it's good to be a Hentzen

seventh grade...

2011-10-25T20:24:00.000-07:00

i could complain about his big feet needing new size 8 sneakers and how his face is changing... and i could make a little fun of the crack in his voice

or i could mourn the little green "jackson" l.l. bean backpack being replaced with a new "teen-sized" l.l.bean backpack--no monogramming, of course

i could drive him to school and deprive him the new bus route and new bus driver and all of the new kids

i could freak out that he's got a new sense of independence that is stemming from all sorts of new junior high experiences

but i choose to be happy in the blessings that he comes home from school every day with a smile, telling me that "today was just a good day all around, mom."

thankfully, we never had to endure the "terrible twos," and with much optimism, we see his teenage years bringing us as much joy as he always has brought to our lives...

his brother on the other hand... hee hee

today is the day...

2011-02-23T20:25:00.000-08:00

... i decided that it was time to pick up blogging again.

i'm always amazed at bloggers who consistently, day-in and day-out blog about their stuff... whatever it may be... decorating, families, food, {um} books...

but then again, i remember that we're blessedly busy with the craziness of our lives.

and good or bad, it's our life and it's still good to be us!

we did it differently this year...

2010-09-13T20:41:00.000-07:00

... because we were nana-papa-less this labor day weekend.

there was no alpine slide rides or miniature golf for us... much to the boys' disappointment!!

so we tried jenny lake again...

thankfully, this time there was no ice or snow ... but fall was creeping in

even the bees are taking naps on the flowers!

why did we go all the way to florida?

2010-08-26T19:31:00.001-07:00

soccer, of course!

this journey started about a year ago, with jacks and ryan trying out of an AYSO soccer team that would travel to west palm beach, florida in the summer of 2010 for a tournament with other AYSO teams from around the country.

jackson made the team! so it was outdoor fall soccer, two sessions of indoor winter soccer, outdoor spring soccer, practices, scrimmages... all leading to the AYSO national games on the international polo grounds. oh, and don't forget fundraising when we weren't playing soccer!!

the polo grounds blew my mind! it's a huge expanse of green grass that's so soft and perfect... or at least it was on the first day! get this: there were 24 teams in each of the 4 age divisions, boys and girls--almost 200 teams from the continental u.s., the virgin islands, and trinidad and tobago! in the blistering florida sun, 400 cleats tore that grass up pretty quick!

the little team from idaho played well, but sadly didn't win any of their 5 games. jackson played well, learned what playing his position can do, saw the game played beautifully by some really good players and had a BLAST!!

being completely without grace or atheltic ability, i had never been to a tournament--let alone a tournament of this size. and even tho it was steamy and hot, we were sunburned on top of sunburns, our team was losing... it was so much fun! i would do all of it again in a heart beat!

we're so proud of him for trying, staying with it and personally succeeding!!

so my mom comments...

2010-08-19T07:45:00.000-07:00

... "You "aced" this class, so when will we see something new?? Looking forward to the next adventure of the Hentzens!"

i'd love to say that i've been so busy with school work that i haven't had time for blogging... but it was more that we were lovin' life this summer that i didn't carve out time for this!! and what were we doing? i better start at the beginning...

you know, when you're on a roller coaster, and you're slowly crawling up the first hill? yeah? well, that hill was our june! the boys got out of school, ryan had his birthday, we had soccer practices practically every day and it was still cold around here... but these things were all building up to the peak of our summer--jacks' soccer tournament in FLORIDA!

we flew over night (with a layover in phoenix to get our nana and papa!) and so we woke up in florida... first reaction? ugh... it's hot and why am i all sweaty?! we had a little conversation about humidity--and idaho's lack of it.

but God was good to us, and brought on a couple of cloudy and rainy days to keep us cool at disneyworld and epcot. and ryan says: i like this hot rain! it's the humidity, right?!

as i was saying, june was just the build up to the rest of the summer rushing by us at a frightening speed! we've had a great summer with our family and our friends... many great adventures

yes, mom... more adventure pictures to come!

(did you know that they just let crazy ducks attack you at disneyworld? in front of my kids, no less!)

homework

2010-06-09T15:32:00.000-07:00

for some it's summer vacation and for others it's summer semester... for me, it’s school

my first assignment this semester is to introduce myself by using an interface i use a lot... so let's get into it:

i'm jenniffer...

that's right. no mispelling or finger-stutter... there are 2ns and 2fs there. i think it was the only way to make me a little different from the other gazillion jennifer's born in 1972.

i'm wife to dave and momma to jackson and ryan. if you want to know more about that, read down the blog...

i'm the head of adult services for the idaho falls public library--i don't know how i did it, but this is where i am. i love working with people and books... and bringing the two together!

i'm in my 8th semester and my 8th class at sjsu--getting my mlis... i'm contemplating taking two classes in the upcoming fall and spring semesters so i can be done by december 2011... but it sounds a bit daunting!

i'm not a techie, i don't know the names to all of the pieces and parts of the machine. i know how to play with the computer and usually get the results i want... and it pisses me off when it doesn't do what i think it should.

obviously, i blog and facebook, and i'd rather chat, im and text than actually picking up a phone and {gasp} speaking to another person!! i do love people and communicating. however, because i'm on the phone all day (or so it feels) i hate being on the phone when i'm not at work!

i've probably said too much... it's going to be an interesting semester!

i'm just a little jealous...

2010-06-07T18:33:00.001-07:00

I’m a big fan of lego building, and that was one of the things I was most excited about when I had the little dudes…

you know, someone to build stuff with!!

so with the $50 in cash (birthday gift from nana and papa), ryan and jacks set off to toys r us, and returned an hour later with a big lego box and mere coins in his pocket. best part, ryan asked me to help him build his new house!

there’s a little backstory here, when I played with legos, I kept them in ziplock bags according to size and color. I tried to teach the boys this very handy technique… hmm… it didn’t stick. they have a lego lair of chaos in our basement. I can’t handle the bedlam of not knowing where all of the red pieces are, not to mention to tiny special pieces. so, I don’t play with them. I know it sounds “a bit” anal retentive, but I do enjoy shelving books for a living…

anyway, when ryan asked me to play, I started to organize all of his pieces and parts.

he humored me, and thanked me for my help… and even kinda agreed that it was handy. but all I could think about was looking for all of these bitty special pieces in the lego lair…

so, back to the jealousy…

check out the detail of this house!!

lawn mower,

basketball hoops...

… it’s awesome!!

kinda like my kid... happy birthday, ry-man!!

memories of memorial day...

2010-06-03T08:12:00.001-07:00

for the last few years, my little family has made the trip known to us as the "journey mecca" for the long memorial day weekend… we road trip to denver, my hometown

it's kind of a bittersweet trip because it's so short...

we never get to see everyone we want...

the rockies always lose when we’re in coors field...

and there is always something different, a change i wasn't prepared for...

like my granny who looks awesome for 81... but 81?!? how is that possible? I have strong memories of her towering over me with her afterwork fresca-vodka cocktail… amd that’s not her anymore

and my city isn’t MY CITY anymore. i’ve been gone so long! it’s growing and absorbing little towns, making it one continuous mass of humanity from ft collins to colorado springs... where are the open spaces of my youth?

(i know they are there, but they are few and far between it seems to this girl!)

and this is the killer... my boys are the BIG boys!

i don't notice it so much here, i noticed it at this sweet bbq (out in one of the last open space communities left) where there were all of these little guys and gals looking up at jacks and ryan. now i had to worry about them being too rambunctious for the little ones--not so much that they needed me to rescue them. then i saw that for years i have been using my guys as a buffer for iffy social situations. i felt lost with my little anchors...

however, this bbq had some of the most wonderful hostswho made me see that some of us are small and some of us are big, some of us are babies and some are grannies… but we all grow everyday… all of us learn something, even if it is nothing more than never let dave hold your popsicle!

for more pictures of this beautiful place in the city, check out my sweet friend’s blog: http://sweetpeaandbeans.blogspot.com/

win or lose...

