Thompson Tattler

Lava Hot Springs

2010-08-23T20:21:00.004-05:00

Next stop: Lava hot springs. We got there and Rocky, always needing something to do, decided we should set up camp first. We got everything out of the van and spread it around camp. Then we rented a big tube and rode it down the river over and over until we were ice cubes. It was a lot of fun. We went back to camp and made a great dinner. As we ate, it got darker and darker outside. Then the wind picked up slightly. We shoveled all our food in our mouths and got all of the supplies in the camper just as the storm hit. I thought we left Oklahoma for the summer! Hail, wind, blinding rain! We sat inside the camper (well most of us--not Rocky who always needs something to do-) and watched the porta-jon blow over. Glad I don't service porta-jons for a living... When the storm abated (I learned that word in 7th grade) we went out to survey the damage. Sleeping bags? Wet! Pillow? Wet! Clothes--we didn't think to check inside the suitcases at the time but foud out later...Wet! Princess Janine had enough of camping at that point and we found a laundry mat/bar and made quick use of it. The laundry mat that is, not the bar. But we also trolled the town for a hotel. We found one that worked out great. It met my only requirement--it was dry. The rest of the trip was wonderful and uneventful!

It was wonderfully cool in the evenings. I even pulled out the cool weather bag.

We had a great time each evening with Grandma and Grandpa Thompson. They had a beautiful campsite and we had to leave them all too soon.

The kids had a great time at the famous pools. Jeffrey loved the water slides and spent most of his day there.

Jarom went for the platforms. He jumped from the "low" one several times, but didn't quite get up the courage to go any higher- not that I blame him.

Summer Fun in Draper

2010-08-23T19:11:00.004-05:00

After a few days in Southern Utah and Nevada, we continued our journey North to Draper. Here we met up with Uncle Scott and family and had another celebration for Jeffrey--and Celeste.

We had a lot of fun in the cooler weather. The kids had a great time filling water balloons,

having water fights, barbeques, fireworks, hikes, picnics, and all those other wonderful things I did as a kid in Utah.

We were there for Draper Days and went to the parade to collect candy....

and watch a few floats. Suzanne, Megan and Ryan also came to Utah and the cousins all had a great time together.

While there, all the kids took turns getting sick. What is a family reunion without a little drama? As a result, Jeffrey missed his riding lesson, but Jarom got to go. Here he is demonstrating some of the tricks he learned.

We had such a great time in Draper, I was not ready to leave. I saw so many great friends, not to mention my family. I miss all the things there are to do. The kids and I hiked Timpaongus with Scott, Barb, Arielle, and Celeste. We went with Suzanne, Megan, Ryan, Grandma and Grandpa to Snowbird and rode the alpine slides. We met Patrice and Josh to watch the fireworks for Pioneer day and had a picnic up at Brighton--which is one of the most beautiful places on the earth--I think. We met our friends, the Albistons at the zoo and you would never know that they hadn't seen each other for a year. (We miss you all, by the way). I am thankful for the great community I grew up in and hope my kids will love coming home one day as much as I do.

Hurricane!

2010-08-23T15:19:00.002-05:00

Our next day we spent the day driving until we reached Hurricane. It is so beautiful where grandma and grandpa Thompson live. I love southern Utah and often think if we ever make it back to Utah, I would like it there. This is the view from their back porch.

Jack getting snuggles from grandma.

Jarom picking plums from the tree.

While in Hurricane, we relaxed and enjoyed good food from the garden. The boys worked hard at mastering ping pong and we went swimming everyday.

It's my birthday!

2010-08-23T14:55:00.004-05:00

Jeffrey turned 11 on our vacation. To make his day extra special, Grandma and Grandpa took us to Mesquite Nevada and rented a hotel. Then we got use of the nice pool. It was a beautiful oasis in the hot desert. We had cake in the hotel room with Aunt Ginger and her family.

Mom and Julia

Jarom

Jeffrey

4th of July

2010-08-23T14:46:00.002-05:00

We started our Summer vaction on July 3rd in the car on a very long drive to Albuquerque, NM. We stayed with Denzel and Suzanne and had a nice visit. They live in the community of Rio Rancho which put on a nice fireworks display. We had front row seats in the high school stadium. We always love out visits with them and appreciate their kindness and hospitality.

Frontier City

2010-08-23T14:20:00.003-05:00

I decided that it was the year to get season passes to Frontier city. Our experience has been that the place is rarely crowded, so it would be a lot of bang for our buck. We visited several times this summer and we were not dissappointed as far as the crowds are concerned. Most people get excited when they only have to wait 5-10 minutes in line. We started to get frustrated when we had to wait more than one cycle of each ride, and eventually got annoyed when the ride stopped and some people had the gall to be in line, waiting for our spots. Then we had to get off and actually go get in line again, rather than staying on for another whiz around the track.

Julia was upset that she is too small for most of the rides. But she trudged along for hours at a time without complaint. She said that "the city" is her favorite place. She was allowed to go on a few rides, and was scared of nothing! She is gonna be a coaster girl like her mamma!

We met the Neals often as they got a pass too. One the first day, I thought we were having a fantastic time. After about an hour, Jarom asked if we could go home. I looked at him questioningly and he said, "This place is boring!" Wise old mom said, "Jarom, you are just going to learn how to make any situation you are in fun." His reply: "How the heck do you do that?" Those of you who know Jarom would not be surprised by this comment. But still...... Anyhow, he must have discovered how to be happy at Frontier city at lease, cuz he went like 8 more times this summer without a single complaint!

School's out!

2010-08-22T18:00:00.004-05:00

Had to head to the zoo as soon as school was out--if you wait to long around here, it gets too hot!

Jeffrey, Jarom and Josh Camper (one of Jarom's school friends).

I read online about an olympic day on the river for scouts. So, the boys put on their scout shirts and we went. Unfortunately, no other scouts heard about it and it was us along with busload after busload of YMCA campers. When we got there, Jarom said, "oh no, daycare kids!" He only said what I was thinking, although I don't recall ever having told him that they have cooties, so I am not sure why his reaction was just so. But we waited in line patiently and not one cootie got on us. They practiced rowing and kayaking (although I really thought it would actually be in the water, which is the reason we went in the first place).

They also had foot races, long jump, sit up competitions and some tumbling instruction, which closed before we could get to it, thus making it a complete waste of time in Jarom's eyes. Then they gathered all the children to the grass so the great mayor of OKC could brag about all he has done to make oklahoma kids healthy and some lady from the white house dronned on and on. Then 4 olympic athletes spoke as well. Only problem is, all of them forgot who their audience was. The kids were BORED! That is what I get for trying to get the ever elusive reward for mother of the year. I was no hero on this day. They would much rather stayed home, eat french fries and ice cream, watch TV and work on adding to the ever increasing problem of childhood obesity.

May Days

2010-06-01T16:41:00.005-05:00

May was a month of ups and downs and the Piedmont Medical Clinic has enough of our money to name a wing after us. But I like to remember the good times, so here goes. The new children's zoo opened at the OKC zoo and we love to visit. It was the first really hot day of the year--too hot for early May--a sign of things to come.

Julia with the Sharps, Harris' and her boy, Beckham.--oh and Jack.

We also enjoyed a weekend camping trip to Robber's cave. My mother's day present this year was a newer pop-up camper that is bigger and much more comfortible than the old one. We took it out Mid may to Arcadia Lake in Edmond and had to use the heater all night. Two weeks later, we went to Robber's cave with Friends from Tulsa--The Neals and Riddocks and were so, so, so thankful for the air conditoning.

On our hike at Robber's Cave State Park.

A beautiful view. You almost forget it's Oklahoma!

Top of the cave--ready to head back down. Notice Jeffrey's arm. It is in a splint as he decided to jump from the top of the slide instead of going down it--he pants would have gotten wet. Oh dear! Wet pants. What a tragedy. Instead, another visit to the Piedmont Clinic and a splint. Then we had to wait until Monday to get a cast. But Jeffrey has to do everything really well and found out that he didn't not have a broken wrist. He had broken wrists. 2 casts, 2 colors, twice the fun. But if you haven't heard, there is a new invention out there. Waterproof casts. Hallelujah!

The best part about May is the last day of School! I have loved that day since I was a kid and love it just as much as an adult. We celebrated with an end of the year "campout" that ended by 11pm. The kids played Wii wars and chased chickens. We also played capture the flag, then roasted marshmallows and told ghost stories. Lastly we cooked up a breaksfast of spray can whipped cream with a little pancake on the side. We had a good turnout and the kids had a great day.

Cole and Brandon Christensen, Jeffrey and Nicky (neighbor who probably has a last name, but I don't know it) playing the Wii.

Jarom with 2 school friends, Josh and Jared playing with the chickens.

The next day, we met the Sharp, Gargone and Harris families at Arcadia lake to play on the beach and have a picnic. Nice lake, beautiful beach, great company. Here is Jarom with Tayor Harris in the lake. Note to Jeffrey: although the casts are waterproof, they are not sand proof, probably shouldn't thow it.

Julia had a great time out of the water--just where I like her.

We ended my with 2 parties for Memorial day. One in Yukon with church friends. Then one in the neighborhood where we feasted on roasted pig. Great day, even better nights sleep--for everyone.

Red Neck Races

2010-06-01T15:51:00.006-05:00

I have put off writing this post. Because although I can admit that I am married to a red neck who is raising red necked children, I do not have redneck running through my own veins. I would have to admit that I attended this event in order to write about it. So, lets just call this research into the life of the country bumpkin. The amazing thing is that I even convinced my non-redneck friend, Janna to attend for moral support and the kids all had a great time. The number on thing to know about lawn mower races is that these are not normal lawn mowers. They are pumped up on steroids and apparently that raises the decible to an eardrum bursting magnitude. My ears are still recovering. It was sooooo loud as to be uncomfortible. These four didn't seem to notice. Here they are taking in the show. Jeffrey, Kurt, Jarom and Taylor.

At intermission, the kids compete in a footrace for cash. Here is the lineup.

In the end, Kurt came in first and won 3 dollars, Jeffrey in third place, won 1 dollar and Jarom and Taylor got handfulls of candy as a consolation prize.

Here is the real problem. You see this machine. It look like an old lawnmower right now. We drove a trailer to Tulsa to pick up this bad boy. It has plans to be transformed into a racing machine. The boys have got the racing bug in them and Rocky has to build the fastest thing out there. Thing is, this is not a pinewood derby car. So, we shall see in time if this red racer can compete in Grasscar. They are looking for sponsors. Any takers?? It looks like we have redneck racing in our future. I guess if mom's and dad's across america can handle supporting their kids by attending cheer leading meets (no offense if that kind of thing does in fact float your boat) then this mom will have to suck it up and go cheer on the boys. If you can't beat them, then put in you ear plugs and join them!

Tumbling

2010-06-01T15:26:00.004-05:00

Last month, I enrolled Julia in a community tumbling class for 3 year olds. It is always interesting to see her in a group setting. She is not shy at all. In fact, any old stranger can hold out his hand and she will gladly take it and go along for a visit. The child loves people! But there are days when she just feels like being high maintenance. Such is the life of a princess. Some days she would go with Mr. Ted with no problem and have a great time. The next week she would flip the drama switch and turn on the waterworks for all to see---especially me! The ladies would look at me with sympathy that I have such an mal-adjusted child who cant be 15 feet away from me. I just giggled to myself, knowing the truth about Julia. All in all, it was a fun experience. At least for her. When we moved to OKC 3+ years ago, Jarom was in the same class as a 5 year old. He had already taken gymnastics in Jenks, so was thrilled at the idea. I really did have to tear him off my leg each time we went to tumble with Mr. Ted. Not because he was shy. Not because he loves drama (which he kind of does), but because it was so boring!!! This was a baby class. And I realized the truth of that too late. I paid the 20 bucks, he was darn well going to finish the agonizing six week of baby tumble (give me a break, it was called pre-k tumbling and he was, in fact, in pre-k). So, I took him kicking and screaming each week and he had to settle for summersaults and balance beams instead of uneven bars and cart wheels, and the pit! What will Jack's reaction be when it is his turn to go to pre-k tumbling? Do I really want to find out? Jumping practice

Hooray, we did it!

The class with Mr. Tim. And Julia's friend Ann Harris (a five year old who didn't complain--go figure)--in the pink stripes.

Easter 2010

2010-04-10T12:46:00.004-05:00

The sad thing about having general conference on Easter is no cute pics of kids all dressed up for church. But, we do have cute pics of kids and chicks....

Cute pics of kids and candy...

And more pics of kids and chicks.

MMM, lunch!

We are the proud owners of 8 baby production hens, a rooster, and two guinea hens that used to be three until one dissappered on Easter. He made some lucky animal a delicious dinner, I am sure.

A Visit from Family

2010-04-10T12:32:00.002-05:00

Julia loves visitors! They are her favorite. When visitors come, they pay lots of attention to her. She happily lets them sleep in her bed so she can sleep on the floor in our room. She had a great time with Rocky's Uncle Denzel and Aunt Suzanne. We all did. They made us feel like we were the coolest thing since..the coolest thing you know. Suzanne took pictures of everything we did from Rocky's worm poop, to my amazing pizza making skills, to the kid's impromtu golfing and guitar lessons. Of course she took dozens and dozens of pictures of Jack, which we are enjoying. We loved visiting with them, singing along with Uncle Denzel while he played our favorite--"Hey mister space man" on the guitar. He also helped Rocky fix my piano, hang pictures, and roof the shed. Thanks for coming to see us! We had a terrific time. When they left, we headed to church. Julia had a frown on her face the whole way. Then she spent the week by the livingroom window watching for the next visitors (The Neals) to arrive so her party could get started again.

And the winner isn't...

2010-04-10T12:18:00.003-05:00

Our Third pinewod derby! This year, Rocky was extra busy on accout of we have 2 cub scouts. For those avid followers of our lives, you may remember that at our first derby, Jeffrey won the whole thing. Fame is fleeting, however and year two brought third place. Jeffrey claims he placed fouth this year, but there is no real proof to validate that statement as our ward only worries about 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. He said he doesn't want to move onto boy scouts because there is no pinewood derby. But if someone (and by someone, I mean me) doesn't get him working in his Webelos, he won't make it to boy scouts anyway) Jarom, however did have a super speedy car. It must have been the extra .02 oz he had on Jeffrey and he placed third overall. Way to go! The competition is getting tougher as I am sure everyone starts today for next years derby with plans to bring down the Thompson boys. We will have to keep our collection of derby cars for posterity. Afterall, we have at least 5 more to go!

Guess that baby

2010-04-08T08:12:00.005-05:00

Three baby boys, same age, same clothes. Can you tell which is which? Hint: One is Jeffrey, one is Jarom, one is Jack.

Some thoughts on motherhood

2010-04-07T08:12:00.003-05:00

Things that this cute baby has taught me:

It is okay that I haven't updated my blog since January.

It is okay that the kitchen floor didn't get mopped today--or this week--or even last week.

It is okay that Julia lives in her PJ's unless we are going out.

It is okay that I haven't worn make-up, except to church-in 3 months.

It is okay if I only get in a mile run, instead of three.

It is okay if I have to ask Rocky to pick up a pizza on the way home once and awhile.

It is okay that my kids are not involved in every sport, club, and activity imaginable.

It is okay to sit and hold and hold and hold this cute little guy.

