Christmas is coming. . .

Santa made a early delivery at our house on Sunday night!

Jackie Frost singing for the grade school play.

Making gingerbread houses with our neighbor girls.

Finally got done with all the hassle, now hoping life slows down and I can relax.
Merry Christmas to you all!

Oh, and Brent PASSED the boards!

HERE is our Christmas Card 2009 we sent out to friends and family all over the country.


NOW and THEN
. . . it’s good to pause in our pursuit of
happiness and just be happy.
-Guillaume Apollinaire

And Now, Here are the answers to your Top 10 Questions.

1. No, Brent doesn’t have a clue where we’ll be moving after his May graduation.
2. No, Kashann hasn’t decided if she is done having babies or not.
3. No, the 290,000 mile Buick has no plans of kicking the bucket anytime soon,
but Kennon’s crossing her fingers it happens before she’s 16.
4. No, we aren’t counting the days till we are out a da’ Hood.
Believe it or not, we like it ‘round here.
5. No, almost 12 year old Kennon’s legs are not as long as mine.
They just look like it because they are skinnier.
6. No, 10 year old Savannah hasn’t been snatched up yet by a talent scout, though she had a starring role in her first short film last summer.
7. No, living in sunless Buffalo hasn’t cured Camille, (8)of her freckles nor caused her to pick up nasty east coast habits like swearing or smoking.
8. No, Caroline (5) hasn’t stopped talking even once since we unhooked her oxygen. We never want to forget what it was like when she lost the desire to talk to us and constantly remind ourselves to be patient with her enthusiasm.
9. No, it isn’t true that girls are sweeter than boys. Marcus proved it.
10. Yes! We feel very grateful for the many things God has blessed us with-
Faith, Family, and Friends. All of which bring us so much joy.

Merry Christmas 2009 With Love, The Casper Family

Filling in for Brent

I am not much of a problem solver. I stink at math and avoid it at every chance. When it comes to problems, I take them to Brent and he solves them for me.

And whenever Brent goes out of town, I find out how ridiculously dependent I have become on him.

Our only source of heat broke late Saturday afternoon. Brent was miles away.

Last winter we bought a gas fireplace. Sometime after that our furnace broke and lucky for us we had the fireplace and didn't need it.

But when the flame went out on Saturday, I called Brent, disturbing him from his busy schedule with his family in Washington. He told me step by step how to relight the flame. It was embarrassing how long this took. I am pretty clueless.

Of course I am. He always does this kind of stuff.

The ignite button wasn't igniting the flame so I was instructed to take the grate off and use a match. A couple hours and a box of matches later, we mutually decided that the fireplace was broken.

Oh, I learned how to light it. I got pretty good at that, but the flame always died a couple minutes later. It was now after 6 p.m. and too late to call for professional help. I was a bit panicky. Not because I really thought we were going to freeze. With the oven running and a small space heater we could all sleep in a downstairs room and be okay, I figured. And I knew we could always have a sleepover at someones house but I didn't want it to come to that. I wanted to take care of this.

Brent suggested something I wished I had been able to think of myself. Go buy a big electric heater. Isn't he a brain? He didn't tell me a price or model. So I drove to Home Depot and picked one out for myself. Back home again, I was dismayed to find no instructions in the box. I plugged it in and waited. . . and waited. . . but nothing happened. After trying Brent and all his brother's and sister's cell phones I finally went knocking on neighbor's doors. It was about 8 p.m. when I disturbed Chip lying on his couch watching a football game. He came over in his slippers.

Somehow it made me feel a lot better that he too though couldn't figure this digital heater out. We called the store and they suggested that maybe we should bring it back in for a new one. I was really getting sick of dealing with problems by now. I was supposed to be at a Christmas party tonight not home playing Mrs. Fix-it. This was supposed to be Brent's department not mine. Miles away and totally irresponsible for my problems, I found it easy to blame it all on him as I drove once again to Home Depot to search for an easy to operate electric heater.

