Have yourself a merry little Christmas

Once upon a time there was a mom who woke her kids up in the morning, fed them breakfast, did a little house work, fed the kids lunch, did some laundry, fed the kids dinner then put them to bed. The next morning she woke up and did it all over again. The End. This is the story of my life these days. It is pretty boring and it is also the reason I haven’t written in a while. I’m not complaining though, things are going well and we are all happy and healthy so I’ll take it.

We have a rule that the kids can not wake Chris or I up before 5am on Christmas morning. Kaylee is really good about following this rule, but you better believe as soon as she sees the clock hit five; every one in our home is awake. She has an alarm clock in her room and she hadn’t changed it since the time change, so it was an hour ahead. She asked Chris or I if we would change it to the right time for her and we told her we were sure she would remember to take an hour away from the time on her clock. In the middle of the night Chris went and changed her clock to right time, so when it was actually 5 am Kaylee thought it was 4 am and so we should have gotten an extra hour of sleep. Notice I said could have, Chris must have gotten to excited, because he woke everyone up at 5:30. This from the guy who was trying to pay the kids to sleep until nine.

We had a good Christmas, after present opening at our house, we went for round two at my mom’s house. I really enjoy that my whole family lives so close that we can all get together so often. My grandma was even able to come down for a visit so it was really nice. For dinner I didn’t really feel like cooking so we went to Sunset Station for the buffet with Chris’s sisters. That really wasn’t the best idea because we ended up having to wait for an hour and a half just to get in, and the prices were kind of high for our kids (Kaylee) who ate sunflower seeds and cornbread. It was fun anyway, and I know we would have spent the same amount of time and money if we had cooked for everyone at home. The only down side is that we didn’t have any left-overs.

I hope everyone enjoyed their Holliday season and we wish you all a Happy New Year.

Go Elf Yourself

It's the new sensation that's sweeping the nation. I've had a couple of friends send me an "elf yourself" greeting, but it wasn't until Aiden saw one from his cousin's that he decided it would be okay for him to participate. If you haven't seen this yet it's a lot of fun. Follow this link to some hilarity, and if you like it enough, you can even make your own. http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1428758898.

And there's even something for the scrooge in your family. http://www.scroogeyourself.com/?id=1429234345

I hope you are all having a fun season.

December Already!

I know that Christmas is the same day every year, but it sneaks up on me every time. I looked at the calendar yesterday and I couldn’t believe that Christmas is only three weeks away! I have not done any shopping yet. I think my black Friday experience has soured me on shopping of any kind. I’m sure everything will get done, and I’m not even feeling stress, yet.

We put up our Christmas tree on Monday and when we plugged it in, it looked like a parfait of lights. Every other layer on our pre-lit tree is lit, and I think it will take to long to check all of the lights and figure out which ones need to be fixed, so we’ll probably just put some strands of lights on for now. It is about six years old and last year was the first year we had to replace any lights so it’s been really good for us, but branches are getting bent and now the lights so I think its days are numbered. I haven’t let the kids hang decorations yet because we would just have to take them down again to fix the lights, and it is testing Kaylee’s patience to the limit. She has been carrying her ornaments around in her stocking for two days. It’s kind of funny. I was worried that Dalin would knock the tree over, as he is notorious for getting into things, but I think he is actually afraid of it. Too many things poking out I guess. But like I said the ornaments aren’t on yet so I may be speaking to soon.

Speaking of Dalin he finally gets to go to nursery! It makes me a little sad because he is just so big now. It is really a happy day for Chris because he is the one who has been following Dalin around the halls ever since he learned how to walk and decided there were better things to do than sitting in Sunday school.

That's all I have for now. Have a good day!

Black Friday

How good would the deal have to be for you to sleep outside a store all night? Ponder that question as you read the rest of the message. Apparently for us, it’s not about the deal it’s about the experience, because we didn’t buy a single thing for ourselves. For those who may be wondering what I am talking about, I accompanied Chris on his annual Black Friday sale campout. This is the third year that Chris has actually slept overnight and by doing so he is helping feed into the hysteria that is the Best Buy Black Friday sale. The first year he went he left our house around 6pm and he was about 20^th in line. Last year he left at five and he was down to the corner of the building, maybe 30^th. This year we got there at four and the line was already around the corner, holding down the 50^th position. WHAT THE HECK!?! Imagine me saying that slowly and with emphasis to accentuate my point.

Ordinarily sane people seem to hear the word sale and lose all rational thought. Four of my brothers came with us, and I know this may sound strange, but truthfully the first eleven hours went by pretty quickly. The boys played video games against each other, and I watched some shows Chris downloaded on the early Christmas present he gave me. I was able to go to the Wal-Mart down the street for some snacks and a power inverter (who knew that was an essential), and I slept in the car for about an hour. We even had a few visitors bring us hot chocolate and looks of pity.

At about three the group in front of us decided to pack up their chairs and just stand in line. This left a big gap between them and our group and we were around the corner so some people thought the end of the line was at the end of the building, at least that’s what they wanted us to believe (I saw a couple of ladies in line and they were only wearing hoodies, so I know they weren’t there all night like all of the people around them). We cleaned all of our stuff up in a mad rush and hurried to secure our place in line. Then we waited. The store didn’t open until 5am and those last two hours were the longest of the whole night. I was getting pretty cranky at this point and all I could think was, “This is stupid; people who do this are stupid. This is a dumb way to live.” It really wasn’t the happiest I’ve ever been. It was better for my brother Brian though, he won a PSP and some DVD’s in a raffle held by the local cable company just before the store opened. It was bitter-sweet because the winning number was 90 and Chris’s number was 89 and mine was 91. If only we had been standing together it could have been ours. I think we have enough video game paraphernalia in our home so it was probably a good thing.

So what was the massive deal we did all of this for? A laptop-printer combo for only $230.00! Yes it was an excellent bargain, but as I mentioned before Chris and I didn’t get anything for us. We were able to fill all of the laptop requests we had received, and once the store actually opened we were all done and in our cars within 20 min. A little anti-climatic I know. Chris said the behavior was pretty tame compare to years past which was fine for me. I guess I can say that I have done it and I don’t ever have to do it again.

The Order of Things

Kaylee wrote an excellent blog and she set it to post today, but our computer is never willing to cooperate, so it posted before the blog I posted last night. It is very cute so I want to make sure it isn't overlooked, so make sure you all read it. She wrote the whole thing herself, I wasn't allowed to read it until this morning. Today is our anniversary but I think she paid a great tribute so I'm going to leave it at that. She did mention our Black Friday overnighter and I'm sure I'll have plenty of stories about that tomorrow. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving! Today is the day to give thanks, party, and have a feast. Oh yeah, one more thing. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO MOM AND DAD!!!!!!!! They’ve been married for about ten years now. They make such a cute couple. My dad’s the video-game crazy computer-guy we all know and love. My mom is the smart, beautiful maid of the house. In honor of they’re anniversary, my mom decided to go with my dad on his Sale-o-holic adventures. In English: they’re going to camp out at Best Buy for about twelve hours in hopes of finding more computer stuff to annoy my mom. Sometimes arguing, always crazy, I think they’re the best parents in the world. (Oh, and mom, this is like repaying you for bragging about us in that one blog) HAPPY BIRTHDAY AARON, LANCE, AND LUKIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Smokin' Hot Lady

I know, you all see there is a video clip and you are wondering if you are at the right site. What, pictures on muckus.com, and not just pictures, those new-fangled moving pictures?!? My technical staff (a.k.a. Chris) is off from his real job this week so he is doing what he does best. The video is an ad for a cable phone company that some of you have seen I’m sure.

