Okay....seriously, Santa?

Santa was good to me this year, but one of the things he put in my stocking was a book.  That's not the part that's wrong....he gives me a book every year.  Here's the problem.  The book?  Twilight.  Yes, Twilight.  Now, to be fair, it IS on the best seller list and they did just make a movie out of it.  So, if I'm Santa, it seems like a no-brainer.  

Here's the problem, though.  I have very adamantly REFUSED to read that book.  At first it was  because I wasn't interested in a love story about a vampire.  Get. Real.  However, I slowly began to notice that Twilight mania was sweeping the nation.  So, maybe there was something to it?  Still I refused to read.  At this point it was just stubbornness.  I DO read.  I love to read.  I read James Patterson, Jeffery Deaver, John Grisham, and recently I've discovered Jodi Piccoult...or however you spell her name.  

Anyway, when the movie came out I secretly made fun of the droves of women who were standing in line all night to be the first to see it.  I laughed at all the obligatory blog posts about their experience at the movie.  I really made fun of those who put that button on their blog about their necks belonging to Edward.  Ha Ha. 

So, here I was Christmas morning, book in hand, and not wanting to hurt Santa's feelings.  He, after all, was completely unaware of my commitment to remain "twilight free".  I love Santa and besides that, I was staring down the barrel of a 14 hour car-ride to the cabin and back.  I needed some serious entertainment.  

So, what choice did I have?  I read the book.  And this is the part where I apologize to everyone I made fun of.  The book was actually... okay.  Okay, it was actually... good.  Yes.  Let's leave it at that.  The book was good.  I'm pretty sure I won't read the other two.  Or is it three?  Everyone says the first is the best.  So, why bother?  I'm also pretty sure I won't ever see the movie.  There's no way it's going to be as good as the book.  Again, why bother?  

Anyway, just wanted to put it out there.  I'm now one of the millions who've read that book.  Yay!  Thanks, Santa....I think.  

More pics from the cabin

Christmas at the cabin

We hope your Christmas was wonderful!   Here's a rundown of ours...

We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas morning here in Boise.  The plan was to head over to Eastern Idaho Christmas afternoon, but the freeway was shut down due to the storm.  So, we left early the next morning instead.  It made for a long day as the roads still weren't great and we had to stop in Idaho Falls first to "have Christmas" with my family.  Then we headed up to Driggs to spend 2 days at a cabin with Justin's family.  His mom rented the cabin from the actress who played Maryanne on Giligan's Island.  Weird, huh?  

Anyway, we had a great time!  We hadn't seen Travis and Jessica for a year.  They were home from Seattle and it's always so fun to hang out with those guys.  The cute little girl with crazy hair is theirs...Hallie.  

Anyway, the whole fam was there...a total of 27.  Mom and dad had their own room downstairs but the other 25 of us were upstairs in two rooms!!!  It made for a pretty sleepless night with all of the little ones, but we made some great memories.  

The sledding was the big event, but I thought the talent show took a close second.  So funny!  Anyway, we're back home now and ready to get settled back into a routine.  We got a Wii for Christmas, so the boys are sure to keep busy the rest of their Christmas break.  

"Snow" much fun!

  

The first day of Christmas break was a hit!  Our next door neighbor Kory loves to play with the kids.  He pulled them behind his truck all afternoon.  There was quite a big crowd....our house seems to be the natural hang out.  Everyone eventually finds their way over and I love it!  Being in primary gives me an advantage over the other neighborhood moms.  The kids know me and I know them and there's just an added measure of love.  

Anyway, here's some of the action.  We're due to get snow all week, so it should be lots of fun!  Finally feels like Christmas....

Of This 'N That

This is the tree we "splurged" on.  I didn't want to spend the weeks before Christmas vacuuming up needles from my carpet. Every other year, we've gone with a cheap tree & I always curse the falling needles.   So, Justin humored me and let 

me spend the $15 extra to get a good tree.  Good!?  I don't think so!  It doesn't even smell..not even a little and as you can see, it's kinda skimpy.  

My mom makes the best stockings!!  I love having a mantle to actually hang them on.  The only downside is that they're pretty big.  Filling them costs a small fortune.  Or so Santa tells me!  

And finally, I hope Carter keeps his enthusiasm for piano when he's older  Every day he asks for a lesson.  He always volunteers to "practice" first.  Here he is playing the little keyboard.

I'm still here

Some of  "my readers" (ha ha) are concerned that I haven't posted for a while.  There's nothing to be alarmed about.  It's just been one of those weeks I guess.  

