BYU Fans

Bertha

2011-02-23T21:37:00.004-07:00

We've decided to adopt! Meet Bertha! She is a resident at the Grace Assisted Living Facility and she is our new adopted Grandma. We have grandma's and grandpa's in Utah, but thought it would be good for our family to adopt someone who just might like some company. It was such a rewarding experience. . .I highly recommend it. Word of caution, maybe go over a few ground rules with your kids before entering an assisted living facility. Zach asked Bertha where her teeth were, and when she told him they were in the sink Zach said, "oh good, I was afraid you always looked like the wicked witch of the west!" Leave it to Zach to make a great first impression! Other then that, I think Bertha enjoyed our company almost as much as we enjoyed her's and we hope to make it a monthly tradition.

VoMiT, BaRf, PuKe

2011-02-23T21:22:00.003-07:00

Does my title grab your attention? Dan and I have been wondering (out loud) why we just can't catch a break! One kid after another always has some sort of health issue. I feel like we are constantly at some kind of doctor's office. This week we have the good old fashion 24 hour flu thing going around, which wouldn't seem too bad if Jackson hadn't lost 6 lbs two weeks earlier due to a bowl impaction. I am sick and tired of my children being sick and tired!!

Now for a bit of humor. . .Zach peed and barfed at the same time! It was hilarious and disgusting at the same time. At least he had perfect aim!!!

On a different note, poor Dr. Payne's dental hygienist had to hear 25 minutes of constant screaming while she tried to clean Zach's teeth. When I say "screaming" it was like full on screaming. The kind you do to the opposing team if the ref makes a bad call, kind of screaming. Ryan and his hygienist were awesome about the whole thing, but I was sweating by the time we got to go home! At least Ryan has to endure it only twice a year!

I love my kids, but sometimes parenthood bites!!

Someone To Blame

2011-01-23T13:38:00.003-07:00

One of my New Year's resolutions was to make Sunday a bit more special than other days of the week. I try to do that by limiting the outside noises of the world. For the past few weeks I have encouraged the kids to read, play games with each other, make a treat as a family, and limit the electronics. I am not against a good family movie, or a bowling tournament on the Wii, but I just have tried to make an extra effort on Sunday to keep it feeling special. Until today, I had no idea Zach was not fond of this new resolution:

Today, I had Pandora on and had it synced to church/religious music. The Tabernacle Choir was singing and I was busy getting dinner ready, and breakfast dishes cleaned up. Zach came down stairs and asked why I always listen to boring music on Sunday. I tried to explain that we have been asked to make Sundays special, and I thought listing to this type of music was a good start. His response was priceless: "Mom, I know who we can blame for this-I think it was the Jews!"

Growing Up

2011-01-22T17:40:00.004-07:00

Maddie is one tough little lady!

I look into her eyes and wonder how this girl could have such a positive attitude towards the trials she has faced in her life.

She is my social butterfly who loves friends. . .of all ages.

She must have a hollow leg because she eats a ton and still looks like a supermodel.

She loves to read, but loves, loves, loves quiz books and joke books the most.

She claims she is allergic to gross food.

She would own a cat if her mother wasn't afraid of them.

She secretly plays Barbies, but is afraid her friends would make fun of her if they found out.

She may have two left feet, but it doesn't keep her from learning the latest dance moves.

She keeps her head held high, even though she hates that she still limps. . .the limp won't be permanent. . .we hope!!

She grows like a weed. . . and is two feet taller than her best friend.

She actually wears the same size pants and shoes as her mother!!

She loves being a "tweenager" and her mom thinks having a shopping buddy is pretty awesome.

Today we celebrated Maddie's "awesomeness" with a lunch date and shopping. She claims after having a piece of cheesecake from the "Cheesecake Factory" she can die a happy woman. I agree.

A year in Review

2010-12-31T12:12:00.004-07:00

To end this year I thought a video slide show would capture the most important events of this year. It feels as though major life changing events have taken place in this crazy year: Maddie was in a body cast and lived in a wheel chair for a third of the year, Dan has been working on the biggest trial of his career, I went back to work after 10 years, Zach got baptised, and Jackers started elementry school. Life has been anything but boring at our house, and yet . . .we survived. I can't help but be thankful for that!

I Did It!

2010-09-12T17:29:00.003-06:00

I am a 33 year old Mormon housewife who just learned to can yesterday!!! Seriously, I can't believe it has taken me this long to get over my fear of canning. It was fun, easy, and almost painless. Just keep your fingers crossed that we don't die of botulism!!!!

What's next you ask? Pears. . . .Wednesday. Wish me luck!!

First Day of School

2010-09-02T21:25:00.003-06:00

My baby started Kindergarten today! Jackson was so excited. He was the first one dressed, the first to eat breakfast, and the first one out the door to the bus stop. I asked him if he was nervous and he said "why would I be nervous mom, this is the best day of my life." Zach and Jack seem to be best friends at school; Zach took Jackson under his wing and showed him the ropes. (I could not be more proud of both of them!)

Zach is excited to be back in school, although his best friend is in another class this year, making Zach a little more nervous than usual. He is always making sure Jackson is okay at recess, and has had fun making new friends of his own.

Maddie was excited to get back to school to show everyone that her legs are as good as new with no wheel chair!! This year fifth graders are in the middle section of the school. She gets her own locker this year, and gets to sit by her best friend Hannah. Life is good. I went to kiss her goodbye on the first day of school and she freaked out and told me to never to that in public again. I had a good laugh, but deep down it made me a little sad that my sweet little girl doesn't publicly idolize her mom anymore. . .although secretly I think she still does.

I love school too! I have time to take long jogs every morning, do my hair, clean my house, oh and read a book in peace and quiet. I love it!! Is it weird that I am ready for apple pies, carved pumpkins, and falling leaves? Fall is in the air, but I am happy summer is here for few more weeks. I'm not quite ready for winter. . .who am I kidding. . .I'm never ready for winter.

McCall to the Wild

2010-08-11T20:03:00.003-06:00

Two weeks ago my parents rented a cabin near McCall for a fun, long weekend. I have to say, McCall is the prefect substitute for any beach vacation, and only takes a little over two hours to get there. My kids could have played in the sand the entire trip!

One of the best parts of the whole trip was that my sister flew out from Texas to join us. It was so fun to hang out with her all week. She even watched my kids so Dan and I could go to the Tim McGraw/Lady Antebellum concert the night before we left for McCall. (I owe her big!!)
The Pancake House and Christmas Store are always a must if you ever make it out there. I think we are planning one more trip before school starts if anyone wants to come for a day trip. Thanks mom and dad!

Order in the Court

2010-07-16T18:28:00.003-06:00

Most of you know my husband is amazing, but now the entire state of Idaho gets to witness my husband's greatness!! This is the case he will be spending the rest of the year working on. (If you want to watch this video be sure to pause my music player at the bottom of this blog!)

Locks of Love

2010-07-10T21:59:00.004-06:00

Every morning poor Maddie's head is traumatized as we try to brush through it. Her gorgeous curly red hair is a blessing and a curse that needed to be dealt with! We had heard about Locks of Love through some friends (thanks Andrea!) and decided that since it was for a good cause we would go shorter than planned by cutting off the required 10 inches. She looks adorable, as usual, and is so excited that someone else will get to have beautiful red hair like hers.

Before: (Just to show you how long it was last week)

After: (we have since styled it really curly and will post pictures later)

The Value of Service

2010-07-01T17:07:00.002-06:00

Today I took my children to Grace Assisted Living. We have become very close with the residents there and they look forward to us coming. I had a permanent lump in my throat all afternoon as I watched my kids interact with all of the amazing people who live there. Zach is full of hugs no matter who the person is. Jackson is my entertainer and "boogied" upon request, and Maddie is all smiles, and easily chit-chats with everyone. We passed out crossword puzzles (large print, of course) and Sudoku booklets to any resident who came buy and offered them cookies and lemonade. After 10 minutes we had over half of the residents sitting around the tables chatting about the "good old days." My kids were fascinated! It was a great summer activity that got my kids out of the house away from TV and video games! Teaching my kids the value of service ROCKS!!

Great News!

2010-06-29T16:14:00.002-06:00

Magic Prayers

2010-05-28T09:12:00.003-06:00

Monday, after Jack's baseball game I realized my keys were not in my camera bag. I had been taking pictures most of the game and remembered putting my keys in a little pocket of the camera bag. It was 7:00pm and my kids and my mom were waiting dinner for us. Dan began searching the vast baseball field looking for my keys. Jackson and I went to the lost and found but still no luck. After 25 minutes I began to think it was a lost cause. I called home telling my mom the situation and instructed her to feed my kids. She asked me if I had prayed for help. . . which I had, but at that moment we both thought to ask Maddie to say her own prayer--for some reason Maddie has such huge faith that everything she asks for she gets. Within 30 seconds I saw a little sparkle in the grass and without hesitation knew it was my keys.

When we got home, both Maddie and Zach were happy that their prayers were answered so quickly. Once again their testimonies in prayer were strengthened, as well as mine.

Surgery, Red Sox, Busy Husband, and Manifests

2010-05-27T16:32:00.007-06:00

Yikes!! It has been a crazy month and a lot happening, so let me catch you up on the latest adventures of our lives!!

Maddie had surgery Monday, May 17 th. The doctor cut her femur just under the hip and twisted it 30 degrees. She has always had a funny walk, with one foot twisting inward causing lots of trips and falls. The surgery took 2 hours and the doctor put her in a body cast (leaving an open area for her to use the bathroom). The surgery seemed to be a success, and Maddie has had very little pain. She has been absolutely amazing with very little complaint!! She is in a wheelchair for six weeks with extensive physical therapy for another six weeks. It may be a long and boring summer for Maddie, but she seems to have a really positive attitude about the entire thing.

Jackson and Zach's baseball season is officially underway. They were excited to see that both of them were assigned to play as the Boston Red Sox. Zachary has really improved over last year and Jackson seems to really enjoy getting some of his own attention this year for baseball. Dan is an assistant coach for both teams and enjoys helping his boys develop an appreciation for the sport. We don't expect champion athletes, but we are proud of the progress they are making.

I don't often write about Dan and his adventures at work. As many of you know he is busy preparing for his murder case which is expected to be in court some time in October. It will be a busy summer as he preps for the "biggest case of the decade" (according to one of his bosses). I am hoping to post local news stories of Dan once the case takes off later in the fall and will keep you posted on the trial.

As for Me I am officially licensed as an Idaho certified teacher!!! I do not have a job yet, and my future is uncertain as to if I will be a working woman next year, but I was just told last week that my name is now on the Meridian School District's teacher manifest for possible teacher applicants. . .which basically means that if there is an opening for a history teacher, I might get some job interviews in the next few months. I am really excited, because I thought I thoroughly messed up during the interview process and would be rejected.

It has been a very busy month, but we are so glad the worst is over. Thanks again for all of your prayers and concern. So many of you have sent cards and gifts for Maddie helping her feel loved!

Handicapped Parking

2010-05-22T20:45:00.005-06:00

People who don't think this sign applies to them really, really annoy me!!!

I will update my blog about this past week in the next few days, but Maddie is doing great!!!

A Lesson in Fasting

2010-05-02T23:10:00.002-06:00

As most of you know Maddie is having surgery May 17th. It is a really big deal because she will be in a wheel chair for 3 months! Today we told Maddie that all of her relatives (on both sides) were fasting for her. She was totally shocked and honored to have so many people care about her. We asked Maddie if she wanted to be a part of the family fast and she loved the idea. Zach wanted in too. When we got home from church we told Maddie to go upstairs and break her fast so we could eat dinner. Five minutes later Maddie came down stairs with tears streaming down her cheeks. She admitted that she really was scared for the surgery, and that fasting made her feel something good but scared inside. A few hours later when Maddie and I were alone, she expressed deep concern for her surgery. I asked her how she felt as she was praying to end her fast. She expressed that as she was telling Heavenly Father how scared she was she got a really funny feeling in her heart that felt really good, but still scared her. We had a special moment today when I got to share my testimony with Maddie about the great power of her fast. I could tell that she was beginning to understand Heavenly Father's love for her and that he would watch our for her during this scary time. Her faith made me feel better about the surgery too. It is moments like these where I know my daughter is growing up to be a righteous young lady who is such an example to me.

Piano Recital

2010-04-30T16:57:00.005-06:00

Maddie had a piano recital last week and did an awesome job. She played "Ten Second Song" which was literally 10 seconds long. . .we timed it, and "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star." She was really proud of herself. It was a perfect recital because it was only 20 minutes long!! Maddie's piano teacher is a young girl down the street that teaches only a few kids, we love her. Maddie's piano skills have grown so much since she started last year and I hope she keeps it up!!

Special Olympics

2010-04-11T17:34:00.003-06:00

“Let me win, but if I can not win, let me be brave in the attempt.”
(Special Olympics' motto)

Saturday was FREEZING!!!

But our hearts were touched as we met families from all over the valley who were just like us!

Each day I realize how blessed our family is!!!

They don't let words like "Autism" limit the things they can accomplish in life!!

The best thing that came out of today, was my realization that my children are amazing. They care for others and treat everyone the same no matter what disability others may have; they are friendly too all.

My kids came home Saturday feeling like winners!! It was a great feeling.

Houston! We Have a Problem.

2010-03-28T15:44:00.009-06:00

(Me and G on the Bike)

Girl weekend has officially begun, and Houston is awesome. It is so much fun hanging out with my sister and mom.

Day one: Enjoyed my first TexMex. It was awesome, after a long day of travel!!

Day two: NASA and the Space Museum, visited the small city of Galveston to see the Gulf Coast, tasted my first Blue Bell ice cream and wanted more, and last but not least . . .(drum roll please) . . .rode my first motorcycle and lived to tell about it!! (No, Dan you can still not get one).

