The Bozung Family

My New Favorite Thing

2010-12-02T08:37:00.000-08:00

I just love our sweet little Madison.

This morning when I went into her room to change her diaper and get her ready for the day, she ran up to me and gave me a great big hug and said..."Miss oo (you), Mama."

Melts my heart.

She also likes to hug me and pat my back when she does it. I just love those sweet moments.

My other favorite thing Maddy says, "May moo, Mama!" Which translates, "Thank you, Mama!" I LOVE my new little loving baby! Please don't grow up anymore!!!

It's Time for Zumba...

2010-10-08T19:25:00.000-07:00

Well, I am officially registered for my Zumba certification class. I am going to be a ZUMBA instructor!!! I can't believe it is almost official. I have been considering doing this for more than six months. I just kept putting it off and getting cold feet. But, the time has come and I couldn't be more happy. Things are just falling in to place. After a good week of searching for a facility and working out a good time schedule, I think I finally found the perfect match and they are giving me a really good rate, so I am super excited. I feel like some MAJOR hurdles have been crossed, probably most of all my fear! Not gonna lie, I am a little nervous about the teaching and choreography, but I am confident I will be good at it, I just need to get going on it all. So, wish me luck.

Looks like I will be teaching at Klub Karaoke in Rigby, across from the Maverick on Mondays and Wednesdays from 8:30-9:30 p.m.

Help me spread the word!!! I will be starting mid to late November.

1st Place

2010-10-08T19:03:00.000-07:00

This week Little William came home and told me that he had the best book report in the whole school. He was awarded a sketch book of some sort that came with markers. I was proud of him, but thought to myself, "He's got to be mistaking. He probably just got 1st place in the 2nd grade." Nonetheless....impressive!

Well, the next day William brings home a newsletter from his teacher, and this is what one of the paragraphs said...

"The library had us write a book report. William got 1st prize in the school. Savannah and Johnnie also received a prize from out class. Three Cheers for them!!"

WOW!!!! He is soooo aweome...what more can I say!!!

Real quick...he had to write a book report stating why others should read that particular book. He chose, "Diary of a Wimpy Kid #2." And he thanks Isaac and Noah, his step uncles for getting him that book! Ha ha. He is so funny!

I will have to post a pic of the report, when it comes home....stay tuned!

A Little Scare

2010-09-27T14:58:00.000-07:00

Brooklyn has become quite the topic of my blogging lately...

and for good reason!

Today I picked up William from school early because at recess he got kicked in the ribs while playing soccer. So, I asked that the ladies in the office leave a message for Brooklyn letting her know that William would not be on the bus. She is the type that would worry about him not being on the bus.

The kids usually get off the bus between 3:10 and 3:15. I was in Brooklyn's room putting laundry away and I saw a bus go right by our house. I assumed it was Brooklyn's bus, but since she didn't stop, it must have been a different bus. Well, 10 more minutes go by and NO Brookyln. By now, I have seen my friend drive by with her girls in her car and I know that all the other kids are home, but Brooklyn is not. I flag down my friend, Rachel, as she is rounding the corner and tell her what is going on. Rachel offered to drive around the subdivision real quick just to see if the bus was still making the rounds. She did say that the bus was running a little late because of some minor road construction.

As Rachel drove around, I called my other friend, Angliee. She said that Daradie was home too. She asked if Brooklyn could have accidentally fallen asleep and missed the bus. I told her that was highly unlikely.

Rachel came back and said that there was no bus. I started worrying and just then my phone rang. It was the Transportation Dept. Apparently Brooklyn forgot to get off the bus and when the bus driver thought all the kids were off, she found Brooklyn. Since the bus driver needed to go get the high schoolers, Brooklyn had to remain on the bus and was going to be dropped off later.

Jeez...talk about scary! I was worried!!! But, what a relief. I just can't believe that the bus driver wouldn't look for the kids who are supposed to get off, before she passes one of her normal stops. Apparently the kids are supposed to move to the front of the bus, just before their stop, but you know some kids are going to forget....especially my "sometimes flighty" little Brooklyn! :) In my opinion, the bus driver should have called out to the kids on the bus to ask if the Bozung's were on or not, before she passed the house. I understand that they shouldn't always make the stop, if no one is even getting off....but if their is a question at all, I feel it is the driver's partial responsibility to help look after the kids.

Brooklyn was in tears as soon as she saw me, after she got off the "high school" bus. She told me it was embarrassing riding with big kids and forgetting to get off. I told her it wasn't her fault. My heart went out to her!!! When I asked her what happened she told me that when the bus driver saw her still on the bus she asked, "Who are you?" I am sorry, but a month into school, you would think she would know the kids by now....I would!! At least if not by first name, by last, or by which house she lived at. She didn't even know!!!

Anyway...we are sooooo happy to have our little Brooklyn home! We love her so much!!!

A Birthday Surprise

2010-09-27T14:40:00.000-07:00

Holy Cow, I am 30!!!

Last week, my friend, Audrey took me out for my birthday. She figured I wouldn't want to spent the evening alone, since William was going to Pinedale for the weekend for work. So, Audrey picks me up and we head to Idaho Falls for dinner. When we get the the restaurant, we head back to our table and William and Audrey's hubs, Lane, were sitting at the table waiting for us! I was shocked! I felt so special. Apparently, William planned the whole thing out, obviously with a little help from Audrey too!

We had a great time. We had dinner, then went to see a movie, "The Other Guys." William got me quite a few gifts this year....all KLIM products...but great ones. I picked out the Stow-away jacket....a pretty sweet rain jacket, but can also serve as a nice casual jacket as well. Then, William surprised me with KLIM's new women's hoodie and a KLIM T-shirt! It was great! I have the best husband in the world!!!

Kids Pictures

2010-09-24T13:50:00.000-07:00

Grammy Jane asked for some pics of the kids...so this is what we sent her!

Bowling Baby!!

2010-09-24T13:13:00.000-07:00

We made a "Good Behavior" chart, where we encouraged the kids to earn 200 stickers for doing good things. The reward, in return, would be a family bowling night. It took the kids about a month or two, but they FINALLY earned all the stickers. Tuesday night we went to Fat Cats fun center, in Rexburg. We had pizza, pop, popcorn and LOADS of fun!!

FUN TIMES!!

My Cute Brookyln

2010-09-24T12:53:00.000-07:00

So, I had a funny conversation with Brookyln the other day...
and this is how it all went down.

After Brooklyn looked through my wedding pictures....

Brooklyn: Mom, how does it work....when you marry? How do you GET married?

Mom: Well, when you get older, maybe after you start college, you will fall in love and after you have your "true loves kiss" (quoting from the movie Enchanted), your true love will get down on one knee (I totally acted this out) and ask, "Will you marry me?" Then, you will get married and live happily ever after!

***The funny thing about this though, is that I was totally speaking like I literally was in the land of fairy tales. I spoke in a really airy voice and tried to sound like a princess. And that, my friend, is how you TOTALLY get the attention of a six year old.***

Moving on....

Brooklyn got a HUGE smile on her face and just lit up. It was pretty cute.

Brooklyn: You know what is gonna suck? (OK...I know, not a pretty word for a princess, and I had to correct her, explaining that she is not to use that word).

Mom: What?

Brooklyn: Having to put your tongue in a boy's mouth! *disgusted look on her face*

Mom: For what?

Brooklyn: To kiss...don't you have to put your tongue in someone's mouth?

OK....I too was getting a little disgusted, just thinking about it.

Mom: No, that's not how you kiss! You just kiss like this....*giving a little pucker up*

Brooklyn: But, don't you have to like turn your heads, like this.... *totally demonstrating*

Mom: Well, one person can turn their head a little.

Brookyln: Oh, okay!

AAAAHHHH...what is my daughter watching on TV? I think she has watched one too many princess movies, at least that's all I hope it is!

Can't wait to have the "birds and the bees" talk!

Speaking in Church - A Little Prep Before Hand

2010-09-12T12:32:00.000-07:00

Tooth Fairy "Paid" a Visit

2010-08-29T20:21:00.000-07:00

William lost his first tooth...FINALLY!!! He has been soooo anxious to lose a tooth. Some of his younger friends have already lost many a teeth, so he was very excited. I honestly don't know who was more excited though, William or Brooklyn. Brookie was soooo funny. Right after William let Big William yank it out, Brooklyn kept saying, "William you are sooooo awesome! That is soooo awesome!" It was soooo cute. She would then keep saying, "William, do you need a drink? William, do need some more tissue? William, if you need anything just ask me." It was sweet!

Apparently, William was wiggling his loose tooth when he heard it "pop," as he describes it. At which point, I am guessing he pulled it loose on one side of his gum. He told us it was really loose, so Big William asked if he wanted him to pull it out. William said, "Sure!" I was shocked! I would have NEVER let my dad yank on it! Sure enough, a quick yank, and it dislodged!

That night the tooth fairy slipped a dollar bill under William's pillow.

Before

And.....After

Cheesy Grin

There's my handsome guy!!

Update

2010-08-16T16:08:00.001-07:00

Good News!!

It WAS just a lipoma....nothing to worry about!!

What the heck is a Lipoma?

2010-08-09T13:47:00.000-07:00

A couple months ago, while I was laying in bed watching TV, I noticed a small bump under my skin just in front of my shoulder, close to my armpit. I thought it was sorta strange, but assumed it was like muscle inflammation or something. William was away for work, so I didn't tell him about it and I had forgotten about it until the other day. I finally noticed it again, so I showed William. He thought it was weird too and suggested I go have it looked at. Well, since I was due for my "annual" exam at the OB's office, I decided I would make mention of it and have them take a look.

So, last week I went to the OB and the Nurse Practitioner told me that she thought the lump was a lipoma. What's a lipoma you ask? Well, I asked the same thing and here is how wikipedia defines it...

A lipoma is a benign tumor composed of fatty tissue.

Hmm...okay...I have a tumor! What? I have a tumor???

The nurse said that they are really no big deal, and that it would just require a small incision to remove it. She then told me that I could probably go without even getting looked into and be just fine, but once her brother-in-law, who is a P.A., had what he thought was a lipoma and didn't really worry too much about it, but then it turned out to be something more serious. So, she thought that I should go have it looked at, just to be sure.

My nurse went to get the OB doctor, to ask him to take a look and make a recommendation on what kind of doctor I should go see, and the doctor just told her to send me to a surgeon.

He wouldn't even come speak with me! I was a bit perturbed, but I guess I shouldn't really be surprised. He is not my favorite doctor. After all, he WAS the doctor who totally messed up my IUD, then had to perform surgery to fix the problem.

Well, the nurse recommended a surgeon whom she thought would probably remove the lipoma right there in his office, saving us the cost of a hospital visit. Well, the appointment was made on a Thursday, for the upcoming Monday, TODAY!

Dr. Christensen, in Rexburg, was fantastic! He confirmed that what I had was indeed a lipoma and he opened me up today and took that sucker right out! He also informed me that the lipoma would be sent to a pathologist for testing, just to be sure there are no red flags. We're hopeful that there will be no problems though!

I REALLY didn't enjoy the actual procedure though. I was soooo nervous that I was completely nauseous. I kept it together, but I was wiggling my toes the whole time. I had sweaty palms and just told William to keep talking to me because I couldn't stand the silence and hearing what was going on.

When the Doc first gave me the numbing meds, it was a little painful....I hate needles! Then the Doc told me that if at any point I could feel pain, to let him know. I was just PRAYING that that wouldn't happen. I got lucky....I felt no pain, just a lot of pulling and yanking....it still gives me the heebie jeebies!!!

I am feeling good now, though. I don't feel any pain yet, and I hope that doesn't change, but just in case, the doctor sent me home with a prescription for some Loritab. I can't shower for 2 days....so don't get too close! I am hoping for a speedy recovery!!!

WARNING.....I am about to post a pic of the actual lipoma they pulled out. Are you prepared for this???

Oh yeah, my doctor said that he might have gotten a little more out than he anticipated. I asked him what ELSE exactly he got out. His response, "A little bit of fat." I told him it was "A OK," and that he could've taken a little more, if he wanted to :)

Me after the procedure...

Crazy Bailey

2010-08-05T14:00:00.000-07:00

On our way to bed the other night, I noticed that the kids' bathroom light was still on and when I went to turn off the light, this is what I saw in the bathroom.....

Bailey, tired of waiting for someone to come help wipe her!!!!

Run-In with the Law

2010-07-13T22:01:00.000-07:00

On Monday evening we made a trip to Winco as a family. William and Brooklyn would NOT stop teasing each other, nor would they stop whining about that teasing. FINALLY, Daddy told them to keep their hands to themselves. Do you think that worked? Absolutely not. They kept at it, and as much as I wanted to turn around and shout at them to be quiet and knock it off, William told me to wait and bite my tongue. Little did the kiddos know, their dad was watching them through the rear view mirror the whole time. As we approached the next exit, William started to get off the highway and I tried to tell him he was getting off too prematurely, obviously he knew that. So we pull off the ramp and William gets out of the car to discipline the kids. Again he tells William and Brooklyn to keep their hands to themselves, and AGAIN the kids go at it....so.....we pull off the next exit ramp as well. After yet another disciplinary moment, which this time included a whack to the bum/leg with a plastic baton that William found in the car, we hoped that the kids would get the picture, except this time I look out the window and see a cop car pulled up behind the van.

