moab camping trip

the kids are off track and we've been planning this campout for a while now. we have 20 or so letterboxes we want to find. the campsite is all picked out, right on the colorado. meals and hikes planned. but since we didn't want to do this... or dress like this...
with 4 small children we axed our plans. and camped out right in our own warm beds.
since matt had already taken time off, we had our first annual family day, starting with breakfast at ihop, a couple of hours spent at classic fun center, followed by a stop at in-n-out, swimming at the rec center, and an evening showing of "the squeakquel" with dad's famous popcorn. everyone was so pooped we all dropped off early. (and i got out of washing filthy sleeping bags)
don't tell anyone but deep down, i'm secretly happy. because camping (although i love it) is extra, extra, extra more work for one person, moi. mother nature just saved me a week's worth of laundry

updates...

Megan... just about long enough. Boy, is she ready to chop this off!

Isaac...

first pinewood derby. Took 3 seconds and 1 first in his 4 heats. we're just glad it didn't fall apart on the track.

Mallory...still getting her beauty rest.

Eli...


first trip to the dentist. 1 cavity, 0 breakdowns. (we'll just see how that filling goes;)

Hal-i-lu-ya!

It finally happened!!! my prayers have been answered!!!

After almost 2 years, Red Baron, our seemingly invincible beta fish went belly-up. Most of you out there are aware of my NO-pet policy so two years with a fish has been like an eternity.

Who can remember to feed a fish--or clean out a bowl? Definitely not me. And apparently not my kids either. Whenever they whine to me about how they NEED a dog or a cat...i can now just remind them how they "loved" poor Red Baron into the neighborhood pet cemetery with their neglect.

I'm such a good mom...

what we've been up to

Matt rearranged his interview schedule and raced through 2 home teaching appts so he could take the older kiddos to Rio Tinto to cheer on the Utes as they defeated those nasty cougs in the Utah College Rugby showdown last Wednesday.

Way to go Utes!
(the win was totally unexpected, so we'll take it!)

Surprisingly, Megs opted out of her first soccer practice of the season to go

and had the time of her life.

(Isaac did too, though, not surprisingly)

Then Friday night G and G Hawes treated all the older grandkids to a night at Hale Center Theatre's production of Fiddler on the Roof. I was lucky enough to get to go along as crowd control (a necessity with 8 kids, 10 and under) We have never been to a performance there before and it was FANTABULOUS!!!

HTC is a theatre in the round and it seemed we were right on top of the stage. The actors were so close we could reach out and touch them. Not many artsy things can keep the attention of 4 8-year old boys, but this play in this setting did the trick. Hale is not your traditional community theatre...the acting, singing, staging, scenery, etc... loved it, loved it, LOVED IT!

Megan is already pettitioning to see their next performance
The 3 Musketeers

Before they head off to sunny AZ. G and G McQueen hosted an early easter egg hunt for our kids. M and I hid the eggs for the little ones and then the little ones got to hide for the big kids...

Here is how Eli hid them for his siblings...we've got to work on his sneakiness;)

In other news...

the newest addition to our home is a pair of these beauties i found on KSL a few weeks ago. As most of you know our front room has been furnitureless since we repainted the basement and took our sectional down there and then moved our front room furniture to where the sectional was leaving an empty room for all who enter our home. That number has increased in the last 6 months with people coming over to talk to matt, needing signatures, or other such bishop things. For quite some time they have had to stand or share the piano bench with Matt as they conduct their business with him. I couldn't stand it any longer and took some of that tax refund cash to start putting this room together. These chairs are just the beginning...don't tell Matt;)

