Go Braves!

Southeastern Cal Ripken Braves T-ball Team 2007

Josh and Matt had a great t-ball season. They were presented with beautiful trophies on Wednesday night. They each got multiple game balls throughout the season and made many new friends. Josh played first base and Matt played right field. Matt was the only kid I saw with an awesome green mitt. It was wonderful to have Matt get up to bat followed by Josh. Matt celebrated every hit and loved when he scored. By the end of the season, Matt hit a double and was the fastest base runner around. Josh was our 9th batter. He even hit a triple and scored three runs! Josh is the hardest worker and played catch and "wall ball" for hours on end. We are looking forward to playing fall baseball in just a few months and excited for our young team to get even better next year.

Go Braves!

Three Little Swimmers Who Could

Pinnacle Pirates Swim Team 2007

I am happy to report that we have three little swimmers! It is amazing to me what a difference two weeks makes! The boys finished their lessons today at Transylvania University and they have improved by leaps and bounds. I know the swim team practice in the morning also helps because the more time in the water the better, but the extra instruction paid off. They got certificates today and t-shirts. The boys are going to miss seeing Coach Casey and jumping off the high dive.

Check out Trey's Kung Fu photo. He has no fear of heights. He was bouncing off the end of the high dive! Matt and Josh both jumped off he low dive and can swim over to the side by themselves and Matt was super brave and went off the high dive by himself too! When he gets going it's like he has a little motor pushing him along. It's so fun to watch them progress and gain self confidence. What a joy!

Trey and Josh swam in their first swim meet last night for the Pinnacle Pirates. Matt is going to wait a little longer and then he'll join in. The meet is a big deal and the kids range from 4-18. The pool is packed and the kids all put on pirate tattoos and dress up. We swam against the Copperfield Crocs and it began at 6 PM. Trey and Josh both swam 25 meters freestyle and Trey also did 25 meter backstroke.

Josh was so nervous I thought he might throw up. He found out he would be swimming the day before and just kept asking questions and was scared because he knew he would have to hold on to the lane line to catch his breath. We said that would be fine, so he said he could do it. When it was his turn he jumped right in and went full speed. He looked awesome and pulled away early. He raced against two other swimmers. He had to grab the lane line about five times, but finished the race in 56.63 seconds and was awarded a first place blue ribbon. Every heat gets ribbons for the place the kids come in.

Trey was next and I knew he could make it across, but I thought he might have to flip onto his back to catch his breath. Trey is fearless and full of spunk and when the bell rang he was off and NEVER stopped. It was incredible. He popped his head up for a breath now and then and was the leader the entire race. He finished first in just 35.47 seconds and got a blue ribbon. After he came out of the water he said, "I didn't know I could do that!" He was so proud of himself. He also swam the back stroke against five other swimmers. Once again he came alive, pulled a head and won first place in 41.85 seconds. Quite the night for first timers!!

The girls were angels through it all sitting patiently in their stroller taking it all in. What sweet babies!

Happy Father's Day!

We had a very nice Father's Day even though Rich didn't get home until 9:30PM after a long day of call. The girls had already gone to bed, but the boys were ready to celebrate. They made Rich cards and a yellow cake with chocolate frosting and were so excited for him to open is presents. We got him some new weight lifting gloves, a new work out shirt and a new orange shirt that he can wear to Trey's championship baseball game tomorrow!

What a blessing it is to have married the right person. Someone who loves me for all my good and bad. Who puts me first and is an amazing husband and father. Who could ask for more?

I love you Rich! Happy Father's Day.

Pretty Princesses

I had to show off my little girls. It took a long time to get some pink around here and we are enjoying every bit of it! Too bad Brynn refuses to wear anything in her hair and Kaitlyn has yet to grow hair on the top of her head. Plus learning to stand up and walk in these extra puffy dresses has been by trial and error. The things we girls do for the sake of beauty!

Gattitown

Here are some pictures of our afternoon at Gattitown aka: Total Rip off Vs Chuck-E-Cheese pizza and fun place. The boys had a ball and the food was really quite good for an all you can eat buffet. The games on the other hand were outrageous in price. They ranged from .50 to 2.00 a game/ride. That does not equal a cheap day of fun. I ended up spending $15.00 and the boys played 10 games. Not a bargain, but we did win three stuffed animals and the boys were in heaven. When the boys were going to play the Circus Circus type win a stuffed animal game I turned into my Dad. I waited until no one else was around and had the boys play each other so we were guaranteed a prize. That didn't work the first two times when a teammate (we went with Josh and Matt's T-ball team) would plop down right before the game began. We lost to the other kids twice, but I was smarter after that and we got a prize the next three times. It was a fun day and the girls were so good and stayed in their stroller. They had already sat through two baseball games, ate their pizza in their stroller and watched the boys play. They deserve a HUGE prize for that. What sweeties. As we left a man was making balloon swords and things for a dollar (like I said- rip off city!) but Josh was like the beggar child watching him and the man gave him two for free. Then I felt like a chump, so I gave him a dollar, so he gave Josh another balloon. What a nice man and each of the boys got a balloon. Which, by the way lasted just until we drove home.

