October 2-8, 2016

  This week was pretty much a normal week at the Sutherlands.  On Sunday (and Saturday of course), we watched General Conference.  The kids are still pretty wiggly during the whole thing....I have no idea how they make it through a whole 6 hours at school when they can't sit still for 2 hours for conference.  But oh well, we made cinnamon rolls and Dorito dip and everyone at least felt the spirit a few times I think.  :)  I love hearing all the speakers talk.  I may get more out of some talks than others but I always know that what they are saying is from my Heavenly Father and that it is helping someone in the world.

Conference is so soothing for Jeff...he falls right asleep.  Haha.  I do too actually

We made some yummy cinnamon rolls.

Daniel likes to be tickled.

Tatia sent me this picture of my mom at her new assisted living home.
I think she will like this place more.  It seems nicer.

On Monday the kids didn't have school.  Here in New Jersey we get off some holidays that not everyone gets....the Jewish holidays.  So Monday was Rosh Hashanah.  Jeff took the day off work and we found a hike in the Catskills.  It was just called North-South Lake which is a pretty simple name but it was really pretty.  We did the hike around the lake that was about 3+ miles.  The kids love to be outdoors and everyone loved it.  They had fun collecting acorns and as I could have predicted soon an acorn war started and things got crazy.  :)  Then we got ice cream cones at McDonald's and came home.

Tuesday and Wednesday Anne had a few activities.  She got to read to a dog at the library which she was really excited about.  Then on Wednesday she had a Girl Scout fieldtrip.  On Thursday Anne went in for an orthodontic appointment.  Pretty soon she will be getting the 1st phase of her braces.  Why do all these kids have bad eyes, bad teeth, etc.  It's so expensive.  Oh well, they're worth it.  ;)  On Thursday Jacob got to go to his Social Skills Scholars club that he has been very excited about.  Sometimes he struggles a little socially and he has trouble controlling his emotions so this sounded like a fun group to learn about those types of things.  I figured it couldn't hurt.

Other than that the week was pretty normal.  On Friday Jeff got home and we left to go camping for Friday night.  We went to the same campground where we went hiking on Monday and I think it's our new favorite place.  It's remote, but still plenty of campers around so you don't feel too secluded.  There are lots of bears in New Jersey/New York and so you need to be careful that way.  But this campground is really nice with clean bathrooms and even showers and the area is so pretty.  The fall colors were great up there.  By the time we got up there it was dark so we set up the tent and started getting dinner ready.  The kids loved it.  We had hot dogs for dinner and sat around the fire making s'mores.  Then we got cozy in the tent.  It was kind of cold and since we only have one air mattress (and Jeff and I are old and we snagged that), the kids probably got a little chilly.  But they still loved it.  In the morning we made a fire again and made breakfast.  It was quiet and peaceful and so nice.  After a while we packed up camp and went and found a hike to do.  We did a hike to Inspiration Point which was probably about 4.5 miles all together.  The kids all did so well and even Daniel walked most of the way.  He did ride on dad's "shurdles" as he says shoulders for a little while.  By the time we came home we were all tired and smelly but had so much fun.  Oh and we got ice cream cones on the way home again....tradition!!

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October 9-15, 2016

Sunday- had missionaries for dinner

monday- normal day

October 1, 2016

No one blogs anymore.  I also don't write a journal anymore.....and I never print up pictures anymore. My younger children have very few tangible pictures of themselves since everything is digital.   I have albums of pictures from Christopher through Anne but after that it's all stuck on my computer.  I'm afraid of losing it all somehow.  So I will try and journal and blog again....for my posterity.  Hopefully I will print up these blog posts into books for my kids.  There is no way to catch up for two years so I'll just start now.

Today is conference weekend.  We had planned to go away for the weekend and stay in a hotel but I got sick and I guess I ruined the trip cause we didn't go.  We might try and leave tomorrow but I don't know if they will happen.  But conference is always wonderful....even if the kids aren't.  ;)  At what age do they all start sitting still and listening???  Christopher is 12, Michael is 10 almost 11, Anne just turned 9, Jacob is 6 turning 7 in a week and Daniel just turned 4.  My babies are gone.  Daniel just got potty trained....at 4!!!  He was resistant and I was lazy.  But he's doing good with it.  I'm just going to list some big things that have happened lately.

*  Christopher turned 12 in June and got the priesthood.  He likes passing the sacrament.  He went to scout camp this summer and had a good time.  He's in 7th grade and testing our patience at times.  But he can also be very helpful...depending on his mood.

*Michael is in 5th grade.  He started band this year and is playing the trumpet.  He is still a perfectionist and was upset when he couldn't play the trumpet well on the first try.  Haha.  He likes his school and his friends.

*  Anne is in 3rd grade.  She has the same teacher Michael had, Mrs. Dunne.  She cried when she found out she had her because she thought she was too strict.  But now she loves her.  She does so well in school and is the lowest maintenance child I have.  Usually the worst thing she does is ask for too many sweets.  :)  She is still in Girl Scouts and likes going to Activity Days at church too.

