Winter Travels...

Lucky for us our Winter was full of some traveling to help make those long cold days seem bearable. After not having much of a Christmas Break because we were all sick for the whole week. It was very happy that we headed to Disneyland on January 5th. Ty's mom and dad gave the family for Christmas, airfare and some cash to put towards Disneyland tickets. It was super fun to take them on the plane instead of our usual driving to Disneyland. Tate had been on a plane, but a long time ago. For Davis and Owen it was their first time flying. They loved it...and I love to listen to Davis talk about it, I think he thinks he is the expert now on flying. We had 4 day passes to Disneyland and I couldn't be happier. I love that place!! It is quite a site to see the group of us making our way through Disneyland...Ty's family has no girls, all boys...3 sons and 8 grandsons. We had a fun guest with us this year, my nephew Braxton's girlfriend Toni. The boys absolutely adore Toni, (she tends our boys for us alot!!) So we did have a little more girl power than usual...which is a welcomed addition to our testostorone world. This photo op is one of my favorites...the Disneyland photographers stopped us and asked if they could take pictures of the boys for some kind of picture slideshow they are going to start running...aren't they handsome....

I love this picture....the boys were told to make a funny face...check out Owen looking to see what Braxton is doing...

and then....his funny face...
Just like Big "B"...I love these boys. My two older nephews, Connor and Braxton are absolutely darling with my boys. Because they are so much older, they are more like uncles than cousins, they were Owie's best friends in Disneyland!!! Aunt Heather kept the boys hopping onto all the rides...making sure no time was wasted...she is the best and the boys LOVE her!! Davis got to ride California Screamin' for the first time and LOVED it!! Toy Story Mania, Soarin', Big Thunder and Splash Mountain are at the top of our lists of favorites.

We had a great time and can't wait to go again!!!

Love, love, love these little faces...

It's been a week....

A big homework project and Relief Society Activity in one week made for a long week....

I found myself sitting on the couch this morning after taking the kids off to school, staring off into space....decompressing....Ty came out and asked what I was doing...the tv wasn't on and I wasn't doing anything...just sitting there. I didn't have an answer, I was just trying to make sense of this crazy week.

Tate had his Newspaper Book Report due Wednesday, and in true Tate fashion...he saved it for last minute!!! LOVE HIM!! We have been bugging him for weeks to get it done. He finished the book Sunday, but the report had to be in Newspaper form, 4 pages with all kinds of requirements to be included...an obituary, a sports section, feature stories, headline stories, classifieds, editorials, advertisements and a HAND DRAWN political cartoon!! Tate hates any kind of art. So you can only imagine what his political cartoon looked like!! It was a project!! Thank heavens for a new computer and Microsoft Word that has a newspaper layout format!! That probably saved our lives!! Ty and I were up till 1:30 formatting and perfecting this after Tate went to bed at 11:00 giving us all the content he needed!! Glad that one is done...although, that means that the History Fair is around the corner...and everyone that has had Mrs. Long says the History Fair is the Grand Daddy of 'em all!!! Lucky us!!!

Whilst trying to get Tate's bookreport done, I was in the middle of getting ready for our Relief Society Birthday Social on Thursday!! We did invitations ALL day Tuesday!!! I am often surprised how much time and effort goes into one of these activities. I am also surprised how much heart goes into it as well. I am also surprised how disappointing it can be when you don't get the attendance you were hoping for!! It was fun, we did The "Purse" suit of Happiness and it was fun. We weighed the sisters purses and then played a purse scavenger hunt game....my favorite item on the list...a used kleenex...and we had three cute moms run up with one!!! Dinner was good, and the decorations turned out just as cute as we had hoped!!! It was a great night and I love the ladies in my ward. I just have to keep reminding myself today, that the ladies that were there, enjoyed it and had a great time and that is what is important...and here's to hoping that next time we will get more ladies there!!!

Random Thoughts...

Went to Junior High Registration with Tate and signed Owen up for Preschool all in the same week. ;( Not okay!

During that same week Tate had the 6th grade dance...and couldn't have been more happy about it. Some boys opted out of the dance, Tate thought they were crazy!!!

I sent my kids to school today with crazy hair...NOT crazy hair day at school today...it's next week!!

Why is it that a new computer always costs more money than just the computer????

Had to break it to Tyler he wasn't some punk kid like he thought he was having a meeting with some Mayors from the area and wondering if they were going to listen to what he had to say...punk kid and all. Actually, had to let him in the on the secret that he is actually middle age....


Was just told by my 11 1/2 year old that he doesn't need to be told how to cross the busy road...mom, I am going into 7th grade, duh!!!

Why didn't I make it to the gym today?? Seriously, what is my problem???

Just received a warrant for Tyler's arrest in the mail...he forgot...or maybe chose not to pay a ticket he received in Clearfield...perfect....just because you didn't agree with it...doesn't mean it is going to go away!!!

