The Jones Family

Nothing New

2010-05-26T07:41:00.003-06:00

We are in the final countdown to summer. Savannah and DJ have four more days of school and Mackenzie has six more days. This, of course, is a sore spot with Mackenzie, and she spends quite a bit of time trying to convince me to let her skip a couple of days. Unfortunately she has finals during these last few days, so she will be stuck at school while her brother and sister are at home lounging around. My hope is that she will be able to survive this injustice and enjoy the rest of her summer. I have caught Dallas' cold, so I feel pretty miserable right now. However, life goes on, and I have things to do and places to go, so no rest for me. Savannah's award ceremony is today. She is one of the top readers in her school and is getting a small trophy that she is very excited about. DJ will be having water day at school today. He jumped out of bed this morning, gathered up everything he would need for the day, put on his swim trunks and shirt, and is now pestering me to put sunscreen on him. The fact that he doesn't even get on the bus for two more hours is irrelevant. He is ready to be at school RIGHT NOW!

Dallas has pending orders, but as of yet we have been unable to find out where the orders are for. Hopefully we will be able to find out soon and start making any arrangements for DJ's medical care. You would think I would be used to the waiting game by now, but alas, my true nature always shows how impatient I am about these things.So we wait. Well, I had better get moving and start getting things done.TTFN

Pictures of Vannah

2010-05-11T14:12:00.002-06:00

These are from DARE gradution last week. One day I will take pictures of my children outside of a school gym and then they might actually be decent.

The End is Near.

2010-05-11T13:49:00.002-06:00

The end of school that is. It is the time of year when Field Day, field trips, and restlessness abound. When awards ceremonies and graduations must be attended. I can see summer just around the bend, and I am ready for it to be here.

Last week was Savannah's DARE graduation, and tonight we will be attending Kenzie's awards ceremony. I am not sure what she will be receiving an award for, but I look forward to finding out. We still have band concerts to see, and I have a Spring Dance to help put on at the elementary school, but after that I will have two and a half months of freedom. Well, except for the trips to Birmingham, making sure Kenzie is packed for girl's camp, taking her to EFY, and entertaining the children. Wait a minute...when does school start again?

Miss Mackenzie Jones

2010-04-30T07:54:00.003-06:00

Last night was Mackenzie's pageant and she was a great success! She won Miss Photogenic and Miss 8th Grade EJHS. The night was very long for the rest of us, but she had fun and was very happy, so all in all it was worth it. I have pictures, but beware they are blurry and were taken in a gym with not the best lighting. I hope you enjoy them anyway. :)

Conversation with my Husband

2010-04-28T12:06:00.002-06:00

Last night:

Me: I am so tired.

Dallas: You should be. You clean, cook, do laundry, drive to Birmingham at least once a week, drive the kids everywhere, deal with all of DJ's medical stuff, pay all of the bills, do all of your PTA stuff, and now you have added college courses on top of everything. You know what you need? One of those people that cook and clean and do your laundry and all of that other stuff.

Me: You mean a wife?

Dallas: Yes, exactly! You need a wife.

He then went on to tell me all about his evil plan to get me to marry him, and how it all worked.
I love my husband! I'm very glad that his evil plan worked. :)

The link below

2010-04-25T12:01:00.002-06:00

has a few pictures from Easter and some of the ones we took of Mackenzie for her school pageant. The pictures from Easter are a little weird because it was foggy, but I think they turned out alright. I usually just post from my camera, but DJ has taken to photography, so my camera is full of pictures of Power Rangers and Spiderman right now. Pulling them from Snapfish was much easier. :)

Your Favorites (9 photos), by Veronica Jones

2010-04-25T12:00:00.001-06:00

I'd like to share my Snapfish photos with you. Once you have checked out my photos you can order prints and upload your own photos to share.
Click here to view photos

Maybe I am just Naive....

2010-04-15T15:13:00.002-06:00

I am really struggling to understand people. I read these articles and comments made about the Church and it all gets very political and historical and they all argue with each other over every little detail. Now I know that we should study the Church History and what the prophets have told us and we should read the scriptures, but I have always been taught that after you do these things you should pray and ask for understanding and knowledge of the truthfulness of them. Why then do people feel the need to toss around their so called knowledge to try and belittle others and to prove how spiritual they are.

I also really don't understand those who say that they love the gospel, but then criticize the speakers at General conference for the tone of voice that they used or because they felt that their story was demeaning to women. It makes me think that maybe they missed the point. We are there to listen to the spirit. The speakers are there to teach us those things that our Heavenly Father wants us to know and work on. If we are listening with the spirit the other stuff just doesn't matter.

But then again, I am probably being too judgmental. I just have such a strong testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel, and I know that while our trials may be hard, if we just put aside what we think we know and truly listen with the spirit every thing will come a little easier and we will be able to find the understanding that we crave. Maybe I am a little naive, but I think I would rather be this way than arguing with everyone all the time.

Everything seems to be going backwards...

2010-04-11T19:29:00.002-06:00

With DJ that is. The rest of life seems to be moving along rather smoothly. The girls are happy and active, Dallas is working and organizing, and I am trying to be patient and stay sane. Pretty normal for us.

I get very frustrated with DJ's doctor, and I am trying really hard to be more understanding, but it doesn't always work very well. This last week has been one of those times when I have not been very successful at being calm and understanding. They are discussing removing a portion of DJ's esophagus because they are not making progress with the dilations, and he can't have a dilation done every two weeks for the rest of his life. I knew that it might come to this at some point, so I was not surprised when the doctor brought this up. Our doctor in Utah had thought that it might be the case last year, but then we moved and had to start all over with a new doc. We were hoping to have a decision made this past week, but they are waiting awhile longer before they decide. He will go in for an esophagram next week and another dilation the following week. Maybe by then we will have more news. I doubt it though. Those of you that know me know that I like to have things planned and to be in control of as much as possible, thus my frustration at having absolutely no control over this situation. Apparently this is a lesson that I must learn, and I am not liking it one bit.

Mackenzie will be participating in the Miss Enterprise Junior High Pageant this month and has practices starting this week. I am hoping that she does well, but she doesn't listen to any advice I might have, so again another situation I have no control over. Do we sense a pattern here? I am thankful that she will listen to her Young Women leaders and other members in our family, so hopefully she will be prepared for this.

I am looking forward to spring break in a week. we are hoping to make a quick trip down to Destin and the beach for at least a day, and I think the girls are looking forward to sleeping in. It will be hard on DJ though, since he loves school so much and doesn't understand why they don't go every single day. I am certain that he will grow out of that feeling soon enough, so I will enjoy his love of school while I can. :)

Am I a grown up yet?

2010-03-26T14:47:00.002-06:00

So this past weekend I got a little older. I am now 32 years old, and I must say that I am actually starting to feel like a grown up. At least I have for the last five minutes. I may feel completely different by the time I am finished with this entry.

The theme of the weekend was fun with the family. We drove up to Montgomery and visited the zoo there. We also had lunch and did a little shopping. Dallas and I went out for Italian Saturday night, and then Sunday was a wonderfully relaxing time in the nursery at church. I got to play with my favorite legos and my favorite nursery kids. :)It was a magnificent weekend.

Monday started my crazy week, which has included the book fair at both the Primary and Elementary schools, a PTA meeting, Kenzie's cheer leading tryouts, a trip to Birmingham for DJ, a trip to Montgomery for Kenzie, Relief Society birthday dinner, and will be topped off with the Young Women's General Conference with Kenzie tomorrow night. Somewhere in all of that I also got a couple of hours sleep.

DJ'a dilatation went well, but the doctor has given us some indication that he may need to go in and remove part of DJ's esophagus within the next month or two. Dallas and I new that this might happen, and at this point we are ready to do what needs to done for DJ to be able to heal completely. Doing dilations every two weeks for the rest of his life is not an option. When we get more information about the time and what is going to happen I will let everyone know. I know that we have received many blessings from all of the prayers and thoughts from our friends and family, and we truly are grateful for all of you.

Well, Savannah is waiting for me to take her to her sleepover, and by waiting I mean she is standing over my shoulder and staring annoyingly, so I had better go. TTFN

Snowy pics and Kenzie's dress

2010-03-17T17:14:00.002-06:00

In February we had a lovely snow storm here in Alabama, which was a huge surprise. The Kids loved playing in the snow again, and they also enjoyed actually being cold enough to enjoy some hot chocolate. The other picture are of Mackenzie in her dress for the Miss EJHS pageant next month. I think once we get it hemmed and find her some shoes, she will look mahvalous dahling.

2010-03-16T20:04:00.002-06:00

So I am having a crazy week, and next week will be even more insane. Somewhere along in all of the madness I will gain another year. This past year has had it's ups and downs, but for the most part it has been a good year. We are happy, and together, and even though DJ still struggles somewhat with his injuries, he is leaps and bounds from where he was last year at this time. The girls are beautiful and really starting to become there own people, and I have the most marvelous husband a girl could ever ask for. Yes, there are hard things that we have to deal with, and yes there are things that I wish were different, but I am so thankful for what I have that the things lacking aren't that big of a deal. I am excited to see what my 32nd year will bring. Hopefully it will be more good than bad, and if I am lucky I might get to see some of my favorite people along the way. :)

Conversations with DJ

2010-03-12T11:34:00.002-07:00

DJ: Mom, what is this?

Me: It is a slug. If it had a shell it would be a snail.

DJ: No, mom, if it had a shell it would be a turtle.

If only I had known! :D

Okay,okay,

2010-03-10T13:55:00.002-07:00

I have been a big slacker, and several of you have let me know that I need to be doing better, so here it goes.

Life is Alabama is moving along at moderate speed. We are all keeping busy and enjoying the time we are spending together. Here is a person by person update of everyone in our little family.

Dallas, Jr. is loving pre-school and counting down the days until his fifth birthday. His favorite question is, "Is it May yet?" He is starting to progress with his treatments. They have been able to dilate him up to a 33 french, with the goal still being a 40 french. I am no longer having to take him to Birmingham once a week. We can now make the journey every two to three weeks, which has helped my disposition, I am sure. DJ is as resilient as ever, and actually looks forward to the trips and his mommy and me time. Hopefully by the fall he will be able to participate in all of the sports he is wanting to try.

Savannah is doing well. She is taking a break from soccer this season, but I think both of the girls are going to start tennis and horseback riding in the spring. She has been having a bit of a rough time at school lately, but things are starting to look up and she has been smiling alot more. I will be glad when the middle school drama is over. She is excited to be going to Utah this summer and visiting with her friends and family there.

Mackenzie is going full force. She is trying out for cheerleader this month, and next month she is participating in the Miss Enterprise Junior High pageant. This summer she will be going to EFY in Utah, YW camp, and we will be making a short stop in Fredericksburg. She has a list of activities that she wants to be in, and next fall she will also start seminary. I may have to remind her that she will need to sleep every once in awhile.

