The Gertge Family

ATTENTION!! NEW BLOG ADDRESS!!!!

2010-09-01T21:31:00.002-06:00

www.mkgertge.blogspot.com

I was having a hard time uploading pictures to this blog, so I changed. Come on over and see what's happening with the Gertge family!

Caden's Football Shots...Finally

2009-10-16T14:25:00.008-06:00

He had so much fun this year playing football.

He was so sad to see the season end.

He says he's really looking forward to next season!

Puerto Rico

2009-10-16T13:44:00.010-06:00

Mark and I went to Puerto Rico for a week with Dan and Monique. Dan is Mark's business partner. We had so much fun! We went to the El Yunque National Rain Forest, visited Fort San Felipe del Morro and The Castillo de San Cristobal in San Juan, snorkeled and explored the island. One night we kayaked out to Luminescent Bay where the water glows green because of the microscopic living organisms that glow whenever they are touched. That was cool! Went to the water park and ate yummy (and not so yummy) food. We didn't eat any where that we recognized. We all wanted to try the local food. Most of it was delicious!! Some, not so much. It was such a fun and relaxing trip. We had a great time!

The Boys First Day of School

2009-10-16T10:28:00.007-06:00

I know I am way behind here, but here are pictures of the kids the first day of school. Caden started 6th grade. Jace started 2nd grade. And Jackson started Kindergarten. I can't BELIEVE how big my boys are! Jackson started Kindergarten!! And Caden goes to Jr. High next year. Yikes!!!

Labor Day

2009-09-14T12:05:00.006-06:00

We went with Joe's family up to the Strawberry River to fish. It was so beautiful! We caught a few fish and just enjoyed the day. It was so relaxing. The kids adopted a couple water snakes for the day...that was fun! Jace was the first one to catch a fish. He was pretty proud of himself.

GO KNIGHTS!!

2009-08-12T16:52:00.003-06:00

Football practice started last week. This is his first year playing, and Caden is loving it! Practice is tough and I think he is feeling it. He took a couple of good hits, but he was able to give out what he got! He's got great coaches who put in a lot of time for the boys. This is going to be a fun season!

Yeah, that's Caden on the bottom, getting pounded!

But he got him back!

Summer Fun!

2009-08-05T13:42:00.019-06:00

I can't believe how fast this summer has flown by! I feel like everything has been chaotic and wonderful and crazy and fun all at the same time!

I could go into detail, but I won't, so here's our summer in a nutshell (there are even a few pictures!!):

We moved back up north and we are near family again, yeah!

Blake moved out!

We went to Disney world with Casey, Kim & Gage and my parents!

I had a paradigm shift!

I got to see my Mission President and Mission Mom!

Jace had his 7th birthday!

We went to the Oquirhh Mountain Temple Open House!

Mark graduated from High School!

We went to Bear Lake and stayed in a cabin for the 4th of July Weekend!

Jackson got a black eye, ugh!

Jenn's kids stayed with us for a couple of days!

Jackson got two stitches in his chin!

Spent the day with Petrina, Austin, Kyle and Collin!

Jackson go his stitches removed, thanks to Uncle Casey!

Mark had a birthday!

We celebrated 10 happy years of marriage!

Jadon got baptized!

I took the kids to Idaho for the day to see Grandma Mitzi!

And Caden started football!
We're not done yet, we are going to Park City, we get to see Petrina again, Mark and I are going to Puerto Rico (not Costa Rica) for our Anniversary, and I can't believe that my baby starts school! Jack will be in Kindergarten, Jace in 2nd Grade and Caden in 6th!

See what I mean? Time really flies!

This Is For Mike and Kelly

2009-05-27T12:04:00.002-06:00

We saw this and of course thought of you! Thanks for the laughs!!

Good Times had by all!

By the way, this is the closest any of our children will ever get to a kennel!

Blake....

2009-04-19T22:40:00.002-06:00

Talks alot of trash. We went over to my parents house to help them with some yard work last weekednd. My brother-in-law, Casey, evidently thought it was necessary to school Blake. It didn't take him too long before he had to tap out.

Happy Birthday J-K-son!!

2009-04-19T21:52:00.006-06:00

Jackson LOVES frogs. And why not? They're green and slimy and bumpy, they eat live worms...need I go on? They are his favorite and he's got 5 plush frogs in his room to prove it. They all have names: Pinocchio, Parrot, Froggy, Jackson Frogger Gertge and Taylor (named after his favorite person in the world!!!) So, for his birthday he got a real frog. Here is the newest addition to our constantly growing family!

Hopper Stickyman Gertge

(Yes, these are all names that my dear 5 year old comes up with by himself!)

Singing "Happy Birthday to You!!" For the boys it was love at first sight!!

For Mark, not so much! He was just as surprised as Jackson!

"He's got bumps!!"Here was Jackson's reaction when we told him he had to

feed him live worms everyday. It was hilarious!!

He loves Hopper and helps me feed him every day. He's still a little scared to hold him because Hopper is so wiggly, but I found out that Fire Belly Frogs live for 5-7 years, so I'm sure the day will come that I have to chase a frog around my house. For now, though, he is safe in his little glass home. And I can sleep at night!

Caden's Birthday and Arrow Of Light

2009-04-19T21:24:00.007-06:00

Caden turned 11 in February. I can't believe how old he is! He had 3 parties this year. One in Highland with a couple of friends, one in Layton and one in South Weber. He made out like a bandit! I think his two favorite things were his skateboard, and his fishing pole (courtesy of uncle Casey!!!!).

The day after his birthday, he had his Arrow of Light Ceremony. He worked so hard in Scouts, Mark and I are so proud of him.

Blake and I

Caden with Mom and Dad

Caden showing off all of his hard work!

Draper Temple Open House

2009-04-19T21:17:00.003-06:00

We went to the Draper Temple Open House with the Jeffery Family. It was such a neat experience. The boys thought it was pretty cool that they got to go inside the temple. When we got to the sealing room, I asked Caden if he remembered when we were sealed together in the Ogden Temple. He shared what he remembered and I was surprised at how accurate it was. He was only 5 at the time. Wow, I can't believe that was almost 6 years ago!!

Anyhow, what a beautiful place. I love the temple!

Gertge Family

Jeffrey Family

Jace's First Missing Tooth

2009-04-19T20:41:00.003-06:00

The boy cracks me up! Every day he would have me check to see if his tooth was any looser than the day before. He finally got Grandma to pull it out for him. He was so proud!! Look at that grin!!!!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-31T23:20:00.006-07:00

Happy Thanksgiving; Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I missed all the holidays! Life has certainly been busy! But now that I am sitting down at the computer actually ready to write, I am drawing a blank!

My niece, Kristie Norton, got to come up from California and stay here for a couple of weeks. It was so fun to see her! She was here just before Thanksgiving. She’s so cute! She is a huge Twilight fan, so of course we went and saw Twilight together…Oh, the memories! And she stayed at our house for a couple of days. I’m so glad I got that time with her. We don’t get down to California very often.

We just got back from a cruise to the Western Caribbean. That was a blast! All 5 of us went for my birthday. Not really, that was just an excuse. But it worked for me! I’ll go to Jamaica and Grand Cayman anytime! In Jamaica Mark and I walked to the Farmer’s Market to find some mango's. While we were walking around, he saw two Jamaican’s playing domino's in the back. We stopped to watch them play and Mark started talking smack, telling them that he could school them and that he would send them home crying to their baby mamas. It was hilarious to hear him talk because he sounded just like them! So they pulled up a chair, found a friend and the game was on! It was fun to watch. Mark attracted a crowd, who of course, were all smoking huge joints. They were all impressed with how well he played. They asked how he learned and he explained that he used to live in Jamaica. That he was one of the guys that wore a white shirt with the name tag. They all knew the missionaries. It was fun to see him interact with them. I didn’t know he could speak Patois so well!

The next day we got to spend on Grand Cayman. We got to see our wonderful friends there, Cyndy, Casey, Ginny, Murray and Hannah! What fun to spend the day with them. They took care of Mark while he was on his mission. We spent a day in Cozumel, a few days at sea, ate way too much food and had a great time. It was a fun trip.

Jace lost his first tooth this week! Yeah! He got his first visit from the Tooth Fairy. He was so cute! He’s been trying to loose that tooth for about 2 months now. He even tried to get Grandma to pull it out with the pliers! No such luck! He ate apples and tootsie rolls and anything chewy. All to no avail. But, on Sunday last week, we were at Grandma Neilene’s house and she finally got it out for him. He is so happy!

Mark’s nephew Blake just moved in with us! He’s been here for just over a week. He’s so fun! We are glad to have him with us! He seems glad to be here and he is really adjusting well. He played several basketball games last week, hung out at the Jeffrey’s home nearly every day and he went out to see two movies. He went to church with us on Sunday and said he really liked the ward. He especially loved the Priest's Quorum because they talked about sports the whole time. He's been having alot of fun, but he is out of money. Time for him to find some income! He applied at several places last week and today we went to LDS Employment Services. He's got plans and that is a good thing. I really think this move is good for him. He’s so well-mannered and such a great kid! We are going to take pictures soon and I will post them. I'll post a picture of Jace's missing tooth, too!

Krissy Jo

2008-11-26T20:19:00.005-07:00

My sweet niece, Kristie, was able to come and visit her "Utah" family for a few weeks. Unfortunate circumstances took her away early, but I am so glad she was able to be here with us for as long as she was! She stayed with my sister, Kim, for most of the time. But luckily, we had her stay at our house for a couple of nights. What a great time we had! We got to go and see Twilight together...Yeah! And she asked me to take her to Temple Square. What is a trip to Utah without Temple Square, right? We had such a great time and I think we wore her out, but I am so grateful that I got to spend the short time with her that I did. She and Caden really bonded. It was cute to watch them sit together playing a game or watching a show. She is so great and I want her to know how much I LOVE HER!!! I'm so glad you got to visit Kris!!

