Halloween 2009

It is illegal to trick or treat in Ocean Shores. I think because the streets are dark, there are many vacation homes, and elderly who don't want to be disturbed, so the Fire Department puts on a big Halloween Party every year. They rent booths out to the local businesses who do carnival games, and pass out candy. The kids always come home with a ton of candy. It is inside and all their friends are usually there. It's a wonderful thing for a small town.
Here were door greeters, with bags (for candy) and candy. It is the social event of Ocean Shores, so it is fun to see old friends. Jeremy helped deliver this cute thing a few months ago.

Here she is with her parents.

He also helped this baby start breathing after she delivered at 23 weeks! she had her first birthday a few months ago, and looks great and is doing great. It was awesome seeing her. She is a miracle baby! It was awesome seeing both of those babies there. Jeremy wes very vocal with the fact that he didn't want to assist in a delivery and he had 2 incredible ones!

one of the volunteers. He always has a great costume. His hair is painted on!

cousin it with C shift. they were on duty tonight and amazingly didn't have a call until right as we started cleaning up!

Kas went trick or treating in the neighboring bigger town with a friend, and then they came to the Convention Center. She had a great time. This was probably only her second time trick or treating. She's a pirate.

I didn't get pumpkins for us to carve this year cause I am such a halloween scrooge. But, someone gave Kas this pumpkin when they were cleaning up. She felt like she scored! Someone else gave her the rest of their booth candy. It is good having connections.

She was soo excited to score so much candy, but the funny thing is we NEVER eat all the candy.

I didn't take any shots of the boys. They were both dressed as volunteer firefighters! ;) I think they inherited some of my scroogeness. hate when that happens! ;)

my birthday present

A few weeks ago, Jeremy told me he had an idea for my birthday, but wanted a second opinion and asked who he should consult. I told him probably one of my sisters.....
He talked a little more about it, said he'd done a lot of research and was pretty excited about it but just not sure. After we talked about it for awhile, I said, 'well, if it is a kindle, I don't want it.'

He stammered for a bit and said, why and how did you guess that and stuff.
We'd seen one a few months ago and J said it was a great gift idea for me. I love love love to read. I have to bring a book with me wherever I go, just in case I might have a chance to read...so the kindle seemed like a great idea for me. But, I thought I wouldn't want one, because it is not just reading I love, but BOOKS also. They are like my friends. I cherish them. I love having them all over my house. I want a big library of books some day. I want them to be around my kids, even when they think they hate to read. We are a house of books.
But.....
Jeremy said he'd done some research...led me to a computer and showed me all the features he thought I would appreciate. He convinced me I might be missing out on something, so...guess what I got for my birthday?
this beautiful little thing... with the pretty blue cover.
I think most people know what a kindle is, but I will explain anyway... btw....When the kindle is off, it displays these cool pictures of authors or whatnot.

As I mentioned, I love to read. I live out on the edge of the earth, so I don't get to book stores very much. I do hit the library, but I like to have books. With the kindle, I can order through it at the kindle store. It is already set up, so I just browse, and order. Within a few seconds my book is loaded on my kindle. The books are usually about $10 and under. And I can store about 1500 books on my kindle. I can also store them on my computer or something so I don't lose them if something happens to my kindle. That means my assessibility to books is going to be greatly increased and I have been given the go ahead to order whatever I want ;) . Did I mention he really scored some points with this gift.

He also ordered the night lite to go with it, since I like to read in the car and in bed. There is not back light on the kindle. I think to keep from eye fatigue. Very thoughtful I thought.

It is about the size of a bigger paperback, but very thin. easy to handle and put in even a small purse. Like I mentioned before, I like to bring reading material everywhere I go. So, this way I can bring up to 1500 books with me if I wanted to. ;).... (more points! )

When he ordered it, he asked me what books I wanted him to add ahead of time. I couldn't think of anything. I was already reading a few books, and had just gotten a handful, so....was feeling a bit overwelmed with it all. But, I did know I wanted the scriptures. So my kindle came with the scriptures, which is a beautiful thing.

Another bonus with the kindle, is being able to sample books before I buy. They will send a chapter or two so I can read it before I decide to buy. I got a few samples and then decided that my first purchase would be The Undaunted by Gerald Lund. I was concerned....to pay for this kindle book, because if I like it--which I am certain I will--I will want to add the book to my collection, so I didn't want to kindle it. I finally decided that if I do....I can wait a few years to buy the book when it is on a sale price, and I will still be able to read it now! Yea. I love that plan.

I don't know if you can read the other books on my list, but Jeremy got a few samples also. He was disappointed to not find textbooks, but still felt like with the kindle he might be more apt to read. I am loving my new toy. It is handy, convenient, practical....and new. I still love books, but this is going to make my life so much easier.

I am especially loving my man. I love a well thought out present, and this totally was. Jeremy doesn't really like holiday shopping (having to buy a present for an occasion) but he went above and beyond thinking of the perfect gift for me....one I didn't even know I wanted. I love it! :).

I'm a lucky lady!

