The Palfreyman Family

Still alive

2012-02-07T13:35:00.002-07:00

I know I have been a slacker in the blogging world lately. I wanted everyone to know that we are all alive and well.
My eyes are not working great since the surgery and computer work is the most frustrating thing of all because I literally can't see anything I am typing. Good thing I mastered the keyboard back in typing school in Junior High, so I can type without looking at anything. This too shall pass (hopefully) and life can get back to normal. Mark "reminded" me so kindly last night (or maybe not so kindly when he said I could potentially crash with Chase in the car-seriously my vision isn't that bad!) that it is illegal to drive without having 20/40 vision. So of everything that has changed over the past few weeks it is that I am a rebel and break the law on a regular basis. :) Thanks honey for the reminder!
Things we are doing...We are gearing up for our upcoming trip to Disneyland in a little over a week. We are busy with cheer leading and basketball for the girls. We are planning Madeline's 9th birthday party. We are baking Valentine's Day cookies. We are getting ready for Mark to be on call this Thursday for the next week. We are trying to adjust to Mark being gone ALOT for his new church calling. We are excited I just got called to do Activity Days in our ward with the 8 and 9 year old (Madeline is most excited about that). We are busy figuring out why Chase's skin has gotten so bad (we think he is allergic to tangerines-which he LOVES). We are planning a trip to New York in August to go on a Church history tour. We are being called into court because the Judge was upset Marcus wasn't paying child support, so we will be getting that for the first time ever. We just finished a triathlon (1/2 mile swim, 10 mile bike and 4 mile run). We are starting to train for our next adventure, a full marathon. We are busy, busy, busy, but loving it...
Oh, did I mention my FAVORITE team of all times just won the Super Bowl?!?!

Vacation

2012-01-24T17:53:00.002-07:00

We just booked a family vacation to...DISNEYLAND!!! I am so excited I can't hardly stand it. It is less than a month away, so not much more waiting. I can't wait to spend time with Mickey and his

friends. We are flying down on on Thursday 2/16/12 and meeting Caleb, Kacey and Reyna down there for 3 days in the park. Then back home we come. Happiest place on earth, here we come!

PRK

2012-01-22T20:00:00.003-07:00

This upcoming Thursday I am scheduled to have a procedure called Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK). I have a degenerative medical condition on my eyes, which is not something usually diagnosed in someone my age, however I was diagnosed about 8 years ago. As a result I am not a candidate for Lasik surgery and actually have to have scraping done to my cornea's to remove dead cells that do not remove themselves, as they do in people without my condition. Eye doctor thinks that as a result he would like to to PRK, which will remove the cells and then correct my current vision. I am nervous, because it is my vision we are talking about and because the nurses and doctors continue to talk about 4 days of "pain"' that follow this procedure. I left my pre-op appointment with a month's supply of antibiotic eye drops, a month's supply of anti-inflammatory and pain killers. I was told day of surgery I will leave also with a bottle of numbing drops. YIKES! I also do not tolerate pain medicine well, so hoping Tylenol will treat me right for those 4 days. Here is a little info on PRK.
PRK uses a laser to sculpt the surface of the cornea. This contrasts with LASIK, which sculpts tissue deeper within the cornea, under a corneal flap.
PRK is useful for treating low to moderate levels of myopia or hyperopia with and without astigmatism. It is often the laser vision correction procedure of choice for people with thinner corneas and for individuals who may have certain corneal dystrophies, certain corneal scars, or a condition called "recurrent corneal erosion". Some refractive surgeons prefer PRK over LASIK for all their patients because there is no risk of a flap complication with PRK.
PRK differs from LASIK only in the first step of the procedure. In PRK, instead of creating a corneal flap, the surgeon completely removes the thin outer layer of the cornea (called the epithelium) over the treatment area. This can be done mechanically with a rotating surgical brush (usually after a dilute alcohol solution is applied to soften the epithelium) or with an excimer laser. The second step of PRK is identical to LASIK: an excimer laser is used to reshape the underlying corneal tissue.
A soft contact lens is placed over the eye after the laser ablation to serve as a bandage while the corneal epithelium grows back in place, which usually takes about 3 to 5 days. During this period, the patient usually experiences marked discomfort with blurry vision. Because of the greater amount of tissue healing that needs to take place after PRK, it can take several weeks before vision is clear and stable after the procedure. If you experience complications during PRK, an enhancement surgery may be performed to try to correct your vision to the best possible acuity.
The post-operative discomfort and longer time required for corneal healing and visual recovery are reasons why PRK is not as popular as LASIK. Still, in some cases PRK offers advantages over LASIK, and the final visual outcomes of PRK are usually equal to those of LASIK.

Our New Year

2012-01-11T09:27:00.005-07:00

2012 is starting off as a whirlwind. On January 1, 2012 our church ward was split into fourths and we became part of a new ward in a new building, at a new time, with lots of new people. This also brought about a new church calling for my husband...ward clerk. This means lots of meetings and lots of work. This means he sits up on the stand at church and I am officially a Sunday widow. I think it will be a good calling for him and a blessing for our family, but it will be a challenge for a little while just getting use to everything. Then the next day, Madeline fell at her gymnastics class and hurt her hand. She had to return to her dad's house that night, so I took her there immediately following. Thursday, January 5, 2012, 10 months of a ridiculous custody battle ended. The girls' dad was trying to change their schools, as driving them to Nampa was an "inconvenience" to him. The day before the trial he settled and the girls remain where they have been established. I picked them up that night, based on the new custody schedule (1 week on with me, then 1 week with their dad). As Madeline walked out to the car I could see her hand was very swollen. Upon further looking it was also deeply bruised and very sore. The next morning we took her for an x-ray and they reported she broke her 3rd metacarpal (which is a bone in her hand of the middle finger). She was splinted that night by her pediatrician and has now been casted in a beautiful purple cast for the next 3 weeks by the orthopedic doctor. Can't wait to see what the rest of the year brings for our family.

Christmas 2011

2012-01-11T09:26:00.007-07:00

Christmas 2011 at the Palfreyman house, told by pictures. Christmas morning we had Cassandra and Madeline, so it was fun times seeing what Santa brought and opening pictures.

Chase got lots of Cars toys and Toy Story toys. He was in heaven. Cassie opening gifts
I got lots of NY Giants attire. Just in time for them to make it to the playoffs :)
More toys
Madeline excited over gifts
Caleb, Kacey and Reyna came the day after Christmas, so we got to extend out the holiday and opening gifts.

Just a funny story...Christmas morning I had to take the girls to their dad's house. This is what I cam home to. Mark was asleep on the couch and Chase had been playing right by him with all his new Cars toys.

Oh Christmas tree

2011-12-20T16:17:00.003-07:00

I have decided that Christmas is so fun through the eyes of a young boy. We decorated our house and tree around Thanksgiving when all family was together. As we pulled ornaments out of the boxes and hung them on the tree, Chase was filled with delight. We have a fake tree, but I found Chase looking so intently and then he leaned in for a smell. It gave me giggles and I was thankful I had my camera in hand. He loves looking at lights as we drive and says "pretty" to houses with lots of lights. He says "ho, ho, ho" when we talk about Santa Claus. The only problem is that he is a little sneak. I have found him more than once in our room head in present bags, pulling out what he believes is his (the toy story and cars toys he finds). Unfortunately he has ruined a few surprises that way. Here are the shots of him admiring the tree and smelling it.

Family pictures

2011-12-10T23:16:00.003-07:00

We got familypictures taken over Thanksgiving. We got so many good shots of everyone it is hard to pick what to show and buy. It is always fun to see the changes from the last ones we took about 1 1/2 years ago. Amazing to see how much everyone grows up.

Little Man turns 2

2011-12-10T21:50:00.003-07:00

It is hard to believe two years ago today Chase came into our lives. It is amazing to see how much he has grown, how much he has learned and how much he is loved. He started out at 6 pounds, 9 ounces, little bit of almost redish curly hair, however slightly thin and bright blue eyes.
Hair stayed a little thin, however turned quite blonde. Blue eyes stayed bright and beautiful.
2 years later he has very thick hair with curls. He has the funniest personality. He knows what he wants and won't accept anything but. He is quite the talker and dancer. He loves watching Disney movies...certainly has his favorites, but the list is expanding. He loves his siblings as well as mom and dad. He is a sensitive boy and very loving. He gives the best kisses and is a great friend to buzz, woody and elmo.
Yummy cake!
Opening presents. He wanted to just open one and play with it. He did not have any interest in continuing on when he already opened something he liked.
This is the cake he picked out. We took him to the party store and showed him all the choices. He kept saying "yes" to this Cars cake as well as to Buzz Lightyear, but in the end, Cars won him over. He even calls our car "Mater".

Christmas at temple square

2011-12-08T14:06:00.005-07:00

The day after Thanksgiving we toured Temple Square in Salt Lake and saw the lighting of the Christmas lights. Here are a few pictures from our time there.

Reyna's baptism

2011-12-06T17:40:00.002-07:00

Saturday, November 26, 2011 Reyna was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She was able to be baptized and confirmed by her dad. Lots of family were in attendance. I was asked to talk on baptism and Caleb was asked to talk about receiving the holy ghost. Her grandma and grandpa Palfreyman gave prayers. The family enjoyed some refreshments and time together after. It was a nice way to end the special week we had with all our family together for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Grandma Vera Boswell

2011-11-28T20:27:00.002-07:00

While we were in Springville, Utah for Thanksgiving, we went to visit Mark's grandma. We got a chance to catch up with her and allow her to see all the children. It was a good time seeing her. We also got to see my grandma Evans as well during this trip. Mark's grandma and my grandma actually grew up in Springville together and are only 8 days apart in age. They lived just a block away from each other for most of their adult lives and just recently grandma Vera went into an assisted living home. My grandma is her visiting teacher. Such a small world. they thought it was funny we they found out we were getting married (they actually walked to each other's houses and compared photographs). Here is Grandma Vera on the left, Cassie, Kacey, Reyna, Madeline, Caleb, Chase and Mark.

Gymnastics

2011-11-28T20:19:00.002-07:00

Madeline decided she wanted to participate in gymnastics, so she been for the past 3 months. She had a Turkey Tumble a few weeks ago where they show family all the things they have learned. She did a floor routine, a balance beam routine, she was on the vault and the bars. She is loving it and will be moving up levels in January. She tells me every Monday after class that her legs hurt so bad from all the stuff the teacher makes her do.

