Bordering on Chaos

2009-10-27T08:21:00.000-07:00

Finally a Picture of the little Guy- NOLAN-- I know he's not so little anymore :(

GUESS WHO

2009-05-20T21:32:00.000-07:00

My Last night at camp children's

2009-01-20T19:31:00.000-08:00

Well Nolan and I get to go home in less than fourteen hours.
Crazy to think we have already been here fifteen days.
Even Crazier to think that leaving is bitter sweet
I am actually going to miss parts of being here at the hospital
Fun nurses- who it is actually hard to say goodbye too
The simple life- where there is little multi tasking
One on one time with Nolan- snuggling him with no interuptions
Sleeping in till 9:30- even if I got no sleep the night before
My husband doing all the work around the house

Things I will not miss
Taking a shower here
Beeps from machines and sounds from other rooms
Cafeteria food
Not being able to see Mike and the kids
Having to be inside a small room - I need fresh air
Lack of socialization
This very comfortable couch bed

OVERALL
I AM TOTALLY READY TO GO HOME>and
NOLAN REALLY WANTS TO SEE HIS DAD, BROTHERS, AND SISTER

I didn't have a horrible time at camp but I definitely do not wish to return again.

Thank you Jesus for the break in life- the special time Nolan and me had -the time Mike and the kids got to have with each other without me around- and all the extra time the kids received from their grandparents.

Yet Another Border with Curly Hair

2009-01-19T12:45:00.000-08:00

Zoom in to see Nolan's curly hair-

Mike comes to visit

2009-01-19T12:31:00.000-08:00

Well Mike steals some time away and comes up for a slumber party

A little Chinese food and a movie

Some much needed time for the two of us to hang out together-

Without crazy kids

Funny thing is

Nolan cried through most of our movie

and then for another 2 hours after that

I spent most of my time feeding and rocking him

Hoping that the neighbor kids could not hear the swearing from the movie we rented

Pineapple Express

Mike got a good taste of why I am not getting all that much sleep here at Camp Children's

All and all it was really fun-

A little relaxation mixed in with reality

Not to mention -

It was great to wake up next to him - even if it was in the hospital bed

HUMBLED

2009-01-19T12:10:00.000-08:00

As I sit in my little room and lay with Nolan on my chest

I am humbled by a visitor

The mother of my hospital neighbor

She invites me over to listen to a harp player

This is their 13th visit to Children's Since September

I enter their room to find peacefulness and tranquility

I observe their family

The father is massaging his 16 year old daughters feet

Quietly asking every nurse that enters the room to wash with special soap

because the hospital soap makes his daughter sick

The daughter lies in bed recieving her chemotherapy

Her wig tossed in the corner

Her Mother sits next to her holding her daughters hand-

her eyes are closed and she is praying

Every so often

She helps her daughter choke down some extra medicine

with the only food she can tolerate

The harp player continues singing a song about Jesus

the entire time

I am fighting back tears

Holding Nolan thankful that he is not really sick

Wondering how this family does it

What in the world do I have to complain about

Thinking about how much strength this family has

What an amazing girl this teenager must be

As the beepers beep off every ten minutes

The Father silences the huge machine

with what had to be ten different bags on it

Tiptoes out to get a nurse

ensuring

His daughter who just fell asleep is not wakened

She has not slept in two days

I tip toe out

Humbled

Praying for a miracle for such an incredible family

They are one of five families who have been my hospital room neighbors

All here because their children have Cancer

I am just here because of a little bacteria in my baby

All cleared up Now

Just waiting to go home

Humbled by the fact that I may never return

They are just waiting for three weeks to pass to come back again

Carson comes up to visit

2009-01-19T11:59:00.001-08:00

Yes the little guy came up to visit and have a slumber party
The night would not have been complete without popcorn and a movie

It started off with lots of laughs

Carson suggested we get a dragon

He told the nurse that we have been here "For like 77 Days"

He was a little sick of listening to me chat with the nurses and started saying

Yeah yeah yeah blah blah blah

The rest of the evening was full of fun

Watching a movie

Eating - popcorn a bag of chips two snickers bars

Riding an airplane around the halls and up and down the elevator
Playing in the playroom
Calling out bingo(and getting to be on "TV")-- he was famous and he won 3X

It's no wonder he didn't want to leave on Friday night

GARRETT SCORED HIS FIRST GOAL THIS YEAR

2009-01-19T11:50:00.000-08:00

On Sunday January 11th Garrett scored his first goal of the season at Hockey. WAY TO GO BUDDY -- Thanks Mary and Bruce for going to cheer him on and watch Carson and Adison

What is getting me through my days

2009-01-19T11:44:00.000-08:00

One would never guess that I have taken up a new addiction.

But it is true.

Although I have always loved pepsi and coke.

I am now officially having one a day just to stay awake.

No worries Nursing Nazis--

Moderate amounts of caffiene will not have adverse affects on little Nolan.

Having a hard time going to sleep tonight

2009-01-13T20:41:00.000-08:00

So I am humbled by the fact that Nolan is not really sick-- He has a very treatable thing and is really on the verge of being perfectly healthy. I have seen so many kids in the hospital-- having things like Cancer, TB, unexplainable rashes (So bad that they cannot eat or leave their room) to genetic disorders that require hopsitalization. It is very eye opening and sad. These families do not complain-- they take it one day at a time-- and the kids are even more amazing.

But as a Mom I am still struggling with going to sleep tonight. I see Nolan laying in bed looking perfectly peaceful but every now and then he has trouble breathing (he gasps for air making this really "fun" sound) and occasionally his heart rate drops to below 90 and his oxygen level goes between 70-85. All things that were not happening this morning or in the past 48 hours.

Is he okay-- of course-- I am sure he is just reacting to the anesthetic and the tube they stuck down his throat-- but it is hard to sleep when everything does not seem normal with your baby. It is even more unnerving that the nurses never make it in to see him gasping and his stats return to normal by the time they get to the room. I look like a crazy psycho anal mom every time I ask them if he is okay. They just check him one more time and say he sounds good.

SO for now I will try to go to sleep and hope all the effects of the pic line will go away throughout the night and I won't have to be psycho anal mom tomorrow. LOL

Missing the kids and Mike

2009-01-13T20:19:00.001-08:00

Boy oh boy-- I am truly enjoying having the opportunity to listen to every coo and sigh out of baby Nolan. An opportunity that this hospital stay has allowed me to have. However, I am missing the rest of the family. Calling to say goodnight to the kids and hearing their cute voices over the phone makes me miss them even more. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder and that is true for me. I miss my Mike a ton. But I am thoroughly enjoying that he is doing all the housework and taking care of the kids while I sit and watch TV at hotel Children's. LOL

Regardless I am looking forward to next Wednesday
When I can sleep in my own bed next to Mike
Wake up with the entire family under one roof
Play with the kids
Snuggle with them
Put them to bed
Get them off to school and off the bus
Hear about their day- highs and lows

When we will live life as a family of six

DO THEY MISS ME. Well not likely- Nanna is here now and having tons of fun with them. Making paper kites and flying them from the wind of a box fan-- pretending they are swimmers with underwear swim caps-- and running around care free with no parents there.

Grammy arrives in four days -- oh the crazy fun they will be having with two Grandparents in the house. Yes Mike might take up smoking again and become a drinker for a week-- but the kids will be having the time of their lives. (TOTALLY KIDDING)

baby faces

2009-01-12T18:02:00.000-08:00

here are a few of the pictures that we took today ...

enjoy :)

AND my personal favorite ...

THANKS SARAH FOR THE LAUGHS TODAY

2009-01-12T15:27:00.000-08:00

Sarah came up to the hospital today and we passed the time taking pictures and chatting about life. Thanks for posting the pictures on the blog.

PICTURES FOR ALL POSTS WILL BE POSTED WHEN I GET HOME FROM THE HOSPITAL

2009-01-12T15:26:00.000-08:00

Making the best of our time at hotel Children's

2009-01-12T15:20:00.000-08:00

We have been have making the best of our time at the hospital-- chatting with nurses- ordering food in-- enjoying all the goodies people have brought up. Getting caught up on the blog-- and spending some extra one on one time with Baby Nolan-- time I would not have if I was home with the other three kids.

