5:30am

I set my alarm for 5:30am this morning. It's Saturday you may ask and there is no baseball games, I am not meeting my friends at the palms, nothing on the calendar, and I am not even running the Pat Tillman 4.2 mile run (that took place today with 20,000 other individuals).

I had a date with my ten year old and I wasn't about to sleep in and pass up on the opportunity to bond. Like me, Jared doesn't mind getting up on occasion, especially if it involves the outdoors.

We left the house around 6:15am and headed out to Camelback Mtn.

The weather was absolutely perfect it started out around 60 degrees. 1 mile up and 1 mile back. It took us around 1:40.

Jared was a trooper, there were some definite steep parts and a lot of switch backs. He offered to carry our camelback full of water. Never complained, just a little Jared smirk with small talk now and again.

Afterwards we treated ourselves with some Jamba Juice, yum.

Thanks for being my hiking companion Jared, I hope we can do it again soon!

Number 23

Jared scored his 3rd touchdown of the season Saturday! Way to go bud!!

(photos courtesy Justin Hagerty)

Go Vipers!!

Yellow J-Rod

It's all in the graphite (so I hear)

It's always interesting to see what comes from a block of wood, especially when it's a pinewood derby. Last year was nothing like this year. I mean NOTHING. In more competitive areas (aka Chandler) you must abide by the rules from the size of your axle all the way down to the precise measurement of 5 ounces. Jared and Doug had been discussing the design of their car this year since the loosing streak of last years model. Notice I say "their" because let's face it, it's just as much Jared's car as it is dad's. The final weigh in was at 2pm. It was then they realized they had to add on some major weight. The car started out only at 2.2 ounces so Doug frantically started hot gluing weights like crazy with even a penny on top. (for luck of course)

Half of the Bear Den
Anthony, Logan, Ryker, Josh and Jared

All the boys had high hopes that THEY would have the winning car. Deep down we all know it's a pretty competitive race. Each boy got to race their car six times in order to allow the car to run on each track. Races 1-4 went by and poor J-Rod (Jared's yellow car) came in dead last. By the 5th run you could see the disappointment in his face.

This photo cracked me up. Weston just adores Magnus (I love that soft little shoulder touch), which happens to be his older look alike. These boys are so much alike in personality and mannerisms it's freaky! Not to mention they are both the 4th child.

J-Rod Lane 4

Ready, set....race!

J-Rod takes third place in the 5th heat!

The 5th race was a little more promising, after all his car placed third. Unfortunately that wasn't enough to carry the rest of the race through. After averaging all the times together Jared's car ended up 2nd to last. I say this with optimism because at least he wasn't last! We have to take any positive we can get.

Jared holding his yellow and black striped masterpiece
"J-Rod"

So, another year has gone by with a loosing car. Building cars out of wood may not be our strongest point, but bottom line is (straight from Jared's mouth)--"At least I wasn't last and I had fun!" Or as Doug would say, "hey I have at least 10 more cars to build, one of these years were bound to win." So true, so true.

Five For Friday Rewind

1. I never like finding new doctors, places to eat, and especially getting my hair done. Unfortunately it's inevitable to make new choices moving into a new territory. After asking around, I had several recommendations as to where I should get my hair cut. But, the bottom line for me is I don't like spending a lot of money on my hair. It's one of my least favorite things about me. Anyways, after making several phone calls and gasping at outrageous prices for hair (people I know are paying close to $200!) I settled for Sara. I went out on a limb this time and told her I wanted a Reese Witherspoon haircut. I normally never go for the famous haircuts, because truth be told they almost always don't turn out the way you envisioned them. Actually the last I did that (way back in New Orleans) I looked like Dorothy Hamill! I must say I was pleased with the results and really I can't complain too much since I only go twice a year.

ta da!

2. Friday was my dreadful trip to Sam's Club. I hadn't been in weeks which means I needed to stock up on several items, not to mention my lack of freezer space! It makes me crazy. However, after coming home and cooking up all of my hamburger meat (I do this to freeze it into bags) It makes it so convienent to grab cooked meat to prepare dinner. I couldn't help but realize how much I LOVE my gas stove. I was completely terrified at first of the thought of owning gas, but after I got used to it, it has been so handy. And cooks in less the time!

