TO SUM IT ALL UP

I have been really bad at keeping up with this. Every time I think I need to sit and blog, something always comes up. So, I guess I'll just give a little summary on the rest of the year.

I recovered from my surgery very well. I ended up staying in a cast for 6 weeks instead of 3 because of the extensive surgery the Doc did. Three weeks on one foot and taking care of a 2 y r. old. is NOT my idea of FUN! I am on two feet now and feel better than I have in years. I no longer tremble walking down stairs, afraid of falling. My back problems have been almost non existant since my frame and posture are now better. The only thing to do now, take a serious dive into EXERCISING!! (That's another fear to tackle!)

Yes, Nicholas turned 2 in August. He loves Disney CARS so that

kind of became the theme. I am not noticing the "terrible two's"

attitude though. Just more independance on his part. The little

attitude he has picked up is ALL from his older brother. The stomping foot, folding the arms and "humphing," and yelling at mom when he's not getting his way. Maybe that all does qualify for the terrible twos. He is talking a lot more and some of my favorite words out of his mouth are: " Wub you, Happy tots (happy thoughts), momma happy, I did it, Nigh-Nigh moon, and Ho-Ho Yights (Christmas Lights), and Woody Boat (for Woody & Buzz). Christmas with a two year old is going to be very fun!

This fall was very "mild" considering all my leaves didn't

fall off my tree. So my boys didn't get

to do the traditional jumping in the huge leaf pile. We did have a small one and that was good enough for them. Mom and her silly traditions of getting pictures of the boys in the leaves. Just got my two little boys this year, biggest brother was not into it.

Before I can focus on Christmas, I first have to get through two

December birthdays. Joshua turned 19 on the 4th and Colton

turned 8 on the 10th. This year, we celebrated both boys with a family dinner, but they each got their own cake. Surprisingly, they decided on sub sandwiches, chips and little smokies for their dinner. Easy enough for mom!! Colton's aunt made him a surfing themed cake while I made and "adult" peanut butter chocolate cake for Josh. He freaked out when his name wasn't on the cake though. Silly me, thought maybe he was "grown up" now.

So now I can focus on Christmas and ending the year on a good note. Shopping is done, now have the endless task of wrapping everything. That's actually my favorite part. Pop in a fun movie and sit on my bed after kids are asleep. My sister will be flying in to spend the Holidays with us and I'm beside myself with excitement. Colton will be getting baptized on New Years Day so that will be an awesome beginning for all of us. Funny thing is, 11 years ago, Josh was baptized on New Years day too! Lots of growing and chainging with my boys. Mom and dad are the same, just older and a little more grayer. Unfortunatly, also a little heavier. But we'll probably join the millions of others in making our New Years resolution to loose weight and be more healthy. I'ld like to say we won't be like the millions of others who only stick to it for two months and then give up. My other goals for the year will be to get Colton into piano lessons, stay caught up on my laundry, FINISH my cook book and get it printed, and attempt at being better at using my sewing machine! (Just to name a few) Maybe I should also add being better at keeping up with my 2 blogs. Thanks to those that read this and share a part of my life for all it's ups and downs and humor. Have a wonderful Holiday Season and see ya next year!!

MY SURGERY!

July 16th, had my very first surgery. I'm not counting my surgery for wisdom teeth removed or my C-Section. This was a REAL operating room, just like on ER or those other Hopital shows. My Dr. had some cool music playing and the room was filled with masked people, all you could see was there eyes and I didn't see much of that because the "Happy Juice" kicked in.

I was having surgery on my foot. I have my dear fathers weak ankles, they pronate. Well, they have caused me so many problems over the years that I sprain and twist my ankle quite often. It has become so bad that my Dr. said that I tore my tendons that hold my ankle into the socket and therefore have NO support; which makes me fall more often.

I came to with the Nurses yelling at me to wake up and open my eyes and to take some deep breaths. Then they had the gaul to take me off the bed and put me in a chair! The Dr. later told me that once he got into my foot, he couldn't sew my tendons back together because they were COMPLETEY gone. There had been so much damage that I pretty much shredded them. So he had to graft some new tendons out of muscle to give me support. Hopefully, it will work for a LONG TIME!!

So now I have this lovely soft cast on. The Anasthesiologist gave me a nerve blocker in the back of my knee which has numbed the entire nerve system in my leg. Plus, I have a medicine pump constantly pumping medicine into my foot. So, for the time being, I have no pain. I'm sure by Monday, everything will have warn off and I may be singing a different tune. I have crutches to get around with and they are sooo not fun. A fat woman on crutches is just not a pretty sight in my opinion! I'm already tired of laying around and elevating my foot, of not being able to walk or do things for myself. I feel like such a burden alreay and it's only been 2 days. This is suppose to go on for 3 WEEKS!! It's going to be a LOOOONG 3 WEEKS!!!

