Fire Station

Last week our group went to a local fire station! We got to look around the fire house and the kids got to climb in a real fire truck!


"Sparky" came out to say hello, and the poor dog didn't exactly get a warm welcome! Most of the kids were afraid of him. Usually Caroline is a little more brave and outgoing, but even she didn't want anything to do with it!



They gave the kids cute little fire man hats to take home. That was a hit!



Caroline and I tried on some firemen jackets.They were so heavy, I don't know how these firemen do it!







On another note:

Caroline and I went to the grocery store today to pick up something. Caroline asked if we could get some apples (Who can say no to that, right? It's usually donuts or icecream!)

When I got to the checkout, I realized I was paying $3.29 for three stinkin' apples! Since when are apples over $2 a pound?!!

It makes me sick that I can buy a dozen Little Debbie brownies for the price of ONE apple!

If America was really so worried about our country's obesity problem, you would think that, considering our nation's other crisis: economy, someone could do something about making the most nutritious foods the most economic choice! ARGGH!

Ok, I'm off my soapbox. I think I'll go console myself with some chocolate I got on sale.

Quirky Sue

I've been TAGGED!

Here's the plan: Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks you have and tag 6 people to do the same.


1. I always have 4 envelopes in my purse. They are marked "Walgreens" "CVS" "Walmart" and "Target" In the envelopes I have the coupons that I plan to use at that specific store that week (based on the sales advertised in their ads). I also have my list for the store and any register reward type coupons for that store. This helps me not look quite so frazzled at the checkout. *Susan digging through purse thinking: "I know I had a coupon for that somewhere! Oh wait. Maybe that was for the other store"

2. I hate the dentist. I know that's not really quirky - everyone hates going to the dentist, but I kinda fear it. My heart beats like crazy, my hands sweat, sometimes they shake a little (usually only if it's my first time in that office) Two dentists have offered me some Valium. Seriously.

3. I never drink the leftover milk in my cereal bowl. So I usually just put enough on to get it wet.

4. I would rather have only half of my microwave popcorn bag popped than risk even the slightest bit of one little kernal having a miniscule resemblance of being burnt.

5. I feel wierd putting on lipstick if I haven't recently brushed my teeth (like in the last hour). So I usually brush again.

6. I don't like wearing things on my wrists. I wore a watch at one point in my life and I didn't mind. It was a Christmas present from my brother, David, and for some reason it didn't bug me. It broke, and I've tried two watches since then but I always end up taking it off. I still can't throw that watch away because I keep saying I'll get it fixed.

Now, Jami, Candace, Heather Lant, Savannah, Alicia, and Christine: You're It!

Emily's "Volley Game"

Caroline and Uncle Jeff waiting for the game to begin



Tonight we went to our niece, Emily's, volleyball game in Germantown. Caroline was so excited and talked all evening about "Going to Emiwee's volley game!"



Emily in Action!



"GO EMIWEE!!!"







We were living with Jeff and Joleen when Emily tried out for the team and she is one of only two 6th graders to make the team (the rest are 7th and 8th graders!)




Caroline got into the festivities and even helped Cousin Jessica fetch balls during the team's warm-ups.



Dave calls this her "Party Face"




Maybe someday Caroline will make the volleyball team like her cousin! I think she'll definately have the height for it!

Moms Group

Every Tuesday is Park Day for our Mom's Group. We go to different parks in the area and today was a park in Olive Branch that had a lake and LOTS of ducks and geese (which Caroline calls "geeks" - cracks me up every time) Caroline liked feeding them this time (last time they kind of freaked her out)




The dinosaurs at the playground were a big hit. (Look familiar Carol? :)



Ok, so this picture takes some explainin'. The playground was surrounded by a huge hill. Apparently on one side of the hill was a giant dirt slide. That's right, a dirt slide. I sincerely can not believe that a mother thought that one up. But, the kids liked it, of course, and this was the aftermath:

It was beautiful weather and a fun morning despite some inevitable injuries (poor Rhylan and Lucy!)

Will the real Caroline please stand up?

Scattergories

I've been meaning to do this since Adrian tagged me, but I forgot!

Here are the rules: Use the first letter of your name to answer the following. They have to be real places, things, names...nothing made up! Try to use different answers if the person who tagged you had the same first initial. You can't use your name for the boy/girl name question... Here goes!


Your name: SUSAN

4-letter word: SWIM!

Pro sports team: Suns!



Celebrity: Steve Nash

Vehicle: Saab ... I wish

TV shows: Smurfs (Caroline just picked out a Smurf DVD at the library!)


City: Southaven, MS (My new home:)


Boy name: Steven (my newest nephew)

Girl name: Sophie (Our kitty)

Occupation: Swim Team Coach (been there, done that!)

Something you wear: Swim Suit (Man, being a swimmer has made this little game easy!)


(Modbe Swim suit, of course)

Something you throw away: Stinky Stuff (yeah, I'm stretchin' it on this one)

Food: Strawberry Cheesecake mmmmmm....

Something you find in a bathroom: Shampoo (lately, I've been getting great deals on Shampoo, like less than $1, sometimes free, thanks to couponing! I've got about 10 bottles stocked up under our bathroom sink!)

Reason for being late: Spit-Up (Adrian, you'll find out all about this soon enough!)

Something you shout: SWEET! or as Caroline told me the other day when I sat on her bed, "Shoo Mom, Shoo!

OK, I tag Courtney, Amy, and Amanda

"Apple" Picking

Our new ward is big and has lots of new, young families in it! (Like, 8 new families the same month that we moved in! yeah.) It's hard as it is to get to know people and make friends in a new place, but even harder when so many of you are new! I hear, "Are you the ones that ...?" or "What's your name again?" A LOT! We're all learning, so I'm sure it will take some time!

One great thing about this ward though is that they have a Mom's Group that meets a few times a week! It's awesome! Fun AND Organized! (sometimes, that's hard to find :)

Last week our ward's Mom's Group went to Jones Orchard to pick apples! We were so excited.


It turned out to be an... interesting event!





After getting a little (a lot) confused on where we were supposed to be (this place has a serious lack of direction signs and knowledgable staff) we finally got out and started picking. After a few minutes someone tried one of the apples and decided they weren't so good!





So a few people drove off to ask someone where some better apples were. To make a long story short, we ended up driving from patch to patch trying to find a spot with pleanty of good fruit. We ended up splitting up and picking peaches instead! The kids were pretty much over this whole orchard thing by that time and Caroline and Becca decided eating in the trunk of the car would be way more fun!





All in all we were a little disappointed, but the peaches were yummy and the orchard was beautiful! (and I got some cute pictures so it was all worth it!)

We babysat David's brother's girls last week while He and his wife went out for her Birthday (Happy Birthday Courtney!) Caroline loves her cousins and it is SO COOL to have a cousin that can read!!!!

Katelyn, Caroline, and Becca enjoying a bedtime story.