Y Not?

Our California Adventure

2012-02-18T17:49:00.000-08:00

It was everything a Disney vacation should be and so much more! We were only a few hours into our first day in the park when the kids started asking me if I was going to make another book. I made a memory book after our last Disneyland trip and I think the kids wanted to rest assured that I would do everything I could to properly capture these memories we were making. Just a few of my favorite pictures will have to do for now until I can find the time for book-making.

Our first day in the park was a fabulous sunny and 80 degrees. It was a Thursday, which meant the crowds were minimal and the lines very manageable. Our kids actually prefer California Adventure over Disneyland so that is where we started our fun. We arrived 30 minutes prior to the park's opening and were waiting on Paradise Pier for the rope to drop.

As soon as that rope dropped, we did our fastest speed-walking to Toy Story Midway Mania. It's still Caleb's favorite ride and he would eventually ride it 9 times!

Natalie loves the characters (almost as much as she loves palm trees), which warmed my heart. The other kids were at times coaxed into a photo and Alyssa did collect a signature or two, but unfortunately the passage of time has caused that magic to fade for our older ones.

That night we made our way to Ontario for the girls' gymnastics meet, which was the primary reason for this trip. A few of the moms had made these cute posters for the girls to hang on their hotel room doors. The gymnasts all had fun signing good luck messages for each other.

Our hotel was very nice and very conveniently located across a parking lot from the convention center where the meet was held.

This was a very large, three-day meet that included gymnasts from level 4 all the way to the elite level. There were two meets simultaneously running at each session and as luck would have it, our girls were assigned the same session. That meant that Natalie and I were on one side of the gym in a level 4 meet, while Alyssa was competing on the other side with level 7.

The Ontario Convention Center--Site of the 2012 Gliders Invitational.

Natalie's team (Part of them, anyway. Not all of the girls on the team opted to compete in this travel meet.)

It was really hard for me to watch Alyssa in between coaching my girls and having to look past equipment, other coaches and gymnasts but according to Jon, it wasn't much easier for him. He felt really torn between the two sides and just when he'd get ready to film one of the girls, would notice that the other was just about ready to go across the room.

Neither of the girls had their best meets--with falls for both of them on beam--but both did just fine. The competition in Southern California is unbelievably difficult. A whole different ball game than we're used to here in Washington. Alyssa ended up receiving a medal for 5th place on floor so she didn't go home empty-handed. Competitions like this are great experience.

We watched the other levels of our team compete and that night, the girls had a blast playing with their teammates.

We slept in on Saturday morning and then headed back to Disneyland for our second day at the resort.

Caleb was so brave. He tried it all. He didn't love it all, but he tried it all and for that, I am proud of him.

He hated Star Tours. Pity, because it was a favorite for the rest of us.

He LOVED Splash Mountain. He'd eventually rack up 9 total rides, not minding at all that he'd sometimes get soaked!

He hated Indiana Jones. We've decided it's the rides in the dark that bother him.

The Saturday crowds were enormous so we were more than ready to spend Sunday away from Disneyland. We drove down to San Diego and visited the temple grounds. So beautiful!

Then we made our way to Old Town San Diego where we visited the Mormon Battalion Visitor Center. The church has really done an amazing job with this site. It is very Disney-esque in the way it teaches the history with themed rooms and special effects.

At one point the tour guides dressed Caleb in the standard gear that would've been required for a member of the US army.

Natalie loved panning for gold.

We later roamed other parts of Old Town and were mesmerized by this pottery demonstration:

He made each of the kids a souvenir and we left him a nice tip. I think he liked Jon's spanish. :)

Our authentic Mexican (and al fresco) lunch was the best I've had in a very long time. Maybe even ever!

We arrived at the beach just in time to watch the sunset. Stunning.

We did some cartwheels and let the waves wash onto our feet. I hope the rental car company didn't mind having to vacuum all the sand we left behind.

One of these things is not like the other. :)

Monday found us back at Disneyland where we'd go back and forth between the parks riding rides to our heart's content for the next three days.

Here are the girls giving their best spooky looks as they prepare to enter the Twilight Zone. Oh how we love, love, LOVE this ride!

There are definite benefits to having older kids. They were each tall enough for all of the rides and when the rest of us wanted to ride something Caleb didn't like, he was old enough to venture off on his own.

Once, while the rest of us were enjoying Tower of Terror, Caleb decided to ride Toy Story twice in a row. Even on a non-busy day, Toy Story always has a 30 minute minimum wait. He found some fellow Cougar fans--identifiable by their attire--in line and they befriended him. Their family consisted of an odd number so he even went on to ride the ride with one member of their family. Much later in the day, after we'd reunited and were in line for another ride, we ran into a couple members of that family.

"Caleb! Caleb!" they excitedly called as if they'd spotted a long-lost friend. Then they gushed about how much they loved him as they got to know him in line earlier in the day. A few minutes after that were walking through the park when a grandma and grandpa chased us down, pulling on my backpack to stop me. They went on to say that they too had met Caleb in line (also members of that Cougar family) and they just had to meet the parents of this "fine young man." They praised us for doing a good job with him but we were quite embarrassed that while these strangers now knew a whole lot about our family, Caleb couldn't tell us even one thing--not even a name--of any of these nice people. I talked to him about doing a bit more listening and a lot less talking. :)

Caleb overcame his fear of California Scream'n's loop-the-loop and found out what the rest of us already knew: this ride rocks! Even though it's a fuzzy picture of a picture, I love the looks of excitement on my family.

Wednesday started off cloudy but by mid afternoon the rains started. It made saying good-bye a little easier. A little.

It's always hard to see a vacation come to an end, especially when the memories are such sweet ones. But there's just something about Disneyland. It wasn't that I wanted to ride more rides. I'd certainly had my fill. But I realized that it's sad to leave because a bit of childhood stays there. When we come back, whenever that happens to be, time will have taken some of the magic from my children's eyes. And while having older kids certainly has its advantages, it's still hard to see them grow up.

But say good-bye we did. And the memories we made will last a lifetime.

The Biggest Fan

2012-02-05T22:27:00.001-08:00

I've long considered myself worthy to be called a Cougar fan. A super fan, even. But yesterday I found myself cheering for my team while wearing a black and red shirt. Black and red. Oh the sacrilege!

Earlier in the day, my attire had been most appropriate. Spirit wear, if you will, for Alyssa's gymnastics meet. We'd travelled to Vancouver for her to compete in a gymnastics meet but that's just a side story here. (They weren't her best routines but she did end up placing 5th all-around.)

We went to lunch with a few of Lys' teammates and upon arriving at the restaurant, Caleb informed Jon that BYU was playing University of Portland, in Portland at 7:00 p.m. What? BYU playing 10 miles away? What are we waiting for?

Because we are some of the few people left on the planet that don't have smart phones or iPads or any other ready access to the internet, we returned to the hotel we'd stayed in the night before so we could pull out our laptop and verify Caleb's facts that the Cougars really were playing just down the street. Within minutes we were off to see if we could get tickets. How did I not know about this game? I must not be a super fan after all.

The tickets were four times the standard price for this Portland Pilots game due to the higher-than-usual attendance that an opponent like BYU brings. Still, we were able to get 5 front-row bleacher seats. The arena didn't open for another 30 minutes so we ran to 7-11 to load up on treats for the game. When we returned with the goods, the players were just arriving. We greeted them as they entered.

"Hi, Brandon!"

"Good Luck, Noah."

"Have a good game, Coach Rose."

Like they're our personal friends or something.

Caleb had been wearing his Angry Birds shirt all day but he dug into his suitcase and pulled out a BYU jersey that he'd worn the previous day. 'Cause that's what real super fans do. They always have the right gear ready. I hated that I was wearing black.

As soon as Caleb got inside the arena he shouted toward the players who were just beginning to warm up, "Hey guys, it's me, your biggest fan!" That's right, the kid who studies ESPN and SI enough to know the details of the schedule and always carries a BYU shirt with him deserves to be called the biggest fan.

We had so much fun at the game. But I wished more than once that my clothing would readily identify me as one of many, many BYU fans. At least half of those in attendance, really.

We waved our arms wildly to distract free throw shooters and joined the crowd in Cougar cheers. And now I know to always have a BYU shirt with me when we take a trip. That's what real super fans do. Apparently we only have one of those at our house.

Our victory pose

Go Cougars!

One For the Fans

2012-01-29T10:11:00.000-08:00

While gymnastics meets may be a common occurrence around here, having a fan club to cheer Lys on is a rare treat.

It was so much fun to have Erin and her family and Chad and Grandma come to watch Alyssa compete. We're so thankful for their support. And she put on a pretty good show, too.

The competition was really stiff but she ended up 8th all-around out of 30 girls in her age group.

Because I know she has other fans that couldn't be there, here is a look at her bar and beam routines:

9.00--9th place

9.15--7th place

She also placed 6th on vault with a 9.15. Congrats, Lys! How lucky you are to have such a great fan club.

Grandma is Great!

2012-01-27T09:59:00.000-08:00

When I was in high school, I completed a project called, "I Am What I Am" for a psychology class. It was a detailed scrapbook of sorts that outlined the elements of my personality and defined the roles others had played in making me the person that I am. It included my talents, interests as well as embarrassing moments and personality weaknesses. One of the required elements was to list the qualities of an ideal person. This statement was included in the summary of my list: "I think the most ideal person I know would have to be my grandmother."

Some call her Goose, some say Granny but I think more often than not I use plain ol' Grandma. She moved to my hometown when I was a very young girl and lived nearby all my growing up years. (She moved to California about the time I got married.) Every Sunday was spent at my grandparent's house where she spoiled us with wonderful dinners that had been planned to the very last detail. Her cupboards were always stocked with homemade cookies. She sewed my sister and I that famous red Annie dress that every little girl our age wanted. She also made me gymnastics leotards and homecoming dresses too. She handmade all the mints for my wedding. It's no wonder that when my first daughter was born, I wanted to use her name.

Grandma turned 90 earlier this month. It had been 5 years since I had seen her and I desperately wanted my children to create memories of her. So when we learned of some unbelievably low airfare, we knew we couldn't pass up the opportunity to see her. What made it more exciting was when my parents and sister and family decided to come too.

My dad and grandma actually share a birthday and Mom's follows three days later. We got to California on Mom's actual birthday. That night, my uncle Mike, who lives in the same town as my grandma, arranged for a birthday dinner for the three of them.

