g&kfin

2010-06-06T21:32:00.005-06:00

Class of 2010 -- Davis High Graduation June 4, 2010

Makel graduated last Friday. She has been looking forward to this day since the beginning of January. She is ready to move on. Most of her childhood friends and her best friend are going to attend the University of Utah this fall. Makel is enrolled in the pre-nursing program at the U. After she completes that she will apply for nursing school at the Uof U, Westminster and BYU. Makel has her CNA and has been working as an intern at Ogden Regional Medical Center on "B" days from January to the end of May. It is bittersweet for me as a Mom. I am happy for her because I can see she is ready, but sad because it is life-altering. She is doing alot of good things with her life and I am proud of her!

Davis High Homecoming 2008

2008-10-12T19:01:00.000-06:00

Makel was asked to go to Homecoming this year. The guy who asked her is in our ward and is the group of friends that she hangs out with alot. His name is Joseph James Martinez (JJ). He asked her by making a big ball of carmel popcorn and inside the popcorn was a big easter egg with a whole bunch of letters that were cut up. She had to unscramble his name with the letters that he had highlighted in red. We were all standing around eating the popcorn and helping her unscramble the letters. She had a alot of fun.

End of the summer fun.

2008-09-07T20:28:00.000-06:00

The summer break is officially over. But just prior to school starting for the kids we tried to jam in a few more fun activities.

I had the opportunity to go to Miller Sports Park and race a souped up Mustang. I and eight other drivers took turns leading the pack at which we could go as fast as we were comfortable driving. I was hitting about 105 mph on the straights and about 90 mph on the turns. Pretty scary at first but quite exhilarating by the time we finished. We drove for about 45 minutes but it seemed to go by pretty quick. The last 3 laps we were able to sit as a passenger with a professional at the wheel and he opened it up. We were going as fast as 120 mph, what a rush.

We also had the opportunity to take Makel and Kirsten to the Cheryl Crow/James Blunt concert. It was fun to see the girls swoon when James Blunt started singing and the girls made fun of me drooling over Cheryl. Needless to say we had a great time listening to some great music. (sorry the pics don't tell the real story)

And Finally, we took the family to St George and did some back to school shopping, swimming and we went and saw Les Miserables at Tuacahn. We all had a great time but to be honest the kids are always singing their favorite "Les Mis" tunes and it is getting annoying. We will see how much they will be singing when all that homework starts rolling in. But until then you can probably guess who is the miserable one.

Sharpay the Bunny

2008-07-20T20:26:00.000-06:00

We have a neighbor who has been selling bunnies. Kirsten has always wanted to have a pet and has begged Gregg and I to get her a kitten. But, much to Kirsten's dismay Gregg has always told her no. So, when our kids found out about these bunnies, they have begged us for a bunny and Gregg has always told them no until they wrote the following letter:

Dear Dad,

Me, Natalie and Jared all want to have a bunny for a pet. Here are 10 reasons why we should have a bunny.

1. It will teach us responsibility.

2. Love (Natalie's reason).

3. It will fertilize our garden.

4. It can eat our old vegetables.

5. We have never had a furry pet (by Jared).

6. We will pay for the bunny.

7. We will stop complaining for a bunny.

8. We will take care of the bunny.

9. It will make us more happy.

10. It is an outside pet that is easy to take care of.

Love, Kirsten, Natalie & Jared.

P.S. After you read this note please respond. Do not respond rudely like: No, whatever, or you don't deserve one, etc.

Needless to say, we gave in and now have a pet bunny. I have to admit she is a cute bunny. I think we better get her fixed because both of our next door neighbors have a bunny and one of them is a male.

