Halliday Happenings

Trampoline and fire fun

2012-01-26T19:44:00.000-08:00

A typical saturday night at our house. We told ghost stories, which is always a good time. Of course, mine are always too scary, Kennadie's is pure talent, Reaghan just wants it all to end, Andrew incorporates a fart, and Reeses ties in a Book of Mormon story. ("And they had to live in the wilderness, and they didn't know abut God or Jesus, because they had no scriptures! Dun-dun-dun!"

Crazy hair day-we redeem ourselves

2012-01-26T19:35:00.000-08:00

Donut Hair

So, last year I was out of town for crazy hair day, and I feel like we really had to make up for some so-so hair do's. I think we did just that...

Kennadie was sent all over the school to show different teachers! People would see her and say, "oh, the donut girl! I heard about you!" They took pictures and even stood in line to see it up close! I dont know how we're going to beat that!

Christmas Eve/morning

2011-12-26T16:30:00.000-08:00

Andrew, super surprised to get his airsoft automatic rifle. Maybe because I bought him a decoy gun (a cheap-y one, very disappointing) and gave it to him Christmas eve for a secret Santa gift. Hee hee.

Andrew's gift to Reese, maybe not as much of a surprise. (Nice wrapping, Andrew!)

Our traditional Christmas Eve dinner-Chinese take-out on a picnic blanket under the tree. It looks like my girls are (very inappropriately) making Chinese faces.

Kennadie and I gorging ourselves on chocolate.

Jon got me a package of 2 half pound Reese's Peanut butter cups. This is cup #2...

Making ginger bread houses

2011-12-26T16:25:00.000-08:00

This is one of the only pictures I have of Jon doing a silly pose! I must say, it is one of my favorite pictures. He has pumpkin pie in one hand and a bowl of fresh whipped cream in the other. I also think his muscles are sexy :)

This was the first year that making ginger bread houses was actually FUN. for me. Usually, kids (specifically, younger kids) get bored after a few minutes and walk away, leaving a ginormous mess for me to clean up. Kind of like jack-o-lanterns, sugar cookies, and every other project that requires patience. This time, they all worked on them for a good 2 HOURS! I still had a mess so big it took 2 days to clean, but I feel like I am entering a new phase in my life!

deflating a hot air balloon!

2011-12-26T16:18:00.000-08:00

A hot air balloon landed right by our house, and the kids got to help get it down! When they got close, they threw a rope to the kids, who pulled the basket to the ground. Andrew and his friends got to push it across the field. Then, they pulled a plug in the balloon, and had the kids run all over it to deflate it.

luncheon

2011-12-26T16:09:00.000-08:00

We had lunch at the clubhouse after the baptism-very fun! We stayed late and laughed and talked around the fire pit-some of us even swam!!!

Reaghan's baptism

2011-12-26T15:59:00.000-08:00

Reaghan's 8th birthday

2011-12-26T15:46:00.000-08:00

Singing Happy Birthday to You, and then smashing cake in Reaghan's face.

Halloween 2011

2011-12-26T15:39:00.000-08:00

Kennadie is Audrey Hepburn from Breakfast at Tiffany's, Reaghan is a scary doll, Reese is a butterfly, and Anderew is the Invisible Man.

Kennadie's mock kidnapping

2011-12-26T15:33:00.000-08:00

This was a training for the valley police departments-Jon played the kidnapper and Kenna was the victim, then all the departments joined forces and found her with bloodhounds. It was all covered on the news.

Flash mob-after the surprise!

2011-10-02T16:31:00.000-07:00

The whole group, once all the extra people (the flash mob extras) left.

Scott was honking Jen's bum or something to get her to make a funny face during pictures...

The Program: Jay did a routine with Dan as "little Wendy", a ventriloquist act. VERY funny. Then jay came out as Neil Diamond, singing about food storage. I almost can't write about it, because I don't think I can do it justice. Here is the youtube link :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfhp_t2DmtA&feature=youtu.be

My favorite line? "Maybe next week, maybe next year the stores will have nothing to sell. Nothing to buy but old toys and expired hair gel." (Sung to neil's "Forever in Blue Jeans")

Singing Happy Birthday...with the wedding cake turned birthday cake.

Posing with the Bride (Maddie Brown) and groom (Brock Thomas) and Mom! They were such great sports! I will owe them forever!

Janelle and I relishing in our victory. This was our baby-we put sooo much time into making it perfect!

Flash Mob/mock wedding reception/surprise 60th birthday party...Preparations

2011-09-30T16:15:00.000-07:00

So here's the story: We planned a wedding reception, complete with a fake bride and groom, wedding announcements, fake guests, wedding cake, the works. We invited Mom, and while she was in the line giving her love to the "bride and groom", the bride walks onto the dance floor and busts a move. Her fake husband joins her, then the rest of the group joins in a little at a time. (Mom-"Hey- this is a flash mob!!!) about half way through the dance, a group joins in consisting of Mom's siblings and nephew/niece that have come from other states. By then, everyone but Mom is dancing, and she knows it is a surprise party for her.

