The Van Cleave Family

2012-02-04T17:59:00.001-08:00

Jasmyn just told us that during the funeral she felt someone grab her hand & squeeze it (like grandma was doing in the hospital). Her hand was warm - an indescribable (sp?) feeling - for about 5 minutes, then it was suddenly gone.

Jasmyn passed her drive test

2012-02-04T09:43:00.001-08:00

Jasmyn passed her drive test & is officially a licensed driver now!

Jasmyn passed her written test

2012-02-03T15:26:00.001-08:00

Jasmyn passed her written test today - drive test tomorrow morning at 9:15am!

Jasmyn - Sweet Sixteen tomorrow!

2012-02-03T14:49:00.001-08:00

I dropped off a balloon bouqet (sp?) to Jasmyn at school today. I also tied a sweet sixteen balloon to her locker - which she sucked the helium out of it 20minutes later! We're headed to the DOL so she can take her written test for her drivers license.

2011 Family Photos

2011-11-12T14:09:00.000-08:00

1st try family photos Nov 5th

June 24th ~ Adoption Day

Tami & Darwin Hall, Austin Hall, Spring, Ethan, Grayson, Jasmyn, Dave, Rex Hall, Linda Entwisle
June 24th Adoption Day

Duncan Gardens ~ Manito Park
August 2011

Ethan & Grayson
Nov. 5, 2011

The Van Cleave's
November 2011

Idaho Falls Temple Visitor's Center
July 13, 2011

Easter 2011

The Grand Teton's in Wyoming
July 15, 2011

Idaho Falls, Idaho
July 13, 2011

Father's Day ~ June 2011
The Van Cleave's Family with Spring's dad, Darwin & his dog "Sparky"

The Van Cleave Men ~ Grayson, Ethan, Dave

Grayson ~ November 5, 2011

Idaho Falls Temple Visitor's Center
July 2011

Grayson & Jasmyn

Jasmyn
November 5th

The Van Cleave's at Green Bluff with Dave's mom, Nan O'Keefe
September 2, 2011

The Van Cleave's
Martha, Jasmyn, Ron, Dave, Grayson, Spring & Ethan
at the Brigg Museum at Farragut State Park in Athol, Idaho
August 2011

The Van Cleave's at the Rose Garden at Manito Park in Spokane, WA
August 2011

The Van Cleave's at the Japanese Garden in Manito Park, Spokane, WA
August 2011

The Van Cleave's at John A. Finch Arboretum Park
November 5, 2011

Jasmyn, Ethan, Grayson
Tautphaus Park in Idaho Falls, ID
July 13, 2011

2 color mums

2011-10-24T15:24:00.001-07:00

I bought this YELLOW mum 3 years ago...and now this year, its half orange, half yellow! Weird!

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Hay ride @ A/C Starr Farm

2011-10-15T14:00:00.001-07:00

Jasmyn, Ethan, Austin, Ayden & Grayson

Jasmyn's Cake

2011-09-20T21:11:00.001-07:00

Cupcake Cake I decorated tonight in class

2011-09-20T21:02:00.001-07:00

Jasmyn & I are taking a cake making class at Michael's. It's a chocolate cake filled with Banana Cream pudding. Her cake was lemon with cheesecake filling. Her decoration was a fish swimming in water.

Ethan's 1st concert

2011-09-14T19:28:00.001-07:00

We're at the Weird Al Yankovic concert..

Kootenai Falls Swinging Bridge in MT

2011-08-25T21:25:00.001-07:00

kootenai falls

2011-08-25T21:14:00.001-07:00

Jasmyn's Diagnosis ~ Hashimoto's Disease

2011-08-17T19:31:00.000-07:00

Jasmyn saw the endocrinologist yesterday and was diagnosed with Hashimoto's disease. The doctor thinks that she got it from her dad, seeing as he has diabetes type I. He estimated that about two thirds of her thyroid is gone. He said if you have to pick an auto immune disease this is the "best" & easiest one to treat. She'll have to be on meds for the rest of her life & have blood tests every 3 months.

She hasn't had her period since October and if it doesn't start in 6 months (after thyroid meds have had a chance to work) then we'll have to figure that one out too.

Definition
By Mayo Clinic staff

Hashimoto's disease is a disorder that affects your thyroid, a small gland at the base of your neck, below your Adam's apple. The thyroid gland is part of your endocrine system, which produces hormones that coordinate many of your body's activities.

In Hashimoto's disease, also known as chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis, your immune system attacks your thyroid gland. The resulting inflammation often leads to an underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism). Hashimoto's disease is the most common cause of hypothyroidism in the United States. It primarily affects middle-aged women, but also can occur in men and women of any age and in children.

Doctors test your thyroid function to help detect Hashimoto's disease. Treatment of Hashimoto's disease with thyroid hormone replacement usually is simple and effective.

Symptoms

By Mayo Clinic staff

Hashimoto's disease does not have unique signs and symptoms. The disease typically progresses slowly over a number of years and causes chronic thyroid damage, leading to a drop in thyroid hormone levels in your blood. The signs and symptoms are mainly those of an underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism).

The signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism vary widely, depending on the severity of hormone deficiency. At first, you may barely notice any symptoms, such as fatigue and sluggishness, or you may simply attribute them to getting older. But as the disease progresses, you may develop more-obvious signs and symptoms. Signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism include:

· Fatigue and sluggishness, Increased sensitivity to cold, Constipation, Pale, dry skin, A puffy face, Hoarse voice, An elevated blood cholesterol level, Unexplained weight gain — occurring infrequently and rarely exceeding 10 to 20 pounds, most of which is fluid, Muscle aches, tenderness and stiffness, especially in your shoulders and hips, Pain and stiffness in your joints and swelling in your knees or the small joints in your hands and feet, Muscle weakness, especially in your lower extremities, Depression

Without treatment, signs and symptoms gradually become more severe and your thyroid gland may become enlarged (goiter). In addition, you may become more forgetful, your thought processes may slow or you may feel depressed.

Causes

Hashimoto's disease is an autoimmune disorder in which your immune system creates antibodies that damage your thyroid gland. Doctors don't know what causes your immune system to attack your thyroid gland. Some scientists think a virus or bacterium might trigger the response, while others believe a genetic flaw may be involved.

A combination of factors, including heredity, sex and age, may determine your likelihood of developing the disorder. Hashimoto's disease is most common in middle-aged women and tends to run in families.

Tests and diagnosis

By Mayo Clinic staff

In general, your doctor may test for Hashimoto's disease if you're feeling increasingly tired or sluggish, have dry skin, constipation and a hoarse voice, or have had previous thyroid problems or goiter.

Diagnosis of Hashimoto's disease is based on your signs and symptoms and the results of blood tests that measure levels of thyroid hormone and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). These may include:

A hormone test. Blood tests can determine the amount of hormones produced by your thyroid and pituitary glands. If your thyroid is underactive, the level of thyroid hormone is low. At the same time, the level of TSH is elevated because your pituitary gland tries to stimulate your thyroid gland to produce more thyroid hormone.

· An antibody test. Because Hashimoto's disease is an autoimmune disorder, the cause involves production of abnormal antibodies. A blood test may confirm the presence of antibodies against thyroid peroxidase, an enzyme normally found in the thyroid gland that plays an important role in the production of thyroid hormones.