Dallas was promoted in February to SFC and given the job of Branch Chief of the 15P schoolhouse. I'm not positive as to what all of that means, but it is a good thing. :) He is busy, and happy, and we actually get to see him and do things as a family.

I am busy with the PTA, driving DJ to and fro, keeping house, my nursery calling, and whatever else I can find to keep myself occupied. I may start back to school next semester, but we will see how things are progressing with DJ first.

I hope this update helps, and I will do my best to update more often. TTFN!

Treading Water

2009-09-28T13:57:00.002-06:00

I am so frustrated with the lack of progress being made in DJ's care. He went in today for a dilatation and ended leaving with a smaller esophageal opening then he did two weeks ago. I just feel like we have been treading water for the last ten months and that the doctor is perfectly fine with doing these procedures forever. He keeps talking about possibly doing surgery to remove the diverticulum, but then says he wants to wait to see if they will shrink on there own. It has been ten months and they have only gotten bigger. What more does he want! I want to do whatever we need to do to get DJ better, but I don't want to have to wait until it gets to the point where they have to crack his chest and remove a portion of his esophagus. DJ ended up having three stitches in his nose because of the string, but we have to keep it in because his esophagus keeps closing because food is going into the diverticulum and not down his throat. Not only that , but he had to go in after surgery today and do an esophagram. Just what every four year old wants. Lets come out of anesthesia after having surgery and go down and drink some barium so we can have x-rays done. I know it needed to be done, but it still puts my baby is a room crying and telling everyone that he is scared and just wants to go home. It has just been a really hard day for me, which is probably not helped by the fact that I have been up since one a.m.

Well, I guess that is enough of a rant for now. I have to get dinner figured out and make sure Savannah finishes her homework before soccer practice tonight. Thanks for listening.TTFN.

Birthday Wishes

2009-09-27T10:46:00.003-06:00

We have had a fun September. This was the month that Savannah turned eleven, and we did a couple of things to celebrate. We made a day trip down to Panama City for some fun at the beach. We all had a blast, but I am still finding sand in anything that happened to be in the car or our bags while we were there. DJ was pretty content to play tag with the waves, but the girls went pretty far out and made me nervous most of the day. It's that whole being a mother thing and always worrying that something might go wrong. It was a fun day and I am glad we went. On her actual birthday she had a soccer game, so we just did cake and presents afterward and it was all over in about thirty minutes. This year has been such a crazy one that I have sworn off birthday parties until next year. I some time to regain my sanity, and yes, I have been sane at some point in my life, I just don't remember when.

DJ's nose has been cut by his string again, and this is the worst one ever. His whole nose is swollen and looks horrid, and I couldn't get ahold of the doctor for days. Once I did get ahold of him they couldn't get him in until Monday. I am so frustrated at this point that Dallas and I are seriously considering changing surgeons.I will post later this week to let everyone know how it goes. Well, I had better go feed my fam before they start to riot! TTFN!

Life is a funny thing

2009-09-27T10:38:00.002-06:00

Okay, so I got onto Blogger this morning to put up pics of Vannah's birthday and give everyone an update. I made the mistake of checking up on my friend Jenni's blog before I wrote anything, and she had the best website link in one of her posts. Needless to say, I have now spent an hour laughing hysterically and my poor family is starving and waiting for lunch! The website is www.mylifeisaverage.com and is worth a look. In the spirit of the site I have my own little anecdote to tell.

Savannah's birthday was Wednesday and I had pulled out all of the gift bags to wrap her presents. The next day I came home from running errands to find the living room completely covered in open gift bags full of DJ's toys. Dj shouted, "Look mom! It's my birthday party!" You gotta love kids!

Rollin',rollin',rollin'

2009-08-28T09:41:00.002-06:00

We have made it through another week here at the Jones' house. School is going well, clubs are being attended, soccer practice is hot and humid, life is rolling along. Mackenzie received her flute this week and will actually begin to learn to play it next week. I am hoping it is not as painful to listen to as the violin was last year! Speaking of which, she should be starting her violin lessons in the next week or two also, we are just trying to get our schedules figured out.Savannah has started band and will be playing the drums. Much to her chagrin I will not be purchasing a drum set in the near future. Her practice pad will have to do for now. I mean, there is only so much one mom can take, right!

DJ sailed through his dilatation yesterday and after next weeks treatment we will be able to switch our schedule to just once every two weeks. Hurray! Our hope is that by the beginning of the new year we will know if they have to do more invasive surgery to remove the bulges in his esophagus or if we can just keep doing the dilatations and the bulges will shrink on their own. He has school pictures today, which he is very excited about, but not completely willing to let me clean his face for the occasion. He cried for awhile and squirmed alot, but eventually I was able to make him look like a little boy again and not some sort of dirt monster. What is it with boys and the enjoyment they get out of being filthy?

We are getting settled into our new ward. Dallas and I have been called as Nursery leaders, so we won't be getting to know a whole lot of the adults any time soon, but we are having fun being able to spend some time together at church. We ran into some people from our ward in Colorado Springs here. The Weavers are in our ward for a little while at least. He has been stationed here for over three years, so should be getting orders and moving his family soon, but it has been nice to get reacquainted with them. Well, I have to go and be a mom again for awhile and take care of business.TTFN

Back to School

2009-08-22T11:38:00.002-06:00

All of my babies are in school again. Mackenzie is in the eighth grade,Savannah is in the fifth, and DJ is in Pre-K. They all seem to like their new schools, and the teachers that I have met all seem great. Both of the girls are doing band this year with private violin lessons for Kenzie since they don't have orchestra here. Savannah starts soccer on Monday. The team here is more competive than most of the teams she has been on before. It is also coed, which she hasn't played in a couple of years. We shall see how it all works out.

July Fourth

2009-08-22T11:26:00.002-06:00

We celebrated the Fourth of July with our family in Utah. the girls dance in the Centerville parade with my mom's dance studio, then we went to mom's for lunch. Afterwards we headed to Bill and Nena's for dinner and fireworks. The cousins got to play the day away and enjoy eachother one last time before we left for Alabama.

Pictures,pictures, and, oh yeah, pictures!

2009-08-22T10:34:00.007-06:00

Well, as most of you know, we moved this summer. We are now located in the wonderful state of Alabama, and we are enjoying it. Our trek here was very eventful since we decided to take the opportunity to make it a vacation. Our first stop was on July 5th at the Arches National park. Dallas decided to kill us all by hiking up a mountain in 100+ degree heat with no shade to view one of the arches. We did lose Mackenzie along the way, but thankfully she was found by a group of college girls, and they had a lovely conversation about Twilight while her family was in panic mode. When we had finally found her again, we headed down to the Grand Canyon where we set up camp for the night. It was beautiful, the night was cool, and we were thoroughly exhausted, so we slept very well. The next morning we walked one of the rim trails at the canyon then loaded up and went on our way. The next stop was the Petrified Forest, and then we stopped in Roswell so the kids could see the aliens. We went through the museum there and then moved on to Carlsbad Caverns. We watched the bats fly out of the cave in the evening and went through the caves the next morning. We went down through the natural entrance and really grew a respect for the people who used to be sent down in a barrel through a pulley system. I don't think I would have ever had done that. We then moved on to Texas, where we stayed a few days with my best friend from high school, Jenni. She had just had surgery so we didn't do too much partying, but the conversation was always good, and the rest was much needed. We did hit up the Dallas zoo while we were there, because DJ wanted to go to his very own zoo.:) After a couple of days we got back in the car and stopped in Burnet for a quick visit with Larry and Angie, then of to Fredericksburg for a couple of nights to visit with Grandma and show the kids where mommy and daddy met and where mommy grew up. They weren't that impressed. Oh well. Then off to San Antonio for a week where we went down to the Riverwalk, visited Shamu at Sea World, and spent a day at Schlitterbahn. Finally, back on the road to our new home here in Alabama. We were put into a house immediately and had our furniture and home goods within a couple of days. The kids are back in school, and DJ is on a regular schedule of weekly dilitations. Life is moving along at its usual break neck speed, and we are for the most part enjoying the ride. We miss all of our friends and family and hope to hear from you and see you soon!

We're Here!

2009-07-31T19:18:00.002-06:00

We have arrived in Alabama!!! I really enjoyed our vacation and all of the friends and family we were able to stop and visit with. I have lots of pics and stories, of course, but I will have to spend a whole day to update everything properly. I just wanted to jump on and say that we made it safely, we are in our house and the kids start school in a week! As soon as things calm down a bit I will make sure to do real update. Until then....TTFN!

Yellowstone

2009-06-16T10:18:00.003-06:00

This past weekend we made a trip up to Yellowstone and actually camped in a tent the whole time. Now I do not mind camping, but I do mind getting eaten by a bear. We did see a bear just down the river from our campsite, but as far as I know they didn't come closer than that. It was a fun trip, and it was also the first time Dallas had ever been there, so we tried to see everything. We watched Old Faithful erupt, and walked the trails by geysers, hot springs, and paint pots. We saw waterfalls, mud volcanoes, elk, bison, coyote, grizzly bears, black bears, bald eagles, and several chipmunks. We were almost hit by a black bear. We were driving down the road when suddenly this bear comes racing out of the woods right in front of us. If we had been going the other way we would have definitely hit him. For some reason, Dallas wouldn't stop for pictures.:)

Now we are even more excited for our trip/move to Alabama. We plan on camping at the Grand Canyon and also near Carlsbad Caverns. There will be lots to see, and I promise to take tons of pictures. This will be my last post until we get to Alabama. the packers and movers will be here starting on Monday, so I will have no computer. We will miss everyone here in Utah, but we are very excited to visit all of our friends and family in Texas. See you all soon!TTFN

Water Fun

2009-06-16T10:09:00.003-06:00

These are a few pictures I took of the kids playing in the fountain at South Ogden Nature Center. We took a picnic lunch with us, and they played for about an hour. By the end of the day Savannah had most of the kids there attacking poor Mackenzie!

DJ's Birthday celebration

2009-06-16T09:43:00.004-06:00

My baby boy has turned four years old, and he now informs me he is not my baby, he is a big boy. Fortunately he will still snuggle with me and give me hugs and kisses. We had a ton of fun for his birthday. The Saturday before his big day we drove down to Thanksgiving Point and spent the day at the dinosaur museum and Farm Country. If you have never been down there before , it is worth the drive. The museum has a ton of fossils and dinosaurs to see, and it also has several hands on exhibits that the kids really loved. They were able to build there own Dino, play in the erosion pool, and dig for dinosaurs.

At Farm Country DJ was able to help weave a piece of fabric, and all the kids were able to ride the ponies. The girls made wool soap and bracelets, and everyone got to pet the animals.

On the following Monday we met up with family at Chuck E. Cheese's for his actual party. He had fun playing games with his cousins and opening presents. It was a late night for him and he crashed as soon as we got home.

My musical children

2009-06-07T21:43:00.008-06:00

DJ with his teachers, Miss Kim and Miss Mary, on the last day of school.

