"Ummm, Mrs. Hall, ... I don't THINK it's broken..."

It's always a little nerve-racking when you see your child's school on caller ID.

Forehead vs. Nose/Lip
Just a slight football accident at recess this morning. Can't wait to see how he looks in the morning. :)

(These pictures don't do it justice...Aaron just got a new camera. I wish I knew how to use it.)

protruding lip

enlarged bridge of the nose

He is smiling now!!
He says "nothing hurts". He can't breath, but "nothing hurts".

Most kids at this age have "big honkin teeth" - I am shocked none of them fell out or is loose .



Way to Be Tough - Mackay!!

Who doesn't need a laugh???

It has been a weekend of deep thoughts.
My friend from middle school and high school passed away last Thursday.
Michele Beers was a great friend. I have many memories growing up with her. She was in our stake and, starting in 8th grade, we were in Dance Co. together. She was a riot! She was Fun, FUNNY, Friendly, and Sincere!

In the middle row - Michele Beers, Tiffany Bloomquist, Me (1991)

Finding out that someone your know has passed away and is YOUR SAME AGE makes you stop and think... I have thought so much about Life and Death this weekend that I am a bit exhausted.

Like I said in my first post on this blog - I tend to "sweat the small stuff" and over-think everything. I think "over-thinking" is my silent prayer to Heavenly Father, begging him to let me stay around for a long time and to not take anyone else close to me away.

Another Butler 8th ward member, Ross Clayton, passed away this weekend too. I was friends with his daughter, Debi. I have been in touch with her this week. Talking to her has made all the thoughts and emotions of losing my mom come flooding back. I keep reliving the week my mom died and thinking about another family having to do the same things we had to do.

Then, this morning, I checked a family friends blog about her struggles to have a baby. Her family and my family have been good friends since we were little. My mom and her mom were best friends.

Their family and mine, minus Adam and T.R. (2009)

Even when Kami didn't want anyone to know of her present situation, her mom would tell my mom, and my mom would always fill us in. We would then think about her and include her in our prayers. After reading that she, once again, has miscarried another baby, I was so sad for her. I remember how awful it was when I miscarried - twice - Kami has felt that empty heart-sick feeling not twice, but 13 times now. It broke my heart to read her blog this morning.

There is a lot of heart ache in the world, a lot of sadness. I spent all weekend with a heavy heart.
Then I came across this....

Adam and Josh (a long time ago)

It made me smile at first... then STARE... then giggle... then ask:
What were they doing??
Why did they do this??
Who took this photo?
Why did my mom put it in a book?

Then I just laughed. Who doesn't need a laugh??

It won't be funny to those who don't know these boys (my little brothers) in the photo, but to those who do... I hope you smile and laugh for a brief moment. Then go about your day. Say a little "gratitude" prayer. And do something kind for someone else.

Look Who We Got To Tend...

Colin Joshua

Benjamin Peter

Colin & Ben

Are they not the cutest???

Mackay - Colin - Hayden - Ben

Babies make me Happy!!

I will admit that I was a bit nervous to take care of TWO at one time, but it wasn't as hard as I thought. We had a great time!! I had great helpers too.
Thanks Josh and Megan for letting us play with your boys. We LOVED taking care of them.
Call us ANY TIME!!!

Assigned Seats

Last week, I was laying on my bed, watching nothing on TV, waiting for my kids to get home from school. Kenzie arrived 1st, as usual.

She never says much when she comes in. She is like her dad - she comes in the door, drops the mail on the counter. I ask, "How was your day?" She replies "Fine" and runs upstairs to her room. Five minutes later, she comes down in pajamas and makes herself a lunch/dinner (she doesn't like to eat at school, a bit of MY mother in her). I annoy her questions, but get little to no answers. She never tells me details of the day, no matter how much I beg. She likes to quietly unwind from the day, just like her dad.

Mackay, on the other hand, is just like me. He walks in, doesn't remove his coat or backpack, he makes a bee-line for his mother, and then fills me in. He tells me what he did at recess, what he ate for lunch, how he did in each class, he tries to tease me with spelling test scores, and let's me know what homework he needs to do. He is an open book, just like his mother.

Back to last week... Mackay came home 15 minutes after Kenzie. He came straight in my room, backpack, coat, and snowy shoes still on. His eyes were big. His face - intense. Our conversation went like this:

Mackay, in a stern voice: "I got an assigned seat."

Me, nonchalantly: "Good."

Mackay, again in a stern voice: "in the FRONT."

Me, with a happy sound: "Great! Now you won't have to use your glasses as much."

Mackay, loud and frank: "ON THE BUS!"

It's funny how those three words "ON THE BUS" completely changed the tone of our conversation.

Apparently, he and his buddy stood up (which they deny) while the bus was driving. Ron, the bus driver, slammed on the breaks, pulled the bus over, did some yelling, and put Mackay and his friend on the front seat of the bus. (I would have cried if the bus driver yelled at me.) Mackay tried to tell Ron that he wasn't standing but Ron told him "not to argue." (Can you just see it??)

