Some changes...

Ok, so I'm a terrible blogger. But guess what? I have red hair now! Photo to follow...camera battery is dead! I got sick of the constant battle to keep it blonde since, uh, guess what, it ain't blonde anymore! More like a dark, drab, I don't know what please make it go away color. I totally love my dark auburn hair, though it's faded alot since I got it done. Something about putting dark over bleached. It will take time for my roots to grow out and then it will last better. I've got so many compliments..don't think I'll go back.

The Happiest Place on Earth, Bray's Courage plus My New Boyfriend

I really have to get better at my blogging thang...usually I'm too impatient to wait for my pictures to upload! Oh, Disneyland was fun. Like Olivia said, "Mom, there were really moments, just moments, where Disneyland really WAS the happiest place on earth." She always knows how to put it. Have to admit I got a little teary at that opening part where they quote Walt Disney who said something along the lines of hoping that Disneyland would inspire the hearts and imaginations of children of all ages for many generations to come. And oh how he did! It was so fun with the whole Halloween at Disneyland thing..Olivia went on all the rides, Braden went on most of them tearfully. We couldn't drag him onto the Screamer though. He cried the entire time in line. I was going to make him on account I don't want him to be a wimp, but Steve said, isn't Disneyland supposed to be fun? Yea, whatever. Bray was so relieved he didn't have to go; he just patiently waited for us. Apparently Steve was exactly like that when he was young so he's a little too understanding...Next time...

Good times at PMA too with fabulous pricey dinners at places I'd never go in many years. Oh the money thrown around to please the clients! It's very interesting eating a $40 filet minon which DID NOT include a salad or anything else. ( I have to say it was divine though, and I don't really like steak) For some reason the pricier the restaurant, the less is included with your entree. The last night we heard this up and coming country singer Josh Stone and I loved him. Very cool..hoping Steve will start dressing in faded and torn jeans, cowboy boots and long bleached hair. Wouldn't hurt my feelings; just sayin'. So had to get a photo with him; don't we look like the perfect couple? Like Liv would say, it was a

moment. Updates tomorrow re the Clement Halloween...

Hola! Just a quick note to say I'm back from my amazing trip! We had the most fabulous time and I wish I had more time to tell about it..but...tomorrow we leave for Disneyland!! Are we mental? I'm beginning to think yes. But I must pack and since Steve is coming down with something that seems like the swine flu, I may have to drive all 20 hours. Oh dear. Suddenly the trip..not as fun. What, I can't read and sleep the entire time. Anyway, hopefully swine is not the diagnosis, but I will post later about my trip. I truly feel lucky and blessed!

I can't wait!!

Two days until Spain. I'm not gonna lie...I'm freaking-out excited! Pictures and news...later!

Camping, Canning, Crazy

We have had a great few weeks. The weekend before Labor Day we went camping up at La Wis Wis Campground, up Mt. Rainier. It was a rainy weekend, but we had good times anyway. The highlights included s'mores by the fire followed by popcorn and a movie, hiking and playing games such as "Screaming Samari" and 1-2-3 Look and Psychiatrist. Good times! The kids and Steve also got together for a little beat-boxing, with them all making their own individual sounds for a rapping good time. Kind of cool at first, extremely annoying a very short time later. Labor Day weekend Steve took the kids to a Clement reunion in Tri-Cities with all of Dad C's bros and sisters. I stayed home to bottle peaches like a mad woman. Of course I had to take several pictures!

Why do I do it you ask? I seriously have no idea. One birthday my mom gave me a pressure cooker and my original thought was, gee, how fun. The next thing you know I'm puttin' up fruit like a pioneer. I have to admit I think they look fabulous and beautiful and I'm very proud..plus the kids eat them like crazy and I feel like I'm storing some food for the future. Yea baby, you're looking at 49 quarts! This weekend: pears!

For Labor Day we went on one of our favorite hikes: the Hobbit Hike. (Last time we did it was with Gary, Noel and kids...miss you guys!) It was so beautiful! Another rainy Washington day, but there are so many trees that we don't feel the rain. We love our little day trips up Mt. Rainier. Guess what!!! Only 8 days until Spain!!!

The sweetest find...

