Bear Lake

Not so happy about falling in the lake.
His back side is all wet! I love this kid!




She really does have cute moments! Ha Ha.



Couldn't resist the sugar fest!

Gabriel, Ashley, Steven, Maggie & Avery admiring their masterpiece!

The Daniel kiddos with the Heward ones: Tinsley, Aspen, Riley, and Tagghart.

Slumber party on the Murphy! The kids LOVE this 'secret' bed!

We've been away for over a week! Took Steven and Ash out of school three days prior to the holiday break and made a dash for Bear Lake--a trip we try to make each Thanksgiving. It was a wonderful retreat! Our good (and much missed) friends from Star Valley (Joe and Danice Heward) came to visit. Catching up with them is always a blast! Jeremy and Sarah (and their adorable 3 children) stayed at the Lake with us for three nights! We kept the indoor pool splashing morning and evening, spent afternoons on the tennis court, and skipped rocks on the lake at sunset. The weather couldn't have been better! It was relaxing and memorable! We are very blessed with great family and friends to share our time with.

Are you for real?

I haven't posted for quite awhile. Do you ever feel that daily life is far too mundane to make a fuss about? I think about posting far more often than I actually post--simply because I don't know what to say! Life's details don't flow smoothly from my head to my tongue or my fingertips. I have never been one to think quickly on my feet or develop thoughts and ideas well. It's just one of those quirky things about me. (Oh, that reminds me--I have several TAGS to answer) I guess I'll just keep writing until I think of something significant to say. Do you want to hear about laundry, dishes, homework, sticky fingers and faces, spilled milk, missing shoes, ever growing task lists, unfinished projects--need I continue? We all have those things. I am grateful to have them. Really. I love the cute 'little people' in my life who create the most of it. They're growing up way too fast. I fear that my parenting skills aren't keeping up. Sigh. Sometimes my one year old (Gage) looks up at me with this "are you for real?" kind of look. He's pretty funny. Speaking of Gage, there are a lot of buttons, cupboards, door knobs, and toilets in this house just his height. He goes from one to the next (a transition every 5-10 seconds) It's rather entertaining (as long as I'm not annoyed). I'm learning a lot from him:

• Did you know that tinkertoys, dolls, and legos add quite a bit of color to boring white toilet bowls?
• The dishwasher is a blast to open and close (especially when that white steamy stuff is coming out) The door?.....try jumping on it next time it's open. That's a riot! (Who would've known?)
• Get this--the washing machine makes awesome high-pitch noises when you push and turn its buttons!
• Dishwashing detergent on the kitchen floor is WAY more fun than a sandbox!
• Tomatoes squirt when you squeeze them! You can make a slip and slide in your own kitchen just by pushing those buttons on the refrigerator door! COOL!
• Chocolate chips taste much better after they're nice and warmed by the carpet--furniture works well for this too.
• Hey, get this: you can get from the front door to the middle of the street in 5.3 seconds--if you really hustle!
• Did you know that dining chairs come in handy when you can't reach something? Just push it as close as you can to whatever it is you want and start climbing--eventually you'll get to it.
• OH, OH, I almost forgot--microwaves are totally awesome! There's like 30 buttons on them! If you push the right ones, a light will come on inside of it! WAY!
• This one is important: family members get really fussy when you insistently push buttons on the television or the remote.

I don't know what I would've done without all of this wonderful information! I learn new things every day. Thank you Gage--we're better now for knowing!

Nobody move--Man Card

This picture doesn't match anything in this post--however, I am writing about my hubby and can't find an appropriate photo--this will have to do. Isn't he cute? I mean MANLY?

School is out today. We've spent most of the morning trying to catch up on chores. Cleaned and organized the toy closet (that's huge!), cleaned kids closets, bedrooms, and vacummed under beds. Laundry (duh), and the kitchen (for the third time today--what's the use?) So, it looks fairly presentable at the moment......NOBODY MOVE! Sometimes I like to walk around and enjoy looking at it before it's trashed (in less than ten minutes). Sigh.

It's a beautiful day outside! I am grateful for the climate in Boise. It has been a wonderful place to live! I'll let the kiddos play outside for awhile until I'm finished making their next chore list. Ha Ha!

MAN CARD

In an effort to maintain his 'Man Card' (if a said Daniel has not been hunting for more than three years, his Man Card is likely to be revoked), Ryan will be joining three of his brothers (Bill, Jeremy, and Robert) in South Dakota to hunt deer, turkey, and another poor animal of choice (can't remember what it is). They will have to find alternate routes for travel as several of their planned highways have been closed with 5 foot drifts of snow. You know, not much about hunting appeals to me. I'm happy to let Ryan enjoy it with others who appreciate the whole experience. I, for one, like to buy my meat at the local supermarket. Here it is temperature controlled--no need for boots, gloves, thermal underwear, or four wheel drive (unless you happen to live in Wyoming). I don't feel threatened by wildlife (except the human kind that I bring into the store myself--namely Ashley, Avery, Gage, and Steven) I certainly don't have to kill, gutt, and transport some unsuspecting animal through ravines and over hillsides--I simply choose the best cut on sale (today that would be boneless, skinless, chicken breast at Albertsons for only $1.67 per pound) and place it in the cart far enough away from little fingers (do all kids like to poke holes in plastic wrap?) At this point, all I have to do is safely find my way back to the front of the supermarket with all other grocery items and all four children in tote--and pay for my prize. SIMPLE! So long as I have correctly balanced the books and actually remember to put the groceries away before too much time expires, I'm in good shape! So, honey, enjoy your hunt and congratulations on reclaiming your manliness! We will miss you.

One of these kids...

It's fun to remember the hours I spent as a kid playing in piles and piles of leaves. We had plenty of them in the neighborhood where I grew up. My children are enjoying the tree's offering this season! I love to watch them play!

Nature Walk

A few of us went for a drive after Steven's basketball game Saturday. We ended up at the Nature Center downtown. We enjoyed our visit there. Steven, Ashley and I spent a lot of time at the adjoining park the summer we moved to Boise. Living downtown Boise gave us great exposure to much of what this city had offer--I needed that. Moving from the mountains to the city was a big step for us. It took a lot of time and convincing before I was willing to make Boise our new home. I'm glad we did. I will always miss our Wyoming life and good friends there--given the right circumstances and opportunity, I'm sure we'd move back! But Boise has been a wonderful place to live.

Trick or Treat!

For as long as we've been married, we have participated in a trunk-or-treat in one state or another each Halloween. This year was our families first door-to-door experience. The weather was perfect! Warm, calm, and beautiful! (I love this time of year--fall colors, crisp air, holiday countdowns, warm drinks, hot soups, and Christmas music!) We walked around Bridgeport subdivision and enjoyed every bit! I love that my children are all still young enough to enjoy Halloween. Gage loved the glowing jackolanterns best. Steven and Ashley were most concerned about how full their bags were getting. Avery was the trailer--always had to wait for her to bring up the rear! She was in NO hurry at all! (She dressed as a Dolphin) We had a wonderful evening together--especially with Grandma, Grandpa, and Uncle Mike! Usually the Great Pumpkin comes after kids go to sleep and exchanges candy for books. He didn't come this year. What's the deal? So, our sugar fest continues--sure tastes good!

Uncle Michael was here for the Amity Halloween Parade. It was great having an extra two hands to help with my little Lion and 50's girl. Steven wore his skeleton costume and Ashley sported the leopard outfit this year. I love watching the creative costumes and happy children walking through the gym. It was an early release today--just in time for Grandma and Grandpa Jepson's visit! The kiddo's have been anxiously awaiting their arrival. Company is so much fun!