It took me having four kids to realize this. With number one and two, I worked outside the home. I went to work, I made sure the dishes were done and the floor was always mopped. But they are grown now and nothing can bring the return of the time I lost just holding and marveling at them because I had things to do. But having number four has also taught me to enjoy my older kids and make lasting memories with them now--it's not too late.

When Julia was born, it was like being a first time mom all over again. Plus I had to get the boys involved in soccer, swimming, t-ball, and piano. We were never home and I was too busy being the perfect mom to everyone to stop and enjoy her little fingers and toes--and the smiles--how I love baby smiles.

Jack has invited me to slow down. The boys have one organized activity--piano. For exercise, they play outside! For socialization, they play with friends. I realized that I don't have to organize that for them. Julia probably watches too much TV. I probably watch too much TV.

I' m just saying, If I had stopped with two (and trust me, I was planning on it), I wouldn't be experiencing the true joy of having an infant. Getting up at night--no big deal--I know it is only temporary. If Jack has a cranky day and I have to hold him constantly, yea! I get to hold him constantly! If he gets a cold, I don't have to run to the doctor wondering what is wrong (although, another parent in this household--who shall remain nameless--is just as doctor crazy with number four as he was with one, two and three). I used to dread taking 2 kids on errands because of all the fuss with in and out of carseats. Now I just remind myself that I will miss these days.

So, here's to taking life a little slower. Enjoying each and every minute because we all know how fast they fly by. Just last year I got tired of Jarom asking me every night to tuck him in. I thought, why can't you just go get in your bed. I remember telling Rocky "I shouldn't complain, he won't ask me forever." Guess what, he no longer asks. He is too big now. But Julia asks me to snuggle her every night, and I do it with pleasure, sometimes praying for time to stand still so she'll never be too big for me. Jeffrey told me the other day that he came up with the ultimate super power. He would freeze time so he could do all the things he wants to do--and never age doing them. Sounds perfect to me. Except that I have loved every stage of his life and look forward with some trepidation to his coming years as a young man.

Excuse the self-indulgence here, but this is for posterity! I am so blessed to have my 4 beautiful children. I am thankful for the life's lessons they have taught me. They are so forgiving of my imperfections. And I love them so much. There is nothing in my life that could possibly be of greater worth to me than this little family of mine. I thank the good Lord everyday for them and for the blessings of eternity.

Busy New Year

2010-01-15T11:58:00.005-06:00

We had a great start to 2010. Grandma and Grandpa Ferre arrived on New Years eve. The boys opted to stay up as late as they could. The rest of us were asleep by 9:30. Best way to ring in the new year, in my opinion. On Jan 2nd, Jarom was baptized. Here is a picture of he and grandpa-- they dressed just alike for the occasion. Our good friends the Neals came up from Tulsa for the event--which was so appreciated.

Jarom was honored to have his daddy baptize and confirm him. He was very excited for the day. Jeffrey gave a great talk about how he and Jarom are now both warriors for Christ just like the many who fought for truth in the scriptures. I could not believe how well he did in front of so may people. It was a perfect service.

Jan 3rd finally arrived and Julia got her pink baby just like she wanted. In fact, she got 2.

She wanted to be a princess for the day--tiara included. The curls stayed in for the picture, but gravity worked on them rather quickly.

She also got her pink cake--well the inside was pink, but I was completely out of red food color--hey at least I remembered the candles this time!

Cake overload???

Finally, to complete the weekend, we had a new addition to the family. Jan 4th finally arrived and mommy got her "blue baby."

Before:

Jack Samuel Thompson was born at 4:41 pm and weighted 6 lb 5 oz. He is a delight. Even at 11 pm and again at 2 am and still at 5 am and all through the day. He rarely cries and is just content to be alone or be held or whatever. I think he is as happy to be out of confinement as I am!

All the kids love him. Julia tells me that she is going to get him some white teeth so that he can talk. She is just sure that will help him. Whenever she holds him, she says, "oh, he is so cute!" The boys race to hold him after school. He is a well loved baby. We feel especially blessed already this new year and look forward to getting to know this little guy!

Cabin Fever!

2009-12-27T22:41:00.003-06:00

Dancing Queen

If we can't go outside to ripstick, then we will do it in the kitchen....

What the heck, let's ride bikes too.
Even funner when they all get in a line and go around the table. I have a few spots that need touch up paint!!

Christmas 2009

2009-12-27T22:20:00.004-06:00

Christmas morning, 2009. Too bad they didn't get sleds instead of bikes!

The Christmas loot!

Loving their gifts from Santa. Julia did note however, that she never did get a pink doll. I told her to be patient for her birthday. 2 year olds are not known for great patience.

A true girl. She had to try on her new clothes and pose for the camera.

I am ready to go out in the snow already! I found her sitting on the couch dressed like this. We had to make a few changes first.

The boys had fun driving the jeep in the snow, trying to find a way out of town. They used it for some rescue missions as well! We had a great Christmas and are looking forward to our time with baby new year!

Christmas Eve

2009-12-27T22:08:00.003-06:00

No eating Santa's cookies in the living room. Here are all three standing at the edge of the kitchen so they can have their cookies and eat them too--without taking their eyes off the tv.

Every year we have what we call a Bethlahem dinner. We eat a simple meal of bread, cheese, crackers and grapes (cuz I doubt we would really enjoy dates) to represent what Joseph and Mary may have been able to carry on a donkey as they journeyed to Bethlahem. Jarom couldn't wait this year cuz he loves the yummy bread. Thankfully we didn't have to ride a donkey and I am even more grateful that I didn't go into labor, as due to all the roads being closed, we wouldn't have made it to the inn either.

Christmas eve pajamas. Jeffrey asked me what time we could get up. I told him not to leave his room before 6am. So he set his alarm. We turned that off really quick like. I said any normal child wakes up on his own well before 6 on Christmas morning. He told me that he made it until 5:30--lucky dog. I never made it past 4am. We enjoyed Christmas movies and a fire and all the little munchkins were snug in their bed by 10:00.

Christmas Eve Blizzard

2009-12-27T21:33:00.004-06:00

We don't get much snow in Oklahoma. I don't even buy snow boots, because I am afraid if I do, then we will have no need for them and I would have wasted money. This year, the forcast said there was a slight chance of a white Christmas, a feat for OKC, since only 3% of Christmases for 120 years have been white. Monday, Tues, and Wed we reached the 60s and were thinking the chance for snow were particularly slim. But we awoke on Christmas eve morning to a howling blizzard. Snow was indeed falling--but sideways at 50mph instead of straight down. We take it any way we can get it here. In all, 14 inches fell.
Rocky and Julia on Christmas morning. The winds were calm and sun was shining.

One of the many drifts left in our backyard by the howling winds.

Doesn't look like 14 inches does it? Where could all that snow have gone?

Well, let's go exploring and see. If we turn right out of our neighborhood, we come to Arrowhead road. This is looking east. This is the way we travel everyday to get to town. Well, I guess we are not going that way!

Lets turn around and go the other direction on Arrowhead (see above). There was a large drift here, but 2 trucks from our neighborhood had a fun time ramming through the drift over and over again. Thank goodness they did, because it means we can get to civilization if needed (ie the hospital).

We were stuck on this road the day after Christmas. Jacking up the tires and adding a half a bag of dry dog food under them for traction helped. Today, they were plowed--but only the dirt roads--country logic I guess.

This is the other side of Arrowhead, looking west. This is the way we come home from town. Here is where the snow that is supposed to be in our front yard ended up. Below, you will see where a car was stuck all weekend. They got it dug out, but you can see how deep the drifts are here. I imagine it will be spring before we can use this road again.

We are really thankful that this is not our only exit out of town or we would be having a home delivery.

Happy Birthday to Jarom (Dec 11)

2009-12-17T08:24:00.003-06:00

Here is Jarom, trying to be excited about all the small packgages he was opening. Not that he wasn't truly thankful for his new nunchuck--black so that it wont be mistaken for anyone elses--or his backugan games. But his greatest desire for his birthday was a ripstick and it comes in a much larger package. But, ever the mean mom, I kept it hidden from him until I could tell he was about to be overcome with a major dissapointment. I told him there was maybe one more gift for him, but he would have to find it. That didn't take long and here is the reaction:

One other small dissapointment was the lack of a party. I told him not this year--please! But then decided what the heck? So with some leg work I reserved the church gym--not an easy task when 4 wards need it for a Christmas party. Then I called all his friends in secret and we planned a surprise for the day after his birthday. I was rather pleased with myself as he didn't suspect a thing. But true to Jarom form, he walked into the gym and when we yelled surprise, we got absolutely no rection from him!! I think if anything he was a bit embarrased by it. But he had fun and got lots of nerf guns and new Pokemon game, so all was well. We played basketball, four square, and dodgeball. We had ice cream sundaes. It was a boy's paradise! The two little girls who showed up weren't so thrilled--they are perhaps more tea party types, but tried to be good sports. I think Jarom's birthday was a success and his favorite part is that Christmas is exactly 2 weeks after, so just a small break until more loot!

Jarom met with the Bishop on Sunday for his baptism interview. He impressed the pants off our new bishop and is really excited to be baptized and recieve the gift of the Holy Ghost. He walked into the interview without even a glance at us--no nerves of any kind. Jarom is confident in who he is and tries to do the right thing. He is just stubborn enough to be great!! We are so proud of him and the young man he is growing into.

Julia

2009-12-17T08:06:00.005-06:00

Julia is looking forward to lots of events this year that just can't come fast enough. First there is Christmas. She reminds us each day to do our Christmas count down. Then asks if we can go get back in bed and sleep so we can do it again. I forgot how 3 weeks is an eternity to a child. Next there is the matter of her 3rd birthday which involves a pink birthday cake and a pink baby. And of course, the most anticipated event of all, the birthday of Baby Jack, one day after hers (well that's how it is planned anyhow) when she can finally tickle his toes. About a month ago, she came to me and said, "Tell that baby to get his shoes on and come out to play... and tell santa to come tonight too!" She is trying to be patient--which is hard to do when you still don't quite grasp that a real baby is actually going to come from the rather large bump on my belly. She insists that for her birthday she is getting a pink baby and I am going to have a blue baby. Well, I for one hope he is nice and pink, but will dress him in blue to make her happy!

Julia Has been looking forward to seeing santa so she can ask him for a bike. We finally saw him at the ward Christmas dinner. She went straight for the baby, however and forgot all about the bike. It is hard to remember when you want so many things! I was afraid she would be afraid, but she wasn't so this is the only picture we have of her with santa and a smile on her face. Her brothers decided it was futile to sit on his lap. Baa Humbug to them. Thanks goodness we still have one believer in the magic of Santa--for a few more years at least.

Jeffrey

2009-12-17T07:51:00.003-06:00

Jeffrey sings in honor choir this year. I didn't get any pictures of his performance, but we got one after. It was a really cute concert which included actual "Christmas" songs, not just generic "winter holiday" tunes. It pays to live in a small community where recognizing Christ is still politcally correct and even encouraged. I am glad my kids will grow up here. Jeffrey loves performing. He told me he wants to try out for a play. I am not sure where we could do that, but I would like to encourage him. His first performance was at a Ward talent show where he sang about a Turkey Tom as a 4 year old. He didn't show the slightest hint of stage fright. His most recent performance was at the Ward Christmas party where he and 3 others sang in a very mini children's choir. He has a great talent and I dread the day when he decides it is not cool enough to pursue any longer.

Jeffrey is also a chef. Here is his latest creation-- PBBCC. Peanut butter, banana, chocolate chip. I am sure it is delicious--but I will just take his word for it. Yesterday he made delicious chocolate chip cookies--from mix, yes, but they turned out good anyhow. I told him that I am going to see to it that he is 100% more handy in the kitchen than his dad is. But he also needs to learn to build a chicken coop from items around the yard and fix anything with moving parts. Is that asking too much??

This is Jeffrey's favorite spot in the house. When it is TV time, he pulls the piano bench away from the piano, gets out the pillows and blankets and lays on it to watch. He is just skinny enough for it to work. We are so blessed to have Jeffrey in our home. He is so good and works hard to do what it right. He is always helpful and does anything asked of him--rarely with complaint.

Halloween Highlights, 2009

2009-11-03T13:18:00.007-06:00

Happy Halloween one and all. Here are the highlights of Halloween week! Rocky and I got to go to a grown up party. We had a great time people watching and observed Hugh Hefner and a playboy bunny, a scantily clad Genie, and the devil and his black angel.
Halloween night was a party at the church--eveyone fully clothed-- and a chili cookoff with kids carnival.

Jarom, the white ninja trunk-or-treating.

Jeffrey--Ninja Master.

Look at that loot--which doesn't include the pile that we bought for trick-or-treaters, but didn't give away.

Some Halloween costumes:
The boys also went to a party with a friend at his Karate studio and we went trick or treating in our neighborhood with some friends as well.

Pumpkin carving--the boys did it all themselves this year--after the mom cleaned them out.

Get out the power tools, this is the way real men carve pumkins.

Julia wasn't trusted with sharp objects, so she jsut painted--then wiped all the paint off with my new dish towels when I wasn't looking.

Julia had some friends over for a little Halloween party.

Julia's Halloween party at school--with more sweets and more trick-or-treating.

I have friends who don't like Halloween. I don't understand that. Any day when your husband can dress like a werewolf, roll down the windows at stop lights and howl at unsuspecting teenagers--and not go to jail is a day worth celebrating--oh yea and there is the candy!!

Under the big, leaky top!

2009-10-20T07:13:00.003-05:00

Hugo, Oklahoma is in the middle of nowhere, nowheresville. Interestingly enough, if you want to join the circus, there are 10 to choose from. One such circus traveled to our neck of the woods. Here one day, gone without a trace the next. We drove by the place in the afternoon and Julia said, Let's go and see the Elephants. Of course, there would have to be Elephants at a circus right? Well, they must be owned by one of the other 9 circus groups in Hugo, cuz we didn't see a one.

That look on Julia's face, was pretty much plastered there the whole time. She couldn't take her eyes off the 200 year old Lion and almost as old tigers. I had the same look on my face when I looked up and saw that the tent ceiling had more holes in it than Obama's health care plan. But even without elephants or three rings to keep us all busy, the kids had a great time and that is all that counts, right? My boys know me too well and brought their own cash along for treats as they know it is useless to ask me to buy some for them. All in all, not a bad show--and no rain, thank goodness---there was a clown, some unicycles, trapeze, and tight rope walkers--oh and an Albino boa constrictor that you could hold for the low, low price of $7. Not even if they paid me, thanks! We left as soon as the show ended, holding our breath for what we knew was to come. We made it to the car before the tear fell down Julia's cheek and we heard her sob, "The elephants never came." Her sadness was short lived however, and we will be certain to research the next time the circus is in town.

Complaining don't make it fair!

2009-10-17T21:38:00.010-05:00

Jeffrey has seen things here and there that put questions in his mind. So far, I have been able to put off answering some of the more uncomfortible questions. But this week, he just had to know what certain sanitary products that he has seen on TV and in the house are for. I decided, he is 10 1/2, he can handle the truth. I explained very technically about how eggs are realeased each month and if that egg does not turn into a baby , it causes a girl to bleed. I then told him, perhaps more info than he need to know about how it happens to all girls once they reach a certain age and it happens every month. He took it all in stride, no disgusting look or anything. I said, "Doesn't seem very fair to girls, does it." Well, my 10 year old, ever the example of empathy paused, then said, " Well, boys do have to stay on their missions for 6 months longer than girls." Hmmm! "poor boys," I thought. Isn't their live rough!