Vacation to Nauvoo

2008-06-29T19:22:00.000-06:00

Twenty Two years ago, I went on the church history trip with the seminary program. I told myself back then, that someday I wanted to bring my own family to Nauvoo. The desire was fulfilled these first ten days of June. My kids were old enough that they could endure the traveling and remember and appreciate it. We were able to see alot of church history. We went to Independence, Missouri and toured the visitors center and saw the Church of Christ Temple and the temple site where a new temple will someday be built in Missouri. We then went to Liberty, Missouri and toured Liberty Jail, where the Prophet Joseph Smith was in prison for four months. After that, we drove to Adam-ondi-Ahman. Even though this was a huge field you could feel that it is a sacred place. Bruce R. McConkie stated "Sacred indeed is the whole region for what has taken place and what will take place in its environs." (The Millenial Messiah P. 588).

We also went to Hannibal, Missouri which is the birthplace of Mark Twain (author of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn). We were able to ride on the Mississippi Riverboat and go on a dinner cruise.

Since Nauvoo was the main destination, we spent 4 days there and were able to tour all of the historical homes and shops. We also went to the Temple where Makel & Kirsten were able to do baptisms for the dead and Gregg and I went through a session. The Temple was beautiful. Makel & Kirsten will tell you that it was their favorite part of the vacation. Even Natalie & Jared will tell you that Nauvoo was their favorite because they participated in pioneer pastimes and fun activities that they had for younger kids.

My personal favorite was Carthage Jail. I loved Nauvoo, but the feeling that I felt while we toured Carthage Jail was undeniable. I have a stronger testimony of what Joseph and Hyrum Smith sacrificed and went through. After leaving Carthage Jail, we picniced along the Missippi River on our way back to Nauvoo.

After we left Nauvoo, we drove to Winter Quarters and then up into South Dakota where we were able to see Mt. Rushmore and go to a lighting ceremony. We also took to the Flintstones Village (which was very lame but Natalie and Jared seemed to enjoy it).

We had a good time and were able to see alot of church history which I hope my kids will remember.

Teenagers

2008-05-18T20:19:00.000-06:00

Makel just turned "sweet 16" on April 26 and Kirsten turned "13" on May 1. We had a surprise birthday party for Makel at our house with a group of her friends. Thanks to her friend Ashley, we were able to pull it off nicely without Makel knowing. They had a lot of fun. The following morning they went to the Bountiful Temple to do baptisms for the dead.

When you have two teenage daughters whose birthdays are 5 days apart, you have to do for one what you do for the other. Kirsten was able to invite a group of her friends over and have a party as well. Its hard to believe that I now have two teenagers. They have both have a good group of friends who they like to spend time with quite often. Friends are always welcome at our house to come and hang out.

A weekend in Florida

2008-04-27T15:40:00.000-06:00

Gregg left for a business trip to Ordando, FL on Monday, April 7. On Thurdsay, April 10, I flew down to Ft. Lauderdale and was able to spend time with Rich & Sharon and Chad & Angie. We had a really fun weekend. It was fun to see where they live and Kiara and Indigo's school that they attend. We went on a fun bike ride, went out to dinner at "Flannigans" and spent most of the day on Saturday on the beach (the pictures that I took of Gregg didn't turn out very well they looked white). I am now hooked on the game "puzzle planet" after playing it with Chad & Angie and Sharon while staying at Rich & Sharon's and I received a new nintendo DS for my birthday from Gregg!!!

On Sunday, we went to church with Rich & Sharon and had a nice birhday dinner at Chad & Angie's. Thank you Rich & Sharon and Chad & Angie for a fun weekend and a good 40th birthday!

Mom's 40th!

2008-04-13T17:13:00.000-06:00

Today is my mom's 40th birthday! THE BIG 4-0! wowie! The point of the mountain! (JK) Well, instead of us sharing this wonderful celebration as an imediate family, she is in Florida and left behind her wonderful....spectacular...grateful... not to mention adorable kids here in Utah. So I found a quiz about what her birth date says about her. Hope you enjoy! ~Makel

Your Birthdate: April 13

You're dominant and powerful. You always need to be in charge.
While others respect your competence, you can be a bit of a dictator.
Hard working and serious, you never let yourself down.
You are exact and accurate - and you expect others to be the same way.