In the past, doctors weren't able to detect underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism), the main indicator of Hashimoto's disease, until symptoms were fairly advanced. But by using the sensitive TSH test, doctors can diagnose thyroid disorders much earlier, often before you experience symptoms. Because the TSH test is the best screening test, your doctor will likely check TSH first and follow with a thyroid hormone test if needed. TSH tests also play an important role in managing hypothyroidism. These tests also help your doctor determine the right dosage of medication, both initially and over time.

Treatments and drugs

By Mayo Clinic staff

Treatment for Hashimoto's disease may include observation and use of medications. If there's no evidence of hormone deficiency and your thyroid is functioning normally, your doctor may suggest a wait-and-see approach. If you do need medication, chances are you'll need it for the rest of your life.

Synthetic hormones
If Hashimoto's disease causes thyroid hormone deficiency, you may need replacement therapy with thyroid hormone. This usually involves daily use of the synthetic thyroid hormone levothyroxine (Levothroid, Levoxyl, Synthroid). Synthetic levothyroxine is identical to thyroxine, the natural version of this hormone made by your thyroid gland. The oral medication restores adequate hormone levels and reverses all the symptoms of hypothyroidism.

Soon after starting treatment, you'll notice that you're feeling less fatigued. The medication also gradually lowers cholesterol levels elevated by the disease and may reverse any weight gain. Treatment with levothyroxine is usually lifelong, but because the dosage you need may change, your doctor is likely to check your TSH level every six to 12 months.

Monitoring the dosage
To determine the right dosage of levothyroxine initially, your doctor generally checks your level of TSH after a few weeks of treatment. Excessive amounts of the hormone can accelerate bone loss, which may make osteoporosis worse or add to your risk of this disease. Overtreatment with levothyroxine also can cause heart rhythm disorders (arrhythmias).

If you have coronary artery disease or severe hypothyroidism, your doctor may start treatment with a smaller amount of medication and gradually increase the dosage. Progressive hormone replacement allows your heart to adjust to the increase in metabolism.

Levothyroxine causes virtually no side effects when used in the appropriate dose and is relatively inexpensive. If you change brands, let your doctor know to ensure you're still receiving the right dosage. Also, don't skip doses or stop taking the drug because you're feeling better. If you do, signs and symptoms will gradually return.

Effects of other substances
Certain medications, supplements and even some foods may affect your ability to absorb levothyroxine. Talk to your doctor if you eat large amounts of soy products or a high-fiber diet, or if you take any of the following:

·         Iron supplements, including multivitamins that contain iron
·         Cholestyramine (Questran), a medication used to lower blood cholesterol levels
·         Aluminum hydroxide, which is found in some antacids
·         Sodium polystyrene sulfonate (Kayexalate), used to prevent high blood potassium levels
·         Sucralfate, an ulcer medication
·         Calcium supplements

Tired Grayson???

2011-08-05T14:42:00.001-07:00

A tough day of rafting the river with the grandparents...

Old Faithful Erupting at Yellowstone

2011-07-17T18:28:00.001-07:00

Don't know if the video shows it, but there was a rainbow to the left of the Geyser. We've been here so long we've seen it erupt 3 times!

Grayson praying for our car...

2011-07-16T13:00:00.001-07:00

So, we're sitting on the side of the road (Teton Pass), almost to Jackson, Wy; waiting for our brakes to cool down (they were SMOKIN' ) and Grayson says "has anyone said a prayer yet?". We asked him if he wanted to & he said, "yes". His prayer included some the following: "our tires don't break...get car to doctor, get it a shot..."

Idaho Falls Temple

2011-07-11T22:09:00.001-07:00

Dave Trap shooting

2011-06-08T18:23:00.001-07:00

Dave is 2 for 2 so far...

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Spring's HCG Diet - Round 1 - Before & After

2011-06-01T01:49:00.000-07:00

Fun at Cabella's

2011-05-28T16:34:00.001-07:00

Your own little tent & cot...Jasmyn's new home... She said "Dude if I ever became homeless and I had $300 left, I'd buy it 'cause then I'd have place to sleep!"

Jasmyn Skeet shooting for the 1st time

2011-05-28T13:17:00.001-07:00

Grayson's Soccer Game

2011-05-14T09:28:00.001-07:00

He's the one in his own little world...

The "EGG PRAYER" by a 3 year old

2011-04-22T10:43:00.000-07:00

Today Grayson says to me "Who's going to say the Prayer?"
Prayer for what Grayson? Grayson says "for the eggs".
I tell him that he can say it. He says: "ahem..fold your ams.."
Grayson then prays: "Dear Heavenly Father, please bless the eggs, that we boil the eggs, please bless we make eggs, Jesus Christ, Amen".
Then he turns to me and says: "That's how you say the 'Egg Prayer' mom!"
Then he had to go check and make sure i had put the eggs into the pan to boil. He is too cute!

Ethan's Highlight's

2011-03-30T17:53:00.001-07:00

Trying out a new hair color...

2011-03-30T12:39:00.001-07:00

So, I've never tried red before, just blondes, golds & browns. This burgandy with light jet black low lights. I did it yesterday, however this morning I discovered that i missed a few gray hairs around my face near my temples - for shame! So, I had to use "black cherry" to remedy that since i was all out of burgandy. Then I experimented with dying my eyebrows dark brown & my eyelashes black - it worked ok. Enough to notice without make-up, but will still need mascara if "dressing up". I will be adding color to jasmyn's hair tonight & will try to use foil...we'll see how that goes! Ethan wants blond hair - his first venture into the hair coloring world. I am going to try frosting it & if I mess up then he'll get blond all over!

My morning...and..Grayson's head wound

2011-03-08T14:31:00.001-08:00

I started my day by heading to MOPS (mothers of pre-schoolers), late of course. Grayson wanted to wear shorts even though it was snowing out. I left early at 10:30am so I could stop by Fred Meyer on my way to Ethan's Dr.Seuss Party at school, which started at 11am. I was unloading groceries at 10:50am...so we would have been on time, except Grayson stepped right into the sliding van door just as i was opening the door. It knocked him down & blood is everywhere on his face, i pick him up now blood is all over me, i lay him down in the seat, of course no napkins or wet wipes in the van, so i start rumaging thru 1st aid kit, found out all the "clean" wipes are dried out. Found a telfa pad for him to hold on gash until i could find steri-strips. I manage to get area cleaned up enough to close the 1" gash. We head home, get washed up, get tylenol, ice & lunch & make it to Ethan's school by
noon only to find out the party was over at noon, not 1pm! argh!

4 Wheelin Hamster

2011-01-01T21:12:00.000-08:00

Jasmyn's team won their game

2010-12-10T17:21:00.001-08:00

Jasmyn's team won their game tonight against Riverside 39-6

Note I wrote to Jasmyn's School...

2010-12-08T08:33:00.001-08:00

Please excuse Jasmyn for being late. She over slept & missed the bus AGAIN because she really wants to do some extra chores at home for making me drive her to school :) [So, I get both floors steam mopped tonight, curtesy of Jasmyn.]

