What gives?

What gives with all the sudden posts to my blog, you ask? I have finally taken on the task of putting my blog into books and have finished the first three years, one book per year. It was discovered that I had neglected my blog of late and have determined to catch up. I haven't had the books printed yet, but I am so excited to see all the entries in book form and it has made me so grateful that I started a blog three years ago! I am using blurb.com and am loving how simple (yet time consuming) it has been to edit and arrange it all.

Two down, One to Go!

Following in her brother's footsteps, Ressa got her tonsils out. Not for the same reasons, however. Unlike Jackson, Ressa did not snore, did not have contant nasal congestion, and did not have chronically enlarged tonsils. She DID get strep throat every two months for over a year! We were so done with it and the nightmare of Jackson's recover had faded over time.  Ressa was a bit nervous but she kept it together well and did beautifully. Recovery was a breeze and she has really started to grow faster now that her body isn't always battling.

And why did I title this post, "and one to go"? Well, Carson is healthy so I don't forsee any problems with him. Lauren, on the other hand, snores like a grown up already so I am worried she will have some problems in her future. Let's hope not!

Ward Campout!

Well not really a ward campout. It was the Fathers and Sons/Mothers and Daughters Campout. I brought Lauren and Peyton Stone with us since the camp ground was not too far away. We stayed in the camp trailer and the boys slept in the little two-man tent Jackson bought with his allowance a few months ago. They squeezed Hyrum in them and slept like 3 bugs in a rug. Good thing since it got pretty cold that night and started raining at about 4am and didn't let up the rest of the morning. But they stayed dry and slept really well, better then their two mothers who kept looking out at their tent, wondering if they were ok, waiting for them to come bang on thier trailer doors. Bishop Frank Rowley insisted we still have the huge breakfast that was planned, so we set up all the awnings that we had and ate standing up since all our camping chairs were wet. Then Lucy and I took our kids into the trailer and hung out while the men-folk back everything up. Chad and I were the last ones to leave and Ressa started crying because Chad told her he would hike up the hill with her in the morning and now we were leaving. So Chad said, "Let's go!" and he took her and Lauren Stone up to the the top of the hill and back, in the rain, while the other two girls stayed in the truck with the heater on. (Carson and Jackson had already left with grandpa.) So Ressa and company came back down wet and happy and we were able to go home. Good times! 

This picture of the boys in the tent makes it look rather roomy. But I assure you that object in the picture appear larger that they are! These boys had such a great time together and Sarah and I laughed so hard at them. They told us they were going to scare everybody by jumping out of the tent yelling "Predator! Predator!" Pretty scary stuff. The weather that night was so beautiful! The wind died away and we had a nice evening by the fire.

Cotton Days

Easter

Nate and Carrie decided to start an Easter Egghunt tradition. We spent the night at their house the night before so we could go to the Easter Pageant on Friday night and then get up early at their house for the egg hunt. They have a nice big backyard and the weather was perfection! I think they had 500 plastic eggs and like 30 little kids. Ressa found the $50 egg (with uncle Casey's help). Tons of yummy breakfast treats. We already started talking about how to make it bigger and better next year. It will be a fun tradition, especially since I don't have to do it.

Mission: Bluff Fort!

I disappointed Elaine by waking up early and walking down to their house to see them off the morning they left for Utah. She is a cry baby and wanted to sneak off before we woke up to avoid a tearful good-bye. Too bad! They are excited to work at the Bluff Fort Museum for 5 months! We will miss them terribly, but it really isn't that long. I just love having them as neighbors!

Cotton Blossoms 2011

This years Cotton Pageant was A LOT of work now that I am on the council. Behind the scenes is pretty crazy and I decided that only people WITHOUT children in the pageant should be in the back. Uhg! But it went relatively well and we learned alot for next year!

Spring Break Part Deux

I am not blogging about Spring Break Part I because we went to San Diego and had so much fun that I made a photo book about it. So now we are on to Spring Break Part Deux! Lacie brought her sister Averi and the kids over for a whole week! My kids were back in school, but it wasn't too big a deal. We had so much fun just hanging out. Lacie's baby Chandler is such a sweetheart! We went to the ostrich farm, had a 16th birthday party for Averi and set her up on two dates while she was here! I know how to entertain and invited them all the the cub scout blue and gold banquet, too.

Funny story: So I take Carson and Jackson and head over early to the pack meeting so I can pick up my friend Melissa and her three kids. They only have one car and so they often need a ride to things. Lacie was going to bring the rest of the clan and meet us at the church. So Melissa and I arrive at the church and go in to the gym where the banquet is set up. I immediately walk over to Sarah C. and say hello. Ashley, a new member in our ward who I met earlier that week at a playgroup, rushes up to me and whispers frantically in my ear that my shorts have ripped up the back, exposing my entire left, garmetted, butt-cheek! I crane my neck to look back to make sure she wasn't crazy, and sho' nuff! I immediately plop down in the chair right behind me and there I sit while Sarah heads off to the rescue to get me another pair of pants from her house. One minute after she leaves, in comes Lacie with the rest of the kids, Lauren in the lead with a tissue held up to her nose and blood all over her shirt. Apparently, Ressa was trying to pull on something in the car and her elbow released back right into Lauren's nose. Fortunately, Lacie ran into Sarah in the parking lot and Sarah said she would grab another shirt for her, too. So Super Sarah saves the day! She returns with some of my own pants I had lent her a while ago and a clean shirt for Miss Lauren. All dressed and ready for a fun-filled Pack Meeting! Oh, where was Chad during all this, you ask? Home Teaching. The boys were getting a lot of awards that night so I pleaded with him to PLEASE keep his HT visit under an hour, but after having the leaders stall as long as they could, they couldn't wait any longer. But Chad finally came and I think he got there in time for the last couple awards. Hooray!

Friends of Lacie's (and mine) that are still in the area came over for lunch and to visit. I miss our friends that have moved away but when we get together it seems like old times!