Your strength: You always get the job done

Your weakness: You're a perfectionist to a fault

Your power color: Gray

Your power symbol: Checkmark

Your power month: April

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

7 Wonderful Years

2008-03-16T20:01:00.000-06:00

We celebrated Jared's birthday last weekend (March 9). I can't believe he is 7. It has gone by too fast. Jared brings alot of character into our family. I have enjoyed Jared very much, and even though I don't admit this much, it has been good for me to experience having a boy. He really does bring alot of joy into our lives. We Love You Jared!

The Passing of a Prophet

2008-02-10T18:54:00.000-07:00

I have a book that sits in my living room entitled "One Bright Shining Hope" messages for Women from Gordon B. Hinckley. I was thumbing through it and came upon this quote:

"As I look back upon my life and think of the wonder of the companion who walked so long beside me, I cannot get over the tremendous influence that she had on me. She was the mother of my children. She gave them life. She nurtured them. She guided them through their formative years. She loved them and dreamed of them and prayed for them.

She was so wise and good. She just seemed to have present in her all the good qualities of her most sterling forebears. All of those seemed to come together in that one little girl who bewitched me when I was young and in love.

Now a beautiful marker of enduring granite marks her final resting place, and engraved in that stone, beneath her name are the words, "Beloved Eternal Companion."

And so she will be mine and I will be hers through all of the eternities to come."

A few days after reading that, President Hinckley passed away. I thought of the quote that I had just read and it gave me great comfort to know that he is reunited with his wife and many other relatives and friends. During the press conference with President Thomas S. Monson, he said "all is well with President Gordon B. Hinckley. " I am so thankful for the knowlede we have of life after death. Our lives our eternal.

My friend e-mailed the other day with this challenge: Since President Hinckley lived for 97 years, she is challenging people who are interested to read the Book of Mormon in 97 days, either individually or as families.

How sick are we?

2008-01-24T15:37:00.001-07:00

I got a phone call today from Kaysville Elementary saying that Jared had a headache and could I come pick him up and bring him home? Of course, when my child is sick I want nothing more than to be there and do what I can to take care of them. However, on our way home Jared asked me if you can die when you take medicine and aren't really sick. He also asked me as soon as I pulled into the driveway if he could play Nintendo DS.

I understand we all feel that we need a break once in awhile, but Jared had the privilege of taking a teaspoon of tylenol and laying around. Absolutely NO Nintendo DS.

Jared has two wonderful 1st grade teachers. He just would rather eat a fruit snack and play Nintendo DS instead of go to school.

Looking back at the year 2007

2008-01-06T17:45:00.000-07:00

The year 2007 was a year of ups and downs for me.

On January 19, 2007 my Dad went under full cardiac arrest and had to be put on life flight. I remember receiving the phone call that evening and while Gregg and I drove down to Utah Valley Hospital, I didn't expect to see him alive. He spent 12 days in critical care and 8 days in physical therapy and rehab. It was hard for me to watch him go through that.

We finished our basement after two years. I am so grateful for Gregg and all of his hard work he put in on finishing the task. (I am also grateful for all of Steven's hard work).

Jared graduated from kindergarten and started 1st grade. It was hard to have him gone all day (and still is). He is very busy and is involved in soccer and basketball. I can tell he is going to be very athletic just by watching him play. He really enjoys sports.

Gregg turned the big 4-0 this year.

Natalie started wearing glasses and also started 4th grade. She takes piano lessons and is in ballet.

Kirsten started junior high and is loving it. She also started young womens. She is acting more and more like a teenager (which is good and bad). She tends once a week for my friend who teaches clarinet lessons, plays the piano and violin.

Makel started her sophmore year at Davis High. She has a good group friends that she hangs out with and they are doing things every weekend. She can't wait for us to get kitchen appliances and furniture downstairs so they can pop popcorn, have pizza, order chinese, play games and watch movies without us interrupting. She also passed the test for her Learner's permit. She will be driving soon and the thought of that scares me.