THE GRADUATE OF 2010

Ever have one of those moments in life that seems to take forever getting there; but once you do, the time went by only WAAAY too fast. That's what we experienced with Josh graduating. For me it came faster than others because I came into his life when he was 8 yrs. old. Still, the entire school years flew by. Scott and I didn't think he would make it to be honest. There were those times when we thought of exiling him to Tim-buk-to, times when we thought school was actually sucking OUT his brain instead of filling it with knowledge; and the times when we thought that as parents, WE weren't going to make it. He was actually sweating bullets till the very end just trying to get his grades up so he COULD graduate. Nevertheless, the day FINALLY arrived. There was much preperation behind the scene as Scott and I did some home modification and beautification for all the family that would be arriving for this momentous occasion.

The family ALL arrived safely from both Idaho and California. It took 4 carpools to get everyone to the graduation and 2 trips back to the house because Josh forgot his placement card and grad hat. I was the stressed mother thinking "maybe this kid won't make it because he keeps forgetting everything." With a graduating class of over 300, it took a LOOOOOONG time to read all the names and FINALLY get to the W's. At last, there he was and his name was being read. We cheered loud for him as he accepted his diploma and walked back down the isle. I can honestly and proudly say that this mother didn't shed a single tear!! Yes I was proud, but I had to keep emmotions in check so I could see through the camera!

One of his grandmothers use to be a professional cake decorator and made a WONDERFUL grad cake just for him. That thing was huge and it only took two and a half days for everyone to devour it!

And now, it's onto the real world. A job, taxes, mundane routines, balancing a checkbook and if my husband has his way, RENT!! Hopefully he has been taught everything he needs to know and is prepared, or will be brave enough to admit that he really DOESN'T know everything and will ask for help when needed.

CONGRATULATIONS JOSH!! I hope you really do know how proud we are of you and the young man you have become. Please see the potential that we as parents see in you, believe in yourself that you can conqour and accomplish anything with determination and hard work. Discipline yourself and you will be succesful. WE LOVE YOU!!!

MY SOON TO BE GRADUATE!!

Took Josh "Picture Taking" today. One of his "oh-so" favorite past times. Had to share some of the good ones that came from it. We didn't order the typical Graduation announcements. Instead, we are having some made so I did the photography myself. A few show his 18 year old personality. Not too bad if I do say so myself!

JOSHUA'S SR. PROM!!

I can think back to my Sr. prom and all the excitement that comes with it. Tonight, I just experienced the other side of Prom. The side from the parents point of view. My son wanted to go but had been turned down by the few girls he asked. It was the day before Prom and it didn't look like he was going. Until he got a ride home from school from a friend in our ward. She randomly asked if he was going to which he answered no. She stated she was just going with a group of friends because no one had asked her; and then asked him to join along. When he told me he was going, he was actually shaking! I asked if he was excited or nervous. He stated BOTH!!

So, here it was Friday night and we had some SHOPPING to do. We quickly bought a new shirt, tie and shoes to go with his suite. Had to quickly get that cleaned too. Thank goodness for the 1 hour Dry Cleaning!! the biggest problem was finding a florist that could make a corsage last minute. Everyone was booked!! I finally found one in SALT LAKE!! Luckily I was going to be in Salt Lake the next morning so I could easily pick it up. That night, Josh sighed and said "Mom, thank you so much, I would have had NO IDEA what to do." That's what moms are for!!!

Ran over taking care of the bill at dinner, leaving a tip and all that "date etiquette." I then told him that all the table manners that mom has harped on him for years about, will all come into play tonight!! HE BETTER REMEMBER!!!! I loaded him up with the breath mints, (To get rid of the garlic breath...THAT'S ALL!!) while dad loaded him up with the money. I had to laugh as he put his wallet in his pants and had that cocky look on his face that said, "I got money and I'm going out on the town!"



It was finally time to go and he looked REALLY HANDSOME!! Took him over to his dates house and she looked BEAUTIFUL!! The florist did PERFECT on matching her dress too!! Yes, she's a little taller than him, but that wont matter. They are good friends and joining a big group of friends, I think it will be a blast!!

SPRING BREAK 2010

This week came all to soon and mom entered it with much trepidation. Both boys home, Dad starting graves and needing to sleep during the day and keep Nicholas on his daily schedule. Was it going to be possible?? So, here's how it went!