Frosting cookies

2010-12-04T20:04:00.001-08:00

Circling toys they want for Christmas!

2010-11-13T12:33:00.001-08:00

Marley & Grayson are working very intently on circling everything they want for Christmas...they are also shopping for each other..."look what I got for you"..."oh, thanks". Too cute!

Mirabeau Park Waterfall

2010-11-03T12:59:00.001-07:00

Went to Discovery Park to play - but "discovered" that its closed until Spring time!

Ethan - crazy hair day

2010-10-29T08:02:00.000-07:00

Instead of wearing costumes to school this year, they voted to do a crazy hair day...since Ethan barely has any hair...I put orange & black dots in his hair with craft paint...since thats what he had handy...

Nan & Chris in Joshua tree - for the winter!

2010-10-13T15:01:00.001-07:00

I went out to the garden & what did I find???

2010-10-11T18:38:00.001-07:00

Fruits and vegetables of every kind...radishes, carrots, onions, strawberries, raspberries, grapes, squash and a cute little pepper on a pepper plant!!

The squash came from the squash plant that I did NOT plant. Seed fell out of compost bin last year & up came a squash plant right in front of my compost bin. The squash & cantaloupe I planted on purpose this year have yet to produce anything.

Also notice the carrot we call the "twisted sister". It has a carrot that grew around it.

Chicken order Zaycon Foods

2010-10-11T14:48:00.001-07:00

Www.zayconfoods.com is doing another chicken order. Check their website for a delivery near you. Skinless, Boneless chicken breasts for $1.48lb. In Spokane we have to order by Oct. 22nd. Good chicken - I ordered from them about a year or so ago...80lbs and we have a few pkgs still left in our freezer. Be sure to have freezer bags on hand & when you get chicken cut it up & add spices if you want & freeze in meal size portions...

Spring's Surgery and other stuff

2010-10-10T20:58:00.000-07:00

Below there more information than you will probably ever wanna know about my surgery I had on Thursday. I went in at 11:30am to Sacred Heart Doctor's Bldg - Day Surgery and at 1:05pm they wheeled me into the surgical suite, I laid down on the bed and then the next thing I know I am being wheeled into the recovery room. They gave me local sedation, they called it the "michael jackson drug". I think it was about 1:45pm. They told me when I could pee, I could go home. So about 2:30pm after slugging down a couple glasses of apple juice I went to the bathroom by myself - much to the chagrin of my nurse. She caught me right before I closed the door - I guess I was supposed to wait for her to ask me if I had to go & take me. Since she didn't have time to put their special little "measure my pee pee cup" in the toilet, she said we might have to wait until I went again or do an ultrasound to make sure I emptied my bladder. So, they ultrasounded & it was bone dry, just like I told her. So, I was able to go home at 3pm and Dave picked me up around 3:15pm.

I realized when the doctor said the surgery would just feel like I had been riding horses for a couple of days - it wasn't the procedure that caused it - it was the fact that my feet were put up in stirrups and my knees were at my ear lobes and my knees were jacked wide open (I wasn't awake, I just know from doing these procedures. So, the soreness I felt was from the positioning. I only felt my stitches inside once, mostly it felt like I had been wearing a Tampon for way too long! This was a breeze compared to birthing an 8 pounder vaginally without any meds!

However, I was VERY tired...probably from surgery but most likely from all the stuff I have been doing for others this last month. So, I slept all Thursday, Friday and Saturday. I did venture out to eat and pee. I would bring the food back to my bed & eat it laying down.

I did go to half of church today. Was glad to sit on the cushy chairs. Now my back is causing more trouble than my "surgical area". I worked on organizing Marley & Graysons room - going through all their clothes & seeing what fits and what doesn't and putting their initials in everything. Marley & Jasmyn went and visited their dad in rehab yesterday. Jasmyn said there were some pretty scary people in there. Only 4 people are their voluntarily (Ken included) the others (mostly for drugs) are court ordered to be there. Jasmyn had to drag Marley off her dad - he didn't want to go. Then they went to a birthday party at Jump & Bounce. Thursday during my surgery they spent the day playing with Ayden and had sooo much fun (I wasn't quite in the mood to hear ALL about it at full volume on the way home from the hospital - but lucky me - I got too!!).

Grandpa Dar & Grandma Tami came by at 4pm and picked up all the kids and took them to Chuck-E-Cheese. Its hard to say who had the most fun - the kids or the grandparents! Jasmyn fell in love with their little dog Sparky and really wants a dog. So, Tami told her she can dogsit once they move up. I suggested she volunteer at the animal shelter thats so close she can ride her bike too.

So, if anyone wants to send letters to Ken (Curtis) he'll be in rehab until November 3rd. The address is PO BOX 9977, Spokane, WA 99209. We heard back from the apartment complex and since he doesn't have a rental history in his name in the last 3 years he needs a co-signor, but it has to be a relative of his or Marley's. Marley's grandma Carol Ann called him today and she may be coming up to visit him on October 30th.

So, below is more info. than you'll ever wanna know (unless you too suffer from peeing your pants when you laugh, sneeze, run, jump on the trampoline, etc, etc, which is caused from having children):

MonarcTMSubfascial Hammock

The MonarcTM Subfascial Hammock treats female stress urinary incontinence by placing a narrow strip of mesh in your body to support the urethra. The Monarc uses what is called a transobturator approach to place the supportive mesh. The transobturator approach avoids the retropubic space, the area of loose connective tissue between the bladder, pubic bone and abdominal wall. With this approach, narrow mesh carriers are passed through an area near the groin at the obturator of the pubic bone. The mesh is then attached and pulled into place under the urethra.

Once placed, the hammock cradles your urethra and gives it a point of support.

Most patients are continent immediately following the procedure and can resume normal, non-strenuous activities within a few days.

The Monarc offers several benefits:

•Patients generally recover quickly and experience immediate continence.

•It is minimally invasive and suitable for a wide variety of patients.

•Incisions in the groin area are small.

•Can be used in patients who have retropubic scarring resulting from prior pelvic surgery.

•The hammock can be loosened or tightened during and immediately after the procedure.

Placement of the MonarcTM is a minimally invasive procedure that typically lasts less than 20 minutes under local, regional or general anesthesia, depending on what you and your doctor choose.

In general, placing the Monarc sling involves the following steps.
1.Two small incisions are made near the groin at the obturator of the pubic bone and one in the vagina.

2.Narrow sling carriers are passed through the groin incisions and exit through the vaginal incision.

3.The mesh is attached to the sling carriers, and placed under the urethra.

4.Sling carriers are removed.

5.Mesh tension is adjusted.

6.Incision is closed.

The Monarc Subfascial Hammock is a single-use procedure kit that includes two stainless steel needles each specifically designed for right-side/left-side. The needles are designed to move away from the obturator canal, avoid the retropubic space and minimize blind needle passage.

The Monarc TOS series allows physicians to select from three needle types to better accommodate individual patient anatomy:

Standard Monarc - Tight, centered helical passer for small to medium or large patients

Monarc+ - Wide, centered helical passer for larger patients

Monarc C - Passer for physicians who prefer the C shape

Medical Family History Form

2010-10-10T20:22:00.000-07:00

I brought home the paperwork from the doctor to fill out for Marley and realized this would be good to have for all the kids.

