Swimming Lessons

June is the month for swimming lessons for my boys. We signed them all up for semi-private lessons. They all started this week. I was able to go watch tonight. McKay and Noah are adequate swimmers, but we want them to get the details of it down, become stronger swimmers with confident strokes. McKay is working on getting his swimming merit badge for Scouts. Their teacher complimented them and said, we'll need to work on getting Noah to learn how to breathe! He was so confused by that. As we were walking out, he said, "I already know how to breathe!" So, we had to talk about what she was really saying!

Seth is doing awesome with it too. He has really gained confidence in the water the past few months, since we've been swimming 1-2 times month. It will be good to see him learn some skills now! I'm even considering taking lessons myself...learning techniques to better my strokes, not just move the water around! It'll come in handy if I ever decide to do a triathlon, right?

I'll post pics soon! The chief and the boys went on a 10 day adventure back to IL, and I have lots of fun family pics to share...including the boys catching their first fish! It's already been an eventful summer and we're only 3 weeks into it! Yeah!

Memorial Day

To all those brave men and women who have served our country, who have made it their life mission to protect our rights, and who have sacrificed so much, including their life, thank you!

To all those brave family members who have said good-bye to loved ones, May God bless and comfort you! We pray for you.


We have not forgotten. 

American Idol

Did you watch American Idol this season?

We did! My boys were rooting for Hailey from the beginning. I was a big fan of Lauren from her audition! I picked her to win, and I must admit, I was a bit sad that she was the runner up. Scotty is a good singer. But Lauren...she is a star in the making! Even without the title, I think she will make it big in the country world!

It was fun to share the season with my boys, to educate them on music, and famous musicians and to see them learn their own personal preferences!

Maybe we'll be lucky enough to snag some tickets to see the American Idols when they come to town this summer. We'll see!

A Sneak Peak of Summer

In early May, Whitney Halling graduated with her Masters from The U! She came back from CA for the graduation and the Barneys came down from Idaho, and we had a party to celebrate the Big Event! Congratulations to Whitney!

My niece,Whitney and Todd Halling. Whitney has her Master's from the Uof U. We went up Provo Canyon for a BBQ to celebrate her graduation! Way to go Whit!

Seth enjoying the outdoor meal

Noah loves to play ladder golf



Suzanne, Gretchen, and Kari

Kari and Gretch being silly by the beautiful Provo River

The Chief and Seth hanging out at the Park

My nephew, Quin, climbed the tree to retrieve a stuck ladder golf ball. He always was a monkey!

The boys working together to retrieve the ball

Half the fun was retrievin' that ball. Of course, the little ones thought it was so fun, they threw another one up there five minutes later.

If you want a beautiful place to go to enjoy some solitary time or some family time...take a drive up Provo Canyon. It is such a wonderful place. I remember taking countless bike rides up there when I was in college. And going up there with groups of friends, to play games, or have s'mores, or just sing around the campfire. This May evening, we got lucky and the rain had stopped for a day or two, so we were able to enjoy a perfect evening. I was sad to see the sun go down. I look forward to many more evenings up Provo Canyon, even though it is somewhat out of the way for us now. Its worth the drive though!

Preschool Graduation for my Baby



Julie, Seth, and Jessica - the Best Preschool Teachers and pseudo moms this mom could ask for!



Mom, Seth, and Dad



Seth trying to keep his grad cap on while sitting down



My baby in his self decorated T-shirt



Seth with his friends during the darling program they put on for all us parents

How do you not love his "square hat" he was so excited to wear for graduation!

It is hard for me to believe that my baby is officially finished with preschool and will be starting kindergarden this fall. He is really close to reading. And he is counting well. I think he is going to miss his preschool friends a great deal. He has been going to this preschool/daycare since he was 10 months old. They are definitely extended family to us!

For working parents, the hardest thing is finding not just adequate care for your children, but loving, reliable, safe care. The preschool playhouse has been so perfect for my children, and for me and the Chief. They have never called and said "sorry, can't tend him today." or "We're going on vacay, so you'll need for find someone else this week." They have been there for us, and not only that, they have loved my children. They have taught them manners, they have taught them to share. They have taught him to clean up after himself. And they have enabled him to be his own little self. Seth won the Mr. Jokester Award. It fits him perfectly. Rather than be annoyed by his little antics, they have encouraged him and applauded him. Jessica and Julie have been such a blessing to us, and I will never forgot what they have given to my family. We love you both! Thanks for everything!

Quiet on the homefront

I've been quiet on the bloggin' homefront. There has been some changes around our neck of the woods, and I haven't felt like writing much. I also haven't had much extra time to blog. I don't feel like I have a lot to say either, so that's why May has been quiet on the blog.

As soon as I upload some photos, I will give an update. I have some fun photos from a few outings and events. In meantime, enjoy all the rain that Mother Nature is spilling down on much of the country.

My mother's hands

Recently, I've become more observant of my hands. About two months ago, I decided I was going to work on not biting my fingernails, which has been a life long habit of mine. In all my 41 years, I've never gone and had a manicure, because I haven't ever had nails to manicure! So, I painted my fingernails in an effort to dissuade myself from biting them, and guess what? It has worked! I have been successful in getting them to grow, and I haven't bitten any of the ten! Yeah, proud Gretchen moment!

And then this past week, I was outside with the boys, and I was trying to help McKay to move the lawnmower wheels up, as the grass is a jungle with all the recent rain we've had and it kept clogging on the level it was at. So, I was being impatient and not waiting for the Chief to get home, and suddenly the lever ripped off and ripped open my finger. Man, it hurt! And it bled! Scared the boys somewhat. They are not used to mom being the one bleeding! But my finger seemed to cause a great deal of pain, and therefore had my attention. And as I was noticing my hands, I started to realize that the older I get, the more that my hands look like my mother's hands. They are starting to get a little "veiny" but they remain clear of any other age spots. My hands also are strong, and able to do so many things. As a child, I would watch as my mom's hands would roll out dozens of cookies. And as they would brush out my sisters' hair. I would watch as my mom's hands would wash the dishes, and push the grocery cart, and hand my hand.

