Happy Birthday Lindsay

Lindsay kind of had a tough week leading up to her 5th birthday. She was supposed to bring a treat to pre-school on the Wednesday before. Well, they cancelled school because of the snow. We then prepared more cupcakes (because we ate them all) for Thursday. Lindsay was really excited to go to school. I drove them to the school and found out that they had cancelled school again because of the snow (this time it was only raining). Lindsay was really sad. They don't have pre-school on Fridays so I had to break the news to her that she wasn't going to celebrate her birthday with her friends at school. Talk about disappointment. They had been couped up in the house all week and now this. I told her that on Sunday (her actual birthday) she would be with her friends at church. Well, I was wrong. They canceled church for the second time in a row. Lindsay was really sad!! So was I, because I had been stuck in the house for days with my kids and I was going crazy. On Sunday we went to make a cake for her and I didn't have any eggs. This was not going well at all. Uncle Dan came to the rescue and braved it in the storm to bring us some eggs. I usually make a fun birthday cake for my kids, but not this year for Lindsay. To make up for it I thought she would enjoy decorating her own. She even let Sammie help her until she told Sammie that she was "ruining it and was not making it pretty"!! Anyway, Grandma and Grandpa Roach came over along with aunts, uncles and cousins. She did end up having a good time. Luckily at this age they don't remember a whole lot.

Lindsay has been such a blessing in our lives. Since she is the oldest she has been the guinea pig for everything and has handled it well. Here are some of the things that I love most about Lindsay:
1. She has such a tender heart. (one time we were watching a movie on t.v. and an actress was crying. Lindsay turned to me and said that makes me want to cry and she almost did. I almost started crying myself. She was only 4 at the time).
2. She is a peacemaker. (She is known to give up something that her brother or sister want so she won't have to hear them cry.
3. She is very smart.
4. Eager to learn.
5. Loves to cuddle
6. Has a great sense of humor
7. I love that she gets embarrassed when she is center of attention. (It reminds me of me).
8. Is a very good listener.
9. Is very ticklish on her neck. She pretty much falls down when you touch her there. (She gets that one from her Grandpa Davis).
10. Very responsible.

The list could go on and on. She is such a sweet child and we love her so much. Happy Birthday Lindsay!!! I hope you have a great year this year!!

Church is "Canceled"

So Lindsay's wish came true on Saturday night. It started snowing on our way to the ward Christmas party. Nothing was sticking to the ground though. On Sunday morning we were getting ready for church and we received a phone call from the Elders Quorum President saying the Stake President was cancelling church. I couldn't help but laugh. We only had about 2 inches on the ground. Growing up in Utah, you had to have 3 feet of snow before they would cancel anything. Washington just doesn't have the equipment to take care of the roads. The roads were immediately iced over. We let the kids play outside. Lindsay LOVED it. Sammie and Davis didn't last very long. It didn't help that we didn't have any gloves for them. We finally found some of mine to at least keep their hands warm.
Lindsay came in for some hot chocolate and said "this is the best Christmas ever". It was so cold out there that Dave and I could only be out for a few minutes at a time. Lindsay didn't care, she just played by herself. Lindsay has never lived anywhere where it snows so maybe it is just a novelty and it will wear off.

Mt. Rainier

Check out our view of Mt. Rainier. When it isn't overcast, the skies are so clear you can see forever. Sorry to all of you guys that live in Visalia that can't see the mountains because of the SMOG!!! This is one plus for being in Washington. Thanks do Dave for taking this perfect shot.

Thanksgiving in Utah

Sorry for all of the pictures, but we packed in a lot of stuff while we were in Utah for Thanksgiving. We don't get there very often, so we make the best of it. Lindsay is about 3 weeks younger than her cousin Wyatt, so we celebrated her birthday early and had a double birthday party for them.
You can see the ice cream cone cupcakes that their aunt Machelle made for them. They were a lot of fun and something different. The kids just basically licked the frosting off the top. Oh well!!

We then headed over to my cousin Jamie Frame's house for a Butler Christmas party. We have never been before and it was a lot of fun. My kids didn't know anyone and Lindsay was actually disappointed when we left because "she didn't meet anyone new". Denette's kids were there and she knew them. They had a blast decorating gingerbread houses. It was fun to see my cousins and aunts and uncles as well. Like I said we don't see them very often.

