williams fam 5

2012-01-16T01:41:00.000-07:00

I told myself that as a reward for passing my "big teacher test" I could get a pinterest account. It's nice to have time to collect things I like online. I posted a lot of my personal photos of trips I've taken tonight, so if you are interested - check out my pinterest boards. https://pinterest.com/

Happy pinning.

2012: already exciting

2012-01-10T22:00:00.001-07:00

Lucas' tooth finally decided to come out.

Ian cracked his forehead on the kitchen chair. Glued, not stitched. (Thank you Dr. Heiner)

Elliott & Katie's baby girl was born! 1/9/12, 7 lbs 10 oz.

No name yet, so I just call her my sweet baby.

I think Elliott is a pretty great dad already.

Fast forward review of the past 6 months

2012-01-10T21:32:00.000-07:00

Amazon Region, Ecuador

August 2011:

I was in Ecuador. Ian's 9th birthday. Brooklyn's 11th birthday. Aaron is super-dad. I came home, and went back to work 10 hours later.

September:

School. Working at school. Field trips with school. I studied for a big teaching certification test.

Ian at the Idaho Bird Observatory releasing a songbird.

Cub Scouts is back in session!

Soccer Season! 4 Practices Weekly and Saturday Games!

October:

Youth Ambassadors for Ecuador visit Boise for 3 weeks, and I'm in charge.

Aaron invests in a Go Pro Camera that everyone in the family enjoys

Corn Mazes

Halloween: Lucas = White Ninja, Brooklyn = Christmas Mantle, Ian = Ninja Bandit

November:

We had a baby shower for Katie & Elliott

Lucas got his tonsils out.

I studied for my test. I had a birthday. Aaron had a birthday. The USA had Thanksgiving.

Lucas' baby teeth forgot to get loose and fall out. But the big ones are in.

December:

I PASSED my test!

(HOORAY! Now I can teach any subject K-8th grade. AND now I can have a life again!)

Brooklyn continues to rock!

We took a family vacation to Midway, Utah.

Christmas lights at the Salt Lake Temple

I went to Madrid, Spain for a Professional Development Training for a few days.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Once upon a time...

2012-01-10T18:45:00.002-07:00

I had a blog.
I had good intentions.
I had a lot to say; too much.
I didn't know where to start.
I was too far behind.

I am back.

Leaving on a Jet Plane

2011-07-16T21:56:00.003-06:00

Monday, July 18 I fly out to Washington DC filling my new role as a US Youth Ambassador Mentor. I'm not sure what access to the internet I'll have there, but for now I will post my pre-adventure feelings.

1. Uneasy about leaving my family. I am SO BLESSED to have the best husband and mom to hold down my normal responsibilities for the weeks I'm gone. I know they will all be fine. However, I might be a huge blubbering mess leaving them. I prefer to say I will be gone for 4 weeks rather than a month. It is easier on my heart.

2. Excited to see Washington DC as an Ambassador Mentor. I've been there before, but never with the kind of access to the embassy and service projects we will have this time.

3. ECUADOR! I get to return to South America. It has been 14 years since I was in a Spanish speaking country. TOO LONG considering being a Spanish teacher is my livelihood now. I will be in Quito most of the time, with a few days in the Amazonian region, as well as a day or two in an indigenous region. I will stay with host families, and visit children's homes and an orphanage. We will do some service projects down there, as well as spend time touring and getting to know more about the country in general. AMAZING OPPORTUNITY, right!?!

I have the same feelings I've had before every big thing I've done in my life. (college, mission, marriage, having babies, new jobs, etc.) I guess that is a good sign. Hopefully I will be able to post while I'm gone (I'll be on facebook occasionally at the least), but if not...nos vemos en agosto.

Preparing

2011-06-30T21:23:00.004-06:00

It is summer and it's a good time to be a teacher. Things are much quieter with only 3 kids instead of 150. I am always amazed with my ability to fill the 40 hours a week I usually spend teaching without much effort. I do admit I'm sleeping in with my little family, and not needing to be anywhere, or pack 4 lunches a day are truly heaven.

The kids are are exactly that; kids. I've run out of babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers. We have yet to enter the teen years, so we are in a utopia of childhood right now in the Williamsfam5. Days are full of camps - so far they've attended Masters of Illusions (aka magic camp) and soccer camp for the boys, and currently Brooklyn is away for the week at YMCA residence camp. (sniff from mom) We swim, play on the trampoline and I'm constantly acting as the "screen time" police, encouraging the boys to put down the ipod touch and play outside. We've eaten a steady stream of snowcones and slushies. Living one block from them is just too tempting. We really do live in the best part of Boise for Summer Time fun.

My feelings are torn now though as I prepare for one of the biggest adventures I'm sure I'll ever be a part of. In two weeks I leave my little family for 4 weeks to be a US Youth Ambassador Mentor for the US Department of State. I'll be in Washington DC for a week and then we are off to Ecuador for 3 weeks! You can check out this link if you are interested in more info: www.partners.net/partners/Youth_Ambassadors.asp?SnID=778093593
I'll try to blog while I'm there. I'm hoping my new ipad2 will be here by then. Keep in touch and watch my adventures. Hopefully I'll be ok so far from my favorite people on the planet.

Best Ice Cream Ever!

2011-06-09T18:17:00.003-06:00

Molly Moon's Homemade Ice Cream, Seattle

Visiting my childhood friends has its perks! Ice cream everyday!
Flavors this week:
Balsamic Strawberry
Salted Carmel
Sasquatch - Granola, Chocolate Chunks, Carmel in Chocolate Ice Cream
Girl Scout Mint

What flavor should I try tomorrow? http://www.mollymoonicecream.com/

Good thing this trip is only 5 days long. I might be 200 pounds soon otherwise.

Catching Up - Spring 2011

2011-06-01T21:17:00.012-06:00

I've been consistently cold, or on the chilly side of moderate all Spring. Boise has left a lot to be desired as far as lovely spring days are concerned, but we've had fun with Easter and Spring events nonetheless. (Is that one word?)

The Springtime Summary:
EASTER = Cute kids aka too many cute pics to post

SPRING CLASS TRIPS

Each class goes on a trip to different places each spring. As a teacher, I have attended 3 of the 5 trips Foothills School has taken this season.

Trip 1: 6th-8th grades - Olympic National Park, Washington
AMAZING scenery, ok weather, fuzzy trees, non-intentional Twilight Tour to Forks, and the Quilute Nation
Trip 2: 4th-5th grades - Oregon Coast, Newport
Brooklyn's class! It's always fun to be both the teacher AND the mom. (Yes, I am serious. I realize 'tone' can be misinterpreted.) Again, there are too many pics to choose from. Should I post the tide pools, the ocean boat ride or Brooklyn dissecting a squid at OSU?
ok I can't decide
I have some pretty amazing pictures of sea life both from the ocean and the aquarium in Newport, but we'll move on to the next trip.

Trip 3: Kindergarten-1st graders - Horsetheif YMCA Camp, (near Cascade, ID)
Lucas' class! We stay closer to home with the little guys and the trip is only 2 nights, rather than a full week. It was eventful, including a trip with Lucas to the Cascade Emergency Room the first night there. He was knocked over by a falling classmate in an intense game of freeze tag on an asphalt playground. I am happy to report that it was a Williamsfam5 first! Pretty good record for having kids for almost 11 years now, it was my first trip to the ER with one of them. He had a small laceration on the back of his head and we could have opted for 1 staple. However, we decided the trauma of getting the staple would not out weigh the benefit. We walked out of there with a freshly scrubbed head and 2 glow sticks.

The rest of the trip was full of rock climbing, art projects, ropes course and campfires.
That was all the traveling for me. But Ian's class went on a trip that I didn't attend. As a faculty member I don't choose which trips to take, I just go where they send me. Ian took his 1st trip without a parent and did just fine on his own. He is really growing up! Since I wasn't there, I don't have many pictures to choose from, but I'll talk with him and we can post one of his favorite shots later.

Besides traveling, the kids did a fantastic Spring Music Performance, all based around Broadway musicals.
We found out Ian is a ham:
Brooklyn is fancy in stage make-up:
Lucas is the cutest Lion King ever:
HAPPY SPRING and now we're off to a busy summer...

1st Pinewood Derby

2011-04-19T21:49:00.004-06:00

Ian numbered his car 08, so he can always remember how old he was when he made it. I think 8 is his lucky number - it only makes sense, having been born on 08/08.

FIRST PLACE WINNER OVER ALL

Life is back

2011-03-21T14:54:00.002-06:00

Although I had to have a brief meltdown yesterday when it was decided we would NOT be traveling to a warm and sunny location for Spring Break, today I am thrilled because it is NOT WINTER ANYMORE! There are signs the sun may return to my life.
1. I didn't have to scrape ice off my windshield this morning.
2. The gardening department has returned to Fred Meyer.
3. The 1,000,000,000 bulbs I planted last fall are peeking out.
4. My Spanish calendar was switched from "invierno" to "primavera" today.
5. My kids won't go to bed on time, because it is lighter later.

There is light at the end of the tunnel. I can see it. I can't wait to feel it.

Happy Spring Everyone!

We are good, and didn't win - Lessons we've learned from losing.

2011-03-16T21:19:00.006-06:00

(Disclaimer - This is going to read a little like a journal entry. However, the topic I believe is universal.)

Tonight was the Foothills School Variety Show.
Rewind a month.

Upon hearing about this show we decided it was time to make a family band. Brooklyn and Emily are finally getting good enough on the guitar to keep a song going and with Pappy as our "rock" we can really rock and roll. Aaron is steady on the conga drum and Ian holds the tambourine beat. Lucas joins in on the chorus and we all sing for a full scale sound. Brooklyn's voice has bloomed into a solo performer and the boys are always on key. We played "Everybody" by Ingrid Michaelson.

We loved it! Practicing together was one of the best things our family has ever spent time doing. The anticipation to the performance was exciting. We were the first act and we nailed it. We started the show with a bang.

30 acts later, it was over. The crowd enjoyed intermission while the judges decided the fate of the winners. Everyone was happy, feeling good and congratulating each other on great talents.

Then the winners were announced. There were a LOT of winners. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in many categories. Over half the participants walked away with prizes. Individual prizes for "best this" and "best that". Finally the grand prize winner...and nope, not us.

This is not the first time I've been passed up for a prize. In fact, now that I think about it, I've never won anything to my recollection. Even my childhood soccer team lost every game. I've managed through life and think I haven't suffered much for not winning. But somehow tonight is different. For the first time, I now have my kids at my side as the prizes are passed out to others. I have to somehow show them how great they were tonight, despite being overlooked by the judges. I have to capture that feeling of confidence, and self assurance they felt as they walked off the stage, before the winners were announced.

There was another little girl that did an AMAZING gymnastics performance and didn't get recognized. For a moment I was glad we didn't win either. Because, I was able to go to her, pull her tear stained hands from her face and say,
"Did you like my family band?"
She whimpered, "Yes, it was my favorite."
"Guess what. I didn't win anything!" I said to her. "I thought we did really well, and we didn't win either." So I asked her to give me a hug, and her little hug, sharing the pain of defeat, was one of the sweetest things I've ever felt. I wouldn't have had that hug if the Family Band had won.

So, losing isn't as fun as winning. In fact, it's hard to work through. I've mastered losing individually by becoming fairly non-competitive. However, tonight I would have liked to see my kids win. I would have liked to have them receive that external verification that they are exceptional. It's one thing to tell yourself, but it's another to have it confirmed by an audience. They worked hard to develop this talent they put out there tonight, and those prizes blew the wind out of their sails.

So tonight, we are learning to find contentment with ourselves, without the praise of trophies. I know we were good. We worked hard, we did the best we could and we left it on the stage. Brooklyn's strum was strong and steady, her voice was beautiful. The fullness I felt to have my dad, husband, and three kids with me singing is something I can't top. It's doing my favorite thing, with some of my favorite people.

Now give me some ideas on how to pass that joy to my kids who are feeling like they are not winners...

Being Content

2011-03-15T12:13:00.002-06:00

"What does that mean anyway?" Aaron asked me yesterday.

So over the next few posts I will define my journey to Lenten contentment - what it means and does not mean.

Today I am content that although I was late for work due to a fit over a winter coat, no fits were thrown by me.

Also, I am finding contentment with

for lunch. With some crab and cottage cheese. Yum.

Lent

2011-03-13T20:53:00.004-06:00

Is lent always supposed to feel like torture? Jesus fasted for 40 days and was then tempted by the devil. So following that model, I'd say yes.

However, this year I've decided to quit torturing myself for lent, and see how that feels.

I've decided to be content for lent.

This may be the most challenging thing I've ever done to honor the season. Will it bring me more joy? Will my family be happier? Will I be able to pull it off?

Before and After

2011-02-18T17:15:00.003-07:00

I'll spare you. I thought about posting before and after pics of my dieting adventures, but that thought was less than a second long.

Suffice it to say, my freezer trick worked and I look better.

Diet Trick...am I crazy for doing this?

2011-01-15T15:30:00.002-07:00

I decided it was time to reclaim my jeans.

I don't mind feeling a little hungry. I don't mind keeping my meals simple. I don't even mind eating healthy food.

The hardest thing for me about eating "the right things" is when something DELICIOUS is in front of my face. Examples this month have been:
1. Curt & Jake's Yummy Christmas Casserole - French toast casserole with cheesy eggy goodness inside. (Relief Society Activity)
2. My mom's lasagna.(Gia, Elliott & Katie were in town so Mom cooked.)
3. Desserts from an awesome french bakery. (Thank you gift from a kind friend.)
4. Chocolate Muffins from Costco (Left over from Aaron's work.)

Those are just SOME of the temptations I have faced. But I found a solution for dealing with it. I freeze the food I want to eat. I don't get it now, but I will later (maybe, if I want it). So far this strategy is working out pretty well and the food is filling up my freezer and not my pants.

Food for thought.

What it's like to be a Mormon...

2011-01-01T21:45:00.003-07:00

I just posted this on Mormon.org (click on the ink below).
There are some pretty cool Mormons out there...

Official Williamsfam5 Christmas Brag Letter 2010

2010-12-21T15:28:00.008-07:00

I've been receiving a lot of family Christmas letters, you know the kind, where you get a little snapshot of each member of the clan and who they are. I feel the need to join in...

