The "B" Family Buzz

4paws and the New York Times

2012-02-07T10:29:00.004-06:00

This is an awesome article posted by the New York Times on FASD and Service Dogs. It tells the story of the first FASD service dog and his family. It also gives the story of Karen Shirk the founder of 4paws.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/05/magazine/wonder-dog.html

Take time to watch the video included in this online article as well. It talks about the dogs training and their placement with kids/families.
4pawsforability is the group where we will get K's service dog once our fundraising is complete.

If the link sends you to their log in page just go to the top of the page and look for the "most popular" button. Once you get to that list then look for the article titled "Wonder Dog".

Christmas Day 2011

2012-01-16T20:07:00.000-06:00

It has only taken me a week to get to the Christmas Day post. But at long last here it is!!! :)

K.J. spoils -

J. D. spoils -

I still have one that likes the boxes - :)

Lego's -

Nice, soft, new blanket -

Star Wars Action Figures-

a present to open!

More Lego's

J's turn for a gift -

Lego's and star wars, a good combintation :)

Mom get's a turn-

Dad gets some Lego's too (he's a kid at heart ;) )

The final picture - K.J. cuddled up in his blanket, snuggled up with his new Lego, Ninjago, alarm clock! Not sure how comfy the alarm clock was to snuggle with but it sure made for a cute picture! :)

And yes he is really asleep!!!

Christmas Eve 2011

2012-01-09T10:38:00.000-06:00

Now that we are nearly two weeks into the new year and things are returning to normal (what ever normal is around here) I finally have a moment to catch up. So I figured it was time to do a couple of Christmas posts!! Christmas Eve was nice. We started our activities at around 4:30 by taking some goody plates to our friends and neighbors. After which we took a drive around our town to enjoy all the Christmas lights. Upon return it was bath time for the boys while I got the potato wedges and chicken nuggets ready. ( a throw back tradition from my husbands growing up years!:) ) After dinner we read the Christmas Story and then it was time for a couple of gifts.

I don't know why K. is so serious in this picture he had been begging us all day to open presents!:)

J. opening his gift.

The first gift is always a set of P.J.'s for them. My little Grinches!!! ;)

Then they get a gift from Dad - to keep them entertained until bedtime!!!! ;) They each got a set of Legos to build with.

This year we also let the boys open their gifts to each other. What they didn't know was that they had gotten each other almost the same thing (small Lego set and a clone trooper action figure). K went first and here is the look on his face when he realizes that Jeremy has the same thing in his unopened present.

J. went next and was doubly excited - he had really wanted the action figure that he was giving to his brother. So he was obviously pleased that brother had gotten him one also!!

Our Christmas Story was re-enacted by the local fisher-price little people guild. They all ended the evening around the stable!

After building their Lego sets it was time for Santa letters , a plate of goodies for the Jolly Guy and off to bed. To bad Santa's helpers couldn't crash also - they were very tired at this point.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

2011-12-25T08:05:00.000-06:00

And all came to worship Him!!

Merry Christmas!

From the "B" Family!

Christmas Eve Photo Scavenger Hunt

2011-12-24T22:07:00.001-06:00

What do you do with two bored, excited kids mid-afternoon on Christmas Eve. You give them a list and a camera and send them on a photo scavenger hunt. Our list included ten items: wreath, Santa on a tractor, red bow, nativity, reindeer, snowman, candy cane, Christmas tree, a present, and a bird (the last one was daddy's idea?!). They could also add pictures of items that weren't on the list. The found them all plus a few more. Here is a sampling:

The wreath and red bow,

the bird ( I think Santa has taken up owl-mail in honor of Harry Potter),

the snowman (notice there isn't much real snow so we are doing artificial),

a star,

a present plus a stocking,

Santa's just barely hanging on (and so are mom and dad :) ),

Nativity,

another red bow,

a reindeer,

Santa on a tractor,

and a Christmas Tree.

They had a lot of fun and it kept them busy too!!!!!! :) Now if the real Santa would hurry UP!!

Canine 4 Kennan

2011-12-06T09:48:00.017-06:00

Dear Family and Friends,

Several weeks ago I added a post to this blog asking for help in beginning our fund raising for a service dog for Kennan. We are now officially into that fundraising process. And once again we are asking for your help. Some of you may have noticed a new button on the left side of this blog. It is a link to our official fundraising blog. We are asking those of you with blogs, facebook, etc. to please go to this site and a grab a button and post it on your social media site(s). We would like to create the biggest network of people we can - in hopes of continuing to raise funds for Kennan's Service Dog. "Canine 4 Kennan" includes two links where those interested can make online donations. One is a link to Kennan's "4paws dream page" and the other is to "firstgiving fundraiser" an online donations site - which will collect donations to "4paws" in honor of Kennan. If you donate to Kennan's sites you will need the following information: Because 4paws for ability is a nonprofit organization all donations need to be made payable to them (for tax purposes), and then make note on the site that the contributions are in Honor of Kennan Brower so he will get credit towards his Service Dog. If you are willing to pass along our link please also pass along the above information in yellow.

Thank you for all your help and support,

"The "B" Family

Halloween

2011-11-08T09:15:00.000-06:00

We had a great Halloween with lots of fun activities!

We carved pumpkins,

Dressed in costumes,

and of course went trick or treating. We had great weather for trick or treating and the boys got lots of candy. I am glad it is all over for another year!!!!

What's Up!!!!

2011-10-10T15:02:00.003-05:00

Dear Friends and Family,

It has taken awhile for us to decide how to best go about sharing a few things about our family and in particular about K.J. Over the past five and a half years we have spent a lot of time trying to figure out what the cause of his ever increasing struggles where. In the last year it has come to our attention that K.J.’s birth mother drank and used cocaine while she was pregnant with him. We believe that the prenatal alcohol exposure is the root of the problems he is experiencing. We are working with those in the medical profession that are competent in aiding us with a diagnosis. We believe when all the testing is done he will be diagnosed with an FASD (fetal alcohol spectrum disorder) or more specifically ARND(alcohol related neurodevelopmental disorder). In the course of this process, K.J. has picked up a multitude of other diagnoses and we have been looking for ways to help him cope with the multiple issues he is facing. One way that we have come across that has been successful in helping children like K.J. is the use of a service dog. We have been accepted to receive a dog for K.J. However, these dogs are expensive to train and we need to fund raise for a portion of the expenses in training these service dogs before a dog can be placed with K.J. We have contracted with the non-profit organization “4 Paws for Ability “ to fund raise $13,000.00 toward the training of these service dogs. We are asking for your help in this effort. If you have an idea that might make a good fundraiser please let us know or if there is another way you feel you could help we would appreciate your help in making this happen for K.J. Please feel free to contact us with questions, to give suggestions or for volunteering to help. You may also be interested in learning more about our journey on the FASD road by visiting http://asmallpebbleinapond.blogspot.com/ . Thank you for your help.

The “B” Family Buzz

Ann Michelle, Del, J.D. and K.J.

Homecoming

2011-10-07T14:42:00.000-05:00

Today is the homecoming parade for our district high school. All the schools in the district get out early - it's a huge deal!!! The kids all dress in high school colors for school and the parade. This year dad even got into the spirit with a little red and black in his beard!!!

Silly!!!!

Serious!!!!

Game Face!!!

Hope they win!!!!

Another Missed Event

2011-10-05T08:23:00.000-05:00

Another event that I missed posting because of how busy we've been was the first day of school..

J.D. ready for the first day of 6th grade!

Brothers facing the world together.

K.J. ready for the first day of second grade.

Me and K.J. outsid of his school.

