Missing in Action

Okay, so it has been awhile since I have been on my Blog. Not because things haven't been happening, but because I have been too busy to put things down in writing. And missing from all of these pictures are two that I took of the beautiful cake that Kylie made for her daddy for his birthday, but for some reason, they just didn't download off the disk...go figure.
yes, Del had another birthday in November - the 19th and he turned 53. We went out to Olive Garden where Mike and Kylie treated us to dinner and gave Del a generous gift to Home Depot. It was a fun evening with family and good food.
The pictures are of some fun events. The first three are of Del, Kathryn and me serving at the Bishop's storehouse a few days before Thanksgiving - and it was a blast, plus a real learning service project for us. The people were so deserving and fun to serve. It brought a great sense of relief to us to know that those many families would have such great food for the coming weeks and the holiday. I personally, was amazed at the supply of donations and food made available for those in need, and how organized the church has it's programs functioning. What a blessing.
November also brought a day of snow that put most people in a little of a frenzy. it was such a slight skiff of snow and yet everyone bundled up so quickly in their hats, scarfs, mittens and coats. I was out in my flip flops and capris and was finally comfortable.
Thanksgiving Day had it's usual turkey and all the trimmings but with some very interesting guests this year. Of course, Mike and Kylie were here, Kathryn had her friend Wayde here and then we invited two of Del's co-workers who had no family to celebrate with; Victor and John. John is an older man who's wife was gone visiting other family and Victor is an African American from Africa who has no family here. Both men were very interesting and a joy to have in our home.I had a week of what is called 'frozen shoulder' that same week and ultimately ended up in the ER to have it resolved. Not a fun experience but I was glad Del had been home to carry most of the weeks responsibilities on his shoulders. It was a nice memory.
And now, we are almost two weeks into the month of December. The cold weather (for Texas anyways), has rolled in and the holiday season has started. Our artificial Christmas tree was broken last year, so Del came home this past Monday night with our first fresh Christmas tree in years. The house smells wonderful and it brings a whole new feel to the season. We were supposed to decorate it last Tuesday night, but never got around to it...so I'm thinking tonight will be the night.
The Christmas parties have started with last night's first at the Vogelberg's home. It's had it's 7 year tradition - started the year we moved here and has brought years of humor and laughs. Last night was no different. Very fun night with dear friends and great food. Over the years, we have been included in 2 other holiday parties and this year will even bring a new one with some friends here in our new ward. It sure makes for a lot of white elephant gifts and great appetizers but we have loved the interaction with such wonderful people that we truly cherish as friends.
Most of the Christmas shopping has been finished. Only a few things for Mike and Kylie, school tuition for Jordan and then a few things for Kathryn. The money has to be spread so thinly so we are once again, back at the stage of life where Christmas gifts are now back to 'needs' instead of 'wants'. Del and I will be getting garments. I have Dr. Henao's name for our office gift exchange so I have spent the past three weeks, sneaking opportunities with her two boys, to take candid pictures of them in some of their activities that I am making into a poster size collage(spelling) for a scrap booked picture poster. I hope she likes it. It's been fun to do.
Jordan has been cold...Idaho has had several below zero days in which he will call so miserable and freezing expressing his much felt home sickness and despair. I will have to pamper him a little when he comes home for the holidays. He will be coming home a few days later than most other students as he will remain up in Utah for 2 days to participate as best man at his best friends wedding - Mark Roberts. His other two dear friends, Ricky Adams and Josh Packer are also engaged and getting married within the next few months. Jordan's feeling left behind. He is noticing that the 'best man' role has become his status in life but also realizes that he is no-where close to being ready to getting married. Patience is NOT one of his better virtues.
Kathryn has had a few struggles with some personal issues but we;ve seen her through them and is now on a wonderful path for her future. She has sent in all her application forms to colleges and now awaits the news. She didn't do real well on either her SAT or ACT tests but hopes that her high school transcripts and GPA will at least allow her to get into BYU Idaho. She has been dating a young boy named Wayde that she has been friends with for years. Nothing serious as they have more fun together than anything else. She will start a new job after the holidays on her birthday as she has to be 17. But Kylie already worked there years ago and the manager told Kathryn he would start her once she turned 17. So she will have some money coming in for school.
Mike and Kylie have put their townhouse on the market and are hoping to sell quickly so they can start the building of their first home. They have land picked out, floor plans and all arrangements made, just need to sell first. We are excited for them and hope it all goes as they have planned.
Del and I still work our long hours at our jobs but we're glad to have good jobs that allow us to still take care of our family's needs. And the needs they have at this stage in life are a lot more expensive than when they were wanting new clothes or toys. Del and I wonder if there will ever be an 'empty nest' syndrome, where it pertains to finances....I don't want them to leave me, just financially. Oh well...parenthood.
So, hopefully tonight, we will decorate the tree and put our Christmas lights on our house and bushes. Then we'll end the night with some more BYU basketball and volleyball, which we've been enjoying now for weeks.