Aaron

is still the dad, and husband of our family. He still loves to snowboard, but he rubs his knees a lot more than he used to when he gets home. His career in Real Estate is pretty crappy. He still works hours and hours for clients, but the deals don't close for one reason or another and that equals $0. Not fun. So he has picked up a seasonal job at the Bogus Basin ticket office and for the first time in his working life is experiencing the "perks" of being employed. Our whole family gets free passes to the mountain this year. We had an EXCELLENT day sledding on the Bogus Basin tubing hill (which I HIGHLY recommend) and we even got a free fancy dinner last night at the holiday party. His Real Estate brokerage also has a holiday party, but they charge $20 a head, so we skipped out on that one. Outside of work, he is the best dad in the world and enjoys helping Ian with his cub scout achievements and "organizing" the garage (aka shifting junk from place to place). Does anyone want a 1990s jet ski, a TINY motorcycle, or a ping pong table? And for the right price, he might even give up his recently acquired dune buggy. I love this man. He is my best friend, and although he spends most of his days trying to figure me out, I think we are well matched and he puts up with me quite well.

Brooklyn

is 10 and AMAZING! She is one of the most pleasant, kind, intuitive and genuine people ever made. She has many friends and talents that keep her busy. She continues to play with her band at Boise Rock School and has sung, played guitar, and debuted the bass at gigs this year. She started playing the cello at school and loves to sing with the ward choir and at school. She also joined the YMCA swim team this fall and is working her way toward swimming in a meet soon. (Be aware - their big fund raiser is starting, so you may get hit up for a donation soon.) She has a wonderful group of girls at church that are in "Activity Days" together, and they have the best leaders ever that are always coming up with fun things for the group to do. And, the snowboarding season is upon us and she'll be heading up the mountain over winter break. With all of that, she keeps our whole family on the run!

Ian

is 8 and had a very exciting year. He was baptized in September and joined Cub Scouts. He passed his Bobcat rank in only a couple of days and was the first in his pack to get his Wolf. I am going to have to quit my job just to keep up with the sewing it will require to get his patches on, at this rate. Besides Scouting, he is our bookworm, mad scientist, genius boy. He reads better than anyone in our family, including his parents. He is in the highest level literacy group and is currently finishing the last book in the Harry Potter series. He skipped a grade in math this year, so although he is in the 3rd grade, he attends 4th grade math. He suffers a bit from the "mad scientist" demeanor and his teachers and parents exercise patience, while encouraging him to pay attention to getting papers in his backpack and looking up from his book to hear instructions. He loves playing with his brother and sister, and is especially fond of his friends that are in his "Spy Club". Aaron took him up the mountain last week and he is now able to ride his snowboard without assistance. By January he'll be up on the big runs with his sister and dad!

Lucas

What to say about Lucas? He gets in some trouble, and is the more irresistible kid there is. He is EXTREME in everything he does. There is no mid-range for him. He is 5 and started kindergarten this year. Our school has all-day kindergarten, and sometimes that's long for a little guy. But, he is always doing his best to keep up with the pace of the rest of the family. He still laughs like a pigeon cooing and is the sneaky joker of our family. He makes us all laugh and sometimes drives us to the point of insanity. He won a coloring contest and his prize was to be able to run in the "Beat Coach Pete" race. He got to go to the Boise State football field and meet Coach Peterson. The Broncos are HUGE here in Boise, so it was pretty exciting, but I think his favorite part were the free snacks! He is following his brother's footsteps in math, as his teacher has placed him directly in the 1st grade math group, skipping the kindergarten level all together. He is learning to read, and especially loves snuggling in his bed at night and reading with his family.

I am pretty busy. I work full time, teaching Spanish at a progressive private school in downtown Boise. I teach preschool-9th graders, and it's pretty much the best job I could think of, short of not having one at all. The entire faculty is wonderful and it is great going to school with my kids everyday. Although it is a bit spendy, I would rather pay to have them there with me, than have to work without them so close. It is the best going to work with my kids in tow everyday. I am also working on my teaching certification for K-8th grades, so that is hanging over my head this year. I'll be glad when I'm finished and I can go back to simply teaching and not being the student. My family will be glad too. I'll probably be a little nicer, but no guarantees. My favorite things are hanging out with people I love, the idea of playing the guitar and singing more, planting and playing in my yard, flowers, my new camera and the memories it captures, and thinking of why my life is pretty great.

2010 was a rough year in many ways. We were optimistic it would be much better than 2009, but alas, here we are at the end and we're still treading water. I think a lot of families feel that way. This "economic downturn" seems to have morphed into a sinkhole and I'm not sure when we are getting out. HOWEVER, Aaron and I are not letting it keep our family down. We took the LONGEST road trip we have ever done last summer, and made memories that will last a lifetime with our kids. We took advantage of an otherwise difficult real-estate transaction, and got to go to Hawaii for free, while meeting up with Aaron's brother Jared and his wife Caitlin while we were there. I get three weeks off work, for Winter Break, and I intend to recall what life was like as a stay at home mom and bring some of that "homeiness" back to the Williamsfam5. In fact, just today I made Christmas cookies and forced, by threat of ground-ation, the kids to come and help me decorate them. Ah, the sweetness of being home!

I hope this has been a satisfactory update. In case you've missed my posts this year - now you're all caught up. MERRY CHRISTMAS and here's to an improving 2011!

MERRY 21st CENTURY CHRISTMAS

2010-12-19T15:58:00.005-07:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Here is your virtual Christmas card. Feel free to print it out and hang it with the rest of your cards. There just isn't anything quite as touching as a 21st century Christmas greeting.

Christmas Cards Are Ordered

2010-12-16T09:24:00.002-07:00

I get to pick up our annual Christmas card from Costco today. (Yes, I am still shopping at Costco - despite the dead tree needle experience. See last post.) I mention that our family adventures can be followed on this blog, so I guess I will be making an effort to be a more diligent blogger. It will be pretty lame if people decide to look on the blog and don't see anything posted since Halloween.

School is out this week so I plan on blogging over the 3 week break...

I anticipate a lot of talk of snowboarding, Christmas adventures, and anticipation of goals for the new year. (My pants are screaming for a new year's resolution to get back on the treadmill.) Any ideas for topics?

Real vs. Fake

2010-12-03T14:58:00.004-07:00

I have never in my life had a fake Christmas tree. Even while I lived in Chile, and Christmas is celebrated under the hot summer sun, I still sought out the local tree lot and bought a tree.

Since marrying Aaron in 1998, the tree has been a huge undertaking to begin the holiday season. Our first year together I had visions of a romantic, quaint holiday celebrating our first Christmas together. Instead, I saw Aaron mad for the first time. I hadn't realized that it was the first Christmas tree he had ever been "in charge of" and while doing all he could to get the tree up our blasted, crappy, plastic stand, it was more than he signed up for. That's when I heard the first swear uttered from Aaron's lips.

Often we have gone to cut our own tree in the forest. Usually, near the Williams family cabin in Smith's Ferry, ID. Those trees are tall, with branches a bit on the sparse side, and magnificent, if you have the right ceilings. Which, lucky for me, I had homes with vaulted ceilings from 1999-2007. Perfect for a fresh tree from the forest.

Then there was the tree of 2008. Remembered by me as the grand finale of the worst week ever. Since moving to our present home, we no longer enjoy the luxury of vaulted ceilings nor what I like to call "the Christmas Tree Room", so those enormous forest trees are not suited quite so well. We have gone the Costco route for the past 3 years. Unfortunately, in 2008 the tree stand we had just wasn't man enough for our tree. It fell over the first night we set it up, but luckily we hadn't decorated it yet. Later that week, while Aaron was enjoying a week away at an Arizona Suns game with his generously cool friend Nate, I was in Boise with the kids, working, with a sinus infection, in charge of the ward Christmas program, and when I came home from the doctor I found the tree on it's side AGAIN - ornaments shattered everywhere.
That's all I want to say about that year. Moving on...

2010 - I bought our tree at Costco 2 nights ago. It is a Noble Fir, but at Costco you can't see what the tree looks like when you buy it because it's still wrapped in twine. You just trust that Costco is known for good products and hope they have pre-screened all trees before allowing them on their lot.
Plus, you can't beat the price.
The kids and I chose the one with the straightest top. Had them toss it on top of the Sequoia and headed home. I picked up Pappy on the way, to help me get it off the top. (This is what happens now that Aaron is working at the Bogus Basin ticket office full time. I have to bug my dad a lot more often.)
This morning Aaron and I hauled it in and stood it up in the stand.
(Note - NOT the same stand as 1998 or 2008.)
It looked like the letter C, or a bow without the line and arrow. "Hmmmm. This better straighten out when I take the twine off."
After letting the snow melt off and dry out a bit I removed the twine to find a WHOLE FOREST'S WORTH of PINE NEEDLES! I don't even know where they came from. They were just tucked in the branches - brown and dead. Keep in mind this is a LIVE tree that is green and recently cut. It must have lived below a dead tree that had been shedding it's needles below for ages. NOT FUN! I ended up vacuuming, sweeping and vacuuming again and again for TWO HOURS. Yes, you read right - I had to vacuum my Christmas tree. All this before I even hang the lights.I filled an entire tall kitchen bag full of dead pine needles and went through 3 hand held vacuum bags.

While watching Aaron and I stand up the tree this morning I asked the kids if they know the meaning of the Christmas tree and what it symbolizes.
Boys repied, "No."
Brooklyn sweetly states, "Eternal life. But wouldn't a fake tree be a better symbol because it will last forever and this tree will die? In fact, now that it's cut, it's already dead."

So I've now invested approximately 4 hours into this dead tree, and it's not even decorated. Should I watch the day after Christmas sales for a fake tree for next year?

Who wants a free trip to Hawaii? ME!

2010-11-21T18:02:00.006-07:00

So the details of the "free" are bittersweet and involve real estate transactions that I would rather not think about...so you are just going to have to wonder.

ANYWAY, Aaron and I had the chance to stay in Hawaii for a week and couldn't pass up the opportunity. So we cashed in all our travel miles. (I highly recommend the Capital One travel card) and packed up for Oahu.
More pics are posted on Facebook. But here are some highlights of the trip:
1.
Matsumoto's Shaved Ice on the North Shore

Sunsets with some of my favorite people: Aaron, Caitlin & Jared

3.

Going to the Temple Open House

Spending Veteran's Day at Pearl Harbor

Learning to Tahitian Dance with this guy.

Wearing nerdy glasses.

Meeting Wooly Bully the Sea Turtle at Turtle Bay

8.

Sunset on Sunset Beach. Oh, THAT'S how it got its name.

Finding Wallows. If you don't know what this is, as I didn't see this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Search_for_Animal_Chin

And countless other amazing sights.

Halloween 2010

2010-11-10T11:06:00.004-07:00

Since we were headed to Hawaii the following week, we thought Sailors headed to Pearl Harbor was fitting for this year's Halloween.

The kids have been planning their costumes for a year. We have the perfect set up for Hermione Granger, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. They've read the series, watched the movies, and are EXPERT wizards.

Hermione and Ron already looked the part, but we had to darken Harry's hair and give him the signature scar. Yes, that is his real hair. We just sprayed it black and it turned out PERFECT!

They had a great Halloween weekend and are already planning their costumes for next year.

Life with Lucas

2010-09-29T12:02:00.003-06:00

He's a good kid to have around. (Most of the time.)
Here is his last few days in summary:
Friday - got in trouble for hitting at school.
Saturday - scored first goal in soccer game.
Sunday - did an EXCELLENT job in the Primary Sacrament meeting program (along with Ian and Brooklyn.) This was his first year not squeaking into the microphone just to hear it amplified.
Monday - 1. Had a GREAT day at school - no fights.
2. Noticed the statue of Jesus on top of St. John's Cathedral and had this conversation: Lucas: "Why do they have God on that church? Why not Josa?"
Me: "Do you mean Moroni?"
Lucas: Yeah.
Me: Because many churches choose to put different statues on their churches.
Lucas: I would put a ninja on my church.
Tuesday - 1. Got in trouble again for fighting.
2. While looking at a book with a picture of a grave he said, "This grave doesn't even say peace and quiet on it." We figured out he meant RIP, but I think when I die I'd like my grave to say PEACE and QUIET.

I thought we'd have a few more years before this...

2010-09-15T09:13:00.004-06:00

Day 6 of Kindergarten is tiring.

While Lucas should have been attending his "closing meeting",

instead he was doing this:

During the last rotation station, he was just too sleepy. After misbehaving and throwing a cotton wristband across the class, distracting his classmates, he was supposed to sign the binder recognizing his misdeed. I guess the teacher will have to wait for his signature.

He slept for the rest of the school day and beyond. While the rest of the class cleaned up, packed their bags, lined up and headed out the door, Lucas remained asleep. Here's a picture of his class leaving at the end of the day.

At least he didn't fall asleep in Spanish class.

Ian's Baptism

2010-08-28T18:33:00.008-06:00

Ian opted for a very private and small baptism. Often in our church eight year old children are baptized at a group baptism service. Ian didn't like the idea of other families watching him get baptized, so we arranged for him to have his own service. He asked that we not invite friends, just our family. It ended up turning out really special.

Welcome Ian, as the newest member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

As you can see, we had a pretty great day!

The program was wonderful:
Grandma Williams played the piano.
Lucas gave the opening prayer.
Ian's cousin, Rory, gave a great talk on Baptism.
Pappy and I did a duet of "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing".
Brooklyn gave a very nice talk on the Holy Ghost.
Aaron performed the baptism, with Uncles Jared and Nathan as witnesses.
Ian's cousin, Ewan, gave the closing prayer.

After the service we went home and enjoyed DELICIOUS food and dessert. So, although we missed the people in our family that couldn't make it. We had a practically perfect day.

Double Digits for Brooklyn

2010-08-09T12:13:00.003-06:00

August 9, 2000
Kona, HI Christmas 2002
Old Faithful - Yellowstone Park, 2010

Brooklyn is AMAZING. I know that seems like an exaggeration, but really, I can't imagine her any better. As her mom, I have no complaints.

She is considerate, responsible, kind, organized, watchful, remorseful (when needed), fun, talented, beautiful, nice, curious, happy, smart, healthy, creative and active.

Wouldn't you agree that a kid like that sounds about perfect?