Holy Hail!

I typed this on the day it happened (June 5, 2007) but decided it was worth posting.

Today we knew severe weather was headed our way from all the storm team weather alerts that interrupted regular programming, the real question was when it was going to arrive? We made it through swimming lessons and had a bit of rain off and on in the early afternoon. At 4:45 PM I had the boys getting their baseball uniforms on so we could be on time to the ball park at 5:10 PM. At 5:05 the rain began and I thought, OK we can wait this out. And then the surprise of the day happened. We had been watching the literal sheets of rain out of our front glass door when we saw just a few bits of hail bounce to the ground. Not one minute later hail was crashing from the sky and they looked to be between the size of a quarter and a golf ball. Soon it was so loud from the hail hitting the roof and windows that it was hard to hear. It was coming from the northwest and the hail was pelting the windows with such force that I had us all head to basement in case the hail shattered either the large second story entryway windows or large kitchen window. This of course freaked poor Trey right out and he thought a tornado was soon to be next. I reassured him that this was only to keep us safe if the windows broke. I grabbed my camera and took a few shots of the front and backyard. Once the rain died down we ran outside to collect the hail and determine how large they were. They seemed to be larger that a quarter. We had so much fun searching the yard and we even ate a few. Matt made a collection in the freezer, which was great because Rich was inside a dark room when all of the occurred. Unfortunately, the games were canceled (what a surprise!) and Josh and Matt's was rescheduled on Sunday, which means we won't be there. This made him very sad, but a quick trip to McDonald's for ice cream seemed to lessen the pain. Trey will play his game Friday night at 8 PM. Best wishes for a bright and sunny day tomorrow!

Matt's first lost tooth!

After getting his first loose tooth on Monday May 7, 2007 (trying to open a package with his teeth, OUCH!) it was barely hanging on after a week of wiggling it with his tongue. Finally we pulled it out with some dental floss. He was a bit nervous (rightfully so!), but when it was done, he just beamed. He loved all of it. The tooth, the hole and even the blood! That's Matt for you!

And So It Begins!

I have always been passionate about keeping a record of my life. It started at a young age with a simple journal. The mundane and simple acts of life were jotted down to look on in later times. But my love for writing truly took off when I moved to Hawaii for my freshman year of college. This was before the wave of cell phones and e-mails connected us all. I relied on my paper and pen to keep in touch with all my loved ones with the exception of a half an hour Sunday phone call to my family from the pay phone outside my dorm room. Through those letters, I learned to value and cherish correspondence. My Grandma Nance had told me how she and Grandpa wrote letters when they were dating and how they fell in love through their words. They have always been a dear keepsake to her. I too love looking back on the letters I wrote during my time away as they capture my thoughts and feelings of the time.

Over the years I have kept a creative and unique journal. When our siblings served missions I kept copy of each e-mail sent. This was a fast, easy and effective way to keep up with our lives. Once they came home, I tried to sit down and write the funny and original things the kids said and did. Lately I have been keeping emails I send to our parents and friends. I guess this blog is the next step. What a nice and convenient way to keep a journal with photos and allow others to come along for the ride.

The first step in all this was to name my site. I thought and thought and after flipping through a Mary Engelbreit calendar I saw the item "Count Your Blessings" twice. I realized this was it. I need to sit down everyday and count my blessings. To take stock of my life and realize all I have been given, which is a lot I might add. It's not just about keeping a record for all to see. It's mainly for me to take a step back and appreciate what Heavenly Father has blessed me with each and every day. Too often time passes and if things are not written down, they just get lost in our memories. Cesare Pavese said, "We do not remember days; we remember moments." I hope this blog helps me keep these priceless moments of our lives.

Springtime in Lexington

It has been fun this spring to see Lexington come alive with flowers, trees, birds and bugs. We moved into our home last July, so I didn't even know what plants were in our yard. It was an adventure finding out what would return this year. We have Irises and Daylilies on the side of the house and we planted some daffodils in the front.

I love to plant flowers. The first year we were married I remember the anticipation for spring to arrive and the excitement I had going to Fred Meyers garden center to pick out planter boxes and flowers to put on our little balcony. I planted them during the first week of April and had to pull the planters into our laundry room when a late snow storm hit Provo.

