The Russell Family

Sedona Adventures

2009-09-30T16:24:00.000-07:00

Last month, we decided to head north and enjoy the cooler temperatures. So, we packed the everyone, including the dog, in the van and headed north without a plan. Tends to be our way ... but typically makes for an exciting adventure!

We arrived in Sedona mid afternoon and our first stop was a beautiful "scenic view" spot. Tons of great photos to share. Then off to town. We stopped at the outlets on the outskirts. Most probably do, but by this time, Campbell had already dirtied 2 t-shirts to the point they couldn't be seen in public. ha.ha... So, the Gap outlet called out to us. We picked up a handful of clothes for the boys, got everyone presentable again and headed into town. While at the outlets, we saw a flier for the Trout Farm. Sounded good so off we went.

We were the only ones there by the time we arrived - it was near closing time. We were a little unsure if we wanted to do it, since we discovered if you catch one (and trust me, you will) you can't throw it back. Well, you can, but it'll cost ya 20 bucks. But, we figured we had a cooler with us, and could pack it in ice and see what happens. Turns out we did indeed catch a fish. Paid the guy a dollar to clean it and a couple dollars to pack it in ice and then made out way back to town. We saw that there was a place in town where you can take the fish you catch and they'll cook them for $6. We we found it, Heartline Cafe. Jon went to check it out came back and said now, not a place for us. It was a small boutique type place with nice linens and fancy dishes. LOL Knowing the boys were at the end of their "ropes" and how we were dressed, we thought we'd pass. Jon was going to ask if they just wanted the fish, but came back with a changed mind and we headed in to eat. It's a small place and the first couple was leaving and the other party of 3 was dining outside. We'd though to eat out front, but there was a bee that continued to taught Ian, so we moved indoors. We were actually the only people in the small place while we were there. The staff was so nice and Ian was so thrilled that he was going to eat the fish he'd caught. While we were seated, the bus-boy came with silverware and Ian put his little hand on his and said "I caught a fish!" The guy smiled. I'm not sure he spoke English, but he understood that Ian was excited about something good. ha..ha... Before long, our meals arrived and HOLY COW! You should see this fish! They offered trout on the menu and turns out that's how they prepared the fish we brought. for $6 I expected our fish to be cooked and laid on a plate - but when you see the pictures, you'll see how beautiful it was. Both boys enjoyed the fish and overall it was a super fun dinner. Even now, when I ask what everyone wants for dinner, Ian will occasionally say "Let's go catcha fish!" It was a highlight for sure!

That night we headed up to Flagstaff and got a room. Got a good sleep, ate a good breakfast and then headed to the fair. Only to discover that the fair started that night. So we wandered the fair "set up" for a while and watch the youth bring in their 4-H animals. After that, we grabbed lunch and headed down the mountain to Slide Rock. It was mid-week, so we could actually park in the parking lot. If you've been in the summer or on weekends, you know it's tough to find a place to park. It was a great time. Jon too the boys to the water and played for awhile. Dogs aren't allowed near the water, so Ziggy and I hit the trail and wandered for a while and found a place where we could watch the boys have some fun.

After Slide Rock - we headed back down to the Valley, making our way through Cottonwood, Jerome and Prescott Valley, where we stopped for pizza. Back down toward Phoenix. We stopped at Dad & Mary Lou's for the night to visit with plans to get back home the next day. The next day we decided to take an impromptu trip to San Diego for the long weekend, so after our Friday activities with the fam, Jon and I came home, got packed, got the dog off to the neighbors for the weekend and then early Saturday morning we headed back to Dad's where the boys had spent the night. Saturday morning, we piled into the Tahoe with Dad, Mary Lou and Aunt Meredith and headed to San Diego to spend the weekend with Ashley, Dan & cousin Calvin. Those pictures will come shortly, until then, enjoy these fun photos from northern AZ

2009-09-30T14:44:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th Birthday Ian

Well, it's been at least 6 weeks, so it's really about time I posted some pictures from Ian's big birthday celebration.

Ian turned 4 on Aug. 15th. That night we headed out for our weekly dinner at McDonald's. Yep, that's right...it's a weekly venture, and typically on Wednesday. Our McD's boasts $1.50 Happy Meals Mon-Wed. so, we figure if we're going to have a night out with the kids, it's should be a cheap one. ha..ha... Anyway, I think I brought cookies or something lame, but it was really just our "family" night with a small celebration - I brought one gift with us and then we opened his big gift at home. We arrived and Jon said something about his friends being there - when I told him no friends, he thought I was a seriously lame Mom. "Really: McDonald's for your birthday dinner and no friends?" Yes, loser move, I admit. But, the Carpenters saved the day - Jimmy showed up with his two boys while Laura was at a school meeting so we had a small "party". BUT, in my defense, we were having his actual Birthday Party the following Saturday and I didn't think it was that cool to invite folks to join us for dinner one day and then another party later. Whatever. So ... We enjoyed dinner, came home and Ian then received his Smart Cycle. I found this at the consignment shop back in March and stored it at Dad's for a while then in the spare room. Not an easy thing to hide, to say the least, but it's been a big hit and both boys love it.

The following Saturday we had family and friends over. A nice bonus was his cousins from Wisconsin were in town, so we were able to celebrate with this as well. As always, lots of presents ... lots of fun .... and too much food! He had wanted a "rocket" birthday aka Little Einsteins. Months ago, he and Jon had been out and about and found this great rocket toy on sale. Jon bought it then and put it in the closet. That poor kid tried for months to find his way to the top of the closet shelf - climbing on whatever he could find, but we stuck to our guns and this was going to be a birthday gift. Thus, his need for a "rocket" party was born. For the record, it did turn out to be a pretty cool toy. ha..ha... He was pretty excited about that cake ... a Costco masterpiece with a an edible topper that I found on eBay - they're great, an edible photocopy that you lay right on top of the cake. Technology is great!

Here are some photos from the day - too many to list separately, so once again, I tip my hat to the Smilebox folks for a quick photo summary. :)

Blue Ridge Reservoire, July 2009

2009-08-30T15:52:00.001-07:00

We finally did it ... pulled the kayaks down from the ceiling in the garage, loaded (and I mean loaded) the van and headed up to the Blue Ridge Reservoir, about 40 mi. north of Payson along the Rim. What a great weekend. We met our friends from the Valley, Joy & Ty and their daughter Gabby who'd been up in the Show Low area visiting family. Luckily, they arrived much earlier than we, therefore able to secure a campsite. Which, by the way, was fabulous. Would definitely head back! facilities were clean, (and by clean, I mean smelled good too. LOL) We arrived late Friday night, just in time to set up our camp, get the boys to bed and visit for a few minutes.

Saturday morning - we were up early (of course. I mean, Campbell doesn't sleep past sunrise at home. put the kid in a tent and I'm lucky he slept as late as he did, which turned out to be somewhere between 5/5:30. ) Ty threw together a great breakfast and it was great to just hang out and enjoy the cool morning air while someone else made it happen. ha..ha... We ate, and just enjoyed the morning before hading down to the reservoir. It felt like the morning had passed, but it really wasn't much passed 8:30. We piled everyone back into the cars and made the trek to the launch site. Jon and Ian took one and Ty and Gabby the other. Joy, Campbell and I wished them a bon voyage and made tracks back to the campsite. Eventually Campbell went to sleep ...and I did too. I'm sure the gentle rocking of the hammock we were in was a big help there. It was great. Joy and I chatted, but really just enjoyed reading and resting. Isn't it great when you can hang with friends and it's cool just to be there - not having to entertain each other"? It was great. They gang managed to make it back to camp for lunch and we spent the rest of the day doing whatever it is you do when you're camping. LOL Out camping buddies headed back to Phoenix that night, but we stayed behind, enjoying another evening under the stars. Of course, this particular evening, the boys were excited to test their skills at roasting marshmallows. An interesting event to watch as you're trying to keep your 2 & 3 yr old clear of the fire. LOL The boys went to bed and Jon and I just enjoyed the quiet of the campfire ... the stars ... the night breeze. It was a great evening.

