School's Out, Scream and Shout!

(You know the High School Musical song, right?) Here's hoping the neighbors won't be hearing me "scream and shout" too much this summer. I have mixed feelings and, admittedly, a bit of anxiety over summer break. I really do look forward to school being out: not being on a schedule, fun vacations, trips to the beach, and all the (good) memories that come from being out of school for 2 1/2 months; however, it's a challenge for me to have all four kids home every day all day long (this is the anxiety part). I stress about the thought of fighting kids, too much TV and not enough reading, a messy house (you know they go through 10 outfits a day when they're out playing in the sprinkler, etc.), and getting them to do their chores.

It's gonna be good though. Opposition in all things, right? The inevitable not-so-good days will help me cherish the good days.

Things we have on the calendar:
Our New York cousins are coming next week!! We haven't seen them in 3 years. So looking forward to that.

Our trip to Great Falls, Montana, over 4th of July weekend (w/ NY cousins) to visit great-grandma Mang and see Keith's dad and his wife who just moved there from NY a few weeks ago. It will be nice to have Keith's dad a lot closer now.

Annual Fuller trip to Lake Roosevelt (going for 5 days this time!)

Other things we want to do:
take a hike and/or do camping up at Mt. Rainier

go to Steilacoom beach (and possibly Jetty Island)

take Papa's boat out on Lake Washington

go to Wild Waves

take a trip to Sequim

get a trampoline!

Take a road trip to Utah with just me and the kids. O.K., not very realistic, I know. Every year I fantasize about doing this, and I always chicken out. Every year I think, "Maybe next year when the kids are a bit older." It's a 13 hour drive (I'd break it up by staying a night in Boise), but I just don't know how it would go all by myself with 4 little kids. Maybe this will be the year?! Anybody want to do it with me?

I'm also looking forward to just hanging out at home. I love having a bit of land to let the kids run free and roam (no worries about them getting hit by a car). I love that they can come and go from the house, and I don't have to stress about that. When we lived in Lake Stevens I was always stressing about, "Where are the kids?" and threatening them they had to stay in the back yard.

And speaking of summer kicking off, we took a trip to Lake Chelan over Father's Day weekend...

Father's Day Weekend in Lake Chelan

My sister and her hubby and 2 kids were in town from Utah, and since they won't be able to make our Lake Roosevelt trip in August, we were able to all get together and go to Lake Chelan and stay at a condo my parent's rented.

It was a good time despite the fact that I woke up Saturday morning with the stomach flu. It was a bad one, but luckily only 24 hours. By Sunday I was feeling much better; however, now everybody else has been barfing the last two days - Keith, Anne Elyse, my newphew, and my sister! I feel horrible. What bad timing to get sick when you're on vacation! But as you can see, luckily, I was still able to get some good pics. I did not get one single picture of my sister-in-law Stevie (don't be offended, please)! Next time I'll make sure to get everyone.

Seven is Splendid!

Anne Elyse turned 7 on May 25. The Saturday before her birthday (which was my birthday), her and I went to the mall and got her ears pierced. She was very brave and didn't cry at all. Considering the fact that she likes to have a band aid for every nick and scratch she gets and that I've had several phone calls from the school nurse this year regarding her being "hurt" or "sick," she didn't shed one single tear. She really wanted those ears pierced!

We had a party for her and her friends at Roach Gymnastics (more pics to come later...)

She also got to spend the night at Papa and Grandma's house all by herself and went clothes shopping at the mall and got a lot of really cute summer things - thanks Grandma!

What we'd like to remember about Anne Elyse right now:

She's a good student (she has earned several "Kelso's Choice," awards at school this year).
She's an awesome big sister to Tori (umm, not so much to Tyler...smile!)
She loves to sing and dance
She loves jewelery and finally has those diamond (cubic zirconium) earrings she's been wanting!
She is our social butterfly - always wanting to have playdates with her friends, "do something fun," or go to a party
She loves to make cards for just about anyone.
She likes to play school and pretend she's Mrs. Rose.

