Things I love number 8

I love Bountiful Baskets. This is a food co-op where you sign up and get a basket of fruits and vegetables every Saturday for 15 dollars!! It helps my family eat more healthy and saves us lots of money. It is a great program. I usually only get a basket every other week. You don't know what you are getting each week, but I have not been disappointed yet.

Listography: Phobias

I have lots of phobias.  I suffer with anxieties and sometimes they get so bad I am almost paralyzed with them.  I fake my way through them a lot.  But here are a few:

1. Bats. I once had a bat fly into my hair. I am now very afraid of them. They creep me out big time!

2. Lake water. There are dead things in lakes. Also I am afraid of fish chewing on my feet. I like water I can see the bottom of.

3. Passing semis on the highway. Seriously every time I pass one I have a mini panic attack.

4. Mice. They are fast moving and dart out at you. I am very afraid of them. If there was ever one in my house don't think I could ever sleep again. I think we would have to move.

5. My basement. I swear there is someone lurking down there ready to jump out at me. Or there might be a mouse down there.

6. Haunted houses. I do not like feeling out of control and being in the dark with things all around you ready to jump out at you, I am not in control of this. Scares me to death.

7. Cable cars. I do not like being suspended by only one cable. It makes me so nervous. The sky ride at Lagoon, Gondolas, ski lifts...forget about it!

8. Heights. I am very afraid of heights. Even thinking about being high up somewhere makes me nauseous.

9. Large crowds. I get claustrophobic and can't breathe. I feel lost and unknown. I don't like it at all.

10. Performing in front of people. I can't do it. Also I don't do public speaking well. Stage freight and embarrassment overwhelm me.

11. Talking on the phone.  Don't know why.  Just the thought of speaking to someone on the phone makes me panic.  I can talk to them in person or email or text just fine.  There is just something about the phone.  Though people I am really close to I don't mind talking to them on the phone.

12.  Trying things new for the first time.  I avoid doing anything for the first time.  It makes me panic when I don't know what to expect.  Once I do it I am fine to do it again.  There is just something about the first time.

13.  Talking dolls.  I saw a Twilight Zone with a talking doll that killed everyone, when I was younger.  Creeped me out.  I am now creeped out by all talking dolls.  I swear they are really alive and are going to attack me.  Creepy!

Listography: Pet Peeves

I love making lists, and I love talking about myself so when I stumbled on Listography I was excited to try it.  Listography gives you topics and you make a list about the topic.  Sounds fun to me.  So I think I will do try and do one of these each week.  The lists are random.  The first list that came up was Pet Peeves. 

1.  People constantly talking on their cell phone.  Seriously I do not need to hear about your weird growth on your big toe while I am grocery shopping.  I also could do without you running your shopping cart into mine because you are on your cell phone and can't push your cart one-handed.  Get off your phone, pay attention to the life around you!

2.  Chewing.  I really struggle with people chewing with their mouth open or chewing loudly.  It sends shivers down my spine and makes me want to scream.  Ask my kids they will tell you all about it.

3.  People who make a left hand turn into the turn lane and drive in the turn lane until they can get into an actual lane.  It isn't a driving lane!  Come to a stop and wait for an opening.

4.  People who don't merge into the lane until the very end.  They drive right by everyone else and get to the front of the line and then merge.  Drives me crazy.  Why is their time more precious than mine?

5.  Immigration.  They are always mean and rude.

6.  People who talk loudly in the movie theater, throughout the whole entire movie.  I paid just as much money as they did and deserve to enjoy myself.  Shut up!

7.  People who upload really fuzzy or sideways pictures onto blogs or facebook.  It is easy to turn them the right way.  This is annoying.

8.  Women who still sport the 80's big hair with the teased bangs.  That was so 20 years ago, maybe it is time for an update.

9.  People who assume their point of view is your point of view, and can't understand why you don't think exactly like they do. We are all different, and that is okay.

10.  Most of my pet peeves involve rude people and driving.  I just wish more people would be more respectful and nicer to others.

I am sure there is more, but 10 sounds about right.  Those of you who like lists, join in with me!

Things I love number 7

I love my camera

I guess to be more concise I should say I love photography.  I love memories.  I love being able to capture memories.

When I was a little girl I remember I used to dress up my baby sisters and pose them and take pictures of them with our Polaroid camera.  I have always loved taking pictures and capturing a moment in time.

I love that now I get to use my camera and develop my photography skills on a regular basis.  Sometimes I think I don't have time for photography, but then when I do it I remember how much I enjoy it.  I just don't think I could do without it.  It is my creative outlet.  I love it.

