Date night

Dinner at whiskey creek. My favorite cordon bleu. It's one of my favorite restaurant. I usually don't go there because they didn't take reservations so it was annoying to go there and try to make it on time to a movie. They now take reservations on the weekend. Their chicken cordon bleu is my favorite. The guy behind Ivy is a upright bass player and they had a piano. Kind of nice.

Eve and monroe's birthday party

They had it at the YMCA child watch annex. Apparently you can rent the place for a nominal fee. The pinata was a big hit. Get it? A hit! Ha!

Thanksgiving at Shoups

Turkey day at the Schmidt home.

Getting the feast ready

We are all busy helping put this together. It will be a feast fit for a king!

On our way to the Schmidt home

We are spending Thanksgiving at my sister Jana's home. Its a different way this year than the years before. Usualy we are all happily shoved into our home. But since we discovered we have Jana this past year its nice to spend this one with her and my niece and nephew and brother in law, Greg.

Christmas shopping assignments

In years past as the family has gotten larger we began to do a who to shop for list so we each bought for one person instead of all 25(approx.) cousins and sibling etc.   This year the Hansen side of the family joined in.  Here's the lists if you're like me and can't remember or lost the original email months ago. 

Greene family

Grown-ups limit is $20

Rick & Ivy shop for Theresa & Josh

Tab & Richard shop for Amanda & Jerel

Amanda & Jerel shop for Rick & Ivy

Theresa & Josh shop for Tab & Richard

 

Kids limit is $10

Elise shops for Monroe

Daniel shops for Cooper

Asher shops for Elise

Mason shops for Daniel

Eve shops for Mason

Monroe shops for Asher

Cooper shops for Eve

 

Hansen Family

Kids limit $15

Asher shops for Zach

Mason shops for Cassell

Zach shops for Katie

Anthony shops for Cameron

Cassell shops for Asher

Cameron shops for Anthony

Katie shops for Mason

Adult limit is $25

Melody shops for April

Leahia shops for Melody

April shops for Ivy

Claire shops for Leahia

Ivy shops for Claire

Rick ships for Getty

Getty shops for Rick

Kare kare

Had kare kare at anni's a couple of weeks ago. I've been craving it so I tried to make it. I used potatoes instead of eggplant which came out a little soggy. It was still good. Watching walle. I need more dialogue in a movie.

thanksgiving basket

So today we got a thanksgiving basket from the ward. Caused some mixed reactions at our house. At first I was thinking I know I let Asher wear some pants that are a little too short.  And I guess I need to do a littler work around the house. But were we really assessed as one of the top needy families in the ward? Then we thought well that's ok we just pass it on to someone we know that could use it a little more than us. Part of us thought that we should just keep it because people had been so gracious in donating it. Finally Ivy couldn't handle it any more and called someone from the Relief Society. I guess they had a change of rationale this season and didn't just give it to those who needed it but those that would appreciate it. It's certainly highlights the difficulty of trying to be independent and self reliant and be able to accept help from others.  Ivy is ok with it now and thinks we'll use the turkey for Christmas since she is going out of town for thanksgiving.  I suppose if I took a basket of food over to my sisters and said just thinking of you she would say thanks and appreciate the thought.  I guess that's what our church family just did for us.  

-Rick

Asher's first basketball practice

He does real good in sports. He likes the team effort and seeing his buddies. Him and mason are on seperate teams. They can develope a little on their own. Its so fun to watch.

Movie

We saw madagascar 2. Pretty funny. Boys liked it. They didn't sit with us since they are so old now.

Cubs getting food

took the cubscout out to collect food for the st vincent de paul food bank. We were able to collect a good bunch of food from the generous members of the ward and some friends.

Mason's first b ball practice

Its that time of year again. Yes, basketball! Asher and mason both. This season they are on seperate teams. A little more chaos on the schedule but more fun.

Brownies goes on wrong

Ivy was making brownies from a mix but we were out of eggs. Anni said we could use Mayo instead. They were greasy. You squeeze them and oil would drip out. They smelled good but no one was brave enough to actually eat one. A for effort.

Sock puppets

Ivy and Cooper playing sock puppets. We were at azteca with tab. He ate green onions. His sock puppet only says hi and drools.

Genetic predisposition

Additional proof of the Greene families predisposition for the men to marry taller women.  There are several possible reason.

1.  us Greene tend to be short so we are actually only marrying average height women that look tall in photos?

2.  we have an innate understanding of genetics and are attempting to manipulate the gene pool?

3.  it makes dancing more fun?(according to my grandpa)

4.  we like em tall?

which then makes me wonder why eventually we aren't becoming taller.  So are we marrying taller women that have a dominant short gene?  Lots of questions.  

The photo is off Charlie and Esther Greene 

taken 7/31/1955

My great grandparents

-Rick

Mason salute to bowling

Mason and Elise and Asher went bowling tonight. The boys have their new bowling balls. Mason is the new master bowler now. Yeah, master bowler of cheese!

Cub scouts

Took the cubs to the veterans day event at the fairgrounds. Had a good time. They had some old military vehicles and displays.

Kung fu panda night

Melody came over to hang for the night. Tomorrow is veterans day anyway. Thank your veteran! We are just hanging out and watching the movie. Its all cool here.

Trans siberian orchestra

We took Asher and Mason to TSO. It was loud and bright. Had a good time. Went with Greg, jana, and their daughter Brei. GrandMa themlma graciously watched cooper for us to be able to do this. It is a defenite do over!

Norman's doctor visit

Norman gets a visit to the doctor. He had boo boos on his face. Hope it goes ok. Two minutes in here and he was ready to leave.

Arizona Halloween

Me and the two older boys got back from Arizona on Monday night.  We went there to visit my grandparents.  While there we attended the Elks club Halloween party.  I learned a few things.

1.  For those of you that like to wear skimpy costumes. That is not somethink you will ever need to outgrow.  I saw women in there 80's in mini skirts.  

2.  There's a reason flannel long sleeve shirts are the dress of northwest loggers and not Sun City residents.  Flannel seemed like a lot less better of an idea when it's 95 degrees out.  Plus since we couldn't take axes or chainsaws on the plane we were mistaken for hobos.  

3.  Little old ladies like to be asked to dance.  Asher's dance card was full.  He even taugt them a few moves I think.  They weren't familiar with the Happy Feet shuffle.  

We had a great time.  Here is the photo of us before we left for the party.  

-Rick

Basketball camp

Asher and mason in basketball camp for the new season.

Found boys

Boys went briefly missing. Found them sitting back here eating crackers. In the 95 degree heat. This is in sun city in my grandparents driveway.

Ivy and me when we get old

Actually its a picture of my great uncle and his wife. If I get skinny I figure this is what we could look like some day. Apparently marrying taller women is a Greene family tradition. That or when you're short most women just happen to be taller?

Getting ready for Halloween at elks

Going to elks in Arizona for Halloween party. Wearing flannel when it is 95 out not one of my best ideas.