We got back from Thanksgiving on Sunday night and Carter spent Monday throwing up all day.  Camdon was sick too and we have to watch him closely when he gets that way so it doesn't turn into an asthma attack.  

Tuesday was busy ending in the Relief Society christmas dinner, which I left early, to help a friend out of a pickle.  I spent most of the evening in the cold standing outside her car.  As I watched her feeling sick to her stomach, heart racing, and so sure her husband was going to kill her, I chuckled to myself.   I was happy to be on the other end helping someone else out of a pickle for a change! 

Early Wednesday morning Justin flew to Montana for work.  He just got back last night and we were ready to have him home!  I spent the rest of the week decorating for Christmas.  It seemed to take longer this year as I didn't have a full day to devote to the project. I had to do it in shifts, finishing up yesterday afternoon on the roof.  I love hanging the outside Christmas lights.  It's not typically something the woman does, but being up on the roof realy appeals to my "life on the edge" kind of ways I guess.  

Yesterday morning we had Camdon's basketball registration and Ryan and Noelle had their baby!  Welcome to the three boys club, guys!  We can't wait to meet Michael.

Last night we went to Kuna's holiday night light parade.  Now, I'm to the point where if you've seen one parade, you've seen them all.  However, seeing little Carter shake with excitement was well worth the trip out.  Even Camdon, who will be the first one in line at the "I hate Carter booth" leaned over to me and said, "It's so cute how much fun he's having."  AAWWW!  

Today was just as busy with tithing settlement, my presidency meeting, and then tonight we had a family over to watch the Christmas devotional with us.  Afterwards we ate treats and talked for a while.  After our company left, I promptly put Carter to bed and now I think I'll do the same.  Justin and the boys are staying up to watch where the Broncos will end up playing their bowl game.  I'm content to hear about it tomorrow.  

 

Packin' heat...

A few weeks ago during Earth Science class, a friend of Cam's brought in a big box of rocks and minerals.  Those who know Camdon well, will know that this is right up his alley.  As he was fishing through the box, he found a shell casing hidden in there and asked the girl if he could have it.  What did she care?  He thought he'd hit the jackpot! So, he put in in his backpack and that was that.  

Fast forward a few weeks to this morning on the bus.  He's forgotten all about the bullet, but it falls out of his backpack and the bus-driver finds it after she dropped everyone off.  They have assigned seats on the bus, so she knew it was one of three boys.  Camdon was called out of class and questioned.  He, being the good boy that he is, told the truth about what had happened. 

 Now, I understand that the school was just doing what they thought was best here, but they proceeded to search him and his backpack looking for a gun.  Then they inform him that the police and/or the school would be calling me.  This happened in the morning and needless to say, Camdon felt horrible all day long.  His poor little friends from the bus were called in and questioned and their parents were called too.  He felt so awful that they had been drug into it.  

Here's the part that ticks me off.......shouldn't I have been called right away?  Why was I hearing this from Camdon after he had been holding it in all day?  By the time I got to him he was sobbing and shaking and he said, "Mom, they thought I shot someone!"  Now, I'll admit, it took some self control to hold in the laughter on this one.  I knew they didn't think he shot someone, but in his little mind, that's how they were making him feel.  Here's where I would've wanted to be at the school; to reassure him that they were just following procedure. This guy really could've used him mamma today, and  I'm disappointed that I wasn't notified immediately.  I did get a call from the detective after school, but it was on my cell, and I didn't hear it ringing until it was too late.   

I understand that the school has a reasonable amount of authority here, but am I wrong in thinking I should've been there?

Anyway, the funniest part about it all was that Camdon was so scared of what Justin was going to do to him!  I knew he wasn't going to be mad, but poor Cam was sure he was a dead man.  There was a very clear look of relief on his face when he discovered Justin wasn't going to kill him.  

Anyway, after it was all said and done, I realized that the home really is a place of peace and shelter from the storms of the world.  He had been through a very traumatizing experience all alone today and it wasn't until he got home that he could feel safe enough to let his feelings out.  He learned a little something about love and trust today.  He learned a little about his dad, too!  This parenting thing is really getting interesting!

My list is growing

Welcome to Bloggerland, Aaron and Kerry!  These last six months have been so fun for me.  I can't believe I put off having a blog for so long.  It's the very best way to keep in touch with the people I love. 