Now, I am not complaining or anything, but I do sometimes wonder why Eve was so tempted by that fruit. I mean, if it had been a snickers bar, a slice of pizza, or a hot fudge sundae, then maybe all of this would be worth it. But a piece of fruit? When has that ever been tempting? And what did Adam get? Mow a few lawns, a few bouts with poison ivy, maybe a splinter or two. Oh yea, and he did have to stay out on his mission 6 months longer.

I have a friend who posted a picuture of her belly on her facebook page. She has the bare skin poking out of her shirt, revealing a perfect basketball shape and creamy, smooth skin. I wondered what my profile looked like. I stood sideways in the mirror and saw gaping stretch marks the size of the grand canyon. I turned around, yep, same ones there. I don't look like a basketball, but more like I swallowed 2 canaloupe--which lodged in my backside and one watermelon that hangs over--what used to be my waisteline. All that supported by 2 legs shaped like candycorns teetering on top of size 5 feet that can barely support the extra 40 lbs of fruit~!

But mind you, I am still not complaining. Afterall, pregancy does have it's perks. People are always telling me not to lift things. After 9:00, I can tell Rocky my day is over and he pretty much does anything for me. I get to feel a real life inside me. Hmm, I am trying to think of more, but am distracted by the little athlete inside the watermelon who is practicing kickboxing moves. I am still trying to figure out how 6 extra months of missionary service compares to 36 months total (with at least 2 more to go) of being pregnant, 2 miscarriages, 20+ years of menstration, cramps, 3 labors (with at least one to go) and the future of menopause and hormone replacement therapy, weight gain and permanent strech marks.

I could mention 7 months of post partum depression, morning sickness, heartburn, hemerroids, and stitches in places I don't even like to recall, but that would border on a complaint, which apparently I have no right to do. Rest assured dear Jeffrey, there is a great reward to all boys who serve that last 6 months of the mission. If you work really hard like daddy did, you can come home and find a terrific wife just like me who cooks your meals, sorts your socks, carries your babies, and never complains about it.

Camping at Roman Nose SP

2009-09-26T17:56:00.006-05:00

We picked the hottest, most humid weekend possible for our campout to Roman Nose State Park. Luckily for us, it has the coldest, wettest spring around. After setting up camp, we went to the picnic area--which is all shaded and hiked along the creek. This natural spring feeds the creek. The kids had a blast.
The lake was not as cool-- but that doesn't matter since no one is allowed to swim in it. They got in a bit of trouble for that.

Our friends the Neals met us there on day two and we all spent most of our time down by the creek

Here is a waterfall that comes from out of the rock. The water was freezing and it took 15 min to convince Jeffrey to get anywhere near it. Maybe he is as thrilled by cold water as I am. Julia wasn't a fan either.

This is the bottom of the stream and was delighful for soaking your feet in.

Overall, it was a great weekend. We ate a lot of good food and are becoming quite expert at the art of tin foil dinners and dutch oven meals. And of course, we roasted the obligatory marshmallow. I still think this heinous practice should be banned from camping. I have ranted enough in my time about the disaster that a marshmallow becomes in the hands of a toddler. I will not go on about that this time, but you can read about it here: http://http//thompsontattler.blogspot.com/2008/10/marshmallows-be-damned.html

No I have a different gripe this time. It is dark, there are 6 children gathered around the fire and all must first sanitize their roasting sticks. Then there is me, in charge of getting the marshmallow on the red hot poker, and then taking the scalding sticky mess off the stick to put it in the cracker. Have you ever had six kids come at you at once with red hot pokers in the dark? It is not a comforting feeling. They can't see me, I can't see them but here they come and I have visions of my eyes being poked out or my cheeks branded by a flaming marshmallow. Who in their right mind allows 7, 8, 9, and 10 year- olds to run around in the dark with weapons of war? One day I am going to be brave enough to rock the camping boat and say no to this mindless tradition of smores cuz, guess what, I don't want s'more. I never want to see one again and I just might not if the red hot pokers have anything to do with it.

Aint the country grand?

2009-09-26T09:26:00.005-05:00

Nothing says country like chickens in a hen house. Rocky has been threatening to build a chicken coop since we moved in. Our kind neighbor brings him old wood fences when he takes them down and Rocky decided to recycle. He found 3 packs of unused shingles in a ditch too, so for practically nothing, he erected this frame in no time. Then, inlisted the boys to nail on the shingles. They are all very proud of their accomplishment. I like that it was free. But not so sure I am gonna like it quite as much once spring comes and the chicks arrive. I take care of the dog as he doesn't leave me much choice. But up til now, I have ignore the fish and turtles. I have a hard time believing that I will fall in love with a bunch of bug eating chicks, so they can not expect much attention from me either--unless rocky butchers them and I get to enjoy them slathered in BBQ sauce. Here chicky chicky!

I know that we live quite a way from civilization. I kinda like that. But that doesn't mean that we have to start going all "hick town." I realized we have a problem yesterday at dinner. I asked Jarom if there are any cute girls in his class. I cringed at his response: "There aint no cute girls in my class." He may as well have cussed at the table as to use the word "aint." That is the second time in a month I have heard him use it. One more time, and it is off to military school or at least a decent grammar and etiquitte school. We can live in the country. We can raise chickens, turtles, and fish. But let me tell y'all I be fixin to send my kin over yonder to the place where the tree stump that looks like the Virgin Mary used to be but aint no longer b'fore I let him slander the English language at the supper table. And that there's the gospel truth!

Mudslide!!

2009-08-30T16:15:00.004-05:00

The word mudslide means different things to different people. In places like the coast of California, a mudslide is not a welcome thing as it means your home may just slide off the side of the mountain and land in a heaping pile of rubble at the bottom of the cliff. In Oklahoma, however, we do not have cliffs. We have small hills that run just above muddy creeks. To 7 young boys, (and Rocky) this translates to MUDSLIDE!!! We went on an adventure yesterday with some friends to their cousin's land. The boys told me it would be a little muddy. I told them to try and avoid the mud while we were fishing (and by we, I mean everyone except me) because the same van that was transporting us home from the mudhole would also be transporting them in their clean church clothes in the morning. This is how well they avoided the mud. Needless to say, no one went fishing-which is partly my fault cuz I left the bait in my van. They did, however, use a shovel, empty pop bottle and their slippery rear ends to make a great slide which took them careening down the side of the hill, landing in a pile of rubble in 8 inches of muddy creek water. No wonder the fish all dissappeared.

I have long since given up on trying to reason with boys to stay clean. To me, mudslide means the need for lots of little kids to take baths and a 3 day soaking of their muddy clothes. Fun, Fun , Fun.

Her Highness, Princess Julia (and her royal subjects)

2009-08-28T09:32:00.004-05:00

I wouldn't exactly call Julia spoiled. Do I spend more money on her than I ever did her brothers? Probably. Does she have more pictures than anyone else in the family? Definitley. (Poor Jarom) Does she get her own meals prepared while the rest of us eat something else? Ususally. But that doesn't make her spoiled, does it? Well, at least not by me. But that is because I am a bit of a princess too and have no problem watching her throw a tantrum and even finding it amusing. But others do spoil her and she knows it. This week, I am watching my friend's boys. She says to them, "Boys, look at me." "Boys, listen to me." "Boys, come with me." Rocky said that one day she wouldn't have any problem getting boys to do anything for her. I think she has already mastered that. Look how she got Chandler here to pull her all the way up the hill in the back yard so she wouldn't have to walk. He is not much bigger than her, and is straining at the effort. But anything for Julia, right?
The little boys at church adore her. One told me that all the kids in the Nursery are babies, except for Julia. The 8 and 9 year old girls in the neighborhood come over just to play with her--they act as if she is a superhero. So far, she doesn't seem to let it go to her head. She is confident and, yes, bossy, but also kind and compassionate--as long as you are not touching her stuff. I was kinda hoping for another girl to take some of the steam off of Julia's reign, but instead in January (for her birthday no less) she gets yet another subject who will no doubt spend his life doing whatever he can to please the Princess--at least he will if he knows what's good for him.

34 going on 40

2009-08-28T09:15:00.002-05:00

I have always believed that you are only as old as you feel. Up until 21 weeks ago, I have felt like a 24 year old. I work out, I eat mostly healthy foods, I am independent.... Now I am wondering if I am really as young as I think I am. So, I went in to get an ultrasound yesterday. I got there early and they called me right back- Rocky, Jeffrey and Jarom in tow. They sat us down in a conference room and a counselor came in to speak with us. She said, "The reason you are here today is because you are almost 35." Shocker! I thought I was turning 26 this year. I looked dumbfounded as I wasn't aware that people get counseling when they turn 35! Did any of you get counseling at 34.8 years old? Are they getting me ready for some big secret? They went through our family history for genetic disorders and I was feeling pretty confident that we were going to be Ok. Then we wait for an hour to go into the ultrasound room and when we get there, they take 35 min looking over every inch of the baby. "I can tell you what I am doing, the tech says, just not if anything is wrong..." I find myself getting more and more nervous. What responsible adult goes and gets herself pregnant at the dreaded age of 34.5? She leaves and then a doctor comes in and goes over the statistics of the likelyhood of this baby having a serious genetic disorder due to my advanced age. I am getting more and more nervous and feeling more and more irresponsible. Then he tells me that everything looks perfect and not to worry. Well, why didn't he just say that in the first place? I left feeling about 10 years older--I guess it is time to start acting my age. What do I get when I turn 40? Advice on where to purchase the best deal on a casket? A time share opportunity at Serenity Hills? Someone fill me in quick so that I don't encounter any more surprises!

Summer's over??

2009-08-19T07:59:00.002-05:00

I hear people all over town saying, oh, summer is over, time to get back to school. Although it was uncharacteristically cool this morning, due to a "summer is over storm," this is Oklahoma folks, and summer is not even close to being over. In Alaska, or Minnesota, or Maine, maybe summer is over. But here, it is bound to last right through to Halloween. So to be a bit more precise, Summer Vacation has come to an end right here in the middle of August and Jeffrey and Jarom are back to school. Jeffrey starting 4th grade and Jarom is in 2nd.
We waited anxiously at the end of the driveway for the bus today. Up until this year, the kids have either gone to whatever school I was teaching at or we lived within biking distance. So, this is their first experience riding to and from school everyday. The bus comes right to our mailbox--isn't that handy? The boys were excited. They got up at 6:30, ate, practiced piano and even got some reading in. I don't imagine the rest of our mornings will go as smooth. Although they were excited to get on that big yellow school bus and head towards the sounds of screaming kids and school bells, the smell of playground gravel, new crayons, and pink erasers, the taste of peanut butter sandwiches that have been packed with ripe bananas, someone else was not!

Here is the face of a little sister left behind as that yellow school bus pulled away with her brothers. I am not sure if she was more upset that they left her or the fact that she didn't get to go with them. I assured her that they would be back. I hope that is true. But there is no time to mourn. Julia and I still have the rest of the summer--I mean all of it-- cuz I am not at school!!!!!! I have never loved the "end of summer" so much.

Firsties

2009-08-17T12:32:00.007-05:00

Whenever my boys say, "we are going out to skateboard!' I always say, don't come back hurt, I am not taking you to the hospital today. Up until now, that has worked brilliantly. They may come back a little scuffed up, but they don't even tell me about it for fear of upsetting me. Well, today as a last chance to go play before school starts, Rocky decided to take them to the new skate park. I went for a morning walk, and the minute I got home, they jumped in the car. Thus, I did not get the chance to say, "Don't come back hurt, I am not taking you to the hospital today." But no worries, they had helmets, elbow pads, knee pads--too bad they didn't have nose gear! With the boys all gone, Julia and I went to visit a friend. 10 minutes after arriving, the phone rang. Well, the good news is, I didn't have to take anyone to the hospital. The bad news is, Rocky did and Jeffrey is now the proud owner of 5 stitches. Rocky handled it all very well. He tore his shirt to make a compress to apply pressure and was surprisingly calm when he called me. This is a first for us- and I don't just mean the first time Rocky hasn't freaked out at the sight of a bloody child. Jeffrey is paving the way for lots of firsts. First born, first to get in a fist fight (at church no less), first to knock a tooth out falling off his bike, and now first to get stitches. Well, at least it is a cool way to get them. He can now talk about his old skateboarding injury with pride--especially since he goes to school in 2 days sporting his new wounded look. Well, all I can say is that I hope Jeffrey's firsties don't get any worse. We don't need a first broken bone, first cracked skull, or worse, first kiss anytime soon! (by the way, the pic makes it look worse than it is. He cleaned up quite nicely and except for the spongebob band-aid across his forehead, you would never know he was hurt.)

Choices and their consequences

2009-08-15T08:17:00.004-05:00

We make choices everyday. We all bear a responsibility for those choices. If I eat a dozen cookies, I am going to have a tummy ache--but that might just be worth it! If I fail to take the dog out when he looks at me with those pitiful eyes, I will be cleaning up a mess. If I walk into Sam's club, I am going to have to have a slice of pizza. You get the point. For every action, there is a reaction. If I speed in a construction zone (quiet by accident, I assure you) in Illinois, then I am going to have to pay---BIG TIME! Some consequences are enough to make your hair stand up on end (see demonstration below)......

Now, I do not dispute the fact that I was speeding. I have learned about choice and accountability since I was young. I am willing to take responsibility for my actions. However, I am still in a bit of a shock over the consequences of going 68 in a 55 for all of 300 yards before I saw the sign that said 55--a truck was in the way, afterall. Okay, I might have been a bit anxious to get past the truck before the merge, but I thought I had plenty of time. We were also only 20 min away from out hotel where I was meeting long lost family and I was a bit antsy. Mom says it never pays for law abiding citizens to break the law. We never get away with it. Darn right! That cop was sitting right next to the change in speed sign. Busted! He was not amused. He didn't look at my cute smile and my 3 tired kids in the back and send me away with a warning (that's what happened the last time). Anyway, to make a short story even longer, the ticket said I must appear in court on Aug. 13 (this was back in June) We looked at the officer as if he were crazy. There is way too much road construction in Illinois to even consider ever returning. We live 800 miles away. He said, no problem, just call the county clerk and they will work it out. LIAR! I called last week to find out where to send the check (which the ticket said would be $75). Here is how my conversation went:
Clerk: You have to appear in court.
Me: I can't appear in court, I live in OKC.
Clerk: You have to appear in court.
Me: But I can't appear in court.
Clerk: You have to appear in court.
Me: (a little louder, in case she might be hard of hearing) BUT I CAN'T APPEAR IN COURT!
Clerk: Then your lisence will be suspended. (I honestly pondered for moment if I could live with that)
You get the picture. I am not exaggerating, that conversation went on for many rounds. I realized that her answer was the same everytime. I was near tears--but yea for me, cuz I never actually cried on the phone--and I said, well what the heck am I supposed to do? What do you think her answer was? You guessed it. "You have to appear in court.... or you could hire a lawyer." Excuse me? Lawyers are for criminals. Some would say that they are criminals... I was not going to hire a lawer. Except, yeah, I hired a lawyer and for the bargain price of 250 whoppers he appeared in my place. Then I had to pay court fees in the amount of 200 more whoppers and then, pay the ticket. No, not $75. Just one more lie on the part of the highway patrolman. But $400. Did anyone add all that up? Well, maybe the endless miles of construction on I-80 can be completed a little faster as I just practically paid for it. The best part about choice and accountability is that you can indeed learn from other people's mistakes. I will never do drugs, cuz I have seen other people mess up their lives. I will never go on "wipeout" cuz other's can make fools of themselves instead of me--oh and I hate cold water. Now you can learn from my mistake and never speed in Illinois so you can keep that $850 and more importantly, never have to argue with the County Court Clerk (say that 5 times fast).