Want to watch it? Here's the link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3OzLHu_EIQ&feature=related

Janelle and I waltzing-looks like I let her be the girl that time...

Janelle, saucing up the ribs. Yes, that is a plastic bag on her shirt...

Practicing the dance

9/11 Memorial dedication

2011-09-21T16:08:00.000-07:00

Dad thought the Twin Tower beam should be something everyone could come and touch...

We have a picture just like this from about 15 years ago from "take your daughter to work"day. We got to dress up in firefighting gear and run their course thing, then watch them put out a fire. No wonder we're (almost) all married to public servants-that is so cool!

Memorial dedication-Dad

2011-09-21T16:00:00.000-07:00

Dad, with two New York police officers.

This is Dad giving his speech.

The bag pipes were AWESOME.

No dishes in the sink, please

2011-09-21T15:56:00.000-07:00

I love my sink. I love it so much, I have a hard time piling dishes into it. I kind of hate a pile of gross dishes in the sink-especially when a washcloth gets left at the bottom and sits for a few hours (or overnight...) so I stack dishes on the counter and leave the sink empty. Weird? Maybe...

My table is happy

2011-09-21T15:53:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of my kitchen table. It has Happy scratched into it, from a birthday card one of the kids made for their grandma. Sad that the table has scratches (what table doesn't?) but how funny is that-it says happy? I mean, how can you get mad about that?! It makes me laugh.

Funny thoughts about Jon

2011-09-20T07:29:00.000-07:00

So I woke up this morning with a bugger of a headache, so I took an excederine. Now, I don't know about you, but along with taking away my headache, excederine makes me happy. And really chatty. But as Jon and I were jogging with our ipods on, I was stuck thinking to myself this morning, and most of my thoughts were about that cute husband of mine. Here are some of my 5:00 in the morning thoughts:

When Jon does that backwards run he does for part of each lap we run, it seriously looks like I'm watching him in rewind mode. It looks so cool.

When he's running in said fashion, I try to run all sexy-like while he is running facing me. I wonder if he notices.

He will run halfway across the street to kick something that catches his eye (ie pinecone, big rock, beer can he thinks is empty that actually has enough beer in it to splatter on his leg-I pretend not to notice)

Even though my slow pace kills him, he stays with me.

How did I get so lucky?!!!

Luncheon

2011-09-05T17:44:00.000-07:00

Reese takes a huge bite, which she consequently chokes on and throws up in my cloth napkin.

Utah wedding-Reception

2011-09-05T17:21:00.000-07:00

All the flower girls dancing on the stage

Andrew holding Cathryn's new baby, Cate.

We went back up to Utah for Jon's brother's wedding.

Highlights:

Cathryn's new baby. Yum.

Heck, any of Cathryn's cute kids.

New family sister-in-law!

Seeing family and friends. like 6 times in 2 days:Reception, sealing, luncheon, baptism, Diana'a 60th birthday party, baby blessing. Holy Hallidays!

Grandma's funeral

2011-08-30T05:12:00.000-07:00

These are at her gravesite-I love love LOVE the balloons! They had messages to grandma-she had promised to read each one:) Mine told her how much I loved the pink casket, thank you for our family, and sorry about the whole dumping-all-the-pills-in-her-mouth thing. Jon's was sweet-it just said "thank you for my beautiful wife."

Welcome home, Grandma

2011-08-28T21:04:00.000-07:00

Saying thank you and goodbye by the pink casket with sisters and cousins

Grandma passed away last week-we just got home from the funeral in Mt. Pleasant. It was beautiful. Highlights:

COUSINS

Late night talks with Katie and Jason

Grandma's PINK casket (mom tried to tell me it was champagne, but that thing was PINK. I want one.)

Letting balloons go at the gravesite.

Thank you, Grandma, for the family we love!!!

kids lunches

2011-08-28T20:58:00.000-07:00

My kids make their own lunches... I am finding out that most moms make them every morning. Mine have been making pb&j's (turkey sandwiches for the kids too lazy to spread jelly and peanut butter) since the first day of kindergarten! I think it is adorable-I love when Reese uses a cookie cutter on her sandwich-she says it helps her eat it better.

twin towers beam

2011-08-22T10:31:00.000-07:00

My dad drove to New York to pick up this beam from the Twin Towers, and this morning they had a ceremony where they put it on a monument. Pretty cool! I think they said it was about 1200 pounds...

The girls

2011-08-16T08:15:00.001-07:00

So, it turns out, reese had

Campylobacter (you get that from chickens)

and Mono. Anyone want to come play at our house? We just found out today, fortunately, she has not been contagious since Sunday, so Kindergarten is safe. Poor baby! That was a hard week for her. Really high fevers (up to 105*), barfing, diarrhea, and the last half of the week she was poo-ing blood. (I know, you are thinking, too much information, but just think of what I left out-like the disaster at the Target bathroom, and the sharting. Oh, so much sharting!)

I bought Reese some skinny jeans, which she tried on and said, "Mom, these are squeezing me!" Unfortunately, she ripped off the tags, So I introduced her to the art of stretching out your jeans-deep squats, that kind of stuff. Don't judge-you know you do it.

