Excuses

I can't seem to keep up on my blogging. 

But I have some good excuses!

In high school, I had a boss who would always say, "Excuses are like noses, everyone has them." He was right. So here are mine:

1. I feel like I can't keep up with technology. Things change and by the time I figure them out they are changing again. 

No! I am NOT old!

2. Time moves faster every day and so there just isn't time to do everything I want to. This includes blogging, reading, and washing dishes. 

I want to, but there just isn't time.

3. You will notice a direct correlation to the decrease in posts with the time we started trying to identify Morgan's learning challenges. I continue to spend A LOT of time researching her conditions and things I can do to help her understand this big, scary world.

4. Related to number three, I also spend a great deal of time taking sweet Morgan to therapies and helping her complete homework assignments. 

(I may or may not have typed her entire DARE essay. I'll never tell.)

5. I also try to make sure I am giving Zane his fair share of time and attention. I have to get him to football practice and scout activities. He is VERY patient and kind and often offers to help complete Morgan's homework as well. (He may or may not have helped her write sentences for her spelling words, on more than one occasion. Again, we're not telling.)

6. I also have to give Brittany and her family their fair share of my time and attention. This requires sending multiple text messages, face timing, and getting together with them as much as possible. 

It's a lot of work but our grandson is getting more ADORABLE everyday and we don't want to miss any of it!

7. My husband works crazy hours and so I must be ready to haul bulls, check fence, or purchase horse shoes with him at the drop of a hat. When he calls, I drop everything and put on my boots. I may not see him again until bed time!

8. Trying to help those living with an anxiety disorder can be a bit exhausting. It takes effort to always be the calm one. It also requires a lot of spiritual guidance. I find myself on my knees now more than I ever have before. 

And that's okay.

9. Teaching the Gospel Doctrine class in my ward also requires a lot of spiritual guidance. Although I don't teach every week, I find myself preparing and pondering and planning every day.

10. And just to make it an even number, I have dishes to wash. 

Always. Every day. The dishes are never done!

So, there you have it. My excuses. And now it's summer so I have a lawn to mow, swimming lessons, picnics at the park, and bike rides to attend to. I make no promises, but I will try to share.

Where did you come from? Where did you go?

When I sprained my ankle last summer, I thought I would have all this time to post all of these wonderful things on my blog. But I found other things to do instead. When I was sitting inside, I would work on family history. When I hobbled outside, I would sit and play catch and help design relay races for my kids. When I felt real adventurous, I took them to the lake where I could sit and watch them play in the water. There was no way I was going to let an injury stop all the summer fun!

In addition to gymnastics, Morgan participated in the Summer Exploration event at the middle school and Zane played baseball. Morgan had a little whiplash from a fall when we were in Oregon so we also had regular visits to the chiropractor to treat her injury. (We all need bubble wrap!)

 The kids wanted to celebrate their birthdays at the Oregon Coast so we made another trip to Oregon. We had a great time at the ocean and Morgan decided she would like to live there and eat shrimp kabobs every day. We visited the aquarium, the science center, and an old light house. The kids loved exploring the beach and walking in the historic downtown of Newport the best. We also stopped at the Tillamook Cheese Factory to see how cheese was made. Yummy!

We went to a little family reunion and got to see relatives on my mom's side that we haven't seen in a long time. We also got to see my grandma one last time. We were even able to make a third trip to Oregon to attend grandma's funeral and see even more relatives. Summer was full of activities!

Zane had his eighth birthday which means we also had a baptism in September. It was great to have family travel to be with us, especially my parents who came all the way from Oregon. 

We had a wonderful weekend celebrating!

Summer ended and the kids went back to school, Zane started 2nd grade and Morgan started 6th grade at the middle school. Scott had a couple job interviews and I began packing boxes. In October, Scott accepted a new job and we moved to Idaho Falls. Fortunately, it was not too far away and it was still in Idaho and still close to Brittany and Levi.

Morgan is able to continue her therapies with the therapists that she knows and loves. She is also able to continue gymnastics at the same gym and with her favorite coach. However, the kids did have to change schools and Morgan went back to elementary school for 6th grade. She was bummed but it has been the best for her.

In November, Brit and Levi blessed us with our first grandson. He was born a few weeks early and had to spend a week in NICU but he is a trooper. He is the sweetest little thing you ever did see! 

