And for that I am Happy...

Last Friday I spent all day packing Kyle to go on the Klondike campout with his scout troup. I stressed out that he wasn't going to have enough dry clothes. I worried that he wouldn't sleep warm enough. I panicked that he would somehow get lost along their hike and not be able to find his way back. I guess that is what mothers do...they worry. I overpacked, and overworried. When I dropped him off, his scout leader (Pres. Morton) asked if anyone could think of anything that they had forgotten to pack. I joked and hugged Kyle from behind and said, his Mom. I am sure I may have embarrassed him just a little bit. As I drove away I wanted to break down in tears. When did my baby get old enough to go on a winter campout without me or Chad (he had to work)? When did he get old enough to go snowboarding with friends? When did he get old enough to show interest (slightly) in girls, and when did he get old enough to go to the Jr. High State Wrestling finals? When I got home I went in my room and knelt beside my bed. I said a prayer for Kyle, but as I was praying I realized that I was the one that needed the help. I felt comforted in knowing that Kyle was going to come home okay from the Klondike campout. I also felt very peaceful that Heavenly Father cares about me as a mother. It is okay for mom's to worry...it's what we do. But, we can find peace with Heavenly Father's help. Kyle came back the next afternoon happy as a little lark. He was soaked and smelled like campfire, but he had the greatest time, and for that I am happy!

It is a New Year!!!

Happy New Year! I am not one to make New Year Resolutions. I am not that great at keeping them, so I would rather make short term goals that I know I can accomplish. You know like not eating Chocolate for a day. There is no way that I am going to last more than that, so I like to take things day by day. But there is one New Years Resolution that I am gonna work for this year...and that is to Laugh more! I feel like I get lost in the day to day things and get so uptight about my house being clean and my kids being perfect that I forget to have fun and laugh! Bedtime usually isn't that much fun around our house. It usually isn't terrible, but I am usually pretty tired and just want them in bed. The other night I decided to start our routine a little earlier. We were all ready for prayers by 7:40. So, we sat in the boys' room and talked. I told them about when I used to speak the bubble gum language with my friends in High School. I tried to teach it to them and we laughed and laughed and had so much fun. There was a warm spirit in our house and I know that Heavenly Father wants us to have fun with our kids.
Okay, I guess I have one more goal this year. That is to blog more. Not for you people that may be reading this right this second, but for future "generations". My sister in law Lisa just printed her blog off into the most beautiful book. It is the most awesome journal I have ever seen. So, I hope to blog more often (not going to say how much), but more often and print it off yearly so I can have a beautiful journal!
So, last Sunday Kyle woke up really super sick. He had a fever and he threw up and his throat was killing him. I knew exactly what is was. We get strep at least two times a year at our house. So, I took him into Insta Care (Uncle Glenn happened to be working and that was fun to have him as our doctor), and sure enough it was Strep. Well, the only good thing about strep is once you have the antibiotics you seem to feel better within one day. Well, not this time. He was really sick for four days. The day he finally went back to school Landon woke up throwing up. I thought it was strep at first, but his throat was hurting and by lunch he perked back up. So he went to school on Thursday and Friday. Well, Friday night he had gone to a friends house to play and when he got home he said he felt like he had something stuck in his throat. Sure enough he woke up the next morning fevering. I took him in and now he has strep. So, we have missed church for the last 5 weeks because at least one person in our house has been sick (I think it was one boy or another coughing before that). So, I am ready for sickness to be gone from our house, and ready for normal routines to start again. Landon is a trooper and is the toughest kid I have ever met. He and I had a great Sunday together (I sent the other boys to church with Chad). He makes me smile and warms my heart!

Christmas 2010

We had a wonderful Christmas this year! Santa visited our house a day early, because Chad had to go to work on the afternoon of Christmas Eve. The Wise family had us over for their traditional Venezuelan dinner on the Eve of Christmas Eve. It was so much fun. Randall spent so much time making all of the yummy food! The boys were very excited as we drove home from Ogden in the fog. They just knew they saw Roudolf guiding Santa's sleigh to our house! They kept asking what time they could wake up in the morning. I told them anytime they wanted, knowing that they wouldn't wake up early (they never do). The next morning, I woke up at 6:00 AM and couldn't go back to sleep. I laid in bed until 7:30 and heard someone get up, but they didn't come in my room. I couldn't wait any longer, so I went to see who had gotten up. It was Kyle and he had gotten back in bed. I went in and asked him what he was doing. He said, "I don't know." I asked him if he knew it was Christmas morning, and why he wasn't waking up his brothers. He is such a laid back kid. He helped me wake up the others so we could go downstairs and see what Santa had brought. I remember being so excited as a kid, that I couldn't go to sleep at night and then I would wake up at 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning. Not my kids! I just don't get it. Once they had been woken up they were very excited!


Randall Wise and Chad making the final preparations for dinner


The boys walking in the room to see what Santa had brought


All of my boys on Christmas Morning. Chad was looking at the photo book I had made him to put in his flight case.


Spencer with his loot. He got a Dsi and a game and a carrying case...and a few other things...


Landon with all of his stuff. He too got a Dsi and a game and case.


Jared already had a Dsi, so he got a couple of games...and a few other things...


Kyle also got a Dsi with the stuff to go with it. Not sure if he loves it or not. He doesn't love Video games, but at least he will have something to play on on our long road trips.


