An Update On Dad!

Once again I copied this from my sister's blog. Thanks Cassie for always going with Mom and Dad to the apts and for keeping us updated....

"Today I was stressed...No wait I was a mess! I knew that today I would be meeting with the doctor to discuss my dad's cancer. He received a Pet Scan last week. A Pet Scan is an all over body scan that searches for cancer. It can detect it anywhere and everywhere. My dad had received one when he was first diagnosed with cancer. This was the second one-about 6 months apart to compare and see where and if the cancer was growing. The great news is that the tumor on his hip has shrunk significantly, due to the radiation! It is still there, but none the less quite a bit smaller. There also doesn't seem to be any cancer that they didn't already know about, which means it doesn't seem to be spreading or growing!!! Hip Hip Hooray!!! They are going to continue the same Chemo treatment that he has been on and then evaluate in a few weeks. The cancer is not going away but it is not growing either. We are all very happy. Now if he can get his pain under control (he is still in a great deal of pain in his hip where the replacement surgery took place). We meet with his doctor who performed the hip surgery on Monday, with x-rays we should know more then. Any how thanks for the kind words, thoughts and prayers! They seem to be working!!!"

I Have A Passport!

I have a passport! This is kinda funny because I don't usually leave my living room much less the country! But Tara won a trip to Puerto Vallarta through her work and she invited me to be her guest! I can't wait! Thanks Tara for the trip and for a reason to actually get a passport!

Family Home Evening! What A Fun Night We Had!

We have been having a little difficulty with Unity in our family lately. Last week for FHE Ron touched on this topic in his lesson. Tonight was my turn for the lesson and I thought I would expound on the same topic, UNITY.

To begin with I had Ron write each of our names on disposable cups. It was really funny, we decided to use these same cups for dinner (killing 2 birds with 1 stone) and the kids were quite intrigued as to why each of their names were written upside down on the cups. You should have heard our conversation at the dinner table trying to figure out what all this meant. After dinner, when all the dishes (except the cups) were put away and the table cleaned we met back at the dinner table for our lesson. We usually have FHE in the Living Room but tonight we needed the flat table, this just added to the curiosity of the evening.

First I asked if anyone remembered what last week's lesson was on. I was sure they wouldn't remember because if I remember correctly last week was more of a Family Home Grieving, but I guess I was wrong. Porter and Torie remembered it and remembered it well. Then I had Bryn look up the word in the dictionary. Webster described it as ONENESS! Perfect definition! After a little discussion, we took the cups and turned them upside down (hence the reason for writing their names upside down) and built a pyramid. This symbolized our family working together as one toward a common goal of eternal happiness. Then I started complaining, bickering, teasing, etc and tapping the cups with each new negative thing till the pyramid fell. Symbolizing our family failing. It was quite the object lesson.

Then we told them for our activity we would go outside and build a "family" pyramid. But for this to work we had to work together or we would tumble just like the cups. To begin with Ron, Bryndee, and I were on the bottom and the kids tried to climb up while staggering themselves, but it didn't work. They didn't understand where to put their knees or their hands and Taralee kept running out into the road. So I volunteered to come out of the pyramid and be the official stager and photographer. Here is what we came up with.

The cup pyramid!

Ellie was mad because she had to be on Kymber's back. She LOVES Bryndee and wanted to be on her back. She is slowly learning she doesn't always get her way. After the pyramid the kids just wanted to try other stunts (compliments of Bryndee)!

Ellie and Bryndee!

Kymber and Bryndee

Porter Won 1st Place

Porter won 1st place in the chemistry division of the school science fair! He and Ron have been working really hard learning about BIO GASSES (don't worry I don't know what that is either). They made this contraption that captured the gas that was put out from plant and animal matter. He was pretty excited when he found out! He was given a $20 AMEX gift card and 2 tickets to the AZ Science Center. Torie also entered a project to see if seeds could grow in places other than soil. She didn't win anything, but she worked hard and did a great job! Lots of late night were had by all.

Porter and his winning project!
One night Ron, Porter, and Torie were working late in our room printing lots of things out for their board and I came in to find this...Torie crashed on the bed and Porter crashed on the floor, but Ron was still going strong!

I don't know who had more fun Ron or the kids!

Taralee And Her Shoes!

