Time Just Keeps Flying By

It has been a while since I updated my blog....so here is the latest.

Mark is still working at South Middle School as a Security Aid. He loves his job, loves being home when the boys are home. It is just about lawn mowing season, so this weekend we will start putting out our "door fliers" for advertising. Mark is hoping to more than double his business.

I am working a little here and there on remodels and houses, but not nearly enough to pay the bills, so I am actively seeking employment. Hopefully I will find a job in Idaho, but we are willing to go wherever the work is. I was just released as a Sunday School teacher, but still have my ward missionary calling....enough to keep me busy for now.

Jenica is on the downward slope of her mission. She will be home the first week in August!! We will keep you posted on when the homecoming will be. I am going to shoot for August 9th. (The second Sunday in August) Jenica wants to go back to school when she gets home to finish her degree, so I am trying to help her get things lined up. She plans to one day be a special education teacher. She has had a wonderful mission, and has really come to love the people of New York.

Grant too is approaching the end of his mission. He has a little more time than Jenica, and will be home in November. He should get home just before Thanksgiving, so I am going to talk with the Bishop about doing his homecoming the weekend of Thanksgiving....to help with those who have to travel to be here. Grant has had a great mission too....and thinks he may go back to Virginia after his mission. He loves the people there and has created lasting friendships. Of course I want what is best for him....but hope that includes staying at home here in Idaho for a little while....I miss my Sonny!!

Bryce is a Junior at Skyview, and doing great! He called home 2 days ago and told me he couldn't hear, so I got him into the ENT yesterday. He had a lot of wax in his ear which was blocking one of his ear tubes and causing the hearing loss. As the doctor was removing the wax, he accidentally pulled out the ear tube....so we go back in 2 weeks to see how things are healing up and to see if Bryce is going to have to have another tube put back in.

Trent is a Freshman at Skyview and is having a great year! He has an awesome team of teachers that make the difference in his success. He is the teachers quorum president and loves his calling.

Chase is in the 4th grade and doing absolutely fantastic in school! He is the brain of the family, loves to read, and excels at everything! We have had some warmer weather and it has been wonderful for the boys to play outside....they are already planning the fort they are going to build this summer, and laying out the garden. My boys love to garden and build things....don't all boys?!

Eli is in the 2nd grade and is having a great year! He is reading better all the time, and is a whiz at math. He makes friends easily, and has enjoyed playing basketball in the Nampa Youth Basketball program. This Saturday is their last game....he will be sad to see it come to an end. Eli is just my smiley bean....happy all the time.....what a joy he is!

We just planted 4 new cherry trees last night. The church just bought 250 new acres of land, and they are clearing off some trees to make way for new ones. They are giving the trees away, if you come and dig them up. Mark and the boys went out there hoping to get some peach trees too...but they were all gone. We will keep looking for peach trees. Spring is in the air, and we are all hungry for the warmer weather!

I will try to do better about posting things more often. Between this and facebook, it is hard to keep up! Love to all!!

Grant is out of the Hospital!

Well, after 4 days and 2 rounds of IV antibiotics, they finally let Grant out of the hospital. He had to endure many tests, but he is finally on the mend! Thank you for all of your prayers on his behalf! I know he is feeling better, because instead of sending me a picture of himself, I got a picture of this really cool car he saw in a Wal-Mart parking lot! Yep, he is back to his old self again! : ) He must be feeling better!

Grant is in the Hospital

Just a quick note to let everyone know that Grant is in the hospital. He has had really bad diarrhea since Wednesday, and has been to the emergency room twice for dehydration. This time, they decided to keep him overnight and run some tests to find out what is going on. I will keep you updated as we get test results and find out what is going on. The mission president let him call and talk to me for 10 minutes. He sounds tired, but is glad they are going to find out why he is so sick. Anyway, keep him in your prayers!

The Price One Pays For Eating!

Last night was the Blue and Gold dinner for our cub scout pack. The theme had something to do with America....I can't remember, all I know is I was painting stars onto flags made out of blocks of 2x6 wood for what seemed like forever! (Mark is the cub master, so I get to help) They were the centerpieces for the tables. Anyway, the night before Mark and I made a large potato salad to take, and Chase and Eli had to decorate a cake. (I think we put too much mustard in the salad....that is the way Mark likes it, but we brought a lot home with us!....Mustard Potato Salad anyone?! Mark and I are the only ones that eat it at our house, and I can't eat anything right now...so it is going to go to waste!) We were pretty much ready for the evenings events, thanks to a wonderful cub scout committee chair, Pam, and all of the help from the leaders, there really wasn't all that much to do. Thanks ladies!! : ) But something I ate at the dinner didn't settle well, and I have been sick ever since! I have a very sensitive stomach, and irritable bowel syndrome....no fun! I have been in such agony that I have decided eating food just isn't worth it! I never know what is going to set it off...well, that's not totally true, I know lettuce is not my friend....but I haven't nailed the other triggers, so I never know. I just hate feeling this way, and after being sick all night, I am exhausted! I long nap, and no food for the rest of my life sounds about right! Ugh! Meanwhile, there is work to do (thanks Jen!) and laundry and dishes and my family will want to eat tonight, double ugh! Somebody shoot me and put me out of my misery!! Unless you have ever had your gut turn inside out, you don't know what I am talking about....can you say PAIN!!