Wookie Smurf

2009-08-02T14:33:00.004-05:00

I have read that taking colloid silver as an antibiotic can turn a person's skin blue.............
Poor circulation can turn your fingertips blue.............
Smurfs are born blue....
On high school you might come across brownies with methylene blue that turns your pee blue.....
The blue guys in vegas use paint to become blue.....
You can put the stem of a white carnation in blue water and it will turn blue........

But knowing all these things does not prepare you to pick up your dog from the sitters and find this:

Everything that had been white, was now blue. We pondered over this one awhile until our friend told us that our dog enjoyed playing doggie eraser to Julia's sidewalk chalk creations. I wish this picture did his blue fur justice. It is the funniest thing I have seen in a long time.

Scientific Theory

2009-08-02T13:49:00.004-05:00

In my temporary need to prove something to the "Mother of the year" committee, I readily agreed to sleep out on the trampoline with my children on Thursday night. I slept out all the time as a child and thought my kids should have the joy of waking up to dew covered sleeping bags. Rocky, who is smarter than I am, agreed to join us but theorized that it would be a mistake. Well, he was wrong about the bugs--they didn't bug us, the crickets didn't chirp, the cicadas were strangely silent. He was wrong about it being hot--it was perfect. He was right about everything else however. Maybe it is just cuz he knows more about science than I do. But we tested a few theories and know now why they are actually proven facts.

1- bounce-the event where an object collides with and bounces against a plane surface. When 5 people lay on a flat plane that is suspended in the air by 60+ springs, there is bound to be a little bouce. When one of those 5 people is Jeffrey Thompson, then we have lift off every time he moves. Kinda disturbs the sleep pattern if you know what I mean.

2- gravity- is a natural phenomenon by which objects with mass attract one another. Well, I seem to have the most mass at the moment--at least in the mid section. I also had the distinct mispleaure of being in the dead middle of the trampoline. Remember the song, there were 10 in the bed and the little one said, "roll over" Well, they were all rolling over, but I bravely kept them from rolling off the trampoline by damning up the flow.

3- sound- a traveling wave...within the range of hearing and of a level sufficiently strong to be heard. For me, sound is not usually an issue as I am mostly deaf--especially when I want to be. But we live on a triangle shaped lot. That leaves 3 fence lines between us and the neighbor's dogs. Well, my bladder being what it currently is, I pried myself out of the tangle of bodies that had settled on me, extracted Julia's feet from under my ribs, and rolled off the trampoline. That did it. The dogs must not have known we were there until then and the riot began. The sound was deafening--even for a deaf person. I told Rocky I had enough. I can just accept the fact that Mother of the year will never be in the cards for me cuz I like sleeping indoors, on non-bouncy surfaces with thick walls between me and all forms of animal life. So, kindly not pointing out the obvious--I told you so-- the two of us dragged oodles of bedding and limp limbed children across the muddy yard to the house at 1 am. The dogs continued their seranade and I prepared for neighbors with shot guns. None of them seemed to hear a thing--that's good, cuz no shot guns. Not so good, cuz the dogs contined barking for 45 min after we got inside.

When morning came, we didn't get too many complaints, but they did let us know that our early cop out means that the adventure didn't count and they have still never gotten to sleep on the trampoline. As long as there is still gravity, bounce, and dogs next door, then sorry to say, they never will!!

Happy Birthday Jeffrey (July 8)

2009-07-09T07:33:00.003-05:00

It's been a decade of fun with Jeffrey. Rocky made this airplane for him one halloween so he could be Charles Limburgh, flying the "Spirit of St. Louis." I think the purpose was to instil in him early a love of airplanes.

What happened for certain is that Halloween night, 2000 did create for Jeffrey an absolute love affair with sugar. He held onto those 2 pieces of candy all night and we had to pry them away from his grip at bed time. He didn't actually eat them, but knew there was something special about them.

The following illustrates just how far Jeffrey's love of sugar has come in 10 years. He and Rocky were riding home from scouts--he is thrilled to be a weebelo now--and they heard a story on the news. A man had fallen into a boiling vat of chocolate which took his life. Jeffrey pondered these events for a moment and said, "Well, at least it was a sweet death!" We know he has the way he plans to go set now.

Happy Birthday to my sugar boy. I hope the next decade will be as sweet as the last--with a few less cavities.

Going home

2009-07-04T13:38:00.006-05:00

(*To read this in order, scroll to the bottom of the page and start with "the bad beginning")

It took us 4 days to get to Michigan with all our stops along the way, so feeling anxious to get home, and tired of the car, we drove home in 2 long stretches. Here is Julia, staring at the tv. She did really good most of the time. There were only 6 meltdowns--and 3 were Rocky.

We made one stop along the way. That was at Abraham Lincoln's home in Springfield, Ill. Cool park. We learned a lot about him and his wife. Lincoln, Reagan, and Obama all from Ill. Apparently, Ill just doesn't make them like it used to.

We made it home. I felt more and more toasty as we headed south. It was cold in chicago, perfect in Springfield, almost warm enough in St. Louis and then just warmed up as we headed through Missouri. We traveled from 54 degrees on Wednesday, to end at 104 on Friday. We brought the cooler weather and rain with us, apparently--you are welcome my toasty Okie friends. What a great vacation. We are thankful to have made it safely and still all so in love!

Holy Mosquitos!

2009-07-04T13:10:00.007-05:00

After the falls, we drove up to a place called Whitefish Point. This is the ocean, I mean lake Superior. Colder than cold. Beautiful, yes, but cold. We didn't stick around too long. We drove to Tahquamenon falls where mosquitos like I have never seen swarmed us.

Megan, Jeffrey, Collin, Jarom in front of the falls.

Steps down to the falls.

There are lower falls too, we visited, but left as quickly as possible as the mosquitos ran us off. I managed to get out without a single bite!

Here is our cabin at the KOA campground. Thank goodness it was available. Goodbye northern Michigan. Time to head to warmer climates!

Soo locks

2009-07-04T13:00:00.005-05:00

Our next adventure involved crossing a 5 mile bridge from Northern Michigan to Upper Michigan (there is a difference). We drove to the edge of the USA. We boarded a boat that took us down St. Mary's river. One side is Michigan, one side is Canada. St. Mary connects Lake Huron to Lake Superior. Lake Superior is higher than Huron, however, so they build these ingenious locks. The boat pulls in, doors shut behind and in front and millions of gallons of water are pumped in below our boat to create an elevator. Up goes our boat until it is as high as the upper river. On the return, the water is pumped our and down we come.

Megan has the touch. One of the few naps Julia had on this trip!

One of the few pics of Raelynn and Kaitlyn. They are always suspiciously missing from our photos.

The smell of Fudge, Lilacs and horse poop?

2009-07-04T12:25:00.007-05:00

We made it safely to Lansing, Michigan and met at my sister, Raelynn's, house. We spent the night, then headed 4 hours north to Mackinaw City. It had been clear and sunny all week long, but that night, in rolled the clouds and down came the rain. Our plan was to sleep in our tent, since we didn't bring the trailor. Thankfully, the KOA campground had some comfy, dry cabins and we stayed there for 3 nights. When we awoke Monday morning, the rain was still misty and the temps were cold. Our family has a tendancy to unknowingly pick the coldest weeks for reunions. We have experience snow at Bryce Canyon in July, colder temps in Yellowstone in August, it was even cold in Branson, Mo in July. And the coldest ever in June on the Portland Coast. For most of these trips, I have been unprepared with warm clothing. I was determined not to let that happen this time. The kids were warm anyway, I forgot to pack a jacket for Rocky and I. OOOPs!

Here we are in Mackinac city waiting to board the ferry to Mackinac Isaland.

My whole family (minus Scott and Pete as they had to work--sniff, sniff).

Our first thing to do, was buy rocky and I jackets--after which, I had a fantastic time. Then smelled som fudge and hopped on our carriage ride around the island. No cars are allowed on Mackinac Island. There are a few police cars, and ambulance, and a fire truck, but that is all. If you wish to get around, you must walk, ride a bike, or take a horse drawn taxi.

One of the stops on our ride was at this arch which overlooks lake Huron.

After our tours and lunch, most of the troop headed back to the mainland. Suzanne, Megan and my family decided it was time to see the island up close and personal and went for an 8 mile ride around the island. No need to worry about getting hit by a car--but watch out for piles of you know what!!

Here are the kids on the shore of Lake Huron.

Here is the end of our long ride. When I think of paradise, it usually involves and island with great smelling flowers. Definitely fudge would be involved. But no one could ever convince me that a paradise existed with temps below 80 degrees and people whose job it is to follow the horses and clean up their "exhaust." Nevertheless. Mackinac Island is one of the most beautiful places that I have ever had the pleasure of visiting and is truly a paradise.

So sad to have to leave. It warmed up to like 60 degrees with no rain by the time we left, so we braved the top level of the Ferry.

One last look at the Island. This is the "Grand Hotel" opened 3 months of the year to the very rich. You may have seen it in the movie, "Somewhere in Time." Maybe someday we can return and stay. The kids have decided that our whole family will move there and they have a house picked out for each of us--jobs too for that matter. Rocky will of course be the pilot, Suzanne the banker, mom the stable master, dad--retired. I am to be the blanket maker and seller (according to jeffrey). I find this amusing as my skills do not lie in this area---school teacher, hello! Who gets to be the designated pooper scooper? I have some ideas.

Chicago: city of clausrophobia, a really big bean, and some good pizza

2009-07-04T12:07:00.006-05:00

As with all the places we visited, Chicago is one where you would have to spend a week to see it all. Our 3 hours in the city didn't give us much of a feel for the place. Rocky is not a fan of big cities, however, so I was lucky to get 3 hours. He complained the whole time of how noisy it is and how claustrophobic and how not like his acre in Piedmont it is. We rode the El from our hotel to Millenium park. Here we saw a really big bean made of unidentified materials. It was very shiny and very reflective (not really the kind of thing I want to see- my expanding belly in a giant bean) and apparently wildly popular (the bean, not my belly) if you count all the people there.

There was a kids tent with activities and the boys used their practice from Wii fit to show off how many hula hoops they could twirl at once. People acutally stopped and took pictures of them.

My whole purpose of heading downtown was to find some Pizza--to help the expansion some more. We found a nice place and ordered a deep dish with everything on it. It said it would serve 4. We worried there wouldn't be enough. We need not have worried. The boys filled up on cheesy bread (on the house due to our Pizza taking 45 min to cook) and by the time our pizza was delivered, they were stuffed. The pizza was stuffed too--and huge!! One piece each and we rolled onto the subway. You really couldn't tell that we had even had any as 10 pounds of hot, runny delicious cheese rolled into fill in the gaps. I would go back just for that pizza-- which is not very good reheated and with all that cheese, even worse cold.

I think if I ever get to go back, it will not be with Rocky. So, if anyone out there is up to an adventure in the city let me know and we will leave him to his land, riding mower and all the kids!!

Carthage Jail

2009-07-04T11:56:00.004-05:00

After our day in Nauvoo, we headed towards Carthage, Ill to visit the Jail in which our first prophet, Joseph Smith, was murdered. It is a solemn place.

Here is a bullet hole still in the door left from the angry mob who shot rounds and rounds of bullets in the jail, Killing Joseph, his brother, Hyrum, and injuring John Taylor.

This is the downstairs Jail. Fearing the mob would shoot through the windows, the prisoners were taken upstairs to await trial for Treason. They stayed in the Jailor's own room.

Two brothers who I hope can aspire to be as good and faithful as the ones who died here.

Nauvoo the beautiful

2009-07-04T11:33:00.006-05:00

Nauvoo, Illinios at one time had a population of 12,000 people. Not all were Mormons, but all got along and had a prosperous and happy life. I found myself wishing that I had lived there. That is, until I remembered that their happiness there was short lived as they were driven from the state, forced to leave all but what they could fit in a wagon and trek hundreds of miles to the Salt Lake Valley. I will be content just to imagine what a wonderful place it would have been to live and leave it at that.

Here we are at the Wainswright, learning to make wheels. Connected to it is the blacksmith shop as well, where we were shown how to make a horseshoe.

Julia on a pony ride.

The wagon team that took us on a tour of historic Nauvoo.

Just too cute to resist. This was the trail head for the "trail of hope" that lead to the river that the saint's crossed on the beginning of their exodus.

Our little log cabin offered a great night sleep and thankfully indoor plumbing!

The crowning Jewel of Nauvoo. The beautiful temple. We stopped here for a picture after some fun evening entertainment. The program "Sunset by the Mississippi" was fun and the boys especially loved it. One of the skits involved some young men doing the same skit over and over in different ways. One of them was a classical piece where they sang all the words to tunes from Phantom of the Opera. Jeffrey recognized the music and hollered out, "Sing to me!!" Glad to know he has a little culture in his life. I wish, of course we had more time. It was a fun day and the boys told me again and again how much they loved Nauvoo.

The Bad Beginning

2009-07-03T21:46:00.005-05:00

We have been planning our summer vacation for months now. We were invited to my sister's neck of the woods in Michigan and decided we would drive a few hours each day and make some stops along the way. But with hotels and all, that can get expensive. So, we had the brilliant idea to purchase a pop-up camper and haul it across the USA and camp along the way. Rocky has spent 3 months building and re-building, checking and re-checking to get it ready to go. In fact, he has spent almost every spare minute working on the thing. He was feeling pretty (but not completely) confident that it was ready. So, we loaded up and were on the road by 12 noon, off to Independence, Mo to our first stop. We made it about 8 miles, then the trip was over. The wheel came off, and the force pushed it into the floorboards of the camper, destroying the cabinet within, along with our confidence in the 30 year old trailer. So, we re-thought our plans, and reloaded the van. Off we went (by 5 pm) to Kansas city. We made pretty good time, considering the size of the rainstorm we met in Kansas. We got to the hotel at midnight and crashed. We had a schedule to keep, so we skipped the Independence visitor's center, but stopped at liberty jail on our way to Nauvoo. The kids really enjoyed it. The Mormon Tab Choir was scheduled to sing in KC that night and happened to be visiting the same time as us. (well, 1/3 of them at least) We heard them singing through the walls. We were invited to stay for the next group, but had no idea what time they would arrive and we were on a tight schedule, so sadly, we missed a performance. The bad beginning did not spill over into the rest of our trip, and we had a fabulous time.

Flashback Friday.....

2009-07-03T21:27:00.003-05:00

Like Father....

Like son!

The move

2009-06-16T19:36:00.002-05:00

It has been a busy month for the Thompson family. We moved 15 miles to the north to an acre northwest of OKC. It is in the same ward and we had great helpers stick with us most of the day to load one house and unload the other. We rented a u-haul that the boys loved riding in. On the return trip, they had all the fun they could take and zonked out!

