Thompson Tales

Out Of The Mouths.........

2011-10-25T09:55:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Madden and I were in the kitchen ready to make him lunch before sending him off on the school bus. He told me I needed to guess what he wanted to eat. So began the list of usual lunchtime kiddie food; grilled cheese, hot dog, chicken noodle soup, chicken nuggets, etc. After a few guesses I asked for a small hint.
"It starts with a W," he said.
.........crickets......more crickets.........
"Madden, I can't think of one thing that starts with a W. Help me out, K?"
"Mom, think about it! Wha,wha, wha.......it starts with the sound of "W". Wha...wha...wha....(these sounds are accompanied by a dramatic eye roll, because seriously, how dumb is his Mom right now?!)
"FINE!" he said, "I'll just tell you! Wha, wha, wha.......Whaman Noodles!"

Gotcha buddy. Sorry to be so slow.
I did follow this conversation up with another about how it really starts with an R. We practiced a few times but it's going to be a while before the W's get replaced with the R's. Maybe once his missing teeth grow back in.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Last week I took the kids out to buy odds and ends to finish up their Halloween costumes. After a stop at Toys R Us, Hobby Lobby and Walmart I told Mason that we were going to go to Savers and DI. He asked what Savers was and I told him it's kind of like DI where they sell things that people have donated because they don't need them any longer. His reply?
"So it's EXACTLY like DI. They take crap people don't want anymore, slap a price on it, sell it and call it charity."

A little harsh but yep, that about sums it up.

It's Great To Be 8!

2011-10-05T15:35:00.000-07:00

Today you're 8 and I'm reminded again how fast time goes by. I remember the day you were born like it was yesterday. We were so excited to have a little girl join the ranks. You had a perfect round face & a perfect round head (compliments of a c-section) and the most beautiful pair of lips I've ever seen.
You were the smallest of our babies but quickly grew beyond that. You were a very happy baby as long as we kept you fed, changed and generally gave you everything you wanted.
Now you're becoming such a beautiful girl. You're eager to please your teachers. You love babies. You always describe a past event by explaining exactly what you or others were wearing or how your hair was done. You really pay attention to those details. You're excited to be 8 and happy to be in 2nd grade. We love you Mia Anne! Happy Birthday!

*Photo's compliments of Ruth Done Photography :)

Will Be Missed

2011-09-17T08:01:00.001-07:00

Matt's brother Darin passed away Wednesday morning. I can't imagine losing any of my brothers so to think this is the second brother he's lost in just a few years seems a little overwhelming. Darin's life was hard. He struggled often. We'll miss him a lot!

Darin Roger Thompson, 40, beloved father, son, brother, uncle, nephew, cousin and friend, passed away on Wednesday September 14, 2011, choosing to leave this life to a better place, free from pain and struggle.
Darin was born January 17th, 1971 in Ogden Utah to Merlene Woodland and Roger Douglas Thompson. Darin was reared and spent most of his life in Garland Utah. He was a natural athlete in his youth where things seemed to come too easy for him. He made friends easily and had a big heart. From adolescence to adulthood Darin unfortunately was led to a life of addiction and incarceration that became too overwhelming to overcome, a life that even the best efforts of family and friends couldn’t persuade. It will be the times of goodness that we as a family will remember most, times when he was fighting to be on the Lord’s side, loving and giving to all around him.
Darin is a member of the LDS Church and gained a testimony of the Gospel late in life, specifically of the Prophet Joseph and the Restoration. Darin was a talented Poet, having written many great works that we will cherish.
Darin is survived by his son Dale, parents Merlene Woodland and Roger (Cindy) Thompson, siblings Matt (April) Thompson, Holly M. Stone, Scott (Tiffany) Stone, Tamaria Bradley, Nick Thompson , Dyllan Thompson as well as his nieces and nephews and countless loving family and friends. He was preceded in death by a brother, Justin Stone.Funeral Services will be held Monday September 19, 2011 at 11:00 am at the Garland Third Ward LDS Church, 175 South Main, Garland with Bishop Jim Hall officiating. Family and friends may call from 6:00-8:00 p.m. Sunday, September 18, 2011 at Rudd’s Funeral Home, 1234 South Main Garland and from 9:30-10:30 Monday at the church. Interment will be at the Garland cemetery following the funeral.

Matt wrote the obituary & I think it's PERFECT!

We love you Darin.

Like, Totally Fun!!

2011-08-22T08:57:00.000-07:00

A little over a week ago Celeste turned the big 40!! What a great excuse to party, right? Shaun did a great job putting an 80's themed party together and we all had a blast dressing up and doing our hair BIG to get ready for the festivities! Here's Celeste & Shaun. Celeste said her hair got caught in her sunroof on the way over....did I say BIG hair?! The party was a blast. We had Cafe Rio pork salads, or as they say, a little bit of heaven :) Shaun had his Atari set up on the big screen, 80's music videos playing on one wall, we had Rubix Cube competitions (which I humbly sat out...didn't want to make anyone feel stupid by smokin the compitition. Did I mention I hate Rubix Cubes? Well I do, they make me feel super dumb and the only way I ever got all the colors on each side was by a.) taking off the stickers and reapplying them correctly or b.) just taking the DANG thing apart and put it back together. Hate those things!) Whew, ok back to the party. There was a photographer there so we could get our "dance"pictures taken just like in High School. We played a fun game to get things rolling after dinner and then we settled in doing some karaoke until the wee hours of the morning. Did I say it was a blast? Cause it was!!!

Tip: in case you were wondering, Savers & DI work great for for finding 80's digs.

Tip: Aqua Net still works the best to get your bangs to the sky! Yes, they still sell it. I found it at my neighborhood Walmart and we all know that EVERY neighborhood has a Walmart!

Tip: If you ever had big hair and you try to go back to your big hair ways, your hair will remember and gladly comply.

Here's the group of men. Handsome aren't they?

Amber, Jayme and Celeste doing the infamous drill team fist-under-chin pose that was in all the 80's yearbooks. At least Davis High yearbooks.

Brad & Jayme. Brad had a nasty curly red mullet coming out of the back of his hat. NASTY!! Jayme was dressed and had her hair done just like someone my family all remembers well (I'm not naming names to protect feelings as well as save Jayme from hearing it one more time. Spot on Jayme, intentional or not!).

Ashton & Ruth..you go girls. Ashton reminds me of Stephanie Tanner from Full House. It was really fun to have Celeste's kids and their friends at the party. However, I think we may have scarred them for life with our karaoke.

The awards ceremony was a bust, mostly because I didn't win anything ;)

Actually it was really fun to vote for our favorites. Ruth & Matt both won for best karaoke performance. I think Matt has secretly waited his entire life to karaoke Ice Ice Baby! Joe got up to do it and after just a few seconds Matt couldn't take it any longer and jumped up to join in. Really he took over, showing off his skills as a white rapper and his lack of constructive things to do as a youth with his memorized lyrics.....I couldn't be more proud!

They gave out awards for highest hair and best 80's costume.

We took a minute as sisters to recreate this picture. We had one taken just like this when we were much younger but our hair was probably just as big. Thanks to Jody from Limelight Photography for hanging out and capturing the night for us. Can't wait to see how the pictures turn out.

The party was a blast! We love you Celeste! Thanks to all the family & friends who took the time to celebrate Celeste's big day with us!

PS: watch for your performances on a You Tube channel near you!

Happy Birthday Big Guy!

2011-06-14T21:18:00.000-07:00

Happiest of birthday's Madd-dawg! Where to begin? Wow, you're a stud! I don't know what your Dad and I did to derserve having you in our family but it must have been HUGE! There are so many things that I love about you, I honestly don't know where to start.

You have always been pretty mellow, happy and easy-going. You're pretty quick to give in without much arguement when Dad and I ask you to do something and you love to be around Mason and Mia.

You keep me on my toes asking me simple math questions all day long. For example,"Mom, what's 15 +15 + 6?"

You love to ask how old people are. In fact I think you asked me at least 4 times today how old my mom and dad are. (You already know the answer so I like to give you the wrong one just to hear you correct me).

You sing along to the radio constantly and know pretty much all the lyrics better than me. I think my favorite song to hear you sing is "Who Says" by Salina Gomez. You can seriously rock that beat!!

You love your back scratched at any moment, any place. I secretly totally enjoy it too because it's one of the rare moments in the day where you lay still and just talk to me.

You're a little picky with your food choices but you seem to be coming around a bit to trying new things.

You're new favorite thing is playing Ghost in the Graveyard with the bigger kids late at night.

You've mastered the art of raising one eyebrow and I love when you combine it with saying "How you doin?"

I have utterly and completely enjoyed having you around by yourself this past school year. I will miss you to pieces when you head off to kindergarten this Fall. I'm so glad they let me down easy by only having you away for 1/2 a day. Don't tell anyone but I might get a little misty-eyed when you leave me to fend for myself those first few days.

Madden, I find myself at a loss for words when I try to tell you how much I love you. You're the perfect addition to our family and we all love you so so much!

Happy Birthday, Big Guy! I just wanna eat you up!

Kids Say The Darndest Things

2011-04-19T13:46:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday we were stopped at an intersection waiting for the light to change. On one corner there was an older man with a scraggly beard and a smoke hanging out of the corner of his mouth. He was half-heartedly twirling a Little Caesar's Pizza sign trying to drum up some business for the pizza shop. From the back of the car Mason says, "Hey Mia, see that old guy on the corner with the sign? Let him be a lesson to you that you should go to college."

It's good to see all our lectures on the importance of education haven't fallen on deaf ears. :)

We have a house in our neighborhood that we pass several times a day. They always have their yard and windows decorated for the appropriate season/holiday. It's cute to see. One day we drove past and Mia says, "Mom, when are you going to start decorating our house cute like theirs?" Before I could respond, Mason answered for me. "Mia, they're old AND they have more money then we do."

SWEET!! I'm off the hook until I get older and as long as I can keep our kids believing we live in a state of poverty.

What We've Been Up To

2011-03-28T15:08:00.000-07:00

We gave our cabinet the face lift that it has needed for so very, very long.Before

After.

Matt and I did this together one weekend and we both love the final result!

Now the next project, well, it took longer than a weekend. Matt worked his buttocks off doing the kitchen. So many late, late nights mixed with a little blood, lots of sweat and just a few tears ;)

Before.

After.

We still have little odds and ends to finish up but it's come a long way! We were so anxious to get rid of the blue Formica. WOW the people who built this house LOVED blue. We've redone every surface in this house now except for the laundry room floor. That's coming up pretty quick towards the top of the Honey-Do list.

Thanks Mattie, it looks GREAT!

Happy Birthday Mason!!!

2011-03-07T09:28:00.000-08:00

Hey Mase,

Eleven. Seriously? I wish there was a way to slow time down a bit or at least rewind and pause here and there. I don’t know how you’re 11 but 11 you are and I’m trying to face the fact. You’re at such a great age. I love how you told me the other day that all the boys in your class except you and one other have girlfriends and I asked if you were feeling the pressure to snag one up for yourself. You said no but there are a couple of gals you have your eye on. Just remember to treat them nicely and always act like a gentleman. Take it from this old lady, girls love to feel taken care of.
I love how you’re not afraid to tell me the things you hear and see other’s do around you. It gives me a chance to help you filter what’s ok and what’s completely inappropriate (sadly there’s more of the later). It makes me feel like you trust me enough to share and I love that!
You’re great at so many things and perfect in all the right ways. You’re such a great reader and it makes me happy to see you enjoy a good book. You’re creative and smart. Oh so smart!! Wise beyond you’re years really. Sometimes I think you’re poor little body has to house that huge soul and it’s busting at the seams to get out. It’s fun to see it emerge into the great person you are becoming.
I love you so much! You make me laugh on a regular basis and put a smile on so many people’s faces! I feel so fortunate to be part of your life.

Happy Birthday, Buddy. I LOVE YOU!

ps: I added your playlist to our blog for your big day! Enjoy!

After All These Years

2011-02-09T16:34:00.000-08:00

15 years ago today found me marrying my best friend. Since then we've moved 6 times, earned 2 college degrees, added 3 amazing kids, moved jobs a few times and gained a few wrinkles and gray hairs along the way (shhh don't tell). If I had to do it again I'd do it all EXACTLY the same. All the ups, all the downs. They put us where we are today and I wouldn't change it for the world.

I love you Matt. Thank you for making me laugh regularly and not take myself too seriously. I married the perfect man for me.

Happy Anniversary!

20 Year Reunion

2011-02-07T15:20:00.000-08:00

Matt was in charge of his 20 year Bear Rive High reunion this past August. It took weeks, who am I kidding, MONTHS to plan. He did such a great job organizing and making sure he found as many people from his class as he could. It was held at Maddox Ranch House in Perry. The food was great and so was the company. It was fun for me to meet some of the people he grew up with that I haven't had a chance to meet yet. And of course it's always great to see those you haven't seen in a while.
As you can tell, it didn't take long for everyone to feel comfortable and get back to where they were 20 years ago.

Tiffany Summers was so great to step up and help Matt where she could. What a lifesaver! Thanks Tiffany for all your help, Matt was so appreciative!

It was so much fun for Matt (and myself) to see Ryan and Andrew again. These best friends haven't been together in the same room in 14 years (I think it was our wedding to tell you the truth). We've seen them both in the meantime but never together. It was so fun!!

Here we are with our "significant others". As long as Andrew doesn't skip the country again we hope to see these guys again soon!

Great job on the reunion Mattie. It was such a huge success. Your hard work REALLY paid off!

Mia's Surgery

2011-01-27T14:08:00.001-08:00

At the end of October Mia had eye surgery to keep her eyes from crossing. She was extremely nervous on the drive up to Primary's and in the waiting room. She cried a bit and who can blame her? Going under the knife is never a fun experience. But she was brave! She was still a little apprehensive in the exam room before we took her to pre-op. But once they gave her that sweet nectar that makes you feel good..she was a happy camper!
They strapped her in the wheelchair to get her to the waiting room since she soon lost all ability to stand or even talk. But she could still smile and she did a lot of that. She must have been feeling GROOVY.

Here's Daddy and Mia waiting to head down to the operating room. By now her nerves were completely gone and she was happy (and a bit drowsy).

The surgery was a huge success and Matt and I raced back as soon as we could to see her. They warned us that she would be a little irritable and she definitely fit that bill. That's one of the worst feelings to me, being under anesthesia and having to come to. You feel so tired and all you want is to keep sleeping. BUT NOOOO, every one's talking to you and asking you to wake up, and don't touch the part of your body that is killing you!

We went home after a couple of hours in recovery.

We've had a few check ups since then with her eye doctor and he is very pleased with the results. We are starting to lower her prescription on her glasses and hope to have her out of them sometime soon. Yay!!!

Projects

2011-01-27T10:07:00.000-08:00

Mason has a mind that stays in constant motion. He's always thinking at a very quick pace and sometimes it leaves me a little in the dust. I've randomly taken pictures lately of some of his little projects he's done to fill his time.These are his Mario creations from his Lego's. Some of them fell apart before I thought to get a picture but you get the point.

These are his Mario creations he did out of Fun Fusion (you know those little plastic beads that you iron to melt them together). He also made a bunch of Club Penguin stuff and Pokemon with these too but I don't have a picture.

These are from his stint with yarn projects. Last winter his teacher taught them how to make scarfs which they worked on at home and at school. He made these with the leftover yarn.

Then my Mom taught him how to crochet and he went crazy making necklaces, bracelets and rings for all the women in his life. He even made a set for his new little cousin Isla who lives in NH.