Opposites Attract

The other morning, very early in the morning, while I was taking Kaleb to seminary, I thought about how different J and I are in some ways...most specifically dealing with early morning. As I have mentioned before, this is our first year of seminary as parents. (for those who don't know what I am referring to, it is a religion class before school for high school age kids). Also, as I have most likely mentioned before, I am not a morning person. I like to sleep in, I like to take my time waking up. I like it quiet in the morning. I want to take Kaleb in, cause I know it is important, and I don't want to be the one with the bad attitude about Seminary..hehe..
We live about 15 minutes from the church. Seminary starts at 6:30.
J decided, since he is sweet to me, he would take Kaleb to seminary when he is not working. When he is on duty he works until 8 am, so then it is my turn to take Kaleb.
When J takes Kaleb, he thinks of it as an opportunity to go to work early. If he is going on duty, he just goes earlier than usual, and does stuff at the dept. He probably gets there a bit before everyone wakes up (if they were able to sleep). If he is working construction, he will find do paperwork, either at the dept or church, until it is light out and then he works...like at 7 am.
That means he is up earlier, getting everything ready for the day, so that when they go he is ready.
not me.
I set the alarm for about 5 minutes before we have to leave. I get up, use the restroom, put my shoes on, and go. I am still technically sleeping while I am driving. no radio, little talking...in fact sometimes Kaleb sleeps on the way (even though he was up earlier to get ready). sometimes, I think about how dangerous this is....and the fact that for a living, J has to jump up from a sound sleep regularly and save someone's life, let alone drive there! while I am driving, I realize this can be a good bonding time with my kid...if I wasn't soo cranky in the morning.
Sometimes I will stay up afterwards, but if I really want to I will come home, make sure Elijah is up and running...he leaves about 15 minutes after I get back, and climb back into bed. I can wait until 7:30 to wake up Kas if I want to hurry and almost be late! ;) which I do too much.
It is silly. maybe I will change my ways. We have alot of years of seminary ahead....but maybe Kaleb will drive the kids in a few years. can't wait until he gets his license.
Meanwhile, I am glad J and I are different, and I can learn from him...and hopefully he can learn from me. And, he can do the jobs I hate and I can do the ones he hates. I think that is what equally yoked means! ;)

more visitors and misc photos

Dad, Mom and Amber just left for home this morning. They have been here for a week. I don't have any pictures with me right now, but will post some later. They brought me Hydrangea's from Anns, that I was able to transplant in the patio area. I am soo exited and hope I don't kill them off. I have some smaller pink plants and then some tall blue ones. They also brought me a bunch of raspberry starts that I planted right off the front deck. I am hoping they will create a hedge and we will be able to pick right off the deck. I love raspberries, so am very excited to have them here. We've had salmonberries, strawberries, blackberries and huckleberries in abundance, so the raspberries will be a good addition. Now, I just need to get some blueberries and we'll be set.

We picked a bunch of blackberries hoping to make another batch of jam and a pie. But when I got them out a few days later they were moldy. that was quite frustrating! Especially since I'd already made the crust and had it rolled out and ready to go. We settled for a chocolate pie, which is usually a favorite, but was still quite a disappointment from the expected blackberry!

We did the usual boat ride, scenic drive, beach walk, good eating stuff. But they were also able to watch Kas play volleyball, (including and awesome serve), and Elijah play football (where his team won). His game was intense and he did good, so that even added to the mix! We had some great times. Time flies when you're having fun. The kids were super busy, and Jeremy had a lot of work to do so I was with them a lot by myself, which was also sweet.

I love my family and being able to spend time with them is a special treat, since we live away from everyone.

Here are some shots of the last few weeks:

Kas practicing before her first game.

These aren't good pictures, but did I mention on here that Elijah is pretty small compared to the other teammates? Well, he is one of the short guys.
Here he is....in the back. He plays number 7! Is this cute or what!Branch Tuna Feed! divine! If you have never had fresh grilled tuna, you have to try it!

The guys back from their long weekend....5 days: Wa, Or, Id, Ut, Az, Nevada and back. almost 3000 miles in 5 days! crazy!fishing season on the river.

