Sunday Morning Photo Shoot

As we are so lucky to go to our ward in the afternoon, we enjoyed a lovely family walk this morning.
It was a beautiful sunny day and we got some cute pictures, even if they were just taken with my phone. Got a bit carried away playing with the effects and the timer.

Summer School

Here is the Summer School gang.


For the last few weeks we have got together a couple of days a week to have fun, learn new things and do a big project called 'All about me.'
So far we have done family trees, self portraits, time lines (past and future), body measuring, hand painting,poems and lots of games and more.

The kids were divided into their own groups according to age.
We have the Lions. Elijah (3) and JJ (2). Amoung other things,they have played sharing games and learnt to read our names and made lots of mess.







































Efenie. Which is made up of their initials, Faith (7), Nathan (6) and Elise (7). As the older group these guys have worked great together, helping each other with work on things like games with times tables and handwriting. They have been great and most of the time have taken on a task and gone off on their own to complete it.Well done guys!!!


And finally the middle group whose name changed everyday-sometimes twice a day. We started with 'the Wolverhampton/Worcester rose and flower Piper and Quesne group'(their own choice of name???) but soon got shortened to 'the noisy girls'. Phoebe (5) and Marissa (4).These cuties have been working extra hard on their phonics and number work and have come on leaps and bounds.


We have had so much fun and the kids have often moaned on the days when there was no summer school. We only have 2 weeks left and then the Pipers are back to school, I think everyone is going to miss our little summer school (especially Susie), but I think everyone will have fond memories and have made even stronger ties to last till next Summer and beyond.

Oh, can't forget this little angel. Alyssa (0).

The Rabbit.

For Elise's 6th birthday, she had a bouncy castle and 'the animal man' come to our house. All the girls from her class were entertained (and scared) by chinchillas, tortoises, snakes, lizards and rabbits.


After the party, one of Elise's best friends, Holly, then purchased one of these cute little bunies, and because of Elise's OBSESSION with animals, a pet rabbit for Christmas seemed like a great idea. And so on Christmas morning Els was very excited to see this cute little bundle.


Mummy had lots of good ideas for a little brown rabbit--toffee, coco, cadburys or fluffy or anything from Harry Potter.
But as it was Christmas, Elise could not be talked out of her choice of the perfect name for a BROWN rabbit....SNOWFLAKE!!!!

This rabbit is a HUGE pain in the backside and has cost us so much more than we ever imagined. But she is a character, and no denying it she can be a clever bunny. The one time she did get lost, she crossed the road and went up the street to the garden where the RSPCA man lived. I guess she could read the sign on his van?? So, much to Daddy's disgust, she was quickly returned to us.
But there are times when this is the most stupid animal on the planet.

Mainly due to her choice in men.

Why you never turn your back on a 2 year old!!!

Life now

Just to quickly up date.

We have moved...AGAIN. This time to Wolverhampton.

Jared is now contracting-scary but exciting!!!

We live round the corner from the Pipers.


We are homeschooling due to interest and necessity (all good schools are full). Lots of blogs and pictures to come.

We are happy!!!!

Nathan is 6!!!!!

My biggest boy is now my REALLY BIG boy!!!
Darling Nathan turned 6 in May and yet again, we moved just after his birthday. This poor boy doesn't seem to get the attention he deserves around his special day as it always comes at a time when there are boxes everywhere, packing to do and cleaning galore.


But as we moving an hour away and he was leaving his school too, we made sure he had a great party and took him to Toys R Us and he got everything on his wish list. Luckily, it wasn't a long list :).
Nathan is the most adorable chap ever!!! Always ready with a hug and a gorgeous smile for his Mum. Always ready to help out and make his siblings laugh. Always creating and designing super cool structures.


Nathan is fantastic. And we love him LOADS!!!!!

Ballet show

My beautiful dancing girls!
My graceful snowflake and my lovely sweetheart both did a fantastic job in their ballet show.
I am a proud Mummy!!!

JJ is 2!!!!

I can't believe my little baby is 2!!! How did this happen? (Well in April actually, but I am a very slow blogger!!!)

We had the busiest weekend and most of it had nothing to do with JJ (poor deprived child)!

We had General Conference, Mothers day, A double helping of ballet shows for Elise and Marissa (more on that later), a broken down car AGAIN!!! and the cute guys big day!

I was going to have his cake made on his actual birthday (the Sunday), but the Pipers said they would pop over on Saturday. For some strange reason I quickly said " Oh I'll do the cake for today then."

Why oh why did I say that. They were going to arrive in less than 3 hours, I hadn't even baked the cake yet PLUS I had designed the most complicated birthday cake that I have done so far.

Somehow though I got it done and JJ loved it so that is all that matters.

We sure do love this little cheeky bundle. He gets away with absolute murder, well when it comes to Daddy and his older siblings anyway. They will give him what ever he wants, let him climb all over them and feed him their food. But he does keep everyone in line at prayer time, by going up to the less reverent, tapping them on the the shoulder and screaming "PRAYER!!!!" in their face before toddling back to his space and folding his arms again. LOVE IT!!

Despite being able to give the most grumpy of faces and answering EVERY question with "NO!", we wouldn't change a thing about him.

I really do think this is my favourite age. He is such a sponge and a copycat with his speech. And you can actually see him working out humour now.