For those of you who know me know I LOVE shoes! I always have! Taralee seems to follow in my footsteps. If there are shoes lying around, shortly you will be hearing clomp clomp clomping around. Her shoe of choice seems to be Ellie's Pink Princess Shoes.

The Pink Princess Shoes!

The whole get up! Shoes, wand, and crown! She came out of her room all dressed up this way. She did it all by herself no one was in the room with her.

Three of her favorite things...Bryndee's Flips, 3 Purses, and her Blankie!
Torie's shoes!

I just threw this in to show how long her eye lashes are. I know her face is dirty and gross, we just finished dinner and she enjoyed her spaghetti!

Ron Is A Sleepy Head!

Sunday evening Ron was reading books to the little girls and I guess exhaustion set in. You can see the book he was reading to them resting on his leg.

Torie My Sleepy Head!

At least 3 nights a week you can find Torie sound asleep on the couch at about 7:30. She has always been our sleepy head. She will have friends over for a late night and can't make it to the 10:00 mark, leaving her friends to be entertained by Kymber. She comes by it naturally though. I was just like this as a kid. It would be 8:00 and my Mom would say where is Andrea? They would usually find my asleep in bed. I guess I am still this way. What can I say? We like our sleep!

Bryndee! Isn't She Cute?

Bryndee is really enjoying cheer! Last week they had a Spirit Spectacular! This is show of all the cheer squads in the district, Jr. High and High School. Bryndee's whole cheer squad (Freshman, JV, and Varsity) all danced and cheered together. I tried to upload a video clip of her performance and blogger would have nothing of it. I guess I can just tell you they did a really good job. I am amazed Bryndee has it in her. I was never coordinated enough to dance! I don't know where she gets it from, but she definitely has it!

Beautiful face! This will most likely be her last picture with braces she gets them off in a couple of weeks!

Isn't she cute?

Bryndee and some of her friends! Jessica, Lexi (EFY Roomie), Bryndee, and Yazzie (he always seems to be around but that is OK!)

Braces For The Bug!

Porter finally got his braces! He was pretty excited to get them on and over with. Don't you love his rather large spittin gap between his 2 front teeth? He has been wearing an expander for the past 6 weeks. It was amazing to see how quickly his upper pallet expanded. That spittin gap was not there 6 weeks ago, in fact his teeth used to be quite snug. When he got them on he would say things like... "This isn't too bad! My teeth hardly hurt! I don't know why people complain it isn't that bad!" I never had braces so I didn't know how to warn him of things to come. Well 2 days after he got them on I got a call from the school nurse saying there had been an accident at school. When I got to the school (in all my glory I might add-I was just getting into the shower when the phone rang) Porter's top lip was stuck in one of his braces. He was playing football and he and another kid ran into each other. I guess the impact was pretty hard because his lip was stuck. The nurse refused to mess with it, I tried to pull it off and it was not going to give. After about 45 minutes of Porter messing with it, It finally tore loose. He now has 2 large holes in his swollen and black and blue lip. It hurts pretty bad and he can hardly talk. Poor guy! He now wants his braces off! He does not care what he looks like! Sorry Bug it is not going to happen! Your lip will heal! Porter happy with his new metal mouth!

This picture does not do it justice! You can see a little bit of the swelling, but inside is where the most damage is! It is gross!
Porter trying to smile, but his lip won't let him!

Cross Country...Some Love It, Torie Does Not!

Porter and Torie got the opportunity to compete in cross country. Porter really enjoyed it last year so I was not surprised when he wanted to compete again. But Torie on the other hand I was shocked. Torie does not like to walk across the street much less run a mile, so when she said she wanted to compete I tired to talk her out of it but she insisted. After the first practice she wanted to quit. I informed her that was not an option. I paid $25 for her to participate, $30 for new tennis shoes, and $15 for the physical if she quit she owed me a total of $70. Her mind quickly changed. But my Torie is a smart one! She realized if she didn't get her eligibility form signed by her teachers she could not participate. The first meet comes and she can't run. But her mom is smarter! I informed Torie for every meet she missed, she would owe me $5. Guess what? She ran every meet and participated in every practice. She never won, she never came close to winning but she finished the season and I am proud of her.

Porter and his buddies!

Boys will be Boys!

Torie and her friends!

Torie getting ready to cross the finish line. If you look closely Porter is running along side her encouraging her to the end. I love moments like this when I can see they really do like each other.Anyone got a little crack? I just had to include this. Anytime Taralee bends over this is what we see.