Anyway,  I have been dying to see my new little niece, and I was looking forward to going to I.F. for Thanksgiving.  Well, it turns out that Aaron and Kerry are coming to Boise for Thanksgiving.  AAGGHH!  I have to wait until Christmas now!!! Or do I?  I emailed Aaron last night and told him to start a blog and he did.  Like right then.  He's more obedient than my little fellas. :)  

Anyway, a few of you out there might be interested in seeing his new little one and I told him I'd spread the word.  Dallon, I know he'll definitely want to get in touch with you.  I added him to my little list of blogging buddies.  I'm glad to see my list slowly growing.  You should see my sis-in-law Amber's list!  Holy cow!  I don't even know that many people, let alone people I want to stay in touch with.  So, thanks for joining.  Welcome and have fun!

Everyone's a fan!

Do any of you ever watch Mythbusters?  Justin emailed Tory and asked him if he'd wear a Boise State shirt on one of the shows.  He emailed back and said he would.  He found out what size he wore, and now he just has to go shopping for a shirt.  Pretty Cool!  Justin cracks me up.  He's always doing random things like this.  

Happy holiday kick off!

Tonight was Kuna's annual Holiday Open House.  I generally disagree with events such as these that happen so far before Christmas.  But I make an exception for this event because I really like our little town and I want to be supportive of the businesses that are trying to survive here.  

So, I took the boys and we picked up our passport and  set off to visit the 12 businesses that were on the ticket.  At each stop we collected a stamp and everyone who turned in a full passport, was entered into the contest for  6 $50 gift cards they were giving away.  It's a long shot, but the boys enjoyed walking around downtown visiting 

all of the stops and getting a treat each place they went.  One of the stops had Prancer there for the kids to meet.  I tried to get a picture of Carter petting her, but her antlers were a little too big and she came after me.  I love the one of Camdon because he generally takes a "too mature" attitude when we try and do things like this. As you can see, this was one event he really enjoyed.  The weather was really mild too, which is always nice.   One of the stops had a live nativity and I was impressed that my boys seemed to notice that the loud christmas rock music didn't exactly fit in with the baby Jesus at the manger.  All in all, I'd say it was a pretty good night.  Justin is back home, by the way, but this sort of thing isn't his sort of thing, so he stayed home.  

Pretty girls...

I'm not one to spend a lot of time in salons.  I am completely out of my element there, surrounded by women who are always so put together.  I am pretty low-maintenance as far as women go, and by that I mean that I've never been "into" hair, make-up, and clothes.  One pair of jeans lasts me all winter and I have about five pairs of shoes.  That's total.  Including church, workout, flip-flops. One for every occasion is enough for me.  

 Besides not really caring about looking so pretty all of the time, I'm also a cheap skate.  And quite frankly,  it's expensive to look so good.  It's spendy to have your hair highlighted every six weeks, and new clothes every season, and be tan all winter long.  

However, every once in a while the need presents itself for me to go to a salon. Like today.  My eyebrows were getting out of control!  So, I decide to pony up the money (yes, I think $15 is a lot to spend), and go get my eyebrows waxed.  I, of course, was very uncomfortable the whole time I was there.  Even the old lady getting a perm was dressed better than I.  It's my own fault, really, because I refuse to wear high heels with jeans.  No offense if you do...I just have a personal policy against it.  Comfort is my priority.  Anyway, back to my story.  It took only a few minutes, but the results were incredible!  I knew they were bad, but seriously! They were bad!   I have to admit, it was $15 well spent.  

Anyway, when I got home, the boys came to "check me out".  They were impressed, but leave it to Jamon to say this: "They look good, Mom.  Now all you need to do is lose some weight and get stylish clothes."

One step at a time, Jamon!  My eyebrows really do look good.  

Geography lesson is in order!

Justin called early this morning just as the boys were leaving for school.  He obviously read my post and was curious as to what the boys thought they wanted as souvenirs from Montana. 

 It was a quick conversation as they were really just walking out the door when he called, but I  was cracking up as we hung up and Jamon said: 

"Hello!!??  Joe Montana's autograph."  

Maybe he'll see Hannah Montana....duh, Dad!  (that one was Carter)

Clearly my two youngest boys don't quite understand what or where Montana is....Camdon, however was laughing so hard I think he almost cried.  

P.S. No wise cracks about geography, Ryan!  Let it go my friend...

Me on my soap box...

We have a black boy in our primary.  By black, I mean black.  His skin is very dark and in our little town of Kuna, he's one of just a few.  He was adopted by a white family and I'm quite sure he has been sealed to them.  

Since the election Tuesday, this poor little boy has suffered much at the hands (well, okay, mouths)  of other little children on the bus and at school.  The most hurtful was this:  "I guess you're happy to have a black president, huh?  Now you're not the only 'icky' one."  

Some of these kids have been taught by their parents, and should know better.  Some have been taught by their parents and that's exactly WHY they are being so cruel.  Children mimick their parents.  If you are against Obama, PLEASE make sure your children know that it has nothing to do with his skin color!  And if it does, well, shame on you and that's a whole different post. 

