When it comes to serving an LDS mission, sometimes the problem isn't lacking wisdom, but having it. Them rather. Wisdom teeth that is.
I never had my wisdom teeth out. Neither did Grayson. We really aren't even sure if we have them or not. We didn't know about Landon either. But in the prep for submitting his papers, he went in for a dental checkup and yes. Wisdom teeth. Two impacted, two under the gums. Dang ... we were actually hoping he lacked wisdom. Teeth that is.
So ... we looked up an oral surgeon and booked a date. Grayson took the afternoon off work to come help (if I needed it). They had us into the office for a Q&A, then took Landon in and put him under. Then Gray and I waited, and it was done. I know there are a ton of funny videos, and we did film a bit, but it wasn't anything really post worthy.
At home, we set Landon up in the family room watching TV. I had to leave to pick up Keaton, and Gray was laying down for a nap himself. I asked him to stay awake just until I got back, just in case Landon wandered around or something. Gray got up, followed me into the kitchen and ... no Landon. He had wandered off. Actually, he had just ducked into the computer room hiding from us. He thought it was pretty funny.
He really wasn't that bad puffy wise. I stocked up on soft stuff to eat. Pudding, jello, yogurt ... he was back to normal in no time. Except now ... he lacks wisdom. Teeth that is.
As I mentioned in a previous post ... Cooper was not particularly excited to go to scout camp in the summer (Summer Scouts). But one of the good things that came from that, was a renewed interest in shooting BB guns. If you call that a good thing I guess. I like any activity that gets the boys outside, requires some skill, and builds the family dynamics. Generally, Dad and brothers would all come out with Cooper to shoot in the backyard.
Our targets of choice? Cans of soda pop.
Shaken of course ... that makes them even more fun!
Oh the carnage! I mean ..."can-age"
... and Cooper cleaning it all up!
Once, as we pulled out some soda to use, I accidentally included a can of v-8 tomato juice. When it was shot... it looked like a crime scene! The red juice all over looked like blood! Gross! I picked up some little plastic army guys, and Cooper would try shooting them too. I mean ... they do have guns! Poor little green guys without heads all over the backyard.
It's interesting the things that just scream summer ... the ice cream truck, playing outside with the hose, late nights, sleeping in. Then there are the other things that you suddenly notice are "summer" stuff ...
Take the boys shoes ...
Normally, they are all wearing high top basketball shoes ... but this past summer, they all switched to simple slip-ons. I'm not sure who started it first. I think maybe it was Colton's friend Randon who had some, and Colton mentioned he would like a pair. I picked him up a pair, then grabbed some for Callahan. Then Keaton wanted some, and Cooper did too. Landon ended up with a pair as well. They were SUMMER shoes ... no one wears them anymore. So interesting to see the trends ...
There were summer foods as well. I'd had some corn dogs in the freezer for who knows how long. They were past their prime, so I threw them out ... but then the boys requested some. I bought a small package. It was gone. I bought another. Gone again. I bought a BIG pack and they got through almost all of it and then summer ended ... and the boys stopped eating corn dogs.
Chicken nuggets were another "summer only" meal. As was Nutella! I'd purchased some Nutella here and there in the past, but Callahan fell in love with it over the summer. I had to purchase a big jar and he went right through it. I can't remember the last time he had it now...
Of course badminton was a Summer2014 thing too, it does have it's weather limitations though.
Another "summer 2014" activity for me this past year was a return to Kmart, with their "Fitstudio" program. I suddenly had points I could use each week, and I was making weekly trips into the store. My boys are now outfitted in Protege shorts, shoes and shirts. My shopping is continuing ... not ending with summer like the other summer trends! *Ü* All the shoes in the picture above were purchased at Kmart with Fitstudio points. Summer savings!
On my JenBsJourney blog do hit some family stuff as well as just fitness topics. One of the Link-Ups I'll participate in is a Friday Five one ... spotlighting five things each Friday. I went ahead and showed what we had been up to this past summer! Here on the family blog, I'll expound a bit more (and include additional photos!)
The main activities for Summer 2014 were bouncing and bowling! I signed the kids up for the KidsBowlFree summer service (two games per day, you do still need to pay for shoes). I actually have my OWN pair of bowling shoes, as this is something we've done for many summers (and my feet don't continue to grow like the kid's feet do ... we do have a men's size 9 that started out at Landon's, then was Callahan's, and now Keaton fit into them this summer). We'd hit the bowling alley fairly often. I was such a mean mom, and said we were there to BOWL, not to buy food or play the arcade games. I went ahead and splurged on a couple of trips though.