This time I got some professional help while returning the first one and came home with the awesome kind that you just plug in and Voila - Here come's the heat.

By 9:30 the oven was off and our new electric heater was heating up our little home like a charm.

The next day I left Savannah with Marcus and Caroline, who have colds, while Kennon, Camille and I went to church. I do this a lot when the kids are just a little contagious. While leading a primary song, a bishopric member poked his head in and told me that my daughter was on the phone. I immediately panicked- It must be the heater! and ran down the hall.

"Mom, I was using the oven, I wanted to make a surprise, and had just opened the microwave and . . . " she was a little hysterical and wouldn't get to the point so I interjected, "Savannah, Is everyone okay?"

"Yes, But all the power went out. The oven, the microwave, and THE HEATER!"


So, being the savy sally I am I told her that for sure she must've blown a breaker. Then together Caroline, (standing by the oven, hollering when the lights came on) and Savannah (in the basement flipping breakers) and I (cheering them on from the church hall phone) got things up and running again. All without a phone call to Washington.

So can I survive on my own?

Not a chance.

This is just what happens when you are married to a handy man. So yeah, I guess I am grateful that he leaves me once in a while so I get the chance to scramble a bit on my own and learn a little bit.

And also to remember to appreciate him for all that he does when he is around.

I think Brent passed the boards. He told me not to count on it. But he didn't mope on the couch with a pillow smashed over his face Wednesday night so I am taking that as a good sign.

We'll find out who's right in a few weeks.

Early the next morning we got hit with the winter storm that has been moving across the country. I drove Brent to the airport in a blizzard at 4:30 a.m. to catch an early flight to Washington, then waited until 6 a.m. to make sure that he left. I went home, checked the local school closings, and then crashed. . .
for about 30 minutes. By then all the kids were up and excited for their snow day.

Slides are super slippery right after a fresh blanket of snow.

We always try to be the first one down to the park. As usual we were the only ones. Either it is a well kept secret around the neighborhood or we were just way more hardy than the rest of them Thursday morning.

How are you supposed to keep gloves on toddlers? And how do you cover up the gap? This has been my solution for the last two winters. I pull my mittens up over his coat to his elbows. I put two one each side this time and didn't worry about the matching, or the pink and purple.

Friday was even colder than Thursday. I decided that I could handle the bitter cold if it was just me. You can hurry from house to car and no big deal. But with children I get so impatient and frustrated. Aren't they as cold as I am? Why do they have to make snow balls, scrape ice off cars all on the way into Target? Sometimes I feel like such an honery mom.

I am blaming it on the cold. I've decided to move south after the first two days of winter. Arkansas, wasn't it Brent?We found a very warm place Friday afternoon. Kennon's first swim meet. She was really dreading it and was pretty upset that school wasn't canceled and the race was still on.

After a first place finish in the back stroke though she decided that she likes competitive swimming after all.
She also placed second in freestyle, but I am pretty sure that's because she chooses to start in the water because her cheap goggles get blown off when she dives. It was a sauna in that room. I hated to leave knowing what was awaiting us outside.

And if we only we could come home to a warm house. We heat the entire house with our small fireplace. It is warm in one place. Right where the heat rises at the top of the stairs.

The kitchen, bedrooms, bathrooms, basement- FREEZING!

I drove around for a while with the kids after the meet trying to decide if there was some place warm and close to free we could spend the rest of the evening so we didn't have to go home. But ultimately after an hour battling Marcus next to a pool I couldn't bring myself to stop anywhere and turn him loose. He is at an extremely out of control stage as far as shopping, restaurants, movies, swim meets, etc. go.

Marcus just got over croup. For three nights I was up all night with him listening to him cough. I tried to go shopping once with him when the seal barking was really bad. I was only in there 5 minutes and left. Way too many head turns and dirty looks.

