When All Else Fales, Make GOOP!

Goop has such interesting qualities, it can be really hard, if you try and punch it, yet so soft that if you relax your hand, it sinks...these two pictures show a little bit of the strangeness of goop.

Not sure if you can see it but you can 'pull' goop apart.

This was our favvy part, it just drips off your hands but it feels so weird!

Noah asked me if we could make goop today since he didn't have anything else to do! I reminded him that all the windows need to be washed, the floorboards need a good dusting, and the floors needed a really REALLY good mopping, however he didn't think these chores sounded fun on a Saturday afternoon. So we headed to the store, not before Noah looked up on the computer for a good old fashion recipe for goop, and bought our necessary ingredients...Corn Starch! Goop is a box of corn starch, water, and food coloring. Who knew these three simple ingredients could be so entertaining for a 35 year old...I mean for an 11 year old.

Labor Day Get Away

Jim and Spencer at the lake.

Spencer and Noah sitting on a chair lift...hopefully Alta won't mind.

Nine thousand, five hundred and fourteen feet baby!

The family at Catherin's Lake...we made it!!!

The boys taking a break...aren't they so cute!

Mom and the boys...I loved all the flowers and the granite boulders, so amazing!

The boys at 7:45 am...it was a little chilly to start the hike and of course, I forgot all the hoodies!

Since we didn't have much of a summer break as a family (per Jim studying for the bar exam), Jim and I decided to end the summer by spending time together, as a family. So we woke the kids up at 6:00 in the AM and headed to Alta to do some hiking. We decided to hike Catherine's Pass. It was breathtaking...I love being outdoors among the amazing flowers, the big granite boulders and with my family. The boys did a really good job not complaining but at the end, they started to get tired. The hike was up high for a mile and a half, then down for a mile and half.

We then headed to Snowbird to hang with Steve and Shelly. We were able to eat amazing German food, thanks to Oktoberfest, catch up with an old Westminster friend (we ran into each other at the pool and haven't seen each other for about 13 years), and of course just chill.

It was such a great day and it made me appreciate the beauty Utah has to offer and how much I love knowing that I will be with my family forever.

Family Pics

I couldn't show our best pic...you will see it on our Christmas card and this isn't edited.

I love this picture!

So it has literally been years since we had a profesh take our family pictures. So my sweet and talented, and let me throw in patient because to work with us you must possess this quality, niece took our family pictures. I must admit I had a good chuckle at ourselves as we were trying to capture a loving family but behind the scenes: yelling, fighting, bribing, crying...so a typical day with the Potters.

First Day of School...

Noah and Spencer

I had to chuckle to myself, when I took the boys to buy school shoes, they all picked out black high tops!

Elijah - 4th grade, Spencer - 2nd grade, and Noah - 6th grade.

So the summer break is over, the late nights of playing outside are done, the pools have been put away and the smell of chlorine and sun tan lotion is fading in the air. I must admit however, I have mixed emotions about school starting and summer ending. At least the kids will have something to do other than fight and cause me to get more gray hair. But I am sad because I really do have a lot of fun with my boys. I love taking them to the pool and we had so much fun going to Pineview for a day in the sun and swimming with friends. We had a little bit of stressful summer as Jim was studying for the bar but it is over, tucked away, history written, memories made. I love my boys more and more each passing day and I they are amazing young men. Have a great school year boys, we love you!

4th Of July Rain Dance

The kids trying to catch the rain.

Uh Oh, Spencer has been in Colorado too long, he is flashing the peace sign...heehee

Elijah and Kohl literally doing the rain dance!

So my sweet, sweet sister Lisa invited us to her house in Colorado for the 4th of July. My other sweet, sweet sister drove 16 hours from Missouri to Colorado for the festivities...and to say we had fun is an understatement. All the kids were in a parade and they loved it...of course I didn't take pictures. We had a fun BBQ and I even wore cowboy boots...of course I didn't take pictures. And the kids did a 4th of July Rain Dance...of course Jim took pictures, I was busy napping!

Look Who Turned 7!

The birthday boy and his bro's!

So classic Spencer.

Spencer and his presents.

Mr. Electric Cool Fireball (he insists we call him this sometimes) has turned 7! I can't believe Spencer is 7 but he is an amazing kid, always keep me on my toes. I think the best part of Spencer is his humor...yes he can be a little strong willed but the kid is so funny. He is constantly keeping our family laughing! Spencer, your Dad and I love you so much and even though you and brother's fight once in a while, they love you.

Good Bye To Sledges!

Where's Spencer...he was being a bum and would not come out...whatevs!