Happy Birthday beautiful girl!

From Misc

Lemonade!

Anne Elyse participated in her first school musical called, "Lemonade!" It was a cute story about all the different fairy tale characters who were having a "bad day," and were able to cheer up by turning their lemons into lemonade, and sharing "a glass or two," together. She remembered all her lines, and she played the Princess Frog.

From Misc

Raingutter Regatta

Austin participated in his first Raingutter Regatta for cub scouts. (I was a bit disappointed that we didn't do the Pinewood Derby instead, since he's never done one). I ended up helping Austin make his boat, and let's just say Dad should've been the one to help. I glued the rudder in backwards, so he didn't win any races. It was just one of those things that got put on the back burner and then before we knew it the race day was here and Dad not available. So, lesson learned: some things are just meant for Dads. It was decorated pretty cute though, right? :)

From Misc

My Birdhouse

As promised, here's a picture of the birdhouse my dad made me for my birthday. I love it. It hangs right outside the big front window of my family room.

From Misc

Katie

I never blogged about my trip I took to Salt Lake City in April to meet my new niece and namesake (my nickname when I was little was Katie). The main reason I've neglected the post (besides me just being busy - smile!), is that I've been working on editing her photos. Here's one I did today. Isn't she a beauty?

I had the best time just hangin' out at my sister's holding her, helping out, seeing our extended family, and believe it or not, relaxing. I just took Tori, and having 1 kid is a piece of cake. My parents also flew down at the same time as did my Grandma, so it was a good time enjoying everyone's company.

From Katie

GOOOOOOOOD NEWS!!!!

We had another reason besides my birthday to celebrate on Thursday. We found out Keith got the job at Auburn Mechanical! He interviewed there on Monday, and by the time Wednesday rolled around and we hadn't heard anything, we both were feeling pretty discouraged that maybe he did not get the job. He got a call Thursday morning from the union, and they said, "Well, you must've knocked their socks off, because they want you." I cannot tell you how relieved and happy we are about this, and what a blessing we know this is. I knew a lot of people were praying for us and thinking of us as they attended the temple, etc. I really have tangibly felt the power of those prayers over the course of this trial (even though it's only been about 6 weeks, thankfully). I have felt a strength and a calm that is not from myself (so much for my deep breathing techniques - ha!) I also know this blessing is directly from the Lord and my Heavenly Father, and I feel that He has responded to our own prayers and those who have pleaded with Him in our behalf. Keith should not have gotten this job - he was on the bottom of the wait list at the union, but because he has worked hard and made sure he has every qualification and certification he can have, he was chosen over others who did not have the same. He starts on Monday. He will get a van again too, which is a huge help to our budget. By the time you add up a car payment, insurance, gas, wear and tear, we figure it's almost $1,000 a month we won't have to fork out when he has a company vehicle. The other plus is that they're located only about 30 minutes from us, whereas Mac-Miller was in Seattle, about 50 minutes or more away. Feeling SO blessed!

My Birthday!

I'm 34 now. I must say, I don't really like this getting old business, and 34 is really not "old." How's it going to feel when I'm like 50? I don't even want to think about it.

I had a good birthday this year. My parents came down on Thursday, because they were going to be out of town over the weekend. We went to dinner at the mexi place in town, then came back to the house and had yummy chocolate cake with mint buttercream icing from the Orting bakery. It also happened to be beautiful weather - sunny and about 70.

So, this isn't the best picture of me, I look like I'm halfway between having my eyes open or closed, but oh, well. I don't often get anybody else using my camera to take pictures of me - I'm always the one taking the pictures of everybody else! My hair is also looking horrible, but I will put my vanity aside for posterity's sake. :)


My dad made me an awesome birdhouse. I love it. (I will post a picture of it later). My mom gave me $ to get flowers for the yard and to get my hair done. I told her I was feeling like an old hag with all my gray hairs, and she said, "Well, you can't feel like an old hag on your birthday." :) I'm going Wednesday to get it done, and I can't wait.