2010-06-01T07:37:00.000-07:00

... it's always a good day with friends at coors field!!

footballer

2010-05-27T08:03:00.000-07:00

35 days...

a good mother's day...

2010-05-21T18:16:00.000-07:00

the boys took me to grand teton park for mother's day...

there was snow everywhere and jenny lake was mostly frozen

which makes sense because jenny lake was formed by a giant glacier that came thru these mountains

and decided to stay in this spot

and after both guys have been thru 4th grade idaho history, they were both very pleased to inform me that the lake got it's name from beaver dick's wife... who knew?!

perfect afternoon

2010-05-03T13:22:00.000-07:00

spring in idaho is a fickled thing

sun, snow, rain and lots {lots} of wind

but yesterday was good...

today, my friend and i were talking about the behavior patterns from 2, 3 and 4 year olds that repeat themselves in tweens/early teens. and i said {maybe annoying my dear friend} that i was lucky because we never had the terrible twos or threes.

they have always been really fun to be around--most of the time. and i know that they are starting to stretch their wings and pushing for independence, but the thing is that although the guys have been going to this park for most of their lives (on visits even before we lived here), they still love coming to park on sunday afternoons... even with us. i can only pray they grow into young men who are as sweet as the toddlers they once were.

i'm kinda hoping that the behavior of giving mom hugs and kisses starts repeating itself too!

(oh, snap, now i'm crying...)

thanks, dad...

2010-04-14T12:08:00.000-07:00

last weekend, dave went to colorado for a fishin' trip, and yesterday he came home with these...

and {thankfully} no fish!

clever, clever boys...

2010-04-07T19:50:00.001-07:00

before we woke to our debilitating 6 inches of snow yesterday,

it rained...

...and my clever boys made rain angels!

twelve...

2010-03-16T19:38:00.000-07:00

so now my baby is twelve...

it seemed like i'd be changing diapers and washing bottles for the rest of my life! then all of the sudden it started...

he became the "big brother"...

he became totally absorbed by thomas the tank engine...

he started to become this cool little dude...

we started going to parks and museums...

like the denver art musem where he reached out and touched {yes, touched} a monet!

then he started pre-k...

and now BOOM--he's twelve!

it happened so fast!

so this cool {almost} twelve-year old kid opted for a weekend trip to jackson, wyoming for snowboarding rather than a birthday party*...

so it was... has been... a great ride!

happy birthday, jacks!!

*THANK GOD! i was spared a house full of boys this year!!

lent...

2010-03-10T08:57:00.000-08:00

so as Lutherans, we're not required to give up anything for lent, but i do... maybe it's my inner-roman-catholic trying to escape, i don't know for sure.

dave gave up adding sugar to his coffee. it might not sound like much, but 1/4cup of sugar a day has made a difference to how much sugar i have to buy each month.

i gave up cheese... i love, love, love cheese! all cheeses... it's been hard because i eat cheese on everything, but i've noticed what not eating cheese is doing to the scales at weight watchers on friday mornings! good things!!

jackson, well, he's confident in the fact that Jesus suffered enough on the cross to save him from his sins, he didn't feel the need to give up anything.

and ryan... oh, ryan... after his brother pummeled him {again} for some smart-aleck and/or biting remark, ryan decided he'd be nice to jackson for lent. it's an admirable quest, but i heard he also got his face pushed into a fence for sneaking his brother's pringles the other day...

* * * * *

last night, we're playing a game of cadoo and ryan isn't winning--he hates not to win.

in some major winning moment, i guess dave's cameo, and ryan utters "cheeses"

jackson looks at me in horror...

dave is looking at ryan in disdain...

then it dawned on me what he actually said... Jesus.

i'm jonesin' for cheese so hard, i missed that my precious baby took the Lord's name in vain!

Easter is in 25 days... thank GOD!

butterflies...

2010-02-09T19:10:00.000-08:00

nana and jackson...

ryan patiently waiting for one to land on him...

jackson... not waiting... one just found his way to his cap!dave, also not waiting... all of the boys... looking at something a little gross, i guess!

arizona...

2010-02-08T18:42:00.000-08:00

this is the lastest bit of wisdom from my parents:

when the mountain is PINK,

we DRINK!

who are these people?!

i sure like 'em, but what have they done with my parents?!

and now... jacks in 2010

2010-01-10T17:27:00.000-08:00

if you could be anywhere in the world right now where would you be?

italy

… because it has spaghetti and cool art

Name your favorite sports team? chargers

What makes you laugh? getting tickled

What do you fear? spiders

What is your most prized possession? wii

Who is the most caring and lovable person that you know? mom... i promise, i didn't bribe him or anything!!

What house chore do you hate the most? cleaning the basement

Favorite sport? soccer

Favorite place in the world? disneyland

Favorite video game? new super mario bros

Favorite thing to do as a family: play wii

Favorite musician? bon jovi

Most influential person(s) in my life: dad

Would you prefer..Cake or pie? chocolate cake with chocolate chips in the cake, chocolate frosting with chocolate chips on top of the frosting with mint chip ice cream

Whats the weirdest thing you have ever eaten? nothing… I don’t eat weird things

jackson isn't easy to pin down... and with sketchy wireless it was hard to finish this for him. but i love his smile when he's playing their made-up game of lego-checkers because he knows he's beat ryan, and is relishing in making ryan squirm!

ryan... in 2010

2010-01-09T19:18:00.000-08:00

Favorite ice cream flavor: mint chip

Favorite movie: Indiana Jones… all of them

Favorite sport: baseball

Desired occupation: children’s book illustrator

Most inflectional person(s) in my life: my family

I collect: rocks

Best advice someone gave me: to think before you act

Favorite gadget: grappling hook bow-tie

Favorite place in the world: Disneyland

Favorite video game: Wii fit plus

Favorite thing to do as a family: go to the beach

If I could have lunch with anyone, dead or alive, it would be: um... i don't know about that....

Definition of joy: extreme happiness

Something nobody knows about me: there’s stuff… but I’m not telling

Favorite musician: All American Rejects

Favorite saying: read it before you eat it

What are you looking forward to most in 2010? learning about Lewis and Clark

On my mind right now: finishing playing Mario Bros with my dad... {are we done now?}

today ryan and i hung around in our pajamas and told each other jokes and compared our HUGE feet... actually, his HUGE feet and my long toes... it was a good day!

quagmire no more

2009-12-29T19:47:00.000-08:00

so where have i been these last two months?

occupied with jungle jewels on facebook? yes...

busy with school and finals? yeah...

tied up with the holidays? yep...

sinking into a quagmire of despair? um, mayhaps...

despondent over the things i want and do not have? well, not "things" but people...

lately i've been thinking about the people i miss, the people i trust and those i don't and wondering where my faith and trust in people went...

and all the while falling into a serious funk, fretting over the relationships i will never have with people who could care less about me, and fretting over relationships that weren't what they appeared to be...

and it appears that i've then been missing out on what's been going on here... and obviously forgetting why i started blogging here in the first place--it IS good to be hentzen!

there is so much to be thankful and happy about in my little family here!!

and yet it's so incredibly easy to get lost and blinded by the bad stuff, that you start to lose joy in all of the good stuff that abounds in life... and really it seems that the goods definitely outweigh the bad, but we tend to focus on the nasties!

so here's to a new year of finding the good stuff and i wish the same for you!

happy new year!

(picture from november 25 @ grandview beach near or in encinitas, california)

the process...

2009-10-30T17:41:00.000-07:00

from painting the logo...

and paper mache and paint...

to the school halloween parade!

he did an excellent job!!

and then we have "TIM, the teenage zombie"

this is the first year i've okayed a scary costume...

we even have blood from the people the "zombie" eats

(my actual camera is still on the bottom of the snake river... so... sorry about the bad phone pictures!)

the soccer scoop!

2009-10-25T15:07:00.000-07:00

250 plus AYSO regions applied for teams to go the AYSO national tournament...

