MY GRANDKIDS ROCK!!!: January 2009

Saturday, January 31, 2009

Caleb and Grandpa

I have to tell you a funny story. My mom and dad came up to visit us this weekend. So today we were going to run errands. Stacy and the kids wanted to go with us. So we all loaded up in my pickup and headed to town. Since it was a little crowded, the boys had to sit in the front in the middle between Grandpa (their Great-Grandpa) and me. Caleb sat there for a while quietly looking at Great Grandpa and then said, "Hey Grandpa, did you know that you have a spider in your nose?" That is funny I don't care what you say! We better get Mindy to trim those nose hairs!!!!!

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Angels Among Us

Last night the kids and I went to the movies. We had been wanting to see the new Clint Eastwood movie, Grand Torino. It was a really good movie but had alot of bad language. But we all agreed, it was a good story.
This morning when I was checking on my blog I had a comment from someone I don't know. She said that she saw us at the movie last night and she wrote words of encouragement. How did she know us and HOW did she know that I had a blog? Now, I know that I have an amazing family and the most awesome friends, but I think God sends angels into our lives without us even knowing who they are. They give us courage and strength. They pray for us. They make this journey more bearable. Every day I am amazed. Thank you God.
Last January Jay and I went to the movie, "The Bucket List." It was a story about two men who were told they had terminal illnesses. So together they made a bucket list, a list of things they wanted to do and places they wanted to see before they kicked the bucket. After the movie, as we were leaving we asked each other "what would be on your list?" And we both had the same answer. We live our bucket list every day. Couldn't think of anything to put on that list. I thank God for that , too.

Monday, January 26, 2009

Mindy's quilt

I finished Mindy's quilt made from Jay's jeans. It turned out really cute.

When Mindy was a baby, she had a special blanket that never left her side. She would pack it around where ever she went. When she would take a nap I would have to wash it and dry it and have it back beside her when she woke up. More than once I had to replace the satin trim around the edges. Mindy loved her blankie. When she was 4 years old Jay talked her into leaving her blanket under the Christmas tree for Santa. He told her that Santa needed it to stay warm while he delivered gifts to the little kids. So she did. She missed it but she was really ok with Santa having it. About 14 years later she found it tucked away in a cedar chest in my bedroom. Her eyes got big and her smile even bigger. When Mindy graduated from 8th grade, Stacy made her a flannel quilt. I think she still sleeps with that one. So, Mindy, here's a new blanket to make you smile. I hope it makes you feel secure like your blanket did when you were a little girl. You can wrap it around you and feel a hug from Dad.

Sunday, January 25, 2009

I just want to know

There seems to be a place to find what ever you want to know. If you want a recipe for baklava, you just Google it and you will get lots of recipes to choose from. Google anything you want. It can be a cure for hiccups or an answer to why birds fly south in the winter. If you have a gardening or farming question, just look it up in the Farmers Almanac. The answers are there. If you look in the back of the math book you can find answers like how two negative numbers make a positive number. If you are looking for an address you can map quest it and it will tell you how to get somewhere. There are even GPS devices by Magellan and Garmen that go in your car so you can always find your way. You can call 411 and they can help you if you need information. There is information everywhere if you know where to look for it. But I have questions about Heaven that I just don't know. If you haven't been there, how do you know for sure what it is like? Do they eat, do they sleep? Can they see us? Can they hear us when we talk to them? Do they know how much we love them and miss them? We can only imagine what it is like. I just want to know for sure. I know what I read but if you can't go there and come back then how do you know for sure? I know they say that it is more beautiful than you can imagine. They say that you are never sad, the only tears will be tears of joy. I know that Heaven is where I want to be someday. But for now I just want to know for sure. The other night when the boys were saying their prayers, Connor said "God please tell Paw that we love him. And God, can you give him a really nice mattress so he can sleep good?" How sweet was that? We just want to know, do they sleep? I pray he does and that he is comfortable and that he knows how much we love him.

Friday, January 23, 2009

Little treats

I just wanted to show you these very cute little treats that we have been making. Someone brought these to the family reunion last summer and they were so good. Connor and Caleb and Kenzi help me make them all the time. Now I just get the stuff out and they do the rest.