This little boy is sweet and kind (and a really good basketball player) and has given no one any reason to be unkind to him.  The Savior loves ALL of us.  Period.  Anyway, I came across this picture and it really says it all, doesn't it? 

The end of the world is coming!

The following is an actual conversation I had with my 11 year old...wait I have to tell you one thing first.  We had so much fun with my parents on the Oregon Coast this summer, we all decided to take a trip again  in a few years.  Four to be exact.  The trip we're planning is to Boston, and Camdon is/was very excited.  And now I bring you the conversation:

Camdon:  "Who do you think will win, Mom?"

Me:  "Not sure, bud. I think Obama"

Camdon:  "Well, it doesn't really matter because the world will be over in 2012 anyway."

Me, trying hard not to laugh: "What!!??  Who told you that?"

Camdon: "Well, McKenzie McGraws grandmothers' patriarchal blessing says she'll live to see the second coming, and she's already 70.  And I saw this thing on Discovery channel about the Aztecs.  They believed the end of the world would be 2012.  So, sadly, I'll never get to see Boston."

Aaaahhh to have only one regret in life!  Don't worry little Cam, we'll go to Boston...I promise.  

Proud to be an American....

I have been out of school for nearly 11 years now.  For those of you who don't know, I studied Sociology.  Because of the nature of this historic election, it's been a great "college review" for me.  Socialism vs Capitalism, the Proletariat and the Bourgeoisie, who is best suited to control the means of production....etc.  

I still feel the way I did 11 years ago.  I believe in structural functionalism (one of the sociological theories, not fathered by, but definantly associated with Talcott Parsons).  See.  See that?  I thought my brain was turning to mush, but maybe not.  

Anyway, the point is that this morning I woke up still very unsure of who to vote for ( I know this will shock and even anger some of you) but after reaching deep into the depths of my brain, and maybe my heart too, I have come up with an answer.  Neither candidate is great, but there is a definite "lesser of the two evils" here.  So, I'm proud to say that I will VOTE today!  Please do the same......

Look who's 60!

Happy birthday, Dad!  We love you and hope you have fun at your surprise party. * Ooops.  

All the fam got together for a surprise party at Aaron's house.  The grandkids put together a talent show.....aaawww! Please see earlier posts to see our contribution to the talent show.  Jamon is a sweet, sweet running back and Camdon is a 'lil maestro.  

It's times like this when I wish we lived closer.  Sounds like it was a lot of fun.  It just makes me more and more excited to go home for Thanksgiving.  Can't wait to see the new baby.  Four kids....holy crap, Aaron!  Just kidding.  Thanks for hosting the big night for Dad.  

*  I knew that by the time this posted, the party would be well under way....I'm not THAT rude.  

"Happy Halloween, Dufus!"

Have any of you ever seen the movie Monster House?  That's Carter's favorite line from that movie.  He's been waiting a while to be able to say it.....now, obviously, it's not a nice thing to say, but I let it slide for today and even said it back to him a few times.   

Camdon decided that 11 was too old to trick-or-treat, so I enlisted his help at the front door passing out candy while I took the other two boys around the neighborhood.  Yes, my husband was home, but he hates Halloween, and refuses to participate in the festivities.  He did, however surprise me last night and carved the sweetest pumkin ever!

Carter was a devil and Jamon was a spy. The weather was perfect and after trick-or-treating, we all went down to our neighborhood clubhouse for an open house with the neighbors. The boys are in bed and Justin and I are going to settle in for a movie......Happy Halloween!

Just so you know....

Okay, as requested by a certain brother-in-law (hee hee) I'd like to announce that I am the one who does the yard work at my house.  That's right...I mow, I run the weed-wacker....I try to keep up on the weeding.  Sometimes I even fertilize, but I get stripes, so I usually leave that part to Justin.

Here are my reasons why I, the woman, choose to do the yard work:

1.  It's good exercise

2. The boys want to be outside anyway.

3.  It takes so stinkin' long with this big yard we have that if I left it to Justin he'd never find          time to do it. I like him to spend his home time with me, or the boys, or both.

4. I'm kinda OCD about the way it's done, and it's easier to do it myself than be frustrated      when it's not quite right.  

Sometimes Justin will come home while I'm in the middle of it and he'll ask if I want a break.  I let him finish up for me, but it' not something I would ever expect him to do.  I just like to do it.

I won't say who the brother-in-law is that requested I publicly share this information.  I know he's just kidding.....but, I needed something to blog about anyway! 