(me at NASA)
(Historical Mission Control)

(Mom and Meg on the beach)

Day three: Went to the zoo in Houston and saw the infamous baby elephant named Tucker (he appeared on Scrubs!), visited Hermann Park, and toured the Holocaust Museum.

(a railroad car at the holocaust museum, this is how they would have transported the Jewish people to the concentration camps)

(Hermann Park)
Day four: Went to church and took a nice long nap (we really needed a day of rest!!)

Tomorrow: Shopping and home!

The best part of this trip has been the constant laughter of three crazy women!!

Book Worm Confessional

2010-03-12T14:21:00.003-07:00

As a young mother I had no time for books. I read every parenting magazine I could find, but when it came time to read a good book, I was too busy changing diapers and playing peek-a-boo. Now that my kids are older I have a little bit more "me" time. Despite what you may think . . .I don't sit around reading all day while my kids are at school (there's no time), in fact, I usually read while my kids are in therapy, or once they are in bed . . .I am still a full time mom with a house to clean and errands to run during the day! But I have discovered that I love to read. I love a good book. However, Dan and I have differing opinions on what a good book actually is. We both agree that Harry Potter books are amazing, but I have discovered that Dan appreciates the classics: To Kill a Mockingbird, Tom Sawyer, Lord of the Rings, things from Charles Dickens. I've tried reading them so I look smart, but I just end up yawning through most of it, and either never finish it, or read it over the course of the entire year, hoping to lose it along the way. I prefer historical fiction, romance, or just a good story. Being a history major you would think I know a lot of historical facts, which I do, but I am more into history for the good story and happy endings.
My all time favorite book is "The Year of Wonders" by Geraldine Brooks. The story of a young woman in the 17th century who lives in a town where everyone is dieing from some plague. She tries to care for the towns people as best she can, and falls in love too. It has everything I could ask for in a book: love, heroism, a good plot, and a little bit of history all in one. I encourage all to read it, I don't think you will be disappointed!

This past February I read five or six books and couldn't get enough. I must admit, I do love a good Nicholas Sparks book (I read two last month!!). But now I am in a book rut! I'm not sure what to read, and have read so many holocaust books these past few months that it is affecting my rational thoughts. I need some good recommendations and I need them quick!! Any ideas??

My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-03-09T17:10:00.004-07:00

Most of you know I LOVE to cook! Through the years I have gotten better and better. Since Dan and I have stopped eating so much junk, I haven't baked as much as I used too and I have really missed it. Now that I have a lot more self control I have decided that I need to start baking a bit more and "plump" up my children. They are so skinny. . .and super picky. . .what's a mother to do??

Here is my absolute favorite cookie recipe that I must share. I have tried every cookie recipe I can, but for some reason I just keep coming back to this one. I got it eight years ago from my next door neighbor. I was pregnant with Zachary and feeling so sick all day, every day. She made me a plate of these cookies and I thought I had tasted a little bit of heaven. The secret to these cookies is to NOT OVER BAKE!!! Cook these for only eight minutes and do not cook a second longer. They may look a little doughy, but take them out of the oven and let them sit on the cookie sheet for six minutes to finish cooking.

The Recipe

1 C brown sugar

1 C white sugar

2 cubes of butter

2 eggs

1/2 t. salt

1 t. baking soda

1 t. baking powder

1 t. vanilla

2 C flour

2 1/2 C oatmeal

1 pkg. chocolate chips or 1/2 cup chocolate chips and 1/2 bag M&M's

cook at 350 degrees for 8 minutes

My Little Einstein

2010-03-01T21:01:00.008-07:00

Okay, okay, I know I sound like every other parent when I say that my kid is a genius, but how many kids do you know who take a math workbook to sacrament meeting and work on it quietly for the entire hour. And. . .yes. . .every answer was correct!! Zach has become addicted to math, he sits at the kitchen table for hours figuring out math problems. He is even staring multiplication and is only in the first grade!!! He certainly did not get his math skills from his mom and dad!!

Today Zach was busy playing with his Gameboy when Dan started to ask Zach how school was. Without looking up to have a normal conversation with his father, Zach briefly stated that his day was "good." Trying to have a deeper conversation with his son, Dan asked Zach how the "spelling bee" went. Again Zach replied "good" and kept playing his game. Dan had about given up at this point, but tried once again to continue his conversation with Zach. He then asked Zach if he did well in the Spelling Bee, without interrupting his game-play Zach said, "Good, I think I won." and continued to play his Gameboy. I think Dan was a little shocked and wasn't sure if he heard him right. . .next thing I know Dan is calling me on the phone to ask if I knew what really happened at the Spelling Bee. (I was at our weekly Physical Therapy appointment with Maddie) I hadn't heard anything about it and was just as shocked to hear that Zach may really have won the spelling bee. I told Dan to check in Zach's backpack to see if there was a note from Zach's teacher or something and sure enough there was a note from Mrs. Redman claiming that Zach is one of the finalist and will have another spell-off this Wednesday against other students! Dan and I were freaking out!!! (Someone had to!!) The other funny thing was that we forgot about the Spelling Bee until last night and just had Zach glance at the words before bed. Our past few weeks were focused on recovery from his surgery, so we weren't going to worry too much about the Spelling Bee this year. I think Dan and I are still in shock!! Tonight we did have Zach look over the list of words that will be given at the next Spelling Bee and sure enough he is a spelling genius!! He got practically everyone right.
So, yes I may sound like an annoying parent who thinks their kid is the brightest, smartest kid in the whole wide world, but now I have proof!!

Keeing Busy

2010-02-18T16:30:00.004-07:00

Zach is getting tired of having to stay home all week, but he has managed to keep himself pretty busy. I am surprised that he hasn't wanted to play the Wii and his Gameboy as much. Zach seems to be quite content coloring, reading, making pictures for his movie theater, and playing quietly in his room. Today as we colored together Zach and I had a pretty good talk. Our one on one talks have confirmed to me that Zach is a really good kid with hopes and dreams that make a mom proud.

Move over Spielberg meet Zach

2010-02-17T16:38:00.002-07:00

While recovering from surgery Zach (with a little help from Grandma) made his own Pokemon movie. I made the popcorn and tickets. We had a fun afternoon. Grandmas' are great because they come up with some pretty fun ideas. It was a three hour project, but Zach was completely entertained!!

For those of you who don't know, Zach went in for surgery Monday. He had a sphincter pharyngoplasty done which you can read all about here and here. Basically having this surgery will force Zach to speak through his mouth rather than his nose. He can still breath through his nose, but his speech should be much more understandable as the air flow travels through to his mouth causing his speech to sound much clearer instead of sounding nasal-ey. He had to spend the night in the hospital, but came home the next day.

He has been watching TV, and playing Wii, but was getting pretty bored by this afternoon. He and Grandma made a shadow-box, colored Pokemon pictures, set up chairs, and got tickets ready. He first presented his movie to his stuffed animals. They thought it deserved an Oscar. Maddie and Jackson loved it too, and would like to made a sequel. Zach is very proud.

He should be back to school next Monday, but he may even want to try going for a few hours on Friday. He is such a good kid.

I'm In Love

2010-02-03T20:33:00.003-07:00

I may not be a decorator, but Dan and I have had a lot of fun decorating our loft upstairs. Yesterday I introduced Dan to Hobby Lobby and I think he was impressed. He even bought me a ladder thing to hold some of my many pictures (I have wanted one for years!!). I also stole an idea from my sister-in-law and put a big "D" on one of my walls. Jackson was convinced the "D" stood for "Dad." I had to make myself stay away from Hobby Lobby today because it is very easy to spend money there!!

It is almost complete. . .I just need curtains, but they may need to wait until I know Jackson has the will-power to leave them alone. . .it could be years!!

Butterfinger Crumb Cake

2010-01-06T16:53:00.005-07:00

Many of you asked for the recipe:

1 Chocolate cake mix

2 small boxes vanilla or chocolate instant pudding

4 cups milk

3 Butterfinger candy bars (or any for that matter: Skore, Kit Kat, Twix, etc.)

whipped topping

Prepare cake as directed in 9x13 pan. Cool and cut into bite size cubes

Mix instant pudding with milk and chill until set.

Start Layering:

first add 1/3 of cake

then 1/2 pudding

finally: 1/3 candybar

add next layer:

1/3 cake

the rest of the pudding

1/3 of candy bar

finally:

last third of cake

entire tub of cool whip (small tub like 12 oz??)

the last of the candy bar

Chill and enjoy!

I'm a little embarassed because it is so easy, but I do love something that only takes 5 minutes to make and tastes good too!

It looks really nice in a trifle bowl, but you could serve it in anything!

Yeah Me! I'm 33!

2010-01-05T20:30:00.004-07:00

My birthday is awesome. How many people can say they were born on the last day of the year? Everyone around the world in some form or another celebrates my day (whether they know it or not). Many get drunk, set off fire crackers or stay up way past their bed time. As a child I thought Christmas was awesome, but always felt bad for other kids because they didn't get to open more presents a week later like me. I have never had to go to school on my birthday, and most of the time Dan has not had to work on my birthday. Some may think that Christmas over shadows my birthday but I don't see it that way. . .and to top it off I usually have a guilt free helping of an extra piece of birthday cake knowing that my diet will start the day after my birthday.

(I didn't want the traditional birthday cake this year. . . this Butterfinger trifle was delicious!)

So, to all of those who celebrated my birthday with or without me. . .Thanks!! 33 doesn't seem all that old, in fact I am healthier and happier (and lighter) than I have been in a long, long time!!

Other important things that have happened December 31st (besides me)

1997
Microsoft buys Hotmail E-mail service

(and to think, I thought the Internet was just a fad)

1997
South African and U.S. surgeons separate Zambian Siamese twins joined at the head

(I remember that!)

1991
U.S.S.R., last day of existence

1981
CNN Headline News debuts

1977
Ted Bundy escapes from jail in Colorado

(I've always been fascinated by him)

1966
Monkee's "I'm a Believer" hits #1 and stays there for 7 weeks

(My husband loves them. I loved their TV show when I was a kid)

1946
President Truman officially proclaims end of WW II

(my favorite part of American history!!)

1907
For 1st time a ball drops at Times Square to signal new year
(Gotta love Dick Clark!)

1890
Ellis Island, in New York City, opens as a U.S. immigration depot
(I love NYC!!)

Do You Die If You Swallow Pennies?

2009-11-27T23:19:00.009-07:00

Call it mother's intuition, but when I woke up Monday morning I just had a feeling something was going to go wrong. I remember making a mental list of all I had to do before Thanksgiving, and knew that this was the one and only day I had to do them. . .my luck was never that good. . .right??

And so the day began:

Got the two kids off to school--check

Exercised--check

Jackers dressed-check

Looking for keys. . .found, and in hand to go. All of a sudden a very serious Jackson comes to me and says, "do you die if you swallow pennies?" I replied, "I don't think so, but you may have to go the doctor if you do . . .so don't."

Jacker's then says, "O-tay, but what if I already did?"

Me: "You are joking, right?"

Jack: "Maybe." Long pause, longer pause. "But, I might have."

Me: "Seriously? Did you forget to put your brain in when you woke up this morning?"

Jackson: "Call the doctor, and then call grandma." (My children seem to think Grandma is the know-it-all when it comes to stuff like this; she usually is!)

So that is exactly what I did. While on hold with the doctor I called my mom. Both encouraged me to go to the ER to make sure it was not stuck in his esophagus.

I will admit, the car ride to the ER was not pleasant. I did a lot of thinking out loud, except for the four letter word of choice!! Jackson was totally quiet the entire ride, until we got to the hospital when he just had to make sure he was not going to die. My first response was that the penny wouldn't kill him, but I was about too. He then asked if you go to the "kid jail" for swallowing pennies. He was white as a ghost at this point and terrified for his future.

To make a long story short. The X-ray showed the penny in his stomach, and just waiting for nature to take it's course. For the next few days Jackson pooped a lot, and would stick his head in the toilet to examine each stool. We never found the penny, but I lied one day and told him that I thought I saw something shiny in the toilet. He believed me, and now he tells me that pennies are "spicy" and he hates spicy things.

Lesson learned. . .I hope.

Proud Of My Boy

2009-11-24T09:03:00.003-07:00

Before I get into Zach's B-day festivities, I just have to tell you how proud I am of Zach. A few weeks ago he came and told me that he is no longer going to watch one of his favorite cartoons because they say naughty words. Since I was pretty sure my son didn't know any actual four letter words I was interested to hear what words he was talking about. Reluctanty he told me: "stupid," "dumb," and "poopy-head." I was so proud of my son, that I grabbed him and hugged him as tight as I could. I assured him that I would never let him watch anything that I thought was bad, but he expressed concern that if we have bad words in our house, Heavenly Father would not be happy. After that, I decided to learn by his example and just be proud of my son. His sister has refused to go along with Zach and expressed great concern that she could not miss this particular cartoon; when she turns it on Zach goes to his room to play with his toys, or goes to another room to watch a different show. He has never asked if he can watch that cartoon since. I am so proud of Zachary. It seems like just yesterday he was telling me how boring church was, and now he can't wait for primary, and fast and testimony meeting. He has quite the testimony and is proud to share it with us every month.
Zach's birthday was short and sweet. I made him a Star Wars Lego chocolate birthday cake which was a huge hit. He got Star Wars Lego for the Wii, a space book, and lots of science stuff to experiment with. I have decided that the age of seven is pretty awesome! I am so proud of Zach, he is loving, kind, responsible, and wants to be independent. He is really growing up!

Happy #7 Zachary!!

2009-11-20T00:46:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday Zachary!!