Mackay now gets to sit on the front seat of the bus "for the rest of the school year." Unless.... someone else stands up on the bus and has to have the assigned seat.

Jason, Mackay, and Dustin coming off the bus on a happier day-
Dustin shares the assigned seat with him.

20 years...

Jenn & Scott were teenagers at Butler Middle School when their paths crossed. I think it was a science class in the 8^th grade. Jenn had a crush on the neighbor boy until the neighbor boy introduced her to his best friend, Scott.

Love at First Sight??? Probably.

Prom 1987

You see, Jenn is one of those people whose life turns out exactly how she planned it. Being her younger sister I watched, as she ALWAYS:
*chose the right
*got perfect grades
*came in on time
* never broke the rules

Oh, and:
*met
*dated
*helped baptize
*waited for while he served an LDS mission

And TWENTY YEARS AGO TODAY,
she married her Best Friend in the Salt Lake Temple.

Wedding Day - still looking for one of Jenn's face - she looked so beautiful!!

But it doesn't end there.

Jenn and Scott continue to live the life they always wanted.

20 years later...They have added three darling, responsible, kind, well-mannered children.

Jenn's Graduation from BYU with JESSICA

TANNER is born

SAM joins the family

Christmas 2010

The Family 2009

20 years later... They are active, healthy, supportive, respectful, and kind to one another.

20 Years Later... They are still Best Friends

20 years later... Scott still looks at Jenn the way he did in Junior High... totally in love.

I love you both and have looked up to you my entire life.

As your little sister, I always wanted to be

JUST LIKE JENN.

Now that I am older and married, I want to be

JUST LIKE JENN AND SCOTT -

20 Years Later Happy and in Love.

You and Scott are an amazing couple.

Twenty Years is just the beginning for the two of you!!

Happy Anniversary

Jenn and Scott!!

Written by Kenz (Choir Concert/Easter)

Recent Events

I had a Choir Concert. I found out my mom went out on a few dates with my Choir Director - Mr. Abbott - WEIRD!!

I have a red flower in my hair on the 3rd row.

Last week during gym I hurt my finger. I thought it was broken. My dad took an x-ray and it wasn't broken. It swelled up and turn lots of beautiful colors. It HURT!!

Me and My Swollen Finger

Today is Easter. We watched General Conference. My dad made me take notes.
For Easter, I got Pajamas, white sandals, a "M" necklace, flowers for my hair, and CANDY!

my Easter Basket in the middle.

4 COMMENTS:

1. 
   amandaApril 5, 2010 at 4:57 AM

   Welcome back to blogging!!! Looks like you had a fun Easter! Can't wait to see you in a few weeks:)

   Reply
2. 
   AlyssaApril 5, 2010 at 5:34 AM

   Too funny that your Choir Director dated your mom! Hope your finger is feeling better. Keep posting.

   Reply
3. 
   amandaMay 9, 2010 at 5:19 PM

   jane my firend has a blog and she has it fram march

   Reply
4. 
   amandaJuly 11, 2010 at 12:17 PM

   do some thing

Weekend Wrap Up

Friday Night -
We left the boys with Sam & took Kenzie to Uncle Adam's apartment to spend the night. Together, they wrote & recorded a song. It's actually really good. If I could figure out how to do a sidebar with songs, I'd put it on there & let you listen... :(

Aaron and I went to our first Independence Missouri Mission Reunion. Aaron served from January 1993-1995. I met Aaron the day I arrived in the mission, January 17, 1994. He was serving as AP at the time & picked me up from the airport - the rest is history. After all this time no one ever put a reunion together... until FRIDAY! It was so fun.

Independence Missouri Missionaries.

Aaron, Pres. & Sis. Murray, Me

President Murray - we LOVED serving under him. Amazing man!

Megin Otteson went to school with me and served in our mission.
She married an elder as well ...
There were actually 4 mission couples at the reunion
but we counted 7 or 8 couples that weren't there. Who would have thought????

Saturday,
We enjoyed watching General Conference. My boys quietly colored which allowed me to listen.
I loved Elder Ballard's talk on the relationship between a mother & daughter - I think he quoted Emerson(??) & said; "What you DO speaks so loud that I can not hear what you SAY." I need to apply that statement.
And, of course, I loved the BOLDNESS of Elder Holland - what an amazing message.

Coloring Boys

Quietly coloring boys

We colored Easter Eggs between the two sessions with Adam.

Sunday morning 7:30 am
We woke Kenzie - the boys were already awake. The Easter Bunny had arrived.

Mackay's, Kenzie's, and Hayden's Baskets

Kenzie and Mackay

All the kids got a baby chick.

We plan to watch the rest of conference today & then head over to my dad's home for dinner.

I always love Conference weekend - having a mission reunion, Easter, & spring break all on conference weekend made for a GREAT few days.

Just got home from Dad's -

Aaron chatting with Dan, Roe's son, and Kenzie looking over the yummy dinner.

Mackay and Hayden after the Easter Egg Hunt - Thanks Roe and Debbie (Roe's SIL)

Hayden

Sam, Roe's grandson and Hayden's buddy!