So, until next post - except, I have stuck my camera disk into the side of computer to download the photos and now can't get it out. ugh!! How do I get it out!!!

Is She REALLY Ready?

Although 8 months away, I am wondering if Kathryn is really ready to go away to college. This is her today, filling out her college application forms online, holding her childhood blanket!!! What's wrong with this picture??? It WILL go with her to college, she has already assured me of that! There are soo many things that she still clings to that will not be available at college - her mother...and everything I still do for her...her freedoms...her lack of doing chores.....her lack of concern for OTHERS and the fact that there IS a world outside of her little bubble...
So, do I have her go through a crash course over the next 8 months??? Or is it just too late???
I guess she'll be like every other young adult and learn the lessons of leaving home on her own...I imagine there will be a lot of phone calls the 2nd month she is away. Nothing the first month, as she won't want me to know that she's lost and needs me...but the second month? That's when it will hit...the tears, the pleading to come home and the shock of not having someone to take care of her. That's when it will be time to grow up and actually become everything she already thinks she is...an adult.
And my job? It will be to love her and comfort her through it all...giving her the strength and encouragement she needs to stretch her comfort zone and be a big girl on her own.
Kathryn has never lacked in confidence...she's just a little lazy in being the independant adult she thinks she is.
It will be interesting to watch her figure it all out.
But there's still SOME time to work on a few things...should we start with putting the blanket away? Or at least having her keep it in her room?
Maybe I'll start with something a little easier..like doing her own laundry...

A Night of Recognition

They recognized all the Senior football players, cheerleaders and trainers tonight at the high school football game. That included Kathryn. So Del and I were her escorts -
She has LOVED training over the past 2 years. She has loved the players, fellow trainers and coaches that she has been able to work with and we have been very pleased at her dedication to this commitment.
So it was a pleasure to be there tonight, to escort her in front of her friends and peers and to support her in the recognition of this great event.
Congratulations Kathryn!

"Here Kitty Kitty"

Speaking of cats...
I told Del I was having a 'Halloween costume dilemma....' going as a 'sexy black cat', or 'the fat lady that sings'. After he stopped laughing (politely, mind you), he said I should probably go as the cat and gave me high praises (though he strained to keep from snickering) when I came out with the simple costume. He's always the gentleman!!!
We all dressed up at work this year - everyone wanted to be witches, except for me. I told them 'I'm a witch every other day of the year so I wanted to change things up a little'. Hence, the cat.
Patients loved it - we had the whole office decorated and then served different treats each day of the week; cookies, doughnuts, candy etc etc.. And we gave out a trick or treat goody bag to each patient that came in.
Our office was voted the 'Best Orthodontic office in Frisco' for the month of September from the citizens of Frisco. We are quite proud. So we wanted to thank our patients by showing them a great week of Halloween fun.

Our Fearless Protector

This is how Lacey starts...

Then she 'bravely' does the 'half in, half out' move.

As soon as the threat moves away, then she proves
her courage by confronting the danger full body!!!

This is what has Lacey in such a frenzy.

We called it 'the tiger', just so Lacey would feel
valued and needed.

Lacey is a pathetic dog. Don't get me wrong...I LOVE this dog - she has brought us more joy and fun than I can even express. But she is a whoosy dog!!! In fact, Del now has a string of 'P' words he calls her...pathetic, pampered, pansy, pudgy, poopy pooch!! There are a few other words, but I just can't remember them right now...
She is a 'city' dog - inside the house with all the luxuries of life, verses being outside in the weather, yucky food and sleeping conditions of a farm dog. And she has Del trained pretty well. He takes her every morning for a walk, except Sundays. And then every evening, when he comes home, she runs to the door with her blanket in tow, wanting him to tug her around and pull her on her belly. It's quite a sight. He barely has time to put his computer down, give any human a hug before she is whimpering at him for attention. It's hilarious.
So when she does this 'scarety cat' thing, where she pretends to stalk our neighbors cat, he just laughs like she is worthless.
He loves her, I know he does. It's obvious as he roughs up her head when he pets her and chases her in the house calling her a dumb dog and let's her sleep alongside his leg while he watches t.v.
My two protectors...one just lets the other one do all the work.

Broken Trust, Broken Heart

I've been meaning to blog for the past few weeks - a few cute things here and there, a few thoughts that went unwritten, but today, I have a broken heart that kind of puts all the rest into the 'not worth the effort' file of blogging. And I'm just a little overwhelmed with my broken heart that 'details' won't be possible to share.
It's just one of the VERY FEW times that I have had my trust broken which in turn has broken my heart. I can count on one hand the times I have felt like this. I don't like it. And after time, both the trust and the heart heal.
But for now...ouch.

