Snow---by jonah

Ho, ho, ho, play in the snow.
Ho, ho, ho,  what do you know,
You should eat white snow,
You shouldn't eat yellow,
But if you do,
You're a really dumb fellow!

Thanksgiving in Idaho

We just returned from a fabulous yet harrowing Thanksgiving in Idaho.  Let me explain.
The largest and coldest storm of the season hit at the beginning of the week. The storm started in the North making it's way south.  So late Monday night Idaho began getting the storm and by Tuesday night Salt Lake was storming.  We left Wednesday after the storm was over...not so.  The snow was off and on as we left Wednesday about 1pm. Over the drive was okay until... Pocatello and Blackfoot.  The winds and drifting were so bad in Poctello visibility was difficult.  By the time we hit Blackfoot we the highway was one sheet of ice.  We drove 10 MPH from Blackfoot to Shelley, Idaho,  20 miles that endured over an hour.  Grueling!!!

Thanksgiving day was marvelous!!!  Delicious turkey, ham, stuffing, candied yams, rolls the works!!!! It was a freezing cold day, but Jeff and I managed to take the kids sledding before the dinner in 5 degree weather.
We ate until we couldn't eat anymore.  We played games, rested and enjoyed each other's company. We being: Lara and Justin (the hosts), my mom, dad, Jordan, Cindy and kids, Jeff and me and our family.  

Jeff and I were awakened the next morning by a sound known all too well as a sick child.  Jeff started on clean up while I sat by the toilet with Mason offering emotional support.  We all climbed back in bed, but it was not over yet.  The upset tummy lasted all day.  Mason states he counted over 24 episodes from 7 am to 11pm that night.(He lost count a couple of times)  He was one sick, tired, dehydrated boy.  His illness changed direction after a priesthood blessing, some anti-vomiting medicine and some intense hydration therapy.   He was able to sleep the whole night and woke up able to hold down food and water.  Did I mention that Jessica started the sitting by the toilet about 11pm that night?  We quickly gave her some anti-vomiting medicine and she did okay throughout the night.  We stayed at my sisters one more night to allow Mason's tummy time to settle.  I am glad we did or it would have been a long, miserable car ride home.  An extra thank you to Lara and Justin for enduring extra night stay and our sick kids.

On Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, we went to an early showing of the new movie "Tangled".  Sooo cute!!!! Everyone loved it (except Mason who was back with Grandma and Grandpa in his sick bed).
We enjoyed all the wonderful leftovers Thanksgiving dinner has to offer.  Yummmmmmmm!

Saturday we had an uneventful ride home to Salt Lake :)  We stopped in Malad to visit Jeff's grandma and had a nice time with her.

We are home cuddled as family in our own comfy home watching a movie and enjoying the rest of the weekend.  

Small accomplishments

I have had these pictures of my kids sitting framed in my craft room.  I wasn't sure how to hang them to make them look like a fabulous artistic piece on my wall. I finally succumbed to hanging them in a straight line.  I didn't pay big money for them just to sit in a stack in a cupboard.  

Jeff finally took the threat seriously and he found this metal wall decor and arranged and hung the photos. 

I love it.

He has such a better talent at decorating than I do.  (Runs in his family's blood)

 This is further back so you can see it is over the couch.  Also no flash used.

He thought the metal piece was representative of a family tree.  It looks great doesn't it?!!

Happy Birthday Jeff

Jeff celebrated his 37th birthday last week.  I think I've noticed his hair starting to thin :)
I made this cake for him with the kids help.  Jessica was incredibly excited to help. She did all the top bikini frosting.  All of the kids thought the "bikini cake" was a funny idea for Jeff for his birthday. The  boys thought of the idea of printing out my head and putting it on the cake.  I liked that added touch.
We had a fun few hours together.  Jeff flew in that day from Texas, I worked the next day and then he flew out the day after that to New Jersey.  No rest for the wicked or weary, something like that;)

Halloween 2010

               Ellie is dressed as cotton candy. Her own original costume.

Mason as Sherlock Holmes.

Jonah as Doctor Watson.

Jessica as a Lollipop. She designed this costume herself. (When she chose her design over mine she realized that she looked like a target. But she didn't care; thank goodness.)

Here is the whole gang. We had a neighbor boy come trick-or-treating with us, he is the boys age.

It was a rainy Halloween.  It gave us a glimpse of Halloween in Seattle.  Luckily Dr. Watson carried a large umbrella that we were able to use. 

Jeff dressed as a bike and I was his biker wife.  We didn't get a picture of us :(

We had a fun night of trick-or-treating with friends and stopping at neighbors for scones and funnel cakes.

Tie-dye Mania

We have a family Sunday dinner 1-2 times a month with all of Jeff's family. His mom always has a craft for the kids. Last month Jeff and I hosted the dinner. I had left over dye from the boys tie-dye birthday party last spring. We decided we would tie-dye shirts for the craft. Here are the results, 16 shirts later.