Here is our new place. We do love it--especially the tight windows which allow no drafts. We finally are unpacked and even have some blinds on the windows thanks to my parents who made a surprise visit to see the new place and help us get settled in.

On our first night, we sat out on the back porch to look at our amazing back yard. We caught the sunset and are addicted now. Jarom asked if we could watch the sun set every night. I told him it's a date. Dad got some pics while he was in town.

What a beauty huh? I think this was the most impressive one we have seen here--I am glad mom and dad could be here for it. We are so happy here in the country. It is a long jaunt to any stores. And on my longest walk I saw 2 snakes, scattered, unidentified bones, a giant beetle, 3 herds of cattle, 2 tractors, and a cemetary. What do you see when you walk a 4 mile radius around your home? I think next time, I will take a stick or a shotgun, just in case one of those cows gets out of control.

Better than TV!

Baseball days

2009-06-16T19:25:00.002-05:00

Jeffrey plays for the Yukon Patriots. The strategy of little league baseball is to steal as many bases as possible. Jeffrey doesn't even try and swing--he knows that he will walk every time. I think most of the kids have figured that out. Rocky asked me why Jeffrey spends so much time on the bench. I guess it has something to do with the fact that I never take him to practice--and only about half of his games. We moved mid-season and it is too far to take him back 4 days a week, so we skipped few.

Here is Jeffrey in the outfield. A rare thing to see him standing. He is usually sitting on the ground waiting for the inning to be over. I signed him up, cuz it was only $35. What a deal huh? Then I was told we would have to buy a uniform--no problem, how much could that cost, right? Try $100. I said, no way! I found pants at goodwill and he never did wear the matching red socks. But the hat and jersey cost me 65 bucks. Then they didn't tell me that it would cost $3 each for Rocky and I to get into the games. Excuse me? Needless to say, we are just cheap enough that we have never paid to get into a game--but that is a story for another time. Luckily baseball is over next week and I am relieved. Jeffrey says he enjoys it all the same. He did ask why he is always on the worst team. His football team last fall also lost every game. I can't answer that, but I am hoping he will get the full picutre here and we can put an end to team sports. How about karate? swimming? running? tennis? ping pong? golf? croquette? Horseshoes anyone???

2009-06-16T08:23:00.006-05:00

One boy......

One girl......

Two hearts beating wildly, To put it mildly, it was love at first sight. He smiled, she smiled, and they knew right away This was the day they'd been waiting for all their lives. For a moment the whole world Revolved around one boy, and one girl.

First comes love, then comes marriage......
June 14, 1997

Then comes the baby in the baby carriage......

Then another.......

And another........

And still another!!!!

Happy 12th anniversary Rocky!!!

The Queen Mother

2009-05-10T17:18:00.003-05:00

Happy Mother's day to me. I saw a bag on the table the other day that said "Barnes and Noble." I couldn't imagine what Rocky would have purchased at a book store, given his aversion to print. I am guessing this card was it and that made sense.

The queen this morning was pampered with breakfast in bed which included toaster waffles complete with strawberries, whipped cream and chocolate chips along with a most refreshing Orange Julius. Of course, perfectionist Rocky was in charge of the meal. So, realizing I had plenty of time since something as complicated as toaster waffles-and measuring ingredients into a blender- would surely take him at least 35 minutes. He probably read the user mauals on both the toaster and the blender before they started and measured twice, poured once to get things just right. I got ready for church while I told my stomach to be patient. Then I jumped back in bed to devour the suckers. With Rocky as chef, it may have taken a long time, but it sure was good. I decided to make the pizza for dinner, since if he makes it (yeah, right!), we won't eat it until Father's day.

The kids also gave me cards they made at school. Here is the contents of Jeffrey's card:
My mom is special because... she is mine.
I like it when my mom....makes yummy dinner.
My mom can do many things! I think she's best at..... cooking.
My mom has a pretty smile. I like to make her smile by.....doing something without being asked.
My mom is as pretty as a.... live flower
My mom is smart. She even knows.... how to cook.

M-marveous
O-outstanding
T-terrific
H-happy
E-excellent
R-reader

Being the mother of boys is a cinch --- as long as you know how to cook. Course, if I was really the queen, I would have a myriad of servants at my disposal to cook for me. I guess I will just have to settle for one morning a year--or when my mom, the true queen mother comes for a visit. I am greatful to be the mother of these three blessings. They truly are the joy of my life. And who wouldn't want to cook for such adoring fans!

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T15:59:00.004-05:00

This is my mom! I don't know how many times she drove the ponies in the Draper Day's parade, but she was a regular in the Independence Day lineup. My mom's passion is horses. She has had all kinds. At one time, her hobby was miniature ponies. Now she just has regular ponies which she keeps for the sole purpose of entertaining her grandchildren, none of whom live nearby. She always has a large breed to ride herself and spends pretty much any nice day available on the back of a horse. Mom is always busy and if she is not in the garden or busy having lunch with the ladies, then she can be found with a book in her hand. I think she is a little sad that none of her children share her passion for ponies, but most of them do share her love of a good book.

Lynet Hamilton was born in Idaho and grew up in California, the oldest of three children. She loved horses and even then and begged her parents for a pony on a regular basis. I suppose they thought like me, if you want one, you can have one when you have your own home. Well, she had one by the time I came along, so it didn't take long for her to fulfil this dream.

Here is my mom as a grown up. She met my dad at the young age of 18 on a blind date. She was asked by her roommate's boyfriend if she would like to date a short man. She said, "sure." They went out and have been best friends ever since. Way to go dad!!

Here is mom as a young mother. They lived first in Salt Lake City while both finished school at University of Utah. Then moved to Summit Park, Utah and lived in a small cabin. When they found out I was coming, they realized, they would be a little cramped. So, they moved down to the valley and still live there today.

Here is a picture of my great grandma, my grandma Hamilton, my mother and me. Not long after, great grandma died.

My mom is a world traveler. We started when we were all young. Here we are in Florida. Do you love the hat? I do not think my mom has ever been sunburned. She is the poster child for sunblock! But that is why at 60, she looks years younger! Mom has been all over the world too. From Mexico, to the Baltics, to London, to Jerusalem, to Austrailia. I have her same adventurous spirit. I remember when they came to visit me when I was on study abroad in London. We got on the top front of a double decker bus and she grinned from ear to ear. She greeted everyone and I hid my head in embarrasment--cuz everyone knows that London is not Utah and you do not greet total strangers! But my mom has NEVER been like everyone else.

I am not sure if there is a campground in all of Utah that mom has not visited. We camped a lot when I was young. Mom and dad have a fifth wheel and do a lot of camping today. She taught me that on camping trip, kids fish, mom's read--and cook!

I am so greatful to my mom. She is the greatest example of optimism in my life. If anyone tells her it can't be done, she says, "Why not?" and does it anyway. I can't think of a thing she can't do. My children can thank her for my good cooking. I was taught by her. I can't number the times I sat on a bar stool by the kitchen counter and watched her dice onions and put a little of this and a little of that in a pot. I dice onions the same way and have never measured a spice in my life! Mom taught me to be a strong person. She taught me to stand strong in my convictions. She taught me that I can do anything I want--and I can't think of anything I can't do! My mother has a marvelous sense of humor. My husband giggles at her weekly e-mails. He said, "your mom gets funnier and funnier." I remember as a kid, I was a very picky eater. I voiced my hate of things like fish and liver. One day, mom said she had a surprise for me for dinner. I excitedly went into the kitchen and she opened a pot and said, "mmmm, liver!" I started crying. She assured me she was kidding and it was for the cats. I was certain however, with every bite of my spaghetti that night exactly where that liver ended up!

One final Characteristic I will add here. My mom taught me to be independent, confident, and self sufficient. I remember on my wedding day, she made the comment, a little sadly, "What do you need me here for?" I could only reply. "It's your fault mom, you taught me too well." I will admit that many times since then I have needed her here. And she would come at the drop of a hat. I know that as long as she lives, she will make sure I have everything I need. All my love! Happy Mother's day mom!

It takes a Villiage

2009-05-09T16:51:00.002-05:00

While I was away in Utah last weekend, my brother asked me a question that really got me thinking. He asked something to the effect of how I learned what it means to keep the Sabbath day holy. How did I get the interpretation that I live by today? It made me think about how I got the conviction that I do of all the aspects of my life. How did I become the person I am today? Of course, the basics, I got from home. But I don't do everything the same way my parents did. I realized part of my answer when I went to Patrice's wedding shower. The house was full of ladies who had an influence on who I am today. Some were former Young Women leaders, some worked at my high school and looked out for me. Some still live on the street where I grew up. Some were the mothers of my childhood friends who allowed me to spend a lot of time in their homes. All of them had an influence on who I have become as a woman, wife and mother. I think that all of us are a product in some way or another of our environment. We take from it what we can use, discard that which does not work for us. I felt close to tears as I sat and looked at all these lovely ladies--still nurturing my mom and dad and still so interested in who I am today. I am greatful to them for their examples, their patience, their willingness to be a part of the villiage that raised me. I hope I can have that kind of influence on the young men and women in my community and help them to feel loved and looked after as I did in my youth.

The Wedding

2009-05-09T16:35:00.002-05:00

I had the great pleasure of flying to Utah last weekend to honor my little sister (not the one directly to my right in this picutre (she is actually my big sister--we just call her older). Of course it seems that as you approach and in some cases for those below, surpass 40, no one really wants to be called bigger or older. So, I will call us (looking left to right) 1st born-Suzanne. 4th born-me. 2nd born-Raelynn. 5th born--the bride-Patrice, we call her Pete, and 3rd born, we call him just about any name we want--but his preferred name is Scott.

It was so much fun to have all five of us together. It doesn't happen all that often since each of us live in a different state in the USA--and perhaps a different state of mind as well. The wedding was supposed to take place outside, but the weather apparently didn't know that. So while some of us were lazily at the spa getting pedicures, manicures--that were smudged before the ceremony, or otherwise being pampered--others spend the morning draping linen over all the knick knacks, furniture, and piles of junk that we didn't want seen. I did my part by stuffing everything I could into the front hall closet--I am sure mom and dad are still finding treasures there. It was a fun day, a relaxing weekend, and there was good cake--and plenty of it. Oh, and all the kids stayed home with Rocky. He is a champ. I got a few S.O.S calls while I was away. My favorite was: "What kind of pizza do the boys want?" I will have to ask them next time I see them!

Never, Never tell a lie!

2009-04-23T20:39:00.002-05:00

So I had a rare opportunity to be home on a Wed night. Due to my surpreme lack of audio-visual eqipment in my home, I am forced to wait until Thursday to get my weekly dose of LOST on ABC.com I thought, hey, I am home tonight, I can take advantage of instant gratification and watch it today. But wait, the kids go to bed at 8:30 and it is the hardest part of the day. So, I came up with a plan. A wonderful, awful plan. The kids were across the street, so I took the clocks in the house and set them ahead a 1/2 hour. Then I called them in and told them to get ready for bed. I even fed them ice cream first (perhaps to assuage the guilt of misleading them.) Then I said, oh look at the time, it's 8:00. Jeffrey gave me a funny look, but you can't deny the clock, right. So, they got their PJs and brushed teeth. We said prayers (obviously I didn't say it, cuz I wasn't worthy right?) and they were in bed by 8:25 pm. At least they thought so. I didn't get a single argument. I was beaming at the genius of my plan. I mean come on, Jeffrey is nearly 10. How much longer will I have before I can get away with that? Don't judge me all. Can you honestly say you never did this--or at least thought of doing it? Well, I should know better than to ever cheat. It has never worked out for me. The old addage, "cheaters never prosper" was written for me. I sat down with smile on my face, turned on the TV and guess what! A RECAP! What? Are you kidding me? I dont need a blasted recap. I am a faithful follower. I might as well be an extra in the cast. I know exactly what is going on. I don't need a RECAP, I need to know if Sun and Gin find each other, if Ben really will follow John Locke (you know he won't). I don't need a stinking RECAP! I should have known better. You lie, you get into trouble, there is no way around that. Sooo, I turned to American Idol and saw that David A. was performing and, feeling repentant, and oh so defeated, I told the boys of my teensy, weensy lie. Jeffrey said, "I Knew it!!!" They bounded out of bed and stayed up til 8:45--the true time. All the clocks say so.

Sneaky Princess, Bad Princess

2009-04-19T07:02:00.002-05:00

See those cute little feet sticking out from under there? Who could it possibly be and what could she be doing??

And the answer is......

Is it just me or do you see dollar signs on her lips? My sister advised me to buy my lipstick at Target from now on. Good thing the nail polish is already packed!

Fun Days in Tulsa

2009-04-19T06:47:00.002-05:00

I know that we have been OKC residents now for over 2 years. However, that doesn't mean we have cut the chord. We use our four rental properties there as an excuse to visit often and have our extended family--the Neals--there to take us in like refugees. The kids love it and Julia has especially formed a bond with Sarah who she talks about all the time. Even wookie has made a friend. Well, at least Wookie loves their dog Oreo. He is not return the love with the same amount of enthusiasm. Jarom and Jeffrey look forward to the visits too. Here they are enjoying the visit underground.

We met our friends the Heinigs at our old hang out. When the boys were little, we would play at this park (The boys always called it the green park because of the green poles on the playground) for hours. It was fun to see Julia doing the same.

Now that our houses are all rented, who knows when we will return again, but since we are still connected by that chord, I am sure it will pull us back again soon.

The King Has Lost His Crown!

2009-04-02T07:02:00.003-05:00

With last year's first place win still fresh in our minds, we went to the pinewood derby last night with high hopes for another victory. But, King Thompson has been dethroned. Jeffrey sanded that thing into submission. The paint was lovely. It was weighed and re-weighed. But no luck. That thing came in third. I imagine it will only fuel the fire for next year--but here's the problem. We will have 2 Thompson cars in the race next spring. Rocky (oh I mean Jeffrey and Jarom) will have his work cut out for him. Either way, it is sure to be an exciting race. Get your tickets early and watch out, here we come.

The loss put a damper on the fact that Jeffrey earned his Bear Badge in cub scouts. Pretty impressive to have it done 3 months before his 10th birthday. He must have a great den mother! We are proud of his interest in scouts and hope he desires to see it though to Eagle!

A boy Called Chip

2009-04-02T06:55:00.002-05:00

A beauty isn't it? Jeffrey did this just right! Over the handlebars, right onto the concrete. The mystery is, Why didn't it hurt a bit? No blood, no broken bones, just a few minor scratches and oh yea, the cracked tooth! He went to school the next day and was quite the celebrity. He tells me that people he didn't even know stopped him to see his badge of honor. He has made it through some right of passage among elementary school students. I can take a licking and keep on kicking. Almost made us want to keep it that way--well not really. One great dentist and you can't even tell it happened. Sorry Jeffrey, fame is fleeting!

A spoonful of sugar--can't hurt.

2009-03-28T11:23:00.004-05:00

Run Away! Run Away! I got the medicine out of the refrigerator and filled the little syringe to 1/2 teaspoon. Julia saw it coming and ran down the hall. I followed her giggling all the while that a little harmless syringe-with no needle- could induce such fear. She calmly walked into my shoebox sized closet and shut the door. I openend the door and this is what I found.... (I am not referring to the dirty laundry).

What do you do with a two- year old?

2009-03-28T10:52:00.006-05:00

You could drop them off at Mother's Day out....

Where their teacher will recieve lots of yummy plastic food....