What's going on in my mind.....

"Holy crap, are the kids buckled? Were we speeding? Did the officer see William beating the kids? Is William going to get cuffed? Is he going to jail? Are they going to take my kids away?

What's really going on.....

The officer gets out of his car and comes to talk to William, just as he is closing the van's sliding door and making his way back to the drivers seat. The cop asks if everything is ok. William tells the officer that he just had to make a stop to discipline the kids. The cop replies, "Do you want me to talk to them?" and William says, "Sure!"

So, here comes the cop to the sliding door. I am still quite anxious. I see that he notices that all the kids are in their seatbelts. *Sigh of relief* But, I am still pooping my pants wondering what's going on. William and Brooklyn were both nervous too....you could just see it in their eyes. (They are always very aware of police cars driving around town and making sure that people are wearing their seatbelts. They also know that policemen can give you a ticket if you don't wear your seatbelt.)

The officer continued to say something like this, "Your dad tells me that you were arguing and weren't being very good in the car. You know that we always have to listen to our parents. I have been to lots of homes before where people aren't being nice and it doesn't end up being good." By this time, I am finally smiling and relaxing a little, and William has turned his back to the car trying to hold back his laughter. The cop thanked the kids for wearing seatbelts and warned them not to distract parents in the car. He then made the kids raise their right hands and pledge to be good and in return gave them each a junior trooper sticker. It was GREAT!!!! Of course, we are ALWAYS going to refer to this experience when trying to get the kids to listen. You should try it too!!!

Play Day

2010-05-20T14:16:00.000-07:00

At the end of the school year William's class did a little readers theater, which was very cute. The class performed for other classes and grades in the school, and then also the parents. His class even made invites that the kids could give to neighbors or grandparents, etc. It was really sweet because William wanted to invite the Peck's. I was a little apprehesive because I didn't want them to feel obligated, but lo and behold Angilee and Coen showed up! It was really nice of them. I guess Coen had been super excited about it all day, and even Daradie wanted to get out of school early so she could attend.

The skits were nursery rhymes with a twist. William was the troll in the "Three Billy Goats Gruff." He even sported a black afro wig to play the part. The class made backdrops and gathered props from home. We donated a pair of Brooklyn's dress up shoes, which we got back. Good thing, Brooklyn was a little concerned that she wouldn't get them back!

William and his teacher--Mrs. Black!!

Landon & William

William & Hunter

Porter & William

Carson and William in his sweet wig!!

Kindergarten Graduation/Program

2010-05-18T11:25:00.000-07:00

It's official...Brooklyn's a graduate!!!

The Kindergarten program was really cute! The kids sang songs and then each of them had their teacher call them down to receive a certificate. Fun day. Can't believe next year I will have 2 kids in full day school! WOW!!!

Bailey sportin' her new do!!

Brooklyn with her teacher--Mrs. Wilson!!

Family shot, minus Little William :(

(Boy....Madison looks freakishly HUGE...)

Not Another Haircut!!!

2010-05-10T13:26:00.000-07:00

Bailey decided her hair wasn't quite short enough. GRRR!!!! Oh my, her hair is already extremely short and extremely difficult!!! It is sooooo fine and brittle and I have just been biding my time, hoping that eventually it will grow. So the LAST thing I wanted was an even shorter hair do for her!

This is a really scary picture (with the messy face and all), but here is Bailey right after she chopped it. As you can tell she cut it quite close to her scalp in the front. Zoiks! (I have NO idea why she is smiling in this picture......I was mad!)

My Solution:

Chop it all off!!! Get it nice and short, in hopes that it comes back in stronger and healthier.

Sooooo.....my dear friend, Audrey, totally bailed me out! Haaaaa. She said it was one of her hardest haircuts she has ever given! It broke her heart, at least that's what she said!

BEFORE

And AFTER!!!

I'm not gonna lie, after the cut I thought that she totally looked like a boy!

When Bailey first saw her hair in the mirror, she told Audrey, "I want a different haircut!" Sad!!!

When we got home we put this headband in her hair and what a difference it made. Next step, invest in some stretchy headbands to give this a more feminine look! So, we did. What a difference it has made. Bailey actually gets compliments all the time on her new do! I think it is growing on me too!

Menan Easter Egg Hunt

2010-05-08T18:50:00.000-07:00

Since we had snow the weekend of Easter, Menan postponed their Egg Hunt and we got to go on a MUCH nicer day! Thanks to Nate and Sarah Egan for the invite!!

Brookyn's Dance Recital 2010

2010-05-01T23:00:00.000-07:00

Getting Ready for Dress Rehearsal

- Hair & Make-up -

Dress Rehearsal

"Be Our Guest"

"My Favorite Things"

She is such a poser!!

After Dress Rehearsal--Dad trying out the new camera!!!

Recital (Broadway Theme)

Just before showtime, proud mama needs a quick shot!!

Some of Brooklyn's class
(Kamber, Brooklyn, Brooke, Talia, Brooklyn Davis, Jazlyn, Lindsey)

Brooklyn and Miss Lindsey--Brooklyn adores Miss Lindsey. She has had two years of dance from her. I have to admit, I love her too!!

After the show! She LOVES getting flowers.

Brooklyn was in four dance numbers this year. Quite a busy little beaver. She had two dances in her ballet/lyrical class, one tap number, and a finale piece. Grandma Amanda and the kids came to see the recital and since Papa Bear was in Alaska, he wasn't able to make it. But, we all went to support Brookie. She did such a great job. We are proud of our little dancer!

Our T.V. Debut

2010-04-12T20:52:00.000-07:00

Ok...so if you REALLY know me.....you know that I LOVE reality TV and I LOVE game shows! :)

Surprise! Some of you probably didn't know that. The cat's out of the bag! Anyway....I am WAY competitive, and I think that is why I love reality TV and game shows so much! I love playing along. In fact, here's another surprise, it would be a dream to actually be ON a game show. I know, I know, you are laughing right now and sometimes I laugh at myself.

I would like to say that I am not ashamed to admit, but I sorta am, that I HAVE tried to be on a few game shows myself. When we lived in Salt Lake, I convinced William into taking me to the South Towne Expo Center to a Wheel of Fortune audition. You'd be surprised to know that it is EXTREMELY difficult to even be seen. We waited in line for a long time and as it turns out the ONLY way you even have a CHANCE to audition is if your name gets pulled randomly out of a HUGE tank. Yeah, it didn't happen! I have also applied for the Amazing Race with William, which as it actually turns out, I think our video never got sent with our application, because we found it a couple of weeks later floating around. Finally, I applied for 1 vs. 1oo, but as luck would have it, the show was cancelled right after I applied. Are you laughing yet??

I have told William that if they ever did a Modern Day "Name That Tune," that would be the game show I would be BEST at....so I will just keep my fingers crossed for that one! Ok, sooooo now to my little story here....

This month on Dish Network, we have a free preview for GSN (Game Show Network). I am obviously a fan! I think it is soooo funny because Little William is totally in to game shows too! He likes to play along, when he can...like mother, like son. I love it!

The other day, during Little William's spring break, he was sitting on my bed watching GSN with me and during the commercial break he saw a pop up that asked, "Hungry to be on TV, Bingo Blitz is looking for families." He read it to me and wanted me to read about it and find out what it was about. You know me....I checked it out. They were looking for a family to participate in the "On-Cor Bingo Blitz." I thought it was a game that we could possibly play so I went to the website and this is what I read...

"Does your family have a zest for life and a love of On-Cor entrees? Then we want to hear from you. Fill out the form below and your family could be selected to appear on GSN's daily BINGO Blitz, presented by On-Cor, via SKYPE between December 28, 2009 and June 25, 2010. If you're selected, your family will have an opportunity to play your favorite Bingo numbers on the air for a chance to win cash and delicious On-Cor entrees!"

It sounded good to me! So, I filled out the application, then guess what happened! THEY CALLED THE NEXT DAY!!! I was shocked. They wanted me to email them a family picture and after I did, we scheduled a date to tape the segment. Just for taping and taking part in this, they sent me 52 coupons for On-Cor Entrees. We won a years supply of frozen, processed, crap, I mean food. I am not really in to TV dinners, but hey, it was FREE!

All we had to do was get on Skype, look pretty, talk to Bob (from the Bachelor) about astronomy....they had it basically scripted out for us, and we were winners! If we sound like a nerdy family who is in to watching the stars, we really aren't....it's their fault!!! :) It was quite an interesting task though, getting my kids to all cooperate while on camera. I am interested to see how it turns out! If YOU want to see how it turned out, we will be on GSN on...

THURSDAY, APRIL 15th, DURING THE 5 p.m. HOUR MST, DURING "DEAL OR NO DEAL"

I think the thing that is most disappointing is that we didn't get a chance to play for cash. I am not sure what that was about, but oh well!!!

P.S. Here is a video that the lady who contacted us for this gig sent us. She said in the email that the editor picked this out and that everyone in the office had a good laugh.

Easter

2010-04-12T20:21:00.000-07:00

Easter this year was a very relaxing one...a long weekend with all of us at home! It was great. It was conference weekend, so we watched all of the sessions, hit up an Easter egg hunt at Broulim's on Saturday (since there was 3 inches of snow on the ground), dyed Easter eggs while Daddy was at Priesthood session, and cooked a yummy ham on Easter morn!

We had Larry & Kelly Mortimer over for Easter dinner. They were a lot of fun! The kids just adored Kelly....she gave them her full attention. She especially was interested in the girls' dress up attire, so she won over my little ladies! Madison took a special liking to Larry, which was a complete shock...she is generally not interested in being held by people she doesn't know. We played a few rounds of Uno with them and ate pie as well.

We ate way too many jelly beans! I think they were gone by Sunday night. The kids had a blast gathering eggs and candy that the Easter Bunny left behind. The kids quickly found their hidden baskets, and went to town with the eggs. The Easter Bunny fooled Little William. His basket was placed on the plant shelf and well out of reach.

Here's the kiddos coloring their eggs!!

Most of all, we are excited for this special time of year....Spring.....Rebirth....Resurrection! As we listened to conference and our Prophet, perhaps the topic that has affected us the most, is the importance of raising a righteous family and teaching our families about the truthfulness of the Gospel. There were sooo many talks given regarding this topic, so I have made it my goal to focus my attention on improving that area in my life. It is hard being a parent sometimes, but I KNOW that I don't want the "world" teaching my family what is "acceptable." I want to tackle that job myself! I love my family and I want them to live good, happy lives.

I enjoyed the Easter season this year, and the chance to be with my sweet, little family. It is because of my Savior, Jesus Christ, that I know that I can spend eternity with them.

Haven't Received My Census...

2010-04-12T20:17:00.000-07:00

...better look into it!!

Property Managing: BLAH!!!

2010-04-10T21:30:00.000-07:00

Sooooo....every other weekend we collect rent from a previous tenant who still owes us money. Their situation was that HE (I am going to be nice and not mention names...but I will be referring to him as HIM or HE) took a $10/hour paycut back in October'ish of 2009. Unfortunately for us, that meant that the family could no longer afford to live in the home they were renting from us. It was a total bummer because they actually were doing a lease option on the home with the intention of buying it. One day I went to collect rent from them and instead of collecting money, instead I was left keys and a note that said they were not living there anymore. We were sorta irritated that they couldn't have told us that in person, but rather they left no money and a crappy note. The note also mentioned that they would still pay us the money owed to us (they were behind quite a bit on their rent, not to mention their security deposit). It took us SEVERAL months to get that home rented again, but we finally did near the beginning of the year.

Back to TODAY'S story. I was supposed to collect rent today at HIS place of employment, but when William called to figure out a time, HE said that he couldn't get us the money because he was out of town and wouldn't be back until Tuesday, but I could call him then. I have been soooo irritated with this guy because he is not paying very much at a time, and at this rate it will take him FOREVER to get us all of our money, but we have been very patient and understanding.

Since I had already been in Idaho Falls today collecting rent from another tenant, I stopped at Walmart for some groceries and odds and ends. The kids and I were hungry so we first made our way in to McDonald's for some lunch (Mickey D's is in Walmart). We sat near the windows, where we always sit, and chowed down on our burgers while we people watched. Much to MY surprise, I see HIM (our old tenant), who is supposed to be in Colorado, and his wife walk out the door!!! They didn't see me, but I immediately called William. In hindsight I should have ran out to say hi...but I had the kids and I was just SHOCKED! I also now realize that I should have taken a picture with my phone.