So, Grandparents (Aunts & Uncles) please fill out for grandkids, so we can have complete health records! Thanks!

Form says "Please fill in the blank with the relative of this child (birth parents, brothers, sisters, grandparents, aunts, uncles, or first cousins who have that disease or condition).

Our 43 year old teenager is in Rehab

2010-10-04T19:08:00.000-07:00

Ken's Beverage of Choice. 750ml Bottle. $11.99

Ken is finally off to rehab! I didn't think it was ever going to happen. It's such a process! We had a little "intervention" on Sept. 22nd and told him if he didn't want to go to rehab, he was free to leave, but Marley would have to stay until he got himself a place to live & got his act together. He started to get mad at first - thinking that we were trying to take his son away from him. But we told him we were protecting his son from him and we wouldn't feel comfortable at this point with him being alone with Marley.

Jasmyn also told him how she felt about his lying and the way he is when he drinks. Marley at 4 years old was able to articulate that he didn't want his dad to drink alcohol because he didn't want him to have to go to the hospital and go to heaven like his mom. So, he agreed to go. We scheduled an appointment - at most of the places they said the addict has to be the one to call in & request help - have they ever met an addict that tells the truth? I DOUBT it! So, last wednesday, was Ken's Rehab assesment interview at the DSHS office and Dave & I went with him into his appointment. We introduced ourselves as his babysitters/warden.

It was good that we were there because he "forgot" alot of pertinent information and since I have known him for 19years, I was able to answer those questions. However, he would only fess up to spending about $100.00 a month on vodka, we said it was more like $800-1,000 a month. Especially, since we found SEVEN BOTTLES empty - 1 1/2 weeks worth! (and he maintained a .04%, which he was more functional) He got an $1800.00 check from Social Security (for Marley) in June and $792 in July & Aug. That's $3,384.00 - and he was broke September 2nd when his car quit working. To fix his car he has to buy a new engine ($1200) and then pay the guy to put it in. To get into the low income 2 bdrm apartments he needs $1,016.00 (1st mo & dep). His first pay check was $257.00.

He has been using our vehicles to go to work. He told us he had a driver's license. We had life insurance guys come over, so we could get life insurance on him and have him get some for the kids (we don't think he'll last more than 10 years & we don't want to be stuck in a mess when that time comes), and they asked for his license and he pulled out his Illinois ID Card. So, I took him the next day to the driver's licensing place to take the driver's licensing test, he missed it by one question, so we went back the next day. He passed. Then we had to schedule the driving test - which he passed. So, he has an official washington state driver's license now. Then on Friday we went and dropped off proof of income at the apartment complex, stopped at the auto licensing to find out how to get the car from Kristen's name into his name. Easy to do - just needs to get an emission test & register it. However, he'll have to pay WA state sales tax 8.9% if he can't find proof that she paid tax on the car in CA.

Then we went to the verizon store to get his name off of Kristen's account and into his own name. When we arrived he got out & I said "don't forget to bring the death certificate", he said "I already took care of that", I said "you put the phone into your own name?", he said "yes". Well, when we finally got up to the help desk & he gave them his phone number the lady looked at me and asked if I was Kristen. I said "no, she is deceased". So, he HADN'T take his name off of her account. Still that was easy to do, just took an hour and a half to do it. They had to close her account (and he didn't even have to pay the bill) and run a credit check on him. He had to put down $125 deposit for his phone and $125 deposit for the internet, which wasn't bad since they said the deposit can range from $25-$700. We got him a local phone number and TA DA....he's a grown up...He has bills in his own name and a driver's license and a job.

He was so relieved when we got all that done, I think he was scared that he couldn't get a phone in his own name. He kept saying "Whew, can't believe tha'ts done", "Can't believe thats so simple". I told him that things are rarely as bad as they seem and if he just faced things instead of running from them he would be better off. I also said "Now, your all grown up and ready to live on your own" :)

A few weeks ago, we moved Ken from Graysons bedroom & put Grayson back in his own room (and out of ours) and he's sharing it with Marley. The boys have been taking naps & sleeping SOOOO much better. Ken would turn the overhead lights on when marley was sleeping, stay up watching movies or sexting until the wee hours of the morning, so we know Marley wasn't getting a good nights sleep. Also, sometimes he would keep Marley couped up in the room with him all day while he either slept, passed out or had phone sex with girls he met on ZOOSK.com. We also have suspicions that he was giving Marley Benadryl/Motrin/children's cold meds to calm him down or make him sleepy. He denies this of course, but when we asked if he was the one drinking them then, he said no to that too. However, in February, I stocked up on Children's Benadryl & Motrin (I got it for .99 a box). Should have lasted 2 years or more. According to my receipts 7 bottles went missing from June to August. Our suspicions were further fueled by the medicine rings on the nightstand next to Marleys bed & I questioned Ken a couple times when I saw him giving Marley Benadryl as to why he was giving it to him - his response was "he has the sniffles or starting to get a cold". The final straw, what led to the moving him out of Marleys room and telling him to go to inpatient rehab (we told him beginning of Sept, but he was thinking just out patient rehab...) was when Marley went over to a med cup on the night stand & drank the contents like water. I asked him "what are you doing?", "Taking my medicine", "why" i said, "Because my dad gives me medicine every day", said Marley.

Also, overhearing his dad on the phone talking to these trashy women is not helpful at all. Nor was the walking in on him having sex with one of these women, IN OUR BED, while we were in Oregon on vacation. Its been a month and a half since that happened and he's started talking about it (to Grayson), and a few weeks ago was pelvic thrusting grayson. When I asked him where he learned/saw that he said on his dad's tv at his CA house. The term "Booty Call" used in the proper sense by then 3 year old was also scarey. And talking to Grayson about kissing and calling everything honey or baby or honey bear is also disturbing when you know where it originated from.

Jasmyn was evesdropping on one of her dad's conversations a couple weeks ago and she almost threw up. I don't think she'll evesdrop again. She said "That's so gross, I can't believe I heard that, I'll never get that image out of my head. My dad's such a player. That's not cool".

Rehab will help but after doing lots of research...Paranoid Personality disorder & a few others fit him best, and if he doesn't get counseling and treatment for that, I don't know if he'll ever function as an adult. Yesterday, at 1:00pm he asked if he could borrow the car to see a "friend" in airway heights. It was his last night home before 30 days at rehab. both Dave & I asked him how long he was going to be gone and if he planned on spending some quality time with his kids before he had to leave. He said "oh yeah, I'll only be gone a few hours". He got home at 9:30pm. Marley was in bed asleep and Jasmyn was finishing a homework project. So, his priority was to have sex with a stranger instead of spending time with his kids. (We always know when he's with a woman - he doesn't answer his phone or texts - he's been that way since I've known him). Dave chewed him out, I ignored him. This morning however, when Marley was throwing a tantrum, I said "he probably wouldn't do that so much if you bothered to spend some QUALITY time with him".

We are so exhausted. It is tiring taking care of my family and another family as well. Making appointments, filling out paperwork, disciplining and taking care of his child. But now we know we have done all that we can do to help him be a functional adult. He's got a job, health care, his car should be fixed when he gets out, hopefully he'll get the apartment & if not the counselors at the rehab place will help him now.

