2011 Christmas Letter

Dear Family and Friends                                                                                                                   December 2011

                You know it happens every year & this year was no exception…The Holidays kind of snuck up on our family!! Every year we say it’s not going to happen & BAM!! Here we are half way over with December already!

                This year seemed to be a more trying year not only for our family but for many of our extended family and friends.  But isn’t it funny the blessings that come from our trials and tribulations.  As we approach this coming year, I hope we remember those blessings.

                This year seemed to be a busy year for us and the kids…and when I say kids that includes Cayla and Craig.  Between Church, work, sports, scouting, military, school…oh and moving, it’s no wonder the year flew by! And that was only mentioning a few things.

                Yes, it was that time again…time to move.  We find ourselves in Goodyear, up in the Estrella Hills.  This meant a new school for the boys and a new Ward for us for church.  We are really enjoying the area so far.  It’s a very active community.  Everyone enjoys biking and running.  Our family has taken up biking, which we are loving.  Suzi has started running, which she hates but it helps her in training for her vertical marathons she does every year. DJ has always been active so this area is great for him.  The wild life up here is amazing…both good amazing and bad amazing!  So far we’ve seen it all (in our neighborhoods I might add)…rabbits (in our yards even), ground squirrels, woodpeckers (which Suzi has a love hate relationship with), raccoons, ducks, turtles, come kind of giant lizard, tarantulas (yes that’s the BIG spider), coyotes, bobcats(living in neighborhoods), mountain lions, and Suzi’s biggest fear of all time SNAKES!

We weren’t the only ones that moved this year.  Cayla and Craig moved to Tempe to live closer to the college and to work.  They have the cutest little apartment.  They love having their own place. Both of them are working hard in school and enjoying married life.  It’s hard to believe that in November they celebrated their 1 year anniversary.  Both of them work for ASU so living right next to the college makes it easy for them to get to work.  Cayla is also teaching dance, which she loves and helping a family friend who takes professional photos. Both of them are currently serving as Ward missionaries in their ward…it seems they can’t get away from that calling.  They had it in their last ward also, but they really do enjoy sharing the gospel with others!

The boys, Joshua (13) and Seth (10) started a new school this year.  Josh is now in the 8^th grade and Seth in the 4^th.  Both of them seem to be doing well.  The school they are attending has a lot of after school activities for the boys so they are very busy with those.  Seth just moved up into the Webelos in cub scouts.  He really enjoys cub Scouts.  For the last few months his mom has been his Cub Scout leader and he’s really liked having her as his leader.  Josh is working hard in the Scouting program.  This past summer Josh was selected for the Order of the Arrow and went through his Ordeal in the fall. He’s also a member of the Jr. National Honor Society at school and works really hard in that.  Both the boys really enjoy sports and keep mom and dad busy when they are playing games. 

DJ is still a Detective with DPS and for the last two years has been serving as the First Sergeant in his National Guard Unit.  He also teaches a class at one of the colleges here in town.  He’s currently serving as a member of the High Council for our Chruch. Between all of these he’s pretty busy but still finds time to get out and go hunting.  This year he was able to go out and he got his Elk which really made him happy!! DJ got to go to scout camp with Josh for the first time. He moved up to the Brotherhood in the Order of the Arrow. When Josh completed his Ordeal, DJ went and had them use the sash he got when he was Josh’s age for Josh. He’s getting ready the first of the year to have surgery on his left knee…he forgets he’s not as young as he use to be, so his body keeps reminding him!

Suzi just finished doing a vertical climb for the American Lung Association in November.  She cut almost 2 minutes off her time from last year. She works hard at trying to keep everyone’s life as normal as possible.  When we moved into our new ward she was called to serve as the Bear Leader in the Cub Scout program.  As always if Suzi’s life wasn’t crazy and busy she wouldn’t  know what to do with herself.  But sometimes she dreams of a less stressful life!

As always we hope this next year is less stressful for everyone.  We pray the Lord will bless your family and watch over you always. From our house to yours we hope you have a Merry Christmas and May your New Year be Fun and Happy!

All Our love, DJ, Suzi, Joshua and Seth Hansen

A day feeding the ducks...

We live in an AMAZING place...people riding bikes everywhere, people walking, running, you name it!  But one of the coolest things about this area is the two lakes we have...North Lake and South Lake.  At North Lake you can take small boats out on it and at South Lake you can walk around the lake, fish and feed the ducks...and thats what we did.  We met up with our best friends the DeGraffs and took a walk, played catch and feed the ducks!

Seth and Syd'a are best friends...

They can just sit and talk for hours...

They talk about EVERYTHING...

They follow each other everywhere...

Josh being a pill and chacing the DUCKS...

Fly away duckies, be free...