I am addicted to garage sales. It's true.. I think I got it from my Grandma Spaulding. I remember going with her when I was a child. Something about the hunt for the treasure makes me very excited. Usually I only find one or two small things, sometimes it's a total bust and I go home hot and grouchy, but every Saturday I get the urge again. Steve doesn't get it which is perfectly fine because I am bringing up a little garage buddy..Olivia. (Sometimes B wants to go too, but only if it gets him out of housework.) A few weeks ago we found these two pieces of furniture. Absolutely my favorite finds yet. I talked him down, he had pity on me and I fell in love!! These are what I've always looked for and I absolutely love them. The cupboard I put in the corner of my kitchen. Sometimes I keep it open just because it's so cute inside. The shelves I put in my scrapbooking area and filled with my scrapping stuff. I just think they are both adorable. I love primitive old stuff..love to think about who used it and what it has seen and where it's been. Gosh, can you be in love with furniture? Looks like it!

September is here!

I keep waiting to post until I have my camera ready to post pictures too, but today I decided, what the heck...I need to do this! We have had a busy week at the Clement household with school starting up: Austen is in 10th grade... oh my gosh.. and taking horrible subjects like College-Prep Chemistry. Why you ask? No clue! How that will help him in the movie making field I have no idea..maybe special effects? Anyway, he's being busy with cross country, band and student leadership plus he FINALLY chose an Eagle Project. If it ever gets done it will be a miracle, and I'm starting to see why mothers get a special pin.. cause we have to ride them like crazy to get them to do it! Gee, I want that eagle court of honor myself! Anyway, Cass is in 7th and started..gasp..wearing makeup! Just mascara and lip gloss but seriously! She is looking grown up..oh and she got just a few highlights too. What up with my tomboy now!! Braden is in 5th and just as crazy about school as he always was. "Forgets" every day to tell me about his homework..oops, gee mom, sorry! And until I ask him the morning its due then remembers. Will this boy ever change!? And Olivia in 2nd grade. I'm gonna cry. She's in Mr. James class and everyone gets a nickname in his class. Hers? Clementine. Adorable. Have to say I sang a very joyous tune when I drove off from the school..I'm free at last!! I know it's horrible, but I can no longer be in charge of their (esp. B's) entertainment. Oh how I love my silent house, at least for a few hours...then I get lonely and they come home just in time. I could so never homeschool...what is that about?!!

Girls Camp and Idaho..summed up

Ok, so weeks later, I'm finally reporting on girls camp and the big Idaho trip. First of all, Girls Camp was a serious blast..during it I'm thinking...this is the best calling ever! I get to camp with these girls I love so much...good times. But there were moments..oh, there were moments! It

so hot...100+ degrees every day. By the time camp was set up, I was soaked with sweat.. So, time for 2nd shower of the day at 1 pm. My friend Tanya and I realized that the showers stayed cold for only about 5 seconds and then went really hot. We were dying for cold water, so we came up with something called shower jumping. Good times. We were the only ones in there so as soon as our shower got hot we'd streak across to the next one. It felt so good! Needless to say, this got me in a little trouble later...I'll explain... But first, camp highlights: 1. The girls. Love them! Have my faves..including Cass, of course. They are so sweet and for some reason they love me, probably because I'm on their maturity level. 2. All of the games including Member of my Family, Screaming Samari, 1-2-3 Look, Parlevous Francai, etc. 3. Floating the river. Total Blast. 4. The slip n slide. So fun. We all made this massive chain and went down it over and over. 5 Testimony meeting. Things I won't miss: 1. The food. Horrible. 'nuff said. 2. The heat. 3. Getting up with a girl with a stomach ache in the middle of the night and asking her, "uh, do you have to use the bathroom or what? If you're not gonna die..here's some tums, see you in the morning." I mean, what do they want me to do? 4. The dirt.. Ok, so I got in a little trouble with the shower jumping that same day, when we took our 3rd shower to cool off. Tanya and I decided to shower jump again. I thought we were the only ones in there..I'm sure you can see where this is going. I pulled a shower open and screams all around. It was L from my ward, fortunately. She said all she saw was a flash of white. Yep, that'd be me. I was mortified the rest the times I saw her. I mean, who else shower jumps into someone else's shower?!?

