Fall Fun

The kids had Fall break this week. We went to the zoo on Tuesday with some friends, the Caddys. The kids had so much fun being at the zoo with friends. It was so fun watching them chase each other and talk and laugh. It was exactly what my kids needed after so much time couped up in the apartment. The weather was absolutely perfect. This is when iving in AZ is fun.



I decided, totally last minute, to drive to Colorado with the kids to see Grandma and Grandpa. We left Wedensday. We enjoyed a beautiful drive through the mountains. Fall was at it's peak. The colors were so gorgeous. I didn't realize how homesick for the different seasons I was until I could see them again. Fall in my hometown of Craig is so amaxingly beautiful. I can't even describe the gratitude I felt for all of God's creations on this trip. We saw the beautiful trees in all their many colors, llamas, prairie dogs, deer, antelope, sandhill cranes, and buffalo. The kids had a blast looking out the window trying to see all the wildlife and mountains. We had fun traveling together.


We spent Thursday at my parents raking leaves and running and jumping in the piles and climbing the trees in the yard. The kids had fun playing with all of Grandma's stuffed animals. Her giant panda was a police car and the baby was the police man. The kids were spoiled by their grandparents and they soaked up every second of their love.









Friday we went to Dinosaur National Monument and the Dinosaur Field House Museum in Vernal, UT. The monument is under construction so there wasn't much to do there except hike- not exactly what my body needed after the 13 hour drive. But, the kids did get some things to doodle on for the rest of the drive to Vernal. The Field House Museum was the best dinosaur museum I have been to. They had a complete dploducus skeleton. The whole museum was completely hands on for the kids. Everywhere we looked there was something for the kids to touch or do. It was so fun. Not once were the kids bored. They had so much fun learning and remembering all the things they have learned in all the dinosaur books they have read. This museum is in a little town in UT, but it was the best museum ever. So much fun!!!












We had a great drive home on Saturday. The drive along the CO river through western Colorado was so gorgeous. The river and the fall colors was picture perfect- man I miss Colorado. We drove through Moab and stopped at Wilson's Arch just off the highway. I let the kids talk me into hiking to the top. It was fun going up, coming down was an experience. We crab walked our way down in a line so we wouldn't slip down the rocks. Going down with 3 kids was an adventure in itself! We made it down safe and sound.

I am so glad we were able to go on this trip. I learned my limitations, but I would probably do it all over again just to see the joy on my children's faces as they spent time with Grandma and Grandpa and the "other" dinosaurs. (I love you Mom and Dad). Sorry that was too funny.

We now have a couple of busy weeks ahead. We are celebrating Daniel's birthday on Saturday. We are making our Halloween costumes and getting those ready. Halloween will be so much fun this year. All of the costumes are all hand made with the kids' help. So much fun!

Back to School!

Summer is over and school has begun. Noah had a great first week and a half. He loves his 1st grade teacher, Mrs. Vaughan. She is really nice and has gotten Noah super excited about reading. Noah is happy because his favorite pal, Gabby, is in his class again. They sit right across from each other. Noah loves lunch time this year. He gets the school lunch and he loves it. I love it because I don't have to get anything ready in the mornings!

Dustin started classes this week as well. He is going to be BUSY! He has had such a nice summer break, everything seems so daunting right now. I know he will pull through as he always has. The kids will miss their Daddy, but it is the last semester!


Daniel starts his preschool again next week. Everything finally got worked out. There was so much confusion for awhile, but Daniel is back in the Community Ed. program with the same teacher and the same speech teacher as last year. I am really glad. Mrs. Norgren knows how to handle my son and what to do for him to help him. I am pretty sure Daniel will start out on his own carpet square again this year!


I also am introducing piano lessons to Noah. He is super excited and can't wait to start. Actually, we have started some and he is so excited to move on. It is so fun watching him learn. We are also continuing our nightly chapter book reading. I read him some books that are harder for him to read. It is our time together. We read Harry Potter II over the summer. We are now on the last Mouse and the Motorcycle book.