May welcomed several busy days, and included in them were the kids' various musical concerts. Mackenzie had her orchestra concert, Savannah her choir concert, in which she played the ukulele, and DJ had his singing program at preschool. I am adding videos of each to the blog. I hope you enjoy them.

Conversations in the car

2009-06-07T21:40:00.001-06:00

Mackenzie: " DJ, look outside! It's a distraction!"

DJ: "And it's a big one too!"

Big Changes are on Their way!

2009-05-01T10:43:00.002-06:00

For those of you who haven't heard yet, we will be moving this summer! Dallas has reenlisted and we will be going to FT. Rucker Alabama in July. We are excited about this move, some more than others. Mackenzie is having some issues with there not being a mall close by, but we are sure she will survive this hardship! Savannah is already planning what kind of creatures she will be able to find and study, and I find myself already making rules about no lizards, frogs, or snakes in the house! We don't have our exact exit date yet. We are waiting to talk with DJ's Doctors and get a better picture of what will need to be done before we leave. That will hopefully happen on Monday and then I can actually start planning our move and trip. Well, I have to go and get the grocery shopping done.TTFN

Holidays, Birthdays, and the chaos that ensues!

2009-04-26T16:44:00.005-06:00

Here it is! My month in review!

Easter was alot of fun. The Easter bunny brought baskets for the kids full of chocolate, and then we headed of to church. We are breaking in a new Primary Presidency and they all got up and did sharing time together which was alot of fun. It was neat to see how each person was so different in their presentation, yet they fit together perfectly. I guess Heavenly Father really does know what He is doing. After church we headed to my sister-in-law's house where we had a big egg hunt for the kids and Easter dinner. Nena was gracious enough to invite my family over also, so I was still able to enjoy everyone without having to do all of the cooking!

The next weekend was Dallas' birthday. The weather was beautiful so we had a barbecue at the house. His sister Katy was able to stop by with her kids on the way home from Seattle, so we were able to catch up with her as well. The kids are just growing so quickly it is sometimes hard for me to believe!

The rest of the month has been filled with pretty normal stuff. Soccer practices and games, end of year testing, work, and DJ's treatments. His next dilation will be on the fourth of May, and hopefully things will be improving. We will be moving soon, although the date and place are still not set in stone Anytime between August and December and anywhere in the United States. We will not be able to go over seas until DJ gets cleared medically, and it doesn't look like that will be happening any time soon!

Next month will be a full one. I have parent teacher conferences for my class on the 12th, and then preschool graduation an the 21st. DJ will have his gymnastics exhibition sometime next month, and the girls will be going on their end of year field trips and having choir and orchestra concerts. We will also be holding a yard sale to get rid of stuff before our move. Anyway,I am adding pictures from Easter and Dallas' birthday. I hope you all enjoy them.TTFN.

Life as we know it

2009-04-06T08:59:00.002-06:00

Last week was a crazy one. It started off fairly normal, getting the kids off to school and planning my day. However, I had a really bad earache that turned out to be a toothache and so Tuesday I went in for a root canal. Now I have never had any real trouble with my teeth other than needing braces so I was very nervous about this. It wasn't so bad though, and my dentist was very nice and made sure I had happy gas before he even started poking me with really long needles. The only problem is that now my chin is numb all of the time. I think he hit a nerve while giving me my shots, and now I just have to wait to see if it heals or not.

Wednesday we took DJ up to Primary Children's for an esophagram to see how he is healing. They tried having him drink it, which he was willing to do, but he was unable to swallow enough to do any good. So they had to stick a tube down his nose, which he loved, let me tell you, and pushed it through that way. Unfortunately, DJ has a serious stricture in his throat that wouldn't let the liquid through, so DJ just ended up coughing everything up. Not pretty at all. Then we go up to the Dr.'s office and wait for about 15 minutes for the results. Dr. Black comes in and says we will be doing a dilation in the morning and to cancel whatever plans we might have the next day. He also lets us know that the majority of DJ's esophagus has healed wonderfully, and they are going to do two or three more dilations on the small portion that doesn't want to heal. If they do not work they will have to go in and remove that portion of his esophagus, which of course is very major. We are hoping these next few dilations work, because I do not want DJ to have to go through such a major procedure.

Anyway, Thursday morning rolls around and we are back up at Primary Children's getting another dilation done. DJ did pretty well this time. He was still super cranky when he came out of anesthesia, but there wasn't as much blood this time, which I really appreciated. Dallas had to get back to work so I drove DJ home by myself, which I get nervous about because he still has all of those drugs in him and he tends to get sick while we are driving. As we are coming down Beck street he starts screaming and crying, and I ask him what is wrong while trying to hide the panic in my voice. This is his reply. " My dundaduh's (underwear) are in my butt and I can't get them out!" Nice. I am thinking he is in horrible pain or about to get sick and he just has a wedgie. I love kids.

Friday was pretty normal and Saturday was full of soccer. Sunday was conference and very peaceful. Hopefully things will be calmer this week. I can always dream, right?

One year older!

2009-03-25T09:03:00.002-06:00

Well, it is official. I am now into my thirties, there is no going back. I remember thinking thirty-something was pretty old, but not so much now! I had a pretty fun weekend. Friday I coached Savannah's soccer team, because Dallas had to work. Afterwards, Savannah, DJ and I met up with Dallas at the rodeo and enjoyed some bull riding and calf roping. DJ loves the rodeo and was so excited to be there. We stopped for dinner on the way home, and then watched TV for awhile before hitting the sack.

Saturday was my big day and I started by taking Dallas into work for some Future Soldiers activity.Then I headed to Target for Mackenzie's Twilight movie, and got some Krispie Kreme's for everyone before heading home again. At about Two I went to pick up Dallas and we hit up Costco for some things for dinner that night, and I dropped Dallas at home and went shopping! By myself! With no children! I got to actually look at things without being bombarded with questions or having to say, "Put that down. Don't touch that!" a million times.I visited three different bookstores and picked up a book from each store. When I got home the house was picked up a little and Dallas was making Chinese food for dinner. Dallas' dad came by with my niece and nephew and brought some flowers and after dinner I took a bubble bath and read a book. It was a wonderful day.

Sunday we had shortened meetings at church because of the Draper Temple dedication. After church we dropped the kids off at Nena's house and headed to Layton to meet up with my family for my birthday dinner. It was a fun night and I enjoyed being able to sit and talk with everyone.

The big news however, is that Dallas made the E-7 promotion list,which means that sometime in the next year he will be promoted to Seargent First Class. We were not expecting this at all, because he has only been in the Army for seven years, and he wasn't able to finish his I Love Me book because of DJ's accident. not only that, but he may be released from recruiting duty early due to other jobs available and too many recruiters in the field, which means a move for us. We have no concrete information yet, so we are keeping with our plans as they are right now, but I am definitely starting to go through the house and get rid of things we don't need or want anymore. I only hope he gets the promotion before we move, because we need the extra weight allowance!

Someday when we're old and grayer

2009-03-17T14:22:00.001-06:00

Dallas and I have always wanted to go to Ireland, and to live there and be able to explore everything whenever we wanted to would be absolutely fantastic!

TGIF

2009-03-13T15:29:00.002-06:00

Today was DJ's treatment and things went pretty well. We were hoping to get rid of the lovely string, but he has a very severe stricture so they want to leave it in until his next dilation. Dr. Black said that the majority of his esophagus is looking great with the exception of the one stricture and he was able to stretch things a bit today. The down side is that we get a very cranky boy with a very sore throat who coughing up lots of ickiness. They did remove the long tube and replace it with a button, which is so much easier to deal with. No more tape and huge bandages wrapped around his midsection. Yeah!! He goes in for a barium swallow in three weeks after which we will meet with his doc and schedule his next dilation. If all goes well we will hopefully be done with all of this by summer! Well I am off to play Taxi for Mackenzie.TTFN

Savannah is a Princess!

2009-03-08T11:38:00.006-06:00

Last Wednesday the Primary activity days held a Princess Party for all of the girls. There was a lovely program reminding the girls that they are daughters of God and that they should never feel like they weren't worth anything. We then went over the Faith in God program and how the goals would help them grow spiritually. Afterwards we had dinner and then the girls received letters from their mothers telling them why they loved them so much. I took quite a few pictures, as you can see, and of course Savannah doesn't have a straight face in any of them. Well maybe one...

The tables were decorated beautifully!

Savannah and Jessica posing for the camera.

My goofy girl.

I feel like Mary Poppins!

2009-03-03T19:07:00.002-07:00

The things you can put in a purse!!

DJ's emergency kit
in case his feeding tube is pulled out of his stomach

billfold
I can't go anywhere without my money or cards!

book
Hey, we are an Army family and we are always stuck waiting somewhere.

Altoids creme de menthe
curiously strong chocolate

hand creme
There is no moisture in the air here!

Tide to Go
I have children who spill ( and me too occasionally)

Kleenex
It is cold season.

keys
for my car and house

Ipod
In case I am not in the mood to read while waiting.

reciepts
I cannot part with these precious pieces of paper!

camera
something exciting might happen!

The last day of the month

2009-02-28T14:34:00.003-07:00

Today has been a pretty good day. It has had it's bittersweet moments, but all in all, pretty good. Today Riley would have been two years old. In celebration of her we went to visit her grave site and then went to lunch as a family. I am so thankful for my eternal family and that I will someday be able to see Riley Anne again and hold her again. What a wonderful Father in Heaven we have!

The upstairs bathroom is finally finished! Well, mostly. They still have to put baseboards in, but it is usable and that is the main thing. No more unhooking DJ from his feed and carrying him downstairs to the bathroom at three in the morning. Yeah!! Mackenzie is in Draper right now touring the temple there with the Young Women. I am so glad that she is able to participate in things that will help her grow spiritually. She is such a special girl and I love her so much. Savannah is hovering and wanting me to do something fun, so I am off to find something fun to do! TTFN

A Surprise Package

2009-02-27T08:44:00.002-07:00

Dallas' Aunt Judy sent a care package to all of us and we received it yesterday. It was fun to get something in the mail that wasn't a bill or junk, and she sent some really cute things. My favorite is a Spiderman pillow with DJ's name embroidered on all the little circles on the front of the pillow. DJ put it right on his bed and slept with it last night. Thanks Aunt Judy!

DJ's day at PCMC

2009-02-24T21:10:00.002-07:00

Today was DJ's second treatment, and he is reacting much better to it all than he did last time. The medications still left him a little funky, but he isn't as sick as he was before. They were not able to stretch his esophagus any larger because the scar tissue is constricting more rapidly than they had originally thought, so they stretched it to the size of a pencil, which is how much they had stretched it before. Dr. Black said that the lining is intact, but that it is very ragged and strictured and that hopefully with more treatments they will be able to smooth it out so that he will be able to eat normally again. His next treatment will be on March 13, and we will continue treatments every two to three weeks after that. Dr. Black was unable to give us a definite time frame for the treatments to be over with since DJ's scar tissue is not being very cooperative. It was a better day than expected though, and we thank all of you who had us in your prayers.