What's for dinner?

The big snow storm didn't make an apperance here.

Why is it that my 2 year old can go around blowing a whistle and it is pretty cute, but if Tate or Davis were doing it, they would be told to stop...not so cute then.

Davis has been entertaining the ladies all afternoon...the boy knows how to work it!!!

Where did February go???

Hope Tate wins his Super League Tournament game tomorrow...single elimination makes for a quick exit if they don't come to play!!

Friday night affair...moving computers...desks...furniture...enjoying the company of two funny preteen....girl crazy...sports crazy boys...babysitting nieces...what else could you ask for on a Friday night....we are livin' the dream....

So glad tomorrow is date night....and it can't come fast enough....

"Worst Day of my LIFE"

This is the conversation had in the bathroom while brushing their teeth by Tate and Davis after what may have been the worst of day of their lives up to this point...they didn't know Ty was listening in.

Davis..."sheesh, I am glad this day is over. Today was a bad day."
Tate...."yea, I know, me too."
Davis..."Today was the worst day of my life."

The worst day of their lives started out like any normal Saturday...sleeping in, basketball games and hanging out together.

The boys ran around outside, had a little lunch and then I put Owen down for his nap. Keeping in mind nobody has been sick at our house since the week after Christmas. I then laid down myself to have a little rest. Just over an hour into his nap he woke up crying, which is unusual. I went in to get him and he wasn't standing or sitting up in his bed, also unusual. When I went over to the bed, things didn't look right nor feel right. I tried to put his binky in his mouth and he let it fall out of his mouth. Starting to get alarmed, I picked him up and tried to stand him up in his bed, his legs collapsed from underneath him, I tried to talk to him and get him to respond and he wouldn't, his eyes were glazed over and he was looking right through me. I was starting to become very alarmed. I held him in my arms and his entire body was limp, he had no motor skills. I felt like I was holding a lifeless, dead baby. I stood at the top of the stairs for a moment, wondering if I was overreacting, but a sinking feeling kept telling me something was very wrong with him. Tyler was downstairs asleep on the couch, when I got down there I told him, something is wrong with Owen. As he stood up to come see him, Owen started to convulse and tremor laying across my lap. I was in complete hysterics by now. Tate came out of the playroom to see this also, and then both boys, Tate and Davis were also in complete hysterics. Tate couldn't stop pacing and they were both crying, "no, no, no". Ty called 911 and was on the phone with them while waiting for the ambulance to arrive, during that time he convulsed again. He was never really with it, and wasn't even crying. He had no motor skills and could not use his hands or arms. It was by far THE SCARIEST thing I have ever been a part of. The paramedics were wonderful, while one helped me with Owen, one was working with Tyler, but most importantly one was over trying to console Tate and Davis and explain to them what was going on, I will never ever be able to thank them enough for their concern shown to Tate and Davis.

Owen was transported up to Primary Children's Hospital. When the paramedics arrived at our home they took Owen's temperature it was 99.8, when we arrived at Primary's it was over 103. Owen had what is called a febral seizure. A seizure caused by a fast oncoming fever. A fever that is coming on so fast your body can't handle it. Keep in mind, Owen wasn't sick and I checked him to see if he was warm when I got him out of his bed, wondering if that was why he was acting so weird. To my touch he wasn't even warm. The other crazy thing, Owen didn't even get sick in the days to follow his happy emergency. THE CRAZIEST thing I have ever seen!!! They treated Owen with MOTRIN and watched him for about an hour. It took him some time to come out of it, but within 1 1/2 hours he was talking up a storm and running around the hospital. THE CRAZIEST thing I have ever seen!!! Owen now stands a 30% higher chance of having another febral seizure again...yipee!! They are pretty common...not so common here!!

I think Davis hit it right on the nose that night, it was the WORST DAY of our lives. But, how grateful we are for Owen's health and that everything turned out okay. We are also so grateful for our loving family who came running to the hospital to be by our sides when they heard.

Our little Owen, he scared us pretty bad. And man was it a reminder just how fragile life is....
that was the worst day of my life.

But, how grateful I am for these four handsome, HEALTHY faces!!!

Technology...who woulda thought....

It is amazing to me how much you don't realize something is wrong until you have something better...

My computer has been limping along for quite some time now. Struggled through football and the some 7700 photos added during that time, trying to keep up my football blog duties became quite a challenge...I haven't updated my blog because the frustration of a lame computer wasn't worth the time. But as of most recently, no memory and I slowly started to lose capabilities...virus protection GONE...inability to send emails GONE...and as of most recently...couldn't print from the internet, just GONE.

What a difference a new computer makes...so no promises here, but it just might be the difference maker...maybe I might just update my blog!

2 Months gone By...

Two months have gone by since I last posted....and we are barely breathing!!!

Football and school have consumed us, eaten us up and have spit us out!!! I can't believe we are now sitting in October...13 days into October none the less.

