Rock Family Photo Shoot

Families are a lot like fudge.....mostly sweet with a few nuts!

Oh the joys of family pictures! We had a couple of them turn out cute. Here are some shots that I took with MY camera:

Gotta love the shot of the tired and screaming 2 year old running AWAY from the family photo shoot.

And of course we have Nate and James who will find any excuse to make love to the camera:

We have a lot of handsome boys in this family...if I do say so myself!

LOTOJA

YAY! My friend Missy sent me some pictures of Nate riding in Lotoja from a few weeks back. Unfortunately I was unable to go but I am so glad that she took some pictures so I could imagine what it was like. Hopefully I'll be able to go next year.
A couple of years ago I had never even heard of LOTOJA. I saw a sticker on the back of someones car and couldn't figure out what on earth it said.

Definition of Lotoja (according to wikipedia): LOTOJA, short for LOgan TO JAckson, is a road cycling race. The race is believed to be one of the longest single-day road cycling races in North America, if not the world and is the longest one-day race sanctioned by USA Cycling or the United States Cycling Federation.
Lotoja is pronounced "loe-tuh-juh" and starts in Logan, Utah (in the United States), travels into southeastern Idaho and finishes in Teton Village, Wyoming (a few miles northwest of Jackson, Wyoming). The current course covers 206 miles (or 332 kilometers) and includes three mountain passes. The total climbing during the race is nearly 10,000 feet (3,000 m) with the race finishing about 1,800 feet (550 m) higher than it began in Logan (4,550 ft).


Nate made GREAT time and had a lot of fun! He's looking forward to doing it again next year. Way to go buddy!

A very angry little boy

I took this picture (camera phone) of Landon today while we spent 3 whole hours at the Ear, Nose and Throat Doctor. This is his "angry boy" face. I'm not exactly sure why is was mad.....I do have a few theories though:

He may be thinking, "Mom....we have been sitting here in this waiting room for an hour and a half and there are only 5 toys to play with..2 of which are BROKEN. We are surrounded by people who are coughing and hacking and you keep FREAKING out every time I get within 5 feet of another child. You won't let me play with anyone! Also....you have already sanitized my hands 4 times...WHY do we have to keep gooping my hands up with that stinky stuff?"

Or perhaps he is thinking, "You tricked me! You told me that we were going somewhere that was going to be FUN and all of these ladies keep poking in my ears and messing around in my mouth. I don't like this at all. This isn't fun MOM! YOU LIE!"

He could also very well be thinking: "Come on mom! WHY has it taken you so long to get me in to see this doctor? Didn't you KNOW that I can hardly breathe at night? Can't you SEE that I have a hard time eating things? My tonsils are at a size 4+ and since tonsil size ranges from 1-4 that means mine are GINORMOUS. If you were a more OBSERVANT mother you would have taken me here a good 8 months ago!"
"I mean, really mom.....anyone with a child who sounds like this at night would know better" :

Lastly he could be thinking: "Great. Now I have to go in for SURGERY and have my tonsils and adenoids removed. That is really going to get in the way of my play time, brother time, rough and tumble time, park time, scooter time, backyard time, and play date time. Not only that but I am little and cute and it is going to HURT really bad! And mom......I know you will probably cry because you don't like to see me in pain but I don't want you do any of that stuff either, ok?"

Anyway....we have a couple more weeks until the big day. I know Landon will be fine and I am happy that he will finally be able to breathe, sleep, and eat better. I sure do love my "angry" little guy.

Last "summer" weekend

I just wanted to document some pictures from our fun weekend.

The pool FINALLY opened so we spent some time over there with lots of friends on Friday and Saturday. It's closed now but we were happy to at least get a few hours in. I'm sure we will be spending LOTS of time over there next summer! Soccer started again and the boys are loving it. There are some older kids this year which makes it a lot more fun for the boys.
Parker needs to be moved up a league or two. His team scored 8 goals and guess how many goals HE scored? It was embarrassing. I think next week he will be joining Dallin's team which will be GREAT because then we only have to watch one game. (no more running back and forth between fields)

Don't even THINK about putting your toys away!

***UPDATE: Landon threw a fit becuase the boys weren't sharing marbles with him and proceeded to RIP apart the WHOLE blasted thing! I could laugh...I could cry. I think I will just go to bed early. What a stupid and wasted day.

My Lando is sick so we've been hanging out around the house for the past couple of days. Dallin received some fun gifts for his birthday which have been keeping everyone busy and not stir crazy.

One gift he received from my parents was this joyous little gem:

I should have been tipped off right from the beginning since the toy has GENIUS in the title. O yeah...and the fun little memo in the corner.....500 pieces.

