Amazing Saturday

Not sure if I can express exactly what I'm feeling from today. Just a normal simple Saturday, started out with a 5:30am run (I went early so I could be home by 7 for Ron to go to Basketball). Then out the door at 8:40am for Mason's football game. When I got home from my hair appointment this afternoon Ron was working in the backyard trimming the branches on our giant tree. We worked on cutting, trimming and clearing that tree for 3 hours. Such a big chore (and we STILL didn't get ALL of it trimmed back) but I can honestly say this big family activity was the highlight of my week. I watched as my husband cautiously climbed and cut away at branches mindful of us below (Ron at one point while balancing on a branch, jokingly reminded me he had life insurance through work--not funny). I observed my children hard at work helping anyway they could to pick up branches, twigs and leaves. Mason impressed me the MOST. He didn't stop working. He hauled branch after branch out to the trailer with NO COMPLAINTS! He would notice my arms heavy with branches and quickly come to my aid lightening my load and holding the gate open for me. I was on such a high and kept thinking over and over how blessed we are. What more could I want from life than to work side by side with my wonderful family! At one point Ron was praising Mason and offered to get him a special treat and even pay him for being so helpful. Mason stunned me with his response "You don't need to do that. You don't have to pay me." Who are you and what have you done with my Mason?!?! LOL

We finished up the day at the dump (which my kids reminded me constantly how much it stinks) and then dinner at Rumbi's as a family! A normal day but to me a memorable one. Feeling blessed (a little beat-up from the branches and I'll probably be sore tomorrow but I'm happy non-the-less)

  

Poor Noah miscalculated where some stray branches were in Ron's arms. He didn't see it coming.

Noah cracks me up. He loaded a whopping total of like 3 twigs and got tired out. As we were loading up the trailer he looks at all the branches and states "Whoa. That's a big pile of sticks. I did that all by myself"

Mason Moment!

I HAVE to blog about this. Mason brought me to happy tears tonight. Wednesdays are typically very hectic for us. Mason has Music class from 4:40-5:30pm, then we go to cub scouts from 6-7 pm. I'm over the Wolves (8 yr. old boys, and I say "we go" because Ron usually isn't home from work by then so my kids tag along.) THEN at 7pm Ron is off to mutual at the church. This week I was released from cub scouts (I've been called as the Stake Girls Camp Director, I still can't believe it! crazy!) For scouts this week I planned an activity where the boys could meet their new leaders and afterwards I met with the new leaders to discuss the cub scout program and answer any questions they had. It was a little crazy because Ron wasn't home and my kiddos were still awake but I managed. As this new couple were getting ready to leave I introduced them to Mason and told him they would be his cub scout leaders when he turned 8 this year. (I STILL can't believe Mason will be 8 in October) Mason quietly said "Hi" and they left our home.
As I was straightening up and gearing up for bedtime Mason somberly approached me and asked "I thought YOU were going to be my cub scout leader?" As I look at his sweet face my heart melted a little as I notice his teary eyes. I explained to him that I had been released and that wasn't my job anymore. He hugged me and we talked for a bit. I was on cloud nine the rest of the evening! His words kept echoing in my ears "Mom. I want you to be my cub scout leader" I know my kids love me but sometimes it's just nice to have that confirmed. I'm not going to forget tonight for a while! I love this boy and am LOVING watching the young man he is becoming.

Happy Birthday to me!

Had such a wonderful day! (Or should I say week?!) It's true what they say about getting older, your Birthday is less and less extravagant. However, what "they" don't say is as you get older your birthday gets stretched out and lasts longer and longer! I feel like I've been celebrating my birthday for a week now! Between lunch dates, heart attack, a cookie bouquet delivery, date nights, Birthday cards and wishes I truly feel loved and SPOILED!
32 isn't so bad after all!
The night before my birthday I had just put my kids to bed and was laying with Callie to help her fall asleep. We both dozed off and I woke up to a small noise. I figured it was Ron getting home from mutual so I snuck out of her room. I went to my bedroom and got on the computer. I kept hearing some noises and thought "that's weird. I didn't hear Ron's car door or car alarm beep why isn't he just coming inside?"... then my imagination kicked in and I thought it could be someone trying to break in... so I investigated. As I peered through the peep-hole I could see Maryann and Maddy whispering and working on something on my front door. At first I wasn't going to let my presence known and I started walking away from the door with a smile on my face. Then I changed my mind and quickly unlocked the door and flung it open. And this is what I saw:

 Heart Attack!

