ferguson family

kid pics/update

2012-01-22T22:15:00.001-06:00

Isaac: Still loves reading. Did great in the school spelling bee last week. Is an awesome big brother and example. Loves making no bake cookies. His latest food invention is a sandwich with mayonnaise, pickles, ham, and a mini taquito inside, he loves them. Trying to earn money to buy a parakeet. Enjoys making up games to play (usually involving war) and enjoys writing stories and trying to make and invent things.

Ethan: Says he had the "best Christmas EVER" because he got 5 new stuffed raccoons. He loves his "cuties" which this is a picture of him with all of them gathered together. He loves gymnastics and I must say he's got skills, probably from the hours he has spent out on the trampoline. Every time he prays he says he is grateful for his family, the trampoline, and the neighbor kids. He adores Eliza and can't help squeezing the life out of her whenever she is nearby.

Mason: This kid loves to draw. He spends so much time drawing. I love to see what is in his head. His favorite medium is ball point pens. He always writes "To Mom, From Mason" on them. He is still very cheerful and positive and I hope that lasts forever. He and Eliza have a great understanding and friendship budding and it's awesome to watch. He still loves bubblegum and LEGOS.

Eliza: She is growing up so fast. This picture doesn't do her much justice but it was at hand and shows a bruise on her forehead which is very typical. She has gotten hurt the most already out of all the kids. She always has some cut or bruise on her forehead. She's crazy and loves to wrestle and jump on the trampoline with her brothers. She really loves to draw and she really loves to follow me around. If I'm not within a foot of her she cries and either has me hold her hand or pick her up. She is so funny, sweet and sassy all at the same time. She loves to smell her stinky monkey's tail.

almost robbed?

2012-01-01T14:58:00.002-06:00

Christmas night at 10:15pm Dave and I had just turned all the lights off in the house and were getting into bed when there was a knock at the door. I wondered if our neighbors needed help or something? Dave immediately felt something was fishy and told me to stay in our room and get the cell phone handy. I've never felt unsafe in our neighborhood. It's the most suburbian, least ghetto place you could imagine. By the time Dave got to the door the person had knocked once more, and then also rang the dang doorbell. It ticks me off when anyone rings my doorbell because we have a note taped over the doorbell that specifically says "please knock." Dave got to the door and asked without opening it, "who is it?" Some guy said his name. We didn't know him. Dave then asked, "what do you want?" The guy then asked if we had seen his lost dog. Ok, lost dog at 10:15pm Christmas night? Knocking on our door with all our lights off and then being so urgent as to ring our doorbell??? And not only that, but he didn't go to our neighbor's houses, but got in a car full of 3 other men that had its lights off and then turned around and drove away. I texted my neighbor who said she hadn't had anyone knock on their door, and she added that all of their lights were on. So putting all of the pieces together, we decided it was a car full of men, looking to break into someone's home and rob them of all their new Christmas gifts while they were away at a Christmas party or on vacation! Why else would they have knocked repeatedly and rang the doorbell when they knew they shouldn't have except to make sure no one was home before they broke in?? Need I say Dave and I were a bit spooked? We reported the incident to the police. Interestingly we had just gotten home about an hour earlier from having Christmas dinner with some friends. What if we had stayed later? The day would have ended as a disturbing Christmas! I'm so grateful we got home in time. I'm so grateful Dave had a feeling of warning as he heard the first knock. I'm so glad he didn't open the door. I'm so glad nothing happened!

just to remember

2011-12-29T23:39:00.007-06:00

I love the way...

the boys played on the computer today, each in charge of manning one key, so they could all play the computer game together, fairly. I didn't even say a word, they were doing it when I walked up.

Ethan took Eliza at the aquarium at Sea World today and showed her all the fish and helped her up and down the areas she could not get to on her own. Also he would point to each fish and shark with her and ooh and ahh over it with her.

Eliza smells her stinky monkey's tail.

Mason thoughtfully shared the dippin' dots he'd earned, by riding the roller coaster at Sea World, with his older brother (and all of us) who had not ridden the roller coaster.

Dave has turned into Mr. Fix-it. Wow, he really has.

Isaac found a Lego and a penny on the ground and thoughtfully gave them to a grateful brother, Mason. Then Mason told me "Isaac is the best brother ever! Isn't he so nice?!!"

Eliza laughs deeply, and squeals, and points and pulls to let you know what she wants.

Mason gave his last drink of Egg Nog to Ethan who had already drinken a full cup.

Ethan wrapped his arm around Mason's shoulders and took him through the crowd to see the the fish feeding at the aquarium. (And how when I complimented Ethan on taking good care of his brothers and sisters, and being the best brother he said, "Well, I learned it from you.")

Isaac told me tonight that he loved to make me laugh, and then kept trying his hardest to do silly, funny things to hear me laugh more.

Dave really helps me cook, and clean, and care for our children, happily. And he's so good at it too. (And I'm talking serious help here, not just a little deed here and there, but full on back to back grocery shopping trips to Costco and Wal-Mart done in record speed together, using hours of his days off to help me thoroughly clean the house, and he's even made our home ground, home made bread lately which has turned out amazing! I am really enjoying the team work.)

Ethan said that it was "the BEST Christmas EVER!" because he got 5 new stuffed pet raccoons.

Isaac says that Eliza is so cute, and that "when she grows up she is going to be a heartbreaker, with those big chocolatey eyes."

Dave is my best friend, and we're so happy we've found alot of great PG movies to watch together recently, and that he is a "modified vegan" aka, " you are vegan, but you can eat meat and dairy whenever you want to."

Eliza blows kisses, waves her hand in the air by her nose to say "stinky," and how she always loads on all of my necklaces and jewelry in my closet.

Mason is so cheerful, so happy, so laughy, so positive, so loveable.

Isaac and Ethan pray for poor people in their prayers. And Ethan is always so grateful in his prayers, including the trampoline, the neighbor kids, having a car to drive around in, and always, always, he tops it off by giving thanks for "most of all my family."

Eliza points to things and emphasizes it by leaning her head to her shoulder, and how she puts her two pudgy hands together and shrugs her shoulders to say "all gone."

The boys have gotten so good at unloading the dishwasher together, and help eachother with their certain duties until they are all done.

Isaac talks about wanting to better himself by eating healthy, exercising, and being a good boy.

Mason at various times would just run up from nowhere and wrap his arms around my legs for a big hug after I'd been gone to NY with Dave for a few days. He missed me!

Dave and I still laugh alot together.

Today Mason said we should name the baby in my belly Ethox, and then he changed it to Kathox. Usually he wants to name him Cody, so we can call him Code (for spying) or Cody.

Life has good spells. And we are definitely in one now. Loving it!

On my own

2011-10-15T12:16:00.008-05:00

That's right. On my own. No one is with me. Not even Eliza. I have been given (by my dear and wonderful husband) a few days of freedom, peace and quiet! And it gets even better! My few days of peace and quiet are at the beach!

Earlier this week I was feeling down in the dumps, angry, frustrated, trapped. Not because I don't have a beautiful life. Not because I don't love who I'm with or what I've chosen to do with my life. But simply because I was bogged down. Bogged down by the normal every day things that a mother and wife has to do and deal with. You know, the whining, the fighting, the arguing, the explaining, the cleaning, the laundry, the cooking, the preparing, the getting ready for school, the putting to bed, the diaper changing, the appointments, the noise, the tiredness, the issue of not enough time and always too much to do, the sports, the play dates, the planning of entertainment, the issues, the duties!!! Oh, and you know that's not all. There is more, much more. So in the depths of the trenches I just yearned to get away. Alone. So I asked Dave what days he had off this week (his schedule is letting up a bit! Yay!) and he told me Fri-Mon. Really? "Well then" I said, "I would like to take a getaway by myself." Without hesitation he said, "Yes, you should, you deserve it." I don't really feel like I deserve it. But I did feel that the depths of my inner self needed it!

I began looking on the map as to where I would like to go. And I decided I didn't need to go anywhere far, and I do like the beach... So I found an awesome hotel right on the beach on North Padre Island, Corpus Christi. And I got it for super cheap! I saved $50/night off the published price! That always makes you feel even better about it doesn't it?!

So Friday morning came and I packed up swimming suits, my bike, my cameras, my laptop, and a heap of excitement! I decided to take Dave's truck down because how fun is that to drive a truck out on the beach. Plus I just love his truck anyhow. And in the planning of this getaway I decided it would be fun for me to be alone on Fri., Sat. and half of Sun. and then Dave and the kids would drive down Sunday afternoon and stay through Monday with me. And wouldn't the kids love a drive on the beach in the back of the truck too?

I headed out. About 2 hours on my way I decided to pull over to get gas as I had just less than a 1/4 tank left. I got out of the truck, opened the gas tank door and tried to open the gas cap. Locked. Locked???? But I didn't have a key!!! I knew then that I was in deep trouble. I didn't have enough gas to get me back to San Antonio and probably barely enough to get me into Corpus Christi, but not out to the island to my hotel! A nice old Harley grandpa saw my problem and tried to help. But there really is nothing you can do to get gas when your gas cap is locked and you don't have the key! So I called Dave. He said he could drive down and give me the key and then drive home or I should try calling a nearby dealership. (I can't believe he was so kind enough to offer driving 4 hours just to get me the dang gas key!) I got back on the road and decided I'd see if I could get into Corpus Christi before running out of gas, because at least then my chances of finding help would be a little better than being out in the boonies like I was at that point. So I got on the road and called a couple Toyota dealerships in Corpus. They said Toyota didn't put locking gas caps on and it was an after market thing the previous owner had installed. They could break it off and put a new one on for $20 plus labor. But could I make it there and how long would I have to wait? This was my precious alone time you know?

So next idea was to call my Geico road side assistance. The operator told me they could have locksmiths come out and pick the ignition or door, but not the gas cap. She also told me they could bring me gas if I ran out... but they wouldn't be able to get it in! That was no help, seriously. So desperately I asked the operator, "Now what am I supposed to do?" She was a kind woman and decided to help me! She put me on hold and called around to all the locksmiths in Corpus. She got back on the line and told me she had found one shop that could unlock my gas cap for $18 but I would have to drive to the shop! Oh man, I just prayed that it was on my way and that I would have enough gas to get there! Thank heavens for cell phones, gps, and prayers. Because the one shop in all of Corpus that could help me WAS on my way. And I ended up having enough gas that I DID make it to the shop (just barely on fumes I might add!). And it only took an extra 15 minutes to get it taken care of, and they made me new keys for the cap and there was a gas station VERY close by. Now how's that for feeling like the Lord was really watching over me? And I felt at peace the whole time, well mostly :). There were a few tense minutes when the needle was touching empty and I still had 20 miles to go that I wondered if I would make it. But I still felt like everything would work out. And it did, and so smoothly at that!

When I got to the hotel I was so happy to have arrived! I was early but decided to go in anyway and see if I could check in. I also had hopes of sweet talking the front desk into upgrading my basic room to a balcony on the beach. I know. My hopes are always so high. The front desk lady informed me they were pretty booked due to a high school reunion this weekend, but after I told her my story of the locked gas cap and friendly chatting with her, she said she could upgrade me to the top floor balcony where the sun sets beautifully!!! Yes!!! God bless that woman!

I got up to my room and it was wonderful. It's just so nice to have a balcony and a view! Even if it isn't a view of the ocean, at least I do have a view of a lagoon and the sunset! And it has 2 queen beds for when the family comes to join me. It's just perfect!

After getting settled in my room I decided to take a very long walk on the beach. It was awesome being able to choose what I wanted to do without any complaints, and deciding to where and how long I wanted to walk without any whining! So I walked to a nice fishing pier and enjoyed the view from there, watching the fish in schools swimming below me. It was perfect weather with a beautiful breeze. I was in heaven!

After my walk I decided to drive down to Padre National Seashore. That was fun, peaceful and pretty and I saw a place I might like to go kayaking and also saw some deer, pretty dunes, birds and drove the truck out on the beach.

By then I was getting hungry and the sun was setting. Again, it was so fun deciding what I felt like eating without having to take any considerations for what others may or may not like feel like eating! So I went to this local Italian food restaraunt. There was live music and it was a very lively and fun place. I ate salad, bread, baked ziti and cheesecake. I saved half of it for my dinner for tonight. People may have thought it was awkward for me to be there alone, at a table by myself surrounded by couples and families, but it was not. I really enjoyed the food, people watching, listening to the good music and knowing that in a couple days I would be surrounded by my beautiful family once again! I enjoyed the night!

Before I could head back to the hotel I needed to stop by the local Wal-Mart in hopes that they would have a Presta bike pump. I had forgotten to bring my pump from home and when unloading my bike at the hotel I realized that my front tire was way flat. Sand and flat tires don't mix! Well at Wal-Mart all I could find were pumps for Schrader valves. Ugh. I couldn't believe it! I really wanted to be able to take a ride out on the beach in the early morning. I prayed. I looked again. Nope. All Schrader. I almost walked away. Then I felt to look at this one single pump that was the same looking as all the rest but was in black instead of red. And lo and behold. ONE lonely Presta pump! Unbelievable! I snatched it right up, thanked my Heavenly Father for his loving kindness and headed out. Sometimes I feel like I am Heavenly Father's only child. I am stunned by how little things (and big) just fall into place as we seek His help and companionship.

Back at the hotel I spent the rest of the night watching and listening to uplifting programs on the Mormon Channel studying how I can make myself a better person, Mom and wife. That's also what this getaway is about!

I slept in until 8am! Then went out on the balcony and read my scriptures as the sun peeked through the clouds. Then I pumped up my bike tire (hurray!) and left for a refreshing and long bike ride on the beach. What a beautiful morning!! What I didn't realize though in riding out was that the wind was at my back. So what took me 20 minutes to ride down the beach, took me an hour to ride back :). But I found some pretty shells and barnacles, saw some pretty birds, and enjoyed the sun and sea in the morning light!

Now it is afternoon and I am going to take a drive along the coast up to a National Wildlife Refuge to check out what I can there. It could be a long drive and I think I will enjoy it so I should while I can, and while I don't have to torture my kids in doing so! Maybe I will take a dolphin cruise this evening or just take it easy and come back to the hotel and read a good book or sit on the beach. Isn't this just beautiful? Boy do I feel spoiled! I tell my kids it's ok to be spoiled, as long as you're not rotten. I hope I never turn rotten!

Off to adventure...

Back from adventure...

So I drove up the coast, through Port Aransas and took the car ferry over the canal. Fun! Then I drove 2 hours up to the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. It is right on the coast and once you pull into the refuge it is just gorgeous! Lush and green against the blue water and sky. Lots of birds gliding on the ocean breeze. Big oaks and wild flowers. So when I pulled up the gentleman who stopped me let me know it was free day today. Bonus! And that there were activities and booths going on for the next 1/2 hour. So I hurried in to see what was going on. A woman ranger told me there were different booths and food (that they were actually starting to take down) to see but that I could probably make it in time to take a kayak out down by the fishing pier. Kayak?! What?? Hurray! That's just what I had wanted to do while I was on my special getaway but I had decided not to pay the money to do it. Earlier that morning I had said a prayer that the Lord would help me know what to do that day to make the most of my time and do the things I should do. Well looky now! I drove out to the fishing pier and made it just in time to take a kayak out! It was just lovely! The kayaks were tandem and they found a woman named Lynn to go out with me. That was nice because she could inform me of some things in the area. The waves were high and so I got completely drenched, but at least the water was not cold and I wasn't wearing white. It was a whole lot of fun and that little kayak trip made my day! There were mullet jumping all over just like in Florida. Lots of things on this trip have reminded me of Florida. Love it. See why I say I feel like an only child?

