Life on Lauderdale

Taking it down a notch

2012-01-13T11:17:00.002-06:00

This is our newest member exploring ever nook and cranny. She seems to have finally explored everything...maybe.

Here is a picture from the other night when we had spaghetti. Bruce loved it.

Presentpalooza

2012-01-13T10:45:00.005-06:00

December is a time for presents and for our family it is even more so because of Cali's birthday. So Here is a recap of the month...

The first week of December the kids had field trips to a local show here called Toyland. I couldn't attend with Ian but got to go with Cali's class. All the kids seemed to enjoy it. Here is Cali's class picture after the show...Bruce even enjoyed it.

The following week was gearing up for Cali's birthday weekend. She had a birthday party with friends at Forrest Jumps (indoor inflated play areas). She was all Hello Kitty. One of the parents came and said that her son went to go pick out a gift for Cali and told his Mom that it had to be Hello Kitty eventually he picked out a doll for her and Cali loved it just as much as the Hello Kitty stuff.
The next day was her birthday party with the family at Grandma's where she got even more Hello Kitty items, plus the ones we gave her at home.
The third week was spent finishing up those last minute presents and making sure cards were sent out to family and friends. I still don't understand where all my time goes now. There were also class parties and Christmas presentations.

Ian's 2nd grade class did a play and I was impressed by how well he did.
The week leading up to Christmas we got a Little People Nativity set. I have several Nativities throughout the house and the kids want to play with them so this was the solution I came up with get something that all the kids could play with and learn about the Nativity story without constantly saying "Don't drop it!" or "Please leave it alone."
On Christmas Eve we went over to Wayne's Dad's house to have Christmas breakfast there (since Christmas fell on a Sunday...so it wouldn't interfere with church). Afterwards we went to go hike the TVA trails with Andy, Rheanna and Brandt. The kids loved it and we got some good pictures of the kids.
That night we opened presents and everyone seemed to really enjoy their gifts. Ian's highlight was getting a nerf tag set. It was a huge hit with everyone. Cali got lots of clothes and so did Wayne. I got everything I wanted (I guess it pays to be in charge of the shopping). The next morning the kids woke up to what Wayne and I deemed the "Special Presents". Then we went to church came home and played a little bit then went up to have Christmas at Grandma's. The highlight for everyone was Bruce's Batcave. When Pat had asked what she could get for Bruce I told her the best thing for him would be a big box...and so that is what she did. It has been a huge success. Here is Bruce in his Batman onesie he got from Leanna and Brad. It's just too adorable.

Christmas tree is trimmed

2011-12-14T10:48:00.003-06:00

We finally have everything up for Christmas. We did have our Christmas lights up on the house the weekend after Thanksgiving. Wayne allowed it because we had his brother's ladder, but the lights were not turned on until December 1st.
The kids really enjoyed putting decorations on the Christmas tree. I love that our tree is a hodgpodge of ornaments made by the kids. Soon we won't be putting any glass balls up because it will be slam packed with the kid's stuff. I'm cool with that. I think it adds a lot of character to the tree, plus the kids get such a kick out of pulling their ornaments out and hanging them up.

Bruce thought the lights were great and Lilly Cat has only been up in the tree a few times. Good times are had by all now.

What is up with scammers calling us?!

2011-12-13T14:01:00.004-06:00

In the past week I have gotten two calls from basically the same scam, telling me that I have a worm/virus/trojan horse that is in my computer system from browsing the internet and that if I go to this one website I can get this problem taken care of. The person (heavy Indian accent) reads from a script and if I ask them a question or politely decline the "help" they start over on the script. So today I asked them to stop with reading the script and tell me who my internet provider was. If they really were who they said they were it would be VERY easy to do. Needless to say they immediately hung up. I am wondering how to get on the "Do Not Call if You're a Scammer" list.

Lily Cat Stevens

2011-12-06T10:00:00.003-06:00

A couple weeks ago, Wayne and I started to talk about getting a pet for the family. We went to a pet store to see what we might like to get (and what the kids would want). I found this one cat that was so sweet and was almost willing to take it home right then, but Wayne said that we should hold off and really think this decision through. We came to the consensus that we did want a pet, but the one that I really liked had some issues that we noticed and didn't feel that it was the right pet for us at this time. So last week while Ian was at swim practice I took Cali and Bruce over to the Animal Shelter to see what they had available for adoption. There were a few cats that were potential candidates and then there were two dogs that I would have loved to take home with me. When I told Wayne he said that he trusted my judgement in picking a cat/kitten, but would not allow a dog in our home. I was a little sad at his statement, but dogs are a ton more work than a cat is, and right now there isn't a lot of extra time to devote to a dog (walking, house training, etc.). Yesterday, I went with Bruce and we got a little 3 month old grey and white tabby. The shelter said that it was a female, but when we checked to see ourselves, we wondered if they were right. I then took her to the vet and they confirmed her female status. When Ian and Cali got home they were over the moon to see and play with the new kitten. It wasn't until dinner last night that we finalized a name for her...Lily Cat Stevens. Wayne says she will also go by Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens' name after he converted to Islam) if Lily Cat is too much.

Black Friday Craziness

2011-11-27T18:12:00.003-06:00

I was one of the millions of crazy people that was out at 9pm waiting for Target to open at midnight. I was going to get some things mainly for Cali and there were a couple of things that I was going to get for Ian but the price was not what I had thought (must have gotten it mixed up with another sale ad). If I had waited even 20 minutes more than what I had I would have been a hundred people behind the place I was. By about 30 minutes before opening, hundreds of people were waiting in the parking lot to rush the line so they could get in. It was so much of a potential issue that extra police units were called in to patrol and we had to wait 15 more minutes before the doors opened. We did hear stories from people that were injured (black-eye) at Wal-mart over a crockpot! A Crockpot! That thing better have the ability to prep and cook the food for you to warrant that kind of behavior. They also said that one of the Wal-marts in the area had to be closed because there were too many people inside. Insanity! Anyhow, after Target I saw the lines (or rather parking lots) at some of the other stores that I thought about going to, but opted to go home and get some sleep, then venture out later with the family.

Dumbfounded Telemarketers

2011-11-17T10:30:00.004-06:00

Back in the day I did a little telemarketing and swore that when I get these calls I would hear them out. Being a telemarketer is bad enough but when you say the same two sentences over and over because no one will hear your schpeel out is frustrating. It was nice that even though the people said "no" in the end I got a couple of minutes of not say the exact same lines. Today I got a call from "David" and then "Shawn" with thick Indian accents from Charter communications. They asked about our services and how much we paid. They were momentarily speechless because we don't spend a whole lot on our internet and phone. They also couldn't believe that we didn't spend anything on cable/satellite. The deal they were trying sell was good, but in the end it is Charter and though they may start cheap their prices always go up dramatically. Plus, if the cable is out we are out a phone, too. But that's all besides the point I had one speechless and then his supervisor got on to help sell the plan and he was equally struck dumb. It's fun to stump telemarketers.

Shhh...

2011-11-05T09:08:00.003-05:00

With less than two months until new years resolutions time, this is some sound advice. I know I'm not the only one guilty of sharing my goals. It seems logical, but it can hinder the results you are seeking.

Finally! No more runarounds.

2011-11-02T12:04:00.002-05:00

Some of you may remember a few years ago Ian went to an allergist because his seasonal allergies were pretty bad. After that we were given a regimen of two shots a week and then it went down to once a week and now it is once every other week. Well, before his last allergist appointment we were taking Ian to a local pediatric office, but because of the ineptitude of the doctors (not the staff, the doctors) we decided that Ian would be better served at another peds office. Since he wasn't a patient at the office anymore (even though they saw him up until recently) they would not administer the shots. I thought, okay I'll talk him to another office because giving him an allergy shot is not a big deal. He just needs someone with an epi pen in case he has a reaction. I could do that, but because of liability the allergist couldn't sign off on that. Anyhow, I called around and no one wouldn't just see him and then say okay you can have his allergy shots here. The allergist assured me that most medical offices would do that. Well, not in our town. (I could get on another soapbox, but I'll spare you.) I was at my wits end because I already had this vial paid for and no way to administer it to my son. No office here would do it and the offices up in the Shoals closed before I could get him to an office to have the injection. I think I have finally found a solution to my woes...Med-Plus. They stay open until after Ian's swim team is done and it is on the way home. They said I only needed to bring the vials in with the necessary paperwork (charts from doc). Plus from the sound of it, it should actually be a lot cheaper than taking Ian to the pediatric office. Again, we'll see.