Overall, I would have to say that despite all the changes that happen in our lives, we have been very blessed. I wish everybody a happy new year and I hope the year 2008 will be one of the best for us all.

Christmas Prep

2007-12-23T18:50:00.000-07:00

Tis the season to be busy. We have been very busy in preparing for this Christmas season and are sorry we have not made more postings this month. So now you get one long blog.

We started December with a wonderful little snow storm (see previous post). This really got us in the spirt of Christmas. The kids were thinking of Christmas pasts and Makel wanted to know why didn't make sugar cookies and pass them out to our neighbors. The following pics will help explain why we dropped that tradition.

We had lots of fun cutting and decorating (and licking our fingers). We made all sorts of shapes and sizes but our favorite ones were the trees. That is why Makel made everyone make so many - not.

These are everyones favoites:
Gregg - Christmas Tree
Kim - Stocking
Makel - Santa
Kirsten - Candy Cane
Natalie - Rudolph
Jared - Holly
But we didn't mind any of the others when it came to eating them, especially Jared who always eats more then his share.

We made two large containers of cookies but any guesses on how long they lasted? We will make a special cookie for the one who guesses correctly. You will have to wait until next year when we will make a fresh batch.

We have also been busy with Christmas programs and parties.

Jared had a singing program and of course sang the best out of all the 1st grade. They even threw him a party after words.

Kirsten is also excelling in her violin skills. She had a great performance in her Christmas concert and played better than anyone in the 7th grade ( they didn't throw her a party). She is first chair to me.

Santa came to visit us at one of our family parties to check on how good the kids have been this year. Makel and Kirsten are getting to the point where they don't feel comfortable sitting on Santa's lap (but who really does).

We are having a great Holiday season and having lots of fun. We are so very thankful for the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ and know that this is a very special season where we are reminded of his life. We are so grateful for his life and sacrifice. We are so glad we can be together as a family forever. What better gift can we receive.

We love you all very much and want to wish is a Very Merry Christmas!

Winter Wonderland

2007-12-02T15:46:00.000-07:00

We woke up yesterday morning to a big snowstorm with snow piling on the ground. The kids had fun playing out in the snow and making a snow fort. I love the first snowstorm and after christmas I am ready for it to go away and move on to spring weather.

What Happened the year Makel was born (1992)

2007-11-18T18:51:00.000-07:00

In 1992 (the year you were born)

George H.W. Bush is president of the US

Hurricane "Andrew" becomes the most costly in US history with $20 billion worth of damage

Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton is elected President of the United States

Riots break out in Los Angeles after police are acquitted in the Rodney King case

An "Earth Summit" is held in Brazil to address global environmental problems

Jay Leno replaces Johnny Carson as host of the Tonight Show on NBC

George H. W. Bush becomes ill on a visit in Japan and vomits on the Japanese Prime Minister

Mike Tyson goes on trial charged with raping a 1991 Miss Black America Contest contestant

Amy Fisher, the "Long Island Lolita," is arrested for shooting Mary Jo Buttafuoco on the front porch of her home

Toronto Blue Jays win the World Series

Washington Redskins win Superbowl XXVI

Pisstburgh Penguins win the Stanley Cup

Aladdin is the top grossing film

"End of the Road" by Boyz II Men spends the most time at the top of the US charts

Mad About You and The Real World premiere

Sailor Moon premieres on TV Asahi in Japan

What Happened the Year You Were Born?