Watch them build amazing block towers....

Sing fun songs with them and be amazed at how long they can sit still.... (Well, some of them anyway).....

Sing and dance with them........

Let them make wonderful messes....

Help them do puzzles....

Teach them to walk at a snails pace down the long, long hall while holding onto animal rings...

Let them play in the gym when it is too cold to go outside......

Help them eat their lunch..........

Then finally, change their diapers and pray they fall asleep!!

Jeffrey gets his star quote on the blog....

2009-02-26T07:09:00.004-06:00

Jeffrey tolf grandma, "My mom had two babies die in her tummy. One before I was born and one after Julia. I wish the kid before me had lived so that I wouldn't have to take out the trash."

I for one, was unaware that he ever took out the trash. I suppose that will be his regular job from now on. Afterall, perception is everything.

Things Worth Working For

2009-02-23T20:53:00.003-06:00

Tonight, Rocky taught a lesson to the boys for FHE. He told a story about a boy who wanted a puppy very badly, so the mom said he had to do jobs to earn money to buy and care for it. He worked very hard for a whole month to get the money and was so happy that he could bring it home. Rocky then asked the boys "is there something else that you need to work hard to get and will make you very happy?" Jarom replied in a flash of inspiriation, "A wife!"
Well, we were going for testimony, but that works too!

Winter Ball and the woes of heels.

2009-02-22T12:56:00.004-06:00

Last Night, Rocky and I had the distinct honor of chaperoning the stake dance. I can't remember the last time I was at a dance. I am sure that it has been 15 years since I had my picture taken at one. I went shopping for shoes yesterday morning. I splurged on high heels. I brought them home and both my boys said, "Mom, are you going to wear those? I thought they would make your feet hurt." Oh the wisdom of youth. I got to the dance (after a short appearence at the blue and gold banquet) and put on my dress and heels. It felt nice to feel tall for once in my life. We walked into the gym and under the stage were 1000 black high heeled shoes. My first thought was, why did I go pay 30 bucks for shoes when I can just have my pick of unused ones here. After 20 minutes of walking around admiring all the gowns, I shed my shoes as well. I guess I will be getting my 30 bucks back. Don't know who invented them, but now I know why I have never bought any up until now. I was actually at wal-mart yesterday looking for Dr. Scholls brand--guess what--Dr. Scholls doesn't appear to make heels. No wonder. They only make comfortable shoes.

Here are some of the girls from our ward. I am amazed at the youth in this area. Everyone danced a lot. The boys in our ward were never without a dance partner. Can you blame them?

Rocky told me he wished I had worn my ring last night (it doesn't fit) so if any of the young men asked me to dance I could show it to them. I told him that if any young man in this gym mistook me for a 16 year old, you could bet I will dance with him hitched or unhitched. No one actually asked me, truth be told, but I could tell thatwhen I was all tall and cool looking in black heels, some wanted to.

More of Jarom's thoughts...

2009-02-20T15:49:00.004-06:00

One of Jarom's assignments this week was to write a story with a word that ends in -ide. Here is is story:

Wen I do a spelling test I do it with pride
if you dont do it with pride you will not get it rite
but if you do do it with pride you will get it rite

Valentines Day is for Chocolate

2009-02-17T18:34:00.004-06:00

Julia enjoyed Valentines day this year. She, too, has discovered the joy of chocolate. She likes saying that word and especially likes when it appears before her. She is her mother's daughter, what can I say? She had a Valentine party at her little Mother's Day Out, then another at a friend from our ward. There were 15 or 20 little candy crazy critters and all I can say is that the girl who volunteered her home is a lot braver than I. Here she is showing off her special crown(which I think we left behind--no bother, it's not made of chocolate afterall) along with her friend Bailey. They get along well--as long as Bailey doesn't try and dip into the chocolate stash.

All the kids came home that Friday with bags of candy. They shared a little, since no one brings mom's and dad's valentines. Actually, I stepped into the boy's parties at school for a few minutes and a little guy in Jeffrey's class was passing his out. He yelled, "hey Jeffrey's mom" and then gave me a valentine of my very own. It wasn't chocolate, but maybe that wasn't his fault, I mean, he didn't buy the candy, right? Anyway, it was almost as nice as my favorite valentine this year from Rocky that plays REO Speedwagon's I can't fight this feeling... Although, unfortunatley for Rocky it doesn't create quite the spark that the commercials say it should--probably cuz it's not made of chocolate.

Adoption Day

2009-02-05T15:23:00.005-06:00

Rocky was complaining the other day that he grew up always having a dog and it wasn't right that he can't have one now. I told him that he traded in a dog for a wife. He thought a minute, then said, "Can I trade back?" I thought, I better get this man a dog or I might find myself on the other side of a Rottweiller. So, I found this little darling. Now, it is not a big dog-like he is accostomed to, but a nice compromise anyway. He is a sweet thing and so is the dog. So, we are new parents now. I think this face might just be cute enough to fall in love with. Julia already has! And secretly, I have too.

A boy and his dog...

Deep thoughts, by Jarom Thompson

2009-02-02T19:03:00.001-06:00

I learned that you have to have patience to get to heaven. Cuz if you don't have patience, you might say cuss words and stuff....

Snow Day!

2009-01-31T07:43:00.002-06:00

We were out of school for 2 days this week due to the inch of ice you see here. I know some of you are laughing. I have seen other blogs with 10 inches of snow--I remember having that much only once since living in Oklahoma. But we only have the one plow truck in the state, so we have to stay in until it melts-- and ice seems to take longer to melt than snow. We did venture out on day two and have lunch at McDonalds. We were all a little stir crazy. You know that cabin fever was affecting us if we voluntarily sat and ate in a McD's playland. When we got back, the sun was shining and we had to slide across the ice in the front yard. Rocky and the boys went out on day one to the local park and went down the big hills (ones that before we only used cardboard to slide down). Darn it, Julia was sleeping and someone had to stay with her. I selflessly volunteerd to miss out on all the fun of trudging up an icy hill to sit on a piece of plastic to carreen down wildly with no control. Sounds fun huh? And it would be if it were 70 plus degrees out. Well, true to Oklahoma form, the high today is expected to be 67. I would be happy to go sledding today--oh darn, the ice will be gone before noon!

Jarom's Got Genius Genes

2009-01-21T08:39:00.004-06:00

"Mom, get me a paper and a pen quick!" I wondered why briefly, but complied. A few seconds later, Jeffrey brought me a phone number. "You gotta call this number in the next 20 minutes and you can get a new..... and they will even throw in a free....." About 3 years ago, I learned that outside influences were beginning to affect my children. I am happy to report, however, that they don't believe everything they hear.

Last night, we were watching TV and a commercial came on for dove soap. Two ladies, standing side by side. One used Dove, the other, regular soap. I'll let feministin.com explain the rest: The commercial continues, "if you could see the difference..." & displays it with a side-by-side dramatized comparison which has the women in their towels under a UV light. The light reveals the scum, in tandem with some 'scare' music on the soap-using woman, who looks like she is suffering from an early-stage zombie infection. The Dove-using woman smiles to the tune of some new-age-y music... her skin feels how healthy clean skin is supposed to feel. You know. The feeling you can only get with Dove.

Jarom turns to me and says with alarm, "Mom, I use regular soap everyday!" I said, just as alarmed, "So do I!" Then he gets this intense look on his face and says, "I bet that they just say that to get you to buy their soap!" Is my 7 year old pure genius or what? It is one of Rocky and my goals to teach our children to think critically for themselves. Not to believe everything they are told by adults--especially those on the News or in the government. I am glad to see that they are beginning to judge for themselves. But if I have been building up scum for the last 34 years, then I think Dove may be the answer for finally losing that last 5 lbs.!

The struggles of growing up...

2009-01-16T11:47:00.001-06:00

Do you ever take a picture of you kids and think. Boy, I am really gonna embarass them with that one when they are older? Well, that is just the spiteful kind of mom I am. I think that Jarom's future girlfriends will love this one. That is some nice hair, huh?

Actually, this photo is typical of both Jarom and Julia. She goes nowhere with out her "bee-gos" and he is addicted to all things electronic.

Things are not going so well with Julia and her new bed. Man, kids are smart and it only took her like, 2 seconds to figure out that she was not trapped in that thing. So, she was free to get up and come right back out. This is a typical night:
Mom: Time to go to bed.
Julia: K.
Off she runs, all happy. Then, she is back.
Julia: All done!

The going to bed part is fun. The staying there, not so much. One night, around that 2 0clock hour when the last thing you want to do is get up with a crying child or a throwing up child or a nosebleeding child, she was up. We could here her walking around the house, talking to herself. Rocky got up and put her back in bed--then began the tantrum. She cried and opened and shut her door and cried some more. Then, the crying stopped. I got out of bed to go and find out what had happened. I turned the corner into the living room and I hear the most angelic voice ever, "hi mommy!" She was sitting as happy as can be on the couch. Ready for a new day.
We now have a lock on the inside of her door. Man kids are smart. It only took her like, 2 seconds to figure out that she was trapped, so might as well go to sleep. Works like a charm!! I guess moms are kinda smart too.

Back in the saddle again...

2009-01-16T11:20:00.006-06:00

At 6:12 am, the phone began to ring. The fist thought is always, was Rocky supposed to work today? No. They would have called his cell. We were both too tired to get out of bed, so we just let it ring. Then I woke up enough to realize that is was for me. I was supposed to work today. Well, could have chosen to anyway. I signed up Wed to be a sub for the local school. My plan is to go whenever Rocky has a day off. Well, except for today, of course. Part of my hesitation is the pay. I mean come on. You have to be 21 years old. That is the only criteria--oh and pass a criminal background check --which I had to pay for, by the way. So in other words, if you can breath and know how to work a phone, you can be a sub. You get to hop out of bed and go to a new school everyday. There the "actual"teachers--ones who can breathe, work a phone, and are willing to come back year after year after year for enough money only to cover the family's food--treat you like, well, a sub. The 7th graders throw spit wads. The 9th graders sit in the back and make out. The youngest ones may even start crying(along with the sub). The older ones--well, I have no idea what the older ones will do as I haven't set foot in a highschool since I graduated. Anyway, you get the picture. And for all this glory, and the bonus of smelling like playground gravel and sweat by the end of the day, they pay $50. NO, that is not an hour. That is per day. Well, I thought, I have a degree-- in education. I have ten years as an "actual teacher" who could breathe, work a phone, and came back year after year after year for almost enough money to buy our family's groceries. So, surely I would make more. Right? Well, guess what I am worth?? 60 bucks. Wow, now that will make a difference. I wonder if I get to wear a badge that tells the kids I make more money than those other subs and that will mean I won't get the spit wads or the tears. Well, I have one more advantage. I know how to work a computer. So I can just get online and choose which class I want to sub in. I think next week, I'll try home economics for boys and 6th grade calculus. How many kids can there be in those classes? Oh, by the way, I did also get a real job this week. I will be "teaching" at a Mother's day out program 2 mornings a week. Julia will be one of my star students, so that will be fun. Guess what? It pays better than subbing-- imagine that!

House for sale

2009-01-04T17:53:00.003-06:00

Well, it must have been 2 years since we moved into our house. The 2 year itch. We put our humble home on the market a week ago and have been cleaning, organizing and tossing junk like mad. I think that I move so often as an excuse to make my very useful husband get rid of stuff. He won't throw anything away cause it could be useful for making things. We got a new TV for Christmas since the sound went out on the old one. I wanted to take it to the dumpster. I saw that it has been transferred to our storage unit--along with 2 other broken TV's--one that was rescued from a neighbors trash can and has been part of the junk pile for going on 5 years now. This time, Rocky told me that all things will be rated on a scale from 1-10. Anything under 5 goes. How many things do you suppose he has given a rating of less than 5 to? I can label just about everything we own a good 4 pts or less, but he gives them all a 6, just to keep them safe. We put an offer on a house in Piemont, a city just north of us and hope to sell this house so we can get a loan for the new one. It has even more room for all the toasters, microwaves, blenders, and television sets that Rocky salvages from our garbage can and others. Hopefully we can last closer to 10 years in the next one. So, if you know anyone who needs an inexpensive home in Yukon, ok, refer them to me. I promise we won't leave a single electronic device behind- but if we do it is bound to be useful someday!

Look who's 2!

2009-01-04T17:10:00.003-06:00

Jan 3, 2008 it was 70 degrees in Oklahoma. What great weather for a birthday.
"How old are you?" we ask. "I'n do!" says Julia, holding up her fingers. She had a lot of changes the last 2 weeks. No more binki. A big girl bed to sleep in. And another number to learn.

She was cautious with her cupcake. She only ate the frosting and did so as daintily as possible off the tip of her fingers. I think we should all just skip the cake and put a candle in a tub of frosting and call it good. That is all that kids find interesting anyway. Unfortunatley, I thought I had 2 candles left from Jarom's birthday. But in my deep cleaning the past week, I must have tossed them. So, we did not get to see Julia blow out any candles. She wont remember it, so it is probably safe to say that she won't need counseling in the future.

Here she is trying out her new bed. She is happy to get in it. That is loads of fun. But when we say goodnight, the saddest face you have ever seen appears and the tears start rolling down. But so far, although she is crying, she hasn't gotten out of the bed and slept there great for 2 naps and one night. So far, so good.

Happy Birthday Julia! We love you.

Christmas, 2009

2009-01-04T16:51:00.004-06:00

When christmas morning came as a child, did you ever look like this?

Maybe you looked more like this.....

I know that for me, I never once had to be awakened by my mom blasting the "Hallelujia Chorus" from Handle's Messiah. I was up hours before anyone else and dreaming of what Santa had left for me. What am I saying, I still do that. I was wide awake by 4:30 but let my kids sleep until 6. Aren't I a thoughtful mother. The one good thing about being an adult is that I don't have to stay in my room all night for fear of having all my gifts confiscated if I should be caught peeking.

Julia was quite overwhelmed and I will say thrilled with the knowledge that all these things--including her brother's toys are "MINE!"

I think that everyone was happy with the day and I sure do look forward to school starting so I can get some time on the Wii. Here is our family on a balmy evening in December riding the canal to see the lights. We couldn't have ordered better weather. It was a fantastic Christmas!!

Polar Express Adventure

2008-12-12T14:37:00.002-06:00

Jarom has been asking for 2 years now to have a Polar Express party. I consented and had 7 little boys in my home last night. They had a great time, doing everything except watch the movie. But, I figured that would most likely be the case.
Here is Jarom's cake. He liked how it looked, but informed me later that he doesn't even like cake. The kids all took a big hunk of cool whip covered, oreo topped goodness, but none of them ate much either.

The whole gang around the table. Innocent looking bunch of cuties. But the party was just getting started. They all wore their pj's and each had a train car assigned to them. Not as fun for 7 year olds as for say... 3 year olds. We played games and drank hot chocolate and sat aroud the table, not eating cake. Then opened presents and spent the rest of the party playing with Jarom's new toys.

In the end, Jarom was worn out. He was tuckered a good 1/2 hour before his guests even left. At least they all had plenty of energy, and I think had a good time. If noise is any indication of fun, then on a scale from 1-10 this party was a 23!!

Look who's 7!!

2008-12-12T13:39:00.003-06:00

7 years ago..... A gift to remember. Jarom David Thompson, born Dec 11, 2001. 6lbs 6oz.