When I told William, he was pretty surprised. William called HIM and told HIM that we have a problem....he lied to us. Right then and there HE lied AGAIN!! He said that whoever I saw wasn't him because he was in Colorado. I am guessing he thinks that I maybe saw his car or something and that would be easy to mistake, but I saw him straight on with his wife and kids. Actually, I don't know if they were his kids. I don't think I could recognize the kids, but I just assumed they were his kids since they were walking right next to THEM.

I am just sooooo stinkin' bugged right now about this situation. I can't believe he can straight up lie to us like that. We have been sooooo patient with THEM and WAY TOO easy going! They have taken advantage of us and we thought they were decent people. Lately we have been frustrated with them because they are not paying us as much or as often as they need to, but we have been patient. Mostly because we hope that if we are decent to them, they will pay us ALL the money that is owed to us, including a $3000 security deposit which is still owed, but was only ever a verbal agreement. Several times we have been tempted to take HIM to small claims court to have his wages garnished, but William is fairly certain that if we do that, we will not get that $300o deposit because it was not in writing.

At this point I feel like if HE wants to play hard ball, we will too! I know, that is my stubborn side coming out, but at this point we need to have his wages garnished! William wants me to note an approximate time that I saw HIM, so that if we need to use that info later down the road, credit cards or cameras could be checked. Who knows if it will be taken that far, but just in case. I, personally, am irritated that HE is questioning my integrity by lying about not being at Walmart, when he clearly was. I obviously did not make that up for my health.

You can be sure that when I see him on Tuesday to get money, I will say nothing about seeing him, just to see if he mentions it or not. My guess is that he will either say NOTHING because he KNOWS he is lying or he will try and convince me that my eyes are playing tricks on me, and if he tries to pull that one over on me, I will ABSOLUTELY tell him that I KNOW he is lying and that he has clearly fooled me because I thought he was a better person than that.....can you tell I have been going over this in my mind!

My BIG GIRL Madison

2010-04-05T21:47:00.000-07:00

It was a sad day for me last week. My baby is out of her crib!!! Madison's crib has NOT been very sturdy since the move. It is soooo old and soooo cheap, so no big surprise. But, last week, while William was out of town, her crib kept falling apart. I got it to stay in place, but it was very sketchy and in my opinion, not too safe! When William got home, he looked at it and decided it was time to ditch the crib and move to a toddler bed. I was NOT READY to let my baby grow up and move out of her crib, but we gave it a whirl. At first, it looked like it wasn't going to work. Madison kept wanting to get out, but it was exciting for her and she finally decided to lay down, as long as she had her blankie.

Now, here we are a few days into the toddler bed and surprisingly, Madison is doing pretty well. Sometimes when I lay her down for a nap, Madison will play in her room. She eventually falls asleep and most of the time she climbs into her bed to do so. The thing I hate though, is when I go to wake Madison up after her nap. Her room is usually a disaster, diapers on the floor, books lying around, and closet items pulled out. Oh well, it could be worse. I just can't believe that I am getting rid of our crib! My baby is GROWING!!!

Here are some pics...using my phone's "camera." (My real camera is broken!)

Broken Camera

2010-04-05T21:40:00.000-07:00

My camera bit the dust! I used to be able to get it to work SOMETIMES....but now it is a hopeless cause. It is truly broken. There have been lots of little things that I have NEEDED to take a picture of, but alas, NO PICTURES. So I am looking for a new digital camera and I need one ASAP. Any suggestions? I am looking for a smaller one right now, one that would be good to take in my purse. Hopefully this means I will have pictures soon! Stay tuned!

Sick Little Bailey

2010-04-02T14:31:00.000-07:00

I am feeling guilty that I have been angry with my 3 yr old for having minor leaking accidents in her pants, when I have just come to realize that she may not even be able to control it! My poor little gal has a bladder infection and is going to be tested for Urinary Reflux...here we go again! First with one child and now maybe with this one, too!

Yep...that's right! Bailey has been having little accidents in her panties quite frequently these days. It's not full on wetting her pants, just a little wetness. Well, I have been getting quite annoyed with the situation and just about the time we moved, William brought to my attention that maybe she too, should be tested for Urinary Reflux because they say that having "accidents" is a common side effect of UR. They also say that sometimes kids with UR can't even control those "leaking" issues. Sooooo, I am feeling a little guilty for coming down on Bailey.

I told myself that after we get settled into the new house that I would talk to Bailey's pediatrician about the possibility of getting tested for UR. It was our pediatrician who suggested a while back that our other two girls (Bailey and/or Brooklyn) could possibly have UR, but it has gone undiagnosed. They say that it usually becomes evident in girls when they are potty training or when they are susceptible to UTI's. Brooklyn has NEVER had a UTI and she is at the age where UR would be less common, but sure enough, just when I was talking about getting Bailey checked out, she gets a UTI!!!

Yesterday Bailey got a high fever and then when she went to go potty she started crying. I knew INSTANTLY that it was a Bladder Infection. Not to gross you out either, but her urine smelled FOWL!!! So, we took Bailey to the doctor, she got an antibiotic, (one that we are all too familiar with...Bactrum), and she is going to go back to the hospital in about 10 days, just after the infection clears up, for the dreaded VCUG. Bailey has also thrown up a couple of times too, due to her infection. Poor girl!!!

For those of you who don't know....we have already treated Madison for Urinary Reflux. Almost one year ago, after an unsuccessful year of daily antibiotic treatments, Maddy had surgery to fix the Reflux. Soooo, we are anxious to see what is going on with Bailey. We will keep you all updated. But, wish us luck!

Mmm....."Nummy"

2010-03-30T18:08:00.000-07:00

Yep....

That's Madison's new favorite line!!

On the way into Olive Garden for lunch, Madison said to me...."Mmmm....Nummy"(yummy). She is sooo stinkin' cute!
Everything she eats is "nummy." So here is a pic of Madison chowing down some "nummy" alfredo. It doesn't get much better than that!

Madison's Mischief

2010-03-30T17:41:00.000-07:00

On Saturday the kids and I had lunch at Cafe Rio, since William was out of town for work. As soon as I walked in the restaurant I sat the kids at the table, gave Madison my keys to occupy her time, and went to order. Lunch was soooo yummy! I love eating there, cause they give cheese quesadillas to the kids (on the house), if you buy a dine-in entree. Needless to say, it was a free lunch all around because my frequent diner card was full. We all ate for free!!!

As we were finishing up, I searched for my keys in my purse and all around the table and couldn't find them. I remembered that I gave them to Madison so I was searching her highchair and as time went on I was getting a little nervous, cause they were NOWHERE to be found. I then realized that the trash can was within reaching distance to Madison, but it was sorta high up for her to reach. BUT, realizing her recent fetish with our trash at home, I considered that Madison chucking my keys into the trash was definitely a possibility. Yikes! The lady in charge of cleaning the dining room had changed the trash at least three times since we had been there. Brooklyn then admitted to me that she saw Madison throw the keys into the trash can....why she didn't tell me sooner is beyond me? Soooo.....this Hispanic lady, who did not speak a lick of English went dumpster diving for me! Not really, she had all the bags outside near the dumpster, but not in it. There were about ten bags out there and she had gloves and was going through them while I sat with the kids. It was just a waiting game.

Well she came back in, and NO KEYS!!!! This nice couple next to us offered to take us home, but I was not willing to give up. The guy who offered to drive us home said, "They're just keys. Don't worry about it. Let us take you home." I thanked him and told them that we could have a friend come get us, so that they could just leave, but instead they offered to sit with the kids while I went out to look with the Hispanic lady again. So I got me some gloves and went a-diggin'!! Fortunately it wasn't too bad and I would say that I was only out there for about 5 minutes and the Hispanic lady found them!!!! YAY!!! Thank goodness. Those keyless entry remotes are almost 100 bucks to replace! Oh Maddy, Maddy, Maddy...no more keys for you!!!

Confession Time

2010-03-23T09:55:00.001-07:00

OK...so I have a confession. Last Monday during our move we misplaced Bailey's blankets and her one and only "blankie." Well, when we went to put her in bed and discovered that her blankie was nowhere to be found, I thought, "Well, this should be interesting." Bailey carries her blankie with her practically 24/7. I NEVER let her take it in public...but I'll admit, I DO let it go as far as into the car....I know, I know. Anyway, she is VERY attached.

Back to the story....

So Bailey went to bed without her blankie and we just told her that we did not know where it was and that she didn't need it anymore because now she is sleeping in a big girl bed AKA the bunk bed! Well, we are going on a week now and Bailey has not even NEEDED that ugly blankie. She has asked for it a few times, and I have LIED to her! I feel bad that I have told her we still don't know where it is, but truth be told, it has been washed and stored away for her keepsakes. I am actually THRILLED that we have weened her. I think that this may even stop her from sucking her fingers. The only time she sucks them, is when she is tickling her face with the tag on her blankie! YAY!!!! SCORE!!!!

Owie, Maddy!!

2010-03-13T15:41:00.001-08:00

Poor Little Madison had a fall last week. She was running around outside and stumbled over her own feet. She literally did a nose dive!

Moving Madness

2010-03-13T15:19:00.000-08:00

Just found out that the buyers for our house are experiencing some difficulties with their financing...BUMMER!!! It's looking like our closing date will be pushed back. Not sure, how far back, hopefully no more than a week, but still...no closing on WEDNESDAY :(

The Plan:

The Show Will Go On!!!

I guess I will just plan on the move and then I can take my time getting the stuff from the garage and back yard out. I have already arranged for some help with cleaning the house inside, then I was planning on turning off the utilities on Wed. So....I will go on as planned, but take my time with moving out the trampoline, swing set, and William's messy garage!!!

I CAN'T BELIEVE WE ARE MOVING IN TWO MORE DAYS!!!
(It's going to be a Manic Monday and a Tumultuous Tuesday...I'm so witty!)

I Love You Grandpa Williams!

2010-03-01T15:43:00.000-08:00

My only living grandpa passed away a few weeks ago on February 19, 2010. Most of the family had already been called to come to my grandma's because grandpa had taken a turn for the worse. Grandpa peacefully returned to heaven surrounded by the family. I was lucky enough to be able to go back to Pennsylvania for the funeral arrangements too.

As soon as I had heard that grandpa had passed, I booked my ticket to PA. I actually left the very next day, a Saturday, catching the 3:30 a.m. shuttle from Rigby to the Salt Lake City Airport. That was an interesting bus ride in and of itself. It was so cold that I asked to sit in the passenger seat to be closer to the heat source. It was still pretty cold, the whole way down to Utah. I also thought that my door seeped in some of the cold air, but I assumed it was because it was an older vehicle and it was just not air tight. Well, my door dropped open while we were on the Freeway. It FREAKED me out, to say the least. It didn't fly open, which was good, but it just sort of fell open and I grabbed it, but couldn't pull it closed until we stopped. Good thing I had my seat belt on!! No wonder everyone in the shuttle was freezing, the rest of the way, we were all warm and cozy....duh!!!

I arrived in Pittsburgh on Saturday evening. Mom and Bary (my brother) picked me up from the airport. We then went to Grandma's where I was greeted by all the family. It was SOOOO nice to see everyone. I have really missed my family. I could not BELIEVE how much food had been brought over. It was so nice to know that my grandma had been taken care of. The family was busy preparing for the funeral arrangements, going through pictures, looking for music, etc. It was a really neat experience to see my grandpa's life through the pictures. I also learned a lot about the kind of man he was.

On Sunday, the family gathered as we met with the preacher to discuss the details of the funeral service. The family shared memorable stories about grandpa. It was a really nice time. I spent the nights with my mom at her apartment, and Bary also stayed there too.

On Monday we attended two viewing sessions at the funeral home. Most of my extended family, like 2nd cousins and great aunts and uncles, haven't seen me in years. I had to re-introduce myself to lots of people, calling myself, Janie's daughter, Jodi. It was fun to see those family members that I hadn't seen in years. I got to talk about my cute kids and tell everyone what I have been up to over the years. Everyone was soooo nice and several people were soooo good for my ego, telling me how beautiful I was! It was a nice confidence boost. That evening I spent some time bonding with the cousins.

On Tuesday the service was wonderful. I was very impressed by how the preacher incorporated all of our memories and stories of grandpa into the service. After the service we went to the graveside, just the family, then we headed to the church for lunch. After a busy couple of days we went back to grandma's and relaxed and spent time together. My cousins Elyssa and Brian, along with Elyssa's husband, Marcus and their baby, were headed back to Philly but their car broke down near Pittsburgh. What a dilemma trying to figure that all out. As if that wasn't drama enough, the Elementary School, basically in my grandma's back yard, caught on fire and their was lots of stuff going on their. I guess it was a small fire with mostly smoke damage. But it was big news for such a small town.....crazy.

