SORROW

My Dad passed away tonight unexpectedly. He had a massive heart attack at home. My Mom was there with him and he went really fast and painlessly. He would have turned 54 on April 7. Go home and kiss your family. Tell them you love them. Hug them till they can't breathe.

My Dad meant the world to us. He was the best Dad and the Greatest Grandpa! My kids are having a really hard time with it. Please remember us in your prayers. Especially my Mom!

Crazy!

This week has been particularly busy. When it rains, it pours. There isn't any one thing that is bad or too stressful, but together....! On a happier note, Ian came home from Iraq on Friday! He's living it up with his family in AK. We are all glad to have him home! Also, I have booked tickets for my Mom and I to NYC! We will go April 7-12. It should be a lot of fun! I know my Mom is excited for the trip. I always have a little anxiety when I am leaving my chicklets. I know they like to have a little break from their mama, though, so I should just perk up! 

a new love...

My Hubby, bless his heart, has found a new love. I have seen it coming for awhile, but tried to ignore the signs: working out more frequently, not drinking soda, eating healthier, packing special clothes when he goes on "business trips." 

It is so clear to me now. Why I didn't acknowledge it earlier is anyone's guess. I suppose it's because I knew I'd never be able to keep up with the competition. I don't enjoy the same things he does. I like to sleep in. I like (love) coke. I enjoy the quiet afternoons spent lounging in my sweats. These are all things that throw me out of the running with his new love. Because, after all, it is his love of Running that has beat me! 

I am not sad that he enjoys his new passion, only a little disheartened that I know that I can't keep up. My body just doesn't go the distance. I can handle myself for about 1 mile, then I walk. This would be no way to keep up in a 5K, 10K, or even a marathon. 

I am a little jealous of his new love, but I need to acknowledge that I have limitations. Running more that a mile is my limitation. Who knows, maybe with a year of hard work, I will be able to at least run a 5K with him. We can all hope and wish, right?

Dump Your Load Here...

Your load of Valentine Candy that is! 

Where did I get Taylor from? This was his idea for a Valentine's Day box this year.

Thanks to Print Shop, we were able to throw some tasty magazines on top of the tank. Do you like People's 100 Most Beautiful? And, who could forget Dora? Not Taylor, that's for sure.

Now, it's just which magazine to read first.....

He couldn't put any weight on his "toilet" or the box would crunch.

 I'm sure his thighs were burning posing for this pic! :) Now he

really knows what us girls go through when we use public toilets!

What a clown! He makes me laugh, even when we don't start 

his creative projects until 9:00 at night! I love him!

Snow Cold!

So, as many of you know, Jason is the Scout Master. This weekend is the annual Klondike Derby! I am so thankful that I am not a scout or a scout leader. The idea of spending the night in the snow does not sound like any fun. Jason reassures me that if built correctly, a snow cave will be at least 35'F inside. Yeah, that sounds toasty!

Building a snow cave is VERY tiring and time consuming. About six weeks ago, after a big snow storm, Jason decided he needed to get an idea of how much time it would take to build one. He went out to the backyard at 8:00 A.M. When the kids got home from school, they threw on their snow clothes and ran out to help him. They were full of excitement and anticipation. They lasted about 1/2 hour with their digging labors before they decided it was "boring, hard work!" Jason didn't get his cave finished until sunset that night! He was so tired. Seeing how our boys puttered out made him very worried about how he was going to get six caves built. He knew he couldn't do it on his own- and let's face it, 12 year olds can only do so much. He had to come up with a plan.

Yesterday, he rented a bobcat and took it up to his Aunt Karen's field in Eden. This is where they will be holding their Klondike on Friday night. He mounded up and packed six caves. His (way too nice) friend Travis went with him. It took the two of them all day to mound those with the machine. Today, he loaded up all the scouts, and they are off to dig them out. I hope they can get them all dug out and ready before it gets dark. Otherwise, they'll have more digging to do on Friday night. That won't be fun (as if any of it sounds fun to me)!

So, that's the scoop on what we have been doing all week: Preparing for the Klondike. At least Jason and the scouts are excited for it. It will be an adventure, that's for sure!

Go Heads?

So, my kids love the movie Get Smart with Steve Carell and Ann Hathaway. There is a scene in the movie where Ann's character says, "Max has no experience and I don't want him as my partner." Steve replies, "Well, that is a sucker punch to the gonads." Of course the kids laugh every time and think it is so hilarious.

The other day we were driving and one of the boys said something to Hannah that she thought was a little rude. She replied, "Well, that is a sucker punch to the go heads!"

Jason and I busted up laughing. All this time she thought the movie was saying "go heads" instead of "gonads." I guess I should be happy that she has no clue what gonads are! I love her. She cracks us up!

Stress.. Not really

(this pic is our new years toast 2006- with sparkling cider- 

but this is a celebration post, so it's appropriate!)

So, I started my new job on Monday, Jan 19. I have been going everyday and I'm TIRED! Learning new stuff all day long makes my brain exhausted. When I got home Monday night at 5:30, I sat next to Jason on the couch and fell asleep. I picked myself up and carried my tired body to bed. As I was climbing under the covers, I glanced at the clock. It was 6:38 P.M.! I'm a loser! I can't believe I was that tired after only one day of work. 

The job training has gotten easier as each day passes (because I am actually retaining all the new info so my brain doesn't have to work so hard) so I am sleeping better at night. This makes for a nicer, more alert me. Very nice!

I am loving my new job and my family seems pretty excited for me. I will be working from 0700-1600 every Monday- except holidays. Easy, breezy! 

I am so grateful for a supportive husband who suffered with me through those years of nursing school and the one hour class of CPR training! :) I thought that Jason wouldn't take the class seriously, but he paid close attention, answered questions when called on, and even looked like a pro when he had to do his mannequin demonstration. What more could a girl want from a guy! His mouth to mouth skills alone are enough to send shivers down my spine.... whoops, off track! Anyway, we both passed the test with 100%, no sweat. So, if you feel like choking, having a heart attack, or drowning in our presence, just know that you will be in good hands. :)