Funny Story

Landon walks down the stairs first thing in the morning and as he rounds the corner to the kitchen he does the half asleep look at the t.v., sits down for his morning cup of chocolate milk and says "whats on today....dead people or Jesus?" When you think about it they do have a lot of dead people and Jesus sightings on fox ten news, arizona mornings!

SoMe StUFf We DiD In ThE Az HeAt!

This summer has gone by so fast. We have done nothing but been completely busy at the same time. We have hit the pools, water slides, had sleeps overs, and parties! Since it is August I need to catch up....get ready here are the things we did in July, in no particular order!

Landon's Party

Landon and I had a fabulous birthday! We were very spoiled and got to celebrate all weekend. We started with Landon's party on Saturday the 11th. Thanks for everyone who came out to party with him. He loved the whole party, even the UFC fights that the big boys had to watch.

I don't know why put I only got one water slide picture and it is not very good, oh well.

Candle Time!

The boys ate and ate, but only the tops. I can't blame them I do the same thing.

Landon and Bodin, they are best buds!

Van enjoyed helping himself

Present opening was a group thing. Thank you everyone for all the great stuff.

Sunday was our actual birthday it was a nice relaxing day. My mom had us over for dinner and it was good, some of my favorites were made! Monday Jason suprised me and took the day off, which never ever happens. He took me shopping for my birthday presents and Grandma Merkley took Landon shopping for his birthday present, worked out great. We meet back up at the Merkley's house for some great mexican food. As you can see we were definitely spoiled and had a wonderful birthday weekend. I love Landon. I love watching him grow, learn, and try new things. I love the good big brother that he is. I love being able to celebrate our birthdays together every year. Can't wait to see what this year brings!

EyEs!

Why would any mother let there kid dress like this? Well, this is why.... Van's eyes was looking a little red on Monday, I noticed it but did not think much of it. Cryed some at night. Tuesday, still red not horrible. Tuesday night it looked like something was attached to his eye it was all bubbled up and blood shot red. He was up all night crying and came into my room in the morning and tells me "mom eye hurt". I call as soon as the doctor office opens and get in around noon. I get there and they ask if it is okay to have a student doctor check him out and then follow up with the regular doctor. I am totally okay with this and grateful that luck girl was there. She checks him goes out and gets the doc., he comes in with this big box and a black light, I could tell this was going to be ugly. I feel horrible as he tells me that he has two ear infections (I just thought he'd been up crying because of the eye). He also says yeah there has to be something stuck on the eye. So, they numb the eye put in the orange dye drops, Van is so mad he is screaming the dye is coming out his nose, I am holding him down the poor Innocent student is holding him down and the doc is attempting to fix the problem. He goes at if for five minutes or so and then tells me he will be right back. He comes back in with a paper that has appointment info on it to see a pediatric eye specialist first thing the next morning. Gives him some strong antibiotics for the ears, and strong ones for his eye to get him through the night and sends me on my way. The doctor called later that night to make sure he was still okay and to remind me of the appointment he made for him. I thought it was awesome he cared enough to call and check in on him.

I take him to the eye doc the next morning and it was ugly. He numbed it and put the dye in, which also came out his nose again, gross!! He looked at it and says I can see that there is a problem but I don't see anything in the eye. He gets the huge q-tips and and grabs the eye ball with one hand and sticks the q-tip in and wipes the inner eye lid. Sure enough out comes something. I would love to tell you what it was but Van got a good hit in and the doctor lost the q-tip. What ever it was, was stuck in the eye lid and scratched the eye every time he blinked. The doctor told me that I owed him big. I agreed, I told him thanks my boy needs that eye. He laughed and said no not for that, you owe me because he is going to take one long nap today. Sure enough he did. The doctor also told me that the eye was going to get worse before it got better because he was sure he broke some blood vessels in that fight! As I was leaving a mom in the waiting room came up to me and told me not to worry it does get better. Good to know that the whole waiting room could here Van's plea's for help. Poor kid at lease he is better and I don't feel bad making him mad when I pick out his cloths!!

Hocus Pocus

Landon has always had a thing with soap. He hates soap along with lotion, sunblock, chapstick, hairspray, gel, you get the idea anything that goes on you he hates. It is a constant fight to get him to wash his hands after he goes to the bathroom we talk about the germs and how gross it is not to wash. He will wash but he is so particular and when it comes to soaps, he has favorites and others that I have to force onto him. We were at Whitney's a while ago and he asks me to take him to Grandmas to go the bathroom because he does not want to use Whitney's soap he would rather use Grandmas, NO WAY - forced on him!! If I let him slide once he totally takes advantage of the hand washing thing and yeah, you know how it goes. Well, Monday night I hear him get up around one and he goes to the bathroom, all is well. I hear him crawl up the ladder back into bed, no crash sounds just a sudden death scream. I get up and go see what the problem is and much to my surprise he is sitting straight up and is hysterical. He did not wash the germs off of his hands so, he could not touch bear (he loves his bear).

~~I am not so understanding and tell him he is fine I will wash bear in the morning, the germs will be gone and go back to bed!

~He replies I don't want bear to get washed

~~So, get up and wash your hands

~I can't I am to tired

~~I am not so happy at this point and do a really cool hocus pocus spell --germs, germs go away come back another day poof they are gone! It worked he is holding bear and I am going back to bed almost....

~Wait, I don't want them to come back

~~Dragging myself back in I come up with some new spell and back to bed.