Thanks

2011-11-27T12:12:00.002-07:00

good intentions never seem to go the way they were supposed to...Here is my catch up attempt on the things I am thankful for
18-
19-I am thankful for Caleb, Kacey and Reyna. I am glad they are able to come home today from California and spend the next week with us. It is so great when our family is complete.
20-I am thankful for the blessings of our home on this cold day.
21-I am thankful for our jobs. That we both have endured in our professions in this hard economical time for our country. We have been so blessed to have such job security.
22-I am thankful that Mark is able to spend some quality time this week with his children. He was able to take the week off work and just spend time with the kids. I think it is a great thing when dad's are willing to be a part of their children's lives.
23-I am thankful we had the opportunity to have family pictures. It is so important to me to catch those memories and display them in our home. Thanks Nikki for braving the cold to do that for us!
24-I am thankful for the opportunity we have to travel to Utah this holiday season. We will get to see grandparents, great grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, parents, and siblings that we have not had the chance to see in a long time.
24-I am thankful to spend Thanksgiving with family, to get to catch up with those we do not get to see as often. I am thankful that we are so blessed in our lives that we do not have to worry where our next meal will come from or if we will have to have our children go to bed hungry.
25-I am thankful we were able to go to Salt Lake City temple square today as a family. To have that constant reminder all around us of the things that are most important. That we were able to ring in the Christmas season with the lighting of the square in all its amazing lights, as a family.
26-I am thankful for the gospel. Reyna was baptized on this day and I was asked to give the talk on baptism. It was a good opportunity to be reminded of the sacred covenants made with our Heavenly Father.
27-I am thankful for our forever family
28-I am thankful we were able to put up our Christmas tree and start the decoration process while our whole family was together.

more Cancun shots

2011-11-16T20:57:00.007-07:00

I can't help myself...I want to show you what we experienced!!
Yes, those are coconuts growing Just another shot of the beach from where we were sitting on the beach
Mark relaxing on the beach
Me, on the beach
Mark and I...a little red
A view
This is a funny sign. The meaning obviously got lost in translation. we thought perhaps we should send it to Jay Leno for his funny headlines.
Mark playing beach volleyball. That is him in the air---he can jump
More relaxing
After a day in the sun on our way to our hotel room

Dolphins

2011-11-16T20:52:00.002-07:00

Here are a few snap shots of the dolphins housed at the hotel we stayed at. There were 6 total. Pictures of us with them to come soon!

Cancun, Mexico

2011-11-16T20:36:00.005-07:00

Here are some pictures from our trip to Cancun. I think the pictures speak for themselves, it was beautiful there. Absolutely beautiful beaches. The sand here was so white and so smooth. We were able to do some snorkeling and saw some fish. The water was crystal clear blue. Amazing!

This was the point of Cancun, right where our hotel was. We saw the lighthouse and loved it. It actually lit up at night.

This was our room. From the window/patio, we could look down 2 flights and the dolphins were right there. I watched them swim, jump, play, eat day and night. It was AMAZING to watch them so close.

This was the view of the beach from our patio. This was the night we got there. The weather was perfect. It was in the 80's. It felt great, but quickly learned it was hotter than it seemed (once we returned to the hotel room red and burnt). It rained off and on one day when we were there. It was the day we scheduled our swim with the dolphins, so were bummed, but decided to go for it anyway. Just as we walked to the dolphin check in area, the clouds parted, the sun came out and was hot and sunny until we were all done and then once we were dressed, the rain started again. PERFECT! more to come...

Thanksgiving-times alot

2011-11-16T20:25:00.002-07:00

Ok, so we went on vacation and that left me feeling guilty over not posting my 30 days of thanks. So, I have lots of catching up to do. That means they will be short and sweet.
9 I am thankful for the work I get to do. I enjoy getting to talk to kids and help them on a daily basis. Often I am asked how can I interview kids that have been sexually abused and I just shrug my shoulders because I can not think of anything that would fulfill me more (except maybe making wedding cakes)
10 I am thankful my mom was willing to travel from her home in Seattle, Washington to stay in our home for the next 6 days to watch Chase so Mark and I can go on a much needed vacation
11 I am thankful to leave cold Nampa, Idaho for warm Cancun, Mexico
12 I am thankful for Mark (again). We have been married for 3 1/2 years and I can truly say it has gotten better over time. Getting married once you already have kids and trying to blend families together is so difficult and unless you have gone through that process it is incomprehensible. Mark and I have certainly had our struggles, but I love that man so much and am so glad to be married to him. I think over the past year or so we have finally figured each other our and I so enjoy my time with him
13 I am thankful for dolphins. Today I got to swim with them...pictures to come!!
14 I am thankful for the sunshine. Although it has burned me to a crisp and then some, I LOVE it!!! I could soak it up all day long!
15 I am thankful for vacation. It allowed me time for fun, for relaxation and most of all to let go of the day to day trials that plague our life and just get a breather. I am coming home more relaxed and ready to take on life.
16 I am thankful to be home. I love our home and the family we have created. Being away makes me miss it and I am glad to be back.
17 Today I am thankful for my freezer meal group. I made my meals and I am ready to exchange them out and get a freezer full of variety dinners to eat over the next few months

Thanks

2011-11-08T10:50:00.002-07:00

5th-Today I am thankful for fall. Fall is my favorite season. I love all the colors and the change to cooler weather. I also love that football comes. Today we spent the day raking up all the fallen leaves and then let the kids jump in them. Made me thankful for fall
6th-Today I am thankful for weekends. Being back working full time, I remember now how special the weekends are. It is a time to get things done, spend time with family and just enjoy some "down" time. I am one that feels good when things get accomplished. This weekend we got a lot of things accomplished and I am thankful for the time we had to do that.
7th-Today I am thankful for the blessings we have when it comes to modern medicine. Every time we get to go to the doctor or have things checked out or do preventative care, I am so thankful we live in a time when medicine and doctors are so helpful. Mark recently had to go on medication he will have for a lifetime and we are blessed he has that opportunity instead of suffering the other outcomes. Cassie went to the eye doctor and we learned she has increased pressure on her eyes, which is in indication of future glaucoma. Again, how thankful I am that we have the knowledge of things now and things to come.
8th-Today I am thankful that Mark and I are about to get a 5 day vacation in Cancun, Mexico. Today I got to drive 30 minutes to work/daycare with Chase screaming in the backseat and it made me so thankful to get away! We leave early Friday morning and the countdown is on!!!

4th day of Thanks

2011-11-04T16:07:00.002-06:00

Today is the 4th of November and thus, here is day number four of what I am thankful for. I am thankful for my parents. I am so happy to know that they are always just a phone call away and when I am upset about something and as I ask if they have a few minutes to talk, they never tell me no. I am thankful I was raised in a manner in which I am a strong, independent thinker, who has good values and always tries to do what is right. I am sure I was not the easiest kids to raise, but I think they did a good job and I hope they are proud of me as their daughter as I am having them as parents.

Days of Thanksgiving

2011-11-03T09:21:00.002-06:00

Sometimes life gets so hard and as it gets harder and harder I tend to forget the things that I am grateful for. I do have so many blessings in my life and this is such a perfect month to really reflect on those things, big or small, that I am thankful for. I am a few days late, so here are 3 things, for the first 3 days of the month that I am thankful for.
1. I am thankful for Mark. He is such an amazing man, husband and father. He isn't perfect but he can be pretty close some days :)
2. I am thankful for my Kuna friends (I won't name names). I don't have many friends because I tend to stick close to my home and family, but knowing I can call at anytime and they get me, flaws an all. I can just be me and they accept it. My Kuna friends are my Idaho "family" and I miss not just getting to run across the street and get my daily or weekly check in, but I love that all these years later it still feels like "home" when I go there.
3. I am thankful for Chase. He can be the most stubborn little man I have ever seen. I am so thankful he was my last little one and I was older and wiser when he was born because he is certainly one that can test my patience. He can also be the cutest, funniest, snuggliest little man that ever was. I get amazed daily at how smart he is and how much he takes in and learns from day to day. I love his laugh, hugs, and his kisses and it is the little things he does that turns a bad day into a good day. Its watching him watch and sing to the movie Rio day after day that I know soon will end. He was certainly meant to be a part of my life and our family.
There will be more to come over the month. Hopefully at the end I will have talked about 30 things I am grateful for (in no special order). A way to help me remember all the tender mercies and blessings I do have in this time of trails.

Halloween 2011

2011-11-01T16:46:00.010-06:00

We had a great time dressing up for Halloween this year. It was rather chilly, so trick-or-treating did not last too long, but the kids got enough candy in the time they had. Chase was a professional trick-or-treater. He walked up to doors with the girls, asking for "candy" and then once in hand would say "thank you" with the girls and back down the driveway he would come. His little basket began getting full, so to make it easier for him to carry I tried to take some and put the candy in my pocket and he let me know it was "mine". Soon he was done collecting the candy and just wanted to be carried as he ate the candy. It was a fun year...
Courtney as a 50's girl and Madeline as Princess Leia

Chase as Woody from Toy Story

Mark as a garden gnome (which won his a prize at our church chili feed/trunk-or-treat)

Cassandra as a goth zombie rockstar

Carving the pumpkins-tradition

2011-10-30T20:51:00.004-06:00

Here is our traditional Halloween pumpkin carving.
Madeline age 8 beforeAfter...Chase 22months old and dad before

After...Cassandra age 11 beforeAfter...

Wizard of Oz

2011-10-30T20:43:00.003-06:00

Cassandra decided some time ago that she wanted to be in a musical. In order to try out, she needed to sing 2 Broadway songs, one fast and upbeat and the other a slower one. This was about a year ago. She walked in with no fear in front ofa bunch of judges, with her parents outside the room, sang her well practiced songs and got the part of a munchkin in the Wizard of Oz. She has now been practicing about 3 times per week for the past few months and this weekend brought on the first live production. We went and watched her and the cast perform and it was an AMAZING performance. Well worth the $15 ticket price. The play was 3 hours long and she was only in the Munchkin land scene, but it was so fun watching her do something she loves and has worked so hard for. The rest of the play was great! Here is the little Munchkin (although I think she was officially the tallest munchkin out there at 5' 3" at the whopping age of 11-with a size 8.5 adult shoe),

Bountiful Baskets

2011-10-23T21:49:00.003-06:00

I recently signed up to be a part of "Bountiful Baskets". This is where I sign up for fruits and veggies and pay $15 and then come Saturday I go and find out what I bought. I pick up my baskets, one with fresh veggies and one with fresh fruits. The challenge is you never know what you will get when up sign up and pay. If you know me, you know that I don't just love all veggies. Most fruits I love and will eat. When it comes to veggies I am a little more picky. So this whole concept is a little scary to me. I have done it for 2 weeks now, and I actually got so giddy this week when I saw my baskets. Here is what I got...pretty good for $15.

