Picture of the Day

Questions Of The Day

What If

By Deacon:

What if you could drive for 10 hours to get $10, and then you could give that $10 to someone that could give you a super power to control nature; like the water and earth. Would you?

Like, you could make a giant hand out of dirt come out of the ground and make it do what you wanted.

What if you could do any kind of job at all to earn a million dollars and then trade it for a super power. Would you?

Deer Creek Evening

We just got back from Lake Tahoe yesterday. Tomorrow is Jahde's birthday and we had plans to meet up with everyone for an evening of canoeing and paddle boarding at Deer Creek reservoir to celebrate. Lucy and I were out running errands when we pulled into the driveway to see that Dae was mowing the lawn and had the truck and canoe all neatly strapped down and ready to go. A rush of thankfulness and love enveloped me as I quietly smiled and watched him out there working alone. Lucy immediately exclaimed, "Oh!!!!...Now I know why you love him so much! Look at how cute he is!!"

She is so right.

We all wanted to bring Jack. He had just barely gotten home from a 10 day sleepover away from home and away from us. We missed him and we didn't want to leave him just yet. We brought his doggie life vest, even though you don't see him wearing it now, he was most of the time. Damon ended up getting yelled at for bringing Jack in the water and even on the beach at all, so we had to tie him up the rest of the time. 

 We still ended up having a lot of fun and the kids were out on the water practically the whole time.

Deac Lately

Deac is loving soccer this season. He is getting so good at it. This year he was on 2 boys in his neighborhood's team and he will play against Noah on the last game.

Here Deac is with olive fingers and trimming his nails on the toilet while reading his favorite series right now, Geronimo Stilton. 

He has been growing this specimen below for a couple months now on his dresser. He was so incredibly excited about it. He ordered it from the book fair. He is the only child of mine who has been this interested in that. What he wrote on the “do not touch paper” cracks me up.

And this is what his dresser looks like from a farther view...it's simply...wow. When we both walked in and looked at his "clean" room together, we both looked at his dresser and his eyes said, "heh..."

I spy: A dried sunflower, 2 elastic bracelets, a $2 bill, a crocodile, a heart shaped rock, a lightning bolt, a quarter, and a white Lego man.

Deac, I want you to know how much I love you. You are a joy to this mother. I wouldn’t want you any other way but yourself.

Race Day

It's that time of year again. School is nearing it's end which means it is racing time. Something Deac is all about. He ran a lot faster this year than last. I watched him smiling as he passed kid after kid and came in 7th for 3rd grade boys. Not too shabby!

A Two Digit Birthday

For Deac's 10 year old birthday, he invited Noah to be his birthday comrade.

The plan for the evening was to play on the trampoline,

EAT PIZZA,

open presents(nerf gun from Noah, bunchems from Lucy, ornage disc from Dae, giant bubbles not shown from Kandus, and a skate board coming in the mail tomorrow...that I picked out a day too late:/)

go to Hang Time(one of his favorite places on earth),

and then come home and eat birthday doughnuts and ice cream!!

It was such a fun night!

Deacon Went Bowling

Today Deac and I went with his 3rd grade class to Jack and Jill's to bowl. It was his very first time ever and he beat everyone in our group of 7, including me. I came in second to last. He was giddy with pride. I couldn't believe it.

Two Digits

Deac came up to me shortly after he woke up this morning, as happy as ever, and proudly announced, "Mom, I'm two digits!"

To Deac: Did you know, your dad and I BOTH remember saying that very same thing when we turned 10? I remember thinking it was the coolest thing ever to not be only one lowly number anymore. Two digits is monumental! 

Deac, I want you to know how much I love you. How much fun I have talking and laughing with you, and listening to all of your genius ideas for building and fixing things. You make our family a happy place that I love. It wouldn’t be the same without you. I am amazed by your kindness and desire to be a respectful person. Those things are so important. Don’t ever stop being you. We need you. Love you always, mom.

Grandma Lu and Deac

 Celebrating grandma Lu and Deac's birthday today at grandma's house.

