HALLOWEEN '08

And the WINNER is...

Anna's 5th Birthday

HOLy COw

That was my first thought when I came to visit my own blog! I guess I've been a little out of touch with my inner blogger! Don't give up on me yet. So much has gone on since my last post, so I'll give a quick update. First, during the summer our home computer began a slow and painful electrical death. After trying several times to create a slide show and having the computer freeze then simple turn itself off, I stop using the computer at all! However I knew that when Anna refused to visit barbie.com that we were in serious trouble. The problem has been resolved...I'm now blogging from the comfort of my own bed on a beautiful HP Pavillion dv7-1133cl Entertainment Notebook PC (translation: half-way decent purchase from Costco with instant $100 rebate!). Second, school started!!! Cade, Madalyn and Anna have all adjusted very well to being Wildcats instead of Braves. Cade is playing football, just received his Arrow of Light and moved up to the 11 year old scouting program, and he went to the "Maturation Program" at school today(he has hair in his pits...a true Brown!). Madalyn is still swimming with the Wildcat's Pre-Comp Swim Team(she swims like a fish), loves to be with her friends, and is very quickly entering the "tween" stage. Anna turned 5 on October 12, I have never seen anyone so excited about being 5 or just being alive. She got in the car the other day and said that something was "hideous", and during a moment of weakness on my part she exclaimed "you cannot raise your voice at me because I am a princess", enough said! Third, a couple of months ago we had one dog...then we had nine dogs...then the runt never grew and we had eight dogs...and now we currently have three...this number will increase to four soon because Shane will be joining them in the "dog house", once again enough said! Finally, I am great. I have recently become a spectacle to watch every where I drive my van. My drivers side door was smashed by a postal patron just trying to get his mail. Needless to say it doesn't close very well and opens when it feels like it...like while driving to drop Anna off at preschool. This is when I became a spectacle... I calmly pulled over use all my upper muscle strength to partially close the door and then use all my lower body strength to kick, not just once but several times, the door shut...for the time being. Many cars passed me during my 'how to shut a door tight" demonstration on State Road 32, I laughed to myself the rest of the way to preschool wondering what they were thinking as they drove by. I was simply thinking Safety First, Door Second. So there you have it in a nut shell...peanut shell... beach shell...bomb SHELLter?(Marci the last one was for you)!

ARE WE THERE YET?

The summer is 1/2 way over. I can't tell if I would like to view this information as a glass 1/2 empty or 1/2 full...If I survive the rest of the summer I'll make sure to let everyone know. The following information may sound like a rough draft for an annoying Christmas letter but I'm going to write it anyways... This spring and summer the family and I have been around the world twice, and have done community service in all nations visited. Cade has been called to serve a mission in China as the youngest missionary ever (he speaks Chinese perfectly and his stir fry is not to be challenged). Speaking of China, Madalyn will be swimming in the Olympics this August. I almost forgot, a year from now our 5 year old Anna will be graduating from medical school. May this letter find you and your family surpassing all of your summer dreams. Love, The Humble Moss Family HaHaHaHa Reality Check: We've gone through several boxes of band-aids, had sunburns and itchy patches that needed mystery cream applied so overly tired children would miraculously fall asleep at night. We've slept on the tramp, in a houseboat, at a hotel, but best of all on an air mattress under the stars. We've cooked s'mores over of a fire, a BBQ and my favorite not cooked at all. We've flown a kite, played baseball, swam, ridden bicycles and skate boards. We have cried and laughed and sometimes done both at the same time. And just for the fun of it we've read. All in all we have done nothing great or extraordinary. But I think years from now we will look back and realize that all the time spent just living will equal out to be something really special!

SNOW?

It finally stop snowing, at least I think is has. Last week (second week of June) we awoke to find 2 inches of the white stuff on the ground. Needless to say it got Cade out of mowing the lawn for a few days. Things are looking up so the kids and I planted flowers yesterday. Although we are enjoying the summer weather I thought I should give everyone the heads up that there are ONLY 189 days left before Christmas...so start shopping NOW!

EASTER SUNDAY

I Promise...

I promise to post pictures of our new house in Oakley as soon as it stops snowing!!! This morning we woke to 4 new inches of the beautiful (but really annoying) stuff. So based on the current weather patterns you my never see pictures of our home. But with or without pictures you can celebrate, because on Wednesday in goes the carpet and we will shortly follow! Anyone feel like some heavy lifting...maybe a couch or two?

Is the road really HATCHING?

The other day I was parked in front of the library gathering all of the books and movies that needed to be returned, when Anna asked an interesting question. It went something like this...Mom why is the road hatching? I thought for a second that I had misunderstood her until I looked at the road. She was spot on, the road was indeed hatching (next time you go outside look at the cracks in the asphalt and you'll see what I mean)! For just a moment it was nice to see the world through a 4 year old's eyes. I'm still wondering what she thought was going to hatch out of the road...probably just a big chicken.

DISNEYLAND VACATION..