Christmas card...

I didn't get around to making Christmas cards this year.

Well, I suppose that isn't %100 true.

I made lots of cards...for other people.

I just never got around to doing one for myself.

I had really good intentions. But, it is Christmas Eve and it obviously isn't happening so I have opted for plan B...a blog post/Christmas card.

Just think of all of the trees I am saving :)

hello

I was going to start his post by pointing out the fact that I have been such a bad blogger...but I changed my mind. What’s the point? I mean, look at the date of my last post. Isn’t it obvious that I am a bad blogger? It would be kind of like starting a post by pointing out that the sky is blue. I mean, duh.

Anyway.

It has been so long that the only way I can think of to catch up a little is to do my favorite thing...a random post.

1. I’m not sure where to even start.

2. How about I start with school. The kids are all back in school and no longer talking me to death. Ashton still gives me a run for my money in the 3 hours I see her each day, which leads me to #3.

3. I only see Ashton 3 hours a day. She is up at 5am and out of the house at 5:45 to go to seminary. She has volleyball practice right after of school until 4:30. She gets home around 5pm. She heads up to bed around 8pm, although she reads until 9 or 10. And that is when she doesn’t have a game. On game days, which are 2-3 days a week, she rolls in around 8pm so she speed talks while she eats and then heads for bed. And on Wednesdays she has mutual so it is much like a game day. And somewhere during all of that she squeezes in homework. So basically I get 3 hours a day with her 2 days a week. And she sleeps and zones out all weekend. My whole point is that it is crazy to me that a 14 year old is so busy. I wish I had her energy. I would be utterly exhausted if I were her. And I am still amazed at how much talking she still seems to fit in :)




4. Sam and Kyle are getting ready to start basketball again. They will be in the same league this season but have asked to be on separate teams. It makes it a lot more time consuming for me (two practices, two games) but they are really excited to play against each other. I wonder how that will all work out.


5. For my birthday I got to go on Dork Drive 2009. It was a lot of fun. I went with my pal Shirley, whom I have been friends with for over 20 years. It was so nice to just go and be me. We did every cheesy thing we could possibly do! We did the Space Needle in Seattle. We rode on a car ferry. We did the whole Twilight thing in Forks and La Push. We did Astoria and The Goonies sights. We spent one night in a hotel on the beach with the big Goonies rock (Haystack Rock) out our patio door. We fought with flies to see lighthouses. We went on a tour of a cheese factory. We drove through trees in the redwood forest. We bought chocolate at Ghirardelli Square. We rode cable cars in San Francisco. We did everything cheesy and touristy we could find. It was really, really great. And really, I think there was only one day we wanted to kill each other. Not bad for a seven day trip!!! I am so grateful that Ron didn't complain about me leaving for a week, even though I know he really wanted to. And I am grateful for an amazing friend that knows EVERYTHING there is to know about me, and loves me anyway.



6. Ron is working out of town a lot. Every week for part of the week, actually. I am grateful he is such a hard worker and wants to provide for us. It is hard sometimes to juggle everything on my own. There are nights we are eating dinner and doing homework at 8pm just to make it all work, but it’s not so bad. The kids miss him a lot when he is gone. We have found a little way around that though...

7. Our family has discovered the joy of the video cam on the computer. The kids feel like they get to “see” Ron when they talk to him so it makes it a little easier. And they LOVE talking to their cousins!



8. The weather is amazing here right now, which also means allergies are in full swing. Ashton and I are a big huge mess and the doctor can't really find anything that works for us. Hmmmm. I guess we'll just have to move to the Pacific Northwest. I felt amazing up there. I wonder if Ron will go for that?!

9. I am starting to get really busy with the whole photography thing. It is so exciting and so scary all at the same time. I have 2 sessions every Saturday this month! And November is starting to fill up as well. I feel incredibly blessed. Ron has been so willing to let me purchase the equipment I have needed wanted and has supported me in this whole adventure. And I really want to say thank you so much to everyone for all of the wonderful comments and encouragement you give me. You will never know just how much it means to me and how much it pushes me forward when I start to doubt myself (which is often). If you ever stop by my photo blog leave a comment and say hi!

I guess that is all for now. I am starting to bore myself so I can’t imagine how anyone reading this must feel! Until next time, whenever that might be ;)

a slow, painful death...