He draws like crazy too. Someday soon I will scan in some of his pictures. Right now he's into drawing Diary of a Wimpy Kid characters and I have to admit, he's pretty dang good. He also took to writing the first chapter of what he thinks should happen next in that series. Take it from me, IT'S PRETTY IMPRESSIVE!!

Kiddie Kollege Indians

2011-01-27T10:00:00.001-08:00

These were just too cute not to share (better late than never, right?). Madden and Eliza made these Indian digs at Kiddie Kollege. Most of the girls made Pilgrim girl hats and collars but in true Liza fashion, she chose the Indian boy. Oh I love this tom-girl and her raspy smokers voice!While Eliza was very proud of hers and was happy to participate in the photo op, Madden wanted nothing to do with it. I finally got him to put his stuff back on so I could get a picture. You'd never know he wasn't completely into it.
I hope these two stay the best of friends their whole lives! They're so fun to watch when they're together.

Thanksgiving (I'm a bit behind)

2011-01-27T09:53:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving 2010 was at the West Point City building again because it worked out so well last year. Most of my family was able to be there which is always a good time! The was pretty great as well. After we ate my Mom told the kids about the first Thanksgiving and shared a lot of little facts that I had never heard before. She always knows all the little things that make a story interesting.
Matt's Mom and his sister Holly came along with us. It was fun to have them there and give our kids a chance to spend some time with them.
We went home with full stomachs and good memories, so I'd say it was a big success!

Go Mia!!

2011-01-26T14:59:00.000-08:00

This past Fall, Mia took 1st place in her grade for reflections. She was so excited about the trophy. It doesn't hurt that it's purple and sparkly. The theme was "Together We Can" and she drew a great picture of the earth with kids sitting all around it. In January we got to go to a special awards night for all the kids that went on to district. Mia was super excited but got really nervous when they called her name.
We are so proud of her and how well she did. She loves to participate in everything she can at school and winning an award for something was even better!

Way to go Mia! We are SO proud of you!!!!!!

Gracie's Tree

2011-01-26T11:59:00.000-08:00

Last Christmas at the Festival of Trees my family decided to do a tree this year (2010) in honor of Grace. It was a large undertaking but after an amazing amount of kindness and donations from so many people and a TON of work, it turned out to be a very sweet labor of love. We decorated it with little girl shoes in black, pink, white and silver. Grace loved shoes so it seemed very fitting to include her personality into the tree. We had so many people who donated shoes and money. It wouldn't have been possible without them.

The morning of November 29th we headed down to the South Town Expo Center to set up and decorate the tree. It was such a great experience to be there with my parents and my sisters. It was a fun atmosphere and really touching to be among other people and hear the stories of what inspired each of their trees.

We never would have made it through without my Dad there to help us get the tree up so we could decorate it. The whole thing took the better part of the day.

We had Kelly Sansom take these pictures so we could make up Thank You cards to send to the MANY people who made this possible! What a great experience! Now that I've had a couple of months to recuperate, I can say I think I would actually do this again :) !!

M.I.A.

2011-01-26T11:32:00.000-08:00

Around these parts MIA is a name but to most of the population it's an acronym for Missing In Action. Which is exactly what I've been to this sad little blog. After being informed NUMEROUS times by my little family that our blog needed a bit more attention, I'm finally consenting and getting caught up. Hang on tight cause here comes a whirlwind of updates :)

I know, it's about time!

It's Been A Year

2010-11-07T17:21:00.000-08:00

Dear Gracie,A year ago heaven became a better place. Time goes slow here on earth and we miss you every single day. However, your parents and siblings do so much to celebrate your life and your place in their family. You must be really proud to belong with them.

Other people around your family do so much to celebrate your life as well. Look how beautiful your tree looked this morning! Your family woke up to this sweet gesture. See what I mean? So many great people around here.

Your Mom and Dad invited us to the cemetery this evening to let off balloons. They had lots of bright pretty colors. Pink ones too, just for you!

Look at this group. Wasn't it amazing to see how many people's lives you've touched? There's hundreds who aren't in this picture. Your short little 15 months on earth altered the lives of so many people.

We counted down from 10 and let them all float to heaven. I know heaven's a beautiful place but I also know that you're helping to make this earthly existence a beautiful experience for so many of us. I'm amazed everyday at the strength your parents show, how strong your siblings are and how much Heavenly Father send his spirit to our lives when we're in need.

Thank you for a year of true love, humility and Grace. And here's to many, many more!

Love always,

Aunt April

Ella es mia ( She is mine..or she is MIA!!!!)

2010-10-08T09:43:00.000-07:00

My little girl is growing up! I took this picture and was suprised to see how much she has changed in the last year. Mia turned 7 on Tuesday Oct 5th....seven! This picture is an indication of the trouble and anxiety that awaits me as she continues to blossom into the most beautiful and sweet ( ok..sassy and bossy on occasion) girl in the world!

Mia, Your daddy loves you and is so blessed to have you . I have said that having one daughter is enough for any family... I don't know how Amber and Gary do it with 5! You are a handful ( figuratively and by stature) at times yet I wouldn't trade you for anything in the world.

Thanks for being you, a person that attracts friends easily and tries to be kind and inviting to all around you, a champion of the downtrodden (those whom you may run over that are a full head shorter than you included here :).

I LOVE YOU SOOOOO MUCH MIA MOOOOO!

Dad

Never Assume......

2010-09-08T17:50:00.000-07:00

As I went through Mia's bag after school today, this is what I came upon: Apparently they practiced writing and spelling short words like "Dan" & van. When I saw the comment her teacher wrote I had to ask the same thing. "Hey Mia, what's happening here with Dan?"
She answered proudly, "He's fixing a van."

Clearly.

Back 2 The Grindstone

2010-08-20T12:55:00.000-07:00

I've had a sense of panic over school starting next week. I’m sure it will evoke a sigh of relief when the bus pulls away Monday morning. So for that, I’m ready. I figured out however, that my panic is for the early morning tug and pull of getting the offspring out the door, setting the alarm again after a summer full of lazy mornings. I’m selfish and have become quite lazy. Time to kick it in the tooshy and get back in gear.
After attending Back To School Night I’m actually getting more excited. I couldn’t be happier with the teachers the kids have. Bring on the homework. Yuck! I’ve had a large amount of anxiety about helping Mason with his math this year. To put it lightly….math is not my forte. It’s Matt’s. Since he’s not here at homework time I’ve been a little worried. Then I figured it all out: We’d scan in Mason’s homework and email it to Matt then they would have a set time where they could Skype each other and wha-la…homework done with the help of his ingenious Dad. I’m thinking this is brilliant (and it gets me out of looking like the fool that I am ). So with a deep breath and a long sigh I say; bring it on!

On a lighter side, flatulence is the source of many laughs at our house and the other day one of the kids passed gas in the car at the bank. Laughing ensued. Then Mason’s mind starts working up scenarios and he said,
“Hey Mom, what if someone got in our car after I tooted. Then they smell it and say ‘Ewwww! Who died in here?’ And you say, ‘Just Mason’s dignity.’”
I laughed. Because really, I have no dignity left so why should my kids?

No More Hearts

2010-07-21T13:13:00.000-07:00

The last day of school I decorated the kids bedroom doors with signs telling them how proud we were of them finishing up this past school year. I also plastered several hearts cut from construction paper all over the doors to go with the sign. They've both left them on their doors since that day.
We had a new visitor over on Sunday. Matt's brother Justin has a son Matthew who is just a few months older then Mason. We've seen him on a few occasions but this was the first time he's been to our home. Matthew and Mason got along well as Matthew directed the conversation to include how many girl friends each had had and what video games they liked the best.
After everyone had left for the evening I went in Mason's room and found him standing in there and the sign and hearts sitting on top of his dresser in a pile.
"You took your stuff off your door, huh?"
"Yeah. I just kind of felt embarrassed when Matthew was here."
"That's OK. I don't want you to feel embarrassed."
"Yeah. Hey Mom? Maybe next time don't put hearts on my door. They're kind of not cool."
"Oh, sorry Mase. I didn't even think that maybe hearts weren't cool. I'll leave them off next time."
"Well don't leave them off.......maybe just next time.....put stars up instead."

Point made. I'm holding on to the idea that maybe he's too old for hearts but somewhere in his handsome head, he still wants me to decorate his door. In the back of my mind I've always hoped I'd be the Mom that would stay cool and my kids wouldn't get embarrassed by me or what I do. I was wrong. I guess I didn't expect the tiny sting when he outgrew my heart(s).

Happy Birthday Mattie. I Love You!

2010-07-16T22:58:00.000-07:00

What a way to spend a birthday. We kept busy celebrating the big day. The kids and I made him a cake and decorated the kitchen early this morning. Mason made him a breakfast of bacon and cereal and delivered it to him in bed. We gave him his gifts and cards and sang to him to get the day started.
We took the kids to the Aquatic Center to swim. We got there about 20 minutes before it opened and I still had to race another mom to get a spot in the shade. It was about 100 degrees today so the place was packed. We stayed until about 3:30 but I think the kids could have stayed a few more hours without any problem.
Later this evening we left the kids in the capable hands of our nephew and got our grub on at Goodwood. YUM!! Good food, good company and an appetizer on the house....what more could either of us ask for?
Then it was off to the movie, the late show if you can believe it! We're OLD and we still made it through the late show. We've still got it in us Babe! ;)

We had a long and FUN day celebrating your birthday, Matt. Thank you for being such a wonderful husband, father, friend...etc. I love you more today than on the day I married you. Good thing I'm signed up for FOREVER!!

Happy Birthday Mattie! I LOVE YOU!

Happy Birthday Gracie!

2010-07-09T21:38:00.000-07:00

Today is Gracie's 2nd birthday.Amber and Gary were gracious enough to invite us to celebrate with them and their girls. We spent the day swimming at the aquatic center with most of the cousins. The kids played long and hard in the sun and when the clouds rolled in we were ready to pack up and head home.

The Hill's went miniature golfing and afterwords we met at their house for a BBQ and ice cream and cake.

After our stomachs were full we all loaded up and headed down to the cemetery. Her grave marker was put in a few weeks ago. It's AMAZING!! I love how it turned out. Amber and Gary did a great job designing something that reminds us perfectly of her. A cute little toy box with pictures of everything that says Grace.

I love the shoes. Gracie loved shoes and these are exactly the ones I picture her in.

Letter blocks with her initials.

The front has an elephant, a bear,a lion and a lamb. It's so sweet. What better to remember a child than with a toy box? It's a happy, sweet and sacred spot. I LOVE IT!

Thank you Hill's for inviting us all to celebrate Gracie. We miss her and love her so much. We love you too.

Happy Birthday Grace!

Memorial Day

2010-06-18T12:54:00.000-07:00

We had a busy Memorial Day that started on Sunday. We went to visit Grace's grave that evening. We were lucky enough to run into Kirsten & Matt and Landon there too. Kirsten was sweet and made Muddy Buddies for Grace. That was one of her favorite treats. I remember how much she use love them.

The kids got to play with Landon. My kids LOVE HIM!!!! And for the record, so do Matt and I ;)

Madden had a great time running around and trying to name all the letters on the headstones. He's really into saying and recognizing letters and asking how to spell different words.

On Monday we made a trip up to Garland to visit Justin's grave. It's hard to believe he's been gone for 3 years.

The kids had fun running around this cemetery too and all of them tried to climb the trees.

On the way home from Garland we stopped in Willard to see Matt's grandparents' grave. Madden had to use the bathroom so our visit to this cemetery was short lived.

Then it was home to a bbq at Celeste and Shaun's neighbors. They're nice enough to ask us to join them now and again when they smoke some kind of yummy meat. This time it was turkey. It was really good.

After that we headed to my parents with the plan to visit my grandparents graves. We ended up staying to play at Mom and Dad's and helping pick up LOTS of branches in the yard from Dad and Russ cutting limbs down. Boy were there a ton of branches and twigs but there were a lot of us too so it made for a fairly quick job.

We never did make it to the other cemetery's. We'll make that a priority to get over there very soon.

School's Out!

2010-06-18T12:15:00.000-07:00

Our neighbors behind us have a tradition of hosting a "Meet the Bus" party on the last day of school. It's such a fun tradition that we've loved being a part of. As the bus comes down the street it's led by a police car with it's siren on then the bus drives through a big paper banner welcoming the start of summer vacation! They have balloons, popcorn, cotton candy, cookies and drinks.
All the kids from the neighborhood are invited along with their parents. Madden & Eliza had a blast (not to mention they got a REALLY BIG sugar rush!).

Here's Mia with Britton and Megan. YAY!!! School's out!!

Mason in line for the popcorn. My kids take after me in their love for popcorn. It's a staple around our place.

Here's Amber, Annie and Livie enjoying another one of my favorite treats....cotton candy!! YUM!

After we got our fill we walked to Amber's to let the kids play in the pool & sprinklers. They had a neighbor give them a tent for their trampoline. It's awesome and the kids had a blast playing in it with the sprinklers on.

Welcome summer. Oh how we love thee...

County Report & School Programs

2010-06-18T12:00:00.000-07:00

Both of the kids had programs to end the school year. Mason's program was all about the great state of Utah. Before the program started we got to walk through all the 4th grade rooms and see the kids county reports, shoebox floats and maps. Mason was assigned Iron County and his float depicts Zion's National Park. He did a great job on all of it! Way to go Mase!
The program was darling. They had it outside on the front steps so all the families could watch from the front lawn. You could tell the kids had worked really hard on it.
Here's Mason & Annie getting ready to perform. It's fun to have the Hill's to enjoy all these fun times with. Annie did a great job on her duet and Mason did awesome dancing the Virginia Reel (is that how you spell it?). I was so proud of these guys!!!

I think the speed must have been off on the camera for Mia's program. Sorry. Anyway, Mia's program was a week before Mason's and they had theirs in the auditorium. We got to see and hear all the things they learned this year. They've worked hard too. It was so cute!!!

I think this picture shows exactly how it must be to teach kindergarten. Everyone doing their own thing. hehe. :)

Mia you did a wonderful job!

Now bring on 5th and 1st grade

4 Years Already?

2010-06-14T14:07:00.000-07:00

Today you turned 4. As soon as you were born it was as if you'd always been here. I think heaven sends babies this way. Each one a perfect match for the family they enter. You certainly are a perfect fit in ours.

Things about You:

You've always been very pleasant and easy going

You love to rough-house and be tickled

You're observant and smart

You're 100% BOY!!

You love bacon and ketchup although not necessarily together

You call grated parmesan cheese "shaky cheese"

You like shaky cheese on almost anything

You love your bedtime and it's not unusual for you to go to bed on your own if you're tired

You're usually the first one awake each morning

You have amazing dimples when you smile, which you do often

You give very frequent, random and unsolicited "I love you, Mom"s or "I love you, Dad"s.

You create a huge soft spot in my heart. I can't soak you into my soul enough. I get a little selfish but I love the time I get to have with you around. I'll be a bit lonely when you start preschool this fall. It makes our house feel alive when you're chunky, solid feet are running around. Oh those feet! You're solid from head to toe but honestly it's those big, chunky, yummy feet that I can't get enough of.

I love to see you sleeping. How you're still small enough that your comfy bed swallows you up. But I know very soon you'll fill up the whole thing and your feet will hang over the edge. Time goes by way too fast.

You're an amazing and essential part to our family. It's hard to believe it's been 4 years already. Happy Birthday Madden!

