Finally It Was Twilight!

Was all the anticipation worth it? Well, of course. I loved the book and the movie did not disappoint. Katie and I got to the theater at 7pm for the 12:01 am showing. Her friend, Ashley, got there about the same time, then the cousins arrived about 8pm. It was pretty cold, but the kids stayed entertained. I actually thought the time went by really fast.

They let us into the theater about 10:30 pm. We got good seats and were all excited until a young theater worker came in and told us that if we got up to go to the bathroom or get concessions, we might lose our seats. Well, that got everyone all excited...."What do you mean we can't go to the bathroom?" "Don't you want us to buy popcorn?" "I've been waiting in line for 5 hours and now that I have a seat it isn't mine to keep?" The obviously out-of-her-mind theater worker said we could all get up during the movie to buy popcorn. Say What!?
Anyway, we all decided that no one was going to take our seats because everyone around us would not allow it. So, Katie got up to go to the bathroom and while she was gone, the manager came in and said, "I have an announcement. I want to apologize for what you were told. You, of course, can get up to use the restroom, get popcorn and candy or whatever else and no one will take your seat." We all clapped and could tell he was exasperated.
When Katie came back she said she heard him telling the out-of-her-mind girl, "You told them what!?"
Tyler thought we were crazy and I don't think he was wrong. I was so tired, but it was an experience I'll always remember.

Finger Update

We've decided to document Tyler's finger healing progress, since we posted his graphic surgery pictures. Sorry to those of you who really aren't interested in seeing the gory details, but we are preserving this for posterity. Ha.

Here is his finger after his last appointment.

The nurse took out all 16 stitches, then the doctor came in and removed a 2" piece of gauze from inside his finger!!!!!!! Holy cow. We did not know they left that in there, but they did it on purpose. After the Doctor pulled the gauze out, then pulled Tyler off from the ceiling, we checked out the wreckage. It looks like a fake finger to me. Like a scarecrow finger. Weird. Hopefully, it will heal the way it's supposed to. Lesson learned here is....don't let an infection go on for months and months and months and months before doing something about it.

A Truly Ghoulish Halloween

Halloween turned out to be a very ghoulish day. I must warn you that at least one the pictures at the end of my post are graphic. I'll start with the non-gross stuff....

Kelsey was a "cereal" killer. We looked all over for a gothic costume, but nothing was what she wanted so she decided to be a "cereal" killer. Katie on the other hand has outgrown costumes and had to be coerced and threatened into wearing some kind of costume by her friends. She really hates Halloween. She ended up throwing on some cat ears and pinning a tail to her rear. They both looked pretty darn cute.

Kelsey's day went like this: I went to Kelsey's class and helped with their Halloween party. I had them make spiders out of twinkies and ding dongs. The kids had fun and were pretty creative about it. Kesley and I went over to our church Halloween party, then Kelsey went trick or treating in the neighborhood with some kids, then up to her Grandpa and Grandma Calton's.

Katie's day went like this: She stayed after school for the after-school Halloween dance, which is apparently a make out session for many. I think she will avoid them in the future because the teacher's don't pay attention to all the nasty stuff going on so everyone has to see it. Then, she went to her friend's (Nicole) Halloween party and had fun. After that she went with some other friends to the Haunted Forest to be scared. I thought she was going to cry before she ever left (like I said she does not like Halloween). But, she survived and said it was not as scary as she thought it was going to be.
Now for the gross part of the Halloween day. While all the other stuff was going on, Tyler's day went like this: Tyler had had an infection in his finger for months. Actually in the summer I mentioned he should see a Dr about it, but he said it comes and goes and he'll be fine. I wish I had taken a picture of his finger on last Saturday when I had to rush him to the on call Dr, but I didn't think to document it until he had been on his antibiotics for a number of days. Here is the finger on antibiotics...

To make a long story short, the Dr. x-rayed his finger and saw that the bone had a problem, he referred him to a hand surgeon. tyler went to the hand surgeon who said it looked like he had an infection in the bone and they should do surgery to clean it out. So, on Halloween morning Tyler and I went to the hospital. The Dr's PA came out after surgery and told me that after they cut Ty's finger open, they cleaned out a bunch of pus, then when they got to the bone there was a hole in it and an abscess. They found something like a foreign object that had been there for quite sometime. GRAPHIC PICTURE TO FOLLOW...Anyway, here is the gross picture they took after cleaning his finger. You can see the hole in his bone that they had to clean out.

This is what Ty's finger looks like today...