Events that happened the year I was born (1968)

2007-11-18T18:47:00.000-07:00

In 1968 (the year you were born)

Lyndon B. Johnson is president of the US
North Koreans seize USS Pueblo and 83 man crew in the Sea of Japan
Communist troops attack Saigon and 30 province capitals in the "Tet Offensive"
Martin Luther King is assassinated in Memphis, TN
Senator Robert F. Kennedy is shot in California after celebrating presidential primary victories
American troops destroy a town in South Vietnam in the "My Lai Massacre"
Peggy Fleming wins Olympics figure skating gold medal
The United States Congress repeals the requirement for a gold reserve to back US currency
Student protesters at Columbia University in New York City take over administration buildings and shut down the university
LL Cool J, Lisa Marie Presley, Jeri Ryan, Lucy Lawless, Celine Dion, Traci Lords, Tony Hawk, Kylie Minogue, and Sammy Sosa are born
Detroit Tigers win the World Series
Green Bay Packers win Superbowl II
Montreal Canadians win the Stanley Cup
2001: A Space Odyssey and Planet of the Apes are the top grossing movies
The rock musical Hair opens on Broadway
The Beatles' White Album and Simon and Garfunkel's Bookends are released
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, debuts on NBC

http://www.blogthings.com/whathappenedtheyearyouwerebornquiz/">What Happened the Year You Were Born?

A Decade of Natalie

2007-10-21T15:08:00.001-06:00

Natalie just celebrated her 10th birthday last Friday (October 19). It is hard to believe that she is already 10 years old! She is growing up so fast. We enjoy Natalie and her fun personality and we are glad she is a part of our family. It was fun to go back and look at pictures taken over the years. These are some fun pictures of Natalie.

2007-10-21T15:08:00.000-06:00

Finnegans

2007-10-07T20:15:00.000-06:00

With General Conference comes a fun family tradition that Steven and Elaine have done for years. I remember when Gregg and I were dating and he said I would like to invite you to come to "Finnegans." I have loved this tradition ever since. Here are some fun pictures of Finnegans (which was just yesterday).

castles

2007-10-05T17:31:00.000-06:00

CASTLES IN THE CLOUDS
by: Patricia Osborn Orton
All you need to build

castles in the sky

Are fluffy white clouds

And a fanciful eye.

You can build rooms,

And towers to,

Add doors and windows

By ones and twos.

Now imagine the tower

With a Princess inside

All you really need is

A fanciful eye.

Book of Mormon Quest

2007-09-23T19:25:00.000-06:00

Makel had the opportunity to attend youth conference for our stake in a place called Monte Cristo (up by Logan) last July. We just attended a fireside for all youth who went to Book of Mormon Quest and their parents, where we received a DVD. At this youth conference, they did different reenactments of the Book of Mormon and they had to dress in Book of Mormon attire. Everybody who attended had to have two costumes (A big THANK YOU to Grandma Finlinson for sewing Makel's costumes). I really enjoyed watching the DVD. It gave me a better perspective of the Book of Mormon. What a wonderful opportunity to portray the Book of Mormon in a realistic way. I wish that I would have had that kind of an opportunity when I was young.

7 Random Things About Me

2007-09-16T16:45:00.000-06:00

I was tagged by Sharon to list 7 random things about me. So, here goes:

1. When I was a little girl I refused to eat lunch, unless it was peanut butter and jelly.

2. My favorite Ice Cream is Burnt Almond Fudge.

3. I was involved in 6 car accidents before the age of 17 and was grounded from driving for 6 months.

4. I don't like to touch the lid of any outside dumpster or garbage can (Too many germs).

5. My favorite actor is Matt Damon.

6. I cried on my first date with Gregg.

7. Before I die, I want to experience what it is like to go para-sailing or ride in a hot air balloon.

Blue Dragons

2007-09-09T18:03:00.000-06:00

It's the season for soccer. We signed Jared up for his second year of soccer. His team is called the Blue Dragons. Their first game was yesterday and they won 2-1. Jared scored one of the goals for his team! I can tell he is going to be one of those kids that loves to play sports. He really gets in there and plays hard. He needs something to help divert all of that extra energy he has!