The kids found this tennis ball while we were walking

and decided to play catch, right over Teresas and my head!

We feared for our lives many times and the ball came sailing at us...

Josh thought it would be fun to throw it right at me...

Austin throwing the ball...

 Brenna getting ready to catch it...

Then the keep away game started...

Teresa proves MOMS are QUEENS of the WORLD...

Its the most wonderful time of the year...

I've said it before and I'll say it again, (I sound like Popeye the Sailor), but I really do love this time of year...Starting in October till December.  Life does get crazy but its so much fun!  I love decorating my house for each important holiday!!

I love dressing my kids up for Halloween and doing our traditional night.  The day starts with cooking the traditional meal...Stew and dinner in a pumpkin!  It cooks all day! Then at around 5:00 its time to get the costumes on and any scary make-up that needs to be added. (Yes, I put make up all over my boys)!  Then its dinner, in costume cuz people might knock on the door while were eating and you have to be ready!  Then its off to trick or treat!  We have so much fun going around as a family!  After trick or treating we head home and its time to sort the candy, and of course eat some!  HELLLLLOOOOOO thats the whole point of trick or treating...the CANDY!!  While we are doing that we watch Hocus Pocus!!  We've been doing this since Cayla was little and its all the kids have ever known!! 

The next day its up with the Halloween decorations and the Thanksgiving ones!  And of course its time to start listening to CHRISTMAS MUSIC!!  And watching CHRISTMAS MOVIES!!  I'm not trying to leave Thanksgiving out but there just really isn't any songs or movies that go with the holiday! 

The day after thanksgiving comes the funnest day of all...BLACK FRIDAY!!!  Now I don't go crazy spending money, but I love it cuz I'm with my friend Teresa having a blast...years ago I use to go with Kimmy when we went up to Idaho and it was a blast...when I stayed in town, I'd go with mom and again, had a blast!!  I just love spending it with crazy, fun people!  Oh and best of all "people watching".  Black Friday is the best day to people watch!  Just saying!

Then when I get home and I'm tired and worn out, its time to put up the Christmas decorations!!  I love decoration my house at Christmas time!  I watch the same movies over and over and I listen to the same songs over and over!  ITS GREAT!!! 

For the last 10 years or so we've been taking the kids to the Forgotten Carols.  Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas if we didn't go!  Its like not having Christmas Music and Movies...and anyone that knows me knows I love my Music and Movies during this time of year! 

Then Christmas eve comes...all the family at my house for the biggest feast you've ever seen!  Just looking at it you'll gain 20lbs but oh is it sooooo good!!  And of course the traditional one gift  that you get to open that night and as always, since I was a little girl, its PJ's!  After everyone leaves its time to set the goodies out for Santa.  Sometimes our family gets a little crazy and we leave things like Rootbeer floats and things like that for Santa.  Don't think he gets tired of milk and cookies all the time! 

But then the part I hate about Christmas...some how I always have good intentions but I don't get the gifts wrapped so I'm up till sometimes 4 in the morning wrapping gifts.  I know you'd think I would learn by now, but I haven't! Someday!!

Then Christmas morning. The kids are always up by 4 or 5 (sometimes I would worry that they would catch us taking gifts down, but so far they haven't).  But they get up and they are allowed to open their stalkings!  Then they can play, watch TV or fall back to sleep till DJ and I get up around 6 or 7. 

Then its time for me to get the traditional breakfast cooking, cinnamon rolls and monkey bread!  Then while thats cooking off to open presents and trash the already trashed house! 

It takes days before we recover from this mess! 

Then its New Years Eve!  Something we started with Cayla and have just kept going...we prepare a meal, like from Christmas eve, with chips and dips and crackers and cheese.  Put a blanket out on the floor in front of the TV...get some movies and we stay up munching and watching movies till after midnight!  What a great night we have!  Its fun to see who stays awake til midnight...then at midnight we pop the sparkling grape juice and toast the new year!! 

Then the sad part really comes...its time to take the tree down (Forgotten Carols)...I try and hold  out for as long as I can...maybe even til Feb 1st but I do try!  I just love my tree so much I don't want to take it down! 

It really is the MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR!!! 

Why Women Cry...

A little boy asked his mother "Why are you crying?"

"Because I'm a woman," she told him. 

"I don't understand," he said

His Mom just hugged him and said, "And you never will."

Later the little boy asked his father, "Why does mother seem to cry for no reason?"

"All women cry for no reason," was all his dad could say.

The little boy grew up and became a man, still wondering why women cry.
Finally, he put in a call to God. 

When God got on the phone, he asked, "God, why do women cry so easily?"