How Chris spent Halloween day: 7:30 am...I took Ty to the Hospital, sat at the hospital, waited at the hospital, raced over to Kelsey's school party, raced back home to check on Ty, picked up Katie from the nastydance, ate dinner, took Katie to her party, took me and Kelsey to the Ward party, left Kelsey at the party to pick up Katie from the friends party, came home and checked on Ty, waited for Katie and her friend to be picked up to go to the Haunted Forest, picked up Kelsey from trick-or-treating, drove up to grandparents, drove to the haunted forest to pick up Katie and friends, drove her friends home, came home. I think it was 11:00. Have no idea when I went to bed. What an awesome Halloween -- I hate that holiday!!!

FHE Twister

It was Katie's turn to come up with something to do for FHE (family home evening) tonight. She got the great idea to play Twister. I think she wanted to punish me. Actually, she just wanted to have fun and it was fun. Although, I can't believe how painful it can be to stretch and twist in weird ways. I don't understand why my legs get sore as I get older. I guess there's just a lot of miles on them. Tyler didn't play, of course. He would have never survived it. But, Katie and Kelsey were awesome. They could have gone all night.

Katie plans her move.
Then the pain sets in, or she's howling at the moon. Not sure which.
Kelsey is either hanging in for dear life or out. I can't tell.
Definitely fun. I don't know who won this time. I think they fell all at once

Getting brave

So...I took a day off from work last week and decided to get my hair cut. It's been soooo long since I've had a good haircut, plus I really wanted to get rid of my gray. (I know, you couldn't even tell I had gray before, huh.) Anyway, as I'm sitting in the chair looking at the color that the girl said would be good for me, I'm thinking and saying "It looks dark." But, she insists I should go with it. I'm feeling trusting and a little adventurous, so I say, "Ok." Afterall, I have never ever colored my hair. With the exception of some wash in coloring and I had it highlighted once 7 or so years ago.

Well, well, well an hour and a half later, my gray was definitely not showing -- My hair was definitely darker. I think my blond and gray hairs just sucked up the color, like a sponge. It was much darker than I thought even from the sample. Seemed a little shocking to me, but I actually did like the color. I just wasn't sure how I liked it on me.

I got home and Tyler said he liked it and liked it quite a bit. So, I think I can live with it. Both Katie and Kelsey also said they liked it. Actually, everyone at work (who dared to comment) said they liked it, too. And, the young women at my church and the other young women leaders also said they liked it. That's a lot of people saying they like it. So, what I've decided, since I still am not sure if I really like it on me, is that I figure either I look alright with the color or no one dares to tell me how they really feel. Either way I'm stuck with it for a while.

I'll try to make the next post more interesting. I just really needed to talk about his big change I made. Now I feel better. :) And, here's a picture of the color:

There's a first time for everything

Well, this weekend was fun...and interesting. Katie had a small party with some friends. It was supposed to be an "office" party because they were excited for the tv show, The Office, to start this coming week. Anyway, the interesting part was that some of her friends were boys. So, there were three boys at our house hanging out with Katie.

It's hard seeing your little girl grow up. They sure seemed like good kids, but boys nonetheless. I don't know if Tyler will make it through the teenage years. He kept going out to where the kids were and looking at Katie, then doing the two fingers to the eye thing. You know, "I'm watching you" thing. I don't know how to explain it if you haven't seen "Meet the Parents" movie. I thought it was funny. I'm not sure what the kids thought.

I would have pictures to put with this post, except I refrained from taking any. I was pretty sure that would be embarrassing to Katie. I told her later I wanted to take pictures but didn't and you should have seen the look on her face, "I'm soooo glad you didn't, Mom." Yep. Good to follow your instincts sometimes.

Boys at our house is a first, but I'm sure it won't be the last. Better get used to it, huh.

Oh, The Memories

I came across this old 2004 Halloween photo and thought it would be fun to post. Every year we have a Halloween party at my work and you can bring your kids in to "trick or treat" at employee's desks. Usually there is a fun Halloween movie playing too.

They wanted to dress up as babies that year. I think they are so cute! They both look so much older now. Oh, the memories!

Get Together for Dave, Nikki & Eric

Last Monday, a bunch of us got together to say good bye to David, who left for the Marine Corp that night; and, also, to say good bye to Nikki and Eric who were visiting from Indiana.



I'm so proud of David for deciding to join the military. I think it is such a noble and selfless thing to do with your life. I'm in such awe of our men and women that serve and the sacrifices they make. The military isn't for everyone, obviously, but it's comforting to know that there are those that are willing to serve in this way.


David chillin. You'd think I could have gotten a better picture, like one with the kids or something.


Nikki and Eric relaxing on the couch. Ha, ha, ha. That's funny because if there was sound with this picture, you would not think of "relaxing" to describe the room. All those little kids in our families have some great lung capacity. It was really good to see them both though because it's been a while.
Finally got Tyler to go to a family function. Big crowds and noise are just not his thing. Doesn't he look so excited to be there? He really was glad that he went.