Things I love number 6

I love my beautiful Brynn

I love this girl who loves:

Dogs

Giggling

Math

Piano

Creating things

Reading

Teasing

Her puppy Annie

Music

Singing

Getting her brothers in trouble

The color blue

School

Little kids

Animals

Soccer

Sewing

Spinach Pie
Wearing dresses and skirts and having her hair done

To help her parents cook

 Her family

I love this girl who:

Has her daddy totally wrapped around her finger

Can never keep her room cleaned

Loves to talk

Has a big heart

Is so aware of others needs

Has the cutest freckles

Really needs to stop growing up so fast
Is very girly

Is so very wonderful with younger kids

Is a little mother hen

Constantly fights with her older brother

Is ALWAYS right

Is so sweet

Is very brave (much braver than her brothers)

Is the most stubborn person I know

Is so kind to animals

Knows how to wiggle her way into your heart

Has a terrible memory

Everybody loves

Is pretty spacey

Is musically inclined

Is friendly

Cries a lot 

Is our most favorite daughter

Is a great help when she wants to be

Is beautiful

Is our favorite 9 year old in the world

Oh man what a week!

This last week has been pretty full, eventful, and fun.

On Tuesday Alec had his second eye surgery. They took out the stitches. The doctor could not fix the shape of the pupil. That is okay. Alec thinks he can see better in the dark and thinks his eye is cool!  The surgery went well and he recovered fast.  He can stop wearing his protective glasses next week!  He is very happy about that.

(sorry about the crappy picture. This is off my phone and I didn't know how to upload it so I took a picture of the picture off the phone)

On Wednesday we packed up and took off on our annual Midway trip with friends.  We stopped by Grandma and Grandpa Francis' house on the way to have pizza, cake, and let Gavin open presents from them.  We got to the Condo late Wednesday night.

Thursday was Gavin's birthday.  He turned Eleven!!!  Holy crap!  On Thursday morning Gavin woke up and opened presents

.

Instead of a friend party this year Gavin wanted to invite a friend to Midway with us.  He took his friend Parker who used to live across the street from us, but moved 2 months ago. 

Thursday afternoon the girls went shopping while the boys went swimming.

Thursday night we went tubing at Soldier Hollow.  We have never been tubing at night before.  It was very fun.  The temp dropped and made the snow very icy.  That made the tubing very fast.  I didn't take a lot of pictures because 1. I actually got to tube this year (the last two years I have not been able to).  2. It was dark.

Brynn

Parker, Parker, and Gavin

Parker and Gavin

Brynn, Alayna, and Bailey

The first run of the night was slushy and Brett ended up pulling Alec most of the way down the hill.  After that the snow froze over and the tubing was much better.

Alec

After tubing we took Gavin out for Chinese food (his choice) and then had cake and ice cream back at the condo with everyone.

On Friday we went swimming, packed up, took Parker home, stopped at IKEA on the way home, picked up our puppy, got home and took a breather.  It was a crazy week, but we sure had fun.

Things I love number 5

I LOVE MY GOOFY BIRTHDAY BOY

(Technically his birthday is not until tomorrow, but since I won't be near a computer tomorrow I thought I would do this today.  Besides I was induced early in the morning on the 2nd and had every intention of having him on Dr. Suess's birthday.  But this kid had his own plans and came at 12:30 am on the 3rd)

I love this kid who loves:

Basketball
To read
To read until all hours of the morning because he can't put his book down
Pizza
The color red
Soccer
Hoodies
To draw
To use his imagination
Friends
His little brother
To drive his parents crazy
To smile
Video Games
To be goofy
To say and try and be weird
School
Legos

I love this kid who:

Has a big sensitive heart
Has many friends
Is very friendly
Cries when animals don't have homes
Always needs to play with friends
Is very helpful
Made us parents
Stole my heart the first time I heard him cry
Gets frustrated easily
Overreacts
Still holds his Mom's hand if no one is watching
 Has girls already writing him love notes
Can be shy
Gets embarrassed easily
Fights constantly with his sister
Cares too much about what others think
Has a great sense of style
Will only wear hoodies, never his coat
Is athletic
Is so much better for other people than his parents
Things come easily to him
Has a great sense of humor
Very sweet with little kids
Clever
Forgives easily
Has the best smile
Looks so handsome in his glasses
Is very independent
Is dependable
Is our favorite ELEVEN year old in the world!