*  Jacob is in 1st grade.  He's liking it now but the first few weeks were a hard adjustment to being in school all day.  He still does BSI like last year which is Basic Skills....since things click a little slower with him.  But he is actually doing very well and loves both of his teachers.  He is still the pickiest eater on the planet and also very stubborn so I don't know if we'll ever be able to get him to eat normal food.  :)

*  Daniel is 4 and still home with me.  No preschool this year.  He seems so young for his age and I don't want to push him out of the nest before I have to.  I think I will wait a year for him with kindergarten anyway and so he can do preschool next year.  Besides, he just barely started going on the potty....which is crazy....but no more diapers at our house.  12 years of diapers I imagine we have our own landfill.  Daniel is loud and demanding but also a cuddly little bug that laughs and plays all the time.  He loves toy cars and sleeping in mom and dad's bed.  ;)   When he says the prayer instead of starting with "Dear Heavenly Father" he says "Daniel Father".  Haha that must be what it sounds like to him.

*  Jeff is still working at EY.  He likes the city and I imagine he will forever.  He does well and enjoys his work.

Some pictures to catch up.  I'll try to post every Sunday about the week previous and keep up with pictures cause that's where the memories are.

First day of 7th grade- Christopher

First day of 5th grade- Michael

First day of 3rd grade- Anne

First day of 1st grade - Jacob

Trip to see the Philadelphia temple open house.  It was beautiful and built right in the middle of
one of the roughest areas of Philly.  The church is for everyone!!!

Daniel's 4th birthday.  He loved his remote control car and his balloon.

Daniel loves to go to Secor Farm and feed the animals and get donuts.

Another one cause they're so cute.

After the temple we went to Amish country and Gettysburg.  This was on the driving tour at Gettysburg.  It was really windy.
Michael's face is funny.  :)

Daniel blowing out the candles on his birthday.  He loves to blow our candles.

Anne had to have 2 baby teeth pulled out to start her orthodontia work.  She was so brave.

Anne turns 9 years old!!

Opening presents.  

We went to the apple orchard for her birthday.....they had pumpkins too.  ;) 

Blowing out the candles.

I took our Cub Scouts (and Christopher tagged along), on a small hike.  They mostly threw
rocks in the river which is what boys do.

Finally potty trained.  He was stubborn but once he caught on it's gone pretty well.
If you mention it to someone he will proudly pull down his pants and show them his
underwear.  Hahahaha

March 2014

March? March?  Sounds like a month for spring temperatures.  But we still had cold snowy weather in March.  But that's okay, I like snow. :)  Lots of normal living going on this month.  Dentist appointments, cub scouts, girl scouts, school, and a few extra fun things mixed in.  I had my 38th birthday (although you wouldn't know because somehow we took no pictures).  38 sounds to stinkin' old to me.  But Jeff turned 40 this year so at least I'm not that OLD.  ;)  Aunt Tatia came for a visit too which was super fun.

Daniel staying busy while the siblings get their teeth cleaned at the dentist.

A little late to be discovering that he can eat his toes.  But I guess it is pretty boring
waiting in the car to pick up the big kids from school.

This was so funny.  One day after school this strange kid got in my car (he needs a haircut and has weird facial hair).  He convinced me to give him a ride home. :)

Then all these other kids wanted in on the fun.

We sent all these funny pictures to dad at work.  He needs a good laugh every once in a while.

Evidently he wanted in on the action.  Soon we got a text back with a picture of this strange guy. He said he was on a conference call at the time....he so responsible like that.  Just kidding, he's actually really responsible but know how to be silly when needed.  

Daniel even needed a little "stache"

It wouldn't be a month without some sort of injury needing a butterfly bandage.  This was the result of clean up time.  Christopher threw the long vacuum attachment and it accidentally hit Jacob right in the read.  I didn't take him in for stitches cause over the years I've become more tolerant of that stuff.  It wasn't super deep but it was gaping a little.  ;)  Well, now he does have a little scar there.  I guess I didn't pull it tight enough with the butterfly bandages.  Sorry Jacob

Mass haircuts are always a monthly occurrence here.

Working on the Rainbow Loom

This is how kids would watch TV before we got the big couch in the family room.
Kind of funny.

Still plenty of snow

We watched friends kids.  Hazel is the same age as Daniel but seems so much older.

Jacob must have been really tired.  He fell asleep before finishing his dessert.  That's really tired!! And it's so funny that he could sleep like this.

See...sound asleep.  And like the additional bumps on his head.  Full throttle...that's Jacob.

"Should I go in the snow mom?"

Cub Scouts make volcanoes !!

Anne and her BFF Catherine makes necklaces.

Oh, he was so muddy after this.  Muddy, but happy.

We watched the Kearl kids one night and that made 9 kids in the house.  I have no idea how my mother-in-law did it.  Her house was much bigger than mine. ;)  But they had so much fun.  At one point they were all laughing hysterically like this.  I have no idea what they were laughing about.

Library play time

Jacob Hood

Our bishop, Bishop Weight, and his family moved to Utah.  Why do people do that?  He was so good with all the kids

Junior primary

Senior primary (the girl on his lap is his daughter)

Aunt Tatia came to visit in March.  She has some business in NYC and stayed with us some extra days.  So fun to have visitors

Anne showing off her reading

Jacob was so funny.  He made a mask and ate his snack through it.

We went to Abma's farm and fed the animals.

Here's one little animal getting some donut.

Aunt Tatia learned the way to Daniel's heart

Anne and Tatia had girl time making bracelets

Dinner at Houlihan's

Farewell.  Come visit again.