Happy 17th Birthday, Max!

Since we couldn’t join you for your birthday we celebrated anyway at Jayni’s request. Of course we had to do it a day early so that you can see this first thing on your birthday! She even asked that I make this for you.

She said I had to make a basketball cake so this was my attempt. We celebrated with pizza for dinner and then had birthday cake.

Tom was a little grumpy so I didn’t want to get his grumpiness in any pictures. Jayni and Mason were more than happy to have their pictures taken though. The kids and I didn’t get out of the house today so please don’t mind their hair.

And for good measure we included some videos!

I’m so glad we have had the opportunity to get to know you! You are a huge part of our family now and we miss you like crazy! You are an amazing person and we’re so proud of all you do (well maybe not all!…like almost letting my son drown) and appreciate your efforts to keep in contact with us. We even kinda like you!

I hope you have a wonderful birthday and have some yummy curry for us! I really wish we could be there!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Fall Soccer

The last two Saturdays of September and four Saturdays in October we spent watching Jayni play soccer for the first time on a team. Here she is on her first day getting a pep talk from their coach. We were really lucky to have a good coach that showed up every game. Most teams didn't have consistent coaches. I also think this is the only day that all 6 kids showed up on the same day.

I really can't say we watched her "play". She did a lot of this...

...and my personal favorite, a lot of that.

Mason would do this...

...and then that. Aren't these guys handsome?

But at the last game, Jayni was doing a little of this...

...and some of that.

Jayni's coach really tried to get her to score a goal the last game. She was scared when there would be a group around the ball. She had many opportunities that game to kick in a goal but was too scared. I'm not quite sure if soccer is her sport yet. She did do a lot of dancing and cheering though, sorry Tom!

Layer by Layer & Wind Turbines

I just have to share my excitement! I've lost a total of 22.8 lbs since deciding to be a healthier me (17.8 lbs since joining WW). Just over half of my goal.

I had my Weight Watchers meeting today and lost another 3.6 lbs. The most I've lost in a single week since joining! I was really excited and I'm having a hard time controlling it. I really feel amazing!! I had somewhat disappointing results the last couple weeks. Both losses but not really great ones. The first week Tom was out of town for business so I wasn't able to do too much and the second week was Halloween and that candy was just too tempting!!

I joined a gym a month ago and I really enjoy going. It's definitely helping to obtain my weight loss goal. It's also helped relieve stress and I feel so much healthier. I've been going in the evenings for 1-1.5 hours, 5-6 days a week. It's become my ME time. I think part of the reason I enjoy it so much is because all the cardio equipment have individual televisions so I'm able to enjoy my shows still and not worry about missing them. I'm a huge TV junkie!! But really it helps keep my mind off of the exercising part.

Thank you Tom for the email today! I really appreciate your words of encouragement and all the support you give to me.

As I was driving home from WW, I decided to drive up into the hills to get a closer look at the wind turbines above our house. Tom has taken the kids up there a couple times and Jayni loves it. I haven't been up there before and was a little curious so we made the drive.

Jayni didn't really want to get out of the car but Mason was all for some pictures so I was playing around with my camera and these are a few cute pictures.

The view from up there was amazing. This picture definitely doesn't do it justice.

Benton Franklin Fair & Rodeo

August 2008 Catch Up

On Saturday, August 16th the kick off to the Benton Franklin Fair & Rodeo began. They have the Grand Parade every year but did the 1st Annual 5k Rodeo Run which was before the parade. I decided I wanted to sign up but would only do it if my dear husband would. He agreed and we did it! It was the start of some changes in my life that I'll post more about later.

The last run I participated in was the Cherry Blossom Run in George, Washington on a 4th of July when I was 15 or 16. I took 1st in my division. Of course that was only because my cousin, Heather had placed 1st of all the participants and since she got a medal for that, I was fortunate enough to get the 1st place medal in my division.

I am a silent competitor. My only goal was to not finish last and I didn't! Tom pushed the kids in the stroller and let me go ahead. I wasn't that much quicker than him though and we ended up finishing at the same time. My most rewarding moment was when he took a shortcut down a street so he and the kids could cheer me on when I passed by. Jayni seemed so excited and it made me work harder.