A woman's hands are so strong. They are busy, and active, soft and tender. I hope my hands offer the comfort and the joy that I have always watched my mother give with her hands.

Happy Mother's Day to the best mother I could ever have asked for!

Good-bye Baby Tad

Many years ago, I went on a vacation with a number of girlfriends. We had all met through having children around February 2002. During this vacation, I stayed with Kelly and her daughter, Natalie, in a shared hotel room. Each evening, she would lay Natalie to sleep in the playpen, with her Baby Tad, and he would softly play 6 minutes of music. When he would turn off, Natalie would be magically asleep! I determined right then and there that I would be getting my next baby one of these magical toys! And the day I found out I was pregnant, I went out to Target, and got my baby a Baby Tad!

So, each night, Seth went to sleep listening to six minutes of baby Tad from the night we brought him home. We took Baby Tad with us on trips to New York, and St. George. Where Seth went, so went Baby Tad. As Seth grew, he would play with him in his crib when he woke up after his nap, and sang other songs with him, as well as games!

I came to realize a few months ago, that Baby Tad wasn't always in his "usual" spot on Seth's bed. More and more I would find him with all the other stuffed toys in the toy bucket. I would fish him out and put him back on the bed. But slowly, I was coming to see that my 5 year old no longer played with Baby Tad.

This morning, at the lovely hour of 4 a.m., I woke to hear Seth crying. I went into him, as we are working really hard to keep him from coming to our bed, which has gotten to be a very bad habit of his. I laid down next to him, and listened to him tell me about his bad dream, and then I said, let's go back to sleep. He rolled over to his side, and inadvertently turned on Baby Tad for 3 minutes. I smiled to myself, thinking Magic Tad would help once again get my baby back to sleep. Then Seth quietly said, "no, tad" and turned him off. I laid there and realized that my baby no longer wanted his Baby Tad. I felt sad. It was the turning point that made me realize at 4 a.m. that my baby isn't a baby any longer, and all his baby things will soon follow Baby Tad into the bottom of the Toy Bucket. My boy is growing up. And it is a Bittersweet Thing for this momma.

Good-bye Baby Tad. And thanks for the magic you have brought for the past five years!

Spring Break in the Snow

We've been planning this spring break vacay since January. Since the Chief wasn't going to be able to take off, we decided to stay closer to home, and go to Wolf creek with Shauna and her boys. We've been planning, and getting more excited about it as the months have gone by. The boys have come up with lots of ideas...play tennis, and basketball, and raquetball, and pool. We would have an easter egg hunt out on the golf course. It would be a fun week for the six boys. But then the weather forecast has been predicting lots of rain, and now, they are also saying snow for up there in the mountains. So, here we are mid April, and we're going to get snow! Some trick Mother Nature!

 

Wolfcreek, UT

I'm going to have to pack more warm things in the morning. The most that the boys have is their hoodies. I think Noah only put in one pair of pants...he's ready for "short" weather! So am I!

Maybe I should throw in the sleds! It could be a long week if all 8 of us are stuck in the condo! Whatever happens, we'll make the most of it! And we'll miss the Chief and the dogs too!

I promise that I'll post pics when we get back!

A Walk down Birthday Pasts

As I was driving home today in a rain/sleet/wind storm, my mind started wandering to birthdays I've celebrated before. Frankly, I cannot recall all of them, but some really do stand out...here are a few memories...

I recall when I was 6 or 7 (I guess I could look up it up to figure out which one it was, but I'm too lazy today to do a weather google search!) we had a huge snowfall, and for my birthday, my older brothers built me a snow fort and tunnels in the backyard, and my friends and I played out in the snow!

I remember when I was turned 13 and I was playing out on the monkey bars in the backyard, and my mom calling me in for cake. I thought I was so "OLD" that day. I wore my favorite overalls, and I had a horrid perm, which looked more like an afro. (Un)Fortunately, all of those birthday pics are lost (or perhaps someone, no names here, shredded them!)

I remember on my 16th birthday my mom took me down to get my learner's permit! That was such an exciting event! And she let me drive home! Six months later to the day I got my driver's license, and went out driving with my sister, Robin. We went through my first drive-through at Burger King, and I promptly scratched the whole side of the car as I turned the corner too closely. Oh, the Joy!

Then my 28th birthday comes to mind! It was the first one as a married woman! My husband took me to the Olive Garden for dinner, and then we went back to our basement apartment, where he had many friends and family gathered for a Surprise Birthday party for me! He decorated and had cleaned the place and even made me a homemade lemon birthday cake! It was such a sweet gesture!

And then we celebrated my 40th last year, in Denver...with my oldest girlfriend, Julie and her family. It was the same week as Easter, so we celebrated them both!

And here we are now...my 41st birthday! I slept in a little. Then went to work for 4 hours. I finished up, and then met my sweetheart at the Olive Garden again for a lunch for 2. It was just nice to be together, and to enjoy a yummy lunch! Now, I'm home, and plan to kick back and relax! The Chief will make dinner and hopefully there will be a cake with candles to blow out later too! And then sometime later, my sister Suzanne and her fam are supposed to show up. They will spend the night with us, as they are here to finish up their big move to Idaho.

And just to remind me who's boss, Mother Nature has decided to give us some snow for this Birthday of mine this year too! It doesn't matter though because I still love April and all it represents, including my Birthday!

Happy Birthday to me!