Luckily I had a towel in the truck so I could dry off a little. Next I took the 16 mile scenic drive. They have all sorts of animals in the park but all I saw were a few white tailed deer. What I really wanted to see were alligators and the wild hogs. Lynn told me they were very common. Well, shucks, not yesterday! Not a one! Because of the drought all the lakes and swampy areas were just prairies. I guess they are usually teeming with gators. Where are they all now? But I did stop and take a short hike out for a view of the bay and took some photos. It was so beautiful!!! There was this huge, old oak tree, with those large twisting limbs that spread out so far and make a canopy at the end of the path. And I saw an osprey and just enjoyed the wildflowers and peaceful aloness, until I heard this sound and there was this man standing behind me. Scared me. I skeedadled after that.

The drive back to the hotel was nice. I stopped at Kohls to buy a crock pot and HEB to get groceries for Sunday for the family. They are joining me in the morning. I wish I still had more time alone. Oh, did I say that?

I always hope I will be missed and appreciated more for what I do when I leave like this. I hope our reunion tomorrow is a nice one. The kids were excited to talk to me on the phone last night. I can't wait to hug them all! I sure love my husband and my little family!

Oh, when I got to the hotel last night it was a crazy party!!! There had been a wedding and a high school reunion here! There was a live band playing (crazy sleezy drunks) and the place was packed!

I went out to the Sea Wall and it's always so beautiful at the beach at night. The moon was large and hanging low and the waves were coming in fast. I took a short stroll down the Sea Wall walkway and turned to look at a hotel, right when I turned back to look at the ocean again, I turned just in time to catch a beautiful shooting star shooting across the sky. Magical. I know my Heavenly Father loves me!

This is the life

2011-04-07T00:58:00.006-05:00

Just a few times today I found myself aching for a few moments to myself without any responsibility (did I say moments? I meant hours). Who could I call to babysit???... ugh, still don't know any babysitters yet... and hubby is out of town...and I have a nursing baby...

So I pushed on. Trying my best to hold it together another day, trying to be a nice and loving Mommy one day more. Well, I successfully got the kids down at 8:30pm, and because I was able to sneak in a nap today, I decided it was time to have some alone time FUN. So maybe it's the middle of the night, maybe I should have been asleep 5 hours ago, maybe I am a little naughty, but I am ALL ALONE and I can do WHATEVER I want for HOURS on end!!!

As Mason would say, "This is the life!" First I busted out the paints and canvasses and painted in bright colors and shapes as I listened to lds radio talks and interviews and enjoyed some inspiration for hours without interruption! Then I read my favorite blogs, and listened to some music and even downloaded new tunes! Now I'm writing in my blog! What a thrill! ("Wow" you are thinking, "she calls that fun?" Heck yeah, it is.)

And you may ask, "won't you pay for this irresponsible sponteneity tomorrow?" Do you know what I say to that? "So what!" And "word to your momma!" Because the kids can buy lunch for the second day in a row and we can eat cereal for every meal and I can even shirk my responsibilities for another day and maybe even catch another nap! (Dave is gone through Saturday you know.) Because ya know, the rejuvination that has occurred in the depths of my soul these past hours has been absolutely de-licious!

small miracle?

2011-01-28T23:28:00.003-06:00

Yes, I believe a small miracle happened today and it was fun for me to see. It probably won't be as exhilirating for you as it was for me but I'll share nonetheless.

Right before school starts Wal-Mart has these awesome deals on school supplies right? And you know how the Mormon church does those humanitarian service projects and they give you directions to make and fill school bags for kids? Well school supply sales and humanitarian school bags go hand in hand.

About 7 years ago when Isaac was small I put together a bundle of them. But now that my children are older, and now that some of them exist who didn't before, I thought it would be fun to have them join me in this book bag service project again.

This past summer I talked about it with the kids and told them what we needed to do for the project. We had to decide on how many school bags we were going to make this time around. Last time I made 20 and so we wanted to do more than that. The boys suggested we do 30 this time. No problem. We bought oodles of notebooks and pens and erasers and rulers and scissors and the cashiers at Wal-Mart gave me funny looks. But we did it, we got all the supplies that we needed. Now all that was left to find was fabric and time.

Somewhere in between here and there I decided I'd stop in at my nearby thrift store to see if they had any good fabric laying around... you know, enough so that I might be able to sew 30 book bags. Can I just say I love thrift stores dearly? Always have. Magic awaits me there. Walking through those doors unleashes my creative juices. Anyhow... you'll never believe it, I came upon a stash of beautifully perfect cordoruy and there was a bunch of it to boot! Someone had donated 3 bunches of it- brown, navy, and dark purple. I grabbed it right up and paid the $3 total for it and thanked the heavens! I just hoped it would be enough and if it wasn't I figured I could scrounge up some more fabric somewhere else...

Time passed and school started and I had a baby and things like that. Wouldn't ya know that the school supplies and fabric are still sitting in my craft room in piles and stacks and overflowing bags?

Today I finally decided that now was as good a time as ever to get started on this project. I spent all day cutting that wonderful corduroy into book bag shapes, thinking about how sturdy the bags will be and how the children will be able to use them through college even, I'm sure.

I didn't really measure the fabric to see how many bags I would get out of it, I just started cutting. I figured when I was out, I'd be out. Now here's the miracle, the moment you've been waiting for: When I finished cutting, and couldn't possibly cut another single 14x18 rectangle or 12x3 strap from the fabric I counted them all up. And get this, there were enough cut bags and straps to make EXACTLY 30 school bags!!! WOW. Can you say WOW? What angel was doing that coordinating? I mean seriously!

So once again I'm thanking the heavens! And I'm also hoping that the next miracle I'll find in the morning, when I go into my craft room, is that my coordinating angel will have worked through the night sewing all 30 of those blasted bags for me...

I'm a housewife?

2011-01-27T21:06:00.002-06:00

The other day I had to sign my name on some legal document for Dave for who knows why (wait, should I have read over that before signing it?!!) and I noticed that Dave had check marked the box for me that said "housewife."

When I saw that I cringed and felt a crustiness brewing within. Not towards Dave but towards the term. Housewife? Stay-at-home Mom? Is that what we ARE? Hey world, did you know I am actually not married to a house, I am married to a husband? And did you know that I actually don't stay at home that much? Did you know us "stay-at-homers" probably get out more and see more of the city and the world than you think?

I just wonder why us housewives are looked down on so much. (Not really, I do know why... but why are people falling for it?) I mean we are as capable and intelligent and well rounded as all get out. So where is the due respect for our labors of love?

As I layed in bed the other night I tried to think of a label for us that would be more deserving. Don't laugh, well okay you can laugh, but I'm serious here! And yes, it was hard to find words for a title that is so great and all encompassing, but I came up with a few...

How about:

The Master of Many Skills
Or
The One Who Taught You Everything You Know and Are
Or
The Intelligent Altruistic One
Or
The Sacred Bearer of All of You
Or
The One Who Does Hard Things, Wisely Knowing It Brings The Greatest Joys, Fullest Potentials And All Sorts Of Progression

Whaddayathink?

Maybe we should get together and talk about a revolution of sorts, like getting rid of those lame-o labels? All in favor?

(Funny thing just now. My specialized, very intellectual, orthodontist career man husband just read this post. Bless his heart, when he got to the part where I said "intelligent and well rounded as all get out" he corrected me and said it is actually "as I'll get out." Wha? So we argued a sec and then looked it up on the internet... and the answer is.... AS ALL GET OUT!!! Give it up for the housewife!)

So I'll be signing off now, finishing up, moving on or maybe I should just say good-bye "as I'll get out." Peace!

mason is easy to love

2011-01-27T16:07:00.010-06:00

Today as I sat at the computer, Mason sat on my lap. Randomly he said, "Mom, I love you. I love you more than heaven!"

Today I also took Mason to McDonalds for a happy meal and to play on their sweet playground. I had wanted to buy him lunch and then take him to the Burr Oaks nature center. But when he realized I said I would buy him a happy meal he asked if we could go to the McDonalds with the sweet playground too. He said that is what would make him so happy. And he also said, "Mom, we can go to that other place that you are begging me to go to tomorrow." (meaning Burr Oaks nature center). Was I begging? Huh. So as we were sitting there and he was eating his lunch at McDonalds I asked him what he was going to do when he was five. He thought about it for a 1/2 a minute and then looked at me and sincerely said with a smile, "When I'm five I'm going to do what you tell me to do Momma."

Mason is officially Mr. giggle silly man. He giggles at everything- when he's happy, after he gets hurt, with his brothers, at his brothers, for his brothers, when he's tired, when he's well rested, when he's mad. He is the laughiest kid I've met. I wish adults could laugh as much as children do.

Mason is responsible. He puts clothes away, does any chore he's asked, takes care of his own problems, and cleans up after himself. He even lets me know when he's tired and puts himself down for naps.

Mason says awesome prayers. He prays about everything from A-Z. Last night his prayer was like 10 minutes long, thanking God for everything he could think of which included not having to be naked forever.

I love Mason. I love Mason SO much. And it makes me very, very happy when he says he has a secret to tell me then whispers in my ear, "I love you!"

the magazine rack

2011-01-26T10:10:00.003-06:00

At Borders today, waiting to purchase 4 awesome notebooks just because I LOVE notebooks, I had a few moments (actually more than a few sheesh that cashier could talk!) to scan over the front pages of various magazines that were staring at me. Yay, I feel like a better person for looking at them, NOT. And thanks to the brilliant magazine makers who come up with these headlines and ideas. NOT. Seriously people, get a clue.

Front page 1: Two gay men holding their new baby boy. Is this not frightening for our society?!! And that poor baby, does he have a chance in this world?

Front page 2: Beautiful woman showing she knows how to wear almost nothing in front of the world and she also knows how to make "sexy face." What good does this do me? Or anyone for that matter? There are alot of beautiful women out there but I appreciate the ones who know how to get dressed, respect their beauty, and who know how to smile. All she really is saying is sex. And I would hope that's not all that she's good for. But who knows these days. Where is strength of character?

Front page 3: "How to have the greatest sex ever"... or something like that. But really, how would they know? What makes them think they know and can teach us what it is? 'Cause I can tell you it's not what they are thinking or what the tv and movies are showing. The greatest sex isn't grimy, lustful, degrading or selfish. It's not something to be lauded on covers of silly magazines. It's more than that. Much more. It's beautiful, deep and wholesome and is the ultimate unifier between husband and wife. It's lovely, and the greatest when it's all about LOVE. So what do they know? And are people really going to them to find out anyhow? How sad, because in doing so they will never find "the greatest sex ever."

Front page 4: "Bad girl sex"... see commentary for front page 3.

Front page 5: "Gay Teens On TV." Oh yeah, let's promote it, let's teach our kids that it is normal and fun and A-OK and that maybe they should even try it. TV is getting better and better I tell ya!

Oh, and I'm just getting started... there were many, many more! You know, you've seen them, so I'll spare you, that's enough.

I think, well I hope, you get the picture.

awesomeness

2011-01-25T16:32:00.003-06:00

Lately I think awesome is a good word and this is why:

A week or so ago as Mason prayed over lunch this is what he said:
"Thank you for buying pants, for Mommy buying cutie pants. Thank you for awesomeness, for awesome us. Thank you for church, for pets..."
A couple things I love about that prayer- "awesome us" oh yeah. And then also he thanks Heavenly Father for pets. What pets? We don't have pets.

Also a couple weeks ago Mason came into the kitchen and asked me if I would put a Lego guy's arm back on. I said sure and snapped the arm into place and gave it back to Mason. He grabbed it and skipped back to the green room to play, saying all sing-songy, to himself, under his voice, "My-Mo-mmy-is-awe-some!"

And then a day after Mason said to himself that I was awesome, I was down in the basement with Isaac. I had picked up the basement earlier that day and folded quilts etc. I mentioned to Isaac that I had done that and he looked around, then at me, and said with all sincerety and joy and a big smile, "You're AWESOME Mom!"

Wow. So much awesomeness I don't even know how we contain it!

loving my heater

2011-01-08T22:47:00.005-06:00

Well, the kids and I did it! We survived 1.5 cold, long, cold, dark, freezing cold winters without a heater in the van! Did I mention it was cold? We overcame, and now we've gotten smart! This week we finally replaced the thermostat (which come to find out was broken clean in half!).

Nevermore in the van shall we have to wear our coats zipped to our noses, hats pulled down to our eyelids, gloves swathing our fingers making buckling seatbelts impossible, and blankies wrapping our popcicle legs! And we are LOVING it! Isaac now complains that it is TOO HOT in the dead of winter while we are basking in the hot air of our car, wearing nothing but swimming suits and flips. Oh the joy of it! And to think last January I drove, lone pilot and parental figure, pregnant, and with the 3 young boys in tow, 2 days through mountains, subzero temperatures and blizzards without a heater! I'm so happy about our new heater that I think I'll go sit out in the van right now and let the warm air blow through my hair while I day dream about yellow summer days. Oh, simple joys.

something about her

2011-01-07T23:02:00.007-06:00

It's ridiculous, we can't stop loving her. We just can't get enough. The boys are as tender and loving and caring as ever. They've never stopped since the day they met her. I've never witnessed sibling love like this. It's thick and warm and makes my heart burst. Dave always says that Eliza has "hit the jackpot." She is precious to us. Babies are so perfect aren't they? Their smell is intoxicating, their smile warms the coldest day, their touch like sweet heaven. Mmm. Eliza. Our darling baby girl.

gratefully grateful

2011-01-06T14:55:00.003-06:00

Today I feel so overwhelmed by goodness that surrounds me. Beautiful children. Wonderful husband. Many memories. Life experiences. Opportunities that lie ahead. The gospel. The beauty I've seen. I feel so lucky. I feel so blessed. I am so grateful. Tears in my eyes. How could I have so much? There is beauty, depth, and generosity given by a kind and gracious Heavenly Father. And I am feeling it today.

us lately

2010-11-30T22:00:00.003-06:00

I LOVE THIS BABY

2010-11-30T21:53:00.002-06:00

2010-11-16T09:29:00.000-06:00

Baby pics

2010-08-24T22:24:00.006-05:00

I will add commentary soon... But for now, Eliza April Ferguson born Thursday Aug. 19th at 5:31 pm. 9 hours of labor, 3 minutes of pushing. Seven lbs. 4 oz. Twenty and 1/2 inches long. Healthy and WONDERFUL little baby girl. I feel like it's Christmas every time I look at her :). Labor went alright but had to endure 3 days of a spinal headache and get an extra epidural with a blood patch on Sat. Things have been getting better ever since! I love this baby! (And you already know how much I love my boys).

Isaac Turns 8, His Reflections on Baptism

2010-08-15T17:50:00.007-05:00

What did you do to prepare to be baptized? “I thought about the Book of Mormon when we read it together as a family and if I would like to be baptized and I thought yes. As a family we talked about baptism. At night my Mom and Dad would let me ask my questions about baptism and we discuss them. I met with the Bishop and it was very fun. He said they expected a lot from me. He asked if I believed in Joseph Smith, The Book of Mormon and Jesus. I said yes I do.”

Did you go anywhere special before your baptism? “Yes I did. I went to a Mexican Restaurant with my Mom and Dad. We dressed like church. I ate a fajita and it was delicious. Afterwards we went to a trail and my Mom and Dad gave me my scriptures and they rock. We talked about my life- when I was in heaven, when I went through the veil, and then you would get baptized, then get the Aaronic priesthood, the Melchizedek priesthood, go on a mission and go to the temple. We went to a trail because we pretended like it was the good straight trail and the woods were Satan. I felt normal but cool.”

What did you wear when you were baptized? “I wore a white jumpsuit and I had to inside out my underwear so they were white. I wore all white because it’s good, kinda spiritual, like Jesus."

What did you think of the talks at your baptism? “They were good. My Grandpa Ferguson talked about a milestone in my life. My Grandma Vinton talked about a comforter like Bluey.”

At what time during your baptism did you feel the Holy Ghost? “When me and Daddy were getting ready for the baptism. (When they were alone in the dressing room before going into the water.) When I was baptized I felt normal like I was getting into a swimming pool. I felt the Sprit very very very strong when I was getting the gift of the Holy Ghost. I knew it was the Holy Ghost because I had never felt it that strong in my life before.”

