Team Matthews

Growing Up

2009-06-05T19:05:00.008-05:00

We love Ms. Sue!!!
The Pledge to the flag and the Bible!

Jenna, "I'm gonna hide this balloon behind my butt and SURPRISE Jaden!!" Oh my.

Well, Jaden graduated from pre-school today. Yep, I had tears. He looked so big and was being so brave even though I know he just wanted to sit with us. I'm going to be uploading some video clips but mainly for family! I'm a horrible videographer.

Fort Snelling Solo

2009-06-05T19:02:00.003-05:00

Jeff braved the trip and took the kids to Fort Snelling last Friday. They walked the entire thing more than once! Quite the troopers. All of them! I don't know if I could do that...and not loose the camera...or a child.

Updates!

2009-06-05T18:56:00.002-05:00

Milo is growing and now switching it up. He's been sleeping with Jaden or beside our bed. Jenna is NOT too happy and quite often ends up in either place. The other night Jaden and Jenna were having a conversation while in bed (hollering to each other!) This is what went back and forth:
"Jaden, Milo is MY best sister, EVER!"
"He's not your sister. He's your puppy."
"He is not, Jaden, and you ZIP IT!"

THE original cake!

2009-05-15T22:47:00.001-05:00

Just an FYI....I didn't make this one. Should have looked at it again before attempting ours. Not that it would have helped me that much!!!

Ice Cream Spooning!

2009-05-15T22:28:00.005-05:00

Tonight the kids had more fun with the spoons than the ice-cream. Who taught them to put their spoons on their noses by the way??!!!

Happy Birthday, Jenna!

2009-05-15T22:20:00.008-05:00

We love you Baby! Jenna turned 3! Jaden had to point out her birthday door to her (forgive mom's hokey 3...creativity went out the window at 10pm!) in the morning. And she requested waffles so I hustled before heading off to school for the day. She helped me make her cake the day before. Oh, I soooo needed my cake baker friend Christie. She did Jenna's 1st birthday cake. This did not EVEN compare. Lopsided and uneven but we had fun!

A Girl and Her Dog

2009-05-15T22:02:00.004-05:00

Nap pad sleeping!

Here are a few shots of the fast and furious friends. Inseparable. Milo will NOT sleep anywhere else when it's finally time to crash. I tried one night to get him to sleep somewhere else and he jumped down, went to her door, scratched and whined until I let him in....so he could hop up on her bed. AND if for some reason she ventures upstairs in the middle of the night to the nap pad on the floor by my side of the bed...he follows her. I'm not quite sure how she can sleep with him on her neck but she manages!

Drill Boy

2009-05-15T21:57:00.004-05:00

My little cowboy drillin' away!

Jaden drilled the holes all the way around the 100 gallon water trough....making a compost tub.

Milo!

2009-04-20T21:49:00.008-05:00

This was taken 1 1/2 weeks ago...and now here
he is hiding in the backyard with Uncle Scott!

Happy Birthday to MEEEEEEEE!!!!!!
Jenna trying to get him to sleep with her!
Jenna gave him a stuffed cow to destroy.
And he crashed!

Meet our newest addition. Yep, we did it. Caved and got Jenna a puppy for her birthday. Well, actually he's for all of us but she's the excuse. I through caution and sensibility to the wind but what can I say, I've ALWAYS loved dogs. It was difficult to get any great shots since our kids NEVER sit still and if one knows anything about Vizslas...neither do they, unless they are sleeping! So, meet Milo!

April Shots

2009-04-12T21:58:00.017-05:00

Surveying the "stash"
Peeking at the egg hiders
"I like THIS brick!"
"EASTERRRRRR!"
"CANDY!!!!!"
The only kid tall enough to reach!
We came here straight from naps, can you tell?!
Part of Jaden's photo shoot.....

"Where's the cherry?!"

"Welcome EVERYBODY!" by Jenna
Deep in Concentration!

Since I've fallen behind AGAIN on blogging, here is a collection of photos from the past month. Everything from our outings to the Walker Art Center, Sculpture Gardens, Macys' Flower Show, and Easter egg hunts. I've decided to tackle the museums around town and thought I'd revisit some of my favorites first! I especially love the photo of Jaden and Jenna drawing with their heads together!! Wish I had thought to save those sketches....

Jaden & Jenna Quotes

2009-03-26T23:16:00.002-05:00

Jenna, while staring up at an airliner flying over the park, "Hi Andrea! That's Andrea flying the plane, Mommy. She's coming to the park to play with me!"

Jaden, this morning, singing into his microphone, "I LOVE JESUS in the microphone!" Whatever that means, it's ok by me!

Jaden, last week, yelling in a not so nice way to Jenna, "JENNA, get out here and play with me right now!!!!!!!!!!!!!" I'm so going to remind him of that in the future.

Jenna, upon seeing her newly painted pink room, and while giving me a huge neck hug, "THANK YOU MOMMY!!!"

I need to remind myself of the little things that make me smile.

Tech Fest

2009-03-26T23:09:00.006-05:00

Oh. I did decide to head out into the free museum world with the kids. We stumbled upon an awesome tech fest at The Works Museum in the Edina Community Center. It was amazing what was on display (robots, aviation things!, UofM inventions, etc.). Jaden and Jenna were in awe of the UofM Gopher. And making their own hovercrafts was a hit as well. They did surprisingly well in a VERY CROWDED outing. I survived, more importantly. No tantrums + No naughty kid syndrome=Very good time!