My nephew Jayden comes to our house a few times a week and this has become his favorite things to say. He and my kids have even made up a little booty shake to go along with it. I have to admit, I laughed out loud the first time it came out of his four year old mouth. One day he said “Hey Uncle Kristen, you are a smokin’ hot lady” (he gets mixed up on our names pretty often, I know it’s our own fault, our names being so matchy matchy and all.) Chris hadn’t seen the commercial yet so he thought it just came out of nowhere, so he practically laughed his guts out. Since then it has become a regular exchange between him and Jayden. I’m glad they have something they can connect on.

The guy Chris works with gave us a Barbie car and a couple of nights ago I heard the car driving around. I didn’t think much of it until I realized that Kaylee, Ashton and Aiden were all in the house. We went outside to see Dalin as proud as could be driving himself around the backyard. Okay it wasn’t really “around”, he can’t steer around any obstacles, but it was hilarity. He would drive until he crashed into something (he was completely unfazed) then Chris or one of the girls would put it into reverse and off he went again. I guess it’s better than his other favorite pastime of dumping everything he can get his hands on, on the floor.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving! Today is the day to give thanks, party, and have a feast. Oh yeah, one more thing. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO MOM AND DAD!!!!!!!! They’ve been married for about ten years now. They make such a cute couple. My dad’s the video-game crazy computer-guy we all know and love. My mom is the smart, beautiful maid of the house. In honor of they’re anniversary, my mom decided to go with my dad on his Sale-o-holic adventures. In English: they’re going to camp out at Best Buy for about twelve hours in hopes of finding more computer stuff to annoy my mom. Sometimes arguing, always crazy, I think they’re the best parents in the world. (Oh, and mom, this is like repaying you for bragging about us in that one blog) HAPPY BIRTHDAY AARON, LANCE, AND LUKIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The rewards of Parenthood

I have been thinking lately how truly blessed I am to be the mother of my children so I have decided to devote a post to shout their praises. (I’m the mom, I’m allowed to brag once and a while) All of my kids are my favorites so I’m just going to go from oldest to youngest.

Kaylee is a wonderful oldest child. She was a dream baby and she has grown into a smart, funny and beautiful little girl. She is so responsible and honest. When she turned eight we let her choose if she would fast on fast Sunday’s, it is really hard for her but she does it willingly. She has been a great example to me and has made me want to better myself. She is also very honest. At school they have a program where they walk around the field during recess and after they’ve gone around a certain amount of times, they get a prize. Kaylee was walking with one of her good friends from last year. One day I asked her if she was still walking with her friend and she said, “No she and some other kids we walk with have been cutting corners and I didn’t think that was right so I walk by myself now.” I don’t think I was that upstanding when I was eight. She loves to read, and she will rarely go anywhere without a book. She often reads bedtime stories to Ashton and Aiden. I am so proud if her every day.

Ashton is the most tenderhearted child I know. She always wants to take care of everyone, and make sure everyone is happy. She is always willing to give up whatever she has if she thinks it will make some one else happy. She is the first one to comfort someone who has been hurt or had their feelings hurt. She is so willing to help her family, and she usually answers with an endearing “sure” whenever Chris or I ask her to do anything. She is so willing to try new things, quite unlike her mother, but I'm coming around. She is smart, and her reading skills have just grown by leaps and bounds in the last couple of months. She loves to be active, and she does really well at any sports she tries. She is quick to make friends where ever she goes, and she is a fierce defender off her brothers and sister. We were at a family dinner once and Ashton saw my seven year old cousin take something from Aiden. My cousin is really big for his age, but that didn’t deter Ashton from jumping up to get the toy back for Aiden. She was a little hard for us to handle as a baby, but she has more than made up for it with the wonderful attitude she has now.

Any of you who have read our blog know that most of our comedy comes from Aiden. He is funny when he doesn’t try and even when he does try, which isn’t always the case with little kids. He has this sly smile when he thinks he is being funny that always makes me smile. He is very mathematically inclined, and I love to watch him figure things out. He is so patient with Dalin, and he hasn’t ever been jealous of the baby. He was the youngest much longer than the girls, so he knew how good it was, but he has been great in sharing his things with Dalin. Aiden can entertain himself by making whatever he has fight. It is hilarious to watch him make his fingers and hands go to war with each other when he thinks no one is looking.

Dalin’s little one year old body is overflowing with personality. He loves to think he is big, and he is so proud of himself when he can keep up with the older kids. He too has learned comedy. He will do things, I know we didn’t teach him, because he knows it will make us laugh. I keep a jar with loose change on my vanity, and he will pull it down and shove coins under the bathroom door when I am in there, you know in case I need it. He is very sweet and he makes sure to give all of the kid’s hugs before he goes to bed every night. He loves to sing and does so as loudly as he can, even if he can’t really say any words yet. He loves to help Chris fix things. Anytime he sees his dad sit down on the floor he will back up and sit down on his lap ready to work.

I know that Chris and I are very lucky parents to have healthy happy and beautiful children, and I want my kids to know I love them everyday.

Helen Adams Edwards

Last week Chris’s paternal grandmother (grandma Helen) passed away. It was sad, but she was 91 years old and she has been in poor health for the past several years. I truly believe that she was relieved to be free from all of the limitations of her earthly body, and that she is having a joyous reunion with her husband and parents. She was the oldest of six children and when she was 14 years old her mother father and younger sister were all stricken by typhoid fever and sadly her mother and sister didn’t survive. A year later her father, weakened by the typhoid fever had a heart attack and passed also. She dropped out of school to take care of her brothers and sisters, so her family wouldn’t get split up. Her aunts and uncles eventually convinced her to go back to school but the children were sent to live with different relatives. Through it all she was able to stay close to her brothers and sisters and remained a mother figure to all of them. She out lived most of her family (I think there is still one sister), and Chris’s uncle said it was probably because she needed to make sure everyone was okay before she could leave.The service was very nice and the great grandchildren that were able to attend sang. Even Dalin added his part as loudly as he could from the back of the room where I was holding him.Even though it was a sad occasion, Chris’s sister who he hasn’t seen in over two years was there and it was a nice reunion for their family.

Who would have thought we'd last this long?

Happy Anniversary! Today is muckus.com’s first anniversary and we are excited to still be around. When we first started I didn’t know how often I would really use the site, but it has been a lot of fun to go back and read previous posts from the last year. I can hear my dad saying, “aren’t you glad you wrote that down”, or “I told you so”, but I am glad we have our small piece of the web and I thank all of you who have read along.

Chris took his second test Friday, and when he came home I asked how he did. “I passed,” so I had to be more specific and ask what his score was. He got 1,000 out of 1,000 and all he could think to tell me was that he passed (and he wonders where our kids get their muckus from). So we are very excited for him and happy to know all of his studying paid off.

Last week Chris decided he wanted to see the house that I looked at while he was gone. I had pretty much given up on that house because whenever I had talked to Chris about it he made it sound like he didn’t really want the house and it didn’t seem very realistic that we would get it. Then last Saturday we went over to the house and he looked through the windows and he decided that he wanted the house. We’re still slowly getting our house in a condition to sell, but if that house is still available when we are ready, then maybe it is the house for us. We are kind of instant gratification people and we have been known to make impulsive purchases, so I am a little nervous that we might just be leaping before we look, but the house is really a great bargain so we’ll see how it goes. That Phrase seems to have become my mantra.

In honor of our one year mark, I want to leave you with my favorite story from muckus.com. This comes from our first post, but it still makes me laugh every time I read it. Our whole family had gone to the mall so Chris and I could vote. We took separate cars so Chris wouldn’t get roped into shoe shopping with me. When it was time to go Aiden decided he wanted to stay with me even though I told him we would be looking to get some shoes for me. By the time we came to the last store Aiden was done and probably rethinking his choice of staying with me. I picked up a pair of shoes and asked how he liked them he said, “Not…I mean good.” “Good?” I asked. “If I say not good you will have to look some more and we will have to stay longer.” He was only four and he already had things figured out.

