The Finch Family: 2010

Sunday, November 21, 2010

October Fun

October was a busy month. Some of our busyness was from doing fun things. My dad and his wife Nancy were here for a few days. We went up to Boone, IA (yes, the train place) and went on a scenic ride to see the fall leaves. We also took a short hike located just behind the Kate Shelley museum. (What?!! You don't know who Kate Shelley is?! You must not be an Iowan! Go look it up. It's a great story). It's a nice, easy hike and there is hardly ever anybody there. The weather was just perfect. Fall is definitely the best time to live in Iowa. I also enjoy watching the fields be harvested. What a blessed nation we are. Abundance is all around.

It seemed difficult for us to squeeze in our annual Pumpkin Carving Family Home Evening. Greg was traveling several of the Mondays so this year we didn't do it on a Monday. We did it on a Friday. The kids had school off and Greg took the day off of work. It's fun that the kids can do a lot on their own with those cool carving knives they have. Ben was particularly insistent on doing nearly all of his on his own. He even made his own Jack o' Lantern face instead of using a pattern. Our pumpkins were then the centerpiece of our decorated trunk for our ward's trunk or treat that night. They turned out pretty good if I do say so myself (and I do!). Sadly we do not have a picture of the finished product. You will just have to take my word for it.

Oh, did I mention we had pizza while we carved? Jake definitely enjoyed that.

Anna chose a very intricate design so I helped her a bit. It turned out awesome!

Ben happily carving on his own. Great job Ben!

We spent a different Saturday at a Howell's Pumpkin Patch. We went October 30th and it wasn't very crowded. Most the pumpkins were gone but we had already carved up some store bought ones so we didn't care! The corn maze was rather pathetic (translation: way too easy) for our crew, but it was so fun being together and enjoying the nice weather. The workers there were so friendly and helpful. They had a play area too. All of these "toys" have been made out of things you would find on a farm. Like the fast slide made out of a giant black pipe, a tire swing made out of a tractor tire, the hay hill made out of, well, hay. It was pretty simple stuff but enjoyable just to be together and have fun playing together instead of working together (or working apart or playing apart). It was a great family day. I think next year we will look for a bigger, more difficult corn maze since we enjoy those so much.

On the hill o' hay.

Even Adam enjoyed the slide. I think the speed and bumpiness of it made it that much funner. Notice Adam's two loves: BYU and Iowa.

They had several inner tubes from tractor tires that you could play with. We played with these for quite a while. Here the kids are squeezed into a stack of tubes. Aren't they cute? I am happy almost daily that they all get along so well. What a blessing!

The actual pumpkin patch. Not as cool as my brother's photos, but something a little different at least.

I'll take care of these critters any day!

Perhaps the crown jewel in every child's October crown is Trick or Treat night. In Des Moines it has a different name. It is called Beggar's night and is celebrated the night before Halloween. The kids are supposed to give tricks for treats. Really they are supposed to tell a joke to get their candy. Not everyone adhered to this but many did. This was EXTREMELY stressful for my introverted, please let me sink into the wall and no one notice me, Anna. It did slow things down a bit but it made it feel as if we lived in a really small town and we knew everyone and they knew us. You actually have to interact with your neighbors. I think I liked it....Greg stayed home to give out candy and listen to jokes. Jake insisted on staying home to help. I took the other kids out to tell jokes and get candy. Adam and Lizzy in their determined way ran from house to house and quickly left Ben, Anna and I in the dust. That was OK with us. We enjoyed our great neighborhood and the more leisurely pace. I was glad Adam wasn't too cool to let his kid sister tag along with him. He and Lizzy did two more full blocks by running ahead of us. They were all happy with their loot and graciously shared with Jacob who has decided that next year he will go trick or treating.

Hot Dog Adam! What a fun costume.

Pirate Ben.

BYU Cheerleader Lizzy! Go Cougars!

Anna the witch.

Jacob the Dragon.

Now Thanksgiving is upon us and the fall is giving way to winter. This too is a wonderful time of year. I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving and are filled with gratitude for all you been given. Next up is Christmas! The fun never ends. Enjoy your week!

Friday, November 05, 2010

Thomas the Train

Jacob has been our first boy that has loved trains. He has a few Thomas the Train metal trains that he plays with quite a bit. One day we were watching PBS kids and I saw that Thomas was coming to a town about an hour away from us, Boone, IA. They have a touristy railroad line that does scenic trips, dinner trips, etc. I thought it would be fun for us to go. I decided to just take Jake since the other kids have kind of outgrown that sort of thing.