Happy 10th birthday Brooklyn!

8-8-2002 Eight years later.

2010-08-08T00:34:00.003-06:00

From THIS...

to this...

and now, this.Ian had a rough start. We are SO HAPPY he figured out that breathing thing and is here with us. He is 8 today.
In case you didn't know, he is EXCEPTIONAL!
He loves his sister and brother.
He is a math wiz. (I think that skips a generation.)
He plays a mean game of baseball in grandma Susie's backyard.
He helps me weed the garden.
He likes to explore outside, and is great at finding frogs.
He has a knack for technology.
He is a veracious reader.
He is SUPER sweet.
He was the best birthday present we ever gave Brooklyn.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY IAN!

being a parent

2010-08-02T20:45:00.008-06:00

Sometimes I like being a parent.
It's cool.

First, I got to drop Brooklyn off to go to YMCA camp today. nostalgia.

Second, I watched my boys work a lemonade stand in my front yard. Their attire is what really made it. Lucas wore cowboy boots, a transformers t-shirt, silky basketball shorts and alternated between a cowboy hat and a giant pirate hat. Ian was a diligent worker, always on the lookout through his binoculars for customers. He would occasionally sport his battery operated Darth Vader head. It makes his voice sound like the evil Vader, and it added a new touch to the calls of "LEMONADE, 50 CENTS a GLASS!".

Third, I gave Ian a sweet haircut. He is the only person on earth I will barber up. And the best part is he loves to have choppy, uneven hair cuts, so he thinks I'm the best hair cutter in the land. He is likes a shaggy sort of do, so as long as I don't chop it too short I'm safe. I just let it grow long enough that I can cut it and if I screw up too bad there is still enough length for Nonny or Grandma Williams to clean up my mess. But so far, he seems to love my messes.

Lastly, I like them.

For your viewing pleasure...my cute boys!
(pics of Brooklyn at camp to come)
My favorite cowboy, basketball player, transformers under-roos guy. (Note the pirate hat hanging on the chair for easy costume change.)
Ian and his friend Graeme scouting out lemonade customers.

Letters...

2010-07-25T23:54:00.005-06:00

Dear Sore Throat,
Please remember that you were not invited to my summer vacation. Nor to that of my children. If you are, in fact, a bacterial infection (as I suspect) I plan on killing you after my visit to the doctor tomorrow. If it weren't five minutes to midnight, I'd be there now. But I don't want to be one of those people nurses complain about that rush to the emergency room when it's not an emergency. But the bad thing is, other than childbirth, this might just be the most pain I've ever been in. If you are a virus, I might just die. I hope antibiotics are a quick cure.
Goodbye,
Emily

Dear Fever,
Please do your job and get rid of my sore throat.
Thank you,
Emily

Dear Sty,
Please leave Aaron alone. Get off his lovely tan colored eyes. I know he prefers "hazel" but I shall forever be in love with his sandy tan eyes. So go away.
Best wishes,
Emily

Dear Virus,
You are the worst. Lucas has been a brave little guy, but you need to ease up! Man! Show some mercy!
At my wits end,
Emily

Dear Ian,
Thank you for putting up with the rest of us. We are a mess and your cheerful smile brightens our misery.
Love,
Mommy

Dear Brooklyn,
I am glad you are in Utah with Pappy making freezer jam. I miss you terribly, but I'm glad you are far away from our germs. I hope we are all better when you get home on Tuesday. I can't stand you away for so long. But, it was a good week to go! bring us home some yummy jam!
Love,
Mommy

Dear Ancestors,
You were tough. No wonder you all only lived about 40 years. Life must have sucked to live before ibuprofen and antibiotics and chloraseptic throat spray. Please accept my deepest admiration. But I'm so glad I am a 21st century girl. But it still bites to be sick.
Sincerely,
Emily

Dear Bed,
I'm sorry I don't think I'll be with you tonight. The thought of laying in the dark with my throat burning and ears stinging is more than I can bare. So I will do my best to keep busy tonight. Bring on the insomnia. Sunrise will never be more welcome.
See you tomorrow,
Emily

Dear Doc in the Box,
Please fix me tomorrow.
Hoping for the best,
Emily

3 weeks, 5300 miles, 10 states

2010-07-14T11:39:00.009-06:00

How do I blog about that?

I kept a travel journal but it's 13 pages long.
I think we have well over 1000 pictures.

Here is a photo summary:
Pioneers don't smile. Winter Quarters, NB
Winter Quarters LDS Temple
St. Louis - Just driving through.

Lucas doing one of his "taste tests" with olives and hotdog at the Williams Family Reunion in Vincennes, IN.
Sunday BBQ, eating butter dipped Indiana Sweet Corn
Williams Family Baseball! Ian hit and never quit running. It didn't bother him that Brooklyn had stopped on 2nd base. He just ran right past her and went for the home run! He wasn't going to let another runners base judgment stop him!

We visited the grave sites of both Rob's mom's family and his dad's.

We rode go-carts and mini-motorcycles at Aaron's aunt and uncle's house. Only 2 wrecks. Lucas took a clutch piece to the back and Brooklyn dented in a door. Oops.
Sleeping quarters in Indiana at Rob's parents house. Nobody lives there anymore, but it served as shelter from the Indiana rains at night.

After Indiana we headed north to Chicago. Here are the cousins at the Field Museum with "Sue".

At the Art Institute of Chicago Brooklyn said, "I remember that painting from art class!" We took this picture to show her art teacher.
"The Bean" - Chicago, IL
Lucas couldn't hack the 10:30 pm dinners we frequented. No wonder he woke up hungry every morning!

Chicago site seeing!
Playing in a fountain in downtown Chicago. All fun and games until Ian's head hit Brooklyn's front tooth and knocked it loose. Yes, it is her permanent tooth. But in the end it tightened back up.
Another fountain, at Liberty Zoo in Chicago. It's free! You can't beat that!
This was the best of our sleeping arrangements. Brooklyn and I decided the car was getting too squishy night after night, and we opted for the starlit sky. The mosquitos weren't too bad in Nauvoo, and it wasn't raining. It is too bad we didn't have more opportunities for this!
The mosquitos in Indiana beat Ian up. This was the worst of his bites, but his arms and legs didn't look much better. But as you can see, he's still smiling! The day this picture was taken he got into some chigger bugs and the following day his entire body was covered in spots.
Aaron's Parents, His Brother Jared, wife Caitlin, their 4 boys and us at the Nauvoo Temple
After Nauvoo we parted ways with the rest of the Williams clan and headed up to South Dakota for an extended trip through Mount Rushmore and Wyoming, taking us to Yellowstone Park.
On the way to Yellowstone we slept in the car on the highway near Devil's Tower. Not a bad sight to wake up to!
Our first Bison sighting at Yellowstone National Park.
We were lucky enough to see this Grizzly with her cubs and another bear the next day.
And here we are checking out an elk.
The kids were awarded their 7th Junior Ranger badge of the trip at Yellowstone. We had stopped at many National Memorials, Parks and Reserves along the way.
The grand finale to our trip was seeing Old Faithful. Which Lucas refers to as "The Faithful".

Well, that's it in a nut shell. Now we are home and can get to the RELAXING of our summer vacation.

Spring in Boise 2010

2010-06-01T16:54:00.002-06:00

In case you were wondering,
May showers bring June flowers.
At least that's what I'm counting on.

May = All This

2010-05-24T22:11:00.010-06:00

May is a good month.
Here's why:

1. 5 de mayo in my Spanish classes - I got to dress up like a Mexican Folk Dancer.

2. Aaron and Ian went to McCall for Ian's 2nd/3rd grade Spring Trip. It was cold at the McCall Outdoor Science School, but they are tough.

3. Mother's Day - Special Thanks to the lady who made me and all those that I've made. And thanks to Aaron for his help too.

4. Brooklyn and I had tons of fun on her 4th/5th grade Spring Trip to the Snake River/Hell's Canyon, and the Columbia River Gorge. I learned the best way to travel with pre-teens; audiobook The Hunger Games and you will have 10 hours of silence in your car. We all LOVED IT! (Even great for adults, not appropriate for those under 9ish.)

5. My dad spoils me. He showed up yesterday (on Bob Dylan's 69th birthday) with a brand new Martin Guitar! I am still learning about all it's cool details, but wanted to post pics just to show how cool it and my dad are. THANKS PAPPY!!!

*Disclaimer - My pictures are being difficult and won't line up right with the text so your just going to have to match them up on your own. Make it a game.

Flashback

2010-04-26T19:47:00.006-06:00

I was in our attic looking for my mission pictures (which I still can't find, grrrrrrrr) and came across a few that deserve to be dusted off. The first of which is THIS CLASSIC!
Elliott's Halloween costume cerca 1987.

Little Known Things

2010-04-22T12:13:00.004-06:00

My mom sent me this and my sister in law told me to post it:
WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
Not really. My dad told me once that he knew a girl named Brooke that lived across the street from him, and he didn't really know her, but she seemed cool and he liked the name. I guess that kind of counts. But now my daughter is kind of named after her too.
p.s. my name is Emily Brooke

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
When the chiropractor adjusted my ribs. My ribs are under attack.

DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
Not especially, but I'm going to steal Katie's answer. "I don't see it that often. Can we revise to ask if I like my font?"

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
I eat a lot of turkey, but I don't think it deserves to be called my favorite.

DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
Yep. 3. And I don't really think that can be classified as a "little known thing". Even when they are not with me my stretch marks are evidence.

IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
Of course. I'm awesome.

DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
Yes. But that's pretty boring information. I also have the rest of my body parts.

WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
No way! Unless I was being paid a GREAT DEAL of money. I'm talking millions and millions. I hate the feeling of falling more than ANY OTHER. I think it might have something to do with the fact I fell from a second story and cracked open my head at age 3.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
Aaron and I are in a health disagreement regarding cereal. I am trying to stay true to my mom's advice to keep it under 10 sugars, but he keeps bringing home Lucky Charms, and other "sugar" cereals and tells me they are not that bad. Regardless, they are yummy!

DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
Yes, if they have laces. As long as it's over 60 degrees I'm in flip flops or bare foot.

DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?
I used to be when I went to Bodypump on a regular basis. Now I am a wimp and my beat up ribs are making me about as strong as a 90 year old lady. I need rehab!

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
Death by Chocolate

WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
If they are friendly.

BLACK OR PINK?
black

WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
My tone of voice. Every person in my family has been offended by it at some point. I keep trying to change my tone of voice but I'm finding that it's a little like trying to change your face, or height. I think I might be stuck with it. But for the sake of those I love, I'll keep trying.

WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
By death: My Grandma Hawkins
By distance: the Chileans

WHAT COLOR SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
Barefoot. (see shoe tying question above)

WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?
Diet Dr. Pepper and a turkey and swiss sandwich. Not all that satisfying, but low in calories.

WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
The buzz of florescent lights.

FAVORITE SMELLS?
Baking yummy treats. Actually, I don't know if it's the smelling I like or the eating of dough.

WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
Some lady calling Foothills School of Arts and Sciences.

DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
What if I said no? I mean, really! Do I have a choice??!!?! She's my mom! I LOVE THAT LADY!

FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
BSU Football in the Fiesta Bowl.

DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
No. I don't need them. Nor did I ever have braces. One of my students told me, "You would have been BEAUTIFUL 100 years ago, but now everyone can get braces and contacts so you just look like everyone else." I think that was supposed to be a complement.

FAVORITE FOOD?
Prepared by someone else.

SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
I usually am a little disappointed with either.

LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
Harry Potter 4: The Goblet of Fire. We are in the midst of a Harry Potter read/movie- a- thon.

FAVORITE SEASON?
Sunny Spring Days (is that a season?). I could do without the rain and temperamental ups and downs. But I realize that my little seeds need the rain.

HUGS OR KISSES?
Kisses from Aaron and my kids. Hugs from everyone else.

WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
Just finished Blink, and Peter and the Starcatchers, and Hunger Games. Now I'm waiting for Cody to finish Catching Fire so I can get started.

WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT?
News.

ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
Beatles! I really don't feel like they should be an "or" comparison. I don't see the connection, other than the era.

WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
Chile or Italy. I think Chile is farther. I guess I'll google it.

DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
Probably. What do you think it is?

If you made it to the end, you should post this on your blog too.

Spring Break in McCall

2010-04-02T17:42:00.003-06:00

I'm vegging out in this cabin right now.
Spring Break has brought snow to Idaho and rather than plant flowers and work on my yard (my favorite Spring Break past time) we packed up the winter gear and are spending time with friends in a wintry wonderland.

We've pretty much checked off all the required vacation responsibilities:
1. Watched Toy Story, Scooby Do, and Fantastic Mr. Fox.
2. Went out for pizza.
3. Went out for milk shakes.
4. Fell asleep reading a book.
5. Took pictures of kids sledding.
6. Stayed up until 1:30 am playing card games.
7. Ate the world's biggest, and yummiest cinnamon roll.

http://www.mccallpancakehouse.com/

And it's only day two!!!

Illness, Spring and Other Random Thoughts...

2010-03-30T09:32:00.007-06:00

I'm sick of sick. Other than pregnancy, which I realize isn't technically an illness (but it sure felt like it!), I have never been sick for this long. That said, I don't want to dwell on it. I'll try to post something else that is a bit more interesting. Have I been able to do anything other than be consumed by my phlem? Let's see...

It's raining. I am hoping it is healing my grass and encouraging my "over-seed" seeds to sprout where our dog has ruined the lawn. I have a disheartening question lately; who do I care for more - the dog, or the grass? Those who know me will most likely not be surprised that I have chosen the grass.

Good thing we have a dog run. Maybe, I can have the best of both. (Currently I think I have the worst of both - a rowdy dog and dead grass.) Hopefully as the grass heals, and Jetta gets out more in the foothills, both can live well.

It's Spring Break. I love not working. I know that I didn't work full time for the first eight years of motherhood, but I REALLY value that gift now. However, I recognize that I have the world's best mom-job! I get discounted tuition to an incredible school for my kids. I get to go to school with my them everyday. I get to be their teacher. AND I get a paycheck. Pretty ideal. But I still love Spring Break. (And every other holiday break.) You just can't beat wearing pajamas half the day.