ALTHOUGH I MISS THE OTHER TONS. I am looking forward to getting home and getting back into some type of routine.

For now I am going to eat up the rest and relaxation I am getting up here.

SPECIAL THANKS

2009-01-12T15:11:00.000-08:00

It is amazing how many incredible freinds and family members we have.

Thankyou to all the people who have watched our kids, cooked meals, sent money for food at the hospital, brought snacks, gifts, reading materials, and lunch among other neccesities needed. Thankyou for your continued prayers and phone calls checking in on us.

Mike is also thankful for the offers to help out with the kids and take him out for drinks so he keeps his sanity in the upcoming week and a half (LOL).

I cannot tell you how much WE appreciate it all.

How are the kids doing

2009-01-12T15:06:00.000-08:00

The kids don't even care that we are gone. Carson asked if Nolan was getting better and when asked if he was worried he said NO not really.

Garrett is loving the extra play time with freinds.

and Adison has her dad wrapped around her finger already so I am sure she is loving every minute that I am gone. LOL

But really they are doing well.

CHECK OUT THE CUTE PICTURES OF SOME OF THEIR DAILY EVENTS ON SARAH'S BLOG

www.mycrazyloves.blogspot.com

There are very cute pictures and a description of what they have been up to.

How's Mike doing???

2009-01-12T08:16:00.000-08:00

So-- we are on day 6 of being in the hospital- Nine days left to go and Mike has been flying solo at home-- something we are definitely not used to doing.

But he is doing great. He has cleaned the house done laundry- taken care of all meals etc. He is a regular MR.MOM. In fact he got the house prepared for my mom to come so she could just concentrate on taking care of the kids.

He was so motivated he even organized the linen closet and went through the kids' closet.

GO MIKE > Maybe I should stay at hotel childrens for a little longer.

All kidding aside - Mike has been incredible and is doing great. He is insuring the kids are being taken care of as though I was still there. I am extremely impressed with his ability to multi task in light of my absence-- I only wish I could get it all on camera.

Nolan Gets Admitted to the Hospital

2009-01-12T08:14:00.000-08:00

Monday night Nolan got a small fever of 100.5—Of course since he is my fourth kids I thought it was no big deal. We went to bed and 4pm the next day he still had a fever. After calling four nurse lines and getting two different Dr. opinions (neither of them my primary Dr.) we followed the advice and took Nolan to Children’s Hospital ER. Of course I didn’t think we would be admitted to the hospital for the two weeks. Upon entering they gave him a full work up. Spinal tap – blood and urine tests and cultures- and RSV test and some other misc. work ups. And then admitted me for 24 to 48 hours until the results came back. After much consulting and chatting with several Dr. they decided to put him on antibiotics to treat him for Meningitus for fourteen days.

He doing exceptionally well though. It has been fun getting to know nurses and meet so many different Doctors. It has been an incredible humbling experience that make us appreciate all four of our healthy children.

The Johnsons Came to town

2009-01-12T07:49:00.000-08:00

Our Friends the Johnsons came into town from Connecticut for a few days. We were fortunate to be able to go to Chuckee cheese with our family of freinds for a few hours of fun. The kids had a great time.

We also were able to spend an evening of fun with them at our house and swimming at the Y. Unfortunately I took no pictures of them at our house.

Our Doctors Visit

2009-01-12T07:47:00.000-08:00

We visited the Dr. on Monday for Nolan’s two day check up. He was 7lbs 6 oz on and a little jaundice. Yippee that he gained weight. Our Dr. wanted us to come back for a weight and color check on Friday. Thank goodness because his eyes were crusted shut and needed to be wiped every hour to keep them open. Poor guy. Luckily I didn’t wipe them and they prescribed some eye drops for him.

NOW all that is minor the funny part was the actual Dr. apt.
So we were getting ready to get our stuff on to get to the Dr. Apt. And Carson comes up the stairs and tells me “Mom I forgot to tell you there is a lot of water in the laundry room.” I asked him if he opened the washing machine and he said No. Then I said well how much water- He said a lot me and Adison tried to go in there but we got our socks all wet.

I was still calm at this point. But I knew I had to check it out. So I walk into the laundry room only to find a floor full of water. Adison had thrown a ball into the wash tub and it overflowed from laundry onto the floor. I tried to clean up what I could with the ten towels and five minutes I had. However, I couldn’t get it all. A switch went off and I turned into psycho mom for five minutes. Yelling at the kids to get their shoes on and get into the car. Keep in mind I was still a bit emotional from having a baby (Mike would say a little more than a bit- or a walking tear drop). After we were in the car – my sensitive Carson says mom are you crying?? A question he asks often lately- even when I am not crying.

We get to the Dr.s office and the kids were good but a little restless since it was their first time out of the house in six days. When the Dr came in they start asking questions, hanging on me, sliding on and off the chairs, all the while the Dr. and I are discussing how hard it can be to appreciate every moment of chaos with little kids—knowing that someday we will miss these times and wish we could have them back. Two minutes before the apt. was over Nolan got hungry and started to cry and Adison started crying because she wanted to be held – My Dr. stands up and I am laughing because I didn’t want to cry and he says laughing- okay Kelly focus look at my eyes (still laughing) and gives me the instructions for Nolan’s eye drops and tells me how they will come in to draw blood for his Jaundice.

It had to be the funniest - crazy apt. I have ever had. I assured him my upcoming appointments would be without the kids.

Thank goodness my Dr. is patient and understanding-

Transitioning to four kids

2009-01-12T07:46:00.002-08:00

We are officially a family of eight – Four kids and two big old dogs—

My oh My—the transition did not go as we would have hoped. The day we got home from the hospital Garrett Carson and Adison were all sick and crabby—this made things a little challenging. Mike really had to step up his game. Not only was Nolan waking at night to feed but Adison was too- at least three times a night due to her fever and coughing. Mike was getting up with her and I was getting up with Nolan. Christmas time with a new born baby, two parents and a toddler without sleep is pretty much a recipe for disaster. Not to mention I am a very social person who just spent two days alone in a hospital and came home to be isolated for another week. It was a little insane. Thank goodness we got out a couple of times for Dr. Apts, Pharmacy visits and a hockey game.

Carson Starts Ice Skating

2009-01-12T07:46:00.001-08:00

Carson started skating lessons today. He is skating with a buddy of his Andy Baker and loving every minute. He is a little hesitant on the ice and is not willing to give up the device that helps him skate just yet. The best part is seeing him smile and get back up every time he falls. I watched him thinking he would cry or refuse to get back up but he could care less.

In fact he believes it is his version of Hockey – and insists that he needs to have a mouth guard just like his brothers.

We are not entirely sure if he will stick with the hockey thing but either way he will learn how to ice skate-

Coming Home from the Hospital to a world of insanity

2009-01-09T17:28:00.000-08:00

We came home from the hospital on Saturday the 27th. It was a great day -- well until we realized that all the kids were sick-- and it was unlikely they were going to get better over night. We were dealing with fevers of 103 and colds that included a bad cough and headaches-

The same colds I think just about every other family in MN was dealing with.

This made life a little insane.

Nolan was transitioning to life in our crazy family-- quiet just does not exist here like it does in the hospital

Garrett had the beginning of a cold but was hanging in there

Carson- Was in recovery but insisted that he try to out do Adison in her whinieness

Adison- was just starting to get sick and was extremely fussy- whinny, and well miserable- she insisted on being with her dad

Mike- was loving every minute of his new life- HA HA- or hoping that it was just a very bad dream LOL

The dogs got sick from eating the tin foil from one of the meals the Bakers brought us.

and I well was just plain tired, a litle emotional, and clearly not ready to jump head first into life in our house with a bunch of sick kids-

It is a good thing we don't always have choices in life. We all survived the day and as we went to bed that night realized that life will just never be the same again.