Updates From the Frozen Tundra

2009-03-26T22:54:00.004-05:00

I guess laziness is part of winter now for me. I have kind of dropped off the blogging world (facebook called!). There hasn't been much noteworthy activity with us. Working, wondering about work, working some more, cleaning, cleaning some more, and kids. That about sums it up. Oh, and trying to stay sane and warm. And then MN weather tricks us and we THINK that spring is coming because all of the snow melted, the Mississippi is flowing, Canadian geese have started flying in, and green is poking through, and THEN there are snow flurries. So, to keep my spirits up, I've been telling Jeff and the kids that the flakes twisting around in the wind are "pretty." Which they actually are, especially when they don't linger on the ground. But we have had our windows open, taken the plastic off of our upstairs windows (Northerners would understand that!), and I've actually gotten to run outside a few times....until the temps drop. But it has spurred me on to get some painting done inside of this house. Paint is a quick fix of sorts. Kitchen painted, bathroom & hallway painted, living finished, AND Jenna's pink polka dot room is starting to take shape. Yep. Her choice of color and pattern with WILD fabric and rug thrown in for good measure. It all suits her personality. Enjoy the photos. But, it's not finished yet. Woodwork needs painting, her bedframe needs painting. Bookcases (that Grandpa built for Jeff when HE was born....37 years ago!) need painting...You get the picture. Lots left to do. And Jaden's room still needs help. SOOOOOOOOOO...if anyone wants to strip wallpaper, paint woodwork, or walls...come on over.

Laziness

2009-03-06T22:05:00.003-06:00

I'm feeling lazy. Yes, I know I haven't posted photos in a LONG time. I love my Mac but still have issues with new camera and figuring it all out. Jeff's so far beyond me in technology and so I putter behind. I wish I had my camera near me the other day when Jaden and Jenna stormed into the kitchen (they are a force to be reckoned with!) and asked for chocolote chips to plant a tree outside. Well, I obliged. And gave them some pecans as well and then watched through the kitchen window as they headed out into the snow, trudged over to the pine tree, and buried them beneath it. Awhile later Jaden walked in, looked at me in all seriousness, and said, "Mom, I don't REALLY think those chocolate chips are going to grow." Hmmm. Jenna didn't get the memo because today she whipped open the fridge (EVERYTHING is done at 110% enthusiasm!) and asked me for a treat to plant a tree outside! I tried to explain but 2 year olds.....are 2 year olds.

Winter Snow Trip

2009-01-28T21:30:00.011-06:00

YakTrax thanks to Santa Bob!
Jenna, Me, Jaden
Battle Creek Lake (East?)

Jaden (in the orange t-shirt) with Coach John! Nice lights!
Just a few photos from our time up North. What a peaceful, quiet place to hang out for a few days.
First time snowmobiling for the kids and winter hot tubbing. Not a lot of photos but enjoy anyways! Plus a few other shots...Jenna's dollhouse from the twins!

For Friends & "Family!" Far Away

2009-01-03T20:34:00.007-06:00

Anna!
Zach!
Kids' Table!
Slowly I'll get some Christmas shots up. I give up on taking great photos. So forgive the compositions of most of these! Here are a few...more will follow when the battery charges on my camera! Let's just say, the holidays were a whirlwind of activities, sick kids, and very cold days but we all survived in one piece! Happy New Year!

Snow & Program

2008-12-08T21:48:00.006-06:00

The kids finally got to get decked out in their snowpants. I was worried we would be outside less time than it took to get ready but they lasted over an hour! Jaden shoveled the block! Jenna just couldn't get the hang of shoveling without any thumbs. Tonight they did much better and I actually enjoyed being out in the dark while fluffy white flakes were coming down! Shoveling is EXCELLENT exercise!

And last night was their Christmas program. PDO in TX still had the best one though! Jaden just looked sad the whole time (despite the fact that he's been belting out the songs for weeks!) and Jenna just stood behind another girl the whole time! I had to laugh when she went up on stage because she just tromped her way up there and I noticed that she had already been hard at play, shirt untucked, hair askew, etc. That's her! Then this afternoon Jaden thought it would be funny to take a picture of their gingerbread house (with his broken digital camera!) while I took a picture. Turned out kind of interesting! So that's why the randomness of the shots! More will be coming...the upload was impossibly slow tonight.

Updates

2008-12-05T22:54:00.004-06:00

I've gotten "lost" in the world of facebook. Sorry! It's just amazing the people from one's past that you can find. And so interesting to find out what everyone is up to. Like conquering the world, curing cancer, writing books, etc. Me, just working part-time, trying not to go crazy with life, keep our clothes clean. REAL important things! ;) But last night we got out. Went downtown to Macy's to see "A Day in the Life of an Elf." And celebrated Jackie's birthday. I snuck in some shots of us purposefully for the bloggers in our life that live far away and are requesting updated photos! Love to all of you!

Spectacular Sky Lookout!

2008-11-29T07:25:00.002-06:00

I'm not a science buff but can't help but smile and wonder in amazement at God's starry sky! I wonder if this is anything like what the 3 wisemen saw while journeying to find Baby Jesus. This sounds like a celestial way to celebrate Jesus' birthday!

Discussions

2008-11-25T08:56:00.002-06:00

Here are some of those quotes that have been taking place in our house recently:

Mom: Jenna, cork it, you're being too loud!
Jenna: (in a very loud voice!) I'm NOT corking it, Mommy!

Jaden: (in response to Jenna while trying to potty train) Baby, hurry up and go potty. I'm tired of seeing your privacy!

Both kids while playing with 2 Nativity sets simultaneously: Hey Baby, my Baby Jesus wants to come and see yours. What are you doing Baby Jesus? Nothing, I'm just stuck in a diaper.

Reindeer Noses

2008-11-19T22:04:00.002-06:00

We finished making 10 dozen "Reindeer Noses" for my upcoming, 1st ever MN cookie exchange! Let's just say we don't have exactly 10 dozen left.....we love 'em too much! I had to move them to the garage...it's as cold as a freezer in there.