Smart Alec

I was going through Jonah's over stuffed folders that he never removes any school papers from.  I was looking at each page to determine if it was trash or homework to be returned.  I was reading all the teacher comments on the papers so I would be familiar with his strong areas of learning and weaker areas that we need to work on.  On one of his math papers the last question was:
Explain how to subtract 7.6 from 20.39.
Jonah's answer: "You go to a good school with good teachers for five years."
The teacher's comment: "Funny.  But seriously?"
Apparently we need to work a little more at math explanations.

While typing this post I noticed another math problem at the beginning of the page:
Kelly subtracted 2.3 from 20 and got 17.7. Explain why this answer is reasonable.
Jonah's answer "Because she did the problem rite."  (it appears we need to work on spelling too.)

Cute Sayings

Jessica decided she wanted to shave while in the shower. She used my shaving cream and an old toothbrush. She shaved both arms, both legs and her belly. The next day she wanted to do it again so she could smell good. I told her she couldn't use all my shaving cream and Ellie suggested maybe she could use dad's shaving and that is smelled good also, kind of a handsome smell she said. Jessica replied "I want to use mommy's shaving cream because it smells like hugs and kisses." (She has since purchased her own can of shaving cream she can use whenever she likes)


Yesterday as I was doing the dishes Jessica grabbed my leg and gave me a big hug. She asked "Do you know why I always hug you before I go downstairs to watch TV?"

me: "Why?"

Jessica, "So you always know how much I love you."

(If only all humanity could think/love like a child.)

Deja Vu

This last year has been full of uncertainty, waiting patiently (sometimes impatiently), hoping etc. Last April Jeff was laid off due to cut backs. The company closed it's doors a few months later.
Jeff diligently applied for numerous jobs with few responses and follow up interviews. After 7 months the first job offer was one in Logan. It was a big pay cut and below his skill level. He was going stir crazy at home and we needed benefits so he took the job and moved to Logan, coming home on the weekends.

We felt our prayers were answered and luck had finally turned when he was offered another job at the beginning of April. This company was growing fast and felt they needed a project manager. The pay was good, benefits were good and the company was an enjoyable genealogy business.

It felt like a punch in the gut when after only six weeks with that company they decided they did not want to go the direction of project management and wanted to try different avenues.

It was deja vu all over again. I spoke with my manager and changed my status so I can receive benefits through my work. Last summer I worked a ton of hours but never changed my status to receive benefits. I was in hopes that any day Jeff would be working and I could cut back. I don't dare chance it this time so regardless of how soon Jeff is working I am committed to the status change for a minimum of six months. I don't love working this much, but I am forever grateful to be in an occupation and with a good company and good managers who will help meet my family's needs.

The spirit has brought great comfort to us. I do not have the stress and fear that I experienced last year. Jeff is positive and up beat. He has had numerous interviews in just a months time. He enjoys taking the kids bowling, swimming, to Classic Skating and baseball. I don't feel resentful that I am missing it. (I did last summer.) My house is fairly cluttered and I don't care. I'd rather do a quick tidy and spend more time with my family than worry about deep cleaning and organization. I figure when I'm 60 yrs old my house will finally be clean and organized.

We are all healthy and happy. I don't know how long this repeated experience will last but in the mean time we are enjoying our summer.

Blood, Sweat and Tears= Pine Wood Derby

Mason's Car

Jonah's Car


The boys participated in their first pinewood derby in the April pack meeting. They both designed their own cars, help cut them out, sand them and paint the cars. Mason lost the first round in the race by 4 milliseconds, so disappointing. Jonah was eliminated after the the second round. There were a few tears by the first eliminated child and I started to resent the whole pine wood derby. All the boys work so hard and try to come up with the best designs that will of coarse help their cars win and then when they don't it is so disappointing. After the race, the people running the track let all the boys continue racing for fun. This helped lighten the mood of the disheartened boys.

Jeff received an award for "The most helpful dad" since helped cut out 5 pinewood derby cars. We found out that even boys who have dads to help them sometimes have dads without the tools or the talent. Maybe next year we should start charging to help cut out cars. J/K

Appreciation

A couple of months ago I stopped by the grocery store on the way home from work. I was, of coarse, wearing my scrubs. As I was browsing items in the baking isle a very nice looking middle age woman approached my and said, "Thank you so much for all that you do for people as a nurse. I know it can be hard work and what you do is appreciated." I said,"Thank you." as she smiled at me and walked away. I remember feeling touched; and even though I do get paid for my job it is still sometimes quite a sacrifice. (Twelve hour shifts are extremely long, night shifts are exhausting and the whole family pays for those and there are times when work becomes very personal and extremely emotional. ) I was touched that this woman showed appreciation so openly to a stranger. A lasting impression was made that day on me to remind me to be openly appreciative to others.
I appreciate every police officer, fire fighter and soldier, however, I don't always tell them when I come across them. I also appreciate the nice bagger at the grocery store who often is so quick to bring my kids a balloon as we check out. (I always tell him thank you.) I recognize those who work for low pay to help the younger generation to grow; teachers, cross walk guards, nice lunch ladies, janitors and incredible PTA presidents/workers.