24 AYSO regions were picked (and 12 of them were california regions?!)...

idaho falls was one of the regions picked...

there were 25 kids in idaho falls who tried out for the team, and jacks made the cut!!

so we will be in west palm beach in july watching him play soccer on the international polo club's fields! and you maybe you're wondering if ryan is all bunched up about not making the team... and the answer is a big, fat no. because he doesn't have to fundraise, practice or do any of the hard work... and yet he still gets to go on the family vacation to florida and even get to play in the soccerfest on the day before the tournament. yes, it is good to be ryan!

* * * * *

a caramel macchiato update:

we went to starbucks to get the prototype
went to the library for the opaque projector--for a supreme logo reproduction
the cup has been made out of paper mache and chicken-coop-stuff
we're painting the cup tonight with the first coat
we're still working out the eye-holes and who'll carry the bucket due to the irony of being vulnerably encased in the cup...

this time last year, i was desperately painting bones for jacks' skeleton costume. so knowing we're not paper mache-ing on wednesday makes me feel like we're ahead of the game!! why we can't just buy costumes? i'll never know...

gardening...

2009-10-04T20:03:00.001-07:00

i'm not a gardner, i don't enjoy spending all of my free time out there, but i'm always amazed about gardens--those untended, especially--start to take on a life of their own.

for example, did you know that pumpkin leaves turn black, black, black after a hard frost?

we tossed the seeds from our jack-lanterns out there after carving pumpkins last fall; and now with the leaves dead and dying, i can see our very own pumpkins are growing big and orange... well, yellowish orange, anyway! the boys are so excited to have their very own pumpkins!

then with all of the pumpkin leaves black and wilty, i was able to see all of my tomatoes... and see that some were finally turning red! our summer was brief here, and i was thinking that i was going to have to make fried green tomatoes or aunt bonnie's green tomato pie... now, i might be able to make salsa or something.

then i stopped and looked my boys, and realized they are kinda like the pumpkin seeds... we throw them out in the world (aka school, sports, activities), we never know what they'd grow into. but when the leaves of life are pushed aside and we slow down and take the opportunity to see what's growing, we get to see that these little kids are growing into a pretty neat people--despite our "garden" tending. they are kind and smart, they like to have fun and to laugh, and they makes us very happy...

and i hope that i'll never stop thinking this is the most precious sight in the world--i love watching jackson mow the grass and laugh at whatever thoughts he's got going thru his head!

a good day in the garden, i think...

irony...

2009-09-27T20:07:00.001-07:00

ryan and i were driving home from a soccer game the other day, and he starts talking about his halloween costume...

a venti caramel macchiato.

i knew about this idea, and have thought all about the papier-mache and chicken coop construction... but i wasn't prepared for this conversation.

ryan: i will need a flap on on my venti cup to get my candy

me: no. you'll be a venti, so your cup will sit on your shoulders with your arms and head out.

ryan: no, no, no... i don't want my head out

me: um... how will you see?

ryan: i'll have little peep-holes

me: i don't think that sounds safe

ryan: i know! with my head in the cup, that will make me vulnerable...

me: um... what?

ryan: i'll be vulnerable for halloween

me: {stunned silence}

ryan: do you get it? vulnerable for halloween... it's ironic

me: um... what?

are they now teaching irony in 4th grade? i learned what irony meant when i saw reality bites 1994... i was 22!!

soccer...

2009-09-22T20:16:00.000-07:00

...it's our game!!

missing...

2009-09-17T16:56:00.000-07:00

... a retro coleman cooler with a bottle opener handle (said cooler was holding 100 year old whiskey, beer and sandwiches)

... variety of fly-fishing equipment (rods, reels, fly boxes)

... camera (MINE!!)

all items may be found along the shores of the south fork of the snake river, please let us know if you have seen them

things (thankfully) not missing:

dave... and his good fly rod, thank goodness for the lifetime guarantee... oh, and the sun screen and cigars

my dad--with the bum hip... and who is said to be out-fishing the great trout-slayer, but the camera with the proof is sleeping with the fishes*

scott and scott's dad's drift boat... the drift boat that spilled out three of my favorite guys in the world into the river!

and one heck of a fish tale...

one that gets better with each telling

_____________________

so while i have no camera to document the {big sigh} momentous moments of my childrens' lives, i luckily still have my phone...

pre-soccer game snap in my office

GO SHOCKERS!!

(cute coach, huh?!)

*sleeps with the fishes just like luca brasi

i'm in love...

2009-08-16T13:07:00.000-07:00

we only got to spend one day in glacier national park, but it was one of the most beautiful days of my life.

now, don't go thinking that this has diminished my love for YNP... because it's a different place with different things... like weeping walls...

avalanche residue, still with drip-dropping snow melt...

waterfalls all over the place...

breath-taking views...

mountain goats and wildflowers...

and who would have thought that these guys would be there?

THIS was not something that i loved about GNP, but learned that i've been to lake sherburne, there are snakes there and so i'm good with that one visit!

my boys on the snake infested rock beach...

of course

ryan taking the road less traveled...

jackson... being jackson

i'm so behind...

2009-08-14T15:07:00.000-07:00

the boys went to sleep-away camp in july for the first time...

camp perkins is named for lake perkins, and i'm the proud parent of "polar" and "grizzly" bears, which means they had to get into the lake at night stay in the cold mountain lake and do bobs (griz) and then also go in the icy morning water of the same mountain lake (polar) and do more bobs!

jackson

they both were very excited to go... not one teary eye from any of us!

ryan

the boys of cabin #8

"nestled in the Sawtooth Mountains National Forest, camp perkins is a place where the Holy Spirit is at work. within this setting of pristine mountain lakes, babbling creeks and inspiring ridges of granite peaks you will find the comfort of our facilities, the excellence of our programs, the exciting recreation of the lakes and meadows and a friendly staff of people committed to sharing the Word of God" and world-class fly-fishing...

dave had a great day of fishing, after we dropped the boys off, and before the storms came rolling over the mountains... i read.

i {heart} my dad

2009-07-14T14:53:00.000-07:00

my dad is awesome.

back in the day, i came home from somewhere and the house was all dark. my mom met me at the door and said, "don't go downstairs yet." being a ME and a tweener, i probably whined and fussed until my dad yelled up the stairs that we could come down.

so my mom grabbed me, and together we walked downstairs. it was dark with the exception of the glow of the tv, and then there was the vision of the beginning of michael jackson's thriller video! at the time, MTV was only showing the abridged version--not the whole 14 minutes, which included the scene of the werewolf movie. so you can imagine my confusion over why we were seeing the whole thing, and just at that minute...

but wait! what was that shiny silver box on top of the tv?

my parents had just bought a betamax and the first video they bought was "the making of thriller." then they schemed a plan to have it queued up as a surprise for me. this is how i grew up... mysterious car rides that always ended up at a dairy queen; the ruse of having errands to run, only to go to the garage to see my first car... and now, he's doing it for my kids with the whole disneyland trip...

did i mention, he's awesome?!

summertime...

2009-07-13T17:03:00.000-07:00

...and the livin' is easy...

the plan was...

2009-06-18T06:22:00.000-07:00

...they would fly down to arizona to see their nana and papa.

they could beat the heat with a swim everyday,

they could take an art class with their zia,

they could go to the mine and see the big trucks...

but no one said anything about a road trip to DISNEYLAND!

and yet, i guess that's what being the nana and papa warrant... you get to do whatever you want, whenever you want! so today the four of them leave green valley for the happiest place one earth; while dave and i are at home, thankful that we again have water,

the big backhoe is no longer in my front yard and that idaho falls might just get into the 70's and summer can finally start! yea!

happy, happy, happy...