Some interesting facts about Zach:
He was a BIG baby:
9 lb 5 oz

He has had more surgeries and been in the hospital more than anyone in our family!

He loves computers and video games, in fact we think he is a genius when it comes to both.

He is a very picky eater, but his favorite foods include:
pizza, brownies, sugar cereal, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies,
mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, bacon,
pancakes, and chocolate (he gets that from his Grandma Dinger!)

He loves BYU

He HATES BSU (His father has brain-washed him just a little!!)

He is obsessed with:
Star Wars Lego on the Wii, Batman Lego on the Wii,
Pokemon cards, and most Superheroes

What you may not know about Zach:
He is a Math Wiz
He is a perfect speller
He is fascinated by space

We love you Zachary!
Happy Birthday Big Guy!!

Yikes!! A New Calling For Dan!

2009-10-26T07:51:00.004-06:00

Does this look like the next Young Men's President or what?? I'm not sure if congratulations or condolences are in order, but I do know that the boys are lucky to have such an amazing guy!! Wednesdays and Sundays will be busy for a few years, but Dan will do great!!

Lost

2009-10-22T16:55:00.004-06:00

I am sure every mother has lost a child at one time or another. You take your eye off of them for one second at the grocery store and the next thing you know you are frantically searching every isle to find your kid; they wandered off at the park and didn't tell you they were moving on to the next play structure, etc.; deep down you know they couldn't have gone far, but panic strikes and you start thinking like a crazy woman!! Yesterday I had one of those moments (actually 20-25 minutes that felt like an eternity!).

Jackson loves his dad. He waits for him to come home from work every night. They are "best friends." Last night I told Jackson that Dan was just about in the neighborhood and told him to go wait outside. Five minutes later I hear the car pull in and hear Dan talking. I figured he was just talking to Jackson. A few minutes later he came in with Zach. Being the good homemaker I am, I had dinner on the table ready to go and told Dan to grab Jackson and come eat. Dan asked where he was, I said, "isn't he with you?" and we proceeded to search the house for Jackson. Front yard, back yard, all six bedrooms, under beds, in closets, every bathroom, and then we started searching outside, each taking half of the block to explore. After about 15 minutes of searching, Dan headed to Jackson's favorite park and I got in the car. It was at that moment that I began to visualize Jackson's face on every milk carton in the state. I tried to stay calm, but wasn't sure how long I would keep my composure. I had a feeling to go straight to the road that takes you out of our subdivision and onto Locust Grove (a busy road!!) and sure enough he was waiting at the corner for his dad (thank goodness Heavenly Father answers crazy women's prayers!!). He had the biggest smile on his face until he saw my face!! I wasn't sure if I should spank him or hug him so I pulled over, grabbed my son and starting crying. He had no idea what was going on, but soon realized he had made a big mistake!! AAaaaaahhhhh, Jackson may be trouble, but I love him.

Swine Flu or Swine Fluke

2009-10-19T22:41:00.006-06:00

Zach stayed home from school today because I thought he had the swine flu. It was a little ironic because the school was being vaccinated for the Swine Flu today. I was almost positive he had it, until about 12:00 pm. By lunch time he was begging to go back to school or ride around on his new bike. He had a mild fever, and a really bad headache, but it seemed to just disappear shortly after lunch. This afternoon he and I played against each other on the Wii Sport. It was actually a fun sick day for the both of us, I am now starting to think it was just a small case of the 24 hour flu. Maddie came home today complaining of a headache, and wanting to rest. What ever they have seems to be short lived. (Maddie went to bed early tonight, so I am keeping my fingers crossed that she will wake up feeling great!) Now I just hope Zach can last until Saturday when I go get him the swine flu vaccination.

In other news....my sister came to visit me this weekend. My mom was in town watching my brother's kids, so Meg decided to take the weekend to hang out with my mom and I. I know I've said it a million times before, but my sister R-O-C-K-S!!! I had her take some pictures of my family, so I thought I would treat you all with a little sneak peak of what will be displayed throughout my house. . .hopefully soon. My mom was amazing as always, treating us to lunch, entertaining the grand kids, and helping us do crafts. (By-the-way: I learned how to make the cutest watches ever!!!! They look a lot like the watches you would find at bumblesdesign.com. If any of you are interested I would love to make one for you, I can make them quite a bit cheaper!!!) The long weekend tired us all out, but it was so fun to hang out with my two favorite women in the entire universe!! I miss them so much.

More pictures to come. Isn't my Zach adorable!! I'm afraid Jackson was in one of his "moods" so every picture you will see of him is either of him crying, screaming, or just plain grumpy! I guess when he is a father dealing with a grumpy child I can pull out these pictures, laugh, and say "pay back!!"

Autism Run/Walk

2009-09-21T09:14:00.004-06:00

Saturday was a great day. As many of you know, Autism has become a huge part of our family's life. So, this month was the Autism 5K Run to raise money and awareness for Autism in our community. I pulled a ligament in my leg and couldn't run, but Dan, and two very awesome friends, Kami and Andrea ran in it. . . and did awesome!! Andrea won first place in the women's division, and Kami and Dan were close behind. My parents came up from Utah, to participate in the Family Stroll with my kids and me. Ammon and his kids also came to support. I just have to say that while observing other families with their children I was very grateful for my amazing children. They may have some developmental obstacles to over come, but they are so light compared to what many other children with autism have to deal with. I know it is due to early intervention, amazing children, and my Heavenly Father. We plan to do this every year! Thanks Kami and Andrea for participating! I am so proud of my amazing husband for training hard and getting healthy.

A Shout Out To My Amazing Sister

2009-09-16T08:16:00.003-06:00

Today is my sister's 29th birthday. She is not only beautiful, talented, and smart, but she is also my best friend in the entire universe. We talk practically every day, and have such a great relationship. Here are some funny, and not so funny memories I have about my not so lil' sis.

- One summer we watched Pretty n' Pink practically every day

- For my mother's 40th birthday I took Megan to the store so she could buy my mom a present. I could not talk her out of getting a key chain that said "Old Fart." Not only did it make my mother cry, but we Both got in trouble!!! I guess it was guilty by association.

- Megan and I played with Barbies together until I was about 16 years old!! No joke.

- While on a trip to Europe it was discovered that Megan had taken a picture of her eye for the entire first half of the trip. She didn't realize she was holding the camera backwards. . .and to think. . .her ACT's scores where higher than mine!!

- While watching Raiders of the Lost Ark, Megan and I discovered it was very fun to drink Koolaid in Dixie cups and pretend they were like shot glasses. We would drink our koolaid the way Indie's long lost girl friend Marion would, and challenge each other to drinking contests.

- Megan got straight A's in high school. She is one of the smartest women I have ever met.

- Megan is without a doubt my best friend in the entire universe!!

I am sure I will think of more as the day goes on and will add to the list. But I just wanted to wish my amazing sister a very Happy Birthday!!!

Honoring our Local Heroes

2009-09-12T21:28:00.003-06:00

For the past few years our family has had the honor to serve many of our local heroes. As many of you know, I am a youth service club leader for our life insurance, Modern Woodmen of America. Each month my youth service club serves our community by donating our time and service to those in need. The past few years we have honored our local firemen and women by serving them dinner every September 11th. This time we drove a little ways out to the small town of Star, Idaho and ate pizza with the firemen. My kids had a wonderful time.

Before dinner they took us for a tour of the fire station. Their favorite part is always the fire trucks. We learned an interesting fact: each fire truck costs about $350,000 just to build; to add all of the equipment needed to actually fight fires the total comes to around half a million dollars!! No wonder they are always polishing it and making it look pretty!!

I let each of my kids choose a friend to come. I learned that it takes a lot of patience to be a mother of six!!! They were all well behaved, just the noise level went up. . .a lot! I could tell they all loved learning about fire safety and what it would be like to fight fires.

After the tour the firemen sat down and ate pizza and cake with us. We thanked them for being our local heroes and posed for one last picture. It was a perfect way to honor those who risk their lives every day to keep us safe, and it was a great way to honor those who lost their lives in New York City nine years ago.

September 11th, 2001 was a sad day. Dan and I sat in front of the TV all morning shocked like the rest of the nation, however, it was also a day that brought wonderful news to our family. Dan passed the Idaho Bar and was officially a certified Idaho Lawyer! I can't belive that my husband has been out of school and working in the real world for over eight years!! It made us feel a little old.

Something We Don't Often Think About

2009-08-31T10:17:00.002-06:00

For most of us, the way we speak and say our sounds is second nature, we don't often give it a second thought. For my children, hours and hours of speech therapy have become a way of life. Jackson started speech therapy about six months ago, and with small baby steps his speech has improved dramatically. Today, Jackson himself witnessed a dramatic change within five minutes. . .he can say the letter "K". Instead of going outside to ride his "Bi" he can now ride his "bike." Instead of wanting chocolate chip "tooties" he can now enjoy delicious chocolate chip "cookies." Today as Jackson was in therapy something clicked, and once he figured out how to say the sound he didn't want to stop. As you can imagine, I was excited, his therapist, Jami, was excited, but the most excited person of all was Jackson, he knew he had accomplished something great!! We are celebrating with cup caKes, taCoes, and anything else we can find that makes the "K" and hard "C" sound. Way to go JacK!!

P.S. like everyone else that blogs I will be posting back to school pictures soon! Yippee!!

My Sentiments Exactly

2009-08-30T08:44:00.005-06:00

McCall

2009-08-23T20:45:00.004-06:00

"Two Pant Suit"

This past weekend we went to McCall. I would call it sort of a reunion, but my little sis, Megan and her husband were missing. It was a fast trip, but we had a blast!

The main reason we came to McCall was to see "Two Pant Suit" (a.k.a. my brother's neighborhood/ward band). They played for the MS bicycle dinner/fundraiser and they sounded great!! The boys loved sleeping in the same bed. They got the giggles so bad they could hardly fall asleep.

This is my lovely mom.

She and my pop came up from Utah to spend the weekend. It was so relaxing.

My pop is the greatest guy you will ever meet.

Zach was all smiles the entire time. He also out ate everyone at The Pancake House:two pieces of french toast, scrambled eggs, a good portion of the plate size cinnamon roll, bacon, and hash browns. I don't know where he put it because he is such a bony guy!!

My hottie husband at the beach

These cousins are BFF's
Every time I look at this picture I think she could be a model.
Jackson could have stayed at the beach all day.
We have decided to do McCall a lot more next year!! It was a perfect way to end the summer.

A Birthday Riddle

2009-08-19T08:32:00.012-06:00

What do you have when you:

1. Go to the movies to see Night at the Museum
2. Go on every ride at Pojo's
3. Eat a Happy Meal at McDonalds and play at the play place for over an hour
4. Open presents, which include: doctor kit from grandma, walkie-talkies, digital camera, gumball machine, and much more!
5. blow out four candles and eat yummy cupcakes
?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

A very tired four year old birthday boy!!!

Happy Birthday Jackson! We hope you had a great birthday!

My Baby is Turning Four!

2009-08-15T16:45:00.005-06:00

Jackson's birthday is not until Tuesday, but today we threw him a birthday party. He was so happy that the day was all about him.

His cousins' Seth and Owen came to celebrate, along with his very best buddy Keaton. (The perfect number of friends for a four year old!!)

It was a very pleasant day to spend most of the party outside. We tossed water balloons, hit a pinata, played a very "Mickey Mouse" version of Duck-Duck Goose, and even went on a treasure hunt. Jackson was in heaven.

For lunch we had Mickey Mouse chicken nuggests, Mickey Mouse cheese, and enjoyed Mickey Mouse cupcakes for dessert. You can probably tell that Jackson in a Mickey Mouse fanatic!!

Jackson loved being the center of attention. He is often over-shadowed by his brother and sister, so today was an awesome day!

Jackson, we love you and can't wait to celebrate your real birthday on Tuesday. (Now Mom and Dad need a nap!!!)

Going to Jail

2009-07-20T09:33:00.003-06:00

Due to Dan's job as a prosecutor, the children have created some sort of image in their brains that Dan and the policemen physically fight the "bad guys" and throw them in jail. It also doesn't help that we often tell them that if they don't buckle up, while riding in the car, that a policemen could take them to jail or give me a ticket. I often forget to mention all of the good things policemen do for our community. Last week the children were riding their bikes along the small street in front of our house. Dan and I were in and out of the house working on various house and yard work but still kept a pretty good eye on their where-abouts. Sometime later the boys came rushing back to the house. Jackson yelled, "Mom a policemen! A policemen stopped and talked to us." I was a little surprised but saw him proudly wearing a police sticker on his shirt, confirming his story. I asked Zach why a policemen stopped to talk to them (making sure they had not done something they shouldn't have). Zach said that the policemen thanked them for wearing their helmets while riding their bikes and wanted to make sure they weren't too far away from home. Jackson was so excited he could hardly contain his enthusiasm; he proclaimed, "Mom, policemen are nice. I was very very scared so I said, 'policemen don't take me to jail, I be a good boy!!'" I couldn't help but chuckle. The policemen gave the kids a police sticker and was on his way. I can't help but wonder what that policemen was thinking as he pulled away from my crazy three year old. Jackson is our spitfire, but he sure is cute.

They Should of Brang their Bikes!

2009-07-12T20:19:00.005-06:00

Zach is hilarious. We have been learning a few pioneer songs this month, including the one about pioneer children who walked, and walked, and walked, and walked. Zachary was sitting on the toilet singing this song, when suddenly he stops. A few moments pass and he begins a new addition to the song, "They should of brang their bikes! They should of brang their bikes!"