Here's a picture of Steve, his wife Joanne, and daughter Kayla. His son, Nathan, is probably racing around somewhere. Anyway, Steve is another brother of mine, who was a marine in his younger years (not that he's old now). So, David is following in his footsteps, which is a good thing. Oh, and my niece, Marqi is the half-person in the picture. :)
Here is Julie (my brother Gary's wife) and her daughter Kaisa. Aren't you honored to be on my blog, Julie. I thought so.

Oh, look at the cute baby. I just want to squish those cheeks and. . . maybe pop her head off and hang it from my rear view mirror cuz she's so cute (just trying to bring back a little of the good old American Idol days). This is Avery Rae, my brother, Rob's, daughter.

It was great to get together and visit, but we did miss Kim, Lori, Donnie and Tom, Ellie and Elizabeth. Which reminds me. Tom and Ellie came down for a visit a couple of weeks ago from Arizona. The visit was great and we did have a get together with them also -- I was so happy to see them and their beautiful new baby. Unfortunately, I was so busy visiting and playing with Elizabeth that I forgot to take any pictures. I'll have to get them next time.

School Starts and We're Off and Camping

I guess I should comment on the start of school. Katie is now in 8th grade. Kelsey is in 5th grade. I can't believe how time flies! Katie is enjoying school - I think. Kelsey likes 5th grade. She has a new teacher fresh out of school. Kelsey says she really likes her, so that's good.

The first week of school Kelsey brought home a note saying that they were going on the 5th grade camping trip the following week (last week). So, of course, I volunteered to chaperon. I went with Katie when she was in 5th grade so I definitely wanted to go with Kelsey too.

This overnight trip has been a tradition in our school district ever since I was a kid. I went to the same camp as both my girls. It's a lot of fun. The boys stay in one cabin, the girls in another. They play games, go on hikes, and just generally have fun.

Here are some pictures from it....

Kelsey eating lunch with her friend, Aubrey, when we arrived.

Kelsey pouring water into a tube for a water game I was in charge of. There were holes along the tube that girls were trying to plug, while other girls tried to fill the tube. It was pretty hard to do, and Kelsey's group was the only group to do it.
Kelsey with her friend, Mikayla.
Kelsey getting ready for bed. Fun, fun, fun!
Kelsey makes a craft. Something called a boondoggle? She had fun doing it.Kelsey with her friend, Josie.

The cabins we stayed in. Ours was the 4th from the left - "The Pot Gut Hut".

Molly's First Swim

We thought we would see if Molly could swim like most dogs, just on instinct, and wouldn't ya know she could. However, we won't be doing that very often. She didnt' seem to like it, and it appears she gulps water as she goes. It was fun for us to watch, and now you get to watch it too.

Another sad post

I've heard many times that when one elderly spouse passes away, that the other one soon follows. Most often I think it is from a broken heart and they just miss their loved one so much.

I really didn't expect my grandpa to live 'till 100 or anything, but when my Mom called to tell me that he had just died (only 6 weeks or so after my grandma) I was very shocked. Even more so when she told me he died in a car accident. Apparently, he was driving and drifted across lanes and hit a tree. It sounds like perhaps he fell asleep at the wheel.

It's pretty impressive that he could still obtain a driver's license at the age of 90, but you have to wonder if he really should have had one.

In any event, I felt so sad about the way he died. I felt more sad than when my grandma died. I think because she had cancer and we knew she was going to die, but with my grandpa it just seemed too tragic and sudden.

I thought it would be appropriate to post a picture of them both when they were young. I love these pictures of them and I imagine this is closer to what they look like in heaven than what they looked like when they passed on.

Grandma's Funeral

My Grandmother passed away recently. She was 86 years old. That is a long life. My sister and I flew to California for the funeral and some of my other siblings drove. This picture is at the viewing. My Grandpa is 90 years old. He said he and grandma had been married for 69 years come September. That is a long time. I know he will really miss his sweetheart.
It was a beautiful day. Very sunny and warm. During the funeral services, my Aunt Susan talked about how my grandma didn't like the water and did not want to be buried in a low spot because she didn't want any water to be able to run to her. So, of course, she is on a slight hill. It was fun to hear Susan and my Uncle Ron talk about my grandma being their mom. My dad also gave a very good talk during the services about life after death. It was a very good talk and makes me grateful that I believe in life after death.

The flowers on my grandma's casket were so pretty!
Below is a photo of my grandpa and my aunts and uncles. From Left to Right: Aunt Susan, Aunt Julie, Uncle Ron, Grandpa, and my dad (Donal). My Uncle Blaine is missing because he passed away a while back.
I hadn't seen some of my relatives for over a decade or more (that's just crazy), so it was really good to see all of them even though it was at a funeral.