We all rose early with Campbell (and by WE, I mean us and anyone within earshot) We packed the van, cleaned the site and prepared to make out way. Turned on the van. Oh, wait, that's where it all went sour. Yeah. Dead battery. But, luckily the guy in a neighboring site had a battery in his camper we used to charge ours. (Yes, instead of jumping with his own car, he carries an actual spare car battery. Apparently he got burned one time. But, give him credit for not ditching the idea of being helpful altogether. We were quite thankful he was there and willing. Then again, he may have gotten wise to the fact that it was Campbell who woke the world that morning and perhaps just wanted to ensure would have a restful night. ha..ha.)

Too many photos ... I'm not going to caption them all, but if you know us, you know the players ... and the three you don't know are Joy, Ty and Gabby.

CHEEEEEEESE ....

2009-05-15T13:18:00.000-07:00

Well, Ian's been potty trained for a while now ... Campbell is just starting to take an interest ... but in the interim, we've found good use for all the pull-ups in the house. I guess living in Oregon really improved our tendency to reduce, re-use, recycle.... well, not re-use, that would be gross ... But you get the gist. ;)

Sleeping under the Stars

2009-05-15T13:03:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Jon decided to put up the tent ... the evening weather has been great and he wanted to sleep outside before it gets much hotter. So Friday evening we got home from wherever we'd been and he started putting the tent up in the yard. You KNOW Ian was crazy with excitement! The tent was ready, sleeping bags in place and they were ready to go. Of course Jon wanted to hang inside a bit longer before hittin' the hay ... Ian was so patiend and eventually crashed out on the floor. We picked him up and put him to bed in the tent. (Poor kid missed the fun part) BUT, he woke the next morning wide-eyed next to his Daddy ... so excited that he had slept in the tent!

Ready to go ...

Jon's was equally excited for a night outdoors

Ian and Daddy still sleeping the next morning...unfortunatly Campbell decided us "indoor sleepers" needed to be up at dawn. Go figure. LOL

Ian Showing Campbell around the tent ... it was pretty funny

Happy Birthday, Campbell

2009-05-11T09:21:00.000-07:00

Wow ... 2 years have quickly flown by. As I sit here this morning on the back porch, Ian's running through the sprinkler thing and Campbell is steering clear of it... every now and then he tells Ian to turn it off. He's not a fan of the random water spray, I suppose... They're so fun - and really do enjoy playing together, or apart but near each other. Campbell is such an independent little person - happy to do his own thing or hang with the crowd. He is so easy going it's almost scary ...

Two years ago, Jon and I headed to Dr Nelson's office for IV antibiotics in preparation for an induction that afternoon. (I was Strep B and since Ian delivered so quickly, it was anticipated that Campbell wouldn't give us the needed 4 hr labor for the IV...) once that was done, Jon and I had lunch wandered the mall ... waited for the call from our fabulous OBGYN. Finally we headed to the office - Meredith brought a lemon meringue pie and met us in the waiting room (My last official pregnancy craving) and there sat the 3 of us, eating the pie straight from the tin in a crowded waiting room. About 3:30, we went back, broke my water and off to the hospital we went. Mom and Meredith were there ... and just in time for the last "push" Dad and Amy arrived... It was great to have everyone there as our little Campbell Forrest joined our family.

Jump head two years ... It's funny when we joke about having 8 address in 5 years ... but funnier when I realized that Campbell had shared 4 of them by the time he was 16 months. He's two and although I'm sure much of it is because he so competitive to keep up with older brother Ian, Jon and I are constantly amazed by him. His vocabulary is amazing - he knows all his letters by sight and their sounds. It's crazy. he loves to sing and I love to hear him sing "Jesus Wants Me for a Sun BEAT! We celebrated his Birthday on Saturday and later that night, he was playing with a truck singing "Happy Birthday". Now this wouldn't normally surprise me, he sings all the time, but Happy Birthday isn't a song we sing around the house so I was surprised that he would remember the song without prompting after we'd sung it to him earlier that afternoon. He makes me smile when I call everyone for dinner asking "Who wants to eat??" Here comes Campbell to the top of the stairs ... "I DO, I DO!!" And he does... He's a healthy little eater who Jon loving refers to as "Baby Phat". ha..ha... He's such a great little boy and it's so fun to see him playing with Ian - They are becoming such good little friends now. I'm sure that won't always be the case, but I love to hear Campbell call for Ian and it's wonderful to see Ian try to teach Campbell new things. Life is good and we are so blessed to have these little boys!

Campbell (6 mo) Ian (2 yrs)

Campbell (1 yr) cousin Cal (9mo)

Campbell (18 Mo)

Campbell Today !

We love you, Campbell!

Springtime Excitement ....

2009-03-27T00:26:00.000-07:00

Our latest family photo ... CHEEEEEEEEESE

Yes, strange, I know ... who takes a family pic at the hospital?? ha..ha...

Well, if you hadn't heard ... we (specifically Jonathan) have had an interesting month. it started several weeks ago in February with some lower leg pain. It was recommended that he see a physical therapist for some possible tendon issues, which he did. The PT discovered some deep muscle spasms that he target during a few sessions. Turns out, however, that pain worsened and began to travel slowly over the course of a couple of weeks. Long story short, after some swelling and some minor chest pain, he finally went in on a Wednesday afternoon for an ultra sound to rule out a blood clot.

Well, crap. The whole "rule out" plan was foiled when they discovered a large blood clot. (completely unrelated to the muscle spasms.) So we left the radiology center and headed directly to Mercy Gilbert Hospital where they did a Chest CT and discovered bilateral pulmonary embolisms (more clots on either side of his lungs) Thus, Jon spent the next 5 days in the hospital connected to a Heparin IV. He was released on Monday, only to return two days later, Wednesday afternoon (an ugly pattern forming). Another clot in the same leg meant he would once again be admitted. That night they inserted a filter to trap any other leg clots and prevent them from moving to the lungs, heart, brain ... he was released the following week. (side note about insurance companies... he actually had to stay an extra day while they sorted out coverage of meds...they covered in the hospital but didn't want to cover at home. what?? So, it took a lot of intervention of many folks to get that sorted out.)

If you know Jon, you know that he just isn't a sedentary guy, so all of this sitting around doing nothing .... not being able to breath fresh air was NOT his idea of a good time. He was told that he will need to lay low for several weeks.

So, after nearly two weeks in the hospital, he was glad to be home and we were happy to have him back. We felt so lucky to have been back in AZ where we could lean on family to help with the boys. We stayed at my mom's house and the boys were lucky to be able to spend LOTS of quality time with Mimi, Honk, Papa & Grandma A and Aunt Mer while I was with Jon at the hospital. We really, REALLY thank them for all of their help.

He's been home for about two weeks now ... with limited activity. Again, a total buzz kill for out outdoor guy. After a follow with is Hematologist (who, coincidentally, turned out to be my Mom's Oncologist ... small world) he was given the green light to head back to work part time next week and then full time the following week. we're hopeful that things will go smoothly for him. He's been anxious to get back to work...especially as we run into his patients at the grocery store or WalMart. the other day, in fact, he ran into a couple who were so happy to see him up and around. apparently they'd seen him earlier the day he first went to the hospital and then somehow heard that he'd later been airlifted to the hospital. (No heli ride for him... lol)

Jon talking to his folks on the phone while Campbell entertains himself on the stroller

Man, this kid can have fun anywhere! ha..ha..

Poor Ian, had fallen asleep on the way to visit Daddy and wanted to rest a little longer on the "guest bed" in Daddy's room

**** UPDATE 5.15.09 ****

OK, this is how back-up I am on the blog ... It's been 10 weeks since this all began.