Doesn't Grandma look so good for being ninety years old?! She is doing quite well I think, though a scary fall just moments after our arrival threatened to ruin our fun before it had even started. Her tumble left her with a very sore hip and an enormous goose egg on the back of her head but she managed to get back up and keep going.

She delighted in getting acquainted with her great-grandchildren and we tried to soak in every moment of their interactions.

We made a day trip to beautiful Monterey but Grandma opted to stay home and rest as the effects of her fall had taken a bit of a toll.

We could hear the seals barking as soon as we got out of the car.

The whole crew minus Granny:

We wandered into some of the shops on Fisherman's Wharf and Anna desperately wanted this pink bunny hat that Uncle Mike had tried on her. Erin said no but Uncle Mike was able to dry her tears by taking her to the candy store.

The candy store was fun for all of us!

We then drove down the road to Cannery Row, the setting of several John Steinbeck novels.

The beach was cold but beautiful.

Natalie wanted to show Great-Grandma her souvenirs as soon as we got home.

On our way to the airport the next day, we stopped by my cousin Sean's house. He's created a "game room" in his backyard. The kids thought they were in heaven with his popcorn machine, candy dispenser with free quarters and unlimited arcade games. But it's pretty much a bar and this is the first and only time in their lifetimes I ever expect to see them in a bar!

Grandma posed with all six of her great-grandchildren before we said our tearful good-byes.

Caleb, Christopher--my cousin's boy, Natalie, Clara, Alyssa and Anna with Great Grandma Burke

It was a good trip. I was thankful for the opportunity to spend time with family and most specifically to see my Grandma.

I hope my kids will always remember her.

Thawing

2012-01-20T15:29:00.000-08:00

I tried to go running yesterday morning, just like I do every day. But the icy layer covering every single surface made it physically impossible to run. I could barely walk. It was beautiful. Dangerous, but beautiful.

We were some of the lucky ones. While hundreds of thousands were out of power, we were snuggled safely in our cozy home. And while many flights were cancelled and the runways closed much of the day, Erin's flight from New York somehow managed to land without delay.

We are definitely counting our blessings, but we did have one casualty. The tall evergreen tree near our front porch succumbed to the weight of the ice.

The corner of our roof kept it from falling entirely. No branches have been lost but the roots are coming up out of the ground. I'll be sad to see it go.

Our neighborhood looks a bit like a war zone with downed trees lining all the streets. It's sad to see all the damage.

The temperatures went up this morning and the ice has been falling off all the branches with loud cracks and crashes. We're finally starting to thaw out. But I think we'll be cleaning up from this mess for quite some time. While many will be out of power for several more days to come, I'm going to be grateful for the simple pleasure of electricity.

This will be one of those storms we'll be talking about for years to come.

Snow Days!

2012-01-18T20:03:00.000-08:00

It all started on Sunday. Snow was falling, and fast. In less than an hour, the ground was covered and the kids couldn't wait to go out in it. We aren't really prepared for this type of weather, however, and Natalie was soon complaining about not having waterproof gloves. (Neither of the girls had proper footwear either.) Jon found some of his gloves and offered them as her only other option for her 99-cent mittens. She was thrilled.

She's either showing off her massive hands or simply raising her hands in pure delight. Not sure which.

The big girls rolled quite the snowball while Natalie showed Emma her super-size mitts.

The snow stuck around for Monday's holiday and the kids frolicked outside for hours. Considering the potentially record-breaking forecast, Jon decided to invest in some snow boots and waterproof gloves of the appropriate size. They've been well used.

Tuesday morning brought more snow which caused a two-hour delay to the start of school. But now that they were properly outfitted, the kids were excited to walk to school with the flurries falling around them.

This morning brought MUCH more snow and a school cancellation. It's been about as fun as Christmas day! All-day winter fun with friends--and NO school--is about as good as it gets. I'm amazed at how long they can last out in the elements.

The snow changed to freezing rain which has coated every branch of every bush and tree. It's unbelievably pretty.

While Jon and I spent the day in our pajamas, the fun parents down the street helped the kids build an awesome snow fort complete with a snow recliner. That same fun mom also fed my kids lunch and gave the girls hand-warmers for their gloves. What good neighbors they are!

Though my pictures don't show him, Caleb has had an equal amount of joy from this unusually snowy winter weather. He was especially excited about a day off of school. And he gets one more tomorrow as they've already cancelled again.

Snow days are a special treat when you live in the Pacific Northwest. And since there's no place to go, let it snow! Well, until tomorrow when I need it to clear out in time for Erin and family to fly safely into town and for me to make it to the airport and back.

Gymnastics Doesn't Stink

2012-01-15T21:35:00.000-08:00

Our theme of the new year thus far could be summed up with one word: gymnastics. Sure, it hasn't been the only thing, but it's been our Monday-Wednesday-Friday-Saturday-and-some-days-in-between thing.

Last weekend was Natalie's first meet of the spring competitive season.

She's actually got pretty good skills, even if she doesn't yet have the body awareness to keep those toes pointed.

Evidently most 6 and 7 year olds don't get that pointed-toe thing because out of 17 girls her age, Natalie placed 2nd! Her first medal. It was a big moment.

We rode the ferry home, which was a fun treat after a long day of competition.

Yesterday was another meet day, and another big moment for our other gymnast. It was Alyssa's first meet as an optional gymnast.

These are a couple of shots of warm-up:

Lys did great! She did fall on beam, which is typically her strongest event, so that was a big bummer. Were it not for that fall, she would've won the meet. Instead she placed third, a mere .05 behind 2nd place and only .25 behind first.

She did an awesome bar routine that earned her a 2nd place finish on that event.

The video of her bar routine is a bit hard to see, so we'll share this footage of her floor routine instead. She does have a little fluke stumble at the very beginning on one of her dance moves, and there's still some fine tuning to do, but I think it's a fabulous start to level 7. Congrats, Lys!

We got a short break in the middle of the day and then had to return for my team and Natalie to compete. Her scores weren't as high this week, but she still came away with another second place finish. Our team, by the way, finished first in both meets! :)

Most of us think this is all pretty darn exciting. But there is one among us that doesn't share the sentiment. Can you guess who made this hangman game in church today?

Gymnastics definitely doesn't stink! We get one Saturday off before we're back to competition. We--well, most of us--are excited to see what this season has in store.

Happy New Year

2012-01-15T20:53:00.000-08:00

I had two resolutions for the new year: begin an immediate sugar detox and write more. I'm one for two. I haven't missed the sugar as much I'd thought I would but as for the writing, well, that's why I'm making this very effort, even if it is two weeks late.

We had a great New Year's celebration. It's tradition to celebrate with our friends, the Evans, but this year we did something a little different.

We started with dinner at The Old Spaghetti Factory. They have great gluten-free options and since Caleb can't seem to consume enough spaghetti noodles these days, we decided it would be the perfect dinner spot.

The girls posed with their American Girl dolls.

The boys have poses of their own but I can't make any sense of it. Is that a boy thing? I don't know.

We went to the movies next and saw "We Bought a Zoo." I really did like it, but I don't think I'd classify it as a kid movie, which is what we thought we were going to see.

The night ended in Seattle, at our friend's office building. There was a game room for the kids and a balcony with a perfect view of the Space Needle fireworks. We always watch the fireworks on TV but seeing them live was SO much more fun!

All the boats on Lake Union looked so pretty and it was fun to hear them blaring their horns to welcome the new year.

We stayed until 1:00 a.m. but I'm sure the kids could've partied longer. It was fortunate for us that our Sunday meetings didn't start until 1:00 p.m. so we could recover from all that late-night fun.

Welcome, 2012!

We Had Ourselves a Merry Little Christmas

2011-12-27T15:23:00.000-08:00

The girls and I started our Christmas week with a little pampering. I told them I had a surprise for them but that they first had to earn it by doing all sorts of chores. By day's end, I had a clean house and they had beautifully painted nails. We were all happy.

The rest of the week passed in a flurry of Christmas cookies, holiday parties and merry-making. Before we knew it, Grandma and Grandpa had arrived to celebrate Christmas with us.

We bundled up and headed to Bellevue to experience Snowflake Lane. It's a festive kind of fun as long as you don't mind sharing the sidewalks with the big-city mass of humanity that converges near malls at the this time of year.

Then we went to the botanical gardens to see the prettiest light display.

These grapes were my favorite.

We made a Christmas Eve trip to the movies where we enjoyed Arthur Christmas. Cute story. Yummy popcorn.

Our traditional Christmas Eve dinner was altered this year to be gluten-free. But steak on a stick, potato skins, cocktail smokies and spinach dip had everyone feeling satisfied. We even had two different kinds of So-Good Cookies--some with gluten and some without. We had gluten-free gingersnaps, too.

The traditional first gifts of Christmas were opened--pajamas, of course--and we were ready to begin our read and sing nativity celebration.

I'm choosing the omit the pictures that document Caleb's Asperger moments. They may have threatened to spoil our Christmas Eve, but the Christmas spirit was still felt so we'll just focus on that.

Natalie decided she wanted to conduct the songs.

It's just not Christmas Eve without angel chimes.

I loved that Christmas came on a Sunday this year! Since we're sleepers at our house, I knew we wouldn't be able to get our gifts opened before our 11:00 meeting started. We decided we'd let the kids enjoy their Santa gifts and stockings before church and leave the rest of the gifts for after. We also had our big breakfast on Christmas Eve so that we wouldn't have to rush that either.

On Christmas morning, I heard Jon say, "The kids are up. I can hear them." It seemed so dark and I was so deep asleep that all I could mutter was, "You've got to be kidding me!" Our kids never get up early so I couldn't believe that they'd be up already. But then I rolled over and looked at the clock. It was 8:30. So I decided that they had every right to be up.

Our church service was wonderful. It just seemed so perfect to go to church on Christmas.

The kids were sure excited to go home and having waited to open our gifts just helped build the anticipation all the more. We posed for a family photo before changing back into our Christmas jammies.

Natalie couldn't have been more thrilled about her American Girl doll.

Most of Alyssa's gifts were actually for the doll she got back in November for her birthday.

Caleb got more football helmets. Evidently when you're that big of a fan you can't have too many.

He also got a foosball table.

We stayed in our pajamas for our traditional Christmas ham dinner. Caleb ate candy all night long.
What a wonderfully Merry Christmas!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

2011-12-18T22:32:00.000-08:00

It just happens to be that the hap-happiest season of all is also the bus-busiest.

We started the week with two concerts in one night. Jon took Alyssa to her first orchestra concert while I took Natalie to play her part as a cardinal in "The Animal's Christmas Tree" program.