The next day I was due to come home and leave Pittsburgh at around noon, but my flight was 3 hours delayed, which caused me to miss my connecting flight as well. As it turned out I only missed my connecting flight by 15 minutes, and of course, it was the ONLY flight that wasn't delayed by 3 hours, or I would have made the flight. So I was stuck in Atlanta for another 3 hours! Also, because of a total of 6 hours of delays, there was no way for me to make it back in time to catch the last shuttle from the Salt Lake Airport back to Rigby. Soooo, I was forced to stay the night in Salt Lake, once I got there. Lucky for me, William was working in Utah for the week, so he picked me up and his work got him a room near the airport instead of in Provo. The next morning he took me back to the airport to catch the first shuttle back up to Rigby. We were sooo lucky to have William's parents and Janelle stay with the kids for the week, while I was gone.

It was definately quite the trip, but I am sooo glad I went. I will miss Grandpa Williams, but I know that he is in a far better place. I will always remember the good times that I shared with Grandpa. I loved that he would always say, "How do?" when I would come to see him. Grandpa was so generous. When we were kids, he used to always slip money into our hands when we would hug him goodbye. He always wanted to be sure that we had money for a treat at Dairy Queen. Grandpa loved listening for his "numbers," he played the lottery. He was an avid fisherman and a dedicated gardener. Grandpa loved being out on his "tractor," and he had the lawn to prove it. I love you Gramps!!

We SOLD Our Home!!!

2010-02-27T18:55:00.000-08:00

It's been a long time coming.....2 years coming.....but FINALLY our home in under contract and is scheduled to close on March 17th. I can't believe it has been almost two years since we first listed our home. March 17th is a very special day too, for it WOULD HAVE BEEN my Grandpa William's Birthday...but a week ago he passed away. My next blog post will be dedicated to him, but for now, I will get to the details of the house situation.

In January we had not one, but two offers come in for the house. Talk about blessings. We were shocked! It was about the same time though, that we were considering other options for staying in the house and taking our home off the market. Well, needless to say, we felt that these offers were an answer to our prayers, and we opted to accept one of the offers, but only after giving ourselves some time to mull over this HUGE decision.

We weren't quite sure how it was all going to go down, but just last Friday, February 19th, we found out that all was in order and that the buyers wanted to close on March 17th. Not bad....about a 1 months notice would usually be completely doable for most people, but not in our case. I realized that I would be scrambling trying to pack without, for the most part, much help from my hubby. William is working his tail off trying to get all of his distributors to get their pre-season orders in by March 15th. That requires him to travel his whole territory in a matter of about a month and a half. So much for his help! We will do the best we can, but I assure you it will be a hectic upcoming few weeks. That Friday was bitter sweet though, because I also received the phone call that Grandpa William's had passed and I needed to book a ticket to Pennsylvania, ASAP! About the time we accepted the offer on the house, I decided that I needed to start looking for somewhere to go, assuming that the house sale would go through. The tricky thing was that I had NO IDEA if it truly would all pan out, so trying to find another home with no prospective move-in date, proved to be a daunting task. Not only that, but our selection was quite limited since we had some specific criteria for the home which we would move into. To be honest, we only ever stumbled across about 3 homes in Rigby that were even for rent. We have decided, for now, that renting is our best option until we decide where to settle.

Like I said, we struggled finding homes that were even for rent. We knew we wanted to stay in Rigby, because we have come to love the community and also because William works here locally. We also were really hoping to find a home that had a finished basement so that we could feel comfortable and not have to store our furniture. We figured if we were going to be staying in a home for at least a year or two, we wanted to be able to spread out a little.

We looked at a few homes but because the selection was limited, I decided to look on the MLS for homes that were for sale. My hope was that maybe we could find a home that has been sitting vacant and that perhaps the owners may be willing to rent, instead of sell....and who knows, if we loved the home, maybe we could do a lease-to-own option. Well, that whole process didn't go my way, so it was back to the drawing board.

I decided to call the property management company to see if they would let me go out to one of their homes in Rigby to have a second look and the weirdest thing happened. A very strong feeling came over me and confirmed that this was where we needed to be. Originally, I thought the home was nice, but kinda far out there, not what I really had in mind. Immediately I called William and he told me to fill out the rental application. Well, the owners had a very strict no pet policy and turned us down because of Coco....but that didn't stop me! I knew that I needed to put up a good fight, but more than that, I needed to convince the owners that we were the perfect tenants for their home. I found some mutual connections and was able to write a letter to the owners and I must have sweet talked them enough and convinced them, because they changed their minds...and now we have a new place to call home! I think it will be well worth my efforts, at least I hope so.

The house is still in Rigby, but just a little further north and in a beautiful part of town, referred to as the Labelle area, which actually translates to "The Beautiful." The house has a fenced yard in the back and sits on a cute corner lot of about 1 acre. The home was probably built in the early 2000's, I am guessing, but the owners just put in all new carpeting after they left and they gave the house a fresh coat of paint. I think we will be really happy there for a while.

We are soooo happy that things are looking up for us and we know that these blessings have come from the Lord. So wish me luck as I continue my packing, and packing, and then packing some more!

Happy Groundhog's Day!!!

2010-02-02T07:15:00.000-08:00

In behalf of my fellow Pennsylvanian's, HAPPY GROUNDHOG'S DAY!!! Since I grew up only 30 minutes away from Punxsutawney, it's really fun for me to reminisce about the my own memories of Groundhog's Day.

The one that stands out to me the most, was when I got to go the Groundhog celebration. It's kinda like a big outdoor party, and mostly high schoolers and college students are the only people foolish enough to spend ALL night out side in the freezing weather, waiting to see if "Phil" sees his shadow. But throughout the early hours of the morning music and bands play at Gobblers Knob while lots of drunk people basically make fools out of themselves until sunrise. We then watch as the Groundhog is lifted from his slumber to see the "TRUE" weather predictions...."6 more weeks of winter," if Phil sees his shadow, or "Spring is just around the corner," if he doesn't see his shadow! Who would have thought that a groundhog could predict weather? I will tell you one thing, he'll never get it right as long as I live in Idaho because it is soooo dang cold here and it is winter for about 7 months of the year. Well, that's what I get, right?

Anyway, I have great memories of that fun Groundhog's Day that I got to spend with Amy, Biz, and Karen....forgive me if I am forgetting who else came with us. We had a blast that year! Oh the memories!!!

Kindergarten Survey

2010-01-15T20:20:00.001-08:00

This year the school district opted to have the Kindergarteners attend school all day long, 2 days a week & every other Friday, as opposed to the traditional daily 1/2 day. This decision came as a result of budget cuts. Well, so far it has worked out okay, but I still feel like Brooklyn would benefit from a daily routine. So, the district emailed a survey to allow us to voice our opinions. This is what I wrote at the end:

"My daughter goes to school on T, Th, & every other Fri. I feel that during the weeks when she does not go to school on Friday, waiting from Thurs to the next Tues is a very long time to not have any class. I feel like it is easy for her to forget what she is learning. I truly believe that for Kindergarteners who are learning to get in to a schooling routine, a daily schedule is MOST ideal for them to adapt and retain some of those early learning skills. When reading is introduced at the Kindergarten level, daily drills and practice are very important. I help my daughter with her homework, but the classroom is a more conducive learning environment."

We'll see what happens...but I think there is discussion to have all kids come three days a week next year, going all day, for 2 days, and 1/2 day on Fridays. I think this may work better, and it still will allow for the district to save some money.

days like this...i LOVE being a mom

2009-12-26T15:40:00.000-08:00

Reason #1

I wish I had my camera for this, but today while we were at Grandma and Grandpa Bozung's cute little Brooklyn and Bailey were hanging out in the closet with a flashlight while Brooklyn read to Bailey...or at least pretended to read. HAAAAAA!!!!! I love it!!

Reason #2
When I asked Brooklyn to go back into the closet to read some more books, she replies, "Oh, that gives me such a crick in the neck," as she was rubbing her neck.
(I think she has watched a little too much of Aladdin.)

Reason #3
As I was making some posts for my blog, along comes Brooklyn and while spotting a picture of her pal, Dawson, she says....
"Dawsee is my boyfriend." Then again she says, "Dawson is handsome and he is my cute little sweetheart." Ah, the joys of little girls!

And those are just a FEW of the reasons!!!

True Christmas Spirit

2009-12-24T13:51:00.000-08:00

Today when I ran to the American Fork Walmart for a few last minute grocery items, I witnessed an awesome display of Christmas generosity! While I was in the check out line, there was a lady a few people ahead of me with about 6-8 grocery bags in her cart and a couple of little kids in her cart as well. She was swiping her credit card, several times but the card wasn't reading. You could tell she was getting frantic and the emotions started setting in. Just then, the guy behind her went up to the credit card machine and swiped his card instead. I was soooo impressed! I love Christmas time for this reason!

christmas outfits

2009-12-22T14:01:00.001-08:00

Here is Brooklyn's new "DO"
She looks pretty dang cute, I would say...

angels & shepherds

2009-12-20T13:52:00.000-08:00

At the ward Christmas party the kids put on a little program and all the boys were shepherds and the little girlies were angels....of course :)

William with his pals!

Morgan Dean and Brooklyn

WaY BaCk WeDnEsDaY

2009-12-16T12:45:00.000-08:00

This Way Back Wednesday is all about...

BROOKLYN!!!

First, I just wanted to start out by mentioning that today was Brooklyn's very last day of her speech therapy. Brooklyn is just thriving! We initially had her enrolled about a year and a half ago because unless you were speaking face to face with her, it was kinda tricky understanding what she was saying....especially on the phone. She couldn't pronounce her "S" blends, (school was "tool," spoon was "poon," spider was "pider.") But now she pronounces these words PERFECTLY!!! Brooklyn also struggled with her "TH" sounds, saying them as an "F" sound. Now....she has yet to master her "R" sounds, but she is working on them and her therapist informed me that often times these sounds come later, around 8 years or so, for some. So, for now we are pleased and her progress is quite evident....so NO MORE SPEECH!!! Bitter sweet for Brooklyn, she loved Miss Jane and before we left Miss Jane gave her a gift, a Fancy Nancy book, because she says that Brooklyn reminded her of Fancy Nancy. Brooklyn we are so proud of you!

Now, back to "Way Back Wednesday."
Here are some pictures from Brooklyn's first ever dance recital which happened earlier this year at the beginning of May. Isn't she a cutie???

Dress Rehearsal

"Woops, I lost a boot." At least it was just rehearsal, right?

Show Night
Proud Mom!!!

this week's goals....check!

2009-12-15T13:21:00.001-08:00

#1
Get the neighborhood goodies baked....think I'll do this one on Thursday!

#2
Catch up on my blogging.....FINALLY!!! (Check)

#3
Finish up Christmas shopping

#4
Wrap all Christmas gifts (Check)

Man, am I on a role!!!! I also got my visiting teaching done :)

Time to Deck the Halls

2009-12-15T12:00:00.000-08:00

Right after Thanksgiving, on Monday night we got the Christmas decor out and went to town. Before William got home from work, the kids and I put of most of the decorations, with the exception of the tree. It was a fun evening with the fam!

Hey mom....you called it a stocking, right??
(This cracked me up!)

Sitting in the Christmas tree box!

The guys working on the tree!

And the star goes up!

Let the decorating begin!

Fun & Games

2009-12-07T14:15:00.000-08:00

On Thanksgiving weekend we wanted to go have some fun on Saturday, so instead of going out and dropping $50 to go bowling or to the movies or something, we opted to spend $2 at King's for some bouncy balls and we all went to the church gym to play games. We all had a blast playing kickball, dodge ball, basketball, and of coarse, keep away. Check out all the fun!!

Black Friday...Here I Come!!!

2009-12-07T14:14:00.000-08:00

I ALWAYS shop on Black Friday, but this was my first year doing the whole 5 a.m. deal, and for me.....it was sooooooo worth it. The reason I did was because William had to make an appearance at one of his dealerships for KLIM. I assumed that instead of trying to juggle times and kid-watching, I would just go out early and get all my shopping done, so that William was free to go to work whenever he wanted. Well, it paid off! I rarely ever am out shopping for the high ticket items, just usually toys and what not. I pretty much got everything I wanted, despite the extreme long lines at checkout, which I didn't expect, as a first-timer. However, I DID learn some secrets about how to get checked out quicker....but I can't divulge all of my secrets :)

Giving Thanks

2009-12-07T10:32:00.000-08:00

So much to be THANKFUL for....

Where do I begin? Let's just make a list...

Family:
They are soooo important to me. My husband, my kids, my parents, my brother and his wife....these are my prize possessions. I love my family so much, not to mention my extended family as well, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins.

Friends:
I have the BEST friends ever. They truly know me and know how to brighten my day!

New Job:
We are very grateful for some stability right now and that is what we have with this new job at KLIM. We hope that soon we can get our feet on the ground after a rough year financially.

Health:
I am grateful for the health of my family. I have kids who are happy and well and William and I have healthy bodies too. I see and hear of so many people struggling with their health and can't help but be thankful for my own.

