tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62139259872767820592024-02-20T02:56:39.807-08:00More than a momAlysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06426930935178027123noreply@blogger.comBlogger316125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6213925987276782059.post-41693481586689972212020-06-17T07:25:00.000-07:002020-06-17T07:27:31.505-07:00Knee SurgeryFor about a year and a half, Grant has been complaining of knee pain. It seemed to come and go, and was often at its worst right at the moment he was asked to do something hard, which resulted in little (or no) sympathy from us. He received an unofficial diagnosis last year of Osgood Schlatter, which causes inflammation of the knee during adolescence. He couldn't finish his cross country season last year and opted not to play basketball for the first time in his life this past winter because his knee was bothering him so much.<br />
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Fast forward to the first of March this year and his knee was giving him so much trouble that he walked with a limp most of the time. With high school sports looming in the future, we decided maybe it was time to get it looked at. His pediatrician immediately knew something was off with just an examination. She ordered x-rays, then called us the next day saying the x-rays showed an "osteochondral defect" (bone & cartilage) and ordered an MRI. He got an MRI on March 15, and we got a call the next day telling us that the MRI showed osteochondritis dessicans...he had a large, unstable fracture in the bone and cartilage on the front of his knee. Our doctor referred him to Shriner's Hospital in Sacramento for further evaluation.<br />
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And then COVID-19 really hit and it became virtually impossible to get medical treatment of any sort! We had to wait over a month to get into Shriner's, and were first seen there on April 17. At our initial appointment, we were given the news that surgery was needed to repair the injury and that recovery was going to be long—anywhere from 6-18 months. He was given crutches and told not to put any weight on his leg and surgery was scheduled for Tuesday, May 5.<br />
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The night before surgery, our home teacher Steve Alston came over and gave Grant a priesthood blessing. In the blessing, he told Grant that this injury would be "inconsequential" in his life. He told him his pain would be minimal in recovery and blessed him to be "exactly obedient" in his rehabilitation and that he would have a positive attitude through it all.<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Due to the pandemic, Grant had to be tested for COVID 48 hours prior to surgery. He was a trooper. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLbNC5u_-2LabeOOO-2pnNuk9Z_aQlma61tXxHAknuP1mWhIe-Ki4WVc5bKm87dH9z4CCoUnj8PdnhE0yEyG5QZ4o26nEuUXJ3hOcUgsRNLPVh5QXhXiwD7Dzheq81O8X0jnrsInmEEcE/s1600/IMG_1732.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLbNC5u_-2LabeOOO-2pnNuk9Z_aQlma61tXxHAknuP1mWhIe-Ki4WVc5bKm87dH9z4CCoUnj8PdnhE0yEyG5QZ4o26nEuUXJ3hOcUgsRNLPVh5QXhXiwD7Dzheq81O8X0jnrsInmEEcE/s320/IMG_1732.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
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We got to Shriner's about 11am on the day of surgery. The child-life specialist took some time with Grant going over everything that was going to happen that day, all while the hospital therapy dog laid on Grant's lap :) He was in heaven.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting to be taken back to the OR.</td></tr>
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He finally was wheeled back for surgery around 3:30pm. About 90 minutes later, Dr. Haus came out and said surgery had been a success. He said that the fracture was not as unstable as it had appeared in the MRI and no pins or screws were needed. They used a technique called "microfracture" and drilled several small holes in the bone and cartilage surrounding the fracture. This technique stimulates blood circulation to the area and helps the body heal itself. It is a slow process, but Dr. Haus said it was the best-case scenario and was hopeful that no further surgery will be required. We spent a couple of hours in recovery before coming home that evening. His pain following surgery was minimal, he only needed pain meds the first day and then managed fine with Tylenol.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The markings on his leg resembled a very sad face, haha!</td></tr>
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He was in a locked knee brace for the first two weeks, unable to bend his knee or put any weight on it at all.<br />
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We took the boat out for the first time just a few days after surgery and Grant was a trooper. He enjoyed fishing and didn't even complain about not being able to get in the water!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mother's Day 2020</td></tr>
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For the last month, he has been doing physical therapy working primarily on strengthening his core and his supporting leg.<br />
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We are now at the six-week post-op mark. As of this week, he is out of the brace and slowly beginning the process of putting weight on the leg. He is not out of the woods yet, he will need to be very careful over the next several months to ensure that he does not overuse the joint...that means no sports for at least the fall, but we are hopeful that he will make a full recovery and be able to resume his active lifestyle.<br />
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He and I have done some fun things together...including sewing a pair of pajama shorts.<br />
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And experimenting with watercolor!<br />
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Through it all, the words of the blessing keep coming back to me. At his initial appointment, the doctor believed Grant would need a bone graft, perhaps a cartilage implant, and that his healing would be closer to 18 months to 2 years. This was devastating news for all of us, but especially Grant, who was eager to join his brother in sports at Del Oro this fall. The word "inconsequential" keeps coming back to me. Although it has certainly been a challenge, I am confident that this will be just a little bump in the road for Grant, but will not have a lasting impact on his life. He has been cheerful, cooperative, and grateful for the help he has received. I am grateful for access to top-notch medical treatment, and equally grateful for the power of the priesthood!Alysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06426930935178027123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6213925987276782059.post-48748292139529123032020-04-30T20:13:00.001-07:002020-04-30T20:13:05.235-07:00Pandemic Blues<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Today is Thursday, April 30, 2020</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">- We are at 48 days of social isolation.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">- The dollar is worth $ 5.32, the euro $ 5.77 and the pound $ 6.54.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">- Gas is $2.60 on average near us </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">- Schools have been closed since mid-March and are teaching remotely on-line. This will continue for the rest of the school year.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">- There are lines/tapes inside the stores to keep people 6 feet apart.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">- Bars and restaurants only for home delivery & pick-up.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">- Parks, beaches, and walk-in places are not accessible to the public.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">- All sports competitions have been canceled.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">- All festivals and entertainment events have been banned.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">- Weddings, family celebrations, and birthdays have been canceled. Funerals are limited to 10 people.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">- People are doing drive-by parades to celebrate birthdays!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">- Young kids can’t understand why they can only see grandparents & other extended family and friends on a screen or thru a window if someone visits in person. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">- Hugs and kisses are not given.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">- All church meetings are canceled and the temple is closed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">- We have to stay at least one meter or more away from each other.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">- There is a shortage of masks and gloves in hospitals.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">- There are fewer ventilators than there should be.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">- People are wearing masks in public, some places even REQUIRE that you wear them to enter! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">- Toilet paper, hand sanitizer, antibacterial wipes, and anything Lysol or Clorox is in short supply and limited per person... IF you can even find them!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">- Stores are closing early to disinfect everything. (24-hour stores are even closing by 9pm)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">- Store checkouts, pharmacies, and even fast food drive-thru windows have added plexiglass between employee and customer. Have to reach around or under to pay!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">- You can't find isopropyl alcohol, toilet paper, or hand sanitizer easily. .. supply per person is limited.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">- Australia, USA, and Europe have closed their borders.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">- Western Australia has been divided into 9 territories & an instant $1,500 fine issued for crossing the border without a valid reason. (Transport workers, Essential services, etc)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">- No one is traveling for leisure. Airports are empty. Tourism has the worst crisis in history.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The above is just a snapshot of the effects of COVID-19 on the world. As for me, I'm seriously starting to go nuts. I am normally a very optimistic and productive person. But the last few days, I literally have ZERO motivation to do anything productive. I feel like I just wander around the house half the day, looking for something to do! Steve is working from home, the boys have classes most of the day every day, Olivia is taking two online classes and working full time as a nurse's aide at a local convalescent home. But all my post-graduation plans of substitute teaching came to a screeching halt when this all hit and I'm really struggling to find my purpose and spend my days in meaningful ways. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I decided this morning that I needed to start making a list of a few "real" things to get done each day. So today, I organized my cookbook shelf. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_rpeOA_sOps2OZDOj5DaB7C8sXbG52H2bC9uSRWSkx9XXk5uSBQ14T-jn6rMTP_yJOYe5uZ1ZTWGK5DcIxouicc-rtWD5Yxy0lheuNQLVZGXzQg4aMdkYN1OxzQbHBhr-LUa4IwwtZXU/s1600/IMG_1713.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_rpeOA_sOps2OZDOj5DaB7C8sXbG52H2bC9uSRWSkx9XXk5uSBQ14T-jn6rMTP_yJOYe5uZ1ZTWGK5DcIxouicc-rtWD5Yxy0lheuNQLVZGXzQg4aMdkYN1OxzQbHBhr-LUa4IwwtZXU/s400/IMG_1713.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's the "Before"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKhMax8ce25oabUoBxGV-QZM0Iy7nX-sVxk-7ODGZEV7fSkT7by4pYcBwUIsa3I7_Vj7NfspsI4SC1_wFx_7Z0Y6w6_RV9jwownGNea9gPt8RaiiIXachXB4DF2zlWl12pTApjnyP87vg/s1600/IMG_1715.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKhMax8ce25oabUoBxGV-QZM0Iy7nX-sVxk-7ODGZEV7fSkT7by4pYcBwUIsa3I7_Vj7NfspsI4SC1_wFx_7Z0Y6w6_RV9jwownGNea9gPt8RaiiIXachXB4DF2zlWl12pTApjnyP87vg/s400/IMG_1715.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And the "After"!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I sewed the binding on a couple of baby quilts I made over the last few months. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Also on my list for the day... "sit outside in the sun and read for an hour", which I did!</span></div>
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I'm fed up with politicians and the feeling of our civil liberties being stripped away. Today it was announced that all California beaches and state parks are closing indefinitely. I just don't get it. It feels very political in many ways and I am trying really hard to not get sucked into that black hole of anxiety and frustration.</div>
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One bright spot has been all the hilarious memes floating around regarding the Coronavirus. Here's just a couple from the last couple of days that gave me a chuckle! </div>
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Alysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06426930935178027123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6213925987276782059.post-64834624038659803412020-04-20T12:17:00.004-07:002020-04-20T12:17:56.502-07:00COVID-19 PandemicToday marks the beginning of week six of being at home due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. The whole thing is still a bit surreal to me. If someone would have told me two months ago that school would be canceled for the year, professional sports would not be played, churches and temples would be closed, and even the Las Vegas strip would be shut down, I would have laughed in their face. And yet, here we are.<br />