Missed Events

2011-09-26T08:54:00.000-05:00

We have been so busy this last summer that I have missed posting several events. One of which was J.D.'s birthday. and this one was extra special. J. turned twelve in August. This is extra special for us because he was also ordained a Deacon and can now help pass the sacrament at church. He is so excited about this opportunity to serve. He is a great kid and a wonderful example to us and his little brother. We are so proud of him.
J getting ready to make a wish.

His cake.

His gifts including a new bike. Yipee!!!

Ready for church.

J. with his Grandpa L. Grandma and Grandpa L. came special for this event.

J. and his dad-

J. with dad and little brother.

We love J. and are so glad he is part of our family. We are so greatful for the choices he is making and for being an example to his little brother.

Guess Who Turned 39 on Monday?!

2011-09-15T14:38:00.000-05:00

Yep!! It's the dad in this household. Happy Birthday Del!!! We hope you had a great one?

Sporting a New Look

2011-08-17T13:13:00.000-05:00

Because I was hard up for sympathy and needed a little attention!!! :)

Roses and Other Things!!

2011-07-18T14:01:00.001-05:00

On Thursday my wonderful Husband surprised me with two dozen roses - just because he knows I love flowers!!! :) Definitely put a smile on my face - so I wanted to brag about it - obviously I'm married to a terrific and very thoughtful guy! However I should have snapped a picture as soon as He got them home - since now they are looking as hot and droopy as we are feeling!!! We are one of seventeen states today under excessive heat warnings. The "feels" like temperature should reach 116 degrees today. And as of 1:30 p.m. we are well on the way with the "feels" like temperature sitting at 114 degrees. We are melting with no relief in site until at least Friday!!! But at least I have roses :) , even if we are melting!!!!

OOPS!!

2011-07-15T08:09:00.001-05:00

This is what happens when you don't find the wall stud while trying to put the hook in for the hammock. Your panelling comes loose as the hook and the hammock (as well as the husband) end up on the floor!!!

But at least all's well. Found it the second time a round and the boys didn't end up on the floor. The only real damage was dad's pride!

More Wild Weather

2011-07-06T11:03:00.000-05:00

Last nights storm arrived with 65+ mile per hour winds and a torrential downpour. The rain was blowing side ways.
My living room window.

The over whelmed rain gutters.

The storm drains clogged with debris created a very large puddle in front of our house.

Neighbors house reflected in said puddle.

K.J. splashing in same puddle.

More storm clouds to the south of us.

We lost another limb from our tree - at this rate we won't need a tree service to take down our tree - mother nature is doing a bang up job!

The city workers chopping up and hauling away our tree limb debris!

We spent a short time in the basement after the tornado sirens sounded. And were without power for about three and a half hours. Good night to cook hamburgers/hot dogs on the grill. But all in all we survived another round of Mother Natures Fireworks!!

A Little Sparkle !!!

2011-07-06T10:44:00.001-05:00

We had a great fourth of July weekend. We started our weekend with a friend for dinner and visiting on Friday night. Then Saturday the boys went to the water park for the afternoon. On Sunday evening we enjoyed the Fireworks. Monday we went to a near by community for the parade and then to a church members home for a get together. Here are a few pics from the weekend.

There were lots and lots of tractors in the parade. We are in the Midwest - home of corn, soybeans, and John Deere tractors.

This was probably one of the best entries in the parade. There was a total of five trucks bearing over 200 flags total. Each flag represented on person who died during military service (all war veterans from each major conflict), They were persons who were members of the surrounding communities.

This is an old fashioned threshing machine - including an invitation to a threshing bee next week - anyone want to come? :)

If threshing doesn't appeal to you then you can always participate in "cow pie" bingo. Basically waiting for the cow to poop and hope he poops nearest your number!! NO FOOLING - any takers?? :)

And we mustn't forget the old time horse drawn Hearst (say that ten time fast).

The parade was fun at any rate and the boys made a haul in candy. We capped the weekend off with a few sparklers Monday night.

Hope you all had a Happy Fourth!!!

Wild Weather

2011-06-27T13:19:00.000-05:00

This over grown looking "bush" is actually a huge piece of our tree laying in the neighbors' backyards.
We had some really wild and stormy weather late last night. The 60+ mile an hour winds ripped a huge limb from the top of our tree and sailed it into the neighbors yard.

The boys helped clean up and haul everything to the curb. And another neighbor brought a chainsaw to cut up the larger pieces. This is the third large branch in fifteen months to come down. We are now looking at having the tree removed before it becomes a real liability!! :(

Happy Father's Day!!!!

2011-06-19T17:40:00.000-05:00

Happy Father's Day to my Favorite guy!!! My Eternal Companion!!! And to my Dad too!!!

Seventeen on the Seventeenth!!!!

2011-06-17T16:22:00.001-05:00

Seventeen years ago to day I married my Sweetheart and Best Friend. It has been quite the ride - but one I wouldn't trade. Happy Anniversary Del! And to many more!!!

Pinewood Derby and Rank Advancement

2011-06-16T14:37:00.000-05:00

Last night was pinewood derby and court of honor for J.D. The boys had a lot of fun. J.D. advanced two ranks in scouting. And both boys got to race their derby cars even though K.J. won't be in cub scouts for another nine months :(. He can't wait!!

J.D. with both his rank advancement patches!!

I had to pin an both of my mother's pins - myself- J.D. Just sort of gave me a sheepish grin!! Boys! :)

He was almost to cool to give his dad a hug - almost!!

J.D. and his car and ribbon!

At the starting line!

J.D.'s car!

K.J. watching the race.

K.J.'s car!

To tired to display his ribbon and car!

So proud of them both. They both did a large portion of the work on their cars! And proud of J.D. and his work in scouts to earn his first two rank advancements. Keep up the hard work J.D. !!

Outdoor Fun

2011-06-02T10:11:00.000-05:00

Last week we finally got to enjoy some nice spring weather. We spent the evening in our backyard picnicing and playing. The weather was warm and sunny. Such a nice change.

K.J. practicing his scarecrow act!!

K.J. working on his monkey act - not much practice needed!!!! :)

J.D. getting in a little gymnastics practice.

J.D. and K.J. trying to help their dad play helicopter - not much accomplished, except grass stains!:)

K.J. relaxing.

J.D. taking time out to enjoy the view from the tree.

It is nice to finally be leaving winter behind.

2011-05-18T11:13:00.000-05:00

On Saturday of Easter weekend the Easter Bunny visited. The boys had a good time with their Easter baskets and hunting eggs - sugar high was the going order of the day!!

We also took time out to color Easter eggs. The boys love to experiment with making different color of eggs. At least this year we didn't get Army Green!! :)

We had a great time - and part of those eggs became an ingredient in potatoe salad for dinner the next day. YUMMY!!!!! We're good for another year!

Good Friday! :)

2011-05-05T10:21:00.000-05:00

On Good Friday we decided to head south to the science center and spend the day playing. We had a great time. K.J. has asked several times when we get to go again.

We played with bubbles?

We built rockets - right up dads alley- he enjoyed it as much as the boys!! :)

We built and arch - took all four of us to finally get it put together!

We launched the rockets - to see how far they would travel.

We looked at fossils?

We also took in a couple of presentations - reptiles and amphibians and one on really cold things. We had a great day.

March Madness!!

2011-05-03T12:06:00.000-05:00

I'm playing catch up. The last couple of months have been crazy around here. So I'm going to attempt to post a few catch up posts on our blog. In march we made our annual trip to the zoo.

We had a beautiful day for our trip to the zoo. It was sunny and seventy degrees outside. It was perfect from start to finishes.