Isn't it amazing that our hearts never run out of love?!

And before I knew it, Christmas had come and the year was over. 

Just like that!

With IEP meetings, and therapies, and sports, and activities, and my husband traveling for work, and a new grandson to snuggle it seems we are always running and I never take the time to sit and write. 

I will try to do better. 

Forever Family

For the first time ever I took my kids out of school early. They were disappointed to miss all the fun of the last day, but we had a good reason. My older brother and his wife just had baby number six and my other brother and his family flew to Oregon from Georgia. The last time we were all together was when Brit graduated, four years ago. Scott couldn't get time off so I loaded up the kids and made the drive to Oregon without him. 

We had a few things to finish up first. We couldn't miss the Indian Races. (How do they ride so fast without a saddle?) And there was a graduation card to make for Scott's niece and of course a baby gift to take to the new baby.

Nothing says family love quite like a paintball war.

Sweet little Hunter absolutely LOVED Levi. He kept calling him "police" even when he was reminded that Levi did have a name. Levi pinned his badge on him and let him wear it for a minute. Hunter beamed with pride. He is an amazing kid who melts everyone's hearts.

The kids helped sand and paint the front fence at my parents home. They worked hard and earned the paintball reward. There were a few minor injuries, some paint was eaten, and a few tears were shed. And that was just the fence painting! (Hahaha) 

For the most part, we had a great time!

Yes, even I got in on the action. (The mask really brings out my eyes. I may wear one more often.) Morgan and Levi worked on some strategy and Morgan captured the flag. Way to go!

The kids and I camped out at the Grange Hall while we were there. They loved sleeping in the camper and learning how to play the "real" UNO game. And there were more trees to climb. Heaven!

We had a few cold days but we found enough sunshine to go swimming a couple times. We also managed a rowdy soccer game between cloud bursts. My parents and I hung out with Hunter while the rest of them played. It was funny to watch the older "kids" start out dominating the game. They were all over the field and the younger kids hardly got to play. But, magically, about half way through the game the older guys were hanging back and letting the little guys go after the ball more. (wink-wink)

There was lots of yummy food to eat. Always. 

I didn't get a picture, but we were able to visit Great Grandma Hug. Her cat even let us pet her this time. And I managed to run up to the cemetery with my kids to bring a flower to their Grandma Mary.

My parent's cat had kittens a few weeks before we came. While we were there they all became very ill. They went from wild, feisty, playful babies to sleeping all the time and refusing to eat. I remembered the vet told us to give our dog Gatorade once when he wasn't feeling well. My mom happened to have some so they started feeding them with an eye dropper. I talked to Scott and he told me to get an electrolyte solution for animals. After a few days of the solution, all the kitties were starting to feel better. So glad we figured out how to save them!

We had to make a stop at Riverside Park. My kids call it the Castle Park because of the awesome play thing that looks like a giant castle. It amazes me how different the river looks now. They now have a walking bridge that goes over the river. One of our swimming holes isn't even there any more. Sometimes, it's hard to grow up and see everything change.

We had a wonderful week! It was hardly enough time to do all that we wanted to do and see all the people we wanted to see. Morgan says we have to go back soon.

Birthday Time

For Scott's birthday, the kids and I put together a candygram card. We had so much fun picking out some of his favorite treats and then writing a birthday wish. He's hard to surprise but we got him this time.

It was great to have Brit and Levi here to celebrate with us too.

Brit and Levi came back for my birthday as well. We braved the rain and went to Olive Garden for lunch. Best birthday present ever!

Officer and a Gentleman

After living in separate states for about two months, Brittany and Levi are finally back together, in their new home, starting their new careers. Levi graduated from the post academy in Meridian and has worked his first week as a police officer. Brit now works at a bank in the loan processing department.

They were blessed to find a house that would meet their needs, located in a nice neighborhood. It's a bit of a fixer-upper and they're excited to replace flooring and paint and make the space their own. It's a cute split-level home that gives them room to grow. Morgan and Zane loved playing in their big back yard too.

(Picture taken from the listing on the realtor website.)

Brit only had a few days between her last day at her job in Logan and her first day at her new job in Pocatello. She was working 10 hour days which didn't leave much time for packing and all the things you need to do when you are buying a house and moving to a new state. Levi graduated on Friday and they zipped back to Logan to pack. When the truck showed up at 9am on Saturday, they were ready to load.