Happy Blogday!

2011-11-01T12:20:00.002-05:00

Today marks 5 years since we started the blog. It was originally Wayne's pet, but he has since found other things (like football) to occupy his time. I'm definitely not as diligent as he was when this first started, but I'm trying to keep all of our friends and family updated as much as possible. I hope everyone feels informed. Cheers!

Trick or Treating

2011-11-01T12:13:00.003-05:00

The kids really enjoyed this year's trick or treating. It was a little better than last year. Everyone had fun! Wayne also did an excellent job with the pumpkin.

Bag Boy Returns

2011-11-01T12:05:00.002-05:00

Ever since my Grandma Grace sent us a sleep sack for Ian when he was a baby, we loved the whole concept of a sleep sack. They are the best for little ones that don't know how to pull covers back over them. Well, last year before Bruce was born I made this sleep sack. I wanted to add to the two we already had for him after he was born. It was a little bigger than what I thought it would be so I put it away for later. Well now it fits and that is a good thing because it is COLD here. Bruce is nice and warm at night. His only frustration came when he wanted to stand and it was a little harder than he anticipated.

Eating therapy

2011-10-31T09:01:00.003-05:00

Wayne and I have noticed that the kids have become really whiny and have a general lack of focus and interest in any type of work. Granted they are kids, but things that they would half way enjoy they have no real interest in unless it has to do with the TV and other electronics. They are like any other kid out there. So we have come up with this hypothesis and are going to put it to the test. We think that some of the behavioral issues are stemming from their eating or lack thereof.

Lately, I have been trying to eat more healthy, unprocessed foods. I've even started making my own bread. The only breads I've bought lately have been hamburger buns and bagels and that's because I don't have enough forethought to make them with enough time to use them. So there have been some meals that the kids just won't touch. Ian has been really picky and just won't try some of the meals and they are really tasty. Cali on the other hand will eat a couple of bites but says she is done so that she can have a dessert. Her other problem is that she will constantly snack if we let her. So she will eat a lot of crap during the day if we don't keep tabs on what all she has consumed.

Wayne brought up a valid point and it was that he used to be EXTREMELY picky, but eventually grew out of it. He also pointed out one of his nephews that would only eat "Mac and Cheese" and has started to branch out. He firmly believes that they will grow out of it and that maybe we shouldn't take the "eat what I give you or nothing for you" approach and have easy, on-demand healthy (or as healthy as possible) options that the kids can eat if they insist on not having the meal that is prepared. Ian has become very adept at dealing with his hunger and will go to bed without eating dinner many nights and that is even after he has had swim team practice. Then his coach was telling me that he has a really hard time focusing during practice. He has some real skill, but doesn't try to push himself unless someone is right on him.

As you can see my dilemma is two-fold. I want them to eat healthy and try new things, but I also don't want them to be hungry and irritable because it effects the rest of their day. So for the past couple of mornings I've made breakfast with whole grains and some protein mixed in there. I am hoping that this is giving a good start to their day and hopefully improve school performance (more for Cali than Ian). Then at night I have some microwavable foods or veggies and fruits for them if they will not eat what is made.

We are also limiting how much "electronics time" they are getting and if they want to watch more TV or play on the Ipod more they have to earn it with chores or satisfactory performance at school/swim team. So we'll see how things improve or if they improve. Here's hoping for the best.

How do you spell Justin Bieber?

2011-10-30T18:33:00.002-05:00

Cali asked Wayne, "Daddy, how do you spell Justin Bieber?" Wayne responds, "D-O-R-K." She asked me and I told her to ask Daddy and he proceeds to tell her, "L-O-S-E-R."

Can you tell that Wayne isn't a big fan? Cali on the other hand loves to sing his songs. It drives Wayne crazy.

Pre-K Party

2011-10-29T08:39:00.004-05:00

Cali's Pre-school party was yesterday and she loved it. Number one, she got to dress up. She has been telling everyone since the beginning of school that she was going to be batgirl. So it was no surprise that when I get to the party there are two other batgirls and a batman in her class. Wayne worries that she is a queen bee. I could really care less as long as she is nice. If this is the personality she is going to have (being a leader) then I want her to be an influence for good. Only time will tell.She also was the loudest singer during their carpet time. Makes me proud.

Halloween Preview

2011-10-29T08:33:00.002-05:00

I finished up the kids' costumes the morning of the Trunk or Treat at church. I think they all turned out pretty good except Cali's looks a little ghetto because the Batman cape she is wearing looks used (it is Ian's).

I'm a Mormon...

2011-10-27T20:07:00.002-05:00

I know that more and more people have seen the commercials and billboards with "I am a Mormon." It is a way that my church can let people know that we are normal everyday people. In recent weeks the church has gotten a lot more attention because of political figures, but there is one thing that is always mentioned by those of other Christian faiths that drives me crazy...it is when they say we aren't Christians. Here is an article that talks about this very subject.

We are Christians and just because we don't adhere to the Nicene Creed does not mean we aren't.

Brucy bathtime

2011-10-26T12:34:00.002-05:00

Bruce is loving his new independence in the bath.

Ghostbusters!

2011-10-26T12:20:00.003-05:00

I was going to post this yesterday, but blogger has been really slow for me lately. Wayne thought that it was awesome to see the Ecto One. It was complete with the Ghostbusters siren.

Skydiving

2011-10-24T20:33:00.003-05:00

Wayne got to jump out of a plane this past weekend along with his brother Andy. It is one of those things he really wanted to do and finally got the opportunity.We are all glad everything functioned properly.

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-24T13:25:00.006-05:00

This year we went to the pumpkin patch with some of Wayne's family. His mom rode down with us to visit with everyone and to finally see where Andy and Rheanna live. The kids really enjoyed it. They got to play in bouncy houses and roll around in the hay.

And here are those silly cousins...

Leaves are falling all around

2011-10-23T17:10:00.002-05:00

'Tis the season for our yard to be covered in leaves. The kids have been looking forward to this since the beginning of the month. I do believe that enough leaves have fallen now for them to play in them. So look for leaf pile pics in the future. For now here is a prelude.Bruce is a HUGE fan of leaves now.

Our little monkey

2011-10-23T17:01:00.004-05:00

Bruce has learned to climb up small steps. He recently used this new found skill to climb on top of the toy box. This is great except he doesn't know how to get down.

Here are pics of the two older ones. Just hanging out with the cousins at grandma's.

Mini Cheer Camp

2011-10-21T13:23:00.004-05:00

We got Cali enrolled in a two-day cheer camp because we thought it was right up her ally. She would get a chance to be really loud and dance. The first day it was to start after school, but Cali was really sick that day. She had a 24 hour virus. The next day she was really excited to start learning some cheers. All was fine until it was performance time and wanted nothing to do with it. She unwillingly stood out there.Cali is the one with her back to the crowd in the jean shorts.
Walking around sucking her thumb.
After this fiasco, I couldn't get her to not do the cheers and songs that they learned.

This past Tuesday they had a pep rally during school and had the girls from the cheer camp get out and perform with the mascot. Cali's teachers said she danced and had fun. Cali came home and was so excited to tell me all about the mascot, which she won't get within 50 ft of a person dressed up in a mascot costume. Maybe Cali is going to be like me in that she will need to do a run through to get the anxiety out and then she's good for the next time.