This little monkey and his companion were among our favorite animals that day. And he was certainly the absolute noisiest. You could hear him through out the entire zoo. The boys love it! :)

And to celebrat Saint Patricks day we had green sugar cookies - compliments of K.J. He didn't want just green frosting - we had to had green food coloring to the actual cookie dough! :) They tasted good at any rate!!!

And of course we finished out the month by celebrating K.J.'s seventh birthday. Now on to April - tomorrow if you are lucky?!

Guess Who's Seven?

2011-03-29T13:45:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, K.J. celebrated his seventh birthday. He recieved many exciting gifts. He really loved his club penguin things, his legos and especially his new fleece blanket - it is very soft and he loves things that are nice and soft. We are so glad he is part of our family. We are looking forward to another seven years - and beyond. Happy Birthday K.J.

Pets!!!

2011-02-20T11:16:00.004-06:00

On any given day our house is a quiet one pet household. (Or, as quiet as any household can be when you are raising two very active boys.) However, sometimes in the Summertime we have a temporary influx of pets. This last summers guests made quite the menagerie. To the delight of my budding herpetologist (aka - J.D.). The list of guests are not for the squimish or faint of heart (Grandpa L.). They included the following: Two Toads,

A dozen or more Northern Leopard Frogs,

Half a dozen Green Tree Frogs,

Three Salamandars,

And one nice size Garder Snake.

All the guests stayed for several days, some at the same time, others at various times throughout the summer. Then they were all released in time to hibernate. We are now back to our normal, quiet, one pet, household. Until next summer - of course!!! ;-)

FYI - Compliments of K.J.

2011-02-14T11:13:00.000-06:00

Did you know: "when you are Resurrected you can take out your brain and look at it." This is a piece of knowledge imparted to you by my six year old - K.J. So now you know!!! :-)

Christmas Day - At Last!!!

2011-02-14T11:04:00.000-06:00

At long last - a few pictures from the big day!!

Sammy found his stocking - yes he get one too - the kids insist! It Works! :-)

K.J. opening his gifts!

Daddy Opening his gifts - multiple times. Mom, had fun this year - and every present was wrapped at least three times. One box inside of another!!!!

J.D. having a go at the unwrapping!! We had a very nice christmas - we hope you all did too!

Christmas Eve!!

2011-01-27T22:30:00.000-06:00

Christmas Eve is the height of all the excitement - at our house! We start with the nativity story (notice all the little people at K.J.'s feet - for use in acting out said story:). ). Then we move on to opening presents - let the craziness begin!!!!!

Christmas P.J.'s for both the boys !!! :)

Then one gift each to keep them entertained until morning! This year it was a Lego board game.

To finish the evening off they got to play games with Dad - How great is that!!!

After that it was off to dream land - to await the arrival of Santa!!!!! Hope he brings something good?!

December/ before christmas

2011-01-10T15:04:00.004-06:00

Christmas has come and gone and so has the New Year and I'm way behind on my blogging - so I decided today was the day to catch up. I plugged in my camera to up load my images to the computer - it showed that I had 196 images that have been taken in the last eight weeks. No, I'm not going to blog all 196 pics. Only 195 of them!;) Just kidding. Here are four from December - PreChristmas

J.D. had his first band concert - he did awesome!

This arrived on the morning of the 24th- just in time for a white christmas!:)

Gingerbread house number one!

Gingerbread house number two!

Now, maybe I'll blog about Christmas tomorrow!;) I wouldn't hold your breath though!:)

A Return to Siberia

2010-12-12T13:12:00.000-06:00

Capturing the Sunrise!

2010-12-07T10:03:00.000-06:00

Thanksgiving!!

2010-11-27T13:19:00.000-06:00

Hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving!!

We Did!!!!

NOT READY, YET!!!!!

2010-11-13T09:24:00.001-06:00

This is what we woke up to this morning.

As most of you know, I generally like snow. But, we had such a long winter last year (i.e. six months). That I'm not ready for S-N-O-W. It would be okay if it waited until a couple of weeks before Christmas - never mind that it is a whole month later than it was last winter! :-( But, thankfully it is a very wet snow because the storm has been accompanied by thirty to forty mile an hour winds - and we know from previous experiences what that could mean - blizzard - but again thankfully it is really wet and too heavey to blow!!!:-)

Phantoms, Ninjas, and Pumpkins...Oh, My!!

2010-11-05T13:36:00.000-05:00

As a Mom I'm glad Halloween is over - However, my kids are not. They love the costumes, the pumpkins, and especially the candy. They had a great time!!

Vacation - Final

2010-10-27T16:05:00.003-05:00

Towards the end of our vacation we visited an aquarium and the world's largest open pit mine. The mine was my favorite thing we saw on our trip. Kennecott Copper is the world's largest open pit mine and one of only a couple of man made things that you can see from space. I really loved seeing it up close - wish we could of actually gone down in it!!:( But we had fun anyway.)

One of the walls of the copper mine.

My, Boys standing infront of a tire that belongs on a dump truck used in the mine.

A view down into the mine.

Said Dump truck

another shot of equipment in the mine.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
J.D. and the sting ray at the aquarium.

J. and K. on the frog.

We had a great time. And a good vacation.

Vacation - Day Eight

2010-09-25T13:02:00.006-05:00

(Yes, I'm skipping days again- day six and seven were quite and spent visiting with family.)

On day eight we went to Hill Air Force Base with some of my family.

Fighter Jet at the entrance of the Base.

My nephew-B.B., my niece K.B., my boys J.D. and K.J. posing infront of a jet on the base.

Another plane!

The boys checking out the underside of one of the planes!

A military uniform.

The boys dressed in flight suits in the kids section of the museum!

K.J. and Little Mr. B. in the cockpit ready to fly!

K.J. posses in his flight suit - look out world!!!

Maybe these goggles fit better this way?!?!?

J.D. in his flight suite! Handsome in his uniform!!!

J.D. and Miss K in the cockpit - Miss K didn't go for the Uniforms - she's good as is!

A "Lady never goes anywhere without her purse - one must always be prepared!!!:)

This is a ball gown made out of a retired parachute - things where in short supply during the war - including material for gowns.

There was lots to see and do at the base - we had a lot of fun-and I think the boys would go back again!!!

Vacation - Day 5

2010-09-18T11:51:00.002-05:00

For those of you who can count, you will probably notice that I skipped day four. Day four was kind of a quiet day. - Sunday. It was spent attending church and visiting family.
On Monday, July 5th, we took a trip to Bear Lake with some of Del's family. This is one of my favorite places to visit when we go home. The lake is always cold - but always beautiful.

This is a view of the lake from the lookout point as you come out of the canyon.

This is one of my nieces, C, - isn't she cute!!! We had lots of fun traveling too and from the lake with Miss C.

This is a shot of some of the group at the lake.

This is J.D. digging in the sand.

And K.J. just looking as handsome as ever!!!!

The kids had a great time at the lake. On the way home we stopped at a little fast food place known as "La Beau's". It is famous for it's raspberry shakes- Yum!!! What a great way to end the day:)!

Vacation -Day Three- (Part 2)

2010-09-13T15:52:00.002-05:00

Saturday, evening, we went to Del's brother's house. We got together with the "B" Family to celebrate (Del's Parents) Grandma and Big Buddy (Grandpa) "B"s Fiftieth wedding anniversary. We had a nice time visiting with the whole family.

J.D. and K.J. with Grandma and Big Buddy

Grandma and Big Buddy with seven of their ten Grandchildren

Mom and Dad "B" with their seven children

Congratulations to Mom and Dad "B". We hope you celebrate many more anniversaries.

Someone is Having a Birthday!!!!

