Goal Update

This year we wanted to work on getting More Food Storage. I was reading another blog and found this quote, "When Joseph was sold into Egypt he was able to convince the Pharoah to store wheat during the years of plenty in preparation for the years of famine. Though this preparation, Joseph was able to save his family from starvation during the famine. I think this is an important lesson for our time as well."

So far we are doing pretty well with this goal. Jere and I took a day off work and we went to the Cannery. We canned dry milk, flour, wheat, quick oats, hot cocoa, macaroni, instant potatoes, rice and sugar. We figured with a family our size (6) if you count Jennifer living here that we would probably have enough for 3 months. We have also picked up some other things liked canned butter powder, egg powder, cheese powder, extra yeast and baking powder. When we go to the store we try to pick up extra of things we eat often like peanut butter and spaghetti sauce.

We also redid our 72 hour kits and made one for Devin. So we now have 5 seventy-two hours kits. When our kids ask us what we are doing or why we tell them "Just in Case"

It is comforting to know that we could take take of our kids if there was an emergency.

Now we just need to start on the other things like exercise more. : ) But carrying all that food storage down the stairs and into the storage room is a good start right?

Date Night

Last night Jenn watched all the kids and Jere and I went out to dinner and a movie. We first went to Texas and then we went and saw Mall Cop. It was a very funny movie that we laughed a lot through. It was a lot of slap stick comedy. I would recommend you go and watch it if you need a good laugh.

Reading, Reading, Reading

Our kids love to read and look at books. Even Devin likes it. We just think they are so cute when they are reading. Olivia is extra excited about reading because at school they are having a contest. She wants to read the most minutes of anyone in her class so she can earn the reward. The reward is lunch with Mr. Bowman, the principal, and Mr. Brunner, the assistant principal. I wonder if she would be as excited about this reward if one of them wasn't her Dad.

Hopefully it won't come to this

What is it that Jeremy is cooking? Yep, MRES.


We made 72 hour kits in 2005. We decided that we should update them. We had to throw away a lot of the expired food. The things in the 72 hour kits that were still good were the MREs. We decided to try them for dinner yesterday. We each picked an entree and...





Well let's just say they were NOT GOOD. They were almost inedible. I don't know what was harder eating the MRE's or pretending to like them in front of our kids.

Jeremy at the end of dinner said, "Well, we now know what Jack will eat."

Jeremy and I are really working hard on getting our food storage. We went to the cannery. We have been buying some extra things as we go to the store like spaghetti sauce and peanut butter. We also now have our 72 hours kits ready to go but we think we need to add other food for dinners besides the MREs.
I guess if it came to that we would eat them. : (

1 Year Old

One year ago today this little guy joined our family.

Here he is now.


We love him so much. He is so happy. He loves to play and laugh. He is just learning to walk. He will even give you a kiss if you ask him too. He is a great blessing in our family.

Birthday Presents

Devin got a lot of fun presents. He didn't really open them himself but he had a brother and sister who were more than willing to open them for him. Grandma and Grandpa Doolittle got him a helicopter. Emily got him so cars. Jennifer got him some blocks and we got him some stacking blocks, a computer keyboard for babies. It was good little birthday.

Birthday Dinner

Another tradition we have in our family is on their first birthday we give them a spaghetti dinner, let them make a mess and take pictures. He loved the spaghetti.

Birthday Cake

For our other children on their first birthday we made them a bear cake. So we did the same for Devin. For Devin's cake we made it similar to his build a bear mac that he got for Christmas. Here are the before pictures.




At first he wasn't sure what to do with cake but he figured it out real quick.

Wii Fit

Since we just bought a Wii fit we saw this and thought it was pretty funny. My sister Emily picked one up for us and is sending it to us. I know this one is making fun of the wii fit but everyone that I know who has one really likes it. We are excited to try ours out.
Watch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iYBmAVuBns&feature=player_embedded

Happy Helpers

For our Family Home Evening last Monday we started a chore chart for the kids. Each day, we rotate jobs. If they do their job without complaining they get to put a sticker on their chart. Once their chart is full, they get a special treat. The kids have done a great job doing their chores! Our house is clean and peaceful. Yea for Family Home Evenings! Speaking of which, we also started rotating different jobs for FHE--Olivia has the lesson tomorrow and she is really excited.

Devin on the Phone

When the phone falls, it lands on Robin's computer bag. It's black like the phone so I think Devin couldn't see it.
Watch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6fU5CcJDeM&feature=player_embedded.

Funny Story

Our home teacher came over the other day. He is a single guy who is probably in his 50s. Jeremy sent Olivia to go downstairs to ask Jenn if she wanted to come upstairs. When Olivia asked Jenn, as she was thinking about it. Olivia piped up and said, "We're not trying to make you fall in love or anything."

New Church Clothes

Santa brought our kids new church clothes. We think they look adorable. We had to take 11 pictures just to get one good one. Devin looks happy, but it was a face he made between screams. Ah, kids.

Happy Birthday Garrett-He turns 5 Today

Garrett was so excited about his birthday party. We had his party this past Saturday. We invited his friend Landon over for pizza and cake. Then we played Hyper Dash a present from Grandma and Grandpa Doolittle, then we went downstairs and played Mario Cart. It was a fun, simple party.
He really wanted a monster truck cake. He came to the store with me to help pick out the trucks and cars that would go on his cake.


He was really excited about his presents. Of course he got a monster truck, then he got a remote control truck plus some a CARS flashlight and CARS book on tape. He love these kinds of things.

Still the same old Goofy Jere

Jeremy's Dad found this old picture of Jere. We don't have a lot of pictures. We think it is a pretty good picture of him. He still makes that great smile.

Jeremy then (maybe 15 years old)


Jeremy now (33 years old)