Waiting for Superman

2011-10-21T12:53:00.004-05:00

I just finished this documentary. I know, I know...BORING! I've become a huge fan of them since I was in college and took a film class. Some are better than others. However, this one really struck a chord because I have children that are in school. The school district we are in isn't the best, but it isn't the worst. Of course there isn't much push from the community for it to be excellent. Anyhow, I highly recommend this movie because it really hits hard why the education system has gone down the crapper in America. It shows the elements of what makes a great school system and a poor one. The solutions to our education system are simple, but unions keep the necessary changes from happening. Also here is a link to the website if you want to learn more (and don't have time to see the movie).

We don't take enough pictures...

2011-10-20T10:22:00.005-05:00

Poor Bruce will look at pictures of his infancy and wonder where they are. We are just horrible about taking pictures of him. He doesn't have the distinction of being the first child or the first girl, so he gets neglected by the photo lens. We realized that and are trying to rectify the situation...Plus, he is such a happy little guy that it isn't a rarity to see him smile so we don't have to take a picture to prove that he doesn't always cry. We love our little Brucey Boy.
Cali has to be in the pictures too...

Fun in a box

2011-10-20T10:18:00.003-05:00

I got a new trash can for the kitchen and it came in a huge box. The great thing about that is that for little kids it is instant fun. Bruce loved it and was so happy to have something new to crawl in and pull up on. The box didn't last much longer once Cali and Ian got home. It's hard being the youngest. So here is to more big boxes in our future.

The newest scout in the family

2011-10-18T11:20:00.003-05:00

Two weeks ago Ian got to go to his first pack meeting. He was so excited. When he got home he had an assignment to do for the next two weeks. He was so cute he even asked to help me with something I was doing and said, "Cub scouts are supposed to help others." That's my boy!

Baptism

2011-10-18T11:12:00.004-05:00

Ian's eighth birthday was the day before the General Conference for our church. Ian would typically be baptized right after church meetings on a Sunday, but things were a little different for him. All of Wayne's family were in town and so we did it before the first Sunday conference meeting. Ian got to be baptized by Wayne. We were all very excited for him.

After his baptism while I was helping him dry off he said, "Mommy, I just feel special." I told him, "That's because you are, sweetie."

Birthday day

2011-10-18T10:57:00.005-05:00

Ian's birthday fell on a Friday and so Wayne got up extra early to drive 20 min. to get some doughnuts from the Donut Shop. It is a family favorite. Ian loves them and was so excited to have one for breakfast. It was a great start to a school day.

After school Ian got to open up his presents. He got his cub scout uniform and his wolf handbook. He has been looking forward to scouts for years now. And the other big item was an iPod touch. Most of his cousins have one and he has really wanted one too. We figured he was old enough and responsible enough to have one. He has really enjoyed it so far. It is a little distracting at times, but he is learning that it doesn't have to be permanently attached to his hand, which is good.

When I had asked him what his perfect birthday would be he said, "I'd get to sleep in, have breakfast and open my presents, then go to school and everyone would tell me happy birthday. Then I would go to swim team and only do one lap freestyle then go home have dinner and hang out with my family then go to bed."

Birthday at Grandma's

2011-10-18T10:41:00.004-05:00

Don't tell Ian, but this was his birthday party. I think he is still holding out for a swimming party. The way it looks, it would be Cali's birthday before we would be able to do a swimming party. We just don't have a free Saturday. I think he really only wants the presents. When we told him no party with cake and presents he was pretty bummed out about it. I hate to do it, but with all of our responsibilities, we just couldn't give him exactly what he wanted. In all honesty I can't promise that things will be different in the future. I had promises like that when I was a kid and was always disappointed. We will just look at each year and see what we can do. So Ian really did enjoy his party at Grandma's with the cousins. He got a yummy Bakugan chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, his fav.

After cake and ice cream he got to open presents from Grandma. Bruce even helped a little (as best a 7 month old can). I think he was more interested in seeing if there was any good stuff to put in his mouth.

8 is the magic number

2011-10-15T20:59:00.003-05:00

On September 30 our oldest tuned eight. It is a big deal for him. He gets to be baptized and he starts Cub Scouts. It was something he looked forward to. Now there is something else to associate with 8 for Cali. She can get an ipod then. So Cali is counting down the days until she turns eight.

First dance with Daddy

2011-10-13T13:24:00.003-05:00

We were at a wedding reception and Cali got to dance with Daddy for the first time. I'm jealous because I didn't get a chance to dance with him at all.

A little redecorating that kept me busy

2011-10-13T12:43:00.009-05:00

A couple weeks ago I was looking at the dining room wall and started picking at the painted wallpaper then things snowballed from there. Wayne asked why I couldn't just leave it alone. Well, I didn't.

Before (when we bought the house 3 1/2 years ago):

After:
Here is a list of improvements:
*Before I started picking at the walls...
Removed crystals from chandelier
Removed valances
Removed blinds (put them up in the kids' rooms)
Put up neutral curtains
Hung pictures
Replaced windows with energy efficient ones
Added lamp shades to chandelier
*After I picked at the walls
Removed the wallpaper (the seams drove me crazy!)
Put wood frames (not sure what they are called) along the bottom
Primed and painted the bottom and trim white
Painted the upper part brown (actual color is mulberry branch)
Ordered new blinds
Ordered fabric and made curtains (I loved the fabric!)
Bought and installed ledges for frames

So I probably could have done all this in a matter of days, but with Bruce I had to divide things up over a couple of weeks. Really I'm not completely done because I need to scrub the floor good, but I'll get to it soon...I hope.

Before all this I didn't like the light fixture at all. I contemplated many different things to do. That's the reason why I took off the crystals because it was just not my style. I wanted something a little more toned down. I was seriously thinking of getting a ceiling fan installed, but Wayne didn't see the need. So I am proud to say that after I did all this decorating I think it fits well. It adds a good balance to the room. At least that is my opinion.

And here is our content little guy who was either in his room for naptime or watching me do all this work without much complaint. Only if I ignored him excessively would he whine and complain.

B-Y-U Cougars!

2011-10-12T17:22:00.002-05:00

A week following the game the kids in Cali's Pre-K class were asked to color and cut out footballs and asked which team they were fans of, Alabama or Auburn. Cali was so firm that she was a Cougars fan that they made a BYU category just for her. Cali is pointing to her football. She was very proud and I was very proud of her. Go Cougs!

BYU v. Ole Miss

2011-10-12T16:54:00.004-05:00

On September 3rd, Wayne, the kids and I all went to Oxford, MS to attend the first BYU game of the season. It was weird for me to not be carrying an instrument while walking to the game. Cali embraced her inner BYU cheerleader but only after the Rebel fans attacked her with free stickers and balloons. Here she is with her Ole Miss balloon and sticker with her BYU face stickers and Cougars shirt. We walked through "the grove" before the game. Everyone says that you have to go there if you are ever at Ole Miss for a game. I was amazed at how much people put into this tradition. TONS had TVs set up and watching some of the games going on. BYU fans would walk up and sit down in an empty seat and watch then they would partake of the abundance of food that was set out under each canopy. Some Ole Miss fans had huge signs that said "Free Beer for BYU fans" and we even got heckled by some folks saying that we could have some tea. So if there were BYU fans there that were not members of our church they would be making out like bandits.

Anyhow, the game was fun. I ran into a couple of people from the Cougar Marching Band. One was my old section leader. That was cool to catch up. It almost felt like old times.

Time flies...

2011-10-11T10:20:00.003-05:00

I woke up this morning and realized that it was October. I know, it has been October for 11 days already, but it has totally slipped my mind that it was "Blogtober." I know sad day. How could I possibly forget the tradition. Anyhow. I am going to do a series of blog posting to catch up. Also there are tons of pictures on the camera that I've been meaning to blog about but things are crazy! (It is never very calm for very long around here.)