2010-09-12T14:22:00.002-05:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEL!!!!!

Vacation - Day Three - (part 1)

2010-09-07T14:19:00.002-05:00

On July 3, we spent the early part of the day up the Canyon with some of the "B" family.

This is a photo of some of the cousins after a hike up spring hollow.

K.J. fossil hunting -you can find things here from an ancient lake bed.

Then they waded in the creek. This was a turn your feet blue adventure - since the water coming down this creek comes out of a snow bank somewhere higher up!

They had a great time and love being able to do things with their cousins.

Vacation - Day Two

2010-09-03T10:12:00.005-05:00

July 2nd was spent much the same as the day before - riding in the car.
We started the day with a rainbow and obviously a few clouds and rain.

However, by the time we stopped at our first rest stop the sun was out and the temperatures were climbing

It always amazes me that as we pass through several different states how diverse the scenery can be - here the sky is washed out and the vegetation mostly sage brush and desert grass - the climate is dry and windy.

As we begin to climb up into the mountains - the air is still much drier than in the midwest, but the sky loses it's washed out look. And this year they've had more rain than normal so the hills are still green - instead of desert brown.

Although we spent two thirds of the day getting to our destination we still had time for a little fun. Del and I took in a temple session with his siblings and later we all went to the fireworks. It was a fun way to end the day. (This is the best I could get - my new camera has a firework feature - but I haven't figured out how it works yet! ;)

Vacation -Day 1 - The Long Drive

2010-09-02T12:57:00.004-05:00

Now that it is September, I thought I'd post about our summer vacation.
In July we took the first two weeks to travel west to visit family (yes, I know I'm a little behind on my posts). On July first we started on our two day drive.

This first picture is not a pond/lake - it is a cornfield. If you look in the lower right hand corner you will see cornstalks that are still above water. There were many fields that had patches like this, because of all the rain we've had.

The boys getting out a little bit of energy at a rest stop.

The scenery!

Bordem, silly putty, and creativity!!

More scenery! (This is what you get when you have a new camera and a nearly 1200 mile drive :) ).

Last rest stop, before we will arrive at our stopping point for the day!! J.D. and K.J. tried to convince us we needed one of these. So sorry no room in the van - stuffed too full with all our vacation things! DARN!!!!

Despite traveling over half of the distance in one day - the boys did great. They really wanted to visit family!!

All I Want For Christmas....

2010-08-28T11:06:00.000-05:00

All I Want For Christmas... is my two front teeth!! That's what K.J. has been singing for the last week and a half!! He lost his second tooth and was very excited about it. I think he'll get his wish -since both permanent teeth are already well on their way to feeling that gap!! :)

...Of School

2010-08-24T11:14:00.000-05:00

K.J. also started school today - he is in first grade. He is very excited because he has the same teacher J.D. had when he was in first grade. But he wasn't so thrilled about having to sit and listen for hours on end. :( (mom is surving :))!

First Day..

2010-08-24T11:10:00.000-05:00

Today is the first day of school. (AAAHHHH!!!!, Peace and Quiet!!! :) ). J.D. started fifth grade today - so of he went to middle school. Watching him get on the bus was sad/happy - I can't believe he is old enough to be in middle school.

Eleven!!

2010-08-23T12:21:00.000-05:00

On Saturday J.D. celebrated his eleventh birthday!! He had a great day!! It is hard to believe he is eleven. He is growing so fast.

Change

2010-08-19T13:04:00.000-05:00

On Aug. 8, 2010 J.D. graduated from cub scouts to boy scouts. We are so proud of all he has accomplished.

Congratulations J.D. on a job well done!

COLOR!!!

2010-08-13T15:43:00.000-05:00

You've heard of the Blue Men?? Now meet the Green Man!!!!

K.J. thought it was great fun to paint himself with green tempra paint (high jacked from the top of the fridge, without mom's knowledge) - Until dad made him wash it off!!! Not so fun!!!:(

Weather!!

2010-08-11T11:35:00.000-05:00

I took these pictures last night, outside on our driveway! They don't do justice to the gathering storm - the clouds were in full motion - one big swirling mass of angry gray.

We have had 20.5 inches of rain since june (almost two feet) and that doesn't count the 2 to3 inches that these little beauties gave us last night. That is a little bit much - even for us here in the midwest!! And we are suppose to get more rain in the next couple of days. Just because we don't have enough water yet!!!!! :)

Lost!!!!

2010-08-02T11:51:00.000-05:00

It's the first for K.J.

Friday K.J. lost his first tooth!!! He was so excited! He has been waiting forever for this big event - since a number of his friends lost their first tooth during the school year last year. The Toothfairy found him and he was a happy boy.

WANTED -Escaped Prisoner !!!

2010-07-21T11:46:00.005-05:00

Yesterday we had seven convicts running loose in our house. One did not survive the escape attempt. Five have been recaptured and one we think is still on the lam. Not sure though - maybe Sammy ate him!!!:( They were aided and abetted by a black,furry, four legged, creature that had ulterior motives in helping them escape the five gallon ice cream bucket!!

The following is a photo of the remaining escapee!!

Sure hope he's caught soon - death is a real possibility!! And being Sammy's ill gotten dinner is another!! After all Sammy had ulterior motives in helping them escape!!! Jailers (J.D. and K.J.) were ready to Lynch the accomplice. But cooler heads prevailed - aka - mom!

E. A. S. and Mother Nature

2010-06-23T11:25:00.004-05:00

This is what it looked like around 9:30 p.m. at our house. (these pictures are not mine - just some off the Internet.) We were getting ready to put the boys in bed for the evening when the tornado sirens (about 9:15) in our community sounded for the first time. So we gathered ourselves, our shoes, and a portable radio and headed for the basement. Which is were we spent the next three and a half hours. Listening to the multiple (and I mean multiple) updates. The original warning was to expire at 9:45p.m. But it was extend multiple times as one wave of storms passed over after another. And one area or county after another was added to the list. All of these storms produced instant warnings rather than watches or advisories. For all of you who are unaware of how the national weather service issues weather statements - there are three types: advisory( kind of the FYI of the group), then watches ( this is where conditions are looking more favorable for a certain event) and finally a Warning (the said event is eminent or occurring). For most weather related events you would start at an advisory and move up. But not last night - we went directly to a warning - or rather several - including flash flood, flood, severe thunderstorm, and tornado. It made for a very long night. The announcers on the radio were receiving new information so quickly that they had trouble keeping up. They would go to relate updates and be interrupted by a new E. A. S. broadcast (for those of you who are not familiar with the name E. A. S. it stands for Emergency Alert System - this is broadcast over both T.V. and radio - it is started and ended by a loud buzz/beep that gets your attention).

The first picture is one of a super cell thunderstorm - when these form you get severe thunderstorm warnings and often tornado warnings.

This is a picture of a funnel cloud - there were multiple reports of funnel clouds throughout the three and a half hour period. For those of you who may not know you can have a funnel cloud without actually having a tornado - a funnel cloud must touch the ground for it to be a tornado.

This picture is of a rotating wall cloud - tornadoes will touch down from or directly around the rotation of the wall cloud. To our delight (not) we had a rotating wall cloud pass directly over a portion of our little community. The worst part was all this is taking place in the dark - which makes all of these features much more difficult to see - the storm spotters where using brief flashes of lightning to determine what they where seeing.

