Enjoying my time with my baby sister!

My little sister and her family arrived on July 12th, so I've been extremely busy enjoying her visit. I haven't even wanted to take the time to blog because I know that too soon she will be gone and I want to enjoy every minute with her. But if I don't post a little bit, I know I'll get too behind.

(Shoshone Falls in Twin Falls, Idaho)

 Jackie, James, Sandra, and Young James

(Dierkes Lake in Twin Falls, Idaho)
As soon as we got to Dierkes, it started sprinkling.
The rain got heavier and heavier but everyone
 was having a great time.

On the 16th we went to Lagoon with the teenagers.

We spent the night at Giselle's.
 The next day she made a fun HUGE pouch filled with water and blue food coloring for the little ones to enjoy.
 She is so thoughtful and loves children.
 Later on Richie, Chrislynn, Dick, and I went to the Logan temple to have my mother's temple work done.
 I love you mother and I miss you so much.
 We will be together one day.

We got the bounce back tickets, so on Wednesday the whole family joined us for our yearly Lagoon trip.

The first ride that Richie III wanted to ride was Rattlesnake Rapids so that was the first place we went to.

My family, all wet after Rattlesnake Rapids.

I love these four little ones...

...and soon I will have one more grand baby to love.

Grace, Deacon, Sophia, and Richie III.
Little Grace was crying and you could tell that Richie III was so concerned about her because he couldn't get to her.
What a sweet brother!

Our yearly Lagoon picture for 2012.

My family and my little sister's family.

It was my little sister's birthday on the 20th.

 Little Grace also turned 2 on the 20th.
Lee and Sayda 23 years ago on her birthday. (top right)
Lee and Sayda 23 years later. (bottom right)

We went to Stevo's and had a little chocolate cake that evening.

Lee is so beautiful!

Happy Birthday my sweet sister. Thanks for the time you've spent with me and my family. I've missed you so much. I love how we can go forever without seeing each other and then we pick up right where we left off when we get together again. I love the unconditional way you love me and my family. You have such a pure heart and I wish everyone could see what I see in your eyes... the windows to your soul.

SICKNESS, INJURIES, AND A VISIT FROM TEXANS

FRIDAY

Early Friday, Aubrey and I went to get Bree and Deacon at their house so that we could go for our daily walk.

 Brianna wasn't feeling that well and decided to sit in the middle of the football field and play with Deacon while Aubrey and I walked around the track. After our walk, she came to our house.

 She was having a terrible headache by then.

 Her front teeth were hurting her and she was certain it was the "Psuedo Tumor Cerebri" headache.

 She said if she could borrow the car to take Travis some lunch.

 I told her to go lie down on my bed and that Aubrey and I would take Deacon to take Travis some lunch.

 I just wanted her in bed. When we came back home,

 Deacon ran into our bedroom and jumped in bed with Brianna. 

I tried to stop him but I couldn't catch up to him.

 He said, "I love you! I need you! I want you!"

 She rested a little here and there because Deacon kept running in our bedroom to go give her hugs and to tell her he loved her.

 He was so concerned about her.

 Every time he'd go and hug her she would say,

 "Just what I needed to make me feel better."

 Around 2 pm she got out of bed and showered

 because she had to go to work. She tried to get someone to work for her but nobody was available.

 She also tried to convince me her headache was gone. 

My sweet Brianna. I wish I could take all her suffering away.

 She is always so positive, no matter how rotten she feels.

SATURDAY

Deacon wasn't feeling well today.

 Bree said that when they got him out of bed around 2 am to do their paper route, Deacon never went back to sleep.

 During the route, he kept saying, "I'm sick." Usually he sleeps throughout the route. Bree thought he was just really tired.

 Later that morning she noticed he had a fever.

 She came to our house and he went outside with Papa feeling great. A little while later, he came inside and fell asleep in Brianna's arms. He usually doesn't do this. His temperature was 101, then 102, then 103 (plus). We put him in the tub with Brianna.

 He was so sick.

SUNDAY

From 2:30 - 4 am, Dick, Aubrey, and I helped Bree with her paper route so that Deacon could stay in bed with Travis.

They came over for a visit on Sunday afternoon. 

Deacon felt so good.

He looked like he had never been sick.

It was a 24 hour fever without any other symptoms.

MONDAY

Dick went out with Travis to do their paper route to give Brianna a break today.

Anson had a fall on his skate board over a week ago and hurt his left wrist. On Saturday he had a fall at the skate

 park rollerblading and hurt his right wrist.