Update on DJ

2009-02-23T17:01:00.002-07:00

Well, we finally got the call from the doc telling us when his procedure will be tomorrow. He will go in in the morning, so hopefully we will be home by late afternoon. If he starts to get sick and have the same problems he did last time though, we will most likely be staying a night or two. Please keep him in your prayers tonight. Thank you all.

Don't you hate it when...

2009-02-19T07:18:00.002-07:00

Your kid wakes up in the middle of the night crying and sick, so you rush to their side and clean them up and give them medicine, and they get back into bed and instantly fall asleep. And there you are. Awake. At 2:00 A.M. And you go back to bed but sleep won't come and you start thinking things like," I really need to give those dishes back to my mother-n-law " or " Did I actually start that load of laundry?" Then finally sleep comes...and the alarm goes off. And people ask you all day long why you look like death warmed over.

10 Things I am greatful for...

2009-02-18T07:56:00.002-07:00

1. A sense of humor
2. good books
3. my family
4. a good nights sleep
5. Tivo
6. snow tires
7. my friends
8. free long distance
9. The Church
10. my husband

Valentines and Birthdays

2009-02-16T10:25:00.002-07:00

This has been a really nice weekend, apart from the snow storm on Saturday. Friday night Dallas and I went in to SLC for an early Valentine's Day dinner. We ate at Rodizio's and everything was wonderful. We had fun just talking and enjoying each others company. We were going to go to the movies as well, but nothing looked good enough to spend money on, so we went and picked up DJ from Martha;s and headed home. Saturday I was sick all morning, but by the time it was time for my niece, Kylie Jo's,party I was feeling better. The kids had alot of fun. They got Valentines from my father-in-law and were able to play with the cousins and some friends. We had a big spaghetti dinner and of course cake and ice cream. My sister in law made the cutest little heart shaped bowls out of sugar cookie dough and we put fruit in them. The were so yummy. She also made cookie lollipops, which turned out so cute. Kylie opened presents as fast as a little girl can, and squealed with delight at everything.

Sunday the home teachers came by before church and visited for a few minutes. They got to see me putting the finishing touches on my singing time for Primary, and then we were all off to church! DJ did really well and we were actually able to stay until after the sacrament was passed, but then he started getting sick again, so we headed home. Today we are going to go sledding and then I need to go to Costco for a few groceries.

Puppies, Puppies and more Puppies

2009-02-10T14:59:00.002-07:00

My mother-in-law's dog had puppies a couple of weeks ago and she brought over two of them so that DJ could see them. They are very cute and DJ just loved having them at the house for a few minutes.

Winter came back!

2009-02-09T08:34:00.004-07:00

This is what we awoke to this morning. All weekend it has been beautiful and sunny and now winter has returned. DJ is very excited about this however, since he missed most of the big storms we have had this year. So, I will probably spend at least part of my day outside involved in a snow ball fight.

I also woke up to DJ's adapter leaking all of his feed all over the place. Everything was soaked and DJ was afraid he had wet the bed, but once I showed him what had happened he was was like,"Okay, whatever. I need clean clothes, mom." I am feeling the love, let me tell you. My goal today is to get my room completely cleaned out so that the delivery people can bring our new bedroom furniture tomorrow. Dallas and I are turning into real grownups now, we will even have matching bedroom furniture! We are also having our bathroom floor redone but that is out of necessity. The toilet broke while we were staying at the hospital and ruined the floor, so the landlords are replacing the floor and the toilet. So pretty much my house is chaos right now, but that is fairly normal around here.

One last thing, does anyone have any good ideas about what to do or where to go for Valentine's? Dallas keeps asking me what I want to do but I have no idea. I haven't really been thinking about and now it is upon us and we really need to get out of the house. All ideas are welcome! Thanks! And for those of you who haven't seen him recently, here is a pic of DJ. Sorry he is messy, but it is next to impossible for him to have a clean face for more than a minute! TTFN

If you need a good LAUGH!

2009-02-05T14:33:00.002-07:00

Okay, so my friend Jenni posted this on her blog today and I went and checked it out. I laughed so hard I cried and the girls kept coming in to check on me and make sure I was okay. I totally needed this and hope that it brightens someone else's day.
www.myregisblog.blogspot.com

Home, Again

2009-01-30T17:51:00.002-07:00

DJ was released from the hospital today. He looks really good and is feeling much better. His next surgery will be on February 24th, so hopefully we will have very little going on until then.

I knew there was a name for it!

2009-01-30T16:41:00.002-07:00

My friend Clara sent this to me in an e-mail and I thought y'all might enjoy it. It pretty much sums up my life.

Recently, I was diagnosed with C. A. A. D. D. - Child Activated Attention Deficit Disorder.This is how it manifests:I decide to do the laundry. As I start toward the laundry room, I notice that there are cheerios all over the floor and my car keys are in the cereal bowl. I decide to pick up the cheerios before I do the laundry. I lay my car keys down on the counter, put the cheerios in the trash can under the counter, and notice that the trash can is full. So, I decide to take out the trash. But then I think, since I'm going to be near the mailbox when I take out the trash I may as well pay the bills first. I take my checkbook off the table, and see that there is only one check left, my extra checks are in my desk in the office/playroom, so I go to my desk where I find a sippy cup full of juice.I'm going to look for my checks, but first I decide I should put sippy cup in the refrigerator to keep it cold. As I head toward the kitchen with the sippy cup, a vase of flowers on the counter catches my eye--they need to be watered. I set the sippy cup on the counter, and I discover baby wipes that I've been searching for all morning. I decide I better put them back in the bathroom, but first I'm going to water the flowers. I set the wipes back down, fill a container with water and suddenly I spot the TV remote, one of the kids left it on the kitchen table. I realize that when they go to watch TV, I will be looking for the remote as they fight over who lost it, but I won't remember that it's on the kitchen table, so I decide to put it back in the den where it belongs, but first I'll water the flowers.I splash some water on the flowers, but most of it spills on the floor. So, I set the remote back down, get some paper towels and wipe up the spill. Then I head down the hall trying to remember what I was planning to do. At the end of the day: the laundry isn't washed, the bills aren't paid, there is a warm cup of juice sitting on the counter, the flowers aren't watered, there is still only one check in my checkbook, I can 't find the remote, I can't find the wipes, and I don' t remember what I did with the car keys. Then when I try to figure out why nothing got done today, I'm really baffled because I know I was busy all day long, and I'm really tired.I realize this is a serious problem, and I'll try to get some help for it, but first I'll check my e-mail.

Complications

2009-01-29T09:00:00.000-07:00

DJ was readmitted to Primary Children's last night. He has not been able to keep any kind of nutrition down since his surgery, so they want to observe him for a day or two and see if they can get him feeling a little better. He seems to be doing alright this morning, but they have not given him any kind of feed through his g-tube or anything by mouth. They should start a feed here in the next hour or so and we will see how it goes. I will keep y'all updated.

The Day that Wouldn't End!

2009-01-27T17:25:00.002-07:00

Today DJ had his surgery, so of course we had a strict regiment last night. He was on his feed until midnight and then had Pedialight through his g-tube until 5 am. At 5 we woke up, got dressed and headed to the hospital where we registered and waited in pre-op until around 8:15. They took DJ in and put in another g-tube that matched his first one and they did dilations up to the size of a pencil. The Dr. said that everything went well and that we will meet again in three to four weeks to repeat the dilations. DJ, however, is less pleased with the situation. He doesn't like having the long tube back in and he is in quite alot of pain from his throat and also from where they they had to make the hole in his tummy bigger. We were in Recovery for almost four hours because of the amount of pain he was in and because he refused to drink anything. Finally at one o'clock we were able to leave and come home. He seems to be doing alright for now. He is well medicated and coloring in his books on the couch.Now if only I could catch a nap somewhere! Maybe in 15 years when all the kids are out of the house. Here's to dreams!

Plans

2009-01-21T19:58:00.003-07:00

We made it to the Dr.'s today without any drama, which was nice for a change. They got us in right away and we met with the Dr. and made the plans for his dilations. His first one will be on Tuesday with another following in three weeks, and then possibly one per week after that. He is hoping that once he reaches the six week mark they will be able to be a little more aggressive during the dilations and be able to stretch things a little more quickly and not have to do more than four or five dilations. He cleared DJ to eat soft foods, but that is proving to be easier said than done. Apparently he has alot of scar tissue build up already, which is why they are starting next week. Anyway, he tried to eat some food for lunch and couldn't swallow even the tiniest of bites. It made me realize how bad he still is, even though he looks great on the outside. Hopefully after his dilation on Tuesday it will be a bit easier on him and he will be able to eat a little bit better.

In other things, Kenzie is at the temple doing baptisms tonight with the youth. She fought with me about going, but I know she will be wonderful when she gets back. That is how it always is, she argues about having to go, but while she is there the spirit is able to speak with her without interruption and she comes back refreshed and happy. Savannah is playing a game with Dallas in the living room and DJ is in bed on his feed and dozing off into dreamland. I will be following suit shortly, since i have school tomorrow. I am kind of sad that there are only four more months of school left. I have enjoyed my preschoolers, and I can't wait for next year. I will be better acquainted with the curriculum and can be a little more creative with a few things. TTFN

All I want for Valentine's...

2009-01-20T15:45:00.002-07:00

...Is a maid. Dallas and I have been going through the house the past couple of days and cleaning everything out. We took a huge load over to the DI and now we are trying to figure out what to do with all of the stuff we threw away.My goal is to have the entire house clean including walls and baseboards washed by the end of the week, but we will see how it goes. It is nice to be a little more organized and to actually have all of the Christmas stuff out of my hallway. Now if only I could get Dallas to take down the lights outside, we would almost be caught up!

DJ is doing fine, although he has been really cranky today. We are trying to get him to walk around a little more so he can build his strength back up, and he does for a little while, but then he gets tired and very fussy. I hope that I can have my normal three year old back soon, but I don't know if that is possible. He is frightened of things now that he wasn't frightened of before and he is much more moody. We have moved his bed into our room so that hopefully we will all sleep better and that should help some. The most frustrating part is when it is time for dinner. He wants to eat real food and will just cry and cry for something that isn't a liquid. That is really hard for me, because I would love to give him something, but I can't so then he is mad at Dallas and I. Anyway, enough of my complaining. Things really are going alright, and we love having our little man home again. Tomorrow is his appointment with the surgeon, so we should know when his treatments will begin . Thanks for all of your support!

And we're home!!

