BOOK IT...PIZZA HUT ADVENTURE

Each month when the children read for a certain amount of minutes/days they receive a Book It certificate.
It's good for a free personal pan pizza.
They were doing this when I was in elementary school too.

It's a fun family event.
At first, Mike and I had this great vision (OK, maybe just me) that we would be able to have a family dinner focused on listening to the kids and how their day went.
But Sponge Bob on the Pizza Hut television is more exciting.

"I'll copy you guys, but I still don't get it!"

Natalie wasn't watching. She was watching her brothers and sister. She decided to play along.

There is no place like home...except Grandma's house

In prep for leaving for Alabama for two years Mike and I put our house up for Sale or Lease-option. It went something like this...
"Do you think we should put are house up so we can hit the Spring rush?"
"We better."
So the next day, I started organizing closets. Mike put it up on Craig's list on a Tuesday morning around 9:30am.
10am Mike got a phone call from a lady who wanted to see the house.
"Cass, someone is coming at noon."
Being the wife of a builder and living in his model homes I've learned how to work MIRACLES when it comes to cleaning up from our families self made hurricanes in record time.
(Doesn't mean I like it.)
That day we showed our home 7 times!!!
We showed it about 5 more times through the rest of the week and weekend.
Monday morning we signed a contract with a nice family for 2 years.
The contract was going to start the 1st of March...But the next week they wanted to move in in a week.
Mike said, "SURE."
That went something like this...RING,
"Hey Cass, they want to move in next Friday."
"Mike it's Thursday."
"I know."
"OK."
Hang up, roll eyes, get to work.

(Side note: Mike has a really sweet sister, Melanie. I call her my guardian angel. She brought me boxes, and bubble wrap. She spent a day with me helping me pack. She took my kids for a sleep over. She brought us pizza. She saved my life...again:)

We are not leaving for Alabama until May, at the moment. We thought it would take several months to get our house squared away. Mike has really great parents who live 2 minutes away from us with an empty basement and offered it to us.
Last week we moved in with them. I'm so grateful because I could pack everything, and keep it boxed till it goes into the U-haul heading for Fort Rucker. The kids can stay in the same school and we are in the same ward. So the adjustment of another move was minimal.
Mike's parents are so generous and we are so indebted and grateful to them.
And they have the BEST yard!

Quick, get these things documented!

It's always best to stay up on things like laundry and dishes. When you skip a night of washing your face and exercise it is much easier to miss the next day. And this is where I found myself as 2009 came to a close. I am paying for it this month with a few extra pounds and my face is breaking out like crazy!

The kids are back in school and I've spent the first 8 days of the New Year getting our life back in order.

Now that the laundry room doesn't smell any more and the kitchen isn't sticky. The family routine is getting some good oil....Now, I can update the blog.

And just the same as when I neglect my journal entries for weeks at a time, when I fall this far behind you get the summary version.

Let it snow!

Our little snow blower was a great investment! (Jake 9 years)

Snow is hit and miss here around our home. This year we have been blessed with a few good storms, enough to make snowmen.




Looks like this snowman will fit right in.


Merry Christmas!





Dear Santa,

Sometimes I yelled when I should have taken a deep breath and counted to ten. A few times I sat down to watch a movie when I should have picked up my things. I haven't been perfect, but I do try my best to be good. I have one Christmas wish.

Help me remember how precious and fleeting my time is with my impressionable children. And to use it wisely.

With love, Jake, Dallas, Katie and Natalie's mom



Gingerbread houses



The world's best attack gingercopter!



Decorating Sugar cookies
for the neighbors and Santa, with cousins and friends



Christmas Eve at Grandma and Grandpa Hill's
Always a wonderful time.

Jake and Dad

Melanie and Brian Evans



Katie with her cousin, Gabe Evans


Dallas and Grandpa


Natalie so fascinated with the train and Christmas lights

Jake and Natalie (special bond)

Grandma and Grandpa Hill

What a wonderful time of year! I love everything about Christmas. I love the baking, the Christmas lights, the smell, the brisk air. I love sitting around the lights of the Christmas tree and the fire in the evening sipping hot chocolate listening to my husband, Mike read the family 'The Story of The Other Wisemen'. (If you haven't read it, read it!)

I love the cheer in everyone. I love my family. I love Mike's family. I love and miss my family this year. I'm grateful to friends and neighbors for their warm friendship.

Most of all, I love Christ!

The reason for the season.

Thanksgiving: I never did get pictures of my trip to Utah for a girls retreat. Mike had our children for 5 days alone and then drove with them 6 hours to Utah for Thanksgiving with my family. It was Mike's treat to me (his idea, promise) after hunting season, Boot Camp and OCS and Air-Assault. It was a blast and a wonderful way to start off the season with my family.

And Happy New Year...I was going to post the pictures of our New Year's celebration at the Evan's, which was a total blast!

But isn't everyone ready for a nap now?

The Hill's just finished reading The Book Of Mormon. What are they going to do next???

We are going to Disney World!!!!

It took just a shade under a decade (Jake is 9), but we did it!

We've had many stops and starts. We've tried all different ways to do family scriptures with a young family. We decided the best way is to just read from the scriptures and never give up hope that something, anything is sinking in. If nothing else the habit of reading scriptures every night!

It's such a great feeling. You know I usually get to the end of the day, tired, wondering where the day went and thinking of all the things I should have done. I decided it's just easier to DO IT!!

Just do what you are supposed to be doing. You know it's actually easier than putting it off. Who would have thought?