Well, I think I've got everything off my chest for now - whew - time to relax a little bit and prepare "mentally" :) for my surgery on Thursday!

Marley is ready for Winter!

2010-10-04T19:00:00.001-07:00

Marley was very excited to get a Transformer comforter for his bed, a winter coat & boots, snow pants, new socks & underwear and some Sponge Bob Thermal LONG underwear. Thanks, Grandma Carol Ann!

Marley & Grayson in their matching Sponge Bob Pajamas & Buzz light year toys

2010-10-04T18:46:00.001-07:00

Our Exhibits at the Spokane Fair

2010-09-11T10:44:00.000-07:00

I have tried to publish this post with pictures and I can't move or edit photos once I select its position. So, if you want to see pictures go to my facebook page - its much easier to load photos & takes a quarter of the time. Also, my camera ran out of batteries so I couldn't take pictures of all that we entered & ribbons.

If you want to see the pictures Jasmyn & I entered & vote for the People's choice award here are the numbers of the pictures we entered (its easier to find by number than by name). We both entered in the OPEN catagory, and they only give out 4 ribbons per catagory. 1st-3rd place & honorable mention. So competition is tough.

If Jasmyn would have entered in the Youth section, I bet she would have got blue ribbons on all her photos!

Color Photos: 439, 438, 479, 475, 460, 254, 286, 318, 341, 381, 97, 94, 178, 399, 506, 510, 444, 213, 167, 73, 281, 152, 187

Black & White Photos: 641, 554, 561, 529, 523, 598, 587, 648, 610, 636, 625, 607, 619, 644, 584, 620, 526, 553.

The Photos that placed were: #641 Tiger licking his lips (she took this when she was 9yrs old). She got 2nd place. #644 Grayson in the snow, 3rd place. #610 her Converse shoes and rocks placed in a heart (took at 12yrs old), honorable mention. #648 A picture of Ethan that she took, but I hand colored & entered in the hand colored section. Placed 2nd.

When you walk into the craft section at the fair and you look to the right there is a wall of photos. You will see a picture of Jasmyn as a vampire. She took the picture of herself on her cell phone & then I digitally enhanced it - gave her fangs, red lips & enhanced her eye lashes. Right next to it is her picture of a purple flower.

In the kids craft area Jasmyn's mini red album placed 2nd and her homemade scrapbook placed 1st (she made it in beginning of 7th grade for a school project).

Ethan's Pinewood derby car is in the Scouting section and he placed 1st!

I entered a bunch of stuff just for fun. I realized as I was thinking of things to enter that I made a bunch of stuff in all different catagories, but have given most away as gifts!

My Strawberries, Raspberries & Blueberries received 1st, 2nd & participation ribbons, which is funny because as far as I could see I was the only one to enter those berries!

The Crafty stuff I entered was:

Wood: One Nation Under God - 2nd place
Wood: Mouse pinewood derby car - 2nd place
Cards: Love Valentine with Chocolate bar inside - 1st place
Scrapbook Page: "Every family has a few nuts" - 1st place
Card: "Bee" Happy Birthday - 3rd place
Card: Heart Felt Thanks (used my cricut) - 1st place
Handprint Painting (made in 2005 for all the grandparents) - 2nd place (hanging up)
Scrapbook Page (hanging up) "American Flag" - 1st place
Cub Scout Treat Bucket - 3rd Place
Sign: Happy Birthday BSA B&G Banquet - 2nd place
Sewing Section: Red Cub Scout Vest I made for Ethan - 2nd place

Ethan needs letters of Recommendation for ASB

2010-09-08T08:14:00.000-07:00

Ethan is running for the position of ASB Representative in his 3rd grade class and needs letters of recommendation. Would you be willing to email a letter of recommendation, with comments about his leadership skills, positive character traits, strong work ethic or other abilities to his teacher by September 12th? And if you could email a copy of it for me to save for his scrapbook that would be great! Thanks, Spring

His teacher's email address is: lockm@evsd.org

High School is Expensive!

2010-09-02T20:05:00.001-07:00

Today is Jasmyn's 2nd day of high school and already its costing us $113.00. $23 for school pictures (not deluxe pkg or anything), $40 for ASB card (student ID required for sports) & $50 for a YEARBOOK and it goes up $20 EVERY month if you don't buy it this month!! AND driver's ed is $365 for the class that I took for free in high school!

Everyone tells you to save up for college, but nowadays you need a savings plan for high school!

Jasmyn is taking spanish, career choices, pre-ap science, algebra (i took my jr yr), seminary 3rd period so she could get out of her PE class, & english. She LOVES high school, but yesterday she was so tired from her first day that she came home & slept until 8pm got up to eat & went back to bed!

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Staples shopping trip

2010-08-30T14:31:00.001-07:00

Grandma Linda sent the kids gift cards to Staples to buy school supplies. Ethan started school a couple weeks ago, but was very excited to go & get this special pen. They were all out so he splurged on HUGE glue stick - he really wanted it - i couldn't talk him into getting 12 small glue sticks for the same price! Grayson had a blast shopping - walking around the whole time with 4 lollipops in one hand - i guess he thought i would put them back on the shelf if he put them in the basket! He picked out some paints, a wipe off board to practice writing, a Toy Story notebook he HAD to have & a $1 pkg of post-it notes 'cause he LOVES using mine & I just love finding them all over the house! Scissors were .50 so I had each of the kids get 2pair because for some reason we can never find scissors when we need them! Jasmyn doesn't get her supply list tell she starts school, which sucks because
some of t/best sales are in July, tho Staples has a couple .01 items each week still. I LOVE that!

Creative Memories New Tools - Shapes

2010-08-17T21:48:00.000-07:00

Ethan's 1st day of 3rd grade

2010-08-17T14:29:00.001-07:00

I got to spend the whole day with Ethan on his first day. It wasn't planned -his teachers just had so many projects they needed done, they kept me busy from 8:45am-2:15pm!

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Sights at the Zoo...

2010-08-10T15:07:00.001-07:00

I don't know if I can post this at People of Wal-mart.com, even tho today's zoo discount is sponsored by Wal-mart.. The lady walked by us & Grayson pointed & said "Heyyyy...Butt Crack....heyyyy Butt Crack...pull ur pants up, butt crack!" Luckily she didn't hear him!

Baby elephant at Oregon zoo

2010-08-10T14:39:00.001-07:00

Battle wound from the beach

2010-08-08T13:17:00.001-07:00

I slipped on some wet clay on a little hillside & biffed it so hard I knocked the wind out of me. I heard every vertebrae in my neck crack. I have that "whiplash" feeling in my neck & back and my ribs are sore. Luckily, nothing broken! Jasmyn thnks its funny to poke my bruise & ask "Does that hurt?", she's so hilarious....NOT! :)

Ethan LOVES driving grandpa's lawn mower!

2010-08-08T12:24:00.001-07:00

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A day at the Ocean Beach in AUGUST!

2010-08-06T13:22:00.001-07:00

Grayson asleep...and snoring...