What do you know he does this again last night, at least I am a pro and it went much quicker!

Today we went to the mall with Aunt Whitney and Landon obviously has to go to the bathroom and is already complaining about hand washing. I get Van his lunch leave him with Whitney and drag Landon to the bathroom. As we are in the stall Landon keeps saying....

Mom can you do that thing to me that you do at night time. I am doing the whispering mom yell telling him to shut up. He keeps going on will you please, please do that thing you do to me at night time. I have never felt more like at child molester than I did today. It is such a great feeling and to top it all off Whitney has him believing that I am a witch. Yes, a witch and I only work at night because that's when witch's come out. Who would have thought that one hocus pocus spell would turn me into a witch in my child's eyes and a gross molester to all the people in the chandler mall bathroom today.

Road Trip

We could not resist the chance to get out of town this holiday weekend! We headed out Friday afternoon and actually left three hours earlier than planned (thanks to whoever picked up Jason's last call). We went through Globe because we heard that the Payson route was horrible. I am glad we went through Globe because there was no traffic at all! We did hit a huge rain storm and got to see some good size rock slides that slowed us down a bit, but really not a bad trip up. Of course we had to have a side of the road bathroom stop for Landon and it was the best place. I would not mind stopping there again, it was a relaxing break and the boys had fun running around the little creek and looking at the fish.

We stayed Friday night at the Cabin with Brandon, Erin, and Gracen and got ready for the fourth of July fun. The fourth is a great holiday for two reasons, one is obviously to celebrate the birthday of the great country that we live in and the other is to celebrate the birthday of my awesome Grandpa Teen. He is an amazing Grandpa and I don't think anyone will ever be able to do the great Donald Duck talk quite like he does, he restores old classic fords like no other, and has an outdoor collection that makes Jason dream. So, off we went to the famous town of Holbrook and the party began.

Grandma always has the best fish ponds and all the kids love to check them out. Above is the pond in the back of the cabin which Landon has gone into twice... and here is the one in the back of Grandma and Grandpa's house in Holbrook which he has now been in once. I am glad I got a couple pics of him in his holiday shirt before it was officially retired for the day due to swimming with the fishes. I really wish he would stop this, not a fun way to begin the party!

We went to the Firehouse to get some delicious BBQ (just like we did twenty years ago). While we were in line they had out the helicopter. When you see the helicopters down here in town it is more of a look and see. But not in Holbrook they let the kids climb in look around and touch whatever. They loved it and we manage to get them all in for a picture.

Here is the man of the day, I think he looks darn good for 79 - Happy Birthday Grandpa!!

Van Man is crazy for trains so of course we had to take him over to the train depot. I went a little camera happy

Grandpa Bill and Van checking things out

Van was so excited when a train came through, he said hi to every freight car.

This is my favorite road in Holbrook. I was watching the history channel (yes I am a dork) one day and they were talking about road names and this road made it in the top ten. In case you can't read it it is Bucket of Blood. I had to make the boys get a picture with the famous road. I would love to have my address read bucket of blood but I don't think I could ever adjust to the small town living so Heather will have to do.

Finally this is where we watched the fireworks, it was the best show I have seen in years!!! I forgot how good it was. It was packed full of beautiful fireworks and we were right underneath them. Thanks Marlene for getting us a great spot. It felt like when you sit in the first row of the IMAX, stinks for the imax show, but FABULOUS for fireworks. They lit up the mountain and were so beautiful.

Landon and Bodin did a lot of cheering and clapping.

Van loved to watch them but did not like to listen to them.

The boys just had to make one last stop at the rock shop this morning on our way out of town, they called it dinosaur land. Who knew you could find this much to do in Holbrook.

This trip brought back many childhood memories and I am so glad we went. Now were home and it is way to hot!

~My Thoughts~

I have been undecided about posting this but I am, don't get to excited it is just some of my thoughts. I am so grateful for the two boys that I have. Days like today make me realise how good I have it and how blessed I am to have them. I cherish every moment that I have with my kids, I may not show it all the time but I love it all. I hate to think of it but I know that at anytime my kids could leave me to go live in a better place. I am so grateful for the many sacrifices that Jason does for me that makes it possible for me to stay home with them. I will forever be grateful for that.

Last week on Lorin's birthday Landon was so excited to send Lorin his letter in the balloon. He knew that it was going to go up in the sky, through all the clouds for his Uncle Lorin to catch and read with his Heavenly Father. He put a lot of thought into his letter and knew exactly what he wanted on it. I loved how it turned out and at the last minute I scanned it onto the computer so that he can have it forever. I can't wait to see the letters he writes to Lorin every year. I think that a great tradition has been started.

*Here is Vans...Landon helped pick out the picture*

*Here is Landon's, it reads....
I love you so much. I love you and I dream about you when I go to bed every day. I gave you super hero strength so you won't be sick anymore. Eat your vegetables. I borrowed your Batman, I said please to Grandma. I am saying hi and showing you a picture of me swimming. I love you and will never forget you because I love you very much. Love you forever Uncle Lorin.

Here they are almost all the way through the clouds.


I think my boys are cute and in need of a haircut.

Landon was at swimming lessons and we had time to go home for 20 minutes before we were meeting for the birthday celebration's. Landon feel asleep on the way home from swimming so I took him inside and laid him on the couch, Jason picked him up twenty minutes later and his shoes feel off somewhere between the couch and the car so he got to wear mine. Don't they look lovely on him?!

Landon, Van, and Delilah love Grandpa!