I am trying to be more conscientious to openly thank others for what they give to my community, family and to humanity. Showing gratitude can elevate us all.

What we've been up to.

I have taken quite a hiatus from blogging and am feeling the need to catch up.
Winter was long for all of us. I think is was Jeff being gone but the inversion made it worse. We all took a lot of Omega oil vitamins to help us.

The annual Mountain bike race in March in St. George was a welcome break from the cold. Jeff and the boys did well. Mason took 5th place and Jonah took 7th place.




We enjoyed a fun spring break to my sisters in Arizona. She moved to Tucson last year and we have been wanting to visit for a while and spring break was the perfect time. The kids and I traveled to St. George were we stayed the night, picked up my mom and then headed south. It as a longe 12+ hour drive. We stopped at the Glen Canyon Dam, the south side of the Grand Canyon and endured many potty stops on the way. We went to Saguaro National Park, to the Sonora Desert Museum and the Zoo. We enjoyed spending time with cousins and getting to no them better. I took the boys to base ball game during spring training, D'backs vs. Rockies. Mason encountered a rattle snake close up at the community pool. Luckily he looked down before he stepped on it and calmly backed away.

The Grand Canyon

Saguaro National Park with cousin Camden

Jonah and Mason at the D'Back vs. Rockies game. We hung out by the dugouts and have autographs from both teams.

The car ride back was much shorter, stopping only for potty breaks and for lunch with a longer break at Montezuma's Castle, south of Flagstaff.

We returned to St. George on late on Thursday night, April 1st. We enjoyed a leisurely 3 more days in St. George. Jeff came down and met us and we celebrated Jonah, Mason and Jessica's birthdays on Sat. the 3rd and Easter the next day. We returned grateful to be back home but bummed out to come back to snow.

We had a swimming birthday party at Grandma and Grandpa Hays clubhouse. We were grateful there were no rattle snakes at this pool.

The kids had a fun Easter hunt in Grandma and Grandpa's small yard. Due to relentless teasing from Mason about my age, Mason received only Rabbit droppings in his Easter basket. I warned him I had connections with the Easter bunny but he continued teasing. He thought it was funny initially but the tears started to brim in his eyes when he still only had droppings in his basket after 20 minutes and the other kids were eating their treats. Luckily the Easter bunny left the content of Mason's basket outside hidden in the backyard. Mason has been very complimentary about my youthfulness.



This was the day after we came home. You gotta love April in Salt Lake. "Spring is just a war between winter and Summer." ( Quote from an elementary student from Canyon Rim Academy)

Lessons learned on this vacation:

• A side jot to the Grand Canyon is never quick.
• When Grandpa says to eat a small amount of sugar free candy he means a very small amount. Montezuma visited Jonah in the middle of a look out at the Grand Canyon. He kept visiting the rest of the way but only after we had stopped at nice bathrooms and we were forced to pull of on ranch exits in the dark and befriend the sagebrush.
• Small children have small bladders and don't give much warning.
• The Wii is sometimes more fun than sight seeing. Especially when a 3 yr old cousin beats everyone.
• Most pools are not heated in Arizona and are still very cold in April @ 80 degrees.
• We like real Indian Fry Bread and Prickly Pear Cactus jelly.
• My children are safer around Cacti than the other adults in my family. (My sister and her hubby went the week after us and were all speared by cacti needles.)
• I'm scared of Rattle Snakes. (If I lived in AZ I wouldn't let my children play outside.I know, I'm paranoid.)
• Aaron makes scrambled eggs that my kids are still talking about.
• We miss our family not being close.
  

Thanks Mom and Dad for you help in driving and thanks Julie for entertaining all five of us. Maybe next time Camden will figure out which twin is which and he won't have to call him "boy".

Birthdays, Jobs and Thanksgiving

November was an exciting month. We celebrated Jeff's birthday on the 5th and Ellie's on the 19th. (We also have Grandma and Grandpa Hays' birthday, Aunt Cindy's, Uncle Brad's and cousin Cambry's birthdays this month.)
Ellie received a "Moxie doll" along with clothes and books. We had fun experimenting and making a fun cake. (We used a chocolate transfer sheet to for the pink designs.) We are excited she is 8 yrs old and can't believe the time has gone so fast.

We spent Thanksgiving this year at my parents house in St. George. We enjoyed nice weather and a marvelous Thanksgiving feast with my parents, Uncle Ray and Aunt Marianne. The boys enjoyed fun mountain biking, and we all had fun, swimming, spelunking in caves and going to the beautiful outdoor nativity at Tuachan theater.

Jeff started a job in Logan,UT on Nov. 16th. He commuted daily the first week then found a room to rent so he doesn't have to do the commute. He comes home on the weekends. It is a new experience for all of us. He enjoys the people he works with and enjoys the company.

Ellie was baptized on Friday, December 10th 2009. We had a wonderful evening with family and friends present for her baptism. There was a special spirit that night. We continued to have a special weekend as the next day my sister, Lara and her hubby were sealed to their little girl Joci in the Salt Lake Temple. My whole family was there. We rarely are all together, it was a wonderful weekend.