Always Forgetful

Nate's youngest brother tied the knot yesterday. Nate took the day off work and we kept Jade home from school so we could all celebrate with them. I started making a list a couple of days before of all the things we’d need since I knew we’d be out all day. We all needed a change of clothes. Of course that meant a change of shoes as well. I also wanted to bring hats just in case the kids would be in the sun. I needed Tylenol and Logan’s Singulair so I could continue to manage his cough (YES! He’s coughing AGAIN! He stayed cough-free for a total of twelve days!) We also had to have snacks and diapers and toys and crayons and I Spy books. I packed extra make-up, hair elastics, hair spray, curling irons, nail polish, and a pocket sized mirror. Aeris would be sitting in the stroller, so we had to have that. Obviously I could keep going on and on. My point is, I tried to be very organized. I was looking forward to having a fun day downtown with our kids. We had a cousin watching the kids during the ceremony and we’d be having a nice lunch at the Lion House. I knew I needed a few tricks in order to keep them under control. So what did I end up forgetting? There’s always something you know. Nate had a second pair of pants, but didn’t bring a second belt. I needed a button-down white dress shirt for Logan. I brought the long-sleeved one that’s a little short and kept coming untucked instead of the short-sleeved one that fits better. The biggest thing… all day we were taking pictures but never once thought to have someone take a picture of us… TOGETHER. We have great pictures of Jade and Logan and dozens of the bride and groom. I even took a couple of Nate and he took one of Aeris and one of me, but in the 126 pictures we took yesterday there isn’t one family picture… not of the five of us… not of Nate with his Mom and Dad and siblings… not of his family including spouses and kids. Of course the photographer was taking some (though not of the five of us), but they’ll cost a whole lot more than I would pay to print our own. How sad!

Another Year

When you're a kid, birthdays never seem to come fast enough. When you reach adulthood, birthdays come so fast that sometimes you have to take a minute to think when someone asks how old you are.

Today, We're celebrating Nate's birthday. Here are some things we love about Nate.

He works super hard. Our yard stays green and trimmed. He always leaves in time to be early to his job. He helps with the laundry, dishes, and is a great cook!

He's great with money. He's arranged a carpool to work to save on gas. He makes his own lunches so he doesn't spend so much eating out. He doesn't make big purchases without discussing it with me first.

He takes time to play with our kids. He practices soccer with them in the yard. He buys them drinks at the Chevron. He taught Jade to play chess and Rock Band.

He thinks of others. He's always mowing or edging someone else's lawn or giving out lawn care tips.

He's a dedicated home teacher. He visits his families every month even though he's never been assigned a partner who will come along regularly. He's never had one who will help out calling for appointments or give a lesson.

Cheetos

You can't miss these players out on the field. Every year I can't wait to see what fun color jersey Jade ends up with. The kids get to choose their own team name, usually coordinated with their jersey color. The first year she played they had blue jerseys. Their team name was the Rainbow Waterfalls. Jade came up with that one. Before she went to their first game this season, I talked to her about some good names... that you wanted a name that sounded like you could clobber the other team. They chose to be the Orange Cheetahs. Well on Saturday the other team misunderstood when they told them the team name so they cheered for the Orange Cheetos. Besides the fact that Cheetos aren't very intimidating, it fits pretty well.

The end of spring soccer is always bittersweet. Jade's team played an excellent season, only giving up two goals to the competition the whole season and it was great having Nate out there coaching. In the past he's complained about the rotation of players. Nate worked out a system so that every player had a turn playing the various positions and sitting out. Their team rarely had more than one extra player, so they all looked forward to playing goalie and defender so they could catch their breath a little. When they recruited Nate to coach I wondered why there weren't any incentives offered to coach. Well, we were pleasantly surprised to be handed a complimentary team photo on Saturday. Since I don't splurge on the photos (I stand there being tacky behind the photographer to take my own pictures), this was a nice little plus.

My Sister, My Friend

Happy birthday big sis! I dug out my scrapbooks today so I could post some pictures of us together over the years. They brought to mind so many fond memories. We've shared joys and tears, clothes, cars, and phone time. I know sometimes it was hard sharing all the time, so THANK YOU! What Mom always told us is so true. Friends in your life come and go, but sisters are your sisters forever. You aren't just my sister, you are one of my best friends. I love you Taralee! I hope you have a wonderful day!

The Bright Side

I am reading a book called Focus of the Good Stuff, the Power of Appreciation by Mike Robbins. The basic premise for this book is that no matter what happens there is always a reason to be grateful. So, I’m going to give you a quick run-down on what we’ve been doing lately and let you know the positive of each.


Logan’s preschool graduation was on May 22. I know he’s pretty reserved, so I tried to build up the whole thing, asking him if he was going to sing with his class. I told him I’d have the video camera ready, watching it and wanted to hear his voice! He spent nearly the entire program sitting on his chair sucking his thumb!
The bright side? I don’t think he’ll ever get in trouble for talking in school.


Jade, Logan, and now Aeris have all come down with a cold and nasty cough. Logan got the worst of it, still coughing after two weeks and finally coming down with an ear infection too which meant a trip to urgent care on Sunday. He’s now taking an antibiotic and a steroid and sleeps with a humidifier.
The bright side? Jade is off track so we’ve been able to stay home, sleep in, and get well!


Nate’s new job has him studying constantly.
The bright side? I’ve had more time to read also. I’ve been reading the Book of Mormon every day and am trying to catch up on all the books my friends and family have recommended.


On Monday night we were visited by an ambulance, a fire truck, and two police cars. We called 911 because Aeris gave us quite a scare when she stopped breathing after Logan had stepped on her belly.
The bright side? They left WITHOUT Aeris. It took them so long to get here that by the time they arrived and checked her she had started breathing again on her own, though shallow at first. She had regained her normal color and was acting like herself.

Oh and I took her back to the pediatrician for a weight check last week and she's gained 7 ounces! That still doesn't put her on the chart, but at least it's progress!