MONDAY: Mom went out to breakfast with some girlfriends; A GREAT WAY TO START THE VACATION WEEK, moral support group with the girls. Then we "broke" for the mayhem. Colton played at a friends house that morning and then mom took him and both his friends to the park. It was drizzling but that didn't stop the kids. The moms sat in the car and handed out snacks to the kids through the window. We did let them get in the car to warm up and then kicked them right back out. After that we grabbed $.25 ice cream cones.





TUESDAY: This was quite the eventful day. At 8am Colton & I had to be at the DDS office to begin his sedation for his procedure. Started out with a pill, which made him a little dizzy. Then we put on the laughing gas. You know, that is one thing they named correctly!! It's the ONLY fun thing about going to the DDS. He had 2 crowns done and a spacer put in. Poor Dr. Steve spent probably 20 min. trying to get that spacer in. It was a small rubber band spacer and he broke several of them. At last, he got it in! (Only for it to come out the next day!!) Poor Colton was so loopy, he screamed when I leaned over to kiss him because he said I had 4 eyes! Even while he was under, he kept babbling about video games and monsters. The poor boy was groggy most of the day so we declared it a pajama and movie day. Nothing but soft foods and relaxation!!






WEDNESDAY: Colton was back to normal so we went bowling with friends. 15 kids in all and they all had a blast!! Colton bowled an 87 on his first game. His lane had the bumpers up so it helped...A LOT!! The second game mom thought she would be sneaky and help out a little. Thanks to the bumpers, I got him a spare! Looks like I need more bowling practice with the Wii!!

THURSDAY: We got up early and headed out the door. Picked up our friends and drove to Salt Lake to go on a FREE candy factory tour. It was the SWEET'S Candy Company that has been in Utah since 1892! There were a total of 24 kids and 5 adults. Everyone had to wear those hospital blue hair caps. Nicholas wasn't to sure about it and kept taking it off. The tour guide said that if he didn't keep on the cap, I would have to take him out and MISS the tour. Mom had a quick little talk with him and got him busy looking at other things and he was great! The tour was SOOO much fun! We watched how they made gummy and cinnamon bears, watched how they colored and flavored jelly beans, dipped candy in chocolate, roll taffy and package it all up. The kids would tell you the best part was all the samples! After the tour, the kids were let loose, LITERALLY, in the candy shop with their money! We weren't allowed to take picture inside the factory so here's a picture of us before we walked into the doors!



FRIDAY: The day mom had been waiting for! I was taking my boys to Park City to see our dog we sold, Kita. She is now a lead dog for a dog sled team and the owner was taking the boys for a ride! Got the directions to get there but realized I must have read them wrong when I crossed the border in Wyoming!!! Colton was a little alarmed that mom took him "out" of Utah. Josh just chuckled until he saw mom was a little stressed. There was NO WHERE to turn around until about 5 miles into Wyoming!! Had to make up some time so we booked it the right way to Park City!! Found the team and it was soo fun seeing our Kita dog with her new family! We could tell she remembered us! The boys couldn't wait to get started! The owner of the team, Fernando hooked up the dogs and got Colton situated on the sled. A second sled was attached to the back of the original sled and he let Josh stand on that one and learn how to drive it. Gave him a quick lesson because the dogs were anxious to get running. In fact, they took off
before Fernando was all the way on the sled!
The boys went on the trail a couple of miles and then came back. I had stayed in the car with Nicholas because he put up a fuss about going. The second run, I was going to take Nicholas but Colton did not want to stay behind. So instead, I sat Nicholas on Colton's lap and told him to hold on to him tight. Once they started going, Nicholas calmed down and enjoyed the ride. Fernando took the dogs a little slower since there was a tiny passenger on board. Both Joshua & Colton were so excited about the entire experience they have both decided that dog sledding is something they want to do
when they get older. Josh was actually entertaining the offer from Fernando about working with him during the summer.
This is a full time job for both Fernando and the dogs. I was curious as to how they did sled rides in the summer and he said they put wheels on the sled. My sister was so jealous that she has DEMANDED that we go on a ride during the summer so she can have a chance! The dogs respond to both "mush" and "ho." They understand left and right too! I thought that was kind of funny because Colton still gets his left and right mixed up! It was still the highlight of their week and mine too! However; I AM glad they are all back in school and my life is now a little slower and quieter!

TEACHING MY CHILD GOOD VALUES

They say that everything you need to know you learn at home. Well, I think you learn them in a lot of places. But home is where it begins, because from the moment life starts, everything is provided for you from who else...MOM! Mom is consistent, patient, thorough and wants to make sure she raises proper little gentleman's. (And...mom is always right!!)