You may ask will there be a fifth child?? NOT LIKELY

The Three Stooges Meet Nolan

2009-01-09T16:50:00.001-08:00

Mike brought Garrett, Carson and Adison up to meet the boys today. And man oh man did they ever look cute. Adison and Carson looked like they had just climbed out of bed with bed head hair and Garrett had pen across his nose (he claimed that it was his cowboy mustache)-- I was thrilled to be able to take such cute pictures of the bunch. LOL

As they entered the room- Garrett said hi to the baby and plopped down in front of the T.V. Adison climbed right onto the bed and started smothering Nolan. And Carson just stared at the little guy and started asking questions-- While Adison was trying to give him kisses. We actually set up our own little movie theater- We moved the couch in front of the t.v and let the kids watch Walle-- it was so nice to see the kids-- It is amazing how much I missed the little tyrants.

The most memorable words of the afternoon

-Adison repeatedly telling me "give me my baby"

-Garrett saying he is so cute, I love you Nolan

-Carson looking at Nolan and saying "He has such little fingers mom-and a little nose- He is beautiful-- WHERE DID YOU GET HIM?? (we told him he came out of my belly) NO MOM WHERE DID YOU GET HIM (we told him that the Dr. came and helped take him out of my belly and now there is no baby in my belly) WELL MOM YOU LOOK LIKE YOU ARE HAVING ANOTHER BABY- YOU ARE STILL FAT -- Five minutes later-- Mom WHERE IS HE GOING TO LIVE WHERE IS HIS HOUSE-- (Oh sweetie he is coming home with us)

It is such a blast to see the three of them react to the little guy. They are already accepting him into the family in their own way. I am curios to see how he fits into the bunch.

Christmas Day -Bitter sweet- happy yet a little lonely.

2009-01-08T20:50:00.000-08:00

I was so excited to finally have Nolan here. I loved every minute I got to hold the little guy with no distractions. I was able to totally focus on him for the day. Listening to every breath and sigh he made- those little noises that I miss when it is crazy at our house.

I was a little sad that I did not get to spend anytime with the kids on Christmas-- But they were having fun with the family and Mike. Poor Carson was sick-- but of course nothing can keep him down he is a trooper. He trucked along keeping up with Garrett and Adison. He took breaks every once in a while and asked Uncle Kevin for stuff like water and blankets.

Mike went home that morning at 7:30 am to see the kids wake up and let them open one present. He napped and came back up before he went to Kevin and Carols for Christmas. My sister Kari and her husband Josh also came to visit. Other than that it was very quiet around here.

Good thing the nurses were all very friendly and came in to keep me company. HA HA. It was also very fun hearing the drama going on in the hallway. Felt kinda guilty I actually go caught in the middle of it. They were performing an emergency C-section and the nurses were arguing about something in the hall as I was going for a walk-- I got so distracted I forgot where my room was.

The kids enjoyed sledding at Carol and Kevins and were wiped when they got home. Luckily Josh took some pictures and made me a copy so I didn't miss everything that day.

The BEST Christmas Gift The Border Family Got this Year

2009-01-08T18:57:00.000-08:00

God decided that he wanted our family to have a baby that shared a birthday with Jesus. What a great Christmas Gift for our family. Mike thinks he will hate having a Christmas Birthday. But I assure the little guy that I will make it a point to make his birthday just as memorable as his brothers and sister.

He came into the world at 3:05am on Christmas Day. It was an incredible experience far faster than any of our other babies. We walked into the hospital at 2:45am and he was born 20 minutes later. It went so fast the nurse was actually encouraging me to allow her to deliver the baby. I was not comfortable with this at all. NOT SURE WHY-- nurses deliver babies all the time. But I just kept telling her that they were not ready for me to deliver. I insisted that the resident be called. It all happened so fast. Two minutes after they called the resident I started asking if he was on his way- "Is he walking here right now?" In between small talk about her working on Christmas and asking about her children the Resident showed up and we delivered the little guy five minutes later. It was absolutely crazy. The funniest part was that the nurse was a certified midwife and I totally refused to deliver the baby with just her present. I was actually hugging the bed as if she was going to force me to push the baby out. Mike thought it was funny he even took a couple of pictures of me hugging the bed.

It took us over twenty four hours to name Nolan. We actually polled anyone who wanted to participate to on five different names (peyton, preston, Cale, Nolan, and Gavin). Gavin actually won but we decided we really liked Nolan the best since Gavin and Garrett sounded a little similar.

Nolan was 7 lb 12oz at birth 21 inches long. He left the hospital weighing 7lb 1 oz. He was just a skinny little guy since he was so long.

We are thrilled to have a new addition to our family and looking forward to the insanity that it will bring.

Our last day as a family of five-

2009-01-08T17:02:00.000-08:00

Our morning started off with me going to the hospital to see if my labor had progressed at all- only to be sent home by a fun nurse who thought I was crazy to think my labor had begun in the first place.

When I got home I was so blessed by my husband who made me breakfast-- and kids who were thrilled to see me- I throughly love coming into the house and having the kids say "MOM!" and getting so excited that I am home.

After Breakfast we went to visit the "Real Santa." We have visited him every year since Garrett was born -- so of course I could not skip it this year- even if I was having contractions and went a whole night without sleep.

The kids were thrilled to go see him. It was beyond fun to see the three of them interacting with him. He was very funny and we got the entire thing on video. Adison was scared at first but warmed up at the end and actually gave him a hug.

The kids enjoyed the early Christmas present Santa gave them-- An entire shirt full of candy. Mike was a trooper and took pictures for me the whole time.

Afterwards, we went shopping at Target for our last Christmas gifts and home for naps. The rest of the evening was spent hanging out as a family. It was movie night at the Border house. We watched Santa Clause 3.

What a great way to spend our last day as a family of five.

Visiting Santa and Lego Land

2009-01-08T16:36:00.001-08:00

Today we ventured out to Mall of America to visit Santa and play at Lego Land. We got to see "Santa's Helper" since the "Real Santa" didn't have any available appointments. Of course we made one for Christmas Eve but the kids spent a good hour making cars at Lego Land. Carson and Adison had the most fun climbing onto the race track for the cars. Garrett spent his entire time concentrating on making the most interesting car ever.

Adison Continues to work on her Diva status-

2009-01-08T16:14:00.000-08:00

Adison is not typically a girly girl-

She can hold her own with her brothers -

She loves to play with all the boys' toys-

She dresses up in boy shoes- with underwear or boy hats on her head

HOWEVER -- She is taking on a new look- since recieving some girly toys from her Grandmas

She recieved a purse with matching sunglasses and cell phone from her Grammy and another cell phone from Nanna- and finds joy in walking around the house playing with all of it. It is beyond hilarious. She has full conversations with people on her phone and pretends to be calling her Nanna and Grammy.

Christmas with the Sicards

2009-01-08T15:53:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Christmas with the Sicards on the 20th of Dec. This is my Dad's side of the family. We loved every minute. My cousin Annie from Oregon was there along with most of the family. Of course there were a few key people gone and they were missed dearly. But it was a good time.

The day started out a little rocky when Carson threw a fit saying he was not going to Uncle Bill's house because he was afraid he would hit him. It only got better when we got there and we had to practically pry him out of the car. We told him no Uncle Bill would come get him if he didn't get out.

-Garrett would say the best part was getting the fish we brought for the gift game back-

-Carson's favorite part was chasing Uncle Bill and Ryan around the living room-

Well until Uncle Bill went after him with a pair of scissors and pretended to cut his curls off-

-Adison had fun eating candy non stop the entire time we were there- oh how others love to give it to her

-Mike had fun getting razzed by others about his contribution around the house -- and --

-I just had fun seeing all the relatives together in one place-- I truly enjoy having a large family

Garrett's Birthday Party

2009-01-08T14:07:00.000-08:00

Garrett had his 6th Birthday Party at the YMCA—

My family members thought I was crazy because I let him invite twenty one kids—

Nothing New-LOL we are the crazy ones

Twenty showed up - Of course it was organized chaos—that ‘s what the Borders do best.