There's something irresistably adorable about first graders in costumes, singing their songs to their perfectly timed choreography.

Nat's concert was a lovely 25 minutes long and since the 5th graders were playing last, we were able to race across town to watch Alyssa. We found Jon in auditorium and sat down just as the conductor was gesturing for the kids to raise their instruments.

I was anticipating a lot of squawks and squeaks but was impressed to hear real music coming from Alyssa's ginormous group of string players. So fun to see--and hear.

Also this week was Caleb's Christmas choir concert. My favorite part was "O Holy Night." Not just because they did the song well, but also because they sang lyrics about Christ's birth at a school function. I didn't know they could get away with that, but I loved it.

On Thursday, Alyssa graduated from D.A.R.E. The kids sang some really great songs that they had written about staying drug-free. Then they collected their certificates. (They had to stand in alphabetical order so, wouldn't you know it, she ended up behind the tallest kid in the class. Can you see her little head in the second row?)

This is Officer Smith that taught the program to the fifth graders at our school:

The next day, Alyssa helped lead the school sing-along. She and several of her friends took turns leading the actions on lots of fun holiday songs but on Jingle Bell Rock she took the microphone.

That night she worked with Tom Koll at gymnastics. He's a celebrity of sorts in the world of Junior Olympic gymnastics. He's the chairman of the JO committee, the creator of the compulsory routines and a judge of the highest ranking. Tom looked at Alyssa's beam and floor routines and gave critiques on how they can be improved.

Saturday morning, Natalie and I got to spend four more hours learning from Mr. Tom's expertise as he worked with our Level 4 team.

Each of the girls on my team did one event for Tom. Natalie did vault and even though Tom is the self-proclaimed toughest-judge-in-the-country, he gave Natalie a 9.4. Now if she could just master that posture that he looks for on beam and floor.

Phew! What a week. Busy. Very busy. But so much fun.

And we still have Christmas to look forward to. A wonderful time of the year, indeed.

The Best Part of Thanksgiving

2011-11-30T13:11:00.001-08:00

We were somewhere in the middle of the Montana mountains when I asked the children, "What was the best part of Thanksgiving?" Spending time with cousins was the immediate consensus. But then Caleb quickly corrected himself. "No, not just cousins. It was aunts and uncles, Grandma and Grandpa, too. The best part of Thanksgiving was spending time with all our family."

The cousins really did have a spectacular time. Using croquet mallets and a baseball, the iced-over back patio was turned into a hockey rink. They even made some tickets for spectators to attend their NHL hockey game. I didn't get any pictures of it, darn it.

They also did a lot of wrestling and playing football day and night.

While the kids made their presence known out front, Carl instigated one of his thought-provoking conversations based on some gospel question that none of us really know the answer to.

When it came time for bed, the Childers kids headed off to a hotel and the rest of the kids found a spot in the basement family room. Brendan and Caleb decided to share the couch. It didn't look at all comfortable but they insisted that it worked for them.

The other kids alternated nights in the recliners and on the floor.

One thing's for sure, every night was a party.

I missed capturing our Thanksgiving feast. (Or the Turkey Trot that many of us ran before we ate.) But the feasting really went on for days. Pies, sweets and made-to-order breakfasts, too. And Grandpa made turkey soup with the leftovers. The kids seemed to like it. We didn't tell them that he'd added all the gizzards to the pot as well.

The carousel is a must. It's always fun to try for that brass ring.

Staggering Ox is also a must. Here are the kids devouring their "guts"--which are not at all like gizzards.

And the whole gang:

Whenever the cousins get together, we compare heights and marvel at how much they've grown. Some grow more than others. Brendan and Caleb used to always be the same size until one hit his growth spurt. He has a really low voice now, too. :)

Some of us strolled the walking mall and stopped for a picture in front of the historic fire tower.

We shopped, ate, went swimming and to the movies. We slept in and relaxed, too. It was wonderful in every way but the kids are absolutely right: the best part of Thanksgiving was spending time with family.

Happy Birthday, Alyssa!

2011-11-06T22:10:00.000-08:00

Alyssa had a wonderful birthday. She wanted to share her celebration with all of her friends--24 girls from school, church and gym. It was too big a number to accomodate at our house so she decided to hold her party at the gym. She picked the colors and the games and if you ask her, it all turned out great!

I made personalized tumblers for the girls' favors. Tumblers--get it? Perfect for a gymnastics party, right?

They all played around and seemed to have a lot of fun.

Pizza for lunch.

Alyssa wanted to do an obstacle course game. We divided the girls into two teams and each had a list of items to find in the gym. Then they used those items to build an obstacle course for the other team. When they were done building, each girl had to get with a partner and complete the course blindfolded.

Time for cupcakes and birthday wishes.

She was spoiled rotten by her friends. She got so many wonderful gifts including over $100 in cash and gift cards! Wow.

Grandma and Grandpa's gift to Alyssa was to make a trip to the American Girl store to buy Alyssa the doll she's been wanting for years. She absolutely loves it!

While we were at the mall, she spent a few of her gift card dollars on a new pair of boots from Justice. She can't wait to wear them with some of her new duds to school tomorrow.

We stopped at BJ's for dinner on the way home. They have the best gluten-free pizza and gluten-free pizookies, too!

This morning I surprised her with a new church dress--she looked just darling but she changed out of it before I could get a picture of it.

Tonight we had her favorite dinner--noodles with clam sauce. We had scotcheroos, too. Then we sent her through the traditional spanking machine before bed.

Happy Birthday, Alyssa! We pretty much think you are amazing in every way!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T22:18:00.000-07:00

Another Halloween has come and gone. Our candy bowl was emptied to all the trick-or-treaters and then refilled with our own haul of goodies. The kids spent hours canvassing the neighborhood with their friends. What fun!

Caleb was the wolf from Hoodwinked. He loves that movie, he'll even quote it if you'd like. Do you see the resemblence?

Alyssa was a vampire. I did a pretty lame job with her costume but she was happy anyway.

Natalie and Emma like to coordinate their costumes. The other day Natalie told me that she would like to be a vet when she grows up. That idea made for the perfect costume to go with Emma's dog ensemble.

She's a vet, not a doctor.

Oh boy, what a stash!

Happy Halloween!

A Most Perfect Saturday in Fall

2011-10-29T20:24:00.000-07:00

There weren't many pumpkins in the patch--which was the main reason we went--but there sure was a lot of fun.

I was randomly picked from the crowd to be the "lucky" lady to "bless" the pig races with a ceremonial kiss. I really didn't want to do it but I couldn't let the cheering crowd down.

They gave me a pig nose as souvenir for my services.

We soaked in the warm sunshine and stunning fall colors, then we went to the grocery store to get our pumpkins.

Our Rookie

2011-10-24T11:05:00.000-07:00

I've never taken her gymnastics very seriously. She just sort of played around and taught herself some skills she'd seen the other girls do. Last May I finally gave in and let Natalie start training with me as a Level 4.

It's hard to be Mom and Coach at the same time. As a coach, I only see flaws. Being the perfectionist that I am, I am in the business of building state champions. As a mom, I just want her to be a kid and with one serious gymnast in the house already, I wasn't exactly anxious for a second. (Holy moly it's expensive!) And because I never wanted to be accused of giving my own daughter more attention than the other members of my team (I deal with a lot of CRAZY parents) I almost did the opposite and gave her less. I think I wondered all along if she would actually go through with this whole competition thing.

She did and boy was she excited! She wasn't as ready as the coach in me would have liked, but the mom in me could not have been more proud. She's only six, so I'm hoping that she'll develop more body control but I see the potential.

Natty surprised us all with a 9 on vault!

She got a 7.7 on the floor, 8.1 on bars and a 7.0 on beam. That's a 31.8 all-around which means she qualified for the sectionals meet. I certainly wasn't expecting that!

Our veteran supporting our rookie:

I think it was hard for Alyssa to watch from the sidelines (she doesn't start competing until January), she's used to the gymnastics spotlight resting solely on her. But she was very sweet and encouraging to her sister.

Way to go, Natalie!

Weekend With the Cougars

2011-10-17T09:40:00.000-07:00

"Mom, you so gotta blog about this!" said Caleb.

He's right, it's worthy of documentation. It really was a most perfect weekend for a football-loving, Cougar-crazed family like us. It's not every day that our team comes this close to home and we'd been looking forward to this game for months.

The kids had the day off of school (a state waiver day--whatever that means) which allowed us to get an earlier start on our fun. How convenient. We met Grandma, Grandpa, Chad and Amy in Portland to eat lunch at a favorite restaurant. Then we continued south to Albany, Oregon and checked in to our hotel. The kids headed straight for the pool.

That evening we made our way to the team fireside where the Stake Center was packed to standing room only. What a neat experience it is to listen to the players speak not about football, but about truly important things. Marcus Mathews spoke about standing in the light and being a light for others. Eathyn Manumaleuna spoke about prayer. Then there was a special musical number by several of the players, "Abide With Me." Holly Mendenhall spoke about courage and standing up for what was right. She was followed by the whole team singing, "We'll Bring the World His Truth"--my favorite primary song! Bronco was the final speaker and he shared a message about how our faith in Christ can help us face every day with enthusiasm and optimism. Great messages.

And then it was time for autographs! First up, Josh Quezada:

Then Kyle Van Noy. Caleb told him, "Please pick one for me tomorrow, OK?" "I'll try," he replied. Imagine our excitement when he kept that promise and saved an OSU touchdown!

Ross Apo:

Brian Kariya:

Not sure who that boy is in our family picture but at least he's sporting his BYU tie. :)

Love the Band of Brothers decals on the team busses.

We saw Jake Heaps--I find myself feeling sorry for him. Seems like he's being a good sport about his less than ideal situation.

At last we were finally able to get to Bronco. He'd been swarmed all night and was hurrying his way to the bus but when we asked for an autograph and photo, he willingly complied. You can't see much of Caleb in this picture but I love that Bronco is using his scriptures to sign Caleb's "Y." Find me another head football coach in the country that would be using scriptures to sign autographs!

And finally, McKay Jacobsen.

As we were walking to our car the busses passed by. Caleb was jumping and waving wildly. It looks like Grandma may have been, too. :)

On Saturday morning we made the short drive (25 min.) to Corvallis for the tailgate and big game. Corvallis is a beautiful little college town and it was a simply perfect fall day.

We stopped in at "Cougar Town" (held at the Corvallis Stake Center) to tailgate with BYU Alum.

Caleb's shoes kept coming untied so his little sister decided to lend a hand. So cute.