Dr

I finally took Elijah to the dr yesterday. He has had sinus issues well, forever, but stuffiness, coughing, feeling miserable for over a month now. For the most part his problems seemed like allergies, but he has never had them like this, and we weren't certain if it was the flu or cold or both.
Our doctor quit his practice, so we had to switch to a new dr. J called around and texted me a message....a dr Pierce tomorrow at 1. I figured Dr Pierce must be new if he could get someone in the next day....oh well. we'll see how it goes!
I go pick Elijah up from school at about noon, and head up to the Dr.'s office. The whole drive Elijah is trying to convince me he doesn't need to see a dr. and that he is getting better. The men not liking dr. offices start young, I think. I was just cracking up on the inside.
When we get to the office, I find out the new doc's name is Jessica. What do you think of when you hear Jessica???? Not a doctor! I think of a young girl. So, I told Elijah his new doctor was probably young. We spent some time trying to guess what she was like.
When she came into the exam room, my suspicions were confirmed. She looked about 12. But, spent the remainder of the visit trying to convince me she was very experienced and capable. I liked her, and wouldn't mind having a young doc, so she didn't really need to, but it kept me cracking up the whole time.
Anyways, she seems pretty certain she knows what Elijah needs....
have you ever noticed the dark circles under his eyes? well, those are called allergy shiners. She said he has allergies. She also said, with some medical jargon mixed in, that his snot buildup is creating a vicious cycle of snot. snot begets snot when it gets out of control. All of the things she diagnosed seemed very familiar with our boy. I was very glad to get some answers and maybe some easy solutions to his misery.
He was given a sinus steroid (or a nasal spray) to use every day. Claritin. and some cremes he can use to get rid of the dry skin. Hopefully it will all give him relief and a start to a healthier life. I hate seeing him feeling miserable.
The other interesting thing our new doc Jessica did was give him a little lecture on good, clean living. I think since he was just in jr high, she knows the pressures of 'fitting in'. She said she's seen too many people permantly damaged by that kindof stuff. I appreciated her little lecture...and thought, if you only knew the lessons he gets at home about that stuff. :).
I think I am going to like her. Glad we got a good doc right off the bat. I have a tendency to be leary of doctors....
I guess Elijah comes by it honestly!

we will let you know how it goes......

Interesting weekend

Conference weekend is always one of my favorites. I enjoy listening to every session I can, when it is being broadcast. I also enjoy listening at home, and am so grateful for the live feeds online now. What a tremendous blessing.
Jeremy doesn't have the same ferver I do with hunkering down and listening. He was home on Saturday, and was able to catch up on some chores, which made us both happy. I loved having everyone home, either listening with me or helping him. Life is so busy it seems like such a treat to have everyone home working on various projects, or playing.
Elijah and Knolen had a campout friday night. Knolen came over here afterwards, to 'watch' conference with us. He was in and out with Elijah, but at one time they were watching and Elijah fell asleep. He's been sick lately, and he said he didn't sleep much the night before, so I let him sleep. I asked Knolen if he wanted to sleep, he said yes, but he wanted to listen as long as he could. Right then the speaker was talking about the nature of God. It was such a sweet talk. I was glad Knolen was there, and trying to listen....and once again, so grateful Elijah's best friend cares about the things of the Spirit.
Jeremy took the boys to the Priesthood session which I think they enjoyed, as much as active boys who don't like dressing up and meetings can enjoy. Almost as soon as they got home a call went out. I'd turned down the radio, cause it was hampering what I was listening to, but Jeremy noticed something was up, and as soon as we turned the radio up, we realized someone had driven off the bridge....our bridge! http://www.northcoastnews.com/2009/10/04/more-on-fatal-accident/
We jumped in the car, and cruised over there. Jeremy ran down to help and ended up getting there right as some good samaritans were getting the person on shore. It was fascinating to watch Jeremy in action. He was first on scene and took control until the medics arrived.
I was able to help out a bit, and then they took off. The victim was a local , so people were coming up to the scene who knew him. It was heartwrenching. Many people witnessed the accident, because there is a campsite right there. These campers were the ones who jumped in (the one guy, in just his underwear) and rescued the guy out of the truck. It was amazing to see these vacationers rally around to do whatever to help.
About the time J left in the ambulance, the surf rescue team arrived to check the truck, and the river. I was able to help them abit, get dressed up and in the water. There was no boat ramp there, so the campers once again, rallied round and carried the seadoo over a ledge and down into the water. When other surf members arrived, they couldn't believe the seadoo was 'carried' into the water. Later one mentioned, 'if you need something done, ask a redneck!' ;) yea!!!
Being a part of the whole situation was fascinating for me....I was grateful to be able to do some to help, but wished I could have done more. It got me contemplating the idea of volunteering. I have been asked to volunteer before, but don't like blood, guts or gore. I don't want to drive the ambulance. and don't want to donate the amount of time that is really needed. but, being there, made me wish I knew more and could do more to help. It is quite an experience being a part (hopefully of good) at such crucial times in people's lives. being able to help when it is soo needed.
So, saturday night and sunday I had that thought running through my head. I have not had the opportunity to talk to Jeremy about it yet, and keep going back and forth with it. We will see. I know I will be led in the right direction. I have wanted to get back into school. Hopefully this experience will help me get closer to where I need to be.
I thought we were going to have Jeremy home on sunday but he had to work. (my schedule was messed up). We had a lazy day at home with conference. On saturday I give the kids the option to watch or listen, but encourage them more on sunday to pay attention. They were playing a little too much for me, so...I am going to have to come up with a better plan. I don't want to have to go watch at church, that will be more punishment for me....but that is what I threatened. ;) Something else to consider.
All in all, it was quite an eventful weekend. I loved most every talk....and look forward to studying them further. A few while listening, I thought will definitely get posted on my facebook. I am soo grateful for a living Prophet. We are so blessed to have that guidance in our lives. I was so grateful for the counsel specific for our time and troubles. I felt edified, chastised, and ready to do better and be better. I am especially grateful for my ancestors who found the truth and lived it, so I could have it in my life.