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As of today, there are over 2.4 million confirmed cases and 169,000 deaths worldwide. In the US, there are over 750,000 confirmed cases of the virus and 41,400 deaths. New York has been the hardest hit, with over 250,000 cases there alone (crazy!). Most states have some sort of "shelter-in-place" order, though some states are stricter than others. All "non-essential" businesses are closed, including hair and nail salons, dental and orthodontic offices, malls, etc. Grocery stores are still open and have implemented "physical distancing" measures to limit customers and keep people at least 6' apart. Toilet paper is a hot commodity...it literally flies off the shelves as fast as it comes in. I felt like I hit the jackpot at Target early this morning when I scored a 24-roll package...enough to see us through a couple of months at least!<br />
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The local schools are doing a great job with their "distance learning" programs. I am grateful that Jack and Grant are the ages they are and have the ability to work independently. There was some early disappointment over not seeing friends and sports being canceled just as the season was beginning, but they've mostly gotten over that and adjusted to the new "normal."<br />
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Our daily schedule looks like this:<br />
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7:15-8:15 Exercise<br />
8:30-9:15 Breakfast and scripture study/seminary<br />
9:30-12:00 Schoolwork<br />
12:00-12:30 Lunch<br />
1:00-3:30 Schoolwork<br />
3:30-5:30 Free time, outdoor chores<br />
6:00 Dinner<br />
7:00-9:00 Games, TV, etc<br />
9:30 Bedtime<br />
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There have been lots of ping-pong games and hops in the pool to break up the monotony of the day. Over the weekend, Steve and Jack created two golf holes on the side yard. I am grateful for plenty of open space at our house to enjoy the outdoors and not feel confined in any way.<br />
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We haven't been to church since March 7. Jack and Grant have administered the sacrament ordinance in our home each week, and then we've been doing online ZOOM meetings with the Snow and LaPlante families. It is nice to share spiritual insights and feel like we are still nurturing our spirits even though we are unable to gather together with our ward. I really miss the temple...after a year of attending the temple weekly, it definitely has left a hole in my soul to not be able to go!<br />
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There have been some big blessings through this experience, in spite of the inconvenience of it all. With Olivia recently home from her mission, it has been such a gift to have all three kids under one roof for what is likely the last time. A few weeks before Olivia got home, I was feeling sad that our boys were so busy with school and sports that they wouldn't have much time to spend with Olivia before she went back to school. To have everything come to a screeching halt has meant endless family time with games, laughter, talking, and dinners together...all of which have brought us closer. The boys are having a great time together and it just feels like a huge blessing to have this time together so close to Jack leaving home (and Olivia leaving home again!).<br />
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I try not to get too anxious about the economic effects of all of this, or the government taking so much away from us. There are all kinds of conspiracy theories circulating on the news and social media and it is easy to get sucked into the rabbit hole. I am naturally a very trusting and optimistic person and so I don't want to think or believe that there are any ulterior motives behind what is happening...but time will tell! In the meantime, I'll just take lots of deep breaths and focus on what I can control, not what I can't!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ping-pong is great stress relief, haha!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I've been sewing masks to donate to hospitals and friends...the public is encouraged to wear a face-covering in public. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNJTU8XpjtYjHDwCWIB16ih8Zand5boNzTTJbH6h-RQyw0qxRrezuIDlSpqDVjv_vza3_NFq-HH_dKEUlWNfAMvueNaA0zLPGO1eCsXSh6BXARZbWg4wnrQwckrJY06uxOWlp1aPJzpP0/s1600/IMG_1513.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNJTU8XpjtYjHDwCWIB16ih8Zand5boNzTTJbH6h-RQyw0qxRrezuIDlSpqDVjv_vza3_NFq-HH_dKEUlWNfAMvueNaA0zLPGO1eCsXSh6BXARZbWg4wnrQwckrJY06uxOWlp1aPJzpP0/s640/IMG_1513.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We took an impromptu drive up to the snow one day...this is I80 East, normally packed with Tahoe traffic. The roads were empty! We found a little place to pull off the road and play in the snow!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_91uxtuJBwoYlqzouBXMKHBgTCnpxM7ixylSttlCGsWcU9ALu9uuoBLw1JXXnmyOW87Reb7vSHfWXmBiAxwulJXbr3LjmPnwcEz7sp3NjVpCWsKcqf8Jtpwg8DsvpqdVyhd15smFQ-eI/s1600/IMG_1527.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_91uxtuJBwoYlqzouBXMKHBgTCnpxM7ixylSttlCGsWcU9ALu9uuoBLw1JXXnmyOW87Reb7vSHfWXmBiAxwulJXbr3LjmPnwcEz7sp3NjVpCWsKcqf8Jtpwg8DsvpqdVyhd15smFQ-eI/s640/IMG_1527.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We were supposed to be in Maui, boogie-boarding on the beach. Instead, we ended up boogie-boarding in the snow!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Snow Angels"</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEHZZfeOpv1zijwQ9nlNruao7xrRINgDorfHtb_eYHXk2H2o9hkbjapSiXg7c7JzXPE7dBwCiO-jML-I9-RO4_JHJTag6d3GVvgD6XL-O3W2WsbkfJxhWhxvSnWMt91gtZgl-KZzQFe5c/s1600/IMG_1551.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEHZZfeOpv1zijwQ9nlNruao7xrRINgDorfHtb_eYHXk2H2o9hkbjapSiXg7c7JzXPE7dBwCiO-jML-I9-RO4_JHJTag6d3GVvgD6XL-O3W2WsbkfJxhWhxvSnWMt91gtZgl-KZzQFe5c/s640/IMG_1551.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Time together with these three is priceless!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf2vWNh6_3UMMCcMIzUIrQj73rwBO7AcowW02Um9f5M-zINgjobg6u-nw_RWDgMSgxFXjZRbkYy22bfDMbXPzWMLrO27RlI5FWniDOAqmRQzR5cbxIIlmCrKeivSwanO2wNps3pgzQoZg/s1600/IMG_1580.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf2vWNh6_3UMMCcMIzUIrQj73rwBO7AcowW02Um9f5M-zINgjobg6u-nw_RWDgMSgxFXjZRbkYy22bfDMbXPzWMLrO27RlI5FWniDOAqmRQzR5cbxIIlmCrKeivSwanO2wNps3pgzQoZg/s640/IMG_1580.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Olivia has shared some of her Filipino cuisine with us!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZtF3BZd3Eag7I-852s6p6WdtOPzBwFjas7oqD6zHl2wnbYhGU3_M3Oh-1yvt1aNAfoky4IlYoSqVNJPvSba5p6FDp7jncnEWgF3xru4etztuhz2BRJByobxUiOYsZaFtME9vZGDq0M8s/s1600/IMG_1589.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZtF3BZd3Eag7I-852s6p6WdtOPzBwFjas7oqD6zHl2wnbYhGU3_M3Oh-1yvt1aNAfoky4IlYoSqVNJPvSba5p6FDp7jncnEWgF3xru4etztuhz2BRJByobxUiOYsZaFtME9vZGDq0M8s/s640/IMG_1589.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Since hair salons are closed, we've had to resort to home haircuts for the boys. Thanks to YouTube for the tutorials, haha!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHYSkEbPtrY4qbKo5wML536FdBDSO5PDVw8QzS6qf8RRWRPrerAJXxCREN5N8X7mg31Kz6N8CcmAyQ9hZPdZZcIubBPp21BviqeVeDtPVFl6CEvpSnbXZHlcrsDgVL1JDTiaHcLWncGkA/s1600/IMG_1650.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHYSkEbPtrY4qbKo5wML536FdBDSO5PDVw8QzS6qf8RRWRPrerAJXxCREN5N8X7mg31Kz6N8CcmAyQ9hZPdZZcIubBPp21BviqeVeDtPVFl6CEvpSnbXZHlcrsDgVL1JDTiaHcLWncGkA/s640/IMG_1650.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whitaker Golf Club, open for business!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaMOtY5BYv6uxT67XGPQD2vjqtdp-cWll6b10I0HQjGS13cVCnWLT2ZXmSUi9GnwspOdD5jaDDFK9QguR4HfpWEOP3N1kVI95lvpBzKxNZme90nB85rlBbMBozp1HBydXT5hbMVy7hcyQ/s1600/IMG_1652.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaMOtY5BYv6uxT67XGPQD2vjqtdp-cWll6b10I0HQjGS13cVCnWLT2ZXmSUi9GnwspOdD5jaDDFK9QguR4HfpWEOP3N1kVI95lvpBzKxNZme90nB85rlBbMBozp1HBydXT5hbMVy7hcyQ/s640/IMG_1652.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The pool isn't very warm yet, but it's not stopping the boys from getting in!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFIsF3tPC7W-ju1zExTFAMCKm8B_kFadFnar2KSExfJiXKmUg2JRAJ9b5QXEDiPtcEUIdw-gNrBo-Fu5JVwiiSQV3GYEX3A5PcZGKh09K7fRQhP9SRNl_ZNcU-ebIfxu9LzYOew-_c-r0/s1600/IMG_2156.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFIsF3tPC7W-ju1zExTFAMCKm8B_kFadFnar2KSExfJiXKmUg2JRAJ9b5QXEDiPtcEUIdw-gNrBo-Fu5JVwiiSQV3GYEX3A5PcZGKh09K7fRQhP9SRNl_ZNcU-ebIfxu9LzYOew-_c-r0/s640/IMG_2156.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our version of "American Gothic", following moving and spreading 12 loads of wood chips!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj2L39Fka7EUOJJEEVr3qkCUk9c2lwuVBiyZFCp7lQsT2w9xgqZKP1ofkQBHzUI3ExAMTQnhKSmdp9r2XfBJkP4gqo73oJ6jfzKHCbs8kS_urEq5Wnm8JLE-QzCYlbScx0qKbW1Dt9EnA/s1600/IMG_2782.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj2L39Fka7EUOJJEEVr3qkCUk9c2lwuVBiyZFCp7lQsT2w9xgqZKP1ofkQBHzUI3ExAMTQnhKSmdp9r2XfBJkP4gqo73oJ6jfzKHCbs8kS_urEq5Wnm8JLE-QzCYlbScx0qKbW1Dt9EnA/s640/IMG_2782.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grant was the tractor driver, since his knee is making it hard to walk.</td></tr>
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<br />Alysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06426930935178027123noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6213925987276782059.post-65545165989790562272016-10-25T19:25:00.002-07:002016-10-25T19:25:36.956-07:00Back to SchoolIt's been a busy year and a half since the last blog update, and over the coming weeks and months, I hope to get caught up on all that's happened.<br />
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In the meantime, I thought it appropriate to document the milestone year we have started!<br />
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Olivia is a SENIOR!!! How did that happen? I swear, it feels like she just started high school (or kindergarten, for that matter)...and now it's coming to an end for her! She's busily prepping for college applications, and is also in the Nursing ROP program at the high school. She loves it, and it is confirming her desire to pursue a career in the nursing field.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyrS_wcEpiIiVQpVg2WtE-c3lw4hibJXdynG6tFs-DyVf0JJdIQcLYcQy249mcvCA-yYOG1KWb33KXu1KEilqObINakpqah2Wtg-wBNJBz6MMzQEBOlJancvLpNYBojyyzw1OqgFsbfJo/s1600/IMG_4006.JPG" imageanchor="1"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEb_K4A_J06hhXByZNZGj5USPLErSCVmROFyFqwVbV4kJy-5caI6ylUvkbOwAMQ7oNXjaWZcpfVCT4yqGjWuy7jwa4frPTZu88U3MeeCZ8RyDvEZBWXHUSaOfxJzD17VIIss0WgOsUkDA/s1600/IMG_3983.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEb_K4A_J06hhXByZNZGj5USPLErSCVmROFyFqwVbV4kJy-5caI6ylUvkbOwAMQ7oNXjaWZcpfVCT4yqGjWuy7jwa4frPTZu88U3MeeCZ8RyDvEZBWXHUSaOfxJzD17VIIss0WgOsUkDA/s320/IMG_3983.JPG" width="320" /></a><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyrS_wcEpiIiVQpVg2WtE-c3lw4hibJXdynG6tFs-DyVf0JJdIQcLYcQy249mcvCA-yYOG1KWb33KXu1KEilqObINakpqah2Wtg-wBNJBz6MMzQEBOlJancvLpNYBojyyzw1OqgFsbfJo/s320/IMG_4006.JPG" width="320" /><br />
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Jack is Big Man on Campus as an 8th grader...again, I can't even believe it! And Grant—my BABY!—is in 5th grade...his last "official" year in elementary school.<br />
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I'm still working in the library at Sunol Glen two days a week, and love being a part of the boys' school community.<br />
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And the big news...I went back to school too! After several years of feeling a nagging to go back and finish my college degree, I'm finally doing it! I signed up for the BYU-Idaho Pathway program. It is basically a "bridge" year to get me back in the mode of college-level courses, then next year, I will enroll officially in BYU-Idaho's Online Degree program.<br />
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It is exciting to be back in a learning mode, though it is requiring a great deal of effort on my part to successfully (or not so successfully, depending on the day!) juggle all my commitments. I am learning to better utilize and manage my time, which is a really good thing! The religion portion has been a blessing as well, as I have felt an increased love and closeness to my Savior, and have truly felt His hand in so many areas of my life.<br />
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It will take a few years to complete my degree—I joked with Olivia that we could potentially graduate from college at the same time! She didn't find the same humor in that as I did...! But I truly feel that this was the right move at the right time for me, and I am excited to see where it takes me!Alysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06426930935178027123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6213925987276782059.post-83948521405767037442015-05-22T14:24:00.002-07:002015-05-22T14:24:46.357-07:00Spring Break 2015 - Part 5 - Back at Sea<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After three fun-filled days in ports, the last two days of our cruise were spent at sea. I was a bit surprised at how cool it was on the water. I had envisioned hot days spent lounging in the sun...not the case! It was partly cloudy, and quite breezy on the pool deck, but we still found plenty to amuse ourselves!</div>
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We saw a great magic/comedy show by Eric Buss. He was on America's Got Talent a few years ago, and now travels doing his act. Grant was so impressed that he decided he wanted his souvenir of the trip to be Eric's "How To" DVD. He was thrilled to get his picture taken with Eric, as well as get the DVD autographed. </div>
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We played several games of shuffleboard. Boys vs. Girls, Kids vs. Parents, and every combination in between. Some of the games were pretty close and the competition was fierce!</div>