2009-01-16T21:50:00.004-07:00

Okay, so I have had much better days in my life, but on the other hand I have also had much worse. It's always fun when you go to the doctor's office and your doctor is on vacation and the other doctors are just looking at you and saying," We're not really sure what to do here." They did all put their heads together and come up with a plan, though, for which I am truly grateful. And luckily it did not involve another surgery which would have landed DJ in the hospital for another week. They took him down to Radiology, where after taking about half an hour to come up with a contraption to recover the string, place a new string/tube and a new g-tube, they sedated him, did an esophagram, and placed everything where it needed to be. It will at least get us to our appointment with Dr. Black on Wednesday where he can look at it all and see if it will work for what we need. If I never have to see and do something like this again I will be happy. I would like to take this time to thank the Army for training my husband in Combat Life Saving because he was calm enough in this situation to be able to place the Foley catheter into the hole in DJ's stomach while I was freaking out inwardly and trying to keep DJ calm outwardly. You never know what life is preparing you for.

And the Fun continues

2009-01-16T12:51:00.002-07:00

Today has been eventful to say the least.I am right now at Primary Children's waiting for three o'clock. DJ tripped this morning and pulled out his G-Tube so we called the Doc and they told us to get right up here. Once we arrived they weren't sure what to do because his site is so new. As of right now they are going to take him down to radiology and do another esophagram. If all looks well they will try and place a new string and a new g-tube. If not then they will go back to the drawing board. Hopefully they will be able to place everything without another surgery and we can make it home tonight. Otherwise, back in the hospital we go. Please pray for us again, we need all the help we can get!

Our Christmases

2009-01-13T07:32:00.005-07:00

We had a crazy Christmas this year, but we were still able to celebrate with our family. Twice in fact. Once on Christmas Day and then again with DJ last Saturday.Mackenzie cleaned up on Twilight merchandise, Savannah got the new book she had been wanting, and DJ received plenty of toys to keep him busy. Santa Claus managed to find a Wii and deliver it Christmas Eve. The girls have been playing every chance they get, and DJ even gets into the action with the help of mom or dad! Dallas was happy when he opened his gift . It was a picture of Troy, Emmitt, and Michael with tickets from the three super bowls. And I finally got a new digital camera along with a couple of movies I had been oh so subtly hinting about.DJ needed some help opening his presents, but he enjoyed it and has been playing with his toys everyday. After all of the excitement with the family on Saturday he fell right to sleep and slept through the night! There's nothing like a little Christmas to exhaust a person!

A Timeline in Pictures

2009-01-09T15:45:00.005-07:00

I thought I would put up a few pictures of DJ from his first day in the hospital to his release yesterday. Last night was a bit rough. He is having some problems with mucus build up, and when he can finally cough it up it makes him sick. Unfortunately this tends to happen around three a.m. and then he wants to stay up and watch cartoons. Just know that if I am talking to you and kind phase out it is nothing personal, just a lack of sleep!

Very Tired, but Happy

2009-01-08T22:29:00.003-07:00

Okay, so I know I have not written in a week, but we had a couple of snowstorms which meant no Internet for me. I will start with last Thursday and work my way up.

Thursday morning they put DJ's ventilator on standby to see how he would do. They did not expect him to breathe on his own for more than ten minutes, but he surprised them all and after an hour and a half they decided to bring in the ENT doc. They looked at his airway and said he could be extubated so that is what they did! He was still on quite a bit of morphine, but he was awake and looking marvelous in my opinion. They did not go in for a scope on Friday, but they did move him up to the surgical floor, which was wonderful. We had more privacy and Dallas and I were better able to spend the night with him. They weaned him off most of his meds over the weekend except for the morphine since he had surgery scheduled for Monday and he would just be put right back on it. Monday the went in and put what they call a G-tube into his stomach where he can receive his nutrition. Also they did another camera scope and placed the string from the g-tube up through the esophagus and out his nose. This will be used for his treatment later.Dr. Black said that he healing wonderfully and that he has never seen anyone with the severity of DJ's injuries heal so quickly. We were all very excited with the news. DJ, however, was not thrilled about the surgery at all and shot at his nurse with a Nerf dart gun! Tuesday was rough, but he did sleep through the night Tuesday night which made Wednesday much better. Dallas and I had alot of training for the G-tube so that we would be able to feed and medicate him ourselves which will come in handy since we were able to bring him home today!!!! That is right! We have our very own cranky three year old sitting in the living room! He will have to go back to Primary Children's for treatment, but whether or not he will have to be hospitalized again is not known yet. I would just like to thank everyone for all of their prayers. Dallas and I both know that every one's faith and prayers is why he is able to come home at this time. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

More News

2008-12-31T21:56:00.002-07:00

Today was the Esophogram and things went well. They shot dye into his esophagus and there were no holes in his esophagus and things are open as far as they can tell. They are taking him completely off the paralytic tonight so that his lungs can strengthen up some and see if they can extubate on Friday. If they can then they will do the camera scope again to check the esophagus from the inside and also place a feeding tube in his stomach. If they can't, he will go back onto the paralytic and we will wait another week or so. We are hoping that all goes well and he is out of PICU and in a regular room by this time next week. Happy New Year to everyone, and may you all have fun tonight!!

News

2008-12-30T20:04:00.002-07:00

Tomorrow is the big day where we might possibly get some new info!! Dallas and I will be at the hospital by 7 am and plan on being there all day. I talked to the doc today and there is an issue with his right lung. He is having fluid build up and while they don't believe that it is an infection they may still go ahead and put in a chest tube. That decision will also be made tomorrow after his scope. His mouth is looking great though. It is nice and pink and his lips are actually starting to look like lips again!

DJ's Boots

2008-12-29T22:57:00.003-07:00

As I said earlier DJ has to wear boots of some sort to support his feet so that he does not have problems later. Last night my mother in law and Dennis bought him some cowboy boots to wear while in the hospital. I think he will like them very much when he wakes up.(Savannah picked them out)

They started oral care today, so his mouth was very raw and sore. He cried a couple of times because of pain, and that was heart breaking, but all in all he seems to be doing alright. They are switching around some of his medications so that hopefully it won't be as hard and traumatic to bring him out of the coma when they need to. We are hoping to have him awake by this weekend, but it could still be several more weeks. The doctors say to hope for the best but expect the worst and that is what we are doing. The Lord has blessed us and we feel that although this may be a long trial all will be well in the end and DJ will be healthy and active again.

The Lighter Side of Life

2008-12-29T10:54:00.008-07:00

Many of you have asked how we as a family are doing. We are all coping as best we can. Dallas and I are trying to keep things normal for the girls and let them have some fun. Friday we went sledding with Larry and Angie and these are a few pictures from that. We have learned through other experiences that if you want to survive the trials you must learn to laugh in all types of situations. That is how you keep sane. We want to have good stories to tell DJ when he wakes up, and this will be one of them.

Larry getting ready to go down the hill.

Kenzie jumped on with Dallas and Savannah at the last minute.

She then fell off going down the hill.

Sunday Update

2008-12-28T18:46:00.002-07:00

Things are about the same. We are still waiting for Wednesday to roll around. They have reduced the paralytic so that he has a bit more movement in his hands and legs now, and his mouth is looking much better. He did have a small issue with his heart rhythm last night, but they adjusted his medication which stopped the issue. He is going to be wearing cowboy boots part of the time to help prevent drop foot and keep his muscles in his ankles in good shape. He will be happy about the new boots. That is it for now. I will hopefully have new pictures for you tomorrow. Thank you all.

Update

2008-12-27T17:51:00.004-07:00

Hello every one. We have just gotten back from the hospital so I thought I would let everyone know what is up. The doc has decided to do another scope on Wednesday for sure. They are trying to get all the way down to the stomach to see if things are good enough to put in the feeding tube. He has had a low grade temp, but nothing out of the ordinary for his type of injury. His lungs were a bit junky last night, but the respiratory tech came in and suctioned everything out really well and he is sounding clear again. They have put him on Lasix to help move some of the fluids he has been holding onto. His hands have been pretty swollen, so I am hoping that it helps. Dallas and I will be heading up again tomorrow to hang out with him. We are looking forward to the time when they can wake him up, but it will be a few weeks before that happens, and the process will not be fun. Thank you all again for your support and prayers!

Pictures of DJ

2008-12-25T22:45:00.003-07:00

The top picture is from yesterday and the bottom one is from today. He is resting comfortably and even breathed a few breaths without the ventilator last night. His mouth seems to be healing quickly and the swelling there has gone down quite a bit.

DJ

2008-12-25T21:16:00.002-07:00

Some of you may have already heard what has happened to DJ, but for those who haven't here is the news. Tuesday DJ swallowed some drain cleaner while we were fixing the sink and was life flighted to Children's Primary Hospital. He has severe burns to his mouth and esophagus and has been put into a drug induced coma. He is stable and although he is on a ventilator, his lungs sound clear and he will hopefully be able to breath on his own once the swelling has subsided. They will do another scope next week to see how he is healing and to see if any restorative surgery is necessary. I will keep everyone updated via the blog. We appreciate every one's support and prayers. Thank you.

A Little Sanity Please!!

2008-12-19T16:55:00.002-07:00

Okay, so today has been a little nuttier than usual. Everyone woke up just a little cranky this morning, which did not bode well, but I got every one off to school or work with very little complaining. The snow started coming down at about ten and at ten thirty Dallas called for me to come and pick him up. HE felt miserable and could not see out of his right eye. So I pick him up and we call the doc and set up an appointment for three o'clock. Meanwhile, my mom callas and says that she is coming by to pick up Ramos because, Surprise ,Surprise, my brother did not come home when he said he would and doesn't know when he will be back. So, I get Ramos ready to go with mom and pray that she doesn't get into an accident on the icy roads. She makes and takes Mos with her, which leaves just me and DJ to ourselves.(Dallas is trying to sleep in the bedroom) I do some dishes and some laundry and then go shovel the drive so that I can get out. I take Dallas to the doctor and it turns out he has strep, and ear infection, and a severe migraine. Several shots and a couple of pills later they send him home with. Now I am taking Savannah over to her Nana's house, where Mackenzie already is, so they can spend the night and the house can be kept fairly quiet. Wish me luck with my sick husband, may his grumpiness be minimal and my compassion be great!

Christmas Lights at Temple Square

2008-12-07T14:43:00.004-07:00

Last night Sam (Dallas' dad) and I took all the kids to Temple Square to see the lights. Nena was not feeling well and Dallas had to work. The weather was pretty nice, not to cold, and pretty clear. It was extremely crowded though and it took awhile to find parking. Once we got onto Temple square there was a much calmer feeling and we were able to enjoy ourselves. The girls even got along for the most part. One of my favorite things to see was the nativity scene they have place on the viewing pond in front of the Temple. It reflects back perfectly, and it takes a second to really take in the scene. The kids loved the big Christmas trees made of light at two of the entrances and the pathway of lighted trees. I am so grateful that we are able to be in Utah at this time of year and see such beauty and be reminded of our Saviour at this wonderful place.

Mackenzie's Birthday Party

2008-12-06T12:01:00.006-07:00

Last night we had Mackenzie's 13th birthday party. The theme was Twilight, of course, and the result was a group of screaming and drooling teenage girls. We played Twilight Trivia and Guess what Character you are. I picked up some movie trading cards and gave those out as prizes along with some little buttons with sayings from the books on them. Mackenzie loved it.