God said, "When I made the women she had to be special.  I made her shoulders strong enough to carry the weight of the world, yet gentle enough to give comfort.  I gave her an inner strength to endure childbirth and the rejection that many times comes from her children.  I gave her a hardness that allows her to keep going when everyone else gives up, and take care of her family through sickness and fatigue without complaining.  I gave her the sensitivity to love her children under any and all circumstances, even when her child has hurt her badly.  I gave her strength to carry her husband through his faults and fashioned her from his rib to protect his heart.  I gave her wisdom to know that a good husband never hurts his wife, but sometimes tests her strength and her resolve to stand beside him unfalteringly."

 "And finally, I gave her a tear to shed.  This is hers exclusively to use whenever it is needed.  You see my son," said God, "the beauty of a women is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair.  The beauty of a women must be seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart -the place where love resides."

Let November be a NEW START...

I don't want to complain...(NO laughing- I NEVER complain - I just voice my opinion, LOUDLY!)...because I know what happens when you complain about the trials in your life...they get worst! Yes I said it, so I guess I'm in trouble!  I know the Lord isn't doing it to be mean, its to teach us something!

But October and September were kind of yukky months for our family! So November is a BRAND NEW MONTH and things have to be better, RIGHT?!?!? (Humor me, ok)

I mean really, still no fixed truck, hubby was in TWO...count that...one, two car accidents this month, things going on with the military (don't worry he's not going over seas), another kid possibly might have Asthma now (not sure yet) but hes been sick and coughing like crazy (I think his lungs might fall out), plus lots more...............BUT I'M NOT COMPLAINING CUZ I KNOW HOW THAT WORKS!!! 

Training Time...

Teresa and I have been training for the Vertical Marathon again...or its real name~"Death to your body".  We started biking everyday at 5:30 5 miles...sometimes more!  Not just biking but biking the major hills around Estrella. They are so big. I LOATH these hills! 
We are kind of like the little train that says "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can!" Then when we reach the top and we coast down we yell "I thought I could, I thought I could, I thought I could.!" 

This is so hard but we are sticking to it...we might die doing it!!!  The other day we saw a coyote that could have eaten us and last week we saw a scorpion (SCARY) that was so big...DJ was driving by and saved us!!  We have heard a pack of coyotes as we ride by an area barking away!  One day we ran into some scary guys...but that was the day we cut 3 minutes off our time...those guys were scary!  There are always a ton of bikers and walkers out...and they don't seem to be having any problems...but not Teresa and I, we've had our chains come off both our bikes (different times of course) during the hardest part of the ride...up that stupid hill!! 

My body may not survive  (every part of my body aches...even my butt...I know too much info but you need to know all the gory details) but so far we've biked OVER 100 miles...it may not seem like a lot to all of you BUT that's a ton...hey we could have been to Gilbert by now!!!

Summertime SO FAR...

This was written back in July but forgot to post it til today...so sorry!!
I guess at times this summers been slow, sometimes crazy, sometimes stressful (most of the time), sometimes dull...so far!

So we started out the first week of summer by moving and we did it with the help of part of our family!  I know ask for help...well we did sort of.  Like I said some of the family was out of town so we turned to my daughters in-laws...LOVE THEM!!!  But you see we did most of the moving during the week...so HELLO, most of you work so we didn't ask for help...DON'T be mad at us for not asking! 

There are some things that we like about our new home and some things we hate!!  BUT as always I guess I'll have to work that out!  Lets hope we do!

The first weekend in our new ward Josh got asked to go to scout camp with them...ONE LITTLE CATCH...They were leaving the next day!  Good thing we had everything he needed to bring.  He was really nervous about going but we encouraged him too cuz they were going to Colorado!  Very cool and very fun.  So we packed him up when we got home from church and the next morning at 5 sent him off with a bunch of people we didn't even know.  Now I feel really bad for the men that we sent Josh off with...you see we didn't prepare them for Josh!  While he's a very good kid, very helpful (which all the men told us when they got home) we didn't prepare them for, well, Joshuas little problem...he puts his all in all into things, you know, goes all for it and well, he gets hurt a lot.  Josh came home to us BLACK AND BLUE!! I'm not kidding.  We needed to take him in for a physical for another scout camp he was going to and we had to wait a few weeks cuz we didn't want the Dr to think we beat the kid!  He could hardly move for a few weeks.  I guess he took a spill on a Diggler, its like a skateboard/scooter on big wheels, that they took down a ski slop...yep my kid did that!  But he had fun!! 

While Josh was gone, DJ, Seth and I spent the week unpacking the house.  Well, Seth went to his grandmas for a day.  Plus during that time my Sister came into town and we had her boys stay for a few days...following that my Sister-in-law came and we had her son stay.  It was a busy few weeks. 