Kelsey's Birthday

Kelsey had a great 10th birthday this year. Mostly because she had been asking for MarioKart for the Wii for a couple of months and she got it. It wasn't easy though. We looked all over for it and couldn't find it in any stores or even on line. We told her it didn't look like there was anyway she would get it. But, finally, the week before her birthday we found it. So, she was pretty happy and excited when she opened her present and saw that's what it was. Katie got her a pottery wheel. Katie is such a great sister. She is so thoughtful and wanted to get Kelsey something she would really like. Kelsey has already made a vase with it.
Okay. And now the cake. Kelsey had a specific cake in mind that she wanted. She wanted layers and layers of different flavors with stripes and circles. I think the drawing she gave me had 5 layers. Wow. I talked her into 3 because I just don't have the skill to do what she wanted, but I think what we ended up with was pretty darn cool. It was delicious too!

Addition to the Family

Last weekend we picked up a new "sister" for the girls. Her name is Molly. She's a Min Pin (or Miniature Pinture). She is adorable. When full-grown, she will be about 10" to her shoulder and weigh about 8 pounds. She's a fiesty little thing, but also very smart. She's 10 weeks old and is kennel trained. Meaning that she sleeps in her kennel all night. She whines about 6am to go to the bathroom. She also is doing pretty well with house breaking. She goes potty outside really, really well. Smart dog!
I posted this picture because I thought she looked like a bat. Love the ears! She thinks she is tough and Dan, our other dog, is very tolerant of her cocky behavior. He could tear her to shreds if he wanted, but he restrains.

Potatoes never tasted so good!

So, once again, the kids wanted to make something they saw on The Food Network channel. Baked potatoes. Not your traditional kind, however. These potatoes were made with ice cream, frosting, whip cream and cocoa. Delicious! Seriously, they were really good. Here's a closeup. Totally looks like two pats of butter with whip cream on a baked potatoe, huh.

Summer Update

Time has zipped by and my blogging has really suffered. I have some photos I need to download from my camera so I can put something interesting on the blog, but the days go by and I just keep running out of time. So, I decided to just post this little update so something, anything new is up here.

Apparently, I got a stress fracture in my foot after doing my Tri and I've been wearing a goofy shoe for the past 3 weeks trying to get it better. Today is the last day of wearing it - yippee!

Tyler is sad because he didn't draw out for any hunts this year. Very weird since last year we seemed to draw out for everything. But, nothing this year. That's how it goes.

This summer I've been trying to find a cooking class for kids, but nothing. Both Katie and Kelsey like to cook and would have fun doing something like that. I'm not giving up just yet. One of the pictures I have to load is that of a "baked potato" that Kelsey got a recipe for. It was delicious. I'll get that picture posted soon.

Also, Katie and I went to Youth Conference. I need to share some of that experience.

For now, this update will have to do. But...soon, very soon, I'll get some interesting stuff up. At least I'll think it's interesting.

Homemade Chia Pets. Ask me and I'll tell you how I made them. :)

Triathalon

My second Triathalon has come to an end. It was so much fun. Last year I did my first sprint Tri and it was really hard. This year I trained harder and it was still hard. However, the big difference was that at the end of the race last year I wanted to die. At the end of the race this year, I felt like I could have kept going. I felt really good! The course this year was a bit harder than last years. There was a substantial hill involved that wasn't an issue last year, but still the bike and the run were easier for me this year. My swim wasn't as good this year, though. All in all I improved my overall time by about 3 minutes. And, I'll do it again next year!

Here is the back of me coming to the finish line. I'm the one in all black. Apparently, Katie couldn't get to the front of the finish line fast enough to get me crossing. That's okay though because if she hadn't been taking pictures, I wouldn't have any. Thanks Katie!

Here I am itching my nose and talking to Ty and Kelsey. My family is so good to support me. Tyler is so supportive and was proud of me. He's the best! Kelsey, Katie, and Ty watched from Tyler's dad's house and cheered me on when I went by on the bike. Then, they were all at the finish line and they put a big grin on my face.

Last year, my parents came to watch and support me. This year, my in-laws, Ken and Linda came and cheered me on. It feels so good to have that support!

One more thing. Last year I did the Tri with my sister, Kim. This year I did the Tri with my sister-in-law, Julie (aka Kim). Next year I will be doing the Tri with maybe Kim again, maybe Julie again, maybe Nikki (hmmmm), and my sister, Tiffany. Right, Tiff?

4 Wheeling in the Yard

Finally, some sunshine. Katie and Kelsey decided to ride the 4-wheeler around the yard. Dan, our dog, poses for a picture. He is the cutest dog and so good. He loves his family!
More zippin around. Dan decided to lay down and chew on his frisbee. Plastic toys don't last long with him. The best toy we've ever got him is a Kong. That rubber thing is something every dog should have.