A Trip To Utah

We got home about 10pm last night from a fast and fun trip to Utah! We had hoped to leave Friday around 3pm, but didn't get out the door until 8pm...isn't that just the way trips go?! The best laid plan always seem to encounter some obstacle! We finally made it to Andy and Bonnie's a little after 2am....exhausted but happy to be there! Saturday was a busy day, but quite eventful.

First, we had a fun luncheon at Andy's house, and then off to the church for Eli's baptism. The baptism was wonderful! I love the way they do stake baptisms in Utah! They fill the faunt in the morning, and then schedule 30 minutes for each child being baptized. That way they can have their very own, special baptism. Trent said the opening prayer, Bryce played the piano, Kade led the music, Mark did a talk on baptism, I did a talk on the Holy Ghost, Aunt Bonnie played the cello for a special musical number, and Chase gave the closing prayer! It was a family event! It was so special for Eli to have everyone there! Thanks to everyone who took the time out of a busy Saturday to attend! It meant so much to us!

The second big event of Saturday was Andy's son Bennett's 9th birthday! Andy and Bonnie took us all bowling at BYU! It was so much fun! We haven't been bowling in years! Mark threw 2 gutter balls right at first, and then started doing well with several strikes! Who knew Uncle Andy was such a good bowler! I think he won us all with the highest score! The little ones were just adorable on the bumper lane....doing their best to use "the force" to direct the ball in the way it should go! The big kids did their best, but I think they were wishing they had bumpers as well! It was just a great night of fun! After the bowling we went back to Andy's for pizza, presents and cake and ice cream! It was fun to be there to help Bennett celebrate!

Sunday was another big day, Andy's new baby Madison Paige Brinton was blessed. She looked beautiful in the same blessing dress that Jenica, and all of the other Brinton girls were blessed in...no matter what Aunt Jenalyn says! (Jenalyn thought the dress was ugly, Alli agreed!) Okay, so it was a little old and yellow....but way to go Bonnie! She felt that tradition was more important, and blessed little Madison in it anyway! : ) This was probably the last time the dress will be used, I think we are all done having babies....right Bonnie?!

It was fun to attend sacrament meeting with Andy and his family, and be there for Madison's blessing. During testimony meeting, Trent, Eli and I bore our testimonies. I was so proud of Eli! He wanted to share his testimony, and he did a great job! His first big step towards becoming a missionary some day, learning to share his testimony! : )

We weren't able to stay for all 3 hours of church, after Sacrament meeting we went back to Andy's, loaded up the van and headed for home. The trip home wasn't bad, we watched some cool church movies, and had sandwiches we had packed for dinner. Everything was great until the last potty stop when Chase felt like he was going to throw up. Lucky for us he didn't, and we made it home. He seems fine this morning, so it must have just been motion sickness.

Thanks to everyone for a great weekend! A special thanks to Andy and Bonnie for putting us up, and to Jenalyn for all of the help with food! Thank you for making Eli's baptism such a wonderful experience! We love you all!

Being 8 is GREAT!!

We had fun celebrating Eli's 8th birthday! We had a little party with friends Nick and Logan. Grandma and Grandpa came over too! We had tacos for dinner and spice cake with vanilla frosting. Eli opened his presents, and then we watched the movie Igor. It was a fun night! Thanks to Grandpa for taking pictures! Eli got some new cars to play with and a pocket knife! It is a "right of passage" at our house, when the boys turn 8 they get a pocket knife. It has to do with Boy Scouts, and becoming a Wolf. It is something they have all looked forward to. Following in the footsteps of some of his older brothers, Eli badly cut his finger the first time he tried to use his pocket knife! Ouch! He had been told to wait for Daddy to help him learn how to use it properly, but Chase and Eli couldn't resist making sure it was sharp......and locked themselves in the bathroom with a stick to whittle on. They didn't get very far before Eli came out of the bathroom holding his finger.....yep, it's official....Eli is 8!

All Because Two People Fell in Love

Our "love story" began in 1983 when I was in high school, and Mark was serving a full time mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He was serving in the Oakland California mission, Concord to be more specific. A couple of years prior to Mark's arrival in my home town, my Dad had taken a job transfer to Idaho and moved our family. I kept in touch with friends from California, and it was one of these friends that first "hooked us up". Mark and I became pen pals, then best friends, and as they say, the rest is history! We will celebrate our 24th wedding anniversary this May! We have been blessed with 6 children, Jenica (22) our only daughter, and sons, Grant (20), Bryce (16), Trent (15), Chase (10) and Eli (8). Our children are our greatest joy!