It was a lovely drive up to Boone. It was not the most enjoyable thing I have ever done, but I think overall Jake enjoyed it. Of course it was set up so you had to spend more money once you got there (overpriced food and merchandise, etc.). They even wanted you to pay for a picture of Thomas (who didn't really pull the train by the way), but we took a further away picture for free. I think Jake's favorite part was playing with the trains just like he would at home. I was too cheap to buy him anything except the $6 train whistle. I was glad Jake had fun but I don't think it was worth the money at all. There won't be a next year. I think we had just as much fun stopping at a McDonald's Playplace for lunch on the way home. At least it was good one on one time for Jake and I.

Here is Jake with Thomas. Notice the other child to the left standing on the platform. That is where you were supposed to get your picture taken with Thomas, for a fee of course.

Jake playing with the trains, just like at home.

Getting ready for the ride on the train.

The $6 train whistle.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Wonderful Ben has a Birthday!

Right on the heels of my birthday is Ben's birthday. On September 18th our Ben turned 6! I can still remember when he was a baby. He was such a quiet baby. Greg would ask me all the time, "Do you think he's OK?" I even asked the doctor about it. Of course Ben was OK. Now he has grown into a delightful, pleasant, happy boy who knows what he likes. He has an innate goodness about him. He tries so hard to do what is right. He looks for ways to help and lift others. Some of the things he loves and knows he is good at are soccer, cooking, and singing. He calls them his talents. He is right! All of those things bring him a lot of joy. And that brings me a lot of joy.

A lot is going on in his six year old life. He started kindergarten this year. We felt like he was ready last year (he missed the cut off by 3 days) and the transition has been a breeze for him, much easier than for the girls. He loves his teacher, Miss Manning (and so do I; she is wonderful). He loves to write numbers. He has a goal to write all the numbers from 1-1000 before parent teacher conferences which are Nov. 22. I think he is already at 600 something. I don't think he will have any problems meeting that goal. We also just got a note that he will be pulled out of class for small group work with the ELP teacher for reading. He is reading so well. His favorite things to read are the scripture readers we have. He has been reading the Old Testament one a lot lately. When he was first starting to read, I would have him read out loud out of those for 20 minutes a day. Now they are what he reads most. That makes a mother smile:)

He has recently lost 2 teeth and is sporting a cute gap in his mouth signaling this wonderful time in his life. He did very well in soccer this year. He is awesome at defending. He excels at offense when his team is struggling. When there is someone else who will take the lead he lets them and is there to help as needed, but when no one takes the lead, he gives it his all. It is because he wants to help the team. It has been fun for him to score some goals this fall.

He also loves helping in the kitchen. Greg is the baker in the family and patiently works with Ben in the kitchen at least once a week. They love doing that together, and we all love the results ;) I recently changed how chores are done in our home and now one of the chores the kids rotate through is helping with dinner. Ben has been my most enthusiastic helper. It is wonderful to have his company in the kitchen.

His singing also brings a lot of joy to our home. I usually sing one song to him each night before bed, but lately he's been asking to sing me a song. His teacher uses a lot of music in their class so he has had an ever expanding repertoire to share. He will also often ask me to sit down and play the piano on Sundays so we can sing together. I hope he will always love music. I think it is in his soul. Most recently the other kids have had a lot of fun playing "Heart and Soul" together. I have been working with Ben at the piano for about a year but he isn't where the other kids are yet, but one of them showed him how to play the higher part and he has patiently been working on it. It is sounding pretty good now. He will also often sing along as he practices his piano pieces, as most of them have words with them.

One last thing. He has the most wonderful smile! We are so grateful to have Ben in our home. I often think how grateful I feel for him right now and how grateful I am that he and Jake will still be here with us after the three older ones are gone. Is that weird to think about? Ben, we love you. Happy Sixth birthday!

Baby Ben at 5 months.

Ben at 2 years old.

Here is Ben on his first day of kindergarten.

These are the yummy doughnuts Ben and Greg made for us one Saturday morning. They are seriously the best doughtnuts EVER!!

Ben after losing his very first tooth. Now the gap is even bigger after losing the second one.

Ben wanted cupcakes for his birthday instead of a cake, so cupcakes he got. Chocolate with Strawberry (yes, pink) frosting. Happy Birthday Benner!

Our wonderful boy's smile. Isn't he cute?!!