We met them in Pocatello and helped them get settled into their new space. The seller left the house a mess so we had to do a lot of cleaning before they could move much in. I scrubbed one bathroom while they unloaded the truck. Before we left for dinner they had the family room set up, most of the kitchen put away, and the bed made. Amazing what you can do when you are young!

We are thrilled to only be an hour away and we're so excited for their new adventures!

Celebrate!

Christmas came and went. I had big plans to bake goodies and do amazing activities with my children. And then... the flu bug hit us. All of us. The good thing was that it was Christmas break so we didn't miss any school. The bad thing, it was Christmas break! We spent a lot of time cuddled up together watching movies.

Morgan got hit hard on Christmas Eve. This was the first Christmas in MANY years that Scott actually had the day off. Good thing. Instead of waking up before the sun and trying to open presents before he left for work, we slept in and waited for Morgan to feel well enough to sit up.

 Before the illness struck, we managed to make some gifts for the teachers and our favorite neighbors.

We did get to spend some time with Brit and Levi. They have big changes coming in their lives and will be moving closer. After being hundreds of miles apart, we are extremely excited!

And then, Christmas was over and it was suddenly Super Bowl Sunday. How did that happen?! 

We've even had a little snow to play in. 

Soon winter will be gone and spring will be blowing in.

So Thankful!

We were so blessed this Thanksgiving! Brittany and Levi got to come home and Scott actually had the day off. It was great to be together as a family!

We had a wonderful feast with the best turkey EVER. We had a super yummy pomegranate salad, real mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, and pumpkin pie, cherry pie, and Butterfinger pie for dessert. I was too busy cooking and filling my belly to take pictures. It was a glorious day!

 Yes, that is my dessert plate. Brittany managed to snap a picture before I gobbled it all up. It's a good thing Thanksgiving only comes once a year.

Friday, we needed something to do that did not involve any stores. Lucky for us, the Museum of Idaho was open. As we drove in to town, Zane kept saying we were going to the Museum of Natural History. Not quiet that far of a drive.

We spent a few hours looking at the guitar display, learning and exploring the history of the guitar, as well as some local Idaho history. The kids had a great time and are anxious to go back. Maybe at Christmas time...

There was a fun room where the kids got to climb a mountain to look in the eagles nest, crawl through the beaver dam, sit inside a teepee, and make a meal in a real log cabin. They loved exploring and playing. I love that the museum has many hands on displays. It was good for my HANDS ON kids.

It's so wonderful to pause and think about all that we have to be thankful for.

We are so blessed!

Maize Adventures

Brittany and Levi were excited for us to come enjoy some of the fall celebrations in Logan. They had a full schedule planned and we managed to do most of it. That meant dinner was at 9:00 on Saturday night but we had SO much fun.

We went to the American West Heritage Center and found many things to do. There was a huge slide on the hill, ponies to ride, animals to pet, a fun little train, a dark straw maze, and the HUGE corn maze. The big boys wandered around in the corn, made a few new paths, and found their way out. Brittany and I actually followed the map and found our way. I was impressed with her mapping skills!

Morgan wanted to go back for the "Haunted Hollow" when it got dark. Instead, we went to the Pumpkin Walk. We rode the shuttle bus to the park where the displays were and that was half the fun. It was getting cold and the line into the park was LONG. But the displays were amazing this year!

We had a wonderful weekend!

4th of July

Our little town put on a great 4th of July celebration! Scott went to work early so he could be home by 10am. Then, we went to the church park where they had LOTS of booths set up. We walked around for 20 minutes trying to decide what to eat for lunch. 

And then there were games to play and faces to get painted. 

Morgan wanted a butterfly...

and Zane wanted a bat.

Zane even won a bottle of soda in the ring toss game!

Then there were scones to eat and snow cones for the ride home.

We had a few friends over for a barbeque dinner of shish kabobs and patriotic fruit pizza. Yummy!
Brittany and Levi showed up just in time for sparklers.

It was hard to stay up until 10:00 for the big fireworks but we did it. We were so glad we were able to walk down the driveway and watch them from home.


We skipped the 4th of July parade because it was in the afternoon. Who does a parade in the afternoon?! A couple of weeks earlier, we went to the Rigby Rodeo. We watched the parade in the morning and went back for the rodeo action that night. The kids thought that was the best day ever.