A Picture Perfect Halloween

Happy (belated) Nevada Day/Halloween! I don't know that it was actually picture perfect, but we did have a good day. When I was growing up we were always out of school on Halloween day because it was Nevada Day as well. My first Halloween at college was really weird for me because I actually had to go to school on Halloween. Even now Nevada Day is observed on the Friday before the 31^st so it’s really not the same. Enough nostalgia, I did write a blog yesterday but when I tried to post it the whole thing was lost. Here is attempt numero dos and hopefully it will take this time.

To celebrate (or despite) our state’s birthday we decided to get family pictures taken, and no we weren’t in costume. We did see several other families who were, but that really isn’t my thing. We were able to get right in and I figured Dalin would be a little nervous, so I thought if the other kids went first, he would see that it was harmless and he wouldn’t freak out. I woke up from that dream pretty quickly. Dalin refused to sit any where accept in my arms and he was crying the biggest tears I’ve ever seen. The idea came to me to have him sit on a block, because he loves to sit on things his size. It worked long enough for us to get a few good shots, and looking at the pictures you would never know there were any problems at all. Kaylee, Ashton and Aiden did a really good job on their individual pictures, but they were a little too worried about making Dalin smile, and as a result several of the group shots we got of all the kids had Dalin looking at the camera and the other kids looking at him. I know I should be able to post pictures by now, but I can't so after Chris is done taking his tests I'll have him post the latest Edwards Family Photos. Maybe I'll sit in on that so I can actually learn how to do it as well. After we were done we took the kids to the donut shop where they were more interested in watching the donuts be made than actually eating them, but that’s not really a bad thing.

After the donut shop Chris went to take the aforementioned test. His trip to CA. was to get training to take a series of five tests to become a CCSP (I put that lingo in there for any of you computer lovers, a.k.a. geeks, out there). He’s only taking two of the tests for now, but on Monday he found out he had to take the tests by Friday or he would have to pay for them himself. He thought he had another week before he had to take them, so he's been a little stressed out for the last few days. He took the first one yesterday and he’ll take the second one on Friday. For all his nervousness he did really well, he got 988 out of 1,000. He always goes into these tests expecting to fail but he always does an excellent job. I am excited for him to be done with these tests so he can actually think of other things like oh I don’t know, maybe painting the house (hint, hint).

My brother and his wife and one year old daughter came with us trick or treating. Chris usually takes the kids and I stay home to pass out the candy, but we all went this year, and it was pretty fun. My niece held Ashton’s hand the whole night, and she even threw a fit at one point because her mom picked her up and she wasn’t holding Ashton’s hand anymore. It was pretty cute. Dalin was a little reluctant at the first house we went to, but after he saw the candy in his bucket, we could not get to the next house fast enough. I think the combination of feeling like a big kid and seeing his bucket fill up with candy made him feel like he was in heaven. He even said his own form of trick or treat that sounded like “eeeet”. The kids got a pretty good haul and we are all on a bit of a candy high right now.

You may have noticed a blog recently posted by Kaylee. She has decided she would like to write more blogs to help her practice writing while she is on track break. I really enjoy reading what she writes, because she does such a good job and I think she is pretty funny. Chris set up Ashton so she can add to the website as well, so stay tuned for all the latest and greatest from our budding authors.

Ello Moto

The title has no real meaning; I just really wanted to write that. So, anyways, on to the blog! My dad got a new video game and Ashton, Aiden, and I LOVE it. Like, just a minute ago, Aiden was BEGGING dad to play it. And, right now, Aiden is telling me,” Kaylee! Kaylee! Dad’s starting!” Well, better go watch him play. Thus ends my first blog. As they say in Australia, g’day!

The Importance of Toast

The big program day finally arrived and everything went very well. If you heard a huge sigh of relief, it was probably me. I was so relieved that I’m sure my “phew” could be heard around the world. Our practice last week didn’t give me a lot of confidence, but the kids were excellent. Inevitably there is one child who won’t say their part or get overly excited to be at the microphone and talk as loudly as they can while almost swallowing the microphone, but all of our children said their parts nicely and the whole thing went very smoothly. We did have a slight incident. I was sitting next to the podium so I could help the kids with their parts, Aiden took this as an invitation to come and talk to me whenever the mood hit. If I hadn’t been up there I’m sure he would have been fine but as it was it was a convenient way to not have to stay in his seat. The first time he came up and whispered something I couldn’t understand so I sent him back to his chair. A minute later he came back to tell me something I still couldn’t understand (at least he was being quiet) so I sternly told him to go back to his seat. Now he was crying as he sat back down. I thought it was because I had sent him back to his seat. When he came back a third time I finally understood what he said to me. I asked him what the problem was and he said, “You said you would make me some toast before we came to church and I didn’t get any.” I wanted to shout, "ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?! This is the moment you need to discuss this?" After promising to make him some toast when we got home the rest of the meeting went on without further tragedy. Chris said Dalin was being pretty funny, because he could see me on the stand but he just couldn’t figure out how to get to me. Even in his moments of muckus, that kid can be pretty dang cute.

The Every Day

My everyday has been a little more hectic than usual which is why I haven’t written for a while. That and our primary program that I am in charge of is this Sunday and that is pretty much all I can think about. I think it has scrambled my brain or something because it seems like I cannot complete a thought. A couple of Sundays ago I started walking down the hall at church like three times only to forget what my purpose was. Needless to say I am looking forward to about 10:15 on Sunday morning when it will all be over.

Chris came home from California last Sunday and we are happy to have him here again. He still hasn’t taken his test so he is still in study mode, but it is much better than me being here by myself. He got home a few minutes before the kids and I came home from church, so it was a nice surprise for the kids to walk in and see him. When Dalin saw him he ran towards Chris, so Chris sat down on the floor to give him a hug. Then Dalin stopped and turned like he was going to run away, but instead he backed up so he could sit down on Chris’s lap. It was very cute. Dalin was Chris’s buddy for the rest of the day, which was a good break for me.

We are getting ready for Halloween, and despite my promise to myself that I wouldn’t, I am making costumes again this year. It started because Kaylee wants to be Tinkerbelle, and not only were the costumes like $20, but I couldn’t really find her size. It hasn’t been too bad though, and I’m not making myself nearly as crazy as I have in years past. Ashton is going to be a cowgirl so all I have to do is get a hat and make her a vest. Aiden is going to be Buzz Lightyear and I did buy that costume but we are making a jet pack, and Dalin is going to be Woody, so I just have to find a yellow shirt and make him a vest as well. The party season starts tomorrow though so I have to get everything done tonight. Wish me luck.

I am still fixing up the house to sell, but I am not sure the house I looked at is the one for us. I not in a super hurry any more to get our house on the market, but if that house is still for sell when we are ready then maybe it is meant to be. For now that idea is on the back burner.

To Buy or Not to Buy

Yesterday I was able to see the inside of the house I mentioned in my last post. There is quite a bit of work that needs to be done, but it’s not trashed like some of the bank owned houses I seen. I think it’s doable, but Chris is in San Jose this week and he hasn’t even seen the house, so we won’t be doing anything yet. This house started out at $319,000 in March and now it’s down to $264,900. I think it’s the third time they’ve lowered the price, but my agent said we could probably even offer $15,000 less than that. It would be a good deal for us, but it makes me very worried about selling my house because it’s definitely not a seller’s market. I have tried to do a little project everyday to get the house ready to sell, as a matter of fact I should be doing something right now since Dalin is napping but this is more fun. It is a very daunting task. It’s mostly cosmetic (cleaning, painting, and purging of useless clutter) but it seems like there is so much. Chris has some days off so maybe it will be better when I’m not doing it al myself, but I have to admit some of the excitement is gone. I’ll keep you posted.