And just so you know, Wayne was going to delete the blog because he thinks that no one checks it anymore. He doesn't think about updating the blog and figures since I am so irregular about it that no one is checking it. So, I am recommitting myself to updating at least twice a month except in October and will try my hardest to do 31 entries for that month. Now it is out there and y'all have to hold me to it.

more Bruce milestones

2011-09-05T11:04:00.002-05:00

Two weeks ago Bruce crawled for the first time. This is the youngest that we've had a child crawling. The other two were late bloomers in the crawling department, but they quickly transitioned to walking within the the next month. So if Bruce follows that trend he would be walking before he is 8 months old. He did start pulling up to a standing position today. We will need to keep an eye on him. Also, his third tooth starting coming in three days ago.

2011-08-29T11:12:00.001-05:00

Here's to a new school year

2011-08-17T08:25:00.003-05:00

School has begun and it is SO calm and quiet here that I walk around with an almost blissful expression, until it is time to pick up the kids. It is nice to not have to deal with the constant drama that comes with Cali for a few hours out of the day. Bruce has taken the opportunity to really work on the finer parts of learning to crawl since he doesn't have a sister constantly picking him up. He is also able to take naps without interruption. Ahhh...so nice. Happy babies make for happy mommies. I've also been able to clean up the house a little too. I feel so productive now.

Here are the kids before they left for separate schools on the first day.This is Cali right before walking through the door for her first day of Pre-K.
And this is Bruce, just chillin' out playing with a toy.

July happenings

2011-07-28T15:48:00.005-05:00

I promise we haven't forgotten about updating the blog. I think about it often, but have lacked the energy to do anything about it until now. The stars have aligned and given me about 15 minutes to devote to the blog. Here is almost everything in a nutshell...Swimming!

Ian has been busy with the NASA swim team and has done better than expected. I didn't think he would be ready to compete and he still doesn't have a competitive bone in his body, but he enjoys the sport and has done well. At the district meet he got a 3rd place medal for the 8 & under boys 25 butterfly and a 1st place medal for the 8 & under boys 100 freestyle relay. Now before everyone oohs and aahs there was only one boys relay team so it was pretty much a gimme, but the boys are pretty excited anyway because this means that they get to go to the State meet and compete on Saturday. Ian and Cali have also had a couple weeks of swim lessons. Ian's were to prefect some of his strokes and Cali to get her prepared for swim team. She really needs to build up her stamina a little more and mature some before she will be ready, but goodness she drives me crazy with her constant questioning "When am I gonna be on swim team?" Hopefully, it will be sooner rather than later (for my sanity). Bruce has been a trooper through all of this. He is SO easygoing and only gets upset for good reasons (hungry, diaper change, sleepy) and even then he is still a cute little guy.

We've also had a chance to go over to the cousins' house to swim in their sweet newly lined pool. Bruce took to the pool a little better this last time.Oh and on the milestone front, Bruce now turns over from his front to back and now rolls around the room to get around. He tries to get up on all fours but is not successful yet. His first two teeth started breaking through on Monday. I'm going to miss that gummy smile.

Then we had a church fish fry at a park with a splash pad. Ian and Cali loved it and it helped to keep them as happy as possible in the humid July heat.

Utah (continued)

2011-06-29T15:34:00.011-05:00

Sorry about the delay...the kids tend to take up a lot of my time nowadays. So back to the trip. We didn't take a ton of pictures after that first day. So this entry will cover the rest of our vacation.

The next day we went to tour the BYU campus. I thought it would be fun for the kids to see where I went to college and check out some of the fun little science experiments in the Eyring Science Center. We then hit the bookstore to buy some BYU shirts for the Ole Miss v. BYU game in September. I would like to say that we took some pictures but we didn't. On the way back to Wayne's Aunt Janet and Uncle Boyd's house we decided to show the kids to all the temples in the area. First we drove by the Provo Temple. Cali asked "Why does that temple look like a cake?!" We laughed because a lot of people refer to it as the "cupcake" temple. On our way back to the Salt Lake Valley we pointed out the Mount Timpanogos Temple from the interstate.

Our next stop was the Draper Temple. Wayne thought it looked way cool...like a fortress. From the Draper Temple you can see three other temples...Salt Lake, Jordan River, and Oquirrh Mountain. Both the Oquirrh Mountain and Draper Temples are recent additions to the Salt Lake Valley. (Within the last couple of years.)
Our next stop was the Oquirrh Mountain Temple.
Then we headed over to Jordan River. It was closed for maintenance, plus they were doing work on the grounds so this was one of only a few pictures taken.
After we got back to Aunt Janet's and Uncle Boyd's we went to a Picnic with the Stevens' side of the family. I was amazed at how many people showed up. It was fun to meet and revisit with everyone. The kids even had lots of kids their age to play with.

The next day we went to go have lunch with a couple that served a mission in Alabama. They were here when Wayne and I first started dating and were such a sweet couple. We went to Garcia's Mexican Restaurant. It was REALLY good. I highly recommend it if there is one in your area. Cali saw some pink flowers outside the restaurant and had to have a picture of she and I in front of them.
After our lunch we went just a few blocks over to Wayne's Uncle Richard and Aunt Patty's house. They were so much fun and when their kids and their families were there it was so much fun. Again we hate that we didn't get a picture with them. Once everyone started leaving we decided to head over to the Bountiful Temple. It got really chilly that night and Wayne ended up having to hold Cali because she was so cold.
The kids were ready to go to bed after so many long days, but they ended up staying up playing with their cousin Angel. She was staying with her grandparents Janet and Boyd.

The next morning we all got up early. Wayne went to his CE classes at the Salt Palace and I headed over to Duchesne, UT to visit some old friends. Because my trip was so last minute I didn't get a chance to spend time seeing everyone. Ian hit it off with Jeremy Taylor's son Noah. (Again no picture...I completely forgot about it.) Jeremy took Noah and Ian out to ride bikes. Ian was so excited when he got back. After hanging out with Jeremy, Natalie and Noah, went went an alternate route back to SLC. Jeremy and Natalie said that there was still tons of snow on the sides of the road and the kids would get to play in it for a bit. So I took them that way. There was still a foot to a foot and a half of snow. Crazy! The kids loved it.
Some say that people might even get to ski through July 4th. Now that is wild.

The next morning the kids got to go with Angel and Aunt Janet to a bicycle rodeo and fun day at the local park. They had tons a fun and it gave us a chance to get everything packed up for our trip home. Everyone did well on the flights back.

Utah Trip...it was nice

2011-06-24T15:19:00.018-05:00

We had the privilege of flying out to Utah so that Wayne could go to the Optometry's Meeting in Salt Lake City. Luckily Wayne was able to schedule all his classes on one day. It was pretty grueling for him because he did classes from 8-5:30 with no lunch. With all his classes on one day it allowed plenty of time to visit with family and friends. The kids had a blast because they got to play with LOTS of cousins. Unfortunately we didn't get pictures of the kids playing...we were too busy talking with the adults.

We landed at SLC international around 11PM. I headed straight for the hotel to get the kids ready for bed. When Wayne got there I was reading to the kids.
The next day we went to downtown SLC to see Temple Square. Wayne spotted this little gem while we were trying to find a parking spot.
The Conference Center...

The Tabernacle (or tappernapple according the Cali)

Then we walked around the temple grounds

Giving a friend a lift...illegal in Alabama

2011-06-09T16:41:00.003-05:00

I feel like I've been out of the state political loop because the day I learn about this Arizona-type immigration law is the day it is passed. There are aspects of it that are utterly ridiculous. Did you know that someone could be fined by giving a friend, who may be here illegally, a ride somewhere? This solution that the Alabama legislature came up with is not one that I agree with at all. I do believe that there should be some way to track immigrants so that they aren't taken advantage of. But I don't think it is fair that I might be committing a crime because I am friends with someone. Anyway, they justify this by saying that it will open up thousands of jobs. I'm sorry but have they seen the jobs the immigrants take? No one wants these jobs. Anyhow, click on the image above and see how to become legal here in the USA.

Some of the destruction

2011-04-29T16:33:00.015-05:00

This is the Bear Creek Canoe that lost half of its roof. Just north of Hackleburg.