2010-08-06T12:51:00.001-07:00

We're on our way to Newport, Oregon from Lincoln City and Grayson fell asleep with his hand in a bag of chips & his sunglasses upside down.

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Grayson enjoying his snack bag!

2010-08-05T12:42:00.001-07:00

I started a "Travel Tradition" a couple years ago. When we go on a long car trip & are going on vacation for a week I make each kid a "snack bag". It's filled with chips, candy, crackers, cookies - all things bad for them. They can eat it in an hour or save it for all week. This way we don't have to buy any snacks all week & kids aren't bugging us for candy,etc and they can snack whenever they are hungry. I also provide fruits, but those are kept in the cooler.

My snack bag is a little harder to fill. Trying to find snacks that are fat free AND sugar free is very challenging. You can find sugar free, but then it has sat. fat or if you find fat free it has sugar in it. I did find some chedder flavor rice cakes that are pretty tasty.

Finally on our way to Oregon

2010-08-05T09:18:00.000-07:00

We are finally on our way to Oregon to visit Grandparents & to go to my 20 year reunion! We were supposed to leave yesterday morning, but Jasmyn and I were still working frantically until 9pm last night trying to get our pictures ready for the fair. Next year we will start 3 months ahead of time, not 1 day. The deadline is while we're gone on vacation. I never realized there was so much to it. We drove all over trying to find the correct size mounting boards, several trips to costco & wal-greens to pick up photos (cause sometimes what you thought would look good in an 8x10 doesn't...). I went without sleep from Monday morning at 6:30am until Wednesday morning at 2:30am, working on fair photos). We entered 41 photos and luckily the other items don't have to be there until September!

Jasmyn at Girl's camp

2010-07-28T17:13:00.001-07:00

It's Bishop's night at Girl's camp...the girls do their hair & make-up crazy & some wear crazy outfits.

Grayson finally gets his donut!

2010-07-28T14:28:00.000-07:00

Grayson wanted to buy 3 donuts with his garage sale money...its all he's been talking about for days now...so I talked him into get 1 big chocolate bar....this has got to be the biggest one I've ever seen!

Happenings...in July...

2010-07-22T11:54:00.000-07:00

I can't believe July is almost over - it just started!

Floating the River:
We have been floating the Spokane River, which is a lot of fun, but the water level drops daily! We'll be walking it soon instead of floating it. We start at the Harvard Centennial trail head and walk up to the 4mile marker, there's a bench there & a trail down to the water, that's the start of the rapids just before the Harvard Bridge. Sometimes we'll get out & ride those rapids a few times before floating to our house. We get out right at Meyers & Buckeye, less than a block from home. We put Grayson & Marley in a float tube with a mesh bottom, that way they can't fall out.

Swimsuit Shopping:
Let me just say - NIGHTMARE! Jasmyn & I went out a few weeks ago so both of us could get new swim suits. We were out for 12 hours and closed down a few stores (we didn't get home until 2am) and the FIRST place we went and tried on suits is where we ended up buying them! (we put suits on hold & went back the next day to pick them up).

Jasmyn Summer Classes:
She finished her broadcast media classes and is now taking multimedia graphics - which we thought would be more about taking pictures and lighting and angles and stuff, but they spend most of their time on photo shop editing pictures (and watching shows on HULU.com). By the way Jasmyn says Creative Memories Memory Manager is way better and easier than photo shop! Her fave is piknic.com (not sure I spelled it right) to do funky fun stuff to her pictures.

Ethan's Summer Classes:
Ethan gave up on holding "school" for Marley & Grayson. I can't even bribe him to do it...Not even for for fifteen minutes! I guess he had enough in the 2 days he did it!

Ex-husband Status:
Ken and Marley are still living with us. They are staying in Grayson's room. Grayson has a mattress underneath Ethan's bed and I made a "Fort" out of sheets for each of them around their beds. Ken is our "live in Chef", he loves to cook, so we told him he should find a cooking job. He applied for a cook job at The Otis Grill yesterday, they are looking for someone with 3 years experience (being paid to cook), but maybe he'll get it...and they'll be able to find a house.

Marley:
He hasn't said a cuss word in 3 weeks and he's actually doing really well behaviorally. Still working on chewing food with his mouth closed and not crying or pouting for not getting what he wants, when he wants it. Grayson and Marley have been playing really well together, they were so cute yesterday - they were going to take a nap is Grayson's fort...well, i went to check on them and they had little army men spread all over the bedroom floor & we're having all kinds of conversations.

Bake Sale:
Last weekend Ethan wanted to have a Bake sale so Friday night we made cookies & cupcakes & brownies (Ethan lasted until 11pm, Mom lasted until 2am). We also decided to have a garage sale since a few of our neighbors were having them and they had all the signs out. Ethan's bake sale brought in $26 and our impromptu garage sale $112. We took turns floating the river during the day because it was soooo hot! Austin & Ayden were over for the day and went floating with us too. Ayden went twice! Austin borrowed jasmyn's guitar and put out a tip jar by the bake sale and started playing for tips - he actually made some money! Ethan was doing magic tricks for tips too. Grayson and Marley were digging out all of Grayson's pennies from his piggy bank to buy cupcakes at the bake sale. They left a trail of pennies from the bedroom, down the sidewalk to the bake sale tent.

Today:
I took the boys to the Library for "storytime" though neither one was interested when we got here. Grayson listened to books on the computer, Ethan checked out books and I tried to update our blog...but the boys want to go home NOW. And I need to get ready for our 2 day garage sale and bake sale this weekend. I've been cleaning out every nook and cranny and found stuff (like a tin Passion Perfume lid) that I have had in a "Junk drawer" for 20 YEARS! And Ken keeps saying as I find more stuff to put in the garage sale "Is that the ...." from before Jasmyn was born? "You still have that?". Yes, I am a HEREDITARY pack rat...but NO MORE...it all MUST GO!!!!

Grayson's new church outfit

2010-07-11T09:09:00.001-07:00

Big radish from my garden

2010-07-10T12:58:00.001-07:00

Planted them 2-3 weeks ago...how did they get so HUGE so quick? Still tastes good!

Ethan's Summer school class

2010-07-03T10:48:00.001-07:00

Ethan has decided to teach summer school to Grayson & Marley. He got up this morning & planned his lesson & recesses. And they LOVE it! (So do we!)

How many men does it take to put a small portable BBQ grill together?

2010-06-29T17:35:00.001-07:00

Spirit Week at School - Ethan all painted up!

2010-06-25T08:40:00.001-07:00

Today is boys vs girls day!

The Cat's favorite resting spot in the morning...Grayson!

2010-06-25T05:46:00.001-07:00

Sophia loves to sneak in every morning and lay on top of Grayson. She is just purring away!

Sucky Public transportation!

2010-06-24T23:29:00.001-07:00

So, before sending Jasmyn on the wonderful public transportation system I researched for 5 hours all different routes, times, and bus stops near her school & our house, then i typed it up, summary fashion, attached the detailed schedules - tabbed them and everything! And NO WHERE on their trip planner or Khow to ride" the bus information sheet did they state that there are 2 #90 busses going from downtown to the valley. Nor did it state that one goes to Greenacres and the other one goes to Mirabeau. So, today Jasmyn ended up 5 miles from home instead of a mile. Which really screwed up our schedule! (not to mention stranding my daughter). So, Dave had to pick her up which meant I had to wake up 3 kids, rushhh them out the door barefooted so i could get Ethan to BB camp on time.And yes, I had to walk him into the H.S. with 3 barefooted kids - 1 crying at the top of his lungs, the other 2
running way ahead all over the place - so much fun, NOT!