It was a blast. He had friends from school- church-and preschool-

Here are some of the highlights

All but two of the kids he invited showed up and no one cried for more than a minute - LOL
The Kids seemed to have fun and were not too out of control- bonus for me
Garrett loved it- and so did Adison and Carson
Mike had to use his big muscles to hold the pinata up as the kids tried to hit it with a real baseball bat- Luckily he didn’t get hit.

Girls asking why Garrett is not paying attention to them-

Kids starting up a science club

Watching All of the kids gang up on Mike and throw balls at him

Learning the newest version of happy birthday

Getting sticky guys stuck on the ceiling and watching Mike cut them in half trying to get them down-- oh the simple things that make me laugh

My friend Cori helping kill time at the end playing doggie doggie where's my bone

Watching Garrett play with his friends realizing he is such a big kid now

Daisy Loved Carson's Gingerbread house

2009-01-05T13:42:00.000-08:00

Oh what Cute Dogs we have-- So beautiful - So big- So hairy- So fun--

If you ask Carson he totally Disagrees-- and is not afraid to tell people about it

On the morning of Dec. 19th I was in the shower and Carson comes in and asks where his gingerbread house was. He says "Mom it is GONE!". I laughed and told him to go look again. He says, "I did Mom it is GONE!- I looked everywhere. I can't find it." I said, "Carson it's okay go look on the floor maybe it fell."

He came back one minute later crying- -"Mom they ate it- the whole thing the only thing left is part of the cardboard it was on." I felt so bad for the little guy. He did handle it well though and I thought he was over it in about ten minutes, until we went to the Dr. office later that morning. Our Dr. asked Carson how he was doing. Carson responded by saying well good but I am really mad at our dogs. Our Dr. being the nice guy he is asked him why. Carson told him the whole story-- it was hilarious hearing him retell it so dramatically. He was mad at them for a few days and Daisy was sick for a few days as well.

Of course she did not learn her lesson because a few days later her and Duke chomped into Garretts house too.

Carson's Christmas Gift to us

2009-01-05T13:22:00.000-08:00

Carson made us a very cute picture frame at school-
He wrapped it up all by himself and could not wait to give it to us.
We told him we could wait till Christmas to open it
However, he insisted we open it the day he brought it home.
How proud he was of his frame.
He told Garrett that he should bring it to Show and Share at school
He even put it in his bag for him.

Oh how I love you Carson--

Christmas and Crushes in Garretts Class

2009-01-05T13:07:00.000-08:00

Garrett celebrated Christmas at School - Dec. 18th and 22nd
He participated in a class play and made gingerbread houses with fifth graders
The play was very funny- He was actually Santa Clause and Skylar was Mrs. Clause.
Mike had a blast teasing him about Mrs. Clause
since she has been sending him love notes at school and leaving them in his cubby.
He actually came home from school the other day and darted for the garbage can to get rid of the evidence before Mike saw it.
Of course this is definitely scrapbook material and I fished it out.
The note said to Garrett I love you. Skylar. Complete with hearts and all.
If you know Mike you would laugh knowing how he responded.
He began singing Garrett and Skylar sitting in a tree. Garrett turned red and attacked him- all in fun of course.
And when she was Mrs. Clause he asked Garrett how he managed to get his girlfriend as Mrs. Clause.
I cannot believe how early the crushes actually begin.
We have been laughing a log about Girls in the Border house because this is not the first crush Garrett has had.
In fact one of the Mom's told me that her daughter told Garrett she loved him. and he ignored her-
another girls is practically stalking me to set up a sleep over with him. LOL every time I see her she asks. It is quite hilarious.
I think Garrett loves every minute of the attention-
I am sure many of the boys in his class or getting the same notes and invitations to sleep overs.

But I still find it funny.-- Thank goodness he didn't ask me to buy gifts for any of his "Girlfriends"

Oh the fun the boys are having with Garretts camera

2009-01-05T12:41:00.000-08:00

Garrett got a new camera for his birthday and Carson and him are having a lot of fun taking pictures with the camera.
This particular picture was taken when Carson and Garrett were trying to see how high they could jump on our bed.

Finally Back on the internet

2009-01-05T12:32:00.000-08:00

Yes- I have taken yet another break from blogging. We were not able to access our internet for a while because our server was not working- then we had Nolan and life kinda went crazy. So I am going to get it all updated today> LOL

Thank you Cori for posting a picture of Nolan

2009-01-05T12:31:00.000-08:00

Introducing Nolan (AKA John Doe)

2008-12-26T21:20:00.000-08:00

Another Great Man Walking the streets of Heaven

2008-12-18T11:46:00.000-08:00

Our Grandpa Boatman joined the many family members partying in Heaven this morning.

I can only imagine how much he is loving looking into the eyes of our maker and seeing all the familiar faces who has joined. I am sure he has been waiting for this day for awhile now.

Although we will miss him-- there is no doubt that he is far happier where in Heaven enjoying the majesty and beauty of the miraculous place that we can only dream of.

Grandpa was a very cool guy--who you would have all loved to know. People who met him instantaneously felt like they knew him for years. He lived a long and happy life. He accomplished many things and touched the lives of everyone who met him. There is no doubt that he fulfilled Gods purposes for him while he walked this earth.

YOU KNOW YOU ARE HAVING A BABY SOON WHEN

2008-12-15T19:32:00.000-08:00

-None of your maternity shirts fit-
-You are wearing your husbands jacket outside because yours does not zip up anymore
-Your husband gets a chuckle most days telling you how large you have become (ALL IN FUN NO OFFENSE TAKEN BY ME)
-Climbing into the lofted bed is not as easy as it used to be
-Carrying laundry up the stairs causes contractions
-You have started calling yourself a hippo
-Your Friend who was due two weeks after you has her baby-- OWEN WYNIA -- so cute too
-Every where you go people say oh when are you due-- I thought it might be soon.
-A stranger says to you out of the blue " OH YOU MUST BE DUE TONIGHT" no lie
-Parents at preschool comment on how you have really popped in the past two weeks
-You start to think oh well what is another bowl of ice cream at 11pm- there is no going back now
-You realize that there is not enough time left to get everything done that needs to be because the baby will be here in no more than 15 days- AHHH
-You start to cherish every last minute with just three-- knowing that the life your kids know will never be the same again-when there is four your time will be divided even more-

Wenzels travels

2008-12-15T19:08:00.000-08:00

Wenzel is doing well-- He is reporting back to Santa every night-- some days this works to my advantage- the kids are tell each other to behave because Wenzel is watching-- And a lot of nights I do not even see him leave. Luckily for me Mike does.

Last night was the most interesting night though. The boys had been in bed for an hour and I was actually awake enough to see Wenzel off to the North Pole. Little did I know that Garrett was still awake too. As I was saying goodbye to Wenzel (and placing him in his newest spot) up walks Garrett-- MOM What are you doing.

Now I do not lie to my children so it was hard for me to come up with a good one. So I say, "well I was showing Wenzel your money and telling him to report to Santa that you do not need as many presents this year because you have saved up so much money you can buy your own." (OH GOOD ONE KELLY -- it was the best I could come up with) Then I proceed to tell the little guy that I needed to show Wenzel the dust on our entertainment center so Santa could send a letter back with Wenzel telling him and Carson to help me out and dust the house for me. Garrett says Mom you can dust yourself. I explained that I could use the help and I figured if Santa told them to do it then he probably would without complaining. Luckily for me he believed the entire story.

He walked out to the living room and told Wenzel that the money was to buy stuff for other people and he didn't really want to dust so he didn't have to tell Santa that.

OHHHH the pickles I get myself in.

Mike was laughing the entire time in the hallway listening to me try to handle the situation.

Garrett took the picture - If you zoom in you might even be able to see some dust on his legs-- HA HA -

Adison moves to a toddler bed

2008-12-15T11:33:00.001-08:00

Adison moved to a toddler bed this past week---
I am now realizing that this was a big mistake --

The first night went great. The second night she fell out of bed one time.
The third time she fell out of bed four times and got up at 4:30 for the day-- AHHH
and last night she fell out one time and came crawling into our bed at 3:30am with her blankies.