I on the other hand was sick with the stomach flu, so it wasn't as much fun for me. The decorating wasn't as great as I had wanted to do, but the girls didn't seem to mind. Today is a much better day, mainly because I feel better, but also because the party is over and I have one less thing to do. We are heading up to Temple Square tonight to look at the lights. Hopefully I can get some good pictures to post. I will try my best.TTFN

All the grils gathering around Edward and munching on treats.

Kenzie and Alyssa with the Twilight bag.

Mackenzie got a new Ipod from her Abuela, Grandpa Geoff, and Aunt Amber.

The girls made sure Kenzie got a good taste of her cake!

Thanksgiving

2008-12-04T19:32:00.002-07:00

We held Thanksgiving at our house again this year. It was nice to have all the family together and enjoy a good meal and watch a few football games. The women played Scattegories while the football games were on and much fun was had by all.Nena and I went shopping together on Black Friday and I was able to pretty much finish my Christmas shopping. I only have one or two more gifts to buy and of course stocking stuffers. Saturday we went to the light parade and the lighting of the Christmas Village. They had fireworks also, which the little boys just love. Sunday we celebrated Ramos' birthday and spent a little more time with my side of the family. Monday night Dallas, the girls and I went to see the Forgotten Carols at the events center here. I love going every year and even Dallas enjoys himself, although he won't admit it in public. Now we are closing in on my favorite time of year, Christmas. The lights are up and we are going to go to Temple Square on Saturday. We are practicing for the Christmas program, treats will be made and fun will be had! It really is a magical time of year!

More Reception Pics

2008-12-04T19:27:00.001-07:00

The Reception

2008-12-04T19:17:00.002-07:00

Autumn had her wedding reception in November, and it was beautiful! The reception hall is a large house that they have turned into a hall and they decorated with pictures of Autumn and Evan and with their colors which were Fall colors. I made the cake and it turned out pretty nice. I have know idea how it tasted, but no one fell over and died, so I figure it was decent. Mackenzie was in charge of the guest book, and the rest of us got to visit for awhile. They had a money dance and some of Autumn's dance students performed a routine. It really was a gorgeous night. I am so happy for her and I hope they have a long and happy life together.

ATC Banquet

2008-12-04T16:23:00.002-07:00

We spent the weekend for Dallas' ATC in Park City, and it actually turned out to be a really nice trip. Dallas had classes to go to, but I slept in and then went and got my hair done and did a little shopping at the outlet mall. The started at about 5:30 with the reception line and we started dinner about an hour or so later. The food was good this year, and Dallas' office and company won quite a few awards. Dallas won Top GA recruiter in the Battalion which surprised him a great deal, but no one else seemed too shocked. Sunday we hung out at the hotel for a little while, went to breakfast, and then headed into Salt Lake for a few hours. It was so wonderful to get away from everything for just a couple of days, and I felt much better afterward.

Halloween

2008-11-11T13:23:00.004-07:00

Halloween was a crazy day. I drove Dallas up to Park City for the ATC. I thought I would be able to check in with him, get my room key and then hurry back to Ogden. Unfortunatly they didn't have our room ready yet, so I had to wait around for a couple of hours. I did make it back before the girls got out of school, and I was able to shop for some shoes for the banquet before we went Trick or treating. We went around our neighborhood and then stopped by Bill and Nena's for some picture opportunities. Afterwards I dropped the kids off at Martha's for the weekend and headed back to Park City.

Savannah was a vampire and DJ was a Red Power Ranger

DJ and Ramos

We went and saw Papa at Aunt Nena' s and Uncle Bill's

2008-10-29T08:53:00.002-06:00

We are halfway through the week and I still feel as if it is Monday! It is starting to get dark earlier and earlier and that throws me off completely! This week has been busier than usual, and it will just get crazier from here on out. The girls loved going to Lagoon with my aunt and uncle on Saturday. They went through the haunted houses and tons of rides. Savannah says they weren't that scary, and Mackenzie was freaked out a little by the clowns. She is not a big fan of clowns to begin with and when they are scary clowns for Halloween it makes it worse. I was able to get the house clean and I actually enjoyed about an hour and a half of absolute peace Saturday night. DJ went to bed at 6:30, Dallas had to work, the girls were gone and Ever and Ramos went off to a friends to carve pumpkins. I sat and atched a movie and worked on my singing time lesson for church the next day. It was wonderful. Sunday was the usual.We are getting ready for the primary program in a couple of weeks, so we practiced all of the songs and standing and sitting quietly without collapsing into our seats. It may not sound that difficult, but you try getting a group of kids ranging from 4 to 11 to all stand up and sit down at the same time and not make a ton of noise!My favorite part of the day was choir practice. We got to pull out the Christmas music and that is my favorite thing in the world. I love to sing in the Christmas program, and this year's music is going to be beautiful!

Monday was DJ dental appointment, and it went okay. He sat perfectly still and let them take x-rays and clean his teeth. The bad news is that he has some of the same problems with his mouth that Mackenzie had and has and it is going to cost and arm and two legs to fix. Tuesday was a fun day at school. The kids are getting very excited about Halloween, so my classroom was anything but quiet.Today is the party and I am going to try to remain calm and not worry too much about keeping everything right on time because I know we will run over, but it will probably still drive me a little nutty. Mackenzie went to the orthodontist yesterday and will be getting braces next week. She is thrilled to say the least.

Ouch...That hurts!

2008-10-23T18:36:00.005-06:00

It is the end of yet another week and here I am writing another entry. This week was a little different from the usual. The girls went to the dentist on Monday; both had fillings and Savannah had two teeth pulled. Needless to say, they were both pretty numb when we went to dinner at a friends house that night. Kenzie had a better time of it though since she still had all of her teeth. Savannah gave up about halfway through the meal and just took some of her food home. Next week will be the orthodontist for Mackenzie after which I will be comatose from the shock of the price of braces!

My aunt called last night and said that she will be in town this weekend and wants to come by. So now I definitely have to make sure the house is all clean, but the upside is that she is taking the girls to Lagoon for the day, so getting everything done won't be as frustrating.This is the last weekend for soccer which of course makes me happy, but it doesn't mean that life will slow down any. Dallas has to work the rodeo tomorrow night, and I guess the Army has sponsored the Winter Series Rodeos so he will be working most of those.

Martha had gone to Sara's on the East coast for a week and she brought back pictures of my niece and nephew.I haven't seen Emily since she was a baby and I have never seen Carson so it was nice to see how big they have gotten. I wish our families lived closer so that we could visit more often, but for now pictures will have to do.

Carson

Emily

Well, I am off to the land of laundry with a tour of the island of dishes! Hope everyones weekend is a good one!

Life as we Know It

2008-10-15T11:50:00.002-06:00

Just a quick post to say hey. Work is going wonderfully, and I really like the kids in my class, which is not always a given. We will have our first holiday party at the end of this month, and I am looking forward to it, but I am also dreading it. Eighteen four year olds with lots of sugar running through their systems! In other news, the girls will be done with soccer next week! Yeah! I haven't had a soccer break since March and I need one. Mackenzie will start up with tennis again next week, and Savannah will just be doing choir and Spanish club through the winter.I am trying to find a good white cake recipe that I can use for Autumn's wedding cake, so if any of you have a good one or know where to find one, please leave a comment!The annual banquet for Dallas' battalion is at the end of this month and I am in desperate need of a new dress. I am trying to be frugal and get one that will work for Autumn's reception and pictures, but so far no luck. I just hate buying a dress I will only wear once! Well, I am done rambling for now.TTFN

Souper Saturday

2008-10-11T22:13:00.002-06:00

Today was a very cold and snowy day here in the land northward.It was also a fun day for me. Our ward had it's annual Super Saturday where we have several different lessons, some lunch and of course some fun crafts. This year's theme was back to the basics and we had lessons on things like organization, menu planning, time management, serving others everyday, and keeping our children safe.

We each were able to choose three classes to go to and I chose the organization, menu planning and child safety classes. We talked about how to cook only once a month and freeze your meals for the month. I am not sure if I would be able to do that right of the bat, but maybe I could start out doing two weeks at a time or something. It sounds like an interesting idea, and would probably save me time by not having to figure out what to feed everyone every evening. The child safety class had some good ideas about Internet safety and keeping information about our kids in a safe spot. We received fingerprinting kits for each child in our house and she told us to keep them in our purses and in our cars. She also mentioned having a family home evening about Internet safety and what the rules are for our household. That way our kids know what is expected of them and they also know that it is okay to talk to their parents about things they may come across online. Some of the statistics were a little scary and made me wish we were on an Army Post again.

Lunch was soup, bread, and fresh veggies from gardens around the ward. Afterwards we did several different crafts. I gathered some new FHE lessons, made a cute little soap bottle and painted and glued two very cute little signs for Halloween and the fall season. I got home at about three o'clock and thought I could hang out for the rest of the day, but my family had other plans. They wanted potato soup for dinner, so it was off to the store in the snow and rain for me. I made soup, but I did cheat and buy the bread and a cake for dessert. It ended up being a fairly cozy evening. Dallas was in a wonderful mood because UT had won their game, and Savannah, DJ and I snuggled in my bed and watched Harry Potter. Mackenzie was being a teenager and hanging out in her room listening to the radio and reading Twilight yet again.It was a nice way to spend a Saturday.

Mrs. Autumn Roberts

2008-10-06T18:29:00.009-06:00

Last Friday my little sister finally got married. She and Evan were married in Las Vegas and Martha and I decided to road trip it. I was able to go to the wedding and see my sister-in-law, brother-in-law, my niece, and my new nephew. It was a crazy time, but alot of fun.

Autumn was absolutely gorgeous in her wedding gown, and Evan was handsome of course. They both cried right through the ceremony and you could tell that they were both extremely happy. I am glad that my sister has found someone to spend the rest of her life with, and I hope that one day it will be for all of eternity.

Martha and I did some shopping and walked around the strip a bit before going home. We also got to spend some time with Katy, Stephen and their kids. They had just finished laying down tile in the main room and it looks really nice. Gracie is growing so fast and is beautiful while Jo is still tiny but handsome. I can't wait until we are all together at Thanksgiving time and all of the cousins can play together.

Grace

Joseph
As promised here are pictures of Autumn's wedding. I couldn't take any of the ceremony but I took plenty before and afters.

This is when I first arrived at the chapel before the wedding.

Autumn in her gown.

Here they are saying Hello to Evan's brother and his kids.

Relief Society Conference

2008-09-27T22:52:00.002-06:00

I just returned from Salt Lake and the Relief Society General conference. It was absolutely wonderful. Our stake took buses up and it was fun to ride up with sisters from my ward and to get to know them better. The meeting was beautiful and I loved President Uchtdorf's talk the most. It was just what I needed to hear right now to get me through my rough patches. I am so thankful to my Father in Heaven for knowing exactly what I need and when. I have been feeling rather lonely lately, and this outing and meeting have filled me spiritually so that I can make it through for awhile longer. It was also amazing to stand and sing with around 20,000 other sisters and to hear the sound of our voices ringing through the conference center. The spirit was truly there tonight, and I am glad I was able to enjoy the evening with my fellow sisters in the church.For those of you who missed the broadcast or maybe just want to learn a little bit about what I am talking about, you can go to lds.org and download the meeting. It is worth the time.