Charlie Browniest Thankful Tree

2008-11-19T22:02:00.003-06:00

Here's our annual thankful tree. This HAS to be the most Charlie Browniest type one we've done yet. We foraged through our woody patch for some sticks, poked them in some play-dough, stuck it in a brown bag, and tied up our leaves. I'm not over-doing the creativity this year!

Ducati Rider

2008-11-08T23:54:00.006-06:00

These were taken this summer and I meant to post them but haven't figured out how to enlarge. Jaden is enamored with all things motorcycle and LOVES Burk. Well, he got to sit on Burk's Ducati AND have the engine roared to life. All in the park position of course but needless to say, he loves the fact that Auntie Net and Burk both have Ducatis...and Uncle Jay a Triumph. (That picture was posted last fall) And then he says his Daddy has a "little" bike. Jeff's is a 450 Kawasaki ALL original from like the 80's with under 10,000 miles. Need to sell that baby bike!

Proud

2008-11-06T20:34:00.003-06:00

I'm proud but the batteries in my camera are dead. On Monday Jaden officially started riding his big 16'" bike without training wheels! He claims it's because he's a big 4 year old now. He can get started and stop by himself. Poor Jenna on her little baby bike. She can't quite keep up with him now. But she tries to keep up with him and cheer him on! These two are all energy. Winter is coming and I'm not so sure about how that's going to work.

Phew.

2008-11-05T21:55:00.003-06:00

Thank goodness it's all over! It's exciting to be part of history in the making and I'm enjoying seeing inner city kids SO excited about politics (although they don't seem to understand the issues!). We showed our 6th graders this
and they basically memorized it overnight! I'm going to try and video them soon and upload! The "Yes, Ma'am!" at the interview made me MISS TEXAS SO MUCH! That kind of respect for others is not very evident where I am! I think if my kids said that to anyone here, they might get slugged! J/K. Not really....

Get Your Guns Up!

2008-11-01T20:50:00.002-05:00

The Zingermans!!!!

Homesick

2008-10-31T20:52:00.002-05:00

Is it possible to miss two places at one time? Well, yes. I'm missing all my AZ "family." Ya'll know who you are. And of course, the Texans are right up there as well. Somedays I just think about all that has transpired in our lives in the past 4 years. Basically since we had to move from Gold Canyon. Family changes, leaving friends, job changes, careers on hold, selling our house, moving, moving, and moving some more. I miss terribly and am trying to not keep looking back but find some new things to look forward to. But right now I'm just sad that Jaden and Jenna aren't growing up with some of our closest friends nearby. Ok. I'm sad for me too. Love you all!

A Few More...

2008-10-26T21:38:00.009-05:00

Tiger & Rachel Thing 1 & Thing 2

Still having trouble getting labels by the actual shot. But I had to get a photo of the Kitty Litter Cake! Yummmmmmmyyy. And Brother Jeff and his 3 wives were quite hilarious as well. Hmmmm. Very interesting people!

Shout Out for Rachel Zoe!

2008-10-26T21:06:00.003-05:00

Had to choose this song for Grace. Your costume and "Rachel Zoe" were quite memorable!
More photos will follow of Tiger Woods, Dog and Beth, Thing 1 and Thing 2!

Here's the Shots!

2008-10-26T20:46:00.009-05:00

Lana & Me!

Rachel Zoe!

Michelle

Brother Jeff & his 3 wives!

Dog & Beth!

Parrrtty!

2008-10-26T09:51:00.002-05:00

So last night I went to a costume party and my sides still hurt from laughing so hard. Everyone from Dog, the Bounty Hunter to Tiger Woods attended. It was supposed to have the theme of "People in the News" but some people went off the track. I stuck with the news and was Arien O'Connell. If you don't know who she is just check out the Nike Women's Marathon ACTUAL winner despite the snafu by Nike timing committee. It was an easy enough costume. Photos will be forthcoming...I just can't quite figure out this Mac iPhoto thing!

Corn EVERYWHERE!

2008-10-19T22:03:00.003-05:00

Kissing Again!

2008-10-19T22:00:00.003-05:00

They gave each other their first kiss quite some time ago and here Jaden is at it again! This was after he spent some time chasing her and telling her, "But I need you, Kaisha!" To which, she was NOT so happy about! We were going to tell her to get used to it! Women are much needed but she'll learn that in time!

Fall Duds

2008-10-19T21:57:00.004-05:00

Jaden is proud of his pilot's jacket! And Jenna is just Jenna...in awe of anything to do with her brother!

Fall's Here!

2008-10-19T21:52:00.008-05:00

ALS Walk

2008-10-19T21:50:00.004-05:00

New Job

2008-09-20T20:49:00.002-05:00

Did I mention that I have a part-time teaching job? Miraculous opportunity. Truly a God thing. I won't go into the whole story but it almost fell in my lap...with some last minute scrambling to update resume, get letters of recommendation, renewing my license, etc. But it's a good thing. And it's only 2 miles from home! The kids will be in preschool Monday and Tuesday mornings until I get them after lunch. Wednesdays are days with Grandma K and Thurs/Friday...Daddy Mornings! AND I got a MacBook! From the school! Just a week or two before the whole job thing happened I was thinking how much I'd like my own computer, no one else uses, etc. And now I have one! I'm adjusting to teaching again. But I am liking it and have so many flashbacks from ALL of the jobs I've had. I hope this is as permanent as any job can be. Now I just need to figure out how to catch up with students that all have their own laptops in school..... I am SO technologically challenged! Did I mention that I now I have my "OWN" Macbook? Just thought I'd mention that again....