WIGGIN OUT!

2010-06-09T20:10:00.000-07:00

Madden and Cooper in one of the wigs from Grandma's dress-ups.
Lookin good boys!

Mason's Cardiology Appt

2010-06-09T19:37:00.000-07:00

I was all prepared to post about Mason's most recent stop at the cardiology department at Primary's. I had a couple of great pictures of him all hooked up for his EKG and a few more of him kicking back watching a movie during his echo cardiogram. One with him and our favorite cardiologist Dr. Ethridge...you get the point. However, someone (who I believe is the youngest of my three children) has been playing with the camera and those pictures have all disappeared. POOP! The only one left from our visit is this picture of him playing Mario Kart in the waiting room. So we move forward picture less.

The appointment went well. He's grown a couple of inches since our last visit and he's thinned out a bit. Dr Ethridge made her usual comments about how great he looks and how well he's doing. The stuff we always like to hear. They checked his pacemaker and it has about 4 more years left on the battery. He's pacer dependant 100% of the time on the atrium side and only about 30% on the ventricle. That's about the same as last time which is good news because it means his heart disease hasn't gotten any worse. We always like to hear that.
There's always a large amount of waiting around during these appointments. At one time we were waiting in an exam room and they had pamphlets all over one wall for various heart conditions. I started reading Mason the pamphlet on pacemakers (just messing around, what horribly boring reading!). One sentence said something about a person with a pacemaker being a "modern marvel". We laughed and laughed about that (don't ask why, I'm sure it's not even funny and probably very true but we found it hilarious). I told him from now on I was going to introduce him to people as "my modern marvel". I'd tell all his teachers from here on out to refer to him as such. I even tried to get him to answer a phone call on my phone from Uncle Dan and say "Hi Dan, I'm a modern marvel". Ok, I'm realizing now how not-funny this is but to Mason and I at the time it was really funny!
I love the chance I get to take him to these appointments. It gives me a chance to spend the day with Mason. I'm so thankful for my little "Modern Marvel"!!! I love you Buddy!
PS: next time you see or talk to him, call him Modern Marvel. I'm dying to see what he does!

Happy 60th Mama!!!!!! oh, and Happy B-day too Ruth!!

2010-06-09T19:22:00.000-07:00

May 23rd my amazing Mom turned 60. It also happens to be my sister Ruth's birthday as well. YAY! More cake! We had a big party for friends and family that evening at my parents house.
Of course there was all of us and our kiddies.
As well as a big group of friends and neighbors who stopped by.

And extended family in droves!

We really couldn't believe how many people went out of their way to come celebrate our Mom and her fabulous 60 years. Ok, the reality is, I wasn't at all surprised by the amount of people who came. My Mom is one of the greatest people I know. It was heartwarming to see so many people who feel the same way about her as I do. I'm just luckier because I get to call her Mom!

The kids had a slew of friends to play with. This is the Williams' boys Spencer and Tate. We wish they lived close by so we could see them everyday.

Thank you to all our fabulous friends and family who came to celebrate the birthdays. We love you all and most of all, we love you Mom!!!

Thompson Economic Stimulus

2010-05-21T17:59:00.000-07:00

Today Amber's girls were here playing and everyone decided they wanted to color. We discovered Mia had used all but 8 pieces of paper so they were all stressed about not having enough. Until........they came up with an amazing plan to color pictures and go outside and sell them. They informed me that the proceeds earned from the art sale would come to me so I could in turn purchase more paper. Thank heavens...I had no idea where I would come up with the funds for another ream ;) The decision was made to stand outside in the front yard and try to sale the pictures in the traditional "lemonade stand" style. Complete with yelling, "Pictures for sale. Come and get your pictures. Only 25 Cents!!!" Annie decided they would give this a try for 20 minutes at which time if they hadn't sold at least 3 pictures they would try the door to door approach.
After 20 minutes and no sales, the assault on our closest friends and neighbors began. Robert was our first victim (that's what you get for living right across the street).
He was a great sport taking time to thumb though them all and choosing the ones he liked best. Then he handed the girls a handful of coins! They couldn't believe their luck!!!!! I stood inside and took pictures and laughed. Thanks for being such a good sport Robert!
After Robert's they hit the sidewalk and tried every house up and down our street. I found it pretty amusing but those stinkers raised $5.42! Once they saw the numbers they quickly changed their minds about giving it to me for more paper. We divided it evenly among the workers and everyone went home with a little bit of change in their pockets and big dreams for the dollar store.

Mia's Field Trip

2010-05-21T17:45:00.000-07:00

This last Thursday Mia went on her first field trip. They went to the Tree House Museum and to say she was excited would be a HUGE understatement! Matt chose to go with her and take charge of a small group of rambunctious kindergartners. Here's his little group. Megan, Mia, Lilly and Kinley. I'm sure he had his hands full with these 4.
They got to learn how to milk a cow. Water actually came out of the udders so they would know when they were doing it right.

They played Indians inside a tee-pee.

And she even got to play the part of a bunny in a rousing rendition of Little Red Ridinghood.

They finished the day off with lunch in the cafeteria at school. What kindergartner wouldn't love that? Mattie survived the chaos and everyone had a fantastic time!!

Visiting the Peterson's & Staci's Shower

2010-05-14T21:22:00.000-07:00

Friday night after hanging out at the hotel for a couple of hours we went over to Staci's mom's house. They had been at the temple that evening with Stori and were kind enough to invite us over for dinner when they got home. After an all day drive to get up there it was AWESOME to see Staci and her family. They couldn't have been any sweeter to us. Wow! We miss Staci and Dan so much. It was worth the drive to get to see her. We had french dip sandwiches and talked and laughed. Mostly we laughed about the joke we had played on Russ and Dan over the phone on the way up there. We had told them we took the wrong route to Billings. That we had gone through Boise but we pretended that we didn't realize that was the wrong way. We had them worked up pretty good about us being lost and having no idea that we were going to take an extra 3 to 4 hours to get up there. They were very concerned for us. After awhile we came clean and told them we were on the right track and we'd be there in about an hour. Staci and her family were in on it and got a good laugh along with us. (we'd let Russ and Dan sweat it out for an hour or two).Celeste was pretty worn out from the long drive so she stayed behind at the hotel while we visited that night. It was fun to see them all but we missed having her there.

Staci's shower was the next day. We packed up so we could head home as soon as it was over. They had yummy, yummy food, some of the best strawberries I've had in my life! It helped too that her grandma prayed in the blessing on the food that all the calories would be taken out of it. Ha!! I'm incorporating that into all my mealtime prayers from now on! (I was a little embarrassed that I laughed out loud when she said that in her prayer. However, I wasn't the only one! Her Grandma is a BLAST! )

We played some cute games too. It was fun to meet some of Staci's friends and neighbors. They were all such great people.

She got some really cute stuff. I love to see all the cute clothes they have for little girls. Judging by all the darling stuff she got, Isla Jo is going to be one cute little bug!

My Mom sent up the quilt she made for her. I love that she makes all of the grand kids quilts when they're born. My kids still love the ones she made them.

We hated to leave, it went by so quickly. I love Staci. She's such a great person and she's perfect for Dan. We're so excited for Christmas to come so they can come for a visit and let us get to know Isla. We love you guys! Thanks to Staci's family for being so kind and welcoming and thanks to my sisters for a really great road trip. Lets do it again soon and have Mom and all the other sisters join us, maybe some place a little closer ;).

Ultra-Quick-Sista-Trip

2010-05-14T21:08:00.001-07:00

The ladies in my family were invited to our sister in law Staci's baby shower on May 1st. The catch: in Billings, MT. Dan and Staci live in NH so our chances to see them can be few and far between. So we thought we'd gather up anyone of us that could make the 8+ hour road trip (each way) and head up there. It ended up being Celeste, Kirsten, Amber and I. We had a fun time but would have loved it if all the other gals could have come along. We put the address in the GPS and off we went at 7:00am,. I took this lovely picture of Amber as she was driving. She drove the whole way up there! On the way home we took turns to give her a break.

Here's Celeste texting. We kept in good touch with our husbands as they took control of our various homesteads in our absence. We stopped a time or two along the way for gas and in Butte for lunch.

We did a little bit of this like Kirsten. Sleeping in the car on a road trip is just part of the plan. That's why we all brought along pillows.

We got to our hotel just after 5:00. Kirsten figured out the timer on my camera so we took a couple of pictures of all 4 of us. We went out and did some shopping for a couple of hours and then back to our hotel to wait to hear from Staci. Her sister Stori had gone through the temple that night. Our plan was to head over to her mom's house after they got home and eat dinner with them and hang out.

This picture pretty much sums up what we did most of the trip.......ATE!

Later that night after getting back from the Peterson's we did facials (this is Celeste and I with our shinny peel off masks).

Amber and Kirsten with their clay masks.

Celeste did foot massages for all of us...HEAVEN!!!

We went to bed about 12:30 and got well rested for the shower and the long trip home right afterwords.

We took this picture as we were checking out. This is all the stuff it takes for 4 girls to be gone overnight. Wow!!

We had a really nice time. Our hotel was less than a mile from Staci's mom's house. It was nice to be so close.

Spring Soccer

2010-05-14T20:53:00.000-07:00

I asked Mia in March if she wanted to play soccer again this year. She promptly said no and then hesitated. Then with this quizzical look she asked, "Do they have treats there like last time?" When I told her yes she quickly changed her mind. Behold the Orange Dragons. She had a lot of fun running around with the pack. She didn't ever kick the ball except once or twice when it accidentally bumped her foot. I love watching kids this age play! Her favorite position to play was goal keeper. She loved to dance around by the net. She even made some pretty good saves when her coach reminded her what she needed to do. I took this picture as she was about to do a twirl in her fantasy dance routine. While playing goalie of course. It was a fun little spring season. I wish Matt could have been home in the evenings to watch a game or two but I guess that's what cameras are for.

Easter

2010-05-14T20:26:00.000-07:00

Easter Sunday began with the kids getting up early to find out what was in their baskets. They went outside first thing (in their pj's) to play with the bubble wands. When I went out to check on them a little while later we had quite the collection of neighbor kids running around the yard. Looks like the rest of the kids around here got up early too.
It was General Conference that day (Yay!!! church in our jamies!) but we still had the kids get dressed up to go to Grandma & Grandpa Elggren's.

There we had our big egg hunt with a TON of candy. I think some of the kids have even found extra pieces randomly in the yard since then. There was a lot out there.

Madden really got into this year and came away with a nice size stash!

Mason got so much he was more than willing to share the goods. I think this picture was only about 1/2 way through the hunt. Trust me, he had a FULL basket in the end, as did the rest of the kids.

We had a great day! It was nice to spend the morning at home listening to Conference. And of course later to see family and be together.

Gracie's Garden

2010-05-07T20:56:00.001-07:00

Today marks 6 months since Grace passed away.I can't speak for anyone else but for me it seems like it was just last week and a hundred years ago all at the same time. We still miss her and feel her absence so deeply. I hope the lessons I've learned through this experience will stay with me forever.

I went in Amber and Gary's backyard today to take this picture of Gracie's Garden. I love this little sanctuary they've created. It's such a sweet part of their yard. The flowers are so pretty and when you look at them you can't help but smile and think of Gracie.

We love you and miss you!

I need to catch up!

2010-05-06T21:45:00.000-07:00

When Matt asked me to show him how to do a post on the blog before I left on my ultra-quick- sista-trip to Montana last week, I thought I'd scored! Well my exact thought was "Awesome! See April? If you go long enough without updating the blog Matt will eventually do it for you!" I'm lazy by nature.

He did post a really sweet happy birthday to ME and every last detail is spot on!!! Not really, but I melted from it's sweet offerings all the same. Thanks Mattie! I love you!

I haven't felt much like detailing our lives lately but I think I'm getting back in the groove. I still need to post about Easter, Mia's soccer, field trips and the aforementioned ultra-quick-sista-trip. So since Mattie didn't take over completely as I was hoping, I've got a lot of catching up to do. Soon, I promise.

Have you seen me?

2010-04-30T14:24:00.000-07:00

Name: April Anne Elggren Thompson
Date of Birth April 29, 1974
Hair: Brown with a light hint of silver hidden at 50 bucks a pop once every 6 weeks or so.
Eyes: Hazel, with the ability to intrigue and empathize.
Height: 5:7" perfect for engulfing in my arms.
Weight: perfect for me not her. This is common in marriage
Last Seen With: Her husband and kids whom she places as top priority
Description: April is such an amazing person. Her best qualities include: 1. her selflessness. April is a loyal friend not only to her friends but to her family. She is willing and ready to go and do and she blesses so many lives, even at times when it is evident to me that she is in need. I see this everyday and am in awe at her patience and ability to love. I some times get annoyed (really embarrassed at my own selfishness) when she waits until everybody is taken care of before herself. Family gatherings are the perfect example where she waits till all have been served even if this means she doesn’t get to try something. She postpones her pleasure for the good of someone else….always. 2. Tenderhearted. April is a loyal friend and a defender of the less fortunate. She RARELY, unless provoked by her cynical husband speaks negatively of anybody. She is great at putting me in my place more often than not. She cares about people and does not like to see them get hurt. 3. FUNNY. I love April’s sense of humor. I enjoy nothing more than watching a comedy with her and seeing her light up with genuine laughter. Her cheeks get red and tears fall. I love her laugh.
For those who may not know April very well, this is only because she is reserved by nature and is most comfortable behind the scenes, a total opposite of her gregarious husband who waits for applause. Yet once you get to know her and become a part of her life you find out quickly what a beautiful person she is, so wonderful, kind and giving.
April doesn’t see this in herself. I call this humility. I love when people approach me and tell me how lucky I am and how much they love April. She touches lives for good. I am lucky and PROUD..yes even “prideful”of what Heavenly Father has blessed me with, all because of this gal who took such a big risk on me.

Accomplishments:

1. Me. Okay….I am one of her accomplishments because of the person she has helped me to be. She is often times my conscience when mine takes a break and she has supported me 100% from day 1. My education was our education, my school or career accomplishments were made possible mainly because of her sacrifices. Oh how I want to make her dreams come true some day! I owe her the world.

2. Our three wonderful kids. She is such a wonderful mother who works hard for her children. I really don’t know how she does it day in and day out, especially since I am working at night. She gets frazzled, understandably, yet marches on in the battle to raise a righteous family. She reads scriptures at night with the kids before bed and sees to it that we sit down as a family when the opportunity presents itself. A righteous mother in Zion.

If you see April say “hello”. Chances are she will end up bringing you a meal or coming to your rescue in some manner. That’s what she does as a great wife, mother and friend. Her cape is just invisible.

I love you Ape! Thank you for every single day. Happy 36th birthday!

Happy Birthday My Sweet Bride!

2010-04-29T22:09:00.000-07:00

Was this picture taken Yesterday? Happy Birthday to my best friend and my whole world! I am one lucky man! Once April leaves for Billings in the morning I will spend some time bragging about my bride on the blog. Not that most of you don't realize already how special a person she is. I will count the ways...stay tuned.

Mason's Birthday

2010-03-10T19:40:00.000-08:00

Mason was a little bummed to have his birthday fall on a Sunday this year. We made the best of it and I think it was a success. After we were all ready for church we got the kids together to give Mason his gifts. We thought it was a good chance for a picture of them all since they're seldom cleaned up like this at the same time.
He got a new DS to replace the one that's broken. He also got a new game for it. He got a gift card for Game Stop from Grandpa Tiny and Grandma Cindy and money from Grandma Merlene. The Friday before Grandma and Grandpa Elggren came by and gave him some great books (Grandma always finds the best books. I LOVE IT!). They weren't around on Sunday because they went to California with Amber & Gary, Russ & Laura and Brad & Jayme. We had a lot of family come by for ice cream and cake and our great friends the Bailey's came too. It was a lot of fun.