What did you do after your baptism? “We went to Mamafloni’s and it was really like a restaurant. The food was great. I loved it.” (Mamafloni’s is a pretend restaurant put on by Mom and Dad).

Did getting baptized and receiving the Holy Ghost make you act any different? “Yeah, when I got out I felt like I needed to read the scriptures a lot and it really changed my life.”

What happened the next day, Sunday? “The Bishop called me up and I got my own Book of Mormon and there was a note in it saying that they really liked me and that note was his testimony. That night I read a lot of scriptures. My brothers asked me to play the wii that morning and I told them no, it’s Sunday and we’re not allowed to play video games on Sunday and then they said okay. At church I helped Mason be reverent and it was the best Sunday of his life. He listened to the talks and I read him some scriptures and he was really quiet and really good. He’s always been a good little brother.”

From Isaac’s journal entries:
Aug. 7th before being baptized: “Today I am getting BAPTISED. My grandma and grandpa Vinton our here and grandma and granpa Ferguson are Here!! :)

Aug. 15th one week after his baptism: “I was Baptised all my granma and granmas came when I was baptized. I was SOAEKED!!!!!! The water was warm it felt good. I felt good and I thought about it to. When I was baptized I Felt the spirit. And I prayed. And it changed my hole life :).

Memorial Day Weekend in Nauvoo

2010-06-21T10:27:00.009-05:00

I'm slow to post. I know Memorial Weekend was quite a while ago but hey, it's turning out that that's my style.

My parents are serving a 6 month mission in Nauvoo, IL and loving it. I was happy when they went because Nauvoo is 4 1/2 hours from here versus the 9 hour drive to Colorado. So we decided we'd head out and see them and enjoy Nauvoo for the weekend. It was super fun, even though Mason, Isaac, and Dave were all real sick. Thank goodness for pain relievers and fever reducers! And thank goodness my parents didn't catch it.

Elder Vinton and a couple boys before the wagon ride.

A pretty scenic view from the wagon.

Ethan showing some brotherly love during a hat and flag parade.

Having a good time!

Sister Vinton helping Mason along in the parade on stage.

Dave with the kids clinging to him after an evening performance. Love that picture. And Isaac at the Gun Shop checking out the machine gun.

Sister and Elder Vinton giving tours at the Gun Shop.

Dave and the kids making a rope! And Dave and Ethan taking a stroll.

Taking an evening stroll down to the Mississippi River before another evening show. Silly E.

Ethan holding a baby turtle we found. Grandpa and the boys throwing rocks.

Isaac glowing in the sunset. The Nauvoo Temple from the Trail of Tears.

Grandpa and Grandma spending quality time with the kids.

Grandpa and Mason at Pioneer Times. And Ethan participating in a children's performance.

Mason wearing a pioneer outfit that he LOVED and wanted to take home. Dave playing pioneer games.

The famous stick pull. Winner pulls against Daddy!

Grandma doing her job.

We had such a fun time and when Isaac just walked by as I was posting this he said, "Oh Mom, I miss Nauvoo so much. When are we going back?" Looks like we'll be back in a month to see the Nauvoo Pageant!

Awesome Bread

2010-05-25T21:05:00.004-05:00

While we lived in Colorado I met a friend who made the best bread ever! So after a few months of pestering her for the recipe she gave it to me. It must be a no fail recipe because I am not an expert bread maker and my first batch even turned out well. I grind the wheat (white wheat) in my wheat grinder and use it right away, doubling the recipe. I love it because it isn't super crumbly, it's soft, and it only has to rise one time. I like that is uses olive oil and honey. This recipe is so easy that I made 5 loaves after dinner tonight. Now that's saying something- I'm usually done with my day by then (meaning I'm fried and have signed out!).

So here it is for anyone who wants to try it too:

2 1/2 c. warm water
1 1/2 T. yeast
2 heaping T. gluten*
2 T. dough enhancer*
1/3 c. olive oil
1/3 c. honey
5 1/2 c. whole wheat flour (I use white wheat)
1 scant T. salt

*I believe these are the secret ingredients. You can buy them at health food stores or online.

Place all the ingredients in a Bosch mixer. Add the ingredients in the order listed in the recipe. Mix for 1 minute on speed #1. Then mix for 5 minutes on speed #3. Form into loaves- you don't need to let it rise before doing this. You can spray Pam cooking spray on the counter so it doesn't stick. Place loaves in sprayed bread pans. Spray the top and let it rise until doubled. Bake at 375' for 20-30 min. Double the recipe, slice the bread and then freeze it. This recipe makes 3 small loaves or 2 large loaves. When doubled it makes 3 small loaves and 2 large loaves, obviously. Or you can make 4 small loaves and two trays of breadsticks.

To make cinnamon breadsticks with this recipe roll the dough and pat it into a rectangle. Spread melted butter on top and then sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Cut into strips with a pizza cutter. Twist them before placing them on a baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 min. Freeze the extras. You can also make plain breadsticks and rolls.

Delish! Thanks Tammy!!!

Today

2010-05-24T18:49:00.000-05:00

This note I got sums up my day. How was yours?

A few pics from an afternoon at the Denver Botanical Gardens

2010-05-20T15:23:00.007-05:00

Winter Basketball photos

2010-05-20T14:52:00.009-05:00

The Players

The #1 Fans (and imagine a picture of me here too!)

Isaac in action

Ethan in action

In that last photo it is the dead of winter in Colorado. Santa brought a couple hoops and balls for the boys for Christmas and we would park the van outside the garage so they could at least play ball whenever they wanted. And yes, on that frigid day Ethan for some reason felt the desire to play a little b-ball only sporting his underwear... no point in arguing with him but ???

Girl

2010-05-20T14:48:00.002-05:00

I guess I didn't make the announcement very clear, sorry. Some friends have been asking what we are having and yes, it is a girl! Due Aug. 26th. Only 3 months to go!

The pink blog title "The Fergs" is in symbolic celebration :).

pretty bowls

2010-05-17T16:26:00.002-05:00

These were my Christmas gift from Dave's Mom. They are original painted Pyrex bowls from the 40's. Love 'em! For my birthday she found me matching casserole dishes from around the same era.

fun with the 4-wheeler

2010-05-17T16:18:00.005-05:00

Gonna climb back in the saddle... or at least try

2010-05-16T17:38:00.008-05:00

For the last seven months I've been telling myself, "It's time, it's time April, get blogging again." But I don't like being bossed around. I've been a bit obstinate. Or maybe I've had my reasons. Reasons like waiting for a new camera, waiting to get settled, waiting to be in the right mood, waiting to figure out my new camera, waiting for the world to end? ... I dunno. I've just been waiting.

But alas, here I am. And I must be honest I do it in frustration as Ethan has been shouting at me, beyond my limits of patience I might add, that he is only hungry for candy. CANDY!!! He's been crazy about candy from the day he popped out of the womb. What am I to do? I told him he could have some ice-cream after he eats some carrots and pasta. He has compromised to carrots and candy... Sad to say he must get this from me as I'm sitting here rembering the other night at a steak house all I ordered was salad and cheesecake. At least I have the excuse of being pregnant!

So how 'n the heck do you catch up after 7 months of neglect? Long posts describing all the particulars? Or just a list? I like lists. I choose list.

Here it is, I hope it's sufficient:

Lived in a one bedroom apartment in Littleton CO for 7 months. Aug. '09-Mar. '10.
Fun living near parents and closer to siblings, grandparents and old friends. Fun not having to clean a house or do yardwork. Fun having a heated pool, hot tub and gym right out the door. Fun to walk to the library and the lake. Fun to meet new friends. Fun to take kids to Waterton Canyon, Red Rocks and Deer Creek Canyon. Fun to finally get nice teachers at school who don't yell all the time. Fun to get pregnant with the 4th. Fun to take trips to Utah, San Diego, Ohio, San Francisco and Colorado Springs. Fun that Isaaac and Ethan played basketball and loved it.
Not fun that winter came super early and we had to spend alot of time in a one bedroom apt. Not fun that I hate winter. Not fun that Dave was never home and was stressed to the max (opening practices in 3 states, never sleeping, and trying to provide and be with us, poor guy!). Not fun that I slept on the floor of the dining room and my closet was the puny coat closet by the front door. Not fun that we were having a hard time getting pregnant. Not fun that we had mice (no, not pet mice). Not fun that we didn't know if we were going to stay or leave Colorado.
We left Colorado Mar. 7th. Luckily the weather was great and we didn't have much to move. We'd left most of our belongings in Missouri in storage when we moved from Florida.
Fun that Dave is around a whole lot more! Fun that we now live in a house with rooms to spare. Fun that we have neighbors with 6 little boys all under the age of 7. Fun that our ward here is welcoming. Fun that the boys have adjusted well and enjoy school and life here. (It's really meant alot to them to have their Dad around now!) Fun that we are closer to Dave's folks. Fun that there is alot to do here. Fun that 2 kids are gone all day at school (who was I kidding thinking I wouldn't like all day kindergarten?). Fun that we found out we're having a girl baby. Fun that we are back to family walks again. Fun that we've been eating lots of spinach shakes and homemade fruit&squash leather. Fun that I got a Bosch mixer plus an excellent wheat bread recipe from a friend, and am grinding wheat and making bread that the whole family loves. Fun that Dave is doing P90X and Isaac tells him he sounds like a dying dog while he's working out. Fun that Dave's business is growing. Fun that the frogs in the pond in our backyard mysteriously left and we've resumed being able to sleep through the night. Fun that we've seen red foxes in the yard. Fun That I got to go to Oklahoma for a girls weekend with some college friends. Fun that Dave and I took a trip alone to San Antonio TX.
Not fun that since I'm gaining weight and enjoying pregnancy acne I decided I might as well get braces too. Though I look delightful as you can imagine, I must constantly remind myself that really, this is only temporary!
Update on Isaac: he claims he hates all the attention he gets at school from the girls but he eats it up, he too has braces but only on his front two teeth, he hates riding the bus because he's gotten in trouble a couple times, he still loves reading and does well in school, he has invented a recycling club and fixed up the attic into a clubhouse for him, his brothers, and the neighborhood kids, he is always trying to come up with some kind of project (recent ones: make a stuffed cloth spy jet, make nintendo ds and laptops out of strawberry cartons and other trash, make a pool table out of our kitchen table, make army guy 3-D murals, create Helicon cards that he wants to sell at school for 10 cents each, and on and on... there's always some project he's trying to talk me into!).
Update on Ethan: reading like a champ though it's been frustrating for him at times, learned how to ride his bike w/o training wheels, still adores Isaac, has a growing love for raccoons and still loves anything soft or silky, has gained a closer and friendlier relationship with Mason, is still the most honest and true boy I know, loves to draw me pictures with lots of hearts and "i love yous," he's getting so big and growing up so fast, he has really nice handwriting and is working on his "s" sounds, he told me the other day that when he is scared at school he sings the song that goes "how could the Father tell the world...", one of his new years resolutions was to play golf so we have all signed up for lessons, he's such a good boy.
Update on Mason: he is the most cheerful and genuinely happy child around, he overcame his couple month anger phase and is now the most delightful, smiley, warm child ever, he is always singing really cute songs that he makes up, he's learned his letters well recently and sounds out everything he can but backwards :), he's still a light weight and loves to be held and tickled and snuggled, he loves to give hugs and kisses and kisses the baby aka my belly all the time, he is the very helpful on his own (the other day I turned around to see him picking up the couch cushions that his brothers had messed up and putting them back on the couch!), he, like Ethan, loves to wear "cutie" shorts (silky basketball shorts) and no matter what the weather always insists on shorts and t-shirts but a bonus is he is very punctual and thorough about dressing himself.
I still love my boys (that includes Dave) with all of my heart.
I am very grateful to a kind Heavenly Father who hears and answers prayers and to my Savior who makes all good and truth possible.

Mason on his 3rd

2009-11-02T21:07:00.003-06:00

How to describe Mason on his third birthday? So cute. Tiny. Chipmunk voice. Very strong personality. Perfectionist. His way or the highway (I must add here that he throws an amazing temper tantrum and has embarrassed me in public more times than I'd ever hoped for). Very sweet. Helpful. Brave. Competetive. Did I say brave? Super fun and comical facial expressions. And really just adorable in every way! We love Mae-mae! Happy Birthday!

Birthday happenings:
I decorated the living room, wrapped presents and made a gumball machine cake the night before. I got up 3 times in the night to hang fallen streamers that just wouldn't stick to the wall. And I got up 2 more times with Isaac and his fever. And then we were all up at 6:30am singing Happy Birthday to the sleepy-eyed, 3 year old Mason.

After opening presents from Mommy and Daddy consisting of a Tech Deck and a few skate park pieces, and a collection of 3 "shinger" guys (sword wielding knights) from Isaac and a stunt trick motorcycle from Ethan, the kids enjoyed a piece of pink birthday cake for breakfast. Eating a piece of birthday cake for breakfast has somehow become a family tradition.

I called Isaac and Ethan's school and excused them for the day because...

We got dressed and headed out for a fun yet educational day at the Denver Museum of Nature and History! I figured Isaac and Ethan would learn more at the museum than they would sitting in school all day. And they did. And they made sure Mason got special treatment at the museum because it was his birthday. Speaking of which, I'd like to thank the museum for recognizing and honoring Mason's birthday today and making it a Free Day to the public. Score.

Dave (in MO) called Mason and wished him a happy birthday while we were at the museum. Mason loves his Daddy.

We spent all morning and into the afternoon at the museum. The kids loved it. Ethan didn't want to leave even after 4 hours there. The boys favorite area was the space exhibit. There were so many cool hands on things for them to do! We also saw animals of N. America, the mummies, the dinosaurs, a really neat body health exhibit and some gems and insects. We didn't even make it to the main Genghis Khan exhibit. Hopefully they have another free day soon!

On the way home we stopped for 3 kids meals at Wendy's. A birthday treat.

After a couple hours back at home we decided we'd head to the library. From the library we picked up a couple pizzas and headed back home in time for grandma and grandpa to join the birthday boy for his birthday dinner and more cake. They also surprised Mason with a real gumball machine that has a spiral chute where the gumballs slide down as they are dispensed. Cool! They replaced the gumballs with marbles. Even better! It was a hit and all 3 boys played with that the rest of the night!

When grandma asked Mason what his favorite part of the day was he replied, "eating my boofday cake." Simple pleasures.

Dave and I sure enjoy our little Mason. I know Isaac and Ethan do too because on more than one occassion they have turned to Mae-mae with this adoring look on their faces and said sincerely, "Oh Mason, you are so cute." He is such a bundle of joy and we are very happy to have him in our family!

Mean jerk

2009-10-31T00:11:00.003-05:00

A mean jerk stole my purse and camera last weekend. He just lifted it from my unlocked minin-van. Imagine that. I hope he dies. Haha, just kidding. But I do hope the purse fits his personality and he enjoys all the great pics I had on my camera, since I don't get to now. (It had all my pictures of our trip to Moab with the Trapnells on it. Blast!)

I'd taken my kids up to the nearby Dinosaur Ridge to check out the fossilized tracks and bones. We parked the car in a parking lot at the bottom of the hill along with a few other vehicles. It was a miserably cold day and so I spent about 30 minutes bundling the kids up. I guess in the dress- up party I forgot to lock the van. Half-way up the mountainside I wondered if I'd locked the van? But I was too far away for my clicker to work and there was no way the kids would walk down and walk back up again. So I crossed my fingers.

Well that didn't work did it. What are the chances? The kids couldn't believe someone stole from us and looked frantically around the car for me. All the fun we'd had at the ridge, sadly, was forgotten. As we searched frantically for my purse Isaac got to watch a guy accidentally back his subaru up over a road sign though, smashing the sign flat to the ground, and the guy didn't even stop to notice until he'd backed all the way over it and then drove forward over it again with both wheels. And even then he never got out, he just sped away. Was he the robber making his frantic getaway??? Isaac couldn't believe what he just saw and brought me a piece of the guys car that fell off saying, "Mom, he even left a piece of his car behind!" And it was a nice car too.