On a good note was the teaching moment that occurred a little while after going to the basement. As we were listening to the various reports coming in our boys realized that one of the reports was of a possible tornado touching down just outside of a nearby community were some of our good friends live. They kept asking repeatedly if D.,N. and D, were okay. We kept telling them there was no official confirmation to what we had heard. But still they kept asking - obviously worried. Finally, I told them that if they were that worried we need to say a pray asking Our Heavenly Father to watch over and protect those of our friends, family, and ward members who were in the path of these storms. Let me tell you there is nothing greater than the faith of a child or listening to your six year old petition the Lord for his protecting hand for all those that he is worried about. After the prayer they ceased to worry about anything but when we could go upstairs to bed. So Bro. and Sis. F. we were thinking about you last night.
And at long last, 12:40a.m. to be exact we were finally able to come up to bed. There were still thunder storms in the area - but the warning for us had finally been allowed to expire.

Sweet Sixteen!!!!

2010-06-17T10:13:00.000-05:00

Sixteen years ago today - I married my best Friend!! Happy Sixteenth Del.!!

What Can't You Be.......?????!

2010-06-13T14:46:00.003-05:00

Conversation between K.J. and his dad.
Dad: "Do you like it when people call you names?"
K.J. - relutant shake of head "no"
Dad: "How do you think it makes others feel when you call them names?"
K.J. "Sad"
Dad: "That's right it just makes others feel sad"
K.J. "When they call me names it makes me feel like there are things I can't be"
Dad: "K.J. that's not true. You can be anything you want"
K.J: "No you can't dad, you can't be anything"
Dad: "Well, K.J. what do you think you can't be?"
K.J: "Dad, I can't be a WORM!"

As his Mom I beg to differ - I think he makes a great worm!!! What do you think?!

Kindergarten Graduation!!!

2010-06-04T13:33:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was K.J.'s graduation ceremony from Kindergarten. He is excited to be completing his first full year of school. He is ready to move on - don't know if mom is though???

K.J. with his kindergarten teacher - Miss G.

Kindergarten performing.

K.J. with the principle Mrs. J.

K.J. with one of the aides in his classroom - Mrs. A.

K.J. has worked so hard this year and has accomplished alot. We are so proud of him. I know he will do a great job in first grade. He's ready - even if mom is not. Congradulations K.J. - our Kindergarten Graduate!!!!

Fourth Grade Recognition!!

2010-06-02T13:41:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was J.D.'s fourth grade graduation/recognition. Here in our district children move to middle school starting with the fifth grade. So each year the fourth graders have a special program at the end of the school year in honor of the completion of elementary school.

J.D. and his flower for the parents.

J.D. and his home room teacher Mr. H.

J.D. and the other fourth grade teacher Ms.T.

J. is going to miss his elementary school but is looking forward to moving on to middle school. Although I'm not sure that Mom is?! Congratulation to our Fourth Grader!!

On the Mississippi!!!!

2010-05-21T13:16:00.008-05:00

Last weekend we had the opportunity to go to Nauvoo for a regional LDSFSA Adoption confrence. We got the chance to see old friends, meet new ones, and attend classes on various aspects of adoption and related issues. We had a great time. Our family also took sometime to be tourists while we were there. The boys loved it. K.J.'s favorite visit was the blacksmith shop. J.D.'s favorite was the fudge factory and the red brick store (i.e. the rock candy). My husband and I also were able to tour a few sights that we hadn't been through before. It was a really fun weekend for all of us - even with the long drive to and from home.

The boys are already asking when we will get to go to Nauvoo again. They are hoping soon!:)

Let's Go Dutch!!!

2010-05-19T17:25:00.002-05:00

Guess Where We Are?????

If you guessed Holland/Netherlands - you'd be wrong!

The Saturday before Mother's Day we attended "Tulip Time". It is an annual event held in a community two hours from us. The town was originally a Dutch settlement. Along with the tulips the town has the largest working windmill in the US, lots of little shops, a parade, and dutch food!!:) (if you ever get the chance to try a "dutch letter" - don't pass it up!! YUMMMMMM!!!!:)!) It was a very family friendly event and despite the cold we had a great time. Maybe we'll do it again next year?!:)

Weather - Wind or Lightning!?!?!?

2010-05-11T15:48:00.004-05:00

Last night we had a fairly violent storm go through our neighborhood (not as violent as Kansas or Oklahoma). But plenty of action. This morning brought pictures of leaves, twigs, branches and even entire trees down. I took these pictures of a tree that is roughly a half a block down the street from our house. The limb itself has already been picked up and turned into mulch by our city workers. But you can see where the damage is. I'm not sure if it was wind or lightning - maybe both- but either way the tree was on the losing end -ouch!!

Birth Mother's Day!!!

2010-05-07T13:31:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow is Birth Mother's Day!! To all the birthmothers out there our family just wants to say thank-you!! Know that you are loved!!
And a extra special thanks to our sons' birthmothers - without you we could have never been parents. Thank You!!!

Our greatest dreams were realized on the day these two children entered our lives. Words will never be enough to express our gratitude!!

Wrap it UP!!!

2010-04-30T12:28:00.006-05:00

Remember pictures like this - they appeared with great frequency on this blog all winter long - no we are not having another blizzard!!!:)

During our very long winter I had to keep busy! So here is some of the results:

This blanket was one I made for K.J. for Christmas.

And this is J.D.'s quilt.

Then there were these - our stake was doing a humanitarian project- these quilts were made to be sent to the humanitarian center in Salt Lake City and then to where ever there is a need. This was a great way to spend all those long cold days.:)

And finally, there was this one - this is the only other quilt ( besides the my children's christmas ones) that I kept - it is also the only one that is hand bound (finished around the edge) all the others are done on the sewing machine ( a feat in and of itself for me!:):) ) -including the identical looking one pictuered above. What will I do with it you ask - well hopefully we will adopt again soon and then I'll get to use it! :) (and if it is a boy- I'll just have to make another one with less pink!!!lol.)

The Airport!!!!!

2010-04-20T15:01:00.000-05:00

A week and a half ago J.D. and K.J. got to take a trip to the regional airport in our area. J.D.'s cub scout troop had signed up for a tour. The boys love this. They were able to sit inside the cockpit of a little private plane and they also got to visit the airport "fire station". As far as my boys were concerned it was a way cool outing. Afterwards they got to go to lunch with dad!!!:)

Paper Mache

2010-04-16T13:24:00.000-05:00

For Family Home Evening two weeks ago we made a paper mache volcano. (It was for a ward activity) For any of you who have not done this, paper mache is a paste made from flour and water (there are other recipes as well) mixed together. You dip newspaper strips into the paste. Then you begin to build or shape the desired object. The paper mache can be shaped as long as it is wet. Neither of my boys had ever worked with paper mache - infact they didn't even no what it was. J.D. kept complaining that he didn't want to make a paper mache volcano - that is until he actually saw what it was then he decided that maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all!!! They had a good time - and I bet I could even talk J.D. into making another one sometime. :) Althought I'm not so sure about Dad - he was kind of a nervous wreck about the mess they were making - who would of thought!! :):)

APRIL FOOLS!!!

2010-04-13T13:57:00.000-05:00

The weather here on April 1st was a stark contrast to the weather two weeks earlier (i.e. trip to the zoo in the snow). By the time I picked the boys up from school at 2:00 (we had an early out) the temperature was a toasty 86 degrees farenheit. On the way home the boys ask - "Mom do you think we could run threw the sprinkler". At the current temperature I could see know reason why not. So upon arriving home my children dawned swim trunks and t-shirts and went out to play in the water. As you can see from the pictures they also found a lovely patch of dirt to which they added above said water and took a mud bath. Ahhh! Boys!! The are simply to much!!!:)

I should of taken pictures of them standing in the water trying to get the mud off before I would let them in the house!!!:) Such a mean mother they have - haven't I ever heard of mud bathes - they're good for you - right?!?!