In yard news, all our (and when I say "our", I mean "my") hard work last fall in replanting all our bulbs is paying off as the tulips and daffodills are starting to bloom. We've spent the past few Saturdays giving the trees their anual buzz cut and even got a few cold weather crops in the ground. I have also decided that last summer was our LAST with the pond. I can't take it anymore!!! That thing is way more work than it is worth. I routinely spend half a day cleaning it and within minutes, a small handful of sand finds its way into the clean, fresh water...soiling it for ever more. It's a magnet for leaves, dirt, grime, balls, small (or large) children, etc. And so, it will find itself at the dump in a few weeks time. I just have to figure out what to put in it's place...

a quick get away

last weekend my brother and his wife invited us for a little R&R in st. george which we happily accepted. We braved a few rainstorms to go hiking up snow canyon and added a few more letterboxes to our collection. As well as getting a few swims in (including jumps into the nonheated outdoor ie:FREEZING pool followed by a mad dash to the hot tub), we stayed up way too late playing ticket to ride and settlers, ate too much junk, and Matt became addicted to Madden Football on the DS. All in all a successful few days away. Thanks again K&C!

(boy vs. nature)

a pirate says "arrrrrh"

(using his hand to create an eye patch)

(the robin is supposed to be a parrot--i had limited resourses;)

For playgroup a couple weeks ago, the boys had to dress up like pirates and eli really got into character. we found some old pants at DI and a red and white striped shirt to cut apart for his costume. he drew the line at the mustache and wiskers, i wanted to add chest hair. a little too much for a three year old, i guess.

S.I.X

(mal with her new pet, cookie. mom loves cookie. she doesn't eat, bark, poop, run around the house, chew on things, or make any kind of mess-- good girl, cookie)



She has been waiting patiently (ok, not so patiently) for this day to arrive since matt's december birthday. she's had a countdown on the calendar and been reminding us all this day was coming. And here it is. And she couldn't be more ready.



This year was party year for her and we decided on an "almost" sleepover pj party (as "real" sleepover pj parties don't exist for the mcqueens)

all of her friends and some cousins came donning their pjs for a girly girl party if there ever was one. we had a "breakfast" dinner , painted nails, decorated pillowcases, played musical pillows, had a glow in the dark star hunt, and did lots of flashlight dancing to high school muscial tunes.

there was enough pink to last a lifetime. and one happy girl in the end. it was definately worth the wait!

mallory at six highlights:

-she is a great reader, she just doesn't like doing it.

-she loves anything disney channel related

-she still wants to wear a dress or a skirt every day. we've been through so many pair of tights this year it's killing me.

-she is all about playing with friends, just not at our house. our house is boring and there aren't any fun toys to play with.

-she still is in tumbling (loving it) and soccer (not as much love but we're keeping our fingers crossed as we can see "cheerleader" in her future--i'm sure you all know my feelings on this--no offense cheereleader friends)

-she's a softy. she cries at sad parts of most movies. princess and the frog, cried. cloudy with a chance of meatballs, cried. monsters inc., cried.

-still a cutie patootie with the softest skin ever. i love to nibble her cheeks!

V day

We've had this subtle reminder on our door for a week letting all the neighbors know how much we are loved. ok, how much Matt is loved (isaac did sneak an "i love you too mom" heart on there just for me, knowing how fragile my self-esteem is)

sionara nursery

our baby has graduated from nursery and has entered the world of primary.

4 for 4.

Primary, here we come

I've been warning the primary presidency for months now. Showing off his newest bling
i just have to say that eli has been the world's best toddler when it comes to church. last year our meetings started at one and every sunday without fail in 2009 eli fell asleep on the pew and took his nap through sacrament and the first hour of nursery (this was aided by the fact that my sunday school class was in the chapel so i wouldn't have to move him). he got to class just in time for snack and playtime and waltzed in refreshed, rejuvenated and ready to chow. he did miss the lesson hour which means he may be a little doctrinally behind his peers as he enters sunbeams, but i'll take it.
We move onto 2010 with my sanity in tact.
Which brings a change in the time schedule. Church now at 11. eli will in no way nap at 11. his solution, falling asleep on his primary teacher during class time.
What a cute, little, tired, wart.

i've been too busy reading blogs about other peoples lives...

to blog about my own. SAD, SAD... but true. BUT here is the first step to a new, better, blogging me in 2010. i'm actually sitting down, 12 days in, 3 kids at school, one asleep, lunch dishes still in the sink, to catch myself up on the end of 2009.