2009-06-05T21:25:00.000-07:00

our ryan is 10 today!!

doesn't seem possible, but our second blessing is already ten

...the skateboard...

helmet, ebow pads, knee pads... we've got it all

...the lego brick cake...

and the red smiles everyone was smiling after eating the red cake

... the bionicle buiding...

everyone got a bionicle as a party gift (great idea amy)

so we built them and had bionicle battles

what's a bionicle?

happy birthday, snuggle-bug!

it's so much fun to have the home birthday party... but now i'm so tired : )

as a matter of fact...

2009-05-31T17:46:00.000-07:00

... why no, granny, i haven't updated the blog... it must mean that it's time to do so, if i'm getting update requests! : )

speaking of granny,

!!HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

our granny turned 80 this month, and we road tripped to colorado to celebrate her over memorial day weekend!!

some of my cousins with granny

ali, daniel, granny and mallory... the two party girls on the right : )

our trip was planned this year (unlike last year) and all of the sudden it became this crazy-hectic-totally-fun weekend for us,

first we had granny's party...

we have no idea what was over there, but it was far better (to the boys) than a room full of people they didn't know

then we went to the denver museum of nature and science to see how we now measure up to the dinosaurs...

last time we checked, these guys were a bit below the t-rex's knee... and the one on the left didn't have quite the attitude. he used to be happy to have his picture taken in front of the dinosaurs... {big sigh}

a teaching lesson for our little pals on how to have a super-fun pillow fight and how to make a dog pile...

thanks for the picture megs...

and finally, the hentzen memorial day tradition:

a colorado rockies game...

next time we're going to call ahead for winning game...

not a sad, sad, s-a-d loss

and the long, long, long drive home...

they almost fit!

2009-05-07T14:20:00.001-07:00

my mom just sent these...

i'm not sure what else to say

ryan-- and his pimp sunglasses

is it me, or do jackson's legs look long enough to drive that thing?

this is my dad's new toy, by the way.

you let them retire to arizona and they go crazy...

here and there... and there

2009-04-22T20:10:00.000-07:00

it's been a very hectic april...

i have been to boise for my annual meeting for the Idaho Center for the Book, and who knew that boise had so much to offer?!

if you're ever in our captial, check out the viziato... 90 minutes of pure heaven! and then there was this awesome flatbread community oven place that i had lunch at with my friends, amy and jacquie--thanks for lunch amy : )

but then we had Easter... and sadly, this is an Easter without pictures. i hate to say that {in this independent-woman day and age} there are things that i really rely on my husband to do... things like bring paper towels and toilet paper up from the basement, pay the bills--literally, write the check, put a stamp on the envelope, and mail it; scoop snow, take out the trash... oh, and make sure there are batteries in the camera.

i've adapted to some of these, like i keep the toilet paper (all 12 rolls in the linen closet) and cait brings up paper towels when she cleans; and the boys scoop and take out the trash... but i still don't pay the bills... and call me lazy, i don't do batteries.

so when we were coloring eggs, i picked up the camera and saw that the batteries were dead, i just set it back down and went back to coloring eggs--how sad is that?! i kinda chalk it up to not wanting to celebrate anything while dave is gone. pathetic, but i love this man and when he's gone, so is my enthusiam...

okay, anyway...

the good part is that he came home and we all flew to houston to see the morrisseys thenext weekend! they had another baby! another girl {for me to indulge}...

so, we're the very proud god-parents to erin...

and to collin...

and reagan...

and now to summer anne!

now, you may recall i have had this love/hate relationship with texas... okay, mostly hate. everytime we would travel there was always--i mean, always--a major hassle. and this trip was awesome! we had the most fun! the guys played with all of the morrissey cousins, just like they were one of them. i sometimes feel bad for jacks and ryan because they don't have cousins, but it's just the way it is. i could blame my parents for just having me, but why?! i just have to be thankful that we are so blessed with great friends and they great times we get to spend together. and it's so nice that somethings never change and can be counted on... like dave and erik having many beers.

we got home on monday, and now i'm in the flathead valley... eventful times.

ah... spring break!

2009-04-03T21:59:00.001-07:00

we were on vacation to relax...

and so relaxed that very few pictures were taken, but here are some of the good ones

ryan immediately started drawing pictures of nana's cacti

jackson... don't you love those floral shorts with the striped shirt

field trip with papa to see TRAINS!

spring training baseball...

there is nothing better than a minor league field with a major league team! and to catch brad hawpe's foul ball--yep, life is good! sunglasses were a big thing this trip too

whip-tailed lizards were every where at the sonora desert museum... and i managed to stay on the trail on stay off the cacti!

we had a great time!

thanks nana & papa!

happy birthday, jack-inator... part 2

2009-03-18T14:16:00.001-07:00

not only did we have a blast sledding the weekend before, we got to celebrate jackson's birthday again --
on the real day!

i think it was the first friday the 13th since he was born 11 years ago! some may say it's bad luck, but not us! we we're blessed early that morning with our sweet jackson henry!

and this year we did it up big at our new red robin and came back home for chocolate-chocolate-chip cake with the house favorite mint chip ice cream... and presents!

we had friends over and dave was home... it was about perfect with the one small exception that my baby was 11!

i don't know where that tiny baby went? or that chunky monkey that helped us welcome home his new baby brother? where is that sweet toddler who used to crawl into my bed every morning to watch clifford the big red dog on pbs? i feel like i just got used to the pre-kindergartner who had a backpack that was practically as big as he was...

and now here he is... in 4th grade , playing all kinds of sports, hanging around with other fellas in the neighborhood, riding bikes and playing catch, you know, just being a kid.

he's growing into a wonderful person who has a kind heart, is helpful and still occasionally crawls in bed with me--only now we watch spongebob!

happy birthday to my beautiful boy!

he got binoculars from jacquie for our rockies spring training games

(too bad we won't be able to see matt holiday play ball)

i call this an "uncle eric smile"...

he may have been tired of smiling, or he was humoring while i made him smile for me instead of opening another present!

and here are my other two favorite guys!

curse you facebook...

2009-03-15T17:48:00.001-07:00

at first i was not convinced that facebook was something i was really into... and then i got addicted! totally addicted! so while i have been so consumed by facebook, i have neglected my blog, and there have been so many things happening around our house!

most importantly jackson turned 11 on friday... and he was lucky enough to be able to celebrate for a whole week!

we went to jackson, wyoming to take our friend, Flat Stanley on part one of the birthday. he was very good luck--

we saw a moose!

the moose was not the only wildlife we saw... we went on the elk refuge sleigh ride. so we saw many elk, mostly the ones with horns (are those also called bucks? i know they are the males, but i'm not sure...) the really cool thing was how they were sparring--but only for fun. they aren't quite ready for chick-elk-impressing-antler-clashing, but it's coming soon!

after the sleigh ride, we decided to warm up in the hot tub, stanley stayed by the edge...

dinner... oops! we forgot stanley...

but we did take him to the square for a picture with the antlers...

and we also took him in to "see" the historic

Million Dollar Cowboy Bar

then because he isn't old enough to be in the Cowboy Bar, we left...

after a good night's sleep, we took stanley to Jedidiah's House of Sourdough for breakfast... yummmm... sourdough french toast...

and after our HUGE breakfast we went sledding...

and sledding...

and sledding...

and more sledding!

finally, we stopped for square ice creams in swan valley. stanley didn't have his own, but he may have shared jackson's cookie dough ice cream...

i think a good time was had by all...