I don't want to write too much. Since I don't have any cute photos to add to this post. I better keep it light on the text. I figure if I keep it short it might encourage me to return to post more later. Until then...

oops, it's almost spring...

2010-03-14T19:54:00.007-06:00

Sorry to anyone that has been looking at my blog and thinking, "Wow, she really sucks at this." For the most part I just don't know what to say. Life in the winter is pretty bland around here. But there have been some sweet spots. Ian and Brooklyn have been going with the school up to Bogus Basin for snowboarding lessons on Friday afternoons. They are getting better every week and last week Brooklyn learned to ollie and jump a little bit. It's official, she's passed me up.

Brooklyn at the top of "Showcase"

Snowboarding Buddies: Bode, Jack and Ian

February 9th Lucas turned 5 and if I were a REAL blogging mom I wouldn't have waited a month to post something. Again, my apologies. He decided that he wanted a "Every character of Lego Batman Wii Party". If you haven't been around Lucas for a while you may not know that playing Wii is his obsession. He thinks about it day and night. I've even heard him talk about it in his sleep. He jumps and actually works up a sweat every time he plays. We are all endlessly entertained watching him jump and kick and bounce while moving his remote. The rest of us sit on our back sides and hardly move a muscle while playing with him. But he is an example to us all on how to really get into the game.
Back to the birthday party - he invited kids from his class and church and we had an old school birthday party. It's rare these days to have birthday parties at your home. Most of my kids' friends have destination parties at local pizza places, arcades and party centers. (Too rich for my blood.) Ian and Brooklyn have made it easy on ol' ma and pa by having shared birthday parties in the summer. We just head out to the lake and carry a cake along. Easy! However, a February birthday is another story.
We took it back to the basics and let Lucas plan the whole thing. He requested that he dress up like Batman, invite his friends to dress up, eat mac and cheese, and cake, and play Wii. Aaron even googled some "5 year old birthday party games" to keep the little guys busy. We ended up with about 25 kids, ranging in age from 3-11. It rocked!

Lucas and his birthday pals. (He's the Batman in the middle.)

Spring break is quickly approaching and we are toying with the idea of going somewhere. Snowboarding at Sundance? Southern Utah? I wish it were somewhere WARM. My spirits are always lifted as I see the flowers pushing up out of the cold hard dirt this time of year. Lucas and I have some kind of cough and sinus crud that won't go away and it gives me hope that we will get through the yuck and start anew soon too.

I should have more to write about now that the sun is shining again.

2009-12-30T20:06:00.003-07:00

So tomorrow is New Year's Eve. It's time to remember what we spent our time on in 2009 and evaluate. Also, I suppose goals are in order.
January-June = a big blur. Sundance Film Festival. Stay-cation Spring Break. I went to ITALY (I love my job)!
June = Summer Vacation! Lemonade Stand open most days.
July = BEST VACATION EVER - we took a road trip down to So. CA via Utah and Las Vegas. Beaches, amusement parks, sun, friends and family. Seriously, it couldn't have been better! (Except for maybe the night the cops wouldn't let us sleep in our car in a parking lot.)
August = Birthday marathon - Ian was 7 on the 8th. Brooklyn was 9 on the 9th. And Lucas, being the youngest and least understanding of why it isn't also HIS birthday, celebrated his half birthday on the 9th.
CASH FOR CLUNKERS - I traded in my old Ford Windstar for the cutest orange Honda Fit!
September = Back to School - I returned to work at Foothills School of Arts and Sciences www.foothillsschool.org
This year I brought my kids with me too. Since it is pre-k through 9th grade all the kids can attend with me. I LOVE IT!
However, we didn't love the SWINE FLU. Brooklyn and I escaped, but the little boys got it. But they were tough and we kept away from the hospital. Nothing a little TLC couldn't cure.
October = ARRR Matey! (See Halloween post.)
November = More birthdays & Thanksgiving in Utah at Gram and Libby's. Birthday cake, Chocolate Cheesecake courtesy of my dear mommy, and Thanksgiving feast in UT = limited pants options for the rest of the year. (Don't worry, the 2010 goals will take care of that.)
December = Cabin visit, sledding, COLD. Christmas was beautiful and we spent our 2nd Christmas in our great little house in Hyde Park. It's so nice to be in a house that we can finally call home.

Sure, the real estate market still sucks and YES, AARON IS STILL WORKING AS A REALTOR. The boys got the Swine Flu and we still aren't millionaires. BUT - we saw the beach and I got to see Ian happier than he's ever been riding the waves on Huntington Beach. Lucas makes us laugh and fills our hearts with joy everyday. (Even when he is sent home from pre-school, and has to write us notes about his "disrespectful behavior licking the office windows while in time out") He is our early riser and is a ray of sunshine in our home, especially on these dark days when there just aren't enough hours of sunlight. Brooklyn is "practically perfect in every way", although she is much to humble to think it of herself. She is a budding musician, playing piano, flute and electric guitar. She is the cutest rock star in the world www.boiserockschool.com . She is a good friend, kind, well adjusted, a good student, and an angel and peacemaker in our home. I couldn't love them more.

Aaron and I have managed to continue to love each other through some pretty major transitions over the past three years. We have learned to rely on each other and support each other. The harder times have made it more important to have a friend to lean on and I'm so grateful it's still him.

I feel refreshed that this first Y2K decade is behind us. 5 houses, 3 kids, 4 schools and many ups and downs later - it's been a good ride.

Random Festivities

2009-12-23T07:45:00.007-07:00

1. Snow fell here. Baby, it's cold outside!
2. I learned how to make my Gram's recipe for gingerbread boys.
3. THREE WEEKS OFF! No work or school - let the wild rumpus start!
4. Decorated gingerbread houses with some of our favorite friends. See Aaron's Facebook profile picture for a view of the Santa BBQing hotdogs on the roof with a giant spatula and peppermint grill. Now that's ART!
5. Too cold to hang Christmas lights! Everytime I have a window to get the job done it's snowing or 4 degrees. I guess it gives me something to look forward to next year.
6. The 6 Schicks! Some of our best friends adopted a sibling group of three daughters to add with their one son. We had an open house for them last week over here and it was a true to the Spirit of Christmas kind of gathering.
7. Lucas thinks he's on the naughty list.
8. Santa is trying really hard to get Lucas on the nice list. But Lucas says, "it doesn't matter if I'm on the naughty list. Coal is the JACKPOT! Or it doesn't matter if I'm on the nice list -
presents or coal (are good)."
9. Ian and Brooklyn came running, screaming up the stairs yesterday,
"LUCAS OPENED HIS PRESENTS!
We just found them opened under his bed!"
10. Fred Meyer on Federal Way is giving away all their Christmas Trees as of 12/22/09.
11. Juggling families and festivities at Christmas is hard - and a blessing.
12. Sore throats are not fun.
13. I think we spent more on our dog than on our kids. (but she REALLY needs to go to the groomer, so we got her a gift certificate. I guess that is more for me than for her.)
14. Aaron is the most thorough researcher of TV's I have ever known.
15. Soy Nog for the lactose intolerant isn't good. The stomach ache is worth drinking the real stuff.
16. I'm like a kid on Christmas.

Christmas Card 2009

2009-12-11T20:41:00.005-07:00

Aaron suggested that we do an e-card this year. You know, get with the times! It's the earth friendly way to go, right? All the cards just end up in a landfill in a month anyway. But I refused.

I admit, it's not for entirely unselfish reasons...
As many of you may have noticed, I have sent a photo Christmas card for the past 9 years. Ever since Brooklyn was 4 months old and her little fat feet were visibly kicking in the shot, I have adored our yearly card. Now I hang each card together for a holiday photo gallery during the Christmas season. From 2000-2008 I have watched my family grow and I can reflect on it at a glance through my cards.

I ordered our 2009 card tonight. I didn't order as many as usual. I think I'll just send them to family and those that I think could use a smile from seeing my kids' cute mugs on their walls for a month. But I didn't include Aaron and I in the picture this year.

Why not? Again, it's not for entirely unselfish reasons...
We didn't have a fantastic family photo this year. Although we did have one that would have worked.

But last weekend we went to Aaron's family's cabin in Smith's Ferry and we took a really cute picture of the kids out in the snow. It won out!

If you want this picture to hang around your house for a month,
leave me your address in the comments section.
"Harry Christmas Every Guys!" - Brooklyn 2003

Halloween Weekend '09

2009-11-01T14:38:00.008-07:00

Halloween on a Saturday makes for a lot of opportunities for fun.

We carved pumpkins earlier this month and Lucas' was voted best jack-o-lantern. He designed and carved it all by himself!
Brooklyn had a Boise Rock School gig at a local record shop on Friday - it was a MONSTER MASH, so we all got dressed up and went to support our favorite band.
Brooklyn's best fans!

Just as Brooklyn's band got on stage, Ian let me know his tooth was falling out.
GREAT TIMING!
We have been working on this tooth for at least 3 weeks, and NOW it is falling out?!? We excused ourselves for a moment, found a Halloween napkin from the treat table and POP! Back to the show...

Brooklyn's band ROCKED THE HOUSE!

Then we headed to the Halloween party at the Church.
And then did it all again the next day - HALLOWEEN!

Our first stop was Grandma Susie & Grandpa Stoy's house. They had "blood soup" ready for the crew. (aka tomato soup in bread bowls) This was our kick off to the Trick-or-Treat Marathon!

After visiting 4 sets of grandparents and an "as good as grandparents" stop at the DeFoggi's. We headed to a "healthy potluck" with some friends (our poor attempt at providing food for our kids rather than candy) the kids spent almost 4 more hours out Trick-or-Treating.

Sorting the loot!

Feel free to stop by for some treats...I think we have enough to share!

Tell me how cute I was.

2009-09-24T22:07:00.007-06:00

So it turns out I don't have a perfect memory. And it also turns out that people are right when they say, "Before you know it your kids will be all grown up!" (said with a little old lady voice).

By NO MEANS are my kids all grown up. I'm still wiping other rears on a regular basis. However, I don't have anyone in diapers anymore, and I don't have any cute tiny toddlers around, just cute kids. I noticed the other day that my house isn't even all that toddler proof.

The kids, Ian in particular, have been asking me lately to tell about all the cute things they used to say "when they were little". My first thoughts were, you are little. What are you talking about? But then I realized that we have officially moved into CHILDHOOD and out of the toddler years. That is a significant change when your whole life consists of 7 years.

So I attempted to recall fun little phrases that he used to say. And I was stumped. I could only think of a few. I felt so guilty. Poor middle child, your mom can't remember anything about you. BUT I REDEEMED MYSELF. I kept a spotty journal during Ian's toddler years. I dedicated the back side of the spiral bound pages to jotting down funny, cute or clever things the kids were saying those days. That was one of the best things I ever did. We read through them together with all three kids this week and laughed and had a great time. I had already forgotten many of the experiences and moments that I luckily made record of. Now I wonder what else did I forget? For heaven's sake, it hasn't been that long? How will I ever have bribery material when they are teenagers if I am already forgetting.

And on another depressing note: I realized that Brooklyn is half way to 18. Who calls that an adult anyway?

So in an effort to not forget, I will share with you the cute phrase of the day:
A fire fighter visited Lucas' preschool class today. He taught them about knowing the difference between tools and toys, put on his uniform and oxygen mask and then the whole class had a fire drill. Tonight when I was getting Lucas ready for bed I asked him what he thought of the fire drill. With tears in his eyes and his voice cracking he said, "I didn't get to do the fire drill."
I new that to be false, since I was holding his hand the whole time during the drill, so I needed to ask a few questions before I realized that he didn't know what part of the day was the actual fire drill. He said, "I never got to drill it." That's when I realized he thought a fire drill was a tool and was disappointed that he didn't get to see or use the drill.

So word to the wise, write it down and pull out the video camera, you are getting old whether you think so or not. And as soon as you notice, it will be too late.

Perspective

2009-09-13T13:56:00.004-06:00

Why can't I lose 10 pounds? or Why am I so lucky to have dessert so often?

Why do I have to work so much, when some moms get to stay at home? or Why am I so blessed to have a job I love, where my kids can come with me, in a weak economy when many don't have work at all.

Why do I have so many bills? or How is it that I have so many nice things?

Why does my dog chew up our things? or ...hmmmm. Is there a good side to this?... Let's see- Having a dog encourages my family to keep things tidy and in it's proper place away from the dog. Or suffer the consequences.

I'm feeling pretty lucky these days. I really don't have anything to complain about, yet anger and anxiety still creep into my days regularly. How does one fend off negativity when things seem overwhelming? I would say, get back to basics and "Keep on the sunny side".

Adios to the Trial Dog

2009-08-19T16:18:00.002-06:00

Bella was a lovely dog. She fetched much better than our real dog Jetta.

But alas, I still found a bike seat chewed up in the back yard. The only reason to get Jetta a dog was to keep her busy, so she wouldn't be destructive. I don't know which of the pups chewed up the bike seat but Bella was returned to her rightful owner on Monday.

Lesson learned: Getting your dog a dog will not keep it from acting like a dog.

Chew on that for a while.

Some reasons I'm a bad blogger, and an update...

2009-08-11T19:44:00.003-06:00

My pictures take FOREVER to load. It makes me not like to post. But aside from that blogging is fun, and I enjoy spying on the lives of others through blogs too.

News from the WilliamsFam5...
* We went on vacation. We totaled up all our lemonade sales and took our $360 to So. CA. (And a bunch of other $ too, but the kids feel pretty good about the $360. That's a lot of lemonade at .25 a cup!) We invested in the Costco City Pass and went to 6, yes SIX DAYS of theme parks. (3 Disney, San Diego Zoo, Sea World, and Universal Studios.) I wouldn't say we had a favorite, but it was more than fun! On "off days" we went to the beach and boogie boarded and body surfed, and of course, buried our children in the sand. Thank you to my step sis GIA and her hubby BRIAN for letting us stay, as well as the PROCTORS in Pasadena, and KIRSTEN & CHRIS in Newport. The only way the trip was feasible was due to the fact we didn't sleep in 1 hotel. (We did follow Williams tradition and car camp for 3 nights.) I hope our kids remember this trip forever! And if they seem to be forgetting they will receive an obligatory photo tour of the trip for the rest of their lives.