So one of the very first lessons we learn is SHARING. This is such a hard concept for little ones to learn, but when there are siblings in the house it is just a given; you HAVE to share. Be it a bedroom, bathtub, bowl of popcorn, chips or yes; even a sucker. So Nicholas has taken to this concept quite well. He LOVES the little Dum-Dum suckers. I put him in his highchair because I don't want sticky fingers all over the walls or uneaten suckers stuck to the carpet or my pillow. Which has happened in the past. So Nicholas sits in his high chair and he shares his sucker with our dog Koby. Koby patiently waits for his turn to lick the sucker and they are just like two little buddies sharing. This particular sucker got dropped and stuck on Koby's back though. We didn't notice it till later when it was good and stuck. Value of sharing....CHECK.







Another value that mom teaches is the value of cleanliness. "Cleanliness is next to Godliness"... a concept NO child understands. Teaching them to be clean in speech, dress, home and body. For a child, it always starts with cleaning the body first. They learn this first because mom is cleaning them SEVERAL times a day!! When buying paper towels, you have a stash for the kitchen and a separate stash for the child. (You go through the ones with the child a lot faster than the ones in the kitchen!) So at the end of the day, it's time for the major cleaning....the bathtub. It's the one time they won't fight you when you're washing them and cleaning their faces. Maybe that's because they are distracted with all the toys and bubbles from washing their hair. Every child has a certain innocence about them when in the tub. You can almost see their imagination working while they play, splash and blow bubbles. Or maybe it's just the uncontrollable urge to take cute naked pictures of them when they're so little. That way you know you have something to embaress them with once they're older and obnoxious teenagers!!


Next would be eating manners. At 17 months, you can't teach table manners; although we ARE trying to learn that you don't throw your plate of food on the floor just because you are done or don't want it. (I need more patience while trying to teach this one!) No for now it's teaching not to stuff your mouth and what things actually go in the mouth. It's funny how babies test things first by putting them in the mouth. This goes from lemons, dirt, shoes, pickles and on and on and on. Once they find something they like, you have to watch how much you give them or else they shove it all in their mouth. Where in lies the lesson, not to stuff your mouth with a good thing, binkies included!!

The value of exercise is one that doesn't really HAVE to be taught. It begins the moment they learn to crawl and continues with the walking. For my boys however, they never really "walked." Once they figured out how to keep their balance and take steps, they were RUNNING!!! Now my little guy has expanded his little "exercise routine" with climbing. At first it was just climbing, or rather sliding, off of moms bed. Now it's climbing in and out of the tub, onto mom and dads night stand, the coffee table and the big one...the kitchen table. Once he figured out how to do this, he was just so darn proud of himself. Made it hard to be frustrated at what now lies in store for me.




My favorite thing to watch them learn is the value of imagination and play. I don't think you can really teach imagination, you just sort of take them there whenever you read or play with them. Once they begin picking it up on there own, you just sit back, laugh and make sure you have the camera available in an instant! Nicholas' new favorite toy is actually one of my Tupperware containers. He puts it on as a helmet and...well, just watch for yourself!! The value of imagination and play at it's best in a 17 month old!!

ENTERTAINING A 16 MONTH OLD

Some days, it's a wonder I get ANYTHING done. I can have plans of what I want to accomplish that day but never seem to remember that my baby probably has plans as well. So this is how a typical day goes around my house.

We get up and have breakfast, sometimes we eat it, sometimes we wear it. Or sometimes it ends up on the floor and I bring the dogs in to lick it up so I don't have to mop.





After getting Colton off to school, it's get dressed and play time. We play with toys or watch a movie. Lately, it's been the Sesame Street movies. Nicholas has his own way of watching them. Comfortably sitting in a laundry basket with his blankie listening to Elmo. (I'm a little tired of "Elmos Song" & "Rubber Duckie")




We try to rotate the toys so we play with something different every day. he LOVES music and usually wants it playing all the time. So we have learned to make our own. He has a music stand that he plays and daces to or we break out the pots and big plastic bowls with the wooden spoons and play drums. It was fun when he figured out how Grandmas toy works that he got for Christmas. Once he pulled the string and it followed, he thought that was pretty funny! (see videos at the bottom of the page!)


If the dogs have been good, we let them come in for a while. Nicholas is at perfect licking height for them. (Maybe I should just let the dogs lick him clean after he eats.) He loves running around with them and then when they get tired, they lay down. Whenever we...or the dogs lay down; to Nicholas you have "assumed the wrestling position." (It was hilarious when we were at church and another baby just younger than him laid down and Nicholas body slammed him...felt bad but couldn't help but laugh.) The dogs are really patient with him and don't seem to mind.