Closet Michael Jackson Fan

2009-07-10T09:36:00.010-06:00

For years I have had to hide my love for Michael Jackson. As a child I had a poster of him in my room. I remember being so jealous of my brother when Grandma Ham gave him a Michael Jackson Barbie... which months later was given to me. I took care of that doll like it was my own child, caring for the one diamond studded glove, and changing his outfits daily. In high school I could readily give anyone a Michael Jackson high pitched squeal, and was proud of it. As a mature adult I have hidden this love, my husband is not a fan, and Micheal's freakish recent past has forced me to hid my obsession, until today. I truly believe that Michael Jackson is THE greatest entertainer of all time.

I watched the entire memorial service for Michael Jackson and was very touched by the public's outpouring of love for Michael and also his family. I am not naive enough to think his personal life was as good as his music, and I also would not be surprised if he was actually guilty of the crimes he was charged for years ago (side note****he was charged, but never found guilty**).

With that said, I will still rock out to Michael Jackson on my mp3, and will still watch most documentaries written about him. He is and always will be MY "King of Pop."

Amish Country

2009-07-05T21:10:00.002-06:00

We love Intercourse!! Intercourse Pennsylvania is one of the most beautiful towns I have ever been too. I tried not to be rude, so my photos where quick while I thought they weren't looking.

Gettysburg

2009-07-05T20:33:00.003-06:00

Dan and I wish we could have spent more time in Gettysburg. We were only there for half the day. After our two hour bus tour ended we quickly ate and jogged up to Cemetery Hill. It was such a fun adventure. The reverence on that field is unmistakable. As we started to head back to meet our bus it started raining. . .a down-pour. We ran as fast as we could but still got drenched. We have decided to take our children to Gettysburg when they are a little older, as we think it would really make them appreciate their freedom and their country.

Gettysburg was fought approximately in the middle of the Civil War. July 1-3 1863. Over 50,000 men dead and wounded . . . more than any other battle in modern history on this continent. The Civil War sometimes had brother fighting against brother, friend fighting against friend, and sometimes father against son. There was no "bad guy" in this war, just men fighting for justice, for a cause they knew was worth fighting for. It was said that after the three days of battle the farmers suffered greatly; their fields were destroyed. The town's people of Gettysburg complained that the city stunk for two hot months after the battle from rotting bodies of soldiers and their horses, along with human waste left by the soldiers. Today they are in the process of restoring the battle field to the way it would have looked back in 1863. It is a beautiful sight.

Hershey Gardens and the town of Hershey

2009-07-05T19:42:00.000-06:00

Natural History Museum and Central Park

2009-07-05T19:15:00.004-06:00

Our second full day was just as busy. We visited the Natural History Museum and the legendary Central Park. That night Meg made us an amazing dinner and we all stayed up playing Settlers of Catan. Megan and Garrett were great hosts, we didn't go to bed until the wee hours of the morning. I wasn't surprised, but happy to see that we all enjoyed each others company and hated our New York portion of the trip to end.

Friday (the first whole day in New York City)

2009-07-05T18:48:00.003-06:00

Dan and I are back from our trip, and rather than writing a lot, I thought I would mainly just make a slide show. . .after all. . .a picture is worth a thousand words right??

Missin' New York Already

2009-06-28T21:12:00.005-06:00

I am writing this post from Pennsylvania. I can't believe my trip is half over!! Here is a slide show of some of my favorite things I have done so far. I will do a more extensive update when I get home. Mom, Dan wanted to charge you money to get your hands on the pictures of your two daughters together. . .but then quickly remembered that we actually owe you big time for being an amazing grandma by watching our children (I put of few of those pictures in the slide show just for you). We miss you all, but are not ready to come back yet!!!! Megan and Garrett, we miss you already!! Thank you, Thank you, for such a wonderful time. Your hospitality was so generous, and your apartment is so cute. I'm already trying to decide when to come back again. . .do you think I could to the subways alone?? We have had an amazing time, but are grateful for a little rest here in Hershey. We have seen and tasted a lot of chocolate already!!

Surgery Update (it seems like this title is used a lot!!)

2009-06-13T13:14:00.002-06:00

Maddie had surgery yesterday! Most of you know that when Maddie broke her arm they had to put a plate and pins in her arm to hold together the bones. Yesterday she was scheduled to have the rod taken out, but when she was undergoing surgery they were so impressed with how great her bones had fused together they decided to take out the pins as well. We won't have to go back and have any more surgery! Hooray!

Maddie was so brave. She asked the doctor if she could take the pins and the rod home. He thought that was an awesome request from a girl (he told Maddie it would make a good show and tell at school). She came home and was such a trooper. She never complained. Today she is up and about, taking short breaks when needed. Her arm is wrapped up for the next few days until the swelling goes down. She is to wear her brace for four more weeks and then she is D-O-N-E!!!! Broken bones are not fun, so Maddie has promised to be extra careful on the monkey bars.

Way to go Maddie!!!

Last Days of School

2009-06-07T20:21:00.003-06:00

Wednesday was the last day of school for Maddie and Zach. Jackson finished up a week earlier. It is hard to believe that the school year has come and gone, but I am amazed at how much my kids have learned this past school year. Zach is reading!!! Maddie has become a speed reader! And Jackson knows his shapes, numbers, ABC's and much much more. We will miss Ms. Hammel, Mrs. Connelly, and Ms. Sabin, but look forward to popsicles, swimming pools, and lazy summer days.

A Rare Apology

2009-05-30T21:21:00.003-06:00

Dear Dan,

Remember that day just before Christmas when I had second thoughts? I was worried that the Wii wouldn't go over well with the kids. Remember when I almost made you take it back? Well, I am sorry. You were right and I was wrong. Yes, I know, this is probably the first and last apology you will ever get from me; enjoy this while you can. Today I heard laughter. Today I saw high-fives. Today I saw two children (who usually seem to enjoy teasing one another) getting along. Today I saw two children complimenting one another on their skills. Today I saw the excitement of a home-run, and the thrill of getting a strike. Today I saw two kids smiling, enjoying each others company, and feeling like champions. So, today Dan you are a hero. Yes, I was wrong and you were right! Yes, today the Wii has "brought the family closer."

9 year old's ROCK!!

2009-05-13T09:17:00.004-06:00

Tuesday May 12, Maddie turned 9 year's old!! This had to be (by far) the funnest birthday ever. She didn't want princesses, Hannah Montana or the Jo-Bros to theme her party. She wanted a "cute cake with stripes" and an MP3 player. She didn't want a huge girlie birthday party and instead, asked if she and two or three friends could go out to lunch on Saturday.

Maddie really has grown up. In case you didn't know:

* She and I love to sing High School Musical and Taylor Swift songs as loud as we can in the car.

* She and I both love to watch kissing on TV because we are true believers in romance!

*She is as girlie as girls can get. . .purple, pink and lots of frill.

*Maddie's favorite food is homemade chicken noodle soup, spaghetti, chicken nuggets with ranch, and anything chocolate, but she is sure to eat all of her veggies before she eats any dessert!!

*She loves to dance and sing around the house.

*She wishes she had been born a princess--because she loves castles and ball gowns.

*Her dream vacation would be to visit the Eiffel Tower, or to lounge on the beautiful beaches of Hawaii.

*She loves to taunt her father by professing her love for BSU.

*She loves third grade.

*She thinks she might like to be a model when she grows up.

*She has a kind heart and has a lot of friends-- both young and old.

Maddie, we love you and we hope you had a wonderful birthday yesterday!!

An Eventful Weekend

2009-05-04T20:44:00.003-06:00

Our family was given five tickets to watch the Boise Burn arena football game Saturday night. (To be honest, I didn't even know we had a team!!) We had never been and thought it would be a fun family experience. The kids sat through the first half pretty well. They were more interested in posing for silly pictures than watching the game, but we still had fun. We were all a little surprised that our arena football team wears pink jerseys! . . .not the most manly color, but Maddie sure thought they looked cute. Zach said his favorite part of the whole experience was the (scantily clothed) cheerleaders. It was then I realized he was definitely a male. He cheered very loud every time they ran on the field. Jackson thought it was all a bit noisy but enjoyed the treats I brought. I think Dan just enjoyed getting out and watching football. I don't think he really cared who won.

All the kids found swimming suits for the summer. Jack, of course, found everything Mickey Mouse. . .Mickey Mouse swimming suit, Mickey Mouse matching sunglasses, and Mickey Mouse flip flops. He was in Mickey Mouse heaven.

And last but not least, we planted flowers at the kids old elementary school. We had a lot of fun in the pouring rain!!!

We had a lot of family fun this weekend. I just wish the heat would return. We are all excited for summer to start.

Cupcake Day

2009-04-26T18:34:00.003-06:00

In honor of Cupcake Day (which was actually yesterday) the kids and I decided to make chocolate cupcakes. Yes! There really is a day named Cupcake Day. I guess in NYC and places back east all of the famous little cupcake shops gave away a free cupcake to celebrate this day. Which is quite a sweet gift considering the fact that when I was in New York, with my sister and mom, we paid about $4.00 for a delicious cupcake. It was worth every penny.

I'm Too Sexy For This Blog

2009-04-19T20:44:00.004-06:00

It is really hard to pose for a picture to show off my skinny-ness because I started to feel really self conscious. If I had the guts I would have posed in my totally rockin' hot spandex running stuff, but I couldn't work up the courage. So instead you get me in my denim skirt. . .which hardly shows any hip action and my house slippers. Yeah, I know I'm a freak. I will say that being a size 4 is totally amazing, and I find myself double-taking in the mirror all the time because it still doesn't look like me.
It was even harder getting a picture of my super cute husband. He is a little camera shy. . .you probably never, ever would have guessed. He's lost 40 pounds and is hoping to lose just a few more to reach his goal.

I knew I was in trouble on this picture when I asked Dan to please try to smile just once in his life. . .when he responded "Yeah, I don't really know how to smile for pictures, is this a smile??" We both couldn't stop laughing after this one. . .he actually looks pretty cute!!

So, the question is. . .will we keep it off?? After my peanut butter kiss cookies today we have both been questioning our will power, but it actually hasn't been too hard. Lot's of water, lots of fruits and veggies, a bowl of high fiber cereal every morning, and 100 calorie popcorn have been our secret to success, not to mention a great workout every day. Dan and I are in the best shape of our lives and hope to keep it up.

Family Weekend x 2

2009-04-14T17:20:00.008-06:00

We have had visitors two weekends in a row. Conference weekend my parents came up from Salt Lake. I feel bad because I don't think it's very easy to watch conference with children running all over the place. My dad and Dan worked on our new swing set Saturday during the second session. We did squeeze in a few activities: Discovery Center, Guido's Pizza, trip to the mall, first real BBQ of the year. We had a lot of fun.

Dan's family came up for Easter weekend. We had a great visit with them and I even beat Dan and his parents at Catan!!! We stayed busy Friday and Saturday. John and his family joined in on all of the festivities too. We ate some yummy food all weekend, visited the Discovery Center, went to the Mix 106 huge Easter Egg hunt, colored Easter eggs, celebrated Dan's birthday, and had fun visiting with family. We hope to see them again soon!

Maddie got her cast removed and now has to wear a brace for 4-6 weeks. She is such a brave kid! We now have to do hand and elbow therapy twice a week to help loosen up her joints that have not been used for the past few weeks.

Dan turned 35 on Monday!! He is turning into an old man! (but a cute and skinny one!!)

Hope you all had great Easter.

Easter was so nice. The kids got bean bags and too much candy!!!

Surgery

2009-04-06T15:23:00.002-06:00

Just when I thought my family was getting back to normal. . .Maddie needs surgery on her arm. Eeeeek!! The bone is gravitating towards the wrong bone, and must be manipulated to grow correctly. They are inserting a rod to hold the bone in correct position. The other broken bone needs to be turned slightly in order to grow properly. Surgery will take place tomorrow morning at 7:00 am. Maddie will be in surgery 60-90 minutes, and will be allowed to go home once she wakes up. Recovery time will be one to two days at home. Maddie was in tears because she loves her cute hot pink cast that already has a lot of autographs. I just hope my little "diva" can handle the pain these next few days. . .last week you would have thought that every bone in her body had broken because she couldn't do anything for herself!! She'll do great. . .I hope.

As for "skinny" pictures of Dan and I. . .I promise to get those up as soon as this surgery blows over! You'll just have to wait to see our amazing new figures for a few more days.

Spring Break was a BUST!!!

2009-03-30T16:07:00.003-06:00

I knew luck was not on my side my first hour into spring break. I was driving to Salt Lake City, Friday afternoon; I drive about 79-80 mph and stay in or close to the fast lane most of the time. I was approaching a slower car and inched up on it (urging it to move to a slower lane, I wasn't trying to be rude, but I am sure I could have been more considerate). The van moved over and let me pass. As I pass the van I notice the entire family in the car waving at us. I realize it was one of my neighbors driving to Utah as well. I was completely embarrassed!!!

We arrive in Salt Lake that night with no problem. The next day I get the kids dressed and have a big day planned: park, swimming, visit great grandma and cousins, etc.. We get to my old elementary school to play at the new play ground. Maddie decides to try these funky monkey bars that twist, 30 seconds later she is on the ground calling for help. Her arm is twisted and looks mangled! We spend most of the day in Urgent Care and in the emergency room; Maddie broke her arm in two places.

Maddie spent most of spring break on Grandma's couch with her arm propped. The boys were great, but had to spend most of our trip at grandma's while we nursed Maddie back to health; Grandma did take the boys to a "Jungle Jim's" which was a blast. It snowed most of the time so we left a day early to beat a big storm that was expected. On the way home Zach complained of ear pain. I figured it was just pressure in his ears because we were driving through mountains, but the next day he was in constant pain. The pediatrician said both ears were infected, and his ear drum burst at the pharmacy as we waited for his antibiotics to be filled!!

My spring break was a bust!!!!!

