Purple Jaguars

Sam had a successful spring soccer season. He averaged 2 goals a game and found that he is a great defender. He had an awesome time and is excited for this fall.

Of course three-year-old soccer is thrilling and full of well executed plays...

...and is also ripe with head trauma...
...inspection of various wounds...
...and temper tantrum time outs.
In the end everyone gets a medal it's smiles all around.

Miss Juno

We became dog owners in November of last year. It was completely my idea and I was out of my mind. The first seven months were awful. She is a very dominant dog and ignored me completely (that is when she wasn't biting my hands and feet). We read everything Cesar Milan has ever published, we hired a professional trainer (who never showed up), we did puppy classes, we tried spraying her with water, we tried an air horn (and only damaged our own hearing). I was way ready to find her a nice farm to live at. And then we applied the shock collar. It is heaven. She is so good now that I am staring to finally like her. It may all work out after all.
I was talking to my Dad about the shock collar and said something to the effect of "Don't use the s-h-o-c-k word. We're trying to keep how it works a secret from someone."
Sam piped up, "Mom, someone already knows how it works. It's me!"
He is not, however, allowed to use the remote.

I wish now that I had been able to enjoy her more when she was little. She was so cute. This picture is her at 8 weeks, the day we brought her home.

About 12 weeks

Juno's crate comes in handy for controlling Sam as well.

Sam loves Juno and she puts up with a lot from him.

Juno at about 6 months

Juno at about 7 months
And now a test. Is this the same dog?The short answer is yes.
In May I took her to be groomed. I wanted her cut short, but I didn't expect her to be shaved.

I couldn't believe it was the same dog. She looks so much smaller. It's starting to grow out a little now. I was actually pretty sad. She was so pretty and now she is bald.
It's appropriate though that she has a new look to go with her new attitude.
Hopefully she'll grow out pretty again and stay likable.

Owls and Bats

I wanted to take a nap the other day, but Sam had other plans for us.
He informed me, "Sleeping in the day is for owls and bats, but not for you Mom. It's not good for womens."

Half a Year in Pictures

Several of my friends and family members are doing "A Year in Pictures". For these projects they have committed themselves to posting a picture every day for a year.
This year my goal is simply to not be committed to the crazy house.
It's going okay so far, although we've had some close calls.

I'm pretty happy to be able to showcase the highlights of the last six months.

CHRISTMAS!!!


FEBRUARY
Samuel and I with Grandma and Grandpa Orme.

Me and my buddy.

MARCH
We spent a beautiful Saturday afternoon at the dinosaur park



I had a hard time convincing Sam to come stand by me for this picture.
In the end he settled for trying to be scarier than the dinosaur.


Sam has started playing soccer. He is on a three-year-old team called the Purple Jaguars. They have had one game and one practice. The rest have been canceled due to snow. He has had a great time and is a really good teammate.




We made our first spring trip to the zoo.

My mom just had foot surgery, so Sam gave her a wheelchair ride.

Me, Sam, and Abuelita Julia

Stuff Sam Says

I haven't posted anything in so long. We do have a new camera and I have taken a few pictures, so maybe I'll be a blogger again someday. I wanted to record some of the things Sam has been saying.

One day we were looking at pictures of cupcakes in a book. Sam asked me which one I wanted to eat.
I said, "I want the biggest one."
"No Mom, that will make you fat."
"Really? What's wrong with being fat?"
"It will hurt your heart."

Which leads directly to this next comment, said with all the intention of a great compliment.
"Wow Mom, you have the biggest bottom I ever saw. Wow, I mean wow!"

So, yeah. Anyone know a really great diet program that doesn't involve any exercise or elimination of calories?

Sam tripped and was crying. I asked him what was wrong.
He said, "I've damaged myself."

When we were visiting in Idaho we decided to watch a movie with my Mom and Dad and Lindsey and Jordan. We chose Prince Caspian, thinking it would be a good family film.
The beginning is a little bit scary and violent. It was late and so I suggested that we should just go to bed.
He said, "It's okay Mom, I'll protect you. I'll cover your eyes."
I said, "If this is too scary for me, then maybe it is too scary for you."
He answered, "No, boys like this kind of stuff."

I usually sit with Sam for a few minutes while he falls asleep. Generally it takes him about 15 minutes. Last night he told me that his eyes wouldn't stay shut. I told him I had to do some things, but that I would come back and check on him in a little while. A little later he came out of his room looking for me, asking why I hadn't come back yet. I told him that I had sat with him for quite awhile and that I had things I had to do.
He said, "I'm sorry Mom. I didn't know I was taking you so long."
I felt really bad about that.

This is an article that talks about Suzanna's dad in Haiti.

Utah doctors on their way to Haiti

Posted using ShareThis

Why My Life is So Hard

As I sit in my nice, warm, new, spacious kitchen and bake cookies in my two ovens while outside the temperatures dip below zero and many people are wondering how to feed their hungry children I would like everyone to know that my life is hard.

I would document this photographically, but I have no AA batteries for my camera.

I hate my great job.
It's extremely flexible. It pays pretty well. The other staff are really friendly and fun to work with. I like being an ER nurse...but sometimes the clientele, the job, and the company that provides it annoy me. I don't always get my way and sometimes I'm tired.

I have a wonderful son. He is smart and funny and remarkably well behaved. He will sit through a two hour staff meeting and not make a peep...but sometimes he doesn't mind me and although he now sleeps through the night (usually in his own bed) I don't think I've ever recovered from his sleepless first three years. And sometimes he is intentionally naughty.