Jace's New Glasses!

2008-11-18T21:20:00.015-07:00

A little over a month ago, I went to the boys school to help out with the vision screening testing. All the students came into the cafeteria one class at a time to have their eye sight checked. There were two volunteers in each line. One to help the kids cover each eye and have them stand in the right place (behind the red line) and the other to point at what letter was to be read. If the kids could read all the letters standing behind the red line then they were seeing at 20/20. Caden came through my line and he did great, I checked Jackson in between classes and he was fine. Then Jace got to come through my line as well. When I checked him, I had him do it like 3 times, poor kid...he couldn't see a thing! I went with with him over to the eye doctor who did more extensive testing on the kids who had trouble reading in my line. He was seeing at 20/70.

So, needless to say, we got him into the eye doctor right away. Sure enough, he needed glasses, but luckily he won't need to wear a patch or anything.

Jace was so excited to get glasses! I was a little surprised at how anxious he was to get them. He came in crying one afternoon after he'd had them for just under a month. He'd fallen off his bike and totally crunched the frames! There was no fixing those puppies! So I threw him in the Yukon and we ran down to the eye doctor to order a new pair. He's on his second frames and he's had quite a few close calls...I've had to bend them back into shape about 3 times (in less than two weeks!!!) I went ahead and ordered another set of frames, because he's six years old and he's a boy...and I have no doubt in my mind that we will need them before long!

We just had his one month follow-up visit and the doctor said he showed visible improvement. Yeah! He is so cute in his glasses!

Fall Family Pictures

2008-10-24T09:57:00.015-06:00

We drove up Provo Canyon last week for our fall family pictures. Jenn shot our family and I shot the kids. I had so much fun and the boys did really good! (Thank heavens for bribery!! Yes I use candy to bribe my children!) The pictures of the boys are all posted in the right column. I love my job! Here are some pictures of other photo shoots (and a Christmas Card) that I've done:

The Jeffery Family

The Sase Family

******************************

Just Call Me Corky!

2008-10-18T18:13:00.002-06:00

So we went to a silent auction last Friday night. I bid on this really cool BYU Basket for Mark. It had a BYU T-shirt, BYU hat, the Fall 2008 True Blue magazine, all signed by #45 Harvey Unga and of course tickets to a game. Pretty cool, right?

I was in a hurry when I wrote down my bid and there were several BYU baskets (this was one of the best) some were for the next day’s game, others were for games in November. These tickets were for BYU vs. New Mexico in November. Perfect! My friend, Michele, called that evening to let me know that I won. I told her it was a surprise for Mark and asked if she would just hold on to basket and I would get it from her on Monday while he was at work.

Saturday morning we went to see the Golding boys play football. I was telling Jen about the basket I won and she said she’d watch the kids for us for the game. I wasn’t going to tell Mark about it at all, we were just going to show up at the game. Then I’d give him the rest of the basket for Christmas.

Saturday evening, we were heading to dinner with Mark’s brother Joe and his sister Marlene. (I had told Marlene about the basket earlier in the day and that it was for the New Mexico game.) Mark was checking the score on his Blackberry while we were driving. I asked Joe who they were playing and he said, “New Mexico.” I about died, Marlene felt so bad. Ryan just laughed! Mark kept asking what was wrong, so I had to tell him. I still wasn’t sure if it was actually that day’s game, so I tried to get a hold of Michele to have her check the tickets. I was finally able to reach her and we totally missed it! The game started at 4pm and it was already past 6pm. I totally looked at the tickets wrong! What a bummer! Oh, well, I had good intentions. The weather was crappy and we had plans with his family so Mark wasn’t too upset. He was pretty happy about the rest of the basket, still. I just feel bad that I ruined one of his Christmas surprises. Just call me Corky!

I'll be back!

2008-10-18T11:21:00.001-06:00

My lack of internet these days has kept me from posting, but not to worry, I'll be back online soon!

Lake Powell

2008-09-15T19:23:00.006-06:00

Mark and I got to go to Lake Powell for 4 days last week. We had such a great time! Grandma Neilene flew out from North Dakota to stay with the kids so we could go. This was my first trip to Powell and I can't wait to go back. There were 24 of us, adults only. We had 2 house boats, 2 ski boats, 4 jet skis and tons of food! We stayed in Moki Canyon, went on a 10 mile hike (which was more than any of us bargained for) that was such a neat experience, did lots of exploring, cliff diving and playing on the water, ate tons of food, and tried to ignore the naked people in the house boat across from us! We also got to try out the Aqua Skipper, play horseshoes and experience The Crack. It was so relaxing and we had such a great time!

When we first left the kids, I was so sad, but by the end of our trip, I didn't want to come home! I LOVE my kids, but a vacation away is much needed from time to time!! Our next destination: Hawaii!

Mark jumping from about 50 feet

Yes, that would be Mark on the far right!

Jeff on the Aqua Skipper...the guys were hilarious on that thing!

The house boat that we stayed on
The Crack

Jack's Shiny Red Bike

2008-08-29T09:00:00.008-06:00

Jackson is my kid who would stay inside playing video games all day if I let him. During the summer he's outside all the time, but it is seriously like pulling teeth to get him to go outside when his brothers are in school. The weather is so nice and I want him to be able to enjoy the outside as long as possible, so this was my solution. We went yesterday and he picked out this bike. I tried to get him to get one just a little bit bigger, but this was the one he wanted. So, we brought it home and he's been outside ever since! Gotta Love It!!

Jackson and Pieper riding together

Lofty Goals

2008-08-18T08:40:00.007-06:00

Today is the first day of school, and I've got some pretty lofty goals. First of all, I must say that I have mixed feelings right now. I will miss the freedom of summer, being able to go and do things with the kids, but I am so happy to be back on a schedule. This summer has been absolutely NUTS!! I will definitely miss having the boys home, but at the same time, I am ready for some peace and quiet! Not that the boys were always playing at our house, but when they were, I swear, half the neighborhood kids were with them!

Jace is in first grade this year, Caden is in fifth grade and Jackson is in his second year of pre-school. I cannot believe how big my boys are! I got suckered into doing pre-school again, so I get to be Jackson's teacher this year, too. I am glad about that. I get bored during the day and I'm used to having lots of things to do...especially since my Texas schedule was so hectic with daycare AND pre-school. And I am glad to know exactly what Jackson is learning. It's so fun to watch his expressions as he is exposed to new things...he LOVES to learn!

Jace was nervous to go to first grade this morning. He's been so excited all summer that he gets to play on the "big play ground" this year. He's six and has quite the attitude for a six year old. Plus he has selective hearing loss and doesn't listen to a word I say. Last night I wanted to make sure that he KNEW it was not okay to be sassy to his teacher and that he needed to be a good listener. So I called to him in the other room, this was our conversation:

Me: Jace, tomorrow you meet your teacher. Are you going to be nice to her?
Jace: What?
Me: (a little louder) Are you going to be a good listener for your teacher?
Jace: (a lot louder!) What?
Me: (to myself) Never mind

I am sure he will do great, she is not "mom". Once we got to school and met his new teacher (she's young and really cute!) he said, "I think I will like this class." I know he will and I know he'll do great this year. He's a very smart kid and an excellent student. All of his teachers have absolutely adored him!

Caden is always excited about school. He's in class with a few of his friends from last year so he's pretty happy about that. His teacher speaks with an accent and he thinks that is pretty cool. We missed back to school night since we were out of town last week so we went a little early this morning to meet both of their teachers, find their classrooms and find their desks. Caden will do just fine, he couldn't get rid of me fast enough!! This was our conversation:

Me: Are you going to be able to find you class room?
Caden: Yeah, I am going to go play.
Me: Well, do you need anything else?
Caden: No, I'm good. Can I go?
Me: Okay....have a good day!
Caden: .... (he was around the corner and out the door)

He is in fifth grade and I suppose it's uncool to have your mom walk you to class. At least no one else was inside the building, so none of his friends saw. I wouldn't have walked with him to class if we'd gone to back to school night! Poor thing! Oh well.

So about those "lofty goals"...I am aiming really high this year!

This is our schedule and we did great this morning!

6:00am Get up and work out for 30 minutes (this is just for Mark and I)
6:30am Get the kids up and read scriptures until 7:00
7:00am Make hot breakfast while the kids get ready for school
7:20 am Eat breakfast
7:50am Car pool

It took a few minutes for Jace to wake up, but he finally joined us. I wouldn't dream of disturbing Jackson's slumber for scripture reading...he's a bear if he gets woken up. But Caden did great! He was tired, but a willing participant. I am really excited about this. I hope we can get into the habit of reading scriptures as a family, everyday. I know it will benefit our family.

Spontaneous...

2008-08-17T15:47:00.012-06:00

We took a very last minute, very fun trip to North and South Dakota last week. There was a LOT of driving involved, but it was way worth it. We figured with it being the last week of the kids summer break, we may as well take the opportunity to go! We knew once school started there was no way we'd be able to pull it off. We went with Mark's sister, Marlene, and most of the kids cousins: Taylor, Emilee, Jadon, Jonalyn and Jamie to visit Grandma and Grandpa. We went to church with Joe and Neilene on Sunday, took a trip to the Zoo and spent lots of time at the water park where they are staying. The kids had so much fun!!! We did some shopping and of course played a few games of pitch. Then we were off again.

On our way home we stopped in Deadwood. That was an interesting little western town. You can see in the photo what Emilee thought of Deadwood! We visited Cosmo, a little place near Mt. Rushmore, where everything defies gravity...the kids loved it there. And then went to see Mt. Rushmore. What an amazing place. On our way home through Wyoming we stopped at Martin's Cove and learned more about the pioneers and their rescue at the Sweetwater River.

We had such a great trip. We got home last night. The kids start school tomorrow and I am so ready to be back on a schedule! We miss you Grandma and Grandpa! Thanks for the fun trip!!