What to do with free time?

2011-10-23T21:37:00.003-06:00

Mark is spending a long weekend in California spending time with his kids (yes, that means he has Chase with him too). This left me to work on Friday and Monday and play (with the exception of being on call) Saturday and Sunday (with the exception we keep is holy as it is the Sabbath). So, what to do with all that time... Well, I left work on Friday and went straight to the mall. Didn't buy much, but spent a few hours just looking around. Having a nearly 2 year old always with me really limits my ability to just look. It was nice. Then Saturday I ran errands, made apple butter, did some crafting, did some costume making (that post to come later), hung out with the girls, went out to dinner, cleaned the house and watched a movie. Sunday was our primary program at church, which I enjoy, even if it means I have to sit on the stand with all my primary kids. After church we hung out and decorated cookies.
Here is my apple butter. Took some applesauce I had made and cooked it for days and blended it, seasoned it and canned it. YUMMY!!!

One of my most recent crafting projects. Had seen this on some blog (can't remember which one...sorry). It is a book that is cut and glued together to form a pumpkin. Spray painted it, added a stick from the yard and a bow.
And here are our cookies. Madeline decorated the ones in the upper left, Cassie's are on the right and mine are the upper left. Decorating cookies is always good times.

Happy Birthday, Reyna

2011-10-23T21:35:00.003-06:00

On October 14, Reyna turned eight. That means she will soon be baptized. She was excited for all her presents and celebrated her birthday with her mom and family in California. In November when she comes for Thanksgiving, Mark will baptize her and we will get to celebrate that special day with her. Happy Birthday, Reyna!!

Quilting

2011-10-06T22:11:00.003-06:00

One good thing about Mark working all night on a big case is that after Chase went to bed I had a bunch of free time to finally piece together my latest and greatest quilt. Check it out. Still needs a boarder, backing and to be bound, but one major hurdle done...on to the next.

How does your garden grow?

2011-09-24T17:01:00.004-06:00

Ours is a little overgrown. Way too many squash and melons growing. We have pumpkins, corn, tomatoes, broccoli, raspberries, cauliflower, watermelons, zucchini, banana peppers, onions, and cantaloupe.

As a we have canned some homemade spaghetti sauce, tons of raspberry jam and hot pepper jelly. I am hoping to get to some apple butter before the end of the season. I hate to admit it, but I LOVE canning!

A boy and his toys

2011-09-24T16:54:00.002-06:00

Chase has a few loves in life, which include Mickey Mouse, trucks, cereal, etc. He also has an unhealthy obsession...toy story. He has toys, figurines, soap, fruit snacks and the movies. He goes to bed asking to watch "woody" and wakes up asking to watch "woody". Actually it is more like this, "woody,woody,woody,woody...", you get the point. We can't even go to the store without Buzz and Woody tagging along. If he move them so we can buckle the little man in, forget about it...the day is ruined and tears and "stop it" come. He can't part from them for even just a minute. This sad face is because I moved buzz as he was falling out of the cart and Chase thought I was taking him for good.

Quilt

2011-09-24T16:18:00.004-06:00

I finally finished my first quilt. i have many started but this is the only use use able. It felt great. One down, many more to go...

Vacation part 2-finally

2011-09-24T15:31:00.007-06:00

I had a bunch of photos of our time in Seattle on my phone, so I took me some time to transfer them over.So, after all our fun, we headed to Seattle to spend the rest of the week on Bainbridge Island. We did some shopping, walking the beach, swimming, sight seeing, eating lots of yummy food, kids got to hang out with grandparents, went to a Mariners baseball game, swinging on the famous rope swing and just enjoying fabulous family time. Here are a few pictures we took.

Silly Boy

2011-09-12T09:21:00.002-06:00

This silly boy was in the bath and he wasn't aware that I had placed letters on his head and as I was laughing, he too was laughing. Eventually they fell off and he realized they had been on him. He is too funny and makes us all giggle on a regular basis!

River rafting

2011-09-12T09:18:00.002-06:00

This summer we were able to finish out with a bang. We enjoyed a morning on the Payette River doing some river rafting. The river was especially high and fast running this year, so a completely different run than last year. Still amazing and still makes me want to go back next year.

Donnie Mac's-trailer park cuisine

2011-08-31T20:50:00.002-06:00

Mark and I decided to have a fun lunch with the kids before they headed back to California. We had seen that this restaurant had been spotlighted on the Food Network channel's Diner, Drive-Ins, and Dives. We headed over there, after our rafting trip and enjoyed our "trailer park cuisine". It was really yummy food and a fun environment. Here are a few pictures of the car we sat in, Madeline's lunch order and the girls playing around in one of the "decorations" outside the restaurant. If you haven't been---you are missing out!

First day of school

2011-08-31T20:38:00.002-06:00

Cassandra-6th grade
first year at Middle School. She is loving it. her elective is choir and she is excited to get to finally ride the bus and have a top locker.

Madeline-3rd grade
Struggling a little to be all "alone" at the Elementary school. Walks to and from with a neighborhood friend that is in her class. Excited to learn cursive and loves being in the "older kids" group at school (k, 1 and 2 grades vs. 3, 4 and 5 grades).

Family Vacation, part 1

2011-08-17T22:04:00.006-06:00

First of August we headed out for our long awaited family vacation. Our first stop was to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. We headed off to lake Coeur d'Alene. The kids loved it, but not more than Chase. He started out in clothes, but could not keep them dry, so eventually moved into his diaper and went for the water full steam.

Then the next day we headed off to Silverwood theme park. This is not just full of rides, but is also a huge water park. We had such a great time playing all day. We got to the park just prior to it opening its doors and were there as the lights went out at closing. Our little man hung on all day and did an amazing job. It was amazing and we could go again.

Happy Birthday, Cassandra

2011-08-17T21:50:00.003-06:00

On July 30, Cassandra turned the ripe old age of eleven. She invited a few friends to the water park where they enjoyed a full day of fun in the sun. She had a great time, got lots of presents -she has officially grown up because she asked for clothes for her birthday instead of toys :( Then that night we went out to dinner at her restaurant of choice (Chinese buffet).

He was chomped

2011-08-17T21:46:00.003-06:00

Chase came home from day care a few weeks ago (sorry---slow on the blogs lately) and he has 2 big bites taken out of him. One on his wrist and the other on his leg. He must be really sweet to the taste of the kids at school! It was fun to watch Mark
move into his detective role. He wrote out a statement, called the daycare to get stories about how it all happened and what they were doing to prevent future bites, then he took pictures of him and of his clothing he was wearing that day. What a good, protective dad!!!

camping

2011-08-17T20:33:00.005-06:00

We had the chance this summer to go camping (not always so fun with a little man). Our ward went to a church owned site for the night, so we thought it would be fun to join them. We had a great time. Better than we ever could have imagined. In the morning we woke up and spent the day on the lake. We knee boarded, tubed and water skied. Chase loved the water and boating. I think everyone had a grand time and it is certainly on our to do list for next summer. Mark also had the opportunity to take Caleb, Kacey and Reyna on a separate camp out and they enjoyed themselves. (Plus they didn't have a little guy who didn't want to sleep because he wasn't in his bed).

Sweet Sixteen

2011-07-18T10:06:00.003-06:00

Caleb turned 16 years old on Saturday. For his birthday, his dad and I took him out to dinner with a guest of his choice (a girl...his first date) to The Mona Lisa Restaurant. It is a fancy fondue restaurant in Nampa that he has wanted to go to for a long time. After dinner wen came home and a group of his friends came over for a night of movies, snacks and cake. He planned the party and seemed to have a great time. Happy Birthday, Caleb!!!

family fun

2011-07-13T19:56:00.007-06:00

About a week ago we went to Mark's sister's house and got the chance to have some family fun. The kids played in the water, had a huge water balloon fight, we had a BBQ and just enjoyed the time with cousins.

surgery

2011-07-13T19:51:00.003-06:00

I finally had my wrist operated on this past week. I went in on Monday to have a cyst removed. The doctor thinks the bone hasn't healed due to a cyst in between the lunate and the scafoid(?) bones. He felt as if he removed that then the bone would heal completely. I was ready for anything to take away the pain and move past wearing my arm brace. Here is my day after picture. My arm is in a sling because the block they put into it made in numb for about 24 hours. My wrist is back in a cast for 10 days, but after that (think good thoughts...)I will be all done!!

High School Musical

2011-07-13T19:40:00.005-06:00

We took the kids to see an outdoor musical. It was High School Musical. We had a great time and loved watching the kids enjoy it. Kacey was at Scout camp, so he missed it and we left Chase with a babysitter (didn't think he would enjoy it too much). It was in Garden Valley, Idaho at an outdoor amphitheater where the weather was beautiful and the atmosphere was amazing. I would highly recommend an evening under the stars enjoying the arts.

13.1

2011-07-09T16:02:00.003-06:00

Today Mark and I both ran another half marathon (13.1 miles). It was a good race. mark decided last minute (yesterday) that he wanted to run it (without training) and that he would push Chase in the stroller. That man amazes me with his abilities and confidence. We both did it and did it pretty awesome! (oh...and Chase also complete his first half marathon today ---forget to throw that in there for you)

4th of July

2011-07-05T21:52:00.003-06:00

The 4th of July has always been one of my most favorite holidays. It is a day when you get together with family and /or friends, have good food and just enjoy each other's company and then watch amazing explosions of color in the air and on the ground. This year was no exception. We woke up, Mark and I headed out for a warm (temps got into the mid 90's) 5 mile run (not too many because my half marathon is Saturday). Then it was off to the Boise park to see chalk art that was so amazing! The art is done by both professionals and amateurs. There was a drawing of Betsy Ross that was so beautiful. I am not an artist, but I just can't imagine doing such work with chalk. We got lemonade, played in the water fountain, Reyna got her face painted and we just enjoyed our time as a family (well those that were left. Kacey was at scout camp and the girls were in California with their dad) at the park. Once home, we had a yummy typical 4th of July BBQ with watermelon, hot dogs, corn on the cob, chips, and cupcakes. When it got dark we woke Chase up and lit fireworks with the neighbors (bonus because we have been trying to befriend some of them for a long time and it was great to have them sitting in our front yard talking to us). Mark bought the most amazing legal fireworks I have ever seen in a front yard, so I call it a very peaceful and successful holiday. It was great just enjoying a relaxing day with the family.