Sammie really warmed up to Aunt Di and Aunt De. They decorated their houses together.

They also played Christmas bingo.

Sammie really liked hanging out with Grandma "B" also.

We were able to finally get the kids to Temple Square! Every time we go to Utah we try to get down town Salt Lake, but it never works out. This time we extended our stay and made sure we were to see the Salt Lake Temple and the lights were a bonus. Dave and I were married in the Salt Lake Temple so the girls have seen pictures of it in our home, but never in person. They were amazed at how big it was. They are used to seeing the Fresno Temple which is a small one.

Happy Halloween

Dave and I did not dress up for Halloween this year. It must have been the stress of moving within the next couple of weeks. The girls dressed up multiple times. This was their final costume on Halloween night. We went to our ward "Trunk or Treat" and mini carnival. The kids loved it. These costumes will not make it at Halloween time in Washington. They would freeze!!!
Davis finally let us put him in this Dumbo costume that we borrowed from our friend Molly. Doesn't he look so adorable? He received many comments on how cute he was!!

Where in the World.... is our truck!!!!

So, we made it to the beautiful state of Washington on Monday just in time for a flood. It has rained constantly!!! What a change from Visalia. Our truck that has all of our stuff on it was supposed to be here in 3 business days, which would mean today or tomorrow, is still sitting in Sacramento. Sacramento is 3 HOURS from Visalia. At this rate, we will get our stuff sometime at the beginning of December. So, we have a beautiful house to live in with nothing in it. Also, Lindsay gets car sick every time we get in the car and actually threw up today because we are not used to the winding roads.

On a positive note, we get to spend a lot of time with Grandma and Grandpa Roach. Lindsay and Sammie have started pre-school already and love it. They have a gymnastics class during one day of pre-school. The air is clean here and we love seeing trees and GREEN not brown. We do miss everyone in Visalia, and it was very hard to leave. I had a breakdown the day we left town. Hopefully we will all adjust and enjoy Bonney Lake like we enjoyed Visalia. I will keep you posted on our eventful adventure.

Prop 8 Rally

Tonight our family had the opportunity to let the people of Visalia know where we stand on Prop 8. We were hesitant to have the whole family on the corner of a busy street, but they were awesome. As you can see from the pictures below, Lindsay totally got into it, and Davis even wanted to hold a sign. Sammie just wanted to be held. It felt good to stand up for what you know is right!!!

Lindsay is waving the sign because Dave told her if you wave it around you will get more people's attenion. She was big on waving the sign because I got in trouble by her because I was holdng mine still. I guess this is practice for our family before we move to Washington. I have a feeling we might be doing this more often because of all the politicians in the Roach family. And yes....in case you haven't heard, we are moving to Washington. I will post more later.

Pumpkin Patch

Lucky us!!! We had the opportunity to go to the pumpkin patch 2 times in one week in the BLAZING HOT SUN!!! I can't believe how hot it is and it is the end of October. Lindsay and Sammie's pre-school takes a field trip to the pumpkin patch every year. Now that I have 2 in pre-school, I get to do everything twice. Below is a picture of Lindsay's class. She is 3rd from the left on the first row. This one is Sammie's class. You can tell they are a little younger because no one could hold still for a picture.

Davis had a blast pulling around the wagons there.

Davis enjoyed it more when someone (Lindsay) would pull him around in the wagon.

They take the kids on a tractor ride through the corn. The kids love it!!! Dave was able to leave work for a few hours to join us one day. When Lindsay's class went on the tractor ride, they piled so many people on it that on our way back the trailer got a flat tire. Our ride was cut a little short, but the kids thought it was pretty cool that the tire blew out.

Doesn't it look like my kids are flashing gang signs?? Hopefully they were just in the middle of a wave.This little video clip is too funny. They are going through a little corn maze for kids and Sammie was in one of her moods and took off through the corn. She was pretty camouflaged with her green pre-school shirt on.

She did it!!!

Lindsay and Sammie have been taking "dance" for the last couple of months. They are in "Kids Edition" and they love it. Lindsay informed me when she started class that when it was time to perform she was not going to get on the stage. Well, here she is. She did it and we are so proud of her. Sometimes she is a little on the shy side. As you can see, Sammie had to be front and center. (Some of you might not recognize Lindsay because we cut her hair. She is the 3rd from the right). Sammie's age group doesn't perform until Christmas.