I think the hardest part about moving wasn't taking 3 weeks out of my life to pack away our possessions. It wasn't cleaning a stove and frig for 5 hours. It wasn't even packing the truck and watching it drive away...it was saying good-bye to our friends. We made some amazing friends who will always be in my heart forever. One of those families was the Sledge's. For about 2 1/2 years, they lived 5 doors away and the kids were always running back and forth between our units. But they out grew their unit and moved to a house about 10 minutes away...we still ran back and forth between homes. But I must admit moving 900 miles away, has put a damper on the kids running back forth between homes. I miss them so much that it makes me get teary eyed on how much I miss them. So for you Sledges...we miss you!

Creighton Law School Gradution...Now What? Pay Back LOANS...

Some of the gang that came...Lori's family, Mom, Ashley, Dave & Marianne and Jim's Dad!

I make such a cute law school graduate wife..and Jim doesn't look so bad himself!

The proud boys and their Dad!

After moving 900 miles to Omaha, after 3 years of studying, reading, and writing. After screaming, fighting, and kicking (me, not Jim) Jim graduated from Creighton Law School. I must admit that I started to tear up when Jim put on his cap and gown and I drove him to the Hooding. I admire that fact that at 35 Jim went back to school! It was amazing for the boys to see their Dad work so hard and accomplish so much. The best part of the hooding, when Jim walked across the stage and Noah yelled "Way to go Jimmy" and then Spencer turned to the stranger in front of us and sayed "That's my DAD."

So Much Has Changed and I Have Documented...NONE OF IT!

Okay so Jim graduated from Crieghton Law School, we moved to Utah. While Jim studied for the bar, the boys and I played. We swam at the lake, the pool, and anything else with cool waters. We hiked, we played with friends, we even spent a few days in Colorado. All the while Jim studied, studied, studied...you get the point. He took the test, we continued to play.

The boys started school today, 6th, 4th, and 2nd grade; I read, Jim worked.

So really nothing has changed since we moved, just that I miss our friends so much it makes me sad. We are now poor graduated law students and well the boys keep making life interesting. I will post pictures as soon as Jim gets his work done...so that may be never.

Why The Road Trip Background?

Well for starts, isn't life a road trip? You may plan for your trip but you never know what is going to happen on your trip! You could plan for sun, and it rains. You could plan on camping and end up in a hotel...you seriously never know what you are going to get! This winter I have certainly struggled with my road trip plans. I figured we would road trip to Nebraska for a few years, and then return home to a cush job, a lovely home...a lovely NEW home at that, and well pick up from where we left for our vacation. But hence, like I said before road trips rarely go as planned. Our cush job isn't that at all...it is all dependant on our government. Our lovely new home is well, the basement of my loving father-in-law, and well picking up from where we left is hardly as easy as you think. Friends go on their own vacations, people move on.

But the best part of vacation, is coming home, retelling all your unplanned stories and well looking at the pictures. Sometimes as you look at the pictures you think you can't wait to go back and sometimes you think I never want to go back. As I look back at our Nebraska pictures (okay the last 2 1/2 years of our life) I am not sure what I think. I look at the fact that I am older, fatter, and grayer...I look at the boys and see 3 young men in the making and when I look back and see Jim, I see an amazing man who made a huge sacrifice but showing the boys that it is never to late to start again...hence the reason for our vacation.

Vacations are good but really there is no place like home, wherever that home may be.

My Noah is ELEVEN...yes that is a One and ONE

Noah turned 11 this past birthday and I just can't believe it! I can still recall his little feet pittering and pattering down the hallway to our bedroom to hop in bed with us. I can still hear his little laugh as a toddler discovering a new dinosaur. I still see that sweet and tender face looking at his new brothers each time we brought a new one home. Noah has such a tender heart and longs to make people happy. I will never forget when Jim was talking about poverty in Argentina and Noah got choked up when he realized how blessed he is. We have always received such glowing praises of Noah from his teachers about how amazing he is and what a good person he is. I am grateful that he is ours!

I love that when he grows up he wants to be a Biology Professor, I love that he already thinks about his mission, I love the he already thinks about being married. He is a very deep thinker, for being 11, and I love that he comes and talks with me about life. I love listening to Jim talk about sports with him and I love that he loves the Yankees. I love that he can't wait to go to New York City again...he is truly my child!

3 Hours To Make...3 Days To Eat

Every year we make a gingerbread house and the boys have a ton of fun making it. However I think the best part for them is eating the gingerbread house and I have noticed that as they get older, the fast the house disappears...this time, the house was literally gone in 3 days! Three hours to make, 3 days to eat...sounds about right!

Christmas 2010...yes CHRISTMAS

The boys running down the steps to open Christmas Presents. This was our first and only Christmas in Nebraska and we had a lot of fun just chillin, eating, and not getting dressed until the next day! We did leave on the 26th for St. Louis to spend 5 days with Dave and Marianne (yes, we stayed at my sisters house...thanks Lori!) and we had a great time. How many pictures did I take with our new camera while in St. Louis so I could post them on our blog...zero, yes the big fat zero...next time!