As per Roger's and Nathan's request, here you go! 






This storage shed is awesome!  I've realized since moving that I need a lot of storage in my house.  When we eventually buy/build a house, we'll need lots of storage space!  We really don't have that much stuff (considering there are 7 people in our family), but there are lots of things that I am holding on to that I don't want to throw away yet--like all my twin baby girl clothes.  (Just let me know sisters when you are expecting twin girls!) I want to give them to someone I know instead of donating them or selling them.  Aren't you proud Mom?


Love the swing!!!


Keep in mind my other rental places that I've lived.  I do not decorate the places we live in (and I should, but I don't) and we generally live in older places.  Some of the finishes aren't that great, but it's fine. We're renting.




So I was going to be fancy, smancy and not have the TV in the living room.  Well, the house is a bit smaller than our last one (about 2500 sq. feet to now 1340 sq. feet), and with the fireplace not even in working condition, we went ahead and stuck it in there anyway.




Patio area off of the dining area.  The table and grill are our landlord's.


The bar thing that you see to the right and the window opening--that goes into the dining area.


The dining area leads into the kitchen/laundry.  Kitchen to the left, laundry to the right.


The other corner of the kitchen.


Shanna wanted a picture of her shoes.




Needed some storage solutions!


Our wheat and powdered milk and whatever else we canned--in the bottom of our closet.  Well, it fills up more than just the bottom of our closet.






Now up the stairs.  To the left a bedroom, to the right, a playroom.














The room even comes with a gun closet!  Woo hoo!  You can see we have an extensive collection.

First Day of School

Yesterday Clark and Cal started school. This is Cal's second school that he's attended and Clark's third. So far things are going okay.  Switching schools is always hard, especially on the older kids. I am very pleased with their new school.  The teachers, principal and the ladies in the office all seem great!  Out of the four years that my kid(s) have been going to school, the start of this school year was very anti-climatic.  Guess it's better that way?  Maybe it's because our friends back in Missouri have already started school or maybe it's because we've been anticipating the new school year for so long (if that makes sense!). Monday night we had a little party--suggested by Clark.  Lee also gave all of us priesthood/Father's blessings and that was wonderful.  I am thankful the power of God is here on the earth and that my husband is worthy to exercise that power.  

Clark and Cal yesterday morning





Lee forgot to take a picture of Clark by his classroom.  Maybe later we'll get one.  While Lee walked the boys into school we waited in the van.  When he got back we took off to get some errands done.  We first went to the DMV to title and register our vehicles, along with getting new licenses. We didn't have the proper identification to prove that we lived here--aka: the right piece of mail. When I received the change of address notice from the post office of course I chucked it in the trash.  That was dumb!  I brought some other mail envelopes with us, but they were the wrong ones.  Anyway, the lady was so nice and somehow worked her magic and got us everything anyway!  After that Lee stopped in at the local public TV station to find out about how to "advertise" with them or whatever they call it.  While he was in there we went to the pond behind the station and looked at the geese.  (I think they are geese!)









It was pretty cute watching Elden chase after this one.





For some other random pictures....  On Sunday I did the girls' nails and I got the idea of letting them paint mine.  It was very fun.  Shanna did the pink and Haley did the gold.


These next pictures are from Haley and Cal. Here's Elden out on the front porch that we LOVE.  There is even a swing!








Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying school or that all is well with your kids in school. I personally am glad my kids are in school and not myself.  Maybe someday I'll get a Master's degree.  Someday. Maybe.

Reunions 2011

Hello All!  I've been missing from the blogging world for awhile.  Packing and cleaning the house, then going to two family reunions, moving one week later and then opening up a new business....yeah, it's been busy.

Sadly I lost our new camera.  I have been sad about loosing this possession. I had photos on it from the reunions and from Clark's baptism.  So sad.  But as Lee has reminded me a few times, it's just money.  We can buy a new one (someday). So the following pictures are from other people.  Thanks Vicki and family for the pictures!!! 

On to the reunions.  The last part of July we met up with some of my mom's family for a Thompson reunion in Nauvoo.  We had a great time seeing my Aunt Evelyn and Uncle Bob and Grant and Sandra and family, along with my family.  We drove up on a Friday night and left Sunday morning, so it was a short trip.  Now all my kids can say they've been to Nauvoo and Carthage.

The Nauvoo Temple

It was destroyed by fire in 1848 possibly by persecutors.  Our church rebuilt the temple from the ground up, completing it in 2002.  I went to Nauvoo when I was a teenager and there was just a grassy lot where the temple once stood.  So beautiful!

Saturday morning Lee and I and the kids went on a wagon-ride tour of Nauvoo.  I am so glad we did.  We got to see many buildings without even having to go in them.  We will go in them someday...

After the wagon ride we drove the Martydom Trail--the trail that Joseph Smith traveled on his way from Nauvoo to Carthage, Illinois where he was kill by a mob in 1844.

Here is our group at the Carthage Jail in Carthage, IL.  The jailor moved Joseph Smith along with his companions to the upstairs of the jail--the house/living part--as to provide some protection from the mobs. Joseph and his brother Hyrum were killed when the mobs did come.

