Fun Abbey

Abbey is such a blast! This little one is fiesty and crazy! She does whatever she can to run with the big kids, no way is she going to be left behind. She chases Lucas and Lea and even tries to push around other big kids who come to play. She runs along the couches and dives for the armrests. I have caught her a couple times before she nose-dived off the edge.

She has an open door ocd - she can't stand to have them open. The other day she was running our hallway, came past the laundry doors, stopped, turned around, closed the doors (you couldn't even tell they were open unless right next to them), and kept running to the living room.

She has learned a few new words - very important to any girl's vocabulary.

hewo - hello
bah-bah daddy - bye, bye, daddy
byyyee - bye

All of which are said into anything used as a telephone - the remote control is one of her favorites "phones".

choo- shoe, she will back up on my lap for me to put her shoes on.
and my all time favorite she learned today was "cool".

Yes, Lucas is climbing in the cupboard. He would open the door for me to take his picture and before I could even say "Smile", Abbey had closed the door in his face - they crack each other up!

One other crazy thing - she loves the ice maker and every time anyone uses it, she is right there to pick up the ice that falls to the floor. Or she will plop right down and wait for her cup to be filled and the lid on. Funny girl!

I wanna be like.......Coach

That last two Sundays and even a couple more before this, I have been fixing Lucas' hair for church. I part it on the side and it's really cute. Lucas is full of chatter and usually it's whining about how Lea hit him, someone took his toy or Abbey pushed him. Poor boy with only sisters. :)  Anyway, he looks in the mirror and comments "You fixing my hair?" yes. "I wanna look like coach." Oh yeah, Coach Jeff? "Yeah, I wanna look like Coach Jeff."

Well, coach is not my Jeff. Coach is Jeff Porter - who coached Lea's soccer team back in February and we have probably seen Becky's Jeff  maybe 4 times since then. (we refer to our husbands as mine, yours and your Jeff because there are at least 3 of us with Jeff/Geoff husbands) They are in a different ward and are finished with church before we even get started. The couple times we've seen Bishop Porter (see he goes by so many titles, it's easy to be confused...) at church, Lucas has said, yelled, shouted, whatever, "There's Coach, Hi coach, there's Coach. Mom, there's Coach, Lea there's Coach. Hi Coach, hi!" It's never to Bishop Porter, it's merely stated that we can see him across the parking lot or as we walk into the church. So Lucas adores Coach Jeff and wants to look like him every Sunday - Jeff,  you have a fan! :)

What do you think - do they look alike?! No? At least the hair is the same style. :)

Sink or swim

Lea and Lucas took swim lessons twice this year. For one week at my parent's local pool in WA and then each for 2 weeks at Aqua Babes with Miss Erin. Lea's lessons were great as she had done swim lessons before. Lucas has never taken swim lessons, but the kid is not afraid of the water. We (actually it's Jeff and my dad) have pulled him out several times while swimming because he just keeps running - thinking he can run on water, but he does in fact sink. I was really nervous for him to start, but he definitely needed it.

At Luke's first swim lesson with Miss Shayla, the teacher held his hand and helped him jump in. I told Shayla the next day, he will jump in by himself, just be prepared to catch him....sure enough he jumped in saying "CATCH ME!" on his way into the pool. Crazy kid.

Being helped off the diving board by Miss Shayla - he would only go off one time. They'd ask if he wanted to go again. "No" and he kept walking.

"CATCH ME!" Jumping to Channing (I used to babysit him and his 3 brothers when they were Luke's age...another time and a whole bunch of stories....)

Lea is quite the opposite - very cautious, loves the water, but will not do anything without someone to watch her. She loves Miss Stefany and has had her for the last 2 years when we go to Washington. She's great with the kids and doesn't put up with any whining and crying. She's very patient and sweet with the kids and well she's just great all around.

Miss Stefany trying to coax Lea to come with her to swim

She has improved greatly on the board - the teachers (even my sister-in-law helped a couple times) used to hold her hand until they couldn't reach her anymore and she would move ever so slowly to the end of the board and wait....wait.... and finally jump in. This year, she's all on her own, but still needed to jump to someone so she didn't go too far under. She doesn't even plug her nose anymore - thanks Miss Erin!

Abbey got to sit on the sidelines and hang with me - next year though, next year. She loves the water too.