The rest of the pictures are of Hackleburg, AL.

Part of tin roofs were wrapped around everything.

Out in the distance...that white wall was part of the Wrangler plant. Folks said that there were jeans all over the place.
Wayne and a couple of other men went down to Phil Campbell to try and help clean-up, but things were so unorganized. They were waiting for FEMA to come. (Good luck with that...we all remember how well that worked out after Katrina.) So Wayne, Gary Pettus, his son-in-law and Dennis Hasha went down to Hackleburg because they were way more organized. There were supplies that had already been brought in and being distributed. Restaurants from the area had food sent to help feed people. The community even had a portable shower trailer so that people could bathe. Phil Campbell says that they will probably start letting supplies and people come in to help tomorrow, but it isn't for sure. Also, according to the rumor mill there are more than a hundred dead in Phil Campbell alone, but there is no official count because they want the whole body before it is officially identified and counted.

Good reason to have a 72-hour kit & stored food

2011-04-28T14:05:00.002-05:00

About 6 months ago I really started stocking up on food and necessities on sale so that I wouldn't have to run to the store all the time and pay a premium, but also there is a bit of calmness that comes without having to worry if hard times hit (disaster, emergency, or job loss). Today we found out that a couple of girls from Wayne's work were effected by the tornadoes that ripped through the area. One completely lost her home and the other has no food, electricity, or water. We saw their need and felt that with our good fortune we needed to help out. We gave away all of our 72-hour emergency supplies. It will sustain one of the families for a little while until supplies can be shipped to their area. This is the reason why EVERYONE should have a 72-hour kit of their own because when you have to rely on others to help you don't know when it will happen.

I'm glad that even with our emergency supplies given away we still have plenty to help others if need be. Food Storage shouldn't just be just a Mormon thing, but something that all of us should try to have for times of need. It doesn't have to be a year's supply but try to aim for some extended period, even if it is just a week or a month.

I won the Publisher's Clearing House!!...not really

2011-03-30T10:02:00.004-05:00

I got a call from a person that could just barely speak English. She/He (couldn't tell what gender they were so I will say "It" from now on) asked if I would be home to receive something from UPS. I was noncommittal about it because UPS never calls to see if I will be home to receive a package. Red flag #1. It proceeded to tell me that I had won the Publisher's Clearing House. Immediately red flag #2 went up...I haven't done anything to enter one of those things. Okay, so I was going to humor the person and figure out what the catch was. It said I had won $250 million and a convertible car. It asked me how I felt about that. I said "Well, I guess great...if this is legitimate." The person didn't know how to respond. I guess usually people are over the moon about a call this, but I am no fool. After a pause it went on to a schpeel about taxes and that a lawyer was coming with the prizes and in order to get the prizes I had have money, red flag #3, to pay for the taxes or lawyer or something. I couldn't quite figure it out because they weren't making any sense. It asked if I had the money at home or if I had to go to the bank. But then it said that I couldn't pay with cash, check, or credit, but that I needed to go to " the Walgreens" and get a "paper card" and put $485 on it for the lawyer that was "45 minutes" away. Even if this was legitimate it would take me well over an hour and half to accomplish this. I told it that there was no way I could do that right now and that if it was for real then that would be different but I didn't want to be scammed out of almost $500. Then I realized it had hung up. I must have hit the nail on the head because the scammer didn't even try to rebutt my accusations. After all this I still don't get why Walgreens of all places. It was very specific about this and when they said "paper card" did they mean a gift card or a money order? After the call I went to PCH's website and their big check is on $10 million. Could these scammers at least make it believable?

bruce annoucement

2011-03-28T09:59:00.001-05:00

Meet Mr Blue Birth Announcement

Create beautiful birth announcements with Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

Awww...how stinkin' adorable is this?!

2011-03-09T19:03:00.006-06:00

The other day I got a chance to take some pictures of Bruce while he was sleeping (without being held or in the swing). It was a rare moment and the blanket he was on made a cute backdrop. Of course his outfit made it all the more adorable.

This last picture is our little family after Bruce's baby blessing. It's not the best or most flattering, but it was the best out of what was taken.

For his adoring public

2011-02-11T18:36:00.010-06:00

Sorry for the hang-up on putting more pictures up...it's taken a few days for us to get accustomed to having Bruce around the house. Here he is getting ready for a sponge bath.

Cali won't stop snuggling with this kid. I hope he quickly learns to tolerate her having to pet him.

Here you can see his blond hair and male-pattern baldness.

Practicing his kung-fu...

He's Batman

2011-02-07T19:55:00.008-06:00

We filled out the birth certificate form today and so it's official: Bruce Wayne Stevens. Yep, in honor of Batman. Not me, just so we're clear on that. Anyhow, Cali got lots of quality time with Bruce today. She is totally digging this baby thing. The poor kid will have to learn very quickly to tolerate her insistence on petting him. His soft, blonde hair is her new favorite thing to touch while sucking on her thumb.

Ian got to visit for a while after school. We're all anxious for Fauna and Bruce to come back home tomorrow. She's totally feeling out of the loop not having internet access and being stuck in the hospital room. At least the tv has more than five channels like what she had in the hospital at UAB.

Somebody decided to come early

2011-02-06T20:15:00.005-06:00

Today is my birthday so this little guy figured he might as well crash the party. Fauna was having contractions all through church but figured she was all right because they weren't too strong. Her water broke shortly after going home though so we went straight to the hospital and had a baby less than two hours later. Let me present Bruce (middle name pending) Stevens.

Fauna's due date was on the 18th but she was actually scheduled to come in this Thursday for an induction. So much for those plans. Anyhow, he was 7 pounds, 2 ounces and 21 inches long for you stat nerds out there. Both he and Fauna are doing great.

Cha-ching!

2011-01-21T23:18:00.003-06:00

We have finally closed on our home refinance. It has only been 3 years since we bought our house but we figured that since the rates had come down so much in the last year we needed to jump in before they went back up. We were able to get our APR down a couple of percentage points. Who knew so much could be saved just by those couple of points? Nice.

While I'm thinking about it

2011-01-15T19:38:00.005-06:00

For those of you that don't do facebook, we have a date for the birth of our little boy. He is getting evicted on February 10th. When I was getting it scheduled it was between the 10th or the 14th and Wayne wasn't too crazy about having a kid on Valentine's day. You may be asking why we are inducing with this one...really it is just for convenience. Wayne needed to know what days to schedule off so that patients aren't getting bumped to another day without notice.

As far as an update on the pregnancy...I had minor contractions last night, but nothing regular. I think it was mostly due to my excessive nesting that I've done (cleaning the house top to bottom, loads and loads of laundry, purging old magazines & papers, assembling all of the baby equipment, washing and sanitizing bottles and pump...the list goes on). I'm sure all the laughing I did yesterday evening while playing games with friends helped too. We found a new game that we love called Scribblish. Good times.

We are having name issues. I believe we have settled on Bruce for a first name, but a middle name has been tough to agree on. Wayne likes Lee, but I'm not too crazy about having our little boy named after a martial arts expert. I like Elijah, Issac, and Oliver. Ian is holding out for names like Garfield (favorite comic), Brayden (his best friend at school), and Samuel (he thinks it would be cool for Bruce to have the same middle name). Cali doesn't care too much as long as he is a baby. Maybe we'll come to a consensus by the time we have to fill out the birth certificate.

What did you do when the year changed?

2011-01-01T22:23:00.003-06:00

I heard somewhere that what you are doing when the year changes gives you an idea of what the coming year will be like. If that is so I will be doing lots of cleaning and organizing...and fixing things. It looks like we are starting off the year with a couple things to get fixed. First is the car...oh, the car. It is a good little car, but has had the same troubles that ails it now. It would be nice to have it fixed for good. Then the thing that is causing us the most discomfort right now is the lack of hot water. It looks like we won't be having any hot showers until Monday. Brrrr! I believe both of these issues should be solved on Monday, but we'll just have to be uncomfortable until then. It's situations like this that build character, right?