Then it's a little lunch and off to bed. When he gets up it's more play time. Now that Daddy will be at work during the day, Nicholas can sit and play the piano more. When he wants you to play with him, he pats the seat and scoots over to make room for me or dad and then we play a duet together.

Once the brothers come home... it's just CHAOS!!! He's so excited that he is just running around non stop. He likes to help them clean their rooms by giving them more to clean, he empties all the papers off the coffee table and pulls the vacuum plug out of the wall while Josh vacuums the house. He also help sort laundry, draggin both clean and dirty around the house and leaving us guessing which is which. Then its snack time. He loves his Nutri Grain bars, Fig Newtons, Yogurt, cheese and apples. Except he likes to eat apples whole and when he's done, it looks like a bunch of little mice have been nibbling on it.

At the end of the day, he's down right tired from all the running around, messes and playing and usually crashes 5 min. after I put him in his bed at 7:00 pm!!! For mom, that's the countdown to my own personal "Happy Hour." So though I may start the day with a list of things to do, I can't complain too much when I haven't accomplished them because what I REALLY accomplished was spending a day with him and watching him grow!

NEW YEARS EVE 10 YEARS AGO

It's New Years again. Funny how it seems to sneak up on you faster and faster each year! We can't help but look back at the year and reflect upon the memories we created and the ones that lie in store for the future.

One thing I always reflect upon and remember is New Years Eve 1999. It was the turn of a new century and Scott and I were dating. We went out New Years Eve; dinner at Olive Garden, a movie which I don't remember. I think it was Anna & the King. Then I wanted to go dancing. Growing up, that was the tradition, the big new Years Eve dance at the mall. So Scott took me to a place where he said "there was a dance." It was dark and very foggy that night. All I could see was a field of darkness and fog. I told him he must be smokin' something because there was NO dance there. No lights, people, cars...NOTHING. I had NO idea where we were! He said wait here and got out of the car and ran into the fog. He came back a couple times and got stuff out of the trunk and kept running back and forth. Soon, car pulled up behind me; and then I saw the red and blue lights flashing. YEP, it was the cops. Oh this is going to be good. An officer came up to my window asking if I was okay. I told him I was fine, I was just waiting for my boyfriend who ran into the fog. I made the mistake of saying that I really had no idea where he was and neither did I. (I was living in Salt Lake still and wasn't too familiar with Scott's area and surroundings.) The officer then asked if I had been drinking and proceeded to interrogate me about my evening.
I knew Scott had been in law enforcement previously and thought this was one of his friends. Then Scott showed up and the officer asked for his ID as well; then I knew it was real! I told him he was dead!

He then let me get out of the car, told me to close my eyes and hold his hand. He took me through the fog; making sure I didn't stumble in my heels. When he told me to open my eyes, there was a Gazeebo in front of me with a picnic table. it was covered with a table cloth, candles, music playing, a bottle of Sparkling Cider, two goblets and a long white box. He then took me in his arms and danced with me. We sat and toasted the end of 1999 and talked about what we wanted to see in 2000. We then heard the cheers and horns start bringing in the New Year. He handed me the big box and had me open it. It was a dozen long stemmed red roses, they were beautiful. I started to put the lid back on when he told me there was something else in there. Then I saw it, a small black velvet box. I picked it up and held it in my hands. My heart started pounding, my eyes began to fill with tears and time stood still. He finally had to open it and show me. It was a ring (Only obvious right??) He took it out and said that one thing he wanted to do in the New Year was to marry me, then asked if I would marry him. Tears were streaming down my face; I was so full of emotion I couldn't speak. He placed the ring on my finger and then pointed out that I hadn't answered his question. All I could do was nod my head up and down.
For a girl, she dreams of this moment and how romantic she wants this to be and how full of love this magic moment is. It was that way for me and it was sealed with the best kiss ever!

We went back to his house to put Josh to bed and I called my family. Of course they were up, it wasn't even New Years yet. Mom asked what I was doing and I told her "I'm sitting her talking to my fiancee!" She cheered so loud I had to hold the phone away. Dad got on the phone and then congratulated us as well. Then I found out that....mom KNEW I was getting engaged that night and had actually started telling people at home! How nice, mom and people at home knew BEFORE I did!
It is now 10 years later, wow, what a ride it has been. Three children, a home addition, 3 cars, 3rd & 4th dog later. I have to remind him that he has to carry on the tradition by giving me a fabulous kiss like the night he proposed. Needless to say, the magic from that moment is gone. Kissing is now old news I guess because all I got tonight was just a peck on the lips. That's okay, I'm actually too tired so I'm going to bed...alone, while HE stays up.