General Conference with It's Traditions

General Conference has always been family time. I remember growing up how we would all sit around the t.v and watch conference together. Of course, my parents were much more strict with our behavior during conference that I am....we were not allowed to talk, we were not allowed to fall asleep and we had to be sitting up and never laying down paying full attention to every word being said. I guess it almost HAD to be that way with 10-12 children, otherwise, there would have been pure chaos.
Our traditions started when the kids were young. Kylie and Kathryn would pull out their bed mattresses, blankets, pillows and set it up right on the floor in front of the t.v. The three kids would all lay on the king size mattress together and giggle and play until time for conference to start. Del would have 'Conference BINGO' for them to play or I would have things for them from the Friend to do to occupy their time when they were little.
The older they got, we started implementing the 'homemade cinnamon rolls' and other things for a big breakfast before conference started. I have never worried if one of them has fallen asleep as most generally, either Del or I would join them about half way through the session.
The past few years, we have added the 'massage line', where everyone gets a massage during the session, including Lacey, our dog. It helps us to relax and have 'quiet', which gets more and more difficult when Kylie and Kathryn are together. They turn back in to two little kids when they get together and Del must have told them both to 'settle down' at least 6-7 times today.
In between sessions, we make more food - homemade chili, pizza, Halloween cookies and almond roca today. We played card games and even snuck in a little football for Mike. We called Jordan to see how he was enjoying conference and then ended the night with Kylie and Kathryn finally getting told a final time by Del to 'settle down'.
I was exhausted by the time the dishes were done, Kylie and Mike were out the door and we had all the food put away. But so spiritually fed by the talks and messages shared at conference. It was a theme of LOVE ... so inspiring.
A great time to spend as a family where we get to hear our Prophet and other church leaders, be both spiritually and physically fed and enjoy the moments of being a family. I missed Jordan, but knew he had listened to each session and attended Priesthood meeting in Idaho and was enjoying the same spiritual uplift that we were having.
Now I can't wait for the November Ensign to arrive next month where I can highlight all the messages I heard this weekend and remember once again, the promptings I received from the Holy Ghost as they touched my heart.

Senior Moments

It's been all about 'the senior' for the past few weeks. And I'm not talking about Del!!!
Once we got Jordan off to Utah and then on up to Idaho to school, all focus has turned to Kathryn and her Senior Year obligations.
Her skipping her junior year has put me into a tailspin that I have usually had time to prepare for...like scheduling Senior pictures, arranging and paying for her to take the ACT and SAT tests, getting application forms filled out and prepared to send to apply to several colleges, and then of course, the basics like school picture for the yearbook and the ordering of cap and gown, along with graduation announcements. Our school does all of this by mid November. A few things we missed and so have had to fit them in an already very tight schedule.
Kylie helped with Senior picture day. The hair, the make up, the outfits...and then once there, Kylie was the one who made sure Kathryn's hair was in place, the lighting was good and posed Kathryn in the best positions. I thoroughly enjoyed watching from the sidelines, starting at home in the bathroom. At one point, hair was not done to Kathryn's liking, but soon relaxed into what ended up being her best attribute in the pictures. Kathryn has gorgeous hair, as you can see from the pictures; a very thick head of beautifully natural blond with slight highlighted strands that are perfect. The photo shoot was fun and enjoyable, but unlike Kylie, who could have gone for another hour, Kathryn had had enough after 2 hours.. Kathryn's just not the glamorous, model posing girl that Kylie is...but I'm pretty confident she will be very pleased with her proofs when they come back.
The ACT and SAT tests are scheduled for two Saturday's this month - that will, of course, be in between her already difficult Physics and Pre AP Math classes and her online English 3 college course. Early applications to BYU will be filled out near the middle of the month and then sent off - she really wants to attend BYU Idaho, but we'll apply to several different schools.
She is training at 2-3 sports events every week, making for very late nights, making it pretty hard to be diligent in her Seminary attendance. She missed two days this week, which she'll make up, but along with her late nights for sports, her daddy has been sleeping in Jordan's room right next to hers and has kept her up several nights with his terrible coughing. She's been exhausted. Hopefully this weekend will end Dels illness and he can be back in his own bed.
But I've been most pleased with her determination to not get sick this year. With the flu and strep throat having over 400 students out at her school, she has done well to only miss two days. She is pretty dedicated with her homework, commitments and church responsibilities this year and has come to the conclusion that she just doesn't have TIME to be sick this year. I applaud her for her positive attitude and strong will.
So, needless to say, I am in a whirlwind of Senioritis...but it's fun. I've done this twice before, but this is unique in it's own way with the combining of both her Junior and Senior year into one. She's my youngest but probably my best prepared too.
She's making it work.
She's making it.
We'll be grateful for that accomplishment at this point in the year.