Crossroads in Life

2007-08-30T20:12:00.000-06:00

School started for my kids yesterday and I realized that I have hit a "crossroads in Life" (either that or a mid-life crises). I know that I sound ridiculous, but my life will never be the same. Makel started High School, Kirsten started Junior High, and Jared started 1st grade. For the first time in 15 years, I am all alone for 6 hours! Some people would thoroughly enjoy it and think FREEDOM. But, I feel an emptiness. I don't want to work full-time, I am not even sure if I want to work at all. I have some decisions to make as to what to do with my life!

Bill Gates Graduation Speech

2007-08-12T10:02:00.000-06:00

My friend sent this e-mail to me and I think there is alot of truth to it. We both have teenagers, so we find it very amusing.

Rule 1: Life is not fair - get used to it!

Rule 2 : The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

Rule 3 : You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.

Rule 4 : If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.

Rule 5 : Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity.

Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

Rule 7 : Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

Rule 8 : Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

Rule 9 : Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.

Rule 10 : Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.
Date: 5/21/2007 2:01 PM

EFY

2007-08-05T10:25:00.000-06:00

Makel had the opportunity to attend EFY July 30 - Aug. 4. She had alot of fun. These are some pictures of fun experiences she had while she was there. This is her second year attending EFY.

Marc (Who is a mission president's son and living in Spain) and Makel's best friend Lindsey.

Makel and her counselor Stephanie Orem.

Friends at EFY

Twilight

2007-07-01T10:33:00.000-06:00

"Twilight" is the new rave for the best book out there among teenagers. Makel ordered it from amazon.com and kept telling me that I just had to read it. (This was after all of her friends had finished reading it because she let them borrow her book). I wasn't very excited because I had heard it was a love story about a vampire. I felt that I had much better things to do. When she saw me reading "The Preachers Daughter" she told me to quit wasting my time and read "Twilight." I told her that if she would leave me alone, I would start reading Twilight after I finished reading The Preachers Daughter. I am almost finished with Twilight and I have to say I am completely enthralled. For anyone who loves to read, or wants to read something that keeps their interest, I HIGHLY recommend Twilight.

Clytie Adams School of Ballet

2007-06-24T16:56:00.000-06:00

Natalie's dance recital was a couple of weeks ago at the Browning Center at Weber State University. I started Natalie in ballet when she was 5. At the end of her first year in dance, I told her that she should probably quit and do other things. She was very disappointed and started to cry. She loves taking ballet. When I saw the dance recital, I could tell our money was being well spent. I was impressed. Natalie has taken dance now for four years. I have loved every dance recital she has performed in. The theme this year was on holidays. The name of her dance was New World. It was one that was a Thanksgiving holiday. Clytie has taught ballet now for over 40 years.

A Tribute to Fathers

2007-06-17T10:40:00.002-06:00

"A father makes a green and growing place and finds among the shadows of bushes and flowers hidden treasures. Cupping them in his earth-stained hands, he calls his children to come and share his discovery." by Joanne Ryder.

I am so thankful for the wonderful example both my Dad and Gregg's Dad are to me and our children. I look up to them in so many ways. After having a family of my own I realize even more how important they both are in the lives of Gregg and I and our children. We are so thankful for the role they each play in our lives. Happy Fathers Day!

2007-06-17T10:40:00.001-06:00

2007-06-17T10:39:00.000-06:00

Lagoon Season Passes

2007-06-10T10:33:00.000-06:00

After three years of having Cherry Hill passes, we decided we needed a change so with much insistance from Makel and Kirsten, we decided to buy Lagoon season passes. The passes are good from April to the end of October. So far, we have been three times. After going twice your passes are paid for. Elizabeth has a friend who gave her Lagoon tickets that were good for last Friday. It was alot of fun for my kids to spend a day at Lagoon with their cousins. We let the older kids go ride the big fun rides (they were able to ride on Wicked for the first time) and Elizabeth and I stayed with the younder kids on the kiddie rides. The kid section is fine with me.