Summer fun

2011-07-05T19:52:00.005-06:00

Nothing screams summer than hot days and the backyard "slip and slide". We broke it out for a little backyard family fun. Here are some snapshots of our good time. Not only were there slides for everyone, but we added a little timed obstacle course that included the slide, the trampoline, running, crawling...you name it, we did it.

quilting

2011-07-05T19:46:00.004-06:00

Here are two of my latest quilting squares. These are my June creations (obviously for 2 different quilts)and I am quickly moving onto my July ones...

Is it over yet?

2011-06-18T22:07:00.002-06:00

Is this week over yet? Things have been so crazy around here and I just don't see them calming down much. Mark got a crazy big case on his desk Wednesday morning...a conspiracy to commit murder case. If you live in the Boise area chances are you have heard or read about it in the news. Well, that meant for us, that he worked a 24+ hour day on Wednesday. He is well over 30 hours of overtime for the week. Starting Monday he will be in class for 2 weeks as he becomes Nampa Police Department's newest phlebotomist. He had to do "homework" on 8 chapters before class even starts, so that has kept him busy...can't wait to see what is in store once he gets to class. Starting Thursday he goes on call for work for 2 weeks and Saturday the kids come for the summer from California, so that means a houseful of 6 kids and 2 adults. And to top it all off, Madeline was hit by a car. I took the girls to work with me on Wednesday because we didn't have anyone that could watch them. After a few hours of just hanging out with me and watching TV, I thought it would be a good idea to walk them across the street to a park and let them play. I walked them over and told them to go to the play equipment and to stay there until I picked them up in about 1 hour. I walked back to work and not but 10 minutes later, our secretary came running down the hall saying one of my kids had been hurt. As I ran out the front door towards the park Cassie was there telling me Madeline had been hit by a car. I continued to run towards the park and all I could hear were sirens all around me. I asked if those were for Madeline and Cassie, crying, told me they were. I since found out once 911 was called the sent the call out as a priority 4, which was lights and sirens all the way. My mind was going crazy. I couldn't get to her fast enough. I think that is probably one of a mom's worst nightmares coming true. Not more than 100 yards from where I left them, my little Madeline was sitting on a curb next to some lady and a car in the middle of the street (within the park). I can't tell you how thankful I was when I came to find out that in spite of being hit, her hat flying off her head from impact and her hitting the ground with her body and her head, the only injury she came away with was scratched elbow. Our family was certainly blessed at that moment. The ambulance, fire truck and 2 police cars arrived shortly after I got there and she was checked out and statements were taken. We walked back to my work and she hasn't left my sight (although she has tried to persuade me otherwise). I was so thankful for Cassie being quick thinking in an emergency, that she had the knowledge to coming to get me and that all worked out for the best. Things could have been so much worse. Of course mother's guilt had me out of commission for the first few days (especially with Mark being gone at work and me struggling with those feelings all alone), but life goes on---thankfully!!! I am looking forward to tomorrow. I get to celebrate the great father my husband is, go to church and hang with family and friends. Just a time to really count my blessing (and I have a lot of them to count)!!!

18 months

2011-06-12T19:34:00.005-06:00

On Friday, June 10, 2011 Chase officially turned 18 months old. In our church this alone is a big milestone because that means he can go off and play in nursery for some of church time instead of the parents trying to keep him quite the entire time. Hurray for us and Chase!! Here are a few tidbits on our boy these days. We think he is going to be a baseball catcher because he is often found playing or thinking in this position.
He loves feeding himself whenever possible. He is getting pretty good with a spoon and fork. He LOVES fruit and cream flavored oatmeal and tries to eat it for multiple meals each day. He knows right where it is kept in the pantry and climbs to reach it. Once he gets it, he shakes the bag as he is bringing it to us, to tell us what he wants to eat.
Chase is a big "help" around the house. He loves to get the broom and sweep and when given a rag he gets down on the floor and starts "mopping".
Chase loves to be outside. Digging, exploring, running, picking flowers, throwing rocks...you name it he will do it. He recently discovered the local water park. There is a slide you go down on some mats and it is just like a long park slide. He can't seem to get enough of it. We have to send him down alone on his own mat, but he just rides down and someone grabs him at the bottom (no pool or anything, just the wet slide). As soon as we get him off the ride, he signs (in sign language) "more" and points to the slide. He continues to do this until we grab another mat and head up the tower to send him back down. It is the funniest thing to see!
Yes, that also includes a love for the trampoline!
He loves his nightly bubble bath and still loves Mickey and Minnie Mouse. He points them out and calls them by name when he sees them. This is great when they appear on TV, in books and they are even on his diapers.
We sure love Chase. He is developing into such a character. He is a goof ball, a love bug, a chatterbox, a total boy and a perfect fit into our family!

My newest project

2011-06-07T21:40:00.004-06:00

I decided since my quilt project was going so well that I would add another. This one was not quite the novice one I had envisioned, but here is the first of six squares.

This is a picture to show that each color is a different piece of fabric. It was a lot of cutting and a lot of sewing. It was interesting to see how all the different stitches create such an amazing picture all out of fabric.

Yankees v Mariners

2011-06-02T21:28:00.006-06:00

We were so excited to learn that the very weekend we would be vacationing in Seattle that Mark's favorite baseball team would be in town playing 3 days in a row. We watched the first 2 games on TV and the Yankees lost both games. Lots of Mariners fans brought their brooms to the game in hopes of a sweep, but the Yankees pulled off a 7 to 1 win. We were sitting right by the Yankees bullpen. A day date without kids at a ballpark watching the Yankees win and no rain in Seattle. Not much could have been better that day!!
7th inning stretch...dang we are a cute couple if I do say so myself!!

Jeter up at bat. He ended up walking this inning.

CC was the pitcher. He pitched all but the 9th inning.

the relief pitchers goofing off in the bullpen towards the end of the game when they knew they wouldn't be used. Jobas and others were there.

Seattle, Washington

2011-06-02T19:50:00.008-06:00

Over Memorial Day weekend we took a road trip to Seattle, Washington. It is about an 8 hour drive, so not too bad. We stayed with my parents on Bainbridge Island and had a great time. We arrived Friday and had a fabulous dinner and just caught up. Saturday the parents were at Hugh's mother's memorial service and funeral, so we just had some family time at the house and in Paulsbo. we enjoyed the bakery, shopping, walking, playing in the park and a delicious lunch. Sunday Mark and I ventured into Seattle to see the Yankees and the Mariners play ball (pictures to come in different blog). The grandparents were willing to watch the kids so we could have an enjoyable afternoon at the ballpark. Monday we hung out at the house playing on the swing, cooking dinner, playing horseshoes, exploring the beach, eating oysters and just relaxing. Tuesday we took our long drive back home. We had such a great time and can't wait to return in August.
Here is Madeline enjoying her first, but not last, oyster on the half shell (yes, I mean raw).
What you don't see (or rather hear) is Chase being so upset no one will give him an oyster that everyone is enjoying. He wanted one really bad!!
Mark flying like a bird on the tree swing. He sure got his workout each day pushing kids on the swing for hours at a time.
Cassie and grandma getting the peas ready for dinner
Seattle view from the backyard. Can't get much better than that view
Back home after exploring the beach together.
Cassie helping her grandparents in the kitchen
The eagle in the tree by the house. It often is found there, on the neighbors boat dock or on a rock near the water
Cassie with the oysters she helped prepare. She even took her turn trying to open then with her gloved hand and her knife
Chase playing in the backyard
he kids on the porch swing eating lunch
Madeline in one of her favorite spots...the famous tree swing

A teenager now!

2011-05-24T21:53:00.003-06:00

Today Kacey is 13 years old. Happy Birthday, Kacey!!

5th grade celebration

2011-05-24T15:20:00.004-06:00

Last week Cassandra was "released" from 5th grade and set free to enter into the world of Middle school. There was a big ceremony at her school that included lots of awards, songs, performances, releasing of doves and a slide show presentation. Cassandra "graduated" 5th grade with a 3.8 grade point average (can you believe they calculate those at this age), perfect attend ace awards, academic awards and the Presidential Award of Academic Achievement (signed by Obama himself-which she thinks is awesome). Off to school of locker, 7th and 8th graders and lots of judgement. Middle school is the worst!!! We wish her all the best and will be by her side as much as we can.

soccer

2011-05-24T15:16:00.006-06:00

We just finished up the last week of our busy soccer season. Madeline was on the Boa Cheetah team and Cassandra played for team Dynamite. They both did so good this season. They loved it and are already asking to play again next season.

3 years ago

2011-05-17T15:17:00.006-06:00

Three years ago today I married my best friend. It was such a quick courtship. We knew each other professionally, but our personal lives never mixed. I knew he was married and admired him for being a strong family man. He assumed I was married. Eventually rumor hit that he was getting a divorce. One day, we were working a case together and a co-worker was blunt enough to ask him about his divorce. As he was talking, I began nodding my head, as everything he talked about experiencing were my experiences years before, while going through my divorce. He must have noticed my nods and asked if I was divorced. I said I was and back to work we went. He obviously didn't stop thinking about me there :) and began putting the pieces together. He did some questioning to other detectives we work with and got enough courage to call me. After some small talk, he ask me if I was LDS (mostly based on my modest style of dress) and I told him I was. I had previously told my co-workers I would date him if only he was LDS and surprise...he was. I quickly hung up the phone and was overcome with the feeling that the my journey of being single lasted so long because the Lord had been preparing Mark for me. Yikes!!! I quickly tried to dismiss that thought, since we hadn't even been on a date, nor had he asked me out on one and figured I was really jumping the gun (maybe desperate?). Soon, we were talking on the telephone and eventually went out on our first date. We were engaged 6short weeks later and married 6 shorter weeks later. I love that man with all my heart and have no doubt that we were meant to spend eternity together. We have been sealed in the temple and I know that true happiness is being married to him now and forever.