Let me just say, it has taken me 8 hours total to put this toy together today. I started last night and worked on it for a couple of hours. The I spent another 6 on it today. Parker and Landon were condemned from the marble building room for the duration of the construction time. They have done nothing but watch TV ALL day long. I couldn't have then anywhere near me because if one piece is missing...the dumb thing won't work. My back hurts, I'm still in my PJs, no one is dressed for that matter, kitchen is a wreck because no one has been fed and the boys have been snacking on string cheese and dry cereal all day.

After putting the last piece I started dancing around the room like an idiot. I felt like I had just run a marathon or climbed Mt. Everest.

This toy says it is for ages 8 and up. Good luck little 8 year old. I'd like to see how long it takes you to put this thing together...unless you really are a genius of course.

I don't care if this toy clutters up my room for a good month or two. We're getting in a LOT of play time with this baby because this mom isn't putting it together again for a VERY long time! (Next time around it's DAD's turn!)

Happy Birthday Dallin!

Our eldest is 7! I will always have a very special place in my heart for my Dallin. After all, he is the one who made us grow up and become parents!

First off, have you ever seen a boy more excited about WORKBOOKS? I have.....it was probably Dallin at his last birthday or last Christmas or pretty much anytime he gets a new one! He is one funny kid. He LOVES to learn CONSTANTLY. Its hard to keep this boy busy. Hopefully all of his new books will keep him occupied for the next couple of weeks.
Dallin, you are my sweet and sensitive boy. You are so smart and even more driven then most adults I know. I am so proud of you and the good choices that you make. You are a kind and loving brother and I appreciate the example you are to your younger brothers. You are so obedient and you always have been. If I ever ask you and your brothers to go and do something you are always the first in line to get the job done. I appreciate you and I love you with all my heart! Happy 7th Birthday Dally Doodle!

Dallin's favorites at 7:

-workbooks, homework, drawing, reading, and writing, playing computer

-Riding bikes, playing outside, soccer, baseball, golfing, playing with friends

-GI Joes, board games, building toys.

This year in lieu of a birthday party, Dallin decided to have a family party and Chuck E Cheese. Monday night was the perfect night to go. There was hardly anyone there! We played games and ate cardboard pizza and had a fun time together. Dallin kept saying, "This is the best day EVER mom." I brought in cupcakes during school and we enjoyed some "moon" cake at home before bed.

We love our Dallin!

A weekend getaway...

It is hard for me to believe that it has really been 3 whole years since Nathan and I have gone somewhere ALONE ....OVERNIGHT...without ANY children. Pretty sad huh? This weekend, (thanks to my parents and brother) we finally had the opportunity to get away. It was fabulous.

We stayed at Shore Lodge. Nate had a conference up in McCall and as soon as he said it was at Shore Lodge I told him that he wasn't going without me! That place brings back all sorts of memories of my growing up years. It has been completely redone and was absolutely beautiful.

Here was the view from our room:
I've realized that I need to make ALONE with SPOUSE travel time more of a priority: WHY?

1. While Nate was golfing I experienced a feeling I haven't had in a long time. Utter boredom. I was trying to remember what I liked to do when I was alone.....it was a very STRANGE feeling. I decided to go shopping. I went to a few bookstores and small gift shops. I rather ENJOY shopping alone. It was very CALM and peaceful. After shopping, I walked over to the Art in the Park. I sat down and listened to live music. I took my time looking at art...FRAGILE beautiful pieces of art. I saw a woman scolding her son for touching some glass thing and I smiled at her. I smiled because I felt for this woman and I loved that MY kids weren't there.

2. When the housekeepers came in to clean up our room I felt total and complete GUILT. Surely I could get off my rear and make our bed...after all I usually end up making at least 2 or 3 beds in my own house every day. The guilt only lasted a couple of minutes. Then I went right back to knitting my hat, enjoying the view and sipping my huckleberry shake from room service.

3. It was so much fun. I forgot how much I like having my husband's undivided attention. No bike or kids to compete with. YES....Gina (the bike) stayed home.

Check out the hot tub...right on the water's edge:

The pool was really nice too:We enjoyed great food, beautiful scenery, wonderful weather, and being together. A perfect weekend with my favorite person.

My 2 year old

I was at the store the other day and a little old lady was smiling at Landon. She bends over and looks him right in the eyes and says, "My, you are sure a handsome little guy aren't you?"

She looks up at me and says, "What a little doll."

Then Landon walks up to her, says "Hi-Yah" and karate chops her in the shin.

Terrible twos are upon us once more.

Grandma Whitaker

It was the late spring of the year 2000. I was hanging out with a guy named Nathan Starnes. I thought we were just good friends....he was hoping for more.

