Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Super Man!
Today is my Dad's birthday. He is 74 yrs old today. I view today as a gift. As positive as one may try to be when dealing with an incurable cancer it has been hard, at times, to believe that he would be here for his birthday. It truly feels like such a blessing to be able to celebrate his birthday with him.
On Saturday we were able to have a big birthday party for him. My sister, Corrie, chose a 'Superman' theme. Definitely very fitting. We had the party in Wellsville at my brother, Dustin's house. There was great food and a lot of laughs to be had by all. Our niece, Ashley, agreed to come to Wellsville to take family pictures. Our original plans were to have them taken in front of the old barn at our old house. However, due to a conflict with the present home-owner, that did not work out. Dad wanted to have the Wellsville Mtns as our back-drop. That was easy since all we had to do was walk out Dustin's front door for that back drop.
Unfortunately the rain played havoc for a while and then cleared up leaving a beautiful rainbow as an extra birthday wish.
It was so great to have us 7 kids with Mom and Dad for pictures. Thanks to Dustin and Carrie for the use of their home for the party! Thanks to Ashley and Dwight for driving to Wellsville for pictures! Thanks to Corrie for the amazing 'Superman' cake and Nancy for the great food and organizing the party! It was truly a party to be remembered!!!
Our Dad has been our *hero* for all our lives. How fitting to honor him on his birthday as a 'Super Man'. I found a tile for him that says "If you don't believe in heroes, You haven't met my Dad". We all feel this way about him. He is an amazing example for all of us. He continues to live his life with complete faith and love.
I love you Dad!!! You made it to your birthday, YEAH!!! Now we can look forward to your next birthday and many more to come!!!
On Saturday we were able to have a big birthday party for him. My sister, Corrie, chose a 'Superman' theme. Definitely very fitting. We had the party in Wellsville at my brother, Dustin's house. There was great food and a lot of laughs to be had by all. Our niece, Ashley, agreed to come to Wellsville to take family pictures. Our original plans were to have them taken in front of the old barn at our old house. However, due to a conflict with the present home-owner, that did not work out. Dad wanted to have the Wellsville Mtns as our back-drop. That was easy since all we had to do was walk out Dustin's front door for that back drop.
Unfortunately the rain played havoc for a while and then cleared up leaving a beautiful rainbow as an extra birthday wish.
It was so great to have us 7 kids with Mom and Dad for pictures. Thanks to Dustin and Carrie for the use of their home for the party! Thanks to Ashley and Dwight for driving to Wellsville for pictures! Thanks to Corrie for the amazing 'Superman' cake and Nancy for the great food and organizing the party! It was truly a party to be remembered!!!
Our Dad has been our *hero* for all our lives. How fitting to honor him on his birthday as a 'Super Man'. I found a tile for him that says "If you don't believe in heroes, You haven't met my Dad". We all feel this way about him. He is an amazing example for all of us. He continues to live his life with complete faith and love.
I love you Dad!!! You made it to your birthday, YEAH!!! Now we can look forward to your next birthday and many more to come!!!
Happy Belated Birthday...
Wade's birthday was last week on Sept 18th. Unfortunately, it was quite uneventful. We had chili for dinner and he requested a fresh peach pie for his birthday 'cake'. We had pack meeting that night too. It's always fun having a birthday on a weekday. So between everything going on that night he managed to open presents and have his pie.
Ron's birthday was on Sun, the 21st. All the family gathered for his birthday and had cake and ice cream. It is always fun to get together and hang out.
Happy Birthday Ron!
Happy Birthday Wade!
Ron's birthday was on Sun, the 21st. All the family gathered for his birthday and had cake and ice cream. It is always fun to get together and hang out.
Happy Birthday Ron!
Happy Birthday Wade!
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Rude Awakening & a Thief
Have you ever had a day where you should have just stayed in bed??? Today has definitely been one of those days.
My doorbell rang @ 4:45 am today. Having been in a nice deep sleep this definitely jolted me straight from bed. My first thought was that Wade was home and had locked himself out. I couldn't figure out why he would be home though. I get to the front door and look out my blinds and there stands a policeman. He says "Police".
Ok, my first thought is did we set the alarm last night? Are all the kids still sleeping safely in bed? Then my stomach reaches my throat with the thought 'Wade.....' He had left the house at 1:00 am for work. My thought continued....'he's been in a wreck, they found his drivers license, here they are, this can't be good'. Then, Mom and Dad. Has something happened at their house? Panic!
This all went through my mind in all of a few seconds. I said through the window "Let me get my robe". I had after all ran straight from bed. The Officer nods his head as he is shining his flashlight on his badge.
Finally I open the door and he informs me that one of our neighbors had called because our dog (Hoosier, our Black Lab) had been barking for the past 1 1/2 hrs. He went on to tell me that he had been sitting out front of our house for the past 20 minutes and that the dog had not stopped.
