It's Freeeeeeezzzzinnnnnnng!

Make sure you say that title with chattering teeth. It is sooooo cold. I hate the cold! I hate being cold!!! Yes, I'm still wondering why I live in the northwest.

So I say its cold. And maybe you are asking, how cold is it? And I'll answer you that it is so cold that there are icicles growing on the inside of my house!!!!!

True story. We have awful wooden windows (supposedly fancy, expensive windows - but that doesn't matter when they don't work). Since we moved into our house we noticed the windows were not good. They have all lost their seals and have a disgusting mold problem. I am constantly having to de-mold them and twice a year I totally scrub them with straight bleach - but the mold still grows.

Any way, with this totally cold weather I noticed our windows were a little unusual looking today. A closer look revealed ice and icicles frozen all over them - on the inside!!!!!! It is so annoying and I don't know what to do. And that **&%^# mold?! You would think that the cold would kill or at least retard the growth - but no, it seems to accelerated it's growth! I've spent every couple of hours today mopping up water and scrubbing the frozen mold off the windows. Needless to say I am not looking forward to the next few more frozen days.

Has anyone else had this problem? Any suggestions (besides buying a new house)?

October summarized as photoshows.

Spent all my "free" time working on these. (Because my family still doesn't read my blog!!!!)

So here is what happened in October in a few nutshells.

"All Things Halloween"
http://www.photoshow.com/watch/JT6Hd7Yn


"Knapp's Farm"
http://www.photoshow.com/watch/Ix8zc7mb


"Halle's Field Trip to Walter's Apple Farm"
http://www.photoshow.com/watch/Cs6cz7GV

School Pictures

School pictures are here. This was the first year Chad brought his pictures home nice. Every year he brings them home wrinkled and/or ripped. I guess all that threatening worked.

Our cute little second year Preschool Sean. How does he manage to always look so innocent, when we all know much better than that?!

Halle the 1st grader. Enjoys being at school all day.

2nd grader Chad. He thinks he has school down now.

Aaaggghhhhhh - the Pickle Boy is Back!!!!

So, how do you ruin a nice leather couch? Stab it to death with a pencil of course. Sean is in so much trouble!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Strange Bedfellows

I had a great laugh after checking in on my kids for bed last night. My kids all have their comfort item that they have to have to sleep with. Chad has to have his blankie (which seems to always be wrapped over his head), Halle has a stuffed bunny that she cuddles, and Sean, well Sean has something different every night. Usually he has toys or a flashlight (stolen from Chris). I've seen anything from metal cars to bionicles or books in his bed as he sleeps. But last night took the cake. On it's own pillow, and carefully wrapped up in blankets was a blown-up, uglier than heck, skeleton that is as tall as me. He and Chad have been having fun playing with the skeleton and dressing him up and hiding him around the house. But to have that ugly, scary thing in bed with you?!!!! That is just weird.

Tag of 8's

8 TV Shows That I Like

1. Dr. Who (it's that British blood I tell you!)
2. Lost
3. Heroes
4. America's Funniest Home Videos
5. The Office
6. Jon and Kate +8
7. Iron Chef
8. House Hunters


8 Things That Happened Yesterday

1. Slept in (no kids - anniversary present from Jeff and Linda)
2. Took a nap (can you tell sleep in one of my priorities?!)
3. Went to brunch at Luna's (first time going there)
4. Did some sewing - making Halle a dress
5. Went shopping with no kids
6. Sang phantom songs all day(went to the musical the night before)
7. Hung out with my best person in the whole world, Chris
8. Picked up the kids and brought them home again.


8 Favorite Places to Eat

1. Applebees
2. Chilli's
3. KFC
4. Bruchii's
5. Outback
6. Spaghetti Factory
7. Italian Garden
8. Tony Romas


Things I Am Looking Forward To

1. Finishing more sewing projects
2. Getting caught up with all my blogging
3. FHE tomorrow night
4. Getting new counter tops
5. Thanksgiving
6. Christmas
7. My mom coming for a visit
8. Book Group


Things I Wish For

1. No wars
2. No natural disasters
3. A grand piano
4. I wish our house was already payed for
5. No bad hair days
6. To loose 30 pounds (without sacrificing chocolate)
7. I wish I didn't get motion sickness so I could enjoy many more things
8. Good health for everyone

Talking About the 4th of July in October

Now that I have caught up on my June blogging, it is time to get started on July. The reason I am so behind is because our summer was just jam-packed. I thought once school started I would be able to catch my breath and get caught up on many things - but no, life just gets busier.

Every other year we go to Utah for the 4th of July since it is my Grandma's birthday and the Hansen reunion. When we are down there my dad usually gets us tickets to the Stadium of Fire. The show and fireworks are always spectacular, which means my kids are totally spoiled when it comes to celebrating the 4th of July.

This year was not the year to go down to Utah. So, we had to come up with something else exciting to do for the 4th. We decided that going to a baseball game and watching the fireworks afterwards would be totally American, plus we have never taken our kids to a game before (how did that happen?). Chris' brother, Mike, was still in town from Hoop Fest and we also joined up with his brother, Jeff, and his family. We all had a great time together - and my kids actually made it through a whole baseball game. (Didn't hurt that it was a quick game!).

4th of July baseball game. The Spokane Indians versus the Eugene Emeralds. The Indians won - wahoo!!!!

An airplane fly-by added to the entertainment.

The boys (Sean, Jackson, and Chad) get into the game.

What do the girls do during the game? Play hairdresser of course.

A handsome bunch - the Caviness Men (Chris, Mike, and Jeff).



Our patriotic crew.

Fireworks to celebrate the game and the 4th of July. Nice, but a little tame for us.

A family picture after the game.

The parking lot was a mess after the game. We decided to wait out the crowds by watching the kids invent a new game of tackle-basketball. The rules changed constantly but it mostly involved running around with a basketball, tackling your cousins (ball or no ball in hand) and screaming really, really loud.

Run Sean, run!!!!

Uncle Mike with his nieces and nephews.