He was diagnosed with Factor Five Leiden which is basically something in his blood that won't break down clots. 20% of the population are "factor 5" but only 10% of them will ever get a blood clot. We still don't konw why Jon got the clot in the first place, but the challenge has been breaking them down. We joked about making t-shirts saying "Staying Alive with Factor Five" ... (not really all that funny, I know ....)

Jon was FINALLY able to return to work this week on a Part Time basis, hopefully working his way back to FT shortly. (He did return in March for a 1/2 day but it was too soon and the leg reacted badly. "It's an angry clot!" according to Dr Schtivelband. But Thankfully the leg has been cooperating and he's not having the pain/swelling he had been experiencing. He's spent the last two months entertaining himself with daily (now twice daily) abdomen injections ... and sporting a very secy black thigh-high (aka compression stocking) fun, fun, fun...but it's working. They plan to remove the filter at the end of May. It's been a sticky and sometimes scary experience but we're thankful he's been blessed with improved health and is finally released to return back to work. Thanks to everyone for your fasting and prayers, it has been such a strength and meant so much!

XOXO

Mah Sweet Boys

2009-03-27T00:11:00.000-07:00

Ian & Campbell one week after church ... man they were in the from the garage and out the backdoor in a flash. These little boys just love having a big grassy yard and can't stand to be away from their sandbox for any length of time. ha..ha...

This picture just makes me smile ...

St Anthony's Monastery

2009-03-26T23:47:00.000-07:00

Several months ago, Jon came across St Anthony's Monastery, just outside of Florence. He's had the opportunity to meet Monk's from the Monastery at the office and one day took a drive down to see their gardens after meeting them and learning about it. A few weeks ago, after a kickball game, Jon drove us down to check it out. One of the kids had fallen asleep, so we didn't get out, but we did get a few pictures. Tonight while posting these photos, I looked up their website and enjoyed reading a bit about the monastery, how it was started, etc. I was also relieved to think back at our decision not to leave the car and walk the grounds. We were clearly out of dress code and may have found ourselves making serious gaffe. We plan to go again, and thankfully, I am a bit more educated on what to expect and what to wear! :)

The grounds are beautiful and it's interesting to learn that they have labored there for just over 10 years and truly created "Something out of Nothing". Hopefully we'll soon have more to share

Kickin' it in Florence ...

2009-03-26T23:15:00.000-07:00

We've arrived. The Russell's have officially entered the world of kids sports.

This spring Ian joined the local Kickball League for 3-6 yr olds. 6 weeks of games and some weeks they were "double-headers" a tall order for teams made up mostly of 3-4 yr olds. ha...ha. The first week their team had two games and it was not unusual to find the kids leaving the dugout to find familiar faces on the bleachers. At one point there was a group of 4-5 running a circle around the pitchers mound.

The season is now over, but here are some of my fav pictures of this little adventure.

Ian claiming home plate after running the bases. Go, Ian, Go!!

taking a much needed breather after a double header

Lined up for their turn to kick

Running the bases

Ian with his good friend Nikki focused solely on their defence ... yeah, right. I guess they figure if kickball doesn't work out they're headed for "So You Think You Can Dance".

Happy Birthday, PBS

2009-02-03T12:56:00.000-08:00

The last weekend in January, the local PBS station, housed on ASU campus, hosted a birthday party for the station. They had special guests, Grover and Elmo along with various activities for the kids ... face painting, story telling, crafts, cake (which by the way was crazy good) and a tour of the set. "Tour" makes it sound rigid, really, the set was wide open and they kids could play and get to know various areas of a TV Set, camera, teleprompters, etc... We went with our friends, the Scilley's. The Dad's stayed home while the Mom's headed to Tempe for the day and had a blast playing at the station. It was a great time and the kids really had fun. We look forward to next year's party for sure!

Ian, Campbell, Nicole and Caden sitting at the news desk

Ian with Grover and Elmo (as if you didn't know...)

Ian and Nikki

Ian and Nikki trying their skills on camera. Ian loved that they guy set it up so they could talk to each other on the headsets while they were working the cameras. Seriously, I LOVE this picture!

Pre-School

2009-01-23T15:33:00.000-08:00

Ian started pre-school in January ... hoooraaayy for everyone! It's an afternoon session, which is great for me ... he's in that post nap phase so it keeps him busy in the afternoon. I've pushed Campbell's nap time to coincide with Ian's school and now I get 2.5 hours to catch up on projects, or whatever... it's lovely. There are only 4 kids in the afternoon session and the best part is that it's just around the corner. It's seriously a win-win. He's an active all-boy kinda kid, so this whole learning to sit - learn - focus is probably more of a challenge, but as his teachers say ... that's the point of pre-school. (I'm sure that's just what they say to make the mom of said type of boy feel better. LOL)

First day photos...

And our celebratory cake that we make after school on the 1st day to celebrate. Ian is funny, he insists on it being "a-b-d-D" never just a simple a-b-c ...

Sunbeam

2009-01-23T15:06:00.000-08:00

January 2009 meant that along with about a billion other 3 year olds Ian became a Sunbeam. Wow, they just keep getting bigger.... Campbell hasn't been happy about Ian joining the ranks of the "bigger kids", shedding a few tears when we drop him off in the primary room. I find this curious since they weren't even in the same nursery class last year, but what can you do. I guess it's not that he misses him, but rather he might behaving more fun. LOL There are 21 Sunbeams in the ward ... 3 Sunbeam classes. Must be a record. (Boy am I glad I'm still in RS LOL)

Am I There Yet???

2008-12-19T11:33:00.000-08:00

It's funny ... You grow up, hit a milestone and think you're "grown" ... dating, college, dating, marriage, dating, children, less dating ... more hi-5's in the hall ... all along the way, something big happens in your life and you say to yourself, "This is it, I've arrived!! I'm officially a grown up now". Well, last week, I think I finally 'arrived'. Yes, I've hit all those "big girl" milestones, but last Saturday, as I drug myself to the car at 6:15am, I had to laugh as I thought to myself, yep, I'm officially getting older. So, which milestone was it? ... ha..ha..

Man, it's early ... and Jon's car radio only gets 2 stations... and 1 is in spanish. grrr...

But ... Jon's home with boys and although they're still snuggled warm in their beds, I'm actually enjoying a little "quiet time" as I venture out this quiet morning to Casa Grande on my own.

Then again ... I've yet to hear anyone actually celebrate the occasion. Yikes!

"Put this on ... open in the front"

"Meet Joi ... and her friend, the digital Mammogram machine"

Yes ... see that tray where her hand is resting? Yea, that's where yer boob goes. And that clear/white portion above... that slowly gets lowered onto your breast, smashing it flat to take the picture. It's a little awkward and the cause for a great deal of laughter during the experience. LOL

And finally, Me, no longer a Mammo-Virgin. ha..ha... Seriously, it was really no big deal. They had the new digital machines, which Joi insisted was soooo much better than the old version. Although, it still "smashes" so I'm not sure how it differs. Maybe it's the duration of the shmoosh. In the end, it took less than 15 minutes and truly, it's not painful!

Most women begin getting mammograms at 40, but because of my family history, it was recommended that I get one now.

And now, for the "public service portion" of the entry. Remind the women in your life to get their annual mammogram. If you have a family history of breast cancer - talk to your doctor about when you should start. Even if you're not worried about breast cancer now, it's good to get a base-line mammogram so your doctor can detect changes from year to year.

2008-12-13T21:35:00.001-08:00

Last week we met up with Grandpa and Grandma A & Aunt Mer to see the Temple lights at the Mesa Temple. It was beautiful ... the grounds are amazing every year. We also enjoyed the Nativity exhibit and music. The weather was fab and we had a great time.

Make a Smilebox greeting

Fun Stuff

2008-12-13T21:26:00.000-08:00

Don't you agree that arts & crafts are one of the best parts of the holidays? Ian and I had fun the day before Thanksgiving painting pictures and place cards for the family...