In other goings on, Yes Chris is gone for a week again for certification training. It’s easier than the first time he went on one of these trips, but by no means would I ever want to do it by myself all the time. I miss being able to go somewhere by myself. The kids are really good and they are really helping me out.

I have a couple of funny kid stories to tell since it’s been a while. We were in the car the other day and I can’t remember what the question was that Aiden asked, but Ashton was explaining the answer to him and I was helping. When we were done Aiden said, “I understood better when mom said it Ashton, because you were speaking professional, and you know I don’t understand professional.

Dalin has definitely come to the right family because he is muckus personified. I was doing some work in the front yard on Saturday and he was outside with me, doing a really good job of staying in the yard. I was trying to finish up today and I figured he would be alright out there with me. We were only out there a minute when I looked up and he was on his way down the sidewalk. A few minutes later he thought it was a fun game to run into the street and laugh at me when I would get him and tell him no. Needless to say I didn’t get much yard work done today.

Houses

I go through phases where I really want to move and I will spend hours on the internet looking at houses for sale. I am in that phase right now, and I think Chris just puts up with my excitement because nothing usually comes of it, so I am sharing with you people of the World Wide Web. I actually think the internet is a facilitator of my insanity because I can look at hundreds of homes without leaving my room. I guess there are worse obsessions.

There is a house for sale that is in the area we want to live in and in our price range. The kids wouldn’t even have to change schools. Unfortunately for me I start looking at my own home and I get a little overwhelmed by everything we would have to do to get it ready to sell. Not to mention the fact that the housing market has slowed way down so it could take months to even sell our house. The house I want is bank owned, so I have gone to look in the windows, but you never know what could be lurking in there. It looks like someone bought it to fix up but they ran out of money or something because the walls look like they have new paint and the baseboards look new, but there is no flooring. It is twice the size of our current home and it would be wonderful to actually have some space. We could even have a guest room doesn't kick Aiden out of his bed. I called to set up an appointment to see the inside and I am anxiously awaiting the call back.

The funny thing is that it is in the same neighborhood Chris’s parents lived in when they lived here, and it is actually the same floor plan. The even funnier thing is that I think when Chris’s parents moved they offered to let us take over the payments for their house, but for the life of me I just can’t recall we turned them down. Now nine years later we could get the same kind of house for only double the monthly payment. Ahh, life lessons!

Kaylee's brush with celebrity

Last week Marc Brown, the author of the Arthur books and co-producer of the Arthur show on PBS, came to town and Chris was nice enough to take Kaylee and Ashton to see him. Mr. Brown’s sister(the inspiration for the character of D.W.) was there as well. At one point while waiting in the two hour line to get Mr. Brown’s autograph, Kaylee decided she had to go to the bathroom. While she was in there who should she run into but D.W. herself! (I don’t remember her real name.) Anyway they talked about how big the crowd was and other small talk which was surprising for me to hear because she is usually pretty shy. It was really very cool for her, and they finally got their books autographed.

Last month I was called to be the first counselor in the primary presidency. I was enjoying the job as secretary, but its okay. I feel like I’m getting to know the kids better, but I feel like I am far from being comfortable in my calling. One of my responsibilities is the sacrament primary program which will be the end of this month. I’m a little stressed out because with general conference this weekend, we only have a couple of weeks to practice, but I’m hoping the angelic faces of the kids overshadow our lack of practices.

In other news

Yes I know it’s not all about me, so here’s what’s been going on with the rest of my family. Kaylee tested and got into the G.A.T.E. program. She had her first meeting yesterday and she was happy to see that her best friend from first grade and her best friend from second grade were both there. She is really excited. Also she taught herself to ride a bike last week. She said, “You know I really think a kid my age should know how to ride a bike.” Our backyard isn’t very big, but I think that helped her have the confidence to try. Now she and her brother and sister will ride around in circles for hours.

Ashton has decided that she really likes the running part of P.E. I wish I could share that passion. She is the fastest girl in her class, but when she comes home she complains about how much her legs and feet hurt. I'm hoping a better pair of shoes will help.

Aiden loves his preschool. When I first told him I was signing him up he said, “That’s okay, I don’t want to go there.” My nephew goes with him and they have a lot of fun

Dalin has learned to bark like a dog and he will say daddy. This term means mom and dad because when I try to get him to say mommy, he looks straight at me and says “adee” as if to say duh, that is what I’m saying. It' fun to watch how much Dalin likes Chris, especially after having Ashton and Aiden who felt like they were attached to my hip when they were his age.

Chris and I do a babysitting exchange with my two brothers and last night was our turn to watch the kids. There are ten kids all together ages 1-8. It’s usually runs pretty smoothly because they all get along really well and just play the whole time, but there is ten of them. The high school football field is at the end of our street and we heard the band playing so we decided to take all the kids down to see if there was a game. The game hadn’t started yet, but it was kind of funny to watch people pass us because I could see them counting how many kids we had. At one point the cheerleaders from the visiting team passed and Ashton and her cousins Emily, Abby and Rachel said hi to them. The cheerleaders said hi back, and that made their night. Ashton was telling anyone who would listen that they actually talked to cheerleaders. It was kind of cute, but I hope she grows out of it.

Reno, San Francisco and the Big 3-0; Bonus Features

This really is going to be the last part of the birthday trip story. You would think that there was adventure enough, but is that all the stories a 30 year old can have? It’s time for bonus stories. We got to the airport about an hour before our flight was supposed to leave and the airport was pretty dead. We went to the desk to check in and the attendant looked at my drivers license and asked if I had a sticker. It took me a second, but then I realized that my license had expired on my birthday. When I flew out it wasn’t a big deal because it was my birthday. He said it wasn’t a big deal, but when he tore up my boarding pass, I got a little worried. He printed up a new boarding pass and sent me to security. I got to go in the “special” security line where they wiped down all of my stuff with the bomb finding wipes and sent me into the air chamber. After a few unexpected puffs, I was finally able to go on my way. Luckily I had checked both of my bags, and I only had my purse and shoes otherwise it would have taken a lot longer. I had the camera amongst my security risks or I would have had Chris take a few pictures. The whole thing made me laugh, but only because there wasn’t very many people in the airport, The funny thing is that I went through the security metal detector thing and after I passed through it I realized that I had my cell phone and some change in my pocket, things which should have set off the alarm. Makes you wonder.

Anyway, aside from the obnoxious girl who thought she had to talk louder than the music playing in her headphones and who wouldn’t sit down and buckle her seatbelt the five times the captain mentioned that the sign was on (the flight attendants had to be in their seats so they couldn't do anything), it was a good trip home. Our flight only had 19 people on it and everyone could have had their own two rows if we had wanted. It was a little turbulent, but we made it home safely and the whole trip was fantastic and I am so glad Chris and I were able to have that time together.

Reno, San Francisco and the Big 3-0; Part III

Okay this story is taking longer to tell than I thought it would so I’m going to try and get done. When we woke up on Saturday it was raining pretty steadily, and we had planned on taking a boat tour of the bay so we were a little disappointed. Luckily the rain had mostly stopped by the time we got downtown. We couldn’t really complain because the weather had been beautiful the whole time we were there so a few sprinkles were okay. We finally got our cable car ride, which we took to Fisherman’s Wharf. We bought tickets for the tour and then we had an hour to wander around pier 39. Because of the rain we didn’t see as many street performers as we had hoped, but it was fun nonetheless. There is an area at the pier that is sectioned off for a bunch of sea lions. They have these wooden slats that they hang out on, and from what I saw, they don’t really do a whole lot. It’s against the law to feed them, so they must have to go out and find food once in a while, but it seemed like a small area for so many animals.