Well the outcome wasn't as amazing as it had been 12 or so years ago but it was an accomplishment for me. In the 6+ years I've been married I've gained a little over 50 lbs. and I carried that junk to the finish line in 37 minutes 33 seconds. I thought that was pretty amazing to accomplish a little over 3 miles since I didn't practice beforehand! Here's Tom & I in all our glory afterwards waiting for the parade to start.

On Wednesday, August 20th I took the kids to the fair for Kid's Day even though it was raining and a little cold. I can handle that way more than a scorcher like the day we went to Grant County Fair. We were only there for a couple hours and the first thing we did was go to the library's booth and the kids both won books. By the booth was a stage that was about to perform a show with the help of children. Jayni was lucky enough to participate. She was so cute and I have a video of her whole two minute performance. Unfortunately it's too large to post! Boohoo!!

We finished out the day with watching some of the animals being judged (Jayni insisted), going through the animal barns, and having lunch. We then went home for naps!

On Saturday, August 23rd we returned to have family day. Jayni did the tractor pull again, saw our neighbor's pigs, and then got our wristbands for the rides. We're lucky enough that Tom's grandparents help with the fair because we were able to ride the rides free. Thank you Grandpa & Grandma Underwood!! We had a great time riding the rides.

I love this sequence of pictures. Whenever Mason's scared he covers his ears. It's so cute! I also love the look of terror on his face in the last one.

As you can see from these next pictures Mason was still a little scared but finally got a little more comfortable and the hands came down.

After the rides we took the kids home to have naps. We returned for the rodeo that night but didn't stay long because the close proximity with a can't-stay-still boy wasn't working. We walked around a bit more and then headed home. It was a fun day and created great memories!

Grant County Fair

August 2008 Catch Up

To kick off this year's county fair adventures, Jayni, Mason, and I headed to Moses Lake to spend time with my Mom and to watch my little sister, Kathryn clog. I also HAD to have a Grant County Fair Spaceburger! I hadn't had one for about 4 or 5 years and I was desperate this year to get one.

Well, it so happened that that day it was SO hot. It kinda took the desire for some yummy fair food away. We did seek out the sno-cone booth immediately and met up with my brother Milo, sister-in-law Melanie, and their kids and walked around enjoying those. Eventually we ended up eating dinner and a big drink and Spaceburger was about all I could handle. The kids wanted to do the tractor pull and so we waited for that to start.

Jayni

Dane

Kathryn & Nathan

We then watched Kathryn clog and I saw my little brother Jason and his new bride Cassie. We also caught up with Pop then too.

After clogging we took the kids around the animal barns. My past farming experiences caught up with me and I saved a cow. HAHA! It was tied up in the barn and it's leg was caught in the rope. When my Mom and I walked by she said she was too scared to help the cow and said she knew I could do it. There were others just standing there staring at the helpless cow so I "took the bull by the horns" and helped get the cow's leg untangled. The embarrassing part for me was my Mom clapping afterwards and the other people staring. My Mom said she couldn't believe I did it and I told her that I was surprised that someone who was there before us didn't help out first. I'm definitely not an animal lover but if I see they need something I'll make sure to help out.

We then met up with everyone one else and I'm not sure why we got separated but we finished going through the rest of the barns together. When we got to the goat barn there was a girl there holding a baby goat and letting the kids pet it. So here's Jayni doing the thing she loves - petting animals.

There was also a lady milking a goat and one of the kids asked if they could do it and she let them. Here's Jayni getting some milk from the goat.

Then Dane had a go while Kathryn and Jayni watched.

We stayed a little longer but since the heat was not fun to be in we left and the kids and I headed home after I bathed them and visited for awhile. Oh, and Milo and Melanie brought me a yummy funnel cake with chocolate that I enjoyed before leaving town. I hadn't had one before and it was quite delicious!

