Ju’s blog

We just got home from another great Shasta vacation. The water was very low and there was a big fire, but the weather was great and we didn’t have much smoke.

I haven’t blogged in forever, so I thought I’d post this to see if there’s anyone out there who still reads my blog. One thing I’ve been doing is taking a class on creating web pages, and I actually kinda blogged as one of my assignments, so go check out this link: My assignments and click on assignment 10- it’s called “Mama’s Summer Camp”.  Life is busy, but good, and I’ll try and blog more. The other fun news in our family is that my sister had her baby, so go check out her link: Peyton and Libby.  Leave me a comment, so I know you were here! Happy Summer!

I haven’t blogged in a very long time, but a friend sent me a quote today that I love and need to share.  The quote is: “don’t wait for the storm to pass; learn to dance in the rain”  My friend read it on the blog of a friend of hers who is battling breast cancer.  It applies to all of us in different ways, and even maybe more so during this busy time of Christmas.  My hope is that we are all thoroughly enjoying this season and thankful for all the gifts that God has given us, especially the gift of His son. 

I will catch up on my blog at some point, but a lot has happened since I last wrote in October…the boys busy with cub scouts and chess club, girls trip to NYC, family vacation to Maui Hawaii for Thanksgiving, Jim’s new job, and getting ready for Christmas.  Hopefully over the Christmas break I’ll have time to share some pictures and tales of our travels. 

In the meantime, Merry Merry Christmas!!!

Wow- October is almost over already.  It’s been crazy-good-busy.  Last year I didn’t volunteer in the classroom hardly at all, and this year I think I’ve overcompensated a little.  It’s all been good, but today I was in charge of two Harvest parties- one for each kid.  The problem was that they both started about the same time.  But, I think we actually pulled it all off, with the help of some great moms.  Both kids said the parties were fun.  I had a frisbee pumpkin toss, and a creature toss for the first graders and then we had cookies to frost, and two crafts, so it was busy, busy and fun.  But, I have to say the fourth grade party was really fun to put together.  I organized it all, but then a couple other moms had to pull it off while I was with the first graders.  We don’t have school for the rest of this week because of a teacher conference, and last week we figured out that Jamison’s teachers’ birthday is this weekend, so today was the day for a birthday party too.  I got the games from familyfun.com.  First they played a ring-around-the-pumpkin game where they had to toss a hula hoop around one of three pumpkins.  Then there was a scarecrow relay, which was actually called Mr. Bones relay, but I figured skeletons may have been a little too Halloweenish.  Each person ran to a bag full of paper scarecrow parts, grabbed one and brought it back to the table.  Then the next person went and got another piece.  The first team to complete the scarecrow won.  The third game was using a straw and suction to move construction paper pumpkins and bats one-by-one to a bowl.  Then the birthday party started.  I learned that Jamison’s teacher likes to geocache so we set up a cache that contained his present.  He had the gps, and took the whole class on the adventure.  It led them to two pumpkins set up outside the office modular, so they looked like decorations.   I had cut out the bottom of one of the pumpkins and scooped out the seeds and put his gift card in it.  I stumped them for a couple minutes and they all thought it was pretty cool.  Then they headed back inside for birthday cake.  I was kinda excited to find someone that even knew what geocaching was. 
And tonight I’m tired.  I stayed up way too late working on party planning.  But, I do love it.

As for all the other stuff that’s been going on…

My Grammy turned 99 years old last Thursday.  Probably about 20 people came to my mom’s house throughout the day to wish her a happy day.  She had a great day I think.  But, she was exhausted by the end.  At 99 it’s such a day to day thing, whether she’ll feel good or bad, be happy or depressed.  It was a good day.

Jayden has one more flag football game and then his season is done.  It’s been really fun to watch him play.  Their team has improved a lot this year- they have even caught a couple passes.   I never realized it was so hard to throw and catch until I watched first and second graders trying to get it done.  A couple weeks ago he was losing his enthusiasm for practice because as he told me, “when you signed me up, it was summer.”  Apparently he’s a fair weather football player.

The Ducks- oh it’s a good year to be a Duck fan.  Go Ducks!!!

Jim starts his new job Thursday as an HR consultant.  We’re kind of excited to learn what work will be like, but I admit I’m kind of sad that we can’t just play for well…forever.

In a week and a half I’m flying with five girlfriends to New Jersey/New York, to stay with another girlfriend.  While there our plans include:
Going to the Today Show (Friday, Nov. 9th)- look for U of O and birthday signs
Seeing the Rockettes Christmas Spectacular
The NYC Chocolate Show
Museum of Modern Art
Ground Zero
Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island
Central Park
Celebrating a birthday
We get to go see our newly pregnant friend and just enjoy being together with girlfriends for 5 days!!!

We’re fully immersed in Cub Scouts now with Jamison being a Webelo, and Jayden is a Tiger Cub.  (Jim is committee chairperson and I’m the pack secretary) 

I guess that’s it off the top of my head, whew, time is flying by.

Did you know that I’m going to NYC with some of my girlfriends in November?  Here’s who I’m going with (plus one more).