Tyler and I have become those people that have filled just about every waking moment with FOOTBALL, Bingham Little League football to be exact. Ty got sucked into coaching, so that Tate's coach from last year could get Tate, and I was sucked into to helping with Team Mom duties...unfortunately, those helping duties have become more like full-time duties. Davis and Owen must believe they have THE best mom ever because they get to spend 2 hours of just about each day at the park playing!!!

If I said the coaching and team mom duties were awesome...I am lieing!! I actually hate the coaching thing. I am usually a single mom until 9 pm, most evenings, Ty and I hanging out at the park during football is gone, my insanely intense partner is standing on the sidelines during games instead of nervously pacing the sidelines with me, Owen has a standing babysitter on Saturday's because I can't do him, football and pictures all by myself. I know Ty has enjoyed it, so I can't hate it that much, but I definetly don't like it!! The team mom duties just about killed me over in the first few weeks...but that has mellowed as well, at least for now. Things are about to explode as playoffs and end of year things are coming!!!

But, oh it is all so worth it when I see Tate do so well!! He is having an amazing year!!! He is playing both ways, offense and defense again, and does not come off the field. He is playing middle linebacker on "D" and halfback/running back on "O", he is the defensive captain and is a true leader on his little team. It has been fun to be his mom this year, as every parent on our team has complemented Tate and his abilities on the field, and go on and on about how good he is!! He is so fun to watch and he loves it so much!!



At the end of each week, we find ourselves, exhausted and wishing the weekend hadn't passed so fast. Ty and I try to find time on Saturday's to spend it together. And are grateful that Tate sees the importance of giving us that time, sometimes begrudgingly, but as soon as we say, how many days did we spend at football or helping you with homework, he obliges!!! He is a good kid, with a lot going on. I had a meltdown yesterday over Tate. Sixth grade is HARD!! And I know all of you with older kids say just wait...but with football and the teacher that is deemed the "hardest" teacher in the school, Tate is barely breathing. I feel bad for him, he has no life, he has no down time. He comes home from school, starts his homework immediately, Monday he had no football and he was doing homework from 4 till 10 pm!!! On football days he does his homework until he goes to football and then comes home and does homework till its time for bed, shoving down dinner somewhere in between there. School has come so easily for Tate, but this teacher is really pushing him and his scores show it, but as a mom I am trying to sit back and not panic about things, hoping that it will all come together in the end and he will be better because of the harder stuff he is doing. I love his teacher, she is super sweet, but she will have Tate whipped right into shape when it is time to start 7th grade...and that is what I have to keep telling myself!!!



Davis is doing so well in the 1st grade!! He has a great teacher as well and really seems to be loving it. He loves that he is big and can have lunch at school!! I love to watch Tate and him get up in the mornings and get ready for school side by side. This is the only year that they will be together like this in the mornings and at school. After this year they will always be in different schools!! That is kind of sad!! I love to hear Davis' stories about recess and happenings in the class!! His teacher has told me how good and mellow he is in class and is always so respectful!! That is one thing about Davis, he doesn't like to embarrassed, so he will be on his best behavior...until he gets home of course!!!

Ty and I do the "divide and conquer" on homework...that sucks!!! We come home from football, I fix dinner, Ty helps Tate and Davis with homework, we eat, we clean up, Ty helps Tate with Math and I help Davis with reading. We put the kids to bed and go and crash on the couch downstairs...too exhausted to even talk...we pull ourselves to bed and then get up and do it again the next day!!!

We are livin' the Dream!!!

But, today we go off track for 3 1/2 weeks and I am pretty certain I am more happy about it than my boys! So for 3 weeks we get to do NOTHING...other than football of course!! But when we go back on track...football will be over!!!

Livin' the dream....

111 Miles...on a Road Bike!!!

For about a year Tyler has been contemplating getting into Road Biking...concerned with the cost and time involved, never took the opportunity. In the Spring our neighbor offered a screaming deal on a Road Bike and group to ride with. There are about 10 or so guys in our neighborhood that road bike and go in the mornings. I handed him the cash and told him to go get the bike.

This past Saturday Ty and his "Chain Gang" as they liked to be called...suited up in their matching jerseys and rode in the Ulcer Century Bike Ride around Utah Lake, starting and finishing at Thanksgiving Point. 111 looonnnggg miles...6 1/2 miserable hours spent on his bike seat. He was very nervous about doing it...his longest ride before this...a one time 60 miler the Saturday before!! But just in Tyler fashion...he gutted it out and finished it and finished it in a pretty respectable time!!! I was pretty darn proud of him. Ty and I are very grateful to his great group of friends that pulled him along when he didn't think he could go any farther!!! The wind was BRUTAL!!! But he was able to finish...and actually didn't even die after!!!

I think if he were to admit it he surprised himself, is extremely proud of his accomplishment...and I think he would even do it again!!!

Nice Job TY!!!!