Family Portraits

Yesterday was a pretty good day!

I had it all planned out. Kate and I would go shopping for a bit. Robert and the boys would get the back yard mowed and cleaned up while we were out. And they did it! The plan was to finally get current family pictures done. We haven't done family pictures since Jonathan was 9 months old!! Since Wally World doesn't have a professional I decided to take them myself!

I bought some matching Fourth of July shirts from wally world for the family, something I've never done but always wanted to do. My plan was to do family portraits in the back yard.

The only kink in my plan was Kate's hair. I had to do something with it. I brushed it.. I combed it.. but it needed more! I didn't want just a pony tail or two cause we do that all the time and it lasts maybe an hour before she pulls it out. So, I did the only thing a mom could do in my position--that position being a mom of 2 boys that don't need their hair fixed--I called my best friend, Marie, who has 3 girls with lots of thick curly hair. She would know what to do!

My fingers have never been able to figure out the french braid! Thanx, Marie!!!!

So, we all got dressed up and took the camera (Canon Rebel XTi) and tripod out to the terribly uneven backyard, set the timer and took bunches of pix! Here are the results of the photo shoot. Hope you like!



That was really fun. And I have to say I think I took some pretty good pix!
Here is the real one we will probably frame as our family portrait.



Thanx for looking!!
















More of the 4th to come later!

Once Upon a Time..

Once upon a time I had a normal life... then life threw a couple of bricks my way. I still haven't figured out how to get back into my groove.

Life got crazy about March-ish when my mother-in-law's cancer took a drastic turn for the worse. Maybe it wasn't her cancer. Maybe she just decided she'd had enough. I could hardly blame her. She'd been doing chemo for a year, lost all her dreams of teaching and getting her Master's degree. I spent 2 weeks with her trying to figure out what to do and who to ask for help. I came back home only to have Robert take my place a week later. We went back and forth for several months, never accomplishing much because of persons and circumstances beyond our control.

Then, my favoritest cousin, Margaret, got engaged to my nother little brother and plans were set for wedding fever. I began a project for their gift (a scrapbook wedding album which I'm still working on, just gotta find the right pics then I'll mail it back!!!) As it turned out, their wedding, which was planned for May 3rd was moved up to April 19th.

My Aunt, Margaret's mom was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. Many tears were shed and still are. Aunt Yvonne was an amazing person. She loved unconditionally and made sure everyone knew how special they are.

The wedding was moved up so Aunt Yvonne would be able to attend. It turned out that she did make it through the ceremony and a bunch of pictures afterwards. She made it almost 2 more weeks, much to everyone's supprise. Aunt Yvonne passed away the morning of May 7th, the day after my birthday.

Once again, Robert headed down to his mom's and the kids and I went to my Aunt's funeral. One of the most peaceful and love filled funerals I have ever attended.

The kids and I left for home and stopped in Logan to see grandma. Robert and I told the kids that this would be the last time they would see her in this life. Grandma was in the hospital and decided to go off all artificial nutrition and respiratory whatever that was keeping her here. Though she kept the morphine! smart lady! The kids played a few games with her, talked and joked. They told her how much they love her and even sang her "I love to see the temple". They kissed and hugged her and we went home.

The following Saturday morning (May 17th) , Robert called to let me know that she had passed away and I needed to come down. (Please, any family out there, don't ever put it on an inlaw to be your power of attorney, or whatever, it makes it so much more difficult on the child that has to deal with everthing) I left the kids in the care of my best friends and headed, once again, to Logan. We didn't tell the kids that grandma died until we came back home so they could deal with her death with us and not by themselves. I know my friends would have done everything they could have to make their hurt go away, but that was not their responsability. (Thank you Nikki, Marie and Dan!)

We got home, school ended, baby sitters lined up, Tae Kwon Do started (3nights a week!), Relay for Life was Friday night to Saturday morning - yes, I spent the night, yes I actually slept. I love Relay. Then Saturday morning from 9 to 4pm was Cub Scout Day Camp. Being Den leader and Gabe's mom I couldn't get out of it...

I am tired and I want my normal life back. Tomorrow the EPA comes to audit my lab. Being in Sample Receiving, I am also being audited. Not looking forward to that! We are still waiting to find out when we will go to the U of U to figure out what is going on with Robert.

Oh, I forgot, While we were dealing with Robert's mom, Dan, his brother, drove out his 4Runner so Robert could have a vehicle since some girl felt the need to not pay attention to the road and ran into the purple beast flipping it and Robert and totalling the truck. So Dan and Robert went to logan together when the kids and I went to Moccasin for my Aunt's funeral. They had to clear out and clean out the apartment and settle stuff for funeral stuff. They worked so hard that Dan ended up back in the hospital with another infection and ended up going hom the day their mom died.

