Summer, Fall or Winter

Saturday all the kids got burned at their soccer games, but we went 3 - 0, so no one cared too much! Then we went up to my parent's cabin to see the COLORS and also watch General Conference with them. We saw the most beautiful trees and brush that you have ever seen, RED, YELLOW, GOLD, GREEN (you name it). It was well worth the trip. Conference was great too, and well needed!!!

On our way home we stopped at the Continental Divide and ran into a snow storm. The kids had fun playing around in it. I on the other hand was on edge wondering if we were going to get in another car accident. I tried to enjoy it, but was anxious to get down the mountain in one piece with James driving.

We had a great weekend and I loved it!!!

Good Times, Good Friends

This last week we were blessed to be visited by dear friends. Dave, Jamie, and McKenzie Pyatt, and Jake, Shauna, Skylar, Madison, and Ryland Stubblefield all came to visit us. It is such a great honor to have such great friend travel all that way to come and check-up on us.

We had a great visit. James and the kids were even lucky enough to follow them up to Mesa Verde in Colorado and help set up their campsite. They then went on to see a few Indian ruins. Our visitors camped out for a few days and then came back down to our house where we visited some more.

Thank you Pyatt and Stubblefield Families...you made my month and I am grateful to have such good friends like you. Your visit filled me with peace and happiness and I look forward to when we can visit again. WE LOVE YOU!!!!

Ode to Good Friends

It never ceases to amaze me what good friends I have. You all just seem to have the perfect timing. I will get phone calls, message, notes, and even presents at times when I need them the most.

I just wanted to quickly thank Amy for the book and the card. They really do mean so much to me, and even more that you thought about me. The title of the book is too appropriate!

Also the night I got into my little car accident, I came home from the doctor to find these beauties waiting for me.....What timing! Thanks Jamie....I can't wait to see you.
Thanks again to such good friends who I love and miss!

The Rubicon is now a Rubic's Cube

I haven't been very good at updating my blog....it seems like something is always going on to stop me.

Last Wednesday 9/9/09 (someone said it is 666 upside down, I now believe it), I was dropping off Elijah at soccer practice, in the rain, and looked up to see a big truck fishtailing down a hill! It was like a slow motion movie. OOOOO NOOOOOOO NOOOOOO (I was proud of myself for not saying something else in front of my kids)! Needless to say I got hit on my side, then he bounced around and hit my backside pushing us into two other cars.! So dumb. Only $9000 of damange on my car (I mean James' car). Now my neck and arm hurt and the doctor tells me that I need to wear a neck brace for the next four to six weeks....URGH! We are also waiting for the young man's insurance to tell us whether or not he has enough insurance to cover the 3 cars he hit. I HATE DRIVING IN THE RAIN.

What's your best wreck story????

My Dad also got a check up this last week. He seems to be doing a little better. All of his blood counts are up except for his red blood cells. They have actually dropped. The doctor didn't quite know what that meant but we will see what it is again in two weeks.

FHE Fright

Well tonight was another great family home evening. After getting ice cream with the kids and talking about how important it is to be "sweet" to each other, in word and deed, James called us in to watch a video about a true sighting of Michael Jackson's ghost. Now, Ethan is a big ghost person, the whole family is into all those freaky shows, but I don't know if the bishop and his family is.... Well we all gathered around the monitor and......you tell me if you believe it!!! Needless to say James might not be teaching FHE or Seminary much longer.

It's All A Blur!

Where has the time gone....I just looked at my blog and realized it has almost been a month since I updated....so sad!!!

First off...I would like to report on my Dad. About a week after his surgery, his blood levels started to rise. He was at 8.7, normal is 14 units of blood in the average person. He came back for another appointment two weeks after that and his blood level was at 9.3. The doctors were very encouraged and didn't want to see him again until Sept. 15. We are hoping and praying for the best. They don't think he will ever be at 14, but we can always hope that he gets pretty close. Thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers....I know that they have worked, and I am grateful to a kind Heavenly Father for listening!

We made a quick trip up to my parents cabin the weekend before school started. We all love to go up there because it is so peaceful and beautiful. Here are a few photos:

Monday the 17Th started yet another year of school. Elijah is now attending Middle School (I feel really old), and his life as a middle schooler is far different then mine. He was given, by the school, an Mac Laptop for the school year. He brings it home every night and does all of his school work on it. It is pretty neat, and probably something that would never happen in California. It is also pretty cool that the parents are given passwords so that we can go online and check any of our kids grades online. The are posted immediately....WOW. My kids might not like this special feature. Elijah is loving it though. He takes the bus to and from school each day and really feels like he is maturing. We are very proud of him....He is A WONDERFUL young man. Ethan and Olivia are still attending the same elementary that they started last year. They got great teachers and we know that they will have great years. Here are a few pictures of the first day of school:

It's great school has started again. This summer has been really rough and we all look forward to getting back into a routine. I know we are going to have a great new school year!

I'm Exhausted.....What a Week!!!

Where do I even begin......Tuesday! Tuesday my Dad went in for a blood transfusion and platelet transfusion. He needed to do these before his scheduled surgery on Wednesday. Well what was routine didn't end up that way. He felt a little funny when they started the platelets. He said his ears, throat, and head started to itch. My sister Tammy walked in on him completely convulsing and not doing to well. The doctors seems to think that it was a reaction to having so many transfusions, he is nearing 80 transfusions! Anyway....he spent pretty much the rest of the week in ICU. He had his spleen removed today and although he is in quite a bit of pain, we are hopeful that now his spleen is gone he will start to retain the blood he is making....Keep praying for him!!!Yesterday was James birthday. We had a great day together. He was called to be a early morning seminary teacher. He is very excited, but it all seems like deja vu! I know he will do a great job. He got all the things he desperately needed.....a new razor, sunglasses, oil key chains, and of course the books he has been waiting for. We had a family party for him that night. He was a little sad that his family wasn't here....I think he is slightly homesick for them all! Happy Birthday to a wonderful husband and father. James....YOUR THE BEST!!! We love you. PS thanks Annie for the cake recipe...it is the favorite cake in our family and we owe it all to you!!!Today on my way to the hospital I got my mail and had the best gift waiting for me. Meri & Paco always seems to know when I need a little boost. They sent me a box full of candy (which came in very handy during a long surgery), a pair of earrings, and a beautiful wooden box that Paco made. I showed everyone I could at the hospital! Everyone was quite impressed by all the detail work that only a master could do. Thanks Meri and Paco for being so kind to me. I truly have the best friends in the world!!!