Soccer Pics for Fall 2008

2008-09-27T22:40:00.007-06:00

Okay, so I finally took my camera to the games today and actually used it to take pictures of the girls. So, here they are in all of their glory!

Savannah is the bright orange number eight. The girls really like the uniforms this year and we hope that they keep them.

Dallas is the coach for Savannah's team again this year. This is him getting the girls ready to go back out after half time.

Mackenzie's team is lavender. They can't agree on a team name so we just yell "Go Purple!" alot.

Another glimpse of Kenzie's soccer skills.

I love that this is the backdrop for the girls' games!

Kenzie's photography

2008-09-26T20:58:00.003-06:00

Mackenzie has taken to making movies and taking pictures of herself and those around her. These are a couple of recent ones that I liked.

Salsa, anyone?

2008-09-26T20:35:00.002-06:00

I have decided that since I do not have enough in my life to keep me busy that I would make and can my very own salsa. I should definitely be seeking professional help. I went out into my garden and picked all of the tomatoes that were ready along with peppers and some other things that needed to be brought in. I took some pretty pictures so that everyone could see the things I grew this year. I then spent the rest of the day prepping the food, cooking the food, and canning the food. I just hope the food tastes good when we use it. If not, I quit! Martha is going to bring over some peaches later this weekend and we will go about making jam. I have done that one before, so I know that it will be worth the work.

Savannah's a whole decade old!

2008-09-26T20:15:00.002-06:00

Okay, so I am not the best at keeping you all informed, but lets face it, you love that about me!! Just one one the many things to love!!Anyway, Tuesday was Savannah's 10th birthday and we celebrated her wonderful journey into the world on Saturday the 20th. We had a big party with lots of family and a few friends. I had it all planned that we would be outside for everything, but it decided to rain ALOT so I changed the plan. I called my mom and asked her to bring a movie over that kept with the soccer theme of the party. I figured the kids could go down and watch the movie while the adults visited upstairs. Then the power went out in the neighborhood. Of course I was in the middle of baking the bases for the fruit pizzas and was concerned about what I was going to do with all of these people in the dark. Fortunately, the power graced us with its presence again and we were able to enjoy each other's company in the light!

Savannah had decided that instead of birthday cake this year she would rather have fruit pizza, so that is what I made. Dallas and my brother protested this, but is was not their birthday so they had to deal. We also were celebrating my nephew Jonathon's birthday and Martha's birthday, so we had three fruit pizzas. Savannah received a new football, soccer ball, magic set, gift card for the bookstore, an ipod, and Guitar Hero. The last item mentioned kept most people in the house up until the wee hours of the morning. I however was very sleepy and went straight to bed as soon as I sent everyone home. It was alot of fun, but I am glad that it will be a whole other year before I have to do it again! Oh wait, I have two other children don't I? Well, at least I get a couple of weeks before it begins again!!

Very, Very Tired

2008-09-20T21:03:00.002-06:00

We have had a busy day today. Both girls had soccer games and we also had Savannah's Birthday Party. There was lots of fun to be had and she got some really cool presents, but I am to tired for uploading pics and describing things right now. I will definitly update better tomorrow.

A Crazy Week So Far

2008-09-11T14:24:00.007-06:00

Well, it has been a little nutty around here this week, but I am thankful that my family is with me and we are all healthy. One of my oldest friend's dad had a stroke last Friday and it has been difficult for her family to say the least. We are all praying for them and hope he gets well soon. My mom had surgery on Tuesday and it turned out to be a little more involved than we had originally expected. She had to have two shunts put into two of her arteries because they would collapse and she would have horrible chest pains that would land her in the hospital. They are hoping that this will work and she will no longer have to deal with that pain. She is doing fine and resting as much as you can expect my mother to rest.

My mother-in-law, Martha, has given me a bunch of pictures from this past summer and I thought I would share some of them with all of you. It is basically our life from another perspective and I hope you like them!

These are coming back from our camping trip near Spanish Fork.

Dallas' dad came up from Texas for a visit.

Dallas' step-dad's family business was set on fire a few weeks ago. This building was built by Brigham Young and was a historical site.

These are just a couple of cute pictures that I liked. Savannah is brushing her teeth after staying the night at Nana's house.The pig is named Winnie and sits in Martha's living room.

Soccer and more soccer

2008-09-06T18:06:00.006-06:00

Well, today started the first day of the fall soccer season, and I forgot the camera!! So you will have to wait until next week for adorable pictures of the girls in their new uniforms. Mackenzie refereed two games(sidelines only) and then dashed off to Mountain Green for her game. They played well, but ended up losing the game. Savannah' s team however won their game with a shutout. Dallas said they played wonderfully and I think he is excited about the prospects of a winning season this year. All of the girls had a lot of fun, which is the most important part.

I had a pretty decent day. I was able to get the rest of the paperwork that I had handed out to coaches, and even met a few of the nicer parents. We still had a glitch with one particular parent, but it was handled with very little drama and I think everyone is happy now. Now if only we could get all of the extra uniforms in, my job would be done! The only complaint I have is that is was windy so I couldn't put up my big umbrella and the results of that are a sunburn and a very bad headache.

Yesterday Bill, Nena, Dad and the kids headed off to Texas for a week or so. We all went over to say goodbye and take some pictures. I did take my camera for that, so y'all won't be completely without pictures. I got some really cute ones of Bill and his son Bradley and also of Mackenzie and Zachary playing tag.

Bill and Bradley

Zachary showing off what he made at school.

Mackenzie tickling Zachary after she caught him.

The next big thing to get ready for here is Savannah's tenth birthday. She has already made her requests for funnel cakes for breakfast and fruit pizza instead of birthday cake. There are still a few weeks until the big day and I am sure she will change her mind at least a dozen times. I will definitely keep everyone updated.

My First Day of School

2008-09-03T07:22:00.003-06:00

Yesterday was my first day teaching at my new job. It was a pretty good day once it got started. I have eighteen four year olds in my class, but most of them are girls, so hopefully I won't be driven nutty. At this age boys are such a handful and having more than five or six in a class can make you seriously consider changing careers. We got a bit of a late start because of all of the parents who wanted to come in and get pictures and console crying children(I had two of those)but once they left things went fairly smoothly. The class lasts for 2hours and 15 minutes and we have a ton of stuff to do in that time. We start with prayer and the pledge, then move on to job board and calender. We learn our letter of the day and line up to go to the story room for Spanish and scripture stories. Then off to the big room for P.E. We go to the music room after that and then either do an art project or some science experiment. Then it is back to my classroom for a little math and a review of what we did that day, putting all of the kids' papers in their backpacks and sending them home with their moms. It is crazy busy and it takes tons of planning and prep work, but I have so much fun with these kids it is worth all the work.

DJ started preschool yesterday also, and he had a blast. He talked about everything he did all the way home, and also used visual aids so that I would completely understand what he was talking about. His only complaint was that they did not have a snack during school and he was hungry. He is feeling very grown up and keeps reminding us that he is a big boy now. I know he is, but I personally would like to keep him a baby just a little while longer.

Labor Day Weekend

2008-09-01T19:35:00.002-06:00

This has been a really fun weekend! Friday night we went camping with the ward up by Morgan. The place was beautiful, and we got to visit and play games with our friends from church. We did have to leave early on Saturday though because Dallas and I had a soccer meeting to go to. Once that was over we headed home and went to work. We got the lawn mowed, the garage cleaned out, and the whole family worked in the garden that evening. Sunday was church, of course, and then our usual lazy afternoon. Monday morning the girls and I braved the wet weather and headed to the book store. Grandma Ewing had sent each of the girls a gift card for Barnes and Noble and they couldn't wait to go and pick out new books. That is one of the Jones family's favorite pastimes! The weather cleared in the afternoon, just in time for our barbecue with the whole family. All of the cousins played outside in the backyard while the grownups watched a movie and enjoyed each others company.

Tomorrow is my first day at work and DJ's first day of school, so be on the lookout for his pictures. He is so excited and keeps saying "Thank You!" every time we remind him he has school tomorrow. I have to go and look over my plan for tomorrow and make sure that I have everything gathered and ready to go. Wish me luck!

The End of the Beginning

2008-08-29T12:16:00.002-06:00

Well, today is the last day of the first week of school. The girls are happy with their teachers and classes, and I am officially broke. Mackenzie was fitted for her violin and she should be able to start bringing it home next week. I have mixed feelings about this. I am excited that she is learning to play an instrument, but not quite as excited about having to listen to the practices.Savannah I loving the fourth grade, and chatters about her teacher everyday after school. I am so glad that she has a reason to look forward to school and doesn't dread it. Soccer starts next week, so I am almost done with my duty there. I don't know if I will do this particular job again. It hasn't been to bad except for this one mother who has now taken to calling repeatedly and leaving nasty messages on my machine. Some people need to soooo get a life!

Dennis' family business burnt down Tuesday night. His daughter and grandson were in the building, but made it out okay. They believe that it was arson, but I haven't heard anything definite yet. The building was historical and had been there since the late 1800's, and Dennis' family had run there business from there since I think 1875. Anyway, they are still trying to figure how much the damage is totaled at, and I feel horrible for him. He and Martha went away for a few days for some peace and quiet and to regroup, which I think they deserve. I am terrified of our house catching fire and can't even imagine what his daughter is feeling right now.

We are going camping with the ward tonight, and then the rest of the weekend will be spent at home recovering from our weird week. My hope is to get in at least one decent nap, but we shall see.

Soccer Parents

2008-08-27T08:46:00.003-06:00

Okay, I am somewhat of a soccer mom. I admit it, I volunteer for things that have to do with soccer, I actively participate in soccer stuff, and I want my daughter to play well. However, I do not throw a fit if my daughter gets put on a different team than her friends from school. I am of the belief that meeting and interacting with new people is good for my child. It will help her grow as a person and it will help her be able to handle many different situations as she gets older. I am apparently the only parent in my child's school who who thinks this way. I am the age coordinator for Savannah's age group this year, and let me tell you, some of these parents need to cut the cord. I am trying to make up six teams and fill as many requests as I can, but I can't always do that, especially if no request was made on their registration. This has not stopped parents from calling repeatedly and complaining about teams. They want this girl, not that girl on their team, and they want this coach not that coach, even though the other coach is not coaching this year. They all have their opinions on how things should be done, yet none of them are volunteering to help the organization in any capacity.That frustrates me. It is kind of like the concept of If you didn't bother to Vote, you don't really have the right to complain about how the country is being run.Anyway, I just needed to vent a little and now I feel better. Hopefully this will all end when the first games start. One can only hope. TTFN

And We're Off!!