Mason's Recovery

I thought I'd give a little update on Mason's recovery. The day after surgery Mason was playing, jumping, laughing and up to his normal self for the most part. He was in some pain but we'd give him his pain medication and I think it was probably working a little too well. We had to try to make him relax so he wasn't overdoing things.

Here's the bandage that was put over Mason's belly button after his surgery. It's called a Tegaderm. It's a bandage that after 48 hours we were able to bathe Mason and water wouldn't leak into it. It also was tamper proof but Mason was playing with it the day after surgery so we decided to keep a onesie on him just in case. The Tegaderm peels itself away and after two weeks we could remove it unless it came off on its own after one week. If you notice the corners were peeling away, especially the top right.

Since it was peeling away this last Saturday, which was a week and a day after surgery, I decided to pull it off. For curiosity sake and also being a little paranoid that water could get into it since it was peeling so much. I took it off right after his bath and I thought it looked really good. The incision seemed nice a clean and it was healing really well.

This photo is from last Saturday...

...and this one is from today. The surgeon said there is a little excess skin but during surgery she decided wasn't enough to cut away. She said that as he grows it will become a little more natural looking. Sorry if these are a little graphic but I wanted to document them.

Just a random photo. I went in at about midnight last Sunday to check on the kids before going to bed and this is how I found them. I thought it was cute that they had fallen asleep next to each other on the floor.

I love my kids and I'm thankful that they are healthy and I'm especially thankful today, that Mason is doing really well. I knew I was probably stressing for nothing leading up to his surgery and the few days after, but it was worth it to see the outcome so much better then I expected. Thanks again for the many prayers and words of comfort. I know that without them I wouldn't have been able to get through these last few weeks and I know they benefited Mason in his recovery.

The Day is Almost Here

So Mason's surgery is on Friday and I'm SO nervous. Last week I completely shutdown and didn't do anything around the house. I slept a lot and was pretty down thinking too much about the surgery and aftermath. This week I've kept myself busy so I don't think about it so much and have tried to prepare myself as much as possible. I'm scared though and hope everything goes smoothly.

Please keep us (especially Mason) in your prayers. He's my sweet boy and I can't imagine my life without him. He's brought me so much joy and I love him so very much.

I'm assuming the above picture was taken by Jayni. I found Mason with camera in hand one day last month and put it away. When I downloaded pictures onto my computer a few weeks later, I found pictures of Mason and lots of shots around the room.

The British Are Coming, The British Are Coming

We have had a pretty busy summer and because of this (and my laziness), I've been really bad about keeping up on my blog and reading blogs. So, here I begin with a few posts of what we've been up to this summer.

In mid July we had the opportunity to have Max come all the way from England and stay with us. For those who don't know, Tom was coaching Max while we lived in England and became good friends with him. He came for a week last summer to go to the Big Bend basketball camp shortly after we arrived back.

Max came for about 2 weeks this time and without his parents. While he was here he and Tom were able to go to the Seattle Aquarium and see a Mariners game, attend the Gonzaga basketball camp, and join me at the Chlarson Family Reunion. Tom was in Florida for work while Max was at basketball camp so I picked Max up in Spokane and we headed to Moses Lake for the weekend and he was fortunate enough (or not) to meet my whole family.

Here's Max, Jayni & Mason the day he was returning back to England. I can't believe we didn't take more pictures during his visit. I'm so mad at myself!

While Max was here Jayni and Mason slept in our bedroom with us. The day after Max got here Jayni wanted to take her nap in her bed. I only had her sheets on the bed since she needed her bedspread in our room at night. This is what I saw after she came out from her nap. I was pretty excited to see that she put the top sheet back and positioned her pillow and animals.

Here's Jayni at Gonzaga University while waiting for Max to finish with camp.

We had a great time while Max was here. He was so great with the kids and very helpful. I've missed him being around like no other. It was nice having him to distract the kids during the day and I enjoyed being able to have him around to tease and be goofy with. I hope I didn't bore him to death on the days we just stuck around the house while Tom was working. If I did it was payback for him almost letting Mason drown in our neighbor's pond right before he left. I guess you can't rely on a 16 year old watching your kids while talking to the neighbor girls.