(I promised Jamie and Taylor that I would post this picture on my blog, so this is for them!!)

What Happens in Vegas...

2008-08-17T14:08:00.007-06:00

In the beginning of August we spent fun-filled weekend with the Goldings. We loaded up the car, dropped off the kids and headed on down to Vegas. We had a BLAST! We stayed at Planet Hollywood, right on the strip. We got to see "Stomp Out Loud" and "O". Both were really great shows.

The boys got to enjoy the rides at the top of the Stratosphere,

while Jen and I enjoyed the view.

As part of our "Package Deal", we GOT (notice I used the work "got" instead of "had") to go to the Westgate Owner’s Dinner for an hour. This is where they try to persuade you to upgrade your timeshare from a two bedroom to a four bedroom. It was held in a conference room with a nice little buffet in the back. They had a DJ and of course we got to sit with DeWayne (words cannot describe this man). There were several other owners there, suffering just like we were. It was the type of thing that you were sure you would die of boredom before the end of the night. So, what does Mark do? He decides to get up and provide the evening's entertainment by demonstrating how well white people can dance! Anyone who knows Mark KNOWS that he can NOT dance, and will understand how embarrassing and hilarious this was for everyone involved! But was he embarrassed? No! He didn’t care! He and DeWayne ended up having a dance off. I actually think that Mark may have won that one! I was dying! It was really funny and he did certainly liven up the evening!

Of course there was shopping and great food, between the buffets and Mark insisted that we eat at In-N-Out, twice. It was so nice to get away for a few days. Fun times!!

Happy Anniversary!!

2008-07-31T15:59:00.004-06:00

I cannot believe that it has already been 9 years! Married life with Mark has been great so far! We've had tons of adventures and I know there are more to come! I am so lucky to be married to the man of my dreams! He is honest, hard working, funny, spiritual, a wonderful father and a great husband.

I was visiting with a friend of mine about a week ago and we were talking about relationships. She said, "Of course you love your husband, Kristie...but what's so great about you and Mark is that you two actually LIKE each other. You WANT to be around each other. You have FUN together. You ENJOY each others company. A lot of people don't have that." Her comment really made me think and I realized how lucky Mark and I are. It made me sad to think that some people don't have that type of relationship with their spouse. I am so glad that Mark is my best friend, and yeah, we have a blast together! He makes me laugh every day...and I'm looking forward to another 9 years!

Love ya babe!

Temple Square

2008-07-23T14:03:00.010-06:00

We went to Temple Square a few weeks ago with Mark's brother, Joe, and his family. It had been so long since Mark and I had been there and we really wanted to take the kids again. We took the tour of the Conference Center (which we had never done before. It's pretty impressive!) and we watched the Joseph Smith movie at the Legacy Theatre in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. Then walked around the temple grounds. Jace and Jackson asked alot of questions after the movie and it gave Mark and I a great opportunity to share our testimonies with them. Caden got to talk to a Sister Missionary at the Visitor's Center about the Saviors visit to the America's and I was really impressed with his comments and questions. He's a smart kid! It was such a nice way to spend a Saturday afternoon. I feel so blessed to live so close to Salt Lake and to be able to do things like this. It is a great reminder of our Church's heritage, and a wonderful way to feel the Spirit.

Time For Change

2008-07-16T21:59:00.005-06:00

We finally got our registration done for our vehicles. I was very surprised to feel so sad when I took off our Texas plates. I'm so happy to be home in Utah, but Texas was such a great place to live. It really was a good move for our family. I've said it before that Mark and I had experiences there that we never would have had here. We grew closer as a couple and stronger as a family because we really had to rely on one another. We made many great friends that we miss dearly. And I am so grateful that we were able to live in the Great State of Texas...even if it was only for two short years! Texas will always hold a special place in my heart.

So all y'all back in Texas, thank you for being our wonderful family way from home! We love you!

Dental Fiasco

2008-07-11T16:35:00.005-06:00

So one of the perks of adopting children through the Foster Care System of The Great State of Utah, is that you don't have to fork over a penny for anything medical or dental. They come with their own insurance plan! Thank you, Medicaid. Nice right? Unless the doctors you go to are complete crooks! I loved our Utah pediatrician and dentist before we moved to Texas. They were great! Their offices were close to our home and I felt like they honestly cared about my children. I liked our dentist, but I didn't love our pediatrician in Texas, I felt like a number to her and she would never answer my questions. Now we are back in Utah in a different area and I'm having a really hard time finding someone that I can trust again. Here is the problem...the only doctors (well, dentists in this case) who accept Medicaid are either right out of school or really struggling to keep patients.

So my friend and neighbour, Michele, told me how great her dentist was and that we should see him. I called and of course he didn't take Medicaid. So, Michele's Dentist referred me to a dentist that did, but told me they didn't know him at all, just that he was on a list. So I called Medicaid Dentist and asked a gazillion questions! I didn't want to have to take Jace and Caden to a different doctor than the rest of us, so I was looking for a family practice that was really good with children, AND that took both Medicaid and our insurance.

Long story short, they SUCK! And the reasons keep adding up! All five of us went in for cleanings. The boys went in on July 2nd and then Mark and I went in on July 7th. They took a $50 x-ray on Jackson that insurance companies won't even cover for children until they are 6 and in some cases even 7 years old because that type of x-ray isn't necessary for children that age! But they didn't tell us this, so we are going to be responsible to pay for it when our insurance denies the claim. Jace and Caden both had to come back to take care of a few cavities. And knowing what I know now about this guy, I wonder if he over did it. He gave Jace 2 crowns and I found out today that Medicaid doesn't pay much for fillings, but pays a ton for crowns. So, I'm afraid that he did more work than what was necessary so he could make a few extra bucks and my poor kids are the ones who suffered for it. (Jace was in pain for 2 days afterward!)

When Mark and I went in for our appointments, they told us that we had to redo ALL the work that had EVER been done! And the guy used scare tactics! "If you wait on these, you may be looking at root canals or even worse, extractions." Between the two of us, he wanted over $8000, yes, Eight Thousand Dollars! And that's out of pocket for us...that doesn't even include what he would be charging the insurance! I needed a filling but he told me that he couldn't do just a filling that he HAD to do a crown. I talked to him about it to see if there was any way to hold off on a crown since our insurance has a 12 month waiting period (don't even get me started on that one!!) for any major dental work (including crowns and root canals). He still said that there was no way around doing the crown, he wouldn't even discuss options with me. This guy is not concerned about what is best for us at all! He is just trying to maximize his profits.

So, I got a second opinion. I went to Michele's Dentist who is now our New Dentist and can I just tell you how great he is?!! He was able to do the filling for me right there on the spot! No crown, no argument, no problems!

Interestingly enough, I got a call from Medicaid Dentist's office manager the day after I had my filling done. She said, "Medicaid Dentist spent some time this morning going over your x-rays, and he's really concerned about that tooth. He says that after putting alot of thought into it, he is pretty sure that he will be able to do a filling on that tooth. But as soon as your insurance kicks in, you'll need to get a crown put on it. So give us a call and we can fit you in on Monday. We have an opening at 8:00 am, 9:00 am, 10:00 am and even 11:00 am. So, give us a call and we will get you taken care of." (Having that many openings on the next business day makes me a little nervous!)

See what I mean about wondering if Jace really needed those crowns? I am going to go to Medicaid Dentists office on Monday to pick up all of our x-rays. New Dentist said that if I brought him all the x-rays and the service plan for Jace and Caden, he could tell me if Medicaid Dentist did exactly what needed to be done, or if he did extra work to pad his pocket book. As much as I hate confrontations, there will probably be one. I know they are going to ask why I went elsewhere and that is just a conversation they do not want to have with me. (Mark is ready to turn him into the Better Business Bureau.) So, wish me luck. I'm not looking forward to Monday!

As far as Jace and Caden are concerned, I am taking them back to their old dentist. My parents and Mark's parents live right there, so we will just make a day of it. I'll drive the distance if it means that they are well taken care of!

Then And Now....

2008-07-08T10:51:00.007-06:00

Tara and I met in the 10th grade when I was 15 years old. (That was 20 years ago!!!!) Her family moved into our ward and we quickly became inseparable. We did everything together. I taught her how to drive a manual transmission in my little Mazda 323. Believe me, looking back, that is a scary thought! Disneyland, girls camp, youth conference, shopping, toilet papering teachers houses, just hanging out! We had so much fun!! My family moved away a few years later and she went to live with her mom in Newport Beach. Even living so far apart, we still found ways to get together and we would see each other quite regularly. She always had the funnest beach parties to go to!!! Over the years we had kept in contact, but then life just got in the way. I went on my mission and afterwards moved to Utah. After Mark and I got married, Tara and I lost contact for several years. While we were living in Texas she found me again and we’ve had so much fun catching up!

Last week, Mark finally got to meet her! Tara and her husband and kids were vacationing in Utah for a week so of course we had to get together. We drove to Park City to see them. We let the kids run and play while we made dinner and then sat and talked and took lots of pictures! It was so fun to see her after so many years!! I think it had been like 10 years since I’d last seen her. It was before Mark and I got married and we are celebrating our 9th anniversary this month. It was probably right after I came home from my mission. Wow, time certainly flies! Anyhow, it was so fun to see her and just catch up! Today I had to go digging through all our old pictures and oh, the memories came flooding back! We had way too much fun together!!! I wanted to post some pictures we’d taken over the years! And then some from Park City last week.

Then....

And now....

What A Summer!

2008-06-27T12:55:00.004-06:00

It has been one crazy month! There is so much that has gone on and I have so many pictures to post! Here it all is in a nutshell! The Steele's are here to visit, Delta Res, Park City, Jackson' Itty Bitty T-Ball and Mark's Softball. Oh, and of course, Allison had her baby on Wednesday!! We have been going non-stop the last few weeks, and there is so much more to come! It's been a great, but busy summer so far and it's not even half way over!!