My head was still spinning from abruptly being forced awake. Plus, the worse case scenarios that had ran through my head still had me completely freaked. I think that by this point he realized that I was a bit caught off guard.
I told him that I would go out and check on Hoosier because that wasn't normal for him. I mentioned something about having raccoons that get him worked up, etc. Asked who called in, which of course was anonymous. The Officer then gets my name, birthdate, phone #'s, our street address and offers to go out for me and check the dog. I said no and he left.
Sheesh......
Then tonight Caden is out riding his bike in our neighborhood. Wade is heading to the dump and to get Hunter from soccer practice. Wade stops and tells Caden where he is going. Caden wants to go but has his bike. Cade starts for home, just across the street and over one house, and Wade tells him he doesn't have time to wait for him, to just leave it there. (there = the corner of our friends yard). So, 45 min later they come home and no bike. Yup, the bike is gone. Wade and Caden went and checked with the surrounding neighbors and no one has seen the bike. So now Caden is without his bike that he got just 11 months ago and had just grown into (nice bike that he could have had forever).
#$&(%*#&%&#)*(%&* ( at least that is what I feel like screaming) .
My doorbell rang @ 4:45 am today. Having been in a nice deep sleep this definitely jolted me straight from bed. My first thought was that Wade was home and had locked himself out. I couldn't figure out why he would be home though. I get to the front door and look out my blinds and there stands a policeman. He says "Police".
Ok, my first thought is did we set the alarm last night? Are all the kids still sleeping safely in bed? Then my stomach reaches my throat with the thought 'Wade.....' He had left the house at 1:00 am for work. My thought continued....'he's been in a wreck, they found his drivers license, here they are, this can't be good'. Then, Mom and Dad. Has something happened at their house? Panic!
This all went through my mind in all of a few seconds. I said through the window "Let me get my robe". I had after all ran straight from bed. The Officer nods his head as he is shining his flashlight on his badge.
Finally I open the door and he informs me that one of our neighbors had called because our dog (Hoosier, our Black Lab) had been barking for the past 1 1/2 hrs. He went on to tell me that he had been sitting out front of our house for the past 20 minutes and that the dog had not stopped.
My head was still spinning from abruptly being forced awake. Plus, the worse case scenarios that had ran through my head still had me completely freaked. I think that by this point he realized that I was a bit caught off guard.
I told him that I would go out and check on Hoosier because that wasn't normal for him. I mentioned something about having raccoons that get him worked up, etc. Asked who called in, which of course was anonymous. The Officer then gets my name, birthdate, phone #'s, our street address and offers to go out for me and check the dog. I said no and he left.
Sheesh......
Then tonight Caden is out riding his bike in our neighborhood. Wade is heading to the dump and to get Hunter from soccer practice. Wade stops and tells Caden where he is going. Caden wants to go but has his bike. Cade starts for home, just across the street and over one house, and Wade tells him he doesn't have time to wait for him, to just leave it there. (there = the corner of our friends yard). So, 45 min later they come home and no bike. Yup, the bike is gone. Wade and Caden went and checked with the surrounding neighbors and no one has seen the bike. So now Caden is without his bike that he got just 11 months ago and had just grown into (nice bike that he could have had forever).
#$&(%*#&%&#)*(%&* ( at least that is what I feel like screaming) .
Sunday, September 14, 2008
I was lost...
About 4 days ago I was informed that I was lost. I received a phone call from someone looking for me for my 20th yr high school reunion. Apparently I was on their could not find list. It was funny because I didn't know I was lost. I guess that is what happens when you get married and move away. I haven't lived in beautiful Cache Valley for over 18 years and I rarely see any of my friends and old classmates.
I don't know if I will go to the reunion. It is in just 2 short weeks. We'll see. It would be fun to reconnect with some of the others from the class of '88.
I don't know if I will go to the reunion. It is in just 2 short weeks. We'll see. It would be fun to reconnect with some of the others from the class of '88.
Wow, that really makes me think that I should feel very, very old!!!
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Good News!!!
Today we received some great news about my Dad. He had repeat CT Scans done yesterday. According to the Nurse Practitioner he will have 2 more chemo sessions and then they will do another scan. Most likely a PET Scan. This will be to determine if he is in remission. Wow!!! The possibility of only 2 more chemo treatments is amazing! He really has been such a trooper through out this very harsh and long journey. He is undoubtedly my #1 hero in life.
For those that don't know, my Dad was diagnosed in April with Advanced Stage 4 Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. He has fought it with more courage than I have ever seen.
I LOVE YOU DAD!!!
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Viva Las Vegas!!!
As soon as the kids were home on the 28th we loaded up and headed to Las Vegas. Everyone pretty much survived the drive, although, the 1st question of "are we close yet?" happened a mere 50 miles south of home! :'} We pulled into our destination at 12:30 am. We woke the kids up as we approached Vegas from the interstate so they could take in the glow of the lights. Needless to say, they were not happy about being woken. Poor Hunter didn't see any of it. The others caught a glimpse or too. We stayed and the Grandview Resort ( a HUGE thanks to Uncle Mark and Aunt Linda). It is about 7 miles south of the strip. Our accomondations were beautiful.