Of course this is not ideal since we have very little room in our bed already considering that I am now a hippo. LOL

So she is officially going back into a crib today--
Poor thing- hate to break her heart this way--
but I think it is totally worth it- because I will start to go insane if I don't get sleep at night--especially since the baby will be here any day now.

Oh Carson never makes us stop laughing

2008-12-12T22:26:00.000-08:00

Carson-- am so thankful of Carson!! He is always keeping us on our feet-- sometimes I pray for patience with him but I am forever thankful that I have a child filled with such character. I know that at times we crush his spirit. Hopefully he will forgive us some day for the need to put him back on track at times. Afterall sometimes we all need correction.

He reminds us of this daily when we slip up and say something that may be a little inappropriate. For instance- -this evening he yelled at Mike for saying the word stupid-- "Dad we don't say the word stupid in this family!!" He never misses any opportunity to correct our speech.

He also has a way of making us all laugh-- especially at dinner time. Last night he was so mad at Me because I made lasagnel, He refused to eat and said, "Mom you are such a butterscotch I am not eating this." And he said it as though he was really saying something awful.

Two minutes later he was in a better mood and started telling us he could spell YMCA. He said give me a C, give me a Y,- What's that spell YMCA.

It was beyond hilarious-- well atleast we thought so!!

You might might not recognize him but yes it is Mike under those glasses

2008-12-12T22:20:00.000-08:00

For the first time in the thirteen years I have know Mike he is wearing glasses. He wore them for the past three days. Of course not by choice. He was officially diagnosed with pink eye on Wed. Poor guy-I don't think I have seen an eye so red or itchy. To top if off he had just missed a day of work because he was so sick the day before. Precisely why he got pink eye. He laid in bed miserable for almost a day and a half with his contacts in. I would not wish his migraines and cold on anyone. Luckily he is starting to get a little better. Although, this evening he started to lose his voice-- he came into the living room saying very quietly- I hope you don't go into labor tonight because I won't be able to say much of anything. It was very funny.

Wenzel our ELF

2008-12-08T22:24:00.000-08:00

We have a visitor in our house.
Our very own elf. He arrived on Dec.4th straight from the North Pole--

The kids named him Wenzel.
This elf is very magical-- every night he travels to the North Pole to report to Santa how the kids are and what wishes they might have for Christmas. He comes back each morning and hides in a new spot.

Now he is strictly prohibited from talking to the kids- but he can bring messages back to Santa for them.

This of course works out nice for me because Wenzel is always watching- and reports every fine detail of our day to Santa.

Only once has he stayed in the same spot-- and this was because the boys forgot to write out their wish lists on the paper he brought back from Santa.

We just love our elf-- elves can be specially ordered through Santa online too for anyone interested in joining in on the fun.

Garrett lost his first tooth

2008-12-08T22:17:00.001-08:00

Garrett lost his first tooth last Sunday. It has been wiggly for awhile- but he took the risk and tried to pull it out. Fortunately for me he was successful on the first try.

Oh how I love kids with no teeth-- they always look so silly.

Now this story would not be complete if I left out the part where the tooth fairy forgot to come to our house. YES totally spaced stopping at the Borders to pick up Garretts tooth.

Turns out (according to the note Garrett found) that there was an extreme breakout of periodontal disease in Asia and the toothfairy was working overtime the past few weeks over there. He left an extra special gift since he was unable to make it--

Yes a DS game and five dollars-a bit extreme I know but he felt a first tooth was worth it. That tooth fairy is such a nice guy--

It brought me to tears when I read the note.

These are the best kind of suprises in life-- !! Really it was a total suprise to me.

Garrett Turned SIX

2008-12-08T22:06:00.000-08:00

WOW -- We can hardly believe that we are parents of a SIX year old. It is crazy to think about how fast the time has flown by. If only I could keep all of the memories I have of Garrett's childhood in my brain forever. These memories are so vivid right now. His first months of life, his first steps, his first day of school, days at the beach, bedtime stories etc etc.. It is just so sureal that he is SIX AHHH

He almost cried when I told him the night before that it was his last night of being five. He said I don't want to be six. I love that he enjoys life enough to be content with his current age.

Of course he longs to be older sometimes. He is definitely becoming a big kid. He talks and acts like a nine or ten year old sometimes. He is crazy about video games and well would much rather hang with his freinds than Mike or I. ALL PART OF KIDS GROWING UP -

I just hope he continues to enjoy his childhood and doesn't grow up too fast

Decorating the tree-- A family event

2008-12-08T22:04:00.000-08:00

Click on the pictures to get a larger view

Picking out a christmas tree

2008-12-08T21:59:00.000-08:00

We bought our Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving. This is always an evening of fun. Usually Mike is very picky about the tree but this year the kids were able to pick what ever one they wanted. Carson's tree won. It was the first tree we looked at and he was adamant that we buy it. Adison just wanted to go back to the car. And Garrett well he was really hoping Carson was going to lose.

Luckily this year we remembered the tree was on the top of the car before pulling into the garage-- LOL It was a lot of fun watching the kids help Mike unload the tree and put it up. What a trooper Mike was.

Calling all single ladies between 18-21years old

2008-12-08T21:50:00.000-08:00

I AM SEEKING A COMPANION FOR A SINGLE WHITE MALE WHO LOVES VELCRO

MUST
BE INTELLIGENT
SWEET
FUNNY
COMPASSIONATE
HAVE GOOD MORALS
LIKE THE OUTDOORS
LOVE FAMILY
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY--MUST LOVE VELCRO-- YES THIS IS A REQUIREMENT--

This is a joke of course but I just had to post this picture of my 19 year old cousin who wears, and loves, the same velcro shoes as my 85?? year old Grandpa-- they are just a different color. He really is a great catch though and is single so if anyone has a girl you think would be interested feel free to leave a comment.

The weekend of Thanksgiving

2008-12-08T21:26:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving still remains my favorite holiday.

I love it because it is a simple holiday --

No gifts --no costumes- nothing to hunt for--

A day used to reflect on what we are thankful for-And of course we all have so much to be thankful for. Thought I would spare you a list today.

Highlights of the holiday--

Lounging around our house all day watching the Macy's day parade

Dinner and a family gathering at my Aunt Mary's

AN extreme amount of mash potatoes

Three crazy kids and Mike making a ruckus at my Aunts house- HA HA--

The kids locking each other in the dog kennel

Alex's shoes-- see next entry

Watching the kids interact with Grandpa Sicard

Grandpa Sicard surfing the net with Alex

As usual we ventured out for a little holiday shopping the day after thanksgiving and came up empty handed. Well with the exception of Mike's incredible buy of a girly mans drill and two dog beds.

On Saturday we decorated gingerbread houses- it is a family tradition

What a fun day it was-

Mike went through the adds for the sixteenth time to make sure we didn't miss a good buy-

The kids ate a ton of Candy

Garrett got sick from the candy-- luckily at someone elses house- thanks Carol for taking care of him

Carson made his first gingerbread house all by himself-

Adison ate more candy than anyone

Mandy and Taylor made a gingerbread church-- OH GAG ME LOL it was very cute though

Mandy's cousins joined us for the first year-- They took the competition very seriously-

Garrett and Grace judged the houses and disqualified everyone but themselves

Putting up lights with Dad

2008-12-08T14:59:00.000-08:00

Garrett and Carson waited all day to help Mike put up Christmas lights two weeks ago. When they finally got to help they were thrilled. It was an eventful day. Mike nearly fell off the roof it was so slippery in one area, Carson and Adison cllimbed up and down the ladder all day- with mom chasing them down, and neighbors chuckled at Mike since he swore he was not putting lights up this year. GOOD TIMES

My oh my do they ever look alike

2008-12-08T14:53:00.000-08:00

Never had a constant nose picker till now--

2008-12-08T14:52:00.000-08:00

JUST HAD TO BE THE GIRL DIDN'T IT -- The boys actually call her the champion nose picker
I am sure Mike is not thrilled about this post

Swimming at the YMCA

2008-11-13T13:19:00.000-08:00

Swimming at the YMCA has become the event of the week at our house. Even Mike is going gang busters-- We have gone three time a week the last two weeks- This week we will be there four times. Crazy huh-- Mike even has a new pair of shoes he is using on the treadmill. If only I could get him to hip hop.