Jon and Caleb threw the football...

...and then it was time for some face painting. Caleb decided on a full face job. The girls were much more dainty.

Then Cosmo arrived and signed Caleb's ball.

The Cougarettes put on a little show. They're good dancers and all--National Champions, in fact--But I have to admit that I was a bit sad that the cheerleaders didn't come to this game.

After the tailgate we all piled in one car--illegally--to catch a shuttle (school bus) from the fairgrounds. This was about the time I started getting nervous. Uncle Chad and I had an ongoing banter about who is the number one fan.

Reser stadium is nice and in a really beautiful setting. We sat smack in the middle of a sea of orange. I heard one or two religious slurs but overall, I found the Oregon State fans to be very nice and welcoming. I've been in hostile stadiums before but thankfully, this was not one of them.

We didn't get to sit in the BYU section--that would've been fun--but we still had good seats.

I was a nervous wreck throughout the game. So glad the Cougs pulled it off. SO glad we got to see it live!

BYU 38, Oregon State 28. Ah, sweet victory!

Lots of BYU fans played around on the practice field after the game. Caleb tried a field goal or two.

And all the kids took at a shot at the tackling dummies.

The kids hit the pool one more time before we all fell into bed that night. I was the first to wake up on Sunday morning and when I stepped out of the shower, I saw this:

Caleb had taken a shower after swimming the night before and must have made his mark on the mirror. It reappeared every time the mirror fogged over but once the condensation cleared, you couldn't see it anymore. Hope the maids use some good window cleaner or the next guests will be getting a fun message every time they use the shower. :)

I'm so proud to be a Cougar. What a great weekend.

In the end, I did concede the number one title to Chad. I'm OK being number two. But Caleb thinks he may bump us both down a spot. And he may be right.

Go Cougars!

End of Summer Stats

2011-09-09T11:25:00.000-07:00

We've said good-bye to another summer and hello to a new school year. We're three days in and while all has gone smoothly so far, summer was good to us so we miss it. Here are just a few stats:

1--the number of times we did a paper route. We were covering for some friends while they were on vacation. The kids thought it was great fun. It was a flood of memories for me.

Caleb took himself out to lunch with his earnings. Alyssa saved hers. That's pretty typical.

2--number of wedding receptions we attended.

3--number of roller coasters we rode. Some we really big, one was not. They were all fun! (we did lots of other rides, too.)

4--weeks we spent apart from Caleb. He spent one week at scout camp, one week with cousins, one week at Grandma's house and then there was the week Jon and I were NYC. That's a whole month of the summer that he didn't have to listen to his parents!

5--Caleb's height measurement in feet. (plus one inch) I'm pretty sure this will be the last year that he is shorter than me. Sad. He'll start high school next year. Really sad.

6--birthday parties attended.

7--approximate number of minutes I spent wiping away my tears after my baby walked into her first grade classroom. The emotion caught me by suprise but I was just so sad to see her go.

8--days spent in swimming lessons. I just never got tired of seeing those little goggle-eyes. Natalie became much more comfortable in the water but still doesn't know how to swim, darn it.

9--number of candles Jon blew out. The other thirty were imaginary. It was a good birthday.

41--beach towels used. Yes, I did do some counting but this number might not be exact. :)

112--hours Alyssa spent in the gym. She's learning some fun tricks but now she'll have to juggle those same demanding hours with fifth grade homework, too!

Good bye, summer. I'm sad to see you go.

Camp Z

2011-09-04T21:48:00.000-07:00

There's just something about camping. It's fun to get a little (or a lot) dirty while taking in the crisp mountain air and stunning scenery. Plus the food tastes better and it's non-stop fun with friends.

Alyssa helped me with dinner the first night. Dutch oven mac and cheese and chicken kabobs. Dessert? Peach cobbler and chocolate cake out of the dutch oven and gluten-free pizookies. I just love cooking on a campout!

There was lots and lots of canoeing...

...And some fun skits.

The big kids treat Austin, the baby of the group, like a rock star. Here he is dancing in front of his adoring fans.

I just love this little cabin in the woods; rustic enough to feeling like camping, but homey enough to keep you warm at night and your food cold in the mini frig.

Our group had reserved five cabins but one family was unable to attend at the last minute. So we let the boys have it one night and the girls have it the next. They had the time of their lives talking late into the night.

Saturday was game day so we planned our attire accordingly.

This is our "Go Cougars!" pose.

All the kids:

The whole crew:

So much fun!

As we were driving out of the campground, we made a last minute decision to turn in the opposite direction and go to Yakima to watch the BYU game with my family. Game day is always better when shared with fellow die-hard fans. Holy moly was my heart beating out of my chest! It took me a good hour to wind down from that one but it sure feels good to get that win. It was the perfect end to a perfect couple of days.

We came home exhausted. Just as it should be.

Small Fry

2011-08-24T21:30:00.000-07:00

Alyssa sporting her "small fry" shirt that we got for her at the Shake Shack in New York City.

It was the moment we'd all been waiting for. The moment the doctor would take Alyssa's measurements and announce to us how much she'd grown since going gluten-free. After all, that's what was supposed to happen. Imagine my disappointment to hear that she'd actually fallen in the growth curve and added a mere 3 cm to her stature in the last 8 months.

Naturally, the doctor questioned how the diet was going. In my utter shock, I tried to explain just how fastidious we'd been about everything she ate. He wasn't necessarily accusatory but there really was no other explanation for her lack of growth other than gluten contamination. He suggested blood work to see if the Celiac was under control. If the panels showed contamination, we'd be sent to the gasteroenterologist and dietian. If it came back clear, we could entertain the idea of growth hormone even though we already determined she does not have a deficiency.

I was disheartened. I couldn't stand the thought that all my gluten-free efforts had come up short. (No pun intended.) If the Celiac was not in control, I just didn't know what more I could do.

Well today my mind was set at ease when the doctor called to give the results of her blood work, "Her Celiac is completely under control!"

Indescribable relief. I did do a good job after all.

Now what about her short stature? Evidently she falls into the "grab bag of idiopathic short stature" or in other words, the medical world has no explanation for her pint-sizedness. And you know what, we're OK with that. Tiny is who she is and we kinda like her that way. She's the epitome of health which is why we've all decided it's best not to mess with growth hormone injections. Why put her through that for the sake of a few inches?

Our naturally mild-mannered girl literally jumped for joy and shouted, "Yeeessss!" when we told her that her Celiac was under control. She's had to sacrifice so much in changing her diet and she's done it with a remarkable attitude.

What a little--and I mean little--gem!

Unassisted Teen

2011-08-21T20:33:00.000-07:00

Caleb was thrilled to receive the invitation to spend a week with his Tri-Cities cousins. They certainly occupy a spot on his short list of favorite people. We just needed to figure out how to get him there. After considering several options, flying seemed the best way to accomodate our schedule.

He was so excited to fly alone. An unassisted teen, as they call it.

Off he goes! Make sure you get on the right plane, Caleb! (With these small planes, once walk through the main gate, it separates into many other gates.)

He arrived safe and sound with his only complaint being that the 30 minute flight was too short. He did tell us that he almost went through the wrong door and would've ended up in Missoula. Guess he would've been spending a week with Grandma and Grandpa instead. :)

We miss him but have no doubt that he'll have the time of his life.

The Musical Fruit

2011-08-17T21:54:00.000-07:00

Are they musical or magical? It's an ongoing debate at our house but I maintain that beans are musical. And since Jon thinks Rudolph will go down in history like Lincoln and that he never got to play reindeer games like football, I feel confident that I'm right.

Alyssa loves refried beans with corn tortillas and since going gluten-free, they've become a staple in her diet. We'll often get her take-out from the local Mexican restaurant when she can't eat what the rest of us are having. Yesterday, Jon mentioned that he was going to be working from home today since Alyssa had a dr. appointment that he wanted to attend. (I'll update on that soon.) It's kinda a given that when he works from home, we go to my all-time favorite lunch spot, The Rock, for the pizza buffet.

In talking to Alyssa, Natalie mentioned that she really hoped we'd go to The Rock for lunch. Alyssa replied by saying, "But I can't eat there." So Natalie suggested, "Well you could get refarted beans from Puerto Vallarta."

Refarted beans. Seriously. When I heard that I laughed 'til I cried.

And I feel that I should mention that I make every effort to avoid having bodily functions become a joke in our house. We typically use the term "passing gas."

Refarted beans. What a slip of the tongue that was.

I'm still laughing.

My New York Top 10 List

2011-08-09T20:53:00.000-07:00

For Jon it is was part business, part pleasure. For me it is was just pleasure. A training in New York for him, an ideal, kid-free vacation for me. In David Letterman style, here's my top ten list for my NY vacation.

10. MTA

The New York City Subway got me everywhere I wanted to go. I often joked that my subway map and unlimited Metro card were my new best friends.

The platforms were a filthy, stifiling sauna but the trains themselves were air-conditioned and efficient. I did see three rats (all in the Times Square station) but rodents aside, I loved the Subway (and Metro North train) for taking me on my many adventures.

Grand Central Terminal is a wonder to behold--especially at 5:15 in the evening.

GCT on a sleepy Sunday afternoon

I arrived into the station off the Metro North train one evening and witnessed the marvel that is rush hour at GCT. The sheer mass of humanity and the effectiveness with which they navigate their paths is fascinating. Like some grand choreographed routine, each traveler dances their way to their train. I wandered into some of the shops within the station partly because they looked interesting but mostly because I wanted to observe the river of people that flowed through the station.

The terminal is stuningly beautiful and since it is the world's largest station, it's very much deserving of its "Grand" name. The food court, however, does not earn my highest rating.

I came in on track 23. There are over 100 tracks in the station.

9. Food

Established in 1837, Delmonico's is a premier New York steakhouse. It was only 2 blocks from our hotel and because it was restaurant week--which means prix-fixe menus--in Manhattan, we were able to dine here at a fraction of the normal cost.

Little Italy is full of delicious, authentic dinner spots.

Our pasta was accompanied by the most fabulous dipping oil for our bread basket and a live accordian player.

After dinner we indulged in gelato and some fancy Italian pastries.

This is my "Yum!" face.

I enjoyed lots of fun lunches including the Shake Shack which I think puts In-N-Out to shame.

Junior's really does have some great cheesecake...

And the New York pizza did not disappoint.

8. I'm a Mormon

The ads are everywhere; on tops of cabs, sides of newstands and even on a three story billboard in Times Square. I'm guessing it's the church's effort to get some positive attention out there since the offensive and profane Book of Mormon Musical seems to be so popular on Broadway right now.