Can I have some sanity please?!

Be My Bra!

I have had several family members diagnosed with breast cancer. A cousin sent me a link for the Mastectomy Petition ... I thought this was important so I made this little avatar. Only problem is I can't get it to embed into my blog... so...here is a link to to see me: Be My Bra. My # is 419532.

AAACKKK!!!!!

It is supposed to snow tomorrow!!! So not right!!! It's the middle of May (almost)... and I have to travel...again...

I'm sure it is spring somewhere in the world.

Procrastination!

Nothing like waiting 'till the last minute for inspiration!

Jonathan's student teacher, we'll call her Miss Angi 'cause I can't remember her name, is finishing her last week with his class this friday. She has been an amazing help and took on the teaching roll moreheavily when Mrs. Rojo was out for health problems. Such a sweet girl.

Anyway, Mrs. Rojo wanted to show her appreciation for Miss Angi by throwing her a suprise party. She secretly sent home notes with everyone asking to send a little gift.

Well, I don't like to buy things like stationery. I think they are so impersonal. So, yesterday, after the boys cleaned the bathrooms, I sat down and ignored the needs of my family to make a special gift for Miss Angi. Just Kidding, they were not ignored. I heard everything they asked for and told them where to find what they wanted.

After racking my brain, and peeking at Erin's blog for inspiration, I found perfect paper and stuff to create. I used paper and tags from K & Co.; brads, flowers and bling from CTMH, and some $1 ribbon from Target....Hope you like!

Tradition!

I love Fiddler on the Roof! But this post has nothing to do with that except the word TRADITION! that I must sing whenever I say it, or think it....

My family has a few traditions. They come from both mine and Robert's sides of the family. One that I am very proud of the fact that we both come from military families. Our dad's were Army/Air Force. Our brothers are Army/Navy. Makes for fun football!

Robert is an Air Force Brat, grew up mostly in England. Someday we will go there..

I missed out being a Brat by a year and a half. After my older sister was born, my dad left the Air Force as there was a surplus of Officers.

Currently, I have one brother who has been pulled into Army life. He is Navy, Reserve at the moment. He recieved notice earlier this year that the Army wanted him in Iraq in June. He has been training for a little over a month now on the East Coast. It is very worysome for me that he will be going to the middle of the war zone for such a long time. It never occured to me that he would be loaned to the Army. I always thought that if he ever had anything to do in this war he would be on a big boat or submarine somewhere in the Pacific. Although, how much involvement that would be is debateable.

Robert has a brother who spends time in the war zone at least once a year. His last time out, his number was called and he ended up back stateside a little early with an injury. That kid has more lives than a cat!

So with the injury of one brother and another brother headed into the thick of things, I worry!

I've always looked up to my brother. He probably doesn't know that. He always made the right decisions and makes mom and dad proud. He earned an amizing scholarship to the university of his choice from the Navy. He was the first in our family to serve an LDS mission in Africa in the Johannesburg, S. Africa mission. He returned to finish his program at school and had an outstanding career with the Navy.

My brother is a good example to my kids and helps teach them hard work. Last summer, I took the kids on an extended vacation heading to California and back. On our way down, we stayed a couple of days with him. He was preparing his garden for the summer and had the kids help him plant corn. The kids complained a bit because it was hot and a bit of work too. A week or two later we were back and they helped weed the garden. They were so excited to see the seeds they planted start coming up. We went to California to visit my little sister for a couple weeks (another story for another time) and came back. The kids were able to help harvest the corn they had planted. What a wonderful lesson!

I don't feel that I've had a very good relationship with my brother. He is five years older than I and we are quite different from each other. This is the first time, that I remember, any of my siblings actually going into a war zone. It scares me. But, I support him and all the others serving our country 100%. I appreciate their sacrifice. I am grateful for the service they give our country and for the examples they are to my children. I love my brother and my brother-in-law.

Having dinner with my brothers (and sister, and cousins, and friends) while on leave.

Things that make me happy...

Ok, wow, 2 in one day!

I just wanted to share things that make me happy..

Today, Katie came into my room to try to wake me up. She ended up waking up Robert and we played for a good half hour. Then the boys came in. They're not so small anymore! So we had our Saturday tickle session. Gosh, I love that!

I went grocery shopping without the kids. I love that!!

I came home and instead of cramming the grocerues wherever they are supposed to go, I cleaned the refridgerator and reorganized! My clean and organized fridge makes me happy!

Then, I needed a nap. I didn't take it. I decided to play and make the pages from the previous post.

I thought that I that fridge really made me happy and I want to share.

I'm also going to share 2 pages I made a while ago that I never put on my website.

These make me really happy....

And here is a digi lo of Jonathan that I am really proud of....

Ok, that's all for now.

Later.