For good news. . .
1. We originally thought Maddie would need surgery because they couldn't get the bone to align correctly, but today the X-Rays showed that there was slight improvement, so they think within a few weeks it will correct itself. . .plus she is young and bones tend to heal better at a young age. She got her arm casted today and of course chose hot pink.

2. Our 12 week weight loss competition ended today!!! I will write another update on that tomorrow when I get my family's weight loss numbers. Together Dan and I have lost 55 LB's!!!!!! We look and feel like different people. I can feel bones I didn't even know existed in my own body!! Dan looks like a new person and will have to have everything tailored and taken in! He is super S-E-X-Y!! It will be nice to eat a bit more normally again, however Dan wants to lose 8 more lbs before he is done!!

This Is For My Husband

2009-03-21T10:02:00.003-06:00

My husband and I love "The Office." Last Thursday my husband replayed this segment of "The Office" over and over again. I thought you might all enjoy a good laugh today.

Zach's Creative Kite

2009-03-17T15:53:00.004-06:00

Zach's Kindergarten class is having a kite parade this Friday to celebrate the first day of spring. For his homework he was given a white kite and told to decorate it any way he wanted it. . .it just had to be creative. For the past few days we have been trying to decide what to do with it. Finally last night he decided he wanted to do a kite all about him. We looked through magazines and found lots of things that describe him-- from Spiderman to Happy Meals and M & M's to Baseball. Today he spent two hours decorating it perfectly!! Take a look.

We typed words that described him and used them for the tail and the border of the kite.

This next kite is Jackson's. . .he just wanted in on the fun. His turned out very cute too.

He was very proud of it.

Bring on Spring!!

New York

2009-03-10T10:39:00.010-06:00

My trip to New York came and went, but it was one of the most memorable trips I have ever had. It started late Wednesday night as I met mom at the Salt Lake airport. We flew all night so we would be in New York bright and early. Meg met us at the JFK to help us navigate through the Subways. . .a good thing because it can be very over-whelming. We went to her apartment and slept for two hours to give us energy for a long, adventurous day, and a busy weekend!! Instead of giving a travel log, I thought I would write some random things about my trip.

* The highlight of the trip for me was the Broadway play "Mama Mia" Thursday night. We enjoyed delicious (and guilt free) Italian Food before the play. We probably walked 18 miles that day. The play was absolutely amazing. . .I'm not even an ABBA fan and still loved everything; you gotta love men in tight Elvis pants!!

*Trader Joe's totally rocks. We enjoyed nuts, dried fruit, and other delicious foods you can only get there.

*New York Pizza is everything I thought it would be and more. . .soooooo delicious.

*We stumbled upon this amazing New York bagel place, the line was out the door so we figured it must be good, the cream cheese was probably two inches thick.

*I saw my first rat in the subway station my second to last day. It was awesome and gross at the same time.

*I was expecting totally rude people in New York, but we met some of the most friendly people. Meg lives on Graham Avenue . Many shop people waved as we walked by every day. The ice cream man down the street, was one of the nicest men I have ever me. He has lived in the same apartment since he was a boy. He told us about his experience during September 11th as he stood on the corner of his ice cream shop and watched the towers come down, you could see the sadness in his eyes as he recounted that tragic day.

*Cream ice is just as good as ice cream, but without all the guilt.

*The pizza man under my sister's apartment told me he would fatten me up with his pizza. . .I have never been told I need to fatten up!! I guess my diet is paying off!

*I ate 1/3 of a cupcake for lunch (The three of us split one)!!! The calorie content was probably as much as an entire McDonald's extra value meal, but it was delicious!!

*The "L" train was the cleanest of all the subways-- we used hand sanitizer everywhere we went!!

*I can see why everyone loves to shop in New York. I have never seen so many stores!!

*Real New Yorker's accents are sooooo cool. I love the way the say "Brooklyn."

*I now know what a person smells like if they haven't had a shower in years!! You can smell them over 100 feet away. . .sooooooo sad.

*I touched a purse that was over $2,000 dollars. I can't imagine paying that much for my entire families wardrobe, let alone one purse!!!

*Everyone thought my sister and I were twins-- which is funny because she is totally beautiful, almost six feet tall, and could be mistaken for a model . . .should I be flattered??

*New York really is the melting pot of our country. What an amazing city!!

Burnin' Down the House

2009-03-02T13:52:00.006-07:00

Dear MoM anD dAd,

I aM soRRy i almOst bURned dowN the HOusE SaTUrdaY.

i Was JUst WoNderInG wHat WoUlD haPPen if I STufFed a boOk inTo ZacH's Lamp SHade. If DaD Hadn't sMelleD Smoke in tHe HousE I MighT haVe bUrned it Down!! iT realLY was An aCCident!! i won'T do it AGain!! it was a gooD thinG moM foUNd it whEn she diD. I gueSS the flameS and the Smoke werE a gooD clue. i Almost didn'T fesS up. . .too bad ZacH blEw my coVEr, i kneW I couldn't trust HIm with My seCret.

i don't KNow why the HoUse sTill smeLl's liKe sMoke afTer thRee dAys!! Hey, i got a GOod ideA, cAn we RoAst Marshmallows neXT tiMe??

XOXO,

jaCKsoN

My Date With Jack

2009-02-28T13:06:00.003-07:00

Jackson and I decided to go on a date last week. We decided to use our family pass to the Discovery Center. . .a favorite among my boys. It was such a relaxing morning, and Jackson got a lot of one on one time with his mom. Jackson may be my "wild card" but when it is just the two of us, he is such a delightful kid.Here, he and I were trying to decipher what animal the X-ray was showing us. Jack was amazed by the X-rays.

We always love the grocery store at the D.C. . Since we were on a date, Jackson insisted that I hold his hand most of the time. He has since asked everyday when we can go on another date to the Discovery Center. Since we have an annual pass it makes for a cheap date!!

In other news. . .Jackson is finally "poop trained!!" He has been potty trained for over six months, but today is day three of no poop accidents. We are going to get a Light-Saber at the store today for his reward. Way to go Jackers!!

Repelicans vs. Democraps

2009-02-09T14:01:00.004-07:00

Maddie's third grade class watched the inauguration of our new president a few weeks ago. Over the past few months they have discussed both political parties and even voted in November as a class. According to Maddie's class it was Obama-2 McCain-19. To my surprise Maddie was one of the two in her class to vote Obama. From the beginning of our marriage Dan and I decided to not bias our children with our political views. We are very careful when we discuss politics, and hope that when our children decide to pick a party it will be of their own choosing. (Of course Dan is hoping they swing right, and I am hoping they swing just a bit more left)

Maddie and I had a funny discussion last night, here is the condensed version:

Maddie: "Mom, why does Dad like Ronald Regan so much?"

Me: "Because Dad likes the way Regan ran our country."

Maddie: "Is Regan a Democrap or a Re-pelican?"

Me: "You mean a Democrat or a Republican?"

Maddie: "No, I mean a Demorcrap or a Re-pelican."

Me: "Well, I guess that would make Regan a Re-pelican just like Dad."

Maddie: "So are you a Democrap then?"

Me: "Yes, I am a Democrat."

Maddie: "You mean a Democrap?"

Me: "Yes, can we read Junie B. now?"

Maddie: "Mom, what is the difference?"

Me: "Are we talking Junie B?"

Maddie: "NO MOM! We are taking DEMOCRAPS and RE-PELICANS!!!"

Me: "Well, it would take all night, but to give you a simple example, right now Obama wants to use a lot of money to help people all over the United States, most Republicans think he is spending way too much money and would like to not spend so much."

Maddie: "Oh, well that makes sense because Dad is always telling me to save my money for Disneyland, so he must be a Repelican. And there is always a man standing by Walmart asking for money and you never give him any. . .does that make you a Re-pelican too?"

Me: "No, that makes me cheap."

Maddie: "Well, you must be a democrap because you always spend money at Walmart on groceries. . . I don't know which party I am because Democrap has a bad word in it, and I didn't vote for John McCain, so maybe I am not a Re-pelican either."

So, there you have it. I have the cutest daughter in the entire universe.

Maddie's American Idol Dream Crushed!!!

2009-02-04T14:18:00.003-07:00

Every Tuesday night the kids get their homework done early because they know mom and dad will let them watch American Idol. The first few weeks the kids had a great time being Paula, Randy and Simon as they debated about whether the contestants could actually sing. Now that Hollywood week has begun Maddie's not so sure she likes Simon's rude remarks. Last night we had to turn it off early because Maddie was in tears. Simon had just told a young man that his voice was horrible and he would never have a singing career. Maddie was horrified that someone could be so rude. (Funny that she has no problem speaking in "Simon like" tone to her own brothers at times) Through tears Maddie expresses another concern, "Mom when I go to Hollywood week when I'm old enough, Simon better not speak to me that way, I guess I just can't be on American Idol if Simon is so rude!" Her dreams of becoming a super rock star have been shattered. She went to bed furious. She has dreamed for two years of receiving a golden ticket, and now it may never be. After a few minutes she comes out of her room and says, "maybe when Simon leaves the show I can go to Hollywood right?" I guess she is expecting Simon to retire in the next few years.

Maddie, I must be like every other parent out there, but if I were a judge I would give you a golden ticket.

Piano, redecorating, Calories and cuteness

2009-01-29T13:25:00.007-07:00

Maddie started piano lessons yesterday!! She was so excited. I am having a girl in our ward teach Maddie. Shayla has come to babysit several times and is very sweet to my kids. Maddie absolutely loves her, so when I told her that she would be teaching Maddie piano lessons my girl was ecstatic. I hope she is remains excited when she realizes that she will have to practice every day. We have been talking about piano for months now. Maddie seems eager!

I don't have a picture yet, but Dan and I have started redecorating our room. We got a new bed spread (an earthy green color maybe sage) and found some gorgeous micro fiber light brown chairs. We have always wanted a sitting area where we could relax, unwind, kick our feet up and watch TV. We have also found some nice pictures, and a gorgeous ottoman to match. We rearranged the furniture too. It is absolutely beautiful. I still have a lot of finishing touches. Our room feels a little plain, so I need to find some pillows or something to help, but it looks great. I still wake up thinking I am in some grand hotel room. Once I get my room looking perfect I will post some pics on the blog. Dan and I were amazed at how cheap it all came together. Everything we bought was on clearance, even the chairs!! I love it.

At dinner a few nights ago Maddie declared that Dan and I are always talking about calories. I guess we didn't realize that we talked about it so much. As many of you know, Dan and I are on a diet. My family it doing a "biggest loser" competition, and the winner gets $80.00. Dan and I are very competitive, but also very supportive of one another. I know I don't have a lot of weight to lose, but one of my new years resolutions is to be healthier. I am proud to say that Dan has lost over 15 lbs and I have lost 12 lbs. We are feeling great!! The competition lasts until the end of March, by spring time Dan and I will look like cover models. By the end of our twelve week diet I hope we have established some really good eating habits!! It is nice to have Dan so fired up about this, it makes dieting easier knowing that I am not the only one going to bed hungry.

Finally I just had to post a picture of my totally adorable three year old. I found that cute coat at Target, with a matching hat and some adorable Lightening McQueen gloves that go really well too. Everything was 75% off. I felt like a girl in a candy store!! He loves it too. In fact he wore his coat most of the day and didn't want it off. I finally peeled it off of him, only to find him dripping wet with sweat.

Feeling Patriotic

2009-01-20T14:31:00.008-07:00

Most of you know I swing a little left when it comes to my political views (much to Dan's dismay), and I can't help but feel a little patriotic on this day as I watch the Obama inauguration. I worry that Americans' expectations are a little high for one man to undertake, but I am excited for a fresh start. I'm a history teacher at heart, my favorite part of American history would have to be the Civil Rights Movement. I may be too young to have experienced it first hand, but I am proud to think how far America has come. I am sure Dr. King is smiling today.

MRI Update

2009-01-13T15:16:00.003-07:00

So many of you have asked how the MRI went and I want you to know how much I appreciate your thoughts and prayers!! It went GREAT. Maddie was so brave. She didn't even have to be put under which meant NO NEEDLES!! Maddie and I were both relieved. We did a trial run by using a CD that had all of the noises of an MRI machine, she laid in the machine perfectly still and wasn't scared a bit. So, after ten minutes of practice we did the real thing and she did great. We both had to wear scrubs because the MRI is very sensative to metal. I sat in the room while Maddie laid on the MRI table. If she moved or opened her eyes I was allowed to give her leg a squeeze to remind her to hold still. It lasted about 25 minutes and she was done. They smothered her with prizes at the end, and by the time we were finished she decided that MRI's weren't "stupid" after all. We won't have the results until the end of the week, but thanks again for being worried about her.

Mom, I Think I Need To Say a Bad Word!!

2009-01-11T15:37:00.003-07:00

Maddie is having an MRI tomorrow morning. Nothing serious at all, Maddie just has spastic movements in her body that cause her to rock. Her doctor just wants to see if there is an explanation for it. . .probably not. . .but an MRI might catch something that we can't see otherwise. I have been waiting as long as possible to tell Maddie because even the sight of blood makes her cry. Today during lunch I tried to ease into the conversation as if it was small talk . . .it didn't work. In fact she was in tears for probably and hour, and is sure that the I.V. they use to help her sleep during the MRI will hurt. Through tears she says, "Mom, I hate MRI's, they are not fun, they are dumb, and Mom, I think I need to say a bad word!" Knowing exactly which bad word she was thinking I said to her, "Maddie, I think that word is probably appropriate at this time, go ahead and say it." Maddie yelled "and MRI's are STUPID!" I actually think it made her feel better. After the hour of tears Maddie came up with a great solution, "Mom, I'm going to pretend that I don't have to have an MRI tomorrow so I wont worry about it for the rest of the day." Poor kid, seriously how many eight year olds have ever had an MRI?? It wouldn't be a normal year for the Dinger's without at least one trip to the hospital. 2009 didn't disappoint.