Our tour went under the Golden Gate Bridge and around Alcatraz a couple of times and over to the Bay Bridge. It was interesting to hear some of the stories, and to get to see the view of the city from the bay. The construction of the Golden Gate Bridge is amazing, even more so when you think that it was done 70 years ago. They had worked on the project for four and a half years before there were any fatalities, which is amazing, because I recently found out that when construction companies bid on jobs they allot an amount for fatalities, at least in Las Vegas. We also found out that some of the guards at Alcatraz lived there with their families and their children would take a ferry to school everyday. I don’t think that is an environment I would want to raise me kids in, but one of the guards stories pointed out, at least you knew who was good and who was bad on that island and you couldn’t say the same for the main land. The tour was fun, but pretty cold for us desert dwellers.

After the tour we were going to take the cable car to Chinatown and walk around before we had to get to the airport. On our way we were stopped by a guy trying to get us to go listen to a 90 min. presentation. He didn’t tell us what is was for, but we figured it was for a timeshare. We told him we only had about an hour be fore we had to go and he said that was fine, “you can just watch the 20 min. video and tell them you aren’t interested.” We could get $150 cash card so we figured why not. We get to the presentation and there is no video and when we tell the guy that we have to leave by 4:00 (about an hour and 40 min from when we sat down) he said that definitely wouldn’t be enough time and usually it can take 4-6 hours. What the?!? He decided to do us the “favor” of trying to get through it quickly because he knew this was something we were really going to want. This wasn’t our first time at the races and we knew there wasn’t anything he could say that would sell us, but we wanted to get some souvenirs so we listened to him for a while. About 40 min. into the spiel (double the amount the guy on the street said we had to give him) I asked what the upfront cost would be. He pointed to a number that he had previously written down that was $2,500. I told him there was no way we would be able to put that much down today to which he replied, “Then why did you come up here, you knew what it was about.” Duh, we were there for what everyone else was there for, the free gift. We told him as much and he said, “You said you were willing to listen to a 90 min. presentation, so basically you’re just stealing.” I was done. This guy was starting to get rude and I told him I didn’t want to waste his time and I was ready to leave without the money. Chris asked what we needed to do to get the gift cards, so the guy continued to talk about how over 40 years we would be spending over $90,000 and wasn’t $2,500 a small price to pay to save a lot of money over the years. I told him we weren’t spending $90,000 that day so $2,500 still seemed like a hefty amount. He again told us we knew what we were coming to. The burden is on the sales people to change our minds, nobody goes ready to hand over a check. He told that it was just sad that we needed the $150 so much and he just seemed to get more and more agitated. At one point he asked, “How are your kids going to feel when their friends tell them about the great vacations they went on and your kids just have to stay home.” I just started shaking my head and said you have got to be kidding me. I was actually laughing, because I could not believe those words actually came out of his mouth. That line would make me laugh for the rest of the day. I told him that I honestly never remember being jealous of my friends vacations when I was growing up. He didn’t seem to believe me and asked where I went to school. So after insinuating that we were bad parents by not purchasing this time share, commenting on how he spent $4500 a month for his 600 square foot apartment and still managed to pay for this vacation plan (a gibe at how we managed our finances) and throwing in another “I just think it’s sad”, Chris said, “look I don’t appreciate you judging her.” (because the guy was talking mainly to me). His response, “I already have.” Then he walked off to get the person who would give us the gift cards. We were furious! This single guy with no kids has no idea what it takes to take a family of six on vacation, even if we had a timeshare and he is trying to judge us! We got a little checklist before the presentation of what these people would do for us. Among them were “treat you with respect” and “no high pressure sales tactics”. We met with his manager and went down the check list and he had failed every point on the list. Chris even said, “He’s lucky I’m not the fighting kind, otherwise I would have been over the table.” I thought it was sweet he would fight for me. The manager seemed appalled at the way we were treated and apologized. She also told us that was the second complaint she had received on that guy that day. We did finally get our money, but I tell you I feel like it was hard earned.

We were still going to try and make it to Chinatown, but it took forever to even get on the trolley, and then were packed in like tuna, so we decided it would be safer just to get the car and go to the airport

Reno, San Francisco and the big 3-0: Part II

I forgot to mention that my mom watched my kids while Chris and I were away so I have to give her and my brothers a serious shout out for the help. Thanks so much guys!

So on to part two. While we were in Reno there was an event called “Street Vibrations” going on. It is some kind of motorcycle convention or something, but there was hundreds of motorcyclist all over the city ad the surrounding areas. I don’t know exactly what they did there, but Chris was slightly fascinated by it and if he had the time he would have gotten his picture taken with a whole crew of the leather-clad hog riders.

When we were planning this trip last month we found out that San Francisco is only about a four hour drive from Reno, so we decided to make that part of our vacation. Some of the people Chris was working with while he was up there told him about a more scenic way to get there and it tool about the same amount of time. We thought that would be fun, so on Friday we left about our hotel around 10 to start adventure for the day. We stopped by a Starbucks so Chris could use the internet, he’ll say it was to get directions, but I think he was going through withdrawals because our hotel didn’t have internet access. Then we stopped by this really cute candy shop called the Chocolate Nugget, where I tried some of the jalapeño peanut brittle they had out for a sample. It didn’t taste bad, but after I was done my mouth was burning for about 20 min. So by the time we were actually on our way it was about noon. We were supposed to get the rental car back by 3 but we thought that since we had to wait almost a half hour to get it after we checked in that we might still have time to get it back to the airport and not get charged extra. The scenic route proved to be more stressful than we thought. The scenery was beautiful, but for about sixty miles we were on a two lane highway that took us through towns with stoplights so it wasn’t really as fast as we thought it was going to be. We did pass through this town called Kyberz that had its “Welcome to Kyberz” and “Now leaving Kyberz” messages on the same sign. But we were in to much of a hurry to stop and take a picture. We got about twenty miles from our destination and it was about 3:45 so we had hope that we would make it, then we hit California traffic. I know, we should have taken that into account from the beginning, but we didn’t and that last twenty miles took us over an hour to cover. We ended up dropping the car off at 5:00. We decided to fight the extra two hours they were going to charge us, because we had to wait so long to get the car in the first place. We were just trying to get one of the hours taken off, but they took off both so we were happy about that.

Our hotel was about nine miles from the airport, which when I booked it I didn’t think was a big deal, but there again was the traffic. It took us another 45 min. to get to our hotel, but it was so much nicer than the one in Reno, so it was alright. The place smelled nice and the décor was beautiful. We got ourselves checked in and unloaded then we headed to downtown San Francisco. Once again traffic, do you see a pattern here. Chris loved growing up in California, but I refuse to ever live there. If traffic wasn’t enough of a deterrent than the house prices are a sure sign that California and I were never meant to be. We finally got there about seven and we decided just to walk around the city. We found a place to have dinner called Mel’s drive-in Diner (even though it was a sit-down place) and it was really good, I would recommend it. We thought we wanted to ride the cable car, but we found out it was $5 each way so we decided to wait until the next day to do that. There was a ticket booth by the trolley stop but it was closed for the night. While we were looking at it this man came up to us and said he was going to give Chris a ticket for “not holding this pretty ladies hand”, and then proceeded to talk really fast about I’m not sure what, but he ended with asking for a donation for something. We were entertained by him so Chris gave him $5. We were still thinking about going on the cable car at this point, and he told us that we had to pay the conductor. He asked if we needed change and Chris said yes (which I couldn’t believe) so this guy pulls out a wad of crumpled up ones and was about to take the twenty Chris had in his hand. I quickly took the bill from Chris’s hand while Chris counted the “change” this guy was going to give us. I think it added up to about $13 and that was including the $5 we had just given him. We decided that wasn’t really a good deal for us so we told him we would find change some where else. I guess Chris got caught up in the novelty of the city, because after that he took all of the money out of his wallet and stashed it in different pockets, so we wouldn’t be easy targets again. The guy wasn’t even that helpful. We went to find change then came back to look at the ticket booth again where we were approached by a different homeless man. This one was very helpful and he even gave us a map, but when he asked for a tip Chris just gave him the loose change he had in his pocket. I had to laugh, and we decided at least it was a good story to tell about our trip. We walked around for about another hour or two then decided to go back to our hotel, and make a plan for the next day.