Jesus Christ:
I am grateful to have a knowledge of my Savior. I know Jesus Christ lives. My life would be completely different if I did not have a reason for living in this world. I know that this is not the end for us....we can go to a better place if we continue to live good "faithful" lives.

Blogging Difficulties

2009-12-07T10:01:00.000-08:00

I am literally experiencing TRIAL & ERROR with my blog. I have been trying to post a few older entries to my blog and wanted them near the top of my blog, but I can't seem to make it happen....

Sooooo, I have just posted an entry about Bailey's 3rd Birthday and an entry about Halloween, so scroll down to the beginning of Nov. to see those posts.

I will still try to post a few more recent happenings regarding Black Friday, etc....so be on the look out!!! In the meantime, please excuse my ignorance in blogging 101!!!

Jason Gilligan....You Will Be Missed!!!

2009-11-30T14:20:00.000-08:00

I just got word today, via Facebook, that one of my high school classmates passed away yesterday. I unfortunately do not know too many details other than he was found unresponsive with his leg propped, leaving little circulation to the leg and hence requiring an amputation. I guess Jason was doing fine, but then took a turn for the worse at the hospital and his organs failed him. It is during times like this that I remind myself of all the blessings in my life, so much to be grateful for, especially this time of year.

But, today in particular, I am grateful for the friendship that I had with Jason. He was an AMAZING wrestler, a state champion for that matter! He was very well respected in our high school because of his talent on the mats and because we had a wrestling team that was out of this world, to say the least! Jason and I had lots of classes together over the years, and I still remember sitting next to him in Biology class! One of my best friends in high school had the BIGGEST crush on him, EVER!!! Recently I reconnected with Jason through Facebook and we exchanged our funny little parenting woes and boasted about our cute kids. I even commented that my little daughter owns the same Steelers jersey that his son was wearing in a picture. This year we celebrate our 10 year high school graduation and I believe a reunion is in the works for next spring, 2010. Jason was one of the people whom I was actually looking forward to seeing again.

I believe Jason was a school teacher and probably has influenced some young kids' lives for the better. He certainly knows how to persevere and I am sure he was a great leader. I feel for Jason's little boy, and my heart goes out to the Gilligan family and Jason's wife. Gilly, you are in a better place, but you will be missed!!!!

It's a Good Day!!!

2009-11-17T12:47:00.000-08:00

Although I am not A HUGE fan of her choice of lifestyle....I must say that I LOVE Ellen! She puts a smile on my face everyday. She is a crack up! I think Ellen has a HUGE heart and I must admit, while watching her show, when she gives away all of this money and changes people's lives, I get all teared up! I was getting all weepy this morning when I watched a show that I had DVR'ed from yesterday. Anyway, it just put me in a good mood, knowing someone else's life just got a little easier, even though deep down inside, I totally wished it were me!!!

On to the OTHER good news of the day....we FINALLY got one of our properties rented today! Yay....what a relief! Not only does taking phone calls all day about the rental get time consuming, but the gas I use to travel in to Ammon to show it all of the time gets pretty pricey! So I am extremely excited. The funny thing is, we are renting to some of our previous tenants, in fact, this family rented this same exact home only 4 months ago. They were great tenants and we are happy to have them renting from us again. I had only wished the home was in as good of shape as it was when they left. Unfortunately, the tenants who were in their for 3 months, TRASHED the home! It was terrible! Now we are confident that this family will take good care of our property.

Oh, and one more thing that really made my day. This handicapped man of about age 25 came up to me in McDonald's while I was getting a drink and said, "You are very pretty for a mom!" Ha ha. I smiled and told him thank you....but I just thought that was so nice. (and I wasn't even wearing make-up today!!!)

Bailey's 3rd Birthday!

2009-11-10T10:34:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Bailey's birthday on Nov. 7th. We had a little birthday party for her and Papa Bear and Grandma Amanda came with the "kids." It was a fun little party with a Tinkerbell theme. Bailey is a HUGE fan of Tinkerbell! I made the cake and it turned out okay, better than I expected, actually!!! Happy Birthday Bailey...we sure love ya!

Her Special Gifts:
Papa and Amanda: Disney Princess Toy CD Player
Mom & Dad: Tinkerbell Doll and Tinkerbell Toy Cell Phone
Uncle Bary & Aunt Vicki: TOYS R US Gift Cards (Which Bailey hasn't redeemed yet)
Grammy Jane: Card and Money, which went right into the piggy bank
Grandma & Grandpa Bozung: Progressive Puzzels
Grandma & Grandpa Hall: Card and Gift Cards to McDonald's

While we sang, Bailey was extremely shy...hence her turning away!!!

Madison in a box!!!

Halloween 2009

2009-11-01T10:34:00.000-08:00

For Halloween this year, William and Brooklyn insisted on dressing up in the same costumes as last year. That made things extremely easy for me, although I did still think it was a boring decision. Oh, well! Bailey, on the other hand, wanted to be a ladybug, and we already had that costume from Brooklyn a few years ago. Finally, our little Madison had no choice but to be a dragon, one of Little William's old costumes. She was adorable, even though she did look a little like a boy!

On Halloween we took the kids to a church carnival which was a lot of fun. The kids got quite a bit of candy, but the real treats came after the party, when we went door to door trick or treating! We went to the neighboring subdivision, Meadow Brooke, mostly. We had a grand 'ol time. Here are some snap shots from the party!

A MUCH Needed Update

2009-10-23T14:35:00.000-07:00

Let's see where do I begin?

A few updates about the kiddos....

L I T T L E W I L L I A M
My handsome little fella just recently got a hair cut. To me, it's a little short, but it is growing on me. William is doing so GREAT in school. He is reading chapter books now and is really in to them. He's already graduated out of the 3-minute read program in school, and is just excelling in so many ways. We are so proud of him and his desire to learn! Flag football is over, but BYU and Steelers football is NOT....so William still gets to enjoy his sport. Can't say enough about my little smarty pants son....he's a great kid!

B R O O K L Y N
Brookie is still seeing her speech therapist, but is really improving. Her most noticeable struggles are getting out those "S" blends, "sp" "sc" etc... Brookie's "school" usually is "tool" and "spider" is "pider." You get the idea! Anyway, with reminders she can usually get it right, but I see her improvement all the time. Kindergarten is great. Brooklyn loves doing homework and is beginning to read! I struggle with my patience in helping teach her, but I am doing my best at keeping my cool. Ballet and Tap are Brooklyn's favorite things. She loves practicing her shuffles around the house. Sometimes mommy even busts out her tap shoes and makes some noise right along with Brooklyn!

B A I L E Y
....is POTTY TRAINED!!!! Yay!!!! It only took a couple of weeks and a few accidents, and she hasn't even ONCE had an accident at night in bed. In fact, we were putting diapers on her for bed, and every morning she was dry, so we opted out of the diapers and we haven't had a single clean up....knock on wood! Bailey is a bundle of joy and quite a little performer...singing and dancing. We still go to Music Makers every Thursday morning, it's one of the highlights of the week for Bailey!

M A D I S O N
Maddy is on the verge of walking. She can take steps and walk a short distance, but not quite 100% independently. She loves walking back and forth from person to person....walk to daddy, turn around and walk back to mommy, constantly. It is fun. I know most people say that they are not too anxious for little ones to walk because they get into things way more often, but Madison already does that, and I can't wait for her to walk because then she won't be a mop for the church, my house, or anywhere else she decides to army crawl around. Madison has quite a little personality, already a little sassy and it's most evident when she gets mad...watch out!!!

And now, what's new with us?

J.O.B.

William is currently working as an independent contractor for Ray Core, selling insulated wall panels and roof systems. This is the same job he has been doing, but now he works from home and gets paid strictly 100% commission. At first, I was so scared about these recent changes, but it sure has been nice to have him home, and sales have picked up in a HUGE way. Still, it would be nice to have some job security and a company that William interviewed with at the beginning of the year, recently called him to an interview for a better paying position. Not sure if anything will become of this, but it has been nice to have that door open up for us as an option.

Q.I.V.A.N.A.

In the meantime, we have been working our Qivana business more aggressively lately and it is proving to pay off. We have several friends who see the vision of this company and are seriously looking to join our team. We also have friends who have been impressed with the product and wish to become customers. We are on the ups here and are so excited about this wonderful company whose products and opportunities are changing lives!!!

R.E.N.T.A.L.S.
Some bad news has also come our way, two of our four properties have been vacated within 2 weeks of each other. Our tenants have bailed out of their obligations to us and we are forced to either pay or find new renters ASAP! It has been stressful for me, but I am trying to keep it together :) I am hoping that we can get those homes rented before the snow flies, so keep your fingers crossed for us!

H.O.M.E. S.A.L.E.
Recently things have picked up with our house showing. In fact, one day this week we showed the house twice in one day!!! It is looking like we may have an offer too. I am not going to get my hopes up TOO much, but I can't help but feel like things might be moving in the right direction.

WE NEED TENANTS!!!

2009-10-12T11:39:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately we have been trying to get a hold of our renters to collect money from them and when I stopped by to grab the money, keys and a note were left instead! BUMMER!!! These renters were under a lease option and have been trying to get with a loan officer to buy the house. We have been anxiously awaiting all of this to happen, because what it means for us is money in our pockets!!! For a year now, we thought this was the way it was going to go down, but thanks to the economic situation, our renter got demoted from his job and his family can't stay in the house anymore. We are totally bummed about the whole situation. AAHHHH!!!! Just my luck these days. Soooooooo, if anyone is looking for a house to rent, or knows someone who is, let us know!!! AND....wish us luck!

Bailey's Repertoire

2009-10-07T19:56:00.000-07:00

Down by the Bay

Going to the Zoo

Leo the Lion

Popcorn "Pocking"

Put a Ring On It

Twinkle Twinkle

You Belong With Me

ABC's

I hope I didn't post too many, but they were all too cute to be narrowed down!!!

College Reunion

2009-09-15T20:39:00.000-07:00

Good times with GREAT friends. Valarie is such a great thinker, she emailed Joy and I a few weeks ago to tell us that she would be in town last weekend and asked if we could plan to meet up, so....we did!!!

A little about these FANTASTIC girls:

Valarie (on the right) was my roomie in college during my sophomore year. We had such great memories. She worked as a massage therapist at a salon and at Egbert's Chiroprtactic and I remember for my birthday, her treating me to a SWEET massage at her work. She is great. Val was also a horse lover and kept her horse at the Madison Fairgrounds. She was so devoted to her horse, always running there to take care of him. I just have soooo many memories of Valarie coming home from the stables in her jeans and smelling like manure....but she sure did clean up well...ha ha, and when she did....we loved going country dancing. Love you Val!

Joy (in the middle) was a friend that I met during my freshman year at Ricks. She was on the Ballroom Tour Team when I was on one of the Back-up teams. She is such a great dancer and thanks to both of our passions for dance, we became great friends. During the year you could find us country dancing two nights a week, at the school on Wednesday then at Retrix on Thursday. Joy LOVED country dancing and she was dang good at it. She probably still is. We also were involved in the Salsa Club together....oh, the good times there. It was through Joy that I met Valarie, they were roommates during my freshmen year and when Joy graduated Valarie decided to come room with me!

I just love these gals and was so glad that we decided to catch up last weekend. They both now have beautiful families and seem so happy. Valarie & Sterling now live in Fort Collins, Colorado and Joy & Dave are heading to Casper, Wyoming in a few weeks where Dave just got a job, fresh out of dental school. Give me a call girls, next time you are in town!!!

New Hair-Do

2009-09-15T20:06:00.001-07:00

Bailey has a new do!!! Her hair was getting totally unruly. It was almost lookin' like she was sporting a mullet and when my neighborhood girlfriends brought that to my attention, I realized that it was time for another haircut. It is quite a bit shorter now, but looks way better and I am hoping that this will encourage some NORMAL hair growth. Her hair is just so fine and a lot of it has rubbed off in the back, hence the mullet look. Already her hair looks thicker too. Thanks Tori!!!

Before

Here's the Mullet

After

Here's the Pretty Girl

Flag Football

2009-09-15T20:00:00.001-07:00

My boy's a football player!!!

It's no big surprise that I LOVE Steelers Football, and even though William is not on the Steelers Team, I guess I can be a Bears fan for a good month and a half. We are just glad that he is still on the team. To make a long story short, I voiced my disappointments about the program in a tactful email to the lady in charge of the league and in return I got 3 REALLY NASTY emails from her. She used some very offensive words and passed some unfair judgements of me as an individual and a stay-at-home mom. She also informed me that I would be getting a refund and that William was off the team. WOW.....I was shocked, to say the least. My husband called her and left a voicemail that said that we still were going to have William play, and if there were any other problems, to call him. Well, we never heard from the lady and never got our money back, so we are assuming she had a change of heart. Whew!!!

So.....here is William playing in his first game....unfortunately no uniforms yet :( He is a rock star. He is doing really great and I think he really enjoys football, I know we do!!!

Fun Shots of the Kids

2009-09-15T19:41:00.000-07:00

Millions of Peaches, Peaches For Me!!!