2nd Christmas.... He still uses that look when he is especially enthused. It takes a whole lot to impress this kid.

Third Christmas in Kentucky with family. We were flying standby and had to try 3 days in a row to get there. We finally made it on Christmas eve. The night before, we were sent back home and Jarom yelled in the airport, "I wanna go to Cincinatti!" (Possibly his first words, as he never spoke much until he turned 3.)

Jarom's 6th Birthday.... The Moon Sand was not nearly as fun as he thought it would be.

He gets better looking every year (just like his daddy).

Our Journey to Bethlehem

2008-12-08T07:46:00.003-06:00

Sunday night, we traveled to Bethlehem to be counted in the census and pay our taxes. It was in hope to run into Mary and Joseph of Nazareth. We were worried for her as she was great with child. It was a dangerous journey, but we traveled as a family and stayed close to one another. Our family met with Zealots who would defend themselves against the roman soldiers with the sword rather than be a part of the census, or pay taxes to King Herod. We met with Roman Soldiers who checked our papers and told us to hurry along and bewared of wild beasts and unruly soldiers. We met King Herod himself, although we were not sure to trust him. He said he was looking for a baby that others called a King. Then the most amazing thing of all, we saw an angel. She proclaimed that a son had been born in the City of David. The savior, Christ the Lord. This made our journey to Behlehem even more urgent and filled with excitement. We ran into shepherds who kept vigilant watch over their flocks. They rejoiced, along with us at the news of the Messiah. We met Traveling Majji in their tent and saw the gifts that they desired to present to our new King. Finally, we made it to the walls of the city. We declared our census and paid our tax. The city itself was wonderful. A large marketplace was filled with peddlers, selling their wares. We joined them in a dance and sought a place to lay our heads. The city had many visitors, all there to pay their taxes and participate in the census, so it was with little hope that we knocked on the Inn's door. The innkeeper was kind, but told us the inn was full. We told him that we would sleep anywhere and he offered a stable. He told our children to be quiet and not disturb the animals (a brand new baby donkey born just hours before our arrival) or the young couple who was there with a new baby. We rejoiced, believing it may be Mary and Joseph whom we sought. With great awe, we entered that stable and there our eyes beheld the Messiah. He was a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, and he lay in a manger. We bowed before him and knew our journey had been worth it.

I am thankful to the Forest Hill Christian Church for offering this amazing walking journey to the public. It was a great way to begin our celebration of Christmas. We met new friends as we waited in line for 3 hours. The wait was worth it. I am so blessed to know my savior, Jesus Christ. I discover him again and again. How greatful is our family for his life, example, atonement and ressurrection.

A tale of 2 sodas

2008-12-01T07:45:00.005-06:00

Last week, our friends, the Jacobs, invited us to a hockey game. Go Blazers!! It was the day before Thanksgiving, so not real crowded. We had a fun time with free hotdogs. Rocky didn't have such a fun time with the free soda. For some insane reason, they do not put lids on the cups. Jeffrey kicked 16 oz of pure liquid sugar over within 5 minutes. Rocky and sticky do not go together. Course I don't know anyone who likes having their feet cemented to the stadium floor. We moved to a spot behind the spill-there were plenty of open seats. Then, I had a great idea that we pose for a picture. Durning that commotion, Jarom kicked his drink over. Now, 32 oz of sprite was cascading down the steps, stickying anyone in it's path. Where is a mop when you need one? Rocky spent the next 10 minutes moping up with paper towels. Moral of the story: Never accept free soda at a hockey game*---they will probably be too cheap to provide lids.

Chill Your Cheeks

2008-11-26T11:53:00.004-06:00

Saturday I did something I never thought I would do. I paid $20 to go running. I don't know what possessed me to do such a thing, but I did. I entered a 5K race. Me, running. Yes. And know what? I am glad I did. It was really fun. I am surprised as anyone. But it was fun. Here is Taylor and I at the beginning. She is 26 and a former Army gal. That was a little intimidating. She told me she would wait for me at the finish line. She took off running and I could not keep up with her.

Here I am a little futher down the street. Rocky drove the car around the route to snap random shots of me. I guess he couldn't believe I would do it either, so he had to go around and collect evidence. It felt nice knowing he was out there, somewhere watching for me.

This is the finish line. I made it. I really did. The whole way. You'll have to take my word for it. And guess who was waiting at the finish line! It was me. I passed up Taylor on the last mile and high tailed it home. Finished in 93rd place (no, not out of 94) with a time of 29:19. Not too shabby for a fist time runner. I was really thankful in the end to have a healthy body. One of the runners was pushing his handicapped son in a running wheelchair and when he passed me, I choked back tears. There is just something amazing about a bunch of people gathered together to do something good. It was definately a rewarding experience.

Milestones

2008-11-22T11:26:00.000-06:00

We were given a costume for Julia to wear. She was quite the cute little cheer leader. I have nothing against cheerleaders. I have a lot of friends who were once cheerleaders-they turned into fine citizens. But I would just rather see my daughter playing ball than cheering for the ones who do. Or, cheering from the stands like I do. I can't imagine the pure torture that would be involved in attending her performances as the whole cheering thing is rather grating to me. But just for giggles, I taught her a new phrase to say while she is in her costume. We are driving down the road and I hear her in the back saying, "ray-wee, O-Kay" (with southern accent and all) over and over again.

Julia is learning a lot. This morning, I was doing squats (ouch) and she went to my closet and got out the 3 pound dumb bells and started squatting along next to me. She likes to do push ups too.

She loves to pray with us, although, while we pray, she makes the rounds and gives each of us a hug or takes advantage of the boys in a non-balanced state and pushes them over.

Every morning, she walks the boys to the door and says, bye. This morning, she added something new. She said, "Bye, love you!" Of course that melted her brother's hearts.

Her new favorite word is "Why?" She says it after every thing I say.

Julia: want gucker (sucker or cracker-hard to tell)

Mom: No

Julia: Please

Mom: No

Julia: Why?

Where did a 23 month old learn that?

Finally, there are more animals in the world than puppies. Puppies with wings, with horns, with trunks. She now lives in a world that has Kitties.

Julia is the easiest kid to put to bed. She just needs a binki, a blankie, and a puppy. Then she says night, night and that is it. Sometimes she grabs my hand, pulls me to her bed and points. I never argue.

Superfan

2008-11-20T21:10:00.006-06:00

Fall is here. The crisp leaves, the cold mornings, the sunny afternoons. The sound of thousands of screaming fans in the Ford Center as the Oklahoma Thunder Basketball team runs to the court. Jeffrey and I are no exception (well, at least I am not). You can tell a lot about a person by their conduct at a ball game. My dad used to take us to BYU games when we were youngish. All the fans around us would scream and whistle and holler. Dad would sit quietly and clap at the appropriate times. But he never yelled out. He was a quiet, unassuming superfan. In fact, when Rocky and I met, it happened to be at the end of the Jazz season, right around playoff times. (I honestly have not watched a basketball game since those 1997 playoffs until last monday.) I watched his conduct closely as kind of a test to see what type of fan he was. I have since learned that sports are not that important to him. Thus, he can't really be labled a superfan. But you can imagine that he did in fact pass the test ( I did marry him afterall) as he never once yelled at a ref or uttered a profanity at the TV screen during all those playoff games. The point is, this was Jeffrey's first basketball game. Sad, but true. He really enjoyed it--I know because he didn't want to leave 15 minutes early to avoid the heavy traffic. I made him though (there was no hope of the Thunder catching up at that point) and he took great pride in pointing out that the rest of the stadium had the same idea we did and we were, in fact, going to be in heavy traffic. Well good news for us, the Oklahoma Thunder are not all that popular, thus, not much traffic to contend with. But, typical of me, I digress. Jeffrey takes after dad and grandpa. He sits quietly and observes. Clapping at the appropriate times. Careful not to yell too often or get too excited. He must think me a little strange as I am more the type to jump out of my seat and scream ya-hoo. Jeffrey was chosen out of the whole audience to appear on the jumbo screen and wave a foam finger (which he got to keep) as a kind of advertisement. He did not look enthused--even standing next to a "thunder girl." He kept averting his eyes so not to glimpse too much skin. Someday, he might appreciate that opportunity a little more. As a 9 year old, he was not impressed. So, one day, a girl may put him through the same test I did for Rocky. If she likes the quiet, unassuming kind of superfan, then Jeffrey is a modest contender.

2008-11-05T13:39:00.002-06:00

Jarom's Jack-O-Lantern

Jeffrey's Jack-O-Lantern

Janine's Jack-O-Lantern

Which would you prefer on Halloween night? The amazing thing is, that I made it and you can tell what it is. Sometimes my domesticity frightens me.

Crawling with the Bulls

2008-11-05T13:30:00.003-06:00

I was doodling on the computer one evening before bed and I turn around and see Jeffrey with a red t-shirt in his hands and Jarom, scratching at the carpet with his right "hoof" just before he gorged the matador. I found it rather ironic that a kid who can't blow his nose without triggering his gag reflex voluntarily stuffed toilet paper up both nostrils. The price of true art!

Tag

2008-10-22T21:18:00.003-05:00

I was tagged by my friend Jeanine (same name, different spelling). She told me to go to "my pictures" open the 4th folder and download the 4th picture. Funny how it turned out to be the 4th of July! Jarom saw which one it was and said, "hey that's not a very good picture." I asked him why not. He said, "because I am not looking up and smiling." I will have to find a smiling picture of Jarom to post another time.

Now I tag Janna, Valina, and Laura.

Gone Fishing

2008-10-22T17:01:00.003-05:00

We spent fall break camping in at Red Rock again. It was so fun. Yes, you heard me right, fun and camping in the same sentence. It was a busy weekend for campers and everyone was out riding bikes or rip sticks and many were repelling down the cliffs. There were some fun hikes.

We went with our friends the Neals and shared a really large campsite next to the bathrooms. We didn't pull a single marshmallow out until Julia was already asleep. I highly recommend that. Before we left, the kids finally went down to the pond for fishing. The adults were busy breaking camp and the kids went all alone--you gotta love independence. But without an adult present, they forgot what it was they were fishing for and came back with this:

I don't know how they did it, but they hooked a frog. And it was this big...... We didn't eat it or anything. I am about as likely to eat a frog as fish. Thankfully we packed plenty of food and no one went hungry. When the Neals and the Thompsons get together, there is typically a dutch oven involved and boy did we outdo ourselves this weekend. Good, good food.

Jeffrey gets a Wolf

2008-10-22T14:10:00.004-05:00

Last month, Jeffrey got his wolf patch for cub scouts. This month, I finally got it sewn on. He also was one of the few who got a BB gun patch for his great shooting at scout camp. He is really enjoying scouts. He is in a bear den of 9 boys. Imagine this: they had a hard time finding any one to be the den mother. Enter me and my big fat mouth. I am now the bear den mother.

So far, so good. They haven't driven me away yet. The following is an example of why it is hard to staff scouts:
So, after Pack Meeting one Wednesday evening, I go to the gym to find my monkeys and head home. I opened the door and hear, "fight, fight, hey you guys stop fighting." I rush into the crowd to see if anyone needs stitches ---or a spanking and who do I find? My eldest, newly pinned wolf scout, the littlest Wolf scout ever. 45 lbs of pure fighting power going at it with a slightly younger, but noticeably larger cub. I got over my shock and my initial "way to go Jeffrey, you can really hold your own" and tried not to laugh before I dragged the two from the room. Is it something in the water? My children suddenly the terrrors of the ward? Of course neither would come clean about what started the fight. But I have learned that with boys, it matters not what started it, just who is going to end it. There was no blood and no missing teeth (that aren't already supposed to be missing) so I would say there was no clear winner-- this time. I continue to lay all blame on my husband--he has a reputation. 2nd grade. Lunch Pail. Teacher. Hospital. Stitches. I will leave it at that.

Baby Bully

2008-10-22T10:24:00.004-05:00

Look at the following face. Have you ever seen something so innocent, so pure? Anyone who looks at her thinks, "what an angel!" And she is--- most of the time.

There are some who would beg to differ on her angel status. Two little girls in particular are forever enduring her wrath. She pushes them down over and over again, steals their toys and does all she can to get the desired reaction from them. It has gotten so that they go running when they see her. I asked the lady who runs the daycare at my gym if she behaves. The nice woman says quietly, "She is a little bit agressive." A little? She is a downright bully!! "Watch out here I come!" She is too ornery to get sick. Germs are afraid of her. I know her type. I have seen it at least 5 times in my life. It is the student that you most want to be absent from school who is there every single day of the year. (I can name names, but I wont) Her brothers were never this way. She gets this from her dad-- the scrapper of Fox Hills Elementary.

She knows just the ones to mess with too. I took her visiting teaching with me today and there were two little girls there who didn't react at all when she took their toys. So, she stopped. They all got along great. She only goes after the ones that she know will cry. Bad, bad baby!! I do hope she will eventually learn to be nice to my friend's children-before I am completley shut out of playgroups. I also hope she will be kind to kids at school. I do hope, however, that her "fiestyness" endures throughout her life. No one, I mean no one will want to tangle with this little "angel."

Flashback Friday

2008-10-10T20:18:00.006-05:00

Memories of Halloweens past. Here are some great pumpkin carvings. This may have been the year when the downstairs bathroom was clogged, and therefore locked and off limits. Dad let us open the door to use the sink to wash our slimy digits. Luckily after using butcher knives, we still had fingers left to wash. I wish I could remember which pumpkin was mine. I do know that I am that cute smiling girl in red. Also pictured is baby Pet-rice, Suzanne, and Scott. My other sister had probably just stomped up the stairs and slammed the door. (no offense meant there, sister)
I am the little 3 year old ghost. My brother Scott, is the big ghost. Remember when making a costume was that easy? I tried to make a ghost costume for Jarom last year. I couldn't find a stinking (or non-stinking) white sheet anywhere. We ended up buying an actual ghost costume from Walmart. I believe that we had layers of clothing and coats on due to the cold weather.
This picture was not actually on Halloween, but who can go around in such a skimpy outfit in Utah in October? You could probably swing it in Oklahoma, but not Salt Lake City. This was just for the fun of dressing up--most likely my sister, Raelynn's, idea. That scary Hulk has you shaking in your flip flops, huh? Maybe if I had been just a little more green. Truth is, we were so poor, this was actually my Sunday best.

Happy Birthday Dad

2008-10-06T14:04:00.009-05:00

My dad is my biggest blogging fan and I want to dedicate this blog to him on his 69th birthday.

This is the beginning of my life. The smartest thing any man ever does is marry a great lady. My dad is really, really smart. Look at that catch!!

I don't know who's idea it was to wait to get a family picture until we were mostly grown up. But that idea tops the list at smart. I believe this is our first one ever and look how everyone is cooperating. Looking at my brother's smile, I can see where Jeffrey get's his tendancy for cheesy grins. No hair pulling, no crying; smart, smart parents.

It is hard to find pics of my daddy as he is always the one behind the camera. Here is one I found in my book. This was at a school dance and I was so honored to have him as my date. I preferred spending time with dad as a kid to most any other activity. He would take me to BYU ballgames and on regular date nights. Those memories are some of my best. There was no greater hero in all my life than my dad who could remove slivers faster than a speeding bullett, fix cars and toilets with almost no cussing, and add hundreds of numbers on his adding maching faster than you can say- well- adding machine. What girl wouldn't love a dad who pretended to hang on my every (and I dare say plentiful) word as he put the ear piece to the ball game in the other ear!