Our good friends are visiting from Texas for the summer. We went swimming with them on Tuesday. The kids had a blast! It's been so fun to visit with them! We miss them dearly!

Delta Res

2008-06-27T12:23:00.006-06:00

Yeah, I didn't know it existed either! Our neighbors, and dear friends, took us boating for the weekend. What a super fun blast! We left Friday morning and stayed with Brad's parents through the weekend. There were three couples and tons of kids. We had such a great time waterskiing, wakeboarding, kneeboarding, tubing and riding the jet skis! I left my camera at the house on Friday, so these are all pictures of Saturday. Sunday we all got dressed up and went to church. After church we ate a yummy lunch and drove home. We had such a great time!

Park City

2008-06-27T12:01:00.003-06:00

It's so good to be home! We went to Park City with Mark's family a few weeks ago. We stayed at our condo, did a little shopping and just hung out at the pool. It was nice to get a little R&R. Some of the guys tried their hand at tennis and that was hilarious! It was so relaxing to not have to worry about anything, and as always it was fun to hang out with the fam! Have I mentioned how good it is to be home?

Softball Anyone?

2008-06-27T11:05:00.007-06:00

Since Caden and Jace both play soccer, I thought for sure that Jackson would want to play soccer as well. Nope! He was adamant about playing t-ball. Maybe it was because we watch his dad play softball. That was the sport he picked. He was so excited about it! It has been so cute to watch him concentrate so hard on hitting the ball. And then to watch him run around the bases! His coaches were so cute with him! We get to go every Tuesday and Thursday morning. So fun!

Then there's Marks Softball games every week. They are in the tournament now. Their team is pretty good, we all have fun watching and cheering them on!

Preg-Nut!

2008-06-05T10:08:00.006-06:00

Look how cute Allison is!! She's like 20 months preggo and so stinkin' cute! We met in the MTC, served our missions together - we were never companions, but we went on splits all the time. We lived in Salt Lake City (with Angie and Anna) after our missions. I just LOVE her! This is her first baby and I am SOOOO excited and happy for her. Her cute hubby is awesome! He is serving in Iraq as you read this...What a stud!

I have never lived this close to BYU before, so Al thought it was important that I experience the BYU Creamery. Here we are in the ice cream isle!

Schools Out - Don't Forget The Shaving Cream!

2008-06-04T08:58:00.007-06:00

It's Summer Time!!!! Friday was the kids last day of school. They went from 8:45 to 10:15...long day, I know! At noon we had a huge party in the park behind our house complete with water slide! Each person brought a can of shaving cream and everyone went crazy!!! The kids had a blast, we all did! Even the moms got involved! (although some were more readily involved than others!) It was so fun!

We love the Walls!

2008-05-27T11:17:00.009-06:00

So there's this family back in Texas. They're pretty cool... Gary & Karen, and their girls (& significant others): Jennifer & Justin and Lauren & Matt. Mark worked with Gary and that's how we got to know them. Being so far away from family, they quickly became family to us. My kids love them so much, we all do! We painted together (our media room and their spare bedroom), vacationed together (Playa del Carmen and fishing at the lake house), made home improvements together (bead board under our kitchen counter and staining their deck), ate at Chili's (a lot!!) and just spent time together. Karen (the quilter extraordinaire) even attempted to teach me how to quilt! They spent birthdays with us and holidays too. And brought the most thoughtful and fun gifts. They are the best! They even had the best crushed ice at their house! My kids were able to enjoy their pets - Scout, Diesel and Max (because we'll for sure never own a cat and probably never own a dog!!) We were supposed to stay with them the last night that we were in Texas. That didn't work out quite the way it was supposed to, so they drove the hour out to our house to spend our last evening. They became very close friends in a very short amount of time. I hope they realize how special they really are to us.

We miss them so much and hope to be able to spend time with them again in the near future! We love you guys!! You need to move to Utah!! You'll LOVE it here!! Okay, maybe that is a little extreme...but at least come visit! We miss you! Jennifer and Lauren, I'm talking to you too!!!

Rainie is my FAVORITE!!!

2008-05-24T13:03:00.007-06:00

So there's this family, back in Texas. They're pretty cool. Rainie and her cute family moved into our ward a week or two after we did. They are HUGE BYU fans, so of course we got along great. She brought me treats for my birthday, held awesome scrapbook parties at her house, planned BYU Football parties at my house, saw many fun girl's night out movies with me and has the best laugh! Her and Chris brought yummy Taco Cabana over after Kids Night Out, taught us how to play Settlers!!! Experienced Truluck's Chocolate Sac (a scrumptious chocolate treat) with us. No one can forget our BYU Tulsa trip in a rented white 15 passenger van! (There is an entry somewhere about that!) That was the funnest! They held a going away party for us and taught us how fun Easter Egg Cracking Contests were! Jackson was our champion! Rainie always made me laugh! I do miss her and I'm so glad she is back to blogging! I seriously thought she fell off the blogging face of the earth. She is the reason I am even here! Her cute blog inspired me! So, thank you Rainie for being such a great friend and making our life in Texas that much more enjoyable! You are always my favorite!!!

Thank You, Petrina!!!

2008-05-22T09:23:00.006-06:00

So there's this family back in Texas. They're pretty cool. I remember meeting Petrina on our first day in the ward in Texas. (Mark and I went ward shopping before we bought our house out there). She drilled me about where I grew up and told me how I looked so familiar. We didn't know each other, but I'll certainly never forget that conversation. She even e-mailed me a couple of times to see if we'd bought a house yet, and how the move was going. We were both pretty excited that we ended up buying a house in that ward, our kids were going to go to school together. I was lucky enough to be able to serve with Trina in the scouting program in our ward. But, even if we hadn't served together, I know we would have become great friends.

Our kids played together often, (Jackson idolized her boys) and whenever our hubbys were away on trips or working late, we would meet for crazy dinner dates with six rambunctious boys! I have to say, Jason's Deli became a favorite! Planing birthday parties, Amazing Race Parties, BYU games, Superbowl Parties...just having family dinner's together. I truly miss having fun and spending time with her and her family.

She is the type of person you can always count on, a true friend. When I was getting ready for the move, she was really busy and couldn't actually help me pack, but she did more for me than anyone else. She took my kids so that I could get things done, she picked them up from school. She made time in her (VERY) busy life to help me out. I had several friends come and help me pack a little here and a little there, but to Petrina I am most grateful.

Mark had come home that last week to help with last minute things and to drive with us back to Utah. The plan was to finish everything up on Thursday, have the truck completely loaded. Friday we were sending the kids for their last day of school and doing last minute clean up. When the kids got home on Friday we were taking off. It SO didn't work out that way. We got most of the stuff loaded into the truck on Thursday night. We planned on getting a hotel that night since our bedding was in the back of a truck, but Petrina wouldn't hear of it. She insisted that we stay at her house that night, she had plenty of room. We had several from the Elders Quorum come and help. But we have so much stuff that we still had lots of little things to load when we finally sent everyone home. So that meant on Friday instead of cleaning, Mark and I were still loading the truck. To make matters worse, they were supposed to come and pick up the truck at noon but they didn't show up until about 7:30 pm. Ugh!

Long story short, we didn't end up leaving until Saturday around noon. Petrina kept our kids Wednesday night, Thursday night, I picked them up from their last day of school on Friday and took them to Petrina's house again. So to my kids, it was just a great big party! They had a blast those last few days in Texas. They still talk about the big party at Petrina's. She insisted once again that we stay at her house on Friday night...and the by the way, the bed in her spare bedroom is SOOOO comfortable!!! I would stay with her ANYTIME! Then her family sent us off on Saturday with goody bags for each of the kids and treats for Mark and I. She was an angel and truly heaven sent! I know we wouldn't have gotten out of there til Monday if she hadn't helped the way she did. So THANK YOU, my dear friend!

Party at Petrina's!

Saturday Morning - Driving Day.

I cried (like a little girl) as we drove away!

She called yesterday and I got to chat with her for a few minutes. I miss her, but she is going to be here for a month this summer. I can't wait! Part of the reason she called though, was to check if I had arranged to get the boys spring school pictures from the school. Of course with everything else going on, I forgot, so she is ONCE AGAIN taking care of things. She is amazing! I hope every one has a friend like that. It makes life so much easier!!

At The Park

2008-05-19T16:13:00.005-06:00

I love our circle! There are so many boys that are Jace's age and they have so much fun together! I car pool with 4 other moms. It works out so great because every day Jace has a play date at one of his friends houses. On our day we went to the park. Here are a few pictures....

Mmmmmmmm.......Chocolate!

2008-05-19T14:03:00.005-06:00

Jackson LOVES to help me bake!!! He especially likes the clean up!

Book Review

2008-05-19T08:55:00.006-06:00

While Mark was living in Utah and taking trips to Hawaii (I know, poor guy!) I was stuck in Texas packing all of our stuff and getting ready for the move. I had to do SOMETHING to help pass the time once the kids were in bed and everything was boxed up. So I picked up a few books that I'd heard great things about. It was brought to my attention that I never said much about the books I had read.

The first book was the Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.

This book takes place in Afghanistan at first and then America. It spans nearly 30 years. I’ve never been to the Middle Eastern countries mentioned in this book, but they came alive for me! It was such an easy read and never a dull moment. This was an excellent book about the relationship of a father and son and the relationship between two friends in very different worlds. Regret, redemption, hope. Very profound and difficult in parts, but it was one of the best books I've ever read. It leaves you with the sense that even after every thing the characters in the book have endured, there is still hope in the end.

The next book I read was The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards.

After reading the back of the book, I was really interested:

"This stunning novel begins on a winter night in 1964, when a blizzard forces Dr. David Henry to deliver his own twins. His son, born first, is perfectly healthy, but the doctor immediately recognizes that his daughter has Down syndrome. For motives he tells himself are good, he makes a split-second decision that will haunt all their lives forever. He asks his nurse, Caroline, to take the baby away to an institution. Instead, she disappears into another city to raise the child as her own."