I even rode the mormon train once. It's actually a shuttle train between GCT and Times Square. I was stunned to see that every single advertisement of every car of the train was plastered with the mormon ads. I listened to the comments of the other passengers and then snapped a quick picture once they all exited and before the next group boarded.

I visited the Manhattan temple one day but was disappointed to learn that it was closed for scheduled
summer maintenance. Still, fun to see such a unique temple.

On Sunday, we rode the Subway to the most interesting chapel I've ever attended. From the street it looks like any other building in the crowded metropolitan area, but once you reach the fourth floor, it looks like any other LDS chapel. I love that no matter where you go in the world, the church is a constant, unchanging organization that can make you feel at home.

7. Shopping

If you know me, you know that I'm not much of a shopper. But there were a few stores I really appreciated.

Duane Reades are as numerous in New York as Starbucks are in Seattle. There was one just steps from our hotel and I was thankful for it as it provided me with a few essentials that I needed throughout the week. The miniature bags epitomized a metropolitan convenience store as they could scarely hold more than three items.

One day I ventured to Chelsea Market to wander through the cute shops--like cookie and brownie specialty bakeries--before treating myself to one of my favorite lunches of the week.

The American Girl Place, where I went for souvenirs for the girls, was really adorable. It was the first--and really the only, if I'm being honest--time I wished they were there with me. OK, there was one other time...

...I would've loved to see their faces at Dylan's Candy Bar. Three floors of candy store!

I treated myself to an enormous Rice Krispies treat filled with caramel and chocolate covered pretzels. It was adorably packaged just for me in a rainbow box and took two separate sittings to consume it.

Erin also took me to a great jewelry store where everything was cute and cheap. Cheap in New York? I didn't think that was possible.

6. The Views

On the morning of my first day in NYC, I saw Jon off to work and then headed to the hotel's workout room. Perhaps I was feeling intimidated by the thought of running on the unfamiliar streets of the largest city in the U.S., but I ended up running 4 miles on a treadmill with a view of a brick wall. I never made that mistake again.

The next day I ran this path that goes for miles up the Hudson river, with Lady Liberty by my side. Battery park was just blocks from our hotel. The next day I ran the Brooklyn Bridge but the Hudson river view was so great that I returned to do that run again later in the week.

The view of Manhattan from Top of the Rock was breathtaking. Here's Rockefeller Center from the bottom.

Once in the elevator, the lights go off and you ascend the 70 stories while looking through the glass top elevator to the blue-lighted shaft giving you the sensation that you are traveling through space. These pictures can't begin to capture just how amazing it looked from the top.

That's the Empire State building:

I had run the Brooklyn Bridge one morning, but I returned with Jon one evening to see it at night.

Then we rode the Staten Island Ferry (it's free!) for some stunning views of the skyline and the Statue of Liberty. (Our nighttime pictures of the statue just didn't turn out, darn it.)

I loved the views of Central Park, too.

And though it can't really compare with any of the above, we had fun peering out of our hotel window on the 43rd floor.

5. Museums

The World Trade Center Tribute put a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes. I took the audio tour around the site which included survivors' stories of that horrific day. Seeing all these faces of victims was the most emotional part for me.

The site's reconstruction is still being completed so this was about as close as I got to it all but I was able to see the voids where the towers once stood and where the memorial fountains now run.

I took one of the "Statue Cruises" which makes stops at the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. I thoroughly enjoyed the history of Ellis Island but chose not to get off at the Statue of Liberty. I felt up close and personal enough from the ferry and I didn't quite have time to get off at both stops.

We both quite enjoyed the Metropolitan Museum of Art with its grand exhibits and great expanse of works by famous artists. One of the best parts of the museum experience was being able to bypass the line that stretched an entire city block in each direction. It was a 2-3 hour wait we were told. How did we manage to escape that madness? Well, I'll get to that in a minute.

Jon, Erin, Spencer and girls in the short line.

Unbelievable lines!

Across Central Park is the Museum of Natural History.

It's huge and has great exhibits, but is not much like the movie. We did find Rexy and Dum dum, though. :)

4. The Shows

Every night but one found us in Times Square at one of NY's beautiful theaters. What great entertainment! Here are my grades:
David Letterman Show: A-

It was a whole lotta fun and free, but we were on the last row of the balcony because we were at the very end of a long line that even ticket holders have to wait in. It actually was a small miracle that Jon even made it in time, coming from work, so we're not complaining.

Phantom of the Opera: A

Phenomenal singing and special effects make this musical a definite must-see!

Mary Poppins: A

Super short on leg room in the theater but this easily has become one of my favorite musicals of all time. The dancing! The flying! I love, love, love it so much it makes me giddy.

Mamma Mia: C

I just don't like the story. I hoped the music would over shadow the storyline but I'm afraid it didn't. And coming from two amazing sets the two previous nights, the set of the this show was just plain boring. The Sophie character bugged me but the mom was very talented. Overall the singing was great. The two curtain call singing/dancing numbers were my favorite part of the show.

Memphis: A-

Last year's Best Musical award winner was really great with big voices and lots of big dance numbers--which I love. It has a good storyline but because I'm rather prudish, I do have to give it a minus for the one unnecessary F bomb.

3.Familiar Faces
I finally got to see where my New Yorker sister and her family live. A 40 min. train ride from GCT is the cutest town of Mamaroneck, NY.

I spent two afternoons there and on one of those days we went to the beach.

My cute little nieces:

They also came into the city twice. It's always fun to spend time with them. Perhaps one of my favorite moments was when Anna said, "Aunt Tara, do you want to sit on this step with me?"

We shared our gelato with each other.

One day, we went to Central Park and in a city of 8 million people, I just happened to run into an old friend. He and his wife were dear friends from BYU--both former cheer squad teammates of mine. I hadn't seen him in over 10 years. What an unexpected, delightful reunion! What are the chances?

2. JP Morgan
Mr. Morgan made the whole trip possible. OK, that may be a bit of a stretch but JP Morgan (Chase) is my husband's employer that scheduled the NY training, which means the company paid for Jon's flight, food, transportation and our accomodations.

JP Morgan employees also get free Wi-Fi at our hotel and free admissions to the city's most famous museums. So when we found ourselves in that enormous crowd outside the Met, Jon found a short line for groups/schools, flashed his corporate badge and within minutes, we were in. Thank you, Mr. Morgan.

The JP Morgan house is right across the street from this: (NYSE)

This was the one and only time all week that the bull was not swarmed by tourists.

One Chase Manhattan Plaza was the location of Jon's training.

The buildings in Jersey City where Jon worked three of the days.

Chase in Times Square

1. Adventure

I've never had a vacation like it. Time was all my own and each day held an adventure that was mine for the taking. I left the hotel alone every day not always knowing where exactly I was going or what it was going to look like when I got there. The enormity of New York can make one feel so insignificant and yet I felt so powerful as I navigated the city entirely on my own.

I never had to consult the calendar and most of the time had not one responsibility for anyone but myself. No meals to cook, no chores to do and lots and lots of time on my own. If I passed a nail shop I could spontaneously decide on a manicure. Did I want to add a massage on to that? Sure! why not?

I walked through this park on one of my daytime adventures. I love that you can see the Empire State building through the arch.

As much as I loved my alone time, it was fabulous meeting up with my sister a couple of times and I always looked forward to meeting my sweetheart in Times Square every night.

It was a week full of history, culture, variety and just plain fun!

Thanks again, Mr. Morgan and thanks a million, Mom and Dad, for taking care of my kids!

New Day

2011-07-28T21:40:00.000-07:00

There's something exciting about being on TV! Natalie got the most camera time but we all had fun being in the studio audience during a taping of a local talk show called New Day. This fun outing was planned by Alyssa's Activity Day leader and Natalie I got to tag along.

There was a group of people in the audience promoting the Renaissance Fair and Nat ended up sitting right next to one of these interesting characters.

We took pictures on the set after the taping and the host even posed with the group.

Two former NBA stars (and Seattle Supersonics), Spencer Haywood and James Donaldson, were some of the guests on the show. Holy moly they were tall!

One of the most exciting parts of the taping were all the freebies that the audience members were given. Because there was a candy segment featuring a Jelly Belly representative, we each got an awesome Jelly Belly gift bag. We also got a new smart phone accessory and some tickets to a local comedy show.

Look at all this fun stuff!

We ate lunch by the Seattle Center fountain before heading home.

We had recorded the show and had fun watching for ourselves in the audience. Also, right at the end of the show, the host recognized groups in the audience which included those Renaissance folks, Estelle's 70th birthday party, and the "Activity Day girls from the Mormon church in Auburn."

So, we were TV stars for a day. Not really, but it's fun to imagine it. What a fun outing!

Caleb Turns Thirteen!

2011-07-21T20:38:00.000-07:00

I'm the mother of a teenager. Wow.

But he's a young 13; still very naive and definitely not too cool for his parents or too cool for anything, really. I love that about him.

It was a fun day of celebration.

There were a few presents first thing in the morning.

Then a few more before heading off to lunch with friends.

The Rock's pizza buffet is the perfect place for a bunch of hungry boys. Caleb didn't mind my presence but I still decided to sit alone at the next table to allow the boys some parent-free space.

His belly was full of Sprite and pepperoni but when the waitress surprised him with a special birthday dessert, he found a way to shovel it down. Awesome!

We headed into Seattle for a tour of Safeco field but since we had a few extra minutes, we stopped at Gameworks for some arcade fun.

The tour of Safeco was a whole lotta fun and interesting, too.

The Mariners even surprised him with a birthday gift bag. A new bobblehead, towel, jersey and hat. How nice of them.

And for our final stop: Krispy Kreme donuts.

What more would a sports-loving teenage boy want?

Happy Birthday Caleb!

Seely Family Reunion 2011

2011-07-16T15:45:00.000-07:00

We love Mt. Rainier! We had a Hatch reunion there three years ago and decided we wanted to do it again with my side of our family.

We had the cutest cabin. Rustic and woodsy but with all the comforts of home and more! Porch swing in the front, creek, firepit and hot tub in back, vegetation all around.

It also had a detached game room--with pool table and a couple of twin beds--where Caleb and Alyssa slept at night. They dubbed it the "clubhouse." We "put them to bed" at night but then they stayed up late playing pool. (We only eavesdropped over a baby monitor a couple of times. We decided staying up late while thinking they were fooling us parents is what they were supposed to do.)

