Rick's Warriors

A few weeks ago our family participated in Light the Night. It's the annual donation drive for Leukemia and Lymphoma Cancer's. Our team was able to collect $1500 in donations. The donations help patients with resource information and groups and co-payment for some of the procedures. It was a great way to rally together to support our dad! Thank you to everyone who donated.

Here is a group photo. Some of us were missing. It was crazy at the venue and we couldn't get around the crowds to get a picture of everyone.
Family picture - with orange glow sticks on. Orange is the color for Leukemia.

Lisa, Jennifer and Devon waiting for the walk to start. We all carried red balloons to show our support for a loved one with Leukemia. Our shirts were designed by Erin - stick grand kids surrounding grandpa with orange ribbons. It was nominated as one of the top 3 family shirts.

My dad and mom! We walked to show our support. Dad was diagnosed 4 years ago. He just finished chemotherapy and is currently on a double shot treatment plan. My boys say during prays, "bless that grandpa's cancer will make him feel better." He's sick, but not so sick that it heavily effects his daily life (tired and achey, but not bed ridden.) So his health is a blessing, but we continue to pray for a cure!

Happy Halloween!

Lots of fun stuff for Halloween this year. Dylan's circus party. Eli's fall party. Cookie making. The Pumpkin Patch. The ward party. And Halloween (sweet candy goodness!) We were so busy that we bought a pumpkin, but never carved it. (Pretty sad!)

Halloween night. Neal has dressed up as Frank N. Steinhour for the past 7 years. Morgan was not a fan! "You scary daddy! " If you show her a picture/toy/decoration of a Frankenstein she always says, "that's daddy, Frankensteinhour"
The trick or treating group. Ethan did a spook alley at his house. He is that bush looking thing on the left. Eli is Peter Pan. Riley is a stick figure boy. Lisa is a ballerina teacher. Austin is a whoopie cushion. Emma is a stick figure girl. Dylan is Buzz Lightyear. Morgan is a ballerina.

Before dinner on Halloween. We had pizza and fries - yummy!

This was the night of our ward party. Morgan has several costume choices thanks to good hand me downs. She went as Tinker belle to the ward party.

Eli at the pumpkin patch. He was in love with the warty pumpkins. We read a book every year about Frankenstein Jr. who wants to carve a pumpkin and he carves one that has bumps on it to look like his dad. I know he wanted to do something like that.

Morgan had a good time running through the pumpkin patch. She found lots of pumpkins that were a perfect size for her.

Dylan's pumpkin patch picture. He had more fun riding on the rocking horse and other toys they had around the patch. But at least he took his yearly picture for me!

Happy Halloween. Hopefully next year we can carve a pumpkin.

Happy Circus Show Day!

Dylan had a circus show today (instead of a Halloween party). It was just what you would expect from 3, 4, & 5 year old kdis! They got to pick their character - clown, cowboy, lion, lion tamer, tight rope walker, or strongman.

I had to convince Dylan to be a strongman. It was the costume I had and I didn't want to make/buy anything else.

He marched around showing off his muscles. He picked up heavy weights and lifted them over his head. He even did it one handed. Then he and some of the other strong men picked up a car. I mean he was seriously SO strong! And smiled the whole time.

Morgan and I waved and smiled and blew kisses. After the show he said, "mom why did you keep waving at me?" Mom, "Well, I wasn't sure you could see me with all the other moms there." Dylan, "Oh" Mom, "Why, should I not wave and blow kisses?" (sad that it might already be coming to that!) Dylan, "No, your my mom!" Yes he doesn't care yet if I show affection to him in public. I hope that lasts for a long time!

He happens to have a friend from his Sunbeam class in his school class. She was a tightrope walker. Brenna loves tutu's - well anything girly according to her mom. She's a really cute girl! (The one in the black leotard.)

Happy (can't say Halloween so we'll have a) Circus Show Day!

Happy Anniversary!

11 years and counting! This year we tried a Brazilian themed restaurant. Meat on a skewer which they cut right at your table. It was really yummy! We followed dinner up with a movie and ice cream. It's always nice to have a quite night out with my hubby. I love you!

This is a picture from my dad's 60th bday party (which I never posted pictures of.)

Neal and I in Arizona.

Does Crazy Even Describe It?

Life is generally busy. I accept that and usually do well with it. But lately it seems like little to no time for the fun things in life.

Sick kids and lots of doctors appt. Trying to start a vinyl crafting company. A busy Relief Society calling. A husband with a new position and in need of more hours than available in the day. My sweet potty training baby girl who does not like to poop on the toilet. A father in law who needs support. A dad and mom who also need support. I think the list could go on and on.

Just wanted to let everyone know I think about you. I want to blog. I love reading everyone elses blogs. And hopefully the holidays will bring more craziness and fun to our busy life.

Keep in touch!

Dylan's first day of school

Dylan started VPK - a free preschool program Florida offers. You can pick your school and kids go for 15 hours a week preparing for Kindergarten. Dylan is at Precious Promises Preschool. (Eli went there for his preschool program too). It's a Christian church that participates in the state program, so they can do Bible stories and learn the alphabet. He goes MWF 9-2:15.

So what did Dylan think about school?

"I like the delicious drink you gave me in my lunch. And I like the playground. The sand box is fun."

Good Luck Dylan! I hope you learn to love learning.

Goodbye Grandma Karen

Neal's step mother passed away unexpectedly on Sunday, August 30th from a brain aneurysm. (A side not: I hate the word "step mom" because it sounds so Cinderella and her evil stepmom-ish. )Karen was a blessing to Neal and then later mine and our children's lives. They married when Neal was 10 and she became a great influence in his life. She was a wonderful mother-in-law. She had such wonderful talent - woodworking, painting, cooking, organizing, decorating. And she constantly served. I enjoyed attending many church meeting with her including most recently one where Sis. Beck visited us here and Florida. We had such a good time being together and learning from a wonderful leader. I am thankful for the things she left behind -her wood art will always be a treasure, her recipes which she willing gave me before she left Florida, and her tamales (we were the lucky recipients of all the tamales they had in her freezer before they left Florida in May -yummy!) I knew she had a testimony of the gospel and tried her best to serve others. As a final opportunity to serve she donated her organs which helped 60-70 people.

The funeral was very healing and I am thankful I was able to attend. I was able to participate in making the casket (sanding it and cleaning the work area) as well as dressing her for burial.

One of the last photos we have of us attending the Monster Jam Festival together (it's not the best photo of her, but my computer crashed and I can't find very many of any of my photos from the past - Darn technology. Thankfully I have a cute one of her with Doug & Eli hanging on our hall wall already - a sweet reminder of Karen in our lives!)


Until we meet again!