Lil' Rebel

Hmm, so much for that long awaited Bieber Do.

You know, in his "skins", sporting his new Mohawk, with a birthday party tattoo on his right forearm, wearing a trampoline burn on his cheekbone...

My shy, sweet, most kind boy, who has my heart and melts it daily...

almost looks.......

like a lil' REBEL.

Game. Day. Baby.

Boy do we look forward to game day.

For us it means...

decking out in Orange and Blue, making our favorite foods, hanging with family and friends, cheering really, really loud for the Broncos, and having A LOT of FUN.

In a nutshell.......

WE LOVE BOISE STATE FOOTBALL!

GO BRONCOS!

Heather. Jeff. Baby to be

From Heather

I had six best friends in high school. We were a group of very different girls who somehow meshed together forming an amazing friendship and having just about as much fun together as humanly possible. We were tight. We got along. There was never a dull or lonely moment in high school, because of them, and I realize now, just how rare that was. People often tell me that they are surprised I am still so close to my high school friends. If you knew these girls, you'd know why. They are some of the very best, smartest, most beautiful, talented, good, caring people I have ever known. I'll hold tight to them forever.

Miss Heather, one of the six, had a dream wedding in NC in July. She married, Jeff, an incredible man who couldn't be more perfect for her. Although, I was supposed to stand by her side as a bride's maid and Bob and I had purchased our tickets a year in advance and had a dream vacation planned with just the two of us and our brand new baby.......everything went awry. I remember the day I called Heather to tell her we just couldn't make it. She wasn't surprised. She knew our situation and told me it was so much more important to stay home and take care of my baby, but I broke down. Missing her wedding was another reminder of my uncertain world and just how much things were out of my control. I wanted so much to be there. She understood and said in no way did she expect me to come, but I was sad...really, really sad.

Trish and Megan called me the morning of the wedding. They filled me in with every beautiful detail making me feel as if I were there. They smothered me with kind words and told me how much they missed me and wished I was there. The phone call meant the world to me.

I missed Heather's big day in July, but her papa Hoge threw her a reception in Pocatello a few weekends ago, and we weren't going to miss it for the world. It was almost surreal finally seeing Heather, hugging and congratulating her on one of the biggest decisions of her life, and then it was really surreal when she and Jeff announced that they were expecting a baby! I nearly fell out of my chair.

I have always been so proud of Heather. She is one of the most successful business women I know. I marvel at her lavish life style and jet setting the country on business, but whenever I would want to talk about her life, she was more interested in mine. She was envious of the chaos children brought, and wanted more than anything to start a family. Her dream is coming true, and I am so excited for she and Jeff to embark on the adventure of parenthood because I know how truly great they are going to be and how fortunate that child is to have them as parents.

I enjoyed the night, seeing and spending time with dear friends. It went too fast, as it always does. As the evening was ending and we were getting close to saying our good bye's, Heather brought me a beautiful white bag full of fun surprises. I loved every thoughtful gift, but my favorite by far was a video she put together. It was titled, Best Friends Forever. I watched it late one night after we had arrived home. I was sitting in the middle of my messy office, thoughts on my mind of all the things I needed to get done. I popped in the video, and as it played I laughed and laughed, cried and cried, enjoying so much the music from the 90's and the pics. of all my dear friends and the crazy good times we had in high school, on spring breaks, in college, and even afterwards. That stroll down memory lane was exactly what I needed.

Heather, Trish, Megan, Brittney, Molly, and Les....

I hope you know that so much of who I am today is because of your friendship. I have learned many great life lessons from each of you. Thanks for being a big part of my past, for making it great, for giving me so many incredible memories, for supporting and loving me in spite of my many flaws, and for continuing to care about me today.

You will ALL forever be.....my dear friends.

I love you.

E.S.C.A.P.E

LEAVING for St. George today.....

Hoping I don't MISS my babies too much.....

Wishing BOB much luck as he holds down the fort.....

Going to cheer good friends to the finish of a BIG RACE.....

Excited to ESCAPE from the grind and enjoy the SUNSHINE.....

Thanks for the fun SONG, Angie B. How is it you know me so well?

Oh, boy did I need a CATCHY tune to blast,

while this mama BUSTS a busy, busy move to......

get on out of here.

Miss Pay

From Payton

Miss Pay continues to tell me I need to update my blog, you know, a new title and last year's photo removed. I have lots of pics. and fun times awaiting a post, but I'm so far behind, I don't know where to start. And really, for me, the lack of upkeep is just another reminder of how much my life has changed since little Max was born. Ultimately, I find myself wishing for more hours in the day, but they're not hours to fix my somewhat abandoned blog (although, I DO enjoy the blogging!) they're hours to sit and hold my baby longer, wrestle with and throw the football to Owen, color and read with Avery, sit and listen to you, Pay, tell me about the boys in your class, and teach ya a "move" in soccer.

Our lives have changed since Max was born. Our once simple world isn't so simple anymore. But, for some strange reason, the thought of it getting back on track, frightens me, because this chaos the encompasses our lives right now, is strangely enough, bringing me more joy than when things were "easy." You see when things are smooth sailing, we become complacent in our lives, we simply take the important things for granted.

I'm not asking for more storms, I'm just grateful for the lessons learned after the weathering. They're helping us enjoy more fully when things are good, making us better people (boy do we need improving!), allowing us to recognize the joy good friends bring, ushering our family (near and far) closer, aiding us in seeing a little more clearly, the "big picture"... and last, but not least, appreciating how really blessed we are.