3. After himming and hawing for several weeks, I took one of my musically inclined friends over to play the piano I have been drooling over. I knew the outside was beautiful, but as most know the inside is the key to a good piano. Martha brought her daughter along who is an amazing pianst to test out the keys. Upon leaving she turned to me and said, "if you don't buy this I will!" With those words, I knew I couldn't pass up this steal. We brought her home on Saturday. I love that this room is starting to fill in. Yay!

4. Last night Doug and I went out for the first time in what seemed like weeks. We normally go out at least one night each weekend, but due to crazy schedules, vacations and what not it hasn't happened. He decided to take me to one of his latest most favorite restaurants, Firebirds. We ended the night going to see Eagle Eye. In my opinion it was entertaining, but pretty cheesy. We definitely need some good movies to be released, there haven't been any for sometime.

5. I failed to mention over our vacation that Jared has become even more infacuated with legos. When we were up at Craig and Esther's last weekend, my cousin Ryan had just about every Star Wars lego in a box that you could imagine. The look on Jared's face was priceless. I am kicking myself for not even photographing what he accomplished in just a short amount of time. He was beyond excited when Ryan allowed him to open up this brand new box of legos. Jared spent hours (2 straight days to be exact). Each minute he had he worked at getting it together. We caught him up with a flashlight at midnight! Since then Doug has figured out that you can get online and find various instructions how to build different ships, etc. Due to our big stash (can you see on the floor) we have plenty to concoct just about whatever you want. I have to admit it's nice to have Jared entertained for hours without hearing the words, I am bored mom!

Our lego boy!

Sunday Funnies

When I was younger I think the Sunday funnies were my favorite part of the paper. Along with cutting out the coupons for my mom. (weird I know--but true) We don't receive a paper anymore and really I don't think it's necessary when you have a house with 4 children.

sibling laughter has the best kind of sound.

Today was a marathon day of video games after church. We broke out the "old school" games and I was in my element trying to remember the secrets to Super Mario Brothers. After dinner we decided enough was enough and told Taylor and Jared it was time to head off to bed. There was a couple of moans and then Jared pulled this out of his head.........

Jared said in a matter of fact tone, "Remember by playing a lot of video games, you can become a great doctor!" He was referring to the study on arthroscopy a few months back. Have you heard of this? I think Doug mentioned it in passing to him (but couldn't remember for sure). He should have known that Jared has an amazing memory. Nothing gets past that kid and you can always count on him throwing a piece of advice back your way. At any rate it gave us a good laugh. As did this:

Today Luke spoke in church. He is our most timid child and rarely does anything in public that you ask him to. He very bravely got up at the pulpit with help from his big sister Taylor. Taylor held up the photos as he did his talk. He spoke very loud and clear into the microphone (I must add he has a typical 4-year old lisp when he talks) I really wish I could have video taped it. One of the lines was "Jesus was born in a stable", but Luke proceeds to say he was "born in a staple." It may not seem funny, but to hear it was. It was very cute. Needless to say, Sunday was definitely full of laughter in our home.

good deed Saturday: wrote my thank-you cards
good deed: played a game with the kids

Boy's Paradise

I had heard from a friend that the Bass Pro-Shop does embroidery. Since I don't have access to such a machine I headed out this morning to take in the kids school backpacks. I noticed pulling up in the parking lot, I was the only one not driving a truck. It's definitely a sportsmen (boys) paradise. I never understood the ordeal of this store until setting foot inside. I have been there a few times before, but never with my kids. They have things from hunting, fishing, skiing, camping, you name it, they have it.

peering into the huge fish tank

Weston was so excited about the huge fish tank. Seriously these fish were almost as big as him. During our visit they were doing a "how-to" fish lesson. It actually was pretty interesting. (I know absolutely nothing about fishing).

Nascar section

They also have a entire section for Nascar. Who knew there were more than two fans out there in the Nascar world?--hee hee. This one is for you Anne and Sammy! You can actually pay to ride in one of the cars, but due to the ridiculous price, I passed on the offer. I did allow my kids to climb the rock wall. I was surprised at how brave Jared was, he came so close to the top but then gave up. You could see the look in Doug's eyes how excited he was to see all of the "toys" they had in the store. It also brought back good memories for him to see rock climbing. Him and his roommates would do this in Utah on the weekends back in the day. Having three boys, I am sure they will be getting plenty of our business in the future.