BUT the coolest part after moving in was Stake Conference in my dads stake...We all got to meet D. Todd Christofferson of the twelve and LeGrand R Curtis of the Seventy.  Both of these brethren stayed at my folks house...how cool is that!!! 

Of course we had a ton of Birthdays during June...Cayla, my dad and Josh, plus a few others and July was just a busy with birthdays...Craigs, his moms, my sisters and my sister-in-laws plus some others. 

We are getting settled in to the house and waiting for school to start. Josh is getting ready to head to another scout camp.  But neither of the boys want summer to end.  I think they are nervous about starting at a new school.  I think they'll do fine...well that is if Seth can think before he speaks!

The other night I had a NIGHTMARE...

It was the craziest and scariest dream ever, I must say!!  It started on a Monday...Well, maybe even earlier than that cuz we were given the info that started this Monday dream earlier, I think.  Anywho we were told that our engine in our truck was going...Not a good thing.  The poor trucks lived a long life, almost 200 thousand miles, dealt with 3 kids and their friends, hubby's road trips and our family trips, for over 11 years, so I guess it was NO surprise...BUT UGH, RIGHT!!  So DJ's trying to figure something out and I'm thinking what kind of luck - cuz it was at the beginning of the year that we replaced the engine in our car!!  No one has 2 engines go our in one year!! Well we do!!  DJ gets a call from his dad who once took a mechanics class and made a suggestion, which brought DJ to tearing the engine apart on Monday.  In my dream he worked all day, Until he realized that he needed to lift and pull the engine.  One problem - No lifty pully thingy - so he makes calls and finds one but its being used! So its time to put everything back together.  Once done he realizes a disk has slipped and the truck is leaking some kind of liquid.  So now we are to Tuesday...apart comes the engine, fix the disk - oh and a worn out hose.  But now the truck smells when its driven.  And I'm told to only drive it around my neighborhood! 

But then my dream changes.  DJ asks me on Monday to remind him on Tuesday about having to go to court on Wednesday and to take his suit.  So I did! Well that was a BIG waste of time - his court got changed to Thursday at 2.   So he says to remind him to bring his suit Thursday. 

Now in my dream DJ's suppose to go hunting on Friday. Well one problem with my dream - we weren't sure how DJ was going to go hunting...truck engine dying - REMEMBER!! We came up with a plan, I decided that I don't need my car over the weekend, he can take it hunting.  See it has to be a dream - ME WITHOUT A CAR FOR 6 DAYS - THAT'S CRAZY!! But the saying dreams can come true comes into play - WELL, sort of...I have an Uncle James...proof right there that this was a nightmare, my uncle was in it (luv ya James), anywho he lent us his big pickup truck.  Problem solved!  DJ could go hunting and I can have a car!

Well Thursday came- 2:00p.m, DJ shows up for court and waits and waits and waits ( I don't know much about the court system so I imagined all the detail I got in this dream). Finally someone comes out and tells DJ that the county Attorney is finishing up her questions and the Defense will cross exam and then it will be DJ's turn.  So not much longer.  Now this is a murder trial so the Defense gets up and takes forever cross examining the witness.  Asking some ridicules questions.  Finally at 4 they call DJ...One problem- court ends @ 4:30.  DJ starts with some of the evidence and the judge stops him and asks him if he has to do the same thing with each piece of evidence, he says yes and the judge decides to adjourn court til Monday Morning at 10:15- DJ's first on the stand...REMEMBER DJ suppose to be hunting til Tuesday Morning! Not happening - NOT happy!

Now for a bit of comic relief in my nightmare.  So everyday that I'm dreaming about I have these two pesky woodpeckers who keep showing up at my house...30 to 40 times a day!! Trying to pick or believe it or not steal dog food!!  Woodpeckers don't eat dog food (or do they), they eat bugs and peek holes!  Every time I hear it do its call, I jump up either grab Josh's air soft gun throw open the door and try to shoot it (don't worry it wont kill it), or open the door screaming like a made woman trying to scare the dumb things away!!  UGH!! 

So back to the nightmare part to this stupid dream....

Thursday night, DJ gets home from work and starts to load up James' truck.  Everythings loaded and hes ready to go...except, he can't get the beast to start!!  UGH.  So he calls James...its like that car from Back to the Future...theres a trick to starting it and you would only know about it if it was your truck.  SO James shared the trick and slowly but surely DJ was off!

Every mornng at 5:30 a.m in this nightmare (5:30- I know its scary), my friend Teresa and I have been waking up and riding bikes 5 miles up one of the longest hills ever!!  You would have to be out of your mind to ride first that early and second these hills...(I just want to wake from this dream but I can't).  Friday morning I come home and it looks like we've shaved 10 minutes off our bike time from the rest of the week (heck maybe my nightmare is starting to change...wrong...its about to get worst!!)

