BOYS HARD @ WORK!!!!

On saturday, Erick came home for lunch, and he and Kyler spend the whole time fixing the car.  The tire was making a weird sound, there was something hitting or falling against something else(ALL GUY TALK). Anyway since Erick was out there working of course Kyler was right there with him.  They got it fixed and came in to get cleaned up and have lunch.  After that Kyler fell fast asleep watching a game with Erick.  He loves his dad and loves to do EVERYTHING he does!  

Baptism in the Ocean

We had our first baptism since we have been in the branch, and it was so fun to be a part of.  The baptism was done in the ocean on a sunday afternoon.  The missionaries had asked Erick to pick him up, so when we got there to get him he was all ready and very excited.  We also went and picked up one of his friends who is a member of the branch and she rode with us as well.  It was a really neat experience.

Our sleeping arrangements

A couple of nights ago, Erick got home pretty late, and he went in to check on the kids before coming to bed.  Kyler was completely on top of Bryn and they were both sound asleep.  He came and got me and I grabbed the camera.  Erick used is head light to shine on then so the picture would turn out.  It was so funny to see.  I have no idea how Bryn sleep with this boy!  When Bryn sleeps she doesn't move at all.  She is in the same place when she wakes up as she was when she went to sleep.  And then Kyler is ALL OVER THE PLACE.  I think he must turn complete circles in the bed.  I am sure they will both be happy when they get their own beds again.

What funny kids!

Mini #1

Wow, I can't believe it is here already.  Erick's first big test for the semester is tomorrow.  He has been studying so hard, and spending so much time to prepare.  I know it will go great for him, but please keep him in your thoughts tomorrow!  Good Luck Honey!

As for the kids, Bryn has gotten 100% on every spelling test so far this year!  She is always so excited when she comes out for lunch and has done so well!  It is amazing to me how much she is learning and doing!

Kyler has become my little kitchen helper.  It started because it was the only thing I could distract him with when Erick would leave.  He is so funny, when Erick is getting ready to leave, Kyler runs for his shoes and says he is going too.  Most of the time he is just in his underwear and I try to tell him he is not dressed, so he runs to get some pants and says he will put them on when they get to the school!  Anyway, so Erick leaves and he is of course upset, so I started to have him come help me cook to calm him down and it's amazing how well it works.  His job is the light the fire- I guess that there is why it works:)  He "flicks the bic" and I turn the knob and together we get the stove on!  

We have had a lot of rain lately especially in the afternoons, so we haven't been out doing much these days.  Hopefully it will start to clear up and we will be back at the pool and beach soon!

a little quirky...I guess!

I have been tagged by Jodie!

Let's see just how Quirky I am.....

tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours:

Quirk #1:  I pop my gum.  I do it all the time, but when I am nervous, in a hurry or really concentrating on something it gets a lot louder and a lot more popping!

Quirk #2:  I make a list for everything.  It doesn't matter what the list is for, I make one.  I have them all over the house, in my purse and in the car.  I guess I do it because it makes me feel more organized.  I do it so much that now if I don't have a list for it, I forget!

Quirk #3:  I will only trim mine and the kids fingernails out side on the porch.  I hate to have the clippings flying all over the house and if I try to aim for the garbage, I will usually only hit it once in ten fingers and ten toes.  It's much easier to go to the porch.

Quirk #4:  I have a hard time being away from my kids.  I know so many people who love to drop off their kids and leave them all day.  I do love "my" time, but I prefer to have the kids with me.  When Erick and I would go to the Temple, and leave the kids with someone, I couldn't get home fast enough.  Erick would always want to stop and get a drink or something to eat after and I just wanted to go pick up the kids and then go get a drink or something to eat!

Quirk #5:  I pop my knuckles.  I know- I have heard it since I was a kid, my knuckles are going to get huge, but I can't stop and believe me I have tried.

Quirk #6:  I hate to loose ANYTHING!  If I loose it, I can't rest until I have found it.  This is the case with things like my keys, my cell phone, the camera, and it carries on to a list I made 2 months ago to game pieces, and even the kids toys.  When they get a new toy, I make sure I know what all the parts are and how many there are so that I can do a random check and make sure we still have all the pieces.  I makes me crazy, but I can't stop.  The worse things I have found so far is, Bryn loves the My Little Pony Ponyville, and there and shoes that you can get and  some that come with some of the ponies.  Well for a pony that makes 4 shoes.  I go crazy when I play with her if I can't find all four shoes to all the sets we have.  It is so bad, and I will spend most of the time we are playing, secretly looking for the lost shoes.  I will play like I am going shopping and then dig through the toys looking for the shoes!  Needless to say, my ponies LOVE to shop!!!