A Double Standard in Truth Telling

Last week, Pres Obama addressed Congress and the Nation concerning his Healthcare plan. It was half way into his speech when a Republican could handle the speech no more and yelled out from the floor 'You lie!' Had I been there, I probably would have stood and applauded the outcry as it was exactly how I was feeling from the comfort of my own couch in the living room. Of course, his denouncement of the presidents speech was taken with much offense by the Democrats and even some of the Republicans, who thought he shouldn't have been so rude and outspoken in front of the nation. His consequence??? They held an 'official vote' in the House of Congress of giving this honest Republican an open 'rebuke' for his outburst. The vote passed, and Rep. Wilson has been rebuked.
Last night, at an awards program on t.v., singer Taylor Swift was receiving an award for her performance when another famous performer ran out and embarrassed himself and everyone else there saying rude comments and disrupting the whole evening. It was terribly inappropriate and humiliating for both Taylor Swift and others there.
Today, Pres. Obama was being interviewed by a reporter, but before the interview started and the microphone was supposedly off, he was asked by the reporter about the said incident the night before, where he responded by calling the perpetrator a 'jackass'. The comment was immediately taken by those in the room and placed on 'Twitter' and the Internet. Pres. Obama is outraged as he felt his name calling was the truth of the situation he had seen the night before.

Now, I say to myself, "Why is one truth rebuked, abolished and publicly denounced and the other found accurate, acceptable and supported by those who also saw the incident???" I find a dramatic distortion of 'truth telling'...So it matters WHO is telling the truth?? Does it matter WHERE the truth is being told? Or is it to whom the truth is being told????

Or should we put it before Congress for a vote???

Maintenance....Every 3000 Miles

Most everything in life has to be 'maintained'. Our cars, our homes, our food storage, our lifestyle, our bodies.
So last Friday was 'maintenance' day. The Honda needed the oil changed, fluids filled, tires kicked and rotated and cleaned inside and out. A $49.95 charge when all was said and done.
Then, it was MY turn....off to the OB-GYN. I was poked, pricked, kicked, smashed and cleaned inside and out. Those visits are not fun. My body maintenance is the worst visit of the year...the typical questions...any new info in medical history? How old was your mother when she got breast cancer? When was your last period? ETC...Then they draw blood to test if I'm pre-menopausal...geez, just ASK me..I can tell you!!! Then they prick my finger to test my blood clotting abilities...good to go there, but I AM anemic...not enough iron in my diet. And then of course, we always have the 'finale'...the good old 'spread Eagle, loss of any pride probing ritual' that every obstetrician must just live for!!! Can't they go through the belly button for this?? They can for everything else these days???!!
Of course, then I finish with the 'icing on the cake'...the mammogram!! It's amazing to me how much emphasis is placed on the woman's breast. It's a source of nourishment for our children, a body part that many see as sexual and depending on size, mostly determines what I am and am NOT able to wear in clothing. All women are either too big, too small, too flat, too imbalanced but certainly NEVER perfect, unless they cost over $10,000...and then they have the chance of 'leaking'. So mammograms prove for a very interesting experience.
After we have been poked, prodded, pricked and pronounced ready to re-dress, we are then led to another room where, once again, we have to partially undress the body part that we try sooo desperately to keep covered out in public, but so freely display now for an xray technician. Thank heavens mine is a female...so I can be humorous and sarcastic about the awkwardness of the situation.
To say that gravity has moved my body parts into different places gives too much credit to gravity. The poor technician was in such a state of confusion, trying to carefully move one body part out of the way, only to have another one massively takes it's place. There were not enough hands to hold my stomach, my extra breast tissue and other breast all out of the way at the same time. It was becoming a 'team effort'. It's at this point, that she feels she has my breast in the right place to smash it with this clamp device. Flat - flatter - flattened.
Can I say something at this point? Why? I'm pretty sure 'they' will never be the same again. By the time she had my arm positioned correctly and my head and chin up out of the way, she then has the nerve to tell, no, ask me 'not to breathe' as she snaps the xray. Of course, it's then that I envision this VOGUE pose I'm in and how absolutely ridiculous and uncomfortable I must look and I laugh.
Take two...and I didn't laugh.
This is, of course, to see if I have breast cancer or the beginnings thereof. I won't know any test results until next week. So far, they have been negative year after year. But there is going to come a year that the results are not going to be as they have previously been for either me, or one of my 11 siblings. My mother had breast cancer..in both breasts, and then a double mastectomy. Her only sister had breast cancer...our odds are good that one of us 12 siblings will get breast cancer. Probably even two of us.
So, each year, I go back and do the whole maintenance visit again. I'm figuring that I put on a little over 3000 miles each year, although, this visit, I had lost 4 pounds from last years visit. I think I'm holding on about as well as our 2005 Honda Accord with 108,000 miles on it. But HER maintenance visits aren't nearly as humorous as mine are.
I walked out of the doctors office fully dressed, feeling a little beaten up but contently happy with my 1 yr prescription of Paxil in hand.
That little pill makes the past hour's discomfort totally worth it.