Happy Mother's Day & Happy Birthday

2011-05-09T11:26:00.003-06:00

What an amazing weekend I had. My birthday (35th)and Mother's Day both fell on the same day this year (as it does about every 6 years). My amazing husband felt as though they needed to be celebrated independently of each other, since both were special (what a sweet guy!). So, he wanted to start the weekend off by taking me out to lunch on Friday, but it was our interns last day and a potluck party had been planned, so I had to tell him I couldn't come. He had been out all night Thursday night/Friday morning on a suspicious death scene, so I figured he would just nap when Chase did, but I was wrong. During lunch he came to my work with a HUGE bouquet of red roses. They were beautiful. Probably the most beautiful bunch of roses I have ever seen, let alone received. He and Chase stayed for lunch and cake and just visited for a while. I wasn't going to be home that night until late because I had my wrist MRI scheduled at 5:30pm. Then he was busy running from store to store getting everything ready for the weekend. Saturday continued the festivities...we went to soccer games, had our primary program practice and then went for a family swim. We came home and got all dressed up and Mark and I went out to dinner for fondue at the Mona Lisa Restaurant in Nampa. The girls babysat Chase. We were gone for about 2 hours and came home to all 3 kids alive and the house clean (shocking!!). It was a great night. I also got to open birthday gifts...all of which were amazing. Next morning I got breakfast in bed, then we headed off to church. It was our primary program and the theme was "the family". How lucky was I to be 1 of the 2 adults to give a talk during it...(I know you can feel my joy and excitement coming through). Then back home, more gifts and Mark made dinner for us. We had some cake and then headed off to his parent's house to celebrate birthdays and Mother's Day. It truly was an amazing weekend. Mark is wonderful about making me feel special. I kept telling him he was doing too much, but he is great that way.

Quilting

2011-04-26T14:30:00.005-06:00

I have wanted to learn to quilt for a long time. I have never had anyone close to me that knew how to quilt and would teach me. So, I decided to tackle this adventure on my own. A friend and I found a "block of the month" club and signed up. We each get instructions for one quilt block each month and once the year is up we will have an amazing quilt. This quilt is a Christmas quilt (thus the Christmas colors) and not only have I had to invent quilting skills, but also embroidery skills.

Easter 2011

2011-04-26T14:07:00.005-06:00

Easter morning Chase got to see what the Easter bunny brought him. He was very excited for the chocolate because he LOVES chocolate, but then he figured out the bunny brought him one of his other loves...a train set. He played with this train set alone and with each parent for nearly three hours straight. We have never seen him so interested in one thing for so long as he was with that train set.

A week ago when we had the girls (they were with their dad for Easter weekend) our church had a breakfast and egg hunt for the kids. Everyone had a good time and collected quite a few eggs.

Update

2011-04-12T12:24:00.003-06:00

Just wanted to update everyone about my wrist. I went to the hand doctor last week and after another set of x-rays he says things look just the same as before. He said I needed to wear my brace for 3 more months...yes I wrote that correctly. I need to wear my brace until July 6, 2011 when my next appointment is. He did say I don't have to wear it while at work having "face to face interaction" but any other time I am using it. He encouraged me not to fall or land on it without my brace on for the potential that my bone should "shatter" and then "collapse" the remainder of my wrist bones. AWESOME!!! Also, decided to go for a change last week while getting my hair cut. Off with the long locks I have had for years. Check out the new...

Disneyland day 3

2011-04-09T18:04:00.009-06:00

Day three brought another early morning. We ate breakfast inside the park with Minnie Mouse and her friends. After breakfast, we jumped on some bigger rides (so the lines would be short). We went on Space Mountain, Indiana Jones (3 times total), the Haunted Mansion, and everything else we had missed. We made our way back to Disney California for a few more rides there and then had a late dinner at Goofy's Kitchen. After dinner we went shopping for souvenirs, watched the fireworks, went on more rides and called it a night around 11pm. It was fun to watch the different personalities of each child come through when picking out their souvenir. Madeline made her own Jedi light saber(?) (since she had fought Darth Maul earlier in the vacation after learning to be a Jedi), Reyna picked out a Minnie Mouse hat, Chase wanted a baseball, Kacey didn't want anything from Disneyland and was hoping to just get a shirt at the mall, but when that request was denied he settled for a magnet, Cassandra and Caleb both wanted sweatshirts, Mark picked out a vintage Mickey t-shirt and I got a Disney frame.

Disneyland Day 2

2011-04-09T09:39:00.007-06:00

Saturday started out early. We were in the park ready for rides at 7:00 am. We were able to go on a bunch of rides because the lines were so limited at that time of the day. Then off to our character breakfast at Surf's Up. We were able to meet many Disney characters and get pictures taken. Then it was back to the park for a full day of rides and fun. We went to Disney California today as well. This gave all the bigger kids the chance to go on roller coasters, flying swings, and as a family we went on the big spinning Ferris wheel. I think we didn't leave the park that night until about 10:00 pm---pretty amazing that Chase lasted so long and did as well as he did. He loved the rides, especially Nemo's submarine and the train ride.

Disneyland day 1

2011-04-04T12:17:00.002-06:00

Friday morning, April 1, 2011, we left Boise headed to Disneyland. We picked up the Kacey, Caleb and Reyna from their mom's house and off we went for a few days of fun. Everyone was excited to be back together as a family for the next four days, not to mention staying in a hotel, swimming, warm weather and Disneyland fun.

Huntsville, Alabama

2011-03-28T15:06:00.003-06:00

I left Boise this morning and 2 long flights later I am here in Huntsville, Alabama. I will be spending the next few days here for the 27th National Symposium on Child Abuse. Tonight the conference starts at the US Space and Rocket Center...

Date Night

2011-03-24T20:49:00.004-06:00

Mark and I had a great night a few weeks ago. We got all dressed up (you know it looks awesome with my arm brace on) and went to the Hearts of Hope Gala. It was a fundraiser dinner, auction and gaming night to support the Nampa Family Justice Center (where Mark and the other Nampa Police detectives are housed out of). It was so much fun. We don't gamble, but we got with a group of friends and played 21 (none of us knew what we were doing including the volunteer dealer). We just laughed, ate and bid on a ton of auction items. We ended up walking away with nothing, so that was disappointing, but it was a great time away from kids and just being together. Plus it isn't very often I get to see my handsome husband in a tuxedo.

When it rains it pours

2011-03-24T20:24:00.003-06:00

Just a bunch of rambling...
I have this bad habit of over extending myself. For some reason I struggle to say "no" and end up getting into stress out mode at times. I always know when it is coming on because the "to do" lists pop up all over the place, the car gets cluttered and I can't sleep at night. Last night I laid awake for hours just not being able to shut my mind off. And tonight, I find myself drinking away my stress with my 2nd Mountain Dew of the evening...(now I really won't sleep tonight). Let me explain. I leave on Monday morning for 4 days to Huntsville, Alabama for work purposes. I return late Thursday night and less than 12 hours later we are back on a plane on our way to Disneyland for 4 days of family fun. I am very excited, but feel a time crunch approaching. So, my "to do" lists have been filled up with getting all the last minute stuff done for that trip, such as calling Disneyland and getting all of our character meals scheduled, calling the hotel and reserving a crib, getting a rental car, etc. The girls left our house yesterday for their dad's house and we won't see them again until the morning we pick them up for Disneyland, so packing for them was a must. We have had sickness hit our family and Madeline was sent home from school on Tuesday with 101 fever. Mark and Cassie were sick on Sunday and I am now getting the head cold of that sickness. I was just released from my 2 year calling at church in the Young Women's program and immediately called to teach 5 year olds. Because I team teach, this is thankfully my Sunday off from teaching, but was called and asked to teach the lesson in Relief Society (again that "no" word doesn't come out very well). We just had our parent teacher conferences at school, so went to both of those last night and tonight was PTA's night to fix the teacher's dinner. Guess what...that is one of my many PTA assignments (in addition to being treasurer and teacher appreciation). We have been slammed at work the past 2 days, soccer practice for both girls started this week, and to top it all off I was served paperwork last night from my ex-husband for a change of custody. He is seeking more time with the girls and is seeking they change schools next year to attend the school district he resides in instead of the school district they have been attending for the past 2 years (and doing very well in). So throw in more stress just thinking about it and then trying to get ahold of my attorney. Mark has been on call and is currently doing a polygraph on a sex offender on a case he worked on all Saturday morning. Saw him for a few minutes earlier in the day. My wrist has been so painful for the past week that I am back having to take medication to relieve the pain. I hate taking medication for such a thing, even if it is just Tylenol, so I end up feeling guilty for not being strong enough to tolerate the pain. So, here I sit downing my Mountain Dews out of a cup so my little man won't want any as I watch BYU throw away an amazing basketball game. Why is it when it rains it pours? (Can you please keep my husband in your thoughts as next week he is doing single parenthood duty and is in charge at work---I guess his week will be next week-thank goodness there was a big Pepsi sale at Albertson's last week).

Looking for the Good

2011-03-20T19:30:00.003-06:00

My husband is assigned every month to go and visit some families and give them a "lesson". He has a partner that is not active in our church and therefore never goes with him. I told him long ago that I would go with him whenever he wanted to go to support him. And although I am not his "assigned" partner, today he is sick and there is an appointment on the calendar for him to visit an amazing family, who coincidentally was just released today as our Bishop. I printed off the lesson, read it and was preparing to give it, but it stuck a chord in my heart and I felt as though I needed to share it. It is no secret that I have struggled over the past few years with constantly being judged, questions and degraded. I have heard that I have very limited worth when it comes to parenting and so forth.
Well, the lesson this month from President Dieter F. Uchtdorf is titled "Looking for the Good". It states, "Have you ever noticed that people can usually find whatever they are looking for? Look hard enough, and you can discover both good and bad in almost anyone and anything...We have a choice. We can seek for the bad in others. Or we can make peace and work to extend to others understanding, fairness, and forgiveness we so desperately desire for ourselves. It is our choice; for whatever we seek, that we will certainly find." I know I am not perfect, but I believe this is such a true statement. Just as in a marriage, with your children, family, co-workers, etc. you can always find fault or you can search out the good and focus on it. What a good reminder to all of us that we will find what we seek out...Let it be the good in each other we seek and find.