Kindergarten Graduation

2007-06-03T11:32:00.000-06:00

Jared's kindergarten program was last Thursday morning. They sang songs about the alphabet, counting, and a song called "Magical Me." It reminded me about a book called "Everything I need to know I learned in Kindergarten." I really liked his kindergarten teacher. She is so good with kids. I was a little sad as I sat there and thought about this fall when he will start 1st grade. What am I going to do?

Moving on to Young Womens

2007-05-20T18:59:00.000-06:00

Kirsten received her Faith in God Award today in Sacrament Meeting and was able to attend Young Womens. I went into her class and was asked to "spotlight" her. I can't believe how fast my kids are growing up. I now have two in the Young Womens program.

No More Braces

2007-05-20T18:46:00.000-06:00

After two years of not being able to eat carmel popcorn, eating an apple without having it cut up, and corn on the cob, Makel is finally free of metal (well, for the most part, she has to wear a retainer). She likes her smile much better without the braces. One down and three more to go!

Before and After

2007-05-06T18:55:00.000-06:00

Last Monday, while I was fixing dinner, Jared was climbing a russian olive tree with two of his friends (which I did not know about). I had my kitchen window open because of the record breaking heat we were experiencing and I could hear the chitter chatter of children playing outside. Suddenly, I recognized a cry and knew it was Jared. It was a hurt cry, so I ran outside and he was walking toward the house with all this blood coming out of his mouth. I looked in his mouth and saw that one of his front teeth was completely knocked out and the other tooth next to it was dangling by the root. I could also see a cut in his bottom lip. I ran into the house and retrieved a cold washcloth, and drove to the emergency room at Mckay Dee Hospital. Makel had called Gregg who had been working late all week. He came to the emergency room and looked into Jared's mouth and then turned and looked at me and said "I told you we should have named him Huckleberry." I thought it was ironic that the doctor who was stitching his bottom lip had told me his two front teeth were false. These were Jared's baby teeth which is good. Our dentist met me at his office at 9:30 at night and told me he is a year ahead of his time. He doesn't think there will be any damage to his permanent teeth. People keep telling me "He's a boy." I don't dare think about what may be next. I love him despite the fact that I am more of a girl mom.

Disneyland 2006

2007-04-27T21:10:00.000-06:00

We had a unique experience when we went to Disneyland. One hour after arriving in California Jared was climbing up a ladder to get to the top of the bunkbed and fell and hit his left arm on the air conditioning vent that was sticking out of the wall next to the ladder. Gregg and I hurried and took him to the nearest emergency facility where we waited forever. There were a total of 3 patients in there -- a girl who had a migraine, another girl who had an inner ear infection and my screaming crying little boy with a broken arm. They took some x-rays and determined that it was indeed broken and that he would need to have surgery. So, Gregg went to the hotel room to be with the girls (who were crying because they thought they wouldn't be able to go to Disneyland) and I rode in the ambulance with Jared to the Childrens Hospital of Orange County where 30 minutes they performed surgery above his elbow. They put in six pins and I slept next to his hospital bed in a hospital recliner. The next morning when he woke up he said to me "Mom, I can't believe I broke my arm." It turned out that we were able to stay an extra day in the hotel room for free and we just postponed our Disneyland trip for a day. We went swimming the day he was released from the hospital and I kept giving Jared Tylenol with Codeine every 6-8 hours. It will always be a vacation that we look back on and laugh about. Although, it wasn't very funny at the time it happened. (These pictures are for you Chad).

Spring has Sprung!

2007-04-15T18:57:00.000-06:00

I love this time of year. After four months of looking at bare trees and plants things are finally starting to bloom. I am excited to get out in the yard and start having fun without it being too cold. Gregg and I planted 22 raspberry plants yesterday and spent all afternoon in the yard.

Soccer Mom

After the winter season, Jared has started soccer again. His first game for the spring season was yesterday. They lost but he still had alot of fun.