Go Palin!

2008-09-09T20:22:00.002-05:00

I'm so behind the times. I just was able to watch "the" speech. Wow. That's all I'll say or I'll show my political ignorance. ;) But we've been McCain fans since our AZ days. Jeff was in line at the airport with him, basically shoulder to shoulder, and he got to shake his hand! McCain was in line with all the other common people. No special treatment.

2008-09-07T20:18:00.005-05:00

Nice. Just had to put it on here.

Why is that I always am lacking photos? I hurry up and take a couple of the kids at the beginning and then should just hand the camera off to someone to continue. I don't have any of the other guests! But I think I did pretty good considering it was the first week of school (I will be part-time but was full-time this week!), juggling childcare, birthday stuff, school stuff, on-going bathroom makeover at home, very busy week. I'm exhausted.

The CAKE!

2008-09-07T20:15:00.002-05:00

My first attempt at a "Christie" cake! It tasted AWESOME but the frosting was tricky.

September 3, 2008

2008-09-07T20:09:00.005-05:00

Happy Birthday to Jaden! He woke up to a birthday door, chocolate chip pancakes, presents, and mom off to work! (Yep, I got a part-time teaching job 2 miles from home!) The rest of the day was spent with Grandma K trying out his new rollerblades, Spiderman soccer ball, and bike riding. Here's a few shots.

Mini-Vacation

2008-08-24T23:03:00.001-05:00

We just returned from the most fantastic get-away that we've had in a long time. We headed up to East Battle Lake to spend some time with friends. We didn't realize that the middle of MN was so hilly, full of so many lakes, and quite bug free. I've tried to narrow the photos down but here's a list of some of the things we experieced: smores, hot tub, boating, jet skiing, fishing, wheeling around in a motorized wheelchair, Jaden beginning to ride without training wheels, bb guns, dairy farm, fish "chicken" nuggies!, meeting lots of new friends, and on and on! My favorite from the weekend was when Jaden saw the jet ski pulling up, he said with wide eyes, "Oh man, I gotta get me one of those!" He immediately went for a ride around the lake. Jenna was not to be outdown and had to have her turn. Enough rambling. It was fabulous and we WILL be bugging those friends again! Photos will follow.

Photos

2008-08-24T22:48:00.019-05:00

Here's the shots

Toolin' Around

2008-08-24T22:37:00.002-05:00

Fast friends, Ethan and Jaden spent a LOT of time toolin' around on the motorized wheelchair. It is equipped with a lantern for light! Ethan is quite the inventor. Jaden is already talking about going back to visit! The two of them looked like they could be brothers...oh...the trouble they could get into! :)

Incoming!

2008-08-24T22:31:00.002-05:00

Here's a clip of Jaden and Eric on the jet ski. Sorry about my horrible video skills! I know I need to take some photography classes...or something! But enjoy the view of the water. It was soooooooo nice. And despite the slightly overcast ski and wind, it was very enjoyable!

No Training Wheels!

2008-08-24T22:26:00.002-05:00

Jaden is on his way to no training wheels! This clip is short but he did have longer stints! He's very excited but still has a ways to go. It helps to be on a grassy incline!

And She's Off!

2008-08-10T22:48:00.002-05:00

Jenna is offically able to ride a bike! It's a "baby" bike and she' already saying she needs a new bike, meaning bigger, like Jaden's! Catch her in action and Jaden and his new friend near the end flying by.

The Rock Park

2008-08-03T14:47:00.007-05:00

A.K.A. the North Mississippi Regional Park off of I94. This is a frequent destination of ours and it's practically undiscovered! We've made it a pattern of going a couple of mornings a week to enjoy the "rock" to ourselves It's our personal wading pool! And we can bike there. Or I can bike there!

Bike Shots by Jaden

2008-08-03T14:30:00.009-05:00

We've been biking along the Mississippi River and various other paths. OK. I'm biking. The kids are riding and it's hard work. But Jaden enjoys taking shots of things along the way. These are all his other than the one of him and Jenna!

20 years

2008-07-27T21:28:00.003-05:00

Last night I attended my 20 year high school reunion. Don't do the math. Yes, I'm getting older. But the strange thing that happened was that I didn't feel old at all. I think it felt more like just going back to a day at high school. People either looked the same OR dramatically different. And people acted the same for the most part. Strange. It was difficult to hold any long conversation with anyone because you'd start and then immediately be caught off guard by someone else that you recognized. I wanted to just stand back and stare at people. It was quite surreal. And probably being away for about 14 years added to the strangeness. Am I glad I went? Absolutely! And being told that time has definitely improved me?! But I wish now for a youth group reunion more! Those were the people that were my social outlet all through high school. You know who you are! Anyone up for planning one with me?!

Moore Lake Revisited

2008-07-15T22:18:00.005-05:00

After dinner tonight we drove over to Moore Lake. I think I'm reminiscing high school days spent canoeing under Central Avenue. Kind of creepy. And my 20 year reunion is in 1 1/2 weeks. Don't do the math. I know I'm getting older. ANYWAYS! We thought Jaden and Jenna could get slowly introduced to beach lakes this way. Slow being the operative word. There is nothing slow about how they do anything. They basically soaked themselves. I think we'll head back there on Thursday...with swimsuits and cousins!

The Skins

2008-07-15T22:12:00.005-05:00

Eric!
The Skins!

Today I "opened" up a barbershop in our living room...so to speak. Jaden went first. Followed by Eric and Jonathan, his cousins. I should have had Lana take a photo of the process and the IMMENSE amount of hair left on the floor! They are definitely all Matthews males. Jenna watched in a zone. She almost got a cut as well. It would definitely make taming the wild do much easier. Today her hair was flying everywhere!

