Samuel is Eight!!

Sam started 2nd grade this year.
He was really excited. (Really!)

He and Makenna are great friends.
This past year is the one I have dreaded since Samuel could say "Baby Mak."
 he dropped the "baby" and he now calls her simply "Makenna."

He does the "eye roll" with pride.
 Of all the things Aunt Deb could teach him,
THIS is what he got!

He loves Deb's glasses too.
 I am amazed he could walk straight while he had them on!
He is totally channeling his Uncle Ron in this picture. 

Samuel is still my little hug muffin, but I know to enjoy that while it lasts.
  He is fast becoming involved with lots of friends at home and school.
 I affectionately refer to them as his "posse".  
Important things to note for this year:
Sam has been known to climb in the recliner next to Grandma and squeeze in for a snuggle.
He loves going places with Aunt Deb and loves her a bunch.
He loves Georgie the cat too much at times, much to Georgie's chagrin!
He loves moochies from his mom and loves his snuggle time.
He is very proud of his Mexican-American heritage and has a natural ear for the Spanish language.
 He loves his darkly tanned skin because it is unique from his siblings and like his dad.
He enjoys annoying his big brothers, while secretly looking up to them.
He misses his big sisters and their families.
He earns straight A's and loves to read. He has beautiful handwriting.
He has a beautiful voice for singing.
He has a strong belief and love for his Heavenly Father and Jesus
 and is diligent about saying his prayers.
I am so blessed to have him for my son and grateful he chose me to be his mom.
Happy Birthday, my son! 

Eleven? When did that happen?

My Andrew is 11! 

One of my favorite pictures of Andrew and his brother, Adam.  He was about 2, I believe.

Andrew is very close to his Grandma Delores Parker. 
He loves and cares for her so much.
 He seems to have a gift of helping her keep touch with reality.
 As he has gotten older and her dementia has progressed,
he just seems to feel for her even more.
 I am so glad they have the relationship they do!

Andrew went to San Diego with Aunt Deb Parker in July.
He found his favorite Grumpy Cat while he was there.

This is a throwback to June of 2012 when Wendy came to visit with her children.
Andrew adores James!  I love this picture of these two!
 

Three years ago when Andrew was baptized! Seems like yesterday. 

Well, Andrew, there is not a day that goes by that we don't thank God for you.  We are so blessed to have you in our family.  Happy 11th birthday!! We love you! 

Just a Little Drive

Andrew and I took a drive on Highway 95 heading northeast out of Yuma towards Yuma Proving Ground this afternoon.  While I was hoping to find the wild burros, what we found wasn't too bad!  It was a beautiful evening and so nice to hang out with Andrew, even though he had his nose in a book most of the time!

Now this is what caught the boy's attention!  He actually started talking and he let me take some pictures of him!  If you look really close, Andrew is saluting his buddy, Rob Bailey.  I was telling him when my sister and I met the Bailey family years ago, they lived at YPG.  He thought it was awesome.  So, Brother Bailey, consider yourself saluted! :)

This is one of my favorite views in Yuma.  The Bridge to Nowhere.  Me and Adam went here for a picnic date a long time ago when we were dating.  I scared Andrew because he thought I was going to drive too close to it.  I kind of forgot I was driving a minivan when I pulled all the way up there.  Backing up kind of freaked me out, so that evened the score a bit,

Andrew took this picture of the ocotillo plant.  He thought I was incredibly strange pulling off the road to take pictures.  But he humored me!

All I asked for was a look of amazement that yes it does rain in the desert!  I told him he looks like it smells bad!  Love this boy!

My almost 11 year old (9/22 is the big day!) sitting outside the entrance of YPG property. He only has a couple of inches to go and he will be as tall as his old mom.

I love how this looks.  Just a random picture with a really cool pattern.

As we were headed home, we turned onto 9E from Highway 95.  The sun was setting and you could see the big old fireball between the line of clouds and the horizon. The picture just doesn't do it justice.  There are days it feels like we live in Hell down here, especially when I am pining for a drive in the cool mountains of Utah while Fall colors creep stealthily over the mountain ridges, signaling the coming hunting seasons, snow, and the holidays. 

Knock, Knock!

It has been awhile since I approached this blog of mine! I had convinced myself it was a waste of time and served no valuable purpose.  Then, I found myself going through old posts recently, finding memories lost, reminding myself of bits of happiness scattered through my life. So, I have decided to continue to document the mundane goings on of my family.
Andrew, Samuel, and Makenna have been in Utah for a week with Deb to visit with family and friends.  It has been difficult to be home while they are seeing everyone, but really good for Deb and the kids.  Adam is staying with Grandma and I check in daily to make sure they are both okay!  He has been doing a great job looking after her.  So me and Big Adam get to hang out and get a taste of an empty nest. One word describes it: WEIRD!  But fun for sure.

School starts for the kids in the next couple of weeks.  Adam is 16 and a Senior!  Andrew is 10 and in 5th grade.  Samuel, 7 and in 2nd grade.  My Baby Mak is 6 and in 1st grade.  It amazes me how much they have grown.
A major happening in our family was on December 28, 2013.  Adam was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  It was 16 years coming and an amazing day.  Michael Moffatt, Judy's husband, came from Utah to baptize him.  Robert Hart, my bishop who performed our wedding ceremony 16 years ago, confirmed him a member of the Church.  Wendy came out to be with us from Lilburn, GA, where she is living with her family.  We had her for a whole week.

Caught Air?

Many years ago in an attempt to quit missing the canyon drives in Utah,

my sister and I discovered the road to Martinez Lake.

When the nieces came to visit, we would ride out there,

put some speed on the old Honda Accord and laugh our heads off! 

Reminiscing with my kids today,

I told them of one instance when we had Karma Knight,

 Megan Austin, and Cassidi (our niece) in the car.

We hit the hills fast enough that as we crested one,

all three girls bumped their heads on the roof of the car as we caught air!

 We were all exhilarated! 

Belly laughs ensued and we were a very happy bunch!

***

This morning, I decided to pack the kids in the van, grab Grandma, and head for them thar hills.

***

Mom woke up this morning thinking she was in Utah.

Once I got her out of the house, she realized she wasn't.

As we approached the turn off for Martinez Lake Road, the kids were doing pretty good.

Mom was a little antsy. Makenna was the first to notice the coming rise in the road.

After we went over the first rise, the road had eveyone's attention!

Within moments, we were laughing hysterically at the ride.

We didn't catch air with the vehicle (funny how parenthood changes one's perspective!),

but we caught air with our spirits.

I read somewhere recently that a parent should

 strive to make their children laugh uncontrollably at least once per day.

I scored today!

Not only were my kids laughing, but Grandma was too!

The moment is frozen in time for me.

It was almost a slow-motion moment as I caught Mom glancing back at her grandchildren,

completely carefree and unshadowed,

in the moment,

laughing with complete abandon.

This is where the drive paused:

Martinez Lake

We drove some of the backroads and crossed back over the hilly road to go to Senator's Wash.

We stopped to look at the tanks and talk about the men and women who fought in them.

This was our favorite:

Sam loved the rocket!

As we drove back into Yuma, we passed the Marine Corps Air Station.

 Mom gazed out the window and asked,

"What is that?" She motioned to the jets and helicopter at the entrance of MCAS.

My heart sank a bit as I explained.

She surprised me by commenting,

"You know, no one can stop all of this," as she motioned to herself. "It's going to happen. It just is."

***

I saw this area outside of the Senator's Wash area.

Reminded me of "hope" and to wish for lots of good days.

Today was a good day.