Back at home... We'd carved pumpkins a little early this Halloween and they had begun to decay. Ethan wanted me to let them keep them until they were totally decayed. I was fine with that, but with them sitting on our kitchen table all moldy while we ate dinner it was kind of grossing me out so I moved them to the back patio where the kids could still have a good view (but at least not during meal times). Well, when we got home from our robber incident, Ethan's decaying pumpkin had been demolished (by a squirrel I'm sure). Isaac saw it first and yelled, "Mom! The robber smashed Ethan's pumpkin too!!!" Wow, how did he find out where we lived and get here so quick? But it only makes sense. He's just a mean jerk.

On a happier note, we ended our dinosaur day by seeing Ice Age Dawn of the Dinosaurs at the nearby dollar theatre. Great flick. We were all laughing. And another positive side note, my cell phone and wallet weren't in my purse when the robber took it. Sucker! I'd hidden them in a different part of the car! Phew.

These past few camera-less days I have missed being able to take pictures though. I thank my lucky stars that After Thanksgiving Day Sales are just around the bend and I'm married to the A.T.D.S. master-of-the-world-who-will-work-you-and-anyone-else-he-is-up-against-over. I definitely see a camera in my future. Wink.

I am strong

2009-10-30T21:14:00.007-05:00

I think to myself, "Yeah, I'm tough. Uh huh, I'm pretty strong. Strong because I can do guy style push-ups, strong because I've endured a fair share of surgery in between child bearing, strong because I helped get our family through dental and ortho school, strong because I can hold down the fort with my 3 little boys in a 1 bedroom apartment as my husband is gone 3 weeks a month with work. Oh, and I've looked to God through past trials and made it through so I'm strong because of that too. Don't forget I can also bear a decent amount of physical pain without complaining and blahblah blah..."

AND THEN I look at the rock hard lady running for hours on the treadmill next to me (as I walk) or then I read NieNie dialogues (you know what I'm saying) or then I listen to an apostle speak. Hmmm. And then I laugh at my silly old self for ever thinking that I am strong. Yep, a big *sigh* and an "Oh well." And then I hear that voice in my head warning not to compare myself to the next person because this isn't a race against others. There will always be someone stonger or weaker, funnier or not funnier, richer or poorer, prettier or uglier, smarter or dumber (I mean more dumb, but I like the -er affect), taller or shorter, and on and on and on... There will always be someone better off, and there will always be someone not so better off. Maybe if I remember these things I could enjoy a few less egotistical and also a few less self-deprecating moments? That would be awesome. And then that would mean that I would be awesome. Oh yes. And then I could title my next blog post "I am awesome!" Yes! I think I've got it! That's it!

Love

2009-10-04T09:58:00.007-05:00

Some may say my boys can be wild and perhaps a bit unruly. Maybe I'd even agree with them. But I like what a friend said the other day. She has 4 girls and 1 boy. She said she's heard that you don't really know what it's like to raise boys unless you have multiple. I can see the sense in that because if I ever have just Isaac, just Ethan, or just Mason around, they are as sweet as molasses and calm as a summer's morn. But get them together (which is definitely the majority of the time) and their energy magically multiplies and the sound level elevates 20 notches. I am not one to crack down on them if they are just having fun and being kids. If it's harmless and not disrespectful and they are having super fun I usually let them carry on. (The sound level can drive you nuts though.) I think kids have such a short time to enjoy being kids, I don't want to make them grow up any faster than they have to.

Anyway, I just wanted to jot down a few things that have been said and done around here lately that have reminded me and reassured me that amidst all the rowdiness and noise and boyness around here, these boys are the best boys I could ever ask for.

#1: Lately I have been worrying about all my newfound wrinkles and gray hair. I don't know if moving from a very humid area to a very dry area has made my face shrivel up or what. Gray hair I can deal with- I can fake that with color. But wrinkles? Anyhow, just the other day I was out on the patio giving Ethan's hair a little a trim. He was standing on a stool and his face was almost level with mine. All of a sudden he looked up and said, "Wow, Mom, you look beautiful." I was shocked and thanked him. Nothing more was said and 30 minutes or so went by. Then we sat down to lunch and I asked Ethan to say the prayer. He began, "Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for this day, thank you that my Mom is so beautiful, please bless the food..." So wrinkles and gray hair or not, Ethan still thinks I'm beautiful ;)

#2: Last night after I'd tucked Mason into bed, he snuck out, came out to where I was sitting and crawled onto my lap. Then he said, "I duv you Mom." And gave me a big a hug and a kiss on each cheek.

#3: Last week I got sick. And one evening I was feeling pretty bad and had a fever, the chills, just yuck. I told the kids I was sick at dinner. Isaac became very concerned. He told me that I could just go lay down. He made a bed for me on the couch with blankets and pillows. He told me he would take care of everything. If I tried to do anything, like even break up a tiff between Mason and Ethan, he would chastise me and say he would take care of it. He fed Mason dinner and got Mason's pjs on and did the dishes. Isaac cared for me at my bedside asking what he could do for me and bringing me water. Ethan got out a tray and made a snack for me to eat as I layed on the couch. Then they disappeared into their room for a while. When they came out they had each made me a beautiful get well picture. It was awesome... it makes me wonder if I should get sick more often.

#4: The other day as I got out of the shower I noticed a piece of paper had been slid under the door. Sweet Ethan had sent me a love note just for fun.

#5: Isaac, when he got into the car after school a few days ago, told us how 2 bullies had thrown a football in his face when he tagged them playing at recess. (His friends told on them and they got in troubel, haha.) Ethan's first reaction was: "I wish that had happened to me instead of you Isaac." You can see how deep Ethan's devotion is to his older brother.

#6: Back to the first day of school this year. Isaac was super excited. I made a comment about how excited he was. He said to me, "I'm not as excited for me as I am for Ethan! We are going to be in the same school now!" The next day when Isaac got home from school he shouted, "Guess who I saw at school today Mom?" I thought it would be someone from church or something. "Who?" I said. "Ethan!!! And two times!" I love to see how deep their friendship is and how much they adore eachother.

#7: The kids and I have a special meeting spot where I pick them up from school. It took us a few tries to find the best place. One day, we forgot to specify where we were going to meet and I went to one place while they were headed to another. They got to their spot before I could get the van turned around to find them there. When we finally met up, they jumped in they were smiling, luckily, and Isaac shouted, "Mom, my prayer was answered!" "What was your prayer Isaac?" I asked. "That you would find us Mom and you did!" I am so glad to belong to a church that teaches at such an early age that we can pray and recieve answers. And I'm glad to have a living God that always hears and answers prayers. I'm also glad that Isaac was able to experience a little testimony builder too.

#8: If Mason sees Isaac picking on Ethan, or Ethan picking on Isaac, he does not hesitate to jump in vocally or physically to stand up for "his guys." Little matters that he weighs 1/10th as much as they do. Mason will get right in there to defend the underdog. And he fondly calls his brothers "my boys" and "my guys."

I don't want these little guys to ever grow up!!!

A long awaited trip back to California

2009-10-01T12:18:00.007-05:00

Elementary school through part of high school I lived in California. It was fun because during summer vacation my sister Emily and I got to spend a week with my grandparents in the Bay Area. Their home has always been a magical place for me and I have many fun memories there. Living in Ohio and Florida I didn't get an opportunity to visit my grandparents in CA for years. So in coming back West, it was one of the first things I wanted to do. Emily was able to arrange things so that she could go too (but sadly sister Liz couldn't work it in.) My parents kindly offered to watch my kids and I was off for a 4 day vacation to relive some old memories and help my grandparents around the house. It was a wonderful trip!

Emily and I met at the SF airport and rented a car so we could spend some time in the city. Of course we had to go to Fishermans' Wharf, Pier 39, China town, and drive up and down the amazingly steep hills! As a family of 7 growing up, when we visited Fisherman's Wharf, my Dad would buy a couple small cups of baby shrimp and escargo for us to share. Emily and I got fish and chips and a sourdough bowl, but also for memories' sake bought a small bowl of shrimp.
Alcatraz

After the city we drove through Golden Gate Park and enjoyed the smell of eucalyptus and ocean. We stopped at a beautifully restored windmill from Holland surrounded by gorgeous flowers. I think the kids must have deleted those pics of my camera. Can't find 'em!

We made it to my grandparent's house in Los Altos Hills late afternoon. They live in one of the most beautiful places on earth. It was so fun to see my grandparents and be at their home with them. We spent a wonderful evening talking and having dinner together. Below are some pictures of their place that have alot of meaning to me but won't mean much to you. I always want to remember their home and all the memories there.

This is one of my grandpa's sheds where he used to smoke his pipe back in the day. I love the smell of pipe smoke because of that and I loved the smell of this shed too. Also, in front, you can see his old compost bins and shredder machine. Now he has an even larger compost pile elsewhere. This was one of our primo spots to catch blue belly lizards too. To the side of this shed is one of grandpa's amazing gardens. My grandpa has multiple gardens and is the best gardener I know. Everything he grows is like gold! Believe me that we ate well on this visit: fresh green beans, avocados, tomatoes, peaches, mandarin oranges, pears and orange juice every day!!! The week after Emily and I left the neighbors and friends were having a summer celebration to honor my grandpa and his produce just to give you an idea of how amazing he is!

This is the back side of the house, which we always thought was the front of the house because it's really the only entrance that is used unless you are an unfamiliar visitor. My grandparents always had alot of neighborhood dogs around and we'd fill up their aluminum dog bowls by the back sliding door. They used to have a beautiful black lab that we loved, called Jed. We'd also eat Cornflakes with peaches and whole milk out here on the patio for breakfast, and in the evening put on silly plays and performances for anyone who would watch.

This is a special side of the house that we would visit because it was another primo lizard catching spot. They would hide in the random wood pile and fruit crates used for drying apricots during the summer. I love that after all these years they are still in the same spot!

Here is Emily, Danielle, and poochie. Danielle is a dear neighbor to my grandparents and has been there as long as I can remember. She always has a boxer dog and always names them Poochie. I think I have known 3 Poochies. We actually stayed at Danielle's house this visit. She is wonderful and generous and has this great, thick German accent although she has lived in CA for a long time now. When we were young we'd always go to Danielle's house on our visits because she let us swim in her pool. My brother always told me there were sharks in the shadows of the pool and I always believed him.

This picture isn't very good because it was dusk, but I'm using it anyway. It's a picture of Poor Claire's, a monestary right up the hill from my grandparent's. We too many walks through the grounds and were always a bit creeped out thinking there were Nuns hiding in the bushes spying on us. One time they did let their dogs out on us. But we liked it anyhow, it was always so peaceful and quiet. You can actually see the Bay from here. But it just looks white in the photo. Another thing important about Poor Claire's was that it has a stone wall around it and my grandma and parents, ever since I can remember, would take us to go walk on "Poor Claire's Wall." After that we'd collect Oak balls off the trees nearby. Emily and I found some to bring home to our boys this trip. And it was still even a little spooky for me this time around even though I'm older and more brave now!

The rest of the time actually at my grandparent's house we spent canning pears and peaches. Twas the season and I'm so glad we were there at that time to help out- or maybe I'm so glad we were there at that time because of all the good fruit I got to down while I worked! Before this I had never learned how to can so this was a really fun experience. And I learned from the best, my granny, who is the best cook and homemaker around. My grandma's skills in the kitchen are equal to my grandpa's skills in the garden, everything she touches turns to gold! I feel so blessed to have such hard working, and skillfull grandparents who have passed their rich heritage down to us. We have learned so much from them about thrift, hard work, health, diligence and self sufficiency- oh and good food. It was a great time working together in the kitchen.

The last day we had there my sister and I wanted to go check out the beaches and town of Half Moon Bay, about 45 minutes away. Knowing that my grandma hadn't seen the beach in ages, we talked her into taking a day away and coming with us. My grandpa stayed home and got to work outside all day like he enjoys so much.

We had a great time taking a few walks and visiting several beaches as we watched the seals and the surfers play in the breakers. VERY different from Florida beaches. Not too warm. But still very beautiful and enjoyable. Everything went well that day and I'm so glad my granny got to see and hear the ocean and feel the breeze in her sweet white hair. I love my granny.

We ate lunch, fish and chips which was a first for my granny, from a seafood restaurant in the quaint little town of Half Moon Bay. We ate it in the car together after ordering and just had a real enjoyable time. Emily is such a trooper, as you can see she was 8 months pregnant. I love Emily too.

That night we did another load of canned peaches and had our last visits together. Emily and I both flew out very early the next morning, back to our anxious Moms and awaiting boys. It was a blast and I hope to be able to take this trip again next year!

My honored graduate... FINALLY! (not finally that he's honored, well, maybe that too, but mostly that he has graduated!)

2009-09-30T21:33:00.011-05:00

I am going to say some things about my dear Dave. So don't feel wierd, I'm not saying my husband is better than your husband, or that my life is better than yours, or gee, we just have it all- I'm just going to toot Dave's horn because first of all, he never would, and second of all, well, to me he IS great.

Well at last, Dave did it, he graduated from ortho school! What a feat! He is such a great student. Dave has always been a student in our life together, which started 10 years ago. I don't think he'll ever not be a student at heart. He is such an avid learner, reader, thinker and much to my chagrin, he talks of some day going back to more school, perhaps law. (Dave would make a great lawyer, have you ever tried to argue with him? Well, don't. I mean, uh, not that we have ever argued or anything.)

During Dave's dental and ortho schooling he has always worked hard to keep his priorities straight. He always did the best he could in his classes and had great raport with his patients and certain faculty. In dental school Dave worked part time overnight at a Security Systems place to support the family and keep loans down, and he also got a government scholarship by taking Russian language courses along with his full load of dental courses. In ortho school, during the summer, the students got Fridays off, so of course responsible Dave got a job at a dental office on Fridays to also help keep the loans down. Through all of this demanding schooling, Dave has worked hard, very hard. I'd also like to say that at the same time he has always made sure he was with the family as much as he could be, and always made church and his callings a priority.

Dave graduated from dental school Magna Cum Laude, if you know what that means. I was so proud of him. He'd wanted to do well enough to keep the doors open in case he ever wanted to specialize. Well, that came in handy. A year later he decided he'd apply to just one ortho school, the one that was in town, Jacksonville University. What are the chances of that? We had some friends with connections at JU and I kept prodding Dave to take advantage of those connections to sure up the bets that he would get in. Dave told me time and time again NO, he would not want to get in that way. Dave knew not using connections would be risky, but he wanted to know that he got into ortho school on his own merits. So he applied and interviewed and sure enough, he was accepted on his own merits. Yay for that! I'm glad he stuck to his guns.

Another 2 busy years of school went by and Dave learned alot and really enjoyed himself. He was sad to graduate and leave the school and his patients. He really was. That's one thing about Dave, he finds happiness wherever you put him. He really knows how to roll with it, and I thank his parents for that. Hmm, I thank his parents for alot of things.

Well, Dave made me proud again at his recent ortho graduation night. It was so nice to have his parents there with us. They are wonderful people and should get most of the credit for helping this boy become who is today. That night at dinner, Dave gave a couple nice speeches. People laughed and cried (okay, so maybe it was just me.) He said his good-bye's to his favorite mentors and friends. And lastly, Dave had told me about this special award that the director gives out at graduation, named after the director's deceased and honored father, which was really something special to recieve. There are different awards they pass out on graduation night, but this one is kind of the hum dinger. It's awarded for excellence in academics, input to the program, and for being an excellent clinician. Yes, I don't even have to say it, but yes, Dave recieved that special award! I'd be proud of him with or without any awards, but it's nice to see him applauded publicly for just being who he is. I sure love him. He IS the "best eva!*" (*refer to the photo of the chalkboard below.)

Dave's wonderful Momma. I am so sorry I didn't get a good picture with Dave and his wonderful Dad too, but know that he was there!