Once I started reading it though, I just couldn't connect with the characters. I kept waiting and Waiting and WAITING for it to get better. It never did. It was a truly heartbreaking story about loss and sorrow and many wasted years. So I guess if you're into that type of thing, go for it!

The last book I read before the move was A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini.

Once I picked it up, I couldn’t put it down. I was so involved in the lives of Mariam and Laila. This book takes place in Afghanistan as does The Kite Runner. I loved the loose history lessons it provides and the relationships between the characters are amazing! This story is told through the eyes of two different women, their daily lives in Afghanistan and what it takes to survive.

The book cover says:

“It is a tale of two generations of characters brought jarringly together by the tragic sweep of war, where personal lives—the struggle to survive, raise a family, find happiness—are inextricable from the history playing out around them...

Propelled by the same storytelling instinct that made The Kite Runner a beloved classic, A Thousand Splendid Suns is at once a remarkable chronicle of three decades of Afghan history and a deeply moving account of family and friendship. It is a striking, heart-wrenching novel of an unforgiving time, an unlikely friendship, and an indestructible love—a stunning accomplishment”

It makes me grateful to be an American living in this wonderful, free country. It especially makes me grateful for my husband. I appreciate the struggle of Afghan women. This is my all-time favorite book. I cannot wait for another book from this author.

Then of course, there was the Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyer.

Twilight New Moon and Eclipse.

I am now awaiting the fourth and final book, Breaking Dawn. Great books. Very light reading compared to A Thousand Splendid Suns, but definitely fun and entertaining!

Twilight

2008-05-15T10:07:00.012-06:00

So I haven't been very good about blogging lately. I really have no excuse. I think I am enjoying my free time entirely too much! There's lots to do and always somewhere to go. I love not working!

Okay, so here's my real excuse: The Twilight Book Series.
Thank you very much to my niece Kristie, my sisters Kim and Marlene and my mom Karen, my neighbors Michelle and Heidi. It's all your fault. Once I picked up Twilight, that was it for me. Eating was a burden, sleep was the last thing on my mind. The laundry piled up, the kids ate CEREAL for dinner. It was definitely not my proudest moment as a mother and wife, but oh, was it worth it. The books were great! I can't wait for the 4th book to come out this summer and for the movie to come out in December.

For anyone who enjoys a good book, this is a must read. It was different from other books I've read and Stephenie Meyer really grabs your attention and doesn't let it go!

BLAST FROM THE PAST!!

2008-05-05T11:19:00.008-06:00

So we are loving our new ward and our new neighbors. We are getting to know all the people on the circle here and they are all great! Our dear friends from across the street have a little boy that got baptized Saturday morning, so of course we went to see him on his special day. As we were leaving the church building after the baptism, someone was holding the door open for me since I had my arms full of kids. I glanced up to thank him and immediate recognition hit both of us! "Kristie?" I wanted to make sure I had the right name so I asked him and he told me it was John. I said his last name and he nodded and hugged me. We walked outside and he said something about knowing me as my maiden name. Mark walked up right at that moment and said, "You must know each other from the mission." John and I smiled and I looked at Mark and then back at John. "Not exactly...we used to date." It was hilarious! We dated for a while when I lived in California. After his mission and before mine. We chatted for a few minutes and I asked where he was living. He said just a few streets away. I told him we had just moved back to Utah from Texas and mentioned the ward we were in now. He just laughed! WE ARE IN THE SAME WARD!!! I love it! I introduced him to my cute hubby and three kids. He introduced me to his cute wife and six kids. We had to leave because we were heading up to Layton just then for a birthday celebration, but I seriously can't wait to talk to him again! He was such a good friend and what a great guy! Too funny! What are the chances of that? Seriously?!!!

Jackson's Birthday!!

2008-05-05T10:18:00.005-06:00

Jackson turned 4 in April. Since we didn't have our stuff here yet, and Marlene always gets volunteered to host the parties, we figured one more wouldn't kill her! So we invited the fam over. Since my sister lives so close now, we were both so excited that she and little Gage could come too! Lot's of cousins, aunts, uncles and Grandma and Grandpa. It was fun.

Temporary?

2008-05-05T08:26:00.009-06:00

We are all settled. Well, as settled as we are going to be! I left half of our stuff in boxes and shoved everything into the spare bedrooms! I don't want to have to pack it all up again when we buy.

So, here's a little background: Everything with this move worked out way too easily. Once we decided to come back to Utah all the pieces just fell together. A friend of mine that I grew up with was moving with her family to Texas. As it turned out, they wanted to buy our house. PERFECT! So we worked it out for them to rent until they were able to buy it...since the housing market in Arizona is pretty sad right now, we figured it would take a few months for them to sell their house and get everything in order on their end. So that gave Mark and I a chance to get moved out here, get to know the area and then find our house. No rush, no deadlines, just take our time and find exactly what we want.

A friend in our ward in Texas asked where exactly we were moving to and Mark told him where his new job was. This friend just happened to have a house less than 10 minutes away and he was looking for a renter since his renter was moving out in March. See what I mean? WAY TOO EASY!! We were SO supposed to come back home! So we are renting his house til Susie's house sells, and our house sells. We are hoping of course, that it is sooner than later, but we are happy where we are.

I HATE PACKING! So, with all that in mind...knowing it could be just a couple of months (and of course the possibility of it being longer than that) I left a lot of our stuff, decorations, toys, extra things that we just don't need, in storage in the spare bedrooms. So, the pictures of the house are pretty bare and that is the reason.

We LOVE this neighborhood. That last picture was taken from our back porch. We don't have a fence in our yard, so our back yard basically opens up to this huge park. There is a little pavilion, the basketball/tennis court and they are in the process of replacing the playground toy. There are so many kids on our circle. My boys love it here, I am loving my neighbors and meeting lots of new people. I know I am going to get too attached to move! Ugh!

We Are Here!

2008-04-07T22:08:00.003-06:00

We got here last Sunday and stayed with Mark's sister until our things arrived. Thursday evening, everyone drove to our new home (my family, Mark's family) and helped us unload the truck. We spent all day Friday, Saturday and Sunday (while listening to General Conference of course)unpacking and getting all settled. The kids started school and they are loving it! We are looking forward to meeting people in our new ward on Sunday. It is so good to be here to be close to family again! We are home!

The Game Plan...

2008-03-24T22:57:00.005-06:00

I cannot believe how quickly time has FLOWN by! Seriously! I have all of the upstairs packed. The office, the kids rooms, both bathrooms and all the toys are done. All my pictures and wall hangings are packed. Tomorrow (Tuesday) I get to pack the kitchen and living room. Wednesday Mark flies home and we get to pack the master bedroom and bath and the garage. Thursday we load up the truck. Friday we are doing last minute cleaning while the kids are at school and then we are heading to see some dear friends. Saturday morning we are getting up early and driving home! We'll be in Utah on Sunday evening some time! The truck should get there on Tuesday or Wednesday and then we can get settled into our new house. I can't wait!

17 Days To Go!

2008-03-12T19:10:00.004-06:00

The kids kept asking me, "How many more days until we move?" They miss their cousins so much! (Jace got a new Webkinz and named him Jadon!) So, I decided it was time to do the countdown. The boys remind me everyday to change the number. They can't wait to get back home!

I think we found a house. It has 6 bedrooms and 3 baths. It's in a really nice neighborhood and it's got a huge park with walking trails right behind us! I have been busily packing and have tons of help from friends...they are certainly making this easier on me. Mark is in Hawaii right now...pretty rough, I know. He'll be back here on the 20th to help me get things finished up. Then we leave for Utah on the 28th! I can't believe how quickly time goes by. We'll be all settled into our new home before we know it!

More Texas Snow

2008-03-09T18:48:00.007-06:00

The weather here has been CRAZY! It snowed, really snowed, for the first time since we've lived here in Texas on Tuesday. Wednesday was sunny and warm enough to play out side with a jacket on. And then Thursday, it looked like this:

The kids had a blast and were so glad for the snow. After we came home from our Utah Christmas vacation, the kids were complaining about never being able to play in the snow. So I for one was very glad that they finally had the chance. They tried to make a snow man, but they used up all the good snow in their snowball fights, so it was too wet to really work. They were a little disappointed, but I assured them that in a couple of weeks, they would have all the snow they could handle! 19 days left!!!

Texas Snow and "Jay-Dubs"

2008-03-04T19:56:00.019-07:00

(Our front yard in the snow - March 2008)

It snowed last night. It was the craziest thing! In the two winters we have lived in Texas, we have never experienced snow. Yes, thunder and lightning storms, wind storms and sleet, but never snow. It was actually kind of cool. The kids were all excited that the ground was white and I had to make Jace and Caden promise that they wouldn't stop to play in the snow until after they got to the bus stop. I could not have them missing their bus! They were good listeners, they ran all the way, cute things!

A little later on this morning I was in the daycare room with all my cute daycare kids. They were coloring as I was de-cluttering my filing cabinet, preparing for the big move. We had fun songs playing on the cd player and everyone was happy. It was very nice because I was actually able to get some things done. Mark called to discuss our moving plan and as I was going over that with him on the phone, there was a knock at the door. "Oh great," I thought. I told Mark that I had to go, there were "Jay-Dubs" at the door. Just as I was thinking, "I don't have time for this! Maybe I'll just pretend I'm not home." the kids all ran over to the door to see who it was. A little frustrated that the kids had blown my cover, I got up and walked to the door. I probably had a scowl on my face as the door opened, but then the weirdest thing happened. As soon as I opened the door, I absolutely felt for this couple. Maybe it reminded me of my mission, with their long coats, and the snow covered ground, going door to door out in the (freezing) cold winters (of New York) for what they believe. It was a man and his wife. They were Jehovah's Witness. They handed me their literature and invited me to read it in light of the upcoming Easter holiday. I was not interested in the literature, but I did not want to be rude or make them feel bad, like I did after having so many doors slammed on me in New York. Williamsburg Circle Drive came screaming back to my memory. I was a brand new missionary, still with my trainer, Sister Kenny and my MTC buddy, Sister Moya (We were The Gruesome Threesome).

