The Neal News

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Vacationing with the Sampsons!

We are at the cabin right now with Curtis' family! We are having a great time boating, eating great food, hanging out on the deck and currently watching The Office! The kids are all having a fun time and all went to bed early tonight. All this sun in wearing them out.

Dance Recital

Olivia and Isabelle had a dance recital this weekend. They both are little tap dancers. Brittan opted out because the recital conflicted with girls camp.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Brittan has news!

Its true...word has leaked out....Brittan got a dog! She is an 8 week old Siberian Husky named Lacie! We are having fun with her and learning quickly what it means to be dog owners.

Graduation

Celebrating 8th Grade Graduation!

Saturday, May 31, 2008

Memorial Day Weekend

We spent Memorial Day weekend in 3 Rivers at the cabin. Emily and her kids came with us. We spent the weekend dodging rain drops, boating the second the rain stopped, eating good food, cleaning up after muddy kids and playing Bingo! Twice a year in 3 Rivers the community gets together at the community center to eat hamburgers, drink beer and play bingo! We showed up with 7 kids (Em's 3, our 4) and played all night. Even Isabelle was into it! Hayden actually won twice which earned him $45! The guy next to us said that he has been going to Bingo night for 5 years and has never won. I guess Hayden hit a lucky streak! We met lots of nice people- very friendly and fun. Shea fell asleep on Emily's back. We were all amazed that she fell asleep considering how loud everyone was. The Morgan family came for a BBQ on Sunday- it was fun to hang out with them and to show them the cabin.

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Olivia the runner

Olivia joined the track team this year. Turns out- she is an amazing runner. She finished her season 2 weeks ago and brought home 2 blue ribbons from the finals! She has a total of 8 blue ribbons from the 6 week season. Olivia has always been strong and athletic but has not ever really wanted to play on a team. We talked her into track after a little nudging from friends and she ended up loving it! Michael had a talk with her about being competitive which she quickly replied "Dad!! Thats rude. I don't want to beat my friends!" After a few practices, she learned just how fun it was to beat her friends!

Boating season and disgusting boys!

This weekend marks the beginning of boating season! It is the season in which the Neal family is just a little bit happier! We will head to the cabin this Friday with Michael's sister Emily and her family. Rain or shine we will be boating! Last weekend it was 95 degrees in Central Oregon. Michael, David, Brittan, Hayden and his friend Brennan spent the weekend with a chainsaw clearing fire hazardous trees and shrubs around the property. They played in the lake when they got too hot, and they also played "boy games" that mom would NOT have approved of. I learned that Hayden (my only boy as I like to remind him) is willing to do just about anything for a mere $20. This is a picture of him pretending that he is on the reality TV show called: Man vs. Wild. It is a show about surviving in the wilderness and one of the ways to fend off wild beasts (I can't remember its purpose exactly) is to urinate all over your shirt and wrap it around your head..thats right- your heard me right...URINATE!!!
I am not proud of my son, nor am I proud of my husband. I thought this was an important event that should probably be documented. Thank goodness for girls is all I have to say!

Funny things kids say:

Isabelle: after a discussion about grades she said "Ya, i'm not really into A's...its just not my thing!"
Olivia: "I love being a girl...you can share your secrets and laugh about them!"
Brittan: the neighbor girl confessed her love for Hayden to my girls and made them promise not to tell a soul. Brittan's response "Don't worry, my mom doesn't have a soul!"
Isabelle and Ximena are constantly cooking and after awhile it makes me crazy! Today I got the kitchen all scrubbed up and then ran an errand. When I got home I could hear clanking noises in the kitchen so before I reached the kitchen I yelled "you two better not be making cookies" to which Isabelle replied "No mom we're not, Xime's just making a cake!"
Isabelle: after being bribed..."Hey dad, is there any way I can pay you back for that popsicle I just ate so I don't have to wakeboard?"
Brittan: With a loud squeal in the car "Oh no!" Dad: What?????? "I forgot my bangles"! Dad: "What the heck are bangles"? Brittan: "Bracelets Dad..".
Isabelle: "Dad, do you know how to use a cash register?" Dad: "No". Bella with a very sassy tone: "Then why are you checking me out?"
Olivia: Bella, what is the opposite of hot? Isabelle's response: Cute?
Isabelle: "Olivia...it says no smoking in here! Put out your cigarette!"
Olivia: " Hey dad look...its a priest. Wait...i actually think its a nun....hum...I can't really tell!"
Hayden is preparing to get his wisdom teeth pulled this week and said "Mom, you really need to pick up those seduction pills for me". Of course I busted up laughing. Sedation, seduction- its all how you look at it!
I have been encouraging the kids to speak Spanish as often as they can. The other day we were in a shoe store buying shoes for Brittan (now a size 8!). There were two hispanic girls running around the store and I bribed Isabelle with the shoes that she had her eye on to go introduce herself to the little girls in Spanish. She was shy but very awkwardly said "Hola, mi llamo Bella". This experience gave her the courage a few days later to do the same thing at Hayden's wrestling match. A couple of kids were playing under the bleachers so she took it upon herself to go introduce herself to them in Spanish. "Hola, mi llamo Bella!". Again, and again and again with no response. She kept reporting that they weren't responding. Finally she approached them a final time and said "Hola, mi llamo Bella". The little boy looked her square in the eye and said "I'm African!"
Hayden: "Mom, I really need some new church clothes! I think this time around I want a black suit with a black shirt!" Mom: oh ya that will look really good when you pass the sacrament". No no no...that is serious Stake dance material!"
Olivia: "Mom, I've set a goal for myself!" Mom: "Oh ya, what's that?" Olivia: "I'm going to try really really hard to cry on the last day of school!"
Olivia: "um...Mom....you smell just like Grandma! Ya know, all lotion-y!"
Olivia: Hey dad- is there such a thing called "video-shop? Ya know, like photo-shop?"
Isabelle while playing Yahtzee: "Brittan...go with your 4's! I'm really feeling it!!! And...I was wrong!"
Dad: "Brittan!!! Stop wearing mascara!" Brittan: "Dad..get used to it! It's really working for me!"
Neal family Christmas wish list: Hayden- an iphone (ya right) Brittan- World peace Olivia- ipod Isabelle- A bubble gum machine
Olivia: "Mom, I've never noticed that my hair color is so beautiful!"
Hayden: in a sarcastic tone- "Mom I forgot to bring my coat to the cabin, but don't worry- I did bring my singlet!"
Isabelle yelling from her bed in the morning: "Mom, the tooth fairy forgot to come again!" Mom: "Oh shoot! I was worried about that when I turned the house alarm on last night that she wouldn't be able to get in without tripping the alarm! Go back to sleep and I will turn off the alarm. Let's give her another chance!"
Isabelle with her bloody-murder scream came running into my bathroom as I was trying to take a nice relaxing bath- "Olivia punched me (on accident) in the face and now I am bleeding!" I took one look in her mouth and saw a tooth dangling- through the tears and screaming I told her to look in the mirror. As soon as she saw the tooth she said "Oh... thanks Livy- I wanted to loose that tooth!"
Hayden: "I will NEVER make my kids take piano lessons!" Mom: "OK, that's cool". Hayden: "I'm not going to make them do chores either!" Mom: "Ok, that's cool". Hayden: "I'm not going to make them wake up early on the weekend's either". Mom: "Ok, cool- are you going to let them sleep until noon?" Hayden: "Yep!" Mom: "I can't wait to meet your kids, they sound terrific!"
All of my girls decided that they are tired of their long locks and one by one have all ended up with a bob. I was cutting Olivia's hair tonight and said: "So what's up with all of my girls wanting short hair?" Her reply: " Come-on mom...didn't you know that short is the new long!"
Isabelle was crying in her bed last night. She was so tired and couldn't fall asleep. I asked her what was wrong and she replied "i can't get my yawn out!"
Isabelle: "What do you mean I have to play in a soccer game on Saturday? I hate soccer- I only like practice-at the games people watch you and stuff!"
Olivia: after telling a super big lie she said "I keep praying for an answer to my problem and Heavenly Father won't even let me finish my prayer! I just keep getting the feeling that I need to come talk to you!"