Quirk #7:  One extra, I brush my teeth every time I leave the house.  If we are going to leave just to go eat, I brush my teeth!  Erick doesn't understand it, but I feel like I am forgetting something if I don't brush right before I leave.  I have the kids do the same thing, so I guess they too are doomed to be quirky too!

Okay- I guess the conclusion is I AM QUIRKY!

now I tag: Laura, Jandi, McKel, Rindi and Tiffany!

A loose screw

One of my biggest fears became a reality tonight.  I say one of, because when it comes to my children, I have a lot of fears.  I guess you could call me paranoid, among other things!

Tonight, well actually last night, our fan broke.  It just fell over and broke out of the stand.  So tonight I went and bought a new fan.  And no, no one stuck their finger in it, which is another fear!!  But anyway, Erick was changing the plug on it.  It comes with a 220 plug, but the wrong type for our outlets, so Erick was going to re-wire it with the right plug.  And of course Kyler wanted to help.  We were all in the kitchen, I was talking with a really good friend, and her kids were all over playing with Bryn.  As they were leaving, Kyler was sticking his finger up his nose and making a blowing sound.  Immediately I knew what had happened!  We go through all the questions, what did you stick in your nose?  Show us what it looked like? etc. We finally figure out it is a screw.  The problem is, he was sticking his finger up there to get it out and pushed it up even further.  Erick tried to see it with his light, and he could see it, but it was way too far for him to do anything.  Of course the clinic is closed by this time, so I call the EMT's who cover any medical issues after the clinic is closed.  I explained what happened, and they told me where to meet them.  This whole time Kyler is screaming.  We get to the school, and luckily I was able to get Kyler calmed down on the way.  The first couple of EMT's don't even want to try to get it out, so they call in a doctor to come help.  When he gets there, they are trying to decide what they are going to use and what all they need.  The whole time Kyler is silent, they get what they need, still not a peep from Kyler, they go in there and after a little digging, they pull out this huge screw.  I say huge, because even the doctor said, "Wow, that's bigger than I was expecting."  Then they all go on and on about how good and quiet and still Kyler was!  It was amazing, first of all I can't believe that it fit in his nose, and then I couldn't believe that he was so still and let them do what they needed to do.  When I was putting Kyler in bed, he said, "I promise not to put anything in my nose again mom, I promise, Okay?"  

Emerald pool Trip

I can't believe I forgot to post pictures from this trip.  

During the break, we went with some friends to a place called Emerald Pool.  To get there you take the road that would take you to the airport.  This road is anything but appealing for the weak stomach, but well worth the ride to see the sights.

We left early that morning with Renn who we hired as our driver for the day.  All the kids were piled in the back and having a blast.  Along the way there were some great views of the ocean.  Which is the Atlantic Ocean on that side of the island.

This is a cocoa pod.  They grow on the trees, then you cut open the pod to find the cocoa.  The tower in the middle is the actual cocoa.  People like to suck on the individual beans and get the white off.  It is sweet and pretty good.  However, if you bite into the bean it is so bitter and you can't get rid of the taste all day.  (word of warning)
This is a picture of nut meg.  The also grow on trees.  They smell amazing when you open it.  The red stuff on the outside can be used, but the nut underneath is the nut meg we are used to.
Kyler got tried on the long trip, I thought it was so cute that he could actual be asleep like that. 

Sophia and Bryn

Along the road there was this guy making bread which I can't remember the name of the bread, but it is made from a plants root that has been ground.  In the picture above Renn is "pretending" to grind the root.  He steps on the board on the bottom and pumps is like a piano pedal.  The pumping makes the wheel turn and then you hold the root to the wheel and it grinds it.  The flour is then collected and dried and made into bread.  It was pretty tasty!
Bryn Jumping into Emerald Pool.  I couldn't get a shot of her in the air, she was too fast.  By the way the water is freezing!!!!

Erick and Kyler Jumping in

The pool from the hike in.  It is so beautiful and peaceful.

The hike in

This is a flower they call a wax flower.  It looks and feels fake, like wax.