Monday, October 25, 2010

My Birthday

I haven't blogged for a while, and part of the reason is I haven't wanted to make this post. Hopefully it will be short, just to get it over with. It is much easier to blog about the kids. My birthday passed over a month and a half ago (Sept. 10). I turned 35. That doesn't seem too old to me yet, with the exception of thinking about my child-bearing years coming to an end soon. I didn't really do anything much that day. I did pick up some lunch for Jake and I. Greg took over in the evening. He cooked dinner and baked a cake for me and went crazy on buying presents. My favorite present was the SCOOBA, the robot that cleans my tile floor (you know it's sister the ROOMBA that vacuums for you). I hate mopping!! I also appreciated phone calls from my dad and my friend Leah. Happy 35th to me! That's really about it. It seems like you don't need a whole lot when you aren't a kid anymore.

Pictures of me are hard to come by these days. Who wants to point the camera at me when there are 5 cute children running around? Not to mention I am usually the one doing the camera pointing. Sooooo, I thought it might be fun to include some of me growing up.

Here I am with my brother Todd. My guess is I am about 4 years old.

Here I am on my 16th birthday. My family had just moved from Utah to Virginia.

This was not on my birthday, but here I am at 35, with my buddy Jake.

Here is the cake my wonderful husband made for me. We are going to run out of room for candles soon!

Thursday, October 07, 2010

Jacob's Birthday

On August 2oth our baby turned 3! I can hardly believe it. We have never had one make it to 3 without having a new little one. It just can't be (and truth be told we would love to have another one here already, but it is not always up to us). It has been a delightful 3 years. Jacob has always had a very pleasant, happy disposition. His teacher at preschool calls him "smiley". He is quick to laugh and smile and is just enjoyable to be around. Now he can be down right funny.

He is amazing at talking and it is fun to see what comes out of his little mouth in his cute little voice. He loves planes, trains and automobiles, as well as Buzz and Woody, and all things "cowboy". He carries around a white and pink jump rope he calls his cowboy rope. He has Toy Story cowboy boots which he is extra proud of. He will wear them with church clothes or pajamas. It makes no difference to him.

He loves his brothers and sisters and has all of us wrapped around his little finger. Maybe he is a little spoiled, but I see no way around it with 4 adoring brothers and sisters. We are so grateful to have Jake in our family. He is all the wonderful things about childhood! Happy (late) Birthday Jacob.

Here is Jacob blowing out the candles. He wanted blueberry coffee cake for his birthday. Go figure. It sure was yummy though!

Here he is opening is silly squishy guy. He was so excited by such a little thing.

Smiles from the birthday boy.

Here he is with his new cowboy hat and new scooter. Both a big hit!

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Other Summer fun

Our vacation wasn't the only fun we had this summer. Here are a few of the highlights.

Swimming lessons. Adam, Lizzy and Ben took lessons this summer. They all did great. Anna and Jake hung out with me on the side watching the other kids (thus the picture of Anna sticking out her tongue; don't you just love her freckles?) We also enjoyed a few evening trips to the pool with Greg. The pool we have is great with waterslides and a lazy river. The kids always love a trip to the pool.

I convinced Greg to take the day off for his birthday this year. We spent the day at Adventureland. It was a lot of fun. It is a smaller amusement park but the lines were practically non-exisitant and all the kids could go on so many rides. It was a great day, with a funnel cake serving as Greg's cake that day (I actually made him one a few days later, but the funnel cake was on his actual birthday).

We also had box seats at an Iowa Cubs game thanks to John Deere. We all enjoyed that way more than we thought we would. We did feel rather out of place in the box seats, but it was still awesome. Too bad the game went on into th 14th inning. We left after about the 11th or 12th and caught the rest of the game on the radio.

The Omaha Zoo was a fun trip too. We are not very smart though and went the same weekend as the NCAA world series for baseball so traffic and parking was insane (the zoo is right next to Rosenblatt stadium), hotels were overpriced and the heat was oppressive. Oh well, we bought a season pass and will be going back.

Another fun event was the National Balloon Classic in Indianola, IA. We have never been to see any hot air balloon stuff so it was great fun for all of us. If you live in Iowa this is a must do one summer. It is really cheap to get in too. It was a lot of fun.

The Iowa State Fair kept us busy one day. Again thanks to John Deere for footing the bill and even giving us meal tickets and ride tickets. I don't think we would have gone if they hadn't paid for all of us. We are glad we got to go, but I don't think this is going to be a yearly tradition. We would much rather go to Adventureland:) for the money. But, everyone must see a butter sculpture at least once in their life right? That is not be outdone by the snake house that had some really cool (but creepy snakes). Greg insisted we pay to have our family picture taken with a 13 foot burmese python. I said I would do it as long as he held the head. How's that for a memory?! Another crazy thing was feeding the camel at the petting zoo. Can you say slimy and GROSS?!