Jared almost to the top.

Taylor got up about half way and fell back. The funny thing was during their climb Luke was burying his head on my lap, saying "I can't watch it's too scwary." The rest of the day has been pretty uneventful, which in my opinion tends to result in some interesting things. While organizing some papers we found some old albums of Doug's younger years. If you know my husband when this happens the "jokster" Doug comes out. He decided to show Jared some football moves and to do that, you have to dress out. Look out fantasy football here comes "Broken Bones!!"

Very intimidating :)

good deed: took the kids to Sonic for treats.

Oh Tartar Sauce

Sean, Jared, and Bryce

Aren't they so cute??

Doug was feeling under the weather on Friday so I offered to take Jared to his 2 hour football practice. All of the parents seem to stay and chat rather than dropping off (which isn't a bad thing) it just makes me feel more guilty as a parent if I do. I decided to kill two birds with one stone, put on my running attire and headed out to the field with Jared. I wasn't really familiar with the area to run in so, I just ran 14 minutes one way and turned around. Holy cow they call that "Colonies Hills" for a reason. I was dying AND dripping (sick) by the time I returned. I was pleasantly surprised watching the remaining 90 minutes of practice. It was interesting and fun to see these little bodies tackle and learn the skills of football. There is also something about seeing the little boys all dressed up. Painfully cute! I was worried at first due to his size. He tends to be one of the smaller kids and doesn't have an ounce of fat on him. However, it seems to be working for him because he can pretty much out run all of them. I guess sometimes being small isn't so bad.

Jared and mom

Jared has yet to complain of any aches and pains. He gets so excited to even just get his gear on. He continues to amaze me at his eagerness to try and be the best at what he does. Since we didn't have any of the other kids with us I let Jared choose a place to eat on the way home. He choose Jason's Deli. (he LOVES their baked potatoes). It's always fun to sit and spend some quality time with my kids. When you get Jared on his own, he can be quite a character and ask some pretty intriguing questions. He wanted to know if he could try to play tennis next, then basketball, baseball, and soccer. He definitely has his mind set on trying anything. Despite he ability to test my patients, he really is a good kid. I love you Jared and am so proud of you. I wanted to dedicate this post especially to you. In honor of it, I titled the post with your favorite saying, "Oh tartar sauce" Perhaps a bit too much Sponge Bob, but it is pretty funny to hear.


good deed: gave FHE lesson.

S-L-O-W Deep Breaths

Good birthday mail from Janae, Lisa and Courtney

Today and yesterday (hence my cheesy Hogwarts post) I was struggling to come up with what to write. My juices aren't flowing!! I know most days, it is pretty much what I do, but I had no motivation to even write about the mundane events of my life. I often pimp Doug for ideas on occasions like this and he said "Hmm why don't you finish Harry Potter or your quilt?" Yes, yes good ideas. But you have to be in the mood for both. I do agree these are things that I should be spending my time on. However, my computer calls me, my blogging community, etc. It is a sense of relaxation and down time for my brain. Just to show you my mood I haven't even taken any photos of my outings for the past week. Blah, blah, blah. I do in fact have some good mail to report. (see above) Lisa, Janae and my oldest friend Courtney sent some belated birthday packages. And really how can you unwelcome them? It makes me appreciate blogging even more. I haven't even met Lisa and hopefully will someday. She sent me the greatest pen (I will have to hide from Doug) It definitely made my day. Thanks again ladies for the thoughtful wishes!

My quilt blocks are coming along. It has been forever since I have pulled out my rotary cutter to cut fabric. I quickly remembered how precise you have to be in order for things to work in a quilt. I learned that the hard way several years ago when I began to quilt. I still have my first quilt to prove it. It's DREADFUL. The only reason I keep it, is for pure learning purposes and hopefully teach Taylor what NOT to do.

"jacobs ladder block"
1 block down 20 to go!

