Fun mission times!

When Josh was called to the Idaho Pocatello Mission, I told him I knew people all over that mission, and that they could keep an eye on him.  LOL!!  One of the people, is my brother Todd and his family.  They live in Boise, but Sunde is from Rexburg.  They travel there often, and only this past Friday where they able to catch up with Josh and take him to lunch.  He was excited to see his Uncle Todd and Aunt Sunde, and cousins Brynn, Camryn, Luke and Max. They went to Roadhouse on the 20th.

Then a few days later, our former bishop & his wife, Brother & Sister Bowman, made their way up to Idaho Falls to visit their son, Ricky and wife Heather, and grandson Kyle.  Of course, Sister Bowman had to call me and brag, but that's okay.  I am glad they got to see him, and take him to lunch too.

And this is Josh and his companion, Elder Morgan doing whatever they are doing.  I don't even know what to say... ya!

On 15 August was our Stake Conference in Shreveport.  We made arrangements with Josh's girlfriend, Amanda, to meet us there.  It was fun to see her after a year, and to have lunch with her in one of the rooms at the stake center.  Yes, we eat lunch at the stake center because it's 100 miles away, and it's either eat there, or go out to eat (Jacob can't go that long without food, thus the reason why we eat).  Afterwards we went over to where Shawn works and saw him for a few minutes before heading home.

A cute picture of Lauren, age 15.  Not sure who took the picture. But I thought it was cute.

I really have good kids.  I really do.  I think I am a good person.  Maybe sometimes I post things on Facebook that I shouldn't say, and there have been times when someone has messaaged me about it, and I am always quick to fix the situation, either by trying to re-explain myself (haha!) or by deleting it, and a few times have even apologized when it was taken the wrong way.  But it saddens me when people can't and won't "listen."  Especially after they find out that I have a different opinion, and then it's like they hold it against me.  I am sad for losing 2 friends over it.  A friend pointed out to me (and yes, I did delete like almost this whole post): Friends will come and Friends will go.  I just need to remember that.  

 

Pea-Shelling 101 (be prepared to get sick)

Everyone knows we live on a farm.  Shawn and his dad, and the kids grow a garden every year.  One of the things that is grown is purple-hull peas.  What are those?  Like a black-eye pea, but these have a purple "eye" instead of a black one.  It's a southern staple around here.  Growing up in the south most of my life (lived in Alabama until I was 11 1/2), the only southern thing I had and didn't like were lima beans.  We only had those at the Jenne's house.  Thank goodness that my parents were displaced Californians at the time, and didn't learn to cook the true southern way. LOL!!  

So now my kids have the opportunity to grow, shell and eat purple-hull peas.  And they do the shelling at Mamaw's house, as I don't shell them nor cook them, and ONLY ate them while I was pregnant with Joey because she offered to cook dinner, and I was like great since I didn't have to cook then.  WHILE they weren't bad, they weren't something that I was going to make, ever!  But for them to cook & eat, they have to be shelled.  For the first few years, the kids shelled them by hand.  Past few years they have been using the electric pea-sheller.  And the girls know then, but especially now, that hair has to be put up in a pony-tail!  

If not, accidents will happen:

Yep.  You saw it right.  No hair!  Lindsey was just busy helping to realize that her hair was about to go through the pea-sheller.  The thing yanked her hair out so fast that she had no time to even try to work it out.  No blood.  Just no hair.  This happened on 8 July 2010.  As of Sunday night, her hair is growing back, but it will take a very long time to ever get it back to how it was.  She has short hair all over the top.  I took her to get her hair trimmed the other day, and Kelly said not to give her bangs, and maybe when it grows a bit more, to go get extensions in it.  I figured that is what Britney Spears did right?  

So until then, we just pull it into a small pony-tail on the side and finish it with a bow.  I need to go get more ribbon since school is about to start.  

The wider the ribbon, the better I like:

I had my Mom-in-law, Mom and sister Holly to swear to secrecy about it, and you all should be happy to know that your most awful secrets are safe with them!  I decided to tell because 1) we went to the beach with my brother's family, and cousins do tell.  =) and 2) School is starting soon.  And while I have it cute in a band and ribbon, it doesn't always stay in place.  I am just glad that the brother I went to the beach with is an attorney. 