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The last few weeks cont..

2010-06-24T20:39:00.001-07:00

On my phone I can only post 1000 characters so i have to do several posts if I'm longwinded! So, Meow our hamster eater has been helping himself again! A few weeks ago I bought 4 mice, so we can breed them & feed them to Meow so he will leave our hamsters alone. Yeaterday he knocked their cage off the refrigerator, snatched one & ran outside. I wished i was quick enough to video him - but he had fun tossing the mouse up in the air, chasing it & throwing it, but this didn't last very long cause I guess he was pretty hungry - after all it had been 2 weeks since his last one! Ethan finished cub scout day camp yesterday - he caught 2 big fish! He has BB camp the rest of the week and finishes school on the 1st of July. Jasmyn finished 8th grade on friday but started her broadcast media classes on Monday. She has to take the public transportation system to Hillyard everyday, which is screwed
up! Found out today they have 2 busses with the same #'s but they go in 2 different directions!

The last few weeks....

2010-06-24T20:27:00.001-07:00

I am out walking by myself on the centennial trail...so peaceful...just hearing the birds chirping and the water rushing by... Jasmyn's dad & little brother Marley moved up on June 2nd. They are staying in Grayson's room. Grayson & Marley have fun playing together, but its been an adjustment for Grayson in sharing his things constantly and an adjustment for Marley in that he's not been around other kids, his mom just died & his mom talking bad about his dad in front of him & listening to them fight all the time. He has become very familiar with the time out corner. I think we've got the cussing out of his system, now just learning what's appropriate & acceptable behavior in different locations - like its not okay to scream bloody murder in church and we need to whisper in the library. But he's not alone - the 5 yr old girl I babysit is learning how to write "I will not tell a lie" and
how to wash her clothes out by hand when she pees in her clothes just because "she had to go".

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Naptime for Grayson & Sophia

2010-05-17T15:28:00.001-07:00

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2010-05-14T17:36:00.001-07:00

Grayson in the bear den
Dave

2010-05-14T17:25:00.001-07:00

Ethan digging for fossils.
Dave

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2010-05-14T17:10:00.001-07:00

Graysons favorite thing to do at the new park.
Dave

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2010-05-14T17:06:00.001-07:00

ethan and grayson hatching from an egg
Dave

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2010-05-14T17:00:00.001-07:00

grayson at new playground
Dave

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Jasmyn's Poem "Love Ship" to be Published

2010-05-14T10:34:00.000-07:00

Jasmyn is having her 2nd poem published! She entered the spring contest and is one of the finalists. The top ten will receive a cash prize. Judging spots are still open if you go to www.poeticpower.com and enter to be a judge, you can pick your top ten...one of them being Jasmyn's of course! :)

Here is a copy of her poem:

Love Ship

By: Jasmyn Walker

The Love Ship floats above the stormy sea, Waves crashing, thunder roaring, and fog making it hard to see.

Love floats above all, Good times or bad, Just hold on tight and I'll take your hand.

The blue sky is turning gray,

But my love for you is here to stay.

The clouds rush in and the rain starts to fall, We all run to safety and wait for the call.

The ship starts to tip,

And we all start to scream.

I grab onto the rail,

Awaiting the lean.

The lean doesn’t come,

I see panic in your eyes.

So I look up and pray to the

dark stormy skies.

The bow of the ship begins to tip up

As I have a flash back of us growing up.

And a tear falls down my cheek

I watch it fall into the cold dark ocean peak.

I look into your eyes for what

might be the last time

You tell me not to cry

But there might never be a next time.

Your hand starts to slip

And I start to scream.

You say not to worry everything will be fine

But I know by the look in your eye that life will never be that way,

With a tear in your eye you say “I love you with all my heart and that will never change”

I agree trying to talk but all that comes out is the sound of a cough

This love ship was nothing I expected

but what can ever be planned?

The storm of love and the gray stormy skies is everything we want to avoid in life.

But to discover the true form of love we must go through the trials and storms of life.

Who is Creative Communication?

Since 1993, Creative Communication has been devoted to the promotion of language arts. Each year we award thousands of dollars in prizes and awards to writers and their schools. We recognize writers for their work and give them an audience. We help teachers motivate their students.

Why do you sponsor this contest?

We started our contests to reward creative writing. Teachers wrote thanking us for providing “a motivation for students to express themselves.” We also received requests for a publication of the best of the contest entries. We wanted to offer a creative outlet that honors our youth.

Do you publish every poem or essay you receive?

No. Our goal is to be selective enough that it is an honor to be accepted, but not so exclusive that is is discouraging to enter the contest. This approach results in our rejecting more poems and essays than we accept to be published.

To see why our contest is different from others, go to www.poeticpower.com.

Are you required to purchase a book?

No. To be published, each writer must only return his or her proofsheet. Unlike other writing contests there are no entry fees and never a requirement to make a purchase in order to be publlished. The purchase price covers the cost of having the entries judged, typed, the book formatted, printed and bound. Just as you would buy a yearbook to preserve school memories, we provide a literary yearbook that preserves your writing.

How are the prizes awarded?

Prizes are awarded by grade level for each contest. The top winners in each level receive a monetary award and a complimentary copy of the anthology. The top ten winners are noticed two to three months after the contest is over and will be listed on our website, www.poeticpower.com.

How are the entries judged?

The judges are poets, writers and educators in elementary, secondary and higher education. Poems and essays are selected on their literary merit, creativity or social signifcance.

When will you receive your anthology?

Creating a book that you will be proud to display and show to your friends

takes time. If you place an order, you can expect to receive your books four to

five months after the proofsheets have been returned to us. This anthology reflects the insight and perspective of today’s student writers Poems and essays are published with the author’s name and grade Each author’s name is indexed Each book is hardbound with a full color cover.

What others have to say about our contest and anthology:

TEACHERS

“Thank you so much for providing a wonderful opportunity for students to become published authors. You stimulate such excitement and enthusiasm about writing poetry. What a wonderful service you provide.”

Kathleen F. Esmiol Teacher, Eagleview Middle School, Colorado

PARENTS

“The news of having our daughter’s poem published in your anthology has boosted her self confidence and determination to be more creative and competitive. She has gained more respect among her peers and is now taking more leadership roles in class. Keep up the good work of recognizing our future leaders.”

Dr. and Mrs. Takya Parents, New Jersey

POETS

“It is quite an honor for me to get my poem published. I’m so proud that I put my book on my desk to read it every night. Thank you so much!”

Kimberly Yee Poet, New York

Another one bites the dust.