What a difference paint makes..

I have begun the enormous task of painting my doors and trim.  It'll take forever, but I think it'll make the difference we need.  Both Justin and my aunt (who's judgement I trust COMPLETELY) say that I'll never be able to sell the house until I fix the paint.  The job seemed overwhelming, but my friend reccommended painting the doors.  I'll start there...we have wood-wrapped windows that you don't even notice because they're so dark, so I think when I'm brave enough, I'll do those too.  I'll post pics when I get far enough along, but for now...so far so good!  

"Behold your little ones...."

If any of you have ever served in the primary, you know that on any given Sunday you experience a wide range of emotion.  Some moments you're watching the clock, ready to shoot yourself, while other times you're so consumed by the spirit, you can't speak a sentence.  Well, today was our primary program and one of those "bawling" days. It's definately the most stressful part of the job to any Presidency, but also one of the most rewarding.  

We have about 120 kids, which isn't small, but isn't the biggest I've ever seen, either.  The program went off without a hitch, and when they all stood to sing "Called to Serve", there was hardly a dry eye in the place.  Camdon was so nervous for his part, but played perfectly in front of hundreds of people!  There was no hope for me after that.  I shouldn't have worried about mascarra today!  

Anyway, I wanted to share my feelings about the great priviledge and responsibility it is to teach these little ones the basic principles of the gospel.  We are laying the foundation for the rest of their lives.  When I first received the call, I was disappointed and even a little bitter, but exactly one year later, I am so thrilled to be a part of this special organization.  When the Savior visited the Nephite people he gathered them 'round about him.  "And he spake unto the multitude, and said unto them:  Behold your little ones."

These little ones are so beloved of the Savior and I am humbled by the choice calling it is to serve and teach them.  

Our Little Running Back

Jamon had his championship game yesterday.  They were undefeated the whole season, but sadly, they lost this last game.  I don't think Jamon even cared that he lost.  He was just so happy that his Uncle Brian was here to watch his last game.  Justin got some great footage of his last touchdown of the season.  At the end of year party, the coach told us he earned a spot as running back on next year's tackle team.  It'll be a long wait this winter for Jamon...he's already talking about spring training!  

Piano Man

Camdon has been working on his Faith in God award and one of the requirements is to help plan and carry out a primary activity.  So he chose....okay, I chose....to have him play a special musical number for the primary program next week.  He'll play the song through once while the kids sing, and then he'll play again while another girl plays the violin.  They've been practicing together Sunday mornings before church, and they sound wonderful.  I wish you could hear the whole thing, but here's his part of the performance.  We're proud of his hard work even though he hates the piano and hates us for making him learn. Oh, well.  Someday he'll thank us ( I think).  

About a Boy

Camdon's birthday was Saturday and came and went without any pomp or circumstance.  It was so different from Jamon's big day on Tuesday.  Camdon doesn't need a big to-do.  He had a little list of things he really wanted, which he got, and the only thing he wanted to do for his birthday was go to dinner with his best friend, Brandon.  Brandon also turned 11 this week, so it was a little gift for both of them.  Justin took Jamon to Taylor's to watch the game and I took the two birthday boys out to eat.  Afterwards, I took them shopping to spend a little of their birthday money.  

As I was pondering the fact that I now have an 11 year old (how did that happen?), I was so proud to realize Camdon is the spittin' image of is dad.  Not in the physical sense ( I think he looks more like me) but rather in personality.  Justin doesn't like a lot of attention to be drawn to him and Camdon is the same way.  In fact when Grandma Kay called to talk to him, he declined.  Hmmm..who else does this remind me of? :)  I'm usually the one who talks to my mother-in-law on the phone.  

Camdon, like Justin, has a small circle of friends he considers "soul mates".  This is so different from Jamon who has a different best friend every week and is all about being the center of attention.  Camdon is wise beyond his years and very cautious about the choices he makes.  He is kind and loving and smart as a whip.  He is first to offer help and as I watched Justin and Camdon dig up the potatoes together, I knew his work ethic will be as impressive as Justin's.  

Anyway, it's exciting to see him grow into a young man.  He earned his Weblos and this week at pack meeting he'll be receiving his arrow of light.  For those of you not familiar with scouting, it's the highest award a cub scout can earn (it's the equivalent of the Eagle Scout award for the Boy Scouts).  He turned 11 just in time for his first scout camp-out this weekend.  We have a phenomenal group of boys that age and I'm glad he gets the opportunity to go through the scouting program with them.  

So, happy birthday, Camdon.  I'm so glad you're like your dad!  I love you both so much!!!

