Goats, Hiking, Fire, Singing, Fall Festival, Sister's Day & the ER

My journal would be sad if I didn't post all these things that have been happening. I have been a little behind so this entry is just full of random things, so read on...

4 loves our baby goats. They have really grown a lot and she can't carry them as easily as she used to. These pictures prove it. It is really funny because in one of the pictures you can see the goat saying. "please let me down, I am too big for this!"

Baaaaaaaaaaa!

We decided to give away the mama goat, Sprite, because the kids have gotten so attached to the babies. So yesterday we passed her on to our neighbors so they could have a pal for their other goat. They said they milked her this morning and she has really good milk. They like goats milk and we have no desire to even try it so I think it worked out for them to get a milking goat. 9 was pretty sad to see her go even though it was his idea to pass her on yesterday. He told me this morning, "Mom, I checked on Sprite this morning... like fifteen times. She's OK." He is so cute. He is really happy that we got to keep Pepsi and Squirt. They are a lot of fun to watch. I got some cute little pink collars for them at Walmart on clearance for fifty cents each and it just makes me giggle to see them in them.

Marc and 13 have been hiking a lot lately. Sometimes they get to take my camera with them and get a few good scenery picks. They always go out to see animals and they usually do, but, the pictures of the animals are usually too far away to decipher. So here is a pic from their Conference weekend hike of the beautiful sunrise and snow-tipped mountain side.

Sometimes I have a rough day and I just need some cheering up and my family is there for me. This was after the Priesthood session of Conference. It was very therapeutic sitting around our little backyard fire pit. What is it about just sitting around the mesmerizing flames of a dancing fire that seems to calm a troubled heart? Even after my family left, Marc and I stayed out there until 1am just enjoying the flames and the cool fall air.
Lesson learned: Don't be late to your daughter's All-state Choir performance held at the Tabernacle in Salt Lake City Temple Square. Why? Because even if you are pregnant and drove an hour and a half to get there, they still won't let you in if they are full to capacity, even if there is standing room and seats open. You will then have to film your daughter through the window of the tabernacle. She is the second one in in the green dress. Enjoy! I know I tried...

(sidenote: I did get to go in and stand in the back for their last song. Which was beautiful!)

13 tried out for a specialty choir last year for the 8th grade and made it! This is his first performance. I was really proud of him. He was so excited to wear his new vest and tie that they are required to wear to sing in the choir. I think he felt pretty official.



So this lady had an idea a few years ago to utilize her property for a Fall Festival. She does the whole thing herself. Quite an undertaking. My mom knows her somehow, and she asked us to perform on opening day. There wasn't much of a crowd, but it was still fun. My dad also was there to demonstrate his blacksmithing. 13 and 9 even got to get in there and help him out. My favorite part of the entire day was 9 dancing his little heart out behind us while we sang.

Here I am with my sister, mom and aunt at 33 1/2 weeks singing and loving it!

My dad and 13 working hard in the heat around the fire making miniature horse shoes.

9 even got to turn the crank for the fire and he thought that was pretty cool.

My dad, he looks so cool doing this.


9 with his cousins ready for a picture

4 at one of their cute picture displays.

Jessie and I were interviewed for KBYU news about the festival. I didn't get to see it because I don't have TV reception. But, Jessie and I had a good laugh about how dorky we were. The best part was that Jessie's youngest son was so excited to see himself on TV the next day—try to to think back to cartoon monster movie when the green one-eyed monster is so excited that his arm shows up on TV...

Saturday we all went as sisters, mom and Kirsten's best friend to search for Kirsten's wedding dress. Don't worry, Kirsten, I will not post the pic of your dress so as not to ruin it for everyone, but I do have to post the picture of all of us in front of the Sandwich shop we went to, and us waiting outside one of the dressing rooms. Mom treated us all and it was wonderful. We really had a good time being gone all day shopping for pretty wedding dresses and just laughing about girls things! Thanks sisters for the good times.



Well, I guess the fun couldn't keep going. We were planning on getting together as a family that night for pizza at my mom's house. We were all together because Aaron was carving a pumpkin at the Harvest Festival, and Daniel had work off. But, while we were out shopping I got a call from Marc saying that 4's eye was really goopy and red. I thought it was just a cold or something, so I still figured that we would still be getting together with the family.

One of my good friends just happened to call to have 17 babysit, and I had mentioned to her that we were trying to decide what to do about 4's eye. She just happened to have some eye drop antibiotics—I told her she must have been inspired. Anyway, so we got the drops and I tried to drop a drop in her red, swollen, green weeping eye and as I held her eyelid up her tears started to turn bloody! Right then we rushed her to the ER. I hadn't had time to get the kids dinner and we rushed off putting 17 in charge of the other two. My mom came to the rescue and brought the pizza from the family gathering for the kids to eat.

Well to make a long story short: After three and half long, hungry hours in a room at the ER we were sent home with two antibiotics for her eye for what is called blepharitis. It is worse than pink eye because it affects the eyelids and soft tissue around the eye. That is why it started bleeding when we were trying to put the eye drops in. It is VERY painful, therefore, the night was a really long one. She is doing better today and doesn't look like she was hit in the eye with a baseball bat. Now, I just have to pray that none of the rest of us get this yucky, extremely contagious thing!