Mom and Dad liked to travel and not only were they smart, they were courageous. We were a family of 5 children, and still, they took us on family vacations. We went camping often in the summer--I am beginning to wonder about that smart part. We went as a family to Hawaii and to Disney World before I was in Kindergarten. Dad took each of us children on our own trip as well. My older siblings went with him to the Holiday Bowl to see BYU play. But by the time I was old enough, either the Cougars were not at the top of their game (no way!) or I was just more interested in Disneyland than Football. We are still meeting each year for family vacations. Our last one was a cruise to Mexico. I think most of us still have the travel bug planted in us by our parents.

Below is our most recent family picture. Look how we have grown. All of us are working on being the best adults we can be. I know that I have big shoes to fill as a parent. I am not nearly as smart. I can't add as well. My kids run from me when it is time to take out a sliver. But if I can emulate even an ounce of the love and compassion that my dad had for his children, then mine will be as blessed as I was as a kid. As adults, we are no less blessed by our parents. I know that I can count on Mom and Dad for anything.

Happy Birthday Dad. I Love You!!!

Me, Dad, Julia and Ryan in Mexico

Have You Seen This Face?

2008-10-06T13:01:00.003-05:00

On Saturday night, Rocky and I enjoyed a rare treat ( a word which here means, something we have never done before). We went to the Oklahoma City museum of art. His company was sponsoring an evening and we took advantage of a free cultural experience and lucky us, free food. Their current exibit features portraits -and I mean the stone kind- of Early Roman emperors, like Augustus here (he happened to be the first). As we looked at these amazingly in tact sculptures, I couldn't help but think that God must recycle. I think that most hollywood actor's bodies are made from the same mold as many early Romans. I recognized a few right away. I even saw the exact image of a girl from my old ward. Not kidding. It was her face on that bust. I think I saw Dan Akroyd's face there too. So, it is just killing me that Augustus here reminds me of somebody, but I can't put my finger on it. Any ideas?? I looked for my face in the museurm. I am sure that I must have the same likeness as an empress who ruled at one time or another. For now, I will have to be content as the empress of this house. I wonder what it would cost to get a portrait done in stone??

Pictures of Redrock

2008-10-06T12:50:00.004-05:00

The hill above our tent.

Julia on the finger pincher.

I know why I got them for $4

each at walmart.

Our dutch oven dinner. Jarom

said he never tasted anything so

good. If you know him, that is quite

a compliment.

Our home in the wilderness.

The really cool tree.

Marshmallows be damned!!

2008-10-06T12:16:00.004-05:00

When you take little ones camping, I highly suggest choosing a place very close to town. That way, if any mishaps that you did not see in your crystal ball occur, you can drive on over to Dollar general and pick up any needed supplies. I suggest the following items:

Wet wipes-- invaluable if you are insane enough to take a baby with you.

Sugarless marshmallows-- Jeffrey needs to make and invention for a school project this week. I will pay him $300,000 if he can come up with a marshmallow that is not sticky. Who ever decided that camping requires marshmallows? Do you know what marshmallow residue on baby's hands combined with dirt amounts to?? It isn't pretty, believe me. Then you use above mentioned wet wipes and get one sticky paw clean and as you lift the other to de-stickify it, she puts the wet hand back in the dirt and this vicious cycle continues until the minute you pack the car and hightail it home.

Burn ointment-- This is not for the children--at least I hope not. It is for the deaf (because I really am), blind (cuz it is pitch black outside by 7:30 these days), dumb (we all do dumb things) mom who grabs the marshmallow toaster by the prongs to put a sticky white lump on the end of it. Jeffrey told me that he had first "sanitized it in the hot coals" before bringing it to me. But, I didn't hear him and have a nice blister on my thumb due to my lack of common senses--although my sense of feeling works all too well.

Extra clothes-- Sticky marshmallow residue on clothes and dirt on the ground ends in the same result as with the hands.

Finally, make sure you have lots of wood-- boys can't resist logs and fire. It was better for them than TV (of course since we downgraded our cable to less than basic, they can't find anything to watch anyhow!) And it makes lots of great coals to toast yummy, toasty, crispy, delicious marshmallows!! They do make your children very, very happy--and Jarom can teach anyone who will listen how to make the perfect one! Just ask him.

Thompson's dictionary

2008-10-03T10:34:00.006-05:00

Warning: The following image may cause extreme envy in some viewers.

Plummet: to drop sharply and abrubtly. As in, gas prices plummeted this weekend. So for us, plummet= road trip. Of course, $2.99 (currently 2.85 as of 10/6/08) is not exactly my idea of "cheap" gasoline, so our road trip was limited to 45 miles. We drove to Redrock State Park which is the prettiest of all the parks we have visited in Oklahoma. It could have had to do with the time of year too, as the leaves were beginning to turn and fall from the trees.

Insanity: something utterly foolish or unreasonable. As in, camping. Rocky describes insanity as doing the same thing again and again and expecting a different result. I suppose by this definition, I need to be committed right away. Already I am showing signs of alzheimers--I have been looking all over for this plaque we got in mexico, which is supposed to sit in a place of honor on the piano. I found it yesterday when looking for a book that should have been in the bookshelf--I won't even tell you where I found the book--But the plaque was in the bookshelf instead of on the piano. When I start finding keys in the freezer instead of at the bottom of the washing machine, I will know it is time to check into greener pastures. Anyway, we continue to go on camping trips. I continue to be the one to encourage it, and I continue to wonder why! But no matter how often we go, sleeping on a cot is still not the same as the Marriot. But more about that in another post.

Healthy: conducive to health. As in, that food is really good for me and I should eat more of it. This term seems to be one of the loosest in the English language. My idea of healthy may differ greatly from someone elses. The red dirt dutch oven cookoff was held this weekend at Redrock State Park. Rocky and I like to dabble a bit with a dutch oven, so we went to the event. We did not compete--although we may do so in the future. We did, however, pay $3 each for a bowl and spoon, and go from pot to pot to taste what others had made. I am currently involved in a healthy challenge and there is money on the line to win. So, I was careful about what I ate. (ie, I passed up the chicken fried steak-- but apple butter is a fruit, right??)

A PETA field day!

2008-09-23T21:32:00.007-05:00

I make it no secret that I am no lover of animals. We (and by we, I mean Rocky) have 2 turtles and 3 fish, which I adore as pets because:
a. I am not responsible for them.
b. They do not shed.
c. They do not pee on the carpet.
d. They do not make any noise.
Although, I am not PETA's loudest voice, I feel for the sea life that is harmed by plastics, so I throw away my trash. I feel for those helpless creatures who die in oil slicks. I even let most bugs go free outside (with the exception of flies and crickets--which are both a menace to society).
Let's consider the life of a sheep for a moment. They are used! They get hearded around all day long and have no say in where they go. They are used in life for their wool and in death for meat (although, not by me--too itchy and too yuck-- in that order). It seems they deserved more than this:

400 sheep killed in Australian road crash: police AFP - Tue Sep 23, 3:17 AM ET
SYDNEY (AFP) - Four hundred sheep died in a road accident in Australia, prompting animal rights activists on Tuesday to repeat their call for an end to the long distance transportation of livestock for slaughter.

What has happened to this world? When I was a kid, dad took them by truck to be slaughtered, and even killed the rabbits in our own backyard. Oh the cruelty. And they went like lambs to the slaughter........ What a tragic twist of Irony!

Domesticity backfires

2008-09-20T13:17:00.000-05:00

I saw some apples on sale this week at Buy 4 less. I picked up a bag, then thought, this is a really good deal. I should buy lots of bags and make and bottle my own applesauce. I bought a bunch of mason jars and a pressure cooker at a garage sale this summer and have just been waiting for fruit to be reasonable enough to bottle it. Keep in mind, that I have never bottled anything in my life, and that I am ever the optimist. NO problem. I can figure it out! Well, 5 hours later, my kitchen is a wreck, my hands are raw, the apples are gone, I only burned myself twice, the blender lid came off while blending HOT apples once, and only 2 of my bottles sealed properly, so I have to redo the other two. Yes, you heard me right. 2 came out perfect, 2 are not. That means for all my trouble, I ended up with 4 jars of applesauce.

So, was it really such a good deal? Let's do the math. 1 jar of applesauce at ALDI, 79 cents. 1 slightly larger jar of applesauce from Janine's Kitchen, (which may or may not contain harmful bacteria in a week) $3.10 --not including the five hours of labor.

Now, for a taste test. Julia and Jarom can eat a jar a day. ALDI: 2 thumbs up. Mom's: one thumb sideways (translates to, kinda good, kinda not.) Well, I attempted to be domestic. I tried to put my love and time into food for my family. I am quite proud of myself for successfully accomplishing a new task, but the critics speak for themselves. This experience gets 1 thumb down (translates to kinda good, mostly not!!)

Oklahoma State Fair

2008-09-20T12:44:00.000-05:00

When we first moved to Oklahoma in the fall of 1998, we decided to attend the strangely popular Tulsa State fair. It us like the highlight of people's lives here. You can even get a season pass to go all 11 days. We paid $4 each to ride the roller coaster and saw someone vacuuming his cow. We have been back on occasion with the boys, but haven't been for a few years. This year, being relatively new to OKC, we decided to give the Oklahoma State fair a try. We are the kind of parents that I resented as a child. Poor kids. We parked in the lot closest to all of the games and rides and made the kids walk through, looking and dreaming of each ride, but not being allowed to actually ride them. I felt for them, because my parents would have done the same thing to me when I was a child. Go right past the attractions to find the free stuff! We saw a wild west tragedy, oh, I mean comedy. We saw a really cool sea lion show. We saw some dogs jump really high to catch frisbees. We saw death defying motorcycle dudes ride in a metal ball. We saw an hour old calf (Kinda glad we were an hour late).

I am in a little contest for healthy eating and therefore had to find something to eat that wasn't a deep fried twinkie, deep fried mac and cheese, deep fried mashed potatoes, or any other thing you can or can't imagine fried. I settled for the only veggie I saw at the fair---roasted corn on the cob. It was good! Rocky and I thought about sharing a Turkey leg too, but for $7.....

We only had like $12 in cash between the two of us (what's new) and refused to pay the $3.75 transaction fee at the ATM (probably something else I can blame on my parents), so we ended up eating when we got home.

All in all, we had a fun afternoon, at least most of us did. True to form, when we left, I asked Jarom if he had fun. He said, "kinda yes, mostly no."

I asked him why he can't ever just say, "it was great mom, thanks so much for taking me out of school early to go to the fair!" He didn't have a response to that.

One day my children will have children and will no doubt walk their kids right past the main attractions strait to the free stuff. No doubt they will blame it on me as I blame it on my parents. Jarom will most likely have a child who is as hard to impress as he is. And in Oklahoma, the state fair will continue to be the model of healthy living or the premier of deep fried.....you fill in the blank.

Boomer Sooner

2008-09-06T19:47:00.000-05:00

The Oklahoma Flag

Living in Oklahoma for 11 years and not attending an OU football game is like living in Salt Lake City for 11 years and not go skiing. Well, I have done both. And it took me 18 years to get on the slopes in Salt Lake, so I am ahead of the game so to speak in Oklahoma. Our friends had some extra tickets and Rocky and I eagerly accepted them. We actually made it there without getting lost and found our seats with no problem. The only thing is, turns out we didn't need them. No one there actually uses seats. But I was determined because I noticed on the ticket stub that the seats cost $62.00 a piece. Yes, that is a lot of dough. And why would one pay so much money for seats at an OU game and not use them? This is what I coudn't figure out the whole time we were there! No one sat, they all stood the whole time. Granted, I myself did not actually pay $62.00 for my seat, but someone did and I assumed it was for my tiny heiny. Apparently true OU fans do not sit. But I sat and felt a little conspicuous as I was probably breaking some long standing sooner rule. I watched most of the game between the very tall shoulder and short head in front of me on the jumbo tran. Rocky says we could do that at home in A/C, so he actually did stand a whole lot. But then, his heiney is tinier than mine, so sitting is not so comfortable. I did stand for cool plays and just long enough to catch the ball in the endzone after one of the touch downs. Lucky for me, only it is not like baseball, you can't keep it. But I darn well was going to get my picture with it, if only to prove to Jeffrey that I can catch a ball. So, Rocky was fumbling with his camera phone (give him a break, he only got it yesterday) and the rest of the people around us were yelling, "We haven't got all day." But I prevailed, and got the picture below, cute huh!

My other discomfort came from the sea of red and white all around me. One who grows up a BYU fan in Utah does not really feel comfortable around so much red. Granted, OU is actually crimson, but when the sun is shining and everyone is packed in so close together, it screams UTES! I was actually uncomfortable the whole drive there with Rocky in the color of the enemy. But I must overcome my feelings toward red and white, because that is the color of football around these parts. Jeffrey, being a true Okie, has no allegiance to blue and white, he has labled himself and OU fan and plans to go to college there in his future. We shall see!

Thanks to the babysitter who made the day possible and to the giver of great tickets that were potentially great seats if anyone cared to take one.

The Lion, the Witch and the Lamp Post?

2008-09-03T13:57:00.000-05:00

We lived in Jenks, Ok for nearly 10 years and in that time drove Elwood a dozen times a month at least, but we never knew until after we moved, that Jenks America is infamous for more than just great antique shopping. We visited our old ward and were driving back to the Neal's (the best hotel in town) and caught a view of the following:

We slammed on the brakes and stared. We were looking for Peter, Susan, Lucy and that sullen, stubborn other boy (I forget his name, Edward maybe, that sounds about right) to come out of the woods and back into the real world. If nothing else, maybe the magistic Asland would proudly make and appearance. We didn't have too long to sit and stare as traffic was backing up behind us, but it does leave one to wonder. What is that lamp post doing in the middle of the woods and where will it take you?

Chocolate Bliss

2008-08-31T21:32:00.000-05:00

For all of you who really love chocolate, you must try this recipe. I had it every night of my cruise and thought I would have to endure Carnival again just to get a fix. Unfortunately for my self control, it is so easy to make, and sooooooo amazing to devour. My young friend Nicole looked as if she had a new best friend as she ate it and insisted that I must put the recipe on my blog, so here it is. Pick a special occasion and indulge.

Warm Chocolate Melting Cake
2 sticks butter
8 oz dark chocolate chips
5 eggs (room temp)
2/3 cup flour
1/2 c plus 1 T sugar

Melt butter and chocolate chips until warm, but not boiling. Beat together eggs and sugar, then add flour. Gradually add choc mixture and mix until smooth. Grease 8 individual 4 oz ramekins and fill to line. Bake at 400 for 10-11 min. Cool for 5-10 min. When you insert spoon, chocolate should ooze out. Serve with Vanilla ice cream for double indulgence. Store leftovers (what leftovers?) in airtight bag and reheat for 15 sec in microwave to enjoy the next day.

Meals on Wheels

2008-08-25T12:48:00.000-05:00

Now that the boys are in school, Julia are left on our own to deliver meals on wheels each Monday. She loves to push the cart down the halls of this retirement building. We stop at each door and knock, then she folds her arms and patiently waits for each door to open. The residents love seeing her, but she will only stare at them with a very solemn look.

Once we finish deliveries, she gets to ride the cart on top back to the van. Julia loves delivering wheels and she is so fun to watch.