* We found out about the government's "Cash for Clunkers" program on July 30th in CA. We got home to Boise on August 1 and bought me a NEEEEEEEWWWWW CAAAAAAARRRRRR on August 3!! I traded my official clunker Ford Windstar (no A/C, almost 200K miles, and bad tires, not to mention all the small problems) for the cutest HONDA FIT in Orange Revolution. It matches Lucas' hair and eyes perfectly. Hooray for a reliable vehicle with gas milage out of the teens.

* Ian turned 7. He is AWESOME, smart, fun, cute, nice, cool, thoughtful and my favorite 7 year old in the world.

* Brooklyn turned 9. She is BEAUTIFUL, kind, fun, silly, exceptionally considerate, a good friend and fun to be around. She is LOVED!

* I went to take my new car back to the dealer today to get my floor mats and protective coating sprayed in it, and ended up getting a puppy. We are waiting for her to arrive right now. The owner is bringing her any minute and we are running a trial basis visit to see if she gets along with Jetta. We thought dogs might be like kids. It's easier to raise more than one because playmates are good. We'll see.

Lemonade Stand sales have paid off

2009-07-28T10:10:00.003-06:00

Fun things about vacation in Southern California...

In case you needed a laugh...

2009-06-22T22:17:00.003-06:00

Ode to Lucas

I like having someone who dresses like this in my house. Yes, ski boots, a size L Brazilian Jersey, and a helmet are standard attire. I like that he says "No I amn't". I like that he has a squeeky voice and tip toes everywhere he goes, even while running. I like that he works up a sweat playing Lego Indiana Jones on the Wii. I like that he eats cottage cheese even though his big brother and sister won't. I like that he is still small.

Summer Rain

2009-06-15T10:19:00.003-06:00

The pictures say it all:
Lucas, Ian, Brooklyn and our neighbor Simonne

Do you blog?

2009-06-10T09:30:00.002-06:00

If you don't see your blog address listed on this blog to the right, that means I don't know your address. If you are my friend and I want to read your blog, please let me know what your blog address is.

Just leave it as a comment to this post.

THANKS!

Brooklyn's Tender Heart

2009-06-06T20:06:00.003-06:00

Brooklyn's best friend has Cystic Fibrosis. But, we really don't think about it all that often. It's only at meal times when we remind her to "take her enzymes" that it is obvious at all. However, last weekend Brooklyn and Daphne, with their teacher, friends and family, worked and walked to raise money to cure CF.

Thanks to all of you that donated to her efforts. She raised $173 in only a few days. I am so happy that she had a good experience! She is a truly kind, generous and loving person. We are all blessed to have her around.

ITALY: too much to blog

2009-05-30T00:03:00.007-06:00

I went to Italy last week. I had to, it was for work. Yep, it's rough; an all expenses paid 10 day trip to Rome, Venice, Florence, Pisa and the Cinque Terre. I was a chaperone for my 6th-8th grade class's Spring trip.

Every year all Foothills School classes go on a Spring trip. Every 3 years, the middle school class goes on an international trip. This just happened to be the year. Not a bad year to start working for Foothills.

I have posted many of my pictures on Facebook. It's so easy to post multiple photos there. How do I choose from the 703 pictures I have which ones to post here?

It's really late, and I'm tired, so here is a sampling of my travels...
The Roman Forum
Tasting an Orange from Palentine Hill at the Forum in Rome. It was sour!
Drinking from the fountain at the Spanish Steps. Roman water is so refreshing!

And that all took place during my first 24 hours in the country. I'll have to post more later.

ITALY - Rome

2009-05-15T12:37:00.003-06:00

As most of you know, I am in Italy right now. I am here with twenty seven 6th-8th graders from Foothills School of Arts and Sciences. We are visiting Rome, Venice and Florence. We spent the 12-15th in Rome and arrived in Venice today around 2:00 p.m.
Here are some of my favorite shots from Rome... I only have about 350 to choose from.

Day 1:
The Colosseum

The Forum

Mamertinum Prison - The last prison where Paul was held. He wrote some of his letters from here.

Capitol Hill

Trevi Fountain

The Spanish Steps

lots of other amazing places.

Day 2:
The Vatican -
St. Peter's Basilica

The Vatican Museum

The Sistine Chapel

The Pantheon

Walk through Rome and shopping.
and lots of other amazing places.

Check my Facebook page for more pictures.

Rock 'n Roll Ate My Homework - First Gig

2009-05-10T14:29:00.009-06:00

Brooklyn is in a band. She plays the electric guitar. She joined Boise Rock School www.boiserockschool.com in March and is becoming a rock star.

They named their band last week (Rock 'n Roll Ate My Homework) and performed their first gig at the coolest record shop in Boise on Saturday with 4 other bands. Prior to the gig, they haven't had a singer, but after performing yesterday with their teacher on vocals, Brooklyn has decided that she will step up to the mic for their next gig.

SET LIST:
1. Their first song is an "original jam"
2. "Back in the USSR" by The Beatles
3. "Hardest Button to Button" by White Stripes
4. "10 am Automatic" by The Black Keys

Happy Pappy Day * 60 is good!

2009-04-29T19:53:00.008-06:00

Ode to my Dad on his 60th birthday...

There was really no way he could refuse our request. It was, after all, his only daughter and three dearest grandchildren with eyelashes batting and sweet voices calling, "Come on Pappy, JUMP!"

True to his character and zest for life he passed the threshold between the soft cushion of the grass and the squeaking and unsteady bars of the trampoline.

It was intense and quick, but never have the kids (or Pappy for that matter) had such big smiles while vaulting into the air.

However, in an effort to avoid crushing his granddaughter, Pappy sacrificed himself, his leather jacket, and his newly washed jeans landing hard on the grass to the side of the trampoline.

It wasn't until right now I realize this is the first time our newly sunken trampoline has served it's protective purpose. (Just ignore the new and rehabilitating sod - we are hoping to pump life back into it over the next couple weeks.) I digress.

After the adventure on the trampoline, we headed over to the park near our house and enjoyed some lemon cake and ice cream, and 1st grade soccer practice. What a way to ring in a 60th birthday!

Happy Birthday Pappy! We love you!

Now Open...Lemonade, 25 cents!

2009-04-26T19:43:00.007-06:00

We are planning to go to Disney Land in August for Brooklyn and Ian's birthdays. However, we need some major cash flow to make it happen. So the kids and I have started a business. Any day that the sun is shinning, it's over 70 degrees, and we are home, we will be out front having a Lemonade Stand. And to offer our customers variety, we have expanded our menu with two sizes to chose from in pink or yellow Lemonade. Also, we are offering "Otter Pops" as a refreshing frozen treat.

Brooklyn was out front on advertising duty, while Ian manned the megaphone attracting customers. Lucas spent most of his time on tasting duty.

How could anyone pass up this beautiful sales lady?!

So stop by next time you are in need of a refreshing treat on a hot day in the North End.

Easter 2009

2009-04-19T10:18:00.009-06:00

This is my big payoff for being a parent. The picture of my kids running up the stairs to see what the easter bunny left and hunt for eggs is priceless.

Ian loved this megaphone, which has a variety of settings to modify voices. He preferred alien robot. Then he realized that one of the settings serves as an amplifier and decided it will be perfect to attract customers to our lemonade stands this summer.

I tried once again to get a great family picture. Well, at least we got a picture. Maybe I should have Aaron photoshop a picture of Lucas in so he isn't snarling like a wolf. But it is his classic four year old camera smile. I love it.

Too sunny, but cute none the less.

Here is the shot I was waiting for- pure happiness on our beautiful new stairs.

HAPPY EASTER and HAPPY SPRING!!!

Adventure in our own backyard

2009-04-02T19:55:00.007-06:00

Quick update as to what we are up to this week-
A MESS!! And we LOVE IT! We are having our backyard redone and it is so fun to watch the process. Can you imagine anything better than being a kid and having THIS in your own backyard. Not only is it full of huge machines and tools, but it's been raining so it's pure mud!

Pavers will provide lots of space for BBQs and warm weather fun. So if you're in the neighborhood, stop by!

Spring Break Staycation

2009-03-24T22:39:00.017-06:00

Due to the fantastic blessing that Aaron has work to tend to this week, we decided to stay in Boise for Spring Break. We explained to the kids that we are going on a "staycation". (Going no where, but having fun anyway.) So Friday night we officially started with a campfire in the back yard, roasting weenies and marshmallows.

Brooklyn wasn't feeling well, and tried as best she could to enjoy the staycation festivities. However, this photo shows her enthusiasm. By 3:00 am she had a fever of 102.7! We spent Saturday at the clinic to make sure it wasn't strep throat again. We got a clear test and were told it is a virus and should be gone within 5-7 days. Just in time to go back to school.

But the fun couldn't be squelched. Aaron pitched a tent in the basement family room and the boys have been sleeping in it every night. I am considering removing their beds from their room and using the tent as a permanent sleeping arrangement. They love getting in their tent beds and have been falling asleep better than ever! And their are no beds to make in the morning!

Unfortunately, it hasn't been all fun and games. We are now watching the "sick bugs" cycle through the house. So far, everyone has felt illness to some degree. Aaron seems to be the next one to get hit. Not exactly what we planned.

Ian woke up Wednesday morning with a fever. Maybe we should just look at this staycation as one involving tropical temperatures. So far our average temperature over the weekend has ranged from 101.2-102.8!

It is hotter here than we had anticipated.

But we are determined, we will have fun this week! Can't you tell by the look on Ian's face?

My Mom : by Brooklyn, Ian and Lucas

2009-03-18T08:42:00.013-06:00

I took a moment this week to interview each of my kids, asking questions about “their mom”. The following are their answers.

1. What is something mom always says to you? Brooklyn- Time for school. Ian- Stop playing video games. Lucas- Don't play wii when I tell you to.

2. What makes mom happy? Brooklyn- Her kids giggling. Ian- Chocolate. Lucas- Doing jobs for her.

3. What makes mom sad? Brooklyn- Whining. Ian- When I don’t listen to her. Lucas- Not doing jobs for Mommy.

4. How does your mom make you laugh? Brooklyn- She tickles me. Ian- By saying funny things. Lucas- When you push me way high.

5. What was your mom like as a child? Brooklyn- I don’t know that answer. Ian- I don’t know, I wasn’t there. Why should I know. Lucas- I don't know. I never saw you being a kid. That's not my message.

6. How old is your mom? Brooklyn- 34. Ian- Isn’t it 24, isn’t it? No, I meant to say 34, isn’t it. Yeah, it’s 34. Lucas- 6.

7. How tall is your mom? Brooklyn- 5 ummmm, five would be like 5 feet right. Ian- 23 feet. Lucas- Let me see. (Stretches his arms) Quite a bit.

8. What is your mom's favorite thing to do? Brooklyn- When she’s healthy, right? Have plenty of space. Ian- Eat chocolate and make her kids happy, I believe. Lucas- Do laundry.

9. What does your mom do when you're not around? Brooklyn- Work and watch Heroes. Ian- Do work. Lucas- Work.

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for? Brooklyn- Being nice to kids. Ian- Probably singing. Lucas- Being nice.

11. What is your mom really good at? Brooklyn- Making me happy. Ian- Singing. Lucas- Laundry!

12. What is your mom not very good at? Brooklyn- No offense, but Chess. Ian-Video games. Lucas- No carrying heavy backpacks. Then you would fall down and break your head apart.

13. What does your mom do for a job? Brooklyn- She is a Spanish teacher at Foothills. Ian- Spanish teacher. Lucas- Work on the computer.

14.What is your mom's favorite food? Brooklyn- Chocolate. Ian- Chocolate. Lucas- Chicken.

15.What makes you proud of your mom? Brooklyn- She’s funny and nice. Ian- She’s very very very nice. Lucas- Helping us.

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be? Brooklyn- I don’t know. I have no idea. Ian- Ronald McDonald because you’re funny and very nice and Ronald McDonald is very nice. Lucas- Wonder Red (from Super Why).

17. What do you and your mom do together? Brooklyn- Have fun spending time together. Ian- Play and hike. Lucas- Fold laundry.

18. How are you and your mom the same? Brooklyn- We both have brown hair. Ian- We used to have the same color of hair. Lucas- Let me see your hands…Hands and heads.

19. How are you and your mom different? Brooklyn- She has green eyes, I have brown. Ian- She’s much much much much much taller. That’s 5 muches. Can you do 5 muches? Lucas- We have different clothing.

20. How do you know your mom loves you? Brooklyn- ‘Cuz she does. Ian- Because she’s nice to me. Lucas- Because you help me by playing wii Indiana Jones if we are on a hard game.

21. What does your mom like most about your dad? Brooklyn- He’s cool. Ian- That daddy sometimes gives her chocolate, maybe. Lucas- Kissing him.

22. Where is your mom's favorite place to go? Brooklyn- A lot of places. Ian- Fanci Freeze. Lucas- California. (I haven't been to CA since 1994. But we have plans to go in August.)

It's Lent

2009-03-04T20:10:00.009-07:00

Wikipedia says: Lent, in Christian tradition, is the period of the liturgical year leading up to Easter. Conventionally it is described as being forty days long, though different denominations calculate the forty days differently. In many denominations it is observed as a period of fasting and prayer, and this practice was virtually universal in Christendom until the Reformation^[1]. The forty days represent the time that, according to theBible, Jesus spent in the desert before the beginning of his public ministry, where he endured temptation bySatan.^[2].

The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer — through prayer, penitence, almsgivingand self-denial — for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, which recalls the events linked to the Passion of Christ and culminates in Easter, the celebration of theResurrection of Jesus Christ.

Lent in 2009 started on Wednesday, the 25th of February and will continue for 46 days until Saturday, the 11th of April.

As I'm sure many of you know, I am a convert to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The LDS church doesn't observe the tradition of Lent. However, I was raised Catholic and went to the Church with my mom and brother almost every week for the 1st 14 years of my life. At the ripe old age of 14 I decided that I would like to begin to learn about other churches and I began attending the Methodist church (because they invited me to sing in their touring choir). I sang at their Sunday services for the following 4 years.

My intention here, isn't to write my conversion story. That was just a little background information.

Growing up, I loved the season of Lent. Christmas and Easter were on an even playing field in my opinion. I loved the build up Lent provided to Easter Sunday. Each week, adding another candle. My favorite was Palm Sunday, when we each would receive a reed upon entering the Cathedral. I would spend the hour of mass imagining myself in Jerusalem when Jesus rode through on his donkey.