Once we got unpacked and settled in the kids had caught their 2nd wind. lol They ended up staying up until 3:00 am. Friday morning Wade and the kids hit all 5 pools at the resort. I stayed behind and enjoyed the very inviting jacuzzi tub in the room. We did eventually head toward the strip. We started and Circus, Circus. The kids loved the amusement park there. Alexa had a characature drawn of herself while the other 3 did fun pictures in front of a green screen. We also saw the beautiful water shows at the Bellagio. We watched about 3 different water shows. Definitely one of Ally's favorite parts of the trip.
When we got back to our rooms Ally and I crashed in bed and Wade and the other three hit a midnight buffet next door at the South Pointe. They had a great time but did have a little trouble finding the right floor to get off the elevator!!!
Saturday began with swimming once again and then off to the Dolphin and Lion Habitat at the Mirage. The lions were a bit boring to be honest. We did love watching the dolphins and their silly antics. We also hit many of the other fun and well known sights of the strip right down to grown men vomitting all over! yuck! Good example to the kids as to why one should never drink!
By Sunday afternoon we had finished our fun in Las Vegas and headed to St. George. We got to stay with Nancy that night. (Thanks Aunt Nancy!!!) The kids could NOT wait to get to her house. They adore Aunt Nancy and they all believe they are her favorite! lol It was so nice to get to spend time with her. The kids tried to catch lizards in her back yard and I got to spend some much needed time with my Sis. It was so nice.
Unfortunately for me I had a little too much sun and heat on Sunday. I woke up on Monday very sick. The sun and heat hate me. I tend to get quite ill if I spend too much time in either.
Wade and Alexa headed to check out Kim's house that she is buying . After spending a few more hours with Aunt Nancy, we reluctantly loaded back into the car and headed home.
The only good thing about going home was picking up Chase, who had been at Scott and Heather's playing with Franklin!!! (Thanks Scott & Heather for babysitting for us!!!!!!!!)
It was a great reunion with our little furry family member. He seemed very happy to see us.
All in all it was a very fun, successful get-away for us. Thanks also to Grandpa and Grandma Holmes for letting us take the Explorer. Definitely got better gas mileage than the Suburban would have and the working A/C was a lifesaver!!!
The best thing about a vacation is all of the memories we made and just getting to spend uninterupted time together! We definitely needed it.
Once we got unpacked and settled in the kids had caught their 2nd wind. lol They ended up staying up until 3:00 am. Friday morning Wade and the kids hit all 5 pools at the resort. I stayed behind and enjoyed the very inviting jacuzzi tub in the room. We did eventually head toward the strip. We started and Circus, Circus. The kids loved the amusement park there. Alexa had a characature drawn of herself while the other 3 did fun pictures in front of a green screen. We also saw the beautiful water shows at the Bellagio. We watched about 3 different water shows. Definitely one of Ally's favorite parts of the trip.
When we got back to our rooms Ally and I crashed in bed and Wade and the other three hit a midnight buffet next door at the South Pointe. They had a great time but did have a little trouble finding the right floor to get off the elevator!!!
Saturday began with swimming once again and then off to the Dolphin and Lion Habitat at the Mirage. The lions were a bit boring to be honest. We did love watching the dolphins and their silly antics. We also hit many of the other fun and well known sights of the strip right down to grown men vomitting all over! yuck! Good example to the kids as to why one should never drink!
By Sunday afternoon we had finished our fun in Las Vegas and headed to St. George. We got to stay with Nancy that night. (Thanks Aunt Nancy!!!) The kids could NOT wait to get to her house. They adore Aunt Nancy and they all believe they are her favorite! lol It was so nice to get to spend time with her. The kids tried to catch lizards in her back yard and I got to spend some much needed time with my Sis. It was so nice.
Unfortunately for me I had a little too much sun and heat on Sunday. I woke up on Monday very sick. The sun and heat hate me. I tend to get quite ill if I spend too much time in either.
Wade and Alexa headed to check out Kim's house that she is buying . After spending a few more hours with Aunt Nancy, we reluctantly loaded back into the car and headed home.
The only good thing about going home was picking up Chase, who had been at Scott and Heather's playing with Franklin!!! (Thanks Scott & Heather for babysitting for us!!!!!!!!)
It was a great reunion with our little furry family member. He seemed very happy to see us.
All in all it was a very fun, successful get-away for us. Thanks also to Grandpa and Grandma Holmes for letting us take the Explorer. Definitely got better gas mileage than the Suburban would have and the working A/C was a lifesaver!!!
The best thing about a vacation is all of the memories we made and just getting to spend uninterupted time together! We definitely needed it.
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