He invited me up to his family cabin to meet his grandparents. The day I met Darwin and Arloa Whitaker honestly changed my life forever. I was absolutely in awe of the way the two of them interacted. I had never seen two people more in love or more genuinely concerned about the other. Grandma was constantly making sure Grandpa had enough to eat. Grandpa would ask if Grandma needed anything..a pillow, a blanket, a drink, help cleaning up the kitchen, etc. She called him "Daddy." He called her "Darling."

I had never seen anything like this in my life. They were honestly life-long honeymooners. This was no act.....this is how they really were ALL of the time. It was the sweetest thing I had ever seen.

I distinctly remember thinking to myself....I WANT that. I wasn't so sure that this "good friend" of mine was going to be my "Darwin" but I wanted a marriage and a kind of love that was patterned after this adorable little couple. (Little did I know at the time he was right in front of my face.)

Grandma Whitaker made me feel apart of the family from day one. She was always interested in what was going on in my life. She made each family member feel like they were the most special to her. She always had to be doing something. She was constantly cooking, cleaning, organizing, sewing, reading, keeping BUSY. She always put me to work and I liked that. She would hand me the lettuce or potatoes and tell me to start chopping. She would send Nate off to chop wood or help Grandpa complete some chore. She was also quite the little gamer. Her sweet little disposition would turn to vicious competitor once we started a game of double twelves. She always had a sneaky way of making you feel guilty if you didn't help her out. She was funny.

Grandma always told me she loved me. She did that with everyone. She would look me in the eyes and tell me I was a good mom, a beautiful person, a wonderful wife. She always lifted everyone around her. She was such an example of service. She was one of the most compassionate and selfless people I have ever known. I am eternally grateful for the 9 years I had the privilege of knowing her. She was a great cook, a classy and beautiful woman, and had a very strong testimony of the gospel. How blessed I am to know that we will see her again. She will be very missed.

ARLOA ORWIN WHITAKER

Arloa Orwin Whitaker St. George, UT Arloa Orwin Whitaker passed away on Monday, September 7, 2009 in St. George, Utah at the Dixie Regional Medical Center.Arloa was born on May 6, 1927 in Long Beach, CA. She was raised in Brigham City, Utah by Sadie and Will Barnard and graduated from Box Elder High School in 1945. Arloa was noticed by Darwin while she was walking down Main Street in Brigham City after his return from military service in the Pacific. She and Darwin began dating while she attended Brigham Young University and Darwin attended the University of Utah. They were married in the Logan, Utah Temple on March 21, 1947. After Darwin's graduation from the University of Utah, his profession took their young family from Utah, to Idaho, to Colorado, to Texas and back to Utah, where Darwin later retired. Retirement was short lived as Arloa and Darwin were called to serve a full time mission in the Singapore Asia Mission from 1989 to 1991. Arloa and Darwin moved to St. George, Utah in 1993. She loved her days in St. George with her many dear friends at Meadow Creek Senior Community. Arloa was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Later-day Saints and served in many callings and capacities. She is and was known for her unwavering compassion and care of all those she knew and served. Her life was a life of service to others. Arloa loved the outdoors and enjoyed spending many happy hours at the family's cabin east of Park City, Utah. She loved the family reunions held at the cabin and the time spent with her grandchildren and great grandchildren doing crafts and watching the deer and hummingbirds. It was a little bit of heaven on earth to her. Arloa is survived by her husband of 62 years and five children: Suzan (Dr. Gary Strobel, Bozeman, MT), Barry (Beth Whitaker, Spanish Fork, UT), Lee Ann (Richard Starnes, Highland, UT), Brian (Becky Whitaker, Las Vegas, NV) and Brent (Marisa Whitaker, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA). She leaves behind 18 grandchildren, 19 great-grandchildren, her beloved sister, Sue Zundel, of Fallbrook, CA, and a legacy that will not be forgotten. The Whitaker Family would like to express their appreciation to all those who provided care and support to Arloa at the Dixie Regional Medical Center and Red Cliffs' Care and Rehabilitation Center. Your kindness did not pass without notice. Funeral services will be held Friday, September 11, 2009 at 11:00 a.m.

Never say never!

Being a coupon fanatic has PAID off yet again! Staci....the girl who has never won a THING in her life actually won a darling swimsuit from one of my favorite coupon blogs! Thank you so much Slavetosave! Now I will have a cute swimsuit to wear over at the new pool next summer!

YAY!

It has come to my attention...........

