Quick Update

Hello friends, I just wanted to update real quick. We met Jesse's parents up at Glacier last weekend (so I officially can say that we DID camp this year) and they followed us down to GF to spend the week. It was a lot of fun and just great hanging out. Here are some of the pics (more to come):

We walked that far (the arrow) to see a couple of Big Horn Sheep
very cool... very tiring

Christopher REFUSED to be carried the entire way and back.
He pretty much slept the rest of the day! What a trooper!

Happy Birthday Grandma!

Grandparent presents are the BEST!

Loving on Carson!

3 quick pics

The professional arm-stretch picture of ourselves

Carson in the Bumbo

Smiley guy

Labor day weekend

It all started with one comment.
Colton has been trying to save up his money (see two blogs previous) for Toa Mata Nui (Bionicle) which is $50. So after having to hand over his "spend" money earned for the week for purchasing something silly, he realized that he needed to do extra chores. At this moment Jesse walked in and said "I'll give you $20 if you pull the weeds out of the front garden. (It was really bad).

Well, one thing led to another and it became a family project of pulling weeds, tilling the ground, driving through "good" neighborhoods to get landscaping ideas, going to HD, spending $150 and then putting it all together in our front yard! Hurray for curb appeal! Though I will miss my tulips this spring, I won't miss the yucky, messy look the other 10 months of the year!

Colton got halfway done and wanted to quit, but we told him that he wouldn't get paid until he finished the job that we "hired" him to do.

Colton: Mom, this is really hard work
Me: It's good to learn hard work, who do you think is going to do this when you have a house of your own?
Colton: My wife!

I couldn't stop laughing at that one! I may have to warn his future bride! :)

PS He earned his $20, put $2 into donate pig (we don't make him put "extra" chores into his saving), and now has $17 left to go!

Tilling the dirt

Putting in the plants

The end result! They should get about 3-5 ft tall and

naturally create a hedge that stays green all year round... no maintenance!

Carson having a blast in the bouncer!

Carson's 2 month shots! owiee :(

My new little sister!

I always wanted a little sister, I got John. We used to call him bug bite because he was so pesky. Well, he grew up, wasn't quite so pesky and decided that I loved him! I love him even more because he gave me my wish for a little sister! She even came with Isaac, our 2 year old nephew! She is a sweet person and fits right in with our family! With all that they have been through this past year, they are starting on a strong foundation. I pray for blessings on their marriage and a prosperous life together!
Love you Christi and John
Congratulations

Value of money

Time spent making labels: 1/2 hour
Cost of cheap plastic piggy banks: $6
Learning the value of money: priceless

Make your own money: http://www.festisite.com/money/
Teach your kids about money: http://kids.daveramsey.com/

Also priceless: Carson's first smiles

I miss you mom.

Obituary

Mom and Bob, April 2009
(retouched)

Christopher and Grandma sharing a juice! Cheers!Grandma with her 8th grandbaby (Carson)

Heart broken

I have started this blog so many times and erased it trying to find the right way to start all that I have to say. So I will just start it.

We (me and the three boys) drove down to Iowa last Thursday to get a good visit with my mom and family and to support my little brother when he gets married on the 21st! We spent the last week with my mom and stepdad helping (sometimes getting in the way!) preparing juices, helping with clay packs and trying to keep the house clean! So on Wednesday I took my two nieces and the boys and drove down to KC to visit my sister Connie (and fam), go to Worlds of Fun & Oceans of Fun, get some school haircuts and shopping done and then have Colton in Omaha on Monday night to visit his dad in central Kansas for a week.

Well on Thursday, we got a call from my stepdad and sister Carrie saying that my mom was acting strangely, slurring her words and not being able to keep food down. Friday morning it only got worse and her dr. said that he wanted a brain scan immediately. The results showed that one of the tumors was causing bleeding on her brain and needed to be removed and drainage for the bleeding. We threw all of our stuff in the car and drove like crazy (my 7yo niece was carsick the entire 5 hours) back to Iowa, hoping and praying that we would get to see her one more time.

Arrangements were made on the road for the kids and my 15yo niece, Carson and I made it up to the hospital in time to join my family to hear the neurosurgeon say that the operation went well and that he hopes that she will make it to the wedding. She is doing well and has even been cracking jokes about the "hole in her head". She still has limited function with her left side, but that may get better now that the pressure is off of her brain.

(Funny story: while Connie, John and I (along with our familys) were racing to get back to SC, my oldest sister Carrie would call Connie, Connie would call me and I would call John and so the chain of command would go. Well, my mom kept asking to "talk to John", so John gets up to the hospital "what did she want to say to me" and everyone gave him a puzzled look, then laughed realizing that she had been saying that she wanted some "Taco Johns" and the message got lost in the chain of calls!)

Right now I am in one of the hospital "quiet rooms" that we have claimed for our family. Connie and I stayed here last night, so I am just waiting here with Carson until she comes back down with news after the dr makes his rounds.

And more pics

So I had a session booked with Ali for Christopher's 2nd year pics, Carson's newborn, and some "brother" shots, but then Jesse and I talked and I really wanted to get some nice family pics for Christmas. So what is my alternative? Yup Wally world! I don't think they turned out too bad for cheap, "studio" style pics. (Although I did have to Photoshop the group pic since it is hard to get all 3 to look good in one shot!) And my childrens' lives have been properly documented. At least until Carson's turns 3 months, 6 month and a year, oh and then school pics, and Christmas, and...!

Family Pic

This was taken back in Easter, but just got copies from my sis and had to Photoshop a different Colton in. (He was being naughty and the majority of the pictures had him making goofy faces-grrr! We didn't know that he was doing that!)

Carson is doing really well in his first two weeks of life! He passed his hearing test, weighs 9 lbs, and last night slept from 12:00 to 6:00 (which makes it a nicer day for everyone)!!!

I'm still trying to figure out life with three kids- how to get in/out of the car, running errands, nap time schedules, breaking up fights while nursing, occasionally giving kids cereal for dinner... you know, my new "normal"!

4th of July

For our 4th of July festivities, we went downtown to enjoy the parade, had a bbq with my dad, Connie and Evan, lit daytime fireworks, which turned into a water balloon fight and ended the day with the grown ups and Colton lighting the cool night time fireworks.

Firework mishaps: (to let you know that this is in the presence of three highly responsible, completely sober adults -one being an ultra cautious nurse!) One large one fell on it's side and shot numerous fireballs in a circular radius-under the car, under our neighbors 40 ft evergreen, one coming within inches of Jesse's leg to knock a glass off of the bumper of our car and shatter on the ground. Then, a piece of Colton's sparkler went flying and landed right on the bag of fireworks, starting a small fire, luckily we threw the bag into the damp grass, putting out the bag before any fireworks were lit. And finally Connie got a little singed on her leg from a small fleck of firework hitting her!

Enjoying the parade
Colton and Carson (looked like) covering their ears

Colton lighting a firework

Christopher and Jesse

Connie
Evan- not liking the ones that make noise.

Christopher followed Colton out to the field every time!

Evan returning with his prize!

Caught in the air!

Improvising a shield!
Christopher just walked around with the same balloon!

What comes around, goes around!

Our little firecracker!

Happy Fourth of July everybody!
Apu (from the Simpsons) said it best "Now go celebrate your country's independence by blowing up a small part of it!"