Chase update

2011-03-16T20:38:00.004-06:00

Our little man (who is not so little anymore, yet sort of little for his age) reached 15 months old a week ago. We went for our doctor check up this week. Chase is looking good. We got medication for his knees and wrists where his eczema was trying to overtake him and all looks good just 3 days later. He is weighing in at a hefty (not) 21 pounds even (only in 10th percentile) and 30 inches tall (25th percentile). He said he has a "big brain", which makes Chase laugh when you tell him that. Doctor said he is slow in his teeth developmental (skeletal development) because he is still just chomping away with 3 on top and 2 on the bottom, but we are ok with that. The doctor was impressed he sleeps about 11.5 hours at night and 3 more hours during the day. (I think he is making up for all those hours he wouldn't sleep as an infant). He is cruising around like no one's business. And he smiles the entire time. We will be chasing him as he runs away in no time...Finally, his vocabulary is growing almost daily it seems. He loves the "wow" and "whoa" sounds lately.

Spring!!!...not yet

2011-03-07T13:06:00.001-07:00

This weekend while my parents were in town from Las Vegas, Nevada, my dad was complaining about how cold it was. It was in the 50's so we were telling him it was finally spring. No locals were wearing coats any longer and we even played at length outside in the sunshine. The day after he left, we awoke to winter conditions with a few inches of snow on the ground and snow coming down for hours. I guess we aren't quite at spring yet, but we certainly appreciate the sunshine when it is out...

Baptism

2011-03-07T12:53:00.004-07:00

Madeline turned 8 in February and so the first weekend of March (March 5, 2011) she was baptized into our church. She was so excited. Because her dad isn't a member of the church, I think it needs to be her desire, not mine for her to be baptized. She is of such a strong will that months ago when she knew she wanted to be baptized there was no one that would change her mind. She wanted Mark (stepdad) to baptize and confirm her, so he gladly did. It was a nice day. Her grandparents from Las Vegas came to see her and had lots of Mark's family present. Cassandra, Chase, Madeline, Courtney and MarkMom, Madeline and MarkMadeline and Mom after opening some presents.

birthday continued

2011-03-07T12:47:00.003-07:00

Here are a few more pictures from Mark's birthday celebrations. 40 candles is quite a lot...
but he got them all in one breath.
Mark with this much wanted Yankees jersey.

Happy Birthday, Mark

2011-03-03T17:41:00.002-07:00

This handsome man had a birthday today. A 40th birthday to be exact.

He was a bit nervous about this big day. He thinks 40 seems old. He doesn't look at the fact that he is young at heart or that he can outrun anyone in church basketball, softball, at work during his quarterly fitness tests and out perform people half his age.
Instead he decided he wanted to prove himself on this big day. About 3 weeks ago he decided he wanted nothing more than to run a marathon (26.2 miles) on his 40th birthday. So over the past 3 weeks he has logged over 80 miles in an attempt to "prepare" himself. He got off work early and set out on this journey all alone. He knew it would not be easy running in the colder weather, with the wind blowing and on a course we mapped out in our car a few days prior. He worried about the lack of water with no aid stations, so he set up water bottles in the front yard of our house and he made 3 loops that equaled the mileage needed. Yes, 3 drinks in 26.2 miles. With great pride I tell you that HE DID IT!!! I got off work, picked up the baby from daycare and drove home in time to watch him finish his last mile. We drove up the street and gave our cheers and then zoomed home, loaded up on the bike and got to ride the last two tenths of the run with him. I was so proud of my husband at that moment. What a huge accomplishment!!!

Here he is right after his run. He looks amazing doesn't he!!! I think 40 looks fabulous on him.

6 more weeks

2011-02-23T21:31:00.003-07:00

Here is my newest hardware. I went to the hand doctor today after being in my cast for 4 weeks. Mark had a feeling I would be put back in another cast. I was hopeful for not, but after talking to him certainly more realistic about that possible outcome. I really was hoping all would be well and we could go snowboarding this Friday as we planned. Well...not so much. My doctor said the x-ray of my wrist has not changed in 8 weeks. It looks exactly the same as the day after I hurt it. He was hoping there would be some change but there wasn't. He did tell me that he staffed my case with the hand surgeon board this past month because it is such a rare, fascinating case study (not sure if that is a good thing...). They all agreed with his diagnosis of Kienbock's disease and agreed he needed to cast it first. He was prepared to now talk to me about surgical options, but with no change he was "baffled". (again...is that a good thing?) He wanted to spare me from 6 more weeks of a hard cast (an no showers) so he had me fitted for this hard brace. He informed me I needed to wear it 24 hours a day with the exception of a shower. I even needed to have it on while watching TV (?!?!). So, in 6 weeks I return for more x-rays and more decisions of what is next. So for now, my lunate bone is still broken and still dead. Mark says next 6 weeks I really need to be cautious with my wrist and do everything in my power to help it try to heal. (This even includes limiting my picking up Chase, because the restrictions being put on me are no lifting, pushing, pulling, baring weight, etc). This will certainly be a challenge...6 more weeks!

Cupcake

2011-02-23T21:29:00.002-07:00

Madeline brought home an extra cupcake from school yesterday and Chase thought he was in heaven. He enjoyed every drop of that cupcake. For your enjoyment...

LIttle Monster

2011-02-23T21:25:00.002-07:00

This little man is a monster. He creates a mess everywhere he goes. It seems as though we follow him around picking up after him all day long. Here he found a gallon size bag filled with his big sister's beads for making necklaces. He found great pleasure in dumping the bag all over the floor. We spent nearly an hour picking up beads. I think we are still finding them here and there...Thank goodness he is too cute for words or these situations wouldn't be as funny.

Happy Birthday, Madeline

2011-02-21T19:11:00.005-07:00

Today is Madeline's 8th birthday. Instead of throwing a party for all her friends, we decided to have a special family day. Since it is President's Day, she had the day off of school and Mark had the day off from work. We started out the day with doughnuts (one of her favorites) and then headed off to the Discovery Center. There we all explored and played until it was time for lunch. After lunch (and a nap for Chase) we went to the movies for the Gnomeo and Juliet showing. Throw in some cupcake making for school tomorrow, a ride on the new bike, and a cake for the big day and then off to dinner at Madeline;s pick of Red Robin. She got to stand on her chair with balloons, ice cream and singing. All in all it was a great day of celebration. Not to mention the gifts...money, a bike, clothes. Wow!
Madeline and Cassie getting Chase to pull the gift out of the bag. They thought it was so funny he was nearly all the way in the bag trying to retrieve the gift.
Madeline's cake. She wanted it to look like a wedding cake, but pink, with flowers and a tiara on the top. She even drew it out on paper so I would be sure she knew I knew what she wanted.

Cupcakes for school tomorrow. They are "ice cream sundae"cupcakes.

wrist update

2011-02-20T19:40:00.001-07:00

This is the newest of my 2 casts. I started off black. Then it got too big that I could nearly slip my hand out of it, so I traded it for a red model. I go back to the hand doctor this Wednesday to see what is next.

on the go

2011-02-20T19:29:00.003-07:00

Chase has been taking steps here and there for the past few days. He will walk nearly forever if you hold his hands, but now he is doing it on his own. Here is a small glimpse of what he has been bravely trying out. (Sorry it is so dark. I grabbed the little camera because it was downstairs when he took off. He had gone back and forth between the couches, but once I grabbed the camera he must have been tired...)

Daddy Daughter Date

2011-02-16T10:30:00.003-07:00

Mark took the girls on a daddy daughter date night on Saturday night. It was hosted by the Nampa Recreational Center. It involved a dance, cookie decorating, bracelet making, picture taking and face painting. They had such a good time that night. The only thing missing was Reyna! We are hoping to make it a yearly tradition so she can do it next year.

Valentine's Day

2011-02-15T17:25:00.002-07:00

As you know Valentine's Day fell on a Monday this year, so we got the chance to celebrate many times over. Mark and I went out to lunch together. Chase and I planned a special dinner. We got Mark balloons, chocolate dipped strawberries and a card (since we had already celebrated with our trip to Utah). Then I got home after running errands and found beautiful roses and a card for me. We went to the gym (romantic isn't it...) and then came home for a candlelit dinner of heart shaped pizza and strawberry shortcake for dessert. It was a great day. My beautiful roses
The girls ready for our "special" dinner
Got to love Papa Murphy's heart shaped pizza.

Getaway

2011-02-15T16:24:00.005-07:00

Mark and I decided we would celebrate Valentine's Day a little early this year. Mark got tickets to the Spurs vs. Jazz game in Salt Lake City and we were off. A 5 hour drive in the car with no kids was very nice. It was fun just talking.Yep, you heard me right...no kids. Mark's sister agreed to take care of Chase, so we were carefree for 24 hours. Once we got there, we stumbled upon THE BEST Mexican food restaurant either of us have ever eaten at. It was called the Blue Iguana and it was to die for!! We stayed in an amazing Bed and Breakfast called The Armstrong Mansion. Mark has in-laws that own it. Couldn't have asked for anything better. And of course my Suns beat the Jazz!!! Got to watch Nash in all his glory.
It was such an amazing 24 hours. This was our first time leaving Chase overnight. We rarely even get a babysitter, so it felt great to just have couple time.

playing outside and getting left out

2011-02-10T19:51:00.004-07:00

It has been so nice outside lately that the girls have been playing tether ball daily after school. They say it is good practice for how intense it is at school (takes me back to my childhood---why is tether ball so popular?). Well, there is a little man that doesn't think it is too cool that they are outside and he isn't. He stands at the backdoor looking at his sisters, banging on the door, "yelling" at them and then at me. It isn't quite warm enough for him and he tends to like to eat the dirt, so he doesn't go out with them too often.