I remember my mom's teachings about the Easter Story. I remember the excitement of Easter morning. I still feel it.

This year I have decided to observe Lent again. Not because my church tells me to; on the contrary. I am recommitting myself to something that brought self-awareness throughout my childhood. In retrospect, I see the lessons learned, and character developed through this tradition. I learned that I believe in God and can feel connection in prayer. I have will power. I can sacrifice. I can commit. I can improve.

Regardless of denomination, the truths I learned growing up built my foundation in Christianity and there I have always stood firm. Thanks Mom.

blog vs. journal

2009-02-18T21:18:00.005-07:00

When I was a kid I always kept a diary. It was full of drama- kissing stories and which of my friends were fighting with each other. One time my mom even snuck a peek in 8th grade and I had to have a serious "talk" (of which I won't give any details).

When I was about 17 I decided to learn about the LDS church. One of the first things I was encouraged to do was "keep a journal" and I thought, that will be easy. I already do. But then it was revealed to me that in the LDS culture one keeps a journal so that "future generations" can read it.

I remember in about 1994, standing in my back yard on Union Street with my journals in hand thinking, "I'm pretty sure that I don't EVER want ANYONE reading these." With some hesitation, I threw them away in the alley trash.

I've tried to keep a journal since then, but it's never been the same. I've always felt guarded when writing. "Will my grand kids see this? Or worse, my kids?" So I mostly just write the facts and some cute antics the kids say. Or more recently, I don't write at all.

Then came blogging. It's different to write knowing that ANYONE will read it. So now I have the perfect solution. I will only write about the grand and glorious parts of my life and if my grand kids read it they will think I was awesome.

But sometimes I might slip. You may have to tolerate a boring post now and then. It might just be something that only I care about. But since this has become my method of documenting my mortal existence you'll just have to put up with it. And if I ever have anything REALLY BAD to say, I'll write it in my journal. (And then I'll probably throw it away.)

Happy Anniversary Aaron...and Happy Valentine's Day too.

2009-02-13T23:39:00.008-07:00

Us on top of Camel's Back hill, a block from our house. Photo taken by Ian.

Eleven years ago Aaron and I got married in the Boise LDS Temple. We chose February 14, not because it was Valentine's Day, but because it was the Saturday of Presidents Day weekend and I had an extra day off school. I was in my last semester at BYU and when we got engaged on November 1 the idea of waiting through a whole semester for me to graduate seemed WAY TOO LONG. So we pulled out the calendar and discovered there was a little window in February when I could squeek out one more day out of classes without homework piling up for a honeymoon.

I tried to scan in a picture of our wedding (since all our pictures are pre-digital era), but the scanner says there is no usb attached, even though it is and I have checked at least 10 times. But my technological difficulties are not what this blog is about. But this is a perfect example of why Aaron is so important to me.

I need Aaron. He is my best friend. He teaches me and I teach him. We love each other because we depend on each other. He fixes all things that have wires and cords. He randomly spoils me. For example, he bought me a new snowboarding jacket, new boots, and new sunglasses last week for no reason other than I wanted those things. He put Chistmas lights up around the house the way I wanted them, even though he would have been happy without the peaks of the house lit. He goes on a date with me every week. He packed my lunch for me two times last week. He turns the other cheek. He strives to improve himself and I see results. He can get the kids to do things that I can't. I suppose I could go on and on.

An example of Aaron getting the kids to do somethin g I can't

I've heard a lot of complaining lately about how pointless Valentine's Day is. I think a day dedicated to the person you consider most important is a good idea. I know that we should show our love everyday, and we do. I mentioned to a friend though that I think everyday is like practice and Valentine's Day is the game. It's an opportunity to showcase our affection that we feel year round.

So get out there and SCORE!

Me Scoring!

4 Years of Lucas

2009-02-13T00:53:00.014-07:00

Lucas Aaron Williams * February 9, 2005 * 8 lbs. 4 oz

Instantly adored by all.

Handsome Physique
Charming Smile.

Happy.
Fun to be around.
Tough.
Helper.
Clean.
Imaginative.
Random napper.
Adventurous.
Still tired.
Technological.
Another impromptu nap.
A good partner.
Cool!
Responsible.
Encouraging.
are we seeing a pattern?
yes, I think it's undeniable.
Sweet.
Curious.
Adorable!
Growing bigger!
still my helper.

Lucas turned 4 on Monday. His birthday requests included a guest list of "the Farnsworth's" (our old next door neighbors) and "Ewan's whole family"(aka Jared & Caitlin's family). After some consideration he invited me and the rest of the family to his party. He wanted cupcakes, and a yard cake. What's a yard cake you ask? That's what I wondered. So I gave it my best shot and made a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting (dirt) and covered it with green sprinkles and green frosting around the edges (grass) topped with a few of Brooklyn's tiny toy dogs and some gummy worms. He liked it so I guess that is what a yard cake looks like.

I love that boy. Happy Birthday baby!

Remember when we were fun...

2009-01-30T16:45:00.008-07:00

Aaron at the Condo in Park City.
My mom and Stoy watched the kids for the weekend. BLESS THEM! It gave Aaron and I a chance to act like kids, instead of rear them.

One of Aaron's mission friends, Nathan Gordon, invited us to Park City to hang out with him and some friends that would be there for the Sundance Film Festival. He had rented a condo and we had a great time meeting everyone there for the festivities.

The thing that makes it blog-worthy is the introspection it caused me. You see, Nathan is single, and fun. I felt like a senior citizen as the oldest person at the condo. I think the youngest was Bridgette at a fresh and perky 20 (maybe 19). For the first time in my life I felt aged.

Weird feeling.

Going to Sundance was a little like falling into a portal to my life between 1987-1998. It was full of hot tubs, meeting new people and having tons of fun with people I may never see again.
Nathan, Bridgette and a number of other people I don't know in the hot tub, just after Aaron and another new friend threw cold water on them from the deck above.
I have never been a self-concious person, but I did not want to get in the hot tub with this crowd. I know that Heff doesn't mind hanging in the hot tub with playboy bunnies half his age, but I just couldn't bring myself and my stretch marks to hop in all together and say, "Hi. I'm Emily. I have three kids and have been married over half of your life."

By the second day, I was feeling a little less geeky. I think the option to be fully clothed in the group helped. We went out to dinner and met up with everyone on Main Street in Park City. It was one of the funnest and funniest nights I've had in a long time. We took obnoxious pictures and Aaron and I watched everyone else try to pick up on random "lonely"s on the sidewalks. (Did I mention that we were the only married people at the party?) We hit a midnight showing of a Sundance Film, The Informer, a disturbing depiction of L.A. in the 1980's at the beginning of the AIDS epidemic. And returned to the Condo and Hot Tub. We stayed up til dawn and slept in late.

I remember when that was my life. It doesn't seem like I have changed, but my life certainly has. The only reason I have been up at 4:30 am over the past 8 years was if I had a baby feeding, crying or puking. Or if my alarm was waking me to get to the gym to burn off that "baby fat".

It was fun to re-live those days. And it was fun to come home. I guess my life couldn't be better. I have the best of both worlds. Aaron and I manage to fill our marriage with time together and time with our kids. Personally I need both. And I have both. Lucky me.

OUCH

2009-01-10T20:20:00.008-07:00

I try to be cool. I want to have skills. I see others with abilities and know that they are possible. I have all the right gear. I have positive thoughts. I leave my comfort zone and push myself to try things that are a bit of a stretch. Yet something is missing...

Aaron and I went on a date night to our local mountain, Bogus Basin, with a bunch of friends- skiiers and riders. It was well planned and a great night. Not the best conditions, quite icy, but not too bad. I forged onto the quad (fast chairlift that holds 4 people) and did my best to keep up with the crowd. They all know that I am not the most proficient rider, but wait for me at the bottom of the hill before heading back up the lift.

We looped and looped. One run I fell and landed on my right butt cheek. A minor bump, no big deal. It happens to everyone. Up the lift again. While riding near the bottom of the run someone ran into me from behind. Sheesh! I have a hard enough time keeping myself from falling, that was just sabatage. I caught my breath and continued to meet Aaron and our friends waiting at the chairlift. Up again. The next run I crashed and although my body had stopped snowboarding, by board wasn't done. So my right knee took the brunt of becoming my break. That one stung a bit.

I thought that might be a good time for a snack and potty break. I soloed myself to the Lodge. Ah, the Lodge. Sweet refuge. A frozen protein bar and beef jerky were never so delicious. As I gazed out the foggy window I saw this little kid there at 8:30 pm, with a board the size of a skateboard. That's so cute, and cool. If he can do it, so can I. So I headed downstairs to the ski school and found out about lessons and when my kids and I could get signed up. I was ready to become one of those "mountain families". This will be great! We can come here every winter and all be really great snowboarders. I'll learn with them.

So I headed back out. Right as I was about to get my board on again I ran into my group all heading in for hot chocolate. So I couldn't refuse, and we went back into the Lodge. After sitting there for a while, we all agreed that we could call it a night and head back down the hill to continue the night with Rock Band 2 at my house. I guess my snowboarding practice was over for the night. I'd pick it up again tomorrow. Maybe even bring all the kids up tomorrow.

We parked in a lot half way between the top and bottom of the mountain. You have to take the chairlift up and ride halfway down a run to get to your car. On the lift up our friend Kenny mentioned that the last time he had come up to Bogus he had "fallen like a beginner" and still had a stiff neck. I thought, "Hmmmm, I had never thought falling like a beginner hurt more than other falls" but I must say, at this point I see what he means.

We all got off the chairlift, strapped into our bindings for the last time and headed down a cat track to get to the car. Cat tracks are my nemasis. The only way to be successful on a snowboard while riding a cat track is to get speed. Without poles or incline gravity to move your board, you are at the mercy of sheer speed to get you where you want to be.

I am a chicken. This is where I fail. I have to talk to myself a lot on cat tracks. "Balance, bend your knees, perfect balance, hear the snow on my board, guage speed, more balance" and then BOOM - the back edge of the board catches the snow wrong and I'm out.

Nothing throws me harder or faster. I can't equate it to anything other than maybe a car wreck. One minute you're moving and the next you can't breathe. Luckily Aaron is wise and rather than wear his helmet on his head, he opted to protect mine. I am so grateful for him, his helmet and my intact brain today. My tailbone however didn't fair so well.

I write to you from my bed, where I have been for most of the day. Strangely I think this is more painful than recovering from childbirth. Or maybe the pain killers just aren't available. Ibuprophen isn't enough today.

I don't know the extent of my injury - bruised, cracked, broken. I just know it hurts. Unfortunately, all snowboarders have "caught their back edge" and lived through it, so I am not exceptionally injured. In fact, after I fell we spent the rest of the night hearing everyone's stories- "I broke my wrist the first time I went snowboarding." "I cracked my tailbone like that too!" Yet they all want to continue riding.

Why? I'm not sure yet. But I know I'll go again. If for no other reason than I still have that "mountain family" vision for the Williamsfam5. We'll see how long this takes to heal.

More Than You Wanted to Know Holiday Blog

2009-01-01T16:52:00.025-07:00

It all started with this tree...

THE HOLIDAYS... this will be a LONG reflection on the Williams Fam 5's 2008 holiday festivities. So get a cup of hot cocoa and a blankie and enjoy reading about our family's fun. Other than our tree falling over TWICE, we had an absolutely pleasant month of December.

Brooklyn won 2nd place for all the 3rd graders in Boise in the Annual Festival of Trees art contest. Her drawing of "Red Holiday" the dog won the judges over.

Then came our yearly date with our tripod and camera for Christmas Card Family Pictures. First we tried taking the picture in front of our house with the dog. THAT DIDN'T WORK- Too dark and too crazy. We headed in the house and tried to get an "under the tree shot". After about 2 hours of saying "SMILE!", "LOOK AT THE CAMERA!", "DO YOU KNOW WHERE THE CAMERA IS?! LOOK AT IT THIS TIME!" we gave up and decided that one of our attempts would have to suffice. Many of you may have received a card with the second of these photos on it, but I thought it would be worth it to show you the photo that best depicts the experience too.

How we felt after taking pictures for 2 hours.

The picture we sent out to make it look like we are a peaceful, lovely family.

Before school was out, Ian was the cutest Christmas Elf ever in their school program and Brooklyn sang her heart out as a "winter weather child" in
Meltin the Warm Hearted Snowman.
One of the most rewarding experiences for me as a mom this year was to watch my kids in their Christmas programs at school and church. It was about 100 degrees in the over-crowded school gym, with claustrophobia looming in the air. In file the children through the parents and grandparents with their video cameras perched. It was one of the most uncomfortable and best shows I have ever seen. It reminded me of when I was 13 and my dad took Elliott and me to a Bob Dylan concert. It was so crowded that there was no line between bodies, no personal space, but it was an experience I will never forget.

Next came our ward Christmas party. I was in charge of the music program and took the opportunity to perform my aunt Cori's song Heavenly Choirs with the Primary kids. I also roped my dad into singing Oh Holy Night with me, as a duet. Everyone in the ward, and visitors loved the show and I loved doing it. Today one of the Primary kids told me that Heavenly Choirs is his favorite primary song. (I did tell him that it isn't technically a primary song, but it's my favorite too.) All the kids dressed in white and were an angel choir along side of our stable scene. Here are MY angels.

Gymnastics doesn't take a holiday, so we also attended Brooklyn's second meet of the year. She did great and was so excited to have her new "league leotard" and a scrunchie for her hair!

Immediately after the gymnastic meet we headed up to the Williams family cabin in Smiths Ferry (south of Cascade, ID). We all love going to the cabin. It is definately one of the perks of being a Williams. Here are a few shots of us sledding and playing in the snow. We spend our days up there snowmobiling, snowboarding, sledding and making snow angels. And, of course,
playing with our new puppy...

Our evenings at the cabin are spent eating cookies and other yummy foods and watching movies. It really doesn't get much better than a day or two up there.

One of Aaron's "crazy coupon deals" - Pre made cookie dough. YUM.

Along came Christmas Eve...
Due to the fact that we are abundantly blessed with families to spend the holidays, we have made it a tradition to hang out with Pappy and Nonny on Christmas Eve, and split Christmas among our little family, Santa, Aaron's family and my mom and Stoy. So to begin our annual Christmas marathon we ate well and got to get into the fat man's sack. And that was even BEFORE Santa came!