1 Albino Alligator + 3 Macawas + 2 children + infinite snowflakes = ?

2010-04-12T13:23:00.002-05:00

Well - they could equal one wild spring break or one crazy trip to the zoo? Actually they equal both. In March (yes I'm a little behind on my posting) the boys had their spring break. It has become an anual tradition to spend a day at the zoo during spring break week. And so we did just that. We took a trip to the zoo.

But, this year we added something new to the mix. Yep!, you guessed it - SNOW!!! This was a first for all of us - although a little cold we managed to have fun.:)

My three guys - just walking in the snow!

One very bored gorilla - not sure why my camera has him laying on his side - maybe he is getting ready to sleep, because he is so bored?!

K.J. taking on the skeleton in a starring contest - I wonder who will win that one?

The llama doesn't seem to mind the snow!

Neither does J.D. !!

The raccoon just wants to be fed! He's not above a spot (or two) of begging!

The poison dart frog is just hanging out and watching the people go by!

And so are my boys!!:) Despite the weather being a little soggy we enjoyed our family trip. It was fun to spend time together.

Easter Fun!!

2010-04-04T14:21:00.000-05:00

The "B" Family wants to wish you all a Happy Easter!!

Guess Who Had A Birthday??!

2010-04-01T16:49:00.001-05:00

On Sunday K.J. celebrated his sixth birthday. It is hard to believe that it has been six years since he joined our Family!:) We are so glad he came into our lives.

On Saturday K.J. had a party with friends his age. They played Twister, Pin the Tale on the Donkey, and Mummy Relay. They even got to wrap-up dad. That was there favorite - besides cake and ice cream!:)

Dad, made a great mummy!!! LOL. So did K.J.

On Sunday we had friends from church over for dinner and birthday cake!!

He even got to open his presents!!! :):)

On Monday he got to take birthday treats to school. K.J. loved stretching birthday out over three days. But by Monday Mom was all birthdayed out!!

K.J. had a great birthday and we are so glad he is a part of our family!:):):)

Thoughts on the Seasons!!!

2010-03-23T13:54:00.001-05:00

At our house we have five seasons - Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, and MUD seasons. And I am not refering to the kids getting into trouble, although that can definitly happen during MUD season. I'm am refering to the season that comes between a long, cold, wet winter and before the very short one or two weeks of dry days in the spring. MUD season officially begins as the snows of winter beging to melt and ends when we get the one or two dry weeks of spring. Some years we just skip spring altogether and move from MUD season straight into the heat of July! This year MUD season has begun with a bang. As you can see from the following pictures!!

I said to K.J. yesterday, as he came in the door, "leave your boots by the door, I don't want MUD in the house." He promptly complied as you can see!!

But having just endored the very long and cold winter my mind was not functioning properly - I didn't think beyond the boots- and since MUD has away of attaching itself to other items the trail began.

Across the carpet!

Into the Kitchen and back out again!

The trail proceeds down the hall and into the bedroom (picture of this not included) finally stopping in the bathroom!!

Where K.J. decided to leave the rest of this years first MUD pickings. It is a good thing that this house hold is the proud owner of a carpet cleaner and lots of elbow grease. Especially since MUD season is only starting and the initial predictions are that it will be a long one this year. I think too that yesterday's experience might have acted as a catalist to wake the long sleeping brain and kick it into gear. However with MUD season things are always unpredictable and MUD has a way of sneaking up (and in) on even the most vigilent of souls. I think MUD should be a four letter word!!

A River Ran Through It ..... Or Not!?!!

2010-03-15T12:13:00.022-05:00

Goose Landing on the River! With an Added Touch!!
(this was one of the first pics I took - didn't notice the goose in the pic. until I uploaded them to my computer - decided to have some fun with it! :0 )

This last Friday the ice on the river just west of town began to breakup. The river was running high with snow melt and rain water when the ice created its own natural dam. The resulting ice jam/dam caused flash flooding in some neighborhoods and evacuations as well - until the ice jam broke up and floated on down the river. Sunday after church we went down to the river's east bank to take some pictures of the residue! Here are some of the things we saw:

Large ice slab floating down the river!

Huge slabs of ice stacked up on the west bank of the river!

J.D. and K.J. standing next to a beached ice slab on the east bank of the river!

River ice that is still breaking up!

Another large slab of ice beached on a small island in the middle of the river!

Ice Slab up close and personal!

Ice meets tree up on the bank - trees are thrashed!

Same tree with J.D. and K.J. next to the ice!

J.D. and the ice!

Taking on the ice!

K.J. vs. the ice - who will win?!

One last Picture!!

It's to bad we didn't make it down on Saturday to gets pictures when the ice had created the jam and stretched all the way across the river. One of my friends got some awesome pictures of the ice dam. But it was still pretty cool to see what nature can do. I don't think J.D. or K.J. will forget this experience for awhile!

Just a little Reminder!!!!

2010-03-11T12:09:00.002-06:00

K.J. is having a birthday in a couple of weeks. He wanted to make sure that Mom and Dad know exactly what he wants for this event. So about two weeks ago- with the help of J.D. he made a list. But just making a list was not enough - after completing the list he taped it to Mom's and Dad's bedroom door. So that we will be sure to see it everytime we go into our room. He also made sure there was plenty of extra space on those papers so that new things can be added to it as he thinks of them. Now all I have to do is refer to this paper as I do his birthday shopping!!!:) And of course K.J.'s job is to check in once in awhile to make sure I've looked at his list recently - like within the last ten minutes or so - and then inquire if I have acted on these suggestions!!! :) :) Can't wait to see what will happen when he can create this list entirely on his own, with no help from his big brother. I'll probably have to widen my bedroom door to make room for the expanded list!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!!!!

2010-03-04T10:16:00.000-06:00

Yesterday K.J. and the other kindergarten students at school celebrated Dr. Seuss's birthday. They had "Green Eggs and Ham". I got to celebrate with him. We had a great time. And don't those green eggs look YUMMY!!! :)

More Growing Up!!!!

2010-02-26T21:02:00.000-06:00

K.J. is doing his own growing up. He had to model his new Sunday clothes too!!

Posing with his brother!!

And a little silliness!!!

Growing Up!

2010-02-19T14:01:00.001-06:00

J.D. wore a suit to church for the first time last Sunday. He thought that was just the coolest thing. I can't believe he is getting to be that big - eighteen months and he will be old enough to pass the Sacrament. All though I want my boys to grow up to be responsible, kind, reliable, contributing adults - sometimes I wish I could keep them small just a little bit longer. -- And now K.J. is hitting his Dad and I up for a suit too - it seems that he too wants to be just a little bit older!:)

Valentines!!

2010-02-16T16:10:00.000-06:00

J.D. and K.J. had their school Valentine's Day party on Friday. They had a good time. K.J.'s class had decorated sacks to collect valentines and J.D.'s class actually made boxes. He made his box into a Komodo Dragon. He did all the work himself - I think he did a pretty good job. Even his teacher loved it when he jokingly put his specs on the said dragon. They had a good time!!

Snow - What else!!

2010-02-15T09:23:00.003-06:00

Snow Mountains!!

Finding the Front Porch!?

There is a Bush Under There Somewhere?!?

Clearing Yet Another Snowdrift!!!!!!

Here are a few more snow pics I snapped on Friday!! I just couldn't muster up enough enthusiasm to venture out to "capture" a few more pics of the snowfall today. Yes, once again we are being blessed with snow and wind- And a snowday - for those of you keeping track that is number eleven for us!!!! (As of this morning the snow total at the airport in our state is at 57.2" and our little town is somewhere close to that- give us 3 more inches and will have had 5 feet, yes 5 feet of snow since Dec. 9th). My dad keeps assuring me that winter will come to an end - eventually - but I'm not so sure?! I think we are cursed - we are the land of Narnia - forever winter and never spring! (Pretty bad when you're only half way through February!)