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk, Nov. 2008

2008-12-13T21:05:00.000-08:00

November 9th marked a great day for us ... our walking team, Mimi's Pink Ribbon Warriors joined the American Cancer Societ's annual walk to raise money for breast cancer research. As my luck goes, I'd been knocked out with pneumonia earlier that week and was unable to join the team, but Jon and boys were able to participate.

I want to thank everyone who helped support the team either by donation, or joining us for the walk ... It was a great day and out team raised $1500. We'll look forward to next year and hope you'll join us if you're able!

Southern California, October 2008

2008-11-14T08:46:00.000-08:00

In this insanely long post, we'll uncover may mysteries, including:

What's up with this bench?

Why are the boys at the San Diego Zoo in their PJ's?

Who is this strange woman in our doorway?

The last week of October, Jonathan attended a CME Family Practice Conference in San Diego. Not ones to miss a good time, we gathered ourselves, along with Aunt Meredith and headed for SoCal on a Tuesday after work.

We headed west on I-8 towards California. Aunt Mer brought some new movies and all was well in the back o' the van. We arrived in Yuma for dinner and a stretch around 7p. Ian woke up just as we were pulling into the BK (who boasts a 3 story play ground... although as a Mom, I wonder if 3 stories is really that great of a thing.) Anyway, As we headed in, Ian, who was still waking up, missed the sidewalk step, tumbled and cut his upper lip. Awesome! Poor guy finally settled down, his lip swelled up and we made it through dinner. (I guess a paper crown really can make the difference. LOL) Before we got back on the road, we changed diapers and put the boys in their pajamas so we could just put them right to bed when we got to SD. A perfect plan, indeed. We pulled in to the hotel around 10:00pm a great place in Mission Beach that Meredith found called The Bahia. We unloaded the van got settled and called it a night.

The next morning, I got Jon off to his conference, about 8 miles away on the way back I stopped and picked up some groceries at Ralph's. A Fry's/Kroger affiliate. I mention this stop only so I can say this. This was the WORST grocery store I've ever been to. Not because of cleanliness, selection or price, but because the employees from top to bottom were rude, crass and completely inept. Staff was rude to each other, a elderly woman asked an emp for help finding something and he said, "I'm really busy right now". (WHAT???) You couldn't get anyone to make eye contact or say excuse me when they barrelled by you through small isle and at checkout, there were serious pricing discrepancies. (my 2.5lb of apples @ 10lb doe $10 somehow rang up for nearly $7. Even after they sorted out the pricing, the girl could figure out how to fix the register and said it still rang up right. (WHAT??) It was almost surreal. LOL but I digress.

Got back to the room, the boys were up and we all had some breakfast before getting ready for the zoo. Which is when we discovered the boys duffel bag was missing ... Yes, to make this very long story short (code for longer and less interesting...) It was gone - we'd unloaded it and knew it was in the lobby one the bench (pictured above) while we were unloading everything from the van. So, with the exception of the PJ's they were wearing, the boys had absolutely no clothes. Arg! We made phone calls to lost and found, scoured the hotel property for clothes strewn to 'n fro but turned up nothing. Wouldn't the folks who walked off with it be surprised when they found it stuffed full of toddler clothes. So, with nothing left to do, we packed up and headed to the zoo. We bought the boys zoo shirts, but the rotten Mom that I am, I figured they could stick it out in their thermals (Picture #2) until we could get to target. Yep, we got lots of interesting looks that day. LOL... that afternoon, we hit the Old Navy and Target and found some things to carry them through the week. To wrap up this long story, (assuming you're still with me) The next morning, while I was taking Jon to his meetings, the hotel called and they had found the bag near the front lobby of the hotel (A different bldg on the other side of the property.) I got back to the room and we all celebrated with the news. A short time later, the ever so popular "Strange Woman in the Doorway" knocked on the door with the red duffel back in tow. And boy, were we blessed. It appeared that everything was still in the bag. Whew! So, off to return the new treasure. ha!

The rest of the week was full of fun with visits to Sea World, la Jolla, the San Diego Temple, Carlsbad to visit Aunt Ashley, Uncle Dan & Cousin Cal and a trip to see Great Grandma Joyce before returning to Phoenix. If you've made it this far into the story, you're reward is the following collection of photos organized by event.

Make a Smilebox photobook

Wedding Party

2008-11-08T07:13:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago we had the great pleasure of celebrating Jon and Angela's wedding. Unfortunately the night before we were heading to Las Vegas for the wedding, we faced an ear infection with Campbell and had to cancel our plans at the last minute. Fortunately, we were able to celebrate at their open house here in AZ.

It was a lovely evening and we all had a great time ... especially the kids who couldn't get enough time on the dance floor ... or candy! ha..ha We missed Jonathan who was on assignment at the HS Football Game. Gotta have a guy on hand when one of those kids gets hurt. (And it seems someone almost always gets hurt. LOL)

2008-11-08T06:13:00.000-08:00

It's long over due, considering we actually moved in at the end of September. Here are some pictures of the process. It was easy to keep tabs on the details, considering this was just down the street and around the corner from where we were living. There were after dinner walks nearly every day to check out the progress. I'm convinced the Superintendant on the job was as happy to see it end as we were with weekly follow up emails/phone calls with little "Can you fix, can you change, what about this..." messages ha..ha...

In the end, we are so happy to be here and look forward to the next big project - landscaping the backyard. Eventually, we'll post the interior, but I've yet to get any shots of the inside. One thing at a time, I guess.

HEY!! COME BACK!!!

2008-10-20T08:58:00.000-07:00

"Come Back, Come Back, COME BAAAAAAAACCCKKKKKKKKK!!!!"

This is what I heard Ian yelling out the window this morning when the garbage truck came to take away the trash. The windows were open, and he was watching the truck come down the street. Then I heard the truck stop at our house and Ian started hollering "STOP, STOP (pause) "Hey! ComebackcomebackcomeBAAAKKKK" (Yes, all one word) at the top of his lungs when he saw them empty the trash into the truck. I had to laugh and then explain that we really DID want them to take our stinky garbage away! LOL

Birthday Boy

2008-10-13T15:55:00.000-07:00

So ... I am SERIOUSLY late in posting details about Ian's Birthday. Gimme a Break, it's been two months. Although I'm cutting myself some slack considering the recent move. Long story short ... Our 3 yr old enjoyed quite the week of Celebrations.

First, was an early party with Papa & Grandma A The Sunday before his birthday. Ian helped decorate his little cake with a "fruit-loop-number-3". He got a new Geo Trax
train set which he and Campbell both have tons of fun with.

On his birthday (Tuesday), we had a little family party along with his friend Gabby's family. Instead of Cake, we did a strawberry ice-cream pie (I just could do another cake, knowing there would be cupcakes and cakes to come later in the week. ha..ha.)

Wednesday at Play Group, we had fun little monkey cupcakes... unfortunately, no pictures.

And finally, Saturday was a family party with family and friends ... Ian's cousin Marc celebrated his 9th birthday that week so we had lots of fun celebrating with him along with his folks, and brother Stuart from Tucson, Mimi & Honk, Aunt Mer, our friend Kit along with Gabby, Joy & Ty. We had two cakes, and Aunt Meredith made some amazing cupcakes -- chocolate/chocolate and peanut butter/chocolate. There were fab! She always makes the funnest cupcakes. We love them!! (her latest were choc. with peppermint... bliss. LOL)

It's hard to believe he's 3. time flies and it seams impossible that this little guy has traveled with us coast to coast, living in Philly, Phoenix, Roseburg and Florence. Seriously. More towns than years ... ( A record, for sure! LOL he's such a fun, yet mischievous little boy... greeting you with a "What are YOU doing here" when you surprise him ... and singing "I Wonder When He Comes Again" at a volume 10. when we rock at night. (of course, it's a vol 2 when he sings for anyone else... but always a "10" when we rock in the dark and Campbell's sleeping a foot away from us. But I don't mind because I think it's sweet that this is his favorite song). Someday when there's more time, I need to sit and detail the funny things these boys do... They are so much fun!