So that is our life in a nutshell- oh except for this: I was released as the Primary chorister a couple of weeks ago. I now get to enjoy my Sunday's. I actually needed to be let go because I am not dealing with my fibro pain well at all. It would take me a good 2-3 days to feel better after all my efforts on Sunday. With how busy Dustin will be this semester, I knew I physically could not continue on. So, now I am taking it easy and reading all the books I can, and keeping my family running as best as I can.

In Memory of Joan Frier

29 January 1939- 5 July 2009

We had the great honor to see Joan Frier, Dustin's mom, one last time before she passed away quite suddenly- for us. Joan had been fighting mouth cancer this last year and a half. She was going through chemo and radiation. In December, she told us it was pretty well gone. She had one last round of chemo but it kept being delayed because her white blood cell count was low. The doctors kept waiting for the numbers to go up. We kept planning trips to Kingman and would have to cancel the last minute because Jodi would keeo getting sick. We didn't want Jodi getting Joan sick. We kept in touch with Joan. Our last few conversations were really short. She told Dustin her chin was swelling and had an indection in it. We didn't realize the severity of it, nor did she want any of her children to know.

We finally managed a trip to Kingman to celebrate my birthday and the 4th of July. We had a wonderful time, and were in a little shock at how old and sick Joan looked. Her chin was so swollen; it was like there was a tennis ball stuffed into her chin. She also was suffering from congestive heart failure- her legs were swollen as well. She was all wrinkles on top and smooth on the bottom.

Despite her looks, Joan still had plenty of laughs. She enjoyed the little firecrackers we brought- my children as well as the real ones. The kids made her laugh. She enjoyed watching them play in her fountain, Daniel play with her stuffed bird, Jodi sing and twirl around her house, Noah playing GI Joe on the floor, me yelling at the kids and chasing them around, and fun conversation with her baby, Dustin.

We had a wonderful babrbecue with Dustin's brother Scott and his family and then enjoyed the fireworks display. We said our goodbyes and drove back to Phoenix after the fireworks. We got the phone call the next evening that Joan passed away.

We had the great honor to see her one last time and to see her smile with the joy that she always had. We are grateful that she was able to see her grandchildren and her son one last time. The funeral was this last Sunday. Dustin officiated at his mother's funeral and did a beautiful job. He was the calming hand, the rock of faith his brothers needed.

I will miss Joan's singing and laugh and tickles. My children will miss their grandmother very much. Dustin is now an adult orphan, but he is happy knowing that his parents are together again in the Spirit World. I am grateful for the knowledge that I have that families can be together forever. We loved Joan and will miss her dearly.

A Little While

OK, So I think it has been long enough since I last wrote an update. The end of the school year became quite busy for us. Dustin was plowing through another semester- he passed and we are on to the last semester in August. Noah had so many end of the year programs, parties, and a try at T-Ball. Noah liked TBall when it was his turn to hit, or when he was the catcher. He did not like playing the outfield. He did not like TBall when the temperature reached 100 degrees either. It was good fir him. Daniel and Jodi enjoyed playing in the dirt each game. Bath, dinner, books, bed was our moto for the month of April and May.


I spent the last weekend of May at Flute camp. I went to it all excited and left quite deflated. I have not practiced my flute once in a month. I lost the drive for some reason. I have gotten back into my summer reading and have read many books with more on my to-read-list.

I honestly have no idea where the month of June went. It was here and now it is gone. I feel like I don't have much to show for it. The kids have taken awhile to learn how to play with each other all day long again. The days seem longer to me. I understand how parents are very much ready for their children to be in school again. I wish that at times as they are pestering, fighting, or yelling at each other. Where did the love go?

We have had to take Jodi into an immunologist. She gets every little infection and it always ends in her chest and on antibiotics and breathing treatments. Her blood work turned out normal, but they are keeping her on the breathing treatments twice a day for the next 6 months. It is really hard to keep up with it, but hopefully the infections will stay away because of it.