( t o b e c o n t i n u e d . . . )

something about blueberries

2009-03-11T20:17:00.000-07:00

in general, jackson doesn't eat fruit or vegetables--except corn, apples, cutie oranges (sometimes) and potatoes. with that being said, it may explain why i was shocked, stunned and amazed this morning:

at 7:05am (we have to be at school by 7:55am)

me: jacks, sweetie... it's late, we have to get up... come on...

jacks: {stretching} i need blueberries...

me: WHAT?!

jacks: {yawning} i need blueberries for school

me: TODAY?!

jacks: yeah, today

me: why didn't you call me yesterday (i have to close the library on tuesdays... yes, i know... i have much guilt!)

jacks: {shrugs} i don't know...

me: okay, get up and let's get going...

then a few minutes later, i stop and think about this and then...

me: do you have a note from miss o'dell

jacks: no

me: what do you need these berries for?

jacks: my enrichment teacher said that we need blueberries
me: what? did she give you a note yesterday?

jacks: nope

me: then how did you know about the blueberries?

jacks: she told me last week at enrichment...

me: WHAT?!

jacks: {blank stare}

me: WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME LAST WEEK?!

jacks: {blank stare, again}

me: YOU COULD HAVE TOLD ME AT ANY POINT THIS WEEKEND!!

jacks: yeah...

me: well...

jacks: i don't need them until 1:15

me: well...

jacks: {lopsided smile}

me: well, i'll see what i can do...

so i left work earlier than i planned, went to the wal-mart for blueberries, and quickly drove across the "big city" to deliver the said berries to my boy...

... and was rewarded for my efforts with a big smile, a kiss... and later, freshly baked blueberry muffins!

life is good!

yonder...

2009-02-16T20:40:00.000-08:00

september 2008

... there is a whole lot more snow than i remember from our last trip to the 'Hole

february 2009

i don't know where his coat was, but i know ryan had on new warm, wooly socks because he packed just one pair of socks for our sledding overnighter! so i had just bought him a new pair! but at least, jacks had his hat on...

ribs will heal...

2009-02-10T10:51:00.000-08:00

...but it is very difficult to suck wine up from the concrete! luckily, no wine was split on the treacherous, ice-laden steps...

...just later down the front of my shirt as i was laughing (snorting) at Pappy's and Pappy's dad's jokes. classy...

so glad the boys weren't around!

the "swear jar"...

2009-02-02T08:46:00.000-08:00

we have had to institute a swear jar at our little home. i'm thinking that all of our nerves are raw from our new lifestyles, and we're vocalizing our frustrations. at our last family meeting, we decided that we would pay a quarter per word, and that we were indeed our "brother's keeper." the best part was, that when we have enough money, the three of us would go out to a "fancy dinner." ryan explained that a "fancy dinner" would entail ties for he and jacks...

so anyway in my house, when you walk down to our basement, you have two options:

you can turn left and go into the laundry room... this is my usual route.
turn left, you go into the Lego pit of despair. you know, that ryan and jacks are the only grandchildren for both of our parents. it's beyond speculation, that they are overly indulged. they are very loved by those 4 people, as well as several sets of delightful aunts and uncles. all of that loving usually presents itself in lego sets, and there needs to be a monthly "lego rake-up" of the floor.

i have seen the whole clean up take less than a hour; but this saturday, it went on and on as did the whining... did you know that i'm the meanest mom in the world? well, i am.

so after two hours of complaining and foot stomping, the basement was cleaner--you could safely walk down there without enduring lego punctures on bare feet...

jackson came upstairs, stomping down the hallway to his bedroom, slamming the door... and then there is silence for a few minutes and the door opens, jackson came back to the kitchen, grabs the swear jar and stuffs in a fiver.

he then turned to me, and said, "i was really, really mad, and i swore a lot downstairs, (tears welling up in his eyes) and i think that five dollars should be pay for everything i said."

our fancy dinner is going to be a sweet reward for all of us.

what do you mean...

2009-01-27T08:12:00.000-08:00

it's too cold for school today!

it's too cold to go to the library!

the boys and i cannot believe that when the temperature drops to 10 below, the city of idaho falls doesn't close up for a jammies and hot chocolate day! what does it take to get all-over snow day!?

2009-01-19T09:20:00.001-08:00

last friday, ryan's 3rd grade class presented "the electric cat"

this brief musical is about a cat who was scared into a tree by thunder and lightning... and no amount of coaxing (or singing) will help the cat to come out of the tree.

ryan was the narrator, (or nair-wait-er, as he kept saying)and was obviously pleased to be on the side--away from the action. he was not at all interested in singing the songs or doing the hand motions. for being such a charmer, he's remarkably shy in front of a group... but, i warble like a dying emu and have the rhythm of a flock of cats--i don't sing and dance either. so i could forgive him that, but not the smirks and/or glares from him as i pointed the camera phone on him! he forgets i'm his mom, and i have the right to take as many pictures as i want!

it's so fun to watch the guys grow and do stuff like this. how many more times will i get to see him and his pals put on a musical? i figure there are about 3 more years of forced elementary preformances...

...these times as fleeting!!

so smile, ryan, and let me enjoy these things while i can!

mee--owwww

2009-01-13T21:26:00.000-08:00

upon further introspection about the whole facebook thing... and i'm thinkin' i might have been a bit harsh with my judgement...

... so thank you to all of you who read this, and to you those of who are my friends on facebook!

i must be jonesin' for my sweetie, because i've been in a foul mood for days and snarking at everyone... or maybe in in the middle of january i'm already sick of winter, and arizona is 10 weeks away! oh my...

time suckage

2009-01-12T20:05:00.000-08:00

a.k.a. facebook

okay, so i have been on facebook since may of 2007--right after my cousin told me i could find him and his sister there... i set up the thing, and never looked at it again.

then at the Gator Bowl (GO BIG RED!!), my new pals said that i could find them there at facebook too, so i go back into facebook and BAM! i'm totally sucked in and, frankly, kinda freaked out by it...

... why freaked out? how to say this? is it that i sometimes suffer from my gnat-sized self-esteem when dealing with the past? is it that i have a difficulty trusting people? is it time {at 36 years old} to let go of some of this baggage? there are people who are wanting to be my "friends" with me, who i can't recall wanting to be my friends so many years ago... and i question it. i'm thoughts lean toward the task of accumulating as many "friends" as possible on facebook, thus making you super-popular. ooh, that was a little catty--i didn't mean it that way... but see?! i'm like regressing into a snotty teenager... why does any of this matter? why do i over-obsess about stupid shit like this? however, i want to say this: i really am glad to see so many people who i have adored and sadly have lost contact with over the years. so, it is good and fun--apparently, i have issues to work thru!

okay, back to the land of grown-ups... we, the boys and i, have finished some of our Christmas cards this weekend! only about a month late, and we pared the list way down--mostly thank you cards at this point. i don't know where the time went! december was a blur--but a very nice blur.

so, i while i was missing dave this week (he's in lubbock for the month), i was thinking about this trip to jackson last labor day. i told everyone that this was going to be the trip where we saw a moose; and when i saw the moose, i was going to put my arm him and get my picture taken with him!

well, this is not quite what i had in mind. but it was so cute that this moose was wandering around the square giving hugs and taking pictures.

anyway, here we are, all together... good times!

** just a few more questions plaguing my thoughts tonight...

1- why doesn't denver lutheran high school have a logo? i did spend 1.5 semesters there as well as 1.5 semesters at AHS... altho i think the time actually spent at DLS far exceeds the time at AHS

2- when did arvada high school change their mascot to a dog? it was the "redskins" forever! then i knew they did something like the "reds"... whatever?

now, i have to thank you for listening to me ramble tonight...

not entirely...

2009-01-08T18:54:00.000-08:00

al·tru·ism: \ˈal-trü-ˌi-zəm\ : unselfish regard for or devotion to the welfare of others

when my sweet baby mentioned something about kind of wanting to go to the gator bowl, my mind did that leaping ADD thing that it does...

nebraska football... gator bowl... gator like alligators... florida...in january...where in florida?... where is jacksonville?... up the road from st augustine... lighthouse in st augustine... beaches... oh, we're so going... good wife... yes, good wife... football game, okay...

and so with a few quick clicks, we were off to florida to see the cornhuskers play some other team (?) in the gator bowl, and i was indeed a pretty good wife.

and altho the game was way more fun than i even imagined--who knew? i can't wait to go to another bowl game; and i now know that we played the C-L-E-M-S-O---N tigers, and that clemson is in south carolina; and that a team get's 4 tries to move 10 yards down the field... and that we got to see a lighthouse--a pretty famous lighthouse. the st. augustine lighthouse was built in 1824 in the nation's oldest city... you can read all about it here , and we climbed to the top...

and that we got to play in the ocean, hang out on the seashell beach, and see dolphins flip around...