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We played Bingo in the lounge. While we were hoping to win big bucks, it didn't happen. But it killed a couple of hours and the kids had fun anticipating a win!</div>
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We watched a few movies in our room. More like the kids watched movies while Steve and I took naps! It was awesome!<br />
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We enjoyed more amazing food than should be legally allowed. Jack was the most adventurous of the kids, and tried something new at nearly every meal. He even ate sushi...and gave it a thumbs up! The Japanese Sushi restaurant was probably our favorite meal all week!<br />
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One of my hesitations about a cruise was the fear of getting Norovirus or some other crazy bug. With all those people in a contained space for an extended period of time, it's easy for viruses to travel like wildfire.<br />
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I was impressed with Norwegian's cleanliness. Staff members were constantly cleaning the general areas of the ship, and stationed outside of every restaurant was a staff member with a spray bottle of hand sanitizer, along with an automatic dispenser. The staff member would spray your hands and say "Washy Washy"...then as we rubbed our hands together, they would smile and say "Happy Happy"! It became our family joke...and stuck for several weeks after we returned home!<br />
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Every night while we were at dinner, our room steward Juniper would come and turn down our beds and leave a towel animal of some sort on the bed (or toilet!) with the schedule of events for the next day. These were some of our favorites.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">What's with the tongue in pictures these days?<br />I don't get it!</td></tr>
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The kids were amused by our Butler, Chris. Grant called him a few times making movie requests or asking other questions about activities on board. I was really proud of his courage in picking up the phone and calling, all on his own.<div>
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At the end of the show on the last night, nearly 200 staff members, representing every department on board the ship, came on stage to a rousing standing ovation.<br />
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It was really impressive to see how many staff members there are on a ship, and how hard they work day in and day out. Their contracts are for a minimum of 8 months, 7 days a week without a single day off. Most were from the Philippines, and many had young children back in the Philippines living with grandparents. I got a little emotional (big surprise, I know!) seeing all of them on stage, realizing the sacrifices so many were making in order to provide a better life for their families.<br />
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We so enjoyed the time together as a family. Our time with all three kids at home is quickly coming to an end...just two more spring breaks with Olivia before she heads off to college.<br /><div>
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I feel so blessed that our kids enjoy each other's company and are good buddies (most of the time!). I hope those relationships continue as they grow into adulthood!</div>
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Steve and I commented that we were both pleasantly surprised with how much we enjoyed the cruise. It was a good mix of sightseeing and adventure, along with low-key relaxing. We will definitely do another one!<br /><div>
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Alysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06426930935178027123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6213925987276782059.post-11417930810096941622015-05-09T21:29:00.000-07:002015-05-09T21:29:25.990-07:00Spring Break 2015 - Part 4 - Puerto VallartaWe pulled into Puerto Vallarta early Thursday morning. We had booked a zip lining shore excursion through the cruise, and were excited to get on our way!<br />
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We hopped on a bus, along with a few other families, and traveled about an hour outside of town into the jungle. Another example of how US driving laws vary from Mexican...the bus should have only held 12 passengers. But they crammed an extra (our boy of course!) in the front seat with Steve, and then Olivia sat on a padded milk crate behind the front passenger seat, facing the rear of the van. The crate was loose, but there was a seat belt bolted to the front seat that kept her from flying through the van as we zipped through the dirt roads!<br />
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We got all strapped into our harnesses, fitted with helmets and gloves, then went through a brief orientation by the very entertaining guides.<br />
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Over the course of the next two hours, we soared across nine zip lines and rappelled down two giant trees. I must admit, I was just a "little" terrified and screamed with exhilaration as I crossed every single one!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grant was barely heavy enough to make it across the long lines!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We call this one "Jungle Monkey"!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQly8W3hposC5F03nQBJS7l7x05Zs3mVk9_ujOPywnqaqzuhzvEAwYJHHySfuy_lD_ZN53aq2TMIoEK14A_jiiBXGEz-f6VoNeTmdSetdwHBzNamAUW46GAuRPOrR_TX5BAIHqTU4wSps/s1600/EDGARDO+(55).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQly8W3hposC5F03nQBJS7l7x05Zs3mVk9_ujOPywnqaqzuhzvEAwYJHHySfuy_lD_ZN53aq2TMIoEK14A_jiiBXGEz-f6VoNeTmdSetdwHBzNamAUW46GAuRPOrR_TX5BAIHqTU4wSps/s400/EDGARDO+(55).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was my expression in most of the pictures...<br />a combination of fear and thrill!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4HXBPHl9SrfrqQCPEoX_py_z9bqdCygxat4PqbgyDkDEPWix2sCq2-50CeMbUZEtHZTSFtXZZtSKHVsn2gm4UTNSh6rMi2PCy2T-3kjeggn4g7R8hkc-Sfk3LhnLESVrw0IqF3iwDbVw/s1600/EDGARDO+(216).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4HXBPHl9SrfrqQCPEoX_py_z9bqdCygxat4PqbgyDkDEPWix2sCq2-50CeMbUZEtHZTSFtXZZtSKHVsn2gm4UTNSh6rMi2PCy2T-3kjeggn4g7R8hkc-Sfk3LhnLESVrw0IqF3iwDbVw/s400/EDGARDO+(216).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Olivia is a rockstar. Seriously, this girl is so strong, so brave, and<br />not afraid of anything. She is my hero.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack was pretty quiet throughout the day, just taking it all in!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grant sailed right down the rappelling lines!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNjl5lv-oPFcqgeI46VGJa1hI8wzLPWMQou7PoZ87SRl3ET8HSP-6Y4HOqvubJUv4N7cYKKhdtHESAqqyPsCZNzRFOhwGaeh8SdT4lrTobhi7aDgQleX5uI8u-SgKotTOeiMkdEYiHGN0/s1600/EDGARDO+(105).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNjl5lv-oPFcqgeI46VGJa1hI8wzLPWMQou7PoZ87SRl3ET8HSP-6Y4HOqvubJUv4N7cYKKhdtHESAqqyPsCZNzRFOhwGaeh8SdT4lrTobhi7aDgQleX5uI8u-SgKotTOeiMkdEYiHGN0/s400/EDGARDO+(105).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smile for the camera!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYRhdFkbsCw2gPX6TPNyi-bTm-JVymNJH-7Rhbrg5hwO_G980XSaeAoN45ooZATa3RL7Ndug5zTsjQu05ZF5J-2t4dUCsODghgavrLKDB7B40rJGbTmd5XgaFEr37Z-pb1WdZlr4Y5BGs/s1600/EDGARDO+(118).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYRhdFkbsCw2gPX6TPNyi-bTm-JVymNJH-7Rhbrg5hwO_G980XSaeAoN45ooZATa3RL7Ndug5zTsjQu05ZF5J-2t4dUCsODghgavrLKDB7B40rJGbTmd5XgaFEr37Z-pb1WdZlr4Y5BGs/s400/EDGARDO+(118).JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It felt like a very loonng way down!</td></tr>
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Steve, Jack, and Olivia all climbed up a 200' rope ladder, walked across a tight rope, and then crossed a zip line on a wooden surf board. Grant wasn't quite tall enough to reach the safety line, so he and I hiked up and met the rest of the group at the top. He wasn't too pleased to be left out of that part of the adventure! (I, on the other hand, was a little relieved!)<br />
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It was an amazing day, and it is so fun to be at this stage with our family where we can experience adventures together!Alysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06426930935178027123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6213925987276782059.post-17964660147871762802015-05-03T17:40:00.004-07:002015-05-03T17:40:52.351-07:00Spring Break 2015 - Part 3 - MazatlanWe docked in Mazatlan early on Wednesday morning. We had decided to just do our own thing, no pre-planned tours or excursions booked. We got off the boat and were greeted by multiple resort guides, offering us a day pass to their resort, with access to beach and pools. We accepted one of the offers, and hopped in a cab to the resort.<br />
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We spent the morning on the beach before it got too crazy with tourists and beach vendors. Seriously, if I had a dime for every person that walked by wanting to sell me silver, sunglasses, or braid my hair...<br />
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The kids had a ball splashing in the warm ocean waters, and Steve and I enjoyed lounging on chairs watching!<br />
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We saw a couple of guys offering parasailing, and asked Olivia if she wanted to give it a try. She hadn't seen anyone do it, but she is adventurous and brave and decided to go for it!<br />
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The second she took off, Grant was begging to do it too. I didn't think he was big enough (and was secretly hoping he wasn't!), but he marched right up to the guys and asked if he could do it...and much to my surprise, they said YES!<br />
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It was a little sketchy watching him take off...but before long, he too was sailing high above the ocean!<br />
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I was grateful to have both kids safely back on solid ground. Here's the guy that made it all happen!<br />
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By about noon, the beach was packed and we decided it was time to head on out. There's something about a jam-packed beach that doesn't necessarily scream "rest and relaxation"!<br />
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We headed into town to grab a bite, and found some good photo ops along the way.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yep, we're classy like that!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cheers to another great day!</td></tr>
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We headed back to the ship by way of a golf cart cab. I think it legally should have only held three passengers. But the guy insisted he could fit all five of us, and proceeded to speed through the streets of Mazatlan. Jack held on for dear life, and Steve documented the whole thing. It was hilarious. And for Olivia, who is learning to drive, it was a good lesson on how lucky we are to live in the United States and have actual rules of the road to follow!<br />
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We capped off the night with a breathtaking view of the sunset as we sailed out of Mazatlan and continued our journey southward. Next stop. . . Puerto Vallarta!<br />
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<br />Alysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06426930935178027123noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6213925987276782059.post-63650898576892554202015-05-03T17:12:00.002-07:002015-05-03T17:12:46.371-07:00Spring Break 2015 - Part 2 - Cabo San LucasOur first port stop was in Cabo. We had decided to do a ship-endorsed snorkeling excursion in Cabo. We got off the ship, and boarded a catamaran for an hour ride out into the Sea of Cortez. It was pretty windy, but plenty warm and it felt good to feel the cool ocean breeze!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Steve, Olivia, and Grant sat right on the edge for the ride out.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cheers! Don't forget to hydrate!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sailing past "Arches"</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack stayed close to the center of the boat with me.</td></tr>
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This was the kids' first experience with snorkeling. They are all super strong swimmers, but Grant was a little freaked out when the tour guide announced that there had been some jellyfish sightings recently, so to proceed with caution. Grant got all his gear on, then laid down on the boat to practice breathing through the snorkel. It was hard to tell if he was really nervous, or just wanting to appear nervous. He's goofy that way sometimes...<br />
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We saw some really cool fish, the water was the perfect temperature, and it was super fun to be out there with the kids. Makes me think that we need to get to the Caribbean or Hawaii in the not too distant future where they can really see what it's like to swim with the fish!</div>
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Grant and I got back on the boat sooner than the other three, and enjoyed some cool drinks and snacks in the sunshine. I love this little squirrel of a kid. </div>
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On the ride back to the ship, Grant got a little more adventuresome and "surfed" on the mesh at the front of the boat. We were heading into some pretty good waves, and he and the other kids were loving it! And no one fell overboard!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our cruise ship in the background</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was windy!</td></tr>