Just Say No

2008-12-27T11:44:00.005-07:00

Maddie had to get some blood drawn yesterday at St. Lukes Medical Center. The phlebotomist had just opened the alcohol envelope to wipe Maddie's arm clean when Maddie shot out of the chair and said "What is that?" The women explained that she needed to rub the alcohol on her arm to get it clean before she put the needle in. Maddie then said "I don't do drugs, my church says it is not allowed." The phlebotomist explained that this was rubbing alcohol not drinking alcohol and that it would be okay to use. I stepped in and told Maddie that it was okay to use rubbing alcohol, and that I was proud of her of standing up for something that was very important. Maddie was still very worried and asked if she would have to go to the bishop for breaking a commandment. I explained again as best as I could that it would be okay. She reluctantly sat back down and let the phlebotomist go about her business, but I could hear several others in the hallway laughing and talking about how cute Maddie had been. I guess I don't have to worry about Maddie doing drugs or becoming a drunk!! You go girl!!!

Zach's Breakfast Prayer

2008-12-23T14:32:00.002-07:00

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for this food, please bless it.

Please make it summer. . .again. . . right now. . .please!!

Amen

He's a boy after my own heart!!!

Snow Day

2008-12-16T16:25:00.003-07:00

And after. . .a little hot chocolate!

Another Hilarious Story

2008-12-08T23:00:00.005-07:00

So, Maddie has really said some hilarious things these past few days. Last month I took the kids to the pediatricians office to get their flu shots. I actually had them get the flu mist-- which if you don't know what it is, the nurse sticks a little syringe up your nose and shoots the flu vaccine through your nose so you don't have to go through the trauma of getting a shot. Needless to say, Maddie didn't like it very much and claimed she never wanted to go back there again. Well, I had to take Maddie to the doctor today. I'll spare you all the details of her visit, but as we pulled into the parking lot her exact words were, "Oh no! I remember this place, this is where they put water up my nose; what are they going to do this time give me a shot up my bum???" We both laughed really hard all the way inside.

Two Funny Stories

2008-12-08T09:31:00.009-07:00

Saturday night we decided to take the family out to do a little Christmas shopping. Zach was sitting in the back of the car when announced, "Today is Saturday and tomorrow is Sunday, the boring-est day of all!!

Zach has never been a fan of sacrament meeting and pouts all morning while getting ready for church.

Now for the funniest story ever!!

Dan really wants a Boston Red Sox hat for Christmas. We decided to go to the mall and check out all of the sports stores. We entered a really small store--10 people would make it crowded!! It was full of BSU stuff. We start to go inside and Zach yells, "EEwwww BSU stuff, I hate BSU, I'm not going in there!" I shushed Zach as quickly as I could and told him it was okay to come inside. Maddie was inside this small store and announces to Dan as loud as she could, "Dad, I don't like BSU anymore. . .Now do you like me???" The other people in the store began to chuckle and the two guys that worked there (dressed in all BSU garb) laughed even harder. We were all really embarrassed. So to lighten the mood I replied, "Well, I guess you know our family's dirty little secret." Dan and I hurried the kids out as fast as we possibly could.

Dan has always been very vocal about his love for BYU and his hatred for BSU, but since that night he has swallowed his pride and told Maddie she could like any school she wanted and that BSU wasn't a naughty school. I could tell by Dan's face that he couldn't believe what he was actually telling Maddie, but trying hard to make it sound convincing. . .it serves Dan right!!

Top 10 Most Memorable Thanksgiving Moments

2008-12-01T10:18:00.003-07:00

10. Thanksgiving dinner--amazing as always. I think we should eat the pies the day before because there is never enough room to thoroughly enjoy the pie at the end of such a great meal!

9. Swimming with Grandpa--a tradition the kids look forward too every time they come.

8. Baby Ashlyn--The blessing was beautiful. Ash is such an adorable baby. Good job Steph and Eric, she was dressed so adorable every day. We never got to babysit. . .maybe next time.

7. Date night with the Dunn's--Dan and I went to Centerville and met Marinda and Matt for dinner. What a fun night!! I hated to say goodbye. Friends like the Dunn's only happen once in a life-time!!

6. Dinger Desset Night/Competition--a tradition two years in the making, or is it three? Yanira's cheesecake won, but Dan said they were all really good. Even our nine year old nephew, Brandon, submitted a chocolate cake that took third place!!! Dan and I were too lazy to make a dessert this year--actually we just didn't want to steal the glory from everyone else. I missed out because I went on a birthday shopping spree with my parents--it was so much fun!!

5. Decorating Grandma's Christmas Tree--Grandma Dinger was nice enough to let her grand kids decorate the tree this year. She even had ornaments for them to decorate and put on their own tree. My kids loved it. The tree looked great!

4. Ikea--I will never get tired of that store. Dan's brother had never been so it was like watching a kid in a candy store. . .very funny! I never made it to Tai Pan, but after Ikea I was too poor to even go.

3. The Christmas House--my parents took the kids to this house whose Christmas lights are synchronized to a radio station that plays Christmas music. Cars were lined up around the block to see this house. My kids were mesmerized. It was pretty amazing, Dan and I drove by it on the way home from our date. The kids also went to Thanksgiving Point and said that it was beautiful too. My parents took the kids out while Dan and I were on a date. It sounds like they had a fun evening out!

2. Jackson's Ear Infection--11:00 Friday night Jackson woke up crying. We were grumpy parents having to be up all night until we noticed puss coming out of Jackson's ear. After a priesthood blessing at 2:00 in the morning he slept all night. We took him to an insta care in the morning and found out it was a double ear infection!! Poor kid, he felt much better once the ear drum had burst.

1. Build-A-Bear--Zach got his long awaited BYU Build-A-Bear dog Grandma and Granpa gave him for his birthday and Jackson got a black bear for being potty trained. Maddie even got a winter hat to keep her bear warm in the winter. They had so much fun. We were there for an hour and a half!! It is amazing after all is said-and-done that a dressed stuffed animal can cost anywhere from $25.00-$40.00!! They all turned out so cute!
As you can tell we had a really busy and fun Thanksgiving week! Now it is time to decorate my house and put up my tree. Time flies!

Zach's Birthday

2008-12-01T09:45:00.005-07:00

So, I am about 10 days late, but I wanted to put some of Zach's birthday pictures up on the blog. Zach had three birthday parties!! We had a family birthday for him on his actual birthday. John's family helped us celebrate it. His theme this year was centered around sports, so his first birthday cake was a BYU basketball cake. It looked pretty good if you ask me.

Saturday afternoon Zach invited some boys from his kindergarten class to come to his birthday party. It was a blast. The boys were so nice and excited about coming to a party. It was Zach first birthday party with friends and he loved it. It too was a sports themed party. The boys played a football game that was much like pin the tail on the donkey-- but they had to stick the football in the goal post blindfolded. Then we had a ballpark lunch which consisted of Nachos, Hot Dogs, popcorn, and root beer. Then we had all the boys go outside to hit a sports pinata. Zach and Jack loved that part. Next the boys opened presents, and finally we ate baseball cake and ice cream. Zach had a smile from ear to ear all day. I think the boys had a good time, and I have decided that Zach's friends at school are such good boys!!

Last but not lease aunt Erin made a delicious roast and invited us over for a birthday lunch. Zach loved it. He got his long awaited Webkin's monkey that he has wanted for an entire year. Erin even made baseball cupcakes that were a hit!!

Zach had to wait until Thanksgiving to get his Build-A-Bear from Grandma Hansen. He specifically wanted a BYU shirt to go on it, so we had to go to Utah to get it. He was in heaven at the store and chose a really cute dog to stuff and dress up, of course with a BYU shirt. Grandma even found some cute little glasses for him. The dog even barks. Zach hasn't let Mr. BYU dog out of his sight since he got it.

I know Zach had a great birthday!!! I can't believe he is already six years old.

A Birthday Prayer

2008-11-20T13:37:00.005-07:00

Today is Zach's Birthday, and for the past 24 hours I have been reflecting on the past six years of his life. As many of you know, Zach has had some MAJOR health issues. He is a strong kid-- and my hero because of it. Last night as I was saying my prayers I had a vivid memory. Three years ago from last night I was getting ready for bed and saying my prayers. I prayed for one thing that night: I wanted my boy to have a great birthday, with no vomiting, and no stomach problems. For those of you who don't know, Zach had been diagnosed with Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome. Our gastrointerologist said it is one of the most torturous "syndromes" a person can have, with no known cure. For Zach, every eleventh day was a nightmare. He would wake up early in the morning with horrible stomach pains. He would then begin vomiting every 9-10 minutes for a good 6 to 8 hours. It would be so exhausting for him that in between vomiting he almost looked comatose, but then he would wake up screaming with pain, and start all over again. It was so painful to watch, and yet Dan and I would lay by him all night, and all day until the vomiting would stop. It took so much out of him, that he would then sleep for six or more hours. The day of his fourth birthday marked "day 11" and I was worried that this poor little boy would be sick on his birthday. I prayed for a miracle that night. Zach woke up on his birthday feeling great. We ended up having a wonderful day. However, two days later, Zach woke up very sick and had one of the worst vomiting episodes ever. . .I think it was his body making up for the two extra days it had given him.

Today, Zach has been "vomit free" (more or less) for a year and a half. Last night my prayer was much different. I couldn't help but thank Heavenly Father for my healthy little six year old, the joker of the family, the boy who does Kung Fu Panda moves, the boy who is obsessed with BYU, computer games, and space, and the boy who never goes one day without telling me how much he loves me.

Big Guy, this family wouldn't be complete without you buddy, I love you too!! Happy 6th Birthday!

Oh, The Places You'll Go

2008-11-13T09:19:00.004-07:00

Yesterday was our Young Women in Excellence program. It was a beautiful night!! Out theme was "Oh, The Places You'll Go!!" inspired by the Dr. Seuss book with the same title. I actually borrowed the idea and the script from my mom's stake back home. I was amazed at how beautifully the scriptures that were used went so well with the actual story. I was in charge of much of the decorating and the little gift to give to the girls. The magnets shown above are what we gave to each girl at the end of the night. I thought they turned out so cute, they were surprisingly easy too make!!I made hot air balloon replica's out of helium filled balloons. This picture doesn't do it justice. They covered all of the tables and across the stage. It looked so colorful!

Here are the Seuss cupcakes Michelle made for dessert. They took her five hours but were well worth it! They were a hit!! The tops are actually marshmallows painted with red food dye and tooth picked to each other.

We read the story and had scriptures to go along with almost every page and presented it on a Power Point program. The girls seemed to really like it. I could not have been happier with the results. It was a wonderful evening. Now on to the next big activity for Young Women's--The game of Life, in life size!!!!! AAAAAhhhhh, it never ends!

Pop Medicine

2008-11-12T15:30:00.003-07:00

Jackson had his tonsils out yesterday, and today he is really hurting. The doctor told me that the biggest issue these next few days would be dehydration. For the past few days I have tried everything I can think of to get him to drink, but he gags or vomits or both! He also complains that it hurts to swallow. I don't blame him at all, but I also don't want him to get dehydrated and feel worse then he already does. Finally I got a medicine dropper and filled it with Sprite. It worked!! Jackson has had at least 8 ounces of "Pop Medicine" since I tried my little trick an hour ago, and now he is sound asleep. It was music to my ears as he kept asking for more and more "pop medicine." I hope with a little sleep, a little liquid, and a little sugar in him he will wake up feeling a little better. It has been a difficult 24 hours for him. When he's awake he is whimpering and when he's asleep he moans, and snores. Poor little guy!

The surgery was a success though. The doctor told me after his surgery that it was a good thing we took his tonsils when we did, because they were full of puss, and had horrible soars all over them. I hope once he heals he can enjoy the winter with a few less colds! We love you buddy!!

A Big Surprise!

2008-11-10T17:05:00.004-07:00

Two months ago I was listening to the radio when I heard that "Disney on Ice" was coming to town November 7-9. The moment I heard it I knew we had to go (it's cheaper than Disneyland-- right??). I had Dan buy the tickets that day, but for two long months we have kept it a secret from the kids. Finally the night of the performance arrived. Dan and I had been secretly planning this night forever and the anticipation was almost killing me. Without giving them any hints during the day we simply told the kids to get in the car. The entire car ride they kept asking us where we were going. All we told them was that "mom and dad had a fun night planned and that it was a surprise." When we pulled up to the Taco Bell Arena Zach got really nervous and said, "if this is a BSU thing I am not going!!" Dan assured him that it had nothing to do with BSU, but Zach was not convinced. As we entered the front doors to the arena there were Disney things every where. Zach was the first to figure out what was going on since he had seen a few commercials for it. Maddie saw princess toys every where, so knew it had to be good; Jackson didn't figure it out until the lights went out and the spotlight went right to Mickey Mouse. His jaw dropped, and his mouth didn't close most of the night! He was mesmerized, as were the other two. We had a blast. It was a fantastic show and kept my kids entertained the entire time.

In other news, my Zach lost his first tooth. He was soooooo proud. It had been loose for a few days, and he was sick of it hurting while he ate, so during dinner he said, "Mom, just pull it out right now!" He laid on the couch, I got my trusty piece of toilet paper and with one yank it was out. Zach didn't even cry. I don't know what he was more excited about, Disney on Ice, or the fact that the tooth fairy was coming. He was over joyed!

So, the surprise was well worth the wait and anticipation. I have never heard so many "thankyou's in one night.