2009-09-11T14:34:00.000-07:00

On Labor Day, I went out to Monteview, Idaho, which is about an hours drive north of where I live, to can peaches with Jill. What a good aunt she is...she taught me the ropes. I have never canned before and she was a good teacher. We canned 7 boxes of peaches (3 1/2 bushel). For being my first time, we sure did go all out. But it went along quite well. I personally bought 3 boxes and came home with about 32 quart jars or about 11 jars per box. Not Bad!!!

I got to Jill's house at about 9:30 a.m. and I left at about 5 p.m., I think. So, it was a whole day of canning for us. The first box we pealed took FOREVER...because they were not as ripe as the rest, but after that, it was pretty much smooth sailing. I had a lot of fun and of course now I fell like a pro. Next year I may try it on my own, but who knows, maybe we will make it our yearly tradition.

Now for an explanation about the pictures. At lunchtime we baked a pizza and before I turned on the oven, I checked inside to make sure nothing was inside....blame it on my motherly instincts. All was clear, so we preheated the oven, but after a little while, it smelled like something was burning. We opened the oven and I could see something under the bottom. Jill pulled down the broiler drawer and the inside was filled with little toys, several of which were on fire and burning! For a minute, I thought we were gonna have a house fire. Jill blew out the fire, which took several blows, but some of Howard and Naomi's toys just didn't make it. I laughed....and was SOOOO grateful this happened because of her kids, and not mine. Jill's a good sport, because she laughed too. I am not so sure I would have had the same reaction if my kids were the culprits at my own house. Here are the pictures of what was left.

Notice that the baby doll's face is burnt off! And most of those little plastic letters were melted....but still salvaged. Lucky we smelled it when we did!

Trip to Polatis' Cabin

2009-08-24T09:14:00.001-07:00

We spent an AMAZING weekend in Island Park with some great friends. For those of you out-of-towner's who have never heard of Island Park, it is a little town about an hour or so north of Rexburg, on the way to Yellowstone. We were invited to stay with some friends in their cabin on Bill's Island.

We had so much fun, eating yummy food, visiting with great friends/neighbors, riding on the boat, tubing, wake boarding, and RELAXING!!! Who could ask for anything better? The weather was hot and sunny with cool nights....just perfect! The Polatis' were WONDERFUL hosts....thanks for a great weekend you guys!!!

William & Dawson on the Tube

William & Lincoln Tearing it Up

Daddy and Maddy

A little explanation here....

William took Brooklyn and Bailey on the tube and the girls LOVED it. Bailey kept waving at all of us on the boat and she was very excited. However, when the boat stopped, the tube tipped forward and instead of dunking everyone, William and Bailey kinda fell out of the tube and William popped Bailey up just as soon as he could. Bailey gasped for just a second after she came up out of the water, because of the initial shock, but afterwards was just fine. She was so cute, the rest of the weekend she would tell everyone, "I went tubing with dad." and "I fell off the tube!" She also called all of the bumps and waves, bouncies. It was so cute!

Most of the Muranaka's + 1 Bozung Baby - 1 Muranaka Baby = Quite a Bunch

Hudson, Mama Mia & Tori

Muranaka Boys

William & Lincoln

Strike a Pose Tori

The Babies LOVE Tori

Cole & Audrey...Cole was a Tubing Fool!!!

Todd AKA "The Boat Master"

Time for a few laughs:
And this is proof that I WAS actually there for the fun weekend.

I don't think there will ever be a picture that I don't have my mouth open in. Tubing was a blast and I laughed and screamed the whole time. Here are some pics with Audrey, but where are the ones with Tori, William??? (Now, if you want to see facial expressions, from what I hear, Tori totally had me beat!)

Brooklyn Taking a Snooze on the Boat

So, I goofed and for some annoying reason, my camera was on the wrong setting...Grrrr!

Lane & Audrey: Love this Picture!!

Sleepy Cole, Tori & Mia

Todd & Tori Cooking up a Yummy Meal

Audrey Doing Bailey's Hair: We

Lane & Brooklyn

Lane & Mia

Brooklyn with her painted nails...thanks to Audrey!

1st Day of School 2009

2009-08-24T09:06:00.000-07:00

Dawson, Lincoln, William & Brooklyn

1st Day of Kindergarten for Brooklyn
1st Day of First Grade for William

William and Brooklyn really liked school, though William DID say it was boring, always lining up and getting directions all day. Being in school all day long is quite the change for William. He is still not sure if he really likes it...I think he needs a little bit of time to adjust. As far as Brooklyn, one nice thing about this all day Kindergarten deal is that next year, she will know no difference in the length of day. Brooklyn is on the Tuesday, Thursday, and every other Friday track. So far so good.

Weekend Camping

2009-08-09T17:08:00.000-07:00

This weekend we went on a campout, our 2nd one of the summer. We ended up going to the same exact location as last time, the one we actually staked out ourselves. It's a pretty great spot, up near Kelly Canyon along the Snake River.

We made it to the campsite early enough on Friday night that we had plenty of time for dinner and s'mores. The weather was in the mid to upper 60's the whole time, which was almost perfect if you have a fire going, but a little chilly without one. It never poured down rain, just sprinkled very lightly on Saturday. Most of the time it was overcast, but thank goodness for a camper to sleep in at night, because it did rain a couple of times Friday night.

Our hike on Saturday was a lot of fun. We hiked a trail that was through the canyon and just beautiful. Our friends, the Deans, let us borrow a baby hiking backpack which worked wonderfully for Madison. Along the hike there was a spot where we had to cross the stream, pretty deep actually, as Daddy slipped and fell in. We all got a good laugh out of that one. The kids thought it was fun to have to walk across the log to cross the creek. Coco, our Lab, got a little more comfortable in the water this trip too.

After our hike, we took a drive to find a fishing spot along the river, and lucky for us we found a perfect little spot just down from our campsite. The girls fell alseep in the car, while the boys and I unloaded and fished. I actually did not fish, just watched. I manned the fire, which we built right beside us. Unfortunately the boys got skunked....no fish! The only thing Little William DID manage to snag was Coco's nostril. Somehow as William was going to cast, Coco got in the way. Little William started to cry and scream, but luckily we got it out without even any blood. It must not have been too bad of a snag!

A Few Updates

2009-08-04T13:17:00.000-07:00

First and Foremost....

GOTTA SCROLL DOWN AND CHECK OUT OUR LAKE POWELL POST!!!

Brooklyn just got a new haircut today...it was time for a change and a chance to get her hair blended a bit more, since her own personal hair cutting experience. Audrey Muranaka AKA (Ah- "G" Naka....as Bailey calls her) gave her the cut. It is quite cute and I would say she cut a good 3-4 inches off. It looks great!

Last week William and I celebrated our 8th Anniversary! I can't believe how much time has just flown by. I am soooo grateful to have a husband like William, he is just AMAZING! William is a wonderful father who is so involved with the kids and always willing to help out with them. Everything from changing diapers, to fixing hair when we are running late to church. I love William so much because he is so supportive of me, always letting me have time for my friends. He also has been such a rock for me during a really hard year in 2008. I can always count on my "Babe-is" to cheer me up or be a shoulder to cry on. I love you so much William. Thanks for 8 great years and looking forward to eternity!

YARD SALE: We had a yard sale on Saturday, Aug. 1st....and it was FANTASTIC!!! I did WAY better than I expected. I made a whopping $512....not bad for a days work. Actually, it took me a lot longer than a day. Ever since I decided to do the sale, I made myself (and my husband) go through the whole house and de-junk. It has been great, but boy did I have QUITE the pile in the guest room. I got rid of so many baby things, including lots of clothes. What didn't sell, I took to D.I. (Thrift Store). Aaaahhhh, it feels good to be clean and organized!

Noisy Kids!!!!

2009-07-29T13:20:00.000-07:00

I was at the mall today with all 4 kids...that was my first mistake! Actually, I just needed to run a quick errand to Old Navy and I entered the mall in the door that was closest to Old Navy. Anyway, on my way out of the mall, as I was approaching the door, Little William did something to Bailey that made her cry. (Big surprise there, he is constantly tormenting his little sisters). Well, Bailey was crying and was quite loud in the echo-y hallway. But there was really nothing I could do while pushing the stroller, except for tell Bailey everything was ok....which I did. The next thing I know, there was an old man walking for exercise with his earbuds right next to the door, and I thought that he was going to open the door for me, but instead he says, "Boy you sure do have a bunch of noisy kids!" At first I thought he was being sympathetic, so I kind of smiled and said sorry. Then he walks away, not even cracking a smile. Grrrr...I was so offended and obviously already embarrassed. I just thought, he has NO idea....only one of my kids was being noisy, but since I had 3 other kids he just assumed they were all misbehaving. I guess he just doesn't remember what it was like raising kids. Hearing comments like that is soooo irritating to me. Oh well, like I said, "He had NO idea what noisy is.....he should hear the chorus of all 4 of them!!!!"

My Little Soccer Star

2009-07-23T13:16:00.000-07:00

This year Little William has decided to play soccer. He is playing in the 6-7 year-old division, but there are some 8-year-olds on his team. I am guessing that some of the boys turned 8 sometime between sign-ups and the actual season.

Anyway, I am so shocked...William can really hold his own! He is a first year soccer player playing with kids who already have a couple of years under their belts. William is very aggreessive and LOVES playing offense! He is actually quite good at both offense and defense. He is not afraid of the ball or lots of legs kicking all over the place. We've been so proud of him.

Who knew I would gobble up this "soccer mom" thing? I LOVE watching William play. I am one of THOSE moms who is screaming on the sidelines, cheering on my son and his teammates. What can I say, I am my mother's child. I take after the best! My mom was the ULTIMATE soccer mom, only I never played soccer, it was just every other sport and activity that I participated in growing up.

Here are some pictures from Williams 1st game!

Lake Powell 2009

2009-07-22T11:56:00.000-07:00

What can I say, my first ever trip to Lake Powell was AMAZING! I has so much fun. We made the drive to Lake Powell on a Sunday and arrived finally in the early evening. The trip down was just okay, Madison was not a happy camper. She wanted out of her car seat so bad, so we finally opted to do a car seat swap and graduated all of the kids to the next size up car seat, mid-trip. It worked out great. Maddy loved being in the forward facing seat, and we thought to ourselves, "She's not quite 1, but less than a week shy." So we saw no harm. It literally saved our trip, she was much more pleasant.

We were the second arrivals to the houseboat, "Desert Breeze." Derek and Shelby Hall aka our new Grandma and Grandpa Hall picked our family up at the Wahweap Marina on Brad Hall's boat. We then shuttled to the houseboat and waited until everyone else showed up. The boat was amazing. There were 5 bedrooms, two bathrooms, a nice kitchen and living room, an upper deck, the whole works. We had a room that allowed for a pack and play for Maddy and the kids all slept on the upper deck on some really nice mats. The meals were fantastic and all provided by Derek and Shelby. Thanks! The others all arrived that same evening, Alli Campbell and her four boys, Dad, Amanda and the kids, and Uncle Kip Bowser and his four kiddos. It was quite the bunch.

Little William spent alot of his time on the beach, where we were anchored, playing in the sand and in the water. Who knew the kid liked the sand so much. I think I need to get my son to the beach beach! Brooklyn enjoyed hanging out with Big Bailee Atkins, who is her same age. They are practically attached at the hip. They spent alot of time at the back of the boat in the water with their life jackets on, just swimming around all day. Bailey loved the water and had a lot of fun with Cooper and Aunt Erin in the sand as well. Madison was most happy in the shade or water. She was a bit grumpy, but I guess that can be expected when you cut your first tooth in the 100 degree climates. She napped wonderfully though, which allowed for some boating and cliff jumping time for me and William.

One afternoon we boated over to a cove that was nearby and did a little cliff jumping. The younger kids stayed in the boat to watch but the older kids and the young at heart (William, me, Dad, Amanda, Kip, and Alli) all joined in the fun. I still cannot believe that I ACTUALLY jumped the same cliffs that the men did....it was so scary....I am not sure how high up we were, but it was stinkin' scary! I guess I felt like I needed to prove myself or something. It was so fun though.

Another afternoon Derek took us all out tubing. It was me, Alli, Dad and Amanda along with all the kids. We took the 3-man tube and oh my gosh, it was a blast. The kids all loved it. Little William was so cute. As soon as he got in the tube he put his hands in the air, as to imply, "Look mom, no hands." It was so cute. At one point my dad was on the tube with Little William and someone else, maybe Sammy, but anyway William was catching some major air and at one point about bounced out of the tube, but my dad reached up and pulled him back in. It was hilarious!! We, the moms (Amanda, Alli, and I), finally took a turn and the whole time we were laughing so hard. Of coarse, we had our spills, but luckily I didn't get hurt at all. Amanda couldn't say the same....the last spill about knocked the wind out of her. She managed well and appeared to be okay.