This is his Mario mushroom cake. As you can see the chocolate cake dropped a bit from under the mushroom cap. This cake proved to be a bit more challenging than I had anticipated. I didn't find out until after all the guest had left but apparently Mason doesn't like cake with fondant on it so he never even had a piece of his own birthday cake. Sad. I felt so bad that I made him a smaller version the following day that wasn't covered in fondant, just frosting. This one was a much easier task.

I still can't believe he's 10!!!

How is it Possible You're 10?!

2010-03-08T19:43:00.000-08:00

Wow Kid! You've got my head spinning a bit by growing up so fast. Some days I think I'd like to stop you and keep you this age forever. I've thought that at every age. Then you grow older and bring something even more exciting into our lives and I wouldn't change it for the world.

I still remember vividly the day you were born. It was a Tuesday, about 7:30am. Emergency C-section and all 8lbs 6oz of you looked so healthy and strong. We were so scared when they couldn't figure out what was wrong with your heart. It would beat regularly for a while and then drop dramatically. Up and down. Up and down. I slept deeply through most of it with the help of heavy medication but Dad was there for it all. He was so scared and so instinctively protective. That evening they took you to Primary Children's so the doctors there could try to figure out how to help. After seeing you safely to the NICU, Dad slept at home that night and I slept in my hospital bed in Layton. Who would have thought we would spend our first night as a new family in completely separate places. Dad and I both shed a large amount of tears that night. It's so amazing how you entered our lives and in an instant we felt we couldn't live without you.

Thanks to the power of prayer and the many, many amazing doctors who teamed up to help you, the Friday after you were born they operated to put in a pacemaker to help your heart beat regularly.

AND LOOK AT YOU NOW!!!

I know what you are. You're strong. You're creative. You're questioning and thought-full. You're so funny!! You're handsome. You're deeply loving. You're sensitive. You're smart. Very, very smart! You're a lesson in every moment for me.

Tonight as I read the birthday notes from your school class I cried. They see the same things I do. You're friendly, you're kind and you're amazing!

How lucky Dad and I are to watch it all take place.

Happy Birthday Mason

We love you!

Emergency Preparedness

2010-02-17T20:18:00.000-08:00

I was reminding Mason when he got in the shower tonight to wash his armpits really good.

"Your girlfriend won't stick around if you've got stinky pits." I said jokingly.

"I know. But don't worry, I keep a couple of extra girls on the side. Ya know, just in case."

I'm glad he's thinking ahead but I hope he scrubs his armpits even if he does have a back up plan.

When did I get so OLD?

2010-02-11T16:54:00.001-08:00

These are Mason and Mia's school pictures from earlier this school year. Back in the Fall when they brought them home I remember being truly SHOCKED at how old they have gotten. Which seems odd because I still feel like I'm in my early 20's. Why do you think your mind chooses to stay in your 20's when every glance in the mirror tells you otherwise? Maybe we don't actually see those changes in the mirror over time. The minds way of treating us kindly, maybe?

The other day Mason came home and informed me that they are doing County reports in school and he's been assigned Iron County. I remember my 4th grade County report. I was assigned Garfield County and was STOKED because I loved Garfield the cartoon cat and couldn't wait to put a big picture of him on my poster even though the 2 are not relative. But I digress. Here's how the conversation went;

Me: "That's fun! Are you doing a report and a poster? That's what I remember doing in 4th grade."

Mason: "Yeah. We're doing the report at school but the poster we do at home."

Me: "Ok, so do we need to write a letter to the County Seat and ask them to send us some brochures and information?"

Mason:..............blank stare........."Huh?"

Me: a brief description of writing to the County Seat to get info for the report and stuff we can use on the poster.

Mason: .....with a small eye roll and a bit of disgust (or pity)......."No Mom, ...we just Google it."

My thought: Well of course you do...duh!

No more looking things up in Encyclopedia Brittanica or the World Book. And of course, no more writing to the county seat for info to use in your 4th grade County report.

I am getting OLD!

Happy Anniversary

2010-02-09T17:16:00.000-08:00

Today it's been 14 years.

A lot has happened in those years. Most of it really great! Some of it not so much. Either way, I'm glad it's been with you Babe! Thanks for being the perfect guy for me. Things that make you the perfect guy? Well let see....You forgive me easily (this was a must in the future husband category since I tend to screw up often). You're not afraid to be affectionate (which I sometimes struggle to be). You tell our kids (and me) several times a day how much you love them. You do more laundry than I do (yeah ladies, that's right, he does!). You scrub the bathrooms for me a lot. You have a great sense of humor (more so when you're not trying, but I've already told you that). You tell me all the time how beautiful you think I am (this is always nice to hear but sometimes hard to believe. Especially now that the wrinkles and gray are getting more prevalent). Our kids will never doubt that their Dad thinks they are the greatest, most talented and most beautiful (as you should! Every little girl (and boy I'm sure) needs to know their Daddy thinks they're beautiful. Because one day, they'll question it themselves). My list could go on and on.

I love who you are and I love who you're always working to be. I love you more now then I did 14 years ago! Who would have thought that was possible?

This was our cute surprise Mason did for us while we were out. What a stud! Thanks Mase, we love you!!!!

Love you Mattie....here's to a gazillion more!

PARTAY!

2010-01-26T12:48:00.000-08:00

Ok, no more excuses. Blue Monday's over and it's back to the grind.

A couple of weekends ago Amber and Gary were out of town and we got to have Annie and Livie stay with us. To say the kids were excited would be an UNDERSTATEMENT! Today I found a "To Do List" Mason had made for that Friday when they spent the night. This is what it said;Wake up

Get dressed

Go to school

Get off the bus with Annie and Livie at our house after school

Have snacks

Play the Wii

Eat dinner

Pop popcorn

Play the Wii all night long

Stay up as late as we can

Go to bed about 1 or 1:30

Wake up

Eat breakfast

Play the Wii

They did play the Wii even more than his list suggested. For 8 straight hours Friday night (I know what kind of Mom that makes me but big deal, they were having fun). They all slept in the family room. The girls on the air mattress and Mason on the couch. They had me move all the couches in so they completely surrounded the mattress. They went to bed at midnight(because I made them. By that point I figured I should do something to act like the adult).

In the morning I left for a bridal shower and Mattie made the troops a hearty breakfast of pancakes, sausage and bacon.

I don't think our Wii has ever been played that much. They all got along really well and we had a blast with our overnight guest!

Blue Monday

2010-01-25T12:26:00.000-08:00

Got the blues? Officially today is the most depressing day of the year. Not by my standards and opinion but seriously. It even has a name...Blue Monday. January leaves a bit to be desired and I guess by the 4th Monday of the month most of the planet is in agreement. Ask your local psychologist. It's for real. Nice to know there's a reason why I don't want anyone to touch me but I want to be swallowed in a giant hug, why it's taking me so long to get through the book I'm currently reading, why there's a very high chance that I won't even get out of my pj's today. Huh.

*To try to combat my blue mood I've decided to look at the bright side of life and make a list of some of the things I'm thankful for. Here goes:

Movies my kids will watch repeatedly

ponytails

fleece pj's

fleece blankets

drive-thru's

microwaves

kids who play together

junk food (just enough, not too much so you get sick)

Mattie

my kids

tomorrow (to give me a chance to start fresh)

*I'm giving myself a break today but tomorrow is no longer Blue Monday. I vow to get my tooshy out of my pj's, and get back to the rigamaroll (is that even a word?)!

Finished!

2010-01-19T15:30:00.000-08:00

For quiet a while now this Barbie toilet is the only toilet Madden showed any interest in at all. Unfortunately it's much too small for his tail end. Our other kids have been 3 1/2 years old when they've finally potty trained so I was never concerned, just a bit tired of changing his bottom.But have no fear, this past week we crossed the last finish line in the Thompson Diaper Derby! So until Matt and I suffer from incontinence and take to adult diapers hopefully this household is done.

Each of the kids have been given an incentive/prize for their trek to diaper freedom. This is what Madden chose. It's being very well loved and smothered in attention. To steal the words from ol' Woody himself, "You are a COOL toy!"

Who needs a dog?

2010-01-18T20:23:00.001-08:00

We aren't dog lovers at our house. We're not dog haters either, but if you have a dog it's better that it lives at your house. Especially since all 3 of our offspring are terrified of them. I'm pretty sure the younger ones learned it from the oldest one but no matter, we've taken matters into our own hands. Each morning as Mason and Mia head out the door to the bus stop Madden adorns his coat and whatever shoes happen to be on top of the shoe basket and goes about his morning duty: getting Daddy's paper.

This is his job and he's fairly protective of it. Only on special occasions, like a heavy snowfall during the night, will he allow anyone else to take his place. I mean really, just look at that face. You can see the joy he gets from doing such a kind deed for his Master. So I ask you, who needs a dog?

Fingernail Painter Girl

2010-01-18T19:58:00.000-08:00

This is how she plays. Miss Mia sets her things up in a circle around her and plops right smack in the middle. I think it's cute. When she isn't setting up her play things like this, she's organizing them in color or size. I've mentioned before that I love to see her mind work. She loves patterns and order (although if you dropped by her room most days you'd beg to differ). I love patterns and order and matchy-matchy stuff so it's fun for me to watch.

Her newest love is doing her own nails. The more colors she can get on one hand the better. The other day when she finished these nails I told her what a great job she did.

"You know what I'm gonna be when I grow up, Mom? A Rockstar, a Store Worker at the Mall and a Fingernail Painter Girl!"

Maybe I should get her into Chinese language lessons then she can get a job at the nail salon in any local Wal-Mart.

New Years!!

2010-01-18T10:44:00.000-08:00

We spent New Years up in Idaho Falls with Dana and Brent and their girls again this year. We've done it for several years in a row and it's become something we all look forward to.

When we arrived they had very little snow. We had been dumped on in Utah and I guess we brought it with us. They have a park behind their house and a perfect little hill right in the backyard for sledding.

Mattie helped out by shoveling off the deck. I hope one day he figures out which season shorts belong to. ;)

Snow and sledding are the perfect reason for hot chocolate.

Mason and Madden both got Sponge Bob PJ's for Christmas and brought them with us. Then Dana and I found the girl Sponge Bob PJ's on clearance for $5 and bought them to match. Because we spend so much time lounging around and not getting out of our pajamas, lets just say there was A LOT of yellow running around.

The Whiting's got a Wii for Christmas. Mason hauled up all he could of our Wii stuff and between he and Addie they kept it running most of the time.

Dana started a new tradition this year. She bought this vinyl tablecloth and each of us wrote on it with the date and year, how old we are and what the best part of the past year was for us. What a great idea! It will be so fun to look at in the years to come.

Thanks Whitings for a fun, relaxing end to the old and beginning of the new.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! WELCOME 2010!

Christmas Day part 2

2010-01-14T08:20:00.001-08:00

After the gifts were open and the initial chaos had settled a bit, we decided to take Amber and Gary up on their offer of breakfast. We threw on our coats (over our PJ's of course) and took off to the Hill residence. Gary made crepes (I pronounce them "craypes" with a long "A" sound. But since Gary has actually lived in France and probably knows a bit more than my uncultured mind, he calls them "creps" with a short "e" sound, so I must pretend to oblige). THEY WERE HEAVEN!! Mia is still talking about them. Anything she can load up with powdered sugar, strawberries and whipped cream is enough to cheer about. It was fun to see everything Santa brought to their house. The kids were so excited to show each other their new goods.

My Mom and Dad came for breakfast too. We had a great time relaxing and of course eating. Amber and Gary had put Grace's stocking up and asked anyone who had a favorite memory of her to write it down and drop it in anytime through the holidays. After breakfast they took the stocking down and we sat around reading all the fun memories everyone added about Grace. It was a lot of fun and a little difficult. Wow we miss her! But what a fun morning.

After the Hill's we dropped by Celeste and Shaun's for a little bit to see what Santa dropped. We stayed for a bit but not too long and then headed home.It was so nice to be home and relax and let the kids play with all the new toys and gadgets. Later in the afternoon Amber and Gary came by our house to see all our goods and stayed for a little while. We sat on the couch and visited and just hung out. About 3:00 they left to go to Melanie & John's and we got ready to head to Matt's Dad & Cindy's house.It was nice to see his family and visit with them. We don't see them very often so it's always nice to catch up. Tamaria and Tyson were there with their darling diva Monroe. Mia and Madden couldn't get enough of her and thankfully she was a willing participant. They played and played.Nick's sporting some nice facial hair since the last time we saw him.We exchanged gifts and ate great food! Thanks Thompson's for all the nice presents. Aunt Dyllan always does a great job picking them all out. The kids love them!Dyllan and Tamaria...cute as ever!

After the Thompson's we made a quick stop and Grandma and Grandpa Elggren's. Kirsten and Matt and yummy Landon were there too. We saw what Santa left at their house then headed home to sink back into the comfortable mess that is Christmas Day. What a GREAT one!

Christmas Day part 1

2010-01-13T15:54:00.000-08:00

The morning started off later than Matt and I figured it would. The kids were beyond excited going to bed on Christmas Eve so we braced ourselves for a 5 or 6am wake up call. The kids slept until quarter to 8! YAY!!!! Once they were up they went CRAZY! In my family growing up we took turns opening presents one gift at at time going from youngest to oldest. This made the morning last a lot longer and gave everyone a chance to see what everyone else got. We do the same in our family. Santa wraps ALL the gifts and we start out with Madden and each person takes a turn to open a gift. Then back to the youngest.

Madden only had one little meltdown trying to wait his turn. So hard. But it was really fun to have him really understand what was going on and get just as excited at the rest of us.

He wanted to rip into every toy he got and play with it right then. It was quite a challenge to get him to wait.

This is Matt's favorite gift. He's wanted a top coat to wear over his suits for so long. He looks pretty sharp in it.

Mia and Mason had so much fun! It was great to see them get excited about Madden's gifts and help him along.

Santa gave each of us an extra large supply of our favorite snacks. Each of them also had a note inside stating that they were to share (I don't think Santa wanted to have sick kids during the holiday break). Mason got these cheese balls, Mia got Sun Chips, Madden got Cheetos, Matt got beef jerky and I got tortilla chips with queso dip. YUM!

The kids all got club penguin plush toys in their stockings and they love them. Mason has taken it upon himself to keep track of all of them, but between you and me, he really wants them all to himself.

We had such a wonderful time with what Santa dumped at our house. He treated us very well as always. It really was a fun Christmas morning.

Christmas Eve @ Our House

2010-01-12T20:26:00.000-08:00

Back at our house after Grandma and Grandpa's party Matt and I gave our kids a present. We've made it a tradition to get PJ's for everyone on Christmas Eve. This is something my parents have done for years and Matt and I have tried to carry it on with our little family.

The kids were very excited! They hurried and changed into them and we took some quick pictures.

Mason's a little too old for Sponge Bob but I liked how his and Madden's were almost the same.

After the photo opp, we sat around and read the Christmas story from the bible again and acted it out with the felt Nativity puppets we borrowed from Grandma (I promised myself I would make a set for our family this year, they are so cute and the kids love to play with them). Then we got ready for Santa.

