4th Monday FHE

Every 4th Monday of the month we gather with my parents and Brother's family for a combined Family Home Evening (FHE).

At FHE we pray, sing songs, update each other on our happenings during "calendaring", 

 have a lesson (this month Nana taught us about obedience in a story about ghosts being disobedient when Mama Ghost was away), 

and we have an activity. 

Last night we played pin-the-tie on the General Authority in preparation for getting excited about General Conference this weekend.

The kids were actually pretty great at getting their ties close.

The adults didn't fare as well.

 (On a side-note, we each wrote our names on our ties so we could keep track of who got the closest. My Dad volunteered to write my name on my tie while I got my blind-fold on, when I took my blindfold off I read that instead of my name my Dad just wrote "I'm Fat" on my tie. Being 1 week away from delivering a child I took little offense to it, but am writing it down so someday he can feel bad about it.)

After finishing FHE and a treat we usually let the kids run wild and get the wiggles they've been holding in out. It usually ends up in wrestling match. Last night the boys decided to just run laps through the house and for some unknown reason they took off their shirts to do so. 

(watch out Dax, you are about to get body-checked!)

It looked like too much fun for Papa and pretty soon he joined them.

Another successful evening, we sure love and appreciate living so close to family in this chapter of life. 

Intramural Apparel

Curtis participates in inter-mural sports all the time, and all kinds of sports. He is currently playing on a Soccer and Flag Football team. Inter-mural sports at Purdue are great for us because the games are at 10 or 11 at night. Curtis tucks Dax and I into bed, gets homework and grading done and then ventures to his games. I never bothered to check what Curtis was wearing when he left, but when some photos got posted on Facebook of Curtis during the game this past week, I thought "what the heck happens after he leaves me at night?!".

He dresses in boring business clothes and suits every day, I guess he expresses his creativity late at night. 

You can't wear shorts that have pockets in them during flag football games. And since all of Curt's shorts do have pockets, last week I guess he played in just his athletic tights, t-shirt and headband (made from a torn up t-shirt). During the game someone yelled to cover the 'guy in the headband', to which he corrected 'the guy in the TIGHTS and headband!'.  

I did check to make sure Curtis was wearing shorts when he left this week.

(Thanks Morgan, for lending Curtis pocket-less shorts!)

We love him, regardless.

'Strange Fruit' with lunch

Today we spent a beautiful afternoon having a picnic lunch and watching an outdoor performance by a group called "Strange Fruit". Since it was on campus we met Curtis and Nana on their lunch breaks, it was perfect.

 'Strange Fruit' was a group of three women from Australia who scaled up 16 feet flexible poles and then swayed and danced a top them to music. It was mesmerizing. 

"Help-ah!"

Dax loves to help. He declares himself as a helper by yelling "Help-ah!" which is usually accompanied by throwing his hands up in the air in triumph.

Dax loves helping his Dad, here he helped put together cribs after our move back (his room now has two cribs, awaiting baby brother's arrival!)

 He loves to help with dirty jobs, this day got dirty while helping Dad clean out the garage.

He helps Papa, he helped mow Papa's yard. And helps Papa eat apples off his apple trees every time we visit!

 He helps Nana clean house , he loves to sweep the floors!!

He loves helping Mama bake.

(This day he was helping and then gasped as he discovered that the oven mitt could become a baseball mitt and his wooden spoon was suddenly a bat and the game was on! His imagination has really taken off lately, but it usually is turning things into games that involve balls.)

Dax also helps himself... to treats off the counter before they are offered.

We love you little Helper!!

Jumping with Leaves

Oh, how we love Fall!

Hot Tub Occupancy

Maximum Occupancy for a hot tub:

1 Nana, 3 Uncles, 1 Aunt, 6 Cousins

Dear Honda

Dear Honda: 

You owe us a "Family Discount".

 Sincerely,

The Gibb Family

Parked at my parent's house this Sunday were 2 Honda Odyessys and 5 Honda Civics. 

My sister in Phoenix drives a Honda Accord. 

Earlier this year we owned 2 more Accords, but have down-sized.

It was getting a little absurd.

Weekend Fun

One of the many benefits of living in town with family is being close-by when other family comes to visit. This weekend the 'City Gibbs' came to visit from St. Louis. Among the weekend activities:

 Nana took 5 grandkids to a movie on Saturday morning (I wish I could have gotten a picture of all 5 kids were there personal popcorns/sodas courtesy of being spoiled by Nana. Even funnier was Nana at the concession counter saying "what comes in the kid pack?.. okay I'll take 5!".)

and Papa, my 2 brothers, brother-in-law and husband spent Saturday morning paint-balling.

Hooray for family-visits!

Cousin Rowynn

Cousin Rowynn was born Saturday, September 17th.

(We love it when cousins are born in town and we can see them ASAP!)

Hopefully Rowynn will meet her cousin pictured in my belly here in just 2 more weeks! 

(We have a scheduled induction on 10/3/11, so sometime between now and 10/4ish!)

Prophets Rock

This weekend we went hiking over at Prophets Rock in Battleground. (It is where Tecumseh's brother, 'The Prophet', sang to encourage his warriors during the fight against William Henry Harrison's soldiers at the Battle of Tippecanoe, November 7, 1811.)

We had a beautiful hike as a family.

 (This family picture reminded me of pictures two Autumns ago on a similarly beautiful day when I looked very similar, HERE)

While hiking Dax took a tumble and landed head first, he jumped up and turned around and did this smile for me (note the leaf still stuck on his head!)

 Walking with Daddy. Curtis gave a talk in Spanish in our church the next day and related hiking with his son to walking our paths in life and how our Heavenly Father calls us back to the right path time and time again, just like he did for Dax. It was really beautiful (what I could understand).

A discovery in the woods!

Jaylee and Dax got shoulder rides... the hike was a little longer than any of us expected!

After we hiked all around looking for the "rock" in 'Prophets Rock', we found that we had missed it at the entrance. Curtis went up the hard way... 

It was such a beautiful evening and well worth the 10 minutes drive down the road, I can't believe we had never been. It's pretty amazing what you find in your backyard sometimes!