Taste of the empty nest

Chris has been away for an entire week. He went to Disneyworld with one of his childhood friends. He and Kade became friends in kindergarten. They remained friends for years and it was really sad when Kade moved the summer before they went in to highschool. When they were little Kade always said that he was taking Chris on his senior trip. After he moved I just figured that he would take someone from New Mexico. Well, he called Chris up and asked him to come. They have been having a marvelous time. The weather has been terrible and Chris said there are alligators right up by the road from having all the rain. Lines at Disneyworld were much shorter though. I can't wait to see all of his pictures and hear about his trip. I must say....it has been rather quiet around here without his laughter. I have missed him terribly. I guess I'd better get used to it. He will be headed off to college before I can turn around.

I have had a busy week while Chris has been away. I taught seven straight days of seminary. What a delight. I hadn't had these classes yet this year and what a great group of youth. It was just a joy to teach them. We are studying New Testament this year and the seminary lessons are wonderful as we talk about the Savior and his love and sacrifice for us. I'm so thankful that I have this opportunity to work for the CES program in the church. I'm so thankful that my children have had such wonderful seminary teachers as they have received their gospel instruction.

I really need to update more often

I made a quick and unexpected trip to Utah a couple of weeks ago. I went to help Carolyn and Brent get moved into their new apartment and to help Carolyn after she suffered a miscarriage. It was an emotional trip for me....but I'm so glad I went. I love my daughter dearly and I'm glad that I was able to be there for her during a difficult time. I love you bug! We ate out a lot. I got to try some new things in Provo. I had a tasty steak salad from Coasta Vida. I took the gang to our favorite place Tecano's for some great brazilian food. I stayed an extra day and spent the day with Kevin and Stacie and her brother Grant. We drove up to Heber. It was just beautiful and the snow on Mt. Timpanogus was breathtaking. We hiked up this little hill and there was a meadow with a lone dead tree in it. It was the most beautiful view of the mountain. The morning I flew out I took the kids to Kneaders for breakfast. I had heard about this place but never went. The french toast was the thickest toast I had ever seen. It was delicious....served with this tasty syrup and fresh whip cream and strawberries. Yum.

We have been busy with baseball. Tonight is Senior night at the field. I am bringing kleenex. I can't even imagine the number of hours we have spent on a baseball field since Chris was 5 years old. The chiefs are in a three way tie for first place. All three teams have league games tonight. There may be a playoff for the top division spot.

Saturday got off to a bit of a rough start. We got a phone call around 9am that Lloyd had taken a tumble and the ambulance was on its way to the nursing home. This was dad's second trip to the ER in six weeks. This time he hit his head and needed stitches. He looks like he lost a fight with a baseball bat. There was so much blood. The ER was so busy and so Scott gloved up and cleaned dad up. It took about 40 minutes and a bottle of peroxide to get all the blood from his hair. I watched and Scott lovingly cared for his father. There were no beds at the hospital so after stitching him up and making sure there were no skull fractures they sent him back to the nursing home. He hasn't been quite the same the last couple of days. It breaks my heart.

It was prom this weekend. The kids had so much fun. They went to dinner at Eddie's. There were 10 other kids in their group. When it was time for the bill they found out that Randy had come in and paid for everyone. His daughter was in the group. He also let the kids use his physical therapy office for an after prom party. They decorated it. Randy brought down the big screen tv for movies and they had the sno shack moved to the office so they could have sno-cones. These boys are saving money for a mission.....so no limo for them.....plus they like to be different. The decorated a motor home and that is how they went to the dance. Chris said they were all dancing in there and it was a blast.



Kelcey looked like a princess in her dress. It is hard to see in the pictures but it is ballerina pink. It laced up the back. It was beautiful.

Happy Birthday Babe

Ten reasons why I love Scott so much.

1. I was always impressed with how much love and respect he showed to his mother.

2. He is a FABULOUS cook. He makes white chocolate raspberry cheescake even better than the Olive Garden.

3. He has been a wonderful father to our children. He loves them so much and has been such a good example for them.

4. He honors his preisthood and uses it to bless our home. I am thankful that he gives the kids Father's blessings each year before they started school.

5. Scott is a very hard worker. He spends lots of extra hours at the hospital earning overtime to help the kids in school and help with their missions.

6. He is the calming influence in my life. He is the voice of reason.

7. He is always so thoughtful of me....like the time he pushed the car out to the road when I was pregnant so I wouldn't hear it start and it wouldn't wake me.....or bringing me deli soup after my root canal.

8. He does things with me even when I know he doesn't like to......he takes me to chick flicks....he will go dancing with me.....and I know he hates to dance....but he knows I love it.

9. He is a man of great integrity. I admire that so much in him.

10. I love Scott.....because he loves me! He shows it each day in his words and his actions. He's my hero. He is my rock. He is my friend.

I love you babe! Happy birthday. Hey.....now you can't blame that gray hair on me.....YOU ARE JUST OLD!!!