Mia set cookies and eggnog out on one of our bar stools. She put it right by the stairs so he wouldn't miss it. He didn't disappoint. Lots of hugs and kisses and off to bed. What a fun day!

Christmas Eve @ the Elggren's

2010-01-12T13:25:00.001-08:00

Christmas Eve continues to be one of my favorite days of the year. I know it's become Matt's too and my kids are young so they love it! There's nothing better than the excitement and anticipation of that night and what's to come in the morningWe gathered with all of my family at my Mom and Dad's early that afternoon. Everyone was there except Dan and Staci and boy did we miss them (hey made up for not being there by sending a message written on the back of a puzzle, once the puzzle was put together it was turned over and announced that they would be expecting their first baby in July....YEA!)!! I loved watching the kids run to the tree as soon as we got there to scope out which gift belonged to them so they could keep close tabs on it throughout the afternoon. I remember doing that like it was just last year....ok, maybe it was :). Anyway, we had some great food and then gathered together for a little program and talent show. Any of the kids (or adults) who had something they wanted to do got a chance to get up and impress us all. Joe did a great job doing his Michael Jackson Billy Jean dance (it was just as great as his Napoleon Dynamite from last year) and all the kids did a fabulous job.

Then we moved on to the reading of the Bible and the account of Christ's birth. There were so many cute kids willing to participate that we did 2 different casts. Mia was Mary in cast #2 and took her role VERY seriously, stroking the baby Jesus' hair and rocking him while we sang Silent Night. She was deep in character. Mason played a shepherd in both casts and did a great job! Madden was happy being a spectator with Matt and I. It was lots of fun.

Of course then we have a family prayer and move on to opening presents. I remember when I was young and my Grandpa would give that prayer. I tried so hard to be patient and reverent but I knew what was coming next and I had waited for it for WEEKS!!! Each of us were given a box of our favorite cereal from Grandma and Grandpa to start with. That's turned into such a fun tradition. The kids were given a gift from one of their cousins and boy did our cousins do a great job!! Everyone was so happy.

Then the adults exchanged gifts to each other and to Mom and Dad. Mom and Dad in turn gave each of the kids and us couples a very nice gift.

We always come away so spoiled! Thanks Celeste and Shaun for the Macaroni Grill GC, Mom and Dad for the basket full of amazing gifts, for all the cute things my kids got and most of all for everyone in our family who makes life so GREAT!!

Busy December

2010-01-08T12:25:00.000-08:00

As you can tell, I'm trying to catch up on all our December activities on the blog. Like I've mentioned before, I don't scrapbook and I've gotten pretty relaxed about journal keeping so this blog will be printed up and kept for years to come as our family's 2009 scrapbook. Hence the catching up! December was as it always is, busy, busy, busy. We had several visits from great friends and family and we did our share of visiting as well. We sent and received lots of cute cards, shopped til we dropped, ate WAY more than was necessary, watched lots and lots of Christmas movies. and generally just tried to enjoy the season. My kids favorite movies this year were; Phineas & Ferb's Christmas Vacation, Home Alone (1&2), Elf, The Polar Express, A Christmas Story (ok, that is one of mine and Mattie's favs, not so much the kids yet). I was so excited to catch the Charlie Brown Christmas Special this year since I've missed it for the last 12 years or so. My kids weren't too fond of it. So sad.

Of course there was gift exchanging from family & a few friends. Mason and Jaden have exchanged gifts to each other the past few years. It's fun to see them stay such great friends. We love having Jaden over here and Mason jumps at any chance to go play at the Bailey's. Matt took a quick snap shot while they were exchanging gifts.

There was a good amount of snow and the kids played in it a lot. It's been nice to have Mason big enough to shovel walks. He's so anxious to do it and it helps Matt out a lot.

We took the kids to the lights in Ogden on a Saturday evening and then to Temple Square the Sunday following.

We went to the city Cemetery Luminary on the 18th and saw all the gorgeous candles on each of the headstones. I wish I would have brought my camera, it was breathtaking!

We took a drive around to see the lights on people's houses. There's a street in Syracuse (2300 South I think) where most of the houses go all out with lights and decorations. We're lucky enough to have some great friends move onto that street this year so it made driving up and down it even better.
As a whole December was a fun and full month for our family. Can't wait until next year.

West Point City Lighting

2010-01-07T20:22:00.000-08:00

On December 7th I took the kids down to the city building for the lighting ceremony and to see Santa. We had yummy hot chocolate (which you can see is nicely adorning the front of Mia's coat) and listened to some talented kids sing Christmas carols. The crowd joining in here and there.

We met the Hills down there and my Mom and Dad came along to join in the fun.

Santa arrived on a firetruck along with our very own Miss West Point, Ashley Bailey! So of course the Bailey's were there along with Ashley's friend Cade. Any excuse to spend time with the Bailey's we gladly snatch up.

Mrs Clause arrived before Santa and made her way around the crowd. She had a book with all the children's names and would look them up one by one and show them if they were on the naughty or nice list. My kids were all relieved to see their names on the nice list.

Soon Santa and Ashley arrived on the fire truck as we all sang Here Comes Santa Clause. The kids were so excited!

Did I mention it was FREEZING??!!!! Because it was!!! Poor Ashley, she wore her beautiful formal on top of the fire truck in the bitter cold. She looked beautiful and was such a great sport. We love the Bailey girls!

After Santa arrived we all stood in line to have our chance to tell him what we hoped would be under the tree. Mia was WAY ahead of us in line with the Hills so I didn't get a picture of her with Santa but Amber did and I'll be sure to add it to my file. Madden was so excited to see Santa. He told him he wanted a Sponge Bob toy and a Sponge Bob chair.

Mason told him he wanted lots of Club Penguin toys and New Super Mario Bros Wii. Ashley sat by Santa and handed out candy canes to each kid as they sat on his lap. What a fun night!

Um....

2010-01-07T20:02:00.000-08:00

You're looking at the newest addition to the Thompson Christmas motif. I think the kids named him "Tasty", or maybe that was Matt. Anyway. He was discovered during a trip to Lowe's one day back in November. Matt called me on my cell phone and told me of the discovery and that he just had to have it. After all, everyone he works with collects pigs, so he needs to get in on the action. I guess since the bacon industry is now what keeps our household running we should wear it with pride. Right? So he made himself comfortable and I think he's here to stay. I don't really get what the wings are all about. The fact that they move up and down might only be there to justify the price tag. I keep thinking it's got to be something to do with the phrase "when pigs fly" but I don't have a clue why they made him with wings. I had several friends/neighbors ask what the significance of the pig in our front yard was. Other than Matt working in the bacon industry, I have zero response.
Matt originally wanted to put him somewhere inside, in the front room window perhaps. That was quickly vetoed. He's and outside decoration and I have nowhere to keep such a thing in the house. I admit I was a little overwhelmed by this little dude when he first came home. I kind of relate it to the "leg lamp" incident in A Christmas Story. But his cuteness definitely grew on me and he really was darling outside at night all lit up. He looked a little lonely out there so next year I think we're going to need to get him some friends to keep him company in our front yard.

Gingerbread

2010-01-06T21:20:00.001-08:00

For our first FHE in December we decorated gingerbread men and a gingerbread house. As you can imagine more candy went into some of the younger participants mouths than on the cookies, but isn't that half the fun? Madden was SOOO proud of his little guy. If you look closely you can see how he strategically placed a piece of candy between the legs of his gingerbread man. He said, "Look Mom, he has privates!" Of course I laughed. Hard. I'm sure any other mom who is trying to raise their children right would have acted more appropriately. Oh well, I found it hilarious! :)

Mia's mission was to get as much candy on her first one as humanly possible. She succeeded pretty well, there wasn't much left by the time she got around to decorating her second.

Mason did a great job. Can you tell his cookie on the left is a penguin? A green one. He's a pretty big fan of Club Penguin so his art projects take on that theme whenever possible.

Mattie was a great sport and opted to take & decorate the broken ones. He pieced it back together nicely, wouldn't you say?

I worked on our gingerbread house. Once the kids were done with their cookies they helped me along. It was a great night! The kids devoured the candy and frosting from their cookies after we were done but no one cared too much for the gingerbread part itself. I Can't say I blame them, I've always found it a little icky too.

Black Friday

2010-01-06T15:12:00.001-08:00

Our tradition is to get all our Christmas decorations up the Friday following Thanksgiving. It's also tradition that me and my siblings (those who care to join us) go shopping at insane hours of the morning to try to get the "great deals" the stores offer. This can make for a very long and busy day but one we look forward to.

This year was all of the above. Amber and I took to the craziness that is Walmart at 4:30am. We brought Ashton and Mckay along too. We met Ruth, Joe, Tiffany and Brennan there. Joe, Tiff and Brennan left shortly after getting there and headed to Target while the rest of us toughed out Wal -y-world. We had a lot of fun and even got some shopping done in the meantime. Can't wait to do it again next year.

When I got home, and after a short nap, Matt and Mason brought up all the Christmas stuff and we set to decorating the house. We've planned to do a tree upstairs and one downstairs for a few years but this year we actually did it. We let the kids decorate the one downstairs with all the cute decorations from school & church they've made through the years. I wish I had a finished picture of it, it was darling.Then Matt and I decorated the one in the front room (the picture makes it look like it was tipping. I assure you it was not.) I have to admit, if Matt hadn't been motivating me to get the tree and things up this year, I'm not sure when I would have gotten around to it. I was a bit of a bah-humbug. Once it was all up I really enjoyed it. I love Christmas but it took a bit to get me in the swing of things this year. Once the decorations were up we turned on the Christmas music, switched on the lights and settled into the holiday.

Thanksgiving

2010-01-05T21:42:00.000-08:00

I realized I never posted about Thanksgiving. So hang on while I play catch up for a moment. We had Thanksgiving with my family down at the West Point City building (thanks to our great connection Gary ;). Not all of my family was there but we had a pretty good turn out. Amber and Gary hosted us all (hence the connection). Joe and Tiff came along with Gary's cousin Mike and his cute family from California.

Celeste and Shaun and their kids were there as well as my Mom and Dad, Grandpa Rigby, Paul and Tricia Reich and their 2 boys.

I didn't get pictures of dinner, but trust me, it was YUMMY!!! The city building proved to be a great venue and I think we might try to sneak in and use it again in the future.

After dinner we turned a movie on in the conference room. After the movie of course there was football to watch.

And football to play (outside).

This is the room after we've all helped take down the festivities. The day was fun and relaxing. I found it to be a little emotional too. We definitely felt the absence of Grace and there was a different dynamic to it all. But we had great company, good food and made the very best of the holiday.

After dinner & clean up, we all went our separate ways. Our little family headed home and had a peaceful night breaking out the Christmas movies and getting excited for Black Friday shopping!!

We have a 117 month old!

2009-12-13T20:26:00.000-08:00

The other day I was doing some shopping and overheard a brief conversation between a man and a woman who were standing close by. The woman asked how old the little boy was who was with the man (the boy looked about 3 to 4 years old). His reply caught me off guard. "He's about 39 months." What.....?

Now maybe I'm way off base here, but it seems that maybe by then you can convert the age factor into years, not months. I lose track of months once they reach the 18 month mark. After 18 months then I start to say, "oh, he'll be 1 this December." or, "She's almost 2." I give my brain a little break . Otherwise I'd still be saying, "Who Mason? Oh he's 117 months." or,
"Mia's 75 months and Madden's 43 months." It just sounds ridiculous to me, plus who wants to count that high?

I guess the question I ask is this, at what point do you start to convert the age question from months to years? I'm thinking at the same time they stop making clothes in that size. So for me it's around 18-24 months. Maybe I could start saying "My baby? Oh, well next June he'll be 4T." Stay with the clothes size to make it easy. But the month thing, definitely NOT for me.
:)

Single Mormon Girls

2009-12-08T13:13:00.000-08:00

I'm kind of a freak for blog surfing. I love to find new blogs to browse. Not just family blogs like ours but also other informational and entertaining ones. I try not to waste a large amount of time searching and reading these blogs but when I'm in the mood I really enjoy them.
The other day I found a blog that caught my interest called Singlemormongirls. It's written by 4 Mormon girls/women living the single life in Utah. It sounded kind of interesting so I saved it to favorites so I could browse through it at a more convenient time. A couple of days later Mason was playing on the computer and went to favorites to get to his favorite website. There on the list he saw the title "Single Mormon Girls". Matt happened to be in the same room and Mason turned to him with disgust and scolded, "Single Mormon Girls?! Come on Dad, you're married!"
Matt quickly explained that I had saved that to favorites not him. And then before Mason could get any crazy ideas about what I might be looking at, he quickly explained what it was.
Later Matt and Mason both told me about the incident and I took the opportunity to show Mason for myself what the website was.
I'm telling ya, I really hope we're not destroying this kid as we go. We sure seem to have to clean up a lot of mishaps. I'm glad he calls us out on things he questions but boy, not much gets by him. ;)

ps: The above mentioned blog didn't catch my interest fast enough so it's been deleted from favorites.

Festival of Trees

2009-12-06T20:49:00.001-08:00

Kirsten's friend Angie Pierson and her family decorated a tree for the Festival of Trees this year and donated it in Grace's name. It was so beautiful and sweet. I'm always in awe at the amazing talent people have. Thanks Pierson's, I know whoever bought it will enjoy it...how could they not!

Isn't it darling? Of course, pictures don't do it justice.

I didn't know until later but Angie made this table too. Like I said, I'm in awe at people's talent.

We went down Saturday morning and met most of my family there. There were a few that couldn't make it and of course we missed them but it was really fun to see Gracie's tree and spend some time together. I could have stayed for hours but of course the kiddies got a bit tired of wandering around looking at trees.

I love the Festival of Trees! All proceeds go to Primary Children's Medical Center so no child ever gets turned away. Our little family has been blessed immensely from the doctors and staff there. We have several other family members who are regulars there too. We'll always be grateful for all they do for us.

2009-11-23T13:52:00.001-08:00

I feel almost irreverent continuing on with my posts. Learning to figure out what our new normal is is a bit strange. But we're all trying.

Saturday night Matt and I ordered Chinese food for the two of us and made something at home for the kids. I wasn't terribly in the mood for it but since I opted to be the one to pick it up I knew that going two places so we could each have what we wanted sounded like a lot of effort. So I settled for the vegetable noodles and psyched myself up for it.
Mason being the best eater of all our kids was going to share with us (under his condition that he could eat with chopsticks). We dished it up and headed downstairs to watch a movie as a family. Mason had his in a bowl and was attempting the art of chopstick eating. I found it kind of funny to watch but boy was he determined. After a few minutes Mia who had been watching Mason asked, "Mase, what are you doing?"
Mason: "Eating with chopsticks."
Mia: "What are you eating?"
Mason: "Chinese food. Now that I'm getting older I need to start eating food from different religions."

haha. I hope our religion has some good dishes that others who believe differently can enjoy............We should introduce them to funeral potatoes. :)

PS: after psyching myself up for the veggie noodles, the place got my order wrong. BLAH.

...........................................................................
Last week Mason came home and we were talking about his day. He was talking about recess and mentioned that Annie has a lot of people who gather around her now ever since Grace passed away.
Mason: "Ever since all this happened with Grace, kids are always gathering around Annie like, like....a new pair of shoes. And I know what I'm talking about too. I know all about girls and new shoes."

Ok.