We encountered so many people that day who were not just rude, but they were MEAN! It was rainy, all three of us were freezing cold and wet. I think we went home and cried when our day was over. That was truly the most discouraging day in the mission field for me.

I do not share the ideas and beliefs of this couple, but I would never wish that type of discouragement on anyone so I gracefully took their pamphlet and thanked them. They asked how we were enjoying the snow and I told them that we were originally from Utah so it was nice to see snow again. They thanked me for my time, I told them to stay warm and I closed the door as they walked away. I wondered if my telling them that we were originally from Utah is the reason they ended the conversation or if they were just there to pass out their literature. Either way, I was glad for the reminder of my mission and I am glad that others are motivated enough by their faith to go out and share it with others. I am SO GRATEFUL for the missionary program in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. My mission is what molded me into the person I am today. And even though, I had discouraging moments like the day we tracted Williamsburg Circle Drive in Fairport, New York, I wouldn't trade one day of my mission...not ONE day!

(The Gruesome Threesome: Sister Kenny, me and Sister Moya on P-day on the walkway to the Sacred Grove April 1996)

10 Years Old!

2008-02-25T22:20:00.005-07:00

Can you believe my boy is 10?!! It seems like just yesterday I hugged him for the first time! He's such a great big brother. He's so smart and funny. And a great helper to me, especially when dad is out of town. We toned down the party quite a bit compared to last year, but we still had fun! He chose an XBOX 360 theme. We had a yummy lunch, played 360 in the media room, ate cake and ice cream, opened gifts and then had a balloon fight in the livng room! He got some pretty nice gifts. He LOVES his 360 game from Gary and Karen...that was a hit guys, thanks! With the money he got from grandparents, he bought a new DS game and a new Webkinz dog. He told me that this was his best birthday ever! He had a great day! Happy Birthday, champ!

Belief-O-Matic

2008-02-25T20:09:00.003-07:00

Well, according to "Belief-O-Matic" at Beliefnet.com, I am 100% Mormon. Shocker!

Your Results:
The top score on the list below represents the faith that Belief-O-Matic, in its less than infinite wisdom, thinks most closely matches your beliefs. However, even a score of 100% does not mean that your views are all shared by this faith, or vice versa.Belief-O-Matic then lists another 26 faiths in order of how much they have in common with your professed beliefs. The higher a faith appears on this list, the more closely it aligns with your thinking,

1. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (100%)

The Memory Keeper's Daughter

2008-02-22T09:07:00.004-07:00

I started reading this book last night. I was just talking to a friend this morning and she is in the middle of reading it too, she says its really good. Hopefully it won't take me too long to read it, I figured now was a good time...before all the packing and getting ready to move really starts. Plus, when Mark is gone, it helps me stay preoccupied.

It's Time To Par-Tay!!

2008-02-21T22:28:00.005-07:00

Tomorrow after the boys come home, we get to go to the airport and pick up Mark! Yeah! The boys are so excited to see daddy! I have to admit, I'm pretty happy that he will be home for a few days! We have all missed him. Sunday is Caden's 10th birthday! Can you believe it? My oldest is turning 10!!!!!! Two more years and he will be getting the priesthood, and before I know it, he'll be heading to the MTC! *sigh* Time certainly flies! Anyhow....Since Mark is heading back to Salt Lake on Sunday, we are doing the birthday thing on Saturday. We rotate every year....last year he had a "friend" birthday party. Remember, the "Survivor" theme? That was a good party if I do say so myself!

Bug Mountain Cake!

Pulling together as a tribe during challenges!

Both tribes after Tribal Council

Mom and Caden with the Immunity Idol

So this year is the "family" birthday party. We are doing an XBOX 360 theme. Everything is green, white and silver. Even the goodie bags! I'm sure he and his dad will find some time to sneak upstairs and take advantage of the media room (and the 360) while dad is here this weekend! Mark and I are determined to find a house with an unfinished basement, so that we can build another media room. We LOVE ours! That will be hard to leave behind. Anyhow, it promises to be a great weekend!

The Kite Runner

2008-02-20T17:03:00.004-07:00

I was able to get my laundry done today because I finally finished this book! I started it Sunday afternoon and that was it for me. I couldn't put it down, which made things difficult, because I'm playing the single mom role and I run a daycare! (Don't worry, I kept it under lock and key during the day so I wasn't tempted...but I will admit that I stayed up later than I should have!) It was difficult to read some parts of it, but it was a great book! I loved it!

Check This Out!!

2008-02-16T13:11:00.004-07:00

http://www.blurb.com/create/book/blogbook

Since I am so far behind in my scrapbooking, and this blog serves as a journal as well as a scrapbook, THIS is the perfect solution!

Lite Reading?

2008-02-16T12:48:00.005-07:00

I finally broke down and picked up a copy of “The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini. I've heard from so many people, including my mom and several friends that it was an excellent book. I had to see what all the fuss was about!

Crazy Costco Creep!

2008-02-16T11:48:00.007-07:00

Can I just say that single parents are my heroes?!! Seriously! Mark has been gone for eight days and I am exhausted! I am not walking, not sprinting, but RUNNING (we're talking mad dash, here) towards the finish line! One week down, six more to go! Ugh! Luckily, my daycare kids will slowly stop coming. That should ease a lot of the stress for me. Plus, we don't have to worry about putting the house up for sale and showing it, because Susie is going to buy it. That in itself is a HUGE blessing! I am so happy that everything is falling together. Mark and I are both thinking, "This is way to easy...when is the bomb going to drop?" Hopefully it won't drop at all and we will be able to move as planned. We are down to 42 days, yeah!

So, being a single parent and needing to go shopping, I decided to take the kids to Costco last night (Friday night) rather than today, a busy Saturday afternoon. I figured that most people would be on a date, or out with friends on a Friday night so it wouldn't be too crowded and I'd be able to grab what I needed and get home quickly. I didn't think about all the crazy loon's that DIDN'T have friends or couldn't GET a date that would be hanging out at the local Costco!

The kids were hungry so I decided to feed them while we were there. Aren't I a nice mom? It was a gourmet meal, I know! Hey, you can't beat a hot dog and soda for $1.50! As we sat there eating a man sat at the table right in front of us, facing me, even though most of the other tables were empty. Borderline creepy. I thought it seemed odd, but I just kept talking to the kids and didn't pay any attention to him. Then he started talking! Way beyond creepy! I smiled and was polite, but kept my answers short and avoided eye contact. Caden's dinner was suddenly very interesting to me! During what I can only describe as an "interrogation", I told him that we weren't from Texas, and only when he asked, I told him that we were originally from Utah. Harmless enough, or so I thought! "Those Mormon's!" he said. Caden's head perked up and my heart sank. I could tell by his tone that this was going to get interesting, and I was a little worried because he had Caden's full attention. I guessed that now was as good a time as any for him to start preparing for a mission! I know he will have plenty of experiences like this in the field.

This man claimed to know Brigham Young the 3rd, and made some inappropriate comments about multiple wives and Viagra and how this particular descendant of our beloved prophet was "livin' the dream" so to speak. I was floored! My poor kids' dinner was cut very short, to say the least! I started cleaning up napkins that were on the table and began urging my children to eat quicker. He kept going on and on! I couldn't believe it! Could he NOT see my children right in front of him? His comments were insulting and crude. I was getting flustered because his misconceptions of the church were horrible! He started talking about Joseph Smith and kept going on and on...I then came to the stunning realization that my kids eat SO FREAKING SLOW!! As I was picking things up off the table, I looked at Caden who was watching me and I realized I had three options here. Option 1: I could just get my kids and walk away without saying a word; Option 2: Completely slam the guy and make sure knew how I felt about him and his "opinions" but in all honesty, what good would that really do, anyway?; or Option 3: "Quiet Dignity" - something that my wonderful mission president, President Pratt, used to talk about often. I opted for #3. As I stood up, I calmly said, "I don't know anything about your friend, Brigham Young the 3rd, but being LDS myself, I do know that he is not a member nor is he associated in ANY way with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints if he is practicing polygamy. That is something that our church stopped practicing over 100 years ago." The man wouldn't quit! I remained calm, put Jack in the cart, took Jace's hand and with Caden following, we all walked away. I knew arguing with him would just cause more contention and it would do absolutely no good. Plus, I had all three boys with me so I needed to remove them from the situation as quickly as possible.

When we walked away I asked Caden if he had any questions about what just happened. He thought for a second and said, "I could tell he was saying bad things about our church, but I didn't understand some of the words he said." Even my ten year old could feel the negative spirit that was there. I explained to him that there are some people who don't know alot about our church, but they think that they do. I compared it to playing one of his XBOX 360 games: If I came into the media room and tried to tell you what to do next to get to the next level, would you listen to me? He laughed and said no because I never play his video games and I wouldn't know what I was talking about. I laughed at his response and told him that was exactly what it was like with people like this man. So when he starts telling us what he THINKS we believe, then we just need to let it go and not listen to him because he doesn't really understand what he is talking about.

Caden nodded his head and a big smiled crossed his face as he asked if I wanted to go play a 360 game with him when we got home....Gotta love kids! Not much ruffles their feathers for too long!

9 Words Women Use

2008-02-12T05:51:00.001-07:00

1. Fine: This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up.

2. Five Minutes: If she is getting dressed, this means a half an hour. Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given five more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.

3. Nothing: This is the calm before the storm. This means something, and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with nothing usually end in fine.

4. Go Ahead: This is a dare, not permission. Don't Do It!

5. Loud Sigh: This is actually a word, but is a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. A loud sigh means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you about nothing. (Refer back to #3 for the meaning of nothing.)