Birthday Bike

2008-10-13T15:49:00.000-07:00

2008-09-15T14:06:00.000-07:00

2008-09-03T20:16:00.000-07:00

WHAT??? Or maybe the better question is WHY???

Campbell doing a little "4-wheelin'" ...

Ian's all smiles. He give his approval of the laundry room...

An after-dinner walk around the neighborhood ...

Rock Star

2008-09-03T20:00:00.000-07:00

Ian got a new Guitar for his birthday ... (yes, I'm a bit behind on the birthday updates) he's quite a rocker and will stop everything to play -- with or without an actual guitar (we've enjoyed more than a few air guitar performances in random public places. ha..ha...)

The doctor is in ...

2008-09-03T19:44:00.000-07:00

Can you say... "Bend Over"?? ha ... ha ... Last week Papa Honk had knee surgery ... we paid him a visit and of course, the rubber gloves were a hit. Yes ... he's Jon's boy. LOL

Naps

2008-09-03T08:12:00.001-07:00

OK... not often, but occassionally Ian will go take a nap, get up, and put himself back to bed somewhere else... yesterday was one of those days. I put both boys to bed. They spent a lot of time talking and eventually I heard Ian out of the room and playing with the trains. I told him to go back to bed, he shouted back an insincere "OK". After about 10 minutes, it was quiet. I went upstairs, expecting to find him asleep in the middle of the train tracks. No, the room was empty. I went down the hall to their room and found this ...

Poor guy - Pretty sweaty under there. LOL Actually, it was a little scarry to tell the truth, (no, this is not a PSA) and it reminded me that you really do have to check on them often ... I realize that he was probably safe and nothing tragic would have happened, but it was a bit creepy to see him kind of roll out while still asleep as I moved the bin. In the end all was well and this is just another "where is ian going to nap today" kind of post. ha..ha.. Which reminds, me ... it's kind of quiet, I should see what they're up to now. LOL

Shmoooosh

2008-08-27T06:58:00.000-07:00

2008-08-04T14:38:00.000-07:00

Yeah, that's me...clean face, bright smile... lovin' the camera

pretty swift ... good with a spoon ...

Unless it's pudding - then I will resort to other methods as necessary ...

OK, MOM, we get it... you think it's cute... me, chocolate all over the place ... blah, blah... let me eat, will ya? Sheesh!

Seriously, woman... back off. I think we're done here.

Summertime in Pine Top, AZ

2008-07-31T13:17:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we rendezvoused in Pine Top, AZ with Mimi, Honk and Aunt Mer. A wonderful change of scenery and an even better change of weather. We actually saw RAIN! We didn't get enough pictures, but we did have a great time.

Mimi, Campbell & Meredith

Ian loved to nap or chill in the top bunk, but we made him sleep the night away in the bottom. That's a crash landing I didn't want to worry about in the wee hours. ha..ha.

The boys playing outside after breakfast at Mama Bear's

Ian doing what boys do... checkin' out rocks.

Campbell cheesin' it up for the camera, as always...

The fam... Jonathan, Holly Meredith, Dale (Honk), Mimi, Campbell and Ian. Not sure why Ian was making the face, but it makes me laugh, so I had to include it... the next one he was all smile. Just goes to show, the frowns are almost always for show. ha.ha..

Shoes . . .

2008-07-24T06:54:00.000-07:00

. . . if you want to know why getting out the door is always such a chore, it's shoes. Anymore, I just keep Campbell's shoes in the car - he's kicked them off by the time we get to our destination anyway. LOL. This particular day, Ian was feeling helpful. Really, I just had to laugh as the word "karma" continued to flash in my mind. It's funny when the older child is faced with the annoyances of the younger ... all things that drove us crazy the first time around. For instance, kicking of shoes as you're trying to put them on ... almost as bothersome as turning the TV off and on during the most critial part...LOL

Haircuts ... and other crazy things

2008-07-16T09:04:00.001-07:00

Those random photo dowloads ... always fun to see what's happened that you've forgotten about.

Haircuts ...

Ian's last official cut was at a Great Clips ... and not so great. She was not kid friendly, which didn't mix well with Ian not being "stylist friendly"... resulting in me holding him, another cutter holding Campbell and the lady somehow mananging to get through it all. Poor Ian was a mess. The next cut was all me - while he was playing the the tub. Not horrible but not worth trying again. This time, we decided it was back to the Kids Cut place. Totally worth the extra cash. Clearly, Campbell is much more comfortable with the entire experience, although you see Ian came around when the bells & whistles were invovled.

Mac & Cheese

So... church gets out at 4 ... which means unless I've got something cooking in the crockpot, we're pretty casual for dinner. This particular week was more casual than normal with Mac n Cheese in the living room. (which is why Zoe's in the kennel.) Ian thought he'd help Campbell ...

Last week, Ian's friend Emma was home sick, so when Jon got home from work they walked down to take her a card he made and a yellow rose. (Ian picked yellow over pink and red which I thought was both funny and appropriate. LOL)

And finally ... a couple shots of Campbell enjoying a cob o' corn. Such a serious cheeseball One pic he's focused on the cob... the next he notices the camera and totally poses. LOL

Our Escape to Payson

2008-07-16T08:16:00.000-07:00

The last weekend in June we planned a surprise for Jonathan's birthday (It's actually July 5th, but seems to always fall 2nd place to July 4th celebrations) So.... with some help from the family and Jon's office, we plotted the perfect plan. It was 6-weeks in the making so I confess that I'm ever so proud of myself for actually managing to keep it a secret. It was not easy! ha..ha...

Friday morning, Jon left for work and the boys and I got crackin' packing bags. OK. I got crackin', the boys did the usual ... breakfast and morning PBS adventures. Around noon, we were off to the office for Daddy's surprise. Jon's morning schedule was full of real patients, but the afternoon was full of fakes - mostly relatives of the staff. (They thought it funny he didn't catch on to the similar names ... he thought it funny that they were surprised by that. LOL) We shared the traditional birthday festivities with the staff and then filled him on the real surprise. That he was free for the afternoon and we were headed north for a fun-filled, kid-free weekend!!

We dropped his car at the house, left the boys with Aunt Mer and headed up the Beeline Hwy to Payson. There were Moto Cross Races, an concert at the Park, hikes to a handful of beautiful locations and massages at the Spa ... it was a wonderful weekend.

Make a Smilebox postcard

Happy 4th

2008-07-04T07:32:00.000-07:00

Wishing all of you a happy and safe Independence Day. May our homes and hearts feel the blessings of freedom today and always.

A heartfelt and humble thank you to all who have sacrificed for the freedoms and privileges that my family enjoys each day.

God Bless America, Land that I love.

Stand beside her, and guide her

Thru the night with a light from above.

From the mountains, to the prairies,

To the oceans, white with foam

God bless America, My home sweet home.

- Irving Berlin, 1938

2008-07-03T11:22:00.000-07:00

Campbell was being a bit silly this morning. i attribute this to spending the weekend with Aunt Mer, who seems to be the one to instigate sticking out tongues. LOL. Mmmm.. yogurt mustaches & bedhead. Stylin' ... ha..ha....

It seems we rarely leave Mimi's without a trip to the tub ... next to seeing the horses, cows and cats, it's a favorite activity. We don't mind, it means everyon's in jammies and asleep by the time we get home so it's straight to bed from the car. Perfect!

One of us is happy to be driving the "Geek Squad? car at Best Buy ... One of us is not so happy being associated with the "Geek Squad".

Muy Caliente

2008-07-03T11:15:00.001-07:00

I imagine there will be many of these posts over the summer ... OK, it's probably not really 122 ... but whatever it is, it's HOT! LOL

It's a Dry Heat ...