Big Creek was just a few feet from the back deck. Jon managed to catch one little fish. It would be the only catch of the week even though he and Spencer later spent hours at Mineral Lake trying desperately to catch some of the hundreds they'd heard were swimming there.

We all loved getting to meet the newest member of our clan, Clara. She's really so adorable!

I taught my family how to make the best s'mores ever. We sure had fun around the campfire.

We played Scum, a family favorite. Chad was happy while he was president. But unfortunately, his reign (and this smile) couldn't last forever as you'll soon see.

These are the people crazy enough to marry into our family. :) We're sure lucky to have them.

We had lots of fun at Northwest Trek. So many cool animals, so up close and personal.

The cougar was a definite favorite. Especially for Caleb.

Grandpa played Go Fish with Natalie. "That's what family reunions are all about," said Jon.

And we played more Scum. Here's what it feels like to be scum and vice-scum. (See? no more smile for Chad. :) )

Scum faces

We laughed a lot! And hard.

We got in the hot tub every day. Sometimes twice.

We were just glad to be together.

With higher-than-average precipitation in the NW this year, Paradise at Mt. Rainier felt more like Christmas in July.

Just look at that wall of snow!

It was still as beautiful as ever.

Our final adventure was a ride on a vintage steam engine at the Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad.

So many memories. So much fun!

How We Celebrated the Fourth

2011-07-05T12:37:00.000-07:00

It was everything a camping trip should be. Friends, food and fun, fun, fun!
Our private campsite was tucked into the woods, a comfortable distance from other campers. The boys had their own teepee, the girls had theirs, and the parents each got their own platform tent.

It was a most perfect holiday.

Rope swing

Happy Birthday, Linsey!

The best s'mores EVER! And biscuits on a stick.

A game of telephone around the campfire.

Slingshots

Catching catepillars

Getting dirty

Did I mention having fun?

Slip-n-slide

Riding horses

And even some great fireworks!

What's more American than that?

Camp Parsons

2011-07-02T16:35:00.000-07:00

Caleb spent the past week at Camp Parsons situated on the Olympic Peninsula on the shores of the Hood Canal. Camp Parsons is the oldest Boy Scout Camp west of the Mississippi River and has held annual Boy Scout camps since 1919. Even Lord Baden-Powell, the founder of the Boy Scouts, visited the camp and scouters in 1926.

Jon was able to spend one day and two nights with the scouts. Caleb told his dad that the spiritual thoughts he shared with the boys were a special part of the week for him. He said they helped him learn a lot. What a great compliment.
They evidently had a great father-son talk while they watched the sunset.
Caleb tried starting the fire with flint. He came really close but couldn't quite get it started.

I hear the food was less than desirable most of the week and the leaders were a bit concerned with how little Caleb ate. But he liked being the chef when he got the chance.
Flag ceremony:

Patrol games...which Caleb says they won "pretty much every event." Caleb hears music and feels the groove...

He arrived home exhausted but had a great time and earned 3 merit badges, too.

On the ferry coming back home...skyline of the city in view.

He showered and downed the majority of a large pizza.

I was so excited to see him, a week is a long time! I hugged him tight. And now I feel whole again.

Rock and Roll 2011

2011-06-27T12:41:00.000-07:00

It definitely wasn't my best race. I have no less than 3 theories for why I felt so weak throughout the majority of the 13.1 miles, but I'll never really know why so I'm trying not to dwell on it. And here's the good news: I endured to the end and still had a great finishing time--even if it wasn't my fastest--so I'm going to give myself some credit for that.

We started the race together but by mile 6 or 7 I started to lag behind. I was struggling. A lot. It was definitely discouraging to be giving it everything I had but still not be able to close the 2 or 3 yard gap that separated me from my running partners that I'd trained so many hours with.

I knew our families would be waiting to cheer us on (and take pictures) between miles 10 and 11 and I wanted more than anything to be able to be in the pictures together as a group. I pushed and grimaced and pulled at my side as I fought through a terrible side ache. But I couldn't do it. I am running solo in the pictures because I couldn't keep up. It hurt my pride. I was definitely sad. But I was still grateful for my little group of fans so I smiled and gave them a wave.

I crossed the finish line with a time of 1:53:36. Still a very respectable time and this race wasn't all about time for me anyway. I was happy that my many silent prayers just to be able to finish were answered.

After meeting up with my fans, we went back out to the finish to watch Jay come in from the marathon. He's an amazing runner and it was really fun to have Lucy and the family come for this event. It was so exciting to watch Jay come in with a personal best time--2:53:37--and finish in 2nd place in his division! Unbelievable.
Then we all headed back out for a third time to cheer Christopher onto the finish.

The three in-law runners. I admit to feeling like a lesser-achiever standing next to these two marathoners.

And finally, a shout out to our "athletic supporters." Really, their love and encouragement meant the world to me.

So there you have it. That is how you rock and roll in Seattle!

How To Do Giants

2011-06-16T19:08:00.000-07:00

One of the Alyssa's final assignments for the 4th grade was to write and present a speech on a topic that she finds interesting. Well, of course the topic she chose is gymnastics.

She really wanted to show a video to demonstrate "How To Do Giants"... so we took the camera to the gym and asked her coach if we could video a part of practice. I helped her put it all together in a power point presentation.

Here is the speech she wrote:

Do you ever wonder what it feels like to fly through the air? Do you like roller coasters? If you do, you will probably want to learn how to do giants. A giant is a gymnastics skill on the uneven bars. The reason I said do you like roller coasters is because it feels like a roller coaster. Also, you can’t really see anything but the bar because of the fast power.

The supplies you will need are grips, chalk, water, a bar, a coach and you. Learning a giant takes many hours of training and lot of strength. The steps of learning a giant are first, learning the hollow body form. Some ways of learning this body position is doing handstands with your stomach facing the wall. You also need to learn how swing correctly. The next step of learning giants is to do them on a strap bar. A strap bar is a skinny metal bar with a white plastic pipe which rotates around the metal bar. You put on a wrist band then put a strap over the bar. You put your hand through the strap and twist your hand around and grip the bar. You are strapped onto the bar so you don’t need to worry about falling. Giants on a strap bar look like this. (show first video)

After you master the strap bar, it’s time to move to the uneven bars. For giants, you need a coach to spot you. You will also need to learn how to use grips. Grips help you hold on better. Grips look like this. (show grips and demonstrate how to put them on.)

First you need to spray water on your grips so that chalk sticks. Then put on the chalk until you can’t see any water. Now you are ready for the bar. The steps of the giant once you are on the high bar are; first, a nice cast handstand. Push away from the bar with your shoulders open. Then fall hollow, which means to not fall arched. As you come around, tap at the bottom of the bar with your feet. Then rotate around, shifting your grip and pushing against the bar. Giants on uneven bars look like this. (show second video)

So if you like flying through the air, you might like to try and learn how to do giants on the uneven bars.

She got her grade back today: A+++++ (that's right 5 +'s) Nice work Alyssa!

Like Macaroni and Cheese

2011-06-08T10:56:00.000-07:00

In our younger years--about 1997

"We go together like peas and carrots," I said to Jon the other day. "But we don't ever eat peas with carrots so I don't like that one. How about...macaroni and cheese," I decided. "Yeah, because what good is macaroni without cheese?"

We were planning to celebrate our 15 fabulous years by going to the U2 concert. Our plans were changed, however, when Jon's uncle passed away and he traveled to his funeral in Utah instead. It was a very small sacrifice, really. We were both so, SO glad he was able to be there.

So, now we're planning a New York trip instead. Even better! And we went out for an extravagant steak dinner last night, too. He got peppercorn on his steak, I opted for crab on mine. Our waiter fluffled the potatoes and tossed the salad tableside and served an elaborate fruit, nut, cheese and crackers spread after dinner--a complimentary tradition we were told. It was wonderful!

Jon bought me a beautiful new watch and found the perfect card. It read:

Like bacon and eggs, like ham and cheese, like cookies and milk, like cake and ice cream...We belong together.

"Or like mac-n-cheese," he wrote on the bottom of the card.

Yeah, just like that.

Dear Caleb

2011-05-25T09:06:00.000-07:00

Caleb's year-long autobiography assignment is nearly complete. One final piece of writing was actually a homework assignment for me. I was to write a letter to Caleb that would brag about his strengths, give advice and/or share special memories. It was difficult to write. How you do sum up your child's life in one short letter? It was an emotional experience. I cried. A lot.

Dear Caleb,

Sometimes the greatest blessings of life come as wonderful surprises. You were one such surprise blessing. Our Heavenly Father knew I had a lot to learn so He sent you to our family to help my spirit grow in unimaginable ways. The minute I held you and looked at your perfectly parted blonde hair and delicate face I knew I’d never be the same. What I couldn’t fully understand then were the many life lessons you’d help me learn.

Our Heavenly Father saw fit to give you a few extra challenges in this life. You have endured them with amazing courage! You’ve seen an untold number of doctors in your twelve short years, but always with a brave face. Asperger’s sure is tough, isn’t it? But that’s not all. You’ve had blood draws, ambulance rides, a tube down your nose, all sorts of medications and so much more; you were strong even when I wasn’t. You’ve taught me long-suffering.

You have a deep desire to do what’s right and are not easily influenced by the world’s standards. Your sincere prayers unselfishly ask more for the blessings of others than for yourself. Your loyalty is unwavering. You’re a true friend in every sense of the word. You are sincerely happy for your friend’s accomplishments and always free of jealousy or guile. Your thoughtfulness is also displayed in your kindness to babies and young children. Many of them will look up to you and I hope you’ll always be a good example for them to follow. You’ve taught me what it means to be genuine.

I love that you’re an avid sports fan and more importantly a true blue Cougar! We’re a lot alike in that way. Your knowledge of sports statistics is very fascinating to me. Your memory is simply amazing. It’s a natural gift that you’ve been given and I hope you’ll use it wisely. I love that your drawers are filled with BYU shirts but that you’ll wear those from other schools, too. I’ve never heard anyone cheer as loudly as you. And your dance moves are the best—especially when they show them on the Mariner’s Jumbotron! You’ve taught me about being passionate.

We sometimes butt heads, you and I. Like oil and water you sometimes say. My intense concern for helping you develop into a responsible young man sometimes conflicts with the way you want to do things. We get frustrated when the ways of “your world” collide with mine. I am learning acceptance. But when I come to you in apology, your tender heart is opened wide to me. You readily forgive my impatience with open arms and tear-filled eyes. I love that about you. You’ve taught me forgiveness.