Our snow friends

2008-11-12T12:35:00.001-08:00

We got out today and made some snow friends- What a great time of year-- I just love snow

Getting ready for the littlest Border

2008-11-12T12:15:00.000-08:00

We officially started renovating the babies room. The baby will take over the boy's old room and the boys are downstairs now --This transition has been fun and a bit challenging at the same time. There are still days when we wonder if the boys should be in the basement all alone.

For example- One very fun night Carson got wedged between the lofted bed and the wall we came down to find him hanging on for dear life with his chin and arm on the side rails- feet dangling underneath. Garrett calmly saying I am not sure what happened I fit through but he didn't.

As for the babies room- The boys insisted on helping paint- They loved using the roller. Mike on the other hand hates to paint and would rather light his hair on fire-- so this has been a little bit of a challenge for him. Since we had to prime the walls repaint the ceiling and then paint the walls again. I just sit back and laugh ( I am helping of course) meanwhile I am getting very excited for the room to be done.

It was a little hard to take down the vintage border you see above--After all Garrett even personalized it in several spots with names. He made us save a piece for his scrapbook--

Nursery Rhymes- Tongue Twisters and other fun songs

2008-11-12T12:07:00.000-08:00

I am sure you all love nursery rhymes tongue twisters and fun songs.

The Border kids do too

Only since Garrett has entered Kindergarten and his friends 1st and second grade these things have taken on a life of their own

I am not particularily fond of some of the ones I am hearing now-

Although they do typically give me a good laugh

Mike's favorite- Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater- had wife and loved to beat her-- (now he thought this was how it was really supposed to go- LOL)

Peter piper picked a pecker -- They love this one and have no idea what a pecker is -at least that is not what we tend to call it

Batman in the kitchen Robyn in the hall joker in the bathroom peeing (or pooping if your Carson) on the wall

Of course these are typical songs that boys tend to sing- but Adison loves tunes and tries to join in and I can just see Carson saying peter peter pumpkin eater at church and telling everyone that Mike taught it to him.

We decided it might be fun to sleep on the stairs

2008-11-12T12:05:00.000-08:00

What a Diva

2008-11-12T11:59:00.000-08:00

Christmas is just around the corner

2008-11-10T08:56:00.001-08:00

For all you people counting down-
Christmas is only seven weeks away now-
That is three pay checks-
Of course I am excited because this means the baby will be arriving in only eight weeks at the most. So many things to look forward to-Holding a new baby- My favorite Holiday- Thanksgiving- all the kids' birthdays- Snow on the ground- sking and sledding with the kids- having no belly any more- seeing family members we never get to see-wathching the kids enjoy all the Christmas lights (including ours when Mike puts them up)- Mike having time off work- etc. etc....

The kids and I talked about Gifts and Christmas while doing a devotional the other night. They are very excited. We were talking about Gifts from God and all the great things we have been blessed with. I asked them if they could have any gift they wanted for Christmas what they would want-- expecting to hear some very large expensive toy or Carson say a submarine or helicopter (which he asks for often) They both said the best present would be a trip to see their Grandparents. --- oh how our children surprise us- these are the best moments in life.

Hockey season has begun

2008-11-08T21:21:00.000-08:00

Hockey season has officially started. --

Garrett had his first practice last Saturday- He is actually skating really well and having fun at the same time. The day was also filled with memorable conversation. Garrett was skating considerable slower than usual. So Mike asked him why he isn't skating as fast as he usually does Garrett said "Dad, coming in first is like bragging and showing off " (he still skates in first but gives the second guy a chance to catch up)

During practice Garrett played a game of tag and was caught by the girl coach. On the way home Mike said Garrett you got caught by a girl-- you cannot let your self get caught by a girl-- Garrett thought about it for awhile and said "SOO Dad the only difference between a girl and a boy is they have boobs and a vagina"--

I wished I had a video camera on Halloween Night

2008-11-08T20:58:00.000-08:00

Oh Halloween was beyond fun. Mike would agree it was one of the most memorable moments for us with Adison and the boys. The boys were Astronauts and Adison was a space chicken (courtesy of Sarah Barnett)

The night began early - 4:30
Garrett's costume ripped before we even started- he thought I could sew it up quick- Mike said your Mom sew?- He decided it would be okay to be an Astronaut instead- cute since it matched Carson

We went to Pumpkin patch at Calvary Church- lots of fun activities- we actually beat the crowd and got through everything in an hour and a half- amazing and the kids loved every minute of it.

Adison quickly figured out that she was getting candy to fill her bag. And if she stood there long enough she would get more. The boys were very helpful with her too.

We came home around 7:15 to make the rounds around the neighborhood. Adison very quickly figured out that if she sucked on candy wrappers long enough they would open. The boys were content with one peice. Thanks goodness they did not need any more energy.

The were all very excited to be walking around the neighborhood. At the third house ( a close neighbor - thank goodness) Carson sang the trick or treat smell my feet song in it's entirety at the top of his lungs as he got to the door. YES they heard the whole thing- Garrett thought this got a good reaction and sang it at the fourth house. Not so fun for him or Carson when he chimed in (oh we were rolling) Adison of course was keeping up singing some version of the song-

At every door the boys would say don't forget the chicken as she knelt down on every step to get to the door. Many people actually let her take hand fulls of candy. She would say tank you at every house- and leave dragging her pink bag behind her running to catch up to the boys. The boys saying come on little chicken- don't forget the chicken. Many times they all held hands and walked together. Or Mike carried Adison --The highlight of the boys' evening was not even trick or treating- it was waiting for "costumers" at our door when we got home. They had so much fun handing out candy to the late kids. They waited at the window and kept saying do you think we will have another "costumer."

It truly was a great night.

Without a doubt an evening I hope to remember for the rest of my life.

Decorating Pumpkins

2008-11-08T20:50:00.000-08:00

Decorating pumpkins is always a treat in our house. This year was quite an experience-

The boys really wanted to use the knives to carve

Adison just wanted to carry her marker decorated pumpkin around the house

Carson hated the feeling of the pumpkin guts

Garrett was set on baking all the seeds and drying some out to plant for next year

I was out of newspaper and trying hard to keep the mess on the table and off the walls

Garrett has a little crush on Alyssa- SHH it is a secret

2008-11-08T20:45:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture from Garrett's Halloween Party at school-Garrett is

pictured here with his friend Alyssa. They are too cute together. They frequently sit by each other on the bus and during class-. They have even started planning a sleep over - of course I was the last to know. Just yesterday Alyssa asked me to call her mom to talk about the details.

Carson's Halloween Parade

2008-11-08T20:40:00.001-08:00

It was so much fun to watch Carson parade around at school in his Halloween Costume. He sang three songs and he knew all the words. He actually sang pretty loud. It was beyond adorable. I wish I had a clip to share. He is standing next to his favorite best "girl friend" Jessica.

Adison loves her chapstick-

2008-11-08T20:35:00.001-08:00

I love chap stick-- My mom hides it and my brothers find it and give it to me. I can put it on so fast, my mom doesn't even see me. When she does- I get really mad because she takes it away and washes my face for a minute. It is no fun at all-UNTIL I find another stick!!!