Grace's Viewing

2009-11-18T22:58:00.001-08:00

The viewing started at 6pm at our church. People started showing up around 5:30. The funeral director ushered them into the chapel where they watched a DVD that Matt (Kirsten's Matt, not my Matt) had put together of pictures of Grace. Thanks for doing that Matt. It was so well done and I know you spent countless hours putting it together. We'll all cherish it forever. Row by row they were led down the hall to the Relief Society room. There were so many people who came to show their support. Some waiting as long as an hour or two in the chapel and in line. We are so blessed to have such great people in our lives.

We can never thank the sweet ladies who put up the displays. There were so many pictures and things to display and they laid it out perfectly! Thank you, thank you for all your hard work.

I love these next three pictures. I think they show the peace and love that Amber and Gary emulate. They comforted those people who had come to comfort them. It was so uplifting. I know they are sad and miss Grace but they understand completely where she is.

I love the smile on Gary's face here.

Amber. Isn't she pretty.

I love these two people.

This is Gary and his Dad closing the casket for the night after the viewing. They handled it with such Grace.

And then carrying it to the hearse. A long, wonderful night.

Family

2009-11-18T22:32:00.001-08:00

I needed to do a post quickly with pictures of family. This way I can remember who was there. Here's my brother Dan with Annie, Ashton and Abbie. Dan's the favorite Uncle (shhhh don't tell).

Dan and Staci made the trek from New Hampshire. We wish they could have stayed longer but we'll take whatever we can get to spend time with them. MAN, I miss these guys! Russ and Laura were on a trip back East to visit Dan and Staci when Grace passed away. It was comforting to know that they didn't have to be alone without family members when they heard the news. It felt like a year had passed before they got here.

Here's Mattie and Brendan. Brendan and Ruth live in Eagle Mountain but I'm telling you, it might as well be New Hampshire for how long it takes to get out there (hehe, love ya guys).

This is Gary's sister Pauline she flew in from Texas. His parents are on a mission in Palmyra, NY and flew in Wednesday evening. His brother and family came up from Cedar City. It's always fun to see Gary's family, they're all such nice people. Joe and Tiff are standing by the casket. I couldn't find a picture with them facing forward, sorry Jiff.

This picture is so sweet! Lucy and Jack. Does it get any sweeter than that?

Celeste, me and Grandma Marva. This is probably one of my more flattering poses.

Dan, Staci, Kirsten, Russ, Ruth and Brendan. We have such great family....EVERYWHERE!

Here's Kirsten and Matt and their "mouthful-of-cuteness" Landon. Couldn't you just munch on that sweet face? Yes, I mean the baby's.

Grandpa Rigby, Brad, Tyson and Laura. I was so proud of Tyson. When the cousins sang I am A Child Of God at the funeral he went right on up with the rest of the kids. I love that boy so much!

Here's Jayme, Tyson, Brad, Carter and Shaun with Gary's dad Stick playing with them.

Thanks family, Love you all!

Funeral

2009-11-18T22:01:00.000-08:00

I have been taught so much from the events of this last week. I've learned that I don't have a clue what people around me are going through. I've learned that I need to serve people better, that I have so much more to learn about loving others, that life is fragile and not ours to be too selfish with, that Heavenly Father wants us to be happy, that I have an amazing family, that my little sister and her husband are some of my biggest examples of Christ-like love and that I have so far to go to get where I need to be. I'm thankful for ALL these lessons. This picture was on the front of the funeral program. It's from the morning of her 1st birthday. Amber said she had just finished opening her presents and was tired. Time to snuggle and find her thumb.

This picture was on the back of the program. I LOVE this picture.

Here's some of the gathering before they closed the casket for the family prayer. Gary's Dad gave the family prayer and did such a great job. Bishop Norman conducted the funeral. Annie started it off by reading the obituary and adding her testimony at the end. I was so proud of her, she did so well. Then all of Grace's cousins sang I am A Child Of God. After that my Dad spoke about the Plan Of Salvation which brought the spirit in even stronger, something I didn't think was even possible. Following my Dad all her Aunts and Uncles sang Oh My Father. The final speakers were Amber and Gary. They told some cute things about Grace and testified of how they KNOW they will be with her again and can't wait for that day. I was so impressed with their strength and depth of their testimonies. What great people.

Here we are afterwords loading into the cars to head to the cemetery. The funeral was amazingly spiritual. I loved being there and feeling the peace and comfort.It help remind me that this is only part of a big picture.

The GORGEOUS casket and flower spray.

Here's Lucy, Eliza, Annie & Livie in the limo ready to go to the cemetery. Amber told me she wouldn't have changed that limo ride for anything. The girls had so much fun. They even got to take off their seat belts and look out the windows. The funeral was a spiritual experience that I don't think anyone who was there will soon forget. It was so uplifting.

Cemetery

2009-11-18T21:26:00.001-08:00

After the the funeral we loaded in our cars and in a procession headed to the West Point Cemetery. The forecast earlier in the week said Friday was suppose to be cold and snowy. Look at the beautiful blue sky in all these pictures. The weather could not have been any better. The perfect fall day :) The pallbearers were all 4 of the guys that were at the house helping with the trampoline hole when Grace passed away. Gary, his good friend Tom, our nephew Brennan, and Gary's Brother-in-law John. What a tribute to the great people Grace has in her life.

After Gary dedicated the grave my Mom and Dad surprised them with balloons for all the cousins to let off. It was such a happy way to end the graveside.

Here's Amber and Gary looking up at the balloons. The sun was so bright & the weather was beautiful!

Here's Annie and Mason watching theirs disappear. The balloons were such a fun way for the kids to participate and celebrate all that we love about Gracie.

The luncheon afterwords was phenomenal! They had the church decorated in such a happy, beautiful way. It felt like a real celebration. The food was fantastic. Their ward really went above and beyond. It just goes to show how much they are loved.

It was a fun way to end the events of the day. Aren't you just exhausted and HUNGRY after a funeral? The food was great, the atmosphere was happy and it gave us all a chance to visit with our loved ones. Thanks 10th ward for caring so much for my sister, her great husband and their beautiful girls! We were definitely in good hands.

People Are AMAZING

2009-11-18T15:00:00.000-08:00

There were so many amazing and thoughtful things people did for Amber and Gary in memory of Gracie. Here's mentioning just a few: The casket was made and donated by a sweet couple in Southern Utah, Merlin & Stacy Figgins. They've never met our family but when they heard the story on the news they offered to donate a casket to give Grace a beautiful place to rest. I promise you this picture does not do it justice! It's beyond gorgeous. It was lined with beautiful white silk and the daintiest purple flowers pressed here and there. Even the funeral director commented on what a well made, beautiful casket it was. I hope one day to meet this amazing couple who perform such a labor of love.

This quilt was put together by the neighbors and ward members. Each family made up their own quilt block and then ladies from the neighborhood spent countless hours putting it together. When the stake presidents wife went to Sew & Save to buy the material she was asked what it was for. When she told them the story the store offered to stay open late the next day and quilt it all for free. It is such an sweet keepsake.

Cindy Woodward who's husband is on the City Council called and offered to buy all the girls dresses for the funeral. This picture is only of Livie and Lucy but Annie's and Eliza's were just as beautiful. They gave them each a beautiful dress, shoes, tights, hair pieces and little golden lockets to put Grace's picture in. When they stopped by the house to give them to the Hills I could tell they were apprehensive about coming in. I know they didn't want any credit for getting them and they just wanted to drop them off and be gone. We insisted they come in for a minute. As soon as the girls saw the dresses they were so excited. Their eyes lit up and they each took them proudly to their various bedrooms. They couldn't have been more excited!

This beautiful statue of Christ was given to them by some friends and neighbors. It's so gorgeous and will be displayed proudly in their home. People are so kind. So many other countless things were done for them and given to them. Bracelets for Amber and the girls to help them always have a sweet reminder of Grace. Gary even got a tie pin. Tile plaques, books, dinners, desserts, cleaning, organizing, visiting, nursery's donated a couple of trees to them, flowers, plants, money, emails, cards...I could go on and on. What an amazing outpouring of love. This is such a tribute to the kind of people Amber and Gary are. I have to agree and I feel fortunate to be a part of their lives.

2009-11-15T16:02:00.001-08:00

Last Saurday Nov 7th our sweet niece & cousin Gracie passed away from injuries sustained in an accident at her home. We will miss her more than words can express. We are fortunate to know where she is and that we get to be with her again. It's pretty great that our family gets to have such a perfect little angel helping us from the other side. We miss you Gracie.

Here's her obituary. I think it's written perfectly.

Grace Hill West Point, Utah Our sweet Gracie returned to her Heavenly Father on November 7, 2009 after 15 too-short months with our family. She passed away with her mother and father by her side at home. Grace was born on July 9, 2008 in Davis County to the great joy of her parents and four (yes, four) sisters. Gracie is the 20th grandchild of Mark and Darline Elggren of Kaysville and the 15th grandchild of Stick and Melba Hill of Bountiful. Few children have been blessed to be loved by more caring sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, or grandparents. Gracie loved animals, picture books of all types including "Goodnight Moon", all kinds of music, pictures of the Savior, and especially her sisters and mom and dad. We in turn have treasured her hugs, giggles, "moos," "meows," kisses, and snuggles. Our hearts are full but broken. Gracie is survived by her parents Gary and Amber Hill, her four sisters, Anne, Livia, Lucy, and Eliza, 35 cousins, 22 aunts and uncles, four grandparents and three great-grandparents. She was preceded in death by her Great-Grandma and Grandpa Hill, Great-Grandpa Jensen, Great-Grandma Rigby, and Great-Grandma and Grandpa (Pop) Elggren, all of whom we are sure greeted her with joy when she passed through the veil. Funeral services will be held Friday, November 13, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. at the West Point 10th Ward chapel, 2850 West 300 North, in West Point, Utah. A viewing will be held Thursday, November 12, 2009 from 6-8 p.m. at the same chapel in West Point. A short viewing will be held the morning of the funeral at 9:30 a.m. Online guestbook and condolences at http://www.russonmortuary.com/

Halloween

2009-10-29T15:45:00.000-07:00

I know Halloween isn't for 2 more days but we've had enough festivities to warrant an early post. Plus I figure, I'll get it posted early and avoid procrastination. Yay me! Mia wanted to be Sleeping Beauty this year but her one request was to have blond hair (because of course Sleeping Beauty isn't brunette). Amber was kind enough to loan us a blong wig. She feels like a princess and you can tell by the way she poses for each picture. Mason is Luigi and is more than excited about it. I was happy to find the costume and he's happy to wear it. Winning combination! Madden is a penguin (isn't it great when they want to be something you already have?).

For my Mom and Dad's party last Friday I decided to join with the kids in dressing up. I was going to get one of those super sexy numbers like cat woman or a maid uniform and then I remembered - I don't need a costume to be sexy, I've got that one down! Instead I found a jailbird costume and thought it would be perfect to reflect true Thompson style. Why not keep theme with some of Matt's family, right? Besides, they don't allow inmates to wear makeup so I didn't even have to get ready for the day. hehehe.

Here's the whole gang at Mom and Dad's (at least the ones who dressed up). Matt was of course at work that night but he stopped by for an hour or so to join in the festivities. Thanks Babe! As always, we had such a great time! Now we get to look forward to trick-or-treating through the neighborhood Saturday night. HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Here's to a new start!

2009-10-29T12:46:00.000-07:00

We're making some adjustments at school with Mason right now, namely switching teachers. Since making this decision it's caused me to think long and hard about what's best for this kid. He's had to be a fighter from the beginning and I think I've taken that strength for granted. This week I've been reminded that he's just a kid and how fragile he is. But mostly this week has made me fiercely protective of him!

I've always known he was smart, beyond his years really. He figures people out FAST and very little gets by him. This can make parenting a little rough at times because he needs ROCK solid reasoning. Nothing is done just because. Which I can see could make teaching a bit unique at times too. He loves the people and things in his life with every fiber of his being. He wants those around him to be happy. However, he's not a people pleaser in the sense that he won't tell you what you want to hear. He'll tell it like it is and that aside, he'll hope you can be good friends.

It's made me sad this week watching some of his struggles. I want to scream at those who are making him hurt. Mostly I want to take him in my arms and keep him safe FOREVER!

Have I made you wonder what's up? I'd share the details but right now that's impossible without using a massive amount of expletives! Lets just say that hopefully changing the teacher will eliminate the struggles. Here's to a new start!

side note:

Just so you know, if you hurt this child in any way, YOU WILL HAVE THE WRATH OF THIS CRAZY WOMAN TO DEAL WITH!

Fathers & Sons

2009-10-26T13:37:00.000-07:00

Another summer post

On Memorial Day weekend Matt and Mason had the chance to go to Fathers and Sons outing. They went to Camp Woodland up towards Morgan from Friday to Saturday night.

Matt was a bit undecided about going until our awesome BIL Gary invited him and Mason to join him, his Dad and his BIL John in their TRAILER!! Now Matt's not a big camper so any convenience you throw his way will make the experience more likely to happen. He jumped on board pretty quick with that offer. Mason and Gary's nephew Quincy hung out and got to be pretty good pals. Mason talked about Quincy for weeks afterwords. These boys did a great job keeping Gary awake until the wee hours of the morning. That will teach Gary to sleep outside with the rowdy youngsters.

I know Mason and Matt both had a great time. Hopefully next year will include Madden so Mia and I can get our girls night out started!

I think I burned his retinas

2009-10-25T18:48:00.000-07:00

As I getting dressed this morning (something I try to do behind closed doors but I was in a big hurry and I honestly thought all my kids were downstairs) Mason walked out of his room and caught a glimpse of me in between wardrobe changes. Both of us looked at each other in shock and horror. Then both uttered panicked apologies.
Me: "Sorry Mase! I thought you were downstairs. I should have shut the door." I say as I shut the door....a little too late.
Mason: "Ummm, ok." he mutters as he hurries away. As he's speed walking down the hall I hear him say to himself, "That was so not age appropriate!"

Pinewood Derby

2009-10-22T13:36:00.001-07:00

This summer I was in kind of a slump trying to get use to Matt's new work schedule. In my state of slumpiness I neglected to keep up on the blog. Since this blog is essentially our family scrapbook I need to include a few things we did over the summer. So here we go.
On August 29th Mason had his first pinewood derby. Thanks to Grandpa Elggren for cutting out his initial design and to Matt for helping put on the wheels. Everything else Mason did himself. He wanted to do a "Super Mario Bros" car and I think he nailed it.

That's his car on the left. They had to add some weight to it before the race by taping some of Matt's keys to the rear. It worked well and his car competed with the best of them.

Though he wasn't the overall winner his car did GREAT! He won "Most Original" for his awesome and creative design. We were all really proud of him. Way to go Mase!

Apology of Sorts

2009-10-20T11:37:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you but I don't necessarily like being around ornery people. It takes a large amount of energy and can drain anything positive from my attitude fairly quickly. For those reasons I feel I need to apologize for the "NOOOOOO" post a little while back. I feel a bit silly now at acting so dramatic. It's just the changing of the seasons, no one's life has ended (OK, my summer life has ended and I've already established how sad I am at it's passing. Mourn & move on.).

To put a new perspective on the changing of things I decided it would be helpful to take the kids and head up in the mountains. Take it all in, the colors, the air, the changes. A chance to remind myself and show my kids that we live in an amazing and beautiful place! We really are lucky to have 4 complete seasons. Each one played out year after year in it's own time and for varying durations. Fall is a beautiful season and I really needed this little jaunt into nature to remind me of all it has to offer.
Amber and her kids came along and we drove up to Fernwood. It's been so long since I've been up there but Amber showed us a great little trail where we saw lots of beautiful leaves and the kids could hop over rocks in a stream or two.