2010-05-13T20:36:00.001-07:00

Another one bites the dust. And another hamster gone, another hamster gone, another one bites the dust.
Dave

Grayson goes shopping

2010-05-13T19:47:00.001-07:00

Grayson went shopping with his birthday money and got a scooter, turtle, a buzz light year water board, candy, a whoopee coushion, sidewalk chalk, sponge bob etcha sketch(not in picture i just realized), and a little watering can so he can water mommies flowers. He had soooo much fun shopping at wal-mart. Touching & playing with all the toys. He still has birthday money left too! He put his loot on the counter & handed the cashier his money, then put his change back into his envelope - too cute!

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Grayson being silly

2010-05-13T17:12:00.001-07:00

Jasmyn throwing shot put

2010-05-13T17:08:00.001-07:00

Jasmyn throwing shot put

2010-05-13T17:00:00.001-07:00

Can we go now?

2010-05-13T16:56:00.001-07:00

Ethan is ready to leave Jasmyn's track meet...an hour is too much for him.

Grayson hands in his pockets at sissy's track meet

2010-05-13T16:37:00.000-07:00

Grayson at New Discovery Playground

2010-05-13T11:43:00.001-07:00

I don't think these were meant to be climbed! (supposed to put your head through, but Grayson always finds more than one use for something)

Ben & his fan club

2010-05-10T19:39:00.001-07:00

Grayson & Ethan watching movie previews with Ben

Ethan

2010-05-08T15:25:00.001-07:00

Ethan made a rope & bought a hat.

2010-05-08T15:16:00.001-07:00

Jasmyn making rope

2010-05-08T15:15:00.001-07:00

Jasmyn's rope she made

Rope Making

2010-05-08T15:11:00.001-07:00

Making Rope

Can Crusher

2010-05-08T14:55:00.001-07:00

We're at the Spokane Valley Heritage Museum Old time tractor event. This is a video of the old time "can crusher"

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Bake Sale & Car wash

2010-05-08T08:06:00.001-07:00

Bake Sale & Car wash 8am-12pm today 21022 E. Wellesley. Girls raising money for camp. Otis Orchards. Free "garage sale" going on there too 9a-2p.

2010-05-07T12:10:00.001-07:00

Martha & Ron visiting from Florida

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Post Falls Dam

2010-05-07T12:08:00.001-07:00

Post Falls Dam

2010-05-07T12:06:00.001-07:00

Post Falls Dam

What planet are my kids from?

2010-05-06T11:37:00.000-07:00

Are my children the only ones in the entire world that would rather go to school than go to a movie & lunch out?

Iron Man 2 comes out tomorrow & we all have been waiting for it - we loved the first one. Movies are $5 if you go in the morning & 9.75 later on. So, we thought since Martha & Ron are visiting this weekend we could go on Friday, opening day & then go to lunch afterwards. Saturday is the ward treasure share & Jasmyn is participating in a bake sale & car wash to raise money for girls camp from 8-12 at the church & there is a dozen other things going on - so we thought friday would be the best day - we even talked to kids about it a couple of weeks ago & they were fine with it then (cause i know how they are about school), but this morning it was a no go from both. Ethan's teacher at school today even told him to take the day off or she would trade places with him! They both have good grades so it wouldn't hurt them. Dave said "well, cheaper for us then" :)

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grayson keeps insisting that Dora

2010-05-04T20:24:00.001-07:00

grayson keeps insisting that Dora the Explorer shoes, boots & sandals are for boys NOT girls!

Grayson

2010-05-04T19:55:00.001-07:00

In the bathroom at Shopko....

Jasmyn had her first track

2010-04-22T18:48:00.001-07:00

Jasmyn had her first track meet today. She placed 1st in the 100 meter & 1st in Shot put.

Ode to Chubbs Now its

2010-04-20T14:39:00.000-07:00

Ode to Chubbs
Now its time to say goodbye. Hope you enjoy the hamster wheel in the sky.

Guitar Lessons / Toddler headphones / Blooming Fruit Trees / Missing Hamster

2010-04-19T15:35:00.000-07:00

Guitar Lessons
Jasmyn & Ethan had their first Guitar lessons today(Friday). Brian Dedera (his kids go to CCS) is giving them weekly lessons for $10 (for both of them). Awesome deal.

Jasmyn got a guitar for Christmas and has been trying to learn how to play it from the internet and occasionally a friend helps her after YW's, but she was struggling, so I thought it would be good to have someone show them the basics & then she will be able to take off from there.

Ethan was a little put out last week when I told him I signed him up for lessons. (He's using the little First Act Discovery guitar Jasmyn got years ago when she was little. Grayson broke 3 strings on it, so had to go get those). He said "why didn't you ask me first if I wanted lessons"? I said "I thought you wanted to learn how to play the guitar". Ethan says "I want to play the ELECTRIC guitar, not THAT guitar!"

Well, I had to explain to him that he had to start with the little cheapy acoustic guitar, then if he really liked it & wanted to pursue it he could get an electric guitar. That seemed to mollify him. I told Brian that Ethan wanted to learn how to play the electric guitar and Ethan seemed happy to find out that Brian also played the electric guitar, but first learned on the acoustic!

The lessons are only 30 minutes, every friday until end of June, then if they need to pick them back up again, they'll start when CCS goes back to school.

Panda Bear Headphones - for Toddlers
Grayson is ecstatic about the new headphones he got in the mail today. They are made for toddlers so they fit well and they have panda bear faces on the ears! Mom & dad are also excited - so we don't have to listen to whatever movie or game his playing on the computer. They have a long cord with volume control on it!

We need to find some longer ones for Ethan (don't think he'd go for the panda bears) for when he is playing games on computer or ps2 or watching cartoons - they drive me crazy and there is no volume shut off thing on the websites of the most annoying ones - of course!

Fruit Trees
ALL of our fruit trees are blooming! The peach tree has beautiful pink blooms, so this year we'll have fuji apples, macintosh apples, pears, peaches, plums, prunes, bing cherries & pie cherries. Not to mention blueberries, strawberries, raspberries & maybe grapes (No blooms yet, I think I may have trimmed them too far back last year & killed them).

We have an abundance of weeds growing vivaciously under the trampoline and these little cute white flower things all over where they are not supposed to be. It has been so nice the past couple of days after the storms that I may plant my garden tomorrow. I made covers out of remay cloth to go over my raised bed gardens. Which reminds me - do you think they make shock collars for cats? I covered the raised beds in black plastic this fall to keep the cats from using them as a cat box and to keep the weeds from growing, but the wind blew a portion of the plastic away and I spent an hour a couple weeks ago locating cat turds and removing them from my vegetable garden box.

Missing Hamster
Last friday night I was cleaning out hamster cages. I had the girls in exercise balls & in one cage and I put the boys in the "play place" (a rectangle plastic tub) while I was working. Well, Meow Mix, the daddy, got out. We couldn't find him in Graysons room, so we assumed he went into our bedroom - which has infinately more places to hide. We put out food in hopes to coax him out into the open during the night. We haven't seen anything yet.

(I started this Friday, but computer shut down before I finished & could post it)

Ethan Stories & Poems

2010-04-19T15:33:00.000-07:00

Grayson Funnies

2010-04-18T13:09:00.000-07:00

I was making lunch today and told Grayson that he should go sit down & watch Quebo (cartoons) and he told me 'You should make me dinner really quickly' and then he kept asking for "breakfast", mom asked "how about dinner?", he said "no, breakfast!"