As I start to get things ready for the boys to go to school, I look out and see Mia (our crazy dog) sitting, starring.  I look out on our patio and see Mickey, our 19 year old dog laying, you know he likes sleeping, only this time he wasn't!  I kept looking just to see if he was breathing and NO breath!

I wont go into much of this part of the nightmare except to say that in it DJ was gone, my dad was gonna be gone, so my mom and I wrapped, drove and buried.  Even in nightmares moms always come to the rescue.  I didn't tell the boys before they left to school cuz I didn't want to upset them!

I'm telling you this dream was all night long!! The next thing I remember is getting a call from DJ after I sent him a text about Mickey.  When he got to his camp site the night before he said it felt like the truck was running low on gas so he changed tanks but when he did that it acted even more strange so he flipped back to the other tank and got to his site.  Then in the morning he was planning to run into town and get gas but when he started the truck it went a few feet and died and wouldn't start again.  He killed the truck!  See these have to be nightmares cuz what kind of people can keep killing vehicles in the same week! 

As the dream progress on - I'm loading up the boys in the car, callin people about some cub scout activity I have the next day to make sure they can handle things and off we go to help DJ cuz remember hes got to be in court on Monday.  James told me a few things to tell DJ to help it start.  I also loaded up the gas cans just in case.  So here we go...We get on the B-line highway and a rabbit runs our in front of me and you guessed it...I killed him!! 

What a dream!!

We reach payson, not much more to go, maybe 30 minutes.  Its about 8:10p.m.  Now the last time I was up there driving to the site, it was light NOT dark, so needless to say I got lost!!  Really lost!  After about an hour I asked someone for directions.  Something I would never do if I was awake.  So I got to the right area, finally!  BUT not to the site.  That took another 2 hours.  I followed DJ directions, but in the dark, I still got lost and drove around forever.  Was just about to give up when I found it.  DJ was out on his mountain bike looking for me but we never saw each other.  It was about 11:15 when I finally got to the site.  What a nightmare.  We got things unloaded and went to sleep. 

It got pretty cold up there cuz did I mention, there was rain, lots of it and it started all night long.  But it stopped just in time for DJ to go out at 5 to hunt for his elk.  He was going to come back to camp at around 10 to work on the truck so when I got up I drove into town and got gas, plus a new pair of jeans for Josh...ready for this, I would normally check the kids stuff that they packed but for some reason I didn't this time...see dream...so Josh got his stuff all together, hes old enough, except for he hasn't worn  his jeans all summer...they didn't fit. He couldn't even button them.  So gas, jeans and PJ pants, cuz the boys brought shorts to sleep in up to the mountains.  I get back to camp and we wait for DJ. 

No DJ still, the boys are having fun shooting the air soft guns, pellet gun and bow and arrows.  But still no DJ.  Finally he comes walking into camp right before lunch...and I could tell he got his elk!  And a bit of good news it was only about a mile away!  Bad news...DJ had ordered a bike tailer for his bike to haul the elk back...it was shipped on the 31st of Aug...well we didn't get it yet.  So that meant DJ was going to haul it back on his back.  He had already carried most of it up from the valley it was in.  Well we decided to make it a family haul and we all went with him.  He took his big back pack but when we got there he realized  he wouldn't be able to fit part of it, so Josh and I came up with an idea.  We got a long piece of wood and tied the two extra pieces on to it and we would carry it on our shoulders.  It worked through the rough part but it was  hard cuz Josh and I are not the same height.  Josh was having a hard time and so was I so I decided to take it all and carry it on my shoulders.  Josh and Seth stood on both sides of me and stopped the elk from hitting my side and we carried it to a trail.  There DJ took the elk from my shoulders and hung it in the tree cuz we were to a point that he could ride back on his bike.  We finished hiking to the camp.  Hung the parts of the elk DJ had and back he went.  By this point my body is killing me.  I don't know how the women of old carried water jugs that way!!  But DJ got his elk.

So after awhile we went to work on the truck.  He put gas in it and did all kinds of stuff and still nothing.  Then he decided maybe the battery need to be charged to.  We charged that for over an hour on my little car.  Then back to trying to start the beast.  IT started.  DJ decided to drive it to town, put gas in it and kind of recharge the battery.  Things are looking up right! 

That night we are around the camp fire have smores (you can't camp without them) when it starts to rain...we have stuff all over the camp.  The boys run one way gathering stuff and putting it under tarps, I go the other and DJ another.  We got everything put up and into the tent we go.  I get the sleeping bags out when I realized the floor of the tent is damp.  I'm thinking water some how got in.  No biggy except during the night when, as its pouring cats and dogs outside, Seth says hes cold.  So we get up to make sure he's covered and you guess it, his sleeping bag is soaked.  The water is only on his side of the tent.  We have him come over and he gets in with DJ and starts to warm up. You would think in my dream I could keep my pour kids warm.  By 5 the rain stops and we get up at around 6.  Spent the morning packing things up, playing on some rope hanging from a tree, shooting the bows and pellet gun. 