Kennadie and Reese wanted to dress alike today...

Beautiful Reaghan

2011-08-15T08:56:00.000-07:00

You know how they say funny-looking babies make beautiful kids? I'm just sayin'...

first day of school

2011-08-15T08:46:00.000-07:00

Reaghan in 2nd, Kenna in 5th, and Reese doesn't know how to show Kindergarten :)

Reese was really sick the first week of school, so this is the "sort of" first day. Andrew leaves almost an hour before (to Jr. High) so i missed him. He has been bugging me about letting the girls walk to school since he will no longer be walking with them. I haven't given it much thought, but he brought it up again last night, when I reassured him they walk with friends, and they will be fine as long as they stay together. I guess he'd held it together for as long as he could, and broke down crying. He's apparently been losing sleep about their safety, and sobbed, "I can't lose them!" So I've promised to walk/drive the kids to and from school each day so Andrew can sleep.

Cute hairdo

2011-07-23T09:56:00.000-07:00

I love to try out a new hairdo-often it is a copy of one I've seen, but I like to archive the originals. I take pictures and put them in a book so the girls can choose their hair style in the morning!

Dog Pile

2011-07-23T09:53:00.000-07:00

Not a lot of personal space in this family. We're all spooners. :)

kenna's cartoon

2011-07-23T09:28:00.000-07:00

This is a funny little program on the DS called pictochat, I think. You can do a series of drawings that you can turn into a little cartoon. Yes, this one depicts Reaghan farting and killing everyone.

Andrew and Grandpa

2011-07-14T06:57:00.000-07:00

This is a picture from last year I just pulled off my memory card-Grandpa had a couple tickets to a Diamondbacks baseball game and took Andrew. I'm sure they stayed all 9 innings and ate overpriced hot dogs and soda. Good times.

Another eagle dive

2011-07-14T06:52:00.000-07:00

Ok, in this "eagle dive" Reese's feet about touch her head-pretty funny.

lunch at Los Favoritos

2011-07-14T06:39:00.000-07:00

Janelle and Dad were having lunch at Los Fav's and I came by to say hello! There was a gumball machine with fake mustaches (of course there was...) and I couldn't resist!

Padre'

Levi, Janelle's nin'o

Happy Harry Potter's eve!

2011-07-14T06:35:00.000-07:00

We are unashamed Potter fanatics. My dorky kids have had eyeliner lightning scars on their foreheads most of the week.

Eagle dive

2011-07-14T06:30:00.000-07:00

Reese loves Nacho Libre, so she was demonstrating the eagle dive he does in the movie.

more fourth of july

2011-07-08T21:50:00.000-07:00

Reesie stole Grandpa's hat for this great picture

Grandpa

2011-07-08T21:46:00.000-07:00

These kids love their Grandpa! Here they are at the rodeo.

4th of July at the ranch!

2011-07-08T16:11:00.000-07:00

All but 4 of the cousins pose for a group picture

We missed the parade, so the kids had their own parade

Utah vacation-boondocks

2011-07-08T16:05:00.000-07:00

Reese, jumping up and down as her ball rolled (slowly) down the lane

Andrew is looking so old!

old picture-Elizabeth and a fashion designer

2011-07-08T15:56:00.000-07:00

I found an old memory card, and these pictures were on it. Kennadie dressed up as Queen Elizabeth for an oral report, and Reaghan's class was supposed to dress as what they'd like to be when they grow up.

Wedding hair and makeup

2011-07-08T15:50:00.000-07:00

Janelle and I doing hair and makeup for a wedding.I liked the little girls' hair-it was a fun challenge. She had chopped off her bangs at the scalp, so we swooped her bangs like it was nobody's business.

Grandma Gunderson

2011-06-26T19:57:00.000-07:00

This was our visit to Mt Pleasant, so fun!!! I got to take care of Grandma for a day, which was a fun day. The funniest part was when it was time to take her morning pills, and I poured the entire cup of pills into her mouth. (Apparently, she takes them one-two at a time). Fortunately, I had her convinced it was my cousin Sky, not me that did that. This, after Grandma tells me she can tell a lot about a person by how they give her pills... (Grandma is also blind) Don't worry, Skye, I fessed up in the end.

Father's day, 2011

2011-06-23T21:06:00.000-07:00

Kennadie's drawing, of Jon in a retirement home. It's good to know, you know, early on, what our kids' intentions are.

I love Kennadie's poems. Jon loves foot rubs, and Kennadie is always willing to do it. So on Father's day she wrote a poem about his feet :

The traditional Father's day tie. This year we put pictures of us with goofy faces (courtesy of the Mac's Photo Booth-most fun program EVER) and wrote "Happy father's day from your little goofballs."

Sunday naps, scout camp

2011-06-13T07:50:00.001-07:00

Andrew left for scout camp at 4:30 this morning, and the little girls were afraid he would leave without kissing them goodbye, so they slept on his floor. We will miss him so much!!! He is usually the creative mind behind the kids' games and adventures, so it will be very quiet around here. ("hey girls, grab a nerf sword, nerf gun and blindfold and meet me on the tramp!"...)