We brought bags and each of the kids collected leaves of all different shapes and colors.

I love this picture of Madden & Liza. They had a good time but both got a bit tired of walking on the way back to the cars. Madden cried and cried wanting to be carried and I was a little impatient about it, he's too heavy for me to carry far. I felt terrible when I realized that I had put his old shoes on him that are too small and that was more then likely the reason he wanted to be held. His poor feet!! Mom Of The Year...right here folks!

When we got back to the cars we sat on some big rocks and drank Capri Suns which Amber and I both discovered we are not fans of...uck! The kids, well of course they found them to be quite delish! Thanks to Amber and the girls for the fun outing. And thanks to me for adjusting my attitude.

Challenge

2009-10-16T18:11:00.001-07:00

I was checking out at the grocery store the other day and the checker saw that I was buying chicken patties.
"Are you going to give your Malibu Chicken another try?" she said.
Huh?
"I read the "cooking" post on your blog, it's hilarious."
Again, huh?
Now I do know this cashier but I had no idea she'd ever visited my blog. This prompted me to do some changing. I now try to leave a comment when I read someone else's blog. Just a little something to let then know I've stopped by. Now I'm asking the same of you. If you stop by (which obviously you did or you wouldn't be reading this) leave a little comment. Because lets face it, who doesn't love getting a little feedback?

:)

Mia's Birthday

2009-10-16T13:39:00.001-07:00

Mia had a great 6th birthday. We celebrated with my family the day before at Grandma and Grandpa Elggren's. That way we could celebrate all 3 of the October 5th birthdays together. It's fun to have cousins that share your same birthday, it always makes for a big celebration.

Grandma & Grandpa gave her a cute little porcelain tea set. Grandma Merlene gave her some Snow White magnetic paper dolls & a princess puzzle book. From Matt and I she got a cute barbie head (picture above) that you can fix her hair and put all kinds of jewelry on. She also got a barbie make up kit so she can give herself and any willing participant a make over. She LOVES IT!!

Here's a couple of pictures of her masterpieces. I think I see a career path in the making. Like I said, she'll take any willing participant and Madden's usually more then willing. Greasy pink eye shadow's a good look for him, don't you think?

I made two cakes for her. The orange one I made when we had Matt's family over to celebrate. The marshmallow fondant looked cute but left a bit to be desired in the taste area. It was a blast to make and Mia was more then thrilled with the final results.

The castle cake I made for Grandma and Grandpa Elggren's the day before her birthday. She loved it. I was a little disappointed in how it turned out possibly because I knew how long it took to make. Trust me, it should look AMAZING for the amount of time I spent on it. :(

She loved it and of course that's all that matters. Happy Birthday Mia. We love you!

The next few posts will be catching up on things we did this summer. Trying to play catch up.

Happy Birthday Mia!

2009-10-05T21:13:00.001-07:00

Today our little girl turned 6. I know, I know every parent says it, but boy has time flown by. It seems like just a week or so ago we were bringing her home from the hospital. At 7lb 5oz she was our smallest baby but boy did that change fast! By her 2 month appt she was 97% for height and weight and she's stayed that way ever since. Yes, she gets to be the lucky lady who will be both tall and beautiful (not to mention the one with AMAZINGLY great skin that tans like CRAZY and the sweetest dimples anyone could ask for! I'm rightfully prejudice).

We love having her in our family. She is happy to play with anyone she can be in charge of. She's ALL girl. She's loves to draw, color, paint and create. I love to watch her with her toys because she has this need to line things up and put them in different categories. It's not unusual to walk in her room and find her Barbies or Littlest Pets lined up on the floor in descending height or color scheme. I adore how her mind works. She likes to dance and change clothes. Like I said, she's ALL girl!

Mia we love you more then words and can't wait to see what great things you bring to our lives in the many years to come.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE YOU!!

Happy Birthday Mia Moo!

(photo compliments of Uncle Dan ;) )

NOOOOOOOO!

2009-09-30T22:18:00.000-07:00

How is it possible to be so completely unprepared for something you KNOW is coming? I know that summer's over. It hasn't gone unnoticed that it gets dark earlier. That it's still dark when my alarm goes off. I know this time of year has been coming. I understand this is how it works but I tell ya, mentally I'm FIGHTING it!!!

I tried to mentally prepare for the 40 degree drop from yesterday to today. I got the kids jackets out last night so they would have them this morning. I pulled out the sweat pants and fuzzy socks for me to wear while getting the kids out the door. I tried the power of positive thinking: "Look at all the clothes I get to pull out of the closet that I haven't seen in months. This can be fun!" It's not working.

Did you know it snowed in the mountains today? That you couldn't even see the mountains, AT ALL?! Did you notice the sky was dark at 7:30pm? Did you notice your tan line fading a bit more? Did you notice there were no kids outside riding bikes? Well it's true. All of it.

Today I decided again (for the 4000th time) that summer is my favorite season. I love that the nights are warm. That the sky stays light until 9:30 and at moments even until 10:00. I love the smell of sunscreen on my kids. The heat. The sounds of kids playing outside late in the evening because it's finally cool enough to be out there. I love that my kids don't have homework and we can sleep in until 8 (or maybe later) if we want to. There's so much I love and so much I'm not ready to let go of yet. It looks however, like I have no choice.

So it's a good thing the snow stayed up in the mountains today. If there were enough on my front lawn to build a snowman today, I'd head right out, and smack in the middle of my front yard I'd build a GINORMOUS hand.....with the middle finger sticking straight up!

side note: give me time, I'll come to grips with it soon.

Cooking Post....my style

2009-09-17T13:04:00.000-07:00

A couple of the blogs I follow are awesome enough to do "cooking posts". In other words, they describe in perfect detail how to prepare a dish right off the screen of Iron Chef America or Barefoot Contessa. These posts are complete with amazing pictures of the plated dish as you would see in the finest restaurants. I'm fascinated. Regular people eat like this? At home? Although reading these posts can make me feel like an underachiever I'm a freak for the artistic way food is served and how beautiful it looks when it's on a fancy-smancy plate. I LOVE IT!

I however don't cook this way. I wish my kids had "Swordfish, seared, served over arugula with vinaigrette, topped with roasted roma's, and finished with a lemony rich hollandais." (seriously this is one of the latest). However, since their first introduction to "fish" of any kind was tuna, it continues to invoke gagging and eye watering. (Maybe I could give swordfish a try and tell them it's chicken.) Speaking of chicken, here's my version of a cooking post complete with a picture:

A while back I made Malibu Chicken. Yes folks you heard that right, Malibu Chicken. Straight from the pages of your local Sizzler. Really you could say I only made chicken patties since Matt and I are the only ones who like the ham and swiss on top.

Instructions: Cook chicken patties as directed on package. Then add ham slices on patty and top with swiss cheese. Return to oven and heat until cheese is melted. Serve with a mixture of mayo and mustard as a dipping sauce. Alt: if you or your kids don't like ham and swiss on top, cut the cooked patty into pieces and serve. This is my way of cooking.

When I made this I was emptying the bag of patties onto the tray and found that there was an extra "smaller portion" of a patty. This seemed a little odd so I decided to read on the package and see how many patties were suppose to be in it. You know, in case I got jipped out of a full-size patty that I paid for and maybe I could write into TYSON Foods and get a freebie or something. Follow me? So I turned over the package and when I read the back I BURST out laughing.

Serving size: 1 patty

Servings per container: About 9

It really said "about 9". Now go ahead, look at the picture and count for yourself. Literally! There's "ABOUT 9"!!!!! I found this HILARIOUS and still do! Don't you think Tyson's is taking this too literally? I picture in my head the factory realizing that they have a whole bunch of pieces of patties and don't want to waste them. Sone one says, "Let's change the packaging to read Serving Size: About 9 and throw one of these pieces in with each 8 count bag." And someone else saying "Brilliant!!"......Cut to a few weeks down the road and the Thompson family is having Malibu Chicken with not 8, but about 9 chicken patties. Ok, I still find this sooooo funny!

Now where was I going with this? Oh yeah...this is the way I cook. It's a meal we have every so often but seems to be getting less popular. The last time we had it Mason informed me that he doesn't like the chicken because of the "little hard pieces" and "poppy things" in it. EEWWWW, but true! I feel the same way. So we probably won't be having Malibu Chicken again anytime soon. At least until I can find some patties without the "poppy things" or until we have about 1 dinner guest joining us.

13.1 BABYYY!!!

2009-09-03T17:38:00.001-07:00

Saturday August 29th these cute girls in this picture above allowed me to join them

in the Top Of Utah 1/2 Marathon. Ruth was the one who got us going and then sadly had to back out because of an injury. We missed her.

What a great experience!! Amber and I were 1st timers and not to speak for both of us but it's definitely an experience I can't wait to repeat. Soon. This is all of us the evening before.

And here we are after the race. What an amazing accomplishment. Kirsten told me how
she loves to see people run races for the first time and see the look on their

faces when they accomplish something they didn't think they could do.

That was very true in my case. It's amazing what you can accomplish

when you have the right support system.

Kirsten will never know how much she helped me. She took on the SLOW pace

that I was running and stayed close by the whole time. She's amazing. She just had a baby

and she's out there running 13 miles and staying behind so her slow-pokey sister

will have someone to keep her going. I remember thinking that I just had to keep

her in my site so I would keep moving. If I couldn't see her anymore I'd

lose my motivation quickly. I was pushing myself really hard and I told her

not to hesitate running ahead. She told me "This is a good pace. I'm conserving

my energy until the last few miles then I'll really take off." I started

laughing. I was dying and she was "conserving her energy". Guess you can

tell who's in better shape. :) Thank you Kirsten, I love you!

Amber and Laura ran together and finished together. What a great job!

Amber ROCKED for her first time. I know how hard she trained and

I hope she's as proud of herself as she should be. She's worked hard.

Laura is such an inspiration. She's always challenging herself and doing

amazing things. I think for her, like Kirsten, this was a leisurely way

to pass a couple of hours on the weekend. What awesome girls!

Who wouldn't love to get to the finish line and see this group of supporters?

We love all of you and are so lucky to have you in our lives.

What a great family I have. I've been so blessed. They all hugged me at the finish line

and told me they loved me. How fun to come to the end and have that greeting you!!

We are so lucky! I love you all. Thanks for your love and support.

I finished and I cried.

Back To School!!! Yay!

2009-08-24T15:37:00.000-07:00

I love school supplies. I also love to color. If you give me a coloring book I'm entertained for hours. There's nothing better then a new box of crayons with sharp tips so you can get those perfect lines. I always like boxes that have a good variety of colors, none of this 8 count stuff. So when school supplies are out I tend to stock up. I love new sharp pencils with erasers that work and don't leave behind a black streak. I like glue sticks for my kids but I prefer the liquid stuff because I know I can pour some on the palm of my hand, spread it around, wait for it to dry and peel it off like a facial mask. I get excited just thinking about it. School supplies are just one of the reasons I like back to school time. Of course there are others.

I wasn't the only one waking up excited this morning (which made the guilt

slide off my back a bit easier). There was an air of excitement as Mason

and Mia rushed through breakfast, adorned their new digs, combed their hair,

brushed their teeth, double checked the chart to see if all the "before school"

assignments had been fulfilled. I LOVE the first day of school! As all of this was

going on I couldn't help but think what a bummer it is when the excitement wears

off. When the morning becomes more of a game of coaxing kids to eat breakfast

quicker so they don't miss the bus, double checking backpacks for homework that's due,

trying not to yell so I don't have that guilty feeling all day because my kids started

their day off in a battle of wills with their lunatic mom. Everything ran smoothly this morning and it was beautiful!

We even had time for a photo opp before leaving.

Mason started 4th grade and Mia started Kindergarten. It's sad to see summer vacation end but how fun to see them growing up and starting new adventures. Mia loved her first day and can't wait to get back . She has the rest of the week off so the teachers can do testing but she'll start up again daily next Monday. Mason said his day went well (he was a little soured by the events ending his school day. He got on the wrong bus and it frightened him a bit. Both of us really and rightfully so. The bus driver asked him his address and brought him home). Once he was here safe and sound he told me his day was fun. He's very excited to have Jaden in his class this year. He's missed him so much since they moved. We look forward to a great year and can't wait to see all the new things they learn!!

schluuumpp!

2009-08-18T15:56:00.001-07:00

It's been a long time since I updated our blog. Not that Matt's birthday isn't important but it's past time to post something new. This summer's been a bit of a challenge around these here parts. A good portion of our neighborhood friends (both the kid's friends and our parent friends) moved away this spring and it's proved to be an adjustment for all of us. Thank heavens for Amber's family moving in last fall or we'd be distraught! Matt started a new job at the end of June which also included new hours. This has been an adjustment as well. So I'm in a slump and haven't been keeping up on things the way I should. We've done a few fun things and I promise to give them their own special attention here on the blog but it may be a few days down the road. Like maybe as soon as school starts next week and my brain gets up and over this slump. I'm hoping.

Have you seen me?

2009-07-17T15:32:00.000-07:00

Name: Matthew David Thompson (Esq)

Date of Birth: July 16, 1972

Hair: Brown with a few age appropriate "highlights"

Eyes: Amazing Blue with the greatest set of eyelashes

(which he so lovingly passed on to his eldest son)

Height: 6'2"

Weight: More than his wife....which to her, is all that matters :)

Last Seen With: His wife and kids who he loves beyond measure

and tries to spend as much time with as possible!

Description: Matt is an amazing person. He's loyal and loves deeply, he's funny, smart, affectionate, forgiving, hardworking, a perfectionist, protective and kind. If you spend any time getting to know Matt you usually come away with a hug. He's got a great memory especially with faces and names and he remembers people's birthday's very very well. He's quick with a comment (sometimes a little off-color) and puts others in a conversation at ease. He's very much a people person.

Accomplishments: He's a success story! He takes the tough things life has handed him and turns them into examples of what he doesn't want to be. He works hard to be a better person and expects a lot out of himself in return. His family is his greatest accomplishment (especially his wife ;) hehehe) and he's very proud and excited to show them off. He takes his relationship with his Heavenly Father very seriously and holds his Priesthood honorably. He's worked hard to get through high school, going to school morning, noon and night to get his credits to graduate. He's since worked hard to get through College and Graduate School with a wife and kids at home. He recently started a new job at Daily's Premium Meats as Production Manager and is literally bringing home the bacon (this is very appropriate since Matt feels that bacon deserves to be in a food group all it's own).

Info: If you see Matt don't be afraid to say hello. He's friendly, sweet and chances are, you'll come away with a hug!

We love you Mattie! Thanks for all you do for our little family. Happy 37th birthday!

Nicknames

2009-07-06T22:26:00.000-07:00

Posts without pictures are boring, huh? So I've added one that has nothing to do with what I'm writing about but it's people I love and that's good enough for me.

I saw one of my sisters friends on the 4th of July who I refer to as Jennyann even though her name is just Jen. I know one day I heard her jokingly being referred to by Kirsten as Jennyann and well, it stuck. She told me if she hears someone call her Jennyann, she knows immediately it's an Elggren. We must beat a nickname like a dead horse!

This got me thinking about nicknames. Do you have one? Do you have one for the people you love (and maybe some you love a little less)? I've realized that our family is big into nicknames. I don't know if we even realize it but we are. I think there's a nickname for almost all my siblings, some I know where they came from, some I don't and some are just a shortened version of our names. It doesn't really matter, we all use them.