Thanks for coming Max and thank you to Jackie and Ross for allowing him to come! We miss you and look forward to you visiting us again next year!!

Day at the Park

This past Saturday we spent the day at the Riverfront Park in Spokane. My mom wanted to have one last get together before my sister, Leisha headed back home to New York with her family. So we met at the big red wagon, had some pictures taken and then ate a picnic lunch.

My sister, Shaila took pictures of the whole family and she also took individual family pictures and pictures of the grandkids. This is the one I took with my camera so I'm guessing that none of the kids really knew where to look.

After pictures and lunch we headed to the amusement rides and let the kids (young and old) ride the rides. It was fun to see the reactions of the little ones. Mason rode the dragon roller coaster four times! He would ride it and then get right back in line, yet every time he would look like he was beyond scared. Jayni kept asking to ride the ferris wheel and when we got there she was adamant about not riding with me and chose to ride with Uncle Milo.

All in all we had a good day and I wish I took more pictures but didn't. I've been really bad about this lately! Before heading home Tom and I drove to Tomato Street, which is one of my favorite restaurants. Mason was asleep before we even got there and so we just ordered to go and stopped at McDonald's since Jayni wanted that more than anything else. It was a long day but worth it!!

Hopefully I'll get a copy of the whole family and my little family soon so that I can post them (hint, hint).

Anyway, I'm grateful for the time I was able to spend with family. I appreciate every moment I'm able to spend with each one of them because they mean more to me than they realize. I feel at times we take things for granted and we need to try harder to strengthen our bonds because we never know what life it going to throw our way. Life is fragile!!

Weekend Festivities

For the 4th of July we headed to the Grand Coulee Dam for their laser light show and fireworks. We met up with my Mom and Pop, Grandma Bette, my brother Milo, and my sister Shaila and her family. Here's a picture of Jayni with GraMimi, Poppy and cousin Malcolm.

We had a great time spending time there with family and enjoying the yummy fair type food. The laser light show was the same one I saw when I was a teenager so it wasn't as exciting as I thought it would be. The fireworks were great and were fun to see over the dam. I thought Mason wouldn't enjoy the loud noise from the fireworks but he kept oohing and aahing and Jayni kept asking if we could go home while plugging her ears.

Saturday the 5th we enjoyed getting together with more family and friends and went to the Hardy boys birthday party at Shaila's inlaws. The kids had a great time playing in the water while the adults enjoyed a yummy barbecue. Hope you had a great birthday Malcolm and Quinn!

On Sunday we were back in Tri-Cities and were able to attend baby Ender's baby blessing. He's the newest addition on the Perkes' side. I wish I thought to take a picture of him in his cute blessing outfit but I didn't even think about it. He's very adorable and we're happy to have him as part of our family!

What?...No!

My Jayni just turned 5 this last Sunday on the 29th! I can't believe it. Time goes by way too fast. We didn't do anything for her on her b-day because we were in Spokane for Hoopfest and we traveled home. My friend, Lisa did make pancakes for us that morning and we sang Happy Birthday and Jayni was able to blow out a candle on her pancake. Thanks Lisa for letting us stay with you and spending time with us. We had a great time visiting and I had a great time with you Saturday night!

Yesterday I asked Jayni what she wanted to do to celebrate her birthday and she said she wanted to go to Red Robin and go see Wall-E. Jayni, Mason, and I met Tom at Red Robin and enjoyed a meal together although they didn't come sing to Jayni like Tom had arranged. Thank goodness she didn't care even though they sang to another little girl close by.

After dinner, Tom and Mason headed home and Jayni and I went to see Wall-E together. It was such a good movie and it was nice to spend the time together. We ate way too much snacks and towards the end Jayni wanted to snuggle with me on my lap. I loved that she did that! She's so sweet and although she drives me bonkers with her million questions all through the day, it was nice to have quality time as mother and daughter. I love her so much and am so glad I have her in my life!

Sorry, I have no pictures! I've been really bad about taking them lately.