Here he is with one of the books he's been wanting and his Boise State beanie to keep him warm this fall.  Which by the way, is another way he's like his dad. He asked for things he "needed".  Gotta love 'em!  

Lessons from a four year old....

Yesterday was my day to do carpool for preschool.  When I picked up the kids Carter taught me a very valuable lesson:  

We have built-in car-seats and the five point harness can be tricky to someone who doesn't know what they're doing.  So, I was helping Kylie and showing her what to do, while Carter was waiting his turn just outside the van.  So, when it was his turn to get in I turned to him and he was bent down picking up rocks and playing in the dirt and being a boy.  I said, "Carter c'mon...get in."  He was diddling around and I said, "Hurry, Carter!"  Then when he wanted help buckling, I said, "You don't need help, you know how."  

He instantly started crying and asked: "Why do you always save your patience and kindness for other people??!!"

OUCH!  Wow, I guess I don't give him enough credit.  I hadn't realized he was even paying attention to the way I was treating Kylie.  And, he's right.  I think we all do it.  We treat strangers on the street better than we treat our own families sometimes.  It reminded me of the quote by President Hinckley.  We CAN all be doing a little better and be a little kinder.  Sorry, little man.  And thanks for keeping me on my toes!  

Okay, my husband's a genius..

 

As usual, I struggle & struggle and Justin swoops in and does what needs doing in a matter of minutes! Here's the video of him seeing his bed for the first time.

Jamon's Birthday Bronco Bed

I have perfected the art of procrastination.  I know it's not something to be proud of, but it's true.  I pay my bills the DAY  they're due, I request time off from work AS the manager is sitting down to write the schedule, and I birthday shop for my boys ON the day of they're birthday.  It's enough to make my husband want to leave me (hee hee..love ya honey), but today it really paid off for me in a big way!  

I was at Wal-Mart two hours before Jamon got home from school finishing his birthday shopping.  We decided to get him a new bed this year.  He's been sleeping on one of the bunk beds we bought when Camdon and Jamon were just two and four.  The mattress he's been using was suitable for a little toddler, but not for a growing nine year old boy.  Anyway, to go along with the bed, we got him a Boise State comforter set complete with sheets and a big body pillow.  I've had my eye on this set for a while and my mom even sent money to help over a week ago.  But, of course, I didn't go a week ago.  I went today.  I'm glad I did because all of it was on clearance!  Woo Hoo!  Normally I criticize the Big-Box stores for how early they try to commercialize Christmas.  But, today I was so happy they needed to make room for all the fake Christmas trees, because I got this whole set for half the price I would've gotten it last week.

 

I had it all set up when Jamon got home from school and then hid in his room to film his reaction.  As you'll see...he loves it! **  

The only bad part of the day was when a few neighbor boys showed up for the party.  UUHH..what party?  One kid even had a gift and I felt horrible because there was no party! Jamon mentioned to ONE neighbor kid a few weeks ago that we MIGHT go see a movie for his birthday.  That kid told another kid that we were watching movies at Jamon's for his birthday and that kid told two more kids.  I'm still trying to figure out how this happened!!!  Wouldn't a parent verify party plans?  I never had any conversation with any parent about a party...interesting.  Anyway, I felt bad for all these boys who thought they were getting to come to a party, so I threw them all in the van and we went and got ice cream form Arctic Circle.  There....we had a party.  :)

Anyway, Happy Birthday, Jamon.  Enjoy your new "big boy" bed!!

**  Okay, so I don't know how to add video yet.  I'm still learning.  

The Longest Mile

This morning Marci ran her 14 mile marathon!  It was so fun to go downtown and wait at the finish line.  We were so proud of her as we saw her come around the corner.  She was in a lot of pain, but she finished the race in 2 hours and 20 min.  This is a great accomplishment because her goal was to do it in 2 1/2 hours.  It was a goal that I think she thought was unreachable.  She said that the last mile was the hardest.  It seemed more like seven.  It reminded me of a favorite poem:  

There's no thrill in easy sailing when the skies are clear and blue.

There's no thrill in merely doing things which anyone can do. 

But there is some satisfaction that is mighty sweet to take, 

when you reach a destination that you thought you'd never make.  

Way to go Marci!  We love you!

Fall Family Fun gone very badly...

My brother and his wife are in town for Marci's marathon tomorrow and we wanted to show them some good old fashioned "fall family fun".  So, this afternoon we went to Linder Farms for some pumpkin pickin'.  It started off fun enough...

But, soon after getting there we saw a storm coming....

We decided we still had time to take the hayride out to the pumpkin patch.