Reno, San Francisco and the big 3-0; Part I

I have to credit the multi-part blog idea to my friend Shauna and her husband Mike. There is a lot to tell about our trip, but I think it will be easier to read in smaller portions.

Chris had to go to Carson City (Nevada’s state capital) for training last week. He was going to be done on the 20^th which also happened to be my birthday so we decided that I could meet him up there and have a great adventure for my 30^th birthday. I got in to Reno, which is about 20 min away from Carson, about 3:00 and after waiting forever to get our rental car we finally got to the hotel. I have heard of Reno described as a smaller dirtier version of Las Vegas, but it seemed more like Las Vegas circa 1987. The hotel was decked out in the lovely neon pink and turquoise lights on the outside and a lot of shiny black tile on the floor and wall in the lobby. The bedspread, curtains, chair, couch and some wall hanging behind the bed were all made of the same fish covered material. It was a good sized, clean room so overall it was fine just a little retro.

We decided to drive up to Lake Tahoe since it was very close and neither of us has ever been there before. We didn’t have a lot of time there so after taking a few pictures of the lake we decided to have our own little tasting tour of the little part of Tahoe we were in. It was so much fun. We went to four different places and had a little something from each place. Our first stop was El Sancho’s Taqueria where we had some excellent chicken tacos. Next was Jiffy’s Pizza which touted the best pizza in town. We shared a French chicken pizza that was very tasty also, but a little pricey, $10 for a personal size, but the guy who took our order was really nice and helpful. Stop three was Chari-Pit Burgers and we had an original Char-Pit burger that we enjoyed, but we were starting to get a little full. Our last stop was T’s Mesquite Rotisserie. We had some very dry rotisserie chicken and decided that was our least favorite place. I wondered if any of the places we went would pass code, but it was a great experience.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AIDEN!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AIDEN!!!! (I wrote this yesterday, but I didn't post it until this morning, his birthday was on the 11th and that is why I posted twice today.) Yesterday was Aiden’s fifth birthday and I can’t believe how fast he’s grown. I know every parent feels that way, but I’m sure time passed by much slower when I was a kid. We went to the Acacia Park here in town which is also a water park. It just has water shooting out of the ground so it’s not as fancy as some of the other public water parks here, but the kids thought it was great. Our family all came and we had a BBQ and cupcakes that spelled out “Happy Birthday Aiden”. I had never been to that park before so we drove down the day before to check it out, and Aiden was so proud of himself because he helped pick such a fun park. While we were cooking up the food, this little boy probably six came up to me and said, “Hi my name is Tyler and watermelon is my favorite food.” I had to laugh and I told him if it was okay with his mom he could have some. I saw him go talk to his mom and then he came back for his favorite food. I was a little surprised because I don’t think I would ever let my kids ask for food from strangers, but I guess there was a big group of kids with us so his mom thought it was safe. I have been known to go a little overboard and stress myself out when it comes to the kids birthdays, between decorating cakes and putting together goodie bags it gets a little crazy. I decided that I would scale back this year and leave out the goodie bags and have cupcakes instead of decorating a cake. I was commenting to Chris on how proud of myself I was for not getting so out of control this year, and he looked over at the table that was overflowing with BBQ supplies and he wasn’t sure how scaled back it really was. I felt less stress so it was a hit for me. The day before his birthday Aiden said, “Mom right now I only come up to Ashton’s shoulder, but when I wake up tomorrow I’ll be up to her neck because I’ll be 5.”

Aiden started preschool last week and he really likes it. He is the star of the week, which means he gets to bring his favorite snack, be the special helper and make a poster about himself. On part of the poster he had to write down three wishes. His first wish was to be rich and famous. After thinking about it for a second he said, “No wait, take off the famous part my teacher will think that’s silly. And you can take off the rich part too.” I convinced him it was okay and I was sure the teacher wouldn’t think it was silly at all. His second wish was to have a cool car, and wish number three was to be really cool so that everyone would want to be his friend. I think I should ask him again, because I don’t think his wishes would be the same two days in a row.

Kaylee was tested for the G.A.T.E. (gifted and talented education) program last week, and we should find out in the next couple of weeks if she made it. She also gets to attend student council meetings as a representative of her class. When I was in elementary school I got to work in the lunchroom, library, and I was in the A.T. (academically talented) program. I had so much fun so it’s exciting for me that Kaylee gets to be involved in school activities.

Danny Gans

Yesterday Chris and I got free tickets to a show called Danny Gans. There is a website called www.vegasseatfillers.com and you can get tickets to shows on the strip that they want to look full. Chris used to be signed up for it a few months ago, but none of the shows were anything he wanted to see so he cancelled his membership. His sister is still signed up and she said the shows were better now and she has already seen the show, so that is how we got the tickets. The guy has apparently been voted Las Vegas entertainer of the year a few times. I am not a big fan of impersonators, but the show wasn’t bad, and it was clean which is rare in Las Vegas. I even laughed at a few parts and it was free so I can’t really complain. I did look up how much tickets are normally and they are $100 each. I definitely would not pay that much for any show but I had to wonder how many people actually did.

My 24 year old brother Brandon came to watch the kids while we were gone and you would think with 15 nieces and nephews he would have a little babysitting experience, but when we got home about 10:30 and the kids had just barely gone to bed, and Dalin’s diaper was on backwards. Maybe he planned it that way so he wouldn’t be asked to babysit again. He prefers the rough housing part of the gig more than any thing else. Well Dalin is sitting on the computer desk in front of the screen throwing things in the trash and laughing, so I guess that is my cue to go. Happy day to all!

What the Heckistan!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AUSTIN! Today is my baby brother Austin’s 16^th birthday and I hope it was good for him. The phrase that I used for the title is from one of Kaylee’s favorite books, “Dear Dumb Diary”, and I think it’s funny so that is why I used it. I know it’s been almost a month since my last post and in the words of Inigo Montoya, “Let me explain, no,no that will take too long, let me sum up.” Here are some bullet points from the last month.

My cast came off after what seemed like for-ev-er, but in reality was only three weeks. I thought I would get another hard cast with and attractive cast boot, but I came home with a removable air cast which was a good step up. My ankle is stiff and I have to do home physical therapy but it doesn’t really hurt very much. My real problem is the bottoms of my feet are always so sore and tired it makes it hard to walk. When I described these symptoms to the podiatrist, he said it sounded like plantar fasciitis (which means your feet really hurt) and that the anti-inflammatory medication he prescribed for the swelling in my ankle should help. My first step after I got my cast off felt like I was standing on sharp rocks, so I’m not sure it really worked. I still had to use crutches for about a week, but I am off crutches now and I can drive so life is a lot better. I have another appointment in a few weeks and hopefully there will be something else that can be done.

The girls started back to school this week and they were so happy. Being homebound wasn’t exactly how they thought they would spend their summer so they were more than ready to start school. Even Dalin is happy to have a reason to go out and he looks forward to the car ride to school every day. They seem to like their teachers and the first week went pretty well so I hope the rest of the year follows suit.

Aiden, after telling me all summer that he didn’t want to go to kindergarten, announced on Wednesday that they finished the letter “Z” so now he was ready to go to the same school as Ashton. Too bad they didn’t get to z last week he could have been done in time for school to start. Not really, I feel good about my decision to have him wait a year, but I thought it was funny because I didn’t realize that was what he was waiting for.