A few faculty who inspired Dave and taught him many things:

Dave on his way up to receive his special award

Dave receiving his diploma
Dave with his biggest fan

I thought I'd include this photo I took from our last day at church. Dave taught the gospel essentials class and was not only loved as a student, but here, as a teacher too:

BIRTHDAYS FIVE & SEVEN

2009-09-30T20:58:00.005-05:00

I don't know if I should say Isaac and Ethan got ripped off this year or totally lucky by having their birthdays in the peak of moving madness.

Pros: they got to invite lots of friends to their FL party because the house was empty-ish and I wasn't worried about having it trashed (we had at least 20 kids in the house!) and they got to celebrate 3 times- in Florida, in Kansas, and in Colorado.

Cons: the real day of their birthday was not celebrated because it had either already been celebrated with a party, or would be in a couple days, and they didn't get a birthday dinner or cake.

But whatever, they are 5 and 7 now. And get this, they are both not too hot on it. Isaac says he doesn't like the number 7 anyhow and he can't wait until next year because he likes the number 8 alot better. Why? I asked, well, because "when you're 8 you get to be baptized, not when you're 7." And as for Ethan, the night of his 5th birthday, as I was tucking him into bed, he confided "I don't want to be 5, I want to stay 4." Why? I asked, "because Mommy won't love me like when I was 4." I quickly assured him that he was right and he just needed to buck up. Ha! Quite the contrary, my sweet little Ethan. Now, a couple months have passed, and Ethan seems to be assured that life isn't much different being 5. But Isaac is still waiting to be 8... either that or a teenager, he can't decide. But I'm loving that he still has a whole year left of being 7.

First photo, meet sharky. A special request was made for a whale shark pinata. ?? Our last pinata was a lobster. ?? Have we been watching too much National Geographic? Last picture, say good-bye to sharky!

I decided against cupcakes, too messy and everyone just licks the frosting off anyway, so we went with candy and frosting covered rainbow pancakes. They were a hit.

Fun games and super cute kids that we really miss!

CUMBERLAND ISLAND GETAWAY

2009-09-16T22:54:00.005-05:00

One of our last weekends in Jacksonville, our friends, Julie and Russ, invited us out on their boat to the mystical Cumberland Island National Seashore off the coast of Georgia. We'd been dying to go ever since we'd moved to FL but the ferry costs an arm and a leg to get there. So thanks again Julie and Russ! It was so beautiful, so fun and not to mention, so hot.

wild horses, they were everywhere

the crew

wow, look at those amazing dung beetles!

the manchine ruins

mason, cole, mason, parker, isaac, ethan

refreshing water break

never ending trail to the beach

check out those cute boys and that enormous horse shoe crab

my hunk o' burnin' love

all tuckered out on the drive home, well, except for cole

LAST MOMENTS IN FLORIDA

2009-09-16T21:36:00.008-05:00

Downtown Disney

pink is his favorite color!

Last book club with the ladies

House SOLD! Afterwards letting the house be messy and loving it

The beach of course

Packing!

Hostessing Isaac's end of the school year Dance Party

(where he gets these ideas, I don't know)

The family favorite fishing pier Amelia Island

St. Augustine

Alligator Farm, St. Augustine

Cummer Art Museum Botanical Gardens

Fort Matanzas National Monument

Swimming with friends

SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THE BEES

2009-09-15T22:42:00.003-05:00

I was out at the pool today reading and happened to look down and see a bumble bee on my shorts that were laying next to me. I wondered what he was doing. I kept watching. The bumble bee was dancing around on the shorts, attempting to pollinate the bright blue and white flower print! Every few minutes I'd check back to see if the bee was still there or if he'd given up yet. Finally, after a long 15 minutes of hard work he flew away. Poor thing. He must have that bumble bee virus the scientists are talking about and it's gone to his brain.

THE JOURNEY

2009-09-14T21:10:00.012-05:00

Little helper

Packed up

Last supper

Ready to roll
(Austin, a good neighbor friend, came over at 7am sharp to see us off, shirtless with jeans that were 3 sizes too small, and no shoes. Gotta love that kid. Ethan cried his eyes out to say good-bye.)

Last time. We LOVED this place

The first hotel of many. Enjoying it to the max

Dirty hotel floor

A fun stop in Tennessee to visit great friends

Super fun fishing in a 3 day layover in Kansas with grandma and grandpa Ferguson

1773 miles and 1 week later, our arrival in Colorado

CRAZY KIDZ

2009-07-17T22:38:00.001-05:00

4TH O' JULY PICS

2009-07-17T21:36:00.004-05:00

We can hardly believe that this year we celebrated our 4th 4th of July here in Jacksonville FL! Every one has been great and spent with good friends. This year there was a city 4th of July celebration going on at the Veteran's Memorial Arena so we headed there late morning to play lots of fun free games, make crafts, and be entertained. It was all indoors and super air conditioned which was awesome. They had even made a real ice skating rink in the arena! Dave and Ethan made it a date and were so cute out there skating together. It really was quite tender. They had a good time and Mason, Isaac and I had a good time watching them. Sadly my dang camera battery was dead so I didn't get to take any pictures. I'm so sad about that because Dave was so cute with Ethan and Ethan was trying so hard and was so happy and proud as Dave helped him skate around the rink!

That evening we went out to the beach, where we have made it a tradition to watch the fireworks shoot off the fishing pier. It's so fun and such a party. One of my favorite things to watch are all the hoards of people riding their beach cruisers up and down the roads with their beer in hand or in the beer cup holder on their handlebars. It's hard to drive because there are so many people on cruisers.

We lit sparklers at the beach, but I swear all the fireworks that all the people around us brought were enough to call it good for the night. I was amazed! But of course the real show was quite the sight and the kids loved it. This year a super nice lady selling glo sticks gave the boys a few and they sure loved that too.

Then after about 3 minutes in the car on the way home this happenend...

and this...

but not this...

Another fantastic 4th!!!

FAVORITES

2009-07-17T21:03:00.004-05:00

This little dude knows what he wants and knows what he likes.

For a few days or weeks it may be skateboards and Tech Decks.

Then it's swords. To "fight da dad duys, shing shing!"

Then it's goggles, anytime, anywhere. You never know when you may find an opportunity to swim.

His #1 fetishes though are "cycles" (motorcycles), and also the color pink. Notice the goggles are pink. And oh wait, he LOVES gum too.

ST. AUGUSTINE ALLIGATOR FARM

2009-07-17T20:30:00.004-05:00

They have every kind of alligator/crocodile species in the world within their walls, or something like that. Very cool. We got to watch them feed the alligators and also saw one of the world's longest and largest bad boys.

We also went to a reinactment of the seige of St. Augustine. We saw the reinactors at the Fountain of Youth park, where I took a few sips of the bubbling fountain and am hoping for the best. There is also a monument there for Ponce De Leon who landed near the spot and gave Florida its name. The boys liked these duellers. I liked the anchor pulled up from an old shipwreck off the coast. Dave isn't mentioned here because, as you may have noticed a bit of a pattern, he was once again out of town. He really isn't gone all that much. I think I just take off on little trips too when he does.

The boys finished the day off with another sleepover in the living room.

DIGGITY DANCE PARTY

2009-07-17T20:23:00.004-05:00

Isaac planned a dance party for the end of the school year. He planned it probably 2 months in advance. He wrote a script and everything and planned announcements and refreshments. He even decided the order that each friend would perform in the dance off. They had a fun time and finished with chips, soda, cupcakes and awards for everyone!

DROWN IN THE OCEAN, BIKE AND RUN, IN AN HOUR AND 20

2009-07-17T18:51:00.009-05:00

Dave did his 2nd sprint triathlon last weekend. It was bright and early. We had the kids in the car were on our way by 5:15am! It was a gorgeous morning though and the excitement in the air was so fun. The race started with a swim in the ocean, then to the bikes, and last was the run.

Once we got there and Dave left to set up his stuff, the kids and I strolled on down to the beach. I was surprised to see rather large waves rolling in one after another. It was going to be a tough swim! It looked a little scary out there. I said a little prayer for Dave and we sat down and watched the sun rise.

7am the race started. When I saw Dave walking out of the water after his swim I knew he had been pummeled by a few waves and it must have been rough for him out there. (He later told us it was the hardest part of the race this time and he was grateful he hadn't drowned!) But like the man he is, he caught his breath and ran past his biggest fans, who were screaming and hollering for him, to the next stage. When he got to the rack where he'd left his bike it unbelievably was not there! Some meany-head had moved it to another rack for some unknown reason. Dave eventually found it and did great on the ride and made up some time.

When Dave got back from the ride and went to put his running shoes on, the same, or some other meany-head had moved his shoes to yet another random spot and slowed him down some more! But Dave did great on the run and finished his race in good time and great spirits. It was so fun being there to watch him! Go Dave!

His biggest fans, as mentioned above... well, all but one...

ps- Our Bishop was also doing the race so his family was there (the other cute kids above). It was fun having close friends there to be with and cheer on too.

BOSTON & CAMPING (may 1st)

2009-06-28T14:13:00.005-05:00

**(I'm sorry there are no photos. Everytime I try to put some in there is an error and my internet explorer shuts down. Anyone else had this problem? How do I fix it?)

Dave had an important orthodontic conference and he got to go to Boston! He's been wanting to go to Boston for years now. The other 4 of us didn't get to go. But I thought it a great opportunity to see the last part of Florida I've been wanting to explore.

I normally wouldn't go camping alone, and I've bypassed other trips because I didn't feel comfortable with it, but this time I felt we would be just fine. I packed up the van and the kids and we headed off to Apalachicola, which is on the Gulf Coast, the western side of Florida. It was a beautiful 6 hour drive. We passed through Tallahasee, the capitol, which is so pretty with rolling hills. Then we headed south through small, and extremely Southern looking towns down to the Gulf and took a scenic highway that paralleled the coast to our destination, St. Joseph Peninsula State Park. The views were so picturesque I couldn't get enough of it and my photos don't do it justice. Often times living here in the South I find myself feeling like I'm right in the middle of a novel like The Secret Life of Bees.

(zoom out to see our route)

View Larger Map

We arrived to the campground in the evening and took a quick jaunt down to the beach to check it out. Very nice! Then we ran back to set up camp before the sun went down. Amazingly I was able to set up the huge awkward tent by myself. The boys kept busy gathering kindling for the fire and chasing cute beach mice into the bushes. We started a mighty fine fire and roasted hot dogs for dinner and marshmallows later. We were having so much fun despte the fact that I'd forgotten to pack flashlights and our bug repellent ran out after the second spray.

When we couldn't take the moxquitos any longer, we hopped into the tent and told stories, each taking turns. Boy was it muggy and the kids were a bit uncomfortable as their sleeping bags and pillows felt a little damp. But we were able to drift off to sleep anyway. It was so pretty looking out the window at the moon and the silhouettes of the long leaf pines and hearing the insects and frogs and owls!

In the morning, sadly, it was overcast. At least it was still warm so we got in our bathing suits and walked over to the beach. There is always fun and exploring to be had at the beach. The waves had made a small 2-3ft. cliff in the sand and the boys loved breaking it down and falling off it and climbing up it. After a few hours relaxing and playing we went back to camp, packed up and headed out to explore the small fishing/oyster town of Apalichola.

I liked Apalachicola. We saw historical old homes, grungy fishermen, fishing boats, oyster restaurants, funky eclectic shops, rusty and delapidated buildings and docks and a few tourists. Here are some photos that give a feel for the town:

The drive home was enjoyable and I took more pictures. There was this random clearing off the side of the road where some amazing old automobiles had been left. There were enough of them to make 2 half circles. Take a look:

All in all, another wonderful trip with my 3 wonderful little boys! They are amazing travelers and such good sports, not to mention so fun to be with. Speaking of good sports, remember the 4th of July trip last year when all 5 of us spent a hot night sleeping in the van in Pensacola? Well lately they keep asking me when we are going to do that again. They think sleeping in the van is fun! I love them!

Dave got home safely from Boston the next day and his trip had been enjoyable as well. Hopefully next time around though we'll get to go to Boston with him and he'll get to go camping with us.

(One thing I hadn't suspected on this trip was that my cell phone would be out of range. Oops. Dave knew we had gone camping but I was sure he was freaking out not being able to get ahold of us. Because of that we were a little pressed to get back into an area where the phone would work to let Dave know we were alright and having a blast. We got back into phone range and I was able to listen to all of Dave's frantic messages saying he was about to call the police. Luckily that wasn't necessary and he hadn't done so yet!)

MARRIED 9 YEARS

2009-06-28T13:36:00.005-05:00

Okay, so that's old news since our anniversary was in April. But I don't want to forget about it because it was a good one. We got a babysitter and went to a restaraunt that we'd been eyeing for a while called The Sandollar. It's right on the river (headed towards Heugonot and Little Talbot Island State Parks) and it has a nice deck. It was fun and a beautiful evening. The food was just okay and that's my fault because I ordered fish, but I don't really like fish. Why do I do that? Caught up in the setting and romantic moment I suppose. Also, I am such a short person that I had to stack 3 plastic chairs on top of eachother so I could see the river over the wooden railing of the deck. I'm so grateful to have a husband who wasn't embarrassed by something like that. He's always encouraging. He never keeps me down, ever.

We finished dinner and went out to Dave's car in the parking lot where he opened the trunk and exposed a cooler he'd snuck in. Inside the cooler were some Rocket Pops, popcicles. You know, the red white and blue kind.These popcicles hold a special place in our hearts because when we were first getting acquainted in Alaska Dave really enjoyed eating them, especially the blue part which he called "sweet blue heaven." He began referring to me as his "sweet blue heaven" and it's stuck ever since. How gushy, I know. But I love it.

Then we got in the car with our popcicles and he handed me a booklet/card that he'd made for me. It's one of the nicest cards I've ever recieved. It was filled with beautiful photos of Alaska where we had fallen in love, and memories, and sweet phrases as sweet as "sweet blue heaven."

Then we drove up to this old bridge that crosses over where the intracoastal opens to the ocean. It's been made into a fishing pier and we enjoy taking walks across it with the family. It's really in the middle of nowhere and it's very peaceful. We explored the beach and skipped shells had a wonderful time just being together as the sun set.

And I thought that was all.

A few days later Dave came across some last minute tickets for sale to the Broadway Wicked. The timing was right so we called it our anniversary present to help us overcome guilty feelings of spending a decent amount of $. Seeing broadways is one of Dave's favorite things. He's very passionate about the music, I suppose because the music is very passionate. He picked this trait up from his sister Liz when he was just a young lad. But needless to say, Wicked was really a great show and has become one of my favorites. It was great too to have two dates in one week with the love of my life, and to have 2 celebratory nights of our 9 years together. Dave is certainly the best man for me.

SOLD!

2009-06-21T14:05:00.003-05:00

Is it too early to celebrate? We are in contract to sell our house!!!! And it's a cash offer! That means no suspense with them getting a loan! We are closing by the end of the month but get to stay in our house until the end of July when Dave graduates! Miracles do happen and prayers are totally answered! I cannot tell you how ecstatic we are here!

I so don't like this catching up stuff! Sorry, just a few more to go!

2009-05-31T20:44:00.000-05:00

Benji Boy's Wedding (March 11th)

2009-05-31T16:03:00.007-05:00

I was lucky enough to be able to fly out to Utah to attend my little brother's wedding. He's the last of us 5 kids to be married off, which made it an additionally joyous occasion for my parents. They are free at last!

I flew into SLC the Wednesday night before. My sister Emily picked me up and I got to stay with her and her family that night and all of Thursday in Provo. It was so fun and great to catch up. Her son Willem is close in age to Mason and I could just eat him up. He's a hoot. Emily is pregnant (another boy!) and so it was fun to see her that way. Being so far away from my siblings I miss out on fun stuff like that.

Cute Willem

Mt. Timpanogos from the car window in Provo

Thursday day I wanted to go walk around BYU and feel the nostalgia. It was good. I sure love that campus. That evening my parents came over from Denver and had dinner with us. Matt and Emily make killer hamburgers. They ARE the BBQ masters. Then, because my knee hadn't done so well the night before due to the cold, I left with my parents to Salt Lake where we stayed in a real nice hotel near Temple Square. We dropped our stuff at the hotel and ran over to the square and caught the tail end of one of the Tabernacle Choir's rehearsals. Very nice! And fun to be alone with my parents for a while.