Other trip highlights included:

Amanda, Alli, and I riding along with the older Hall boys (Brad's kids) while they tubed....so much fun watching the older kids and jamming out to Brad's loud music.

Me, about losing my mind because 2 of my towels blew off the boat and sank to the bottom of the lake. I believe most people thought that I misplaced them, but I KNEW I didn't! As luck would have it, I now have my towels because Brad scuba'ed for them and FOUND them!!! See there...I am not losing it!

All of the boys, men, and Amanda going out cliff jumping and tubing with all the kids. I was watching the babies at that point.

Floating on loungers in the lake while all the little girls were sinking Amanda....I am so glad that "grandma" is more interesting and nicer than me!

Wakeboarding with Kip, Erin, William, and I in the evenings, just before sundown.

Playing speed scrabble in the afternoon.

Deep freezing our Vita-Waters and drinking them as slushes.

The boys all fishing and catching catfish and carp.

Going to see the dam.

The older kids hiking up above the lake.

Celebrating Isaac's birthday on the boat.

Laying out, sliding down the slide and into the water (Leeah loved this), and jumping off the side of the boat and into the water.

William doing dives off cliffs and the side of the boat.

AND FINALLY....making great memories and getting to know the Hall family. Thanks for a wonderful time!

Our Room

The Girlies

Bailey's a Little Camera Shy

Needing a Nap

William and Papa on a Boat Ride
Isaac, Sammy & William Tubing
Now....Tubing with the Big Boys
Nice Air Isaac!!!The 1st Catch of the Trip by Kippy
Happy Baby

Well isn't That Cute Amanda?

Bailee

The Medium Sized Boys (Not the "Little" or "Big")

Erin and Cooper

Shelby AKA Grandma Hall

Lexie Lou Lou
William WakeBoarding
Cute Little AveryAlli & Sammy

Leah & William Digging Away!

Brooklyn's 5th Birthday

2009-07-21T20:24:00.000-07:00

And now time for some WAY overdue recaps of our summer...

On June 19th, we celebrated Brooklyn's 5th birthday. That WAS her actual birthday and as luck would have it, her birthday fell on a Friday so we had her party that evening.

Uncle Harry and Aunt Jill McNiven and their two kids Howard and Naomi came over from Monteview, Idaho. Also, Papa Bear and Amanda and their four kids Noah, Isaac, Avery and Bailee joined us at the party as well, and of coarse Brooklyn invited her very best friend and neighbor Kaylee Wolfensberger. We also had a few special guests, our cousins Sammy, Duggan, and Oliver (the Grimes' kids) they were visiting with Harry and Jill. It was a really fun party. We mostly hung out outside watching all the kids play in the high weeds, which we like to call our unfinished yard.

After outside play, we all came in so that Brookie could open her presents then we devoured some yummy cake and ice cream. We got Brooklyn some hiking boots, which she has been asking for since our Memorial Day camping trip. She has a new found love for hiking! Then Kaylee gave Brooklyn an MP3 player, Harry and Jill gave some money, and finally Dad and Amanda got her a pink Barbie scooter. We cannot forget the gifts Brooklyn got from family who coulf not make it to the party....Uncle Bary and Aunt Vicki gave Brooklyn $50 to Toys R Us, Grammy Jane sent $50, Grandma and Grandpa Bozung got her a Disney Princess sleeping bag, and Grandma and Grandpa Hall sent a card with McDonald's gift certificates. WOW...did she make out good!

Brooklyn, we love you so much. You are such a joy! You make us laugh all of the time. You are such a good friend to those around you and you are very loving and compassionate. We are so blessed to have you in our family. Happy Birthday Princess!!!

Decorated Birthday Door

Brooklyn-isms

2009-07-21T16:04:00.000-07:00

Today when we were driving around town we passed two rough looking hitch hikers and Brooklyn said, "Mommy, did you see those two boys giving us thumbs up?" Aaahhh, little girls and their cute little thoughts. She's a hoot!

Our Visitor

2009-06-21T17:37:00.001-07:00

Check out who came by Sunday morning for a short visit!

It's a moose....can you believe it???

Oh, and HAPPY FATHER'S DAY...we think that the BEST dad lives right here with us.

We love you, daddy!!!

Way Back Wednesday

2009-06-17T14:01:00.000-07:00

HALLOWEEN 2008

Go Steelers!!!

scammed...well almost

2009-06-16T22:13:00.000-07:00

We are looking for renters for the our twin home in Ammon and in the past I have had great luck posting the rentals on Craigslist. Well, this time I almost got burned. I had a guy ask if the unit was still available and I emailed him back to say yes. Then, I get an email stating he is very interested, is from the UK, but will be moving to the U.S. because his company is opening an office here. He wanted pictures, physical address, rental costs with the deposit, etc. Needless to say, I spent quite a long time getting him all the things together that he requested. I even attached a rental application.

Well the next thing I know he is sending me this lengthy email saying that he will take the apartment. He then goes on to say that he will be hiring an interior designer to furnish the apartment and get things ready for him. He told me that he would be sending $4000 and that we could deduct our $1400 and then asked if we would just get the remaining balance to the interior designer. He said that he would take care of all the paper work when he gets here. He also included some info about himself. He said that he had a "lovely" wife and two daughters, who would be staying in the UK, he was "conservative by nature," a "Christian," and was a non-smoker with no pets. It was all very convincing.

Our friend, and William's co-worker, Bryan, told us to beware because he had a friend who almost fell for a similar scam. The more we looked in to it, the more skeptical we became. Some of the email addresses looked hokey, he never mentioned our application, he didn't use very good grammar, etc. So, William traced the email and sure enough we found other people who recognized the scam as well, from the same guy with the same exact emails, verbatim. Thanks for the heads up Bryan.

Lesson learned:

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!!!

WaY BaCk WeDnEsDaY

2009-06-10T12:53:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I am "stealing," rather "borrowing" this idea from Candy! My friend posts a weekly blog entry entitled THROWBACK THURSDAY, where she posts older pics of them and the kids. I really liked this idea because I have so many fun pictures and stories from before I started blogging, so I have adapted my own version of THROWBACK THURSDAY and have called mine, WAY BACK WEDNESDAY. So, stay tuned every Wed. for a new or rather, OLD story from the Bozung Family! Yay! This will be fun! Thanks again Candy for the great idea.

Today's "Way Back Wednesday" is just an older picture of the Bozung Family, minus lots of new additions including:

Baby Girl Stevens, who was just born yesterday, YAY, and has no name yet. Congrats Jon and Janelle

Little Jack and baby Brynn Whiting (Shar and Brad's kids)

Baby Abigail AND Mr. Evan Norman (Lisa's baby and Hubby of almost 2 years now)

And our 2 little latest additions...Bailey and Madison Bozung

It's so much fun to see how the Bozung Family has grown. I really should get an exact date on this picture, but my closest guess is that the picture was taken sometime in the summer of 2005. Anyone want to correct me? Anyway, families are the best...thanks for the memories!

We're Goin' to the Zoo, Zoo, Zoo

2009-06-10T12:11:00.001-07:00

We went to the annual McPherson Wealth Concepts "Customer Appreciation Picnic" and entrance to the zoo at Tauphus Park. This year it rained and it was cold, but the show must go on. We ate under the pavilion, but then trekked our way through the rain and into the zoo. We still all had a blast, but missed our Brooklyn, who decided to choose a birthday party over the zoo. No biggie. We are glad that she had a fun time, too!

Our Trip to the Zoo: Hairball

2009-06-07T16:58:00.000-07:00

We went the to local zoo Saturday. I caught this on film and thought many of you would find it worth 10 seconds of your time. I am sure Jodi will post pictures. Enjoy!

Successful Surgery

2009-06-05T14:54:00.000-07:00

Our little Madison is such a trooper. Here we are, one week EXACTLY after her surgery, and who would have guessed? She is doing GREAT!!! Here is how it all went down...

May 28, 2009 - Hosptial calls the day before surgery to give pre-op instructions, specifically for her diet - no food after midnight and only water or apple juice until 10:15 a.m. the morning of surgery. Also, surgery is scheduled for 1:15 p.m., but we needed to arrive at the hospital at 11:45 a.m.

May 29, 2009 - When Maddy woke up I was pushing the apple juice and water. I just wanted to fill her up until 10:15, so she was pounding the fluids. At 11:45 a.m. we arrive at Primary Children's Hospital, check in, and soon after we are taken back to a room to have Madison be checked out one final time. The nurse checks height, weight, gives a listen to her lungs, and just a general examination. All looked good. Thank goodness! Madison had a really minor cough a few days prior, not to mention my strep throat, and the other kids at home with coughs and runny noses. I was scared to death that they were going to tell us to go home until she was healthy. We got Madison dressed into her gown and we were sent to the waiting room.

The anesthesiologist and surgeon, Dr. Wallis, each came out to chat with us about what to expect. We were told that the surgery would take approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes. At 2:00 they finally came to get Madison for surgery, 45 minutes later than expected. William and I then ran down to the cafeteria to grab some lunch, then back up to yet a different waiting room.

At 4:15 we are expecting to see the surgeon come out to tell us how everything went, well instead we got a call saying that the surgery would be another 45 minutes. So then FINALLY at 5:00 the doctor came to tell us that the surgery went really well and that the anesthesiologist was just then giving Madison a spinal block to help with the pain. The idea was to numb her from the waist down so that she wouldn't experience too much pain. The doctor also told me that in a few more mimutes one of us could go back to the recovery room with her.

Just then, Janelle and Jon (William's sister and brother-in-law) show up for a visit. At 5:45 I go back to see Madison and by 6:10 we were up to her hospital room and settled in for the night. When I first saw Madison she acted very tired and obviously a little out of it. The nurse wanted me to try to stir her, so that she could hear my voice. She was so cute, sucking her thumb like there was no tomorrow. Her thumb was glued to her mouth, but I was thankful that she had something to soothe herself with. While I was standing there with the nurse she told me that at some point during the surgery the anesthesiologist noticed a slight heart murmur. She called it an innocent murmur, probably not something that we should worry about, but she wanted us to know so that we could tell our pediatrician. She said that our pediatrician needs to know so that he can always take a good listen to her and then with him knowing we can talk things over with him and see what options are there. YIKES!!! I wasn't too bothered by this disturbing info because I have heard of other kids with a murmur and it end up being nothing to worry about, but I was still a little guarded because heart problems run in my family.

Next, I asked if they could give her a bottle, so the nurses brought 4 oz. of apple juice and she SCARFFED it down. They didn't want to give anymore yet, because they wanted to be sure that she would keep it all down. Which she did, so on the way up to the room they gave a second bottle, but I could tell she just wanted some sleep. So, after Madison fell alseep, we decided to go down to the cafeteria with Jon and Janelle for dinner.

That night, I stayed at the hospital with Madison, while William stayed the night at the "Guest House," the hotel where Janelle works and conveniently got William's night stay comp'ed. (Is that even a word?) You know what I mean...a FREE night's stay! Thanks Janelle. It was so nice because the Guest House is just around the corner from the hospital. Madison slept soooo well. No big surprise there, she is a sleeper. Unfortunately for me, because I am such a light sleeper, I heard EVERYTHING that was going down at the hospital that night, including ALL of the crying babies on our floor! My baby didn't make a peep. It just reminded me how lucky I was. Throughout the night the nurses would come in to check on Madison and we gave her lots of bottles with juice, and luckily she never vomitted.

At 7:00 a.m. the next morning one of Dr. Wallis' colleagues came to remove Madison's catheter. He warned me that she would NOT like this and that she may cry, well surprise, surprise Madison didn't make a peep! They were SHOCKED!!! I wasn't. She is a trooper and I think she must have a high tolerance for pain. I actually think too, she is just very social and enjoys looking at and interacting with people, and of course the whole time they were pulling out the cath, they were trying to distract her, and Madison LOVED the attention! The doctor said, "She is so cool!"

At 9:30 a.m. Dr. Wallis came and unhooked all of Madison's monitors, which were CONSTANTLY getting tangled at her feet. He was impressed with her condition and gave us the go ahead to leave late morning or after lunch. He just wanted to be sure that she could urinate on her own and had plenty of wet diapers. That morning we had the BEST nurse EVER. His name was Mario and he was from the Phillipines, which was where William served his mission. Mario gave us first-class treatment and loved talking with us. We was genuinely a very sweet person and helped us pass the day along with great conversation. We loved him! Before we left the hospital the nurse tech came in to remove Madison's IV. She told us that Maddy may cry because it will sting a bit. Are we surprised that once again she didn't make a single sound? No!!! After lunch we headed back to William's parents' house, after filling the prescriptions at the hospital's pharmacy. Our instructions were as follows:

Give bath on Sunday and remove gauze and dressing
Steri strips will come off on their own in about a week
Continue with daily antibiotics for 12 weeks until VCUG at Primary's
2 weeks with Dr. Smith (pediatrician in Idaho) to remove stent
4-6 weeks check up & ultrasound at Primary's
12 weeks VCUG at Primary's

That afternoon back at William's parents' house, Madison had her first bowel movement and it COVERED her bandages. It was a mess. Two of the steri-strips that were covering her incision came off and a couple of the others had poop on the end of them. I was concerned that if we didn't clean it well enough or missed something, that there could be an infection, so we called the hospital and the Resident told us to take off the gauze and dressing, clean everything, and just use a butterfly band-aid. William's mom actually ran to the store for the band-aids, but brought home more steri-strips because they were out of butterfly band-aids. We got it all cleaned up and taken care of though. The stent proved to be a challenge too, because we had to deal with that in the way as well. It was quite the group effort...William, me, and William's dad.