We have a situation in our home...the kids' rooms are downstairs, and Aaron's and mine is on the main floor. The fire place is in-between the two. So to prevent the children from seeing Santa's loot before Aaron and I were up, I wrapped the staircase with Christmas paper and blocked the kids from coming up the stairs. I warned them the night before that it would be sealed, and they would have to sing Christmas carols for me and Dad to let them upstairs. So at 5:43 a.m. we were awoken to the sweet sound of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas". Priceless! Santa brought us a Nintendo Wii, so we spent the rest of the morning (and almost all free time since) playing the Wii.

Thanks to Grandma & Grandpa Williams for these sweet snowboarding goggles!

We ate at Grandma Susie's and Grandpa Stoy's house. YUMMY! There is no better place to get delicious food than the Stoy house!

We rang in the New Year at our house with friends and our new ROCK BAND 2 game (thanks mom). Lucas fell asleep around 10:00 pm at Aaron's feet with the music blasting, but Ian and Brooklyn stayed up for their first time until after midnight. We went out front and set off fireworks and were just as loud and obnoxious as the neighbors have become accustomed to us sounding in the day time.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

WELCOME 2009!

Random Reasons 2008 Wasn't Horrible

2008-12-28T23:26:00.024-07:00

Fall was a bit of a blur...new house, new job, same messes. I've added a 30 hour a week job to my life, but haven't seemed to manage to reduce what I used to do by 30 hours. How does that work? Really, it has been great. I love my new job, love my students, love my house and love my life. Lots of people have been commenting lately about how horrible 2008 has been. True, it's been a weird year. Even our Bishop at church today listed many of the historic occasions (good and bad) of the past 12 months. I thought I'd take this opportunity to make my own account of the year...(and catch up on posting photos of my cute family).

Random Reasons 2008 wasn't horrible - by Emily.

1. My kids are still smart, healthy, learning, cute, growing, hilarious, and make me happy, and crazy.

"Making the decision to have a child - it's momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body." - Elizabeth Stone

2. Aaron and I found a great house in the north end of Boise, perfectly suited for our family. We got it at the price we wanted and love living here. And we sold our other houses!!

3. I had my dream job fall into my lap. I love being a teacher and I get to work at the coolest school in Boise.

4. I still am the Director of a non-profit organization called Boise Elementary Spanish. I get to associate with really great people that are invested in making bi-lingual education available to kids in public school.

5. I (I mean Brooklyn) got a puppy.

6. Aaron and I celebrated 10 years of marriage together.
We have even discovered that we still love being married and think each other are worth hanging around.

7.The Williams Family Cabin is super fun.

8. Christmas still rules.

I used to be decent at this...

2008-12-18T12:38:00.003-07:00

Have you ever skipped writing in your journal for so long you don't know where to start? I got busy, and Facebook is easier to keep up on. I have posted some pictures of my classroom on there. Check it out on my profile page if you are a "Facebooker". I'll try and update this more often too...

Halloween Kick Off

2008-10-26T22:34:00.009-06:00

Happy Halloween!

Halloween is such a weird holiday. But I love it. Having evolved into something totally meaningless yet so fun is what I love most about it. I love that the only reason for Halloween is fun and an excuse to eat candy.

Aaron was gone to a mission reunion in Salt Lake for the weekend, but we couldn't wait for him to get home. The kids were just too excited. (And to be honest, I think the chaos of carving isn't something he relishes anyway.) Here are a few pics of the kids' big Halloween Kick Off.

Have a spooky week!

Brooklyn's Baptism

2008-10-13T22:53:00.028-06:00

Brooklyn turned 8 in August and in our church that is the youngest that we baptize. She has been looking forward to this day for a long time and was so excited that the day was FINALLY here. She knew that she could be baptized when she was 8 and so ever since August she has been "waiting and waiting".

We took her to Kiddie Kandids for a special photo shoot to remember the special day and that is the first picture shown, but all of the rest of the pics are from Saturday.

Our Stake Youth Baptisms are always at 6:30 pm, once a month on Saturday night. Brooklyn was really cute all day long waiting for 6:30 to arrive. She knew it was after dinner, so when I started cooking she got really excited.

Aaron baptized her.

We made sure to get a lot of special pictures of her and her dad. She is so fortunate to have such a loving and good guy for her dad. I know that she will always love him and I know that she will be a better person her whole life through because of his example and goodness.

I sure did a good job of picking a dad for my kids!

Brooklyn and Aaron were all ready to go into the baptismal font.
We

had a great service with short talks on why Jesus taught us that we need to be baptized and also on the Gift of the Holy Ghost. I sang a song, and Aaron's mom accompanied me on the piano. It was nice to be able to participate in the program.

We had so many friends and family there! Thanks to all of you that came. (We realize it was a sacrifice for many considering it was during a BSU game.)

She entered the water and met Aaron there. It went perfectly. All the other children gathered at the edge of the water and could see her. The adults were gathered behind the kids and I couldn't have asked for a lovelier moment.

Aaron said the words for the baptism perfectly (he hadn't ever baptized anyone in English before). I suppose he could have done it in Mandarin Chinese like he did on his mission, but I expect that it would not have had the same meaning for Brooklyn.

After she was submerged in the water, she came to me and my mom at the edge of the font into the dressing room. The first words out of her grinning mouth were, "That was soggy." She had a huge smile and the photo of her here, wet and happy shows her feelings at the moment.

After the service we headed home for an open house. It was so nice to have an "open house" for some reason other than to try an find someone to buy our house. Open House has only had a real estate definition for us the past few years. Yea! We get to clean the house for people we know this time! We have cleaned our house over the past two years way too many times to count for strangers to come and see. I'm so glad we are through that stage of our life!

We enjoyed the remainder of the night with good friends and family, cookies and Therese's yummy salsa. It couldn't have been a better night.

I am happy that Brooklyn is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It has made me happy in my life and I hope the same for all my children.

Welcome to the family

2008-10-01T19:32:00.010-06:00

She is finally old enough to come home. The new little lady of the family was delivered to our doorstep last Friday. Meet Jetta, our Australian Shepherd. She was born in Tropic, UT on July 21, 2008 and is home in Boise now.

Brooklyn has shown us that she is responsible (and persistent) enough for a dog. After three years of asking for a dog, her wish came true.

We immediately hired a dog trainer. Not only are we training the puppy, but ourselves too. We have no idea what we are doing or how to train a dog. We opted for private lessons. Funny how we won't pay for private lessons for anything else (Brooklyn's gymnastics, Ian's Karate, Luke's swimming lessons, etc.) but for the dog it's somehow worth it. Dawn, our trainer, meets us at Camel's Back park one block away. It couldn't be more convenient. This week we are practicing walking on a leash, sit, lay down, and fetching a ball. She'll try anything for a puppy treat or we've found she LOVES hotdogs. She is smart and has caught on to "sit" and "down", but leash walking is unpredictable. Sometimes she just won't move and we have to carry her. Brooklyn and her friend Taylor Gropp went to hike Camel's Back with her on and ended up carrying her up the whole hill.

Brooklyn is such a good owner. She even picks up all the poop. Well, almost all of it.

I think Jetta has even won Aaron's heart.

He is determined to teach her to be an expert Frisbee catcher. Right now she is too small to hold a Frisbee and every time she holds it in her mouth she ends up stepping on it and tripping over it. Pretty cute.

Speaking of cute, this evening Lucas was coaxing her to follow him downstairs and in his crackly little voice he was saying, "Come on sweetheart. It's OK sweetheart, come on sweetheart."

We've had it easy when it comes to potty training. She is really good about only going outside and has had only one accident. (And to be honest, it was my fault. We had one rough night and I didn't get her outside.) The first two nights home were great. Jetta slept in her kennel in Brooklyn's bedroom. I got up in the night and let her outside, she went potty and came right back in and fell straight back to sleep. No problem. Night three however was a learning experience. I moved her kennel upstairs out of Brooklyn's room. I thought it would be easier if she were by the door. WRONG! She did NOT like being out of Brooklyn's room. She just cried in her kennel and wouldn't sleep. After trying outside, locked in the kennel, and just hanging out in the living room with me on the couch (that's when the accident occured) we decided to try putting the kennel back in Brooklyn's room. Jetta went straight in and didn't make another peep for the rest of the night. She loves Brooklyn I guess.

Here are a few more pictures of our new baby.

Absolute joy

2008-08-30T23:17:00.006-06:00

Today we had pure fun in our front yard. Aaron hung the tire swing. Hopefully you are also having a grand finale to summer. I heard that the weather is supposed to drop 20 degrees between today and tomorrow. Get your BBQs and tire swinging in now! If you need a ride on a tire swing, you know where to find it.

Fall is upon us...

2008-08-27T21:49:00.005-06:00

The kids birthdays are past. (By the way, if any of you Utah folk have photos of their actual birthdays please email them to me. I don't have any.)

Anyway, in my life August is the sprint at the end of the summer race. It takes all of our energy, but in the end we are all so happy with what we have done during the summer. We had a super time traveling to Lake Powell, and the Wasatch Front. We saw a lot of good friends and family, and got to move to a permanent home. It's been action packed.

But school started this week. Brooklyn is in 3rd grade and Ian is in 1st. Lucas can't stand that

they get to go to school and he can't wait until his pre-school starts. We are finding a great place for him and he should start next week.

I started a new job last week. I am working as a teacher at a private school downtown called Foothills School of Arts and Science. I will be teaching Spanish to 4th-8th graders and will be doing Service Learning projects with the 6th-8th grades, as well as leading a little choir group.

Having been out of the work force for the most part over the past 8 years (other than my part-time work with Boise Elementary Spanish) I am finding it both invigorating and exhausting to balance all that I used to do with work on top. Aaron has really stepped it up on house and kid duty! Hooray.

But we got the kids off to school on Monday.

They are going to Washington Elementary. It is the oldest school in Boise and one of the best, so I've been told.

It's a good thing that public school in Boise is decent. Otherwise I would have to figure out a way to afford the tuition at the school where I now teach.

I find it somewhat disturbing that teachers can't afford to send their own kids to private schools. (And I even would get a tuition discount!) It feels strange when people ask me if my kids are going to Foothills and I have to say no. And honestly I wish they were. The school is great and really supportive of faculty. I'm sure that if I needed to I could get them in the school.

Yet the facts remain, Boise public schools are not bad. I hope that the kids will really learn something this year. Like maybe how to learn.

So far I've only heard reports on what is on the lunch menu and how many resesses there are each day.

Maybe I'll bring my camera to my new classroom and post some pictures of my new home away from home.

The Birthday Present

2008-08-13T09:15:00.009-06:00

I will be updating with more pictures of Ian and Brooklyn's birthdays soon, but we have had an exciting development in our family. We went to Utah and stayed with family and friends for an end of the summer trip. While we were in Provo visiting our friends Tyler and Alyson Bingham and Neil and Megan Valentine we had a life changing event.

It was Brooklyn's birthday, August 9. She has wanted one thing for her birthday or Christmas for years now, and we always say no. "Maybe when you are older. Maybe when we are more settled. Maybe when Lucas is potty trained." We have run out of excuses, we are getting her a dog for her 8th birthday.

It was as if all Brooklyn's prayers and hopes were answered. It just so happened that right on her 8th birthday our friends invited us over and said they had 9 puppies at their house. (Alyson's mom breeds Aussies.) To be honest, we weren't planning on giving her a puppy and she knew it. Even though we had said, "Maybe when you are 8." she knew the chances were slim to none. But when Aaron saw the puppies and their mom, he said, "If we had a dog that's the kind of dog I like." I couldn't believe he just said "If we had a dog" and went silent for fear of jinxing it. He immediately got on Tyler and Alyson's computer and researched the breed, obedience schools, and when he called Alyson's parents I knew he was seriously considering what we thought would never happen. HOORAY!

Meet our Australian Shepherd "Jetta". At least that's the name we have for her so far. We don't get to bring her home until the end of September. But we will spend the next month preparing.
We are all still in shock that Aaron agreed to getting her a dog. What a great dad he is for allowing her this opportunity (even though he would rather do without a pup in our lives). She will be an active dog and everything we have read about the breed says that they need a job to do. We think her jobs should be catching frisbees, and keeping Lucas out of the street.
Our new house has a built in dog door to the garage and a dog run, and I think it might be in the neighborhood bylaws that if you live this close to Camel's Back Park (1 block) you must have a dog. Really, Aaron had no choice.

New Home - Lemonade Anyone?

2008-08-01T22:03:00.008-06:00

We have finally landed. After moving 4 times in 5 years we have found home. We have an offer on "the big house" and have bought a great place in the coolest part of Boise. We live in the North End in Hyde Park. The selling point for this place wasn't that it is only two years old, has beautiful finish work, wood floors or granite countertops, all that is just icing. The real thing that sealed the deal for us was that this is the most prime lemonade stand location a person could ask for. The kids set up shop the first weekend that we owned the home. We hadn't even moved over yet. They were great workers, each with their own station - ice, pouring or money collection. They even sold Otter Pops to offer more selection. Everything $.25. Who says you can't find a deal these days? With snow cones selling a block away for $2 for a small, our stand was a welcome and inexpensive treat.

So here is a peek at our new house, and new hobby. Our street just so happened to be on the route for a bike tour across America. There were cyclists passing us all day happy to stop by for some quenching lemonade. Many of them had never heard of Otter Pops and we learned that in Canada they are called "Freezies". Our little stand is now documented in a number of cyclist photos from their ride. We even got a photo of a few of them.

So next time you are on 13th Street in Hyde Park remember we are here. Stop by and say hello. You may even catch us out front offering a cool treat on a hot summer day.

The Finale

2008-07-08T08:48:00.011-06:00

We continued our fun all week wake boarding, and surfing. One of the highlights was when we put two boats next to each other so their wakes would meet up and we would surf the center of the wakes. SO FUN!!! Of course Aaron was a natural and not only was able to let go of the rope, but also rode for a LONG TIME.

I never got to the point of letting go of the rope, but it was fun regardless.