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When we got back into Cabo, we still had a few hours before the ship left again. Steve found a restaurant to hook up to wi-fi and check in with work while the kids and I did a little sightseeing.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Homer drinking a Corona. Perfect.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grant thought this street performer was pretty cool!</td></tr>
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This ATM machine cracked me up. "Cashola - <i>Say hello to your money</i>" Seriously...so funny!<br />
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We were all tired and a little sunburnt by the time we got back on the ship. We got cleaned up and enjoyed another yummy dinner, and were all ready for bed by the time we turned out the lights. Next stop...Mazatlan!<br />
<br />Alysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06426930935178027123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6213925987276782059.post-81740133082116357702015-05-03T16:44:00.002-07:002015-05-23T14:08:44.263-07:00Spring Break 2015 - Part 1 - Bon Voyage!For years, I've been wanting to go on a cruise. Steve has always been a bit reluctant, fearing that he wouldn't like being stuck on a boat for a week. As we were looking at options for a family vacation over spring break, I brought up a cruise. To my surprise, Steve agreed! Based on our spring break dates and availability, we opted for a cruise to the Mexican Riviera, on board the Norwegian Star, with stops in Cabo, Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta.<br />
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We flew out early Sunday morning, March 29 to Los Angeles. Just as we were getting ready to taxi to the runway, the pilot came on and said that there was heavy fog at LAX, and there was going to be a delay. We ended up sitting on the plane for another two hours before we were cleared for takeoff. I was watching the moments tick by and beginning to panic that we wouldn't make it to the port on time! When we finally were on the ground in LA, I breathed a sigh of relief. We took a shuttle to the Long Beach cruise terminal. There was a lot of excitement circulating through the kids.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2uDLgSzLtxijUnMbeyMpQCz1EvNMXbkMLQWzp-gwz19AuV_EccUP09Q22N4nJ0DIksXxsZWz1Q0cA3XZUitmjwfQOoU630LpAosANUWWTUJBKJ-TJzc2_PaVuHd_bXn3JjQDy1T4Gl5U/s1600/IMG_8776.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2uDLgSzLtxijUnMbeyMpQCz1EvNMXbkMLQWzp-gwz19AuV_EccUP09Q22N4nJ0DIksXxsZWz1Q0cA3XZUitmjwfQOoU630LpAosANUWWTUJBKJ-TJzc2_PaVuHd_bXn3JjQDy1T4Gl5U/s1600/IMG_8776.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was Grant as we got on the shuttle. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was Grant five minutes later. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The boys, each on their own electronics, while Olivia and I <br />
waited in line at the port terminal to check in!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNUQiaIoRQmJc746xnVkWedNygDYVt75WuU_kV53C-78ORKfPcvEp4gjVb67p12n1Mo9sHrGjBZfc5IUuVuFXk_fxo0evytd9mrz9u8zHk691d8bvjSrnbvb82dISMPNU-fjCQsabQt-Q/s1600/Norwegian+Star.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNUQiaIoRQmJc746xnVkWedNygDYVt75WuU_kV53C-78ORKfPcvEp4gjVb67p12n1Mo9sHrGjBZfc5IUuVuFXk_fxo0evytd9mrz9u8zHk691d8bvjSrnbvb82dISMPNU-fjCQsabQt-Q/s640/Norwegian+Star.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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We made it to the port right on time, got through the check-in process, and were escorted up to our room to drop off our carry-on bags (the rest of our luggage was delivered to our room later that afternoon), then to a private restaurant exclusively for suite guests. We felt like celebrities!<br />
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We each had key cards that were our passes for all onboard activities, food, drinks, and the key to our room. There was also an app for our phones that allowed onboard texting to family members, as well as monitoring of our daily charges. Pretty cool what technology can do!<br />
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Our room was on the 12th floor. We opted for a "family suite" instead of two tiny rooms, which gave us a bit more room, and also put us up near most of the activities on the ship!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLn5XsAPatgtIgcjjNx7D0ewpCECtlqbxTBs60aNjkACpk3H5mHM4_XdWAGc3HgaUrerTAEKd3d-lFj-s9ZF-V_T1n06r-Ul8JxyOXOnigouvSO8pgNB7jUHeKlyGg7n9eNi9LDtg_Fnc/s1600/IMG_8789.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLn5XsAPatgtIgcjjNx7D0ewpCECtlqbxTBs60aNjkACpk3H5mHM4_XdWAGc3HgaUrerTAEKd3d-lFj-s9ZF-V_T1n06r-Ul8JxyOXOnigouvSO8pgNB7jUHeKlyGg7n9eNi9LDtg_Fnc/s1600/IMG_8789.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One whole wall of our room was floor to ceiling windows.<br />
We enjoyed the view of the ocean all week long!</td></tr>
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We unpacked and tucked our suitcases away for the week, then went out to the deck and watched as we pulled out of Long Beach and into the wide open sea.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB6WfASURHxiGDe35w-f_ebRaBqFpuTYSEv5RO_iPzjuuegvy7NNykfKYK7k4Izb18lPrdzsjgNqc0F1jFt7K8Ju4-7GSJpmuG03N0doWMp3Mn2Zn9FavRGSddD-TbBpG1OfSFK7tZSQw/s1600/IMG_8795.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB6WfASURHxiGDe35w-f_ebRaBqFpuTYSEv5RO_iPzjuuegvy7NNykfKYK7k4Izb18lPrdzsjgNqc0F1jFt7K8Ju4-7GSJpmuG03N0doWMp3Mn2Zn9FavRGSddD-TbBpG1OfSFK7tZSQw/s1600/IMG_8795.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I sure love this guy!</td></tr>
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We spent the afternoon exploring and familiarizing ourselves with the ship. The kids were all three so happy and playful, giddy with excitement about the week ahead!<br />
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We capped off the night with a carnivorous dinner in the Brazilian steakhouse on board, then were gently rocked to sleep by the rolling waves of the ocean.<br />
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On the first morning at sea, Steve and I and the boys all woke up early. Olivia was still sleeping, so we decided to let her rest while we got out of the room. Steve and I hit the gym, while the boys went to shoot hoops and get a donut. We agreed to meet back at the room at a designated time. When Steve and I were done at the gym, we headed back to the room. No boys. I stayed put, while Steve went looking for them.<br />
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A few minutes later, he texted me that he'd found them in the arcade. I quickly replied "Were they swiping their cards?" To which Steve responded, "Check the account!"<br />
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I logged into the app, and nearly fell over...those two had racked up $250 in arcade charges in less than 30 minutes! Turns out, they were playing the "grabber" game. You know, the one where you get one chance to grab a prize? Well, they were trying to "grab" $1,000 cash...and get this...they wanted to win it to help pay for the trip! We had a stern chat about not swiping their cards without permission, and told them they were banned from the arcade for the rest of the trip!<br />
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We spent the rest of Monday chilling out, exploring some more, and taking advantage of the "all you can eat" ice cream bar!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The pool deck was pure craziness. <br />Live music multiple times each afternoon and evening. <br />Poolside games and entertainment, tons of kids, and lots of noise!</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Steve and I enjoyed poolside cocktails and "mocktails" <br />nearly every afternoon. Good times!</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2a7CnIX3_3AisIzbgaqV1HQgrkKUi1bF90k3BhEciWiwyFmhROpk9juRjcMFCX02IuRXvCuJuf3d90Sp09SxAdjWvBxRXFC44puGMRPAcWN7aW_9TI38PXpV8NrpMYk6Uid5nS-5hQ5c/s1600/IMG_8798.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2a7CnIX3_3AisIzbgaqV1HQgrkKUi1bF90k3BhEciWiwyFmhROpk9juRjcMFCX02IuRXvCuJuf3d90Sp09SxAdjWvBxRXFC44puGMRPAcWN7aW_9TI38PXpV8NrpMYk6Uid5nS-5hQ5c/s1600/IMG_8798.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fresh fruit and treats were delivered to our room <br />
every afternoon by our "butler" Chris!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwgiVkmC6ESVk269R-fnzx_lWK4t6hXrc44cK8BgIcmS_a-wfc6MIgm9SvOvx_Fx1j0uitsh1QGcwpq95zEj0lJ2PJEJYDgHuKqb-ktXX6z4IkzHNdDSYeKVvPeuTmKF5QgvPCrnd59Gk/s1600/IMG_8803.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwgiVkmC6ESVk269R-fnzx_lWK4t6hXrc44cK8BgIcmS_a-wfc6MIgm9SvOvx_Fx1j0uitsh1QGcwpq95zEj0lJ2PJEJYDgHuKqb-ktXX6z4IkzHNdDSYeKVvPeuTmKF5QgvPCrnd59Gk/s1600/IMG_8803.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grant is still mastering the ice cream cone licking.<br />
He ended up covered in ice cream every afternoon!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_uSfPs4AGyaOQUERIIPb09FD96TdKLTZ4ooUyZx9LggZqa4LbVEoE_TqqchycK3lrfVlgMFFjuFLqhYvwUZ9ou8xqRi_xWwoddQfvKJrbN3jPxPdhN93F03VtPKcziCd_aMrHJwYd14M/s1600/IMG_8804.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_uSfPs4AGyaOQUERIIPb09FD96TdKLTZ4ooUyZx9LggZqa4LbVEoE_TqqchycK3lrfVlgMFFjuFLqhYvwUZ9ou8xqRi_xWwoddQfvKJrbN3jPxPdhN93F03VtPKcziCd_aMrHJwYd14M/s1600/IMG_8804.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
Norwegian Cruise Line is what is known as "freestyle cruising". . . meaning you can choose how dressed up you want to get. Some cruise lines have strict dress requirements for restaurants. Knowing my kids (mainly, my boys), I knew that having to dress up for dinner every night would not go over well. This was about as fancy as they got. Though Grant did actually tuck in his shirt one night!<br />
<br />
We enjoyed some great nighttime entertainment throughout the week, including magicians, comedians, amazing acrobatics, and more.<br />
<br />
<br />
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<br />Alysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06426930935178027123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6213925987276782059.post-70840876277501056512015-03-29T09:50:00.002-07:002015-03-29T09:50:29.742-07:00Science Camp <div class="MsoNormal">
Jack just got back from a week at 6<sup>th</sup> grade
Science Camp, an event he’d been looking forward to for about seven years. The
trip is a “right of passage” of sorts for the middle school students, and for
many—Jack included—it’s the first time away from home.<o:p></o:p></div>
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He packed enough clothes for a month. As I kissed him
goodbye, I placed bets with a friend on whether or not he would come home in
the same clothes he left in!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtbx1Mnu1bUN_Btsvd4UfTq72jOj-0wpWPTUbqyZLA0-fNnIIY7EXL0sVsUSC2NW7d-tKzqAiDIeI_jSknZai-5gjuy9EKl4G-_Q8E9NXQyUjoxeA0-PZMwth6aUmKwn6APsWG-AXlfpg/s1600/IMG_8721.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtbx1Mnu1bUN_Btsvd4UfTq72jOj-0wpWPTUbqyZLA0-fNnIIY7EXL0sVsUSC2NW7d-tKzqAiDIeI_jSknZai-5gjuy9EKl4G-_Q8E9NXQyUjoxeA0-PZMwth6aUmKwn6APsWG-AXlfpg/s1600/IMG_8721.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All ready to roll! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I held myself together better than I expected as I hugged
him goodbye. I felt myself choke up just a little as he squeezed me a little
longer, a little harder than normal. But thankfully, my sunglasses hid any sign
of tears!<o:p></o:p></div>
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We got daily emails from Jack’s teacher, giving us a brief
recap of each day and letting us know that all was well.<o:p></o:p></div>
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When the bus pulled back into the school on Friday
afternoon, he got off the bus looking a little older, a little more
independent. But he wasn’t too grown up to give me a side hug, in front of his
friends, nonetheless! </div>
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Over dinner Friday night, we got a complete recap of
the week, including every hike, every meal, and every moment in between.</div>
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He joined five “clubs” over the week:</div>
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<ul><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQcJy959j3EjOzXO4PFwdn6i4PWxeEn012ZzObtV4oXDtN9d1vOI8Ajx7Gxer9BFJAs9_jlAfwDVafaA5JlmgSiAzVY2TBvspWFC6DNM_G4egItfMNx9zEBwKo29-Z2JouCQ3ck3Ty2MY/s1600/IMG_8765.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQcJy959j3EjOzXO4PFwdn6i4PWxeEn012ZzObtV4oXDtN9d1vOI8Ajx7Gxer9BFJAs9_jlAfwDVafaA5JlmgSiAzVY2TBvspWFC6DNM_G4egItfMNx9zEBwKo29-Z2JouCQ3ck3Ty2MY/s1600/IMG_8765.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a>
<li>The “Hard Core” Club: this entailed eating an entire
apple…core and all</li>
<li>The “Polar Bear Club”: this one required him to dip his
entire head in an ice cold stream, and hold it there for 10 seconds.</li>
<li>The “Banana Slug Club”: to join this one, students had to
KISS a banana slug. Better than kissing a girl, I suppose!</li>
<li>The “Scrub Club”: this one wasn’t an intentional club…to
become a member, you had to slip and fall, on accident!</li>
<li>The “Waste Warriors Club”: this one meant going three meals
without wasting any food. No big surprise here…Jack is quickly taking over
Steve’s title in the house as the human garbage disposal!</li>
</ul>
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He had great counselors, and his teacher is a rock star for