Sunday naps-that's Reese's bum Jon is using for a pillow.

More Fossil Springs

2011-06-06T13:30:00.000-07:00

This was funny-Jon snuck up on Kennadie somehow and landed just inches behind her, scaring the bageebies out of her.

Fossil springs in a day

2011-05-31T20:27:00.000-07:00

Brave little reaghan

Exhausted Reaghan :)

Andrew cliff jumping

Fossil springs is a tough hike- 4 miles steep decline hike to the springs and falls, then a steep 4 mile incline hike out. We brought the kids minus Reese, but we only had a few hours to get in and out. I told the kids it would probably be the hardest thing they'd ever done, so they were pretty well prepared. We thought. :)

Summer...one day down, like 80 to go...

2011-05-31T20:17:00.000-07:00

Andrew looks so big here! He's getting so old!

Reese sewed a used dryer sheet onto hers to make it a bride. Totally her idea. She's hilarious.

So today was technically the first day of Summer vacation. I have to say, best day. Nobody tattled or complained of being bored. Andrew and his friends took the chickens for a walk. The kids spent some time sewing sock monkeys. Sprinkler on the tramp? Check. Chores done. (what-no complaining? Sweet.) 2.5 months of summer break? Bring it.

You know you use too much starch when...

2011-05-31T20:10:00.000-07:00

This is a pair of jeans dropped off to me today to alter. We couldn't stop laughing at how stiff these things were!!!!! I broke two titanium needles shortening these.

Before and after (minus the befores...)

2011-05-26T09:37:00.000-07:00

oooh, that fluorescent lighting really needs to go...

No longer 2 rooms-we finally have a great room! It went from being completely unused area (who actually uses a formal living/dining room? ) to the best room of the house!! We love to play Kinect, barbies and pollys, and music in there!

I am trying to track down some good before pictures that really capture the grey carpet, linoleum and even grey formica counter tops. So, the pantry used to be a doorway into the dining room, and the living room (above) was sunken. Jon also put in new tile throughout the main floor!

Last day of school!!!!!!!(BYE)

2011-05-26T07:48:00.000-07:00

On her birthday, I did a number 10. (Shelly used to do the same thing when I was little) Ever since, whenever I do a braid design kids sitting behind her in class are like-"psst-kennadie! What does your hair say today?!" So we started to write funny (short) messages in the girls' hair. We did hi, a smiley face, ZOO (when Reaghan went to the zoo for a field trip) and here is BYE. I know I've done a fun hair style when my girl gets sent to the office to show the ladies there.

Preschool Graduation day

2011-05-26T07:42:00.000-07:00

So during the graduation video Reese and her friends Macie and Payson jumped up and started bustin' a move! Genetics are a really interesting thing.

Peter piper pizza

2011-05-26T07:34:00.000-07:00

I took Reese and her 3 best friends to Peter Piper for her birthday. Jon met us there, which was AWESOME. He rocked the virtual jump rope. Impressive, since he was carrying a gun, handcuffs, and like 100 tokens. When I did it I was emptying my pockets, taking off jewelry...

Happy Birthday Reese!

2011-05-25T08:11:00.000-07:00

It's my baby's 5th birthday! It's also the last full day I have home alone with her. Then the kids are off for the Summer, then... Andrew will be in Jr. High, Kenna in 5th grade, Reaghan in 2nd, and Reese will be in full-day kindergarten. I suddenly don't feel like ending my sentences in exclamation points....

kenna's yearbook comments

2011-05-25T08:02:00.000-07:00

So when kids were signing yearbooks, Kennadie noticed the things they wrote were pretty boring-"have a good summer" and "you are awesome!" So she wrote silly, random things-my favorite-"I know life without my awesome-ness will be tough. Be strong." I sometimes wonder though, if the other 4th graders get her sense of humor. I think she's hilarious. Like when she quotes Nacho Libre, or Kid History (funniest videos ever-check them out on youtube)

Inner beauty

2011-05-25T07:51:00.000-07:00

This was an activity for the girls 8-11 (Activity Days) in Janelle's ward. It was about inner beauty, and they asked Jen to speak, knowing she won Miss Congeniality in the Jr. Miss pageant. Janelle spoke about being kind and a good friend (it was really good) then invited Marissa Robson to speak about when she won Homecoming Queen at Highland. It was awesome. Apparently her boyfriend (also Down Syndrome ) did not win-the football quarterback did, and the kids started chanting for him to give the boy, Joe, the crown. He did, and it was an unforgettable night! I met Marissa when I was 14-and yes, I got a kiss! She is so loving-when she says goodbye it's always, "bye-I love you so much!"

Another cruise pic

2011-05-23T14:41:00.000-07:00

Here's the whole group! Boy I'm short!!!

Andrew's birthday

2011-05-23T08:02:00.000-07:00

We had some family over for Andrew's birthday-here is Jon looking at the starts, and his sister Christyn and Aunt Pattie.