... the very best part of this trip, which is totally anti-altruistic, was that i had dave all to myself for 4 days!

GO BIG RED!

2009-01-04T09:48:00.000-08:00

Christmas here was awesome...

we are very blessed with our great family and friends.

and we have been enjoying the snow to the fullest...

but i have to say that our trip to florida just was the best!

look at all of the RED!

we had clemson fans all around us, but it turned out ok because we had the best clemson fans in front of us and we had most fun with them (HEY! beth and delana!) and they were even pretty cool when the Huskers actually pulled it together and WON THE GAME!

happy new year to you

and good things to you in 2009!!

(more about the trip... i.e. the lighthouse and beach)

we all sing the same song

2008-12-29T18:40:00.000-08:00

i have no idea who this woman is, but she must have been at my house today, or yesterday or maybe the day before...

the mom song

(click up there, mom)

finally, megs...

2008-12-28T20:08:00.000-08:00

okay, i'm not sure about this... way back in the beginning of october, my "pal" tagged me (what kind of friend would put you on the spot like this?!). but because it isn't my turn on the Wii yet, and no one wants to watch Mamma Mia with me--i have the time (maybe not the courage) to respond to the challenge.

as i sit here click-clacking away, i have this major anxiety growing in the pit of my overly-full Christmas tummy with the facts that (1) i'm not sure that i can come up with 7 interesting things about myself, and (2) that i don't really have 7 blog friends... that's a lot of pressure, megs!

oh, speaking of meghan, she is this amazingly wonderful friend with whom i have been blessed. my husband and hers grew up together in idaho, and have remained friends over the years--thus meghan and i have become friends. now here is the one (two) best things about being friends with meghan... sweet pea and beans. she is the incredible mom of these funny, crazy and sweet little boys. i have great admiration for her, because not only is she a great mom, she is a great working mom. she has taught me to be okay with the fact that some moms work, and that those moms are still really good moms... anyway, if you want some giggles, you should check out her blog at sweetpeaandbeans... and keep your eyes peeled for her new creative outlet/business venture, Sweet Pea & Beans custom stationary.

let's get focused... here are the rules:

1. Link your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog, and giving them the lowdown...

unknown? maybe. interesting? perhaps. all i could come up with? definitely!

i refused to marry dave. he had to ask me a couple of times before i relented.
dave and i lived in maine... for about two weeks--just part of the adventure!
i love books that are set in England prior, during and right after World War II--any recommendations?
i insist on being involved (if not in charge) of my kids' school valentine's day parties--because i'm an expert, you know
i love tea parties--going to the Brown Palace, having them at my home... whatever, i love 'em!
during a summer in college, i was a nanny. i was 21 and got to spend the summer in NYC, the Cape and just cultivating my love for the whole of the east coast, especially for the very cute boys with their very cute accents... thus the move to maine with dave, of course, without the cuties...
i surprised dave with an early Christmas present! we're going to florida to see the Cornhusker's play in the Gator Bowl--we leave the snow for the sun tomorrow!

now here is the rougher part, i've got to find 7 people to tag... well, these are the lovely ladies who i follow:

um... yeah... so i could really only come up with these four gals who i felt slightly comfortable tagging. but this is the challenge to you reading my blog. either:

leave me a comment with something interesting you know about ME, or
leave me a comment with something interesting you want me to know about YOU!

don't be a blurker, leave me a comment!

i love my friends' kids

2008-12-26T13:51:00.000-08:00

we have always known that mike is quite a cinematographer, but we had no idea he'd be putting warren miller on alert!

skiing with mike and rhys

and i'm so glad i don't have teenagers, yet...

the ghosts of Christmases past

2008-12-11T17:54:00.000-08:00

the other day, the boys and i put up our Christmas tree...

i'm not sure if i've always been too preoccupied with making sure the bubble-wrap gets put back in the right Hallmark box, or whatever it is that i seem to stress over. because i don't think i've ever noticed that the boys were remembering the ornaments like they did this weekend.

some times i wish i was one of those gals who has it all together (as if!). you know, the ones who have inspiring halloween/fall/thanksgiving front porches, and whom probably have festively decorated their whole home with glamorously themed items... including their Christmas tree(s). there is something so beautiful about those trees, they seem so grown-up and elegant. and i want one!

but on the other hand, there are the decorated trees with reindeer made from fun-foam and traced little fingers. or the Christmas trees, interestingly, also made from tiny hands traced
on fun-foam. there are ornaments from school, that remind us of favorite teachers. we have ornaments from places we've been (like our new disneyland ornament) and trips we've taken, ornaments from when i was little, boxes and boxes of goodies from my mom and dad when they liquidated, and the ornaments we've started buying to build the boys' collection for when they have their very own trees. when the rubbermaid tubs were opened this year, it's a treasure trove of memories... and not just for me anymore.

it made me smile to listen to the boys talk about when they made the sparkly snowman in 1st grade, or that mrs. taylor gave them the snowflake last year. and they both commented on the hot wheel flaming hot rod ornaments they both got from their nana and papa when we lived in colorado--that was a long time ago!

and, this was also the year, when the boys took a good look at the ornament my mom gave dave and me for our first Christmas... as i am unpacking the boxes, i heard:

ryan: oh, look, here's santa and mrs. claus... and they are in the... uh, {giggle} jacks look at this...
jacks: {snort}
ryan: {giggle}
jacks: {furtive glance, snort}
ryan: mom...
me: yeah...
ryan: {giggle} did you know--
jacks: they are NAKED!
me: yeah, i know... nana gave it to me
both of them: {wide-eyed and belly laughs} NANA!

especially good memories this year!

miss ya, babe!

tj 4 cf

2008-12-08T12:06:00.000-08:00

whenever a new restaurant opens in the big city,

people flock like lemmings over a cliff.

two years ago when the olive garden opened, you'd think something really great was happening! you couldn't get near the place for months! i mean, months and months! it opened in december, and still in march for jackson's birthday we had to wait for an hour (and them some!) because that's where he wanted to go...

for a pizza?!

however, when it's something i like, i.e., taco john's right by my house, i was just another blur of fur over the cliff for my potato oles... and here comes the beauty:

when we were paying and the cashier asked us if we wanted to donate a dollar for cystic fibrosis research... so, of course, i start crying because that's what i do when my crusty, grumpy heart is pierced.

so if you're in the mood for something fast and "west-mex", give taco john's a visit, and donate to the CF foundation... thanks!

check it out!

2008-11-15T16:19:00.000-08:00

a new blog...

all about me and the books i read!

piranhathon

2008-11-13T10:20:00.000-08:00

it's that time again!

saturday is one of our fundraisers for our swimteam... and it's the hardest for jackson and ryan because they earn money for each length they swim across the pool.

now before you get your checkbook out to sponsor them ... remember, they swam hard last year: ryan, 70 lengths and jackson, 60 lengths .

if you're interested in helping out the boys with this, please let me know (email me) before saturday, and you will then be a proud reciepent of the 2008 speedo picture!! not something you'd want to miss out on : )

we thank you for your support!

i caught you!

2008-11-05T08:02:00.000-08:00

you are a blurker...

i might not know who you are exactly, but i know you are lurking around our blog and aren't leaving us comments.

it's so easy to overcome your blurker-ness. next time you read our blog, scroll all the way down to the bottom of the post and click on comments. you can tell us what you think--nice things, tho, because we're all very tender-hearted at the hentzen house--of our blog, our little life, or that i use dashes and ellipses too often... thanks!

a skeleton and a... um...

2008-11-02T17:26:00.000-08:00

... a caped jaundiced kid? an oopmahloompah? i don't know exactly...but he liked it, and that's all that matters... right?!