Braggin' Rights

2008-07-12T06:52:00.000-05:00

I officially think that I can brag on our families. We are being so blessed by the tremendous outpouring of help everyone is extending towards us! Help is ranging from making meals, cleaning out garbage, moving HEAVY items (piano, washer/dryer up/down, treadmill!), buying needed items, watching children, breaking down 100's of boxes, on and on. Kudos to everyone. This is definitely a major working together of our families and it is AWESOME! Just some funny stories...so, yesterday was beastly hot and humid. No air conditioners in place yet. One "unnamed" aunt and I decided to work in our upstairs bedroom. Dripping sweat within 30 seconds. Well, she chose to strip down to the bare necessities to work! Afterwards we went outside and completely doused ourselves in the kids' pool. Thankfully, air conditioners are in place. No more bare women unpacking. Sorry guys. And then Lana and I became the official box breakers. More sweat involved. I think we probably lost 10 pounds by sweat alone. Good. More room for Jeff's pulled pork today! To all that are helping in various ways...we love ya' and I'm soooooo glad to be home!

UGHHHHHHHHHHHHH

2008-07-10T04:05:00.001-05:00

I HATE SNORING.

Arrived

2008-07-10T02:43:00.002-05:00

We made it. Exhausted. Buzzing from a year's worth of caffeine in 2 days. Feeling surreal. But alive. All of us. Here's the break-down:
Accomplished: loaded a household in under 3 hours; drove 9 hours with a 2 and 3 year old; tried to sleep with snoring!; drove another 13 hours; Jenna had a melt-down with 5 hours to go; arrived in MN; unloaded; now I can't sleep...
Yet to do: unpack & organize; demo bathroom; put up lights; strip wallpaper; paint woodwork & walls; clear out garage; find a job; and continue with all of the "jobs" one normally does on daily basis. Sleep should not have to be put on the list but unfortunately I am having trouble in that department!

Kids' Night Out cont.

2008-06-28T07:39:00.005-05:00

Just a few more shots! Candy & Lynn raced several times through...to no avail. Girl power does NOT win over raw male aggressiveness! But Candy gave it a good go...other than falling BACKWARDS down the climbing part!!! I'll soooo miss you girl!

Two for the Archives!

2008-06-28T07:26:00.001-05:00

Just found a lost video of the trickrider that came to my job! Can you believe it?! There was a better one but I accidentally deleted it. And then Jaden cruisin' through the obstacle course last night. Usually he got stuck in the green "forest" but this time he got through! Enjoy and be jealous of such an awesome job! :)

Kids' Night Out

2008-06-28T07:11:00.003-05:00

How many people have a job where they get paid to play? Our team discusses this quite frequently. Whether it's shopping for kids' toys and props, going to amusement parks and camp, acting craaaazzzy, etc. It's truly the best job in the world and I'm sad to be leaving it. (We're headed back to MN for those of you that didn't know!) Last night was complete with an inflatable obstacle course and a bouncy house with slide attached, a water balloon shooting thing, etc. Anyways! Jenna and her friend, Lauren, took turns taking photos of each other! These are the best of the many! And Lauren actually let Jenna take her picture!

Another Must See

2008-06-27T14:50:00.002-05:00

Here's another tear-jerker with a "good" ending. God Grew Tired Of Us put out by National Geographic Films. It's about the Lost Boys of the Sudan and follows 3 refugees to America, capturing their wonder at things we take for granted, like electricty, running water, etc. Get through the first 20 minutes or so and then you'll start smiling. I think I cried and had to look away more than I watched in the beginning. So, hunt for it!

Must-See

2008-06-15T15:48:00.003-05:00

If you are in for a beautiful movie about children, you have to see Children of Heaven. I LOVED it and will possibly have to own it. Exactly my kind of movie, even though it's in Farsi
(I think!) and one has to read the subtitles. Wow. I hope Jaden and Jenna treat each other and other children like this. You will be crying your eyes out at the running scene by the lake at the end of the movie. Crying and cheering. Now aren't you curious?!

Science Spectrum

2008-06-15T15:41:00.004-05:00

One of our outings on Friday included the science museum. They were awestruck by the hot air balloon. Jaden wanted to climb the wall. And finally they decided to fly together! Captain and First Officer Matthews!! We could have really used some of Andrea's teaching abilities at this point!

Jenna's Boyfriend!

2008-06-12T20:54:00.004-05:00

Yes, she loves a little boy named Ryder. And now we have the link to his family's blog! Every night she has to pray for him and the way she says his name is hilarious. Need to get it on video. It's low and dragged out....RYYYYDDDDERR. Kind of like a growl! Next week I'm going to try and get a shot of them together. Quite adorable. And his family has been blessed with baby Sydney!

Jaden

2008-06-09T13:37:00.002-05:00

On the way to school/church this morning, Jaden made the following comment in regards to the big, dark clouds overhead:

I think God is going to send some snow today.

Interesting, considering that it's been about 100 degrees every day! Maybe it was wishful thinking. He desperately wants to wear his cowboy boots and jeans.

Post-Surgery

2008-05-28T21:53:00.003-05:00

Jenna had surgery 1 week ago and it's been a blur. These shots were right when she got home from having adnoids and tonsils out and new tubes put in place. Her ENT was "amazed" at the amount of rubber cement type fluid behind her eardrums. Yuck. Hopefully after next week she'll be getting back to normal. She displays this look quite frequently now due to the recovery process. Poor thing and poor household! Jaden looked at her with consternation the other morning while she was crying and said,

Mom, we got to pray about THAT baby.

Which we promptly did! Only now Jaden is starting to complain about how his ear hurt last year from when he fell on the sidewalk?! Hmmmm.