I have decided that it is possible to be talked to death.
I am relatively certain my kids got together at the beginning of their summer break and decided to experiment and see how long it would take to kill me this way.

I must start by saying that I am not usually a big talker.
I like quiet.
Sometimes, I think it is because the voices in my head are so loud and non-stop that it makes it hard to concentrate when real people are talking to me.
And sometimes I think it is because the voices in my head are actually being quiet, and I am trying to enjoy it.
Either way...I really appreciate silence.
Which brings me to my kids.
They are the complete opposite.
Most of the time I don't think they even care what they are saying, as long as some kind of noise is coming out of their mouths.

Everything Kyle says is in the form of a question.
"Mom, are we going anywhere today? Mom, can I have a snack? Mom, what can I do? Mom, what is 1,682 divided by 126? Mom, if you could be any NBA player, who would you be? Mom, can you watch me shoot some hoops? Mom, can you help me organize my desk? Mom, can we go swimming? Mom, can I call Andrew? Mom, what day is your anniversary? Mom, did you see that?!"


Everything Sam says starts with "Mom, imagine if..."
From yesterday..."Mom, imagine if you were on a hang glider, what would you do? I would have only one thought- if I let go...bye bye!" -and- "Mom, imagine if you were driving a car at 190 miles per hour and you started to skid, what would you do? I would just double pump the clutch and slow it down." And he really doesn't even want an answer from you. He just wants you to know what he would do.
And if he isn't playing "imagine if" he is giving me a recap of whatever show he just watched, complete with actions and stage directions. So if the scene was 5 minutes long...the recap is 8 minutes, because he recites the complete dialogue word for word, adds commentary, all while laughing hysterically because he thought it was so funny.

And Ashton...is doesn't matter if I just saw her 30 seconds ago...if I walk by her or into a room she is in, she says "hi mom" every time.
And a sample of a story from Ashton...
"Oh my gosh mom did I tell you it was so funny I was totally laughing and it was crazy because at camp we were like talking about Jonathon from so you think you can dance do you remember him he is the cute one and he is like SO good at dancing and Kinzy is totally in love with him and it was so funny we were like totally laughing and it was so crazy because we were like totally cracking up because it was so hilarious and we were talking about him and it was so funny and...um.....ya." (all in the same breath)

This is non-stop. And there is a lot of tag-teaming involved. When one stops, the other picks right up with out skipping a beat. And it intensifies if there is a book in my hands.
And I think it is important to note that Kyle has asked me 9 questions in the 15 minutes that I have been writing this.

Mom, do you have a big envelope? Mom, could you finish your card for dad? Mom, is the laundry done? Mom, are we leaving for the cabin tomorrow? Mom, can I bring up my Lebron James jersey? Mom, can we make shirts for dad's birthday? Mom......

There is an upside to the situation.
Because they are so busy talking me to death, there isn't much time left to argue with each other.

Self Portraits

These awesome self-portraits came home from school last week. I just had to share the priceless works of art...

Apparently Kyle has high hopes for a body-building career...look at the size of his neck!

I do have to say that my absolute favorite part of Kyle's portrait is that he drew catch-lights in his eyes. That is the best!

And apparently Sam is hoping for a tan this summer? :)

I am so grateful for these boys, even when they ink my carpet, argue with each other, and nag me incessantly.

And I am grateful for art class at school.

Is anyone else excited for this?

Happy Birthday...

...to the BESTEST sister ever!

I am so lucky to have an amazing sister who is also my best friend. I am 6 years older, but I totally look up to her....she is such an amazing wife and mom.
Love you Laura, and I hope your day is amazing.
Welcome to the 30's!!!

What my sister, Ashton and I do for fun.

We went on vacation to San Diego last week. We has lots of fun at the beach...at the hotel...at Legoland. But the most fun was in Seaport Village in a little hat shop...

We are easily amused :)

Happy Birthday Sam!

I had to bribe Sam into taking these birthday pictures. I told him if he would do it I would tell him one thing I got him for his birthday. He was NOT happy with me when I told him it was a card. I mean, did he really think I would tell him? Apparently he did by the reaction I got :)

What can I say? You gotta do what you gotta do, and I got some great pictures of him.

