THE WEEKEND IS HERE!

Well, it's finally Friday! I thought this day would never arrive. The kids have a half day because of parent/teacher conference. I have both scheduled for today. Both Keaton and Bailey did wonderful for the first quarter. We are so proud of them. I know that the reason they ever want to go to school is for their friends, art, library, and computers. Somewhere along the way they lost interest in reading, writing.,science, social studies and math, go figure! They are trying hard and doing GREAT! Keep it up kiddos! Today, I have been busy sewing Bailey's Hannah Montana costume and I'm so glad that it is almost done! The last few days for me have been such good ones! Keaton has Scout Day Camp tomorrow and he is excited for that. This is the first year I won't go with him as I am no longer a den leader. I'm kind of sad not to be able to watch him have a good time. Last year was a blast and I know this year will be fun too. He loves scouts and I'm so pleased about that! Bailey has a Brownie troop activity tomorrow too. We are going to see High School Musical 3. She is not really into HSM anymore but, she would not pass up a movie with her friends. I will go with her and I'm looking forward to a day with my baby girl who is so not a baby anymore! They just keep growing and growing! Kevan got some more hours with Coke this week and he has been working at a friend's cabinet shop picking up a few hours and we are hoping he gets hired on at UPS part time as well. When you have to work three different jobs just to TRY and make up for what you are use to making in one job it is not only exhausting but, I see blessing being given each time these small jobs come our way. If that is how it has to be done for a while then we will do it that way! I feel so blessed to have the Gospel in my life and for our family and friends who have just been so wonderful to us over these past few months of struggling. Words just don't describe the feelings of gratitude we feel. We are looking forward to Halloween and the kids can't wait to Trick or Treat! I can't believe November is almost here! Why does it seem like time is going faster and faster?

LOVE YOU TWO!

I love these two little munchkins! I was looking through some photos on the computer yesterday and I came across this picture which was taken in 2005. My heart just melted as I recalled this day. It was an Easter Sunday and we had already found baskets and did the whole Easter morning tradition. I remember I sat the kids down and wanted to take their picture so I could document their cuteness at the age they were. Keaton is five and Bailey is three in this picture. They are just so cute with their baby chub still on their faces.

This past week the kids were out of school for their fall break (something we never got in school). I remember thinking at the beginning of the week am i going to be able to survive a full week with them home and really nothing to do? Well, my kids are real good at entertaining themselves so it wasn't bad at all. There were only a few days where they told me they were bored and needed something to do. Keaton finally decided that he wanted to be Harry Potter. I know he has been around a while but, Keaton just started reading the books and has seen the first two Harry Potter movies. He has his costume and is ready to go on Halloween night. Bailey is going to be Hannah Montana (of course)! We are still putting together her costume but, she will be ready to go too. We are spending Halloween night trick or treating with the Jensen cousins in their neighborhood with Aunt Deb coming too. They are so excited and I think it will be a fun night.

Things have been real stressful here at the Roth household lately. Kevan has been out of work for the past two months and it doesn't look too promising for the months to follow. It is hard to keep up my spirits as things have come down to the wire.
I honestly have never been or felt so much stress and misery before in my life. I long for the happier times and it seems like that is all I can do is think of how much happier we were when we had a regular stable income. I worry that my kids can see the stress we are dealing with and well, I try so hard not to make them aware that mommy is not a happy camper but, somehow I think they now. Bailey, keeps telling me, "Mommy you are the best!" I sometimes cry about her little comments because, I know I am not the best and that I don't deserve to be called the best. Keaton always, tells me, "Mom, I love you" and then finishes is off with a sweet squeeze from his little arms. I do feel truly blessed that even in the wake of the worst times of my life I have the best darn little cheerleaders around! They keep me grounded and remind me that no matter what is lost due to financial troubles they are not going anywhere and for that I am so GRATEFUL! I love you Keaton and Bailey for giving me all the support and love that you do. I love you for all your little kisses and hugs and the sweet reassurance of your love that you give in your kind hearted words that you express to me daily. You both are the best!

TO BE A BROWNIE!

Well, this year Bailey decided that she wanted to join a Brownie Troop. I never desired to join Girl Scouts when I was young. I guess the activities I was more interested in were Piano and other things that would help me develop a talent. Now even though I can only play "Around the Totem Pole" on the piano and my Ballet career never took off ( one year of each was enough for me) I never felt like my hidden talents were left undiscovered. Well, when my own daughter came and begged if she could join a Brownie troop that her good friend was a part of I hesitated. She is only seven and did I really want her to be a part of a group of girls that wore uniforms and sold cookies and gathered for meetings. Well, no I didn't! I guess since I never was a Brownie then my daughter didn't need to be either. Next summer she would be starting Achievement Days in primary and that seemed sufficient for extra curricular activities. Well, after talking to Kev about it we decided that we would let her join a Brownie Troop. She is in the same Brownie troop as her friend Liberty. Yesterday after school she had her first Brownie Meeting. She was so excited that for weeks she has been counting down the days and couldn't wait for school to end so she could experience the Brownie Troop meeting. About 30 minutes before the end of their meeting the parents came to have a mandatory meeting which would explain in more detail all about the Troop and their activities. When I walked in and saw Bailey participating I couldn't help but notice the look of pure enjoyment on her part to have something of her own to be a part of. Keaton has Boy Scouts and now Bailey has Girl Scouts. I was not too thrilled when the leader of her troop started to go into detail of the parent participation area though. It looks like I will be more a part of this then I had originally wanted but, then I figured that it's better to know and be a part of my children's activities then not know who they are with or what they are doing. Bailey is thrilled to be a part of this and I can't help but be excited for her.