Croup sounds so bad. I am so relieved to have him better. His Dr. gave him steriods to relieve the swelling in his larynx. I don't know if that or the 3 a.m. saunas I created in the bathroom did the trick but I am happy to report that there are no more barking seals in my house.

I was so worried about middle school. Turns out Kennon can handle it just fine and is the same old girl, definitely not corrupted. It is too bad we are leaving these great schools behind soon. Sometimes we stop and wonder why we are.

I forced her to take a KMS picture after her Student of the Month ceremony last week. She is currently on the honor roll, and a member of swim team, orchestra and choir. I encouraged all the activities, without realizing how much driving I would be getting myself into. Good thing we gave up ballet.

The girls made simple graham cracker houses at the ward Christmas Party last Saturday. Then Camille took advantage of the Book of Mormons and gift wrap made available and wrapped one up for her school teacher she has been with for the last two years and really loves. She missed her baptism, but Camille forgave her the next Monday when she gave her a gift bag and note telling her how sorry she was she didn't make it for "the dunk".

So she's giving her another shot to learn about the Mormons. She stewed about it all day yesterday trying to decide if she should. I didn't say a thing either way except, "Well she is a teacher and I am sure that she likes books". This morning she chose to put it in her book bag for school.

Caroline is having a great holiday season and . . .She won't take off THE HAT! It's so funny how much I enjoy seeing it on her. I usually hate Santa hats, and have never gave in and bought one. But I guess I decided I needed to stop being a Scrinch. (That's our household Christmas name that has perfectly desribed our grinchy, scroogy father at times . . but sometimes I wear the hat myself.)

Speaking of Christmas spirit, mine has been flying high lately. Last Saturday I was thrift store shopping with my daughters when I said Hi to a man I passed. He asked me if the kids were mine to which I replied, "Yes, they are All mine." And for that he pressed a $50 bill into my hand and insisted I buy them all something. I protested as hard as could, though I hoped my protests would be in vain. They were. He walked off leaving me with the $50 bucks telling me he had just won the lottery. Honestly I think he was drunk, not a lucky lottery winner.

We have had the good fortune of running into several drunk men in the last few years. It has proved to be quite advantageous to us all. I love free money and I don't have to feel guilty because I didn't gamble to get it. I do feel bad for the men when they sober up. We are trying to decide how to spend it. Groceries, Go out to eat, or give it back to the poor?


Brent is taking the dental boards this week. It is the second round of written dental school boards. A year and a half ago while he was taking the first round the girls and I spent several hours writing a song that we performed for him right when he walked through the door. It was an upbeat victory piece that we worked pretty hard on since we were so proud of Dad and so glad it was finally over and now we could have a fun summer. Unfortunately, he was in a pretty sour mood after the ordeal and lay down on the couch with a pillow over his face for our entire performance. This time there will be no song welcoming Dad home just in case he isn't in the mood like last time. Maybe just a back rub and a spare shoulder to cry on is in order. I am pretty sure that he will come home depressed. Not that he isn't smart enough or man enough. It's just that he is pretty much doom and gloom after he takes a big test and it's pretty hard for him to look on the bright side until he has positive results in his hands.
We are both really praying he passes. It is time to move on and start looking seriously for a job. And time to take out the ear plugs and join the family.

First snow fall

We awoke to a beautiful December 1st morning with fresh snow. Caroline couldn't resist celebrating with a special outfit to commemorate that it was beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

It has been a little bit like Christmas around here lately. Last week a lady in our ward gave the older girls three big bags of clothes her teenage daughter had outgrown. Caroline and Camille came home and were disappointed that nothing fit them. Ten minutes later there was a knock at the door. Our neighbor Lynn, wondered if we could use some girls stuff from a friend at work. It would probably only fit Caroline and Camille.

This Christmas dress came out of the bag for Caroline. She had it on and was dancing as fast as you could say "Jack Frost". Now she is so excited for Christmas because she has a "Christmas dress with MUFFS" and doesn't she look just like "Santa's mother"? (Santa's mother is her name for Mrs. Claus, even though I keep correcting her.)