First ingredient: waffle shaped pretzels. Connor puts them on the cookie sheet.

Then you need hershy kisses. Unwrap the whole bag. The little guys are pretty good at this but occasionally one goes in their mouth.

Place one kiss on each waffle pretzel.

You need the oven turned on to 350. Place the cookie sheet with pretzels and kisses in the oven for just a little bit. Just to start melting the kiss.

Take them out and press one M&M down on top of the melted kiss. Thats all. Let them cool and eat them.

We've made them with rolo's and mini peanut butter cups but the kisses are the easiest.

That's all!

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Playing in the snow

Last Sunday we went up to Hoodoo to play in the snow. It was such a pretty day but OH SO COLD. The thermometer said 19 degrees but with the wind blowing it felt more like 19 below zero.

There is an area called the Autobohn where you hop on a intertube and get towed up to the top.

Then you hang on tight and slide down.

The big kids and little kids were all bundled up. But I was a sissy and stayed inside the yurt and watched. I know it was fun but I don't like cold.

We threw in a bag of rice crispie treats, a loaf of bread, a jar of peanut butter and a jar of jelly and we were good to go.

WHEEEEEEEE.

Good times...good times.

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Spending time with the boys

Last Friday night we went to an OSU gymnastics meet at Corvallis. We love watching our favorite talented and beautiful Jami Lanz. This is her senior year and we have enjoyed watching her for the last few years. She is amazing.

Friday night we invited Jill and her 5 children, Julie and her son, Stacy and her 3, Melissa and Mariah and her two friends and Kimberly. We are LANZ FANZ!!! Yeah Jamie!!

After the meet Jamie signed autographs for the kids. She is cool.

Then on Saturday morning me and the boys headed out on our adventure. I told you before that we didn't exchange "presents" for Christmas. Instead we will give "presence." Taylor and I drew Casey and Cody to share a day with. So Saturday we started out with sausage gravy and biscuits at my house. Then we were off to the town of Jewell to the elk wildlife refuge.

It was really nice to get out of the fog and see the sunshine for a change. Let me tell you, those boys never stop talking. They watch way too much television and movies.

I heard them quote word for word the whole transcript for Dumb and Dumber, The Three Amigo's, Talledaga Nights and Step Brother. I don't know if they ever used their own voices or thoughts the whole way there. Anyway when we got there the elk had been fed so they were just laying around in the sunshine.

The boys tried to bugle and cow call but the elk weren't impressed.

So off we went to our next destination: Camp 18 for lunch!!! If you have never been there you should put it on your list of really cool places to go.We went inside and were seated by the fireplace. We all had really good lunch. They feed you logger size portions. I had stew and cornbread. The cornbread was big enough for a small family.

The boys finished their lunch and then ordered dessert. (I told you they like to eat)

Taylors brownie ice cream sundae was HUGH! Casey had marion berry cobbler with ice cream and Cody had strawberry/rhubarb pie ala mode. They were extremely full so we walked around outside looking at all the cool logging stuff.

While they checked out all the equipment, I saw things like this cute porch and how cute these pullies looked all in a row.

They were more impressed with the size of the logs and the old equipment.

After that we drove to Seaside cuz I wanted to go to this awesome place called the Yankie Peddler. It has all kinds of antiques and needful things. But when we got there the sign on the door said closed till spring. DANG IT!!!

Oh well, the boys spotted a dumb sign in front of an antique/junk store on the way so we stopped on the way back and went to take a look.

This is the funny sign on the door.

It was a lot of junk so off we went to the Malibu race track in Beaverton.

This is what they wanted to do the most. Drive race cars. I heard a lot of smack talkin going on about "shake and bake" and kickin your @#@#. It was gettin mighty cold outside so I took a few pictures and then waited inside.

I thought they were never going to finish racing. Pretty soon I saw Cody's car quit out in the middle of the track and the guy talking to him. I think they weren't supposed to cut corners like that.

Then it was Taylor's car that stopped and he got a talkin to.

Pretty soon I saw the guy tell them they were done. They weren't listening very well. You can't cut corners!!! Now go home!! So we loaded up and came home. I just can't take them anywhere:)