Big Girl Bed!

2008-05-17T22:08:00.001-05:00

After a week in a hospital bed, Jenna has transitioned to a big girl bed! She's very proud of her new bedding and that her bed is the size that Jaden has in his room. Nap and bedtime accomplished today. We'll see how tomorrow goes...

Birthday Gone Bad!

2008-05-16T08:17:00.018-05:00

10 seconds before the explosion began...

this was after several days...she wasn't smiling in the beginning...

Poor Jenna. Her birthday ended with roto-rooter visiting her little body via rotovirus. I won't go into many details but it started on the 8th, ended up in the hospital on the 9th, and got home yesterday. Basically a week. One VERY long, exhausting week. All is fine now. No permanent damage although I don't think I ever want to go to Chuck E. Cheese again. So enjoy our photos from her birthday to our stay at Children's Hopsital. And I STRONGLY suggest buying as much anti-bacterial soap as one can find and keeping it EVERYWHERE.

Oh Happy Day!

2008-05-16T08:15:00.003-05:00

These were taken the day before...Roto Rooter arrived...via rotovirus.

End in Sight!

2008-05-07T09:53:00.000-05:00

OK. Still a long ways off but we are on almost a week of Jenna using the big-girl potty chair every evening. I see the diaper finish line sometime this year. One needs to celebrate the little victories with a wonderfully, strong-willed child like Jenna! Yeah!

Wonders Never Cease...

2008-04-30T09:32:00.002-05:00

1. Jenna used the potty chair although a long way still to go.
2. Jaden kissing Jenna's head & holding her hand, saying,"It ok Baby, I right here," while she was having a tough time this morning.
3. Surprise day from my boss for our team. Much needed.
4. Birthday gifts that keep rolling in from teachers at PDO.
5. No ear drainage from Jenna today. First in a LONG time.
Thank you, Lord!

Ugh

2008-04-28T16:35:00.003-05:00

I need to vent about insurance, or organized fraud, as Jeff calls it. Our wonderful insurance decided to up our deductible to $3000 this year. Great. And our daughter has decided to have some of the worst ear issues that our ENT has seen. So now he's going to get aggressive with treatment. This year. Not last year when our deductible was lower and closer to being met. Adnoids, tonsils, and new tubes are the prescription along with a double dose of Augmetin and ear drops. I think we'll stick with just the latter. The $3000 surgery will have to wait until we have better insurance. Pray for Jenna. And for us as we are NOT sleeping. There. I've vented. Now, anyone have any suggestions for better insurance?!

Ranching Day!

2008-04-26T16:02:00.009-05:00

Here's our lil' cowpokes!

Memed...?!

2008-04-21T21:23:00.003-05:00

Here goes! (Thanks Jonathan...and have you read Les Mis? Took me a year.)
According to Mark Cuban, “A meme is a set of questions that are passed from person to person. You fill out the questions. Post them on your blog. Then you tag another blogger who is supposed to do the same thing.“

The setup is:

Pick up the nearest book of 123 pages or more. No cheating!
Find Page 123.
Find the first 5 sentences.
Post the next 3 sentences.
Tag 5 people.

So here’s my three sentences…

"We ignored all the ways women runners might be like men runners and focused instead on the ways they were different. Convinced later that we had stereotyped women in this manner, we plunged headlong in the opposite direction in the 1980's. We even dropped our monthly 'Women's Running' column from the magazine."

Runner's World: Complete Book of Running
edited by Amby Burfoot (thanks for the book, Jeff!)

And my 5 tagees!

Lana
Pam
Rachel
Michelle
Chris

Go Vikings!

2008-04-21T21:15:00.002-05:00

I was "warned" that we are in Cowboy country here. But Jeff prevailed.

Sleeping Beauty

2008-04-21T21:14:00.002-05:00

Peaceful when sleeping.

Windmill Museum

2008-04-21T21:12:00.005-05:00

West Texas is WINDY and so of course, there are a lot of windmills in the area.

757 Take-Off!

2008-04-09T21:26:00.004-05:00

Jaden inherited the 757 that I painted for Andrea's pilot visit to his school. More photos will follow but the jist of it was this: career month, pilot visit, uniform, cockpit maps, chairs lined up for pretend flight, aviator glasses, take-off and landing! Andrea was a hit! And now the plane is gracing Jaden's bedroom wall! And P.B & Lady Fluffy are sporting aviator glasses.

Veggie Tales Bed Dance

2008-03-30T22:01:00.001-05:00

Sugar High

2008-03-30T21:41:00.000-05:00

JNJ

2008-03-26T22:14:00.003-05:00

Jenna having a chocolate chip cheesecake mustache. And VERY sugared up.

Jaden post-egg hunt at school. Bad Mom missed it by a few minutes due to running other errands for Easter.

Cowboy Response!

2008-03-26T14:37:00.002-05:00

Jaden is in gymnastics at school and today I was thanking the teacher for having him in there, etc. And then she told me what he said in response to her trying to give him a stamp yesterday for a great job...

Jaden: I don't need a stamp. I'm a cowboy.

Easter

2008-03-22T22:26:00.002-05:00

Admission: I've had a very short supply of patience for my two kiddos at the end of a few busy days but then I overhear a "dialogue" of sorts that Jaden had with Jenna last week:

Jaden: Hey Babes, guess what? Them soldiers they took Him and put Him on the cross.
Jenna: Uh, huh.
Jaden: And Jesus died for our sins but He rose again and He's alive, Babes!
Jenna: Uh, huh.
Jaden: Yep, He died for our sins on the cross but He's alive!
Jenna: Uh, huh.