While on vacation this July, I decided it would be best for them to get more than a week of lessons (this was only because we were at my parents house for one week of a 2 week session) - so we signed the kids up with Aqua Babes having heard great things about Miss Erin. She didn't disappoint - she's a fantastic teacher!

Lea started first and started on the first day of school - it was a LONG day and a LONG, LONG two weeks while we adjusted to the new schedule. Lea has a strong dislike for putting her face in the water (sorry that's my fault - I hate getting my face wet). Everytime she was swimming, Miss Erin would say "Chin down, Lea, chin down" I would find myself pushing my chin down as if that would make Lea's head go down. Kind of like when your husband yells at the TV at his favorite football team - as if they can actually hear you and will do what you want....not so much, but a good effort. Anyway, Lea did great and was able to swim one lap of the pool by the end of lessons. She absolutely detests doing sitdown dives (thus the dislike of getting her face wet), and was "helped" more than a few times by Erin to get to the bottom of the pool for the diving ring. Lea told me once "Miss Stefany doesn't make us do sitdown dives." She does, she doesn't make you dive to the bottom of the pool - nice try. :)

Pics: First day; Lea and Madelyn waiting their turn; popsicle day! - she passed! wahoo!

In Luke's class - there was him and another little 3 year old Mereck (brother of Madelyn in Lea's class - they're about 6 days apart) and then 2 - 5 year olds. I was nervous about putting him in a Beginner 2 class, but he did so awesome! It was such a boy class - like a little locker room of boys. Cheering each other on, giving high fives and just being crazy! They bonded and were a great team.  He was disappointed the first day because he wanted to jump in and Miss Erin had him stay in the water to practice. Lucas struggled to close his mouth when he went under water. You'll see she'd tell him to take a big breath, but he would take it too early - she had to squish his cheeks one day to make him take a new breath. There was one day where I thought he was going to drown, but he was able to flip over on his back with some assistance from Erin. That was the only time I saw him panic in the water - heart wrenching, but he was amazing! I would hear the same thing about Lucas "Chin down, Lucas, chin down...." come on kids! :) By the end of the 2 weeks, he was doing sit down dives and swimming a half lap.

He passed! Well sort of, needs to take this course again and get better, then can move on - still not to shabby for his first full lesson!

Even Jeff and Abbey had a good time watching - Abbey has finally taking a liking to her dad. Which of course Jeff loves - it only took a year, but we made it! :)

Thank you so much Erin, Shayla and Stefany!!

9/11/01

I remember that day as clear as if it were today. Not saying too much, but I do remember a lot of it. :) Jeff and I were married on August 2nd, 2001, so we had barely been married a month and were living in Provo, Utah going to BYU. We got a call early morning 7 am-ish - it was before we had to be to school and it was Jeff's brother Steven. He asked if we were watching tv, nope. Well turn it on! We had just been attacked in New York City. Unbelievable, Jeff bolted for the TV turned it on and all I heard was "No way, oh my gosh, no way". I ran to see what he was talking about and we stood there watching the news, wondering what the heck was going on. We went to school and I could barely pay attention - it was unreal. It was like watching a movie - so real, but it had to be fake. I was working at Computer Support in the Wilkinson Center. I went to work and they had a TV on in there, we watched the rest of the new reports and everything else that went on. My friend (former roommate) Alyssa - her dad worked in the Pentagon, so when that was hit, I instantly thought of her and hoped he was okay.

As the days unfolded and stories started pouring out of the selflessness of those involved, although I didn't know any of them, I was truly grateful for each of them and was amazed at how the Lord had gone to work preparing us and helping us heal. Those who risked their lives to save their co-workers, those who were late to work and saved, who followed a prompting to not go to work and so many more. A friend of mine who was moving from Canada to Washington State with her little family and made the move just days before 9/11 - she wouldn't have been able to move after 9/11 because the borders were shut down. So many stories and so many heros - firefighters, police officers, medical personnel and every other individual that went through that horrible day.

I love the songwriters who were inspired to create music to remember this day and others similar - Pearl Harbor, World Wars 1 and 2, Vietnam, Persian Gulf War, and so many more. I remember listening to Toby Keith's "Courtesy of the Red White and Blue" and "Proud to be an American" by Lee Greenwood, Alan Jackson's "Where were you when the world stopped turning...". I still get choked up when I hear these songs. It was amazing to watch as our nation pulled together out of our own petty problems and disagreements, to be one nation to stand up for our great nation and the people who died. I appreciate George W. Bush - he's a great leader and one who was definitely needed for that time.