putting up with thirty 6<sup>th</sup> graders 24/7 for the week! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRnMx9psutr5tFZAr0YcbIPJQUv98uvInfui1XZufCxPwmsYfHIGxsIlzm6MQcy4STYoeTQFvhiVfYz-dyLcoNMIV-UjXaQFmdMkfSI-KTduTqMA5tMhjiW02st2hsHDdIHJyVkb4siY4/s1600/IMG_8768.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRnMx9psutr5tFZAr0YcbIPJQUv98uvInfui1XZufCxPwmsYfHIGxsIlzm6MQcy4STYoeTQFvhiVfYz-dyLcoNMIV-UjXaQFmdMkfSI-KTduTqMA5tMhjiW02st2hsHDdIHJyVkb4siY4/s1600/IMG_8768.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack with his teacher, Mr. Wheeler</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYJ7dOpde4sV1FcJY_ivpQD1yKc3GZjBgej1PG3Yed51U_5Vnj0wkTAjChUyo86TVGb_-QCRUleJkNVSADOJfl9lTdn-JfDPwtuB_M6TpIohIgfwpBba25FhyphenhyphenOq9RCOd3UQiUu7wUiwkc/s1600/IMG_8766.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYJ7dOpde4sV1FcJY_ivpQD1yKc3GZjBgej1PG3Yed51U_5Vnj0wkTAjChUyo86TVGb_-QCRUleJkNVSADOJfl9lTdn-JfDPwtuB_M6TpIohIgfwpBba25FhyphenhyphenOq9RCOd3UQiUu7wUiwkc/s1600/IMG_8766.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Counselors Conner & Nick were Awesome!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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It is a strange feeling having one birdie gone from the
nest. I remember when Olivia went four years ago thinking how the house felt a
little emptier, a LOT quieter, and how my heart had a bit of a void in it. So I
was somewhat prepared for how it would be this time around.<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s interesting how the family dynamics shift when one
person is missing. I’ve noticed it over the last two and a half years that
Steve has been working in LA, how we adapt to fill the void. But with a child missing, it's even stronger. Grant missed his best buddy. But he also was a lot more pleasant without a big brother intentionally bugging him a lot of the time! It’s almost as if
a family is like a puzzle. Each piece is unique and beautiful in its own way,
but it takes all of them together to complete the picture.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I think these little jaunts of independence stretch the apron
(and heart!) strings to better prepare us for the eventual “launch”. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And in case you’re wondering (and much to my surprise!), Jack showered twice during the week. But he came home in the same sweatshirt he was wearing when he left! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before...and after. Same sweatshirt. </td></tr>
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Alysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06426930935178027123noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6213925987276782059.post-85771432541816248352015-03-03T22:03:00.001-08:002015-03-03T22:03:13.117-08:00Real Life HorrorI've often commented that the main road heading in both directions from our house looks like the perfect setting for a horror movie. It's a two-lane windy road, lined with large oak trees. Much of the road has little to no shoulder, with an embankment on one side, and a steep drop-off on the other. It's a popular route for bicyclists, though riddled with danger since there is no shoulder to provide a dedicated lane for cycling. While the road is heavily traveled during commute hours with drivers trying to escape the traffic on the freeway, during the mid-day hours, very few cars are seen. It is not at all uncommon for me to drive the entire 2.5 miles to school and not pass another car.<br />
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<br />
I drive back and forth on this road, headed one direction or the other, at least 8 times a day. I know it well. And aside from the occasional mudslide, or wild deer or turkey running in front of my car, have never had cause for alarm. Until today.<br />
<br />
I feel like I should start the story with "It was a dark and stormy night"...but in reality, it was a crystal clear afternoon. I have been home sick in bed the last two days, literally only crawling out of bed long enough to get my kids to and from school. My energy is drained, every inch of my body aches, and I'm coughing with every word out of my mouth,<br />
<br />
I left the house a little early, hoping to get to school in time to be in the front of the carpool line. As I came into the unincorporated part of the road, entering the small town of Sunol, I came around a curve and saw a woman ahead in the distance standing in the middle of the road. At first, it looked like maybe she was trying to stop traffic to help someone pull out of a long driveway. Besides me, there were no cars coming in either direction.<br />
<br />
As I got a little closer, she appeared to be in some sort of distress. She was waving her arms around and it looked like she was screaming. At what—or who—I couldn't tell. I thought maybe she was on drugs, or suffering from some mental instability. After all, it's not entirely normal to be screaming and waving your arms around, all while standing in the direct line of traffic.<br />
<br />
I slowed the car significantly, as she was literally standing in the middle of the road. As I approached, I made eye contact with her and realized that she was covered in blood. She had blood smeared on her face, down her chest and onto her shoulders, and her hands were obviously bloody. I had no idea what the situation was, and felt my heart begin to race. Had she killed someone? Was someone trying to kill her? There was obvious panic in her voice and in her movements, yet I didn't think it was a good idea to stop and get out of my car. I cracked my window just enough to call out "Are you okay? Do you need help?"<br />
<br />
She responded with a scream "YES! I need you to call the police!"<br />
<br />
In the distance down the driveway, I could see a man walking toward her.<br />
<br />
I yelled back, "OK, I'll call the police!"<br />
<br />
I kept rolling around the next curve, and about 200 yards ahead, there was a driveway on the right side of the road. I pulled in, put my car in park and dialed 911.<br />
<br />
"911, What's your emergency?" the dispatcher asked.<br />
<br />
As soon as I opened my mouth, my voice started trembling. I did my best to give an accurate description of my location, what I saw, and what I could ascertain from the situation. Within a matter of minutes, I could hear sirens coming from all directions. Police, fire, and paramedic crews were en route. The dispatcher kept me on the line until the officers arrived, in case there were any questions or problems in locating the site. After what felt like an eternity, she came back on the line and said that they had a suspect in custody, and that the woman was okay—she was just bleeding from her mouth and it appeared to be a case of domestic violence.<br />
<br />
It took a good couple of hours for my heart to stop racing, and for the image of her bloody face and hands to begin to fade from my mind. Honestly, it felt like it was straight out of a horror movie. Thankfully, it wasn't more serious (though I in no way mean to infer that domestic violence isn't serious!), and authorities responded in time.<br />
<br />
It is scary to think of what might have happened if I hadn't been driving right at that moment. Would someone else have seen her? Would they have slowed to ask if she was alright? Might it have been too late?<br />
<br />
I don't know what this woman's situation is/was. But I could tell from her appearance that she had had a hard life. It would have been pretty easy for me to swerve around her, not make eye contact, or notice the blood on her face and hands, and just chalk her behavior up to a drug-induced craze. And who knows? Maybe that's how it started.<br />
<br />
I'm reminded of a quote that goes something like this, "Be Kind. For everyone you meet is fighting a battle." I hope that as I go through my life, I can remember this message. To look for ways to help, uplift, and even save another. And I hope that if I ever am in need of that kind of help, someone will be there to offer it to me. Alysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06426930935178027123noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6213925987276782059.post-59815896806448243282014-10-07T21:25:00.000-07:002014-10-07T21:25:11.245-07:00Miserably Behind . . . But Still Alive!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
My blog has taken a back seat to life the last 18 months. I waffle between feelings of guilt for not recording the details of our life, and the realization that I actually CANNOT do it all.<br />
<br />
Steve has been working full-time on a light rail project in Los Angeles for the last 18 months (and off and on for the 12 months before that). He is gone Monday to Friday most weeks, so I'm on my own. We're hopeful that his assignment will be winding down by the time the holidays roll around, but I'm not getting my hopes up.<br />
<br />
I've made the best of the situation in many ways. I've done a lot of crafty projects and sewing this past year. I've completely forgotten how to cook—a good night is scrambled eggs and toast. The DVR is set to record a whole bunch of shows that are of absolutely no interest to Steve (think Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles), and I watch them at night when the kids go to bed.<br />
<br />
I've put 23,000 miles on my car since July 2013. But Steve has only put about 1,000 on his two vehicles combined, so as a whole, we're probably below average. The funny thing is rarely do I drive more than 5 miles in any direction from home!<br />
<br />
The old adage "absence makes the heart grow fonder" has proven true in our case. The distance between us truly has helped us to appreciate each other more. We try to make the time together count and not sweat the small stuff. And believe me . . . most of life is filled with small stuff.<br />
<br />
The kids have missed having their dad around as part of their every day life. It's been a year of big changes, and more lie ahead.<br />
<br />
Olivia is now a sophomore. 15 years old. Getting ready to learn to drive.<br />
<br />
Jack is in 6th grade. Discovering that girls kind of dig him. Wondering when he's going to start sprouting armpit hair.<br />
<br />
Grant is in 3rd grade. Has lost 8 and grown 4 teeth. Is creatively expressing himself in many ways. Case in point: His teacher told me today that she nearly fell over with laughter when reading Grant's latest essay, about my chocolate chip cookies. His first sentence? "The first time I tasted my mom's chocolate chip cookies, I fell into a coma for 3 days." Wow, who knew?<br />
<br />
When I look at our 17 years of marriage, this has by far been the hardest . . . on both of us. For different reasons, but equally challenging. And yet, I know we've all experienced some tremendous growth, and for that I am grateful.<br />
<br />
My goal for the next few weeks is to get caught up on the big happenings of the year so when I print my annual blog book, it's more than 2 pages long. Stay tuned!<br />
<br />
<br />Alysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06426930935178027123noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6213925987276782059.post-26611333973427656912014-02-25T07:01:00.000-08:002014-02-25T07:01:12.102-08:00The Key to a Happy LifeAnother funny kid story...one I don't want to forget!<br />
<br />
A couple of weeks ago, Jack was battling a case of acute hives. We were back and forth to the doctor several times before we figured out what it was . . . poor guy, his entire body was covered in this awful red rash.<br />
<br />
One night as we were going through the nightly ritual of creams, ointments, pills, and lotion, Jack was just sobbing. He looked awful—his neck, face, abdomen, arms, and legs were completely covered with big red welts.<br />
<br />
As I was trying to calm him down with soothing words, this is the conversation that ensued:<br />
<br />
Jack (in a sobbing, breathless voice): "I look so ugly. It's like I'm deformed. I'm never going to be normal again!"<br />
<br />
Me: "You're not ugly Jack. You're going to be fine. I promise, it's not going to last forever."<br />
<br />
Jack (still sobbing): "If I look like this, no one is ever going to love me!"<br />
<br />
Me: "That's not true Jack. Lots of people love you. And I promise, you're not going to have this rash forever. I PROMISE!!!"<br />
<br />
Jack (barely able to breathe at this point): "If I look like this, I am NEVER going to get a wife!"<br />
<br />
Me: "Jack, calm down. You're going to be fine. I PROMISE!"<br />
<br />
Jack (still barely able to breathe): "And if I don't get a wife, I AM NOT GOING TO HAVE A HAPPY LIFE!!!" (followed by a gut wrenching wail)<br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />
I wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry at that point . . . his sorrow was so real and so raw that it pained me. But at the same time, I was cracking up that at 10 1/2 years old, he was thinking about finding a wife. And that he was equating a happy life with being married. Which makes me think, maybe Steve and I are doing something right . . . !Alysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06426930935178027123noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6213925987276782059.post-11362582504844056332014-02-04T17:14:00.000-08:002014-02-04T17:14:02.331-08:00"Udderly" HilariousI know I'm months behind in blogging. A lot has transpired in the last 5 months that I hope to try and capture in the weeks to come. But I had a recent conversation with Jack that left me in near hysterics, and I don't want to forget it.<br />
<br />
The boys were scheduled for their annual physical this week. I mentioned it to them over dinner one night, and Grant asked what a "physical" entailed. We had a brief discussion about it, and I did my best to summarize what all the doctor would be looking at and checking for. Grant asked if the doctor would look at his "privates", and again, I did my best to give him the information he needed to not feel any anxiousness over the appointment.<br />
<br />
I told the boys that even grown ups have physicals. In fact, I had mine just a few months ago. I explained some of the things the doctor did, and I thought that was that. Then Jack asked rather sheepishly, "When you had your physical, did the doctor check your udders?"<br />
<br />
I nearly spewed water all over the table. I wasn't sure if I heard him right.<br />
<br />