The Inventor

While the girls were at piano lessons this afternoon, Deac and I took Jack for a walk to see Kevin Bacon, the pig. On the way Deac was running full blast back and forth in front of me on the sidewalk trying to make his kite fly. He learned how to make handmade kites at scouts a couple months ago and made this one today all by himself out of newspaper, sticks, yarn, tape, and a popsicle stick as a handle.

It was just windy enough that he was making it fly up just a foot or two above his head. He was so proud of it and was telling me on the way how much he likes making things. He wants to become even better at making and inventing things. He now has made 2 cars(one of which his friend at school partly smashed), a top that can also fly, 2 flying spinners, a regular top, and a Frisbee that really works.

The determination and excitement on his face during our walk is what kept my attention. That, and how handsome, smart, and kind he is turning out to be...I can't even believe it. I couldn't stop smiling as he was speeding past me like a young "flash". 

14 Cubic Yards

We had a load of garden soil mixture(14 cubic yards) brought by and plopped in front of our house on the street last night. I felt almost embarrassed as we got looks from a few neighbors, I assumed because of the giant daunting size of it. Dae took 3 days off this week so that we could work on the yard together during Spring break. So today we rented a mini bobcat tractor and slaved all day long until dinner, putting the soil in flower box after flower box and when those were full, it went in a big giant pile on the patio in the back yard to be added to places later on(like the rock wall). To think I was worried at first that we wouldn't have enough...I now believe that the landscaper estimated a little too much. There is one thing I did learn and that was how incredibly good Dae was at driving that "thing" around. He was an absolute pro. He couldn't stop it from tearing up our grass though. Deac and Lucy worked so hard along side us all day while Skipper was playing at Disneyland with Lexi. When we were close to getting done I mentioned jokingly to the Deac and Luce, that when she gets home we should have her do all our jobs for us for a week. There was a pause and then absolute seriousness in Deac's voice when he answered, "Yeah, we should. Can we please do that mom?" He also told Lucy in private that he wished I would just finish all the shoveling myself.

Jack took off for an hour on the town today while we were busy and no one saw him get out. He came back in a panic, pawing at the front door and licking his lips...I wonder. He was then fed lunch by Lucy and then accidentally fed lunch again 30 minutes later by Dae, not realizing. He wolfed down his second hobbit lunch just as quickly and hungrily as he did the first, no surprise there. He was sick later that day because of it.

Rock Band

The boys (Jaxon and Deacon) playing rock band.

Welcome Home Sign and Valentine Boxes

No matter how many times I have tried to save one of the many cool signs Lucy makes for dad or any one of us to reuse, she doesn't want it. She likes to make new ones. I guess it is all in the doing it that means something to her, which I totally understand. It is never expected, but I love that she does that for us. The kids spent the evening doing crafty things...

 Lucy and Deacon's Valentine boxes for school.

Museum of Natural Curiosity

Deac and I went on a field trip together today with his 3rd grade, to Thanksgiving Point's Museum of Natural Curiosity. I had never been there before, he had. It was a great time and I'm glad I went with him. As tradition has it we had to do crazy selfies together on the bus ride. Here we are...

The First Snow On Thanksgiving

Today was the first snow this year and it happens to be Thanksgiving. It was barely a skiff on the ground, maybe an inch. Lucy and Deac were so excited about even a small amount that they went out and layed in it for a while. This is what I saw when I looked out the window and laughed...Lucy was on her back, Deac was laying face down licking it.

Merry Thanksgiving!

While The Girls Were Away

I don't know if you heard, but the girls went to the state of Indiana with grandma LuJean, grandpa Bart, and their cousin Amie Jo, to visit their other cousin Emily. They took off 2 days ago and have been having a blast.

I'm sure when they get home they will write all about their adventures there. Here is some of what we have been up to at home without them and during fall break.

A hair cut.

Disc golf with dad.

Beautiful Art Dye park in the fall.

 And eating Thai food!