I still have a few of the papers from that day and days to follow and will hold onto those as part of history during my lifetime. I don't know exactly where they are, but I come across them every now and again and the same feelings come. A sense of pride for my country - grateful to military and their families, sadness for those who lost loved ones and just how precious life is and how quickly it can change.


I get choked up everytime I hear the National Anthem and see people stand for the Pledge of Allegiance, at the Olympics, at school, baseball games, football, doesn't matter where - I love it! Especially to see the kids stand and repeat it. It's a touching moment to see Lea stand with her fellow classmates and say the Pledge of Allegiance followed by a moment of silence.

"It was a war we did not start, but were called upon to finish". (From "The Price of Freedom")

Thank you and we will never forget.

Small Obsession.......BYU football

I have a small confession to make. I am obsessed with BYU football. Not like some people I know, but I do love the game and BYU. Ever since I was little, I can remember BYU football. LaVell Edwards was the Bishop of my mom and dad's ward when they attended BYU. Every year for Spring Break we went to Utah to visit family and would ALWAYS stop at BYU to see LaVell, the BYU bookstore, eat in the CougarEat and see Kristin and Kraig who were attending there. I remember going to the blue/white game in the now Practice Fields. I even met Ty Detmer in the Football offices. He autographed his Heisman photo for me. I still have it somewhere and had a Heisman poster of Ty and his trophy in my room. My dad would wake us (at least me) up to the Cougar Fight Song: "Rise and shout the Cougars are out....." (go ahead and sing along) I remember watching Bowl games at the Cartwrights (family friends - we would share holiday meals together and Twin Lakes) because we didn't have cable and cheering on the blue and white. Of my immediate family, there are a LOT of BYU grads - my mom and dad, 3 siblings and their spouses, Jeff and I and my nephew will attend BYU-I this fall. Of my siblings and spouses (including parents) 10 of 16 graduated from BYU.
 
I am however, not as obsessed as say my husband Jeff. His family is insanely crazy fans - well a few of them - Nathan, Jeff, a few cousins and uncles and Grandma Risenmay (Jeff's grandma). Also there are few friends of ours that are how do you say: well I'm not sure words can express the bizarre behavior exhibited by such friends during games.........ahem......Scott, Pete, John, Jake and a few others I know......but all in good fun right!? Well whatever, I won't get into how up and down they are when they watch a game......that would fill an entire book!


In honor of BYU, I have made a few items to show our loyalty (and really so Jeff will indulge my creative outlets...) - aside from buying season tickets while living in Provo, driving for games, and buying "fan" t-shirts after we moved to AZ. I've put together a few BYU items of our own. Enjoy and if you're a Ute fan.....well - we can still be friends. Just don't tell Jeff - that may be another story. :)

  This is in Lucas' room - made this when he was littler and painted his room before Abbey was born. It was a proud day for Jeff when I called him at work and Lucas (who was barely 2 at the time) was chanting "B-Y-U, B-Y-U, Gooooooo, Cougars!" Awwww........ :)

This is hanging outside our front door and was inspired by "JOY" signs we made at last year's Super Saturday.


My latest was this: I took our old lame mouse pad to a computer that we no longer use. This mouse pad is 8 1/2 years old - we got it when we were first married and bought our first computer which has since been replaced this year as well.  

 And turned it into a Masterpiece.....sort of. :) Fun huh!!?

First day of 1st grade

This was back on Aug 3rd and it has been a roller coaster ever since. I thought I would love it, and I do and Lea does, but it's an adjustment...again. After being gone for a month and having barely any structure, we got home the night before school started and structure began with a vengeance. Anywho, here's some pictures of my big first grader! :) Her teacher is Mrs. Noyes and has a few of the same kids from last year. Max and Charity are from our ward and Sarah Lish from Capitol Ward.

Jeff was able to stay home a little later to send Lea off to her first big day. She starts at 9 am.

Not a great picture, but true to form of what quality photos I can get with 3 little ones. The other picture was worse..... :)Lea at her desk with Alyssa behind her - from Kindergarten. Awwww, so precious and even has a "school" bow for the first day. Her hair is a lot of fun - we do lots of fun things to be a little different in the uniforms - which I LOVE!!!!