First day of school, first day of school!!!

(we'll get to that first day of school in a moment)

We went to the Iowa State Fair and the kids had a great time. We let them go on a few rides and the swings was their favorite. Sarah cried the first time or two around but ended up loving it.


I caught Daniel at a very tired moment and he doesn't look to happy but I put it here so you can imagine how I felt there....I could do without going to the fair....

This is actually what Daniel is like most of the time.

Sometimes he gets pretty messy eating and the only thing to do.....

is this: put him in the sink to get clean, while I wash dishes.

notice the plant in the above picture, now here is a close-up. This plant was planted from seeds from one of those "helicopters" that falls out of trees. It is getting big, we hope to plant it in our yard someday.

Sarah would just sit and sit ALL day long and hold little Tigger if she could


Daniel and Sarah have had to become little buddies, now that Megan and Joseph are in school all day.

This is Megan and Joseph's first day of school.

Don't you just LOVE Megan's school lunch box?? I love it, it is made of scuba water restistant swim suit material and everyday I pack her lunch I just think it is adorable. (and if you know me well, I don't get to excited over little purses or material items, but I do love this. I am tempted to get one for me and I don't need to take a lunch anywhere!)

Sarah on her first day of preschool

All 3 of them going off to school and Daniel doesn't want to be forgotten either!

p.s. they all loved their first day of 3rd grade, 1st grade and preschool!

A Leetle update

Still NO blankies....Still looking.....still praying.....still

We have an appt. with a stake presidency member tomorrow night, they are redoing our Bishopric this coming sunday so we will see what happens. Brent is currently the 2nd counselor in the Bishopric, we kinda think he will be called to be a counselor again.

The kids like school, they don't want to get ready for school in the mornings, but they like it when they get there.

Sarah starts preschool next week, we find out tomorrow at orientation who her teacher is and she gets to see her classrooms. She is sooo excited.

That is it for now, time to get kids ready for bed.
(told you it was a little update)

Case of the Missing....

Blankies!!! Since Sarah was born she has had 2 blankets, one white, one pink. They were my favorite and they soon became her favorite.

In her infant pictures taken at the hospital she even had it wrapped around her. (she is the bottom left)



We took them with us on all vacations...

She wakes up in the morning and carries them with her until she is ready to really wake up and play....

She keeps warm with them.....

Even wants them in Christmas photos....

But on friday they went Missing.... Gone..... no clue where they are!?

I have looked everywhere, drawers, cupboards, under couches, in bins, garbage cans (even the big garbage

can outside), the van, under other blankets, closets, under beds, pantry, behind the Tv, piano, coaches.....Where in the world are they???????

thoughts lately

These are just a few thoughts that are running through my mind lately:

trying to make 4:30am my friend for the next year and how to do that...any ideas on how to accomplish this?? (Some days I almost convince myself to get dressed for class then "accidently" fall asleep on the couch before I go and miss class....I haven't though)

What will happen with our church callings in the next couple weeks/month?

How do I keep Daniel from climbing on the back of the couch and falling off everyday? that is his Favorite thing to do, but he doesn't get that he will fall off and get hurt....

Am I or my kids really ready for summer to end and the school year to start next week?????

How can I clean out my house without it taking Hours upon hours upon hours?? organizing company???

should I order some new good books or read the Twilight series? (no, I have not read them yet, but have had them for almost 2 years)

Why can't I lose more weight each week? I know 1-2lbs is healthy and great but really!.... why can't I lose 5 in 1 week for once and be like those on biggest loser?

How can I impove my attitude?

What can I do to better my patience and teaching skills?

What time is bed time and how early can I get my kids into bed???

Does anyone really read this thing and is it boring?

Will it ever stop raining?

Have I really been married almost 12 years? where does the time go?

(I will have to capture Daniel climbing on the back of the couch so you can see how cool he thinks he is when he gets up there...so frustrating but soooo cute!)

Kitten Search....OVER

After Liddy passed away, we told the kids we would get a kitten, so after our trip out to Utah we started the search. We looked on the internet, the newspapers, the ARL, and a number of pet stores. We finally found a little non-profit furry friends refuge that had a little one named Beethoven and we fell in love. Here he is with a new name and a new home, announcing the newest member of the Bean household, Tigger Liddy Bean:

He purrs constantly and he loves the kids. He is always climbing up on their laps when they are sitting on the floor, playing with them and his new toys and does his little paws on them.

The other cats are curious and come to see what the little meows are and they are sniffing around where the kitty is, but so far so good.

We are keeping him in our half bath downstairs at night and during the day when he wants to sleep and blocking off the family room when he wants to be out and play. We will do this until the other cats get more use to him, hopefully for only about a week, then let him explore and be out more. This should be interesting!!!!!

2010 Idaho/Utah Trip

We just got back from our Idaho/Utah trip and this was my view from our 18 hour journey to Idaho:

up front was Brent driving, his mom and Sarah and Joseph.

I was squashed between this beauty:

and this babe:

These kids did wonderfully on the drive. Daniel was Happy I was next to him, Megan was glad she could sleep on me, Joseph was in heaven and didn't notice much of the drive because I hooked our Wii up to our portable dvd player, and Sarah played with little stuffed animals, colored, watched Joseph and some movies.

On arriving in Idaho, Joseph got his first chance to shoot off a bbgun

The kids watched fireworks in front of the house

watched one of their cousins jump through the fireworks

watched the city fireworks (notice the blankets, it was flippin' cold in Idaho!!)

We went up to the Idaho Falls temple and fed the ducks/geese/seagulls

Daniel loved throwing bread to them

We saw lots of family in Idaho and we all had fun.

After Idaho and stopping to see some great friends, Bill and Georgia and their kids and having a great visit (no photos:( )
We headed off to Utah to see other cousins and family members.

This is most of the clan, but not all of them.

At Grandma and Grandpa Schow's house we got to see more fireworks

We went to an aquirium, Sarah really wanted to see the seahorses

Megan pet some sting rays

We also had a Higgins' family reunion at a park where there were fun was to be had playing an egg toss, water race, volleyball, dinner, chatting, chatting, chatting, and seeing most of my cousins and aunts and uncles. There was also another bbq to see Brents sister and family from AZ and a neice and nephew and there family. I forgot my camera for both of those events though :(

We headed off to see the Temple one of the days too

We also went to see Discipable Me with all the cousins and later the kids enjoyed some riding on a go cart.

We had lots of fun and the kids got to know their cousins again. Can't wait till next time....well, maybe for the ride out there.....I can wait on that.......