The 5 Hirning's Happenings

My thoughts & happenings in the life of the Hirning's that I want to share with the world...



Sunday, November 30, 2008

Advent Conspiracy

Many of you may have seen this as I posted it on my facebook page but this is so amazing and so scary to think about. But, is it really? Look at what happened this week as a 34 yr old holiday worker at a NY Wal Mart was trampled to death as shoppers just tried to get to the good deals first. How sad. What has our lives, or this world, turned in to that others safety is not first over us getting more stuff. Stuff! Do we not remember that we can't take it with us? As I purchse the few gifts we are giving this year ~ I will think of people going without food, water, I will think of the worker tht was killed for stuff and I will focus on giving from the heart and if I don't know what to get someone I'm not just going to buy stuff. It has to have meaning or really what is the meaning of giving it?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVqqj1v-ZBU&eurl=http://www.adventconspiracy.org/&feature=player_embedded

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

The Griz win 35-3









It's one of the most wonderful times of the year ~ GRIZ/Cat weekend. (it's really only wonderful if the GRIZ win, but they have for the last 3 years) It is the big state rivalry between the Montana Grizzlies (U of M ~ here in Missoula) and the Montana State Bobcats (Bozeman). The game is always so fun, whether the game is here or in Bozeman and then we get together with Griz and Cat fans alike to watch. This year was pretty cool because the GRIZ came out with Old School Colors ~ Cooper and Gold ~ we haven't worn those colors since Em was born in 1995. It was cool and brought a little tear to some mens eyes (Travis S, probably Dan too, he had sun glasses on though). It was the largest sporting event ever played in Montana (with the new addition to Washington Grizzly stadium this summer) with over 25,000 people there to watch the Griz smoke the kitties! Awesome, awesome day...

By the way, I also attached a weird photo. Check it out ~ during halftime we were walking around the stadium and Dan said look at all the guys looking out at the river. I was like, "huh? they aren't looking out at the river. Ewwww ~ they are peeing". How lazy! See the outhouse in the pic? Instead of peeing in there they (and at one time there was atleast 6-7) were going in the grass/river area. How gross!

Sunday, November 23, 2008

All American Girls (With Carrie Underwood)










It was announced in June that Carrie Underwood was coming to Missoula on November 21st. I so wanted to take the girls to their first concert but tickets sold out within a few hours. I held out hope that I could score some tickets the week of the concert. Well, after a lot of phone calls and playing on line it happened ~ the day of the concert no less. I scored us 3 tickets on the arena floor. I had put out the word that I was looking for tickets so then I always have lots of ears and eyes open. Our friends, the Caldwells, called to let me know that more tickets went on sale and I told her I had got mine already the hour before. We decided to go to the concert together with her 3 girls & our 2. It was an awesome concert and lots of fun. Emily & Mackenzie ended up being right in front of the stage and got touched by members of Little Big Town, they weren't excited enough not to wash their hands. They said if Carrie would have touched them they would not have washed their hands, for how long? I don't know. Ewww ~ gross! It was a perfect night - lots of fun and now most of our Christmas shopping is done ~ it was a spendy night

Thursday, November 13, 2008

So I Am Feeling Like A Hypocrite


Emily wants a cell phone and the deal was if she had all A's before her 13th birthday she would get one for her bday present. Well, she has all A's but one B in advanced math. Hmmmm...the whole reason I feel like a hypocrite is Em really wants texting if she gets a phone which I tell her no, she will not get it. Maybe in high school. I ask why she needs texting and she says to talk to her friends and such. I then act all old fashioned and tell her "well in my day when we wanted to talk to a friend, we called them or did it face to face". But, and here is a BIG but...I talk to friends all day long from my past and present on facebook. I probably wouldn't talk to most of these people face to face. Or on the phone? So am I hypocrite? Aren't I doing the same thing?


P.S. Emily if you are reading this it does not mean you will be getting texting if you get a phone!

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

The Rainbow



Benjamin and I saw a beautiful rainbow yesterday. As big as could be, we saw end to end. Benjamin was so excited about the colors. "Look Mom there's purple". Then he proceeded to tell me that he wished he was up there and could slide down the big rainbow. He looked at me and said "Mom, maybe Sebastian is sliding down the rainbow", it kind of suprised me that me he brought up Sebastian but I agreed that Sebastian could be sliding down that big beautiful rainbow.

Thursday, November 6, 2008

The Laundry Wars



So a few years back I got very frustrated with the girls and their laundry. Their hampers were full of inside out clothes, socks in balls and better yet, clean clothes. I had enough and decided they needed to do their own laundry. They would then realize my frustrations. Ha, ha, ha (are you laughing too?)