14 months

2011-02-10T11:36:00.009-07:00

My baby is no more...he is a toddler. This month he moved from the "infant" classroom at day care to the "toddler" room. He has just sprouted 2 top teeth that are slowly descending. He will walk holding some one's hand, but is still a little too scared to do it on his own. Chase is so stinking adorable (at least in my opinion). His personality is shining through...he is smart, funny, and stubborn all rolled up into a little ball of handsomeness! He still has an obsession with yogurt and could eat it for all 3 meals a day. He also has discovered a LOVE for chocolate milk. He says "this" and "that" over and over so you are assured of what he is asking for. The best part is his long finger that points to "that". He also loves telling people "no" by shaking his head back and forth with such force when you try to get him to do something he doesn't want. He is always tossing around the idea of being a professional baseball player or a piano player. The both hold his interest and he could do them all day long if someone was willing to throw with him or monitor the piano bench. He loves carrying around a box of matches and/or the Aleve bottle. Those soothe him more than any toy we have purchased. (Don't worry we make sure he is safe)! He also loves reading, as you can see in pictures I took of him in his room reading.
Reading his book in his rocking chair.Oops...I was spotted taking pictures

Can you see the top tooth coming?!?!

despair

2011-02-01T13:09:00.003-07:00

I think I reached my depths of cast despair yesterday. Chase was being very fussy all morning long, so eventually I ended up laying on the couch with him on top of me. He fell asleep for about 10 minutes and then woke up coughing and then he threw up all over me. I sat up, ran him over to the kitchen sink, of course him throwing up the entire way. Once he was done, I sat him on the kitchen counter and examined the situation. He was covered head to toe in throw up, as was I. I couldn't even begin to think of how I was going to get both of us plus the floor clean with ONE working hand. How in the world would I even begin to get my shirt off over my head with one arm working?!?! As I sat there thinking, my little guy began to shake (I am sure he was getting cold from being soaked with throw up), so I took his clothes off and turned on the kitchen faucet. He looked at me as though I was crazy, since he has NEVER bathed in a sink before. I figured this was as much as I could handle of him splashing around with one hand. (I haven't bathed him for a week, since I can't get my arm wet and he is cRaZy in the bath. He thinks that is the time to show off and be a little daredevil.) I put him in and tried getting all the throw up out of his hair and ears. As I did this, the smell of the throw up soaking in my hair and in the hood of my sweatshirt almost became too much for me to stand. I knew I was in trouble. The gagging reflexes started to kick in... After not being able to think of a good way out of this predicament, I called Mark and asked him if he would be able to come home for a few minutes to help me. He reported back that he thought he might be able to as soon as he finished up what he was doing. I hung up and burst into tears. I felt so helpless. I had no clue how long he would be and what we would do in the meantime. Soon he walked in with Chase in the sink, throw up everywhere and me bawling my eyes out while covered in throw up (did I mention it was pink because of some strawberry stuff he ate). He asked where Chase threw up at and I simply turned to look at him. We all walked up stairs to the washing machine, where he looked puzzled wondering how to get my sweatshirt off without getting the mess everywhere and with trying to get it off over my cast. Eventually he did it and sent me to the bath while he cleaned up the floor and got Chase dressed. He came in and helped wash my hair and we tried figuring out what in the world is making our little man puke so much. He had some lunch and then off he went to work. I don't think I have felt so helpless as I did at that moment. Not being able to fully function in all areas of life is certainly not something I am used to. Thankfully Mark came through when I needed someone. He has certainly done his fair share of saving me over the past week.

My new fashion statement

2011-01-26T11:19:00.007-07:00

I went to the hand specialist today and he confirmed Kienbock's disease. He doesn't know the cause of the dead bone, but can clearly see it on the MRI. He thinks that because it was dead my land on it a month ago cause it to break. He confirmed there is not great treatment known at this time. I am in a cast for the next month and then he will see if the bone looks like the blood flow has increased back into it and if not, then we will look into a surgery to fix it.
(this picture was taken in the mirror, so it looks like its my right wrist, but actually it is my left wrist)

Cancun

2011-01-24T16:22:00.002-07:00

Mark and I just booked a 4 night stay in Cancun at Dreams Resort, an all inclusive resort, for November 2011. I know it seems far away but I am so excited!! We got a room that overlooks the dolphins and you can even swim with them. When making the decision to go or not, Mark and I could only think of a few time we have left Chase with someone even for just a date night, so we are VERY excited to go on this get away trip together. It will be AMAZING!!!

Seriously?!?!

2011-01-23T14:55:00.003-07:00

Today was just a typical Sunday. Chase has been sleeping great for the past few nights. No coughing, no fussing and going back to sleep, just pure silence. So, we all got to sleep in past 8:30 am, we woke up and I fixed a big breakfast with eggs, pancakes and sausage. We all enjoyed it, especially Chase. Got ready for church and out the door we went. Got there in time, but not early, so we were in the back of the chapel in the overflow (which isn't my favorite). Opening song started and Chase started fussing and wanted to sit on my lap, so I traded Mark the song book for the baby. All the sudden, out of no where, Chase started throwing up. I grabbed his blanket and he threw up 2 or 3 more times before he was empty. I grabbed him, the blanket full of throw up and headed out the door. He and I were COVERED in throw up. Poor Mark, who got splattered had to stay and clean up the floor and the chair (thankfully we were not on the carpet). I went home, cleaned up the baby, myself, our car seat. He napped and he is now doing fine. Mark says he is gun shy to take him places because we don't know what keeps causing him to throw up so much. We thought we had it solved until today. In the past we suspected some minor allergy to eggs, (only because he broke out in rash and was itching after eating a cookie with raw egg in the frosting), but the doctor didn't seem too concerned about it after hearing he doesn't have reactions to breads or noodles. However, concerned enough to not give him a flu shot. Maybe eggs?!? But seriously, I thought the store was a bad place to throw up...I now think church was worse.

Kienbock's disease?

2011-01-19T15:19:00.004-07:00

So, I had an MRI on my wrist last week and today finally got a call from my doctor. He said he has referred my case to a hand specialist (not a good sign?!?!) but was happy to talk to me about the findings and then further communication would happen with this hand surgeon (again, not another good thing to hear). He said the good news is that my ligament appeared all in tact which he had originally thought was torn. He said there is a possible broken bone but there is too much swelling on the bone (didn't know that happened) to determine for sure and it certainly was not a displaced break if that is the case. There is torn cartilage that they can see and they can still see the bone chip. He said what they think they are looking at (after him looking it over with the specialist) is the possibility of something called Kienbock's disease. He reported this is where some of the bone has died?!?! He is not sure if it had started prior to my injury and I just really exacerbated the problem or if the trauma of my injury started it. He would like me to meet with the hand surgeon and look at the MRI with him, then get a CT scan and go from there. Here is what I found on the Internet about Kienbock's disease. Sounds a little crazy to my non-medical brain.
It is breakdown of the lunate bone, a carpal bone in the wrist that articulates with the radius in the forearm. Specifically, Kienbock's disease is another name for avascular necrosis (death and fracture of bone tissue due to interruption of blood supply) with fragmentation and collapse of the lunate. This has classically been attributed to arterial disruption, but may also occur after events that produce venous congestion with elevated interosseous pressure.
The exact cause of Kienbock's is not known, though there are thought to be a number of factors predisposing a person to Kienbock's.
Recent studies have made a correlation between Kienbock's sufferers and Western European ancestry, but no definitive link can be positively confirmed.
The necrosis of the lunate bone can frequently be traced to a trauma to the wrist, like a compound fracture, which could cause the lunate's blood supply to be interrupted. There has also been documentation showing that some people have only one artery supplying the lunate, which could be easily severed or pinched, even through a slight sprain, causing the patient to develop Kienbock's. Despite a preponderance of evidence, no particular etiology has been conclusively verified..
Data exists on the internet that most people suffering from Kienbock's are affected in their dominant hand, though about one-third of sufferers report the condition in their non-dominant hand.
Kienbock's disease is classified as a "rare disorder," meaning that it affects fewer than 200,000 people in the U.S. population.
Many Kienbock's patients are frustrated by the lack of consensus among hand surgeons about optimal treatments for Kienbock's. No matter what the disease's stage of progression, there is no one best treatment, and the decision is often based partially, or even mostly, on incidental factors such as the patient's pain tolerance, the patient's desire to return to active use of the hand (such as in manual occupations), and the surgeon's level of expertise with different treatments.
Though, since each case of Kienbock's is different, the makeup of the wrist and arm bones are important factors which are individualized to each patient. Therefore, one surgery will never be able to solve all the problems associated with the disease. Thus, no consensus can be reached among surgeons.
So, now I wait for the surgeon to call and then do a CT scan. In the meantime he said to be cautious with it, including no push ups. He didn't sound too thrilled when I told him the pain is greater after a workout... :)

Ice Fishing

2011-01-17T11:13:00.004-07:00

This weekend we packed up the family and headed to Cascade, Idaho and tried our hand at ice fishing. These pictures are all on Cascade Lake. The ice was about 8-12 inches thick and the water was about 12 feet deep. Fish and Game provided poles and bait and University of Idaho provided lunch. I was so excited to try this out (and I think it is something I would love to do again). The kids got pretty cold, but all and all I think we all had a good time doing something new for everyone.

The Joys

2011-01-08T19:33:00.003-07:00

Oh they joy we have had in our house for the past 24 hours. Chase has had the flu. It all started last night after "date night". We had all 3 gone out to dinner and he ate right along with us, since he thinks he is such a big boy these days. Then off to Winco (I know, you are thinking what an awesome date night, but just wait...it gets better) to buy food for our upcoming freezer meal group. Just as we were checking out and running into old friends from long ago, Chase starts projectile vomiting. Yes, right there in the grocery store. We apologized, paid for our food and jumped into the car to get him home and everyone cleaned up. Little man slept until the morning, so was offered some milk, which of course was thrown up all over me, my hair and our bed. That created the need to shower was sheets and get up for the day (lets not forget Mark was on call so he was on the phone 3 times and at work for 3 hours last night, so not much sleep had by anyone except Chase). Then we slowly offered Pedialyte throughout the day and moved on to toast and crackers. If you have ever had a hungry baby that wanted food but you knew it wasn't good for him, that was how our entire day went. Him pointing at food and drink and the kitchen and crying all the while trying to get him to find his nourishment in a pacifier and a nap. FUN! Then by 6pm he was doing good. I offered him up some yummy squash and zucchini baby food. All was good, so I gave him a drink...Nope it all came up. I grabbed him and headed to the bath. Got him cleaned, lotioned and dressed and then we headed to cleaned up the high chair. He played with some balls and then began throwing up round 2 for the night. He is back on the Pedialyte diet and is none too thrilled. He is frustrated we are ignoring his cute little pointing finger. Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings! Did I mention I coached my first volleyball game today and Mark ran his first half day of basketball...the joys!