"I'm dreaming of a white Christmas"

2010-12-31T21:18:00.016-06:00

I love the song White Christmas, but have only had white Christmases when I was out west However we got dumped on this year. The kids loved all the snow and it was so nice to have Christmas day pictures with a snowy background. I hated that we couldn't just stay at home and enjoy it all, but we were up and out on the roads at 6:30 AM so that we could get to my father-in-laws house for breakfast and presents at 7:30 AM. Usually that trip only takes 45 minutes, but that day it took well over an hour.Ian and Cali loved looking at all the snow-covered scenery.

Before we were about to leave I thought maybe I should drive since I have the most experience driving in snow and icy roads. The thought didn't come back up until we were only about 5 or 10 miles on our trip and Wayne was going 35 mph. I told him to just pull over and let me drive, but he was not going to stop or get close to the edge of the road. So I just sat there trying to get the best advice I could and also let him know that he could at least go a little faster. After a while I had to laugh because he was concentrating so much on driving that his hands didn't move from the steering wheel and his eyes didn't veer from the road the whole time. We made it up there safe and sound and then went over to my mother-in-laws for the rest of the day. There everyone got to play in the snow (make snow angels, snowmen, or snowballs). Lots of fun was had by all.

The next day church was canceled because it had started snowing pretty heavy and the roads were still icy. So the kids finally got to bust out their new toys and really play with them. Ian was all over putting his new lego set together and then Cali just wanted to veg out in her new monkey nightgown and play in her princess tent with Daddy. There was quite a bit more snowfall and then it started letting up around noon. It was nice to enjoy when we did. This is something that we'll remember for years to come.

Christmas parties!

2010-12-31T21:12:00.006-06:00

This year Ian had a part in his class' play. It was very cute and Ian did a good job. He memorized his lines with ease. He was a martian and was totally cool with it. Actually, I think his words were "It's awesome!" If you are wondering, the play was called "A Flea on Santa's Tree." The gist of the story is that Santa is trying to find the perfect tree topper and there are various things trying out to be the tree topper.

That afternoon the swim team had a Christmas party also and the kids got to just have fun splashing in the water. It was a good day for all.

Cali's 4th birthday season

2010-12-31T20:57:00.005-06:00

I believe we have finally come to the end of Cali's birthday season. Since her birthday is only a couple weeks before Christmas her presents from both occasions seem to get lumped together in her mind. For her actual birthday she requested a pink Hello Kitty cake at Chuck E. Cheese's. She was in little girl heaven to have both of those. To top it all off that morning she got a Hello Kitty bike with Hello Kitty helmet and knee pads. Since then she hasn't been bugging me about pulling out bikes at Wal-mart so she can ride them. Ahh...the simple things in life.

Anyhow, back to the actual party. There was a family that was invited to the party that was running late because of the kids unwillingness to help with household chores left over from the night before. There was one girl in particular that Cali absolutely adores and they were both VERY disappointed that it looked like the girl wasn't going to make it. Luckily, things worked out and they got to have lots of fun together. I'm sure it was the best day EVER for Cali.

Funny animal voiceovers

2010-12-16T19:49:00.001-06:00

Enjoy!

Christmas cards

2010-12-07T09:11:00.004-06:00

After we got the tree decorated yesterday we decided to get a few pictures of the kids in holiday attire for our annual Christmas card. Besides the typical goofy grins, the pictures turned out well. It is crazy to think that next year there will be another little Stevens added to the mix.

Ian and the butterfly (stroke)

2010-11-19T10:23:00.002-06:00

At swim practice yesterday, I got to witness Ian doing the fundamentals of the butterfly. It is considered to be the most difficult swim stroke by some, but apparently Ian just gets it. Both of the coaches over the Beginner swim team were REALLY impressed and said "forget freestyle and back, he looks like a butterflier to me."

Happy Halloween (Thriller style)

2010-10-31T19:22:00.001-05:00

Human ventriloquist

2010-10-29T22:34:00.001-05:00

No such thing as a vegan

2010-10-28T22:38:00.000-05:00

Mailbag feature

2010-10-27T20:25:00.004-05:00

With my ongoing case of blog neglect this past year, I failed to make what was becoming a traditional post at the beginning of the college football season to talk about my favorite sites and columnists to catch up on news and analysis. My favorite columnist is Stewart Mandel of Sports Illustrated and I was thrilled to have one of my questions included in his weekly College Football Mailbag each of these past two years. Well, the tradition continues for this year but this time my question was the headliner. I had to take some screen shots for posterity's sake but you can go read the article here. It gives me a total geek-out moment to see the front page of the college football section of SI.com inspired by my question.

Oh, and to be clear, I have nothing against Auburn or Coach Chizik. I kind of figured when writing the question that it would have a good chance of being selected given how stuff happened over the past weekend so there you go.

Lake Guntersville, part 2

2010-10-26T09:11:00.004-05:00

Trying to get five kids to all smile and look at the camera at the same time is nearly impossible. Granted, we did get some better ones than this one but I thought Cali's "I'm cute" pose was too good to pass up.

We baked three dutch oven pizzas for dinner. It was a nice change of pace from our normal camping fare but I did miss not having a hot dog.

It was a pretty long drive, but I think we'll be going back to Guntersville. We would highly recommend it.

Return of the "fishy girl"

2010-10-25T20:27:00.002-05:00

Today, Cali got to start swimming on Mondays. One of the coaches that taught her swim lessons over the summer felt that Cali could be ready for the Beginner Swim Team if I worked with her a little more. So we set aside one day a week where I could help Cali learn to swim a little better.

Camping

2010-10-24T22:21:00.003-05:00

Sorry for the delay in posting....we've had a busy few days. We finally got a Fall campout squeezed in and got to enjoy some perfect weather at lake Guntersville. More pictures to follow...

I'm hooked

2010-10-20T21:05:00.002-05:00

So back in August a friend of mine asked me if I would join their fantasy football league to fill out the required minimum. I'm a huge college football guy but I could care less about the NFL. Nevertheless, I figured why not? It would be fun to see how well my team did without ever messing with it. Yeah, that hasn't happened. I've always heard about how seriously people take these things and I can see why. I have found myself obsessing over all these individual players in an attempt to round out my team and get completely flustered over my players having bad weeks or not meeting their expectations. Actually, it seems like every week one of the guys on my team has the "worst game of his career/season." Being on my fantasy team appears to be the kiss of death for pro careers. So here I am following all these individual players while not having any idea how their team's seasons are going. It's all about the stats and as far as the NFL goes, I'll keep it that way.

Ian knows he is cute

2010-10-19T21:45:00.002-05:00

Cali (while hugging Ian): Cute little Ian.
Ian: I'm NOT little!

There was no denial that he was cute. Gotta love it.

Halloween's biggest fan

2010-10-18T22:23:00.002-05:00

There have only been a few brief periods over the past year when Cali hasn't brought up Halloween. That girl has been anticipating every aspect of that night imaginable. She came to a final decision about what she wanted to be in August and Fauna made it last month. She talks endlessly about how cute everybody will think her costume will be and about how she's going to see the blue skeleton (see last year's entry) and get some candy. Just like I mentioned in the entry about the Fair, her enthusiasm for something so mundane just thrills me. She won't even be disappointed about the sub-par candy that is handed out by the people in our neighborhood. I will miss these days when we have a house full of jaded teenagers...

Ian's Birthday

2010-10-17T18:41:00.002-05:00

We celebrated Ian's birthday last month. Besides the usual celebration over at Mom's house, we also put together a party with some of his friends. Since we had a cake made for the first party, we arranged for him to get one of the giant chocolate donuts from the Donut Shop as his other birthday cake. Yeah, that thing really is as big as his head. The kids loves his chocolate donuts...