Yahoo! We've talked a bit about what "sins" are and right now that's basically coming down to: doing naughty things, whining, not sharing, yelling (that would be Mommy when she's mad!), saying no with an attitude, you get the point. He keeps adding to the list...

And then on a walk this afternoon, Jaden sang for about 15 minutes of the way his own made up song about Jesus, the cross, Calvary? (where did he get that one?) crown of thorns, and probably some donkeys and emus in there somewhere. Interesting mixture. But he always comes back to the main point....Jesus is alive.....Babes!!!

Friday, March 7

2008-03-09T21:55:00.006-05:00

Jeff officially turned an undisclosed age. Born in '72. Do the math. Wow. Anyways, we were able to celebrate without children! Thanks to Christie keeping them for the night, we were able to enjoy a great dinner at the Louisianna Jazz Kitchen complete with hurricanes, hushpuppies, catfish, jambalaya, oysters, shrimp, and some other cajuney things! (Reminded me of Mardi Gras parties with AZ friends!) There was a bit of zip to some of the food but of course not enough spice for me. And usually on a Friday night, there would be a wait but thanks to George Straight....the place practically cleared out 10 minutes after we arrived. And for those of you that know me, I'm not a country fan. You should have seen the boots and apparel leaving the restaurant. And Jaden and Jenna were able to thoroughly enjoy themselves with their buddies. These shots were taken right before we left!

Bye Christie

2008-03-09T14:42:00.007-05:00

Our Bible study is saying good-bye to Christie. She'll be sooo missed. Especially by me. We had a proper send-off with TONS of chocolate. I prayed for over 2 years for a friend like her...found her...and now she's moving! Life is difficult to understand.

Cowtown Marathon

2008-03-01T19:44:00.002-06:00

More Shots From J-Man

2008-03-01T19:30:00.006-06:00

CHRISTIE ROCKS 26.2!!!

2008-02-24T09:06:00.009-06:00

Finisher shirt!
What fun! Another marathoner joins the ranks. Jaden and I had so much fun cheering everyone on from the 26 mile marker. When we saw Christie a few blocks out, we screamed as loud as we could and then Jaden had to sing her his new rendition of one of her songs,
"You did it. You did it. You ran a MARATHON!"
So here she is. I only have a few shots thanks to Jaden using up the battery at the house in the morning. Another thing, I've gotten 6 people to run marathons! Yahoo! And Tim and Tracy have done multiples so I think they can cout for about 3 more people. Chris claims I have another calling. I'd kind of like to think so! Even if the long running days seem to be behind me!

Jaden

2008-02-24T09:03:00.004-06:00

Jaden in stages of the trip!

Jaden's Shots

2008-02-24T08:56:00.007-06:00

Baby Addison
We had a blast in Dallas/Ft. Worth even though it was a speedy trip. Before going to the race finish, we hung out at Mike and Misty's and Jaden used up the battery power on the camera. It was interesting to see what interested him at their house! Here are some of them.

Dots

2008-02-19T22:03:00.001-06:00

Here's a shot of the polka dots...

Turtle Song

2008-02-19T22:00:00.002-06:00

I have a little turtle.
His name is Tiny Tim.
I put him in the bathtub
to see if he could swim.
He drank up all the water.
He ate up all the soap.
And now my little turtle
has bubbles in his throat.
Bubble, bubble, bubble,
bubble, bubble, bubble...Pop!

Bathtub Singing

2008-02-19T21:57:00.002-06:00

This is for grandparents and friends that don't mind my horrible video skills. The kids were sick but at least happily singing in the tub. The next video I upload is a little more clear on the lyrics. Enjoy.

Boots in Action

2008-02-18T20:44:00.010-06:00

Our cowgirl wanna be. Texas is getting in their blood.

1st cowboy hat

We're watchin' bulls!

Daddy's a bull rider!

Rodeo watchin'!

Yeah! I got my own boots!

Stolen boots. So much better!

Stagecoach & Cowpokes
Ok. That was a ton of photos to upload on this poky system. The ones of the Ranching center will just have to wait. I'm exhausted from our little cowpokes...

2008-02-18T20:40:00.003-06:00

What in the world is the story behind these boots?! Natl. Ranch. Heritage Center

Jenna's pink boots. She has to copy Jaden.

Jaden's REAL cowboy boots. Yep, he likes his pants tucked in!

Updates

2008-02-18T19:44:00.004-06:00

I've been working with a very outdated desktop computer, something went awry a few weeks ago, and all my photos were on it or in the process of getting loaded. So after finally getting the laptop away from Jeff, I've transferred my photos and will be getting back into the swing of blogging again. Not much is new here other than sick kiddos, wondering if both of Jenna's tubes are part of her woes, and feeling pure exhaustion in every bone of my body. On the positive side! I was able to work with several people at church to overhaul the moms' room and it turned out very warm and welcoming. Photos will be arriving soon. Think dots! Jeff is getting ready for a visit from his regional manager and that always adds stress to our lives. Even though their store is up 37% this year, after a great last year. Jaden and Jenna are sharing a room and so far so good...other than when she cries all night. Then he looks REALLY tired in the morning. And Andrea is chilling with us and waiting to get back to flying for United. And yes, the little itty bitty thing will be flying 757's. Great role model for Jaden who loves airplanes. He informs us that he can be a pilot like Andrea when he gets bigger. Jaden also informed me that he knows how to skateboard and then showed me how by acting it out on the edge of the tub. Followed by,"If I fell I'd break my head and then I wouldn't have a head, Mommy." Hmmm.