Idaho was good times. We took Johnny and Austen up to BYU Idaho, the school formally known as Ricks, for EFY on Monday morning. After dropping them off, I took the rest of the family on a "Tour of Dadra's College Years." Thrilled would definitely describe their feelings about it. I thought it was good times for all. I even got to go in my old apartment building and I was very excited. We also got to see the new Rexburg temple.

Other highlights of Idaho include our Lagoon trip with Brandon, Corrie,

Ali and Bridger. We had so much fun! Olivia was my brave sweet girl, riding almost everything including the very scary "Wicked." Made Braden cry by forcing him to go on the Spider, but seriously, we're trying not to raise a wimp here. We had such a great time, I think we might go every year and camp at the campground with my bro. In Idaho we also got to go to the temple with my family and I got to spend lots of time with my adorable toddler neice and nephew, Josselyn and Bridger.

Actually, I think Steve and I are pretty dang adorable, too.

I Will Survive

I survived Girls Camp! Yes, it's true...besides a nasty sunburn, some serious bug bites, and a very major case of exhaustion, I am doing great. We had a fabulous time..pictures later. It was seriously 100 degrees up there and due to some crazy demented rule that we can't wear shorts we about died of heat exhaustion! I was changing the undies 3 times a day and stinking up a storm. Had to have Steve send me up a care package of clean undies and socks. I almost cried. Food sucked, so I lived on twinkies and chips, not the best diet ever. Did sneak some diet coke later. Oh and got in a little trouble shower jumping! My friend Tanya and I were showering and the showers were only cold for the first few seconds, so we streaked out of the shower and tried them all to get the cold water. That night we did it again and I tried to shower jump to the stall across from me. YIKES! Someone was in there...and it was not my friend Tanya! It was Lynette, who is very modest and it was horrible! She said she saw a flash of white and that was it..yep, that was me! Anyways, the girls loved me..mostly because I am on their maturity level. Good times....two days we leave for Idaho...MOM, I'm COMING HOME!!!

The B turns 10, A gets pearly whites, D gets older..

Here's what's cool. Bray turned 10! Except here's what's not so cool: my baby boy turned 10! Sigh...I can't believe this kid is 10 years old. We watched family movies the other day and he was just 2 years old. He was adorable! He was absolutely obsessed with his mom. We had video of him running to me for hugs and blowing me kisses, and also hilarious video of him dancing to the Backstreet Boys and to Lord of the Dance. He loved that, for some reason. The best thing was when I told Braden, "you used to be a baby that was crazy for his mom." He said, "now I'm a big boy who is crazy for his mom." Ahhh, shucks, how sweet is that? We spent the day doing Harry Potter stuff...seeing the new movie, which Braden has planned on since last December...and B got the new HP WII game too. Followed with a BBQ and chocolate cake, it was a great day...(despite the fact the truck broke down when S and I were "racing" home...Oops!)

That same day Austen got his braces off...looking very nice. Worth the money?? Oh yeah!!

Today my friends Michelle and Tina took me out to lunch for my birthday. So nice..I love my friends! My coworkers threw me a little party too...I am feeling very special. I really don't have any expectations for my birthday..haven't given it hardly any thought. Just a little McD's diet coke, a little scrapbooking, maybe a garage sale or two, perhaps a nap and a delicious steak taco dinner made by Steve..oh, and some Costco chocolate cake! and I'm a happy girl! Ahhh, may my dreams come true...

Yesterday Austen finally came home from Japan! I'd post a picture of him, but he was wearing exactly the same thing that he wore when he left! So if you want to see what he looked like, just scroll through a few posts and pretend it is his homecoming picture. Seriously!! He even said that I would probably "freak out" when I saw him in the same shirt. Maybe that would have been a good time to change! Uhh, Duhh, you think!!! But whatever! We are happy to have him home after all this time! We got lots of ramen noodles (uh, Austen, we have those here, but ok) and some chopsticks. Cool.

Yesterday Curtis and Isabella came to visit. The kids had a great time playing with Bella. When Steve and I left for work. Curtis was asleep in the front room with all the kids. Slumber party!! I called when I got off work and Curtis was still there, playing Guitar Hero with the kids. It was like having 6 kids. But so fun to have them visit.