A little flying

2010-10-16T09:16:00.006-05:00

So back in 2004 I tried to do the FlyLady thing. It didn't last very long because...well, honestly, I was lazy and felt that some of the things were waste my time and resources. I have tried it again and have done it for two weeks. The system has been tweaked a little over the years and I think for me and my logic it works now. I'm sure it also has something to do with home ownership. It is so much bigger than any apartment we ever had in the past and I've found it harder and harder to keep the house clean or quasi picked up. I sometimes don't or can't get to the things on the list for the day, but it motivates me enough to get a little done. And with cleaning a little goes a long way. The program also reminds you to do some things that get forgotten during our busy days, like, drink water, exercise, etc. One thing I do have to say I'm not using as many caustic cleaners like I use to. It really is crazy how much you can do with hot water and soap...if you clean on a regular basis.

The main thing that makes a happy home according to FlyLady is a shiny sink.

A little backtracking

2010-10-14T21:27:00.004-05:00

Here are a couple of pictures from our hike on the TVA trails from the beginning of September.

This is right before both kids took a spill on the trails.

Whoa...Double Rainbow!

2010-10-13T20:17:00.001-05:00

For those of you that missed this gem. It's totally worth it.

How it should have ended

2010-10-11T23:16:00.001-05:00

Here is the link to How It Should Have Ended. My favorite is the Twilight ending. There are many other alternative endings to movies to view. Enjoy!

The Fair

2010-10-10T22:01:00.006-05:00

After denying the kids the past couple of years, we finally took them to the Fair. Our experience kind of reminds me of Christmas. Before we had kids, Christmas had slowly gone from being the most anticipated time of the year to a time when you couldn't go to the mall because it was too crowded and you got sick of hearing the same Christmas songs over and over. Once Ian and Cali came along though it became completely new and wonderful again. Going to the Fair was always a treasured and much anticipated experience for me. As an adult, it was just a super over-priced collection of poorly put together rides and unhealthy food. Because of that we resisted the kids constant begging to go up until now. It was totally worth going because the kids LOVED it. The rides, the food, the farm animals....yeah, they thought everything was top notch. Cali and Ian wanted to ride everything. Since Cali was limited because of her height, Ian and I eventually split off to go ride some of the big things. Before that we had to do some of the kiddie rides. I can tell you that they are not intended for adults...

So the bottom of this thing was actually coming apart. Fauna waited until we were off the ride to mention that...

The 5 Browns

2010-10-09T22:03:00.000-05:00

The other night I got a chance to meet 4 of the 5 Browns at a fireside. (One is trying to conserve as much of her energy as possible because she is VERY pregnant.) 3 of them played individual pieces. By themselves they were amazing and I wish that I could have seen all 5 of them the next night in concert. But, alas, I was not feeling well and had to let the opportunity pass this time around. I will definitely try to catch them the next time they get close to our area.

For any of you that have not heard them you should really check them out. I know there is a concert that PBS is airing. Totally worth a listen if you have the time.

Sick day

2010-10-08T17:49:00.002-05:00

Fauna's not feeling well and I'm in charge of the kids, so not much for an entry today. Here's Cali and Baby Rat to wave you off...

I made like infinity of those at Scout Camp...

2010-10-07T19:58:00.005-05:00

After intending to go along for the past couple of years, I finally got to go along as one of the leaders to Scout Camp this year. Our troop has been going to Camp Daniel Boone in North Carolina and so I had been looking forward to a week of trout fishing and relaxing in the mountains. Because of the higher elevation the temperature was very nice (especially for the middle of July) but we happened to have the misfortune of being there during a very rainy week. Nevertheless, it was a nice mini vacation for myself and I am highly anticipating the time when Ian is old enough to be in Scouts so that I can accompany him to Scout camp.

Ian and the swim team

2010-10-06T08:30:00.004-05:00

(Ian jumping from the diving board...this was a huge deal for him.)

A month ago we started Ian with a swim team in the area. Before he wouldn't put his face in the water or jump from a diving board. Now he can swim with his head in the water and only come up when he needs to take a breath. He will even freely jump from the starting block and diving board. Yesterday was his first day with the new goggles we got from a swim & surf store. They were well worth the money. They don't fog up or turn up when he hits the water.

Ian's group is just learning how to dive. Ian is so funny he gets the concept of the form to dive in, but just ends up cannon balling into the water. He has a little work to do, but I know he'll catch on soon enough.

Now that we are apart of this group there is now the fund-raising to go with it. They haven't decided on much, except the yearly sponsors for boards. The team is wanting to update the facilities (new paint...look closely at the picture...it's pink!) and 10-15 year old timing equipment and pool supplies so they are really pushing fundraisers this year. They were asking for suggestions and so here is my question...what would you be willing to buy or what has worked well for fundraisers that you've done?

What?! Wild broccoli doesn't exist?

2010-10-06T08:20:00.003-05:00

Here is the link to the Bits and Pieces blog entry. I had just assumed that Broccoli did grow wild. I guess I was wrong. It was engineered from kale.

The Star Wars Experience

2010-10-04T17:47:00.004-05:00

One advantage of completely ignoring the blog all year is that there's a backlog of pictures from everything we've done that haven't been posted. Back in August Ian and I took a guys trip to the Space and Rocket Center to see the traveling Star Wars exhibit. I balked at how expensive it was for what little was there, but I knew Ian would think it was the best thing ever so I'll consider it money well spent.

Cali's First Haircut

2010-10-03T22:09:00.003-05:00

Many of you may remember our lamentations about Cali's lack of hair for the first two years of her life. She finally got her first haircut this past August and it was a pleasant experience for all involved. Ian on the other hand still squirms when I try to cut his hair. It is good to see that we won't have to fight her with this one thing.

How much do you know about different religions?

2010-10-02T18:27:00.003-05:00

The other day Wayne came across an AP article that talked about a Pew Research study that asked questions about different religions. It seems that Atheist/Agnostic, Jews, and Mormons did pretty well on the survey about major world religions. Atheist/Agnostic & Jews did best with world religions and Mormons outscored everyone with questions on Christianity.

Here is the article.

You should take the survey to see how you rank.

Blogtober kick-off with a big announcement

2010-10-01T22:30:00.002-05:00

We are going to try and keep up the tradition and with all of our negligence to the blog and our readers, we hope to redeem ourselves.

On to the news....we are having a BOY! It was pretty obvious too.

Ian knelt down to pray before the ultrasound tech told us what we were having. So needless to say he is excited about it and thinks that his prayers were answered. It was a pretty funny thing to witness. Cali on the other hand was in denial for a couple of days, but has accepted that the new baby will in fact be a boy.

Finally, a day without air conditioning

2010-09-04T22:20:00.002-05:00

Today was absolutely beautiful! We went out for a hike on the TVA trails. Towards the end both kids fell and got scratched up. First Ian slipped and not two seconds later Cali tripped and fell. Once the kids felt a little better we headed to the van and went to the local hydroponic greenhouse to check out what goodies they have. I have always meant to drop by but never had the time. We ended up getting some Amish butter and homemade lemon pepper linguine. The crowning item of the day was the installation of our new storm door. We were really glad how relatively easy it was to put up. I'll try to post pictures once they're on the computer.

Just keep watching...

2010-09-03T08:14:00.001-05:00

Ian's girl trouble

2010-08-25T08:22:00.002-05:00

After we were done running errands yesterday Ian came in and started complaining about a little girl in his class.

Ian: "Mommy, a girl in my class keeps bothering me."
Me: "Oh, really?"
I: "Yeah. She keeps following me and bothering me and says that she wants to marry me."
Me: "What's her name?"
I: "Macy."
Me: "Does she have a last name?"
I: "I don't know."
M: "Well, you tell Macy, 'Thanks but no thanks' and then tell her that you won't date until you are 16 and won't marry anyone until you are back from your mission."
I: "Okay. But at the playground she kept following me and I told her to leave me alone."
M: "And what did you do?"
I: "I got Andrew to help me and while she was chasing Andrew I thought of a plan to run away without Macy seeing me."