Boy, were we wrong!  The tractor got stuck in the mud...twice and before they were able to free us, it started to pour.  Carter thought this was great fun, but I felt so bad for Marci being out there with her little baby.  Brinlee didn't seem to care. In fact, she fell asleep out there on the back of that muddy tractor trailer. :)  

We were soaked and muddy by the time we got back home.   So much for our fall family fun...

Good for you guys!

 First of all, Jamon's making a name for himself as a running back.  The first offensive play of the game he ran 25 yards for a touchdown.  He's very excited to have his Uncle Andrew here this weekend to watch his game.

Which brings me to the next "good for you".  My sister-in-law, Marci is running in a marathon this weekend.  As luck would have it, the marathon is in Boise and we are very happy to have them stay a few days with us.  She is my second sister-in-law to do this.  Jess did a triathalon a while back in Seattle....AMAZING!  

My other brother, Aaron (and his wife), just had their fourth baby this week. They named her Avery Michelle and we're very happy for them.  Avery was one of the names I had picked out for a girl.  Since I never got to use it, I'm happy it stayed in the family.  I think it's adorable!  

Okay Ryan, even though the puzzles were only seen on T.V. for like a second, we were so thrilled to see them hanging there on the wall of that Extreme Home Makeover!  Good for you!!

And lastly, to my friend Connie...."good for you".  I'm so happy for you.  You know what this is for :)   Way to hang in there and not let the crap get to you.  You really deserve this and I know you'll do a fabulous job!!  

I need somewhere to put my cow!

Justin and I are getting a cow.  Or a pig.  We don't know for sure yet.  There's a local farm that offers a "meat subscription".  Every three months you get a certain amount of meat.  I looked into it this summer and thought I really wanted to do this.  It was more economical than the grocery store, but space was an issue.  I use my freezer for butter,  juice, jam, bread, etc.  I didn't think I could fit all that meat in my kitchen.  So, we've been looking into getting a deep freeze for the garage.  At first, I thought the chest freezer was the way to go.  However, I've talked with people who say they don't like them and if they could do it again, they'd get an upright.  Does anyone out there have a strong opinion either way?  I think I see benefits to both.  Maybe it's just a preference thing.  Anyone...? 

Week in Review

I guess I did have something to say...

1.  Monday night we harvested carrots from the garden.  We had the whole family helping on the project.  Justin dug while the boys pulled.  We each had a job cleaning grating and cutting.  It's fun to have the freezer full of carrots! We made a really good carrot cake that night for a well-earned treat.  I'm glad Justin is so into the gardening thing.  I'm not and I know I should be.  This is one of those times where it's extra nice to have a partner.  He really picks up my slack in the whole "teach the boys to learn to work" department.  

2.  Wednesday Jamon got a sweet shiner at school during P.E.  It was pretty swollen and bruised for a day or two.  Luckily school pictures were Tuesday! :)

3.  Thursday night was pack meeting.  Camdon is very excited to be earning his Weblos and turning 11.  He's excited for the campouts.  There happens to be one the weekend after his birthday.  

4.  Camdon is doing a special musical number for the primary program.  One of the songs this year just happens to be the hymn he is learning for lessons.   He's going to play piano while another little girl plays the violin.  I took him down to the church so he could practice on the piano in the chapel.....he nailed it!!  :)

5. Saturday Jamon got promoted from center to running back! He ran 30 yards for a touchdown on his first hand-off.  Not sure who was more excited,  him or Justin. 

Well, that's it for now  Have a good week!

Two Boys and their asthma...

Most of you know that Camdon has asthma.  Carter does too, but it's a little known fact because his is much milder, more predictable, and way more manageable.  Just a few weeks ago, in fact, he had an attack that I had to have help with.  He wasn't responding to the treatments at home and I knew he wouldn't make it through the night without help.  So, I called his doctor and he called in a prescription for the "hard stuff".   We drove the 30 minutes to the all night pharmacy (this was around midnight) and then Carter slept while the medicine did it's thing.  

And while all this was happening, I remember thinking how different it was this time around. With Carter, I have learned to trust the medicine and trust that Carter isn't going to do anything scary.  I know that when he sleeps, I can sleep.  It's so different with Camdon.

All of this is leading up to the fact that we spent the afternoon in the E.R. with Camdon today.  His asthma attacks are so unpredictable and he can go from bad to worse in seconds!  He has had a cold the last few days, so it wasn't a surprise that it triggered an asthma attack.  But he hasn't had one this severe in about 2 1/2 years. I guess I thought he was growing out of it and I let my guard down.  