Zach Poop-Shoe/Potty-Glasses, Jack Pencil-Bum, and Maddie Hollow-Leg

2008-11-03T19:05:00.005-07:00

Yes, there are a few stories behind my kids new names. First we'll start with my sweet Zach. He's sort of a klutz. Last week Dan was changing Jack's pull-up (Jack hasn't quite figured out how to poop in the toilet yet). Zach walks right on Jackson's disgusting diaper and ended up with poop all over his shoe. We were all grossed out, but thought it was very funny. Then the next day he was going to the bathroom when all of a sudden Zach's glasses fell into the toilet. Of course he was not about to put his hand in the urine water, so called for his mother to do it. The entire family had to come see this silly situation before we actually retrieved the glasses--we all got a good laugh. (of course I got the disgusting job of having to put my hand in the disgusting toilet. . .to Dan's credit he did say he would do it). Thus Zach is now known in our family as Zach poop-shoe/potty glasses.
Maddie has been given the name Maddie Hollow Leg because she is notorious for out eating her father and being skinny as a twig. She ate two huge bowls of Spaghetti and three large bowls of cereal tonight. . .this is very typical of her. We don't know where all the food goes. Dan has decided that she must have a hollow leg. I wish I could eat like that!!

Lat but not least is Jackson (never a dull moment with that kid!). Today all the kids were sitting around the bar eating breakfast. Jackson was busy not only eating, but drawing as well. His bus was only minutes away and he was still lacking pants. I tried to pull him away from the bar, but was met with quite a bit of opposition. After a struggle, the stool fell on my foot and I lost my hold of Jackers. He starting screaming, when I noticed a pencil literally sticking out of his little bum cheek. I freaked out, tried to pull the pencil tip out of his fanny, but only succeeded pulling the pencil, but leaving the lead. I dug the led out and got it cleaned up. It did puncture the skin, and he bled a little. I called the Dr. to see if I needed to do anything else, but was reassured he would be okay. He is now known as Jack Pencil Bum.

Aahh, the life of a mother.

My Totally Cute Family

2008-10-28T10:59:00.003-06:00

Zach is always laughing and teasing his sister! I thought this picture captured it perfectly!

My three boys. . .aren't I a lucky gal?

We could seriously be twins!!

We HAD to do a BYU picture! Our blood does run pretty blue.

I had to share a few of these pictures that Kim took. They turned out sooooooo cute!
Thanks Kim.

A Twilight Test

2008-10-24T15:30:00.002-06:00

Take the Quiz and Share Your Results!

I was hoping to be an Alice, but Esme is good too. Take the quiz to find out what your are. I really want to have a girl's night out and go to Twilight when it hits the theaters, if you are interested let me know!!

Oh No He Di'nt

2008-10-21T08:55:00.003-06:00

Say the title of this blog in your best feisty Jerry Springer voice for it to make sense!! Last night crazy Jackson was up to his old stunts yet again. At dusk (it is important that you remember this!), Zachary came inside without his glasses on. Dan asked him where his glasses were and Zach replied that Jackson had been playing with them and threw them over the fence (Why Zach was letting his three year old destructive brother play with them remains a mystery!). Dan nor I believed that a three year old could actually get glasses over the fence, so we immediately started searching the back yard. On hands and knees we had every child skirting the lawn. Next we moved on to plants, bushes, trees, the grill, and so on. It was getting darker and darker, and very hard to see. After I took a few deep breaths I went over to Jackson and asked him where the glasses had been thrown. In his proudest of voices he said, "Mom, I threw Zach's glasses over the fence." A few minutes later Dan was trudging through the empty field behind our house; meanwhile I had been in the house grabbing lamps and extension cords. Dan and I were preparing for a long night of searching. As Dan searched, I began illuminating the backyard as best I could with lamps, which really helped because within 5 minutes Dan found the glasses. . .and yes, the boys were grounded.

Seriously, I can't be the only one with a crazy child!! I would love to hear your crazy kid stories!!

Zapped

2008-10-20T13:38:00.005-06:00

It seems like so many of my posts are about Jackson, but once again he had a funny thing happen to him. Our church is right next to a farm. The farmer owns a lot of sheep, and often when the weather is nice on Sundays the nursery kids take a walk to the fence where the sheep are. To keep the sheep from wandering off there is an electric wire that runs across the little fence. Every time the nursery kids take a walk to see the sheep, I hear their teacher tell them to be careful not to touch the wire, and every Sunday there is at least one child who touches it . . .yesterday was Jackson's lucky day. He has been warned countless times, but Jackson only hears what he wants to hear. He got zapped by the wire and seemed stunned for about an hour after church. Most parents might feel some sympathy for their child, but Dan and I had a hard time not laughing. . .maybe, just maybe being zapped is the only way to get through to our strong willed little Jack!! The most amazing thing was that he was great the rest of the day. He obeyed, he had no melt-downs, and he was actually pleasant to hang out with. Dan and I are toying with the idea of getting him one of those collars they make for dogs that zap them when they cross a certain wire. (Merry Christmas Jackson! Look what Santa got you!) We also like the idea of a stun gun. For some reason I have a strange feeling Social Services might get called . . .maybe we should just take a walk to the farmers fence just to scare him.

Jackson had a fun field trip today to Linder Farm's Pumpkin Patch. He had a great time and picked a pretty good sized pumpkin. He has a lot of little friends, and is quite a good kid when he wants to be.

Last but not least, my kids were a little sad this weekend to hear that Grandma Dinger's dog, Aussie, was put to sleep this weekend. I was really worried about how Maddie would take the news, but after a quiet moment in her room, she seemed okay. This morning Zach and Maddie were up a little early. Zach jumped into Maddie's warm bed until I was ready to get them dressed. I over heard Maddie telling Zach that Aussie would be well taken care of by President Hinckley and "probably Joseph Smith." They both seemed comforted and moved on to talk about other important 8 year old and 5 year old stuff, (like Lilo and Stitch, and which Polly Pocket would make the best bad guy. . .Obama and McCain didn't make the cut).

I forgot to mention that we got our family pictures taken this weekend by my good friend Kim Hodson. I am super excited to see them, and will post them on my blog when I get them. Thanks Kim, I can't wait to see them!!

What Would We Do Without Jack?

2008-10-16T13:51:00.004-06:00

Most of you know how obsessed our family is about BYU (mostly Dan!). Zach goes around the house chanting B-Y-U-U-U. Well, to make a long story sort of short, Jackson likes to "get under our skin" and tease as much as possible. Much to Dan's chagrin, he is now chanting "B-S-U-U-U!" A few days ago we were getting ready to go for a family walk. Jackson points to the BYU flag we have hanging up outside and says, "Mom, we need a BSU flag too." Dan hears my conversation and tells Jackson, "Jackson, BSU is naughty; we won't be putting up a BSU flag." (Leave it to Dan to brainwash our children!) Jackson screams "BSU is not naughty dad, I want a BSU flag!" Dan and Jackson argue back and forth for a few moments until Jackson starts bawling. (I found it rather humorous that my husband and my three year old were fighting over something so silly! What was even funnier, was that both of them were getting pretty angry with one another!)Needless to say, Jackson now chants "B-S-U" every time Dan mentions BYU, and Zachary runs to Dan's rescue and shouts "B-Y-U" to over power Jackson, so Maddie comes to Jackson's rescue, and my house just gets super noisy!!!
In other news-- Jackson has to have his tonsils out in three weeks. He has had a constant cold for over nine months and his tonsils looks pretty bad, so it is scheduled for November 11th. I will be happy that he will be feeling better, but I hear the recovery is not very fun.
Jackson was very proud of his Pop-Tart/Smartee concoction so I had to put it on my blog. He actually ate it!! He is crazy, but we love him.

Maddie and Zach are doing great. They love school, and are really excited for Halloween. Maddie quit cheer leading this past month because she wanted to try new things. She wants to start piano lessons, so we are hoping to get her started after Christmas. I guess that is all, it seems like I haven't written a post in quite some time.

Jury Duty, No School, and Movie Night

2008-10-02T21:39:00.004-06:00

Today has been a crazy day!!! I have been on jury duty all week. Dan and I thought I had a pretty high number of 377, but by Tuesday night they were already in the high 200's. Most of you would probably be glad to serve on a jury; I however, know that it will be a wasted day when they realize my husband is a prosecutor for Ada county and kick me off every jury panel. It is hardly worth my time when I know I am going to be sent home. Plus, my kids had a short week of school so it was just my luck to have my number come up on the first day of their vacation. Luckily I was a "standby" juror and had to call in this morning to see if they still needed me. After waiting around until 10:00 a.m. at home by the phone, I finally received the call that my case had settled and I was no longer needed for the rest of the week. Hooray! I just happened to get a lucky number because only numbers in the 300's were on standby, the rest had to show up. Last I checked, they were calling numbers in the 600's this morning. For once luck was on my side. So, the kids and I went to lunch and then went to the mall and had a very fun but tiring day.

Tonight, some friends of ours (thanks Petersons) invited us to an outside movie night. It was so much fun. When it got dark, we sat around and watched "Alvin and the Chipmunks." My kids had a blast! Maddie and Zach thought it was the funnest thing we have done in a long time. They have been waiting for almost and entire year to actually see this movie. Jackson went home early to get to bed, but the other two stayed up until the end. So many families came. It was so nice to socialize, and the weather actually cooperated! Thanks Kami and Dave! That was a great idea!

Enjoying Fall

2008-09-27T15:21:00.006-06:00

This week marked the first week of fall. The weather has been beautiful and and the trees have just a touch of color. Before the summer heat completely disappears we wanted to take advantage of the Boise Foothills-a favorite family hiking spot. The kids did great, but after almost two miles Maddie was finished! She claimed that her feet could not walk another step because she had to save her energy for the Disney Store (she's been saving for a Jasmine doll that she has had her eye on). Dan gave her a piggy back ride about 1/4 of a mile to the car. . .she is such a DIVA! The boys did great too. Jack rode in the exercise stroller much of the way because he has a sprained ankle (he likes to jump off of furniture, no matter how high it is, and he hurt his ankle earlier this week jumping off of a card table).

We discovered a new city park about half a mile from our house. I was driving the kids to school on Friday and discovered a little city park. I promised the kids we would go after school. It turned out to be a pretty great park, bathrooms included!! I think is has been around just a few months, but Dan and I try to stay away from the "snooty neighborhood" across the street if at all possible so we didn't really know it was there. Dan and I even tried to find a way out of the park without having to go through the "snooty neighbored" with no luck. The park has swings, a ginormous sandbox, slides, basketball courts, and a covered picnic area. I think we will definitely go more often . . . even if we have to go through the "snooty neighborhood" to get there. I personally think the neighborhood is beautiful, but Dan has called it that for so long that the name just stuck!

Super Funny Bush Video!

2008-09-26T13:42:00.004-06:00

So, many of you know that Dan and I differ when it comes to politics. I have never declared a political party, but lean a bit more on the democratic side...sorry Dan. With that being said, I am super excited to watch the Presidential debates as well as the Vice-Presidential debates coming up. I want to make an educated decision come November and haven't completely decided who will get my vote, I actually like both candidates for very different reasons. I find an election year so exciting! (That's probably the history teacher in me!!) I found this video on you tube that I had to share. This sums up how I feel about our good ol' George W.. Sorry Dan-this in no way reflects his opinion.

Top 5 Memorable moments

2008-09-22T13:50:00.007-06:00

We had a full weekend, so I thought I would share our most memorable and funny moments over the past few days.

5. BYU won again!! Yeah!!! I will admit, that I did not listen to much of the game, but I kept tabs on the score as I could hear my husband cheering on his coug's! I tried to look cool and said to Dan, "BYU has a great defensive line this year, don't you think?" Dan looked at me in total shock and said, "Do you even know what the defensive line means?" Without swallowing my pride I replied, "of course, what do you think I am an idiot?" I wasn't prepared for the next question which was, "what is it then?" As best as I could I tried to explain my version of the defensive line: guys that play defense, probably known as linebackers, guard the opposite team so they can't score. Dan just laughed at me and then tried to explain what it really meant. All I really heard was, "blah, blah, blah, and blah."

4. Maddie got to go to a fun birthday party this weekend. It was a pony party. I thought it was a brilliant idea for a party. The family rented two ponies for one hour. Maddie took four or five rides up and down the street and had a blast. They asked all of the girls to come dressed as a cow girl.

3. "Why am I always your servant?" This is Zach's new favorite saying when he thinks we are asking him to do too many chores. When he says it to me I remind him of all of the things I do for him.

2. As of last Tuesday, Jackson is now an official preschool student. It took him a few days to get comfortable, but as of late he has become the class bully and is in time-out a lot! Dan and I are super embarrassed and don't know how to get him to stop pushing the kids around. He thinks it is funny when he gets in trouble at school. Today (Monday) was Jackson's first day to ride a real bus. He was super scared to get on it, but once he relaxed I think he thought it was pretty fun.

1. The weather has finally turned to fall. . I woke up to pouring rain Saturday morning. I walked out of my room to find all three of my kids dressed in waterproof coats and shoes to play outside. The street in front of our house looked like a big river. The kids played for over an hour, jumping in the biggest puddle they have ever seen. They probably woke up the entire neighborhood with their noise, but they had so much fun! The weather has been absolutely beautiful these past few days. I love this time of year...if only we could skip winter all together!