 

A picture outside of Carthage Jail

 

We went to a park afterwards.  The miracle of the quail happened here or in the vicinity. From Elder Russell M. Nelson in the July 1999 Ensign: "The book of Exodus reports that quail were miraculously provided to feed the hungry people of ancient Israel (see Ex. 16:13; Num. 11:32; Ps. 105:40). The pioneers had an equivalent experience. After the last of them had been driven out of Nauvoo, many were sick and some had died. Their provisions were meager. On the river bottoms near Montrose, Iowa, on 9 October 1846, many quail miraculously flew into camp. The quail were cooked and fed to some 640 destitute people."

 

 

 

After Nauvoo we congregated at my house.  If I have my count right the most people we had there at one time were 46 people! It was really fun.  We had some fun activities.  For one of them we went to Clifty Creek Conservation and hiked to a natural stone bridge.  It's a fun hike in general.  On the way back my little kids got tired and it's not very fun carrying a child and a backpack for even a quarter of a mile.

Where we stopped for lunch--at the stone bridge.

 

 Grandpa was quite popular with his iPad--especially with the grandkids. They now know about Angry Birds!

That night we went bowling for Family Home Evening.  Very fun!

The next morning we went to Miller Cave at Fort Leonard Wood.  My youngest brother Sheldon has been wanting to go back to this cave for awhile.  Now that he is home from his mission and visiting us, it was the perfect opportunity!  Sam and Sheldon inflated an air mattress and floated back into an opening in the cave.

        

 

Later was the pie eating contest! We split up into different age groups.  I am not sure who won out of the little kids/toddlers, but Ethan won out of the kid round, Sheldon the adult male round, and guess who...ME for the adult female round.

Even my mom joined in!

Ila was lucky and got to do the female adult round!

 

I thought Deb had won, but she was still chewing and I swallowed the pie as quick as I could and I won!

We had a pool party that evening.  SO FUN!  I had more pictures on my camera, but these will have to do.  I really love swimming at night.  There is something fun and magical about it!

Daniel, Steph and Sheldon did a few who-can-hold-your-breath-the-longest competitions.  Stephanie won every time.

 

GO SHELDON!

Wednesday morning the 27th, was so wonderful and special.  My oldest child, Clark, was baptized.  I am going to do a separate post on this, but here are some pictures.

After lunch we played some fun little games and then my parents showed us pictures of their recent Italy trip with Sheldon.

Here we had an unwrap-a-Starburst-in-your-mouth competition.  I won a couple of times!  And I am sure if you'd ask Lee, yes, I am an excellent kisser.

Aunt Stephanie fixed several of the girls' hair.  SO CUTE!  I am not sure who else she did, but I know at least one girl is missing from this picture (and it's not Haley--she didn't want her hair fixed).

 

Wow, writing about all these events make it seem like it was one CRAZY reunion!  I do hope that it was relaxing for my family....and I think it was a little bit at least. That evening we went to the Waynesville Park to play and have dinner (on our way there we went to see the soldiers retire the flag at 5pm). A big playground with a splash park is there along with the Roubidoux River close by.  Such a fun place.  The weather was incredibly nice and I don't think I noticed any gnats!

Even swimsuits need accessories!

 

All the sisters!

 

We roasted marshmallows at the park.  Instead of doing s'mores I made a triple batch of chocolate chip cookies and we put the gooey marshmallows in between the cookies.  YUM!

This is Sheldon who recently returned from a proselyting mission in Italy for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. While there he picked up some useful things about real Italian food.  One of them was lasagna.  OH SO GOOD!  Thanks for making it Sheldon!  Um, when are you coming again to visit me???

 

It was Clark's birthday the day he got baptized.  We celebrated his birthday earlier--which I will post later--but he lucked out and in addition to grandparent gifts, he got some gifts from his Aunts that day, ! Lois gave him spray whipping cream and silly string.  He LOVED them! Stephanie gave him a Lego game.  Clark = Legos.  And yes, he loved the game! (And still enjoys it!)

My friend came and took pictures for us at the Waynesville Park.  I wasn't planning on doing pictures, but she is a photographer and offered to take some.  It worked out really well and the pictures turned out great!  I wish Andy, Roger, Brittany and Lexie could have come.  They were the only ones missing out the family.  I missed not having them there.

The daughters and Mom!

The parents and siblings...minus Roger. (Just imagine one more person sitting to the left of me in the picture.)  Yep, there are 10 kids.  Five boys, Five girls.  We are blessed with a wonderful family and fantastic parents!

I love this candid shot of the family. Not all of us are in it, but I still love it!  It reflects our family.  Even with such a big crowd (and we Bartholomew's like having a big crowd) we love talking and laughing with each other.  Our kids get along great too!  Can you imagine how awesome this picture will be in several years?  We just need to add one more spouse (ahem Sheldon) and lots more grandkids (two are on the way as I type!).  SO FUN!

Thanks for coming everyone! And yes, they ALL stayed at my house.  Even two friends that came with my sister were there too.  With a seven bedroom house and 4 bathrooms in Fort Leonard Wood, it worked out well.  Now that we are in a much smaller house Clark told me that only two families can visit us at a time.  

I told him we could fit more...