I’ll always think you’re the most handsome boy around. Remember when you were a baby and I would sing that silly song that I made up for you, “He’s the Cutest Little Boy in the Whole Wide World?” You were the cutest little boy without question, but that song was special in others ways too. It helped calm you and fill you with a sense of security that I was there to care for you. You’re much too old for our song now, but I still think you’re the cutest boy and will always be here to care for you.

I have big dreams for you, Caleb. I hope you’ll go to college one day. I hope you’ll serve a mission. I hope you’ll find a sweet girl to be your wife. It will be hard work. It won’t be easy. In fact, it may be harder for you than for others but you can do it. And I will do anything and everything I can to help you achieve all that you desire.

Learning to listen to and follow the Spirit will be the most important quest of your life. I hope you’ll do all that is necessary to be worthy of the companionship of the Spirit. Develop your relationship with the Savior and rely on Him as your struggle through the challenges you’ve been given.

Always remember that I love you. You are a tremendous blessing to me. Thank you for teaching me so many important life lessons. You are a remarkable boy!

Love, Mom

Take Your Child to Work Play Day

2011-05-11T11:52:00.000-07:00

Alyssa waited for years for this opportunity. The year she was finally old enough to go to work with Dad was the year Dad didn't have a job. The next year the new job was too new to have any tag-a-longs. But this year, at the new-old job, she finally got to see what Take Your Child to Work Day was all about.

It's always fun to ride the train into the city...

There's Dad's building.

The view from Dad's floor.

Caleb looks like he's working hard, doesn't he?

Lunchtime! Let's go to the market.

And play some video games at Gameworks, too.

How about a warm drink at the original Starbucks?

They went back to the market at the end of the day to pick me up a bouquet of fresh flowers. How sweet!

Then a quick stop at the International District on the the way to the train.

I'm not sure how much work was actually done but it sure was a fun, fun day with Dad!

Hanging It Up

2011-05-04T21:42:00.000-07:00

Just the leo, that is. Not the sport--oh heavens, no--not the sport. After all, she did declare the gym her "favorite place on earth." But this last weekend was Alyssa's level 6 state meet and it marked the last time she'd don this leotard.

She slipped into it first thing in the morning and remarked, "Well, this is the last time I'll wear this." I was sad. Just a little. But with the compeletion of the state meet, Alyssa now advances to level 7 which is the first level of optional gymnastics and the optional gymnasts wear a different leo. She's excited.

Alyssa performed well in her last outing as a compulsory gymnast. Her routines were solid, she looked polished and her performance earned her a fifth place all-around finish. She finished 7th on vault, 6th on floor, 5th on bars and 3rd on beam.

She went to practice the very next day and one of her level 7 tumbling passes started to really click. It was looking so good she wanted to take a video for Dad to see. Here it is:

Way to go Lys! We're so proud of you and all your dedication and hard work!

Costanza's Wallet and the Janitor's Keys

2011-04-28T08:08:00.000-07:00

Remember George Costanza's wallet that made him sit on a tilt? Jon doesn't sit on a tilt but that's only because he doesn't store his morbidly obese wallet in his back pocket. He uses a front pocket instead. Like George, he claims he needs everything in it.

How 'bout those keys? I guess bishops are like janitors, they need a key to all the locks. But does he really need them all on a daily basis? That's a lot of extra weight to be carrying around.

But with the keys in one pocket and the wallet in the other, I suppose he feels quite balanced. Weighted, yes, but balanced.

Sweet Emotions

2011-04-13T23:22:00.000-07:00

I have a personal chef of sorts. He makes exactly what I want without even having to ask for it. I kinda like the special treatment but I like the food even more.

Our favorite lunch spot is just down the street at The Rock. They have the best pizza buffet you’ll ever find. Fresh salads, soups and ginormous sodas (not that I care about that part but Jon sure enjoys it) are all included in one great price. And they take requests--just name your favorite pizza and they’ll toss it first into the air and then into the wood-fired oven. We love it so much that we go for lunch at least a couple times a month…or really more like once a week if I’m being honest.

One day, many months ago, the pizza maker asked if I had any requests. Though my favorite pizza had been removed from the menu, he enthusiastically agreed to make one for me. Sweet Emotions it is called. Spinach, mushrooms and caramelized onions…oh, and a little brown sugar sprinkled right before they add the sauce make it sweet, indeed. It’s quite delicious.

This pizza maker, whose name I don’t know but should for all the effort he’s made for me, has been making them for me ever since. As soon as he sees me, he goes straight to work on my favorite pizza. Sometimes he even hand delivers a few slices to my table as soon as they are ready.

The other day I took my mom and sister-in-law, Amy, to experience some Sweet Emotions. We were arriving just 10 minutes prior to the end of the buffet hours so I wondered if it might be too late for a pizza to be made just for me. I should never doubt my personal chef. He’s as sure as the rising of the sun. Within minutes, three hot slices arrived to the table. Mom and Amy tried some too but they had to walk to the buffet to serve themselves.

It really was like any other day at the buffet until we started to head out. They were putting the buffet away for the day and asked if I wanted to take the rest of the Sweet Emotions pizza home with me. “Would I?!” I exclaimed with a tone of do-you-really-need-to-ask?

So I skipped out the door with a whole lot of Sweet Emotions made just for me.

I ate the left overs for dinner that night and lunch the next day. Now that's what I call a good deal!

Best Spring Break Ever

2011-04-13T22:21:00.001-07:00

Give Caleb his cousins for a week and he'll declare it the "Best spring break ever!" Add Grandma and Grandpa to the mix and it's extra exciting. The Star Wars exhibit at the science center, basketball, games, movies and favorite restaurants are examples of the fun they had together.

They even did yard work to earn their way to the Wimpy Kid movie.

Yes, I overpaid them but they worked willingly and did a pretty good job.

It was a great week!

Monkey'n Around

2011-04-02T20:28:00.000-07:00

Natalie decided to have her party at the gym again this year. It's the perfect place for our little monkey and her friends. We served pizza and monkey cupcakes. Monkey head cups and banana taffy for the favors. Oh, and bananas. All monkeys love bananas, right? And there was lots of monkey business...

Sienna

Makenna

Natalie was swinging from the rafters. Literally.

Ava

Sophie

Elsie

Emma

Alyssa and friend Hailey did some bigger tricks.

Lauryn

Chloe

Therese

Carson

Natalie loved every single present, which included three pillow pets and this poncho from friend, Luka. She's been wearing it ever since she opened it.

What more could this little monkey wish for?

Home Alone

2011-04-01T22:49:00.000-07:00

Tara and I went to grab a quick bite at the Mexican restaurant down the street and we came home to Alyssa practicing her beam routine on her "beam". Evidently Natalie and Alyssa were staging their own home meet.

Happy Birthday, Natalie!

2011-03-30T22:00:00.000-07:00

I pretty much can't get enough of her. Except when she won't go to bed at night. Or when she makes one of her signature messes. But really, I could just eat her up!

I hate it when she turns a year older, but I can't stop it no matter how much I wish her to stay my baby. She started her special day with a McDonald's big breakfast and some presents.

She couldn't wait to share her moon sand with Emma. They played for hours.

They are perfect friends, those two. Their relationship warms my heart and makes any day better. Natty's birthday just wouldn't be complete if it weren't shared with Emma.

They shared a Subway pizza for lunch.

And some girlfriend chatter.

Grandma and Grandpa gave her new Twinkle Toes. She lights up with every step.

She requested Red Robin for dinner but broke into tears when she thought the waiters forgot her birthday. Thankfully, after a friendly reminder, the singing crew arrived with the sundae and balloon.

Natty agreed to gluten-free cupcakes to accomodate her sister and Alyssa returned the love by making a really cute slide show as a birthday tribute.

No birthday is complete without the spanking machine...

Happy happy birthday, Natalie dear! Do you really have to be six?

Susceptible

2011-03-16T21:24:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately it's become old hat. The nurse has the swab already in hand as she calls Caleb back for his appointment. Within minutes we have a positive strep culture and shortly thereafter are filling the prescription for amoxicillin.

Today's visit was the fourth of its kind in six months. That's right, four bouts of strep in exactly (to the day) six months! Yes, we always complete the round of antibiotics and yes, we always change the toothbrush. We know the drill.

Tomorrow we call the ENT to see if a tonsillectomy is in order.

Praise Mail

2011-03-07T11:52:00.001-08:00

We've started a new tradition at our house called "Praise Mail." I once heard that praise is much more meaningful if given publicly. So several weeks ago, when we had some specific things that had warranted praise, I brought out this little mailbox. The kids were truly delighted with the special delivery.

Sometimes the praise mail has been an acknowlegement of simple things like making a bed or keeping a room clean. And I must admit that the establishment of praise mail had partly selfish motives. Sure, I want my kids to feel good about themselves, but I also hoped that the public praise would encourage the continuation of good behavior.

Other times praise mail delivers a compliment for bigger accomplishments. Like when Alyssa is the bar champion two meets in a row!

At the Hop--home meet--2/23/11

Rose City Challenge--Portland--3/5/11

Or when she sets a new school record for sit-ups...359!

Caleb got praise mail for braving a scout campout in record cold temperatures. While the local news was suggesting that people bring in their pets, we sent our 12-year-old out in the frigid (below zero) temperatures to camp for the night! I didn't sleep a wink but he came home in good spirits with all toes still attached.

Jon was praised for giving a great talk in ward conference last week. I'm going to put one in tonight for saving our girls from drowning in the hotel pool over the weekend. Thank goodness for his quick reaction. Things can go from fun to frantic so fast!

Natalie's been praised for becoming such a good reader and for being a nice friend.

Sometimes there's a lot of mail and other times just one, or even none. But that little red flag that alerts the family of an impending delivery is always exciting. So each night before family prayer, we open the mailbox to read its contents. (And we sing the Blue's Clues mail song, too. That was Jon's contribution to the tradition. I thought it was dorky but the kids love it!)

Once I even put in an item of praise for myself. :) We all need a little praise mail every now and then, right?

Bumbershoot

2011-02-13T17:09:00.000-08:00

I didn't know that bumbershoot was another word for umbrella, did you? Thanks, Mom, for informing me. That would explain the hundred or so umbrellas that hung from the ceiling.

Yesterday, Alyssa competed in the Charity Choice Bumbershoot Invitational. With over 1500 athletes in 24 different sessions, it was by far the largest meet I'd ever attended.

My team competed on Friday. They did fairly well but with some big name competitors and super tough judges, I was a bit worried for Alyssa's session on Saturday. But I didn't tell her that.