Reality Check

2008-09-16T19:58:00.002-06:00

I volunteer at the kids school every other Tuesday. Zach was excited when he found out that I was coming today to help his teacher; he even talked about it with me a lot over the weekend. I walked into the classroom expecting to be greeted by an ecstatic son, but was surprised to get the cold shoulder. He pretended not to see me. As his teacher was busy getting work for me to do I went up to Zach and tried to give him a hug and say, "Hi." He wanted nothing of it and struggled to get away from me. I then noticed him looking around the classroom to make sure his buddies didn't see. I thought it was hilarious. Zach's teacher gave me a pile of books to make copies from, and as I walked past Zach I ruffled his hair with my fingers. He whispered as quietly, but as angrily as he could, "Mom! Knock it off. I don't want the boys to see!" As funny as it was, I was a little depressed that my son was too cool to show his doting mother any affection. Dan's mom tells a similar story about their son James, which is quite funny, but I never thought it would happen to me. At least James was a little older--Zach is only in kindergarten!!! As I left the school, Zach's friends gave me high-fives and I got a begrudging high-five from Zachary. He is a little stinker!!I know Halloween is over a month away, but these pictures are just way too cute. We have a second-hand children's store a few miles away and I love to shop for my kid's Halloween costumes there. I can't believe how cheap their costumes are. I went to the Disney store to see what they had, and was in shock to see that every princess dress was priced at $30.00 or more. The stuff for boys was equally expensive. I paid under $20.00 for three cute costumes at this store. Maddie wants to be Mulan, Zachary is always content with superhero attire, and Jackers. . . well, lets just say that his personality fit this costume. He was adamant that his costume be scary, spooky, and monstery. I was trying to get him to try a Donald Duck costume or a Spiderman costume so he could be twins with his brother, but he was so excited about this costume, and the price was amazing, and once he had it on it just seemed a perfect match!

Maddie looks cute in anything, and when we get makeup on her and fix her hair up, you will think she is the real Mulan. She told me that she is going to ask her Dad to teach her Chinese so people think she is really Mulan. She might have us fooled by Halloween!! Hooray for bargains!

Recovering Nicely

2008-09-08T15:22:00.004-06:00

For those of you who had dibs on any of my personal belongings after my untimely death will just have to wait, because I feel great! My first thought when I woke up in recovery was, "I'm alive, or heaven looks like a hospital." I was relieved! Friday was a long day, and I got home around 5:00 pm and went right to bed. I haven't really been in a lot of pain, but I sure am tired, and I walk a bit like a penguin, but overall I couldn't be happier about my recovery. My mom is here to nurse me back to health, so it has been fun to be able to hang out with her.

Here is a clip from one of my favorite episodes of "Scrubs" which reminded me a bit of my experience on Friday. (To be able to hear the video you will probably want to pause the music on my music player.)

Today was Jackson's first day of preschool. He was so excited yesterday, but Dan and I could tell he was a little nervous. He woke up this morning, and was a little crazy. He had lots of questions about preschool. He acted really excited until we pulled up to his preschool. His eyebrows wrinkled together and is bottom lip puffed out and he went white as a ghost. He did not want to get out of the car. I helped him walk inside his preschool and that is when he got pretty teary. He whimpered to me to please stay. I reluctantly left and came back a few hours later. He appeared to be doing great until he saw me. He got the same look as before and ran to me and hugged me as tight as he could with big crocodile tears. By the time we got home he admitted that he had a great day at preschool, but the he was scared. He loved recess and playing with play dough. The teachers there still remembered Zachary which helped Jackson feel a little more comfortable. I think it will be an easier day tomorrow for him. I can't believe my baby is in school!!

High As An Elephant's Eye

2008-09-03T09:59:00.004-06:00

Our little neighborhood street is right next to a farmer's corn field. Jackson's has been fascinated by the corn getting higher and higher each week. He was the first one to notice the plows in the corn field today. It's harvest time in Idaho, and Jack can't get enough. He has even befriended the farmer who waves at him every time he comes around in his tractor. Jackson and I have been outside, about every hour, to watch the corn being thrown up into one of the hauling trucks. It is amazing how fast they can clear an area. Jackson waves to the workers every time they get close enough in their tractors. We have a great view of the whole field from the second story of our house, so Jackson stands on the kid's beds and watches when I can't go out with him.

This week we are preparing for my surgery. It will be an outpatient surgery and shouldn't be too complicated, but I am still pretty nervous. Thank goodness my mom is coming to stay with me for a week. She can help me get my kids off to school and take care of me while I recover. I seemed to recover pretty quickly from my C-section with Jackson, so I hope the same can be said this time. I have made a few frozen dinners in case it takes me longer to recover, and I keep thinking I should write a will. Ha! Ha! . . .I hope!

Jackson and I are still potty training. It is taking a lot longer than I thought. He still hasn't been able to sit long enough to concentrate on pooping. Every time he does poop in his underwear or pull-up he says, "I guess no Build-A-Bear today."

Something Windy This Way Comes (a true story)

2008-08-25T20:37:00.004-06:00

Once upon a time, in a not so small town, known as Meridian, Idaho, there lived a young family. They had just finished a busy day. The children were excited about their first day of school; the father was excited about a job promotion--made the head of the preliminary hearing team; and the mother was exhausted as she and her three year old were having an unsuccessful day of potty training (they were out of underwear, and were washing the five pairs the two year old had soiled earlier that day!). The last spoonfuls of food were being eaten, and the mother and father were busy washing the dishes and cleaning up dinner. The family had been too busy to notice the sky getting darker and darker and the wind blowing harder and harder. As the mother and father were busy with dishes, much to their dismay they noticed the kids' trampoline floating higher and higher in the air. The mother yelled "Holy Crap! (ala Frank Barone) That thing is going to go over the fence giving the neighbors a real reason to sue!" The father, not wasting a second, ran outside and grabbed the trampoline just in time as it was about to hit the neighbors' precious truck!The mother, not wanting to face the storm head on, looked out the window and saw the father holding on with all his might, trying to keep the trampoline from causing serious damage to a house or car. She couldn't help but chuckle as it reminded her of a Superman movie she saw as a child. The children started crying, the mother started panicking, and the father just kept on holding the trampoline, knowing he could not afford a new truck for the neighbor. The mother raced outside to help her poor husband. She held the trampoline with all her might as the father quickly started taking it apart. The potty training toddler knew his superhero muscles could be of assistance, so with no regard for his mother's warning he ran outside to be a part of the action. Of course he left the back door open, letting dust collect throughout the kitchen, though when you are three you don't really think of those things.
The other children, jealous of the toddler's plan to help, ran outside to scream and cry about their broken trampoline that had bent in half and was beyond repair. The eight year old began to worry about other things breaking and began hauling outside toys inside for safe keeping, much to the mother's dismay. The wind kept blowing, but eventually the skies began to lighten and the family knew that the storm was coming to an end.
The little town of Meridian hadn't seen a storm quite that size in a very long time, and, as a result of the storm, the nice family in that town no longer has a trampoline. (This was quite alright by the mother as she was beginning to hate the trampoline because it made her backyard look so ugly, though the children and the father are saddened by the loss. However, the father is very glad that he does not have to buy his neighbor a new fence or a new truck.) The family hopes to live happily ever after........and maybe build a sturdy and wind-proof play house/fort for the kids the next spring. THE END.

This post was supposed to be about the first day of school, but instead the dust storm made headlines. Maddie and Zach are both very excited to be in school again. Their school just opened this year and is absolutely beautiful. They love their teachers and love being back with friends. Zach knows so many of the kids in his kindergarten class, and although Maddie only knows a few kids, she thinks her teacher is "the best!"
In other news, Jackson and I are on day four of potty training. He has been promised a "Build a Bear" if he goes successfully for an entire week. After five mishaps today I finally put a pull-up on him at 6:00 pm and told him we would try again tomorrow. I don't mind the urine, but when it comes to poop-filled underwear (twice today) I'm at my limit. I'm not giving up, but it sure might be a long week!!! And Dan really did get a promotion. He will now be heading the preliminary hearing team in the prosecutor's office. (I guess his desire to be a "peon" and not worry about supervising people only lasted for about six weeks.) Last week he also received a box full of copies of an article he wrote and published in the Texas Tech Law Review. If anyone wants to immerse themselves in 67 pages of discussion about the Sixth Amendment and the Dual Sovereignty Doctrine (whatever that is), we would be more than happy to send you one of his many copies.

Happy Birthday To My Jackson!

2008-08-18T21:15:00.006-06:00

Happy Birthday Jackson!! I think Jacker's had a pretty great third birthday. He has been anticipating this one for quite some time. Now that he's three he can finally go to preschool!!! (Yeah me!!)Monday morning after the kids went to camp Jack-Jack and I went to breakfast at McDonald's. He thought it was pretty great to go on a "date" with him mom. After McDonald's he wanted to go home and swim in his pool in the backyard and play with the sprinklers.After a long day of waiting for everyone to get home, Jack was finally able to open his presents. It was themed around Mickey Mouse and Dinosaurs--both of which he loves! His favorite was the Mickey Mouse that he slept with and the walking, roaring dinosaur. Maddie came home from camp very sick, so she stayed on the bed to watch the festivities.
Oh! Toodles!!!! Jacker's had a Toodles birthday cake which he was so proud of. I had to hide it inside my shower so he would stop rearranging the Mickey Mouse characters. He loved his cake and actually ate FIVE pieces!!!
After birthday cake he was pretty exhausted. After a tub to clean off those five pieces of cake Jack fell asleep pretty fast! We are so happy to have Jackson in our family. He may be trouble sometimes, but he makes us laugh everyday with his cute personality. We Love You Jackson!!

My Amazing Husband

2008-08-15T11:44:00.003-06:00

A long time ago Dan approached me with an idea for mutual--a mock trial. He would write up a pretend case and have the youth be the lawyers, defendant and witnesses; Dan would be the judge. I thought it was a great idea and so did my Miamaids. We have several kids in the youth who are on the debate team at school and are pretty good at it. I assigned two boys as the defense team, and two girls as my prosecutors. The case was this: during a school assembly an IPOD went missing. The Jr. Class president thought she saw the defendant in the class room where the IPOD was stolen. The defendant and her friend claim that they skipped the assembly all together to get something to eat at McDonald's.
All of the kids dressed for the part. My defendant colored her hair purple and tried to act like she was on drugs or something. My attorneys looked so sharp. The defense team even brought a brief case and a laptop, just to look cool. We randomly chose twelve jurors who listened to the evidence and then deliberated at the end.
It was a hung jury because one of our juror's sisters was actually one of our prosecutors so she was not about to let her sister lose, but she was the only one who thought the defendant was guilty. The rest of the jurors found the defendant not guilty. It was so much fun!!! Dan said that the closing statement by the defense attorney was better than some lawyers who have been practising for years. I thought the activity was so fun. Dan did a great job and the kids really got into it. At the end of the activity I had a few kids come up and ask me if we could do this again sometime. I guess that means they thought it was a good activity too!!

Dan Says Goodbye to Janitor Calling

2008-08-09T09:07:00.003-06:00

Dan was so excited a month ago when he was called as the new assistant membership clerk in our ward, but week after week he was never released from his other church jobs: ward janitor, nursery substitute, building scheduler, and nightly lock-up, among several other tedious and not-so-fun jobs. As you can see by the list of jobs he had it might be less painful and more fun to slit your wrists. Dan thought maybe the bishopric had it out for him, or the first counselor was just getting even after Dan made fun of his son for liking the U of U. For most of July and part of August Dan was not only doing his new church calling, but he also was cleaning the church, opening the building by 6:00am Sunday mornings, setting up all of the chairs, making sure the building was locked up every night, teaching Sunday school for a friend who was out of town, and making sure the Nursery teachers didn't need him to substitute. Dan had almost given up hope and thought he was stuck with these calling for life. Last Sunday they finally released him of all janitorial, and substitute duties. But, being the good guy that he is, still went to the church this morning to make sure they didn't need help cleaning it. He was afraid the parking lot was going to be empty and he would end up cleaning it by himself (it has happened before!). Dan came home relieved that the new "janitor" had it under control. It feels like the end of an era almost. This calling has taught us one major thing. . .when it is our ward's turn to clean the church Dan and I will willingly volunteer!

Flood

2008-08-08T15:52:00.004-06:00

I generally consider myself a responsible person. Dan and I pay our bills on time, my kids are well fed-- thanks to my weekly menu planning, I do my church callings to the best of my ability, my house in generally clean (with the occasional clutter from my children), overall I consider myself "on the ball." I don't know what happened today. I have no one to blame but myself. One minute I was cleaning the bathrooms, the next minute I was literally up to my ankles in water in my laundry room!! (I have no actual pictures so show you because I was just way too infuriated)

Jackson was very messy from breakfast. I put him in the tub to clean off. A few minutes I hear him freaking out in the bathroom because he pooped in the tub (a lot!!). I took him downstairs to shower him off. After I got Jackers all dressed I decided it was time to clean the tub. I only almost vomited 3 times by the time I cleaned out the poop in the tub (a job that I find totally revolting and disgusting even after 20 previous times), I picked up all of the contaminated toys and took them to my laundry room sink. I began filling the sink with hot water and bleach to soak the toys and make them clean again. The phone rang, so I decided to leave the water running while I went and checked to see who was calling me. It was a call from the center where my kids have camp. I went into panic mode thinking something was wrong with one of my kids and answered the call. Thank goodness nothing was wrong with my kids, they were just making a quick call to make sure I was happy with their summer program. After I hung up, I had completely forgotten about the toys in the sink and went about cleaning the other bathrooms. I went upstairs to put something in the laundry when I heard sounds of a little waterfall coming from my laundry room. It was then that I realized that it had been running for almost 15 minutes!!!! I freaked out!! Words were coming from my mouth that would make my mother-in-law cringe (sorry Alene and Grandma!)!! I waded through the water to turn off the sink. The water must have been 3/4 of an inch deep or more and was beginning to soak my carpet in the hallway. Needless to say, after two and a half hours of cleaning my laundry room it is almost dry again.

I have learned my lesson. . .next time Jack poops in the tub-- let Dan clean it up when he gets home from work!! Love ya honey!!