Then at 11 we went for a hike.  We came across sooo many different types of mushrooms I've never seen before.  It was crazy.  Josh and Seth ran to old dead trees and pushed them over. I was actually enjoying this part of my dream, that is until we came to a dirt road and decided to cross.  We head a vehicle coming so DJ and Josh ran across the road while Seth and I waited.  As the truck drove by, Seth says that looks like our truck, I looked at the back and realized IT WAS OUR TRUCK...someone had figured out how to start the "Back to the Future" starter and was driving away with all our stuff we had packed earlier.  DJ takes off running down the road, getting ready to pull his gun and shoot out the tire if he had to when the truck pulls over and turns around...It was my uncle James.  Can you say HEART ATTACK!!!  My aunt and him and driven up the night before, just in case we didn't get the truck started again.  Yes we had a good laugh but oh my heck was our hearts pumping. 

We got back to camp and we were visiting and while James and DJ worked on the truck and the end the trip right, it starts to rain.  So we loaded everything up and headed back home.  The truck had terrible gas mileage so it took a lot of gas to get that beast home...and it didn't like the hills at all.  But we finally got home, unloaded, and then returned the truck to James at around 8:30.  Back home for a nice long shower. 

During that day DJ got a e-mail on his phone...remember the elk bike trailer we were waiting for...It arrived!! A little late ya think!!

We did it, we got DJ to court Monday with no problem!! 

THEN I WOKE UP...AND I REALIZED IT WASN'T A NIGHTMARE...ALL OF THIS REALLY HAPPENED...AND MORE!!

Yes, I'm complainng again...SO SORRY...

Have you ever said yes you'll do something cuz you've always been taught to say yes to certain things...but, you didn't either feel right about it or you are upset about being asked to do this certain thing or well...whatever!  Well that pretty much sums up how I feel about something I said yest to this week.  I know I'm a bit vaig on what it is and I'm sure some of you know what I'm talking about...BUT....Well, we will leave it at that for now.  I just hope things will change...preferably my mood and attitude...cuz right now its not very good (big shock for some of you who know me)!  I'll do what I said I would do and know one will be able to tell how upset I am while I'm doing it but heres looking for my attitude to change soon!  

Mia, Mia, Mia...

If you don't know...Mia is our puppy we got last summer.  She really is a cute thing and funny...BUT she's crazy (I really think her father was a cousin or her mother was an aunt or something).  I've blogged and FB about how crazy she is before...BUT not only is she crazy...she's nuts...and so far un trainable and we do try and work with her but to NO end.  WELL, I guess thats not completely true.  If she is on a leash she does ok walking with you, I guess...But other than that she doesn't listen at all.  You try and call her and she thinks your playing and runs around like shes a wild animal and you can't catch her.  She jumps on you any time you go outside and will scratch the tar out of you if your not careful.  If you let her in the house she NEVER stops running around...shes like the energizer bunny...she just keeps going and going and going.  Mickey, my good old dog of almost 19 years, walks around for a bit and then settles down and goes and lays on his bed in the laundry room...BUT not Mia, she thinks its play time and runs around for hours, NEVER SLOWING DOWN...really HOURS. The other day when she was in, she went into the Living room, which we've tried to teach the dogs if off limits, and got something off the book shelf and started caring it around the house...REALLY off the shelf. Then when I tried to get it from her she thought we were playing!  AND today she started jumping on my furniture.  WHATS UP WITH THAT!!!  Oh and the ender of all enders...which got her sent outside...SHE PEED ON MY FLOOR!!!  She never let me know she needed out!!! Plus she still does her excitement pee...if you look at her there she blows!!   
She's driving me CRAZY and yes we all know I didn't have far to go!  I don't know whose going to survive her puppy years...me or her!! 

Just a short note...

Well I call it a short note and we'll see if it is by the time I'm done typing, cuz with me you never know.  Sometimes I can be a little long winded....

Some of you may notice and some of you may not...BUT the name of by blog..."Stranded in BUCKEYE" has changed...to "Stranded in BUCKEYE...NO MORE". 

This does come with some bittersweet feelings we are sadden to leave some of our friends that we have made in Buckeye.  BUT we are still in the Buckeye Stake for church.  AND we haven't moved THAT far away... We've moved to the Estrella Hills in Goodyear. 