ADISON

Decided to start a new medical blog-

2008-11-08T20:23:00.001-08:00

Okay not really going to start a new blog. But the idea had crossed my mind to start some type of medical blog where I could post the problems of family members their prayer requests and updates. Thought it might be better to just have a seperate link so those who care can just click on the link. Now -- am I that smart?? NO-- I do not know how to do this. So instead I will just list the people we are currently praying for-- Not in any order --and a brief incomplete explanation of why. Hope I do not leave anyone out- AHHHH

Donna Taylor-Gam- Cancerous tumor removed and is now cancer free- but it could return
Ted Taylor-Pa- Several issues relating to his hips back and arthritus
Willie Boatman- Grandpa Boatman- Getting older has lung cancer and is living out the remainder of his months
Johnny Patterson-Grandpa Patterson- Heart and lung problems
Judy Fox- Grandma Fox- Heart problems
Mark Cunningham-Pappy- Has myasthenia gravis - Not curable
Warren Sicard- Grandpa Sicard- Just getting older and lots of problems come with old age
Randy Matthews- Grandpa Matthews- Still having issues related to being ill two months ago
Drew Postosky Witte (Website for caring bridge www.caringbridge.org-- visit Drew Potoskywitte)- Hit by a car

Our little artist

2008-10-29T20:35:00.000-07:00

Adison loves to draw and color-- Especially with Markers-
It will entertain her for atleast a half hour.
I am amazed
Mike on the other hand hates that she loves markers
She can never keep them off her skin or clothes
Percisely why she is in a diaper in this picture

Carson had his first solo sleep over

2008-10-29T20:30:00.000-07:00

Carson was invited over to his friend Andy's house. His brother was at the party- I didn't think he would want to go- so I only mentioned it to him once the day before. When they got to our house Carson put his shoes on and told them I am riding in your car. He wasn't even going to say goodbye. So cute- I didn't tell him it was a sleep over- However when he arrived at their house he very comfortably said- can I borrow some pajama pants because I am sleeping over. He had a blast having one on one time with Andy and didn't even care he was missing out on the party.

How did our sunshine do for the night

2008-10-29T20:27:00.001-07:00

Adison - was a little awe stricken by the craziness of all the boys

2008-10-29T20:26:00.001-07:00

The boys got quite a kick out of Mike
He really was a trooper
Roasting marshmallows on his finger
Being a scary monster squirting silly string at everyone
And entertaining them on the tramp
FUN TIMES FUN TIMES

Garrett's Halloween Party

2008-10-29T20:23:00.000-07:00

Garrett had a halloween party this weekend- he invited six friends over to stay the night
After I adapted to the craziness of seven boys under the age of 8 - things went great
I think they had a blast
We ran around our neighborhood BOOing people
Played some games
Jumped on the tramp
Had a lesson on when not to burp
Learned a few new songs (I am sure all their parents love)
and watched a movie
Garrett was thrilled to spend the entire evening with his pals
The only downfall for him was I didn't let him invite more people

2008-10-29T20:18:00.001-07:00

Scare crow day at Garretts School

2008-10-29T20:18:00.000-07:00

Last Friday I had the opportunity to volunteer in Garrett's class for scare crow day. It was a fun to see the shy guy in action. He did have a few girls ask him to sit by them. But other than that he was pretty quiet the whole morning. It was fun to meet the kids and put some faces to names.

More info on Drew.

2008-10-29T19:56:00.000-07:00

Sorry I did not add any stats about Drew. He lives at the end of our block and is 16 years old. He is the oldest of two children. His sister is eight years old. He has a Caring Bridge site but I do not have the exact address. I will post it at the end of this post when I get it.

The whole situation is so tragic. It really puts life into perspective. Another example of how our fate really does not lie in our hands and that we need to be appreciative of all we have- FAMILY FRIENDS and NEIGHBORS --

We can raise our children to be incredible human beings who make good decisions most of the time, but ultimately we have no control over their fate or destiny. Every breath we take and every moment we have here on earth really is a gift. Situations like this remind me to enjoy the little things in life more. Even in the midst of chaos-- As I tucked my kids into bed tonight I took a second look at their cute little faces and thanked God for the day-- all the crazy moments included.

Praying for Drew

2008-10-29T13:08:00.000-07:00

Our Neighbor Drew was tragically hit by a car on Monday evening - He is currently in the hospital in ICU- He is in a induced coma and they are not sure if he will pull out of this. He has severe head injuries and they are not sure how much brain functioning he has at this point if any. The family is still in shock and the Dr. say they will have no information for atleast a few days- and recovery if possible could take up to a year-- they really do not know how extensive it is.

Please pray for the entire family and Drew's full recovery.

In addition if anyone is willing to make a meal for the family that would be great. Drews Mom,Val is a vegitarian so please take this into consideration. (I have no idea what types of food they eat).

Carson got into a thicket bush

2008-10-22T17:18:00.000-07:00

Leave it to carson to play in the middle of a thicket bush.
It took a good five minutes atleast for me and Arlin Brown to get all of the stickers out of his hair.

MR. WISE GUY

2008-10-22T13:14:00.000-07:00

Oh what a good looking boy- --but this handsome fella has become quite the wise guy. Dinner time is always when this personality trait shows the most. Last night we were chatting about how Carson took such a great nap. Garrett thought this deserved a round of applause. Then Mike tells a joke he learned from Carson and I asked him -oh where did you hear that one- Garrett says he heard it from a white man. He really is a mini Mike looks and all. It is truly amazing how the kids spend so much more time with me but talk and act so much like their father. Thankfully their father has so many great character traits.

Great times with our Cousin

2008-10-22T13:00:00.000-07:00

Spending time with Cousins just doesn't happen as often as it should in our household anymore.
But last weekend our cousin Grace spent the evening with us and the kids had a blast.
It is so fun to see them play together-
The day was filled with human sling shots - forts- bike riding- pumpkin picking- digging for worms- dress up-
and of course a late night movie
Lucky me they even slept in till eight thirty the next morning. It just doesn't get better than that.

The Shrine Circus

2008-10-22T12:54:00.000-07:00

We visited the "famous" Shrine circus last weekend. It was very fun to see the kids react to the show. Garrett was mesmerized and a little tired by the end. Adison did not care about much of anything except her Cotton Candy, and Carson was on the edge of his seat the entire show both loving the acts and hoping that he would get one of the fifty souvenirs that came up and down the isle. All three kids devoured the cotton candy Aunt Carol bought them. It was a great time.

2008-10-22T12:36:00.000-07:00

Riding on an elephant is sure to be a once in a lifetime experience for the Border boys-
This elephant is worth ninety dollars- That's right they get ten dollars a kid for a three minute ride--

Ask the kids and they will say it was worth it

NO COMMENT on how we felt about it.

2008-10-22T12:32:00.000-07:00

Adison and the boys running Drew over with a tractor at the apple orchard--
Oh the looks we got when we told them to pose for this picture.

Carson loves the great outdoors

2008-10-22T12:30:00.000-07:00

Yes yet another story about my children's bathroom habits.
We spent a great day at the apple orchard last week with the Barnetts--
Our trip would not have been complete without Carson peeing in the corn maze.
Of course I did not know he was peeing. When I rounded the corner I found Carson in this position.
We had a little chat about peeing outside at the orchard where there is a lot of people.

I am sure he heard none of it-

About an hour later he ran across the corn field and peed directly in front of the port-a-potty,
pants completely down, butt showing- families walking by him- with a big grin on his face.
I responded like any "good mom" would from across a pumpkin patch
I laughed until I almost peed and then had a brief chat with the adorable little man.

Mike has a new love !!!

2008-10-15T21:25:00.001-07:00

Yes Mike has a new love and addiction-- it is pumpkin bars. He grew found of these after the neighbor brought them to a few potluck events. I made a pan for him this past week and he has not stopped eating them since Monday. He eats them periodically throughout the morning afternoon and night. In fact, he has polished off almost an entire pan all by himself in the past three days. (I am not making fun of him-I fully admit I can do the same thing with a pan of brownies) just keeping everyone informed- HAHA

Growing Old can be no fun- - not sure I ever want to.

2008-10-15T20:58:00.001-07:00

As another week passes by and the Grandparents in our lives get another week older I am reminded that getting older is really no fun-- A while back I blogged about Randy Mikes dad being sick and asked for prayer for him- but there are so many others in our families that are also having medical issues. I won't list them because it is a long list -- however- It reminds me of a day when we were at my Aunt Mary's house and my Grandpa Sicard was struggling to get into a van he said it sure is Hell getting old--

Isn't it the truth though.