And I was really shocked when I was looking at them...I didn't realize how grown up he is starting to look. I know that sounds weird...I do see him everyday...but I think that may be why I didn't notice.

Or maybe I didn't notice on purpose. Some days it is really hard for me that they are growing up so fast.

And he is ALWAYS so happy to be a year older. He thinks being a kid is such a waste of time. He has been ready to be an adult since he was about three. He wants to get a job and buy a car and get on with it already. He is so much like his dad. We used to tease Ron in high school about being 16 going on 35. Who'd a guessed he have a son just like him!

Sam is such a great kid. He is a hard worker. If his dad is working on something, he always helps without being asked. He loves to read. He is reading at an 8th grade level and finishes his chapter books in a couple of days, and he can practically recite the book to you when he is finished.

He still loves his hot wheels.

He loves to go to the cabin with his dad, because Ron lets him drive the Kubota by himself all over the mountain. I know it makes him feel really grown up.

He loves basketball and Nascar.

And he loves to be sarcastic.

He loves his cousin Christian and I am sure they will always be best friends.

I know he loves his brother, although it is hard to tell sometimes. He really looks up to his sister and wants to grow up to be just like his dad. And every once and a while I can get him to admit that he loves me, although he still "backs in" for hugs :)

He is a wonderful boy and we are so blessed to have him.

Happy Birthday Kyle!

My sweet Kyle is eight today. Where does the time go?

It is also his baptism day. He is really excited that he gets to get baptized on his birthday.

He is such a great kid. And an eternal optimist. He tells me at least 3 times a week that it is the best day ever. All it takes is PE...or math...or a basketball game...or going to his friend Andrew's house to make it the best day ever.

And he is smart. I swear he will someday be a Jeopardy champion. I was in his class today taking doughnuts for his birthday. It was free time. There were several kids drawing pictures on the whiteboard. Kyle was with them, only instead of drawing pictures he was doing math problems. He loves multiplication. He can name every president, when they were in office, and some random facts about them.

He LOVES basketball.

I have to be honest...I cried when I found out I was pregnant with him. Sam was only 10 weeks old at the time. And I cried for seven months wondering how I would handle two babies 11 months apart. I spent the first year of his life apologizing to him for crying, because he was and is such a blessing to our family. He has always been an extremely happy kid...and I am so grateful he is mine!

braces...and a dedication.

I want to dedicate this post to my friend Sheri...I am sorry you have been bored at work because of me. I hope I never let you down again :)

We have been very busy at the orthodontist. Sam just got his braces today. After a complete meltdown over taking molds, he was fine.
Ashton got hers last week, after years of waiting.And Kyle didn't get braces, but he did get this super-sweet headband...
The End.

Yes, I'm ok.

I have gotten lots of e-mails asking if I was ok because it has been so long since I updated my blog. So here it is...a blog update.
I have to admit that I have been spending my free computer time with facebook. Yes, I have been cheating on my blog :) And honestly, I have nothing interesting to say. I am pretty boring.
And I just thought I would add a picture of my dog, Max. Isn't she cute?

a few pictures from Ashton's b-day and volleyball tournament.

Somewhere between Boy Scouts, basketball practice and volleyball practice, we managed to have time for a little family party for Ashton. Ron's mom and her husband, and his daughter came over for dinner and cake.

This was her reaction to her favorite gift of the night...

...an Edward doll. It is really funny, and it got the reaction from her that I was hoping for! I am sure it wasn't really her most favorite gift (she got money, clothes and gift cards), but it sure got the most laughs, even if she and I were the only ones laughing. Ron thinks we are nuts.

And here are a few pictures from her volleyball tournament last Saturday.

Happy Birthday Ashton!

We took this picture this morning...her official birthday picture. I can't believe she is 14! She is an amazing girl!

This made me smile.

Ron left the boys this note- The boys left him this note in return-

I am not entirely sure why this was so funny to me, but it was.

My kids make me laugh.

Thank you!

I just wanted to say thanks for all of your nice words and votes for my picture! I didn't win, but it was exciting to be chosen for the top ten!
Now I am off to be a slavedriver. My kids are out of school today...we are cleaning bedrooms, blinds and fans.
I lead such an exciting life :)