So You Think You Can Dance

Our family is a fan of the summer reality show “So You Think You Can Dance”, and the kids are becoming quite the dance critics. They don’t get to watch the show very often because it comes on after their bedtime, but last Wednesday they got to stay up a little later and there was a conversation between Ashton and Aiden that went as follows.

Aiden: “Ashton how do you like my dancing?”

Ashton: “Really good, how do like mine?”

Aiden: “Great! I think we are better than the people on the T.V.”

Ashton: “Yeah, I bet if we tried out they would let us right through because we’re little and we’re cute and we can cry really easy.”

It’s good to know they can work their strengths.

Kaylee's Baptism

The big day finally came. Kaylee was able to be baptized yesterday and it was really great! There were three other kids from her class getting baptized that day as well so the building was pretty full. My nieces were able to sing the song they had planned on singing on the original baptism date so besides trying to get around on crutches (which I’m still bitter about, if you couldn’t tell) it was a fantastic experience. We went to the park across the street afterward to have cake and playing with the cousins which is always fun. When we got to the church we saw one of Kaylee’s friends from school. She moved across town a couple of months ago but I thought maybe she wanted to be baptized in the ward that she grew up in and that was why she was there. This was not the case. I had forgotten that this little girl’s birthday is in February, so she was baptized in April. Apparently the memory card from her mom’s camera got lost so they came to recreate her baptism memories. The girl and her dad both got into the baptism jumpsuits to get their picture taken, and I even heard that the mom was trying to get the relatives from California to come back into town to really authenticate things. I do have my own level of insanity when it comes to birthdays and Halloween, but now Chris understands how crazy I could be and I think he counts himself lucky.

I saw my Relief Society President at the baptism, and when she saw my foot I was in some trouble for not calling her. I think the Relief Society is a wonderful organization, but I have the hardest time asking for help. I really hate to impose on people and even though I wouldn’t think twice if I was asked to provide a meal or some other service for a family in the ward, it’s just out of my comfort zone to be the one receiving service.

Technical Difficulties

Our website was down for a few days and then the cable modem was going in and out, but we are up and running again and ready to blog. Much has happened since I wrote last, the most exciting of which is that my brother Jordon came home from his mission! We are super excited to have him here and we are all glad that everyone came home safely. While my parents were gone my brothers decided we should remodel the dining room at my parents’ house. Okay it wasn’t really remodeling, but finishing the addition to the house they started fifteen years ago. We (by we I mean mostly Aaron and Brian) painted, laid tile, put in baseboards and molding around the doors and did the general purging of all the junk that built up from the last time they left the country to pick up a missionary. It kind of inspired me to do my own mini room make over and I bought some shelves to organize my room and some wood and brackets to make a desk for the girl’s room. I was hoping to get it all done in one day and surprise Chris, but so far nothing is done. Hopefully it doesn’t take me fifteen years.

My brother Jason and his wife Mandy welcomed their first baby Kimball Anne Hafen to the world on Saturday. She weighed in at 6lbs 10oz and she is 19in long. We are so excited for them! We haven’t gotten to see her yet, Dalin has some strange rash and we don’t want to pass it on, but we will hopefully see her soon.

Today Kaylee and Ashton and I went school shopping with my sisters-in-law and nieces. The girls had all found matching shirts within the first ten minutes. They learned each other’s sizes and were quick to provide whatever piece of clothing had the number that matched the size. We didn’t take all of the suggestions, but it was so much fun that we decided to make it a tradition.

My family won’t let me get away without telling this last story so here it goes. On Monday Aiden and I were racing through the house and I slipped on a toy and broke my ankle. Needless to say I didn’t win the race and as I was lying on the floor in agony Aiden made sure I knew that he had won the trophy. Chris took me to quick care where I got a soft cast and some crutches. I HATE CRUTCHES!!! I had only been using them for 2 1/2 days when I went to the podiatrist on Wednesday. I never thought I would be so excited to get a cast. I was completely expecting to get a walking cast to put an end to the crutch phase. The doctor was really nice, and when he led off with, “Well I don’t think you’ll need surgery," he must have thought that would make me happy, but I hadn't even considered that as a possibility so it didn't really mean that much to me. When he ended with "...we’re going to put you in a non-weight bearing cast for a while.” it didn’t matter how nice the doctor was, he cursed me with crutches for another three weeks so he became my enemy. I borrowed a rolling chair from my brother so I can roll around the house, (luckily we have wood floors), and my sister-in-law's mother is letting me borrow a wheelchair, but it’s going to be a long three weeks.

Pioneer Day

I know there are those of you wondering if this is the real muckus.com, with more than one post in a month, but I think I am over my writers block. I wouldn’t count on this being the norm so enjoy it while it lasts. We had a pioneer day parade yesterday and the kids were able to be on the float. They were really excited about it until they had to wait in the hot sun for about an hour. The stake told us we should have the kids participating in the parade arrive at 8:15 am for the 9am start of the parade. Being the newly called primary presidency that we are we did as we were told. We ended up being the third from the last float and we didn’t even start moving until about 9:15 or 9:20. Our poor primary kids were so hot and sweaty, I felt so bad for them. They were all really good though and I was so proud of all of them. I didn’t hear any complaining and we learned a lot as a presidency for future parade ventures. After the parade there were scones and watermelon to eat and games to play at the park across the street from the church. We also had some local fire fighters hook up their hose and spray an area of the park so it was like it was raining. It was pretty fun but soooo hot. We were finishing up the games and Aiden asked when we were leaving. I told him we were going to go across the street to check out what was going on inside the church and then we would go. He said,” Oh yeah I think there is a wild party going on over there.” You know us mormons we love the wild parties, as long as there is green jello and Kool-Aid.

We went to my cousin John’s wedding reception last night, and I am really glad we did. It was really nice to see my cousin and his new bride and my extended family. My cousin sang a song to his wife that he had written for her and it was really sweet. I don’t think I have ever heard him sing by himself and I was really impressed. When it was over Ashton was really cute she was helping clean up, folding up chairs and cleaning off tables without being asked.

I am going to admit that I am part of the Harry Potter mania. I was determined not to read the series, but I enjoyed the movies so I finally gave in right before the fifth book came out. I am hooked. I am not fanatic enough to join the chat rooms of muggle.com or anything, but I really enjoy the books. I am amazed at the talent of J.K. Rowling to make up this entire world, with so much more that she didn’t even include in the books. There are about five books floating around my family so I didn’t get one at the 12:01 release, but Chris decided he should go to Borders at 11:45 because he likes crowds and he wanted to see the crazies. He wasn’t disappointed. He said the parking lot was packed and there was no shortage of people dressed in magic robes, Gryffindor colored scarves and wands. He said there was even a guy with a video camera using his wand as a microphone interviewing people. I am quickly losing my resolve to wait on reading it so hopefully someone finishes soon.

On the Road Again

We hadn’t really planned on going out of town this summer, but so far we have been to California, Idaho, Salt Lake and St. George Utah. Tomorrow we hit the road again. My cousin is got married today and is having his reception in St. George. Next weekend we have a family reunion at my grandpa’s ranch. The week after that Kaylee will be baptized and to end our traveling season (I think) we will head back to St. George another cousin’s wedding. We always enjoy getting together with our family so it’s been fun, even if we hadn’t planned all of these trips. I was recently called to be the secretary for the primary in our ward and so far I really enjoy it, but I feel bad because I have been gone so much, but we will be coming home on Saturday for the rest of trips.

Speaking of my new calling, I really enjoy it. I don’t have to teach or do sharing time and I get to hear all of the cute things the primary kids say, (like if Aiden had to leave his home and go across the plains, fruit snacks would be #1 on his list to take).