I bought a family pass (good for a month) and we went there many times over the summer. I ended up buying a second pass when the first expired because we had been using it so much. In the past, we'd gone with our friends the DiFran family. We moms would chat while the kids played. They have since moved, so on my own I moved to the upper level and would generally walk around reading while the kids played. Often I could get 5000+ steps (although the kids would generally get more with all their running around!)
As the picture collage above shows ... we did to other things in addition to the bouncing and bowling. We went miniature golfing once (Callahan and his friends did the full fledged golfing a couple of times) and went to a local sprinkler park. This was a relatively new one to the west. It was really nice. The water portion was fun, and before that, the kids played on the other fixtures before they got wet.
There was also the summer vacation to Seattle, for waverunning, swimming, sight-seeing and jumping off "the tree" on Orcas Island. At home, the waverunners were put to quite a bit of use as well. I myself am NOT a big wave runner fan. The little boys do enjoy playing on the beach and riding the waves, but also opted to stay home several times if that was an option. Often, it was just Gray and the older boys hitting Pineview for a day. It would always wear everyone right out!
The ride home ...
We finally did make it out all together as a family
... including Maga, Ana and her boys!
We didn't always have to head out to the beach to have water fun ...
We had a celebration at Uncle Clay's house ...
and Landon threw Callahan into the pool.
Callahan was NOT very happy about that!
At home, there was a lot of water fun as well. The usual stuff, water guns, water balloons, filling up the big garbage cans full of water and getting inside (they haven't been used for garbage, they are strictly for water fun). We bought some new sponges for "dodge sponge" although we never really had as many games as we had previous summers (so many kids have moved away).
There was also basketball, soccer, handball, badminton, volleyball, tetherball, frisbee, etc. Callahan and his buddies were using wiffle balls for baseball, and going through a lot of them (a few cracks with the bat and they would break). He asked me to pick up some (to donate to the cause) and I found a bunch at Kmart on clearance for $.49 (usually $5 or so). A great deal, especially as I had Fitstudio points to spend anyway. Not all of them made it to Callahan's friend's though, as the little boys decided to engage in a little baseball as well.
It was SO nice to have a full summer with all the kids (since moving the little boys to Terra Linda and a traditional schedule, otherwise they wouldn't have gotten out of school until July!). What did you do on your summer vacation?
Scouting runs all year long ... but summer means scout camps! This scuba diving activity was a little earlier in the year, but Grayson bought a brand new underwater camera to take these pictures. He then took it on a later scout adventure ...
Varsity camp later in August.
The crew ran the rapids and alas, the camera did not survive. The boat Grayson was in overturned and away floated the camera. So if you see one of those posts going around the Internet trying to return pictures, let us know!
Cooper and Colton attended summer cub camp too, although they weren't very happy about it. I think Coop actually had fun though. He came home SO filthy both days. He enjoyed the BB guns, and it started a lot of shooting in our own backyard after camp. Colton got sick and ended up missing the second day.
Keaton was also not very excited about camp (Bear Lake Aquatics Camp). Our ward is SO small there were only two of them. They combined with another ward, but Keaton didn't know anyone and was pretty nervous about the whole thing. He ended up having a decent time, and making friends with the other boys.
He even organized a couple get-togethers at Jump N Bounce with them later in the summer!
Callahan had turned 15 back in February and we really should have gotten his permit as soon as summer hit. I was constantly driving him around all summer (to friend's houses, church gyms and Gene Fullmer Rec Center) and all those little trips would have been practice with him behind the wheel. With school quick approaching, we did make an appointment and go in to get it while our summer schedule was a little more flexible. Happily, he had already passed the written test (one of his friend's dad is a driving instructor) to we just had to go fill out the paperwork and take the picture.
With his learner's permit in hand ... it was time to practice. If you know me, you know I already have anxiety issues in a car. Add in a new teenage driver and it's not a good situation. So ... Grayson took Callahan out a few times. On the freeways, on the smaller roads. After a few successful trips out, I even relaxed enough to let Callahan drive on the little outings I would take him on (to basketball practice, social outings, etc.)
We actually will NOT have two teenage drivers in the house at the same time though. Landon leaves for his mission on February 18. Callahan turns 16 on February 21. So the old truck will be available as soon as Callahan has his birthday ... not that the truck is in great shape (Registration Rigmarole) but other than the insurance cost - it will be nice having another driver in the house. Especially as Callahan is constantly on the go. It will make things easier when he doesn't need a ride every single time!
A while back, I was thumbing through a catalog when I saw an "instant up" badminton set advertised. We'd purchased a cheap net set before, but it was such a struggle to set up, that it never got used and we didn't even bother to store it (off to goodwill). In the catalog, this one was $100. A bit pricey. I checked on Amazon and found it there for $70 (also checking on the reviews, fairly positive). Still unsure whether it would be worth the investment, I waited. I then noticed it on sale at the local Big 5 for $50, and I had a 10% off coupon as well. I decided to buy.