Reaghan's bug bite

2011-05-23T07:57:00.001-07:00

What is with my little girls and mosquito bites?!!!

Academic night

2011-05-14T10:44:00.000-07:00

We had the opportunity to go to academic night for Kennadie this week. It's for students 4th grade and up that got all A's and one B all year. Kennadie is in 4th grade, so this was our first time to go. After an evening of speeches, slideshows, and ceremonies we decided we would take Kennadie out for ice cream to celebrate her, and buy Andrew something nice to thank him for sparing us from Academic night the last 3 years. :)

mother's day tea

2011-05-14T10:37:00.000-07:00

This is the Mother's day tea Reaghan's class put on. Reaghan is holding a picture she drew of me.

raising the floor

2011-05-14T10:28:00.000-07:00

I hate sunken rooms. I think they are a little dated, and serve absolutely no purpose. So we (Jon) raised the sunken living room, which will be carpeted on Monday. Woohoo!

Dayton's Dash

2011-05-14T09:22:00.001-07:00

So here's the story-I ran Dayton's Dash (a benefit 5k run-see the video on youtube under Dayton's Legs Mormon Message, or I think it's currently on the LDS homepage also-that is my nephew, Spencer) and Jon did traffic control. So naturally, as I passed by him I started waving obnoxiously and running backwards so he would be sure to really see me. I ran full speed (backwards) into a big ol' barricade and fell down with it. Fortunately, Dad, Jon, Renae, and a few dozen people I don't know saw it so it was not a wasted fall. Bruises are just starting to show up, but I think they'll be doozies. Sweet.

fun with the Mac

2011-05-10T14:46:00.000-07:00

Kennadie and I

It takes a lot of hard work to get a figure like this!

Alien girl

reaghan doing her super-model pose

modesty fashion show

2011-05-04T16:33:00.000-07:00

For activity days, Kennadie's group had a modesty fashion show. We used one of my dresses and altered it to fit Kennadie and make it more modest. (I had to wear an undershirt, but we were able to sew sleeves from what I took in)

Reaghan's laugh

2011-05-02T10:24:00.000-07:00

Have you seen Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events? There is a laugh that a little bobble head does when they're about to get plowed by a train-Reaghan's laugh sounds just like it! This water is COLD. It was mid-April, and lake water takes a while to get warm.

Cruise pic

2011-05-02T10:17:00.001-07:00

Here is a pic from Catalina island-we are missing 4 girls in this one, but with 12 people it was tough to stay together all the time! My favorite quote from the trip was from a live band that said it sounded like someone was playing Angry Birds from our part of the room. I guess we were kind of high pitched and squaky.

Crazy hair day by Kennadie

2011-05-02T10:14:00.000-07:00

I was on my girls' cruise for crazy hair day, so Kennadie took the reins!

Easter Sunday

2011-04-24T18:23:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter!

2011-04-23T18:22:00.000-07:00

Halliday tradition:we celebrate everything with donuts.
Boating last weekend-Andrew and Reaghan.
Andrew's Honors orchestra concert. He had to audition and they chose the best from all the elementary schools in the district and made an orchestra!

Sunday afternoon

2011-04-23T18:07:00.000-07:00

Reaghan and I at Andrew's honors orchestra concert.

Yeah for Sunday afternoons!

I wanted a picture of Andrew after he got his braces off...I guess it takes a little while to get used to showing your teeth when you smile!
This is a cozy Sunday afternoon. Reese rubs her blanket (actually the fitted sheet from her crib she slept in from the day she came home from the hospital) across her lips and sucks her bottom lip. being a fitted sheet proves beneficial when she wants to wrap it around her too..

My Reesie

2011-04-23T17:59:00.000-07:00

Reese got mosquito bites that made the bridge of her nose and her left eyelid swell. She looked like she got beat up-and subsequently got anything she wanted for a few days...
Reese loves to "play" with the chickens...

new pantry, Kennadie's 10th, Reese's vegetable garden

2011-04-23T17:47:00.000-07:00

Jon building a pantry for me!!!!!!
So Jon calls me outside and points to some weed-looking things sticking up out of the grass and asks,"do you know what this is?" He pulls out the weeds, which turn out to be carrots. Reese got into some seeds in the freezer and planted them all over, so we've got fun mystery vegetables growing in the grass, rocks, and wherever reese threw them!
Kennadie and Andrew got their braces off, and this is Kennadie's 10th birthday!

Andrew's parakeet

2011-03-22T13:13:00.000-07:00

It's a good thing Jon got a picture of this-I don't think I would've believed this story otherwise. It just up and landed in the back yard, letting Andrew come up and almost touch it! I think it was maybe someone's pet that got loose.

Halloween 2010

2010-11-01T08:42:00.000-07:00

Here we are in our Halloween glory...Andrew's the scary clown, (he really didn't like that. It made him feel bad that little kids were scared of him.) Kenna is the elf princess lady from Lord of the Rings, Reaghan is Luna Lovegood (her crazy pink glasses are on top of her head) Reese is a water fairy, I'm an angel, and Jon is boycotting any kind of dressing up.