My automatic dishwasher is BROKEN!
Actually it is fixed and works great now...but I didn't get to complain about it on the blog when it wasn't working so great.

I live in my new dream house, in a great neighborhood, in a nice city, in a beautiful state, in a blessed country, on an amazing planet...but it's too cold outside.

In two weeks we celebrate the birth of the Savior of the World, the Son of a God who answers my prayers...but I don't have enough money to buy EVERYTHING that I want, only most of it.

We have a cute new puppy who has only had one accident in the house in the last 3 days (and that was in front of the back door because I didn't hear her quiet whining to be let out)...but she chews, she barks, she disobeys and may be possessed by an evil spirit.

My cookies taste good...but they are making me fat.

I am forced to lose my temper at Sam and the puppy. I yell a lot and have exhibited some ugly loses of control.
My house is a disaster. My bathrooms need cleaned. Laundry is sky high.
I still have Christmas shopping to do.
I still haven't mailed (an already wrapped) birthday present to a very good friend.
My great husband has to work all day everyday (at a paying job) and even though he is home before 7:00 now, he still doesn't get home until 5:30.

So, I submit my evidence that my life is way hard.

Here's Your Sign

I caught Sam on the countertop the other day and reminded him that he wasn't supposed to be up there. He thought for a minute and then said, "Well Mom, maybe you need to put a sign up here to help me remember."

The Goings On

Sam's been sick with a stomach bug that won't quit. He first got sick Sunday night, was fine on Monday, sick all Tuesday night, more quiet than usual on Wednesday, fine all day Thursday, and sick again Thursday night. He missed pre-school on Wednesday, so we told him he could go on Friday. We decided to keep him home though, so when he woke up this morning he asked, "Why I'm not at school?"
"You threw up last night, so Daddy and I decided not to send you to school."
He looked really annoyed and started to run to the kitchen, "Mom! Now I have to do lots of homework. I have to glue some papers and color and draw a dog house for the new puppy and..."

That's right. Did I mention we're getting a puppy?
Ours is the darkest curliest one on top. Sometimes I worry that we are going to really regret it, but I'm excited and she is so cute.
She is a golden-doodle. Her mom and dad are both golden retriever/poodle mixes.
We can bring her home around November 23.

I have some pictures and things that I've meant to put on here, but never got around to. The last 6 months have flown by so fast. We've been pretty busy.

In April we went to the zoo with Lindsey.

I was really proud of these Easter Eggs we dyed.

I took this video of Sam in February. I call it "Dramatic Interpretation of the the Life and Death of a Snowman" or "Once There Was A Snowman".

First Day of "School"

Sam started preschool today. I have to work from 6PM to 6AM on Tuesdays right now and so we enrolled Sam in a preschool/daycare on Wednesday mornings. Today was his first day. Daniel took him on his way to work this morning. He has been so excited for this.

We toured several places and picked this school because it has a bowl of crackers at the front door. Sam was very impressed by this. I was impressed because it was clean, organized, well supervised and most importantly, clean.

Daniel said that when he left Sam was in dinosaur heaven.

The other night at dinner we were having a delicious pork chop dish with rice and mushrooms. Daniel picked up his fork and Sam yelled, "Look out Dad! That has mushrooms in it!"
He's not very picky, but he can't stand mushrooms. He can always tell if I've put mushrooms in something and he will not eat them.

Brag Item: Sam can add and subtract.
In the car the other day he asked me if I wanted to play a number game. I asked him what that was. He said, "You know. When you say if you have 3 apples and I take one away, how many apples are left?"
I've never played this with him and neither has Daniel. Maybe all that Playhouse Disney is finally paying off. He can add and subtract (all in his head) through number five. He did not get this from me.
They're probably going to have to move him to the 8 year-old classroom at "school".

New House Pictures

We're getting close to moving day. The garage doors need painted and the front door stained.

The cabinets are installed, most of the appliances are in. We are having a debate over how to cover the vent duct over the stove. I want to wrap it in wood like the cabinets. The other option is to drywall it. Let's have a vote.

I can't wait to move in.

All that's left inside is some finish work, a good cleaning and we're set.

A Wedding, Independence Day, and Some Really Terrible Photography

We spent about 10 days in Idaho for Lindsey's wedding and the 4th of July.
We took about 8 pictures and none of them were very impressive, but here are the good ones.
I really need to remember to get some batteries for my camera, and then remember to take it with me, and then remember to get it out and use it.
It's nice to have goals.

Sam looked very handsome in his suit for Lindsey's wedding. He got lots of compliments and told me that he wanted to wear it every day.
This is one of maybe three pictures I have of the three of us. No, I don't mean just at this event, I mean in the last 3 years. That is the pathetic truth. And keeping with tradition (see Jeris and Suzanna's wedding) I have no pictures of the bride and groom, but believe me, they looked good.

Sam's birthday was a success. We had an incredible turnout again this year and thanks again to Frank Vandersloot for Sammy's fireworks. (And thanks also to Steve Clark for bringing his camera.)

Sam requested a party, a parade, black(chocolate) cupcakes and a pinata. I made absolutely sure he got his wishes.
Now prepare yourselves for some amazing pics of the birthday boy.

Good thing he's naturally cute.

What I regret the most is that I didn't get any pictures of Sam and his pinata. He really beat the tar out of it. After about 5 minutes Daniel helped him liberate the candy. That's when I discovered that the cardboard (not paper mache) cement truck was held together with STRAPPING TAPE! What kid is going to get that to break open?

I hope Sam doesn't hate us someday for being so lame about taking pictures and documenting important events.