Grandma in Training

I watch my friend Mel's little guy during the Sunday school hour. Mel is in primary and Milo is teaching Sunday school so I get to be the lucky one that gets to play with Reed for an hour. Lately, he has been quite active and I don't actually get to sit in class for long. He likes to walk down the hall with me. He really likes to go in while I set up the relief society room and he gets to play the piano. Well, yesterday he was quite content sitting on my lap. We looked at books, ate gold fish crackers, played with his stuffed frog. He was smiling the whole time. I thought.....wow.....I may get through the entire class. Then.......IT HAPPENED. He started grunting.....bubbling noises from below began. Then I was hit with this horrid smell. He looked up at me with a huge grin. I knew it was time for diaper duty. What? No diapers in the bag Mel gave me. So, I carried him down to the primary room and poked my head in and said "Hey....it's time for diaper duty." She came out and took him.....and then we discovered that diapers can leak.....all down your leg. He was a mess. Mel opened the container of baby wipes that was in her diaper bag and discovered it was empty. She held it up and said to a newlywed in the hall. "Bad parenting" We all laughed. Mel finally took Reed home to clean up the mess. I didn't see any of Reeds little present on my skirt....but the odor was there and I kept getting a whiff of it the rest of the afternoon. I kept asking Scott "Do you smell me? Do I smell like poop?" He said he couldn't. So, either he just didn't want me to leave him in combined Relief Society/preisthood meeting.....or he really couldn't smell it.....but I swear I could. As I was leaving Mel caught me in the parking lot. She said "I'm so sorry. It was even in his shoe." What a mess. I just laughed. It is good training for becoming a grandma. It has been quite some time since I did the leaky diaper thing. I'm thankful to have Reed to help me practice.....I'm a bit rusty. Have to get that gag reflex under control......ha ha.

HAPPY 23rd BIRTHDAY KEVIN

Ten reasons I love Kevin so much

1. Kevin is a great older brother. Looks out for his younger siblings.

2. Kevin thinks outside the box. I'm so glad that he studies things out and thinks them through and can form his own opinions and conclusions.

3. Kevin is one of the smartest people I know....and the best part is he isn't conceited about it.

4. Kevin is AWESOME with the elderly. After Melba died Kevin would go over to grandpa's everynight and just talk to him. He probably knows more about grandpa than any of us.

5. Kevin trys to stay fit.....something that I don't aspire to I'm afraid. He just ran a half marathon.

6. Kevin has a soft heart. He probably cries in movies as much as his mommy.

7. Kevin is very accepting of differences.....I think he even celebrates them. I am very proud of him for that.

8. He is very respectful of his mother. He has always treated me with love and respect.

9. He loves the Lord and has a strong testimony.

10. He fell in love with Stacie and their marriage has blessed our lives.

Happy Birthday my boy. I love you!!!!

Rock a bye baby

I'm going to be a grandma!!!!! Carolyn told us Friday that she is pregnant. We were all so excited to get the news. Carolyn and Brent are thrilled. Scott laughed when we went to Walmart lastnight and I went straight to the baby section. Hey.....I'm going to be a grandma.....that's my job.....to spoil that baby. I can't wait to start shopping. There is so much more cool stuff than when I had babies. Congrats Carolyn and Brent. You are going to be great parents.....and your baby is going to have an awesome grandma!!!

The Prankster

Scott got called to be the ward mission leader last Sunday. I was very excited about his new calling. I love having the missionaries over and it is always so much fun getting to know them. We are going to feed them breakfast on Sunday mornings before their meetings. That will be nice.

Well, I was quite the prankster when I was a young woman....and the target of my pranks most often was the missionaries. My friend Leanne and I liked to pull as many stunts as possible. Some of our more famous ones were sneaking in their place while they were gone and soaking down their p-day clothes and putting them in the freezer. There was the time we saran wrapped their car and then tied it up with a beautiful bow. I think our best stunt was when the elders moved they had a basement apartment and you had to go down a stairwell to get to it. A bunch of us girls saved newspapers for a month and we completely filled the stairwell with crumpled up newspaper. It was glorious. It took them quite a while to be able to reach their apartment.

Now.....don't think all of this went unpunished. They retaliated several times. I had my letterman's jacket stolen in the dead of winter and was walking home from school with my jacket that wasn't near as warm when the missionaires drove by.....and Elder Armstrong was wearing my coat!!! UGH! Then there was the time that my dad looked out the window as we were headed to bed and saw that the car had been turned around in the carport. So, we went out and after about 30 minutes of careful manuvering we were able to get it back in the right place. When we woke up the next morning the car was sideways again. My dad thought it was some of my friends. Nope......zone conference in town and 8 elders just picked up the car and turned it around. They sat and giggled in the bushes across the street as we manuvered back in place. Those turkeys.

So, with Scott's new calling all sorts of possibilities cropped up in my mind. Well, it hasn't been a week yet.....and I've already started. This one was just to easy.

Elder Farnsworth called yesterday and I said "What have you done?" He said "I broke my bike." "How did you manage that Elder?" "Well, Sis. Jackson....when you are riding really fast and you hit the curb sometimes it can bend your back wheel." After inquiring to make sure he was okay I asked what I could do to help him. He told me that he had borrowed a bike from the Bakers but it was Anne's or Jills. He wondered if we had a bike to borrow. Now, I know I should have been sympathetic and compassionate.....but seriously.....this was going to be to easy. "Is the bike pink elder?" He answered in a quiet voice "Kind of purple....but it is a girls bike Sis. Jackson." I told him that it was a good thing he goes home in a month so he will only have to suffer humiliation for a few more weeks. He could tell that I wasn't to concerned about his problem.

Well, lastnight they stopped by and it was dark when it was time to head home so they left their bikes here for the night. Now come on! You should never make it that easy! So, when Elder Farnsworth arrived this morning to retrieve his bike it had pretty purple streamers hanging from the handlebars and a pretty decoration in his spokes. If he is going to have a girls bike it might as well be really pretty!