It's much better to watch a parade wearing jackets!

When I asked the kids what they liked best about the parade, other than the candy, they both agreed that the fireman band was cool. Zane said he liked them because they played "manpipes"... Ummm... Do you mean bagpipes? Yep! That's it.

Morgan loved all the horses and especially the Rodeo Queens. It is now her goal to someday be a Rodeo Queen, and wear a hat with a tiara on it, and a sparkly shirt. A girl can dream!

Bear Lake

When we drove from Nebraska to Logan we would often drive past Bear Lake and go through Logan Canyon. We always thought it looked like a fun place but were too anxious to get to Brittany & Levi's house so, we never stopped. Now that we live close, we had to see if it was as fun as it looked.

We drove around to the south end where there weren't as many people. As we carried everything down to the beach, we wondered if we had picked a good day to come. The sky was overcast and it was a little chilly. We spread out the blanket on the sand and sat and watched a thunder storm roll over the other side of the lake.

Soon, the sun was shining bright and it was time to put the canoe in the water. 

We played for a few hours and grilled some hot dogs for lunch. We fed the seagulls our leftovers and then it was time to pack up and head home. But first, we had to stop and get a famous raspberry milkshake. It was a long line but worth the wait. As we wound our way through the canyon back to Logan, Morgan and Zane both fell asleep. I had to finish Morgan's milkshake for her. Bummer.

This was the BEST DAY EVER!

Adventures in Oregon

 We packed up and headed to Oregon...

We drove across Idaho and then through the Blue Mountains...

 And we found Grandma and Grandpa's house! The kids love playing with their cousins and all of Grandma's fun toys! Lloyd's boys showed us some funny video clips and iphone games. But most entertaining was playing with Jack and Jill, the new kittens. 

Zane and Morgan love Grandpa's fun tree house! They figured out how to climb from the playhouse into the actual tree. The first time, Zane couldn't get back down. Morgan came in the house but forgot to tell me he was stuck. He finally came in wiping his eyes and that's when I found out he had been stuck out there. He said he was really scared but then he prayed and was finally able to climb down. He was so happy that his prayer was answered that he wasn't even mad at Morgan for leaving him stranded.

 We had a great time with Scott's family, without him. Cousin Zack graduated from college and is headed to Idaho to teach 5th grade. Woot! Cousin Ali just graduated from high school and is headed to Idaho for college. She is amazing! We're so proud of them both!

Brittany and Levi were able to come over for a few days and it was fun to hang out with them too.

We even managed a visit to Great Grandma!

 While we were there, Scott had flowers delivered to me at my parents house. 

Happy Anniversary!

(It looks like the dalmatian is eating my head. Hummm...)

We also found time to have a picnic at the park with more family and swim with Melinda's kids. Wish we could have stayed longer but so glad we could go. 

Next time, we take Dad with us.

Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore...

Or Nebraska. 

It would seem we just dropped off the face of the earth. I wanted to keep up on the blog but then life took over. I have some posts that were started that I still intend to share. Eventually.

We've been looking for a way to get closer to our family. A two day trip to Grandma and Grandpa's house was just not working for us. Finally, a feedlot in Idaho was looking for a cowboy and willing to provide housing. The pay was less than we hoped for but we would only be a couple hours from Brittany and Levi. 

Then Scott was offered a position managing another feedlot in Nebraska and I was offered a full time job at the school. This made it tempting to stay. Then the overwhelming desire to be close to family, and never have to drive across Wyoming again, sunk in and we started to pack.

Both Morgan and Zane wanted to play soccer. I signed them up knowing we would miss most of their games. Having soccer practice to go to helped keep things somewhat normal for them. It added to my workload but the sacrifice was worth it. Unfortunately, Spring sprung a leak and it snowed the week of their first games so they only got to do a few practices.

Because of the snow, Scott had to quit a few days early and rush the horses to Idaho. He then left his trailer so he could get back before the blizzard hit. We had a friend coming to haul our stuff and hoped we could get it all into his trailer.

When the snow settled, and the drifts were removed, we suddenly had no one to haul our stuff. A last minute scramble to rent a moving truck ended up being the best decision. But that also left us with 3 vehicles to drive and only 2 drivers. We contemplated our options and then my dear, sweet visiting teacher and friend offered to drive one of our vehicles. Her family made an impromptu visit to their family in Idaho so we didn't have to make another trip. Words cannot express the gratitude that we have for this wonderful family!