Oh I forgot the big news in our house is that Kaylee got her ears pierced last week. I have been debating on what was a good age for my girls to get their ears pierced and Chris and I decided that if Kaylee was old enough to decide to get baptized, she’s old enough to decide to get her ears pierced. She did really well, and she didn’t cry at all. I was afraid that she might decide it hurt too much after the first ear was done and not want to get her other ear done, but she was a trooper and now she tells anyone who will listen about her experience. We usually get together with my family for Sunday dinner, but my parents are out of town so she hasn’t seen her cousins to share the excitement.

Okay this is getting long, but since I put it out there, let me tell you about my parents being out of town. My brother Jordon was released from his mission last Friday, and my parents went to Portugal to pick him up. They get to spend about two weeks in Europe, but I’m not sure exactly all of their stops. They rented a car with a GPS system, but they have learned that those aren’t always the most reliable. We got an email from my dad the other day, and I know the spirit must be with them, because if it had taken them any longer to find the mission home, I think my dad would have unleashed some American style road rage on the impatient taxi drivers of Lisbon. They will be home on Thursday and I am so excited to see my brother again.

Pesky Little Brothers II

On our way home from Idaho we were able to stop in Salt Lake for a few days to celebrate Chris’s grandma’s 91^st birthday. Her actual birthday isn’t until the 19^th but when you’ve had that many birthdays the whole month should be a celebration! We went to the park and had lunch and visited with Chris’s grandma, aunt and uncle while the kids played their hearts out. It was really nice and I think fun was had by all.

Aunt Joan, Chris and Grandma Edwards

The girls finished their school year last Friday, and I am so happy to have a break from making sure everyone is ready and out the door by 8:45 am. Chris thinks I’m funny because I’m always so ready for school to get out, but I’m even more ready for school to start again. We are trying to stay busy so the kids don’t get too bored, but when it is 104 degrees by 9:30 in the morning it’s hard to want to go anywhere.

I have another little brother story courtesy of Dalin. Aiden wasn’t feeling very well the other day and he had fallen asleep on the floor. Dalin thinks anyone on the floor must be there to play so he kept trying to climb and sit on Aiden. I had told him many times to leave Aiden alone and he did for a few minutes then the little sneaker sat down next to Aiden and started rocking back and forth against his legs to try and wake him up.

One last story, we were at Costco yesterday and we were getting ready to leave, and as usual Chris and I had gotten separated. Ashton looked toward the back of the store and said,”There’s dad I see his Jazz shirt.” I told her that wasn’t Chris, but she was absolutely positive it was him, until we got closer. “Oh your right mom, that wasn’t dad.” So we were in search mode once again. Ashton then said,” I’ll keep a look out for him mom, I have eyes like an eagle.”

Sad News

My mother’s father, grandpa Haynes, died last week. It was pretty unexpected and he will be sorely missed. My grandparents live in Idaho, but they go to St. George for the winter. While they were there he had a couple of heart attacks at the beginning of this year. He had excellent care though and he was doing really well, so the doctors cleared him to go back to Idaho at the end of May. Then the Sunday before last he was having a pretty bad headache, but he said it had gotten better by the evening. On Monday night it was back so they decided to take him to the emergency room. They found out he had bleeding on his brain and they put him in the life flight helicopter and took him to Boise to operate. They gave him some pain medication and something to help him sleep through the flight. When they got to Boise the doctor found out there was stem cell damage and an operation wasn’t going to help. They put him on life support until his family could come to say goodbye. He passed on Tuesday afternoon.

The funeral was very nice. I was very impressed with the number of lives my grandpa touched. My grandpa was in the navy during WWII so there was a 21-gun solute and a military tribute for him at the gravesite. At the luncheon following the funeral there was a video with pictures of him throughout his life, and as I was watching it I was sure he was going to walk through the door. He and my grandma had recently celebrated their sixtieth wedding anniversary, so I know it will be very hard for her, but she was being so strong while we were there I know she will be all right. He was a wonderful man who had a deep respect for the gospel, an enormous love for his family, and a great example of hard work. I was blessed to know and love him, and to be loved by him in return. I am thankful to know he is with our Heavenly Father and watching over his family.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAYLEE!

I wanted to wish Kaylee happy birthday on her birthday, but we were out of town, and when we came home the computer wasn’t working. But we are up and running now so HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAYLEE!!! We are so happy to have our beautiful, smart and talented girl in our lives. We love you.

We had the previously mentioned pool party for Kaylee the weekend before her birthday because we went to California on her birthday to see a Dodgers game. We left Thursday night so she didn’t get to go to school on her birthday, much to her dismay. We took ladybug and bumblebee cupcakes before we left to ease her disappointment of being out of town. She still managed to get up early Friday morning and open the presents we brought along. She got clothes from mom, a book full of random facts called “Uncle John’s Bathroom Book” from Aiden and Dalin, a charm bracelet and notebook from Ashton, and a shirt with a character called Homestar from a website called Homestarrunner.com that Kaylee loves to watch. Ever the diplomat she was thanking us all and she said, “Those clothes are super cute, but I love the Homestar shirt.” Later we went to a children’s museum in Santa Ana which was really fun. We came back to the hotel for a swim. We were staying in Anaheim, where the hotels were cheaper and in a less scary area, so we decided to leave two hours before the baseball game started to make the 32 mile drive to Dodger stadium. Two and a half hours later and 30 min after the game started we arrived in the parking lot. It was more fun to watch the kids at the game than it was to watch the actual game, but it went by faster than I thought it would so it was a fun time. Our tickets came from a site where people sell their season ticket seats. So here we were with our crowd of five adults and eight kids eight and under surrounded by diehard season ticket holding fans. Luckily everyone around us was very understanding of our many bathroom and snack runs. At the end of the game I thanked the couple sitting next to us for their patience. The women said she was a little nervous when she saw us all coming, but she thought the kids were really well behaved. At one point Aiden leaned over to me and asked if I would switch seats with him. When I asked him why he said, “I don’t want to sit next to old people.” It worked out ok though because when he moved then the seat numbers coincided with the ages of all the kids which they all thought was fabulous.

My sister-in-law has a cousin who works at Disneyland so on Saturday we were able to take the kids for free. It was a lot of fun, even though we didn’t stay until the midnight close time like Chris wanted to. The lines were much shorter than they were when we went in February and we had a park hopper ticket so we went to California Adventure for most of the day, which was even less crowded and I actually prefer it to Disneyland. I was really impressed with the kid’s behavior so it was a really great time. I don’t like to tell potty stories, but this quote is Chris’s favorite so I will leave with another funny Aiden story. I took the kids to a restaurant the other day and when we were leaving Ashton said, “We did really good no one even had to go to the bathroom while we were here.” Then Aiden said, “Yeah, my poo and pee have failed me, I haven’t gone to the bathroom all day!” I don’t know where that kid gets his vocabulary from, but he keeps us all very entertained.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DALIN!!

Today is Dalin’s first birthday, and I can hardly believe how fast the last year went!! We rented out one of the public pools on Saturday and had a party for Kaylee, Dalin and their cousin Rachel since their birthdays are all in the same week, and because we have such a large family. It was the first time Kaylee has had a friend birthday party so she was very excited. Our birthday boy was less than thrilled with the pool and screamed his head off for the first half hour we were there. Luckily my sister in law is a former Baywatch babe (okay city of Henderson lifeguard) who taught the baby swim lessons and she was able to calm him down. He’s still not totally in love with the pool, but hopefully he’ll be okay when we take swim lessons this summer. Dalin was true to the first birthday cake all over the face tradition, thanks in part to his dad who kept giving him more and more cake. It was a really fun time. We are so happy to have our little Dalin in our family. HAPPY BIRTHDAY DALIN!!

Kaylee had a turtle made out of cupcakes.

Dalin had some Legos.

Birthday Boy and Daddy