"My what" I asked, with as straight a face as possible. His fifth grade class recently has been learning about the body . . . did he mean "uterus" and just mispronounce it?<br />
<br />
"Your udders" he repeated. "You know, the things that made milk when we were babies."<br />
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<br />
<br />
It's true there were times I felt like a cow while nursing my babies. But udders??? I nearly died laughing. But not in front of him, of course :)<br />
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<br />Alysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06426930935178027123noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6213925987276782059.post-67448997389091946922013-08-27T16:40:00.002-07:002013-08-27T22:45:21.074-07:00Fourteen...and a Freshman!Over the weekend, Olivia turned 14. FOURTEEN!!! When did I get old enough to have a daughter that old?<br />
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We celebrated with a low-key party at home with some of her best friends.<br />
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Her church leader came and decorated her room while we were out, it was so fun to come home to the surprise!<br />
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She's pretty much past the point of us being able to surprise her with gifts, so we took her shopping on her birthday. She scored a cute new purse, and a few outfits for the new school year.<br />
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The day after her birthday was her first day of school. She went from a K-8 school with a total of 275 students into a freshman class of twice that amount. We walked around the campus the night before school started locating all her classes in the various buildings and figuring out how she was going to get from one end of the campus to the other in her 6 minute passing period!<br />
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All over campus, there was chalk graffiti by this year's Senior class. Jack decided to leave his mark right outside Olivia's Spanish classroom door!<br />
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Last week, Olivia decided to try out for the high school golf team, and she made it onto the team. Two practices and two matches a week through mid-October means I am in desperate need of a chauffeur to help with driving duties. But she sure is happy, and it's a great way to ease into high school!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A custom bag and cute uniform are part of the package!</td></tr>
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Olivia is growing into a beautiful, accomplished young woman. She is driven, self-motivated, and hard working. I don't have to nag her (often), she knows what she needs to do and gets it done. She is super creative and kind and pretty much an all-around perfect kid.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First day of high school</td></tr>
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Everybody says that once kids hit high school, you blink and it's over. It is bittersweet to watch Olivia growing up. It is super fun to watch her developing her talents and really becoming her own person. But we can also feel her starting to slip away from us...which I guess, is exactly how it should be.<br />
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<br />Alysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06426930935178027123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6213925987276782059.post-32531432741781495622013-08-08T17:17:00.000-07:002013-08-27T16:42:25.816-07:00Lucky number SEVEN!I can't believe that it's been 7 years since we welcomed this little guy into our family.<br />
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In some ways, it feels like yesterday. In other ways, it feels like a lifetime. I can't remember life before him!<br />
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He is definitely our most strong-willed and opinionated child. He pushes the limits, throws fits, and doesn't take no for an answer. He's been a pill today, and every time I call him on it, he replies "It's my birthday, I'm supposed to do whatever I want to!" Think again buster...<br />
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Grant is incredibly bright and has great number sense. He can do mental math no problem and is constantly telling me how many more or less something is than something else, or how many minutes/days/hours until something is happening. Reading and writing has been a bit more of a challenge for him. He finally caught on to reading this past spring—it was like a lightbulb just went off in his little brain. But he HATES writing. We've been practicing over the summer.<br />
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He has no volume switch. I can hear him coming from a mile away.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Towards the end of swim season, the boys mentioned they'd like to make a switch to Speedos. <br />
Jack has only worn his in the backyard. <br />
Grant wears his every chance he gets!</td></tr>
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He has enough personality for 10 kids. Seriously, the kid cracks us up all the time with his antics.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was his "crazy" costume for swim team champs. He wore it proudly!</td></tr>
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He is good at expressing gratitude. He thanks me for his meals daily, and his words are usually accompanied by a hug.<br />
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He doesn't like kisses. Hugs are okay, but he doesn't like me to kiss him. I try and sneak in a kiss on the forehead at night, but he usually wipes it right off!<br />
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He goes shirtless as much as possible. Seriously. He was named "Most likely to be shirtless" at the swim team banquet. He nearly ripped his dress shirt off on his way up to claim his award!<br />
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He adores his brother and sister. He and Jack have given each other the nickname of "Bubs Chubs" and it cracks me up when Jack is irritated with Grant for some reason and Grant will say "But Jack, I'm your 'Bubs Chubs'!"<br />
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Even though he is the source of most of my gray hairs, I wouldn't trade this boy for the world.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Happy Birthday Grant...we love you!</span></div>
<br />Alysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06426930935178027123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6213925987276782059.post-51488385267590543562013-06-17T23:45:00.002-07:002013-06-17T23:45:34.589-07:00The graduateOver the weekend, we officially celebrated Olivia's graduation from Sunol Glen.<br />
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Because the school is so small, they really go all out to make the ceremony special, and the kids were involved in the planning and presentations of the evening.<br />
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Olivia was absolutely gorgeous . . . when I saw her walking towards us right before the ceremony started, I got choked up as I saw how my baby girl had transformed into a beautiful young woman literally overnight.<br />
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We did a complete re-enactment of the <a href="http://www.alysonwhitaker.blogspot.com/2013/06/moving-on.html" target="_blank">first day of kindergarten</a> photo.</div>
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The parents were in charge of decorating, and the auditorium looked amazing. Somehow I got roped into making a balloon arch, with the help of two other amazing moms.<br />
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Life-size silhouettes of all 27 students lined the walls of the room. They were so true to life that I could tell who was who, even before seeing the names!<br />
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The stage was lined with tulle and little graduate picks, complete with each student's face.<br />
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The program started out with a slideshow of the students, showing pictures of each of them from babyhood to now. Then the students walked up on stage to the tune of Pomp and Circumstance.<br />
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Olivia and three of her best friends sang the national anthem.<br />
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Olivia and Katelyn gave the class history—a recap of the nine years spent at the school.<br />
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Each student was recognized for their accomplishments. Olivia received the Presidential Award for Academic Excellence, the Superintendent's Honor Roll for a 4.0 GPA, and was recognized for the character trait of Caring.<br />
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I went in to the auditorium with a brand new box of kleenex, and fully anticipated having to use the whole thing. Miraculously enough, I only needed three tissues! For some reason, once the ceremony started, most of my sadness left, and I was filled with excitement for this next phase of her life.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A teary hug from daddy...</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Olivia with her amazing Art teacher, Mrs. Campbell</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Olivia with her Math & Science teacher, Mrs. Takei</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Katelyn & Olivia have been BFFs since kindergarten.<br />They're headed to different high schools in the fall.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eric started kindergarten with Olivia. He left the school this year, <br />but came to visit the graduation dance.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One last class photo</td></tr>
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It was a beautiful, perfect evening . . . the perfect culmination to nine years of memories!</div>
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<br />Alysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06426930935178027123noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6213925987276782059.post-20972689722068018622013-06-14T09:18:00.004-07:002013-06-14T09:18:53.464-07:00Moving onNearly nine years ago, my little girl started kindergarten at Sunol Glen. She was a joyful, beautiful, bubbly little girl, and we couldn't believe that she was old enough to start school!<br />
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As we looked at the kids in the older grades run around that first day, they seemed gigantic, and we couldn't even begin to imagine how Olivia would be at the end of kindergarten, let alone 8th grade.<br />
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Somehow, we blinked, and the day arrived. Today is Olivia's last day at Sunol Glen.<br />
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She has grown into a joyful, beautiful, and bubbly young woman. She has had teachers who have shaped her into who she is today and helped her learn and grow. She has had friends who have brightened her life with their laughter and love.<br />
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Now her class is moving on. They're off to high school, and instead of a class of 26, she'll be in a class of 500+. Only a handful of her classmates are going to the same high school, and it is hard to say goodbye to those "BFFs" that have made her days so much fun.<br />
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For five of the nine years, she's had her brothers at the same school with her. They hug when they see each other during the day, and Olivia is always looking out for them. It makes me so sad to think they won't all be together from here on out.<br />
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Tomorrow night is her 8th grade promotion. It's a big deal at such a small school...complete with a picture slide show, speeches from all the kids, speeches from local dignitaries, etc. I would like to think I'll maintain my composure through it all, but really...who am I kidding?<br />
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In spite of the tears that keep falling, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the 9 years she has spent at this school. It has been amazing, and I couldn't have asked for more.<br />
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<br />Alysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06426930935178027123noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6213925987276782059.post-68346797285944033572013-05-26T15:48:00.000-07:002013-05-26T15:48:01.459-07:00Spring Break 2013, Part 4 — Four Corners & Pagosa Springs<br />
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From Kayenta, AZ, we headed north.</div>
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We stopped at the Four Corners National Monument, the only place in the entire country where four states intersect. </div>
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It was in the middle of nowhere, and was lined with vendor booths, selling Native American jewelry and other handmade items. We passed those up, but took the requisite photos of being in multiple states at one time.</div>
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Our drive continued on, across the state line into Colorado. </div>
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<i>Apparently, Coloradans have a different idea of "colorful" than I do!</i></div>
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We stopped for lunch in Durango, CO. We ate at the Diamond Belle Saloon, which was housed in a restored historic building on Main Street. The décor was very authentic, complete with the waitress in fishnet stockings with a feather in her hair!</div>