Merry Christmas

Lindsay was getting too "big" for her "little" tricycle so we decided to upgrade. Having a birthday in December is not very convenient for receiving a bike as a present. The weather is perfect right now for bike riding and not so perfect in December.
Of course, when Sammie saw that her sister was getting a new bike she wanted one also. (We pretty much treat these girls as if they are twins)

So, instead of a birthday gift for Lindsay, it is a Christmas gift for both of them. Merry Christmas girls!!! They LOVE to ride them, and yes they ride them in the street. I open the garage door and sit in a patio chair and watch them while Davis naps inside. I usually get a little reading in also.

From the Eyes of a 4 year old

For an activity in pre-school, Lindsay had to cut out pictures in magazines that looked like their family. She had a little girl for Sammie, a toddler for Davis (she picked one with dark hair), a fun picture of mommy and this is the picture she picked for daddy.....

I've Been Tagged

My friend HeatherAnn tagged me about a month ago and I am just getting around to it. Sorry HeatherAnn. I am supposed to list all of my quirks. I guess it took me so long to post because I couldn't think of any until I talked to my husband of course. So here it goes:

1. I have to make the bed. Nobody else can do it. If Dave wants to do a kind act of service and make it for me, I just make it over again. I guess I am pretty picky. The crazy thing is, is that I don't have to make it everyday. But when I do make it, it has to be perfect. I also have to have the bed pretty much made before I sleep in it. Dave does not understand this and just laughs.

2. My girls' hair has to be done before we go anywhere. And it drives me crazy when they dress themselves and they don't match. On the other hand, I hardly ever comb Davis' hair.

3. I will pin my kids down and brush their teeth while they are kicking and screaming. I guess all the years of being an orthodontist assistant has done something to me.

4. I always have to be on time. In fact, I have to make a conscious effort to be late. I don't handle lateness very well. (I hope I didn't offend anyone).

5. In order for me to relax at night, my kitchen and great room need to be clean. Dave doesn't understand why it can't wait until the morning but he has learned that if he wants a relaxing evening with me, he HELPS.

6. I am big on routine. I try my hardest to follow a routine and if something messes it up, I go crazy. Week days run a lot smoother than weekends because with Dad around some things go out of turn. (I love you Dave!!!!).

I think I got them all. I hope they aren't too weird and that a lot of you out there are in the same boat as me. It would make me feel a lot better if I wasn't the only one. I guess this is where I am supposed to tag others so I tag: Denette, Anna, Kelly, Jen, Chelsea, Jamie and Claire

Davis Update

Davis LOVES to stick the corner of his blanket in his ear. This is what he does when he is tired. It is the cutest thing.

Whenever I send the kids out to get into the car, this is what happens. He thinks it is pretty funny.

Here is Davis working out in the yard and working on his tan. I think he takes after his dad.(Don't look at our dead garden. We are just beginners).

I was on the computer one afternoon and Davis came into the kitchen and grabbed a bag of cheerios from the lazy-susan. I didn't think much of it because the bag was not open. As you can see from the picture he figured out how to open them. I couldn't be mad because I should have been paying more attention and not on the computer "blog stalking".

This is Davis' favorite thing to do. Luckily Lindsay is okay with driving him around the yard. Sammie on the other hand doesn't like to do it. When Lindsay is at school, Davis just follows Sammie around whining and pointing at the little tractor. We better watch out when he gets big enough to drive it himself.

It is so fun to have a little boy. He keeps me on my toes all of the time. He definitely is more active than my girls, but I love it. The poor boy does walk around talking on a cell phone carrying a purse. Maybe he needs a little brother (or boy cousins) around.

Update on Lindsay and Sammie

We decided to put the girls in dance this year. If they have their mothers skills, then they are going to be GREAT dancers. (For those of you that know me, you know that they don't have a chance with my skills, and for those that don't know me, well just keep on thinking that I can dance). They LOVE going to dance. They are so cute out there in their tap shoes trying not to fall down. I can't wait for the 1st performance. Lindsay has already told us that she is not going on the stage. We will have to see what happens. The girls also started school. Lindsay is in Pre-K this year and Sammie started the 3 year old program. They both love it. Mrs. Sigmund (Sammie's teacher this year and Lindsay's last year), already can tell that they are nothing alike. She has already experienced Sammie's stubborness. Lindsay takes a lunch to school this year and she feels like she is such a big girl. They are growing up so fast. I can't believe she will be in Kindergarten next year!!!