2008-08-25T09:47:00.002-06:00

The girls have started the school year! Hurray! Although it is a little wierd to be the mother of a seventh grader, who is becoming much to cool to be seen with her mother. So I just dropped her off and wished her well. Savannah however, still is unashamed of me and wanted me to walk her into school. So we had to get both boys dressed and ready to go also, but it wasn't so bad. Vannah ran into one of her friends right away and I was no longer needed after I paid for her lunches. They both gave in and let me take pictures of them for the scrapbooks, and of course DJ had to have a picture too, even though his first day isn't until next week.Well, here's to a little more peace and quiet around the house!

Where in the world is...?

2008-08-24T13:13:00.002-06:00

Last night Dallas and I were able to go on an actual date that involved more than a quick meal and a movie. We attended a concert called Acappellastock here in Ogden. For those of you who haven't heard of it, it is basically several different acapella groups performing at one venue. I have a friend whose husband is in the group that hosts the concert every year and she hooked us up with tickets. There were some really awesome performers there like High Fidelity and TonicSolFa. The main event however was the group Rockapella, now being called XRP. You might remember that they sang the theme song for Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? The high schoolers next to us made me feel really old when they said," What show are they talking about? I have never heard of it?" The show was a blast and we both really enjoyed it. I think that Dallas was surprised that it was so much fun. I have a feeling that he was expecting three hours of Barbershop Quartets, and that wasn't the case at all.

Tomorrow the girls go back to school and I have a week to get everything in order again before I start working and DJ starts school. I am looking forward to some peace and quiet around the house again.TTFN

Soccer pics

2008-08-22T10:02:00.002-06:00

I had to repost this due to technical difficulties. This is our Savannah playing on the All-star soccer team this year. They played in three tournaments all over the valley and placed fifth in two of them. Savannah played keeper most of the time but she did get a couple of quarters in as a center. Her soccer skills improved considerably, and she really started to like being keeper.

The last week of freedom...for the kids

2008-08-22T09:10:00.002-06:00

Well, here it is . The last week before school starts, and it has been fairly eventful. IT started out last weekend with all four children getting some degree of the stomach flu. DJ and Kenzie were the worst, with fevers and upset stomachs. Vannah wasn't too bad, just very uncomfortable without getting sick every ten minutes, and Ramos threw up all over my brother,turned to look at him, laughed and said, Daddy, I got you!". I hadn't laughed that hard in a long time. My brother always plays it cool and had never had that happen to him before. When my niece was sick last month and got sick all over my sister in-law, Ever laughed at her and swore that would never happen to him. So basically he cursed himself. Anyway, Saturday we had taken the kids to the zoo in Salt Lake with Dallas' dad who is up to visit for a few weeks. We had lots of fun, and the kids got to ride the train and the carousel, and we watched the bird show. Kenzie even got to do a little shopping at the gift shop, so all of the children left happy. Sunday they woke up sick, so I went to church by myself. Primary was fun as it almost always is. The older kids sometimes look at me like I am a bit crazy, but I think that is why they always end up singing louder. You wouldn't want to upset the crazy woman. However the little kids love me, and I have so much fun with them! I really do enjoy this calling.

Monday Dallas was off, and we just hung around the house. The kids felt better and were playing all over. Savannah went to Martha's house for a couple of days, and Kenzie curled up to a couple off good books. Tuesday DJ went to tumbling class and I actually got to work out for about 45 minutes. I felt really good for about two hours, and then the stomach bug hit me. Of course. So, Wednesday I was sick all day and had to miss Kenzie's back to school night. Dallas took her and he seems to approve of the majority of her teachers, which is a big improvement from last year. She is taking orchestra and wants to play the violin, but Dallas is trying to talk her into playing the cello. So far, she is not buying it. I don't think she wants to play an instrument that is bigger than she is.

Thursday I felt better, which is good since I had to go into work. It was our back to school day at the preschool, and I got to meet all of my kids. I also took DJ in to meet his teacher. He is so excited about starting school! I love this age when school is where they love to be, and it isn't such a chore to get them out of bed and ready for school.Which leads us to today. A beautiful Friday where I will be cleaning house and finishing up laundry. Tomorrow we have tickets for Acapella Stock, so we are going to go as a family and enjoy some good music. It is more my thing, but Dallas will suffer through with me because he loves me.Well, I have to go and actually do the things I am thinking about since I haven't inherited my magical powers yet.TTFN

August, the busiest month of the year!

2008-08-17T11:35:00.002-06:00

Well, it has been a crazy summer, but this month has just about done me in.We are getting ready to go back to school, which means I will be going back to work. Thursday I went to my teachers meeting and picked up my curiculum and everything else I would need to have ready for the first day. I am very excited about teaching preschoolers again, but I am also glad that I am only doing it two days a week. Kenzie will be in orchestra this year, and both of the girls will be playing soccer again this year. I have also agreed to be the age coordinater for the U-10 age group, which means that I have to get all of the teams made and the coaches found for that age group. DJ will be starting school this year also, so life as we know it will be crazy.

A couple of weeks ago we went camping down in Spanish Fork Canyon with Martha and Dennis. It was fun to be away from everything for a little while. DJ and Savannah had a blast digging and hiking and getting filthy. Kenzie did not join us because we went the night that Breaking Dawn came out, so she stayed with my mom and went and bought it at midnight. She had it finished by the time we got home the next day, and has reread it at least once that I know of. The girls and I also went and saw Corbin Bleu in concert during the Weber County Fair. They enjoyed the concert, and they even got Drew Seeley's autograph and pictures with him. For those of you who do not have tweenage girls in the house, he is the boy who sang for Zack Effron in the first High School Musical, and the one who played Troy in the first Tour of HSM. The things you learn for your children!! Anyway, I think that brings us up to date. I will try to update my blog once a week, and that will be a bit easier to do once school starts. I hope all of you had a wonderful summer!

Extra Pics from the 4th of July

2008-08-17T11:13:00.002-06:00

Martha had taken pictures of the Fourth of July. Some are of us at the Party store a few weeks earlier. They would be the ones with the funny hats.

July 24th, otherwise known as pioneer day

2008-08-17T11:02:00.003-06:00

We had a busy day as usual. Dallas marched in the Ogden Parade in the morning and I took the kids with me to watch. After the parade, Dallas had to go into work, Savannah went with a friend, and I went shopping and to lunch with Martha. We checked out Tai Pei trading in Clearfield and fell n love with it. It is a wonderful place to go for anything to do with decorating. We had planned to go to the rodeo, but decided not to. Instead we stayed at home and lit sparklers in the back yard while watching fireworks. It was nice to spend the day with Martha and DJ and not have to go to any meetings or appointments. If only I had more days like this one.

The Fourth

2008-07-09T22:18:00.006-06:00

See, I told you that I would eventually post again! We have had a busy summer at the Jones house, but it has been enjoyable. The fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays, and this year was no exception. We woke up early to go to the breakfast held at the church, then headed over to North Ogden to watch Dallas march in the parade. It was the first time my little niece and nephew had ever been to a parade, so it was even more fun. The kids ended up with tons of candy and even a few Popsicles. Afterwards, we headed off to lunch and then home for a nap. Everyone came over for a barbecue dinner and we set off fireworks for about two hours. My neighbor Nancy and her little grandson joined us for the fireworks, and it was nice to get to talk to her for awhile.

Saturday Dallas and I went out for a belated anniversary celebration. We went to lunch and a movie, and we even got in a little shopping. He bought me "Pride and Prejudice" on DVD, the one that A&E put out a few years ago with Collin Firth. I thoroughly enjoyed my time away with him and we were able to relax and laugh for the whole afternoon. Sunday I received a new calling as Primary chorister on top of my ward missionary calling. I am very excited about it. I love working with the children in the church. their little spirits are just wonderful to be around.

Next week Mackenzie heads of to Girls Camp for the first time. I am excited and nervous for her. It will be such a wonderful experience for her, but she is so not an outdoor sleep in a tent and no indoor plumbing kind of a girl. Dallas is going with her, and they are coming back early so they can go to the family reunion on Thursday. Busy, busy, busy, but i really do prefer it that way. I promise to be better about posting. I am getting my scheduling back to normal and not feeling so overwhelmed, so it will be easier. TTFN

Dallas marching(well really just walking) in the parade.

The girls waiting for the parade to start and DJ thrilled with the firetruck passing by.

My niece Kylie looking very patriotic!

DJ watching the fireworks, and my kiddos playing with their sparklers.

Posts

2008-07-07T10:18:00.003-06:00

Okay, I know I have been severely lax in my posting lately, but I promise that I will be posting new pictures and wonderful tidbits of our life this week. Things are crazy here as you can imagine, but I am starting to get used to eleven people in my house and am making time to put everything up. Just give me a day or two, three tops!

Busy Bees

2008-06-21T08:31:00.002-06:00

Savannah had her first soccer tournament this week. They did okay and even won a game, but we didn't make it to the finals. I am actually okay with that since it meant I didn't have to drive into Salt Lake again today. For most of the girls this was their very first tournament and they didn't know quite what to expect, but they played well and will now be more prepared for next weeks tournament. Savannah played Goal Keeper the majority of the time, but did get in a couple of quarters as half . She doesn't particularly enjoy being in the goal, but she is very good at it. She has no fear of the ball coming at her or even of being kicked. Of course if her parents tickle her to hard she gets very upset, but you could kick her in the face and she is fine. Explain that to me!

Bill and Nena arrived on Tuesday and will be staying for a little while at least. Martha may have found them a place in Clearfield that will work nicely for them, but they are still thinking about it. I am glad that they are here and that we are able to spend some time together. Dallas hadn't seen Bill since Grandma Brooks' funeral four years ago, and he had never met Nena, so it has been nice for them to hang out. The kids are so cute, and DJ loves having more cousins his age to play with. They all play until they just collapse from exhaustion. Kylie fell asleep at the dinner table one night and on the ottoman last night. It has been really nice for me because both Kylie and Jonathan are potty trained, so DJ has been much better about going on the potty. Hopefully by the end of the summer we will be able to call it a done deal!

Well, we are off to mow the lawn and clean the house today. We may even put up the pools for the kiddos. We shall see. TTFN.

The calm before the storm

2008-06-16T16:02:00.002-06:00

Okay, so things at the Jones' are going pretty good. The house in in a somewhat clean state and all the kids have been having fun out in the pool and keeping the arguing to a minimum. We had a bit of a problem with the air conditioning, but it is fixed now and life seems to running pretty smoothly. Father's Day was nice and calm. We went to church where Mackenzie gave a talk in sacrament, then we came home and vegged until dinner time. I made all of Dallas' favorites (steak, mashed potatoes, and peas) and Savannah made brownies. Bill and Neena should arive late tomorrow night, so we are trying to get everything ready for them. Other than that life is fairly mundane here in Utah. I hope exciting things are happening to you all!! TTFN