It sat unopened in the house for well over a month, maybe two. The boys just didn't show much interest. Then a couple Saturdays ago, the conditions were perfect. A cool evening. Sun behind the clouds. Most important ... the internet was out *Ü*. We set up the net and it was an instant hit.
I'd forgotten how simple and fun badminton is. It took a little bit for the younger boys to master, but they now love it, especially Cooper. He's my badminton boy. He and I have been playing almost every day! While the net IS easy up, it takes a little bit to take down (I think ours is sticking), some of the sections are sticking a bit. Coop and I generally play without the net. We just stretch the hose across the lawn (to divide the sides) and just bop the birdie back and forth. When we're up for a serious game (like this past Sunday when the grandparents came over) we went ahead and got the net back out.
In addition to badminton, it's a good setup for volleyball. Instead of a standard volleyball, I had picked up an inflatable beach ball. It's a little easier for the younger kidlets.
I can't tell you how much fun it is to see all my boys playing together like this!
Makes a mommy happy!
This was absolutely worth the $50 investment for me! Spending time
playing and being active with the kids, seeing them interact with each
other. I am always on the lookout for good "active family fun"
alternatives and this definitely fit the bill. Ironically, I think it's
also helped with Cooper's weather phobia somewhat! On a cloudy day, we can
play ... otherwise we have to wait until the early evening when the sun
has set enough that it isn't in our eyes. He's even stayed out playing
in a light drizzle ... until the lightening in the distance drove him
back inside.
In July, Grayson, the boys, and the extended Blackham Bunch headed out to Bellevue to go visit the Seattle Blackhams. I have a "bit" of anxiety in the car, being out of my routine, so I had a "staycation" alone at home ... Grayson did quite well keeping me updated with pictures and emails along the way.
My boys stopped along the way ...
When they got to their destination, they spent a day seeing the city sights,
including the Space Needle of course.
They spent some time hanging at Kolby and Jami's house.
Uncle Clay made donuts.
Gray took up the waverunners, and the crew spent a few days at Lake Sammamich.
That's Keaton flipping off the board on the dock.
Then everyone boarded the ferry and headed to Orcas Island
On the Island ...
Seeing the sights
"the tree"
capturing crabs
Ana throwing Amare off a cliff
All the kid cousins!
Group Shot!
A visit to Seattle wouldn't be complete without eating out
at Lunchbox Laboratory.
So yes, I missed out on the fun by not going. The 12+ hour drive was just too much, plus all the other waiting and eating issues (and TOM) ... and in truth? A week home alone can be heaven as well! I cleaned the house and it STAYED clean. Also, whereas Washington is known for rainy weather, it was beautiful there while the Utah Blackhams visited.
Back at home however, we were hit with a HUGE rainstorm. One of the raingutters was clogged and water was pouring into one of the window wells. I had to jump down and bail it out before we flooded. So, maybe it was good I was home to keep watch around here ...
There are a TON more photos, and video too. Gray took the GoPro and another waterproof video camera. I wonder if I'll get through them all to put them in an online album, or make family muvees. At least I FINALLY got this blog post up! I'm backdating to July though, so you'll never know just how late I really was ...
For many years when the kids were young, we would grab the flag shirts at Old Navy and take pictures. We hadn't done it in a while, but Landon brought it up, and was even willing to go to the store and make it happen! The kids weren't as happy about posing for a picture ... I had said the last person out would have to unload the dishwasher ... can you tell Cooper wasn't happy about that? Landon even picked up shirts for Gray and I ... although Grayson never wore his!
We didn't do too much for the Fourth of July. Grayson, Landon and Keaton were at Lake Powell. I took the three remaining boys and we went swimming at Grandma and Grandpa's pool (why didn't I take pictures?) and then out to eat at Red Robin. We picked up some simple fireworks on the way home (snaps, sparklers, parachutes, and some new ones you activate with your feet that Cooper really liked). As usual, the neighbors put on a really nice show!
Every year before the Days of 47 parade, there is a parade preview at the South Towne Expo center. I've hit it with Cooper, we tried one year as a family. This year, Grayson and I went as a date. Our ward had created a float this year, and the young men had spent quite a bit of time working on it. We probably should have brought the boys, but it was a bit of an "anniversary date" for us.
We grabbed a few more fireworks for the 24th, and again, the neighbors put on a great show. Grayson was working a bit on some firestarting with the boys (flint and steel) ... a poor man's fireworks! But they seemed entertained.
Twenty-two years! Grayson was cute, all day he was changing his Facebook profile picture to different "22" images (the center image above was one of them). I updated our J&G Album and made this collage. We'd gone out to the Parade Preview before our anniversary, and on our anniversary we went out to Texas Roadhouse (a favorite!)
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