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!

Who are you and what have you done with my husband?

As most of you know, a year ago we moved into a house that is nearly twice the size and twice the payment of our previous house. The only thing that didn't double was our income. So, as you can imagine, things have been tight for us this year. We have been making it work though, by some miracle. We have TRIED to cut costs along the way and one of the things we decided to "do without" was our dish network that we had before.

This past year has flown by with no one really missing this "luxury" that we call cable. Until now. Football season changes things in my family! Justin called me this afternoon to inform me he ordered dish network today. This, because he had to listen to his buddy at work tell him all about the games he DVR'd and how he watched them in just 45 minutes! Now don't get me wrong....I'm not complaining about this impulse buy, it's just a rarity for my husband. He is the most cost-conscientious person I know and with Carter now in preschool and the boys starting up piano lessons again, we'll have a lot of extra expenses that we didn't have this summer. So, that's why I'm surprised. This is just really unlike him.

But, I have to admit, I'm SUPER SUPER excited to have cable again! With the holidays quickly approaching I will definitely be enjoying the food network. I love to see what they cook up for the holidays. I will also be reuniting with my old friend Stephen Colbert. I'm ashamed to admit that I have a little crush on this guy! He's so stinkin' funny and his extreme conservativism is very sexy.

Anyway, here's to football season and the intense pressure it puts on people to see all the games. Thanks for cable, honey!

Puzzles and Extreme Home Makeover...

I think most of you know our friend Ryan Ringel.  Or, at least know OF  him.  He's our friend that lives back east and works for Senator Crapo.  Anyway, he came up with some really cool puzzles that he's been selling at craft shows and shops around town.  He asked Justin to build a website for him in the hopes of making a business out of it.  I, of course, think the website is great (there's a link from my blog, by the way).  

Anyway, to make a long story short, someone saw his puzzles at a craft fair, and then a few days later he was contacted about doing some work for the Extreme Home Makeover show!  They were doing a home in Maryland and wanted Ryan to make some puzzles for them.  In exchange for his work, he gets to have a link to his website on ABC's website.  As you can imagine, Ryan and Justin are VERY excited about this! They are currently working on the website to submit to ABC for approval.  Ryan tells the story in more detail on the site, so check it out if you have the time and want to see the puzzles he made.  MyDaddyPuzzles & Extreme Home Makeover

Ryan is hoping to generate a lot of business due to the "shout out" he'll get on the show.  Justin is just excited that the website he built will be linked to ABC!  It premeirs Sept. 28th, so if any of you are fans, watch for the puzzles! :) Here's hoping they sell out of puzzles!  Congrats to you both....I love you guys!!