2008-06-25T12:03:00.000-07:00

Yeah ... whatever. ha..ha..

Saturday, we were out and about and noticed the temperature. What??? Mind you, earlier, I snapped a shot of 117 thinking THAT was crazy hot. Somehow, 120 sounds sooooo much worse than 117. But, hey, that's what A/C and ceiling fans are for, right?

Ahhhh.... summer in Arizona!

Ian's First Trip to the Dentist ...

2008-06-19T15:50:00.000-07:00

With Ian's 3rd birthday approacing, and our moving to a new town ... we thought it would be good to meet the neighborhood dentist and get a cleaning. I'll say this. It was a brand new office and they've spared no expense. From high-tech gizmo's - including flat screen tv's with cable for each chair...to these funky video wands they put in your mouth that takes pictures of all the crevises you never knew existed... it was wild. (of course, they have prices, to match, but it was something to see. LOL) Then it was off to McDonald's for a late lunch ... before heading to pick up Dad's car from the mechanic.
And finally, a stop off at Mimi & Honk's. Ian was talking about seeing "Shoady" (Shorty) the horse, so we drove by their place on the way back home. Ian also got to party on the tractor. He loves it
Enough "teasers" ... here are the pictures and videos from our fun afternoon!

Weekend Fun

2008-06-11T12:48:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we spent some time at the pool with the boys after Jon & I played some tennis at the community center. It's been so nice to have the center. This morning, Ian woke up and came running in to the bedroom ... the conversation went like this. Ian: "Momma, I'm awake!" Me: "You're awake? Awesome!" Ian: "Let's go to Kid Zone!" If there was ever any doubt how much he enjoys seeing the kids and playing over there, it's gone now. He talks about it non-stop. LOL. Last weekend we hit the toddler pool and here are the pics.

Make a Smilebox photobook

After the pool, we headed home for lunch, although Campbell was asleep before we got out of the parking lot and Ian didn't make it through lunch before wanting to go up to his bed. They slept all afternoon which meant Jon and I were able to sneak in a little snooze along with our chores. It was lovely.

We finally got Ian up around 4p so that we could get rolling on to Mimi & Honk's house to see Shorty, the new horse.

Make a Smilebox postcard

After getting aquainted with Shorty - we headed to the Mongolian Grill for dinner. Ian decided he was ready for chopsticks.

Welcome Home, Elder Willis

2008-06-01T20:51:00.000-07:00

Last week we joined the family to welcome Ryan home from his mission to Barcelona Spain. It was fun to see everyone there and remember those feelings of coming home from our own missions. Several years ago. LOL Of course, that memory makes me feel super old when I realize that I returned from my mission, Ryan was only 6. Argh! Well, welcome home, Ryan - we're glad you're back!

Our Boy is Growing Up . . .

2008-05-30T16:11:00.000-07:00

On the way home from our Memorial Day festivities, we planned to looked at "big boy" beds for Ian. The toddler bed seemed to be steadily shrinking and Ian was outgrowing it.

So, on the way to Chandler, we stopped at In-N-Out to "re-fuel" ... (great idea, Jon!!) then we were off. Stopped at a couple of stores and then found it ... A great bed, a great price and we were done! Hooray. A quick call to Mimi & Honk meant we could take it home right away. (Thanks Honk for making the special delivery.) So, Jon & Honk loaded it and Mimi, the boys and I headed to target for new sheets, et al. We made it home, moved the toddler bed, set up the new bed and then, wrapped up our Memorial Day with a let dinner at Chen's Chinese Restaurant with Mimi and Honk.

The toddler bed left our house for it's new home ... a little girl who is so, so happy to have her very own "big girl" bed.

Speaking of growing up ... Ian has a little friend who lives a few houses away, named Emma. (He calls her "Mina" Today, I thought I heard the doorbell, but looked out the peep-hole and didn't see anyone ... then, I saw braids down below. Wow. We've reached the stage where kids come to play without their Moms. LOL. It was Emma coming to see if Ian could play. So, they hung out for a while, and long story short, Emma stayed for dinner. (this happened as she was talking to her Mom and I overheard her asking if she could stay for lunch ... then she hollered to me, "Can I be invited??") It was a funny moment, and par for the course when you're a kid, right? Now we know that Emma likes spaghetti without sauce and doesn't seem to be a fan of mandarin oranges. But, she IS a fan of Ian, and that's good enough for me! :)

Memorial Day

2008-05-30T15:26:00.000-07:00

Make a Smilebox photobook

This weekend, my step sister Ashley and her family were visiting from San Diego. So, we thought we'd spend the day in Phoenix with everyone before heading north to Payson for the rest of the weekend.

We met first for lunch a favorite spot called Saks Sandwhicherie. Great sandwiches and a fun reunion to see Ashley, Dan and little Calvin who is now a whopping 9 months - he was just a little newbie when we last saw them in September.

From there, we headed to Last Chance for a little shopping. If you're not familiar with this little gem of a store - it's where returns and overstock from Nordstrom go to die. You can find screamin' deals there ... and I mean screamin'. (although you often have to deal with crowds, ill-mannered shoppers and merchandise on the floor.) This trip we found some cute things for the boys (the outfits they are wearing in the pictures - since we'd packed long sleeves for the cool weather up north) and Jon found a beautiful new Blue Burberry Suit for $100 -- I found myself a new pair of earrings for $2.98. Overall it was a successful trip. From there, we headed back to Dad's for a BBQ ... A game of tennis with Ash & Dan, and a movie (August Rush) later, we ended up staying the night ... which turned into the weekend. So, Payson will have to wait. Our weekend vacation turned into a STAY-cation and we had a great time. Window shopping, visits to the park and pool, and much more... A great time...

Adventure Land Playground

2008-05-21T13:17:00.000-07:00

We spent last night and this morning at the new Adventure Land Playground. It's fun - and dare I say I got a little tossed around myself going down the green tube slide. LOL We've been so anxious for this to open and let me tell you, it is worth the wait! there's the "big kid" playground and a smaller toddler area as well as the water/spray park area. What I love about these areas is that they really lend themselves to interactive parent/child play!

The pictures are really self-explanatory... you'll see at the end, Campbell was pooped and crashed by the time I strapped him in, walked around to strap Ian in and got myself buckled. I turned around and he was out ... cookie in hand. LOL

Ode to Anthem ...

2008-05-20T13:04:00.000-07:00

Why I LOVE our new community ...

Sidewalks. Sounds odd, but many of the neighborhoods out here don't have sidewalks. Which you don't really notice until you have kids and talk frequent walks.

Kids. lots and lots o' kids. There are a handful a youngin's on our street that are a year or two older than Ian. (of course he loves to run with the big kids, so this suits him fine) Often, when we're out in the evenings, there are kids outside to play with and other parents to visit with. And as always, Ian is devestated when play time ends. We have some great neighbors, to our right, a young family in our ward, to our left a couple of young bachelors, one Firefighter and one finance guy. I figure you're always in a good place with a medical guy in your house and a fireman next door. HA!

Parks. Many, many parks. Each neighborhood in the community has a smaller park and ours is just around the corner. This weekend "Adventure park" opened - the BIG community park with huge slides, swings, etc. Hooray! In addition, there are fish and release ponds, soccer fields, more.

