Easter Palooza 2008

This blog will mainly be photos. And since nobody (I blame Brenda) will help me learn how to write a caption next to a photo, or load songs on an IPOD (blame Courtney for that one) you will have to deal with this eclectic collage. To explain the photos I will say this, some are of all my kids Easter morning, some of the sisters, Samantha (11 years), Sierra (7 years), and Zoe (5 years). Some pictures are of the "boys" Jackson (12 years) and Carter (3 years). Some pictures are of Courtney and Matt's easter party which took place the day before Easter. Massive egg hunt with a section for little kids and one for big kids. The big kids had a golden egg they were all dying to find because it had a 5 dollar bill in it. Finally after every kid was losing it Matt started giving clues, and more clues, and more clues.....till we finally discovered that Carter had snuck onto big kid turf and found the golden egg 30 minutes earlier!! There was a raw egg toss that even the Dad's got involved in. To cap off our day before Easter day (sometimes known as Saturday) Zoe decided to break her nose on our coffee table. She also sustained a softball size bruise on her thigh to compliment the bruised nose. I have included a picture of her nose fresh off the injury, and a week later so you can see the progress. On Easter we had dinner at Mom and Dad's and my Grandma Andersen was there hence the picture with her. Also Mom had a edible Easter bunny driving a zinger crafty thing that the kids loved to make and devour. Sunday night Mom and Dad left to take Grandma A. home, Matt and Court went there own way, and we went home to get our kids bathed and in bed for the night. Carter jumped out of the tub and I told him to get back in so I could wash his hair, he spun around slipped on the floor and split open his chin on the side of the tub. I did not include pictures of that---let CPS (child protective services) do a little work I can't just do everything for them!!

Catch Up Time

I have let blogland slip to the bottom of the list again. Who cares you might say, o.k. Michael might say, but since this is now my only form of Journal writing--I do care!! We had some fun families, and some not so fun (J/K) over for a St. Patrick's Day party. Everyone brought a green main dish and side, there was a treasure hunt for the 16 kids and to make it a truly memorable evening we watched Josh Scroggins Mr. Senior tape of his "river dance". If you haven't seen this "river dance" you haven't really lived. Not to brag or anything, but it was a pretty fun party!! If you don't understand the "not to brag" part you will have to refer to Courtney's blog many moons ago. Today was our primary "Children Around the World" quarterly activity. It went off really well thanks to lots of hard work by lots of cool people, but needless to say I am glad today is nearly over. It's exhausting taking about 40 children to six different countries and back home in time for dinner, phew. Spring break is next week and on Monday the Mother of the year ( that's me in case you didn't know) is leaving the kiddos home and heading to IKEA with my Mommy, C-baby (aka Courtney) and Heather. I've got till Monday to give good ol' Mom and Heather some cool nicknames for my gang. In case you didn't know you can call me R-unit if the mood strikes you. I've got a dirty house and MOUNTAINS of laundry waiting for me in the morning but I am surprisingly o.k. with it all. I've been reading blogs of some dear friends who are facing health crises in their lives right now. It sometimes takes me back to our own Cancer chapter with Jackson and literally gives me nightmares. But only sometimes, at all times though it makes be soooooo grateful for our health and happiness right now, at this moment, because I've learned as most of you have that all that can go away at any time. It doesn't mean you can't be happy when you have those trials, but to me it does mean you'd better be happy when your not having those trials.

Fallen Fighter

It looks like Carter has met with some horrible accident doesn't it?! Actually he just fell asleep (atweep in Carter's language) on the job. He is always carrying multiple weapons around to protect us all from the proverbial "bad duys" as he would say. He wants Michael to figure out some addition to his four wheeler so he can drive and still carry guns, swords, light sabers (at least 3 at a time) and pirate hooks, along with the standar nerf guns. I'm not sure Michael is equal to the task.

Are You Ready To RUMBLE?!!

I hope so. I don't know what Sunday after church looks like at any of your homes, but for us we get front row seats to some seriously entertaining fights. The only problem is the ring is made of toilet paper and some "fighters" tend to run through the ring in their enthusiasm for the sport, ahhh well, life ain't perfect.

Also, hang on exciting news coming up, this year Jackson has decided to come out of wrestling retirement where he (and his parents) has happily been since Kindergarten. Needless to say the boys he wrestles did not take five years off, so this is a "building" year for Jax. The last Saturday in Feb. was the Royal Little Guy Wrestling Tournament. 532 wrestlers ages 5-14 and their parents, and siblings, and coaches, and grandparents and etc..... All in Royal High School's gym. As parents of a Royal Wrestler Michael and I were oh so pleased to be able to help. It all started at 6:45 am. with weigh ins and selling food and such. Nothing like the smell of hundreds of sweaty little boys to make you wonder what happened in our premortal life to deserve such a fate. I am sure it was Michaels' fault not mine!! Actually knowing me I probably said something about Just loving all children and heaven thought this might test my resolve. In honor of this occassion I will post a little blip of Jackson not winning a match (He did beat one kid that day---of course I didn't tape that match) and of the chaos and mass humanity we dealt with that day. NOTE the marker on Jackson's hands--one hand has 12 for his age and the other hand has 78 for his weight--remind you of anything, like branding cattle for instance!!