My wonderful parents who started it all.

Friday we went back over to Temple Square and my parents bought me the most delicious muffin top. Not the muffin top you are thinking of, but an actual baked good muffin top. We also went over to the Conference Center and looked at some beautifully inspired artwork on display. We each picked out our favorite pieces. Then we hurried back to the hotel to get ready to attend Rachael's endowment session in the temple. It was beautiful. One of the longest sessions I've ever attended, but it was so great to be there with Ben, Emily and my parents. I just love Temple Square. Besides the actual temple, the Christus is my favorite.

Beautiful Temple Square flowers, as usual.

After the endowment session I drove with my parents up to Logan where we met up with the rest of the fam- Liz and her family, and Dan and his. I finally got to meet my most recent nephew, Jace. Talk about a cute baby with a great personality! We also had a great dinner put together by Mari-Catherine and Lizzy. Thanks again! Then we helped with decorations for the luncheon the next day.

Cute Jace

I'm tellin' you, there is nothing better than being in the temple with those you love. Aunts, uncles and cousins that I haven't seen in years were there. It was an awesome reunion, and union of Ben and his lovely wife. What a dang good looking couple they make. Their sealing was beautiful too. Ben has always had a special place in my heart as he is my only younger brother, and the youngest of the family. My cute, good little Benny. He is such a good boy. I guess he's a man now, but whatever.

Tell me they don't look in love!

Pretending they like kids... doesn't look like they are ready yet...

My parents and us 5 kids + Rachael

My awesome sisters and their boys.

My silly brothers hammin' it up as usual.

The reception that evening was nice. Especially catching up with long lost relatives. Later, more hanging out with family and a good amount of time spent talking to Dave on the phone.

Sunday, Easter, we watched Willem and Joshy (my other adorable nephew) follow their candy trails to their loot and we ate the best whole wheat pancakes I've ever had, made by Mari-Catherine. (Mari-Catherine, if you are reading this, please send me that recipe!)

Cute Joshua

Then it was time to head back home to Florida. As I pulled out of the airport and headed for home, feeling the balmy air and watching the palm trees pass by, I felt so happy to be home. Though I love going on trips, I sure do love coming home too. Especially to the darling boys that have my heart (Dave is definitely included in that statement).

Easter (More March)

2009-05-31T15:48:00.006-05:00

I was in Utah Easter weekend at my brother's wedding, but living in the Bible belt that we do, all the great Baptist churches around here begin their Easter celebrations the weekend before Easter! The Baptist church that we usually hit up, where Isaac and Ethan attended pre-school, had just been under construction and didn't hold their Easter egg hunt and festival this year so we had to find another one. It was actually a Presbyterian church this time. The kids had a blast with all the free games, bounce houses and slides, and lots and lots of eggs and candy! So I got to enjoy a little Easter with the kids and then Dave did a great job with them while I was away.

Kid's Spring Break (March 2nd)

2009-05-31T15:02:00.005-05:00

It mostly rained that week. One day we hoped for sunshine and decided to go on a fun outing to Jekyll Island, Georgia. We took some good friends along too. Two cute girls, Emily and Madeline. (They are officially Isaac and Ethan's "crushes."*) As you can see from the photos, it rained. We had lots o' fun anyway though!

the gang

can you see why I love having Madeline along?

an eel caught by some fishermen

cool driftwood beach

old historic area downtown

* "crushes": One day Isaac asked me how old he had to be to have a girlfriend. "Sixteen," I said. "Aaawww," he answered. I knew what he was getting at and I explained that it was okay to have crushes, but not girlfriends. "Oh good!" He said. "Because, I already have two!"

Skate or Die (March)

2009-05-31T14:27:00.003-05:00

Saturday morning Dave and I woke up and heard the kids bustling about. What are they up to this time?

Super excited they took us into their room and explained their doings.

Isaac joyfully exclaimed, "Me and Ethan woke up and went outside and found this box in Bradley's garbage. So we brought it in and made a skate park out of it!" They'd colored it and made launch ramps and all.

Okay, my first thought: What? They had unbolted the front door, unchained the second lock, and left to explore the early morning world without Dave and I having the slightest clue? Hmmm. I hope they don't do that again.

Second thought: My kids were digging through the neighbor's garbage? (Go ahead and laugh, I know, it figures.)

Third and most prominent thought: Are these not the cutest and most fun little boys EVER?!

Earlier in the month Isaac had been talking about these "Tech Decks" that his friends at school had. They are miniature skate decks and he really really wanted one. So trying to appease him, we made some out of cardboard (the deck), sandpaper (the grip tape), legos (the trucks), and some miniature car wheels for the wheels. They worked! And the kids had fun with them. A few days later Isaac's friend Cody, the supplier of all desirable goods, gave Isaac a real "Tech Deck" that had a broken wheel. Boy was Isaac happy. Then, a week or so later, I found some Tony Hawk mini boards at KOHL'S and bought them, thinking that somehow we could have the kids earn the skateboards, or at least use them for some sort of manipulation. Well, Dave and I are softies, and that happy Saturday morning seemed the perfect occasion to give them their real "tic-tacs" (as Isaac would call them). And guess what? They were overjoyed, and so were we.

Ohio in March

2009-05-23T12:15:00.004-05:00

Late March I returned to Cincinnatti Ohio to see Dr. Noyes for my 6 month knee check-up. I was very excited for a few reasons. First, I wanted to see if the last ACL was still holding up and what the Dr. thought of my progress. Second I was looking forward having a little time to re-explore some of our old stomping grounds, and third, it would be nice to have a full day all alone without any real responsibility!

I flew into Dayton and rented a car to drive to Cincinnatti. It was cheaper that way this time. I had a couple hours to fill before my Dr. appt. and it was a hard choice wether to go to the huge super discount GAP outlet in Kentucky, or re-visit the beautiful town and surrounding areas of Yellow Springs. I ended up choosing the latter.

Yellow Springs was one of our favorite spots to visit while we lived in Columbus. There were beautiful hiking trails with waterfalls, a river, bridges and a gorge, a fun dairy farm with a petting area and fresh ice-cream, and a spunky downtown with real interesting surrounding neighborhoods.

First stop was the Young's dairy farm. Cutest little cows and very picturesque. Ohio is really prettier than you would imagine, even though it is overcast most of the time. It was so fun to be back.

After hanging out with the cute jersey cows I drove into town and strolled the streets and cute little shops. I found a fun store that sold all sorts of Thai and Indonesian jewelry and goods. I used some b-day cash and bought myself some earrings, a ring, a miniature beaded basket and some elephant coin purses for the boys.

I also drove through some of the neighborhoods and took shots of some of the interesting things around. It's a real liberal, artsy, hippy sort of town. Very small town. Really off the wall. I enjoy all the funk.

It was time for my appointment so I left for Cincinnatti.

I was so nervous at the Dr.'s office. What would they say this time? At last the intern came in and felt my bad knee, comparing it over and over to my good knee. And then over again. I started to worry. Especially when he commented, "Hmmm, do you feel that your left knee is more loose than your right? Does it ever feel like it's going to give out? Hmmm, let me go talk to Dr. Noyes and we'll be back to speak with you." And he left. And when he shut the door behind him I just crumbled! What if this whole thing hadn't worked again? What could I do now? And after all the $ and sacrifices that family and friends had put into this! And all my time and effort too!

I tried so hard to suck it up, taking deep breathes and trying to be strong when the Dr. came in. He came in a few minutes later. He's a great Dr. and it's always fun to see him. He began talking and asking questions and moving my knees this way and that. At last he reported that yes, my bad knee had loosened up again a little, BUT I still had the ACL! Woo-hoo!!! I asked if I was out of the danger zone yet and he said at a year's mark we would know more. September. We discussed how to continue strengthening my leg muscles and when it would be okay for me to get pregnant again. At first he said 6 months. How embarrassing, I cried. I was hoping he'd say now was fine! We are ready to get on with it! But after talking with him about a few things he told me he changed his mind and said he would be fine with me getting pregnant in 3 months. So stay tuned!

Next I visited with the physical therapists downstairs until it was time for me to drive the hour back to Dayton to catch my flight home. It was a long day, but all in all, it was a great trip! And most importantly, I still have an ACL!!! If all goes well, my ACL sticks, and things are just right, I may be able to get a meniscal transplant down the road, which I am really, really hoping for! This whole knee handicap has been such a trial for me, but I do know it is for my good and I just hope that I am learning the important lessons that I am supposed to be from it all. I am so grateful for the Lord's tender care and understanding of my personal difficulties and struggles.

Flowers

2009-05-21T12:03:00.003-05:00

I felt a creative urge and this is what became of it

Sunday Sleepy Heads

2009-05-21T11:58:00.002-05:00

TOFW (Mar. 21st)

2009-05-21T11:45:00.007-05:00

The first year I moved to Florida some friends and I began a tradition of attending Time Out For Women every year. The first year it was in Orlando, the second in Tallahasee, and the 3rd one back to Orlando. We always have such a great time on the road trip there, going out to dinner, shopping, staying up late chatting in the hotel rooms, and attending the TOFW meetings together. It's definitely a rejuvinating weekend away. I love these ladies and am so glad it has become a yearly tradition!

A literal and figurative 3 day blast. Day #1.

2009-05-20T13:36:00.000-05:00

Dave was on spring break and so we had a couple days to go on a trip. Atlanta? The Carolinas? Tampa? Alabama? The Keys? I couldn't figure it out. But we knew we were going to the space shuttle launch. So as I sat in sacrament meeting, pondering life, it came to me. We would go to Titusville, watch the shuttle launch, stay in a free* hotel that night, live it up at the hotel like the kids love to do, go to downtown disney, shop at IKEA, drive through picturesque Mt. Dora, camp in Ocala National Forest, visit Paynes Prairie State Park and head back home. All in 2.5 days.

After we got home from church (yes, all 3 meetings), Dave man-handled the children and made us a good meal and cleaned up, and I packed the car like a banshee (clothes, food for 3 days, all camping gear, and all children necessities). We left 1 1/2 hours later. We are really getting this down! Practice makes perfect and we really like to practice this kind of thing.

So first stop:

We went there. We saw it. We beheld the glory. And now you can too:

In person it's better of course. We didn't actually hear the sound until a minute or so after blast off. After a while we even saw the boosters as they seperated and fell off into the ocean. Here are some more pics:

waiting....

waiting...

still waiting... (can you see what Dave did while waiting?)

Blast Off!

Awesome rainbow smoke trail

Sorry I don't have photos of the traffic to our fantastically free hotel in Orlando. It's usually about a 30 min. drive to Orlando from Titusville, but on shuttle launch days it's more like a 3 hour drive. No joke. But at last we arrived safe and sound checked into our wondergul Wyndham and got some much needed zzz's.

Blast trip continued. Day #2 and #3.

2009-05-20T12:59:00.000-05:00

Monday March 16th:

Mason rolled off the bed at 5:30 am and woke everyone up.

Dave and I went back to bed.

The kids watched cable cartoons for 3 1/2 hours, a real treat for them and the reason why they LOVE hotels.

We ate free breakfast at our free hotel.

We spent 3 or so hours at downtown Disney (free shopping center with lots of entertainment and fun for everyone).

We spent 2 hours at IKEA.

I think that place is amazing. But even more amazing, I didn't even buy one thing. I'll just dream about it.

Wait, we did eat .50 cent hot dogs for dinner there.

We drove North and found a nice camping spot at Alexander Springs in Ocala National Forest.

We set up our tent and made a fire, even though it was warm.

We watched an armadillo run around our campsite and smack straight into our metal beach chair. Armadillos are so dumb, seriously. But it made us all laugh real hard. Mason talked about it for a couple days.

Tuesday March 17th (my birthday):

One of the best ones yet. Even though I did have to turn 33.

I woke up with Isaac at 5am, he had a fever, apparently his antibiotics didn't kill his strep throat.

I walked with Isaac to the bathroom in the pitch black. I don't like walking in pitch black forests where they have bear signs.

Everyone else woke up not too much later and the birds were singing so loud and so much. I love that.

Dave and the kids sang me happy birthday and Davey handed me a gift bag with a huge rootbeer mug in it (inside joke).

Dave and I layed in sleeping bags as long as possible as the kids begged us to get up and light the fire they had built.

We got up and lit their tee-pee style fire. Great job boys!

I went to the van for something and when I opened it I found that Dave had decorated the inside with streamers! When did he do that?

We ate the traditional Lucky Charms, but dry. They are better with milk.

We rented a canoe and paddled out on the spring for 2 fun hours.

(Ethan told me this was his "shark eye")

We saw lots of fish, turtles, herons, other birds and an alligator.

Gorgeous.

Isaac, in between paddling, laid on the floor of the canoe, miserable.

We took a hike, piggy-backing Isaac.

The kids went swimming in the spring, Dave and I waded in.

We packed up camp.

We drove North to Paynes Prairie State Park.

It was beautiful!

We climbed a tower and saw a herd of wild Spanish horses, but no bison.

Isaac was finally willing to take some medicine.

We took a walk on a boardwalk by the lake.

We saw more herons, egrets and alligators, and a snake that Isaac wanted for a pet.

The boys climbed a huge oak tree.

After Ethan randomly pulled a sleeping pad out of the van, laid it in the parking lot and collapsed onto it, we played on a nearby playground.

Perfectly serene and picturesque. Kids laughing, live oaks with swaying moss, a slight breeze and the sun setting.

We headed for home as happy as we could possibly be.

I love trips. I love spending so much unaldulterated time together as a family. No distractions, no stresses, no responsibility, pure freedom. I love the drive time. I love to sit with Dave and just talk and talk and talk. I love the memories we make. I do love trips.

PS- The whole trip: gas, food, lodging, canoe and activities only cost us $80.

Noise in the night

2009-05-15T12:52:00.005-05:00

Night before last I had a good laugh. It was about 12:30am and I was sleeping on the couch ( not to worry, it wasn't due to marital discord, Dave was super sick and I didn't want to catch that nasty bug). I heard some talking and bumping around in Isaac and Ethan's room. Pretty normal noises. Then I heard more bumping and decided I'd better go see what was happening in there.

I walked in the room and saw that Isaac's bed was empty. I heard some rustling in their small walk-in closet and focused there only to see this:

Yes! Isaac's pants were dropped and he was aiming right for their dirty clothes hamper. (But he didn't have the evil face that Calvin has here, it was more of a nice, sleepy face). Was I too late?!! I didn't want to scare the little guy so I calmly asked, "Isaac, what are you doing?" He sleepily replied, "I need to go to the restroom Mom." And then he grabbed the clothes hamper and pulled it close and aimed again... "Whoa-whoa-whoa buddy! That's not the toilet! The toilet is over here." And I guided the confused little fella to the real bathroom and the real toilet that actually flushes.

Than I tucked him back in bed and told him that I would tell him about this in the morning and we would have a good laugh together. "Okay Mom" he said as he drifted off.

I left the room and had a good laugh to myself righ then! Hilarious! He was so clueless the whole time and so cute and nonchalant about the whole thing! Boy am I glad I went in when I did. That would have been an awful thing to realize and clean up a couple days later when I noticed their closet smelled like wiz!

Ps- Isaac did have a good laugh in the morning and couldn't believe it himself!

I have fallen off the face of the earth, but hope to make it back soon

2009-04-18T21:08:00.000-05:00

Dr. Brady Barr's sidekicks (3-6-09)

2009-03-26T22:18:00.002-05:00

A couple weeks ago we picked up some great National Geographic movies from the library. One of them was entitled, Most Dangerous Encounters. We watched this at least three times. It was pretty interesting and exciting. Dr. Brady Barr was the star. He is National Geographic's herpetologist. Most Dangerous Encounters was all about Dr. Brady Barr and his studies with pythons, hippos and crocodiles. The kids were so intrigued with the pythons (and the part where the hippos flap their tails while they poop and splatter their feces everywhere as a warning sign, haha, watch out!) Well, this Brady Barr, he is a wild and crazy one, very dramatic, and fun to watch. At one point he even gets bit in the bootie by a large python!