I have found that I tend to buy the same type of flowers my Mom puts in her yard because it's what I associated with home. I love planting colorful flowers in the yard just like she does. I usually buy geraniums and marigolds and many other types so we have a rainbow of colors. I also have good help. Anytime I get out my spade and work gloves the boys rush out to see what they can do. They loved to cut and dig. A few years ago in Louisville they helped me plant about 50 bulbs around our yard in October. What a joy it was for them to see the fruits of their labors when the beautiful flowers came up that next spring. They do work hard, but they can be a bit too helpful at times. When the boys were small I had planted many bright red geraniums in the front of our home. When I had my back turned to plant more by the walkway one of the boys quickly move away from the bushes he was trimming to cut three geraniums I had just planted right in half. Oh well, I guess I was asking for it when I handed them the clippers. Luckily it wasn't their hair or a finger!

We have also had fun with Matt's little pet caterpillar. He found it over a month ago in our backyard and we kept it in a glass jar. He took it to school to show the kids and a few weeks later it formed a cocoon, so he took it in again. I had my doubts that this thing would hatch and survive, but yesterday I noticed a new moth on the side of the jar and we were all so excited. We took it outside and it flew away a short time later.

Also, I was so happy that my family of robins in the front flew away yesterday. It has been so much fun to watch these robin families in our yard, but I just get too attached and I get so nervous and worry about them. I am so relieved when they fly away and I know they made it safely through the nesting part. We had a second nest underneath our deck that flew away a week ago. I noticed that nest while mowing the lawn and quickly went up on the deck to see if I could see any eggs or birds. There was a newly hatched robin and an egg next to it. The next day the second egg hatched and we watched these birds grow and grow over a few weeks. We could peek in between the deck boards for a great look. I have such a respect for these Momma robins. They are wonderful parents and truly care for their little ones. I often feel like a mommy bird feeding my two little ones in their stroller. After watching the mom and dad birds this spring, I have a new found respect for these amazing creatures.

Our busy week

We have been having so much fun this spring here in Lexington.

This photo was taken last week at Veterans Park on the upper loop. It is just a few minutes walk from our home. It is really green, hilly and there is a river. It makes for a great walk and work out! We went around the circle once and Josh just about passed out when we started around a second time. I told him it would be great conditioning for baseball and he agreed to another pass.



Last Saturday went went to Isabelle's birthday party at Chuck-E-Cheese. She was in Josh and Matt's preschool class so the whole gang was there to help her celebrate. Rich was on call so the entire Jackson clan tagged along for the fun. Brynn liked the long tickets and Kaitlyn liked wandering around checking out the games and meeting new people.



Friday was Trey's Fun Day at school so went went to join in the fun. They had a picnic around the playground area and the room mother painted faces on the kids. Trey and Matt were pirates and Josh got a snake on his arm. It was really hot, but we ate about ten popsicles and the girls were great. I think it made Josh and Matt excited about starting kindergarten there in the fall.


I had to take a photo of the cutest puppies we saw at the ball park. Kaitlyn was so eager to touch them, but when they got too close she would smile, squeal and try to push them away. She is still a bit too young to understand about being soft to little things.


Josh and Matt went to another birthday party of a preschool classmate this past Saturday. We came straight from their t-ball game and Matt wasn't pleased that he didn't get to play in the gymnastics area because we got there too late. We will have to go back for open gym this summer and let all the kids play.


On Saturday night, we went to our neighborhood pool. The water was freezing cold, but the boys didn't seem to mind. I had to inch my way in and never got in past my chest. Kaitlyn loved it all and was smiling and splashing. Brynn thought it was pure torture! She certainly was not enjoying freezing to death. They did find some suckers in the bag and devoured those. Katilyn ate the entire thing, even the Tootsie Roll center. They were so sticky, but the pool's a great place for that.

It's Derby Time Baby!

It's nearly the first Saturday in May and you know what that means: Run for the Roses!!! It's Derby time here in the land of horses. Did you know that there is an actual sign here in Lexington that says: "Lexington: Horse Capital of the World"? Only in Kentucky.

Trey had an assignment this week to make a Derby hat. I must say that yes some Derby hats are just pretty sun hats, and then there are the REAL Derby hats. The ones that people spend a month on recreating the twin spires at Churchill Downs. That was my motto when making Trey's hat. Keep it in the spirit of the Derby, make something fun and original. I am happy with the results and so is Trey.

I am a bit disappointed by the whole Lexington Derby attitude though. They didn't mention Thunder Over Louisville once when doing the weather segments the week leading up to it. They do not sell mint julep glasses or Derby Pie at Wal-mart, but at least Trey made jockey silks at school and has to wear a hat tomorrow. I guess that's as nice as the UK fans can be to Louisville. Oh well.

Happy Easter!

Trey, Matt and Josh

Kaitlyn

Brynn

Happy 1st Birthday Brynn and Kaitlyn!

March 25, 2007

Brynn and Kaitlyn celebrated their 1st birthday today. How quickly the time has passed! I am very happy to be in 2007 and not back in 2006 with brand new babies, a house to sell, an impending move and Rich in the middle of his general surgery intern year. What a crazy time it was, but now all that has passed and it is just a memory.