Grandma Julie always makes them their Christmas Jammies. This year she found these darling shirts in Florida! Uncle Steve got them all new beanies!


Every year I try and do something special for Chad. This year, I had a friend make a quilt for him. He has talked about wanting a quilt for a long time, but I knew I just couldn't do it. I can't sew and never will be able to. So, I called our good friend Cherish Moore and she had it done within a week! She is so amazing. I got the reaction that I wanted...TEARS! He wouldn't put the quilt down to get them on camera...although I think you can see his red face! Love it!


Santa brought the kids a Wii and quite a few games including Mario Kart with the wheels and Super Mario Bros. They also got a Tony Hawk Shred game with a cool Skateboard thing. Chad and I always get the kids one toy, on book and one movie. So their toy this year was their Dsi! I guess you could say we had a video game Christmas. I might regret it later, but for now it has been fun! The other items in their loot are from Grandparent's! They got a haul! The Trammell's always get the kids a new Hess Truck. We only let them open one of them because they are collectable. This years truck was had a jet on the back. Pretty Cool! A mysterious person also brought them a new 2 in 1 game table with ping pong and air hockey! They sure got spoiled rotten!

Pre-Christmas Activities....

We have had so much fun on the days leading up to Christmas. My extended family had our party at my Grandma's church. My Aunt Marjean and Ellen always do a wonderful job planning it. The kids acted out the Nativity while Aunt Marjean read it. The kids played bingo and won prizes. Grandma Prestwich was there looking as beautiful as ever. She says she is ready to be done with this earthly life. She is losing her memory, and it is very sad. But we were happy that she was able to be there.
During our Christmas break we went sledding and spent the night at my brother Adam's house. I was supposed to take Kyle and his friend Jaxon to a wrestling tournament in Logan, but the roads were too bad, so I turned around and went back to Adam's. We spent the day playing their Wii and hanging out. It was so much fun!
Spencer and Nicole Luth came up from Las Vegas for a wedding. We were able to spend some time with them. We took the kids to Jump on it and The Mayan for dinner. Then we drove up to Temple Square. It had been raining, and I didn't really want to go walk around in the rain, but we drove up anyway. The second we got up there the rain stopped and it didn't start raining again until we got in the car to come home. It was so beautiful and really helped me get in the true Spirit of Christmas. I am so thankful for Christ in my life!

The beautiful Salt Lake Temple at Christmas


Nicole Luth and I with our Kids...Dallin, Sadie and Lauren Luth & Kyle, Jared, Landon and Spencer


The kids after the nativity when Aunt Marjean was talking


The kids acting out the Nativity. Kyle and Tanner were Shepherds. Jared, Landon and Spencer were the Wisemen. Annika, Joslyn and Cloe were the angels. Jake and Laura's kids were Joseph and Mary.

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas...

For those of you that know me, know that is a big LIE! I would rather be here....

Or here...
Or here....
Or here....

Someone please help me! I can't seem to get into the Christmas spirit...

Molloscum...

I hope you have never heard of these aweful little "bumps". They started appearing on Spencer almost a year ago. He only had two then. Our pediatrician said that they are harmless, but the only way to remove them is to freeze them off. That is pretty painful, so he said, leave them alone and they'll go away. Well, I wish I knew then what I know now! A few months later they started multiplying. The two were on his back and they spread...like wild fire. On sensitive parts of his bottom, his legs, arms, and chest. I took him to one dermatologist who had his nurses torture him and scrape everyone of the little things off. He screamed and cried and I am sure he will never forgive me for letting them torture him. They bled for days and now how little white scars to prove it. I am sure he will never forgive me for letting them do that to him. Well, they came back...worse. Over 175 of them. I took him to another dermatologist who couldn't believe what the first one did. He suggested that we take him to the hospital, put him under anestetics and burn them off. So we did...not painful and not a painful recovery. The only problem is, we paid over $800 copay and only a month later the are back. They are starting to spread again! I took him into the same guy and he said we could try to freeze them off. So, we tried. We tried two of them and Spencer was screaming. He stopped and said, I am not going to do this to him, let's schedule another Surgery. Really??? We just did this a month ago and you want me to fork out another $800 with no guarantee that they won't come back?
I am at my wits end. I just don't know what to do! The thing is the bumps don't hurt him. You can't see them...his clothes cover them up. They are contagious and Kyle as a few, I think the other two boys have some, but I can't really tell because their skin is so dry. I can't tell if it's molloscum or dry skin bumps.
So, I don't know if I should just stop worrying about them and pray they go away. Everyone says if you wait long enough they will go away. I just don't want them to spread where anyone can see them and he be contagious to other kids and be embarrassed by them.
If anyone has any suggestions, I would love them. I have tried to look at the bright side of things. I have worried myself sick, but I need to remember that this isn't life threatening. They don't hurt him and I know that he will get rid of them someday! I just hope that someday comes soon, so I can stop worrying and I can stop bleaching my toilet and tub every time he gets near it!
If you know anything about this please oh please help!

Conversation between brothers....

Landon says, "I wish I lived with God."
Jared, "Why?"
Landon, "because then all of the animals would be nice and you wouldn't have to lock your doors."
Jared, "Hmmm"

Me...thinking..."really? That is why?"



PS-Jared and Spencer made the school wide talent show. Jared performed his comedy routine and did better than I have ever heard him! It was so great for his confidence. Spencer was very brave and played his Peter Peter Pumpkin eater song in front of the whole school and parents! I am so proud of them!