She came out and did her thing. She placed 10th on vault, 5th on floor, 2nd on bars and 1st on beam! She ended up 3rd All-around. She did an amazing bar routine that actually ended up scoring the 2nd highest score of the whole session (58 total girls), regardless of age group. And the gymnast that scored the highest edged her out by a mere .025!

Grandma got this footage for us:
(Aside from the great acrobatics, I have two favorite moments in this short clip. First, I love the way the chalk dust flies as she grips the bars and second, her hard-to-impress Chinese coach actually claps MID routine! Yeah, that baby giant was THAT good!)

Way to go, Alyssa!

One Week Down--A Lifetime to Go!

2011-02-08T09:55:00.000-08:00

It hasn't been without its moments of mourning, but overall, I'm going to give myself (and most especially Alyssa) a hearty pat-on-the-back for our first week in a gluten-free world.

I wasn't looking for a new hobby. And even if I was, researching, studying, shopping and experimenting in celiac-friendly cooking would not have even made my top 100. I already know how to cook, I don't want to start all over and learn an entirely new way, but sometimes we just don't get to choose our circumstances.

A lot has changed in just one week. Like the flour in my pantry.

We got a new toaster, too.

I tried making bread. Gluten-free bread is disappointing. It was moist and tasted fine, but it's hard to imagine eating a sandwich on this stuff.

So I turned it into bread crumbs instead. I used some of them to do some baked chicken and plan to use some more for meatloaf muffins tonight.

The kids really liked Betty Crocker's cookies. It's nice that she's come up with this option. But this is SO not me. I don't make cookies out of a box. Ever. Well, until now, I guess. I did buy another box to keep on hand but I plan to experiment with my favorite recipe soon.

I did banana bread and it was a big hit. This may become a staple at our house.

Because we come home late from the gym many nights, we need some fast options. We found some GF chicken nuggets, which Alyssa enjoyed, but at $6.99 for 18 miniscule nuggets, I decided to try and make my own.

They were quite good so I'm thinking I'll make a big batch and freeze them for those nights that we need to feed our girl in a hurry.

Rice Krispies are out (darn that malt flavoring), so we tried the same recipe made with Rice Chex. I'd read that the resulting taste was the same and that proved to be true. Even Caleb decided they tasted great once he got past their different appearance.

We followed up with our GI nurse practioner this morning. She gave me a copy of the pathologist's report and emphasized in no uncertain terms that Alyssa definitely has celiac disease. We have an appointment with the dietician on Thursday.

Alyssa continues to delight me with her positive attitude. I've not heard even the slightest complaint. Imagine having to completely change your diet and resist tempting gluten-filled foods of the past even though she doesn't exhibit a single digestive symptom! She says she doesn't feel any different, she's just as strong as ever. Just yesterday, she set a new school push-up record for 4th grade girls. She did 53! What will those biceps be capable of once her small intestine's healed and absorbing nutrients like it should?

As for me, I'm really trying. But I have complained a time or two. Or maybe even three. :) I'm trying to embrace this new hobby even it's one I never wanted.

Look Ma, No Gluten!

2011-01-31T21:19:00.000-08:00

It's her favorite meal: noodles with clam sauce. And it's gluten-free!

The nurse called this morning and read the pathologist's report: "Findings consistent with celiac disease."

It's interesting because she originally called to tell me that the latest (and third) blood screening came back equivocal, or in other words, in the gray area. When I asked about the endoscopy results, she said she hadn't seen anything yet. But then after some searching...there they were with a celiac diagnosis. Equivocal blood screening but positive biopsies...so strange.

I am often asked what symptoms prompted doctors to look into a celiac diagnosis. She's short. That's it. Not a single other symptom.

So she's going gluten-free and we're going to watch her grow. And she's doing it with a smile!

Endoscopy

2011-01-25T12:07:00.000-08:00

We arrived before the sun came out this morning. Alyssa put on the blue gown and her usual brave face.

She chose bubble gum scented laughing gas.

I watched her slowly fade from conciousness, was told to kiss her goodbye and assured that they'd take good care of her.

I cried as I was escorted to the waiting room.

We had been told it was a quick procedure but I was still nervous and the minutes went slowly.

At last the doctor came out to tell us that "she did great." We got to see these photos:

Evidently the two on the top show that "her small intestine does not look normal at all." Darn!

Pathology will look at the biospies for definitive results but Celiac is very likely the culprit.

Then we waited for her to wake up.

"That was no big deal at all," was her observation. She didn't even know that they'd had one failed IV attempt. How nice of them to put her to sleep before poking her.

She was loopy and a bit more chatty than usual but she came through it like the champ that she is.

I'm grateful. Grateful for modern medicine. Grateful for friends who are so willing to help with my other children. Grateful for prayers and support of loved ones and most of all, grateful for a daughter who continually amazes me with her courage and strength of character.

We can do this Celiac thing...bring it on!

A Howling Great Time

2011-01-23T14:54:00.000-08:00

It's without question the funnest gymnastics meet of the year! We've been looking forward to our return visit since last year's Great Wolf Lodge meet. The lodge is very Disney-esque in its attention to detail, cleaniness and kid-friendly atmosphere. It's currently all decked out in Winterfest decor.

Even the garbage cans are cute.

We pulled the kids out of school early so we could make the most of our one-night stay. We arrived at about 1:00 and were able to check into our room. The kids couldn't wait to get into the waterpark.

The Howling Tornado quickly became the family favorite. What a thrill!

With virtually no lines, the kids went over and over again.

The basketball hoops will always be a favorite for Caleb.

At about 4:00, I left my family playing in the water while I hurriedly got ready to coach my level 4's in their gymnastics meet. The meets are held right in the lodge in large conference rooms.

My team did so well, smoking all the competition to earn a big 1st place finish.

When I met up with the family again at about 9:00 p.m., they had just finished watching the little clock tower show complete with storytime. The girls were holding their wands and just getting ready to start MagiQuest. It's a really fun, interactive, adventure game which involves using a wand to activate objects throughout the lodge, each a step to the final quest which involves slaying the dragon.

Here's Alyssa and friend, Hailey, on their quest:

The game is turned off at 10:00 p.m. (which I think is just so smart) so Alyssa only got about half-way through. Jon and I put the kids to bed and then hit the arcade for a bit. Nothing like a little skee ball and friendly, spousal competition. Jon won.

We slept in the next morning, filled up at the breakfast buffet and then headed back to the waterpark for more sliding. Such fun!

At about noon, I pulled Alyssa out of the water to get her ready for her level 6 competition.

I was a bit worried about her being worn out after all this fun, but she did great at her meet! She got third on beam and bars and finished third all-around with a score of 35.55.

It was a really long meet but Alyssa wanted to slay that dragon before we left.

Here's Natalie working on her quest (and wearing her wolf ears):

Here's Alyssa activating the telescope with her wand:

At last the dragon had been slain and we couldn't have been more worn out. (The MagiQuest is a lot of running around--up and down flights of stairs all over the massive lodge. But it was such a great kind of tired. Fun memories for the whole family!

Trying Not to Worry

2011-01-07T15:15:00.000-08:00

My Dad used to always say, “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.” I heard myself repeat those familiar words to Alyssa on Wednesday.

We’d had a follow-up visit with Alyssa’s endocrinologist earlier in the afternoon. It didn’t go the way either of us anticipated. After enduring the growth hormone test in August, Alyssa is leery about appointments with this particular doctor. Our family has dealt with our share of doctors and I must admit, he’s not my favorite. Communication skills are not his forte.

As Alyssa jumped out of the car, I assured her that “this should be no big deal.” Based on what the doctor had told us after the test, I didn’t have any reason to believe that this visit would be anything more than a simple a review of those results and a couple of measurements. I certainly didn’t expect anything new.

First, I was lightly chastised for not following up sooner. I explained that his instructions had been to come around her birthday and yes, we had rescheduled one time. And he is hard to get in to. I was beginning to feel defensive. After all, the last I’d heard was good news so when Alyssa’s school program conflicted with the first appointment, I didn’t think it was such a neglectful thing to postpone for a month.

Next, I was bluntly told that her growth has been very poor over the last couple of months.

Then, I was asked if I’d seen the gastroenterologist. Gulp. I forgot about that! But then I felt defensive all over again. Yes, he had mentioned, over a year ago when she had all those blood tests, that the celiac screening had come back…I believe the word he used was, equivocal. But, he said they would do another blood screening at the same time of the growth hormone test.
When the only result I heard was that “she passed” I hadn’t given a second thought to the celiac possibility. So no, I hadn’t seen a gastroenterologist. I had no idea that the second blood test had produced results that are “over the threshold” for a normal celiac screening.

Based on the two blood tests combined with her poor growth, the doctor has “a strong suspicion” that celiac is the culprit. He recommended we see the GI and have a biopsy.

Then he told me that he had a question about her cortisol level. It also showed an abnormal level that day back in August. What? What is cortisol? Why haven’t I heard this one before? I couldn’t get a straight answer to any of my questions and every time I tried to clarify, I’d end up just as confused. All I clearly understood was that he wanted to inject Alyssa with cortisol, wait an hour and then do a blood draw. I told him I was very tight on time so if we needed to wait an hour in between the shot and the labs, then we needed to get on it right away.

He left the room to get the nurse to start the injection while I apologized to Alyssa.

“I’m so sorry, Babe. I had no idea they’d need to do this to you today.”

“It’s OK.” she said, as she removed her silly bands and pushed up her sleeve.

The doctor returned and we continued our awkward twenty-questions-no-great-answers game. In the end, the nurse got too busy to do the test in a timely manner and I didn’t want to make Alyssa repeat the test if the results weren’t going to be accurate in our now very restricted timeframe, so it will be administered when we return to see the GI on the 18th of this month.

Alyssa took it all in stride as only she can do. But she did immediately begin to worry about having to give up her favorite food in all the world: noodles with clam sauce. She asked if I could make it right away just in case. As the night wore on, she was full of questions about what she will and won’t be able to eat should she be diagnosed with celiac disease. That’s when my dad's old advice came to mind, “We won’t worry about it yet, we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

But I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I’ve already been mentally traversing the bridge while imaging a treacherous crossing. I went to the grocery store yesterday and couldn’t help but notice the expense of all the gluten-free products. I had to keep reminding myself that I didn’t need to read every label yet. Instead I loaded my cart with all of Alyssa’s gluten-filled favorites while I hoped with all my heart that this wasn’t the last she’d see of them in her lifetime.

We had noodles with clam sauce and rolls for dinner.