Brynn and Kaitlyn have been the most enjoyable and sweet natured babies I have ever been around. They really are straight from heaven and just what I needed since we are going in every direction all day everyday and they just go with the flow! This past year has just been a joy having them in our family.

We had a very small celebration since Rich was on call last night and tonight as well. They got Cabbage Patch Newborns, doll strollers, cards, money and two different walkers from Rich's parents. It's so fun to have baby dolls around and girl toys in the toy box.

Happy Birthday to my sweet angels. I love you!

March Madness

Here is an update on all the crazy fun the 2007 NCAA basketball has brought to our family.

We have had so much fun this week with the NCAA tournament. It was like all the planets aligned and we got Stanford, BYU and Louisville here in Lexington and it was Rich's vacation week. What are the odds?! It must be as rare as having 2 sets of twins. It was crazy! On Wednesday we went to the open practices at Rupp Arena. It was so much fun. It is free, we parked for free and you get to see all the teams ups close. Each team can practice for 45 min, so it goes quickly. We watched Stanford, Penn and Louisville and then had to go pick up Trey from school. We went back that evening and saw Ohio State, BYU and Central Connecticut.
We did make it to the Stanford game the next day. That session was the Louisville/Stanford game and the Penn/ Texas A&M game. Rich was able to get 7 complimentary tickets from the Stanford Basketball office so we all went. Even the baby girls needed their own ticket when they just sat on our laps. Oh well, luckily we didn't have to pay. Parking was insane with all the Louisville fans and we sat in bumper to bumper traffic for 45 min. That is unheard of here. I felt like we were at Thunder Over Louisville. Josh and Tyler Madsen came too. Josh had only gotten 1 hour of sleep and Tyler drove while Josh slept. On the row behind us was Josh and Tyler plus Matt McCune, Paul Matheson and Gary Wortz. Gary did medical school at U of L and is now an ophthalmology resident here at UK. Josh, Matt and Paul are all anesthesiology resdients at U of L. We were joking that there were no anesthesiologists from U of L left. We asked Todd Hamilton if he could come, but unfortunately he was the only one stuck in the hospital.

I have to tell you that Rupp Arena is an amazing place to play. It holds 23,000 fans and feels a bit like the Marriot Center but with more real seats vs benches. The Louisville fans were out in FULL FORCE! The newspaper today estimated that there were 18,000 Louisville die hard fans at the game. Rich has been to many, many tournament games and he said he had never seen such a home court advantage like that. It was so incredibly loud. The paper said the place hadn't been like that for years. They said that to praise Pitino and make a dig at Tubby Smith. He has just been under fire around here for not getting Kentucky further in the tournament. These Kentucky folk just live and die with their basketball.

We all wore our Stanford gear to the game and the girls had little Stanford stuff on too. Brynn wore a little cheerleading outfit and Kaitlyn had more of a basketball jersey on. Rich's Mom sent them to us years ago and we never had a reason to use them. We even made signs that said C an't B eat S tanford for CBS, but Stanford got down so early on that the signs were soon put away. While our tickets were great (row H or about row 10) we weren't going to get on TV that far up anyway. I was hoping so the grandparents could see the kids, but oh well. The girls were amzaing and were angels through both games. We left our house at 11:15 am (we had to pick up the boys at their schools) and got back to our house at 5:30 pm. The girls lived off an early morning nap and a 30 min cat naps in our arms during the second game. The boys were great and after 2 large diet Cokes, 2 large popcorns, 1 nacho and 1 hot dog they were full too. We got one shirt for them to share. Josh wore it yesterday and Trey wore it today.

Rich was also able to get 4 free tickets for the BYU game from Brian Santiago. Rich knew him when Brian played basketball at Provo High and we got to talk to him after the BYU practice and he asked Rich if he needed tickets. Once again, what luck! Rich, my Josh, Big Josh (Madsen) and Tyler went to those games. Those tickets were even better. They were on the 3rd row directly behind the BYU bench. Danny Ainge was right in front of Tyler. When they showed Danny Ainge during the game you could see Tyler's legs and shirt. It was funny. They also sat by 2 men from our Lexington Ward (Kevin Hyde and Glen Krebs) and a few people from our Lousville ward (Jamie Alford, Steve Casos and Serge Martinez). So it was like a big reunion of all the LDS fans in Kentucky. They saw the Ohio State game before the BYU/ Xavier game. My Josh was loving all of it. The BYU game tipped off at nearly 10 PM so he thought he was one of the big boys. He kept asking Big Josh about the mascots. BYU played so hard and it was just so sad to see it slip away. They had them and just couldn't get the baskets at the end. The deserved to win! We'll hope for better things next year for the Cougars and Cardinal.