How was your summer? I hope it was as filled with fun as ours was. Here's to a fun fall!

Friday, September 10, 2010

Vacation Days 8, 9, and 10

Day 8 is easy. We just drove from Palmyra, New York to Port Clinton, OH. We stayed in Port Clinton in preparation for our last hurrah, Day 9.

ALL of Day 9 was spent at Cedar Point Amusement Park in Ohio. I do mean all day. We arrived at the park even before it opened and were there until the Park closed at 10 PM. We spent a lot of the day split in two different groups, with the makeup of the groups changing throughout the day. Adam was tall enough to go on all the rides, Lizzy and Anna could go on most of the rides, then Ben could go on a few less, and Jacob even fewer, but Jake was tall enough to go on most anything for little guys.

Both Adam and Lizzy are roller coaster hounds and that is how they wanted to spend all of their time. Adam may have only been on one ride that wasn't a roller coaster and it was a water ride to cool off a little. (It was crazy hot so I totally understand that!) Cedar Point has more roller coasters than any other park in the world. That was a big draw for the kids.

Favorites at Cedar Point:

Anna and Lizzy: The Millenium Force; From the Cedar point website:

It's a coaster so big and tall, we had to coin a new name for this type of steel scream machine - the Giga Coaster.

Millennium Force is the park's star attraction, standing 310 feet above the Earth. It broke 10 world records when it opened in 2000 and continues to deliver ultimate thrills to those who challenge it.

Dive to the ground at an 80-degree angle and reach speeds of 93 mph during your two-minute journey.

If you want to see a video of this ride go here and click on the video tab

http://www.cedarpoint.com/public/park/rides/coasters/millennium_force/index.cfm

That first hill is so steep and so high you feel like you might fall out!

Adam and Greg: Their favorite was this amazing, like no other, roller coaster called the Top Thrill Dragster. Earlier in the day they waited in line almost 2 hours only to have it break down when they were the next in line to get on. They closed down the ride and devastated Adam. We tried again as it was quickly approaching closing. They got on at 9:57 or something insane like that. Adam said it was totally worth it and it is his favorite of any coasters he has ever been on. Greg loved this one too, but says the superman ride at Six Flags in Chicago where you are like strapped in like you are laying on your belly and "fly" under the track is close with this one for his all time favorite.

The Dragster stands at a whopping 420 feet tall and goes from 0 to 120 MPH in less than 4 seconds. The actual ride only lasts about 17 seconds. It was amazing. You can watch a video here: http://www.cedarpoint.com/public/park/rides/coasters/top_thrill_dragster/index.cfm

This ride is all about speed. It is just crazy! You should try it some time (even though I didn't :))

Ben: Ben enjoyed going on some of the younger rides. He and Liz are almost exactly the same height but he does not share her thirst for adventure and thrills. He enjoyed the Iron Dragon, a much smaller, more tame roller coaster. His favorite though was the Scrambler. We went on that several times. Since Greg does not tolerate spinning rides well, every time one of the kids went on this ride I went with them. It has several different arms with a car attached at the end of each arm and it spins around and you get squished against the people you are with. Let me rephrase that, I got squished! Jake was tall enough that he could come on it as long as he had an adult with him so the three of us rode this ride several times. The girls also really liked this ride.

Tammy: I loved spending time with all the different kids during the day. Our family is really at this great stage right now. There was something that made everyone really enjoy the day. I didn't see a lot of Greg as we were usually split, but that's OK. If I had to pick a favorite ride it would probably be the Raptor, a roller coaster that rides under the track and your feet hang down. I love those. The Millenium Force was a bit intense for me. I know, I am not the girl I once was.

Jacob: Jake was pretty much happy with any ride, but he loves the Frog Hopper rides that just go up and down. He was delightful to spend time with and the kids rides you didn't even have to wait so he was able to go on ride after ride. He even loved the two kid coasters and would always be the littlest guy on there. He is going to be a thrill seeker like Adam and Lizzy.

Here are some of the very few pics we took at Cedar Point:

One last thing that is cool about Cedar Point is that it is on a peninsula that juts out into Lake Erie. On many of the rides that are high you can see the Lake and the Beaches. The kids and I even saw some people Parasailing when we went on the Ferris Wheel. It really is an awesome place. We totally loved it. The kids are still talking about when we can go back. You should go there too!

Day 10 was the long drive back home. We were all exhausted from the day before so in some ways we were happy to sit in the car and do nothing, but we were all happy when we got home. We hope you had as wonderful a vacation as we did. I can't wait for next summer!

P.S. If you haven't watched the video of Jacob bowling on Day 7 you must go back and watch it. It is so fun.