In the beginning of forming our scripture reading habit it was hit and miss or a BIG headache for mom. Nothing close to a spiritual experience.

As we finished The Book of Mormon last night I felt an overwhelming feeling of gratitude. A calm feeling of sincere joy. It was worth the struggle and it has strengthened our family, as promised.

And we really are going to Disney World... when we get to Alabama. We have a savings account for it and everything!

The Pumpkin Patch

My mom came up to visit and to save Mike this fall. The day Mike was heading out on a deer hunt I woke up to the world spinning. It was scary until we figured out that it was an inner-ear infection that caused some serious vertigo. Vertigo...What a trip! The only cure was a shot in the buttock to stop the vomiting and pills to help until the fluids are balanced again. I honestly laid in the same position for 5 days! Mike did everything for those days. He always appreciated me, but just like when he was gone for 17 weeks out of this year, now, we REALLY appreciate the service each of us give to make our family work.

And we really appreciate my mom for coming up to stay with us for several days so we could enjoy her and Mike could get his hunt in without the guilt of leaving a sick wife:).

Having my mom come is such a treat for all of us. She lets me sleep in. She spoils my children with her mickey mouse pancakes and cinnamon rolls and her love and attention. This year she treated us to the pumpkin patch.

Dallas taking Natalie on the bump slide.

Katie in the corn box.

Duck race for Jake and Dad. Jake won!

Mike's commissioning

Mike says the reason his eyes are glowing in this picture is because he is part of a top-secret experiment in the army heading up laser-vision. One of the pins stuck him and he almost melted the podium.
On Sunday, Mike was commissioned an Officer and 2ND Lieutenant in the US Army (Idaho Army National Guard). It was a very special day.

His dad, Boyd Hill, was in the Guard many years ago. He was a Sergeant First Class. There is a tradition, when you become an Officer, that you need to buy your first salute, but after that you have to earn them with good performance. Mike's dad gave Mike his first salute and Mike then gave his dad a silver dollar. It was a sweet experience for the two of them. Some tears on dad's part, but only I got to witness that.

Before his 1st salute, I had the privilege of pinning one of the gold bars on his shoulder along with the General. It was really cool!

(We thought it was best to leave Natalie in the loving arms of a friend for this adventure, but we are sorry she is absent from this picture.)

I want to put in a note of thanks to everyone who has supported and served us through this adventurous journey. (I want to name you all but that would make this post too long, but I do have to mention Melanie for taking these pictures and taking charge of my children.)

Zoo

We had to do another trip to the Zoo because we heard they had lions for the summer.

Katie, Kenadee, Katlynn, Kt Aegeter(our good friends) and Natalie

Our boys were there, but they have had enough of picture taking.

Does everyone have their game face on???

It's time to play again!

Mike left this morning for Fort Meade in South Dakota. He will be gone for 8 weeks training to become an Officer (OCS).

From what we have heard Boot Camp is cake compared to OCS. The first two weeks are no sleep and they run everywhere. They told him to gain some weight before he left because he will definitely come home thinner.

I'm a little concerned because last time he was gone everything feel apart... Katie broke her hip, had surgery and was in a body cast for 8 weeks. I needed to pack up to move, all of our renters stopped paying rent while he was gone and one house went vacant, I almost had to do a court case for him and on the coldest day of the winter our heat went out. Yet, we live and got through it, with Divine intervention and angels all around.

We did start this time with a bad Omen...

Jake found two cute black kittens in Grandma and Grandpa Hill's wood pile...He gave me those eyes and I couldn't say no so we brought them home. We have enjoyed them for the past two days. The kids slept outside with them the first night...

Tragically, this morning Jake went to check on them before we headed to the airport and found one killed and mostly eaten and the other is missing.

It was horrible. I almost vomitted and missed Mike, because he always handles that kind of clean up.

It's not the end of the world, but it sure feels like it for me and Jake at the moment.

Happy 9th Birthday Jake!

I can't believe 9 years has past. His childhood is half over!

(unless, of course, he's like his dad and it never ends:) I actually hope that that is the case.

We celebrated with friends and family in Grandma and Grandpa Hill's backyard. The kids had a blast and played hard. We roasted hot dogs and s'mores over the fire.

Jake's birthday fell on Memorial Day this year. How fitting that he wanted a birthday cake with his name in Morse Code. Easy cake.

For those of you who aren't familiar with Morse Code that says, "Happy B-day Jake."

Morse Code is found, among other places, in, 'The Dangerous Book For Boys."

If you have a boy(s), I highly recommend that book.

(Jake holding Natalie's hand)

For Memorial Day we spent a little time at Gowen Field.

Dallas spend a lot of time on each aircraft. This is a Blackhawk and the questions just kept coming.

And here is the dream. THE APACHE.

I have to tell you about that rose Katie is holding...

The other day Katie and I were grocery shopping. She saw some flowers. She has been with Mike when he has picked out flowers for me and brought them home. She said,"Mom, my husband is going to bring me flowers."

Some ladies overhead her and giggled. Then she thought and said,"Mom, I want a husband."

At the end of the day I realized she was a true girl and what she said was not what she meant. What she meant to say was, "Mom, I want flowers."

I told the story to Mike. He picked that flower from our rose bush and gave it to Katie. She carried it around all day until Dallas said,"Katie, your flower is dead!"

Katie was heartbroken. We put it in Natalie's sippy cup of water, all that we had at the time, to see if it would help, but no luck.

When we got home she said,"Dad, could you give me another flower sometime?"

What she meant was..."right now."