This past week, following the Dangerous movie, the kids had Dr. Brady and his snakes on the brain. One afternoon after school Isaac asked me if he could dig in the yard. So we got out the shovels and they began to dig to China.

I wasn't aware of Isaac's full intentions until Ethan came to the back door requesting a box with lots of holes in it. I fulfilled his request only to have him return a few minutes later asking for another box with lots of holes in it. Then a few minutes after that Isaac and Ethan both came in and asked if we had any meat. "What for?" I asked. "So we can catch poisonous snakes Mom!" I looked in the fridge. No meat. "Don't we have any hot dogs or anything Mom?" "Nope, sorry Isaac. Maybe we can give them something else... waffles? tater tots? ..." "Mom, how 'bout waffles... with ketchup, that will make it taste more like meat." "Okay, but maybe tater tots and ketchup might taste even more like meat..." "Yeah Mom, that's what we want!" So I handed them a bag of left over tater tots and a few tupperware lids piled high with ketchup and they headed back out to set their traps. When they came back in they were so excited for holes they'd dug, the traps they'd set, and for the poisonous snakes they were sure to catch. Isaac even claimed he saw some beady eyes staring at him from the dark abyss of one of his holes.

The next day after school they dug more and made more traps.

The day after that I found Isaac and Ethan in the art room, with the door shut, drawing diagrams and maps and discussing just how they would approach and manhandle the poisonous snakes to be found in their traps.

Finishing their diagrams, they headed to the toy room to pack backpacks full of the supplies they would need: Power Ranger costumes, swords, shields, gloves, a blinking pegasus necklace, a flashlight and a ring (to be "placed over the snakes head after being caught." ? )

Once everything was gathered, they carefully arranged all of it outside the door of their tent and asked me to get an alarm clock and set it for "the middle of the night."

They told me how they needed me to get up with them in the middle of the night and go out to the traps to catch the poisonous snakes that would be awaiting them. I know that Isaac is a deep sleeper and it would be very difficult, if not impossible to wake him up. So I asked him what I should do if he wouldn't wake up when I tried. His answers were, "slap me" and "pour water on me." Really?

That night, before Dave and I went to bed (which it was dark enough for them to consider it the middle of the night), I went into their room and tried to wake them. I gave it my best try by placing the sounding alarm right next to Isaac's ear and by shaking him, but to no avail! I knew that Isaac would be really upset in the morning for not getting woken up (he might not believe I even tried) so I decided to insure myself by getting Dave to record me making my second attempt. I tried to upload it for your enjoyment but for some reason it didn't work. So just imagine. PS- The video did come in very handy the next morning when Isaac woke up very ticked at me for not getting him up "in the middle of the night."

I consoled Isaac and Ethan by telling them we would try again that next night. But this time we would skip the waking them up thing, and we would go out to check their traps before they fell asleep. Meaning- they would get into bed like the usual routine, but then I would come back in and they would get up and arm themselves for the hunt. This movie is of them after they are armed and right before we headed out to our own dangerous encounter!

And here they are after our not so dangerous, but scary, encounter:

Man I have so much fun with these kids! I love them so much!!!

"I'm going to be rich!"

2009-03-26T21:51:00.001-05:00

Remember how Isaac lost his first tooth? Ethan kicked it out. To keep with the theme, Isaac lost his front two teeth this past Saturday when the neighbor friend Bradley elbowed him in the mouth. Lots of blood and smiles! Isaac just couldn't wait for the tooth fairy to come this time because 2 teeth meant double the money. He shouted, "I'm going to be rich!" $2= rich? Wow, please don't anyone burst his bubble.

Under Isaac's pillow that night the tooth fairy found 2 notes along with the two front teeth. One of the notes was handwritten by Isaac and it read, "Dear tooth fairy, could you please give Isaac a dollar? Thank you, Ethan." Hmm, that seemed a little fishy to me... The next note was written by Isaac and signed by him. He asked the tooth fairy if she was going to put these teeth, and his other two he lost, in the hall of precious teeth. I'm not exactly sure what that means, but I know it's from a book he read at school. And of course, the tooth fairy assured him that his teeth were most definitely being placed there for safe keeping!

Congrats Isaac!

So cute doing his duty

2009-03-26T21:40:00.003-05:00

Only a Mom would say this right? Yes, and I couldn't resist taking a picture either of his tinyness sitting on the pot.

Muddy cake on your head

2009-03-26T21:10:00.004-05:00

After picking the kids up from school we went to Fort Caroline/Timicuan Preserve to hang out like we often do. The kids like to play at the historical fort there and especially around the small muddy mote that surrounds it. We've seen large crabs and always little fish. But boy is that mote a muddy little swamp. Slimy, stinky, black mud.

When we first moved to Florida I was nervous having the kids around the water so much for fear they might fall in. But Dave put me at ease when he said, "April, if they fall in, you just pull them out!" So as long as I'm right there with them I don't get too nervous anymore. This day at Fort Caroline, as the kids were frolicking around the muddy mote, I remembered how Dave had given me that calming advice and chuckled to myself that probably some day, I would be pulling a kid out. Little did I know that today was the day! And I wasn't nearby to do the pulling!

Poor little muddy Mason. I watched it happen. Mason was bending over near the edge of the mote, sticking a stick in the mud. Isaac too had a stick, a big long stick, and was standing next to Mason. Isaac wasn't paying attention and turned around whereupon the back of his big long stick pushed Mason, head first, into the mote. Isaac couldn't believe it and just stood there as Mason's face and body was enveloped into the slime. "PULL HIM OUT ISAAC!!!" And amazingly he did just that and got Mason back up onto the bank as I gimpy-style ran towards them. Mason's only cry was, "My shoe, my shoe!" Which had disappeared into the muck. When I got to Mason his eyes, nose, face entirely, head, chest, legs, and feet were covered and dripping in the thickest, blackest mud you've ever seen. Ugh! It was about a mile hike out! So quick on my feet, I told Isaac to take his shirt off (which later he told me he thought I was asking him to do just as a punishment) so I could wipe Mason's face down. I washed that shirt 5 times, and soaked it and it still has traces of mud. Serious stuff.

Mason never even cried. And I found his shoe. He walked all the way back to the car where I wrapped him in a quilt and headed for home for a photo shoot. The whole walk back Isaac murmured, "I am such a jerk. Such a jerk. Mom, you can give me any consequence you want. You don't even have to fix me dinner. I will go straight to bed when we get home.(It was only 4:30pm). I am such a jerk." And Ethan was really shook up, he kept telling Isaac "How would you feel if you got pushed in the mud?!!" And other things like that. He was real worried about Mason. But after some fun pictures, a hose down outside, and a warm bubbly bath, Mason was just fine and everyone was laughing again.

These are the pictures from the photo shoot after he was wiped down (believe it or not):

Courtesy of Ethan

2009-03-26T20:54:00.003-05:00

Serving with a smile, would you prefer a knuckle sandwich or Hawaiian punch?

Haircuts are not a priority here, nor ever will be

2009-03-26T20:36:00.005-05:00

Proof:

Rat's Tail

Duck Tail

Killer Chops

(Don't you love Ethan's crying face in the background? Classic!)

I HAVE SO MUCH CATCHING UP TO DO!!!

2009-03-26T20:31:00.002-05:00

Hold on tight, I am going to be posting like mad.

Blast off

2009-03-11T19:47:00.003-05:00

Dave and I have been keeping our eye on the scheduled launches out at the Kennedy Space Center. Over a year ago we drove down to Titusville (2 1/2 hours from here) to watch a space shuttle launch but they ended up postponing it due to inclement weather, it was cloudy w/ lightning. But we knew we'd be back to try again some day. Watching a shuttle launch is an experience of a lifetime and we don't want miss that.

When Dave's family was visiting us one Christmas we drove to a wildlife preserve over by the Kennedy Space Center and were lucky enough to witness a rocket launch. It was awesome!

And the other night when Dave was looking online at the launch schedule he shouted out, "April! They just launched a rocket!" "How long ago?" I asked. "Just 3 minutes ago!" So I ran outside into the street scanning the sky. Nothing, nothing... whoa! And there it was!!! A large, orange glowing fire shooting off in the horizon! Sadly Dave had gone back into the house and missed it. But yes, we can see launches from our own front yard! Our neighbors say they will go into the culdesac to watch the shuttle launches. Now how cool is that? I can't believe we are leaving this place. If anyone wants to move to Florida you should really buy our house. You seriously couldn't go wrong.

Well, tonight the Kennedy Space Center had scheduled to launch the shuttle Discovery. Dave and I had it all planned out-- pack up the car with snacks, chair, binoculars, pajamas and card games, grab a $5 pizza at Little Ceasars, meet Dave at 9A whereupon the kids would don masks and jump out of the car and kidnap him, and then we'd surprise the kids by telling them we were going to watch the space shuttle launch. Everything went as planned, until we met Dave and he told me the launch had been cancelled!!! There was a leak of some sort. Bummer! I'm so glad we hadn't told the kids yet. So we took our pizza to a nearby playground and went on a nice walk at sunset on a river boardwalk. We had a fun evening anyhow, but dangit, we WILL see a shuttle launch. They have rescheduled it for Sunday evening. Keep your fingers crossed!

Keeping them home from school... for no good reason

2009-03-02T12:54:00.003-06:00

Last Monday I woke up and just felt like making it a 3 day weekend. I wanted the kids to myself for another day. So sorry teachers and public schools, we are playing hooky!

And we played all day! Forts, games, books, a trip to the downtown library and Kids Kampus (an awesome playground downtown). They even got fireman hats at the firehouse museum!

(*This was done the same week that Dave had been gone a second week in a row... this was also the same week where at the end of the week I wrote my "expressing frustrations" post. See what I'm getting at? Yes, I burn myself out. But I really enjoy doing this folks, we just have too much fun in the meantime. This isn't the first time I've done this and it surely won't be the last. Wahoo!)

2nd weekend in a row, no daddy

2009-03-02T12:48:00.004-06:00

Let's party!

(I mean he is staying in nice hotels, eating steaks, and being pampered so why sit at home and sulk?...)

During the day we went out to Kingsley Plantation for a Black Heritage Celebration event. Turns out we got there 2 hours early so we just played on the dock and wandered around the beautiful grounds. By the time the speech and choir were to come, the kids had gotten restless. We left and explored other nearby areas in the car until they fell asleep. I was sad we didn't get to hear that choir!

But that night was the grand event! The Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association was having a competition! And it was free! Even though it was late in the evening and on the way other side of town, we just could not miss this opportunity! I truly should have grown up to be a cowgirl, and am a little bit sad that I haven't. Some day Dave and I want to experience all the walks of life for a year, just for fun. One of those years we want to be ranchers. Maybe that will come true someday?

Anyhow, we had a blast at this show. There were cowboys dressed up in costumes from the 1900's. They barrel raced around the arena and as they did this they had to shoot (with pistols and rifles) targets (ballons) placed here and there. Whoever was the fastest and hit the most targets won. Yes, guns, cowboys, horses, and speed. The boys were thrilled. On the way there Mason even saved one of his chicken nuggets for "the horsies." At the end of the show one cowboy came up to the side of the arena so we went down to pet his horse and talk to him. It was the boys lucky night because he pulled out one of his pistols, unloaded the used bullets and gave one each to Isaac, Ethan and Mason! They were so excited and carried them around for the next few days. Maybe they won't mind so much when we become ranchers.

and loving the beach more

2009-03-01T21:45:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, Saturday, we had quite the irresponsible family fun day. There was nothing too pressing that needed to be done, and if there was, we pushed it off for another day.

Isaac and Ethan had a primary activity in the morning. The one that Ethan prayed wouldn't be boring. (By the way, his prayer was answered). So after we dropped them off at the church Dave and I got to spend some time alone with little Mae-mae. We headed to the arbouretum for a nice hike. It was such a beautiful morning. And can you tell that spring is here? Mason couldn't get enough of throwing sticks and nut shells into the stream.

This is a cypress tree and some of it's "knees." A very cool Southern thing.

After our hike and picking up the boys, we got a coupon and ate lunch at a local Mexican restaurant. (Every time I eat Mexican I am reminded that it is just not my favorite food, unless I am in Mexico or eating fish tacos.) Then we headed to the beach again! This made it my 4th time in 3 days! Yahoo! Dave and I had date night Fri. night and spent it walking at the beach too. But Saturday with the kids we flew kites, explored, and Mason went swimming. Isaac and Ethan were wet up to their waists so maybe you can count that they did too. We had such a nice time! And we saw dolphins again! That always makes us happy.

Then we came home, showered up, and had waffles for dinner. Yummy. Dave read the kids books and then they were tucked and tuckered, into bed. Not surprisingly, it didn't take Dave and I too long to follow suit.

And we lived happily ever after.

The End

FYI

2009-03-01T21:00:00.000-06:00

Isaac and Ethan are STILL camping... 17 days later!

When we move we'll sell the beds and just take the tent.

my heart is bursting

2009-02-27T21:30:00.002-06:00

Tonight we had family prayer as usual. It was Ethan’s turn. He gave the most moving prayer on my behalf. I’m telling you, this child has faith, and he believes, without a doubt. He is so special and I love him so much. It went like this: “Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for my family and everything is good. Except, one thing is missing. Please dear Heavenly Father, please Jesus, please, heal my Mom’s knee. Please! Please! Please help her to be done with physical therapy so she doesn’t have to go again. Please heal her so she can run and play with us. And help us to have fun at the primary activity tomorrow, that it can be fun, and it won’t be boring. JNA.” I know that I will be healed. How could I not be after a prayer like that? You should have heard him. And I am in the process of being healed. And I know that it will be due to faith and prayers, and especially Ethan’s. He’s made this experience so sweet and spiritual for me. He’s strengthened my testimony of the power of faith and prayer. It has made a huge impact in my heart-- that he would care that much about me, that he would plead to the Father in my behalf, with all the yearnings of his sweet little heart. How lucky and blessed I am. I cannot express it enough. As I thanked Isaac and Ethan for their prayers, I shared with them how I am being healed. I don’t use crutches anymore, and I even chased after a plastic bag in the wind today. Ethan looked at me and exclaimed, “Oh Mommy!” And he threw his little arms around my neck. How did I ever get to be so blessed?!

Also, yesterday I began to research the next step in my surgery process. The meniscus transplant. As I read Dr. Noyes website, I was overcome by the sheer miracle and God’s work it is that I ever even found Dr. Noyes. I am in awe. I’ve learned earlier that Dr. Noyes is one of the leading physicians in the world when it comes to ACL replacement. But now, as I read, I also learned that Dr. Noyes has been doing meniscus transplants for 30 years (most drs. don’t do them at all or even know how still). And he was one of the first to do one. And his research was the first to be published and it was published in a very important journal in that field. Not only that, but his research group is trying to use stem cells from the patient to actually grow them a new meniscus of their own. The US doesn’t allow this yet, and the research is being done in Europe. But when the US okays it, it is already lined up for Dr. Noyes to complete one of these first surgeries. I mean seriously, could I be in better hands? Undoubtedly NO. I cannot thank God enough for his constant care and guidance, blessing and hope through all of this. I can’t believe how much he tenderly cares for me and is helping me every step of the way. I am in awe. I am touched deeply. He is the most amazing, perfect, and loving Father ever. Words cannot describe the way I feel.

loving the beach

2009-02-27T14:06:00.006-06:00

Today was the second day in a row we were able to go to the beach. Oh how lovely. I love it. With all my rainbow heart. And we saw dolphins today too. And it was so fun to watch Mason talk to the sea gulls as he fed them his trail mix with his chocolate covered hands. "Mere birdy, you wan sum? 'Mon! Eat it. I frow it. Oh YES!" Ethan and I made swords and wands with sticks we found. We stuck a feather in the end of Ethan's stick= sword. We stuck a flower in the end of my stick= wand. And I turned Ethan into a knight-power ranger-hero-courageous-brave-guy. And I turned myself into a princess.