Back in the Day

I went on my mission in April of 1979 with short red hair and weighing just about 130 pounds. The rule in the mission was that our hair could not be longer than a certain length and so mine was just below my ears. And it was red - or strawberry blond - more strawberry than blond. But while on my mission, I was in the sun quite a bit and so gradually, over the almost 2 year period, my hair bleached out to where I came home with much more blond than the strawberry....and it had grown out to about 4 inches past my shoulders. I had also had Typhoid Fever twice and had lost almost 25 pounds. I was different enough that at the airport, I was able to walk right past the guy I had dated for a year before my mission and he had waited for me. He didn't even recognize me! I guess that should have meant something to me at the time.
I moved into an apartment with my two cousins and a dear friend, Bev Davis (Roberts) who was my actual ROOM mate. Bev had the typical Utah hair - shoulder length and permed so that she could wear it in a full head of curls from hot steam rollers. I had never done much with my hair, especially during the previous 2 years, and so found myself a little lost in the 'glamour' department. So it didn't take much for Bev and my cousins to convince me to get my first perm. I was promised that it would make 'doing my hair' so much easier and quicker each day.
I went to the cheapest place I could find in Provo - the beauty school, and turned my head of hair over to a student that had been 2 weeks into her dream of being a beautician.
I cried for days...literally cried. To say it was a disaster would have been an understatement in the least. What they called 'virgin hair' had taken to the perm probably the first 5 minutes of what ended up to be a 30 minute process. When the curlers were removed, about 2-3 inches of hair broke off with each discarded curler. I don't think my eyes were any bigger or more surprised than the eyes of the student looking back at me. Her's held a look of panic as she called over the director of the school.
Now, the question became 'how to fix it?' The hair clearly had to be cut. So, off it came; up to shoulder length. And there was much shampooing...a usual 'no no' right after a perm. But finally, after about a month, the hair began to relax to where I was finally able to do something with it....More often than not though, it felt like a 'bush' that I was trying to keep in one place.
The result?? You have the above picture...my first perm and just 3 months after my mission.
The silly part?? I actually had one or two perms after that...but never again at the beauty school.
Kylie and Kathryn, well, and Mike, got a real kick out of the picture. My girls can't believe I ever looked like that. Del got a sly grin when he saw the picture again for the first time in years. That's what I looked like 'back in the day' when we met. I'm sure he wishes I still did.
And this is what I looked like when HE knew me...Jeff...his birthday is coming up. I miss him.

An Extra Day of Rest

They don't come very often, but this was a wonderful 4 day weekend for me!!! And I enjoyed every peaceful moment of it.
We barbecued today - Del really needs to focus a little more when he is at the grill. We were watching a football game AND playing Make a Million. I mean, not even Lacey would touch those hot dogs and I really had to beg her to even eat one of the hamburgers....and she eats dead rabbits!!!! We salvaged what we could and then enjoyed the potato salad and fruit...
The highlight of the weekend??? BYU BEAT OKLAHOMA, of course!!!!! Yep yep yep!!! But to watch Sports Center or ESPN, you would have thought Oklahoma had played themselves!!! Of course, Oklahoma is getting so much news time because our defense sacked their quarterback and took him right out of the game; and he's a Heisman Trophy winner!!! So it's been all about 'how Oklahoma is going to do now that their star player is out for 4 weeks or so'... But, BYU has had a few positive reports and some complimentary articles about them also. All in all, BYU had a great weekend and looks to have a really good season if they keep it up.
Good to have Kylie and Mike over to play games and share the 'burnt offerings'...Jordan called after spending the day with uncles, aunts, cousins and grandparents in Utah. He will travel up to Idaho tomorrow morning and get moved into his apartment and then go buy his books. School starts Thursday for him.
Yesterday was our Michael's birthday. He would have been 26. Kylie and Kathryn pulled out some old photo albums and baby books yesterday and we looked at them sharing some fun memories together. They don't even know Michael - it's so sad to think that he was gone before they even came. But they had a fun time looking at their pictures from Idaho and Utah. I'm thinking of scanning a few of our earliest pictures from when we didn't have digital camera's. I don't want to ever lose some of our most precious memories. It will be a great project for me to start...
Maybe during my next 4 day weekend...

Saturday is a Special Day...

I've waited all year for today - Yes, it's BYU football - and life is good.
First game of the season and we play Oklahoma here in Texas. We are ranked 20...and Oklahoma is ranked like 6th. I'm blogging BEFORE the game because right now, I'm very optimistic and believing in our great team.
Will we win??? I hope so....
Will we win??? I'm praying we will...
Will we win??? I didn't pay the over $400 to go to the game because...
Will we win??? Get serious...
But I will be cheering the whole time wearing my 'cougar blue'.
I love BYU football!!!