Unfortunately, because of this project I have been neglecting my kids and haven't been the mom I SHOULD be. I was just thinking today how terrible I have been about spending time with my kids. All I could think of is I need a break! Granted I have started way to many projects. Let's be real.....The phrase that sticks in my head quoted by Doug is "Are you raising a_______(put in what ever you wish) or children?" The guilt has gotten to me (thank goodness we are humbled now and again). I decided to figure out what I could do fun for my kids. After placing a few phone calls to Jared's friends....the "friend" vote was to try tackle football. Gasp! Realizing my son isn't the biggest one on the block he has now become passionate to play. If Bryce is playing so can I!

Jared in his practice attire minus pads

Hesitantly, I signed him up with our "set aside" funds (it is VERY expensive). They are doing what is called "conditioning" or two a days if you are familiar with that term. (Doug went through it in jh and hs) They are required by law to condition these 7-8 year old boys for 10 hours before starting a real practice. Last night the practice was from 6-8:30pm. This will continue everyday for the next two weeks, Saturday included. And can I say it was FREAKING hot! Part of me felt so sorry for these kids. One boy already quit within 30 minutes of practice. He couldn't take the pressure or yelling from the coaches. The response was if you and your son don't like it, you can leave. Ouch. Personally, I am glad I wasn't there to witness the entire practice because after talking to Doug it was brutal. The coaches were yelling in their faces (Friday Night Lightish). I asked Jared if it bothered him they were yelling like that, his reply was, "no it makes us tough." It's one thing for you as a parent to yell at your kids (which I do way too much of) However, when it's not you and someone else it is heart wrenching. So, I am taking slow deep breaths and am being supportive because Jared is pretty stoked about football. On the flip side, he does look pretty cute with the uniform on. It should be an interesting season...all the way until November. Stay tuned and welcome to COWBOY football! Or better yet welcome to Texas football folks.

good deed: Wed. mowed and edged the yard.
good deed: Thurs. took the kids to Fiesta Texas

I keep saying it's the age

As I was looking back at previous posts I couldn't help but notice Jared hasn't been the topic of discussion. I think sometimes being a middle child in the group he gets lost in the shuffle. Being the oldest boy, he does have more responsibility placed upon him. He has so many great qualities and does very well in school. He has the nicest 1st grade handwriting I have ever seen (just see below).

spelling test today

More often than not he comes home with a prize from the prize jar and never has a frown on his folder. However, the thing I struggle with each day with him is that the minute he walks in the door he melts down. I have tried a number of different tactics with him to avoid this not so fun behavior. Doug has done one on one time with him, I have, we have taken him to special places, etc. However, if Jared doesn't get to do what Taylor or Luke does he lets us know. "It's not fair......" blah blah blah. Following this speech, you can add some major attitude, whining, and complaining with it. I know most of you have experienced this with your child at one time or another. It's something I am really struggling with. Whining is like nails on a chalk board to me. I would have to be honest and say I struggled with the same thing with Taylor during this age. I've gone through it shouldn't I know how to handle it better now? I have decided age 5-8 is a not so fun stage for me. Baby stage, fun! Toddler years, challenging but over all fun! Starting school age, hard!

In preschool, what they say and do is cute and can get away with more things. Once they hit kindergarten and 1st grade they are expected to be more grown up, say appropriate things, etc. For example the same thing said from a 3 year old never sounds as cute coming from a 7 year old. And the teasing makes me crazy! Catch my drift? That may seem pretty harsh and pesimistic, but that is really how I feel. Much to his credit Jared is really a good kid (I swear he is better behaved not around his parents!) His teacher and coaches always express what a great example he is, how well he does, and how compassionate he is with others. He is also our child of habit. There doesn't go a day where he doesn't have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch and he will eat cheese with any meal for that matter. He is super easy to buy for, just pick him up some legos or an X-box game and he is good as gold. I love Jared to pieces I am just ready for this stage to pass. Once Taylor hit 8 years this "meh" stage as I would call it passed and I really love to hang out with her. For the time being, I do a lot of praying and keep telling myself it's just the age.

Easter loot has hit our mailbox this week! All of which made my day, my kids and especially Doug's.

thank you card from Natasha

package from Allison, check out the Hawaii goods!
and imagine an empty bag of cinnamon bears.
Thanks Alli!

Papa & Grandma send the best cards each holiday.
Cute Easter cards with $5, perfect for our movie trip tomorrow!

good deed: let Luke play moon sand--that stuff is the messiest!