This was the Craft that the girls did at their first meeting. They also had fun making sticker sheets and decorating cupcakes with candy bones. What little girl wouldn't have fun doing that?

CAMPING OUT!!!

Bailey was upset with me last night because I wouldn't let Kevan set up the tent in the back yard and let her sleep in it. I know I'm not fun. No really, I'm not! Anyways, before I turned in for the night I went to do the final tuck in of my kiddos to make sure there were no possible neck kinks or entanglement in their sheets or suffocation due to the number of stuffed animals that sometimes find their way into the bed after the first tuck in. After checking on Keaton and rearranging his legs so that they were actually on the bed, I peeked into Bailey's room and this is what I saw... NO BAILEY

I began looking around to see where she she may have crawled into and fallen asleep. She had set up her own little tent and camping chair when she was playing "camp out" earlier that evening. So of course that is where I looked first. If you look closely you can see her inside.

I pulled back the flap and yep sure enough Bailey was snoozing comfortable except for the fact that no air moves in those tents and she was all sweaty. I took off the tent and tucked her once again back into her bed where she slept peacefully the rest of the night!

Now see if I had let her sleep outside in a real tent I would not of had something to blog about this morning!

NEED A LAUGH?

Now watch the mama panda. Now this is funny!

CHANGES BRING FORTH ADVENTURE!

Well, as some of you may know that due to the major slow down in the cabinet business Kevan made the decision to do go and do something different that had a bit more stability when it came to bringing home a paycheck. He accepted a job with a company called MAJOR DRILLING AMERICA. He is a drill helper and hopes to move up into the Health and Safety program within the company He may have to become a driller to do this though. HE is not real thrilled about becoming a driller and hopes he can bypass it. His first hitch he was sent to Alaska! We packed him up and off he went to the top of the globe to work on a drill rig in the middle of nowhere. He was stationed at the Red Dog Mine which is the world's largest zinc mine. He worked 12 hour days 7 days a week. His hitch was supposed to last 6 weeks but, thankfully they reached a little beyond their required footage (3600 feet) and he was able to return home after 3 weeks. He was extremely grateful! He was lucky enough to work the 7am to 7pm shift and didn't have to train his body to sleep during the day and stay up all night. We talked a few times on the phone as he would call collect ( I'm scared to get the phone bill!) and we were able to update one another on the daily happenings of each others lives. Now that he has returned from Alaska I can tell he enjoyed the experience even though he says it is the hardest dirtiest work he has ever done. He will most likely be sent to Safford, AZ from now on where he will work 15 days on and 6 off. He will be living in Safford three weeks out of the month and though it will be hard to have him away we feel extremely blessed that he has a job. The pictures posted are some that he took with his phone camera so they are not that clear but, I think you can get the jest of it. If you ever get the chance Kevan has some great stories to tell about his time in Alaska. Enjoy!


This is Glen, the driller Kev worked with who enjoyed hand feeding the squirrels!

These are the squirrel friends that showed up everyday faithfully for food. They would help themselves so Kev had to keep his pack in the rig! They actually gave names to these little critters!

The first day Kev was thrown down by the powerful water pressure that built up in an ice blocked water hose and dislocated his jaw and split his face open. This is after he cleaned it up. He came home with a full beard since he couldn't shave with the deep cuts. Ouch!

Though Kev never came in contact with a bear while he was there he did get to see one running wild on his last day as he was flying in the helicopter back to camp. This is a stuffed one at the Anchorage Airport. Kev said they are so massive!

Here is what he saw everyday - miles of hills and nothing else but and occasional heard of caribou. Isn't that open country beautiful?

This is the drill rig he worked at 12 hours a day. As you can see it is in the middle of nowhere!

This was Kev's transportation to and from the drill rig each day. There are no roads to the rig. He is a pro at flying in a helicopter now!

A FRESH START!

Well, I decided to start up a new family blog. This was a decision I made just about four months after deleting the one I already had since last year. I just felt I had no time to blog and even though I enjoy reading friends and family blogs I just felt I spent too much time blogging so I deleted it! Then I decided it was the best way to keep in touch with friends and family and so I decided a fresh blog start was in order.
Here we go...