He Needs Me

Jordan left for school today. We've spent the past three days getting things packed up, paying tuition and housing costs, laundry and making all the last minute arrangements for his leaving for BYU Idaho this morning. He drove up with his cousin Austin.
When I came home from work , I went into his room to remove the sheets from his bed, find the stray socks here and there, pick up his trash that had missed the can right by the side of his bed and place books and DVD's on a shelf so he would be able to find them easliy the next time he is home. I could smell him in his room - HIS smell...a combination of cologne and his body. It made me smile. I found both his Sunday shirts in the laundry room where he had them hanging by the dryer, so sent him a quick text message telling him to stop by a Walmart before Sunday to buy a white shirt for Sunday. His reply? 'I need my mommy'.
Yes he does...at least until he finds 'a wife'.

Reunited

These three became fast friends when we moved here to Texas. Of course, Jordan is my son - the one in the middle is Ryan, son of my cousin Meredith and then there's Austin, who is son of my cousin Wendee. All three left on their missions within mostly a year of each other. Jordan was the first to go, returning 10 months ago, then Austin returned in February and Ryan just came home last Thursday. Tonight we had a family get together where they had a great time getting reacquainted. Good men - all three of them. Ryan will be going up to BYU Utah while Jordan and Austin will be returning to BYU Idaho together. They will leave next week, driving the trip together.
I'm excited for this next semester for Jordan. He is going to have a LOT of cousins and friends up there. I hope he will cling to them and get to know them even better. He will be even a better person than he is now if he will watch them and learn some great attributes from them - mostly, how to socialize.
Exciting times ahead for him.

"Senior Year Baby"

Tomorrow is the first day of school. This has been four years in the making with above friends, Alex and Erica. This should be Kathryn's Junior year, but it's not. Kathryn has always hated school, since she was in Middle school. So she, and fellow friends Alex and Erica, decided they would graduate the earliest they possibly could...so they have completely skipped their Junior year and you read it right, it's 'Senior Year Baby' as she said today!!! And she couldn't be more excited.
Alex and Erica have been good friends, for the most part. They have made some different choices than Kathryn is some areas, but they have never pressured her to make decisions they knew would be against her moral code. Most often, she has been able to be a good role model for them and an influence for good. There have been some heart breaking moments though where they have made decisions that required her to keep her distance from them and she has felt so betrayed and alone. But over the years, they have all had very forgiving hearts and loyal relationships that have helped their friendship be strong. I have been very impressed on several occasions on how Kathryn has had to handle some very difficult situations and how her beliefs and testimony have helped her to be strong.
Her schedule for her Senior year has changed anywhere from 3-4 times - early release, late arrival, college classes, on line classes, working after school - but now, the day before her Senior year starts, we finally have it finalized...She wasn't going to train this year...trainer being a member of the medical staff with the coaches for the athletic teams - but the two main medical coaches came to her and asked her to do it another year. So she accepted - change of schedule again. But she loves it...so she will have a good year.
Tonight, she went to the Seminary orientation for the new year. Instead of going with the Senior class, she chose to stay with her Junior class friends. I was pleased with her decision. I think she will feel more comfortable with them. I am thrilled that she has such a great attitude about Seminary this year. That's not to say that she won't have her moments of not waking up and skipping class, BUT, she's certainly going into the year with a new attitude. I can't ask for more.
So, we have Senior pictures to schedule - and Senior events to sign up for - a few other things to finalize and she'll be full swing into her final year of high school. Del is giving her a father's blessing tonight...she asked. Sigh!
My baby is all grown up!!

My Kids Having Fun

They sure know how to have fun... I love seeing them together...

Mark Came to Play

Mark Roberts is here from Utah visiting for a week...and he brought a friend. His girlfriend is Alison and she seems to be a really nice girl. What's funny about the whole thing, is she feels SHE is the third wheel in the above relationship. She was saying how yes, she is Mark's girlfriend, but Jordan is his boyfriend and he's never really happy unless Jordan is around. I had to laugh. They do seem closer than ever.
Mark brought Alison over to the house for me to meet her and so we had them play games with us for the evening. It was lots of fun. Jordan had told me just a little bit about her - and how he felt she really wasn't he expected Mark to fall for, but that they somehow seem to really like each other. Jordan is okay with it as long as Mark is happy. She's pretty strong willed but Mark seems to have a handle on the whole thing.
So we had a very enjoyable evening...it's nice to see Mark so happy - with both his girlfriend AND his boyfriend. A lot of funny memories talked about...
This week is going to be crazy...week before school starts - BUSY at work - busy for Kathryn working in the mornings and then doing sports training in the afternoon and evening. Del and I are working 10 hour days this whole week. I'll be dead by Thursday night. Oh well. And Jordan is just winding down with his Living Scriptures sales and then going to get ready to move on up to Idaho. The time has passed quickly - then it won't be until Christmas that we see him again. Thank heavens for holidays.

Until They Have Children of Their Own....