That's my boy. Stay away from the girls. Girls are nothing but trouble.

A batch of good news

2010-08-16T20:12:00.003-05:00

Today has been filled with lots of good news. This morning I had to go to the doctor because there was some concern about my pregnancy. I had a lot of upper abdominal pain (so much so that I laid in bed in the fetal position for two days) and followed by some spotting last week. The doctor was concerned enough to get me in and make sure all was okay. When I first got in there the nurse tried to find the baby's heartbeat, but was unsuccessful. I was starting to worry and then I was asked to go to the ultrasound room to make sure everything was okay inside the womb. Once the tech pulled up the picture I was relieved to see that the baby was alive and kicking. It just kept moving like there was no tomorrow. Maybe it just knew that it wouldn't have much room in a few months. The tech even had a hard time checking the heartbeat and when she got a good enough reading we were done. All turned out to be well.

So on to other news, Ian's teacher mentioned that he was her best reader. He is already on a second grade reading level. He is apparently the only one reading at that level in his class. I was pretty excited about that. Wayne and I really hope that Ian can excel in academics since his athletic coordination leaves much to be desired.(This is Ian when he got to go with Wayne to the Space and Rocket Center to see the Star Wars exhibit. He LOVED it. I think he said "This is the BEST day EVER!)

The last bit of good news is that we may have found a piece of land for a church building here in R'ville. For those who may not know our current congregation meets in an old mortuary. It was retrofitted for our needs as a church, but has served its purpose. However, some members have very sensitive allergies and are not able to attend because of issues that the building has. Plus we have outgrown the building. Anyhow, this piece of land looks VERY promising because the owners want to sell and it meets the requirements that the church has for building. We are keeping our fingers crossed that it all works out.

Adventures in Laptops

2010-08-05T08:06:00.003-05:00

I am hoping that with my new bursts of energy that I will tend to the blog a little better. We are currently in the process of getting a new laptop, which is really convenient for blogging because it doesn't take FOREVER to boot up. We've had quite an adventure in getting a new laptop. A few weeks ago our old laptop started having major issues. The screen wouldn't stay up and would constantly go into standby mode. We started looking online and had settled on a few that were on ebay. A couple were new, barely used, and the others were refurbished. One day Wayne calls me up to say that we accidentally bought two. What?! Turns out he was emailing one of the sellers back and forth to see if he could get them to do a "buy it now." So Wayne opted to go on ahead and buy it before someone else got it then he was keeping his fingers crossed that someone would out bid him on the other laptop. Once time was up, we had money transferred from our account for two computers. The next day we found out that one of the accounts was frozen for one guy and weren't able to get the computer and had our money transferred back. We were okay with that. It made our decision to pick one a lot easier and not have to bother with posting an ebay auction for the computer we didn't want. Then we get the other laptop and the keyboard didn't work. I guess that was something they overlooked when testing the computer after they refurbished it. Anyhow, that one is on its way back to the seller and we are awaiting a reply if we are getting a replacement or getting our money back. It is nice that we have the tower, but again there is a huge convenience factor with having a laptop.

Future evangelist

2010-07-22T10:43:00.001-05:00

I've seen this before and thought it was kind of funny. Now, with the addition of subtitles, it's just plain awesome.

Batman pug singing the Batman theme

2010-07-22T10:36:00.003-05:00

What better way to follow up on the baby announcement...

Meanwhile in February 2011...

2010-07-06T18:37:00.002-05:00

Good thing they label these things.

In need of some good cutomer service

2010-06-22T08:13:00.002-05:00

I have had some real issues with spending money lately. I want to spend it on things that we need, but apparently no one wants our money. A month ago I went into Lowe's ready to spend a few hundred dollars on wood to build the swing set. I don't know if it was because I was a woman in a male dominated area of the store, but the workers in lumber didn't even give me a second glance when I was trying to get their attention. Do you have any idea of how frustrated I was? VERY! I ended up just walking out and took my business somewhere else where they were happy to take my money.

So now, Wayne and I want to get a new layer of insulation in the house. The HVAC duct work has started to sweat and the condensation has been dripping down onto our dining room ceiling. Then when we've tried to alleviate the problem we've noticed spots where there is no insulation covering the floor of the attic space. I've called several different people and set up times to come by or to call back to set up an appointment, and no one has done either. My confidence in these people is waning. I feel like if I was a man asking for these services things would get done. I would do this stuff on my own, but the insulation I need for the upstairs HVAC ducts is not available at the stores I've been to and then I have no idea of how I'd get a blown insulation machine into our house. I just want to pay someone, but again, no one wants our money. Frustration abounds!

New distractions that keep us from blogging

2010-06-06T22:24:00.006-05:00

I know we have really neglected the blog. If it hasn't been one thing to distract us it has been another. About a month ago we go the pool set up in the yard. Cali has practically lived in that thing since it got set up. Her tan line is so dark now. Definitely a contrast from my barely nonexistent one. Ian has also gotten a chance to enjoy it since school has gotten out. The other big addition to our backyard is a swing set. Cali has been talking about this being built since we got the kit for Christmas. If you ever asked her about it she would promptly say, "Uncle Steve's gonna help us!" And I am proud to say that Uncle Steve did come over last Saturday and help us cut the wood and assemble most of it. When he left we only lacked the beam for the swings and we recruited the help from the missionaries and another member of the church to help us out on Memorial Day. Wayne was definitely glad that we did because it was way more work that the two of us could have handled alone. But once it was set up the kids have loved it. They have even learned to share the swing and help push one another on their own. It was really sweet to look out there and see Ian pushing Cali and once she was done she would push him although he would insist that he didn't need any. It's the thought that counts, right?Besides all that there has been the additional yard maintenance that comes with the summertime that has occupied our time. I do believe that things have started to slow down enough that we can update the blog a little more. I still can't believe that the blog-nazi (Wayne) didn't do an entry just to keep a month from going by without an entry.

In memory of my Grandpa Jack

2010-04-30T16:19:00.003-05:00

Many of you have heard that I went out to visit my Grandpa Jack a couple weeks ago. He had a stroke and the family was told that there wasn't much time left before he passed away. I was able to go out with Cali, but Ian and Wayne stayed home because of school and work obligations. I hate that Ian never got to meet him. Wayne only met him once when we were out in California for our honeymoon.

I have to say that even though I didn't get to spend a lot of time with Grandpa Jack he was a great influence on my life. His trumpet was the one I started out on. I remember him encouraging me to play and would listen to my playing over the phone. You really have to love someone to listen to the trumpet over the phone...especially when it's just whole notes and quarter notes. He also taught me my first song on the piano..."Mary had a little lamb." I believe this spurred my want to learn the piano. Currently, I can play for church meetings in a pinch and I'm gradually learning more and more complicated music. I owe my love for music to him.

He passed away on Wednesday. My last visit was nice because I got to speak to him a little to give myself closure, but the memories I have before that are what will live on.

Here is a video of the time I visited him in 2008...

This is how I will always remember him...making music.

Another essential PSA

2010-04-27T19:26:00.003-05:00

Required viewing this one is...

Strawberry PSA

2010-04-25T14:40:00.004-05:00

Of course, it says nothing about whether or not it's a bad idea to consume the strawberry bugs...

Toughest 9 holes of mini golf ever

2010-04-18T16:31:00.005-05:00

I mentioned before how hard the wind was blowing when we were out on the water. It made it uncomfortable to be swimming unless the sun was really shining but mostly it proved to be more of a pest for keeping hats on or trying to play putt putt golf on the upper deck of the boat. The course they had wasn't really that tricky and in normal conditions wouldn't have proved any more difficult than your average course. However, the near hurricane force winds combined with the gentle rocking of the ship provided some very frustrating shots. Take note of Fauna's hair to get an idea of how the wind was blowing. Both Fauna and I had balls that seemed to be directly on their way to the hole suddenly veer off from a strong gust. Fauna shot this video of me after doing terribly to show how badly I would do. As luck would have it, I managed a birdie.