Yesterday was really great too. Let me tell you why. The beach closest to our house is Hannah Park. Hannah Park has bike trails, camping, a splash park, a lake and a playground. Well, Ethan wanted to go to the playground before the beach. As you drive to the playground you pass by some ponds. Ponds that I've always thought looked super alligatory. You never really see alligators here in Jacksonville in the wild. But I've always hoped for alligators in these Hannah Park ponds. So as we were driving past the ponds I seriously thought this, "I'm gonna look to see if there's alligators as we drive by. Well, I won't see any, I never do, I'll look anyway." And holy Hannah! You guessed it! A decent sized one too. So I parked the car and Mason and Ethan and I got out to explore a bit (within very safe distance mind you). As we neared the pond we couldn't believe it! Another one! Big one! And after we took lots of pictures and videos and were leaving to the playground- yes! Another one! No way! Three alligators at Hannah Park! If you live here and are reading this you are probably surprised too.

Too many I-must-be-the worst-mom-ever days in a row

2009-02-26T19:25:00.003-06:00

(watch out, I'm going to express myself.)

Why can't I shake it? I thought I was trying.

Is it me? Is it the kids? Is it hormones or lack of sleep (for either of us)?

Why do I feel so grumpy?

Why don't the kids listen? Or obey? Or appreciate what I do for them? Or help out?

Why don't they act this way with Dave or the babysitter?

Why do I feel like breaking something/screaming/cussing/leaving?

Can't I demonstrate more self control?

Why do people say their Mom never yelled? I've never met one like that. Is that really true? And if so what's her secret?

Why do I let it get to me? The noise, the complaining, whining, fighting, hurting, messing, disobeying, needing me for everything?

Why do they talk to me like that?

Why do I talk to them like that?

What is it that's really bothering me?

Where did that week go that I thought being a Mom to my kids was the grandest, funnest thing ever? (Well, it is, but these last few days I've had to dig deep to remember that.)

Is it school? Is it the pressures and expectations at school? [Is it having to put your head down on your desk for 30 minutes instead of getting to have your only recess of the day? (side note: Now I do not agree with that punishment. Children NEED recess. That's probably why the class was acting up anyhow. Why the he-double-hockey-sticks are schools making young children spend all day in class and then taking away their one and only recess time? They don't even get time to mingle and play during lunch. They have to sit at their tables and never get up or they get in trouble. I am seriously thinking home school. Seriously.)] My kids seem to be happier, at peace with themselves and the family when they don't go to school.

Home school my answer? Haha, then I'll probably have even more I-must-be-the-worst-mom-ever days.

Ugh! What am I doing wrong and how do I change it? Or maybe I know what I'm doing wrong but just need the patience and pure love and will power to do it. Where can I find that and quick??!!

*Please don't respond by telling me I'm a good mom, thank you.*

The sun. The Son.

2009-02-23T14:29:00.001-06:00

I think it's wonderful when the sun shines through the windows and makes warm squares on the carpet. I love these sunny shapes, and I especially like to lay in them and take a nap. Does anyone else do this too? If not, I recommend it. It's so nice.

The other day while Isaac and Ethan were at school and Mason was napping, I had a few minutes to lay in the warm sunny carpet shapes. I laid there and watched blue sky and clouds float by. A couple times I tried to look at the sun but it was just too bright. I couldn't really even do it (I know I know, you should never look directly at the sun, but who hasn't tried?)

As I looked at the beauty outside in the sun I began to think about the sun. I began to think about its warmth, its power and brightness. I thought about how it can penetrate everything and light up our homes better than our man made light bulbs. I thought about how much energy it holds and provides. I thought about how almost everything needs it to grow. I thought about how it makes us feel happy when it's out, and how we plan our time around it- we get up when it comes out, and we sleep when it is goes down. Then I began to think about The Son. The symbolism is so perfect. As I laid on the carpet that day and pondered the depth of it, it's meaning grew for me.

For example, in comparing man made light bulbs to the light of the sun: when I put my make-up on inside and then walk out into the daylight, I see what I've missed, or that I've mistakingly put on too much. Or how about when you try something on in a store and think the clothing is one color and then you wear it outside and you realize, in the truth of real sunlight, that it really isn't brown, it's green. Well that's how the Savior's light is, and the gospel, it's just way better than the "light" man has tried to make, and truer.

All the living beauty in the world- flowers, trees, grasses, etc. need sunlight to grow. With that sunlight a little brown seed can become a majestic oak tree or a colorful flower. It is the same with the light of Christ. It grows all good things, and makes it possible for mankind to reach our grand potential.

It's amazing to me how far away the sun is yet how bright it shines on us on earth. I mean for Pete's sake, you can't even look at it. It is so powerful and penetrating. The Son too is the brightest. He is the light and the life, and all powerful. He has made all good things possible. He lights the way. He wins over darkness. His Atonement renews us, feeds our spirits, makes up for our shortcomings. I love the sun. And even more I love the Son. I am grateful for symbolic beauty of him that surrounds us and reminds us of his truth, his love, and his mission.

Secret hideouts

2009-02-21T13:33:00.001-06:00

*On a side note, notice the mantel. What is it that we are proudly displaying? Lego space ships. We have been displaying them for a couple weeks now and the boys won't let me take them down!

What's for dinner?

2009-02-20T13:05:00.001-06:00

Tuna casserole, raw peppers, raw beans. Polenta, salad and summer squash.

Barley veggie soup, biscuits w/jam, salad. Stuffed tomatoes, corn, sweet potato fries.

Whenever I think back and wonder what we eat for dinner I usually can't remember. So last week I decided to record it.

Down in the dumps

2009-02-19T11:43:00.006-06:00

Dear David,

I just want to let you know how much we loved you! We are going to miss you so very much. It was always a highlight of our week, and the kids, to visit you, hold family home evening together, feed the ducks, and chat. It was so fun to exchange food for "treasures." You were a very special man to us. Very special. I wish we could have done more. I wish we could have saved you from your circumstances. I wish I wish.

It is a relief that we never had to tell you we are moving. Dave and I wishfully spoke of taking you with us and getting a mother-in-law's quarters so you could be in our home whenever you chose.

Oh, your sparkly eyes. The way you called Ethan your "buddy" and counseled him. The way you made Isaac feel so special by finding a fun treasure "just for him." The way you confided in us and always made us feel so welcome. I will never forget your reaction last week when I stopped by with Isaac to drop you off a few things and you saw Isaac. And how cute you looked in your pink shirt.

Did I tell you yet that we are going to miss you? The kids talk about you all the time. Ethan has prayed for you these last few days. And Ethan thought we were going to your house today when I told him we were going to have "David french fries" for dinner. He was so dissappointed when I told him we weren't going to go. I am so sad to have to tell Isaac and Ethan. I really don't know how they will take it. But I know their faith is strong and they will be comforted.

Just last night I was planning up how some day soon we could take you out to Huegenot Beach in our car so you could get some fresh air and watch the kids play around you. I know you loved those kids and they brought you much joy. Children have that gift. And I also had plans to talk to you more about your history and record it. You were a 91 year old gem. Oh David, we had so many more plans of loving you and being with you. What will we do with ourselves now? Who can we look forward to greeting us at church and passing out cars to the kids? Or who's going to say the sweet prayers and comments you did in Sunday school and in your home?

We will miss your spry and happy spirit and jovial comments. I am so glad we got to know you. I am so glad we adopted eachother when we did. And God bless those 2 wonderful elders who found you. I learned so much from you in this short time we had together. David, I am happy to know you are now encircled in the arms of our Savior now. And that you will be able to gain a complete knowledge of the gospel. Our hearts ache today. And they will for some time longer. We love you. We miss you. We pray for you still. And we can't wait to see you again some day, on the other side.

All our love,

Dave "lucky," April, Isaac, Ethan and Mason Ferguson

According to Mason

2009-02-18T15:02:00.000-06:00

"soccer ball"

"sucker ball"

"gum"

"dumb ball"

We're so glad when Daddy comes home... especially from Mardi Gras

2009-02-18T13:39:00.002-06:00

Dave recently went to New Orleans for an ortho conference. The second to last weekend of Mardi Gras mind you. Interesting. But don't worry, there was no flashing involved. He did bring us home all the beads you could ever want though. Blinking pegasus' for the boys. And even a special one just for me.

Still camping

2009-02-17T13:07:00.004-06:00

Night #1

Night #2

Night #3

And they may not be done yet...

Look alikes

2009-02-17T12:56:00.002-06:00

Which one is the bug and which one is the leaf?

Treasures

2009-02-17T11:43:00.007-06:00

Two weekends ago there were a bunch of festivities going on around town so we decided to hit a couple of them up. First stop was the Jacksonville Arboretum where the kids got lots of free loot and made their own trail mix and we went on a nice hike. So very pretty. The terrain reminded me of Ohio, not Florida.

Then we went over to Fort Caroline because they were having a reinactment of the Timicuan Indians, Frenchies and Spanish being there. Before we hiked down to the Fort, Dave started talking to this guy who was parked next to us. I walked up and couldn't believe my eyes. This man was a historical treasure hunter. And he claims he has a gift in finding historical treasures. I might believe him. He pulled this helmet out of his truck and handed it to me. "This helmet is from the 1550's, it's a Spanish conquistador's helmet."

"And this other helmet here is what a layman would have worn."

Real? YES. REAL!!! The first helmet was light and so beautifully carved. He said the man who owned it would have sent it to Italy to get it engraved because they were the masters of the art. He took this helmet to the Antique Roadshow and they appraised it for $500,000. And he just finds these things! He also pulled out a bunch of coins from the 1500's and let us touch them too. He says he has a few safes full of them at the bank. They are for his retirement. The coins are his specialty. He finds alot of them washed up on the beach. He also had all sorts of buckles and buttons from uniforms and jewelry. I can't imagine what else this man has found. Oodles of things. It's so amazing. He says archeologists hate him. We talked to another history buff (retired professor) and treasure hunter who was reinacting and he said that this man we had met in the parking lot finds as many things in 2 days as it takes archeologists in the area to find in 2 years! We asked him how he does it and this professor replied, "Research. Lots of research."

The parking-lot-treasure-man said that he goes to schools in the area and does presentations with his treasures and lets the students touch and hold the things. He believes it is much more effective and a greater experience than having all the stuff in cases in a museum. He has donated some of his things he found in Williamsburg to the museum there. Since Florida doesn't have a central museum for these kind of relics he keeps them and shares them with the public for educational purposes.

Anyway, we were just blown away to say the least. Real stuff from the 1500's, real conquistador stuff! We were definitely in the right place at the right time that day. Here are some other photos from the day at Fort Caroline:

Isaac protecting Ethan from the loud canons.

Family shot that Dave took. Boys are "fishing" off the dock.

PS: Did you know that St. Augustine, a town on the coast 45 minutes from Jacksonville is the oldest city in our Nation? There is quite a bit of history here! The area was first visited by Ponce de Leon in 1513, but it was Juan Menendez de Aviles who established the first settlement, almost half a century before the first English settlers landed at Jamestown. St. Augustine grew to become the Spanish center of power in North America for almost 200 years. Boo-yeah. I think we are going to spend more time digging in the sand in St. Augustine!

My Valentines, Why I LOVE Them

2009-02-14T21:28:00.003-06:00

Isaac "Momma, you look pretty." "I like your shirt." "I'm so glad I get to spend some time with just you and me Momma." He has laid out outfits for me on more than one occasion just to be helpful. He has gotten Mason dressed without even being asked to do so. He draws and writes me love notes constantly. He takes great care of his younger brothers, protecting them, sacrificing for them, and being so patient with them.

Ethan "Mommy, I love you so much I love you all the way to God. And I love God all the way back to you." His prayers are sensational: "And we must thank the Lord (in a Baptist preacher-like voice) to heal Mommy's knee. And that she can eat healthy and go to the YMCA to heal it." Ever since my latest surgery he hasn't once missed asking Heavenly Father to heal my knee in his prayers. When I'm all better I will have no doubt that it was from the faith of this special child. Ethan has no guile. He is not afraid to stand for what he knows is true.

Mason "Mommy, I tool (cool). Mommy, I toot (cute). I toot hair." -Randomly spoken from his car seat one day as he ran his little fingers through his hair. "I wuv you Mommy, I wuv you too." "I four." -No Mason, you're two, Ethan is four. "No Mommy! I four!" And whenever something is poking him, or his diaper isn't feeling comfy, he always blames it on a spider. "Pider biteen me." And Mason has the cutest little happy day skip ever. Talky talky happy bouncy skippy jokey Mason.

Dave Does the dishes every night, sings action songs to the kids at night, lets me warm my cold feet on his legs in bed every night, he comes home like a giddy boy all chatty and excited after every basketball game or practice, he appreciates and is passionate about many varieties of music, he's known as the singing dentist and always has a song for any situation, he comes up with stimulating and interesting conversations and will talk with me late into the night, he's witty and has a great sense of humor, he never holds me back, he completely trusts me in everything, he pats my toosh and tells me he knows "it's comforting," he can relate with all types of people- from ghetto to country, he is my wikipedia, he's driven, he's forward thinking, a planner, a dreamer, he has amazing ideas, he cooks, he cleans, he gets our family many free airline tickets, he has great empathy for other's hardships, he is the master of after-Thanksgiving-Day-sales, he was and is an amazing missionary, he is an excellent teacher, he is so hot, he is open minded, he is a history buff, he has an amazing memory and knows facts and information about the most random things, he is a wonderful father, he is a man with righteous desires, and he tells me he loves me and that I'm his best friend.

These boys have my heart and complete devotion. I adore them!!!

Art after school

2009-02-13T19:05:00.002-06:00

Last Tuesday I picked the kids up from school and headed to the free Tuedays at the Cummer Art Museum. We had a real nice time. The kids enjoyed going from room to room picking out their favorite piece of artwork. Isaac's was the Egyptian engravings, Ethan's was a cowboy sculpture, Mason's was playing ball out in the parking lot afterwards, and mine was a painting of an elderly couple in a Dr.'s waiting room.

I do think we made the security guards very nervous . They tried to hide the fact that they were following us around and watching the little guys like hawks, but I knew. Yes, I knew. And turns out we didn't even touch or break anything. Hurray! That means we can go back.

It sure was nice to see art work and enjoy some of the finer things in life for an hour or so. The museum has a super fun kids area with lots of hands on activities. But really, one of the most amazing things to me at the Cummer is the garden out back. The Secret Garden with a black tar reflection pool. I wish I could live in that garden!

In the tree. Is that against the rules?

Next I tried to get a nice picture of the boys but as you can see, that idea didn't fly. They were so wound up by that point. It makes for some fun photos anyhow. I sure do love them and am so glad they will go just about anywhere with me. Because I wouldn't want to go anywhere without them.

Attempt #1

Attempt #2

(Ethan took this picture. An action shot. Brotherly love.)

One time on my mission...

2009-02-12T22:11:00.002-06:00

One time on my mission I was stood up.

One time on my mission I was spit on.

One time on my mission I was hit by water balloons.

One time on my mission I was groped.

One time on my mission I was prompted to high tail it outta there.

One time on my mission I cried.

One time on my mission I saw robbery.

One time on my mission I was chased by ferocious dogs.

One time I on my mission I witnessed drug smuggling.

One time on my mission I saw a baptism.

A baptism?

And even just one baptism was worth the rest.

www.mormon.org

Our room

2009-02-09T21:13:00.001-06:00

2 years ago I had fun making this room our room. I guess if you don't have time for art class anymore you gotta express yourself somehow. Not to say that it is anything real great or that you would like it for your room. But I like it, and I built it with my own mind and then my hands, and that gives me satisfaction.

I am sad to have to leave this room behind in a few months. I'm sad to have to leave my whole house behind in a few months. So much work and love has been put into it. So many memories and good times. Oh, our sweet little home. Can't we take you with us?