We are going to Kingman for the 4th of July to spend a few days with Grandma Joan- Dustin's mom. It will be good to see her again. It has been too long since our last visit and the kids miss their Grandma. I love going to smaller towns to watch the fireworks as well. Craig, CO or Kingman, AZ sure is a lot cooler than here and less crowded as well!

So, Happy 4th of July to everyone. I love this country and the liberty and freedom we enjoy. I love the spirit of those founding fathers and hope we can all find that spirit again. Happy Birthday USA!

Good Job, Daniel!

We have been working really hard with Daniel and his behavior. He just loves to torment his siblings- and his parents!!! We have been doing incentive charts with him for quite some time now. Sometimes I wonder why we are even doing it, but then other times I see Daniel trying so hard to do what is right. We had a break through day on Monday. I don't know if it was because we started our ward's "media fast," or if it was because I had that specific prayer in my heart that day, or that Daniel just decided to try to be good. Whatever it was, Monday was a great day for us. Daniel listened, was ever so polite to Jodi, was wonderful at preschool. He truly earned those last 2 stickers. He was working for a "Build-A-Bear" and he earned it after a month of 1 step-forwards/2 steps back!





We had fun removing the stickers for his next project- a Happy Meal with Mommy.

Spring Break and Acupuncture

I have so much to share, so excuse the length of this post. I don't get to the computer as often as I would like thanks to a wonderful husband who is doing a great job of studying a lot!

We decided to go to Los Angeles and San Diego for our spring break. We first visited my younger brother in L.A and enjoyed the fun of the Natural History Museum and the Air and Space Museum. We had a great time with "Uncle Lief." The kids really liked the Nat. His. Museum. They had a life size baby triceratops moving puppet. It was really neat.






They loved all the animals that they never get to see in a zoo- walrus, hippos, buffalo, etc....










We went to the San Diego Zoo the next day. I loved watching the kids get excited over the animals. Daniel loved destroying every pretty flower that came across his path. Noah loved all the monkeys and the sky train. Jodi loved fighting with Daniel over which side of the stroller was "hers." I was so ready to go back to the hotel and soak in the hot tub-which we all did! The kids really had a great time. We loved the animals and just being together as a family- for the most part :)
<









We had planned on spending the whole next day at the beach and the USS Midway. But, Noah's throwing up and scorching high fever after the zoo, and Dad's fever put a bust on our plans. We did go to the USS Midway. The kids, Dustin especially, loved the air craft carrier. They had a good time and they did so good despite not feeling good.








We also went to the beach and stayed long enough to build a real sand castle and for Daniel to destroy it. We came home with a very sick family.


Noah finally was feeling better by Tuesday. Dustin got strep throat and tonsilitis at the same time. Daniel has the sickies now and Jodi is bringing up the rear! Noah has been so burnt out this week with TBall. He loves it and is doing good- if we can get him to pay attention to the ball when the other team is at bat.

I made a leap of faith and decided to try acupuncture to try to eliminate my pain. It hurt having the needles in my leg. The Dr. said it was because my back was so tender. Then, she did a cupping therapy. This was really trippy. She took a flame and heated up glass balls with openings and stuck them on my back. My skin was sucked into the cups and left like that for 10 minutes. When she came back my back was free of pain- enough to have a little massage. I can not tell you the last time I have been able to have someone rub or even brush my back without me wincing in pain. It was a miracle for me. I may have looked like I lost a fight with an octopus, but I am feeling amazing. I go back in a week for more torture and then sweet relief!

That's a quarter taped to my back for comparison. It looks nasty but doesn't hurt at all!

Daniel's Portraits

Ok, So I have been terrible about keeping up with the kids portrait pictures. It has been 2 years since we last took some of Daniel. So, now we have finally taken them and here they are. He is quite the cutie!