Favorites

From Boys

My favorite days are the days we can stay home all morning and just be.

My favorite days are the days I have TIME to pick up the house, make beds, throw in laundry, and plan the evening's meal.

My favorite days are the days I get to stay in my pajamas till' noon, wrestle Owen on the couch or the trampoline outside, and sit, rock, feed, and smooch all over Max's baby soft skin.

My favorite days are the days Owen, Max and I sit on the porch and wait for the girls to ride their bikes home from school. I always get a good laugh watching Avery come around the corner in her over sized helmet peddling like a maniac trying to stay up with her long legged sister.

My favorite days are the days Robert comes home from work and sits on the back porch swing with the kids, enjoying the sunshine while opening the mail.

My favorite nights are the nights we sit around the table together sharing a meal, not having to rush out the door to make it to a practice.

My favorite nights are the nights Bob says he's going to mow the lawn but gets side tracked playing soccer and tag with the kids and does this until it's time to come in for bed.

My favorite nights are the nights we get to lay and listen to the kids read aloud before they go off to dreamland.

Let's BE REAL. Life is crazy busy, and with soccer, piano, homework and everything else life throws at us, a day like this RARELY happens around here. But, this is how it went down yesterday, and boy was it nice.

Happy Day

I know you said said your birthday was, "Just another day."

But, WE sure had fun celebrating YOU.

Thanks for being our world and making our lives good.

We LOVE you!

MAX.

From Max

Max + Happy = ADORABLE.

When It Rains

( This pic. of our once squeaky clean, super happenin'g pool......a pretty good indicator of our lives right now!)

It pours....
...and we're getting flooded.

I remember the first week of June, the last week of school, as if it were yesterday. The week was alive with festivities; Avery graduated from Kindergarten, Payton sang "Soul Sister" in the school's talent show, the girls ran their hearts out at the jog a thon, showed off for their grand parents at field day, and said good-bye to teachers and friends at the last day school parties. I remember it so well......because I MISSED all of it. I was laid up in bed, worrying about my new, tiny baby boy in the NICU, while the simple, happy, ordinary events of life went on without me. It sounds silly, but tougher than the pain from surgery, for this mama, was not being there with my girls and missing ALL their events.



School started back last week. It seemed eerily too soon to be resuming. As I walked the girls into the building, 10 minutes late, with Owen, who had fallen and scraped his knees in the parking lot, crying in my arms, I felt overwhelmed. The same strange feelings that crept inside the last week of school, were lurking, and our world was once again, turned upside down. This time, instead of me being laid up in bed worrying about Max, it was Bob, laid up in the hospital who had me worried.



You see, Bob had been really sick and in a lot of pain for weeks. After a series of misdiagnosis' from doctors, we finally went to the ER where they admitted him. They found a muscle tear behind his knee, which bled and created a cavity the size of an orange, which became extremely infected. After an entire week in the hospital and three surgeries later, he is finally home. Although he must travel the rough road to recovery, compared to the terrible weeks that led up to the hospital, we're thinking it should be downhill from here.



So, my original plan was to describe the mess our lives have become because of all of this. I was going to vent about how exhausted I was staying up all night with Max and then trying to hold down the fort by myself.....kids to school, soccer, swimming, etc. making meals, cleaning, and doing laundry. Then when the kids finally hit their pillows at night I was staying up super late working, staring at that computer until my eyelids became so heavy even toothpicks couldn't hold em' up. All this, only to to start the next day and do it ALL over again. Yup, I was grasping desperately, holding on tight, trying to keep my head above WATER. And although at times I felt tough, most of those times, I felt....... I was failing miserably.

Then I decided, "This post isn't going to be an invitation to my pity party."

You see, I was recently told by someone wise to find thanks in all things. I discovered that even in our trials, if we shine the flashlight of our attention on what's good instead of what's not, there are wonderful things to be found.

I found that I have amazing friends and family who love us enough to sacrifice their own lives and time to HELP US. Their love and generosity during this tough time for me, has buoyed me up, kept me sane, and taught me incredible lessons of compassion. I have been amazed at all the service that has been rendered to our family, through this trial and also with Max's birth. My eyes are swimming as I type, I feel an overwhelming amount of love for the people in our lives, and am truly, so appreciate of them.

I also found that I have a lot to learn about serving. I've learned that when someone is in need, not to ask anymore what I can do to help, but find out what they need.....and like the old Nike slogan, "JUST DO IT!" I'm also going to hold tight to all those people who bring joy to my life, because of them, we're making it!

And so I'm going to let the memories of the last few months fade like my kid's summer tans. I'll continue to find happiness in the simple things, like an afternoon soda from Sonic, blasting my favorite songs on the radio, and a phone conversation with a good friend. And most of all, I'm going to look forward to good times ahead, like fall, my favorite season, and all the exciting things it brings.

And I most certainly can't think of fall without getting anxious for college football, and that reminds me of something I heard a coach on ESPN say the other night. He remarked, "Life, like football, is a TEAM sport." I thought about that a lot. I think he's right. We're all players in this game, and it isn't what we have that matters, but WHO we have. If we would stop wasting our time and energy on the trivial things and focus mostly on building the relationships with all the WHO'S in our lives by helping, serving, and loving them......

WE WOULD ALL BE VICTORIOUS!

When the COUSINS came to stay

From cousins

Smores for breakfast gave us the energy to dance the morning away.

Which were just a few of the fun things we did

when the cousins came to stay!