These are some dang cute shoes from Payless that I want for Girls' Camp. We have to wear closed toe shoes, and how cute are these with the daisies? They make me happy! Plus only $12.99. Only problem is so far can't find them here in the Yakima...

Almost my B-Day. Good times!

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Ahoy, I'm a swimmer!!!

Yea, baby, I passed the swim test!! This is proof how proud I am: I actually am posting this scary picture of myself!! It was a very embarassing experience..my friend Tanya swam by me the whole way..I of course did it on my back with a simple back stroke. Freaked out when water got on my face, but forged on. Had to tread water for a little...Hilarious!!! Grabbed the water noodle from the stake leader so hard she almost fell in. True, she put a star by my name on the pass list..I guess that means I'm a handicapped swimmer. Maybe I'll get a handicap sticker...Hmmm.. But anyway, I passed, and I can do the slip and slide and I can float the river! Happy Day for me! My kids prayed for me and Olivia left me a note saying I was so "osom" on my swim test.

Speaking of Olivia, right now the kids are swimming in the back yard and since the chlorine is killing her hair, here is our current solution: How stinking cute is that!? It probably won't work, but what the heck. Love it. Other updates: the kids slept out last night for the first time alone ever. I've always been a bit paranoid about them sleeping out. I stayed out there for a while with them. they did great and love it like crazy. We are also adding onto our deck and today Steve put up a hammock! We're loving our little back yard!

Help Me!!!

So today is the big swim test for Girls' Camp. Well-known fact about me...I can't swim! I know, how freaky! But seriously, I just never learned how so I was always a little awkward, but after my Dad and Levi drowned, well, me and water are no longer friends. It has unfortunately turned into a bit of a phobia. (Ok, so getting my face covered by water in the tub kinda freaks me out...I can hear you laughing!) The problem is I always get sucked into the challenge of taking the girls camp test..usually by the girls! Three years ago I took the test..and barely passed..but let's just say it involved a life jacket, screaming, and me thinking I was going to drown (despite the dock being six inches away!) The thing is, have to pass test to do the slip and slide and float the river. (FYI slide has approximately 6 inches water. whatever) So...I got talked into it once again. Plus side: test is at a pool this time and if I pass I never have to take one again! Minus side..Yeah, I still don't know how to swim. The kids and Steve were trying to show me last night...in the living room....Oh boy! Will I pass..tune in!

Zebra, 365, summer

I've been surrounded by zebra print lately, literally. Our girls' camp theme is zebras, and since I'm the leader, that's all I can think about. I'm getting a little sick of the zebra, I'm not ashamed to say. I've had some good ideas though, including these paint cans for each girl. Our stake theme is "Hunting for the Good in Others," so each girl gets a paint can with her name on it. We had some shelves built to hold the cans, and the girls will fill them with notes about the "good" they see in each other. Plus I made this pillow case. Yep, you read that right, I MADE it MYSELF. I don't sew, but after reading the pattern a million times I managed to tweak it out. And how cute is it, seriously!!! Ok, it took me all day, but whatever! I'm so proud I could bust. So I held it up in relief society in pride, and then begged someone to HELP ME! Fortunately, someone else volunteered (2 people) to sew the remaining 13. Whew! But I'm still so proud. The paint can is another story...I must make 17 and this is my only completed one. I have them all covered, but oh hannah, these take time. What was I thinking?!? Only 17 days to go. GULP. I am so not ready to lead these girls..I mean, seriously, I want to hide under my bed...stay tuned..

On another happier note and place, I have been participating in a challenge called Project 365. Basically, it's a challenge to take a photo a day. i have this scrapbook I've been keeping my photos in and writing a little about each picture. This has actually been really cool because it's been a challenge to find something new to photograph each day. My kids get into it and tell me, "this can be the POTD (picture of the day)!" Today's picture:
Just a little picture of B and his friend Caleb at the pool. Just a little thing, but something to remember. And how cool to look back at this in 5, 10 years and see

how we spent this year... Unfortunately Steve deleted a bunch of

pictures off his camera w/o checking with me first! And we lost most of April! Sigh...Thank heavens I got my own camera for Mother's Day! It's pink and I heart it!