 The swelling and aching never went away on both wrists so Dick took him to see Dr. Joe today. 

After X-rays, the doctor said that the left wrist has a crack and

 the right one needs to be immobilized.

 He came home with immobilizers on both wrist.

NO SKATEBOARDING OR ROLLERBLADING FOR 10 DAYS...DOCTOR'S ORDERS!

He will be seen again in one week.

As soon as Anson came home he asked if he could go skateboarding. Crazy kid!

Brianna was really sick today. I went over to watch Deacon while Travis ran to the store to get her some insulin. 

She said her whole body just felt heavy and weak and she felt nauseated. After I kissed her, I noticed she felt really hot.

 Her temperature was 101.

  It sounds like she has what Deacon had on Saturday.

 Other than her diabetes and her headaches from her Psuedo Tumor Cerebri, Brianna never gets sick.

 Deacon has probably only been sick 2 or 3 times since he was born so I don't know what's going on at the Jones' home.
 Hopefully she'll feel better tomorrow.

TUESDAY

It's 2 am and Dick has gone out with Travis again to help them with their paper route. I hope he doesn't come down with something because of lack of sleep. Brianna and Travis have decided not to do this anymore. They have to give a 28 day notice but they haven't because someone who works with Travis is interested in the job and they want to recommend him on Wednesday. The income from this job makes their house payment but the hours are too crazy, especially with a sleeping child.
WEDNESDAY
My little sister, Lee and her family are on their way to Idaho to come visit us. They left yesterday morning.
 I AM SO EXCITED!
It is 8:30 pm and I just talked to her a few minutes ago. 
They're in Moab, Utah already.
SHE WILL BE HERE SOON!!!

Travis' birthday and Dick's tomatoes

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TRAVIS!

I LOVE YOU!

I LOVE THAT YOU LOVE MY DAUGHTER 

AND I LOVE YOUR SON,

 MY GRANDSON. 

My amazing husband and his garden.

 He can turn anything into something beautiful.

I've decided to take pictures of some of  his tomato plants every 12 days to see how much they change.

June 11, 2012

 June 23, 2012

July 5, 2012
Dick's tomatoes have gotten so tall he had to add two more levels to his racks!

4th of July 2012

We started off the 4th of July by going to the Rupert parade.

When the flags went by, Deacon put his hand over his heart.

Deacon was really into the parade.

 He watched every single group that went by.

It was really hot but a few floats were handing out Icees.

 It was the perfect treat to keep us cool.

When we took our children to parades when they were little, we couldn't figure out why Brianna would always get so much candy. A lot more than our other children!

 When she got older, she let us in on her little secret.

 She said that she would make a sad face

 and cup her hands like she was begging.

 She's taught Deacon very well apparently because he was doing this all through the parade.

I guess it worked because they'd throw it right by his feet or put it in his little hands.

When we got home he pulled Anson straight to his room and climbed on Anson's bed.

 I guess the sun really wore him out.

We had a very festive 4th of July lunch.

After lunch Deacon helped Aubrey fill the pinata with candy.

They were so cute filling it together and they had so much fun.

As soon as he woke up from his nap, he was ready to go.

He started off a little unsure but after a few hits,

 he got the hang of it.

 He started jumping each time he'd swing.

The benefit of being the only local grandchild is he didn't have to share the candy with anyone but Jack.

I was taking a picture of Deacon with all his candy.

 Notice his cheeks full of candy?

...when Papa lit a firework without warning us.

 Deacon's face was so surprised.

At night we went to the Burley boat docks to watch the fireworks.

They were really amazing this year... better than ever before!

We came home and did a firework show of our own. I had to take a picture of the moon because there was so much smoke in the air. It looked so eery. Dad said it looked like a "Sherlock Holmes'" moon.

Deacon loved the sparklers this year.

Gratitude for Fathers

"Let us reflect gratitude for our fathers.

"Father is ever willing to sacrifice his own comfort for that of his children. Daily he toils to provide the necessities of life, never complaining, ever concerned for the well-being of his family. This love for children, this desire to see them well and happy, is a constant in a time of change." -Thomas S. Monson

Gratitude for Mothers

"There is gratitude for our mothers.

"Mother, who willingly made that personal journey into the valley of the shadow of death to give us birth, deserves our undying gratitude. One writer summed up our love for mother when he declared, 'God could not be everywhere, and so He gave us mothers.' -Thomas S. Monson

May the sun in his course visit no land more free, more happy, more lovely, than this our own country!

  ~Daniel Webster