Sunday was our last day on the houseboat and we spent it going on a historical hike to "Hole in the Rock". Down this crack the pioneers brought 80 wagons and 250 people to cross the Colorado River. Amazing! We did our share of suffering there too. As soon as we arrived at the bottom of the canyon to hike up, Brooklyn threw up. She was a tough little hiker and tried to keep it from slowing her down, but she and I ended up hanging out along the trail while the others went to the summit.

Emily & Brooklyn making memories at "Barf in the Rock"

Everyone else at the top.
Cutest picture of a 5 year old boy.Aaron and his little hikers.

There are no pictures of what happened next... and we are all grateful.

We embarked on the four hour ride to return the houseboat back to "the slip". Brooklyn puking all the way, and one by one every member of our party beginning to feel queezy. By the time we pulled in to the slip most of us were either running to the bathroom, or puking over the edge of the boat. Was it the food from the refrigerator on the fritz? Was it the germs from the little boy that was sick a few days prior? We will never know. What we do know is that we were all miserable. Aaron and I were in no shape to drive, so we opted to check into the hotel at Bullfrog Marina. It was a sad scene. Brooklyn rested in bed (over the worst of it after being sick all day) while the rest of us squished into the bathroom. We have never had family unity quite like that. By around 9:30 p.m. I could tell we needed some help and I called the medical clinic. They said we needed to come in and so we headed over there just in time. Aaron and I were severely dehydrated from being sick and they immediately hooked Aaron up to an iv and after 4 pokes to get it in he was on his road to recovery. I tried to reassure the kids that Daddy would be fine but it was unsettling for everyone to see him in a wheel chair, then hooked up to an iv. After tending to the kids and getting everyone settled I was also hooked up to an iv.

The following picture is the next day while we left Lake Powell. We were determined to continue on to Moab to see Arches National Park. At first glance this might simply look like a not so great family picture, but if you could feel the effort going into those feeble smiles you would know that this is the happiest we could look after the night we had just gotten through.

But all's well that ends well. With a case of water and Propel powder in tow we made it through the rest of our vacation. We snacked on Saltines and enjoyed unlimited electrolite enhanced beverages. Arches National Park was gorgeous. It made it all worthwhile. I'm glad we didn't wimp out and skip it.

How ya feelin'?

more Lake Powell

2008-07-04T08:39:00.007-06:00

When going out for the day, we would load up the ski boats and head out exploring the nooks and crannies of Lake Powell. Occasionally we would all pile into one boat to save on gas, and that was an adventure in itself with over 20 of us.

I rediscovered my uneasiness with steep cliffs and drop offs that I have previously felt at the volcanos of Kona, HI. I am usually pretty sane and rational, but not on rock face drops. While we climbed up to view Indian ruins all I could do was focus on getting myself up and I was useless as a parent. Luckily my friend Therese stepped in and helped get my kids up and down. You can see in the following picture Aaron carried Lucas (I have no idea how he did it).
The kids loved the view and cliff edges. Here is a picture of Taybor, Ian, T.J., Lucas and Brooklyn.
We made it to the ruins. Although my stomach was struggling with the heights, the ruins were inspiring. How could people live here?!? Thanks to the Wagstaff's and Schick's for making this trip possible for us. (Pictured: Denny, Therese, Jeremy, Ian & Brooklyn)
Brooklyn was lizard hunting and caught one by the tail. Now we all know what happens when you catch a lizard by the tail, right? Brooklyn was taken by surprise! Here is a great shot of her holding the tail while it was still shaking around in her hands.

Road Trip 2008

2008-07-02T23:59:00.008-06:00

I made a goal last year to travel to a place I have never been to, every year for the rest of my life. Last year we went north to Canada - Calgary & Banff. This year our destination was Southern Utah - Lake Powell and Moab - Arches National Park. So far meeting my goal has been everything I hoped it would be; inspirational, gorgeous and exciting.

We returned home today from our "big summer vacation". We left on June 21st and drove south through Utah (Or my-tah as Lucas insists it is called. For some reason he has adopted possession of the state. "It's not your tah, it's my tah!")

We were graciously invited to join friends and their family on the houseboat pictured, "Big Wave" in Lake Powell. We had never been to Lake Powell and had never seen a houseboat for that matter, so the whole trip was full of new experiences. I will spend the next few posts sharing our adventure, but tonight it is late and my mind is less than clever. Enjoy a few photos for now.

Captain Brooklyn steering the 90 foot houseboat. We drove the boat for about 4 hours out of the slip to find a place to park for the week.

Lucas gets a haircut. He requested this himself...

Yes, Lucas has a mohawk. He loves it and tells everyone about it.

Ian found hours of entertainment, along with all the kids, ensuring proper eye protection.

more to come...good night.

about Aaron...

2008-06-15T14:58:00.004-06:00

Almost 8 years ago Aaron became a father. Aaron is good at a lot, but he is truly gifted as a dad. As the mother and "natural nurturer" of our family, I am often in awe of his instinctive ability to be a practically perfect parent. We hear that men are by nature not as "tuned in" as women to children, but in my marriage that isn't the case at all. Aaron is everything I would wish for my kids to have in their father. Keep up the great work Aaron, and I think our kids might stand a chance in this life! At least they won't have you to blame. :) I love you! ~Emily

Aaron and Brooklyn in the hospital on August 9, 2000. Aaron was always tender and patient with our new born babies.
This is Aaron and Ian in Kona, Hawaii, December 2002. Aaron has never allowed parenthood to keep him from doing what he loves. Whether is is photography, fishing, snowboarding, or just enjoying the outdoors Aaron has always made the kids a part of his favorite things.
Here you see Aaron and Lucas on Lucas' blessing day in April 2005. Aaron is not only a good example of how to have fun and enjoy hobbies, but also is a great and quiet influence spiritually. He has blessed our three kids, and will baptize Brooklyn in September. We are so glad that he holds the priesthood and can do that for our family.
Aaron - HAPPY FATHER'S DAY 2008! You are the best dad we could imagine!
And I'm glad you love hot mom's. I hope I qualify (otherwise I probably shouldn't have bought you this shirt).

Ian's on 2 Wheels!

2008-06-08T07:38:00.005-06:00

Ian decided that it was time to ditch the training wheels on his bike. Aaron did all of his DAD DUTIES perfectly: he took the training wheels off and chased Ian around the driveway giving him all the encouragement and advice he needed to find quick success on 2 wheels.

Good thing we have a big, flat driveway!
Figure 8!

So much is happening. Here's what's up...

2008-06-05T23:28:00.005-06:00

There is always a lot happening this time of year. The next few posts will show you all just how busy we've been. Field trips, Nonny's graduation, Brooklyn's 1st gymnastics meet and of course bunny rearing. Here are a few photos of our end of the school year events:
Brooklyn and Pappy at Nonny's graduation picnic. Congratulations Nonny!
Brooklyn did great in gymnastics this year and now spends equal time on the hands and she does her feet. She won the 1st place ribbon for a hand stand competition. She will be continuing gymnastics at a more advanced gym and it seems to be turning out to be her favorite "thing".

Shortly after this picture was taken she sank a bit lower and was able to pass off her splits for the first time. She new a Banana Split was waiting for her if she could get it done. She is now part of the "Splits Club".

I don't need a nap!

2008-06-05T23:08:00.003-06:00

Lucas is right at the breaking point. The age that children reach that they no longer "go down" for a regular nap easily everyday at the same time. He ALWAYS need a nap by the end of the afternoon, but he can hold out without falling asleep during the ideal "nap time window" (anytime before 2:30 p.m. ). Once it's past 2:30 we are in trouble. He will crash somewhere, usually in a random place as the pictures show, and then be up until the middle of the night. Sometimes he outlasts me these days and Aaron has to stay up with him and get him to finally go to bed.

He especially likes Aaron's and my bed and on this particular day, in the picture, he stripped the pillow case off for a sleeping bag and had a nice rest.

The following shot was too cute! All the kids were out riding bikes and Lucas came in and just couldn't go even one step more. I can't believe that the stairs were the most restful place he could have found, especially with his helmet still on.

They're furry!

2008-05-23T22:54:00.003-06:00

Soft and Snuggly
Today we had our first experience holding the babies.
Lucas learning to "be soft" with the bunnies.
Ian was a natural. He had a confident gentle touch and the bunnies loved him.
Brooklyn quickly came up with affectionate names for a few of our new babes.Remember... they are up for adoption the second week in July!

They are cuter!

2008-05-20T17:17:00.002-06:00

We will update pictures soon. The babies are quickly growing and have just a bit of fur now. Their eyes are still closed. They snuggle all day long, and are very sweet. They will be ready for adoption the second week in July...any takers?

Our Growing Family

2008-05-14T06:56:00.010-06:00

"Freckles Jumper"

and

"Snowy"

The kids got two cute, cuddly bunny rabbits for Christmas. Snowy and Freckles Jumper have become a part of our home and family. Monday was a peculiar day for the rabbits. Snowy was not behaving normally. Usually they are very good buddies and Snowy is the more dominant of the two. We knew that Freckles is male (we've seen proof) and we assumed that since Snowy is bigger and more aggressive we have a pair of males.

We could hear squeaking and see obvious nervousness. Snowy was pulling out fur from its chest and trying to shove it in the corner of the hutch. By now I began to think...Snowy may be a girl...she is sure acting like a nesting mother to be. So we quickly became rabbit breeding experts by referring to Google. We immediately removed the male "Freckles" since daddy rabbits have a tendency to eat their young. Luckily Aaron had built our rabbits a hutch the week before so we had the old cage as a spare available. We left Snowy in the new hutch and gave her some clean cloths and a box to nest in. Just in case.

We had to run home Ian's friend T.J. and swing by Grandma Susie's and Stoy's house for a quick errand. We were gone for about 45 minutes.

When we returned, Snowy was quietly eating and much less agitated than before. She was happy to have the hutch to herself. I peeked in the box we had left and saw a huge pile of fur that she had placed in there after ripping off her own chest. Suddenly the fur pile was moving! There were babies in there! I guess she took that 45 minutes we were gone to make a nest in the box, have seven babies, clean herself up, and eat a snack. Ian asked me later that day, "Is it harder for animals or people to have babies?" After watching her recovery I wish I were a rabbit.

Lucas called Pappy to tell him that we have 7 new babies and the conversation went as follows. Pappy asked, "What color are they?"

Lucas said, "Black and white and black."

I wisper to Luke, "They're pink."

He corrects himself to Pappy and says, "They're pink, with no hair and no heads."

Silent pause...

"Mommy, do they have heads?" Lucas questions.

"Yes they have heads."

Lucas, back in the phone to Pappy says, "Actually, they do have heads."

Hanging at Home

2008-05-07T19:51:00.006-06:00

Brooklyn is gone so much. School all day, Brownies, Gymnastics, Piano Lessons. I struggle sometimes to provide my kids with all the opportunities that they deserve. Can't they just stay home with me and hang out? Oddly, I feel like we have limited Brooklyn's activities to a minimum. It still leaves me without her an awful lot. I know this will only continue to get worse as she and the boys age. I know that there are years of Scouting activities, soccer and unnamed interests ahead. I guess I'll enjoy summer vacation all the more because of her absence during the school year. Even in my thirties summer vacation is my favorite time of year. Here are a few photos of me and the boys with nothing to do at home while Brooklyn was at school.

Are these guys related?

Mother's Treasure

2008-05-07T19:09:00.003-06:00

I found this mini-tea cup in the dining room the other day. It was basking in the sunbeams with this Dandy Lion drowning in the water. All of its yellow petals drenched and withered. The stem so short that it sank in the cup. I quickly rescued it and propped it up on the edge of the plastic cup. I have never enjoyed a flower so much. I didn't know why it was in my house or who put it there. It just made me smile that I have three little people in my home that see this weed, that most people despise, as a bit of beauty to bring inside. I know it is only a brief time that I will find such small pleasures in the dining room. This little plastic cup, with a drowning weed is such a symbol of the beauty of motherhood. Happy Mother's Day to all you ladies that have ever given your time and energy to receive a weed in a cup to fill your heart.

The beauty of blogging...

2008-04-11T17:24:00.000-06:00

Today I took the time to look through the blogs of all the people on our "fellow favorite bloggers" list. Many blogs are so entertaining! I laughed, I cried (yes, I'm a weenie), and I'm coming back for more. Reading about friends and family, many of which I don't get to see very often, if ever, was so fulfilling. Rich, rich lives. It seems that a blog is a wonderful outlet to find gratitude and introspection.

I have always kept a journal, but nothing worth passing through the generations. You know, I actually kept a better journal before I joined the LDS church and found out that someone might want to read it someday to learn about their great-great-grandma Emily. Chilling thought. When I realized that I immediately threw away all my journals from Jr. High and High School. Maybe it was a mistake, but I still don't miss them. I still keep a journal but the entries are few and far between. I always feel like there is so much to catch up on I don't know where to start.

Blogging is the perfect combination of journaling for oneself and staying in touch with friends and family. Hopefully you all will find this to be true as well. Check out the blogs of those you know or find interesting. Signing out.

10 Years Together

2008-04-11T16:13:00.000-06:00

In February, Aaron and I celebrated 10 years of marriage, together, with each other. To be honest, it doesn't feel like it's been that long. Strange to think that we've spent close to a third of our lives together. Pretty soon we will start looking like each other, right?
We flew into Orlando, FL, rented a car and took it over to the eastern coast. We drove a chilly, relaxing ride from the Cocoa Beach area up to Daytona. We spent a couple days in Daytona, soaking up the sun, and enjoying that we were not in Boise in the snow. We were able to stay right on the beach in the most beautiful hotel, and I really can't say that ANYTHING could have been better. (Except maybe our tans.)

After Daytona we set off for Orlando again, and went to Disney World. Yes, that's right, we went to Disney World without our kids. We thought we better check it out first just to make sure it was fun enough for them. It was.

2008-04-05T18:52:00.000-06:00

We had lots of fun at the YMCA Splash Week swimming lessons during Spring Break!
All the kids made great strides! Brooklyn did her first dive off the platform. Ian was brave enough to finally put his face in the water.

And Lucas spent his time hanging out with Mom in the Kiddie Pool. We'll be back to lessons in May, look out summer, we're ready for you!

Backup singer superstars...Elliott, Katie, Aaron & Emily

2008-04-01T23:41:00.000-06:00

Here's the proof... Aaron is a rock star. Or at least his father-in-law's backup singer.