All weekend she pestered me about two things. She wanted "nuts that haven't been cracked" for the nutcracker she pulled out of our Christmas box, and a Santa hat because she couldn't be Santa's mother without one. I finally brought home the hat last night from the dollar store.

When she saw the snow, this morning, she didn't hesitate at all. She put on her new dress and hat and off went "Santa's mother" to school, Hat, "Muffs", and all. Her Dad couldn't believe I allowed it. But I just couldn't resist her Christmas spirit and enthusiasm.

I hope Mrs. Gilday agrees with Mom and not Dad.

And after all as Caroline told me, "Mom, it's just a dress and a hat. Anyone can wear a dress and a hat to school!"

The Blessings of Cleaning the Church Saturday morning

As ward Elder's Quorum President it was Brent's duty to line up the Saturday morning church clean up crew for the month of November. The first week he fulfilled his calling and several other families joined him down at the church Saturday morning.

The second week was Camille's baptism and on Saturday morning he suddenly remembered his responsibility, so my Dad and the girls went down and helped him clean it right before the baptism.

Then again, last Saturday he woke up and told me he had just remembered that he was in charge of cleaning the church again. That's when I put two and two together and realized he had the assignment all month.

So 5 from our family went down again and cleaned the church for the third time this month. (We got one week off for Stake Conference) Sorry we are stealing everyone else's blessings due to my husband's procrastination. The job really isn't so bad and we were in and out in just over an hour. We've had lots of practice at doing it since moving here.

We had just pulled onto the freeway when out of nowhere the state trooper lights start flashing behind our Buick. As we pull over we notice for the first time that Caroline's booster is in the other car. . . of course. Officer _____, and his purple bumpy tie, that I swear he stole off my brother in the 80's, leans through our window till he is right in Brent's sheepish face. At this time I notice the state of affairs and sum up that we look like pure white trash. Camille is sitting between us in the front seat, Brent's semester of snack food accumulation is scattered around, the Buick as always looks like it's on it's last leg , and . . . Oh, we have an illegal 5 year old in our backseat, who by now is totally frozen in terror and keeps saying, "What are they gonna do? What are they gonna do?"

If you knew Caroline and knew how uptight she is about rules and consequences you would understand.

"I noticed that your child in the backseat is not buckled in. How old is she?"

Brent tells him, "Five" and reassures him that she does have her seat belt on, we just must've forgotten her booster seat.

He then gets right in Brent's face (I am not exagerating) and chews him out telling him he is the lowest excuse for a father, and that he is a father himself and can't even fathom how a father could buckle his kid into a car and not even notice that she is missing her booster.

Brent tells him, " Well, I don't buckle her into the car, she does it herself. "

I jumped in trying to save us narrating how fast we hurried out to the car and just forgot since we were late, and how we usually don't drive this car because it's her Dad's car and her booster is in the other car, and you should see how good she always is about buckling up, officer.

Caroline is crying now and I am reassuring her that it isn't her fault and she is going to be fine, no one is taking her away. I am just about to tell him my best line about how we are on our way home from cleaning the CHURCH when he takes off back to his cruiser.

We all sit there awaiting our sentence. This quick little trip to the church just turned into a major financial setback for Brent. After a minute or two our officer is back to tell us exactly how much trouble Brent has recklessly gotten himself into. . . auto insurance going up 20% for three years, 2 points on Brent's driving record and a minimum of $140 dollar ticket. But then he pauses and says,

"You are lucky though. I just got a call from the detective and have to run and don't have time to write the ticket."

Whoo Whee! We drove away feeling like the luckiest suckers in the world. I told Brent we needed to go out to lunch and celebrate all the money we just saved. Don't ya think? Or at least Dunkin' Donuts. . .

Nah, he just drove us home and looked up the NY state law regarding booster seats, then started looking up states that don't require boosters for us to move to.