(but he still has a orange tinge to his face... after many washings!)

and jacks went old school with a skeleton.

so after i made the costumes all last week --and then seeing this face-- it occured to me that the costumes are just a vehicle for the candy... with a costume, you get free candy; without, you get nothing.

unless you're this momma, who (even without a costume) gets all of the snickers!

on a pumpkin hunt!

2008-10-26T17:15:00.001-07:00

it has been a gorgeous fall! wonderful weather for being outside. and so off we went today, in search for the perfect pumpkins... aka the biggest pumpkins we can carry!

as show for you first by ryan...

and then by jacks...

and here is ryan holding my cute "little momma" pumpkin...

because sunday is the only day he doesn't work, it's our day when we get to talk to dave as much as we want whenever we want...

and here is jacks' happy, cute face before they heard that daddy wouldn't be home for halloween...

and then ryan's after he heard... the day kind of went downhill from there.

well, it's not so good today...

2008-10-19T21:06:00.000-07:00

since dave left on tuesday, i have been very well occupied -- why i didn't say "busy" versus "occupied"? i have been noticing that when i (or other people) say that i'm busy, it is preceding why i haven't done something or it's an excuse for my poor behavior? i've cut it from my vocabulary because i never want anyone to feel like i'm too busy for them again. enough said. i'm cranky... which is the point i'm trying to make here

okay, oh, so i'm cranky because dave left us for this new job stint in sunny burbank, california, and we've been going thru life, you know we go to school/work,

soccer games,

going out for pizza and arby's, field trips, harvest carnivals at school, football games (GOOD JOB, TRAVIS!)

and movies. we are going, going, going we haven't had time to really miss him... too much. but today, i only had to go teach dave's sunday school class--isn't he an amazing man? he teaches sunday school at our church... i can't stand the little monsters, and he just does it because he knows it's the right thing to do. and by little monsters, i mean my boys who were so squirrely this morning i was about to smack them both.

again, focus... so we went to sunday school, church and wal-mart for groceries and that was it. nothing else. no other distractions. i actually lost it in church, because dave has such a great voice when he sings, i can comfortably know that no one else can hear my dead bird's warbly singing, well maybe except for God. so here i am crying at church because poor me... my husband has got a nice new, very well-paying job and here i sit having a pity party when there are worse things in the world... people don't have jobs. people can't feed their kids. people are losing bits and pieces of their lives because of the onset of the recession. i don't want to be a whiner.

but i am having a pity party... i ate my pita/egg salad lunch (good for weight watcher points--i'm going to lose weight while he's gone. he can come home to a skinny wife) and promptly gave the clicker to jackson, curled up in a blanket and slept for most of the afternoon. then i watched the shows on the dvr, trying to free up space for more spiderman, spongebob and phineas and ferb episodes... and erasing all proof that i'm addicted to the GND. i have laundry to do--i bought socks at wal-mart so i didn't have to wash them, however. i have a ridiculously hard reference question exercise due for school tomorrow... who the hell is Gustavo Adolfo Býcquer? plus, i need to cook something (a few somethings) that will last us thru the week--dave usually cooks dinner! he's so awesome! and here i sit well past 10 blogging about what?

i remember when we were in college, and the soccer season was over... we got so drunk for a whole weekend, i usually missed school on monday. and the last year dave played--oh, yeah, it wasn't me playing anything organized. always dave, the team player... God, he's so great! anyway (again) that last year, we're driving around in his jeep with the radio blaring and with far more people than there were seatbelts. there were people piled on people, and we were all very drunkly singing/screaming the words to that proclaimer's song, 500 miles... and at one point those dorky looking bespectacled scots sing, And if I grow old well I know I'm gonna beI'm gonna be the man who's growing old with you, dave turned to me and winked.

this is the link to where the video should have been, but i got pissed off trying to figure it out, so click here...

and so here we are, quietly growing older together. there will be much more traveling in our future and it sucks... but until he comes home to us swimming starts, there are Halloween costumes to make--a scarecrow and a skeleton, other harvest carnivals to go to, various playdates, picking pumpkins, carving pumpkins, homework for everyone, library work, laundry to do, dinners to make, PTO meetings, bottles of wine to drink with friends and (thankfully) little boys to love...

the proof!

2008-10-12T19:02:00.000-07:00

we stood in the freezing cold and wind and waited for the mutt strut to start...

then we almost went back to the car when we found out it was a 5k rather than a 3k...

but i bought the obnoxiously expensive shoes that were guaranteed to make my body not ache all over...

and i promised jacks we'd do it together, and i shot off my big mouth about doing this thing...

the first mile was okay--we trained for that...

the second mile was grueling--we weren't trained for that, and we walked a lot of that mile...

the third mile hurt like hell, but the end was in our sights! we walked much of this, but did run the last bit and thru the finish line...

the times are abysmal: jackson came in first in his age group at 45:20... then me (also first in my age group) at 45:36, and then ryan at 46:21 (2nd for his age).

did i mention there were only 7 runners, and 150 dog walkers? but we set out to do it, and WE DID IT!

what do you mean this a 5k?

2008-10-11T10:14:00.000-07:00

we completed the

there was no 3K... just three long miles!

but we did it!

pictures on the way...

the season is almost over!

2008-10-08T20:27:00.001-07:00

i can't believe that the season is almost over, and i haven't posted any pictures of my guys playing soccer! what kind of soccer mom am i?

well, obviously, i didn't get a picture of ryan playing tonight either--

the yellow dragons lost... again.

but here he is next to our cluttered countertop (with just a few of the fruitflies from the peaches buzzing around--how gross!) explaining to me how thistalman battles his foes.

and who is this thistlalman?

he's a new character is ryan's ever growing comic book empire. it appears that thistalman is strong in his powers and able to swoop in and take care of evil-doers (see the picture of ryan demonstrating the "swooping"). in addition to said thistalman and his band of battling creatures, we have a whole book about the adventures of moose man and beaver boy. and that's dedicated to me... his "moose" momma! i'm so proud!

tomorrow is jacks 2nd to last game...

hopefully, we'll get to see him in action!

you know what assuming does, right?

2008-10-07T14:29:00.000-07:00

if you put a child in the shower with instructions:

wash your hair with shampoo, and please don't forget to use the conditioner in your hair

wash your face and your body with soap

please be sure to rinse all of the shampoo, conditioner and soap off before you get out

you'd assume that somewhere along the lines the NECK would get a little sudsing... i was wrong.

this afternoon, i was getting a little ryan attention, and as i was soaking this up i began to look--really look--at his neck. it's grossly underwashed. what does he do in the shower for 15 minutes? it's not washing his neck, that's obvious. where is his mother?

anyway, fall is here and we're trying to come to grips with it! this weekend jacks, ryan and i are running our first 3K together. jacks read a book about running track in 2nd grade, and ever since he's mentioned how much he'd like to run. i've always held the conviction that people who run for fun are slightly mental; but when jacks saw the flyer for this Mutt Strut and asked me to run with him... i changed my thinking. i love that he asked me to run with him!

so now all three of us are running, and i can't think of a better way to spend our saturday morning... except maybe by scouring ryan's neck!

tapping into the maverick-ness...

2008-10-06T10:36:00.000-07:00

there have been more times that i haven't voted than i'd like to say... yet, maybe i'm paying much more attention to the world that my kids are going to inheirit from us and i'm beginning to worry about their future... so here is my contribution into the realm of political-mindedness:

don't vote

please click on the link...

sorry about the confusion, mom! : )

mortality sucks...

2008-09-27T13:17:00.000-07:00

{big sigh}

if only we could stay 33 forever...

accidental genuis... mayhaps

2008-09-23T07:36:00.001-07:00

i so can't take credit for this, but my good blog friend, scribbling in san antonio,brought this gem to my attention... it's worth the 4 minutes! check it out!

and by the way, the scrib is wonderful... visit her blog too!

creatures of habit...