Saturday, the 21st, we had kind of a lazy morning around the house since we woke up to gray skies and rain - boo. Keith made me a ham and cheese omelet with bacon, toast, and o.j. for breakfast. He also got me a dozen champagne colored roses. Anne Elyse made me several homemade cards. I also got some cards in the mail and you gotta love facebook for being able to get Happy Birthday wishes from your friends all over the world. Got some phone calls from my bro, my sis, and my brother-in-law Shane. Anne Elyse and I decided to hit the mall for some girls time - just her and I went (her birthday is on Wednesday). We got her ears pierced (more on that later)! It was a good time. She was patient while I tried on some clothes and ended up getting a couple things. We picked up pizza for dinner, and then had a sitter come over so Keith and I could attend the Saturday evening session of our stake conference. Elder Bennett of the seventy (Brenley's dad) spoke and also Elder Anderson of the quorum of the 12. I enjoyed their talks and they both have a fun sense of humor. Elder Anderson talked a lot about how we will not become perfect in this life but that it's important that we just keep moving forward a little bit at a time and that if we do this, by the end of our lives, our life will have become acceptable to the Lord. He said it's normal for all of us at some time to doubt things and wonder, "Am I really sealed for eternity to my family?" "Is the church REALLY true?" He said those are all normal things to wonder but that as we cling to our covenants and press forward, by the end of our lives, we will have had success. I liked that. He also told some neat stories that I wont' bore you with, but it was an uplifting night. A perfect way to end a birthday.

Sequim Irrigation Festival

Every year my brother Ryan has to work the "car show" at the Irrigation Festival for his employer, Randy's Ring and Pinion. It had been a few years since we'd been to the festival so this year we made plans to head out there with them and hang out. Stevie ended up making a last minute trip to Utah with her Dad, so she and Marlowe didn't come, but Jack came with Ryan and my parents also came out on Saturday.

We got to my grandma's house in Sequim Friday evening, and spent the night there as planned. We had a leisurely morning that included a frog hunt. Every time we go to great-grandma's house, the kids have a frog hunt, and they are usually successful - this time it was two little green frogs found on the deck AND a dark brown salamander. My parents arrived about 11 a.m., and then we headed down to town to see the parade. While there, I realized I was pretty sure my kids had never been to a parade (how sad is that?) I blame their father. He hates going anywhere where he has to hassle with crowds, and of course it's not like I'm going to drag little kids by myself to a parade, so there you have it. The Mang children's first-ever parade. It started off a bit b-o-r-i-n-g, i.e. the "Sewer Inspection Team" truck and trailer, and the kids kept asking, "Where's the candy?"

They did have a few marching bands that were fun and Anne Elyse enjoyed all the princesses on floats. We eventually got candy thrown at us. At the parade... (attempting to get a picture of all the kids, but Tori was not having it).

After the parade, we headed over to the logging show. There's nothing like a good logging show to make you feel like a Washingtonian, especially when it's the second week of May, it's about 50 degrees, and light rain! The weather wasn't the greatest, but we had a good time. Keith loves to look at the old tractors and watch the truck pull. My favorite part was eating the fried pancake with strawberries and whipped cream. :) We didn't do the rides this year - it was $20 per kid, so it would've cost $60, and when you're unemployed you just don't get luxuries like that. The kids didn't seem to care too much, thankfully.

Grandma made everyone a big pot roast dinner and strawberry shortcake for dessert. What a good host she is! :) After dinner everyone left to go home, and literally, just as we were walking out her door, it started pouring rain and it rained hard the whole way home, so I'd say we got pretty lucky on the weather. The kids slept most of the 2 1/2 hour drive home, quite possibly the best part of the trip!