....my children will never understand that as a parent, you don't have a favorite and you don't love any one of them over another.
Right now, and for the past I don't know how long, the girl's have thought Jordan is my favorite. Jordan is my only son. He's the only one that has been away from home for any length of time...he's the only one who hasn't been HIGH HIGH maintenance at some time in his life. He's pretty lay ed back and does things at his own pace and in his own way...he doesn't COMPARE his life to that of his sisters.
My three kids???
Okay - there's Jordan....he's the only one I have ever 'worried' about. As a parent, you tend to worry about 'the one' you can't watch over yourself. So while on his mission, I worried about him. While he was away at school, I worried about him. While he was in Oregon, I worried about him. And when he goes away to school again in a couple of weeks, I will once again, worry about him. I guess in the girls eyes, that makes him my favorite. No, he only causes me the most worry. But they won't understand that. He's never wanted 'things' - just acceptance. he has never really NEEDED me in his life except when he is lonely or needs to be understood. Otherwise, I think I'm an inconvenience to him. So I have tried to learn to 'be there only when he needs me' and step back when he is feeling confident and secure. I'm his 'security blanket'.
Then Kylie - she's the one I have enjoyed raising the most - I have bought her more clothes, given her more things, attended most if not all her sporting events, hoped and had more dreams for, been most involved in her life etc than my other children. I have literally lived vicariously through Kylie's life since age 14 or so. I made sure she had everything I ever wanted and didn't have. I encouraged her in church, school , love life, personal life and everything else..but Kylie's a 'material' child. It's always been 'things' that have made her happy, not ME or my time. She has always had a testimony and never questioned the gospel - she has always been 'the pretty one' and been able to do and get what she wants. She's not had very many struggles in life. She likes me more as a girlfriend than her mother.
And finally, Kathryn. Kathryn is the strongest - strongest body, strongest mind, strongest will and strongest determination. She's ALWAYS been the one to not care what anyone else thinks - she's my most honest child even in her areas of weakness. She knows she has struggled with her testimony and the gospel - she knows where she needs to improve, but she has always been one that will do it in her own time and in her own way. As far as I know, she has never lied to me -she has never needed to; she tells me most everything. She's been the most difficult to have a relationship with, and yet, we have the best relationship of all. She loves me as her mother... a devoted child - makes the best choices because she thinks them through before acting upon them. - good common sense.

So as you can see, each child is different. And I feel about each one of them differently at different times. They have different needs at different times and in different ways. But I have NEVER loved any one of them over another... During Jordan's mission, his need was more pressing...when Kylie married, her need was more important. Kathryn has had more privileges than the other two because she's been the last.
Each of them has had their NEEDS met...and MANY of their wants. We have done for each of our children everything we possible could or should do...Have they done without many things? Yes, as compared to worldly things. Sometimes, one has been more grateful than another. I guess one of my biggest disappointments would be the lack of gratitude my children show towards things we 'give' them or allow them to have. I tend to feel that they don't appreciate the effort made to make sure they have had in their lives, everything we have provided...it's been more an attitude of 'expecting it'.... I paid for my own mission - my own college and I never had a car...whatever I had, I paid every cent for it. My children have not had to do that. They have always had their needs met.
Well - the jest of it all???? I can't wait for them to be parents of children of their own. I have heard enough of the 'I'm never going to allow my kids to do this' or 'I will never give my kids this or that' 'I will never say that to my kids'...and ALL the hundreds of other things they have said they will or will not do in the raising of their perfect children that won't have an unhappy moment in their lives.
It's at that time that I will enjoy the moments of only being the observant 'grandmother' of these perfectly raised grandchildren.
It will be a momentous time...one for the history books.
But until then...I guess I will continue to try and be a good mom. Some days I FAIL miserably - and some days, I guess I do okay. And then honestly, there are going to be days that I just don't care if they like me that day or not. They'll have to get over it.
Obviously, it will be a 'day to day' experience, just as it is for all moms around the world.
So tomorrow? It's just another day.