Anyway, to make a long story short, we knew he wasn't doing well and I thought I'd better take him into one of those "Doc-in-the box" places.  Justin had to run into the office because one of the servers had gone down, so I told him we'd just go when he got back.  At this point he wasn't too bad.  Well, Justin hadn't even made it to the office yet when we were headed to the E.R.  He was throwing up in the car on the way there and he was pretty pale.  I knew he wasn't moving a lot of air.  

I kept having flashbacks from 3 1/2 years ago when he got pneumonia and his lung collapsed.  That day was so scary!  Luckily the chest X-rays showed clear lungs and we only had to stay a couple of hours.  They put him on oxygen and ran fluids and meds through an IV and we were good to go.  All that Albuterol really messes with him, though.  The car ride home was pretty funny.  "Why does it smell like doughnuts in here?"  "How do you expect me to throw up when it smells like doughnuts."  And for the record...there were no doughnuts.  The only thing I was smellin' was the puke from the car ride to the hospital.  It was all over the van floor!  But, when you're high as a kite, I guess puke smells like pastry.  

Anyway, Justin was following us home and Camdon said, "it sure was nice of Dad to come out."  Umm..yeah.  Interesting choice of words.  All I could say was, "well, you know...gotta support the team."  I know what he meant though.  This was Camdon's 6th visit to the E.R. that I could think of.  It was the first time Justin was there.  Usually he stays behind to watch the others because it's the middle of the night, or we have a baby, or whatever the different reasons were.   I hope all these years Camdon wasn't thinking it's because he didn't care. 

Anyway, he's home and doing okay.  He should be back to normal in a day or two.  Thanks to Amy who came and got Jamon and Carter and took them back to her house.  Thank goodness for great friends!  

And thank goodness for you, Camdon.  We love you so much and are so sorry you have to deal with this disease.  I don't know why you have it so bad and Carter only struggles a little.  And why in the world did Jamon get off scott free?  

Ian Johnson and a little boy's dream come true...

It was Jamon's turn to go with Justin to the BSU game this weekend.  I think it's safe to say that Jamon is a much bigger fan than Camdon.  He has been asking forever if he can paint his face, but I always tell him no.  There is no real reason for me saying no, other than Justin being embarassed by the spectacle and maybe me being too lazy. 

Anyway, he worked so hard this week on having a good attitude and getting his stuff done, so I thought, "why not."  He looked so cute in his Ian Johnson jersey and his orange and blue face!! And it really paid off for him!  When they got home, Jamon showed me all the cool things people gave him.... just for having such spirit.  They went a little early to watch the team warm up and Jamon waved to Ian Johnson from the side lines and Ian waved back.  What a HUGE deal for our little bronco fan!  This is definately a night he'll cherish for a long time.  

Grown in adversity...

The empty lot across the street from us is the ultimate playground for a little boy.  It's been used as a battleground, a cemetery, a BMX track, a treasure hunting ground, etc.  Well, this past spring when Justin was planting the garden, Carter asked if he could plant one as well.  Justin said yes and gave him some seeds and no one gave it another thought.  Well, leave it to Carter to plant some zucchini in the empty lot and actually have it grow!  He's made mention of his "plant" before, but I usually just give him the obligitory "uh, hum", not thinking he was ACTUALLY growing something, and just wanting to get on with whatever it was I was doing.  Well, the other day on a walk, he showed me the zucchini plant that he's been growing all summer.  I couldn't believe it!  How he managed to grow something in an empty lot, with nothing but rain water, where the neighborhood boys "will be boys" is beyond me.  Whatta funny kid.  He's so proud of his little plant and why wouldn't he be? This was a project he has been working on all by himself.  I now realized why he was asking for buckets all summer long.  He was just trying to get water to his crop.  Bless his little heart.  Way to go farmer Carter!  

The many faces of Carter....

 I was so into scrapbooking when Camdon and Jamon were little.  I've been feeling guilty lately that Carter's book has about six pages in it and he's four!  I worry that he'll feel left out when he's older and has nothing to look through.  So, I've resolved to get caught up, but in the mean time I wanted him to get his own blog post.  Nuthin' but Carter....he's a nut, but we love him!

Season opener a blowout!

Jamon had his first game Saturday. They won 25-0. He was so disappointed when practice began and he was chosen to play center. He thought it wasn't a very glamorous position, but after this weekend's game, I think he may have changed his mind. He had a perfect snap every time! The other teams' center dropped the ball several times, so he was feeling pretty good about himself. He also plays defensive tackle. He grabbed a flag when the offense tried to run up the middle. Great job Jamon! I'm so glad he's learning about teamwork and the importance of doing your very best regardless of your position. Here's to a great season!