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Sixty miles east of Durango lies the little town of Pagosa Springs to visit my brother Shepard and his wife Breanne. They've been there the past year, with Shepard practicing dentistry in a small practice in town. </div>
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During our trip, Grant started complaining that his mouth hurt. When I peeked in to take a look, I saw his permanent tooth coming in behind his two front baby teeth...not the ideal placement! </div>
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">Since Shepard is now a "real" dentist, we asked him to do the honors!</span></div>
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Dr. DeLong—with his very capable (and wonderful) assistant/wife Breanne—got to work, with Jack observing (Jack had been thinking he might want to be a dentist. That was, until he watched this. When it was over, he started feeling woozy, walked into the door jam, turned completely white, and nearly passed out. It took him 45 minutes to recover.)</div>
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Grant was an absolute perfect patient. He held perfectly still, listened to Shepard and was 100% cooperative. It was spectacular!<br />
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Here's the new smile...no more baby face! </div>
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These were the two teeth. The short one was a little loose, you can see the root was partially resorbed. The one on the right took substantially more effort to get out. Crazy! The tooth fairy brought $2.50...you'd have thought it was $250 by Grant's reaction!</div>
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Pagosa Springs is home to the world’s deepest natural geothermal hot springs. We spent an afternoon soaking in the tubs, ranging from 85 to 110 degrees! It was a little stinky, but incredibly soothing. </div>
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The kids were brave enough to take a chilling dip in the river!</div>
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After soaking in one of the hotter tubs (aptly named "The Lobster Pot"), the cool mountain air felt so good and I was perfectly content to lay on a lounge chair and soak up some much needed vitamin D.</div>
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The next day, we headed 20 minutes up the road to the snow. <span style="text-align: center;">We stopped on the way up at "Treasure Falls"...rumored to have buried treasure hidden within it.</span></div>
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We spent a couple of hours sledding, with lots of wipe outs, laughter, and fun!</div>
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<i>Love my "baby" brother...</i></div>
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It didn't take Grant long to figure out the easiest way up the mountain!</div>
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Shepard and the kids cooked an amazing dinner of homemade vegetarian pizza.</div>
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Then Shepard entertained us playing songs on the guitar with made up lyrics about giant cheese balls.</div>
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Shep and Olivia practiced some partner Acro-yoga moves (Olivia is learning some acro-yoga as part of the choreography for the play she is in).</div>
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The "kids" watched a movie on their new 3D TV...</div>
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We went pedal-boating (or is it paddle boating?) on the little pond in their neighborhood.</div>
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It was all fun and games until I fell in the pond, while trying to get back on to the shore! My foot in the boat got stuck in the pedal, while my other foot was on the shore. It felt like something out of a cartoon as the boat started drifting away from the shore and my legs got wider and wider apart. I froze momentarily as my right leg fell in the water, then Shepard came to my rescue and pulled me back in the boat. I was laughing so hard that he thought I was crying. It was not a very graceful moment (and thankfully, was not captured on film!).</div>
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We loved spending a few days with Shep & Bre in their home...this was a first for us. Usually, they are the ones coming to visit us! Their calm spirits and joyful hearts feed the soul, and we feel blessed to call them family.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWqsxZ3YUywC4IAl6a3xgXcx6xprCKaP2X-nMxDn4dhdpNk35xN8z6RWV9-5UIssaXd-WmXQx25WAERoalEdm37H-t-PJ-_e49OwJLdEjEuRJ8pTPJBddyeCwESxz-kJ3eK_Nt7joWGQs/s1600/IMG_4574.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWqsxZ3YUywC4IAl6a3xgXcx6xprCKaP2X-nMxDn4dhdpNk35xN8z6RWV9-5UIssaXd-WmXQx25WAERoalEdm37H-t-PJ-_e49OwJLdEjEuRJ8pTPJBddyeCwESxz-kJ3eK_Nt7joWGQs/s320/IMG_4574.JPG" width="320" /></a> We were flying out of Albuquerque to come home, which was about 3 ½ hours south of Pagosa Springs. We opted to drive down the night before, so we’d be well rested for our flight home.</div>
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En route to Albuquerque, we stopped in Santa Fe, NM for dinner at The Shed. The food was authentic Southwestern Mexican style, complete with “knock your socks off” spicy chile. I thought I was going to need a fire extinguisher for my mouth!</div>
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It was cool to walk through the town, the oldest US Capitol city in the United States, and one of the oldest US cities period. </div>
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After nine days away (and in close quarters for most of it!), you'd have thought we'd have been at each other's throats and dying to get home. In reality, quite the opposite was true. It was one of the best vacations of my life. We loved every minute together, had not a single fight or bad attitude, and saw some of the most beautiful places in the world. Honestly, there's not much more I could ask for!</div>
Alysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06426930935178027123noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6213925987276782059.post-21392794468641050822013-05-26T15:45:00.003-07:002013-05-26T15:45:54.265-07:00Spring Break 2013, Part 3 — The Grand CanyonAfter another good night's rest, we left Utah and headed south to the Grand Canyon.<br />
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We stopped at the Navajo Bridge—one of the two bridges that crosses the Colorado River. It was crazy high, and almost made me feel sick looking down. It was no small fete of construction either!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Really??? Cause I was tempted...NOT!</i></span></td></tr>
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Our first stop once at the Grand Canyon national Park was the historic Watchtower.<br />
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We were able to climb up inside the watchtower and see an incredible panoramic view. I had seen hundreds of photos of the Grand Canyon, but nothing prepared me for what I actually saw. It was spectacular!<br />
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">We continued on into the park, checked out the visitor's center, and took a leisurely stroll along the path along the south rim. </span></div>
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We took the requisite "falling" pictures, though none really look as though we're falling!<br />
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After a while, we headed out of the park and to our hotel. We got checked in, and the kids were eager to jump in the pool. It was not warm outside, and we were at an elevation of about 7,000 feet. The pool was barely warmer than the air, but the kids jumped in nonetheless!<br />
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After dinner, we hopped back in the car to see the sun set over the canyon. Apparently, we weren't the only ones with this grand idea, and we missed the sunset. But we still managed to snap a few pictures.<br />
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We had decided that we'd hike the Kaibab Trail on Tuesday. It was rated as a medium difficulty hike, roughly 3 miles round trip, with a 1,500 elevation change from top to bottom. When we got out of the car on Tuesday morning, it was FREEZING cold. The wind was howling, and clouds were rolling by at a very brisk speed. Steve and I looked at each other and thought "this might not be good". But we decided to at least attempt it...if we got too cold and miserable, we could always turn around!<br />
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We rode the shuttle to the top of the trailhead, and set off. It started off with pretty steep switchbacks, going back and forth across the mountainside.<br />
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I brought up the rear, and listened to Grant's chit chat the whole way. "Watch out for mule poop", "watch your step mom!", "How long would it take a rock to get to the bottom?", and so on. I loved listening to his little voice!<br />
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We plugged along at a decent pace, and before we knew it, had reached the first main turnaround spot, appropriately named "Ooh Aah Point".<br />
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Many people were turning around at this point, and heading back up. We felt like we had just barely started, so decided to keep going. The trail turned from dirt to red clay, and there were points with steep drop offs on both sides of the trail.<br />
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About 50 minutes after we started our descent, we reached our goal of Cedar Ridge. </div>
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It was incredible to look up and see how far down we'd come, and yet how much of the canyon was still below us. It really gave a good perspective to the enormity of it all!<br />
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After we'd rested for a while, Steve and I looked at each other, then looked at the climb that awaited us, and were both filled with a sense of apprehension. Sure, the kids had made it down in no time, with no complaints. But going back UP was another story altogether, and we both feared the worst. We both put on a smile, and said "Well, shall we head back up?" like it was no big deal at all.<br />
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We had packed an assortment of snacks and drinks, and had assured the kids that we could stop and rest as often as they wanted.<br />
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It was a tough climb. We had fully expected it to take at least twice as long to get back to the top as it did for us to get to the bottom. But we made it back up in just over an hour and 15 minutes...without a single complaint! I don't know that I've ever been prouder of my kids than I was at that moment. They had done something REALLY HARD, and had done it with a smile and a good attitude. It was amazing!<br />
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I was so happy that Steve and I hadn't given up on the hike that morning when the wind was howling and the clouds were blowing by. We would have missed out on something so spectacular, that may well be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for us.<br />
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We piled back into the car—all feeling pretty exhausted. This is how the kids spent the rest of the day.<br />
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We arrived that evening in Kayenta, AZ. We were running low on clothes by this point, and I did a couple of loads of laundry in the hotel washing machine. The dryer only half-dried the clothes, so our room looked like a hurricane for the night as we air-dried our clothes.<br />
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No one fought going to bed that night, and I'm pretty sure we were all asleep within about 30 seconds of turning out the light!<br />
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<br />Alysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06426930935178027123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6213925987276782059.post-67056950628060677152013-05-02T20:50:00.003-07:002013-05-02T20:50:46.607-07:00Spring Break 2013, Part 2 — Hiking the HoodoosWe woke up Easter Sunday and found the Easter Bunny had left some surprises in the car!<br />
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I don't know what I was expecting to see when we pulled into the parking lot at the trail head of our hike, but it wasn't this. I'd never seen anything like it in my life!<br />
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We decided to hike the Navajo Loop Trail, a 3 mile hike with about 600 feet in elevation change.<br />
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The first part of the hike made me think of Lombard Street in San Francisco!</div>
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We took our own sweet time, taking lots of breaks for snacks and pictures. </div>
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This was our first "real" hike as a family, and the kids did great!</div>
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There was a rock that resembled Queen Elizabeth</div>
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And one that made us think of E.T.</div>
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There were tons of cool crevices and caves to explore.</div>
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We found a "garden" of cool rock piles. One was nearly as tall as Grant!</div>
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After we finished the Navajo Loop, we drove through the rest of Bryce Canyon National Park, stopping at various viewpoints. When we reached the top, we found snow! </div>
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It was an awesome morning of blue skies and warm(ish) temperatures...just as we were finishing up our explorations at the top of the canyon, clouds rolled in, along with the wind, and snow flurries began to fall.<br />