2008-09-14T19:50:00.000-07:00

it's become tradition... and maybe we're boring, but every year when my parents come for their trip to idaho, we always go to jackson (just over the hill into wyoming). i guess it would be boring if it wasn't so much fun for jackson and ryan! watching their little faces light up when my dad pays an arm and a leg for the alpine slide tickets, and while dave signs their lives away to ride the said slide.

none the less, it's the nearest slide...

and snow king has a really good miniature golf course, if you can pull ryan from the video games...

and the view isn't too bad either!

a few days late...

2008-09-07T17:19:00.000-07:00

and because the guys couldn't speak to their Auntie in Berlin...

we're sending lots of birthday wishes, and hope you are having lots of fun!

is you is, or is you ain't...

2008-08-26T08:19:00.000-07:00

ryan and i have always had this connection... we're both snugglers. jackson just has never been one of those kids who wants to be too close, he's sweet--but don't push it.

when ryan was a baby, i carried him deeply snuggled into the space between my neck and shoulders, taking in his sweet baby smells...

when he was a toddler --and heavily sobbing with some sadness--he'd crawl up on my lap with his left thumb firmly inserted and his right hand resting in my cleavage (held over from his nursing days), and then his tears would subside as i held him close...

and as he's grown, he still seeks me out for for comfort for physical or emotional aches and pains(altho, he's done reaching for the boob), a quick hug in the hall way or even a reassuring hand to hold when he's a little nervous...

and that all came to a screeching halt yesterday!

we started school yesterday, and as we walked across the blacktop to the boys' respective lines, jackson was holding my hand and i reached for ryan... nothing.

i reached again... air.

i reached a third time, and saw him swing his arm out of my reach.

by this time, we had reached his line, and he turned and walked off with a wave and said, "see you later..." no kiss, no hug, not even a high-five! off he went to 3rd grade.

so jackson and i walked to his line. he squeezed my hand once before he let go, and walked off to get in his line. so i stood there watching my babies completely independent and confident walk into their classrooms with their friends.

dinah washington sung it, is you is or is you ain't my baby? and of course there were other conotations, but that's what came to mind yesterday as i watched the blacktop empty around me.

and yesterday when i picked them up, it was ryan who snuggled up on the couch with me and told me about his day. so of course, they aren't babies anymore, they are growing (by the grace of God) into my great little guys...

don't miss the tom and jerry version of the great song... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fq2Mt0HAq4M&feature=related

i'm so disappointed...

2008-08-19T19:36:00.000-07:00

these are bullies...

so yesterday, as usual i drop the guys off at day camp... and the director/owner says, "can i talk to you all in the office?" it wasn't really a request.

so in we go, and she proceeds to tell me that the guys were caught making fun of another little boy for the way he talked. i was mortified! not my children! they have been raised in a very tolerant and open-minded home, where we've always said that the world would be so boring if God made everyone exactly the same. it's not easy, but i want my guys to be the kind of people to enjoy diversity and differences--especially when they live in cookie-cutter perfect idaho falls.

my jaw is still on the ground in shock, when i realize i have to say something. i didn't completely freak out, but in a very controlled voice i said, "i'm so disappointed in you guys..." and then ryan starts crying, and jackson (as stoic as ever) looks down at his feet not uttering a word.

then the kicker of the whole thing is that the said child "we" were bullying was the owner/director's own child. okay, i'm sure that i would never have known about the incident had it not been the spawn of the day camp director/owner. so my emotions go here and there with thoughts like:

if it were my children who were teased, i would have told them to suck it up and realize the teaser was a jerk and move on... however, now i'm the mother of the jerks!
then i go the other way, and my heart goes out to this little boy and to his mom, who is hurting from the sting my boys inflicted.
and then i'm so angry with jacks and ryan over this for so many reasons like the little kid is only going into kindergarten, ryan still can't pronounce his R and W sounds... and they know how it hurts to be teased.
and back the other way, boys will be boys, and kids tease each other. but that's just so wrong.

so now i'm the mom of bullies... nice.

picture from Eric & Caroline's wedding May 5, 2007

happy day!

2008-08-12T11:01:00.000-07:00

happy birthday, dave!

happy anniversary, dave!

thanks for celebrating with me in coeur d'alene this weekend!

do you know CJ Box?

2008-08-08T09:38:00.000-07:00

one of the best things for me when i have* to go to conferences is meeting the authors!

how many times have you read a book and wondered about who wrote this book... i often think about that when i read stephen king, because what would fuel someone to write like this? i also wonder when i stumble across a especially juicy book-- is this woman so deprived that she writes her deepest fantasies for the world. or conversely, is she writing autobiographical?

so anyway, here i am in spokane trying to be TALL next to this very nice guy, c. j. box. i'm so embarrassed that i haven't read his books--even though they have been recommended! he is from wyoming, and writes about the issues of the rocky mountain west. i think i have been leary to read him, because i seem to have this apathetic view of environment writings--please don't preach at me! i do care about the enviroment, but i'm not overboard like the the people who are saving water by peeing on their plants...

so anyway, i have been assured that i'm wrong about the author and what he writes. i got one of his books, free fire. this is the seventh (maybe) book in the joe picket series, but it's about yellowstone and this weird strip of land (the sliver that is idaho) where mass murders take place... you should check out the website.

and here is the view from my room here. that's the spokane river. dave is flying in today because he wants to do something special for our anniversary. what do you think about that?

yes, he is charming, but i really know he's here for the fly-fishing. it will be just like our honeymoon--he fishes and i read. i guess that's just the ABCs of us.

*have to go to conferences? not so much of a "have to" thing -- i love getting out of idaho falls and hanging out with other librarians... especially at the corks and cans events. highly recommend coeur d'alene's bar 6.

renaissance...

2008-08-04T07:50:00.000-07:00

a rebirth? a revival?

{see me climbing up on my soapbox}

how many of you are getting your money's worth out of your library? it appears free... but you do pay for library services thru taxes. so are you using the library privileges you pay for?

why not?

libraries are here to help...

and that's what the renaissance is about. change is coming in the world and in libraries thru the internet and google, but libraries are still here to help with the motivation for life-long-learning.

get over to your library and ask your librarians some questions. if your librarian is snarkily stuck at the desk, please remind her that YOU are the reason she has a job...

{stepping down}

denver is great... and i'm looking forward to spokane tomorrow!

some times...

2008-08-02T12:35:00.000-07:00

there are no words to express how you feel when you look at your kids... this is one of those times.

they're, their, there...

2008-07-29T12:48:00.000-07:00

really... i do know the difference...

they're so cute...

their nana took this picture while on the boat going across the river to pirate island..

we loved disneyland, and we can't wait to go back there!!

(and the readers are saying, how many more pictures can there be of their disney vacation? enough already!)

i'm suffering from frazzled brain , mayhaps : )

the first picture...

2008-07-28T14:22:00.000-07:00

almost makes me want to be there... almost

their home!

2008-07-28T11:49:00.000-07:00

my fisher-boys are home safe and sound!

so far we've heard about:

ryan throwing up twice in the car from too much ice cream
catching perch, muskies, northern pike and cropies
the leeches in the water
the huge mosquitos and flies that bite
tubing and cliff-diving
uncle gil's pancakes
celebrating cousin ella's birthday with an elmo pinata
watching PG-13 movies
and how much fun they had doing all of that stuff with cousins kyle and tyler!

i can't wait to see and post the pictures!

thanks, Dr Twinning...

2008-07-26T11:29:00.000-07:00

check out my morning jacket's "librarian"...

my professor put this up on our blackboard, and i missed a lot of the lyrics but caught the sexiest librarian part...

Sweetest little bookworm. hidden underneath...
Is the sexiest librarian...
Take off those glasses and let your hair down for me.
Take off those glasses and let your hair down for me.

Simple little beauty- heaven in your breath.
The simplest of pleasures- the world at it's best.

i like that image far more than the alternative image burned in people's minds!

lyrics: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/m/my_morning_jacket/librarian.html