6 .That's Okay: This is one of the most dangerous statements a women can make to a man. That's okay means she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.

7. Thanks: A woman is thanking you, do not question, or Faint. Just say you're welcome.

8. Whatever: Is a women's way of saying...You suck!

9. Don't worry about it, I got it: Another dangerous statement, meaning this is something that a woman has told a man to do several times, but is now doing it herself . This will later result in a man asking 'What's wrong?' For the woman's response refer to #3.

President Hinckley, Remembered

2008-02-10T19:58:00.005-07:00

Our Dear Prophet, President Gordon Bitner Hinckley passed away two Sundays ago on January 27th, 2008. I have such a great love for him that the news, although it was expected, was still very difficult for me. I understand how the leadership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints works, and that the Lord has promised that we will always have a living prophet on the earth to lead, guide and direct us, so I didn't feel lost and confused as to who would be our new prophet. But I did feel great loss because I have felt so much love and admiration for this wonderful man. He was the Prophet who signed my mission call to serve in the New York Rochester Mission. As a missionary, I sat and listened to him as he spoke at our All-Mission Conference in Palmyra, New York and heard him testify that a young farm boy walked into a nearby grove of trees early in the spring of 1820 and actually saw God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only Prophet my children have ever known. He did so much to make Christ's church known throughout the world and I LOVE that he had so many temples built!

One of my favorite stories of President Hinckley is from his mission in England. He had been sick, he was feeling discouraged and frustrated and he wrote home to his father and told him that he should just come home because he was wasting his time and his father's money. Shortly thereafter, Elder Hinckley received a letter from his dad. It said, "Dear Gordon, I have your recent letter. I have only one suggestion: Forget yourself and go to work." And he did. He made a pledge that day to the Lord that he would try to forget himself and lose himself in the work and service of the Lord. It is a pledge that he kept until the very end. (Click here to read the article from the New Era.)

I am so grateful for his example of service, charity and love. He was so full of life! One of my favorite quotes from him is on my wall where I can see it everyday:
Another is in Caden's room, so that he has a constant reminder of how to "be."

I am so grateful for President Hinckley's example and that I was allowed to live here on earth while he was our Prophet! I am so glad that he is now with his wonderfully sweet wife, Marjorie, whom he has missed these past (nearly) four years.

With all of that said, I am excited to have President Thomas S. Monson as our new Prophet, Seer and Revelator and I know for myself that he is called of God. I look forward to having him lead and guide us.

President Thomas S. Monson - Prophet

President Henry B. Eyring - 1st Counselor

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf - 2nd Counselor

I Want To Be More Like Nephi

2008-02-10T17:24:00.001-07:00

Today was such a good day! Aside from Mark being gone and dealing with the woes of being a single parent, things here are great. It is usually Jackson who wanders down the stairs in the dark in the middle of the night in search of comfort from mom or dad. But last night I was woken up several times by Jackson and by Jace. I finally gave up and just had them sleep in my bed. Then Jackson, who was taking up more than his fair share to begin with kept getting mad at me for "squishing" him! Oh Pa-lease! Needless to say, I didn't get a very good nights sleep and I wasn't expecting much out of today just because I was so tired! But today has been great so far!

Church was excellent. That is actually what I wanted to write about. Sacrament was really good, but our lessons in Sunday School and Relief Society were great. In Sunday School, our teacher was talking about Nephi being commanded to build this ship, a task that he had never undergone before. This was all new to him, but he never complained, he just did as he was commanded (Oh, how I need to learn to be more like Nephi!).

1 Nephi 17:9 "And I said: Lord, whither shall I go that I may find ore to molten, that I may make tools to construct the ship after the manner which thou hast shown unto me?" Nephi knew that he needed tools to build this ship. I find it intersting that he didn't ask the Lord where to find the tools to build the ship, but he asked the Lord where to find the ore so that he could make the tools to accomplish this task. The Lord does not usually do for us what we can do for ourselves. If Nephi would have said, "Hey, I'll build this ship, but I don't have any tools. Will you make me some tools?" I doubt the Lord would have responded in a way that Nephi would have liked. Instead, Nephi knew that this was something he could do for himself and asked the Lord for guidance in finding the ore. 1 Nephi 17:10 "And it came to pass that the Lord told me whither I should go to find ore, that I might make tools." It was just that simple to Nephi. Sometimes I need things spelled out for me. I am so grateful for the scriptures...because I do have things spelled out for me. Simple little lessons that I learn each time I read. Things that make me realize, "I want to be more like Nephi (or Ammon, or Chief Captain Moroni)!"

Anyhow, I just wanted to say that I am grateful for the gospel and that even though it may be tough at times to get out the door with three young boys who don't always want to go to church, it is well worth the struggle! I love feeling edified and learning more about the Savior and his gospel. Today was a great day!

It's Official...

2008-02-09T11:28:00.001-07:00

We are heading home! Mark accepted one of his job offers and he actually starts work on Monday. He is on his way out there right now. I finally told my daycare parents this week. I have to give them four weeks notice so they could find other child care, but we didn't know until this past week for sure what we were going to do. We are still not positive, but at least we have a better idea. I have a friend that I grew up with in California who is now living in Arizona who's husband is being transferred out here. They came out this past weekend to go house hunting and they LOVED our house! So, as of now, the plan is for them to just buy our house. So nice for us because we don't have to worry about sticking around out here and trying to sell our house and our family won't be separated any longer than it has to be! So nice for them, because they don't have to stress out about finding a house while living in another state and they can buy our house at a lower cost (no realtor fees)! PLUS, she is wanting to do daycare, and since when we move I am going to be a stay at home mom and no longer do daycare or pre-school, I am just leaving her all of my daycare stuff! Including (hopefully) some of my kids! There are a couple of parents who are really interested in using her (she comes with a GREAT referrence!). We are hoping that it will all work out! It sounds too good to be true, doesn't it?!!

So, our tentative buyers want to be here April 1st and that gives us 7 whole weeks to get packed up and moved. We were actaully thinking about moving during Spring Break, but we'll see. I told my daycare parents that my last day of care would be March 14th (see, I gave them 5 weeks). If for some freak reason this sale falls through, then I will put the house up for sale at that point and we will probably just plan to be out here until the end of the school year. It will be hard on our family to be apart, but it will be good for the boys to finish up the school year with all of their friends. Obviously, we are hoping that everything goes smoothly and we can leave during Spring Break, but there won't be any hard feelings if it doesn't work out that way. The orginal plan was to wait until the middle of March to close my daycare and put the house on the market. So if it turns out that that is what we have to do, then so be it. We are in a great area, great schools, perfect location. Houses in our neighborhood have been selling within two weeks lately, so we are confident that it will sell really fast.

For now though, we are planning on leaving by the 29th of March. The countdown has begun! 49 days left in Texas. I've already started making a list of things we have to do either again or for the first time before we leave because I know that it will be a very long time before we are back here.

Well Caden, Jace, Jackson and I better get to work on that list. We have lot's of things to cross off!

DisneyWorld 2008!

2008-02-09T10:19:00.002-07:00

We went to DisneyWorld with Mark's family in January. Even though we got to see everyone at Christmas time, we were all looking forward to seeing everyone again so soon! It was such a fun trip! We went to the Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Disney's Hollywood Studio's, Epcot Center and Downtown Disney. The weather was nice most days, not too cold. And we were lucky that we never got rained on!

Here are just a FEW of the MANY photo's we took!

Kristie and Mark with Mickey at Animal Kingdom

All the kids at The Seas: Nemo and Friends (yes that includes Mark...and that is Jackson passed out in the stroller!) We went to see "Turtle Talk with Crush" and Jace got to talk to Crush. He called Jace the the "Little dude with the orange shell" and picked him out of the crowd. During their conversation, Jace told Crush that he used to have a fish. Crush got really excited and asked where his fish was now. Jace just said, "He's dead." Crush was horrified! His expressions were hilarious and the audience just laughed at his interaction with Jace. It was really cute to watch!

Jackson and Jace got to meet Bruce!

Jace and Caden At Epcot

Jackson at Epcot

More Disney Photos:

2008-02-09T09:36:00.001-07:00

Caden at Epcot Center

My Boys in "Germany"

Tasting the "Flavors around the World"

Jack-Jack and Taylor

At the Hoopty-Do Review

Utah Bound?

2008-01-14T13:47:00.001-07:00

Well, it looks like we are headed for colder weather! We are still weighing all of our options, but Mark and I keep going back to Xcellerated Solutions. The thought doing things on his own is so rewarding to him and there is so much more work out there for him and Dan now. I know that the kids want to move back and Mark and I are excited at the thought of being near family again.

This has been a good move for us, to be here in Texas and among other things, really learn to rely on one another. We love Texas and all of our friends out here. The ward is great and I love my daycare kids, but Texas is not our home. By no means has the decision been finalized, but we are leaning towards South Weber. I am tempted at times to just pull the plug here, put the house up for sale and head back now but I know that it would be better for the kids to wait until summer when they are out of school. What we are thinking is that Mark will just go back and forth until June. I'll stay here with the kids and then in April or May we'll put the house up for sale. He can work from home and build up clientele in the Dallas area while he is here and he has plenty of projects lined up to work on while he is in Utah.

Obviously, he will still interview with companies in Dallas and it may turn out that we don't move back right away. But I think we are all secretly hoping that nothing out here really materializes because we are all ready to come home.

Our Texas Home....

2008-01-01T14:02:00.001-07:00

I know we've lived here for a year and a half, and most of you haven't seen pictures yet. Many of you were asking to see them when we went to Utah, so, here they are!

Happy New Year!