REALITY!!!!

2010-02-12T10:06:00.003-06:00

Because all of you who read my blog have not seen enough winter pictures here on the blog in the last eight weeks, I have decided to post a few more. YIPEE!! After I posted last Tuesday I realized that all the pictures I had taken of our Arctic loveliness are from more or less the same view - our front porch - because I did not really want to venture out in that loveliness. So later Tuesday I decided to dress like an Eskimo and do some venturing! Drum roll please!!!!
First up is the picket fences in our back yard. The fences are about four feet high when you can see from top to bottom.
Will start with the fence on the North side of the yard - if you look really closely in the middle of the pic. you can literally see just the tips of the fence thanks to the lovely little drift in our yard - did I say little - Okay, so it is nearly four feet deep. Makes a terrific fort for the boys!:)

This is the fence on the south side of our yard. Only buried under about 2 feet of snow- this spot the wind moved a little bit of snow away from the fence into our neighbors yard - Yeah, for him - we won't miss it and neither will he since he is currently spending time in a warmer climate!

Now for the swing set in the middle of the fences - the one that the kids won't be using anytime soon- impossible to get any leg room or velocity at present time. All though you could have a really cold wet seat of your pants should you care to give it a try. :)

And last, but, not least, our mailbox which is only a hard to find opening in the middle of that mess - look for that lovely little red flag buried in the snow bank. Our poor mailman - mail deliveries are difficult at best these days - it is like that all up and down our street. (incidently the kids need absolutely no help getting into that tree next to the snowbank - where as in the summer they look for something to use to boost themselves up to those bottom branches.)

The reality is we've had alot of snow in the past eight weeks - the last official count I heard was some where right around 50 inches - or roughly four feet. And just for fun - because we don't already have enough snow they are predicting another 3 to 6 inches in the next 48 hours. Won't that be nice!!! :)

One Hundred Days!!!!!

2010-02-11T10:29:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, K.J. finally got to celebrate the 100th day of school. It has been post-poned several time because of snow days. They did activities all day around the number 100. K.J. really had an enjoyable time. Now if we can only get through the next 80 days before the middle of July. :)

A Thousand Words....Or is it Four???

2010-02-09T09:22:00.001-06:00

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. So here are my Four Thousand... Enough said!!!!!

(Ten snow days since Dec. 9th- eight of them since Jan. 7th. We are now looking at June 11th for the last day of school - a full two weeks late!)

Dec. Unwrapped -Last Chapter- "The Eve of Christmas Day"

2010-02-05T16:24:00.000-06:00

Late afternoon on Christmas Day the boys went out to play in the snow. They took the sledding mats they recieved from Santa to give them a shot. By this time in the day the temperatures had dropped below freezing and everything was turning to ice, so sliding wasn't an issue. And, yes, they are sliding down the driveway instead of the snowy hill. There was just enough moisture on the cement to freeze into a thin layer of ice. So it makes a great sledding run. The only problem was how to stop before ending up in the middle of the road. Dad, solved that problem. He planted himself at the end of the driveway and became the brake. What can I say he is as big a kid as my other two! :) They had a good time and it was a nice way to end the day.

Dec. Unwrapped - part 5 - "Christmas Day

2010-02-04T13:53:00.000-06:00

At long last Christmas Day arrived. The boys woke us very early in the morning to venture out to see if the Jolly Red Guy had come to visit. They were very excited and liked what they recieved. Of course then it was onto the present opening. The whole thing was over and done with by 8:30 in the morning. The kids were off to play with their new toys and Mom and Dad really wanted to take a nap!! No nap was forth coming :( so we spent most of the day being tired - but at least the next day was Saturday and we got to sleep in!! :) We had a good day anyway and the boys got a little spoiled. Now there are only 365 days til next Christmas!!!!

Dec. Unwrapped - Part 4 - "Christmas Eve"

2010-01-29T10:22:00.000-06:00

Christmas Eve arrived at last. "Accompanied by a deep sigh of relief from the boys. They are still under the belief that December is the longest month of the year and that Christmas will never, ever, arrive. But at long last it did. We celebrate by our now annual Christmas Eve drive to see some of the holiday lights around our town. Then we have a meal of chicken nuggets and fries (this year they were homemade potato wedges - yum). After which the boys could finally open presents - OH Joy of Joys. On Christmas Eve my boys are allowed to open two gifts. One always contains a pair of PJ's and the other is a gift from dad. They had a great time. Now if only Christmas morning wasn't so darn far away!!!!:)

AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-01-25T12:32:00.001-06:00

Is this seen getting old to You?!?? It is to me - and I usually like winter. Another day, more snow, more Wind and another BLIZZARD warning. And once again no school - AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!! The official ending date was once May 27, then it was June 1st, then June 3rd, and now we are looking at June 8th. At this rate the kids might get a summer break????
This weather is enough to make even me - a confirmed snow lover want to scream, AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! And we still have one week of January, all of February and who knows how much of March before the possibilty of Spring. Maybe I'll hibernate!?! At least the windchill is only 6 degrees instead of -25. "Oh!, We're having a heat wave. A tropical heat wave!"

December Unwrapped - part 3 - "Why I Love our Neighbors?!

2010-01-21T12:57:00.002-06:00

At the rate I'm going I might get all of Dec 2009 posted by the time we hit Dec. 2010. On Dec. 24th we were on our third day of nasty weather ,in a row. We had had a mix of snow, rain, sleet, freezing drizzle, and ice rain. In no particular order. Just changing from one to another as the temperatures fluctuated between about 28 degrees and 34 degrees. The neighbors just across the street from us are older and have a difficult time shoveling. They have some one they pay who had come by earlier and cleared the slush. But as Christmas eve set in the temperatures began to drop and rain transitioned into ice. Several neighbors rallied to help scrape the ice off their driveway. My husband and two boys are there, another neighbor and her daughter are there and just before I found the camera still another neighbor and her granddaughter left after helping. This was a scene that played out over and over as we went through four days (all together) of really nasty weather (that included that seven inches of wet snow). We have been so fortunate to be blessed with great neighbors - ones who look after each other. Can I just say we love our neighbors! :)

Dec. Unwrapped - Part 2 - A Visit from St. Nick

2010-01-14T11:06:00.000-06:00

That Friday evening after the boys' school program we had our church Christmas get together. We had a nice meal, carols, stories, crafts for the kids and a visit with Santa - who made a special trip to our neck of the woods. The boys had a fun time sitting on his lap and sharing Christmas wishes. But I felt a little sad too. I think it might be one of the last pictures of J.D. participating in this activity - one day soon he will figure it out and some of that magic for this part of Christmas will be lost. But if he holds onto the true meaning of Christmas then I think I can handle him growing up a bit more. But I'm not going to rush it - I'll let him keep the magic as long as I can. Despite my Mommy moment, we had a great time!!

"The Artic" or "A Little Blustery" !?!?!!!