What a Day!...So Glad It's Over

My day mainly began at 5:11 this morning. I heard some rummaging around, so I got up to investigate and found my sweet, little 2 year old in the living room. When he saw me he expressed the guiltiest look (with a little powdered sugar around his mouth!). He had one of Tom's raspberry filled powdered donuts in his little right hand with a bite missing from it.

I took him into bed with me hoping he'd fall asleep, which he finally did just after 6. Tom decided to get up for work just before 5:30 (30 minutes sooner than planned) so he wouldn't disturb Mason. Thanks honey! Anyway, around 6:48 Jayni decided to climb into bed with us and woke both Mason and I up, and Mason would not go back to sleep. So that's how my day started!

After naps we headed out to run some errands and while at Costco, had a minor mishap. I had Jayni & Mason in the cart and while I was going around to head down another aisle, somehow Jayni got her finger stuck in one of the holes on the shelving.

 

So as I'm pushing the cart and turn the corner, the cart kind of stops going and I look back as Jayni says, but not yet screaming, "my finger, my finger!". So, I pull the cart back and see her finger bent in a way that shouldn't have been and I get her finger out of the hole and start hugging her to console and calm her down, as she's screaming. She had said it was bleeding but when I pulled it out I hadn't noticed so after holding her for a few seconds, I go to look at it and sure enough it's gushing blood.

So, I began to head to the front of the store to find an employee to help me find a paper towel so that I could blot the blood away to look at it. I found one and she got some paper towels and headed off and found a band-aid. Another employee came up and asked if Jayni would like a lollipop and I said that might help so she went off to get one and also came back with an ice pack. This was when I began to feel queasy and as I'm trying to take care of Jayni I am also crouching to the floor feeling like I'm about to pass out.

I then decided to purchase the few items I had in my cart (I know, I'm terrible to not just leave and figure out what to do for my daughter!). As I'm standing in line with Jayni still crying loudly and me still feeling faint, the third employee that was helping out during this crisis offered me a Starburst so that it might help me not feel so faint anymore. He also went and got me another band-aid because Jayni's finger started swelling. Thanks to Costco for the great service!!

So, I made my way out to the car, and had to stop once because I started seeing whiteness and had to crouch done again (who's the loser?!!). We got into the car and as I'm driving I'm asking Jayni if she could bend her finger trying to decide if we should go to the doctor or not. She said she couldn't and said she just wanted to go home and lay on the couch. Thank goodness, after about 5 minutes in the car, she stopped crying and said she could bend her finger!

I told Jayni when we got home I'd give her some Tylenol so her finger wouldn't hurt so bad. She asked what Tylenol was and I told her it was the medicine I give her when she has a fever, sore throat, or something. She then said, "or the medicine I get when I get my finger stuck in a hole?" What a funny girl!! I'm pretty sure her finger isn't broken but she does have a good piece of missing skin. Possible picture to follow tomorrow if I remember to charge my camera.

So that's, how my day has gone. Tom just got home so now I'm heading to the store to get some band-aids and get some ice cream. There's nothing wrong with ice cream at 11 o'clock at night!...right, Allie? Tom actually just told me I should call you to see if you wanted to go. He thinks he's so funny! Why don't our husbands understand our need for late night ice cream?

Hopefully we have a better day tomorrow!!

Oh...I just wanted to make sure to let you know that I didn't take the time to take the picture of the shelving at Costco, like my husband thought. I happened to find the picture on the internet.

Sleeping Babies

Okay, so my kids really aren't babies anymore, but they'll always be to me! I love to see my kids sleeping. About the only time in my day that is peaceful and quiet! Every night I have to go in and check on Mason and Jayni before I go to bed. If I don't I can't sleep!

A couple night's last week, Jayni decided she'd climb into bed with Mason. I'd go in there and find them sleeping next to each other. So very cute, but I told Jayni she can't be doing that anymore. She does tend to wake him up and he won't go back to sleep!

When I first went into their room this night, Jayni had her arm around Mason. But of course, by the time I got the camera, she moved!