We will now be moving to Arkansas so Marcus can make his own booster decisions at the age of 3.

It was actually a really good time to be pulled over when you compare it to many other times I have been a passenger in the buick in the last 4 years. What if we had been lugging our sail boat with all 7 crammed in our only car with a hitch? No chance claiming that we were dutifully fulfilling our church responsibilties with a sailboat lagging behind.

And I don't even want to think about how bad he would've cussed Brent out if he had been the officer driving by when Brent's Double/Decker Buick was in action in the summer of 2007.

"You are harnessing up your children to boards in the backseat!!!! Now, I am a father too, and I just can't. . .

Yeah, it would've been ugly.

Our Turkey Feast

I didn't need a holiday to remind me to be grateful this fall. Not a day goes by this last month that Brent and I don't thank the Lord for 5 healthy children. The lady at the head of the table is Donna. Brent and I home teach her. I called to check on her Thursday morning and found out she was home alone planning to have a turkey sub for her feast. Turns out it was a tuna sub by mistake. I insisted she save the tuna for Friday and have a real feast with us. This was before the dinner as you can see and NO Brent is not as fat as he may appear. He was doing the slouch to get Marcus and I in the picture.
Donna was a real sport about canceling her dinner plans. She was also an amazingly good sport about joining in on the drumstick tradition. Especially considering she was last in line to get a bite.

Grandpa's visit

Caroline has a new best friend.

She didn't leave his side once. She even crawled into his bed every night after I left the room. He took her to McDonald's twice AND Old Country Buffet. He never told her to be quiet but let her chatter on and on by his side constantly. Brent and I were amazed. . . and grateful for the break.

It was hard to get time with Grandpa since Caroline was always hogging him. But Marcus loved having Grandpa around too. Even his whisker kisses.

We played "The Flour Game", an old Fielding standby for parties. He made us all happy when he lost. Probably on purpose. He made it look so fun digging a quarter out of flour with his teeth that they all wanted to dig it out after him and it turned out not to be much of a loser's prize after all.However, Camille spit in it trying to clear the dust and Savannah was too upset and disgusted to follow suit.

Dad always likes to have a good book while on vacation. He finished "The Oath" I lent him and was getting a little nervous after that.
So Savannah and I talked him into starting the Harry Potter series. Here they are having a Harry Potter read a thon on the couch. Savannah is on her 4th or 5th time through. I had to loan Grandpa the book to take home and finish. We will have Harry Potter #2 ready for your next vacation to our house Grandpa.

Grandpa reads on the couch and then falls very soundly asleep within 5 minutes. Savannah decided to take full advantage.

After Camille's baptism Brent went home to study with Marcus, and Grandpa and us ladies took one Loooong walk (I was in my heels) downtown in search of city hall. . .

Which we finally found . . . but it was closed. They have an observation tower we were hoping to visit for free. We will need to get that done in the next 6 months. This is the 25th President William McKinley Monument in Niagara Square. It was erected after he was assassinated in Buffalo 1901, while extending a hand of friendship to his assassin.

Who likes my new (to me) $3 rain coat? I have a new obsession with hitting the salvation army every Wednesday since I figured out that it's always 1/2 Off Wednesday. If you like my new wardrobe you can join me for shopping tomorrow.

Kennon was with us on this trip but she kept running ahead because she really had to go to the bathroom and resented all the photos we kept stopping to take. When we finally left for the car she did me a major favor. She switched me shoes. I wore her crocks and she put on my heels with her jeans. I was busting up watching her walk downtown in my heels for a mile. She's a good sport and let me laugh while she enjoyed the heels and I enjoyed giving my blisters a break. I don't know how classy women do it. I am addicted to sneakers.

It was a sad goodbye.
All the little girls are determined to move to Washington and live right by Grandma and Grandpa's Bed and Breakfast as soon as Dad graduates. We shall see.
We called a couple dentists in Walla Walla a couple weeks ago to feel out that market and they told us to keep looking. Too many dentists in town already.