“O My Little Star On High” by Jamison Dover (unedited)
O My Little Star on High though you look small you are realy the God of sky, Heaven, Earth, Us and our souls.  You are the Lord of Lords King of Kings and the Maker of Everything.  Although you look so small you can do Everything and are the Maker of the Univers.  You Love Everything so much that you sent your Son to Die on the cross for our sins.  He shed His blood for us and for that I will be thankful for Your Greatness and Love.  You are the Most Important person In the Universe.  O my Little Star on High You guided the three Wisemen to Your Son our Savior.  You guide us to where you want us to go and speak with us through our souls.  You are the Lord of Lords and Kings of Kings and your Son our Savior.  I would never ask for anything better, with your word we can live a peaceful life free of sin.

I just thought this was priceless!

Jamison is in fourth grade and is so excited to have a male teacher.  School was very good for him this week.  He has most of his friends in his class, and only had one day with a lot of homework.  He also has to read 20 minutes each night, which he loves.  Jayden is in first grade, and I think the anticipation wore him out this week.  He was really excited to start first grade and when it actually came time to start, he didn’t know what to think.  We’re having a bit of a hard time remembering everything he’s suppose to have ready.  We only forgot his lunch twice , but on Friday he was suppose to share his “Me” bag (filled with items that represent him), and he left it on the kitchen table.  Despite my desire to really want to go home and get it for him (we had a fun time filling it), I left it at home and he’ll get to share it on Monday.  He forgot his tie on Wednesday, and his folder on Friday.  It’s got to get better.  But, he likes his teacher and has lots of friends in his class.  The week ended with an ice cream social/open house at the school on Friday night.  Really, it was just a massive game of tag and “being chased by girls” (Jamison’s words), but Jayden was enthusiastic about sharing his classroom and the projects they were working on.  Jamison wanted to stay outside and play.  Anyway, we all survived, and then got to watch the Ducks slaughter Michigan in the Big House on Saturday.  Overall, it was a good week.  Go Ducks!

Now tell me this isn’t just about the cutest thing ever…

I guess the “glory summer” is officially over.  School started today.  I really could use another week or two of summer with the kids at home.  This schedule stuff is hard to take.   It’s been so long since I wrote anything, I’ll try and do a quick summary.  We just got back from a super-fun trip to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons.  We all had a fantastic time seeing big animals and lots of geysers.  We saw a 7 point bull elk as we drove to our campsite the first night.  And we saw a bull moose in Grand Tetons on our last day.  In between we saw probably 200 bison and a few more cow elk.  Bison are enormous- especially when they are right next to your car.  We even had one we could see out the window of the cabin we stayed in.  We camped for the first two nights at Madison Campground.  Then we stayed in a cabin at the Yellowstone Lake Hotel.  (We needed a shower by then, and some restaurant food).  Then we camped for a night in Grand Tetons National Park.  The weather was perfect- we wore jeans in the evenings, but shorts and t-shirts during the day.  We saw Old Faithful spout twice and went on some hikes.  We saw geysers, mudpots, waterfalls, the grand canyon of Yellowstone and Yellowstone Lake.   And while we did all this the boys completed the requirements to be Junior Rangers, so before we left the park we had a mini ceremony at the ranger station where they got their patches.  It was all just great family time together.  We have an unofficial list of places we like and places we could do without.  Twin Falls, Idaho is a cute little town with a huge waterfall on the Snake River.  Idaho Falls on the other hand is not a place you need to visit.  We drove something like 1800 miles within 6 days, but the boys were great travelers (the dvd player and video ipod helped Jayden, and reading Erragon is how Jamison passed the time in the car).  We stayed caffeinated with the iced coffees at McDonald’s- we think they’re pretty good if you haven’t tried them.  I personally only like the regular flavor though.   We got close enough to Bend on Saturday that we listened to the Ducks win on the radio.  The only good thing about summer ending is that college football season is here… Go Ducks!

I should check the “official” number, but I think we found 18 or so geocaches.  The boys reluctantly came with me on most of them. 

Before we left on our trip we had a great visit with the Portland Dovers and my sister and Libby.  I’m pretty sure I have the cutest little nieces out there…Oh my goodness…I could just squeeze them. 

I can’t even remember what we did before that, so it must be time for bed. 

First day of first grade for Jayden today- he was kinda grumpy all day.  He may have been exhausted from the anticipation- I don’t know.  Jamison is a fourth grader and just loves his teacher, Mr. McKim.  They got cool calendars and really cool folders they get to keep all year- so he was pretty happy. 

Looking back it was just a fantastically fun family summer.  We’ll probably never have one quite like it.  Jim’s working on a good job possibility, my mom is healthy (and playing great golf- she shot a 79 in the club championship)…I could go on and on, but God has been very very good to us all and for that I’m grateful.

                                                   Shoshone Falls (Twin Falls, ID) 50 feet taller than Niagara.

                                                             The big bull.

                                                                  I didn’t want to do all the cooking.

                                                                                                                   Old Faithful

                                                          Jenny Lake, Grand Teton Nat’l Park

                                                              God’s Country