New puppies

We knew skip was going to have puppies but we weren't sure when.  She has been climbing in my small laundry basket and sleeping for the last few days.  I found a larger container for her and placed old towels in it.  She gave birth to 4 little puppies on Tuesday evening.  One is black and white and the other are tri-color, like their mother.  Three are female and one is a male.  They will be old enough to leave and go to their own homes around Christmas.  Parker wanted to name them Skip 2,3,4,5, after their mom.  What a cute kid.

Hope has started sleeping better-finally.  She sleeps about 5 hours the first leg of the night and then sleeps 2-3 hours after that.  However, naps are still quite short even when it is quiet in the house.  She has giggled at Parker a few times.  I don't know how he does it but Hope just seems to adore him.  She has big open mouth smiles first thing in the morning and coo's and coo's.  She is a morning girl.  Funny because only Ethan was a morning person in this family until her.  So I guess they can entertain each other.  She has also started saying mama when she gets mad.  It is so fun to hear.  All of my other kids learned to say dada first so I just take it all in.

Look a like meter

I got this fun idea from my friend Heather's blog.  Thanks Heather.

               The meter was so fun that I had to try it with another child. As you can see, I chose Paige.

Family Christmas service project

My side has a fairly new tradition for christmas,  instead of buying gifts for the adults, we use the money towards a service project for those in need.  Last year we did sub for santa for a family that was really in need and it was fun to buy gifts for people that we really didn't even know.   This year we are stepping it up and doing 2,yes 2, projects.  The first one is.... we are making dolls for the church to put in the bishops store house or to be used where ever they see a need.  Most of the girls and their daughters got together at my parent's house to begin this fun project.

These are pictures of the dolls we are creating...

There was a lot of cutting, arms, legs, heads, bodies.  Embroidering of the doll faces,  and painting of rosy checks.

And of course no get together is complete without yummy food.

The older children where great at entertaining Hope for a while.

If you go to grandmas you have to play dolls....she has many!!

The second project is... we are making, buying and collecting items for a school of foster children in Magna.  These children have no parents or their parents are in jail.  The children are ages 12-18 and live at the school.  Since they are wards of the state they are only alotted $20.00 for Christmas.  I don't know any of these children but already I feel for them. 
If you are interested in helping out with this service project, here is a list of items that the children have requested...
Blankets for beds,scarfs, hats, toe socks, music on CD's, T-shirts, and...  (when I find my list I'll add to this one).

My little monsters

I have torn the house apart looking for my camera. I knew that it couldn't have gone to far because we took pictures of kids just before they went trick or treating. I looked under couches and cushions. In draws, on top of desks and counters, in the piles of papers in Lorens office. I finally found it tonight behind the printer desk. How it got there, I can only imagine. I was getting nervous because this is a new camera. My really nice one got lost-in the house somewhere- after Zach's birthday party. It however, is still missing. Maybe the borrows live at my house-hmmm. Well here are the pic's....

                                                          Zach as a dead boy scout.
                                                   Loren does good, scary make-up.

Parker was a normal wizard for school and then he liked Zach's face so much that he decided to be a dead wizard for trick or treating.

Ethan isn't into the scary so much so he was a ninja which was great because we already had this costume from Braden.

Hope was dressed in her cute teddy bear outfit. She is cuddly like a teddy bear.

We have been fighting sickness at our house for 2 weeks now. Someone gets better and then someone gets sick. Parker had the flu last week and now he has a bad cold and a high fever (okay, I think he got it from me. I'm just getting over it) I think we have had all we need this year. So germs stay away.

Braden is on an overnighter with the scouts. They had to be at Bro. Dowdle's at 3:30 so he packed most of his stuff last night. What great leaders we have. Zach is going to a sleep over at his cousins house. Hum, 2 down 4 to go. Just kidding. Paige, Hope and I are going to grandma R's tomorrow to do a Christmas service project with all of the Aunt's and nieces. We are making clothe dolls. We are also making blankets and other items for foster care children that live in a group home. We should have lots of fun.