Community Center. This huge place has stateof the art fitness center, tennis courts, basketball courts and any other "court" you might need, a 3 story rock wall, game rooms, and... a favorite ... the "Kid Zone" where the kids can hang while Mom and Dad enjoy the facility. They offer swim lessons, dance/tumbling, karate, etc... they bunco one a month for the ladies and so many other activities... I'm always pleasantly surprised when I see the calendar each month. Last Friday,the "Dive-in Movie" was nanny McPhee ...but of course, being Russell's in a new house, were planning yet another Yard Sale. The good news is that this time we set up the night before and just had to put up signs and pull the table out into the driveway from the garage. LOL

Splash Park Water Park. Last night for family Home Evening, we went to the water park. It opened last weekend and will be open until mid September. They have 2 slides, 24' high. One is a "tunnel" and one "open". Jon did the tunnel slide and I did the open slide... When I got to the top, the two "jr life gaurds" (who weren't more than 12) told me to lie down. I was like, "Lie DOWN??" "yeah, or you might fly off the side." "FLY OFF THE SIDE???" it was so funny. Of course, I didn't really want to lie down...and was worried the whole time that I was actually going to fly off the side. LOL The splash park also had a smaller slide/playground area in the pool for the little ones. It was awesome. Ian was a little startled on his first ride down the slide when he landed in the pool. But seemed to enjoy it. ever 5 min or so an enormous bucket would dump hundreds of gallons of water onto the the toddler area and he that was pretty cool. In truth, I think he may have enjoyed the post-pool shower more, because when we left today, he tried to go back into the locker room shouting "Shouwa, shouwa"

This morning, I took the boys to the kids zone to play with the other kids and I went straight to the pool. I layed there in the sunshine with my book and enjoyed 30 minutes of "me" time. (It was all I dared as I didn't want to ruin the experience by charring my pasty white skin. LOL) Felt a little guilty leaving them there to just lounge at the pool, but I'm sure that will pass. Why don't I feel guilty leaving them to workout? hmmmm.

Long story short, as much as I love Oregon and miss my friends, the silver lining of returning to AZ is being close to our families, a job that Jon loves, and living at Anthem. ;)

So... if you're passing through Arizona any time soon, be sure to stop by because there is much fun to be had at the Russell's!

**my disclaimer...the photos are from the Anthem website, but don't worry, you'll soon these fab places with some familiar faces pasted throught! **

Happy, Happy Birthday, Campbell

2008-05-17T15:27:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Campbell's 1st Birthday Last weekend - Isn't that first year so crazy - some of those sleepless nights make you feel like the days drag on - but you turn around and poof, a year has flown by. You blink your eyes, a year's gone by and yet you can still feel the "joyous pangs" of labor. LOL

Well, in a year, Campbell has had three mailing addresses in three town, in two states. Is that a record? Otherwise, he boasts the usual stats ... 6 teeth, walking while holding onto something (he just won't let go of the rope ... unless his hands are full, in that case, he's actually taken a few step due only to the fact that he can't hold on to the furniture. Otherwise, he just drops to the ground for the speed crawl.) He's decided that he will take the lead during meals, not allowing anyone to feed him - I suspect he may drop a few ounces until he masters the shovelling process. Loves to turn to TV on and off and wait for the reaction. Loves to pretend he's going to bite my knee - opening wide and watching me from the corner of his eye... It's actually quite funny... He loves to torment Ian when he's asleep... poke Zoey in the strangest places, and give teeny, tiny, painful pinches to whoever is holding him at the moment... The rub, is that's it's always done with the biggest smile. LOL!!

Happy birthday, Campbell!

Catching some Zzzzzz's

2008-05-15T16:20:00.001-07:00

It's around 3pm ... I just put campbell down for an unusual 2nd nap. Jon's home early today and taking a much deserved little snooze... When I walked upstairs to put Campbell down, I found Ian in the loft ... asleep on the floor with a book. OK, what Mom would complain that her son is out of his bed - esp. if he's found reading. (Of course, it is possible the book just fell open while he was playing LOL)

Anyway, I just thought is was cute, so I ran for the camera and then started snapping pictures of the family napping. even Zoe was crashed out on the couch. Jon will killl me for exposing him, ha..ha... but, while I could have/should have taken the opportunity take catch some zzzz's myself, I opted to capture the moment and return to reading my RS lesson for Sunday.

On a related subject ... anyone else found themselves in this dilemma? Ian has not wanted to sleep in his bed this week... The last three nights he's snuck out to sleep in the loft. he doesn't cry or act scared ... we put him to bed, and all is well and at some point, he just relocates himself, a pillow and blanket to the loft and goes to sleep. He doesn't play with the toys up thre, just curls up and goes to bed. LOL

Monday, I came home and found him there and thought Jon had let him sleep there ... only to find out he had snuck out of his bed with his bear and made himself comfy. Tuesday, I put Ian to bed. later, Jon went up to the den and tripped over a sleeping Ian... Last night, I found him there again, but he was still awake. I just let him stay. Once again, we relocated him. Not sure if he's just in a phase of exploration...or if he's simply outgrowing his toddler bed. I will say whenever we travel and Ian sleeps in a hotel bed, he sleeps like a log. But occasionally, he'll wake up at home - we think it's because he rolls into the wood rails of the bed. LOL Long story short ... if we make the jump and get the twin, will he be happy and stay there ... or am I going to keep finding him in the loft... Selfishly, I don't really put out for a new bed only to find that he's not going to stay there. If that's the case, he can camp out in the loft for now. ha..ha..

Picture perfect fun ...

2008-05-15T15:49:00.000-07:00

A few snapshots from the other day ... yes, the boys are in new matching shirts courtesy of Mimi. We don't often dress alike - especially for a day at home, but hey, isn't everyday a celebration ... :)

Another sunny morning in AZ ... I have to say we're usually lucky, and breakfast is a happy, giggly part of the day.

Campbell is now dining at the table, and as of Mother's Day can now officially enjoy eggs with the rest of the family! Hooray! He's become quite adamant about using utensils. The hurdle is that it doesn't all get in. With Ian, I could give him a fork and he would do his "thing" meanwhile I could shovel food in his mouth and he was cool. Campbell is a different story. He wants to do it on his own terms - and if I try to sneak anything in, he sticks his tongue out to prevent anything from getting in! LOL

LLater that morning, Ian and Zoe are crashed out on the couch. (I think Zoe must have been drooling... LOL)

Meanwhile, Campbell is still on the go...

We've not yet established what toys belong to who just yet .... Zoe has tried to claim a few of the boys toys and Campbell finds her toys equally interesting. This morning, I also caught him munching one of her bones. Gross! We're still missing a nyla bone that I'm pretty sure has been hidden by campbell.
Later that evening, while I was cooking dinner, Campbell was entertaining (or possibly taunting) Zoe through the screen door with a butterfly balloon ... She's such a good, patient dog.

2008-05-11T23:27:00.000-07:00

With Campbell's First Birthday on the horizon, we took the boys for pictures. Our last attempt was when he turned 3 months... It was battle. This adventure, however, was bliss. They were so fun. I only wish we couldn't have walked away with every shot - this visit was actually fun for all of us.

2008-05-11T22:26:00.000-07:00

Just a few pictures from the last month...

Make a postcard - it's easy!

You traded what for WHAT???

2008-05-11T20:52:00.000-07:00

So, we recently traded this .....

For this ....

Yep, that's right. The Russell's are back in Arizona. Hard to believe since we absolutely loved living in Oregon, but sometimes life just has other plans. In February, we decided that although we were completely in love with the beautiful surroundings and our fabulous friends, in the end, the tall, tall trees were not going to be paying our student loans and decided we would be wise to make an adjustment to our financial future -- which meant a move. We narrowed it down to Carlsbad, NM and Florence, AZ. It was a whirlwind decision - we finalized our choice the end of the first week in March and the movers were there for our things on March 25th. Let's face it, we've survived several moves, but this was quickest we've ever pulled one off.

Florence won ... My family is in north of us in the Phoenix area and Jon's brother and family are south in Tucson ... wonderful perks. But, more importantly, Jon felt really strongly about the medical practice ... a great Physician and PA supported by a terrific staff. You can read more about them at www.mainstreetdocs.com in the "meet our providers" link on the "who we are" page of the website. Although Jonathan enjoyed the Urgent Care setting in Roseburg and the people he worked with, he has really found a great fit here with Dr Lizarraga.