We love you J. Our gorgeous GORGEOUS 2 year old boy.

Marissa is 4!!!!

This beautiful little lady is finally 4. Finally, as she has acted at least 5 for the last 2 years.

We sure do love our little diddy diva. She keeps us on our toes and you never know what you are going to get with the Rissa-roo.

Marissa is adorable and VERY loving, quick as a whip and bright as a button.

Always a lady, we knew Marissa would need a very girly birthday cake.

And here it is...

(Don't look at the mess behind it, this was only 4 days after my tonsils were taken out and I was NOT in a good place. :D)

I think she liked it.

WE LOVE YOU MARISSA HEATHER QUESNE!!!!!

My Mum

I know that I should have beautiful words that describe how much I love this wonderful lady that I miss SO much already.

I should be able to share with the world how my Mum gave me the best gifts she could; my life, an amazing childhood and the very best of herself.

I know I should be able to eloquently write of all the things I wish I had been able to tell her before she left us. 'I love you.', 'You did a great job.', 'THANK YOU!'.

I will never be grateful enough for what my Mum did for me or the knowledge that she taught me that I will see her again and that she is in a wonderful place with our loved ones who had gone before her.

How I wish I had realised before, that while studying books and websites about how to be a good mother, the best example had always been right in front of me.

But my words are not enough and my feelings are too raw.

So I will just make this statement, Heather Lynn Ives was the best wife, mother, friend and Grandma in the world.

Christmas Traditions

Well, Christmas 2010 has come and gone, and what a different Christmas it was.

We were going to be on our own for the first time, EVER. This was our first Christmas with just the 6 of us.

It was nice to experience and have a quieter and ALOT less stressful time together, but I think next year it will be back to lots of visitors.

Another year of Mummy still not finding the perfect Nativity display so a home-made one became a little project. Simple but affective.

Although there were the occasional tantrum....

There were also plenty of happy faces at the huge amount of presents received.

A very happy dinner, especially for Mummy as Daddy cooked it, yeah!!!!!



We do love cracker hats!!!

Traditional new PJs on Christmas Eve.
And Mummy's home-made present tradition this year were TV/FHE cushions.

My first attempt with the sewing machine...not too bad, very proud.

So what will be different for Christmas 2011.

1) Back to lots of people on Christmas day.

2) More serving others.

3) Make my Nativity if I am going to carry on being so picky.

4) Same amount of smiles and love.

Every cloud

Our car broke down!!!

Seriously and possibly, expensively BROKE down!!!!

As well as having the traumatic experience of being on my own at night on a foggy evening and on an in-the-middle-of NOWHERE country road when it happened the first time, we also have to deal the fact that we now live miles from anywhere and 3 miles from school.

It is the worst week to happen as I have some important places to be this week and they might all have to be postponed.

BUT....

..it has given me a chance over the last couple of days, to do an experiment I have been pondering since the year started.

What would happen if I gave my children my complete, undivided attention???

Obviously a messy house is the down side but WOW, what an eye-opener.

I am blessed to have great kids but this complete concentration on them has brought about unusual events.

No arguments.

Every one got dressed without being nagged-AT ALL.

Marissa spilt some milkshake powder, went to the cupboard, got the dustpan and brush, swept it up and put it in the bin. I hadn't said a word.

Nathan got up and made everyone breakfast while I was in the shower, without being asked.

JJ's speech and understanding has improved DRAMATICALLY in just 2 days.

And Elise hasn't complained about spelling practise, and they have all wanted to help each other more.

And on top of all that the smiles, cuddles and laughter is giving me heartburn, the love is so strong round here. The thoughts of home-schooling are getting stronger too.

I know I can't physically do this everyday, but I know I can do it a lot more often than I have been doing it.

My children deserve this sort of attention more and for that, I am glad about the silly car.

Elise is 7

My gorgeous girl is 7!!!

She has been for 3 months, but I am doing this post now because firstly I am doing catch up and secondly because this is now an exciting year for Elles. In 2011 our first born will be baptised.

Ellie is very excited as we all are. But I am sad that this gorgeous baby is growing up so fast.
As anyone (and half the boys in her class )can see she is Bee-U-T-ful.

Those huge brown eyes that are always full of love and that thick brown hair that has caused many a tear filled tantrum but is now the crowning glory that is brushed constantly.
That shy smile that becomes a huge grin once she feels sure of things.

The graceful yet exceptionally strong body that can cartwheel and fill around everywhere but can also always be there to help her younger brothers and sister and be any Mummy's best ever special helper.
My super clever girl who picks up information like a sponge and brings a smile to all teachers faces as she works so hard and is the most attentive child you could dream of.
We love you Elise and know that in this special year you will continue to make us so proud.

Here are the birthday party pics.

Elise had a craft party and disco at home for her 7th birthday. We went for a grown up theme, which included the fact that this was a later party finishing at.......7PM!!!!! All kids were very excited about that part?!?

We did cake and cookie decorating.

And then decorated photo frames to put this super cute group photo in.
We played silly messy games including the flour game. Three guesses as to who won/lost and had to get the sweet out.
All this followed by a disco in the living room with flashing lights (thanks to Daddy's band).


Strictly come Dancing has a lot to answer for.
And here is my first attempt at a royal icing cake. Was going for an elegant look???

Love you Elles.