Aside from the bandage drama, Madison seemed happy! She did so well. Later on Madison didn't want to eat too much, not even a bottle before bed, kind of abnormal, but maybe not for someone who just went through what they did. So, we gave Madison some Loritab and put her to bed. At about 3 a.m. that next morning, Madison woke up crying and we assumed she needed more pain meds so we gave her some more Loritab but she kind of gagged on it and acted like she was dry-heaving. We offered her some formula and she took about 2 ounces. She seemed a little warm, so we checked her temperature, ans sure enough she had a mild fever, so we called the hospital for fear that we'd be making another trip back to the hospital. The Resident told me to give some Tylenol instead of the Loritab. She thought that maybe the Loritab was too strong for and nauseating Madison. Just then Madison vomitted all over William, but the Resident said not to worry. So, I ran to the store to get medicine and by the time I came back Madison and William were asleep. We woke Maddy up, gave her some Tylenol, and laid her back down.

The next day was fine and that day we headed home in the evening, after dinner with William's family. After changing a flat tire, right before we entered I-15, we were FINALLY on our way home. Monday morning brought along more challenges. Madison threw up 3 times, each time after I gave her Tylenol or Motrin. So once again I found myself calling the hosptial. This time I explained EVERYTHING that had happened and the nurse told me not to offer anymore formula, but water or juice instead, since they had more water fluids in them. Also she encouraged me to only give pain meds before bedtime or when she needed them. Her advice worked like a charm and the rest of the week has been GREAT! Madison seems like her normal self and is doing SUPER!!!!

Arriving at the hospital...she has NO idea what is about to go down!!!

Waiting to go back to the Operating Room

Right after surgery in the Recovery Room

All of her monitors and IV

She is zonked!!!

Mommy and Uncle Jon looking on, or looking at all the cool gadgets!

Lots of rest

Sleeping Beauty

The next morning

"These are fun toys!"

Hi there

Maddy was bored so she emptied out everything from her tub!

Just a little cat nap before we leave!

Peek-a-Boo!

Time to leave the hospital

Here is our favorite nurse...Mario!!!

Team effort to clean up the diaper mess

William applying new steri-strips--the incision is about 2-3 inches long.

Madison's Surgery is Tomorrow!!!

2009-05-28T19:09:00.000-07:00

Madison is going in for surgery on Friday the 29th. Please keep her in your prayers. She will be at Primary Children's Hospital for at least 1 night, but could be up to 3 nights. Surgery is at 1:15 p.m. and will last 2 hours and 15 minutes. Her diet instructions are as follows...good thing she like apple juice!!!

Only apple juice, pedialyte, or water until 10:15 a.m., day of surgery, nothing after that.
Be at the hospital at 11:45 a.m.
Surgery at 1:15 p.m. (2 hours and 15 minutes)

Here is a little bit of info that I found about her condition and her surgery for those of you who don't know what is going on.

What is Ureteral Reflux?

The urinary system is comprised of the kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra. Normally, urine is formed in the kidneys and drains down the ureters to the bladder. When the bladder is full of urine it is emptied by muscular contraction from the bladder and through the urethra. This process is called voiding or urination. Vesicoureteral reflux occurs when urine backs up from the bladder into the ureters and sometimes into the kidneys. This can lead to a kidney infection and scarring of the kidney. Scarring can lead to hypertension and possible kidney failure later in life.

What is ureteral reimplant surgery?

Ureteral reimplant surgery is a procedure to change the way an abnormally positioned ureter, the tube from which urine leaves the kidneys, connects with the bladder. An abnormally positioned ureter can produce vesicoureteral reflux, the backflow of urine from the bladder into the ureter and up to the kidney. Normally, the ureter enters the bladder, which is made out of muscle, in such a way that urine is allowed to enter the bladder but not allowed to back up to the kidney. Reflux occurs when the ureter enters the bladder abnormally. As a result, the muscle backing of the bladder doesn't completely cover the ureter and urine flows back toward the kidney.

Well, that's all I know for now....we will post updates when we have them, then post pictures when we get home. Wish us luck!!!

Camping Trip

2009-05-26T13:57:00.000-07:00

Unfortunatley I have NO pictures from our family camping trip, because conveniently I left my camera at the doctor's office. I was so stinkin' mad....our first camping experience, and I have no good shots of it. Oh well.

We didn't end up leaving to go camping until like 7:30 p.m. on Friday evening, due to Little William's medical emergency. At least we made it!!! We took our old camper up to the Kelly Canyon/Heise area and camped nearby the Snake River. The camping area is only a 20 minute or so drive from our house, but because there were SO many campers, we had to drive almost to the end of the dirt road, which took us a good hour+ to get to. I was so nervous all along the way that we were not going to find a spot and that it was almost dark already and we were all STARVING!

We found a GREAT spot though, off the beaten trail and private. The kids and I quickly got out of the car, gathered stones for a fire pit, built the fire pit, found small sticks, started a fire, all before it got dark. It was seriously amazing...it was pitch black by the time the fire was going, so we had just barely enough light to get the essentials going. Daddy was busy leveling out the camper and our teamwork made for a really memorable experience. We all cooked up some hot dogs and then it was time for bed. Luck for us the kids all went to sleep immediately because they were all so exhausted. William and Brooklyn slept of the top bunk above us. Bailey slept on the other low bed, while Madison slept on the other top bunk with a bed rail t keep her from falling out. It was perfect. William and I sat around the campfire for a little while and enjoyed the stars, while Coco laid at our feet taking it all in.

The next morning was beautiful! After breakfast we took a walk and learned that Brooklyn is quite the little hiker. She loved hiking and didn't want to turn around to go back. Little William, on the other hand, kept asking to turn around and go back. When we finally decided to turn around Little William started running down the mountain. I told him to take it easy because we did not want him to fall and mess up his stitches. Well, he got pretty far ahead of us and wasn't coming back when we hollared for him, next thing we know, we hear him crying. William and I were just thinking, "Great, that's all we need, another injury." As it turns out, Little William was scared because he thought he was lost.

After a drive to the river and some more hiking, we had lunch and then took the kids to the river to fish, hoping that the 2 babies would fall asleep on the drive. All of the girls fell asleep, so William and Little William fished. Amazingly enough, Little William snagged his first ever catch, a little trout. He was so excited and we were so proud of him.

After fishing we went back to camp for dinner and s'mores. Then it was time to pack up. Everyone had so much fun and the kids were soooo good. We can't wait to try it all again.

Our OTHER Emergency

2009-05-26T13:42:00.001-07:00

Yesterday evening, Memorial Day, Madison fell out of her stroller, right as we were cleaning up to go in for the day. I felt so bad. Honestly, I have no idea how it happened. I always buckle her up, so I am not sure if Bailey unbuckled her, or if just really forgot to do it. Also, I am still not sure how she even fell out, Bailey was right next to her, and I don't know if she tried pushing the stroller and Maddy fell, or if Maddy leaned forward and fell out. So sad. What I DO recall is just feeling this sick feeling and about hyperventilating, because I was so scared about what COULD be wrong. Well, Maddy was on the garage floor and I scooped her up and hollared for William to help. Amazingly, there was no blood, no major goose eggs, just a lot of crying....she didn't pass out or anything.

Madison had not had a nap that day, so I knew she was so tired and decided to go get her ready for bed. Unfortunatley, after drinking her bottle, Madison threw up, then I was scared. I was afraid she had a concussion or something worse. Maddy was acting fine after she threw up and was her happy, normal self, but I still felt like I needed to do something. After talking to a nurse friend, I decided to run Madison in to the ER to be taken a look at. My friend, Tammy Graham, rode along with me in the car to try to keep Madison awake.

After arriving at the hosptial, it was 2 hours before we were even taken back to a room. The holiday made for a BUSY night. Anyway, the doctor came back and examined Maddy and said that she looked fine but encouraged me to bring her back if she experienced persistant vomiting or anything else uncommon. Madison only had a tiny little bruise on her forehead, but with her going in for surgery on Friday, down at Primary Children's Hospital, I did not want to risk any possible head trauma and mix that with going under anesthisia. All is good, but man what a weekend!!!

A Weekend of Emergencies

2009-05-26T12:59:00.000-07:00

The plan for Memorial Day weekend was for our family to go camping, not to make multiple trips to the ER. Oh, well....we did both!!!

Our first mishap occurred while I was busy packing up for our camping trip. I was so behind. So much to do, so little time to get it all done. Well, from inside the house I hear Little William crying from outside and saying "Owie, Owie!!" When I go to the front door to see the damage, I find William holding his forehead with blood running down his face and all over his clothing. He told me that Lincoln, his neighbor buddy, hit him in the head with a metal shovel. It was obviously an accident, but his wound was gaping and I definately thought that stitches were a must. So thankfully Audrey Wolfensberger, my other neighbor, offered to watch the girls and keep the baby monitor to listen for Madison waking up, while I ran William in to the Rigby Community Care. Luckily his bleeding wasn't too severe, for a head wound.

As soon as we walked into the front door at the doctor's office, they sent us straight back to a room, and you should have seen all the other patient's reactions. You could tell they felt so sorry for the poor guy. The staff was soooo accomodating and wonderful. We were given the option to either do the glue or stitches. William really did not want the stitches originally, but I was informed that they would be our best option. So William got sewn together and didn't even cry. He was so brave! He had several pokes too, to numb the area, but man was he a trooper.

ANOTHER Ear Infection for Brooklyn

2009-05-21T14:02:00.000-07:00

Yep, that's right, Brooklyn has another ear infection...yikes! This is her 5th one from May 2008-May 2009. Brooklyn told me that her left ear was hurting and then a little later when I asked if her ear still hurt, she said yes and pulled on her right ear. Hmmm....I asked again, "Which one is it?" She replied, "I mean this one (pulling on left ear.) And so, I took her to the doctor and sure enough BOTH ears are infected. I KNEW the doctor would perscribe an antibiotic, so I expressed our concerns about giving the antibiotic right away....she told me that I could wait a few days to see if it cleared on its own. Well now it is 2 days later and Brooklyn is not even complaining about it. In fact when I ask her, which is very often, if her ear still hurts she says no.

The doctor usually sends patients over to the Ear, Nose, and Throat Specialist after 5 or 6 infections within a years time, but since flu season is about over and summer is on it's way, she is hopeful that maybe this will be the end of the infections. The doctor still gave us a referral to go see an ENT Specialist to at least talk over our options. I really don't want to have to go with the tubes route, but if it is inevitable, I'd rather just get it done. I've actually heard really good things about getting tubes. Geez, can't we just assume that she won't get anymore stinkin' colds this spring and everything will clear up? We shall see.

William's Kindergarten Program/Graduation

2009-05-19T14:38:00.000-07:00

William put on a good little program today. Our whole family went to the school gym to watch the afternoon Kindergarteners sing some songs and get their diplomas. William was so animated performing his songs. Some of the songs they sang were, "I Like to Eat...Apples and Bananas," "Down By The Bay," "The Wheels on the Bus," and several others. Congratulations Buddy, we sure are proud of you!!!

William & Mrs. Huntsman

Bailey's Injuries....and There Are Many

2009-05-18T14:20:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago Bailey took a fall and got, what I thought was just a bloody lip. After some examination, I realized that she tore her frenum. What is that, you ask? It is that little piece of skin that connects your upper lip and the gum. That is not a word in my vocabulary, I googled it! Anyway, I remember Amanda telling me that Avery had to get her's clipped because it was connected to her gums right above her teeth, so it came down a little too low, or lower than normal.

Well, Bailey USED to have that problem, but I noticed that she ripped that sucker back when she fell, so that extra skin was just hanging there. I was a little nervous that she may try to chew on it, or that it may annoy her, so I took her to the doctor to get an opinion. The doctor delivered good news. She said that 80 percent of these frenum issues fix themselves because kids have falls, like the one Bailey had. So, instead of later on in life, getting the fremun clipped, Bailey just saved us a future doctor's bill! Way to go sweetie!

A Couple of Weeks Later...
Another face injury! This time Bailey fell off her tricycle. Ouch!

Play Time

2009-05-18T14:07:00.000-07:00

This morning I found all the kids making some music together! It was so cute. This is a rare moment, to find all of them playing nicely and together. I have the cutest kids ever!