There were many reasons for our move and I'm not going to go into all the boring details for all of you cuz I would really hate for you to fall asleep while reading my blog and never come back to read more.  BUT the Lord still has plans for us in the Buckeye stake...hence the reason I'm still keeping the stranded in Buckeye name...plus, I kind of like it!!!  It was the start of my blogging.  It has sentimental meaning to me. 

But now here we are in the Estrella hills, for really who knows how long...I guess, until we feel the need to move again...and with us that could be in a few years, or in 10 years, you never know, I'll just put this out there...DJ could retire in 2 years, so who knows what we'll do...maybe move to Gilbert, to be by Jerrae, or Tempe to be by Cayla, or Utah to be in cooler weather that DJ dreams of everyday, or up to WA to by my brother, who knows...its a big world out there! BUT for now we are HERE!!

Sprinklers and A Game of Froger...

Yep, thats what it was...a day of "Sprinklers and a game of Froger".


Yesterday marked the first game for Joshua and the Jasinski Jaguars Baseball team and even though they got SQUASHED LIKE A FROG, they did really good.  It wasn't entirely there fault...the game had some...how shall I put it...mishaps to it.


It started out to be a descent game.  All the families sitting there watching our boys...cheering our boys...yelling at Seth and the other kids to settle down and to stay out of the way cuz they were crazy, rolling down the hill and running around...when...BAM...on came the sprinklers!  Are you kidding! And of course everyone went crazy!  


Well lucky for us they didn't come on in the field were the game was, but they did come on were we were sitting!  The game was able to continue on!  BUT the sprinklers did reach were our boys were sitting in the dug-out! UGH! They boys on our team had no where to sit!  SO the families picked up our chairs and moved over a bit...NO BIGGY, right...WRONG! 


About 10 minutes later another set came on...before the first set turned off, NO WARNING...are you kidding me...so we moved a little bit more.  THEN, another 10 minutes...ones behind us turned on...this time hitting us in the head and in the faces...WE ran and pressed ourselves against the fence until we could make our move and then RAN to a dry spot. If we could have taken pictures of each other...One of us was using a chair to try and block the sprinklers from hitting them in the face...that one was funny cuz they couldn't figure out why they kept getting hit until they realized it was going through the mesh part of the chair...a few of us were trying to press ourselves further into the fence...while the people on the other side of the fence, who were safe from the water, were dying of laughter.  Then we made the move to safety!


THEN the phone calls were made...because you know what happen NEXT...yes you guess it...sprinklers came on in the field and stopped the game!  We called the maintenance guy for the school, we called the receptionist, we called anyone we had numbers for...IT PAYS TO KNOW PEOPLE IN HIGH PLACES AT THE SCHOOL!  


I can tell you the coach for our team was NOT happy....


Then I look back over at the fence...UGH...my youngest child...I truly do love his pointed head...he left his chair against the fence...I needed to go and get it cuz we needed to leave soon...so it was time for a game of LEAP FROG...could I make it across without getting wet...My friend did not think so...but I thought I could...so it began...I ran to the fence and waited for the first sprinkler to go, then I ran...stop...go...wait...duck...go...jump...press against the fence...really against the fence...RUN...grab the chair...NOW BACK...NOT ONCE GETTING WET....


I'M GOOD....


WELL, after 25 minutes of NO PLAYING...the district maintenance guy shows up...he finally gets the sprinklers turned off.  Well by this time, I have to leave.  I get up to him and he gives me this run around that they aren't even suppose to be on this field playing...funny thing how both schools ended up on this same field and how he was glad it didn't stop their playing for too long...ummmm heeeellllloooo...it was 25 minutes and there really isn't much light left...you goof! 


BUT all in all, it did make for a funny story with
"SPRINKLERS And a GAME OF FROGER"

Football and Baseball...

If I didn't think life was crazy before...WELL...it just got CRAZY NOW!! 

FOOTBALL and BASEBALL season just started...ugh.  Don't get me wrong, I like both, A LOT, but not when your son...yes, that was son, not son's, decided he wanted to play BOTH.  And which sweet son was this that wanted to see how crazy he could drive his mother, well, that would be Joshua.  And here I thought he was my reasonable, thoughtful, loving, smart and considerate son.  Boy was I wrong! 

So, here is whats happening.  Josh wanted to play football, so we signed him up with a football group called Elite. They practice during the week and then have games on the weekend...no biggy, except we didn't know when his practices were, YET.

Then right before spring break, he decided to try out for the school baseball team, and try-outs were right before break and he made it!  Those practices go til 5:30 with games on Tue/Thur.  But we still didn't know when football would be.  Ugh. 

Lucky for us, the Football couch was willing to work with us and made practices start at 5:45, so we pick up Josh and his friend Austin and off we rush to Indian School rd and Falcon Field for Football practice...but wait, lets not forget that on Wednesdays, Seth has his piano at 4:30 to 5:00...I'm just glad Seth's finished with Soccer...cuz then I'd really go nuts.