I am young enough-- healthy -- no real issues in life-- but most of the grandparents in our family live day to day with some type of health problem -- Many of them life threatening-- I cannot imagine waking everyday in pain or wondering if the next day will come-- Of course some people handle these things better than others-- never complaining never wondering why them-- what sets these people apart-- FAITH ?? Not sure-- I hope so-- Cause if it is maybe as I age I won't grow crabby or cynical--

I hope to be able to enjoy the little things in life that keep people going--- Visits from Grand kids even if they are only once ever six months-- getting to see your great great grandchildren--getting together for holidays with all of your kids--listening to the laughter of the young and crying with all of my old Friends--laughing at yourself and our inability to keep up with the craziness irrationality of the young etc.

Or maybe I will be a crabby old lady who hates everything and everyone- LOL

For Now I am just asking for prayers for all of the grandparents who are currently in our lives-- those who are nearing the end and those who are healthy and lively-- Many of whom do not believe in God-- some who do believe in Him but have no relationship with Jesus-- Pray that they will fall in love with Him-- and that all of them will live the rest of their days and years out in peace -- even if they are sick (that their illnesses and ailments would not overshadow their ability to enjoy life and all that great things it brings)-- that someday they too will get to enjoy the simple life in Heaven- Partying with all those that have past including my Dad--

Picture deleted

2008-10-15T20:33:00.000-07:00

I had to delete the picture from the last post-- Someone flagged my blog -- I guess it is not appropriate to take a picture and post it of a toddler on the toilet-

Keeping us on our toes

2008-10-15T20:31:00.000-07:00

Before I start writing about our little sunshine-- I will apologize to Mike-who is going to freak out when he sees this picture- I just could not resist--

Last week I was getting Adison ready for the day and got side tracked for a moment by -- Facebook-- I got her undressed into her onsie and let here run around for awhile - typically this is not a big deal-- well two minutes later I come out of the laundry room to find her diaper on the floor- Immediately I run around the house looking for pee spots and Adison- Instead this is how I find her. She was wiping herself and everything-- Not sure whether to start training her or to just laugh and forget that it even happened.

I have to say she never ceases to amaze us. As her vocabulary grows by the day and she is becoming quite the little toddler-- we are completely astonished by her(like all parents are of their own children) .
She is a sweet- spunky little girl with an attitude. Mike asked her why she was throwing food on the floor and she said cause. It is definitely her new favorite word. She also likes to tell the dogs to get down and say don't and mine to her brothers any chance she gets. I love that she enjoys pushing her babies down the driveway on the skateboard and likes to mow the lawn with dad-.

Despite her spunk and stubbornness- she is probably the most compassionate out of our three kids so far. Running to her brothers sides every time they are hurt and making sure we are aware of when they are crying. She hugs her Friend Alex every time they say good bye, snuggles with Mike everyday after work, and still loves to get rocked at bed time. Love the differences between her and the boys.

Carson the super hero

2008-10-09T18:47:00.000-07:00

Carson has decided that playing Super Hero on the play ground at school is the best thing ever. The teacher informed me today that this is their newest version of tag. Only today a group of boys were using their fists while playing.

Oh how I love Carson - but of course after she told me this I starting thinking oh great he is taking kids out at school- What to do- I did not speak at first (wow I know) then said well I hope he listened when you asked him to stop. She said oh of course we just told all the boys superman does not use fists and we don't fight at school. Carson pipes in at this point and tells her yes superman does fight people, he punches and kicks, he fights bad guys. We talked about it for another minute- And Carson was very confident and held his ground, I just laughed a little and started to walk away after telling Carson we could talk about it later- Then the teacher stopped me as I was getting into the elevator to reassure me that Carson is a great listener and is always very helpful and good to the other kids that I had nothing to worry about-- Now I wasn't really concerned -- However

?? Did she know that I was thinking - Oh my goodness what do I have to look forward to-- Or- Wow good thing he is listening here-- Or -We are really going to have to chat about this fighting thing at home- or- Well that's my Carson -- all boy-- a rough and tumble type of a kid -- so honest-- but such a sweet boy at heart I can't imagine him being any different-- what would life be like without him around-- Just not nearly as fun and exciting- He is really so lovable and unpredictable--

Garrett is a shy guy

2008-10-09T18:41:00.000-07:00

It turns out Garrett is a lot more like Mike than I had thought. He is quite the introvert at school. Although his teacher had really great things to say about Garrett- He is very well mannered- plays well with other children- interacts with all the kids etc. He rarely raises his hand to answer questions and sometimes participates in group activities. I was a little alarmed thinking he was shouting out answers or something. Turns out he just doesn't like to be called on- She said he doesn't like to be the center of attention. Pretty funny- Mike is the same way- His conference went well and it was fun to finally sit down and chat with his teacher.

2008-10-06T19:26:00.001-07:00

A day at Country Sun Farms

2008-10-06T18:53:00.000-07:00

Everyone needs to check out this cute little place near Stillwater - It is called Country Sun Farms - The kids absolutely love going here every year-

The highlight of the trip was Mike getting pecked by a chicken and trying to get one calf to stop drinking another calves pee. The boys thought it was hilarious. Adison called every animal a cow and Carson chased an escape goat in the feild. It was a very memorable hour.

Our Little Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-06T18:51:00.000-07:00

We planted some pumpkins this year- Little did I know that they were going to take over our entire garden in the back yard. I just trimmed them back- before I did they literally were into the grass took up 3/4 of the house length. We now have five pumpkins growing. Hopefully they will last till Halloween and will not get frost bit. The kids cannot wait to pick them.

My Little Lumberjacks

2008-10-05T21:57:00.000-07:00

After a day of apple picking and pictures the boys decided to see if they could swing an ax and chop some wood. It was a little frightening for Me but fun for them.

Things that made me laugh this week

2008-10-05T20:55:00.000-07:00

Watching Adison chew gum- and not swallow it
Garrett comtemplating bringing a rose to a girl at school
Carson trying to surf down the banister- Not with permission of course
Seeing myself do latin hip hop with a big old belly
Having someone tell me that I look like I am 14months pregnant- HA HA SOO FUNNY- they were serious
A 6 year old explaining the definition of piss off
Garrett saying that there is a NY African Jungle in MN full of lions tigers and monkeys - located near the Johnson Farm
Mike Saying that I am having a midlife crisis because I am watching 90210 and joined facebook thanks to Sarah Barnett- (if you do not have a page you should definitely join - it is very interesting)

Reality is sinking in-

2008-10-02T22:23:00.000-07:00

Yes reality is kicking in
Not only will we be having a baby in 13 weeks
Christmas is only 12 weeks away
That is only 84 days and 6 paychecks from now
For all of you who like to get your shopping done early
You need to start shopping now-
Shops will be set for Christmas within the next two weeks
SHOP TILL YOU DROP

I will be waiting till November- or towards the end of Dec. when I want to induce labor- HA HA

Welcome to the world new babies

2008-10-02T22:12:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the world Alex Brown-
I just couldn't resist posting his cute little face.

Look Out Little Leaguers Mike is back

2008-10-02T22:07:00.000-07:00

We had a friendly game of baseball in the yard- Mike sported the t-ball helmet- wristband and yes he used Garretts bat. It was the highlight of last weekend.

The newest addition to our Garden

2008-09-30T19:50:00.000-07:00

We have a visitor in our Garden - And it is not welcome !!!!

A Stinkhorn- A very disgustging Phallic shaped mushroom--that gives off an odor like semen-- This is not a joke-- I am dead serious. This is the second year that we have had this mushroom in our garden and experts say the only way to get rid of it is to dig it up or get rid of the mulch we have. Tried digging them up- I guess it was unsuccesful. So if you are visiting before our first frost- the smell is just from the mushrooms- Not a sick neighbor roaming the neighborhood at night.

I tried to take a picture but it was already wilting-- So check out this horrid mushroom at the site below.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stinkhorn