It took us 14 long hours, with only 3 very short stops, to make it from Nebraska to our new home in Idaho. We had snow and rain and, of course, wind for most of Wyoming but it could have been worse. We were so excited to finally be here that we quickly forgot all of the difficulties and counted all our MANY blessings. 

We had wonderful friends who helped us load everything. (Man, it was a tight fit!) And we had new friends waiting to help us unload everything. We couldn't have done it with out so much help! Brittany and Levi even risked their lives one last time and hauled a load of boxes for us. 

We love our new community and our new home and we are excited for the new adventures that await us here!

 

And we will miss our wonderful friends!

 

No Peace

Morgan had finished her shower and paused to see what Dad and Zane were watching on TV as she was headed to her bedroom. "Go to your room and get dressed," Scott told her. Not an unusual request. No one suspected anything. Until, Zane giggled.

A few seconds later Morgan came flying out of her bedroom with her towel barely on her and what sounded like a wounded coyote pup under her bed. Scott and Zane were hysterical with laughter but Morgan was not happy.

Later that evening, Scott asked Morgan if he could borrow a pencil from her desk. She promptly went into her room where it seemed that wounded pup was under her bed again. "Dad!" she screamed in disgust. She was not impressed.

For Christmas, Scott received a remote control electronic game calling device. (Thank you Brittany and Levi.) I guess Scott is just testing it.

Zane was feeling left out after Morgan got spooked twice. Scott assured him that he would be next. A few days went by and Zane mentioned it again. Then, Monday evening after dinner, Scott asked Zane to go find something in his room. Zane was hesitant and made Scott show him both hands before he would enter the room. Cautiously he took a few steps in and just as we all expected, he came screaming and running out of the room. Yep, that darn coyote pup had found it's way to Zane's bed.

This time Morgan was hysterical with laughter and Zane did not think it was funny any more. He hid behind the rocking chair crying and yelling he would never forgive his dad. Always a good scene when it's time to be putting pajamas on.

I comforted Zane and Scott went outside to get some more wood for the fire. It was time for revenge. I promised Zane we would get Dad back.
We made a plan.

Last night we put the speaker in the bathroom. (I hid it in the cupboard which was a mistake because it muffled the sound too much.) We listened carefully for Scott to finish his shower. (Morgan was afraid he would come running out without his towel.) When we were sure he had his towel wrapped around him, I pushed the button. 

Scott opened the door and gave us some pity screams and even said, "Oh, I'm so scared!" in a girly voice. We'll have to try harder but we will get him. You never know where and when that coyote pup will show up again.

I have a feeling there will be no peace in our house until the batteries on that thing are dead.

Merry Christmas!

After church on Sunday I told the kids to hurry because there was a surprise waiting. They of course questioned me the whole way home. I hinted that it might be dinner was ready and waiting. They did NOT think that was a good surprise. We pulled into the drive way and saw Dad's truck so I told them the surprise was that Dad was home early. Better, but still not entirely impressed.

We came inside and Scott told them to stand in front of their bedroom doors. We then counted to three and they opened their doors to find Brittany in one room and Levi in the other. That was a good surprise!

It's been a few years since we were together for Christmas. We made goodies and taught Brit how to roast a turkey. We played games, listened to music, and got really silly. And we ate until our tummies were about to burst. Then we went to bed so we could get up in the morning and do it all again. 

 (Homemade Peppermint Bark Chex Mix)

We spent Christmas Eve watching our favorite Christmas movies and eating all the goodies. It was so wonderful to be together! We dismantled our old VCR player and tried to get it to work. (We still have lots of VHS tapes, including our favorite "Muppet Family Christmas" we desperately wanted to watch.) The player is just wore out!

We were all up at 5:30 this morning so we could open presents before Scott went to work. The paper and bows were flying and the kids were laughing and giggling. We ate cinnamon rolls and had hot chocolate before we loaded Brit and Levi back into their car. I tried to convince them there was too much snow and they would have to stay one more day but they both needed to get back for work. So we sent them off with prayers for safe travels and hearts full of gratitude for a few days together.

Now to clean up the house. Time to get rid of some things and make room for all the new gifts.

Merry Christmas Everyone!