A Close Call with Divine Intervention

On her way to the High School this morning, Kathryn was in a car accident - she got caught on the shoulder of the road and over corrected herself, rolling the car 4 times and then going 55 MPH into a tree..
She is a medical trainer at the school for the sports teams and so she was on her way to football practice. I was still in bed...Del was already awake and had started his day. She called Del and the both of us drove to the scene and arrived before the ambulance, police and fire dept. We were stunned by the look of the car, but found Kathryn to have crawled out of the passenger side of the car and sitting on the side of the road. She was in shock - crying, of course, and apologizing for the car. We were shocked she was alive. I had no doubt she had been in her seat belt - she always is. It, along with our Father in heaven, are what kept her alive.
We noticed the bumps and scratches...cuts from the glass that were all over her body - but she informs us she had already 'assessed' her injuries, using as much of her limited medical training education she could remember. She determined she had no broken bones and as 'far as she could SEE, her eyes weren't dilated'. I giggled. She was sure she was okay. But one look at the car and the police and paramedics insisted she be transported to the hospital, of which I completely agreed. So, off she went in the ambulance.
Del took a few minutes to determine the 'details of the scene' as he went back to trace the skid marks, pieces of car scattered for over 100 yards and the car wrapped around a large tree. He just shook his head expressing his amazement at the fact his daughter was still alive. She shouldn't have been - no air bags deployed, she was tossed into several surfaces and hit her head multiple times here and there.
At the hospital, she had xrays that found no broken bones, slight concussion and then had staples put into a gash she had on her ankle. She was good to go.
I'm down playing a LOT of the details and emotions...mainly because I'm probably experiencing a little shock of my own. She SHOULD be dead...Kathryn could very easily have been dead at this moment instead of in her room resting peacefully with some bumps, bruises and cuts on her body.
Tender mercies and a family that loves her and the Lord very much.
I have a very emotional, yet grateful heart.

No Title

No one came to Jordan's 'Living Scripture' Party tonight. I was embarrassed, humiliated and all around devastated. Why???
I guess it's....well, you hope you're liked by people...you hope you have friends...you hope that you mean something to someone...But when it really comes down to it, we are totally and completely dependant on just our families...those that we know are the only one's we can truly turn to for unconditional love and support.
Some had to choose tonight where to be and who to support, but I feel bad that one got is all and one got none of it. I'm 50 years old and I know it shouldn't hurt, but boy, it does...to realize that I truly have no bond or friendship with anyone beyond my own family.
But in the eternal perspective of things, that's all that matters. It just gets lonely sometimes.
Please, no comments....

Happy Birthday Kylie (20)

I went back to look for pictures of Kylie when she was a baby and then throughout her growing up years. But I realized at one point that digital cameras were not part of our world until she was a teenager and that currently, she has all her baby books and pictures at HER house now. So, I was only able to go through some of my favorite pictures of her and post those.
Well, she's all grown up now...not a baby, not a toddler, not a youth and not even a teenager anymore. She's finally reached her roaring 20's!!! She's a big girl now!!! Still not legal in many states, but a big girl none the less.
Lots and lots of fun memories about Kylie...what a beautiful girl - has been MOST of her life - her siblings will contend that her early teenage years were not the best - OH BROTHER!! She was in braces for crying out loud..and had an awkward growing spurt through middle school, but once she hit 14 or so, well, all *#%& broke loose (excuse my French).
Some of my most vivid memories of Kylie:
*She was my only baby to come ON her due date - our first girl. Her daddy cried when she was born. Grandma Packard was at our house.
*She and Jordan bonded immediately - Jordan held her all the time.
*She started crawling dragging one of her legs - we called her 'peg leg'.
*She was bald - completely bald until almost age three...and then the curls came in ALL over.
*Spoke real nasally so we had her tonsils and adenoids removed.
*Hated to have her hair washed - her long pretty curls just got sooo tangled. One Sunday, she was fussing so much that I pulled her out of the tub and chopped off all her curls. (pre-prozac days). Went to church where Del saw her new haircut and said how 'cute it was'. ARGH!!!!
*Family camping trip to Scout Mountain- Kylie was priceless - meaning, I would have paid ANY price for someone to take her...although VERY cute, also very bossy to her little sister...but to this day, it is our favorite family video to watch.
*riding her little bike in front of the house in Pocatello Idaho - back and forth, back and forth.
*best friends with Katie Frost - spent every waking moment and many sleepovers with Katie.
*was Mrs. Santa in the school play.
*friends - Katie, Charlie Gardner, Lindsey Alley and the neighbor family, the Jones.
*moved to Utah - none of the girls liked Kylie, but all the boys did. A rough 5th/6th grade for her. The friends she DID have..Sterling King, Jocelyn Dobsen, and the neighbors. Played a lot of night games with everyone, but mostly hung out with Jordan.
*moved to Texas and 'life began' for Kylie as we know it. A very good move for Kylie.
volleyball, Young Women's, volleyball, boyfriends, volleyball, EFY's, volleyball, dating, driving, church, Seminary, volleyball..Lauren McKean - several jobs, LACEY, volleyball etc etc...

And now, she's married - of course, her high school years had much more to write about, and then her off to college and then engagement - but just too much to write. I guess it all comes to today. She's 20 and a wife, employee, daughter and sister. She's loved and adored by sooo many people. Such a good friend to ALL the friends she has... such a good sister to her siblings, such a good daughter to us...
Overall - she is very much loved, especially by me - well, her dad kind of likes her - oh, and Jordan still has her as his favorite - and then of course, there's Michael who will claim that HE loves her more than anything or anybody....so I guess I can't make claims to her anymore than she's my daughter and I'm the ONLY one that gave birth to her!!!
Love you KY -FRY and Happy Birthday!!!