Well it has still caused nothing but frustrations. They just wash their clothes inside out, balled up and they still put clean clothes in their hamper when they get lazy and wash it again...when they do wash!

There is screaming weekly during laundry time. We encourage them every weekend to do their laundry. We encourage them to wash their clothes together ~ especially whites but that caused more problems ~ who was going to move it, fold it, etc... Every weekend laundry does not get all the way DONE they leave it laying in the washer & dryer and the laundry area is always a mess. Candy wrappers everywhere. Earrings & headbands laying around. Fabric softner sheets never making it in the garbage. The laundry baskets are never neatly stacked - just thrown in the area. Every week I yell, show frustration, scream, want to cry, "Why can't it ever just be done and done right?"

So, I told Dan I wasn't even going to tell them to do their laundry. They each went almost a full month without doing their laundry. I can tell you they don't have that many pairs of pants, shirts (well, maybe), socks and more grossly UNDERWARE. Last weekend we finally made them do their laundry and you know what it just isn't worth it. I am taking it back. I just can't handle it anymore! But I know this doesn't mean that the "laundry wars" is over. I may occasionally ask them to move some laundry, or fold something that might not be theirs or better yet to put away the clean laundry I just washed & folded in the same afternoon ~ and there will be eye rolling, whining, yelling...Why can't they just get it? Dan wants to know why I let it bother me so much ~ I should know better! Well I don't, I'm hopeful! Ha, ha (are you laughing too?)

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

As A New Day Dawns



Well, as I sit here and get ready to go to bed. I keep thinking back to my thoughts of the day. When I was walking into my polling place this morning I had so many different emotions. Proud ~ to be an American and to have the chance to, kind of, have my say.I had tears in my eyes and was choked up after voting. Moodiness ~ as it was raining on me and I had to park pretty far away. Wonderment ~ wondering what the next day would bring. Would we make history and vote in an African American president? Would we vote in a female vice president? Optimism ~ still hoping that John McCain would win. I know how many of my friends and family can't believe the audacity of me wanting John McCain and Sarah Palin to win, but I did. That is where my vote went today...sorry. I am not here to criticize or defend my vote. I am just here to say how I feel.

The day was also interesting listening to the kids. Benjamin got off the bus today and asked me who I voted for. I told him that was personal and not something that people had to share. He then explained to me that he voted for "duck". They voted for duck and cow in his class and "duck" won. He then proceed to tell me he would vote for "Arock Obama". Later he explained to me why he hoped "Arock" would win. He told me he liked his tan. I said "tan?". He said "no! Plan". I asked him what his plan was and he told me to have Mommys & Daddys read to their kids every night. Not sure where he got that from. Emily and her class have talked so much about this election and she was telling me at dinner about the electorals and how many each state got. She was very informative. Hannah was enjoying watching the returns and what they were saying. She had so many questions and comments about the night. I don't remember being in 5th or 7th grade and knowing so much about an election or even caring. Maybe a new day is dawning...I just hope it's the best day for America. God bless America!

2008-09 School Pics




Hard to believe that next year Hannah will be in middle school. She is now a 5th grader. Even harder to believe that Emily will be in high school in two years, she's a BIG 7th grader. Okay, maybe even harder for me to believe that my baby is in kindergarten! All their pics turned out so cute! Them and their little 'tudes!

Monday, November 3, 2008

Halloween 2008






Here are pictures of the kids this year. Benjamin was a GRIZ football player. He loved that the number was 5 and that he is 5! Hannah wanted to be a nerd and she was a great one! Emily was a ladybug, we tried to discourage her from trick or treating this year but she bought her own costume and went out with some friends. Emily and Hannah both had friends come over and trick or treat with them. Emily and her friends went off on their own but Hannah was trying so hard to get away from me. She then asked if they could walk a house or two in front of Benjamin and I. I asked her if I was really that bad?? Funny thing is Hannah and Mikayla were the first ones home. Benjamin and I had a great time. He is such a sweet boy. One guy even told him he was a "patient boy". He would walk up to the door and by the time someone came to the door there would be other kids there and they would push him out of the way, he just stood there and waited. Our little guy needs to get a little bigger and push his way back in. Benjamin and I stopped off at some friends/neighbors they had a nice little spread and visited and ate and drank with them and others and then went back on our merry way. But if there was anything spooky like decorations or music/sounds we did not go to that house. He was pretty adamant about that! He is a big wuss like his Daddy! Glad to have one more Halloween over...