2010-01-07T10:40:00.003-06:00

Not sure what to call this post. Since titles like "The weather outside is frightful" are already taken - and recently too. Now, I love snow and have always liked it. But 'Old Man Winter' has not been kind to us the last few weeks. Today marks the third blizzard in four weeks. (Thus the change to spring like colors on the blog) Once again we are snow bound. The weather truly is frightning - we are in our first week after Christmas break and it has shaped up like this: Monday: two hour late start, Tuesday normal (all though a little suprising since temps were only three degrees warmer than Monday and still well below zero), Wednesday: two hour early dismissal as snow begins to fall on already icy roads, today: no school at all. Most of the roads are closed in the state or if they are open travel is not advised; if you are stupid enough to travel if it isn't an emergency then no tow truck will come to get you if you slide off. Wednesday was the warmest of the last nine - we were a balmy 9 degrees above zero with a windchill of 2 degrees above zero. Today's temperature is falling and we are once again heading toward temperatures that are well below zero and windchills somewhere in the range of -30 to -40. Our HIGH for tomorrow is predicted to be a nice warm -7 (yes that's negative) without the windchill (sounds fun - doesn't it). I'm beginning to wonder if a move to Siberia might not be warranted - I'm thinking that it might be warmer there. (no offense to any of you who may have lived in Siberia) Not sure what kind of school schedule tomorrow will bring; but since we (as I said) are expecting another super chilled blast of artic air; I'm guessing that it will be at least a two hour delayed start. And on a final note in case you are wondering the pictures are not out of focus - that is what 40 to 50 mile and hour wind gusts will do to 6 or 7 inches of very dry powdery snow!!!! Notice the two shots that are the same, one when the wind is calmer and one with the wind doing its thing. The drift Del is shoveling is a small one only about 18 to 24 inches deep - notice the one of the house across the street - I don't know how well it shows in the picture but it is somewhere around four feet deep. Just taking pictures was an Artic experience. BRRRRRRRR!!!!!

December Unwrapped!! - Part 1 - "School Program"

2010-01-06T09:55:00.001-06:00

Our Christmas season began early - on the first Friday of the month. J.D. and K.J. had their Holiday Program at school. Dad took the day off. He and I did some shopping in the morning and then went to see the boys perform in the afternoon. We really enjoyed this - it is the only time our two boys will perform in the same school program - because of their age difference. So we loved being able to watch both of them. Their classes both did a nice job and we had an enjoyable time. It was a nice start to our Christmas season.

MERRY CHRISTMAS - It's a white one for Us!!!

2009-12-25T11:24:00.001-06:00

The "B" Family wants to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas!!! We don't need to dream of a white one this year. We woke up to about 6 or 7 inches of the stuff. Unfortunately it is really wet stuff which is not so great for my snow crew. But great from snowmen and snowball fights.

The Weather Outside Is Frightful!!!

2009-12-09T09:48:00.000-06:00

We are all home bound today with snow and fifty mile an hour winds. If you look closely at the pictures you will notice the drifts in our neighbors yards. One in particular is two thirds of the way up the garage door. Del. didn't even make it to work to day because the roads are closed. Oh the joys of living in an area that is prone to an occasional blizzard. Can we say it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!!!!!!

It's Beggining to look a lot like Christmas!!!

2009-12-03T16:12:00.000-06:00

We had a little bit of snow today!! The boys are thinking it is about time. They are anxiously preparing for the big night and thought the snow was a step in the right direction. But if it warms up at all this batch will melt long before Christmas.

New

2009-11-05T15:51:00.003-06:00

From This.....

To This.....

To This! .....

After several weeks of working here and there Del and a Friend finally transformed our once ugly green tub into a nice new cream colored tub. It makes the main bathroom look so much nicer. I have to say I hated that ugly green tub - no tears shed on my part to have it gone:)

Halloween!!

2009-11-02T14:12:00.001-06:00

My boys are now Halloweened out for the year. Thursday thru Saturday they more than made up for missing the church trunk or treat party. They did haunted house at the local mall, school costume parade and parties, halloween carnival at the high school and regular good old fashioned trick or treating. J.D. was a vampire this year for all occasions that called for a costume. But K.J. had two costumes he was a vampire for all the Thursday and Friday activities and then a clone trooper for trick or treating (much to his older brother's relief - older brother gets a little tired of his shadow!) Despite the costume dilemas good times were had by both and we will have sugar highes for weeks to come!!!!! Hope you all had a Happy one as well.

Pumpkin, Pumpkin, Jack-O-Lantern!

2009-10-29T10:17:00.003-05:00

Last night we let the boys carve their pumpkins. (We had to do something to appease the dissappointment of missing the ward trunk or treat night - due to illness the last two days). So out came the pumpkins and the dissection began. K.J. decided that he really didn't like getting his hands goopey so dad got that degutting job. J.D. however had no qualms about his pumpkin's insides and happily set about degutting. Both boys did however want to carve their own pumpkin faces so dad lost out on that job - not sure whether he was happy or sad about that - but he will survive I'm sure :) So I think we are about ready for Halloween at our house! (And a special thanks to Sister F. for finding couple of youth to trunk or treat for the boys and for dropping by with their goodies after - the boys were way excited that they at least got some goodies.)

Right outside my Front Door

2009-10-22T13:02:00.000-05:00

Outside my front door right now are two large maple trees displaying their lovely fall colors. Although many of the trees in our neighborhood have been displaying their fall foilage for a number of weeks ours have only begun in the last few days. I love all the great fall colors and the boys can't wait for a pile of leaves to jump in. :)

s-n-o-w?!

2009-10-12T08:37:00.003-05:00

So it's the twelfth of October and we woke up to snow. Not anything to shout about, just a light dusting on the roofs and our front porch. And just enough to make the boys say both Yeah!!:) and Aaaah!:(. Since obviously there isn't enough to do anything with and it will most likely melt before the day is done. I think we might be heading into an early winter?!?!

More Omaha Trip Pictures!

2009-10-11T18:53:00.001-05:00

A few more pics. from our trip. Got to love that snow!!!:)

Omaha Trip

2009-10-10T18:51:00.002-05:00

Today we took a trip to Omaha. The boys had a Primary activity and Del. and I got to go to the Temple - bless the primary president for planning this. The temple was so nice. The boys had a great time and got to do some fun things at the Mormon Trail Visiters Center while we were there. K.J.'s favorite thing was trying to pack everything into the mini-wagon to head west. And Jeremy enjoyed trying out the replica of an 1800's berth on a ship. And yes - in the outdoor shots that is S-N-O-W. We didn't get any in our little town. But it didn't take long for us to find some the farther west and south we went (towards the temple) the more snow they had. Omaha had about six inches. I think maybe we are trying to skip fall?! The boys are hoping we get some of our own soon. As much as I like snow I hope it waits until after Halloween.

Kiddism by K.J.!!

2009-10-08T13:51:00.001-05:00

I had the following conversation with K.J. the other day.

K.J.: "Mom?!"

Me: "Yes."

K.J.: "Do you remember when Sister H. gave me a kiss on my forhead?"

Me: "Yes."

K.J.: "Well I'm not going to marry her!"

Me: "Oh?!"

K.J.: "Yeah, I'm just a little kid!"

Well Sister H. you have an admirer. But you'll have to wait a bit, he's decide he's to young for marriage at five - imagine that? :)

Hickory, Dickory , Dock!

2009-10-02T10:01:00.004-05:00

Tuesday, was K.'s Nursery Rhyme program at Kindergarten. His nursery rhyme was Hickory, Dickory, Dock. The above picture is of him in his clock costume. Below is a clip of him doing his nursery rhyme.

I think he did a great job on memorizing his part and presenting it. Espescially since he ended up being sick. The poor kid made it almost to the end of the program before he literally lost his lunch. I felt so bad - he really had an audience for his performance. But the school staff handled it excellently and the other kids got to finish. And he completely rose to the occasion. Today we were talking about it (he's been home sick for the last three days :( ) he said to me " mommy, at least I got to do my nursery rhyme before I got sick. What a kid! :) (please ignore the poor camera work at the end of the clip - my work wasn't as professional as K's. )