Camping and caving at Peppersauce

2010-10-18T16:37:00.000-07:00

Us eating breakfast and playing with fire :)
On our way into the caves...yes I know we look so ghetto, but you can pretty much count on whatever you wear into those caves being covered in mud when you're done.

Boating

2010-10-18T16:07:00.000-07:00

The girls and I on a slow ride...
I'm trying to do a glamorous pose while grilling hot dogs on the beach

This is one of the kids' favorite parts of the day-when we park the boat on the beach and they can ride the tube like a raft.

Sick Day

2010-10-03T11:37:00.000-07:00

I was sick yesterday. I am on antibiotic, and got a flu bug. Fever, chills, and all the fun stomach stuff. Then, because I didn't have food in my stomach, I had a bad side effect with the antibiotic. It felt like I was getting a big bear hug-it hurt really bad to breathe. I could only take short breaths. With Jon out of town, my kids had to fend for themselves while I stayed in bed, literally, all day. I woke up several times to find the kids had left me things, like an ice water, crystal light (kennadie) and Reaghan even made me a get well card that she signed for all the kids, misspelling Andrew's name. :) At one point I took a bath, but could only make it back to my bed in a towel before needing to lay back down. Reese came in a couple minutes later with a pair of green sweats, and even brought me a matching green shirt. These kids really took good care of me-not once did anyone come in to ask for something or tattle. I don't even know what they ate all day. Probably cheese puffs and fruit roll ups.

New family pics

2010-09-24T13:59:00.001-07:00

The Halliday extended family...

Grandma needed a more current pic of Reese, so she got her very own photo shoot.

US!

I love my little brace-faces. I could stare at these cute faces all day. I know, I have brown hair. Kind of a phase I go though every few years. It only lasts about 6 months or so-in fact I'm already phasing back to the blonde me. (It's been 5 months:)

Sister look-a-likes

2010-06-09T19:48:00.000-07:00

Renae and I have always looked a bit alike, so we

took this picture for the record.

Easter egg hunt at Grandma and Grandpa DeWitt's

2010-06-09T19:40:00.000-07:00

The boys get in on the dressing up.
Grandprincesses in Grandma's dressups!

Hot juice, school (Reese wishes) and Lego Rockband

2010-06-09T19:30:00.000-07:00

When the kids get a sore throat I make what we call "hot juice", hot water, honey and lemon juice. It tastes yummy and takes away the hurty throat!
Reaghan always looks so cute for school! And Reese so wishes she could come along!!! One more year... (sniff sniff)

Introducing Lego Rockband to Grandma and Grandpa was so funny. I think we had my dad sing Pink's "So What, I'm still a Rockstar" or something like that. Hee hee.

Winter Swimming

2010-06-09T19:24:00.000-07:00

The clubhouse has a hot tub and a heated pool, so we spent time swimming this winter!

Christmas morning-the goods

2010-06-09T19:04:00.000-07:00

Runway

2010-06-09T18:57:00.000-07:00

This is so classic. This is the girls running in to open presents!

DeWitt Christmas party 2009

2010-06-09T18:46:00.000-07:00

Grandma and Grandpa brought Christmas presents back from Egypt!

Ranch explosion, funny faces

2010-06-09T13:24:00.000-07:00

I got aggressive with the ranch and it exploded on me, and Jon's police friend across the room.

Knee socks, lost tooth, and rainbows

2010-06-08T22:03:00.000-07:00

Look at how the socks and bathing suit push all the fat to her thighs...Beautiful.

First lost tooth! Reaghan's teeth are fully grown in before she finally gets the old one out.

A whole rainbow!

Fun night at the school

2010-06-08T21:47:00.000-07:00

The kids had a night where they got to show off what they were working on. Andrew did his president report on Andrew Jackson. I thought we did a good job on the hair.

Reaghan's grade had a concert...

Andrew and I played a special arrangement of Cannon in D, where we took turns playing the fun melody...

Egypt

2009-12-28T08:23:00.000-08:00

This is our day in Egypt, backwards. My pictures show up in the opposite order I put them in on my blog. So this is our shopping in the Bazaar, which is open 24/7. It's after midnight, and as we come walking up, a member of the police decided this very large, very American group needed an escort. He tagged along in his pink shirt, nice suit, and semi-automatic weapon on his belt. This is a Hookah (sp?) lounge. People use these funny pipe things, with flavored tobacco and usually some kind of opiates.

See our body guard? At one point during our shopping a woman was shoving her sleeping baby at me, asking for money (I had none-Jon was carrying the money) but she wouldn't stop, and the body guard stepped in. She grabbed his hand and started swinging hers to make it look like he was being violent with her. Then another woman stepped in and did the same, making it look like a horrible fight. The officer looked like a marionette puppet, rolling his eyes, while I was about to bawl.

Something funny I noticed while in Egypt-the women were in traditional, non-trendy clothing while the men were extremely trendy. They all had designer jeans with bedazzled bums and designer, well, everything! I've never seen so many well-dressed straight men!