Raul's Salsa

2008-01-29T22:29:00.000-06:00

Tonight I've been dicing and slicing (with the help of the Kitchen Aid) jalapenos, serranos, cilantro, onions....and various other things for the best salsa recipe I've ever come across. (Thanks to Andy W.!) I've been making this same one for over 15 years and always vary the quantity/type of chilies in it depending on the crowd. In MN, we had some spice lovers and the same can definitely be said of AZ. Now this batch is for new friends and co-workers in Texas. I'm not sure HOW hot to make it...do I make it full-force and post a warning sign near it with citrus cotton swabs on hand to wipe the burn off lips after?! If one's version of spicy is Pace, then they'll be in for a slight shock. And I'm NOT the best judge because I like it very spicy. Also, tonight Andrea made the mistake of sampling just the red chile sauce that is covering the enchiladas (which are also for tomorrow), and she ended up dancing all over the kitchen with her eyes watering, ice pack on her lips, and me on the floor laughing hysterically at her. And she likes it HOT! What am I going to do tomorrow....

I think I'm feeling the need for heat as in spicy. What with all the talking about AZ and a church leadership conference some people GET to attend!...I must admit I'm pining for Los Dos Molinos!!! I had to scope out a review and here's what Frommer's had to say:

Frommer's Review

I hope you travel with a fire extinguisher. You're gonna need it if you eat at this legendary hot spot in south Phoenix. The food here is New Mexican style, which means everything, with the exception of the margaritas, is incendiary. Actually there are a few dishes for the timid, but people who don't like their food fiery know enough to stay away from this place. So popular is the food at Los Dos Molinos that there's even one in New York.

Be afraid...be VERY afraid...and I almost made it to the NYC site but Wallace & Matthews were burned out from my making them walk all over Manhattan in one day. Men!

If It's Wrinkled...

2008-01-18T14:25:00.000-06:00

I had the opportunity to go through piles and piles and piles of old church curriculum (much of it HAD to have been donated!) and children's Bible activities. I came upon a "treasure" that must be immortalized. The title was something like "The Manners & Etiquette Guidelines." Of course it was meant for girls. The first item I came across was a drawing of a woman with a wrinkled skirt and the saying, "If it's wrinkled, it's time to steam and press." Other pieces of advice were on our "spiritual proportions, lovely hands, and feminine appearance." I will be keeping it as a sofa table book to laugh over. Thank goodness I was born in a more current time. I'll have to try and scan some of the drawings. Or maybe Starr or Jonathan will get to it before me!! Check out their blogs!

Belated Shots

2008-01-14T21:45:00.000-06:00

An.Dre.A....Jenna!
Scooters & Strollers Rock on Christmas Eve!
Our little cowpoke
The TRAIN TABLE builders! And Jason's dog Abby who surprised the kiddos with her presence!
Prezzies!!
Jaden, his light saber, & first pair of sport briefs!
Jenna and Mommy!
Little Painter
Jenna's been swiped out of of the saddle!
Off to church and feelin' spiffy!
Jake & Jenna...LOVE each other!
Jenna & Great Gramps takin' a stroll!
Well, here are a slew of photos from Christmas up to a visit to Jeff's store the other day with Great Grandpa! Jeff was building a computer for his dad so our desktop was down for 4 weeks and I wasn't about to reload everything to our laptop. Although now that I'm thinking about it, probably should because the desktop computer is from the stone ages and slower than slow. Here goes...

Black Boots

2008-01-12T13:02:00.000-06:00

Jaden officially has his first pair of cowboy boots...albeit probably plastic. He LOVES them. Smiles at them, rubs them, sleeps with them, shows them to EVERYONE, and even stomped all over the National Ranching Heritage Center this morning. He's a REAL cowboy now...according to him.

Oh No

2008-01-08T22:02:00.000-06:00

Jaden has been PREOCCUPIED with wanting a pair of cowboy boots and reminded me this morning that he wants a pair. Then he said he wanted to be a cowboy. I was tuning the radio and came across a country western song and told him it was a cowboy song and started to immediately change the channel. He said, "I want to listen to cowboy music!" Oh NOOOOOOO! Wranglers are right around the corner....

Bad Dogs and the People Who Love Them

2007-12-31T21:42:00.000-06:00

Or another name is the "Secret Brotherhood of Dysfunctional Dog Owners." Yes, I've belonged to the brotherhood and sorely miss it. I've just finished reading a book that had me laughing, crying, reminiscing with the author, and missing the all intrusiveness of having dogs in my life. Max and Mojo, you are both sorely missed and still bring me to tears. Grogan sums it up precisely when he says, "We could have bought a small yacht with what we spent on our dog and all the things he destroyed. Then again, how many yachts wait by the door all day for your return?" Marley could have been related to our dogs...at least in behavior, love, loyalty, empathy, friendship, and reckless abandonment of refinement. To recount some of the things destroyed and memories made...walls, carpet, books, shoes, clothing, headsets, screens, seatbelts, ETC! gone in a flash. Mojo running smack into a cholla cactus, both dogs eating poison and puking their guts out after having charcoal. Golf ball hunting on base. Stolen pizza. Wait, anything edible or unedible...down the hatch. I better stop with the destruction because it wasn't all bad obviously or I wouldn't be going down memory lane on New Year's Eve. I miss the love they gave so unconditionally. We went through some of the toughest things life can throw at a person, with a faithful dog on each side, eyes glued to our every movement, pressed against our side when crying, laying with head on our laps...quiet for the moment. Then sensing our excitement over the slightest thing and jumping and clawing and yapping at us. Go time! And of course, taking up the king sized bed. Ahhhh. Those were the days. I miss them dearly. Life without a canine friend is lonely indeed. Or kind of like blah oatmeal. Max, AKA Chub Chubs & Mojo, AKA Mojinator. I'll never forget you....there...self indulgent walk down canine memory lane abated. Now I need some Kleenex...