Lets see if we can keep football and baseball up for 2 months.  I guess its good he's young, but I don't know about me.  Plus we have Scouts on Tuesdays and whatever else I decide to add with Seths life. 

I LOVE sports season!! And I love those CRAZY BOYS OF MINE!!

I stole Joshua's THUNDER...

So, we are on Day 2 of 3...

...of what...

...Well it's called a "MUA" and basically, to put it in my language and where its easy to understand...Some Doctors knock you out and stretch you like a rubber band...

...and well, thats whats being done to Josh right now!

Yep, he's being stretched like a rubber band!

You see, Josh's tendons are WAY to tight and it prevents him from bending like a normal person or from running like a normal kid.  They pull and tug and cause him a lot of pain...But we all know, Josh isn't normal so I guess its ok!

He seems to be doing ok with it.  Each morning we go and they knock him out and then the do whatever it is that needs to be done...One problem on the first day when they tried to put the IV in they had a hard time so he got stabbed 3 times.  Once in each hand and then finally in his arm.  Poor kid, maybe next time he'll listen to me when I tell him to drink more!  So because they had such a hard time with the IV they are keeping his IV in his arm...it really bugs him so after tomorrow he'll get it taken out, which should make him a happy camper.

BUT...

You all know me...I can't let it all be about Josh...I mean REALLY!!

So Friday...Day 1...

I got up at 5:30 to get ready when...oh wait let me back up a day...Thursday I was sick all day running a low grade fever and having a really bad head cold, I even took Drugs before going to bed and I HATE taking meds...so now back to Friday...

So I'm getting up to get ready when I started to feel light headed...yep those of you who know me, well you guessed it...I passed out-

WAIT, not just once but TWICE!!  See I had a head cold and I just wasn't doing well. 

DJ was suppose to go to drill that morning, but plans where changed and he ended up taking Josh for his first treatment...He was afraid I would pass out while driving him.  So he took him while I tried to get back to normal...well what I would call normal!

After Josh was done, DJ headed out of town for guard.  He really didn't want to leave us but he had too! 

So I couldn't just let it be all about Josh.  I need to be the one who is front and center as always!  UGH!

The Holidays came and went...

Well December came and went and lots happened during it. 

The month started with decorating the Christmas tree.  With all the craziness going on in our lives I really didn't think it was going to happen but low and behold it did...but don't tell anyone...January is almost over and it's still up!!

This year Joshua joined the Jasinski basketball team!! 

If I do say so myself, he was a pretty good player!!

Next came our trip to Disneyland with the DeGraffs.  This was our 2nd year going with them and celebrating Seth and Ryans(the DeGraffs dad) Birthdays...Seth turning 9 and Ryan...well who knows...we just know that he acts like hes Seths age.

It rained on us the whole time we were there.  We LOVED it and had so much fun in the rain!! There were a few days we had to go back to our hotel and change our clothes and shoes and then back we went to Disneyland!  It was funny cuz there were places at Disneyland that there was NOBODY at...it got kind of SPOOKY!! 

If only all the gold was real!

DJ and Ryan at the Haunted Mansion in the rain!

Syd'a, Seth and Brenna sporting the latest in rain gear!

Josh and Seth showing off their rain looks!

Seth and Syd'a were always together under the umbrella!

Hansens and DeGraffs in front of the castle at night

We are all wet!

The kids looking good!

After Disneyland came Christmas Eve and the opening of the Christmas PJ's!

Christmas Morning

Passing out the gifts

Christmas wouldn't be Christmas if Cayla and Craig weren't there

DJ had to work Christmas morning so he headed out around 11 :(

Santa gave us a trip to his WORKSHOP for Christmas.  So the day after Christmas we headed up to Greer, AZ were Santa has a portal to his workshop. 

On our way to Santa's shop

Santa's work bench

DJ helping Santa make toys

The boys helping make toys

Seeing Santa at the North Pole

Having a snow fight

Seth and Mrs. Claus

In our Cabin

This was our own personal cabin

This lake was frozen!  The boys were trying to break it but couldn't.

Its TAX time again...

I don't know about all of you but I really hate TAX SEASON...I don't know why but I do!!  The funny thing is I have a GREAT tax guy!!!  He has been doing taxes for years...I know this is going to sound funny, but for anyone that knows him, knows he is GREAT...but my TAX GUY is my dad. 

My dad is expanding is business and is looking for new clients.  He has been doing Taxes for over 20 years...so if your tired of the stress that Tax season brings...or you want to try and maybe save a little money...or you just don't have the time...Give Ron Waldron a call...602-750-1943.