So the Bazaar is like a long alley filled with people, with shops on either side. Pretty narrow, right? Imagine our surprise when, after we were done, we piled into our bus and drove right down the middle of the alley! People just moved out of the way, I guess. My eyes were closed during this-I may have been screaming, not sure.

The whole group in front of the pyramids and the Sphinx.

So, after our camel ride, our guide, Nirvana, told us the Spinx was about to close, and that we may not make it. We ran like our lives depended on it-I was in the rear of the group, and when they arrived at the entrance I hear my mom shouting, "where's Cherise?! Get Cherise!" I ran up to the entrance to find her with several men with guns, who had apparently told her it was too late. When she sees me she grabs me and pushes me toward the guards like some kind of offering, asking if they'll let us in now. I felt really bad to let her down like that, but it was the wrong day to use me as a bartering tool-I was looking pretty nasty. One guard, probably out of sympathy, says "one minute" (so I'm like a "one minute" wife-is that like a "one cow"wife?) So we start running, again, like our lives depended on it. Funny thing is, the other men with big guns didn't hear anything about the "one minute" we were promised. So we're running from these guys, and the camel guy is mad about something and chasing us, which wouldn't scare me but Nirvana looked seriously scared, so we're this big American group running from everyone, trying to soak in the majesties that are Egypt.

RUN!!!!

Our camel guy pulled the turban and robe from under the camel's saddle. He offered me a turn to wear his gross turban, but I think the rule about not eating or drinking anything in Egypt could also be taken a step further to not wearing things stored on a camels dirty smelly back.

Look at this camel's face. They make the most horrible noise while they open their mouth and show their teeth-it's this " mmmrrraaaaa" and the camel driver (?) makes the same noise back to it to tell it what to do, so you've got these two "mmmrrraaaa"ing at each other in the most hilarious way. Not so hilarious-how they demand their tip, then separate you from your spouse, insist you tipped for only one (while his son says the same to your spouse) then makes you both tip the other person before you can get off the camel. Awesome.

The Great Pyramid-we went inside this one. Napoleon blasted that hole to make an entrance.

I don't remember why I was leaping in the picture-"hey, look at me, Mom! I'm in front of a pyramid! Look at MEEEEE!"

Run, Phyllis, Run! She was not entirely trusting of Egypt. She and my mom went to Egypt about 20 years ago, sans husbands. She said wild horses couldn't drag her back. Apparently, all it took was peer pressure. But it felt like she was waiting for us to get scammed, robbed, or deserted by our tour company. Ok, we all were, just a little bit.

Ok, men with big guns took our cameras before we entered this pyramid, leading me to believe they would not react kindly to someone (mom) sneaking one in her bra and taking pictures in the tomb room. You can almost hear me right here saying, "Mom! There are surveillance cameras in here! We'll all be in Egyptian prison!!!!"

This is the stairway to the tomb room. When I got to the top, where the entrance to the room was, an Egyptian man was standing there, offering his hand. Idiotically, I took it, and he "welcomes" me by coming in for a KISS. I pulled out my best Kung Fu and yelled out between hi-yas, "no! No kissing!" I found after that he got a kiss in on Sandy, and grabbed her bum.

This is the Egyptian museum, with an awesome King Tut room.

This was a bathroom stop on the way to Cairo. When we (a big group of Americans) came in, a few people grabbed all the toilet paper out of the bathroom and made us pay them a dollar for a piece. Then a lady stands by the sink with soap. Yep, another dollar.

On our way home

2009-12-28T08:02:00.000-08:00

Boarding our flight to Paris

How we spent our evening in Paris

Cute tiny food. It was cute until we were still hungry...I'm all, "Give me a Big Mac-can't you see I'm American?! Supersize Me!!!"

Me, secretly packing sassy boots when I heard we were being sent to Paris. Secretly, because as sweet as Jon is, he wouldn't understand carrying around heavy boots for 36 hours so I could wear them while I slept in Paris. He was right.

Malta

2009-12-28T07:56:00.000-08:00

My husband is so hot.

Malta-sailing in

2009-12-28T07:39:00.000-08:00

This was the view as we sailed into the island of Malta.

Now, if you are getting distracted by my long eyelashes and you're thinking-"wait-Cherise has no lashes! Is she spending hundreds on extensions every month?" Let me tell you about a lovely product called renewlash. It makes your eyelashes grow. Seriously. But if you start using it, let me warn you-let it dry before going to bed. I found a lovely row of lashes growing on my cheeks below my eyes from my face being smooshed on my pillow and the magical serum gettin on my cheeks.

Turkey-Ephesus

2009-12-28T07:13:00.000-08:00

Us in our taxis...

In front of the theater
An advertisement for a brothel.

On the steps of the theater. They've fenced off the top portion because when Kiss had a concert there, the noise level and the size of crowd made it start to crumble.