Like father, like son

2011-01-04T12:55:00.002-07:00

Mark loves chocolate cake. He likes it chocolate on chocolate, the richer the better. We get cake like that about 2 times a year, his birthday and Christmas. It becomes a special treat for him. Every night after the kids have gone to bed he gets his piece of cake and a glass of milk and sits down to savor it. well, our little man figured out what dad had and wanted in on that action. He too is a lover of chocolate cake. His dad was nice enough to share with him and Mark actually enjoyed the father/son moment.

2011-01-04T12:40:00.003-07:00

Chase has had the biggest rash for the past week. He has never been a baby that gets diaper rash. He does have dry skin, so of course we expected it to get worse when the cold weather hit, which it did. The doctor saw him at his year checkup and talked about his eczema and how to treat it with a certain type of cream. We have been using it, but just can't seem to get on top of all the patches on his body. Well, one week ago today he broke out with this rash on his stomach, groin, butt, and legs. And it is getting the best of us. We feel like we have tried tuns of creams, medicine, special bath solutions and we just can't kick this rash. He is trying to pop about 4 top teeth, so not sure if that has something to do with it, or if it is a reaction to his chicken pox shot?!? We are bamboozled on this rash. Poor kid!

Speaking of Gleeks

2011-01-04T12:31:00.003-07:00

He wanted his turn too. He got 37% accuracy, which means he was "singing" into the microphone.

Woes of the workout

2010-12-30T15:52:00.003-07:00

It seems as though I am accident prone these days. Last night Mark and I were in bootcamp and for one of our exercises we needed to do the "football run", which is running quickly with feet apart. Then the instructor would yell out "down" and we needed to drop to the floor and bounce back up (sort of in push up position). During the 3rd time around of this, she yelled "down" and I hit the floor, but most of my weight shifted to my left hand instead of going down evenly. I jumped up and instantly knew I had hurt my wrist. I had heard a pop, but it didn't look different and I could move it, so I knew it wasn't broken. I finished up the workout, but not without some aches. Last night I could not sleep. The pain in my wrist and hand and shooting up my arm was so intense. I could not find a position that felt good enough for me to fall asleep in. I promised my husband I would go tot eh doctor today to have it checked out. Once getting to the doctor, I started second guessing myself because it was doing WAY better than it had been last night. Mark had to help me get ready this morning, but by this afternoon I was able to button my pants and move my wrist and now I was feeling silly for having someone look me over. So, 2 hours and 5 x-rays later (and I am sure a large bill) I have a "not right looking left wrist" which includes a torn ligament and a bone chip. Doctor isn't sure it will heal on its own, but is asking me to give it a week and see if it starts recovering. If not, hello bigger bill with an MRI and then who knows what...That's what you get for working out!!! Got to love it!

We are Gleeks

2010-12-29T10:50:00.003-07:00

Yes, it is true...in this house we are all Gleeks. If you are one too, then you know what I am talking about. If you aren't then I will explain. We love watching the TV show, Glee. We DVR it weekly and order it from Netflix and now for Christmas, Cassandra got the Glee Wii. So, our house has been full of Glee singing by all (except Kacey-he is the only one that didn't want to sing into the microphone, but he watched everyone else). This is the typical scene in our home these days.

Christmas Day

2010-12-29T09:48:00.011-07:00

We had a great Christmas this year. We decided it was it was time for us to come up with new traditions. This has been hard for us since we have never had all the kids together for Christmas Eve. We have always just gone with the flow. But now that we have our little man together we decided we needed to come up with stable traditions for him. So Christmas Eve we woke up, had breakfast and then went for a family swim. We had such a good time together. We then went out to lunch, came home, and the kids made gingerbread cookies for Santa. They then decorated a gingerbread house and we watched a movie together. We had a yummy traditional ham dinner and then ventured out into the cold to look at Christmas lights around town. Once back home, Mark read the story of the birth of Jesus out of the Bible and the kids went off to bed. Christmas morning the girls were coming home, so I set out to pick them up. Upon returning home the kids were then given the green light to see what Santa brought them. It was amazing how good he was this year to everyone. Once that excitement was had by all we sat down for a Christmas breakfast and then headed back to the tree to open presents. We played and visited and snacked until it was time for the Prime Rib dinner with all the fixings. We then headed out to our traditional Christmas night movie. All and all it was an amazing holiday for us!
Mark and Courtney-Christmas night 2010 Madeline with her new PJ's and cowboy boots
Chas and his riding tractor from Santa
The kids with their loot
Chase with some sports balls
The family-Christmas 2010
Madeline
Reyna
Cassandra
Kacey and Cassandra
Caleb

The Polar Express

2010-12-20T21:26:00.004-07:00

On Saturday we left Horseshoe Bend (about 45 minutes from Boise) to take a train ride to the North Pole. We all climbed aboard the "Polar Express" for the 1.5 hour ride. During that time, Santa came and talked to every person on the train, as did Mrs. Claus. They led the group in Christmas songs and we just enjoyed the ride. Once we got to the North Pole Santa there waiting for kids to sit on his lap and take more pictures. they also had milk and cookies for everyone. There were carolers singing and a fire going. Once we boarded to train to head back, Santa came and sat by the kids and told them a story of a penguin with slick feet. Then Mrs. Claus came and talked to each of the kids. Soon (1.5 hours later) we arrived back to the train depot. It was a fun journey.

This is Christmas

2010-12-20T21:00:00.002-07:00

So, for me, this is what Christmas is all about. I love baking goodies and making candy and baking breads. It seems like there is always a different treat I am wanting to make. The problem is after it is all made who do I give it to? I made about 7 dozen of these Polish filled cookies (with homemade jams-thanks to my cherry and apricot jams and my mom blackberry/blueberry jam). Ended up using these cookies in a cookie exchange, so got 5 dozen other kinds of yummy cookies to give away from that. These are the turtles I made with my homemade caramel. Gave 5 batches of these away in a candy exchange and so I get 5 other candies to give away. Mark is not a fan of fudge, which surprisingly I love even though I am not a fan of chocolate. So I don't make that because I go into knowing I am the only one that will eat it, but thankfully I did get a batch at the exchange I was able to sneak a few pieces and fill my void for the year.

These are cranberry lemon breads that I make every year. Got the recipe from my big sis years ago after she took a tour of the ocean spray factory in Las Vegas. It is such yummy bread that I end up making it and giving it away to people we visit for church and neighbors. (We do keep a mini-loaf for ourselves). Chase loved sitting on the floor one day after a long day of work/day care and he and I just shared some pieces of cake. It was such a fun memory to have of him. He just sat so still on my lap as we were on the floor and he would take a bite, then I would. We went back and forth until our piece of bread was gone and then we both looked at each other and instantly knew we needed another piece to fill our craving. This of course was before dinner...

Carmel...what would Christmas be without homemade caramel? Tons of time stirring constantly until it reaches 236 degrees---twice, but so worth it!!! Makes me think of my mom because I probably got my love of caramel mostly from her. She just has more will power.

English Toffee. This was a staple growing up. I think my mom made this from thanksgiving through Christmas. It is simple...butter, sugar and water all cooked up perfectly then poured on a bed of pecans, then topped with chocolate and more nuts. My kids get excited when I make it, just like we did when my mom made it. Let's be honest here...I would still get excited if my mom made it instead of me. It always just tastes better that way!

Not to mention all the sugar cookies, snacks, gingerbread cookies, etc...That is what Christmas is about for me.

Birthday

2010-12-20T20:35:00.005-07:00

Chase had his 1st birthday and we celebrated it with the family a few days later. He got to open presents and have cake. He got so excited to open presents with his sisters and for his new "bike" he got. He loves riding that thing. It sings, counts and makes driving noises. He can rock on it now and then turn it into a "bike/scooter" later. He also LOVED the cake. Mark and I are both a little type A when it comes to cleanliness, so it was a big deal for him to get full go ahead with his cake. The floor was a mess, as was he, but it was fun to watch.

Vicarious trauma...and a lot of gratitude

2010-12-17T08:58:00.002-07:00

Last night while eating dinner with my beloved, his work phone went off. The message that followed was that a fellow Nampa Policeman had been shot in the face, wasn't doing well and they were now in a standoff with said shooter and they needed him to come into work. I watched my husband go through the motions to get our bill, head home and get ready for work. I tried talking to him and asking questions, but I think he was upset and focused that he wasn't into "talking" to me. You always hear that policemen are "family" but I actually got to watch this man that I love, who is not a very social guy, go into the mode of protection for "one of his own". He headed off into a standoff with a man that obviously had no care or compassion for law enforcement, as evident that he already shot one in an effort to avoid an arrest warrant being served. I had messages hit my phone from a friend, whose husband is an Ada County policeman wanting to make sure it hadn't been Mark and that all was ok. And from there more friends called to check on us. At this point it had vaguely hit the news (in breaking news form) that a Nampa policeman had been shot. I quickly sent off text messages to those in the area, mainly family, that might hear the news and worry. I continued watching the news and emotionally struggled all night long. The tears were there for the man that was shot, for his fellow officers going into battle right behind him, and for the real possibility of that "could have been" situation. Through it all it was so nice to see all the comfort and concern that came our way. I know if anything were to happen to Mark that there would be people ready to offer their love, support, and help in any way possible. I was so impressed with the response of other police agencies in the valley that stepped up to allow Nampa to work the crime scene while they sent officers out to cover any other calls in the city, for State police, Boise City Police and Ada County that offered road closures and police escorts for the ambulance to get that man to the hospital. For all the officers they showed that arrived and stayed at the hospital to be with their "brother" during this time. The outpouring made me know that our family would never be alone if anything were to happen to Mark in the line of duty. End of the story...suspect was found dead in his apartment (one block from the police station) and policeman who was shot in the face, amazingly, that bullet only bounce around in his mouth a few times and then he swallowed it. No serious injury. This all took place just a block from Mark's work. As he was leaving work late last night and saw the police cars pull up to the apartment building I am so thankful he didn't respond to help serve any warrant. It sure makes you realize that you never know what the day will bring...what a simple call out or traffic stop will spark in someone and the potential consequences that need to be faced.