 Ron had a flower bouquet sent to my work. He's such a sweetie!

 

 YUMMY!

Noah's Breakfast

"Noah, What do you want for breakfast?"
Noah's reply "Green beans please"
Green beans it is! Crazy kid!

Such a good eater! I love this kid!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve Traditional dinner with Falers and Nativity reenactment. Callie thought that the Angel needed a baby angel to accompany her. We had a small group this year because Corinne's family went to Idaho for the holidays. 

We crashed the Huber's Christmas Eve too! And miraculously got a family picture with EVERYONE! I think the last time they had one of these was when Mike got home from his mission?!?! I love this crazy family but they have got to work on their phobia of the camera! lol Seriously, they never take pictures! I think this one turned out great!

Santa came! (I never did finish decorating my poor tree! Oh well)

The new Family pet:

After much deliberation we decided to purchase a Bearded Dragon. I'm a little nervous that we might have bit off a little more than we can chew. This little guy as adorable as he is, can be a little high maintenance. He needs to live in a hot temp environment (which means he requires expensive equipment), has a high protein diet including live crickets, and he will grow as big as 2 feet long. Mason named him within minutes! 

Rocky

  He is very "tame" let's you hold him like this for long periods of time. The perfect reptile for little kids.

After a little research I learned you need to have a separate home for the crickets. You also need to buy cricket food and water (not just water it's called "cricket quencher" a gel you feed to them to prevent cricket drownings. If you give them just water they are so dumb they will crawl in the water and drown).

I've even learned to "dust" the crickets with vitamins and calcium that Rocky needs.

I still can't believe that we own a pet DRAGON!  

Mason, Mason, Mason

Mason came home from school with this card. I was shocked and sad to admit he never said anything to me about this Jimmy kid. I didn't want to make a big of a deal of the situation, but curiosity got to me. When I asked Mason he just shrugged his shoulders and not give me any concrete answers. So I turned to Mason's cousins (he rides the bus with my sister Maddy's kids). I love this because I feel like they have his back and he's not alone on the bus. Corbin was so fun to discuss this matter with, he read the card and agreed that Jimmy is a punk and wasn't very nice to Mason. He went on to explain that Jimmy is mean to other kids too and even made another kid cry on the bus. To quote Corbin "But Mason is really tough and never cried." (The look on Masons face was priceless as Corbin is relaying these events! His proud smile was so adorable.) I'm still not really sure the events that led up to this apology note but I've accepted the fact that I can't micromanage everything in Mason's life.

Mason's personality is very fun, I love how "tough" he is emotionally. Things just roll right off of him, he shrugs and keeps going. I admire this a lot about him. He is like this when he gets sick as well. In fact Ron and I were just discussing how Mason never gets sick and when he does you rarely know it, he handles it like a champ. I get to help in Mason's class 2 times a month. He really likes his teacher Ms. Rother, for the most part I think Mason is a good student. He makes friends very easily and is very social. In fact being social is what gets him in trouble. His weekly progress reports state his only issue is his socializing during class. Oops. He MAY have gotten that from me.

This progress report made me laugh out loud! This kid cracks me up!

Family pictures!

We had our family pictures taken a month ago. But I havn't posted about it because to be honest that day was just not a good one. Picture day is always stressful as it is but this year was particularly bad. We just had some wardrobe malfunctions and differences of opinions. I'm leaving it at that! Despite our last minute changes and being late to our own photo shoot, I think we got some decent pictures. I love the pictures with just the kids in them. Our photographer Mele is amazing!