2008-01-01T13:32:00.001-07:00

We had a blast in Utah! It was shorter than we would have liked our visit to be, but we had such a great time! The kids LOVED the snow and they loved spending time with Grandparents and cousins. Like Mark and I, the kids were so sad to leave! But we are getting back into the groove of things here in Texas. We are excited for the new year and all the opportunities that it brings. We're still not sure where we will end up - Texas or Utah - but we should know in the next few weeks. It was nice for Mark to be able to put in some face time in Salt Lake, and now that we are back and the holidays are over, he should get some leads in Dallas as well. It is hard to say at this point what we will do with everything up in the air. I think either decision will be good for our family in different ways. Hopefully soon we'll see what the Lord has in store for us!

Here are some pictures of the family from the trip!

Decisons, Decisions...

2007-12-14T23:30:00.002-07:00

So, it's Christmas time again, my favorite time of year. I can't believe how quickly time flies! We've been in Texas now for a year and half. And we have truly loved living here. Mark and I have made some wonderful friends, learned life-altering lessons, and grown together as a couple and family. But, I think our journey here is not over.

Since losing his job last week, Mark and I have been faced with some tough decisions, yet again. Do we stick it out here in Texas or do we head home to Utah and family? Of course we would love to go home. We WANT to go home. But as I said, I don't think we are finished here. When we made the decision to move to Texas, it was a no-brainer for both of us. We knew it was the right thing to do. We planned on being here for about five years and then heading back. Now that there is really nothing holding us here, the question presents itself: Do we go home? This time the answer is not so easy for us.

Dallas is a great place for Mark to be right now. There are tons of opportunities for him to further his career. There are not so many opportunities in Salt Lake, but I know there are some. It's not like there is a wrong answer here, and I think that is what is making this so difficult for us.

We've spent much time on our knees and in the temple. Mark thinks we'll be back in Utah by June, I'm thinking it will be longer than that. I hope not by much. The kids all want to go back and Mark and I do feel that longing to be near family. I just hope it is sooner than later.

Jackson

2007-11-11T15:13:00.002-07:00

Jace

2007-11-11T15:01:00.001-07:00

Caden

2007-11-11T14:59:00.001-07:00

Brothers....

2007-11-11T14:16:00.001-07:00

More Pictures From Our Cruise!

2007-10-26T07:17:00.001-06:00

2007-10-26T07:16:00.002-06:00

My Little Soccer-Man!

2007-10-26T06:54:00.002-06:00

We took Jace's soccer pictures just before his game last Saturday. I thought for sure we'd miss out because the actual picture day was September 15th, when we went to see the BYU @ Tulsa game. We'd bought tickets for the game about 3 months in advance, so we weren't going to back out of that...besides, who wants to miss a road trip in the fun bus?!! So Mark and I figured we'd just take pictures of Jace ourselves and get pictures of the team during the games. We let his coach know that we woudn't be there and she was sad but she understood. Well, when we came home from our trip, Coach Liz told us that everyone wanted to re-do team pictures because they all wanted Jace in there too, since he was part of the team! I thought that was so sweet. So, we set a date and time and these were the outcome. What a cute bunch!

Our Cruise!!

2007-10-19T19:58:00.001-06:00

What a Blast!! We had such a great time! We went with our dear friends, Gary and Karen. We drove down to Galveston on Friday night and spent the night in a hotel. Then Saturday afternoon, we jumped on board The Ecstacy for a 5 night cruise to Cozumel and Progresso, Mexico. In Cozumel we took the ferry over to Playa del Carmen to meet Gary's cousin. What a beautiful place! We hung out on the beach and did a little swimming, kayaking and parasailing! In Progresso, sorry, but we couldn't get back to the ship fast enough! NOT the most pleasant place I've ever been. I think it would have been better had we gone to see the Chichen Itza Mayan ruins, but Mark and I KNEW the kids wouldn't last the 3 hour bus ride...so we hung out on the ship for the better part of the day. The kids had a blast! They loved the kids club...well Jace and Caden did at least! Jackson wouldn't ever go. He hung out with mom and dad the whole trip. And it wasn't even cause he wanted to be with mom and dad! He was more worried about where Karen and Gary and "the girls" (aka: Lauren and Rachel) were the whole time! He absolutely LOVES them! They (Gary and Karen) came to the rescue, by the way! They watched the kids for us so Mark and I could actually watch a show and walk around the ship without chasing down little ones. That was the best part of the whole cruise! Is that so sad? I will ever be grateful to them for that! *sigh* Anyhow, we truly enjoyed our vacation! The food was great, the company was even better and it was so nice just to be away for a little while.

These are some of my favorite pictures from the trip! Enjoy!

2007-10-19T19:38:00.002-06:00

BYU @ Tulsa

2007-10-19T14:42:00.001-06:00

I know this blog is a little past due...but what can I say? I'm a busy gal! On September 15th, we rented a 15 passenger van with some friends, and made the 230 mile trek to watch BYU play at Tulsa. It was a sad game, but we had a blast in the "fun bus"! We went to the tail gate party before the game, got our faces painted and hung out with Cosmo and all the cute cheerleaders. Then we headed off to the game.

The boys had so much fun! Jace has been singing the BYU fight song ever since! It's hilarious to listen to him! "Rise and shout the Cougars are out! Go Cougars!!" And Jackson walks around the house yelling, "BYU! BYU!!" Yes, we are projecting on our children!

The game lasted until just after midnight...It was a long night for the little ones, but they were troopers! We stayed the night in Tulsa and attended a local Sacrament Meeting before heading back home. I must say that a road trip is always funner in a 15 passenger van! We are already looking forward to next years game at TCU!

Aunt Kelly and Uncle Tom

2007-09-14T12:55:00.001-06:00

Tom, my sister Kelly's husband, flew out to Dallas for a short 12 hour visit last night. We were all so happy to see family. He is our first official family visitor. (Mark's parents helped us drive out here when we moved and they saw our house, but our truck load of things hadn't even arrived yet, so none of our things were in the house. Then they had to leave right away to catch a flight back to Utah.) Even though Tom's was a short stay, we were so glad he was able to spend some time here! The boys absolutely LOVE him! He taught them all sorts of things he shouldn't have...like how to grab 20 mints on the way INTO the restaurant just so you can grab MORE on your way OUT! And how to throw things over our balcony hallway to the open living room below. He even challenged Caden at one point to climb across the top of our double mantel fireplace...keep in mind that is about 15 feet off the ground! Ha, ha, ha! Of course it didn't happen...but all a young boy needs is to have ideas like that planted in their heads...especially Jackson. That kid thinks he's invincible! Yes, my boys loved him, cause they got away with things they never would have gotten away with otherwise. I told Tom that I was almost relieved that it was only going to be 12 hours that he would be influencing my usually mild mannered children. I was joking of course, I hope you know that, Tom! We really enjoyed having you here.

Then of course there is Kelly. Beautiful, sweet, wonderful, thoughtful Kelly. Who wouldn't let Tom leave without gifts for my kids. They are awesome! Everyone of them was a hit with my boys and they were very happy and grateful to receive them. Thanks, Kelly! You are an incredible sister to me and and awesome "Auntie" to my boys!

Hopefully, Kelly's entire family can come for a visit some time soon. We'd love to have you here!

Jackson LOVED his "Toy Story" and "Monster's Inc." cars. He carried them around for the rest of the night!

Jace slept with his Pokemon cards under his pillow.

He was so happy that Aunt Kelly got them for him.

Caden, Uncle Tom and Jace proudly displaying Caden's new Yugi-Oh cards!

Jace and Uncle Tom

Jackson laughed at Tom all night. "He's silly, Mommy!" he kept telling me.

Soccer Season!

2007-09-14T11:37:00.001-06:00

It's soccer season again! This is Jace's first year playing. His team is called the Cheetahs. He has been SO excited to start. He loves practicing. Every day he comes home from school and asks if he can put on his "soccer shoes" and practice kicking his ball in the backyard.

Last Saturday was his first game. He did SO GOOD! He got right in there and wasn't afraid to go after the ball! Look at him, right there in the middle, he was so cute!

When he came over to grab a drink from me he said, "Mom! I never got to play a real soccer game before! This is so fun!" It was a great game! The boys play 4 on 4 with no goalie. It's hilarious to watch all the little guys on the field trying to figure out which way to kick the ball and trying so hard to follow their coaches directions!

It gets so hot here! Add the humidity to that and it's almost unbearable to sit and watch from the sidelines, I couldn't imagine running up and down the field for 60 minutes in this weather, but he never wanted to stop! The team rotates players for water breaks every 5 minutes so they don't get dehydrated and there were a couple of times that he grabbed a drink and ended up right back on the field! That's my boy! I hope he loves the last game of the season as much as loved his first game this season!

Pictures!!

2007-08-27T09:33:00.001-06:00

Jackson, finding a way to ease the pain of missing his brothers!

As you can see, he has taken over Jace's gameboy! Caden's first day in 4th Grade. He is so excited and he is going to have a GREAT year!
Jace's first day in Kindergarten. He is just so happy to be here!!!

The First Day of School

2007-08-27T09:18:00.001-06:00

So, all summer we have been preparing for this day! My 4th grader kept telling me, "Mom, I know you are going to cry." My reply was always, "No tears from me!" So this morning I walked Caden to his class, waved goodbye with a big smile on my face and walked down the hall with my kindergartner. As we were walking it hit me that I was leaving my baby in the hands of complete strangers!!! I dropped him off at his class, the tears just started to flow! Seriously - I cried like a little girl!! I was so mad at myself for crying. Jace just looked at me like I was nuts! He is so ready to for school and he's been so excited about it I know he'll do just great! I talked to his teacher and she assured me that he would be okay - I KNEW he would be, I was just a little more emotional than I expected!

So I got home and my husband gave me a look that let me know he was holding back from making fun of me! But being the perfect husband that he is and KNOWING his boundaries just said, "He's gonna be just fine."

Then there is my youngest who now has to adjust to life without his big brothers. I think it will be hard for him at first, but I'm sure he'll find a way to pass the time! He'll be busy with pre-school and all his friends that come to daycare. Oh, and of course you can't forget the Gameboy! That will certainly ease his pain!