Dear Daddy,

This letter is in no way supposed to degrade you or make light of all of the MANY things you do for us and for our family. With that being said, I have noticed that you have been...shall we say, LACKING in the area of "Appropriate Sunday Dress from the Waist Down" for our boys.
You see, for years now it has been your responsibility to find the appropriate socks and shoes for our kids. My job is to make sure they are bathed, scrubbed and prepared for you to dress them while I finish getting myself ready. This seems like a fair trade to me. Especially since I have already made breakfast, cleaned up breakfast, and I do take a little longer to get ready. I blame it on the hair.
You always do such a fabulous job of getting yourself ready. You always have the perfect tie that coordinates with the perfectly pressed and matching shirt. Your shoes and belt have coordinated as long as I have known you and you always get compliments on your stylish suit choices. This is why I find it so perplexing that you would find it acceptable for our kids to be seen at church wearing the following:

Let's go over what is wrong with this picture:

A. Is there a FLOOD in here? Did you accidentally put Landon's pants on Parker? Now I know that YOU would never wear pants that stop right before the ankle so how come it's OK for our kids to do so?

B. If the kid is going to wear flood pants then they should AT LEAST be wearing socks....don't you agree? Apparently you haven't SMELLED Parker's feet when he doesn't wear socks. What are you trying to do.....torture everyone who is within 10 feet of us?

C. FILTHY Airwalk Shoes. These are the shoes that Parker had been wearing over in the dirt piles the day before. They aren't bad shoes by any means but they are his skateboarding shoes and puffs of dirt and dust were following after each step that he would take. It reminded me of that old "PigPen" character off of the Peanuts comic strip.

I really do appreciate all you do to help but can we please UP it a NOTCH. I realize that there are some days where the boys dress themselves and I look like I have 3 little homeless kids following behind me but I think that at least for CHURCH we need them looking decent.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

-The boss

I looked out the window and what did I see.....

A SWIMMING POOL!!!! FINALLY!!!!!!!

After 2 long years....its ALMOST finished!! Of course, it is SEPTEMBER but we will try to get some use of it these last few days of summer! I was told it would be open next week.

Goodbye 5 foot weeds, chain-linked fences, huge trucks and tractors running at all hours of the day and night. Good bye MAJOR eyesore. Hello pool front property!

Taking my monkeys to the zoo.

You'd think that after 3 weeks we would get used to not having Dallin around but Parks, Lando and I are still adjusting to the void in the family. There is a lot less fighting during the day which I LOVE but we like having Dal around and we miss him during the day. (And he gets pretty ticked when he finds out what we've been up to during the day!)

I took Parker and Landon to the zoo yesterday. Its so nice now that all of the Boise School District kids are back in school. There was hardly anyone there and Parker was even able to hold a snake and a legless lizzard (looked like a snake to me but I was quickly corrected by the zoo worker.)

One persons trash is another persons new FRONT ROOM!

We've lived in our home now for a little over 2 years. Up until yesterday I hated (wait...we don't say hate.....really DISLIKED) my front room. Of course, I knew what I WANTED to do with that room but there always seemed something a little more important that needed financial priority. Darn those student loans. It had a cute brown wall that was supposed go go along with my vision, and an ugly green contrasting couch. A LOVELY first impression upon walking into our home.

It has been a fabulous train building room, block building location, lego fight arena, and a favorite soccer and wall ball venue. It has been the "Christmas tree" room during the holidays which I loved but I always hated taking the tree down because then it just looked too EMPTY. I asked Nate if we could just keep the tree up for the entire year....he wasn't down with that.

A couple of days ago my mom called and told me that they were getting rid of their black leather couches up in the media room. SCORE! I am thrilled....why?

Leather: with 3 boys I think it is the only type of couch that will ever hold up.

Color (Black)- This will go with the rest of my house AND all pen/crayon marks will be well hidden.

Worn In: COMFORTABLE....hooray! I need a good comfy place to read or sit and listen to Dallin play piano!

Bed: It has a hide-a-bed....perfect for company! (hint hint FAMILY)

Free: FREE definitely fits into the budget.

SO.....here it is:

The painting I made (inspired by some cute art I saw at my sis-in-laws house) matches PERFECTLY!

I seem to be a little obsessed with the black/brown/beige trio going in in my house so I decided to add another color in the family room so it will be a litle different then the front room. I added a little bit of seafoam which I ended up really liking. I even MADE a few pillows the other night. I know I know...don't pass out. I honestly don't really know how to SEW anything except for pillows...and perhaps the occasional beanbag. They turned out pretty cute though. Nate didn't BELIEVE me when I told him I made them. Haha!

I think I have pretty much met my "crafting" quota for the year! Thanks for the couch mom....or maybe I should thank you on Nate's behalf. Now he doesn't have to listen to me whine and complain about the front room anymore!