My brother Jeremy keeps calling from Texas telling us to join him.

Jeremy may succeed. Currently that is the main place we are looking since it is seems to have the most opportunity. I am not sure that I can take the heat though. I have grown to love the east coast weather. Pretty crazy I know.

Saturday November 21 . . .

Camille was baptized at 11 a.m.
It was attended by the 7 of us, Grandpa Fielding, the Sowell Family, and the Turner Family. Afterwards we all had yummy homemade soup, rolls and cookies and slushy punch in the gym. . .

which was decorated very nicely. . .
by the Young women for their Super Saturday later that afternoon. Thanks ladies.

And thank you Kennon for learning to play the piano so we can put on our own baptism.

Some things I want Camille to remember about this day.
First thing that morning of she came into our room in her jammies glowing and said "Mom, I am so excited! I was smiling all night long!"

And she kept smiling all day even during a long talk given by her mother and an even longer one by her Grandpa Fielding.

We started a little late because Camille had taken a front door vigil for a half an hour waiting for her school teacher. She had delivered an invitation on Friday and and had been told, "I am totally going to come see you get dunked".

I finally convinced her to come away from the front door and join us at her baptism. Her school teacher didn't make it, but her primary teacher Sis. Sowell was there.

When her Dad lifted her up out of the water she grinned from ear to ear and yelled out, "Okay!"

What a wonderful day! I love being Camille's mom. Everyone who knows Camille knows her to be as sweet as can be and so intent on choosing the right.

Savannah knows this and decided to take advantage of her newly baptized sister. I found out that night when I was tucking Savannah in what had been going on all afternoon following the baptism. Savannah was cracking up telling me that she had been able to have a slave for a couple hours, reminding her all along that she needed to be perfect.

"Get me my markers please, Camille I am thirsty, can you get me a drink? Camille you should let me on the computer, now," etc.

Everyone has a breaking point though. After about the twentieth request she turned to her and exploded, "Ohhhh, Nobody's Perfect!", then ran off to her room. . . probably to repent.

Camille's 8th Birthday Weekend

Camille's planned un-birthday party was indefinitely postponed last month due to H1N1.

We finally had it Saturday, the day before her birthday. We went ahead and called it a birthday party.

Savannah took care of EVERYTHING. . .

the theme. . .

. . . the cupcakes

. . .the craft

. . . the decorations

. . . the Hosting
. . . and serving as Head Cheerleader

We had a pretty small turnout which was fine with her little sister.

She got the extra set of pom poms.

I helped a little bit.
I burnt the hot dogs.

One little friend had three questions for me when she saw the spread.

1) Where is the pepperoni for her cheese?
2)Where is the carmel for her sliced fruit?
and
3)Where are the onions for her hot dog?

Sorry, you'll have to take it up with Savannah.

Sunday we spent her birthday morning at Stake Conference.

For her birthday lunch she requested- Steak and Of Course. . . mashed potatoes. The steak. . I also burned.

Unfortunately, during lunch I noticed she was shivering and just picking at her mashed potatoes. I got out the well used thermometer and low and behold our birthday girl was running a fever. ????

(Notice whose wearing her Attitude glasses?)

After that it wasn't a very good day.

We had to drag her from bed shivering to sing happy birthday and eat ice cream cake -Mud Pie.
Brrrh!
I served her some hot chocolate with it.

Her favorite gift was her very own scarf so she doesn't have to steal from her sisters. Now they will be stealing from her.

Last night as she went to bed I heard her pray. "Thanks for the very good birthday, but it would've been a lot better if I wasn't sick".

We are looking forward to a visit from Grandpa F. this weekend and her baptism on Saturday.

I have no idea why she is sick AGAIN! I have her home from school today and keeping her comfortable with ibuprofen as she is still running a fever.