was assigned to help at the meeting house to assist in making lunches for 400 people, they were then delivered to each work site. I have never seen this much devastation. The church is doing so much for the people affected.I am so grateful to be part of this church! Everything we did today was for so much good! I forgot my camera today, but I will take it tommorow, we are doing the same thing as today. I will post some pics tommorow!

We are up and running!!

Well we are finally up and going on our blog! I have to thank Jenni Belew for doing it for me! We are excited to keep everyone up to speed with what's happening here in Indiana. All that I can say is I LOVE California! The midwest is definately not for us. Well I will get going on adding some pics soon!