HuMp DaY!

Pictures... BIG & small! Not in order!

I think I have gotten most of the pictures, not in order of course!  I don't know if Blogger has changed the format or what, but for the last few times when I have tried to post tons of pictures, they are not coming out in order.  Anywho... enjoy them all!

The beach house we stayed at on the West End of Galveston.  I am at the beach, this is how close we were! 

Eathyn, Joey & Lindsey enjoying the little pool on the deck instead.  Actually, Lindsey was just posing... she was at the beach every moment she was awake!

Night before we left... Joey & Lindsey freshly bathed; Brandon being a goof!

Kids loved being on the bikes too! Rachel, Jacob, Lindsey, Joey & Austin.

Me & Cindy being sexy fat mommas!  Ok, Cindy isn't fat... just 7 months pregnant!  I don't have an excuse!  Little Mari enjoying the beach air!

Me & Joey ready to watch fireworks, July 4th!

Me, Joey, Jared & my Momma... July 4th.

Taco madness at the Pritchard home! July 4th.

Me trying to get tanned... hahahahahaha!  I know, right?!  Beach house in the back!

More Taco Madness! July 4th

Brandon, Nathan & Jacob enjoying the tacos.

Jacob caught a baby crab!

Jacob, Kayley, Joey, Lindsey, Rebekah & Lindsey.

Kayley & Rachel headed to the beach!

Rebekah & Lauren coming back from boogy-boarding!

Shawn taking a nap... beach air has worn him out!

Some of the kids making a sand castle.

My ACTUAL birth day... the 18th.  I made my cake.  And Brett decided to have a piece of it... for those who know Brett, it's becoming custom to have a birthday cake sliced into before serving (only the adult sibling cakes!)

First day we got to the beach! Absolutely gorgeous!!

5 kids posing on the ferry... after waiting almost 2 hrs to get on it!

Lindsey couldn't see well, so Shawn helped her.  

Lindsey posing at Mimi's & Grampa's house.

We have made a lot of these this summer... COWPIES!!

Our new cocker/hound puppy, Chloe.  We got her July 24th.  MaKayla visiting us too!

Waiting for the dolphins to show up while on the ferry!

Day we left Galveston. This is the very north end (east end?) past Crystal Beach just before turning to head north to Beaumont.  Very pretty beach here!!

Kids looking for tons of shells!!  Shawn & Lauren found nice sand-dollars.  Tons of shells here, hardly any seaweed at all!

Joey already wet from the water... we said "don't get wet!" How many 3 1/2 yr olds really listen to that?

A serious storm was heading our way.  They said on the news that this was part of the Tropical Depression that closed the BP Oil Site down for a while on the 22nd.  Or something like that!  Serious lightening and thundering was going on... we left! 

Pioneer Day!  Getting ready to head to the church for the Bi-Ward Pioneer Potluck/Party.  Lindsey is wearing a dress that my aunt made for me when I was 6!  It has been used as a Pioneer/dress-up dress for the last 15 years (all my girls wore it... Lauren wore it for Halloween one year when she was 3 or 4).  The horse was almost made by the same aunt, but a year or 2 before the dress.

Shawn & I celebrating my 40th birthday (on the 2oth) at Fishermen's Wharf by Pier 21 in Galveston.  Very good!!  We've been together for 21 years!!  

Same beach at the north end.

Austin with the shark he caught at the bay!  Totally real!!  He was so proud!

Kristen & Lindsey chillin' in the water!

A cute seashell Lindsey found at that north(east) beach.

Kristen, Rebekah, Lauren headed back from the beach...

Cindy & Brett with us at Fishermen's Wharf.

My 40th birthday celebration at Cheddars.  Holly, me, Momma, Heather, Hilary (red shirt)

Me with my first short haircut of the summer... no make-up though!

Jacob & Joey looking for clams, but found that crab instead!