As for Florence ... we're getting settled. We've nestled ourselves in a community here called Anthem. The area has grown considerably over the years. (I remember when Florence was nothing but a prison. LOL) We chose Anthem because they offer great amenities for families - parks, catch-and-release fishing, water park, etc... We can't launch the kayaks, but we're excited for the water slides! ha..ha.. the boys miss the grass, as our yard isn't yet landscaped, but Ian seems to be just as happy to dig in the dirt. I on th eother hand am always on the look out for scorpions and spiders, but when in Rome...

In addition to a new locale, we have a new addition to the family. A 5 month old Schnoodle named Zoe. She's been great so far. She had lived with another family with 3 dogs and 4 kids under 6. In the end, the dogs needed a home and are as luck would have it ... we have one. LOL She's been great with the boys (the other family also had a 2 yr old boy) and has transitioned well. The first night was a little iffy, but after that she's been pretty mellow. We think we got pretty lucky with her. We'd been researching a few different dogs/breeders and stumbled upon her one day. it was a good day. :)

Slurrrrrp ...

2008-04-10T07:56:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday to Me

2008-04-09T17:10:00.000-07:00

It came and went so quickly ... hardly time to think about it. But, it was lovely to celebrate. We enjoyed a fun lunch at my favorite place ... China Palace. That evening after dinner, some friends stopped by with a fab cake. (Jon had cleverly worked that out.) It was a great evening. It was nice to take a breather from the packing to just enjoy the family and our friends. Thanks to all!

I failed to get more pictures and these were taken without warning...but I needed a reminder of the thoughtful friends who came by to help us celebrate.

Deborah brought a great cake - super moist!! Hope she doesn't mind me sharing the recipe she forwarded to me!

Pig Picken Cake: Preheat oven to 350

1 box yellow cake mix (I have used white also)

1/2 c. oil1

1/2 c. water

4 eggs

1 can mandarin oranges with juice . Mix first 4 ingredients until smooth. Fold in oranges with juice. Pour batter into 2 greased and floured 9 in. pans. Bake 25 min. Test cake to make sure done. Cake will be flat compared to normal cake. Let sit in pan for 5 min. cool on racks for at least 1 hour. (I have put it in a 9x13, but you have to cook it for longer. Also I don't always take it out of the pan if I do put it in a larger one. It just won't have yummy 2 layers).

Icing for Pig Picken Cake:

1 small pkg. instant vanilla pudding mix dry

1 (8 oz) tub of Cool Whip

1 20 oz can of crushed pineapple

Mix dry pudding with pineapple and juice. Fold in cool whip. Chill 1 hour. Spread icing between layers and then all over cake. Refrigerate 24 hours or at least 8-10 hours before serving.

Meet Me In St Louis

2008-04-09T17:09:00.000-07:00

The day after returning from New Mexico, we were back on the road. This time headed for St Louis for a visit with the Russell's. They have a great spread in Rolla, about an hour outside of STL. They've added a full-of-life Chocolate lab named Millie and two mules, Jack and Maggie since our last visit. It was much to short of a visit, but wonderful to spend time with everyone.

Make a photobook - it's easy!

How to Eat Fried Worms ...

2008-04-09T16:36:00.000-07:00

As with every good rain, the worms will come. This particular morning, there was a ginormous worm crossing the porch. Ian wasn't quite sure what to do with it, but you can tell Jon is now stranger torturing the critters. ha..ha..

A visit from Granny K ... a Trip to Carlsbad

2008-04-09T13:52:00.000-07:00

In February, Jon's Mom, Kay, paid a quick visit to Roseburg while Jon and I spent a couple of days in New Mexico... Here are a couple of pictures she took while we were away. The first is one of their many walks through the neighborhood. Don't the boys look so mellow?

Imagine Granny's surprise when she discovered Ian with the Desitin? I realize 9 out of 10 kids have their way with a tube of desitin now and then, but for some reason, Ian thinks it's a major part of his daily facial routine

Meanwhile ... Jon & I spent a couple of days in Carlsbad. Actually, it was more time travelling than actual time spent in Carlsbad, but nevertheless ... here are some pictures of our adventures there.

This is what happens when you ride a small ... no, make that ... a mini airline. You get to check yourself in. "All aboard flt #69 to Carlsbad" LOL

The amazing sunrise in Albuquerque ... Such a beautiful morning. Such a tiny plane. This lovely scene is a clever decoy - how could you anticipate the worst turbulence EVER! It was a total white-knuckle-ride for me. Eyes closed, hands clutching the open "white bag" We hit one bump so fiercely that Jon's cell phone flew out of his shirt pocket. The good news is that our return flight was much less "eventful". We had the same pilots on both flights. Great guys. (we should know, since we sat about two inches behind them on both fligths. We were so close, that if they'd had bad breath, we would have known it. ha..ha....

It's windy in Carlsbad to say the least. Jon jumped out of the car to check the flyer and was literally "blown away". LOL

And finally, the crew ... These guys flew us to and from carlsbad ... They literally do it all, check in, load the luggage, fly the plane, gas it up ... (OK, I don't know if they pump the gas, but they did say they gas up in Carlsbad because it's cheaper. LOL) Ah, logging hours ... I'm sure someday, they'll be sitting in their big jets, saying "Remember the good ol' days when we only had 9 people to worry about?" ha..ha....!

Rest Stop ... 20 Mi. ahead

2008-03-08T15:09:00.000-08:00

I am not fan of the Rest Stop. Truck stops, fine, (although, I've seen my share of scary truck stops, too) but the average rest stop, I find to be a little sketchy. There may be toilet paper, or not. They may flush, or they may involve a more "natural" plumbing process. You may or may not get to wash your hands ...I don't like the uncertainty and I suppose that makes me a bit of a lavatory snob.

In fact the other night, we were on the hwy, and I saw a sign for the next rest stop, 2 mi. with the next next stop being 20. mi further. I told Jon that they should have a star system for rest stops. Because if the first stop was a 2 star stop and the one 20 down the way was a 4 star, I would find a way to hold it for an extra star or two. Of course, I realize that you could never manage a nation-wide star system. But I like the idea.

A couple of weeks ago, I actually made a quick trip inside one of these treasure coves and I must say, it was 4-out-of-4-star rest stop. Clean, soap AND paper towels ... and c'mon, have you EVER seen this much TP in a road side bathroom??? There were actually seat covers! I couldn't resist and took a photo. I'm sure the woman in the next stall was concerned to see the flash, but hey, this was a once-in-a-lifetime rest stop experience. Way to go, O-DOT!!

2008-02-19T20:38:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we took the kayaks out to a nearby lake. Couldn't tell you the name of it. Jon surely knows, but he's not here... Really, all you need to know is that it's lovely. We went with our friends, the Lander's. Ian napped most of the time in the car, but I confess that I was pretty happy I didn't have to chase him to keep him away from the water while Jon paddled. :) It's the frist time we've had them out here in Oregon. Hopefully we'll get them out again soon - this particular lake was only about 20 minutes from home. With the exception of living off the Long Island Sound in CT, this is the closest we've lived to a body of water in a few years. (Although I do miss paddling around the lighthouse.)

Later that evening, we met up with a group to play Dodge Ball. Man, havn't done that in like 30 years. LOL. It was fun - and Jon played basketball with Ian afterward. As always, Campbell played it cool in his car seat. Boy are we lucky.

On the Road Again ...

2008-02-19T12:53:00.000-08:00

We took a Road Trip down to Medford, about 2 hours south of Roseburg. Our first stop was to the Harry & David Country Store where we took the factory tour. Pretty cool. It was pretty amazing to see how it all works.

We also drove through Ashland where they host the annual Shakespeare festival. Our next big excursion was in Jackson, just outside of Medford. A fun little town with lots of shops to explore. if we'd had more time, we would have liked to do one of the hiking trails, but needed to get back on the road.