Matt is Mattie (I have a few more for him but those are just for me ;) )

Celeste is Lestie (this was started by my Grandma Rigby but I don't know why or how)

Brad is Brother

I'm Ape

Amber is Ber

Russell is Russ

Danny is Dan or Stan (this is combining Dan & Staci's names. It makes referring to the couple a bit easier)

Kirsten is Kris (because she HATES it when people call her Kristen instead of Kirsten so we shortened it up and just call her Kris)

Ruth is Reese or Reesie

Joe is Jose, Homie or Jiff (the last is combining Joe and Tiff's names as well)

Mason is Mavis (also from Grandma Rigby. I'm the only one who still can't let this one go)

Mia is Mia-moo (we are phasing this one out as to avoid too much therapy)

Madden is Mad-dawg

Brennan was Bubbers (this one has pretty much warn off, much to his relief I'm sure)

Ashton is Ashtie

McKay is Mac or Mac n Cheese

I could go on and on....

My mom's family has nicknames for all of her Aunts. None of them were called by their real name. It wasn't until I was older that I realized Denny, Dutsie & Toppy weren't their actual names. They were Lucy, Annie & Margaret.

If it were me, I'd prefer my real name. I wonder if they had a choice? Probably not, we don't give anyone in our family the choice, it just sticks.

But Who's Counting

2009-06-30T15:49:00.001-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I had the chance to get away and go to girls camp. Matt was great and took the whole week off so we wouldn't have to juggle the kids around. I left early Monday morning and got back Friday afternoon, so like I said it was the whole week. Up at camp there was no cell phone service so we really were disconnected from our families. I have to admit this was hard for me and I got homesick very quickly. I wanted to call and see how Matt was doing, see how the kids were holding up, find out how Mia's eye doctors appt had gone, etc. It's hard to be completely removed, I missed my little posse.
When we came home Friday as we came down the mountain I had my phone in my hand anxiously waiting for it to stop "searching for service". When I finally had service I called home as quickly as I could. I was so anxious to hear any of their sweet voices. Mason answered the phone:
Mason: Hello
Me: HEYYYYY BUDDY!!! It's me! How are you? I miss you! (at this point I actually tear up. Man, I missed him)
Mason: MOM! I'm good. I miss you too. When are you coming home?
Me: We're on our way right now. I'll be home in about an hour and a half. Are you ready for me to come home?
Mason: Yeah. Dad's ready for you to come home too.
Me: He is?
Mason: Yeah, he's been swearing..A LOT!" (I think he'd been anxiously waiting to rat his Dad out)

After I hung up with him I told my friends who were sitting by me. One of them told me to tell Mason that most of the Dad's are swearing a lot by this point. We got a good laugh out of it.
I love the fact that Matt would take on being a single parent for a week. I know how hard it can be and I figure if a four letter word or two (or three, but who's counting? Oh yeah, Mason is.) is the worst that comes of it, so be it!
Thanks Mattie!

My Trip to "Wits End" (long post)

2009-06-09T10:40:00.000-07:00

I've been reading this book I got from a friend for my birthday titled "A Mother's Book of Secrets". I came across a quote that I love by Orson F Whitney:"....All that we suffer and all that we endure, especially when we endure it patiently, builds up our character, purifies our hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender and charitable…..”

As I was reading this it reminded me of a day I had with Mia last fall. It was right after school had started again and I made the decision to keep Mia home instead of putting her in preschool. I had noble intentions, really. After sending Mason off to school I went outside to sand some shelves I wanted to put in the boys room. Mia and Madden were playing downstairs. At least that's what I thought. After about an hour I came inside to find both of them sitting on the kitchen counter with several open and empty cups of Crystal Light drink powder scattered around them. They had taken turns opening a cup, closing their eyes and blowing the contents all over. It was Raspberry Ice flavor so when it comes in contact with water it turns a deep red. There was powder EVERYWHERE !

Let me just explain what happens to me when I come upon things like this: I PANIC!!!! Real, flat out panic!! I want to SCREAM! My head starts to spin. My ears ring. I have to remind myself to breathe. My first thought is to run away because it's too overwhelming, where do you even start? Like when one of my kids would poop in the tub....PANIC!! Throw up....PANIC!!! Kids playing in the mud…PANIC!!! Overly messy diapers....PANIC!! Somehow I handle it but the panic stays with me for quite a while after. Stupid but true.

Ok, where was I? So I see the mess, FREAK…PANIC….remind myself to breathe….where do I begin?! I take one thing at a time and get the kids and the kitchen cleaned up. Not a quick task, it takes some serious time but eventually I'm finished. I talk to Mia about why this isn't ok and why we don't EVER make messes like this. I handled it, YES!. Time to move on with our day.I enter the living room. While I had been cleaning the kitchen the kids had taken a new box of Lucky Charms and emptied it on the front room floor. Then they proceeded to "dance" all over it getting it nice and ground into the carpet. They love to dance and run around the front room so when I had heard them in there I didn't think anything of it. PANIC again!! The kids help me clean up by scooping what we could into the garbage then vacuuming. I sit Mia down again and explain -a little more passionately- that this is unacceptable. Next time there will be consequences beyond just helping to clean it up. I think we have an understanding.

Lunch time and then quiet time for Mia while Madden has a nap. After a story I put a movie on for her so I can go take a shower and get dressed for the day. (Anyone else have days where you don’t get showered or dressed until right before your husband gets home from work?) After I shower and get ready for the day (evening, night…whatever it is) the doorbell rings. As I stand there talking to my neighbor Madden wakes up from his –all too short- nap and joins Mia downstairs. I’m talking to her for a while then I go check on the kids. I call out their names….no answer. Again…..no answer. As I go down the stairs I can see the popcorn Mia had while she watched the movie is dumped all over the family room floor. Smashed all over the carpet much like the cereal mentioned before. This time the panic is overshadowed a bit by my ANGER!! Now I’m not calling out their names sweetly, I’m yelling them! First, middle AND last names are used!!!! Still no answer. I hear faint voices but they are nowhere to be found. I go upstairs, nowhere. Where are they? I listen again and can here voices downstairs so I go back down. I can’t find them anywhere. I listen again……the storage room. I open the door and here’s the scene I find:

Standing in the middle of the floor are both kids with a puddle around them of thick, colorful liquid. PAINT!! In our storage room I have a spot where I have always kept paints. Most of them are bottles of craft paints but there are wood stains as well. ALL of them were emptied on the cement floor. They’re “skating” in it. They’re finger painting in it. They’re creating a masterpiece. There are colorful footprints everywhere. Forget everything that usually happens when I panic. At the sight of this mess my entire day flashes before my eyes, my mind goes completely blank and I BURST into tears. I don’t even know if panic takes place at this point, I’m beyond thought. I’m sobbing and FURIOUS! Judging by the look on Mia’s face she knew she was in serious trouble. I carry both of them into the bathroom which thankfully is right next to the storage room. I clean them off in the sink and tell her -through clenched teeth- to get her little rear-end up to her room! (I don’t know what words I used but I’m sure there were expletives somewhere in the mix)

Matt came home while I was in the middle of cleaning it up. I explained through my tears how my day had led to this point. I also explained that it would be his responsibility to give her a proper punishment. If it was left up to me she wouldn’t live to see tomorrow. I was so mad. Matt helped me clean up and left Mia in her room for a very long time. She was still there when I left for work an hour or so later. When I returned home 2 hours later the popcorn mess was cleaned up, Mia had been punished in a civil manner and I resolved to call the next morning and enroll her in preschool (for as many days a week as they would take her!)!

Looking back I know I didn’t endure this day with patience and I’m sure it didn’t make me more charitable or expand my soul. The 2 things I did learn: 1.When kids reach a certain age most of them need time away from us as much as we need a break from them. 2. One minute on time out for each year of age is rarely long enough for the Mom involved.

Photo Opp

2009-05-22T08:44:00.000-07:00

While downloading the pictures for the previous post I found these on the camera. When I asked Mia about them she told me her Barbies and ponies needed their pictures taken because it was their birthday. Simple enough.

If you knew how messy her room was, you would know how much care she took to lay out the yellow blanket and give them a decent backdrop. There were several pictures of all her various Barbies and Ponies but I figured a few would give the idea. Maybe we should think about giving her a camera of her own maybe for her birthday or Christmas. Something cheap...start her off small. Hmmmmm......food for thought.

Kiddie Kollege No More

2009-05-22T08:24:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday Mia and Lucy graduated from Kiddie Kollege. The program was so cute and you could tell they had practiced until they could do it in their sleep. Everyone knew when to sing, stand, sit, exit to get ready for their part, etc. It was DARLING! Grandma Elggren came to see them perform which was great.

Mia was the Statue of liberty and stood by Uncle Sam during the patriotic song.

She was so proud!

Lucy was an Easter girl with the Easter bunny. She did a great job. They were both so cute! We couldn't be more proud! Next stop......kindergarten!

Easter

2009-05-08T10:15:00.000-07:00

I realized that I never posted about Easter. Better late then never. We had a fun one complete with too much candy and a lot of fun with family. The kids love the idea of having baskets full of candy all to themselves. What's not to love........well Mason came up with something. Leave it to him........... Amber and I took the kids to the West Point Easter egg hunt the day before Easter down at the city park. They have it devided into age groups so I went with Mason and Annie to their designated area. They were grouped with older kids who were much more aggresive and scooped up the loot much faster then our kids could keep up with. When all was said and done Annie was a little disappointed and Mason was furious and in tears. As we were walking back to our group Mason was grumbling and upset;
"What does all this crap have to do with Easter anyway? What's the point of a stupid bunny and eggs with candy! It doesn't even make any SENSE!!!"

I had no explanation. Really, how does the bunny and eggs fit into the whole thing?

Sunday we got together at my Mom & Dad's for a great dinner and a very fun Easter egg hunt. It's always fun to see everyone dressed up in their new digs. The kids come away with WAY too much candy. What's better then being a kid and finding a good haul to take home in you basket?

I bought Mia two dresses because I couldn't decide between the two. So she has one that matches her brothers and the orange one. Unnecessary but fun all the same. We always have a good time when we get together for holidays. Can't wait for the next one!

Why?

2009-05-04T20:05:00.000-07:00

Why can't I shut the door on my laundry and have it GO AWAY?!!

GRADUATION!!! AT LAST!

2009-05-04T19:41:00.000-07:00

Saturday May 2ND was Matt's Graduation. It was pouring rain outside but inside it was dry & crowded! The ceremony was held at the E Center and they definitely needed the room. The kids were pretty patient considering how long it lasted. They loved picking Dad out in the crowd and watching him walk across the stage. We all yelled as loud as we could when they read his name. We're all very proud of him!

You have to admit this picture is sweet. Matt has titled it "just a face in the crowd". It's a pretty nice picture considering how far away I was when I took it. Nice smile Babe!

Mom & Dad came as well as Matt's Dad. We didn't get a picture with him since he had to leave a bit early. It's always nice to have great support. Matt's Mom tried to make it but got lost on her way. We met up with her later that day at our house.

What a great day for Matt as well as our little family. We're excited about what the future will bring. Thanks to all the family and friends who supported us and helped us along the way. None of this would have been possible without all of you and of course The Lord. We love you all! GO MATTIE!

Moments

2009-04-27T13:15:00.000-07:00

I had a moment yesterday. Small and fleeting but a moment all the same.
I was driving home from my Mom's in the early afternoon yesterday with Mason and Mia. We had gone for a short visit just to say hi. The kids had played outside and picked a handful of flowers (and dandelions) that grandma put in a vase and displayed proudly. They were so proud of themselves.
Anyway, on the way home they were chatting peacefully in the backseat. After a few minutes I noticed that it had gotten quiet back there. I glanced back and saw Mia with her head down on Mason's shoulder and Mason's head tilted and resting on Mia's head. They were both content and calm. It was then that the thought came to me, they really are good friends. They really do love each other. They're going to end up always loving each other.
Isn't that what we ultimately want? In spite of the fighting and tattling don't we long for our kids to love each other? Don't we want them to like each other enough to be friends? Really friends! To watch out for one another? To be their safeguard? That's what I want. And for a brief moment yesterday I caught a glimpse of how that might be.

Spring Break Project

2009-04-23T21:56:00.000-07:00

During spring break Matt and I decided to tackle Mia's room and give it a face lift. She has always wanted her room to be painted pink so I decided she should get what she asked for if
possible. This is before....

and this is after......

She definately got what she asked for. It's PINK!! No other word

is necessary or fitting. It illuminates out into the hallway like a Pepto Bismol beacon. And of course SHE LOVES IT! As far as I'm concerned, I'm still undecided. I'll leave it this way for a while for 2 reasons: 1. It's what she wants and she loves it. 2. It was a ton of work and I think Matt would freak if I told him we needed to start over. ;)

I'm too lame.

2009-04-23T21:39:00.000-07:00

Mason: "Hey Mom, you know what? I really hate Brenda Smith (name has been changed to protect the guilty)."

Me: " Oh yeah, you HATE her?"

Mason: "Yeah, I do."

Me: "Why do you HATE her?"

Mason: "You want me to kick in the details, huh?"

Me: "Sure dude, throw 'em at me (just trying in some lame way to keep up with the lingo)."

Mason: "What?"

Me: "Never mind."

I guess I'm not as cool as I think I am.

After It's Dark Time?

2009-04-19T17:37:00.001-07:00

Mia has this phrase she uses several times a day. "After it's dark time, what are we going to do?"

Interpretation: What are we doing on tomorrow? No matter how many times we correct her ("Mia, the right way to say that is, what are we doing tomorrow?") she still says it this way.

So today Matt and I were in our room and Mia came upstairs. "Mom, after a lot of dark times, what day is it?"

Matt (who I thought was asleep) and I both started laughing. First of all, how many "dark times" are we talking about here? The possibilities of the correct answer are ENDLESS! I started to answer by saying "Tomorrow is Monday." That was evidently incorrect. After a lot of laughter from us and some frustation on her end, turns out the answer she was looking for was Christmas Eve........duh! I guess she's technically correct. "After a lot of dark times" it will be Christmas Eve.

For Me (oh, and you too if you'd like)

2009-04-19T17:08:00.000-07:00

I use to be an avid journal keeper. Really I did. I have several journals chronicling from my early childhood years through elementary school, Jr High (ick), through High School and beyond.
You get the point.
My earliest one has more pictures I drew then actual words but some of them are really funny. I will always be grateful to my Mom for taking the time to get me to do these entries. Looking back through the journals from Jr High and High school is fun but can also be painful. It's difficult to look back and see how immature I was. Most of the entries involve one boy or another. Funny but not a lot of substance. There are some (more then I care to admit) that contain things I probably wouldn't want my family, especially my children, to read about me. I have SERIOUSLY considered burning these or perhaps burying them in an undisclosed location. The verdict's still out.
Why am I rambling about this? Well that's why I started this blog. Since getting married and having kids I don't take the time to journal. At all. I've never enjoyed scrapbooking although I really wish I did. So I have all these memories and all these pictures that are piling up in my house and in my head. I thought this would be a good way to write it down and add pictures. It's quick, it's easy and it's giving me a chance to get some memories out of my head and into form.
I've been reading a few other blogs lately and realized that I have a lot of memories and events that I want to add to this blog so I have them down somewhere. So I guess this is a word of warning. This blog is for my memories and it may be boring to the rest of you (I hope not) but it's my way of preserving them. Consider yourselves warned! Hope you enjoy:)