The Library

Just outside of Ephesus. The taxi drivers we paid kept taking us to stupid shops we said we didn't want to go to. It was a little scary being driven around by people who really hate Americans. So when the sign said Ijshmir (the port where our ship was waiting) left and our driver turned right, we all panicked a little. I even came up with a plan to save us all (it was a kind of long drive). I would jump into the front, throw open his door, kick him out and take the wheel. In the end, it was just a route that kept them from having to pay a toll, but that didn't keep the absurd thoughts from crossing my mind, like how bad I had to go to the bathroom, and if I was shot and killed the news report would say something like, "mother of four found with a bullet wound to the whatever, and poo in her pants"

Greece-the Parthenon

2009-12-28T06:34:00.000-08:00

These were not actually the original sculptures, but duplicates displayed-get this-underground by the metro. Courtney is tiny enough that she could squeeze in behind it-Dan got stuck.
Sooooooooooooo cold.

Mom, Sandy, Courtney and I

The garden outside the Parthenon

Most of the group-minus 3 guys taking the pictures

I loved the women columns behind me. The were called Korei (I know I got that name wrong)

Athens, Greece-a parade, the metro

2009-12-28T05:54:00.000-08:00

The metro in Greece. That is my cousin, Kit and my Aunt Phyllis behind us. I kind of think it looks like we super-imposed us onto the picture of the metro....

we were walking to catch the metro and this parade comes the opposite way down the street. Someone said it was a religious demonstration or celebration or something.

Rome-Four Fountains, the Metro, dinner

2009-12-25T21:02:00.000-08:00

Waiting for the train. I think we spent 11 Euros on our day, plus a ticket to the Vatican. We saved hundreds by just taking the train and being our own tour guide.

Eating dinner on the ship

Four fountains. I think this is where they try to drown the Cardinal in Angels and Demons. I didn't realize what a violent movie that was! All day in Rome we were like, "Oooh, this is where the guy got buried alive, and that is where they set that one guy on fire-let's take a picture!"

The story on this is that they chose one artist over another to do the building (name?)in the background, and when they asked the passed over artist to do the fountain, he sculpted all the men facing away and covering their eyes to avoid seeing the other artist's building. Good to see even accomplished artists could be immature.

Raphael's tomb. No cool preserved body here. :(

Rome-Coliseum, Forum, Pantheon

2009-12-25T20:48:00.000-08:00

The Coliseum!

The Pantheon! Seriously, that bird about took me out.

Trevi Fountain

This is part of the Forum. (ancient Rome) We actually snuck through the exit and took a peek around before sprinting off to the next sight. Really, with only 7 hours in Rome, who has time for tickets and entrance lines?

Constantine's arch(es?)

More Coliseum!

Rome-St. Peter's Cathedral

2009-12-24T20:59:00.000-08:00

The dome in St. Peter's. I think I remember hearing that it is the biggest dome in the world, which would explain why we took a picture of it. Woooooo....

So I'm walking around trying to soak in all the beauty, and then here's this dead guy right in the middle of it all! I'm probably the only person who didn't know that the last pope (because he was so dearly loved by all), is also on display at St. Peter's. So I've decided-when I go, just pump me full of formaldehyde and lay me in the family room-Snow White style.

Jon in front of some stuff-just to give some perspective. This stuff was HUGE!

Bernini's huge altar. This is where Ewen McGreggor lights himself on fire in Angels and Demons. Boy, I love history.

Rome-St Peter's Square

2009-12-24T20:53:00.000-08:00

I love the statues on the bridge/wall.

One of the only pictures of Jon on this trip. He would rarely hand over the camera.

I'm checking out the statues with Jon's stakeout binoculars. :)

Rome-the Vatican Museum

2009-12-24T20:41:00.000-08:00

This is the Sistine Chapel. Kind of blurry, because 1. you're not supposed to take pictures inside it, so Jon held in camera at his side and casually snapped it and 2.We were going so fast through Rome, everything was a bit of a blur.

This was the something-something for Queen Mary or Mother Mary, well...I was eating Cracker Jacks, and they got stuck in my teeth. I do remember that.

WOW.

This was a really cool mummy. Look at the super-long fingers!

Some of our group, riding the metro through Rome.

Home again

2009-12-22T17:53:00.001-08:00

Jon and I have been on a 2 week Mediterrenean cruise until last night. It was amazing. Right up until our flights were cancelled because of snow, and we spent 2 days in airports, including an over-nighter in Paris. I must say, I was pretty excited when I heard they were sending us to Paris for the night, then on to the states. This (above) was not how I pictured our stay in beautiful Paris. It was freezing-we could see our breath inside the airport. I could only find one ankle sock, but I somehow managed to fit both feet into it, which also looked hilarious. Cold metal chairs froze our buns, so the cold tile floor was nice and cozy in comparison. As I made our bed (really, more of a nest) I imagined Jon's horror that I was sprawling out on the floor, but he surprised me by snuggling up and spooning me (to keep me warm, I'm sure) all night. Ah, romance was in the air in lovely Paris. Much to tell-majestic wonder after another, with days of eating in wonderful restaurants (on the ship, so free...) and staying in bed all day (seriously-all day) with a book. Jon and I soaked up every second we had together, which after 15 days, was quite a few. Makes that whole "eternity" thing seem pretty awesome.