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We spent the rest of the afternoon kicking back at the hotel, swimming in the heated pool, and were once again fast asleep by 8:00pm!<br />
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<br />Alysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06426930935178027123noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6213925987276782059.post-30358928939187158842013-05-02T20:06:00.004-07:002013-05-02T20:10:01.383-07:00Spring Break 2013, Part 1 — Leaving Las VegasBecause we just couldn't wait to start our vacation, we booked a 6am flight out of Oakland into Las Vegas. At the time, it seemed like a good idea. But when the alarm went off at 3:30 am for the 4:00am taxi pickup, I must admit I had second thoughts!<br />
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<i>A Frappuccino from the airport Starbucks...the breakfast of champions!</i></td></tr>
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We landed in Vegas just after 7am. While Steve was getting the rental car, he told me to go put $20 in the Wheel of Fortune slot machine...our lucky game. On the fourth play, I landed on "Spin the Wheel" and proceeded to win $125!<br />
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I quickly cashed out and had to laugh when Olivia said "And you said vacations don't pay for themselves!" It was a great start of a trip that just continued to get better!<br />
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Steve's Uncle Dean and Aunt Lucille live about 5 minutes from the airport, and had invited us for breakfast when we told them we'd be flying through. Uncle Dean was a POW in WWII, shot down and captured by German soldiers. Uncle Dean made waffles and we spent a wonderful couple of hours visiting with them.<br />
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After we left them, we headed to St. George, UT. We visited Steve's cousin and aunt who live there, then proceeded to our first night's destination . . . the home of a good family friend of my dad's. They live in a modest home just outside of St. George. And by modest, I mean over 8,000 sf, with a SLIDE from the upstairs family room into the downstairs play room!<br />
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Even though we'd been up since 3:30am, the kids stayed up sliding, swimming, and playing until after 9:00, when we all hit the wall and couldn't keep our eyes open any longer!<br />
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We woke up the next morning, had breakfast, and hit the road. Our first stop was the ghost town of Grafton, UT.<br />
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About 10 minutes off the main highway, this little ghost town gained notoriety when it was featured in the movie "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid".<br />
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For us, the notoriety hits a little closer to home. Steve's great-great grandmother lived in this little town as a girl, and witnessed a massacre by Indians where several townspeople were murdered. Quite a story to tell . . .<br />
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From Grafton, we continued on to Zion National Park. It was the first time we'd been there, and we'd heard all sorts of recommendations for hikes and adventures. Our first thought was to hike a portion of the famous Narrows. But that plan was squelched when the park ranger told us we'd need dry suits, as the water was shoulder deep and 45 degrees. On to Plan B.<br />
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Since we were all still a little tired from the long day before, we opted for a more leisurely hike up the Emerald Pools Trail.<br />
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After a gorgeous hike, we loaded back in the car and drove a couple more hours to our hotel, just outside of Bryce Canyon National Park. We got checked into our room, and were all fast asleep by 8:00!Alysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06426930935178027123noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6213925987276782059.post-41860129408290929162013-02-06T12:42:00.001-08:002013-02-06T12:44:28.929-08:00I fought the law . . . and the law won!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Back in September, I was pulled over in the Safeway parking lot and issued a pricey ticket for "illegally crossing a traffic beacon or traversing a cone pattern". Don't get me started on the ticket itself, it was ridiculous and had very little ground to stand on. It was in the middle of our crazy fall, and getting a ticket was the last thing I needed.<br />
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When the notice from the courthouse came with the amount of the fine, I was flabbergasted! $367 if I wanted to pay it up front, or, if I wanted to go to traffic school, I could pay $425, PLUS the cost of traffic school! There was no way in heck I was going down without a fight, so I decided to go to court to fight it. I had to send in my "bail" with my not guilty plea, so I mailed off a check and waited for my notice to appear in court.<br />
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I'd never been to traffic court before, but everyone I talked to told me to pray the officer didn't show, in which case, my citation would be immediately dismissed.<br />
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On the designated day and time, I showed up at the courthouse with my file of pictures, testimony, and a whole lot of butterflies in my stomach. I had no idea what to expect. My case was number 27 or 27 to be heard in that session of court—I was in for a long afternoon.<br />
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When the judge came in, he first read off the list of all cases in which the officer was not present and dismissed those cases. As luck would have it, my name was NOT on that list. Officer Nicely (yep, that's his real name) was there and ready to testify against me.<br />
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I sat there for the next hour, listening to case after case, and the judge found the defendant guilty in each and every one. There were some doozies too . . . a woman driving 25 miles over the speed limit "because she was late to work", a guy driving with a suspended license "because he had to take his girlfriend to pay the water bill", a guy pulled over for not wearing his seatbelt "because he dropped his smoke and was bending over to find it". I can't make this stuff up folks . . . it was the real deal!<br />
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By the time my case was called, I felt pretty confident in my case, but still knew that chances were pretty good the judge would be siding with the officer.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When I asked Steve what I should wear, he told me to dress<br />
grubby and not like I had any money. There went my<br />
idea for the thigh highs and Louboutin heels . . . </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I took my seat at the "Defendant" table, while Officer Nicely (no, I did not change his name to protect his identity, his name indeed was Officer Nicely!) took his seat at the table next to mine. He proceeded to introduce himself, give his credentials, and explain what he was doing on patrol on the day in question, as well as the circumstances of the citation.<br />
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Then it was my turn. I had written a lengthy testimony, which I only shared a fraction of (I didn't want to wear out my welcome). I explained the circumstances from my point of view, and why I didn't feel that the citation had merit. I presented my photos and maps to the judge for review. I stated my case and asked for a reversal of the citation. Then I sat back and waited.<br />
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It didn't take long for the judge to make his ruling. "In the case of Alyson DeLong Whitaker vs. The State of California, I find the defendant GUILTY AS CHARGED!!!" What???? Are you kidding me???<br />
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Then, he went on to say that in light of the circumstances, he was reducing my fine to $197, and asked if I would like to pay now or over time, or did I want community service hours. I told him I'd already paid the amount in full, to which he replied that I would be getting a check in the mail.<br />
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My $170 refund check arrived about two weeks later, and the whole thing is quickly fading from my memory.<br />
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I haven't done a lot of "bad" things in my life, and I must admit, I felt just a smidge of giddiness at the fact that I was actually found guilty of anything in a court of law. That being said, I'm fairly confident in saying that this will probably be the one and only time that I hear a judge say my name and the word "GUILTY" in the same sentence.Alysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06426930935178027123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6213925987276782059.post-80697060115739750042013-02-06T11:26:00.000-08:002013-02-06T11:26:32.035-08:00Dancing with boysWhen I was in junior high, I was terrified of boys. If a boy so much as looked at me with the slightest bit of admiration or attention, I was mortified.<br />
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I remember at a school dance, when I was in 7th or 8th grade, I was asked to dance by a boy in one of my classes. His name was Todd. I can still picture his flushed face and feel his sweaty hands when I think about that first slow dance. It was awful. I hated feeling his breath on my neck and couldn't wait for the song to end. It seemed like an eternity. He even had the nerve to say "You look really beautiful tonight." Can you imagine anything worse than that???<br />
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Fast forward 25 years, and my daughter is now attending middle school dances. And dancing with boys. She is much more confident than I was at that age—and thankfully, much more comfortable around the opposite sex.<br />
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All of us parents of her class have been going through our photos, pulling out pictures to use in the graduation slide show in a few months. Another mom sent me this photo she captured at one of the dances last year, and I nearly died laughing.<br />
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This poor boy has had a crush on Olivia since day 1 . . . and she patiently and kindly puts up with it (most of the time). But his smirk, her clenched eyes and pursed lips, and her friend's laughter at the whole thing, say to me that maybe the nut doesn't fall too far from the tree.<br />
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I just hope her first kiss is better than <a href="http://www.alysonwhitaker.blogspot.com/2008/12/first-kiss.html" target="_blank">mine</a> . . .Alysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06426930935178027123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6213925987276782059.post-88165075334347952962013-01-16T21:38:00.001-08:002013-02-06T11:26:50.737-08:00Trading placesLast night, I went to the Parent Information night for the Foothill Falcons incoming Freshmen Class of 2017. Yep...you read that right...my baby girl is starting High School this fall.<br />
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Last night was a time for the principal to give a general welcome and introduction to the school for the parents, as well as all the department heads to get up and explain the various course paths and educational opportunities at the school. Next week, Olivia and I will return for a course selection workshop with her assigned guidance counselor. This is all designed to help make the online registration process more smooth.<br />
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As I sat there in the gym, along with 500 other parents, I had what I like to call a "Freaky Friday" moment. For a brief moment, I had this feeling like I had somehow switched bodies with my mom . . . that I was a teenager trapped inside a mom's body, and that <b><i>I</i></b> was the one who should be figurin gout which math class was right for me or which electives I wanted to take! I glanced around the room, wondering if I was the only parent who was feeling this way. I was almost waiting for a bolt of lightening or earthquake or something to really shake things up. It was so strange, there's really no logical way to say it!<br />
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I've said over and over in the last few years that I just don't feel like how I thought I would feel at this age. And as I sat there in the gym listening to all the amazing opportunities that lie ahead for Olivia over the next 4 years, I just wished that I could go back and do it over again. High school was not a good time in my life, and I did not even come close to making the most of those 4 years of my life. I know that those years—and the subsequent ones that followed—have played a big part in shaping me into who I am today, and I am truly happy with how my life has unfolded. But I still can't help but think about what could have been.<br />
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I'm excited for Olivia. She is a confident, bright, driven, and fun young woman, and has all the tools to be successful in high school. I have every confidence that she will make the most of these next four years and will come out of it ready to take on the world.<br />
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The real question here is when will I wake up and feel old enough to be her mom???!!!<br />
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<br />Alysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06426930935178027123noreply@blogger.com1