These are some pictures from yesterday. Bray at swimming lessons. In the afternoon we went to the park for a picnic. I really like my job but I hate working in the summer because I feel guilty for leaving the kids in the mornings. So when I get home we try to do something fun each day. It's exhausting, but worth it. We had such a lovely picnic, and then the kids found this island in the creek and sat there forever sketching maps of the area. I just lay on my blanket and read my book and it was heavenly. What will be the POTD?

I thought I'd post the 10 things I'm really into right now:
1. I'm currently reading "The Shanghai Girls" by Lisa See. Getting very good right now.
2. Recently finished "The Help" which was an excellent book! Loved every minute!
3. I am so into "So You Think You Can Dance." Very amazing what they can do, but sometimes I wish their outfits weren't so skimpy; I feel like I need to hide my kids' eyes!
4. Flip Flops. I can't have enough of them. I mean, seriously, they are the perfect shoe. I can even run in them.
5. Zebra patterns. This is not by choice; we have been assigned the "zebra" theme for girls' camp and it's taking over my life! From zebra covered paint cans to zebra covered cushions, zebra shirts and zebra sunglasses, if I never see a zebra again it will be too soon!
6. "Viva la Vida" by Coldplay. Loving that song right now.
7. Naps. Ok, this is nothing new, but seriously, sometimes I'm tired. My bed calls to me! I try to resist, but as they say, resistance is futile!
8. "Prison Break" My brother recommended this to me and Steve and I are slowly getting into it, though I admit I don't always understand what the heck is going on. Steve doesn't like me to ask questions, so I just try to guess.
9. Vanilla yogurt + raspberries+ granola= happy Dade
10. Blogging! I'm loving my little blog!

We are having a not so traditional 4th of July, but we're spending it with family, so that's what matters, right? Because Steve always has to work at least a few hours on the 4th (it's cherry season, people!) we don't usually go anywhere far. Usually we drive up to the hills for picnicking and hiking. But this year we felt like staying home. Yesterday I helped the kids (C, B, O) do some tye dye shirts, which I think turned out pretty cute. When Steve got off work today, we drove to a U-Pick Blueberry farm. Unfortunately they were closed! So plan B: we took KFC to the park. After Cass and Bray got slightly sick on the tire swing (Steve pushed them really really hard) we went to the movie "National Museum II." Pretty funny and nice in the air conditioned theater, since it's 98 degrees today. After ice cream cones, we headed home for some swimming by the kids and a BBQ and fireworks later. Good times!

It is getting seriously hot here. Yesterday was our precamp meeting with the girls to get ready for camp. We covered our bucket seats with zebra fabric. This is a tradition started long before I first became a leader: everyone had a large bucket..usually a pickle bucket..that's been cleaned and bleached out. We add wood and a foam padding to the lid, plus fabric representing our theme. Then they work as stools and as storage places for the girls scriptures, candy, etc. Very cool. We also worked on our "interpretive dance" to "You've Got to Move It" from Madagascar. Cassidy is going to be the "nerdy" zebra. Very fun, but I was exhausted and sweating with stress. Will I survive girls camp?? Tune in...

Yesterday I took Austen and his friend Lewis to the airport to fly to Japan! Yep, that's right, they are going to Japan for 3 weeks to visit their friend, Johnny Cope. What an amazing opportunity! Seriously, it made me so nervous to just leave him there. They wouldn't let me go back with him in security so I just had to say goodbye. I was so worried; I made them call me when they got to the gate and when they boarded. Austen called at 2:45 am to let me know he made it safely and everything was fine. I couldn't sleep until then but I'm glad he made it!

On Saturday Steve and I chaperoned the Stake youth dance. It was...fun! Mostly because Steve and I are fun! We were the only chaperons that actually got up and danced! We did all of the line dances and quite a lot of other stuff too. At first I think Austen was a bit embarassed by us until lots of his friends said, "Gee, your parents are cool! Wish my parents were cool like that!" Now he's a bit proud, I think. He even came and got me for a swing dance, which made me feel fab!