No, I am not Pregnant

Apparently there are some people out there that thought I was announcing something (me being with child) with my last post "Hawaii Baby". I guess I can see how some would think that. I thought I would clear things up before any rumors may start. We are not expecting!!!

Have a nice day! :)

HAWAII BABY

We just came home from an awesome vacation in Kauai with 14 great friends! And yes, we left the kiddies home. We dropped our kids off in Utah and my parents watched them for just over a week. They don't get to see my parents very often, so they had a little vacation of their own. Not only did they hang out with Grandma and Grandpa Davis, but also Grandma B. and Grandma Wilder. They also got to spend time with their cousins Austin and Anna. This was my first time leaving my kids. I think I handled it okay. Sometimes they wouldn't even talk to me on the phone. The biggest upset was when we came home Davis wouldn't even come to me. That hurt my feelings a little bit, but it didn't last long. Now he won't leave me alone.

Back to our vacation....We had a blast. Here we are getting ready to go scuba diving in Hanalei. Yes, just off to the right of us is where Bethany was attacked by a shark and lost her arm. (And to think I still got in the water). We actually saw Bethany at the end of our trip at a local Farmers Market. They guys enjoyed playing some beach volleyball. This is Dave making an awesome pass. The weather was great! The wives just sat on the grassy area getting some sun and enjoying the company. We did watch our husbands every now and then.

This was an amazing view of the Na Pali Coast. We actually took a boat ride to see this. The boat ride was great. I hung on for dear life for fear of being thrown into the ocean. You see, I am terrified of fish, or sharks or eels or whatever is down there. I know what you are thinking....why do I scuba dive....well, I don't understand it myself. This view was worth it. We did a little snorkeling as well and saw sea turtles and other little fish.
This is the group that went on the boat ride. Not all of us are here, because they would not allow pregnant women on the boat. I could understand why. It would have probably induced false labor.
Me and my hubby at Kailua Falls. The only thing that this picture has in common with Visalia, is that Dave and I are in the picture. We have no greenery and no water...(we came back to dead grass and a lot of weeds. yeah for us).
This was the sunset at the top of Waimea Canyon. It was gorgeous.
This is a video of me and Dave jumping off of a cliff. I have never done this before in my life, but I had to do it because I was in HAWAII!!! (and the fact that 10 year old kids were doing it).

We had such a good time. We were in such good company. There was never a dull moment. We enjoyed hanging out, telling jokes and even karaoke down at a local bar. I am sure that all of the locals were amazed that we could be so crazy with just ordering water!!! We are looking forward to another fun vacation like this is 5 years!!!

Roach Raider

PAM ROACH

KEEPING THE DAVE ROACH BLOG SAFE

THE AMERIACN WAY

ELMENDORF, AFB, ALASKA

The F-22 is a stealth aircraft. It is our newest. To the Davis Family in Idaho: Please join us at Mt. Home Air Force Base, Sept. 13 to "see what this baby will do!"

So, here I was checking my blog: pamroachreport.blogspot.com and up pops the David Roach Family Blog :o).....



What should I do???? It is open and available to mischief.



Thankfully, the "natural" Pam is good. So, I will fill in for Dave and Roz. They were actually here in Washington earlier this week. They showed what super people they are by driving an unexpected third leg of their trip to Hawaii. They were planning to go to Utah with the kids and then jet to the islands. Family tragedy brought them to us before heading to Wellington.



Our step-grandson, Kyle Arras, was killed in a car crash. He was twice the student body president of his high school, a marathon runner, straight A student, and a wonderful young man. Thank you Dave and Roz. It means so much to us that you came by to give support to Jamie and our family. Kyle fell asleep at the wheel. He was 20.



Dave's brother Dan, Ethan (7) and I were in Beijing when Kyle passed away. We missed Dave and Roz by just a few hours. But, we did make it back for the funeral yesterday. The high school gym was full.



Melanie Roach was still in Beijing where she broke her own U.S. record for the 53 Kg. women's weightlifting. You can read about it all at pamroachreport.blogspot.com.

Hello to all. And, to Clyde and Roanna...have fun with the kids!
Love to you all,
Pam