MATT'S BIRTHDAY



matty matt matt matt turned the big 35 a week before christmas and he is the king of always guessing what his gifts will be or what we are going to do, so this year i was super nervous in planning a surprise party for him. i thought i was sunk a few weeks before when i was checking with people to see who could come and got some calls back. he came home that night and was checking the caller id to see who had called! just for fun! i didn't think to clear all the phones and i thought he was getting suspicious that 3 of his friends called on the same day. he told me he wasn't but i still have my doubts! with the help of my sneaky brother, he showed up late enough to let everyone arrive and put him in the spotlight for a bit. we had friends from the ward, colorado, college, and the service all show up to celebrate his big day. i'm not the worlds greatest party planner, but everything went off ok. we played matt trivia, ate cafe rioish burritos, had aunt malee's famous german chocolate cake (matt's fav) and ended with a rousing game of pictionary (which we have not played forever!) after everyone filtered out at 10ish, and my parents had the kids, matt and i headed across the street for a late night movie.



lots of work, but so worth it to see the look on his face when he walked through the door! and i would share that look with you, if i wasn't too crazy that night to take pictures. so yes, fabulous night and no pictures to prove it!



CHRISTMAS



in some ways, busy...in others, not so busy

we had all hawes family functions before christmas and all mcqueen's after. it made it nice as matt got tithing settlement done before we had anything big to get to. our hawes get together was at moms, complete with candied orange slices, cinnamon bears, homemade carmel, and peanut clusters. a christmas tradition in my family since before i can remember. my kiddos ache for hawes functions as they are getting fewer as the kids get older. aunt cheri planned a fabulous dinner followed by a family talent show complete with singing, tumbling, piano playing, and sword fighting (pray the "hawes family singers" never hits youtube). there's always the reenacting of the nativity. difficult with 20 some odd kids, but doable none the less. notable this year were the scantily clad angel and female wise man. can't wait to see what next year will bring.



christmas eve was spent trying to get neighbor gifts out. boy, of all the advice i've received about being the bishop's wife, no one prepared me for the barrage of neighbor gifts the bishop gets at christmas. we kept getting and getting, which means i had to keep baking and baking to give back. it was fun to be the recipient of so much love and good will and next year i will be better prepared! we then headed to matt's parents as his sister and family had just flown in. we had a yummy christmas eve dinner and program, let the kids play a bit and then got in our new jammies to head home and await santas arrival.



christmas morning, everyone slept until 7:30! what a christmas treat! we had a leisurely morning opening gifts and being glad we didn't have to go anywhere. the kids favs:

MEGAN:

a new camera and a dress that isn't too girly

ISAAC:

a ds and a rugby ball

MALLORY:

oodles and oodles of makeup and a real tea set

ELI:

a bat cave and a new scooter that is like the big kids'

MATT:

a tv, finally, after 4 years sans one

we spent the next week sledding with cousins, watching new movies, and taking a break from reality. we had a few mcqueen functions to attend and had a great time with cousins we see only a few times a year, if that. it was fun to be with matt's dads family (on what would have been ardes' 99th birthday)to reminisce on grandma ardes and her legacy. a lovely lady sorely missed but lived such a full life.

NEW YEARS

we rang in the new year with mary and travis and kids at 7 oclock on new year's eve as mallory couldn't wait any longer. every year we tear up newspaper and throw it all over when the clock strikes...um, seven, i guess, in this year's case. we also stayed up playing a great new game, tabago. super fun if you're smart. less super fun, if you're dumb, and getting dumber, like me.

life started back up again on the 3rd for everyone and we've just been plugging away since--except now we get to watch tv!!