Help there is a teenager in my house!

The birthday boy finally scores a Nintendo DS lite, thanks to his Mom, Dad, Grandparents, Aunt Courtney, and Uncle Matt!! Now he is cool like his little cousins, although they all have Wii's as he like to remind us.

Adalynn enjoying Jackson's teen years.

Got them all blown out in one breath-- no small feat when you are this old.

Field trip to the new Royal Turf field where his glory days will be coming soon with JR. HIGH SPORTS!!

Jackson is still a lover of all sports, esp. football, basketball, and baseball. He can push Sammi's buttons better than anyone in the world. He is an A student and his teachers say he is fun yet respectful. He notices the kids at school who need friends and he is unfailing kind to them. The other day Zoe got bummed again at the post office, she really wants there to be a letter for HER. So without a hint from anyone, I'm used to Zoe's complaints and barely notice them anymore, Jackson wrote her a letter and put it in an envelope to be planted in the mailbox. It was so exciting for Zoe. It said how awesome and cool she was and it was signed by her secret admirer! That is a perfect example of his sweet thoughtfulness. Happy Birthday Jackson, the teenage years have officially begun.

Relay For Life

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. I hope so because this post will mainly be pictures. I tried a trick of loading all the pictures first but I loaded them backwards so pretend the pictures at the end with Jax in his survivor clothes are at the beginning--Thanks for pretending! Friday night to Saturday was the Relay for Life Cancer walk. Courtney organized a team with Jackson as our "Survivor" I was looking forward to the Relay this year because last year Jackson and I had to talk at the opening ceremonies and that was very hard for me, and him too I think. So this year I thought I would just sit back and enjoy. I started getting that "yikes" feeling about 2 days before the Relay. I don't know what it is. I feel so many emotions at this event and I cry and cry when I first get there. I feel guilty that Jax ever was sick to begin with--like maybe a good mother could have prevented it (don't tell me it's irrational, I'm rational enough to KNOW it's irrational!)I feel guilty and soooo blessed that I get to have my child as a survivor and other mothers don't have their children anymore. I remember so many times where I watched Jackson be "tortured" times that caused him so much physical pain that I cry and cry just remembering those days. I remember he would start crying when we would turn on the street where the hospital was. Every time I would park the car in the lot he would start saying " No Mommy, please I don't want to, it hurts please Mommy don't make me". It killed me to pry him out of the car and carry him crying into the building to get his port accessed. Then we would always go to Arby's to wait for his lab results which we would have to have before he could have his Chemo administered. I hated those days and it all comes back to "haunt" me at Relay time. I know that I should just feel so grateful for the fact that he got that help and that he is in his eighth year of remission and TRUST me I am. I guess it is o.k. to be really sad for this cause this year the Othello Relay had a goal of raising $60,000 dollars and $102,000 was raised!! So from the bottom of my heart thank you to all of you who donated and who came and walked. And to all of you who have supported us and helped us with our boy all these years---you will never know (I hope) how much the prayers, love, and support saved us.

About five minutes into the car ride home I looked back and the girlies were "Gone"!

I didn't have to look to know Jax was out,he was snoring to beat the band! Mind you he didn't even stay all night!

Carter and Zoe danced the pants off the carebears. Better them than me I always say!

Two pretty amazing men. Cute too!

Our fearless leader. Courtney and Matt did so much work to pull this off. Matt even turned himself into a human cotton candy man. They sold alot of cotton candy and it is NOT fun to make. They were so unselfish to take this all on. Thank you -- our lately formed team pulled off an impressive $850.00 (I think?!) not bad for a first year team!

Jackson getting his "survivor" medal. Last year his survivor medal hung on a decorative shelf in my dining room for a few months. One day I was cleaning (literally it was 1 day last year that I cleaned!!) and I moved the medal to his room on his shelf. That same night it was back in my dining room hanging up! So that is where it will stay along with this new one. Jax never says much about all this cancer "stuff" so I have to take those non-verbal clues he sometimes gives me.

The MAN on his survivor lap--very emotional, for me at least.

Zoe, Avery, and Carter at the opening ceremony, we are all looking pretty awake and not too grumpy at this point.

Debra, Jackson, and Dana three awesome Royal City survivors.

Jackson had the inspired idea to take his last year survivor shirt, cut it up and make himself a survivor headband. I think it looks awesome. He is the youngest survivor at this event by about 25 years or so. He stuck really close to Michael and I this year, we aren't really sure why. I asked him if he liked and it said he really, really does yet he wouldn't spend the night or leave my side? Any armchair psychologists out there?? He is a good boy, and I am so glad my son is a survivor of this hideous disease.

Park City Palooza, or Crazy People On The Loose

What does trebuchet font look like---this apparently--wow I did some computer thingy on my own. Anyways, I don't feel well but I can't sleep at night knowing that my devoted readers are missing crucial information about me and mine. Plus a certain sister has claimed the bragging rights of 1st to blog about the reunion and I am so ashamed, sigh. Well folks here we go...., we left Saturday the 5th of July and drove to Boise to annoy our good friends the Anderson's (I know weird in a cool way huh!!).

Then we drove to Salt Lake City and promptly got in a huge traffic jam which made us late to my Cousin Greg's house. But no worries we were just bringing the APPETIZERS! When we finally got there it was great. Greg was the host with most and Brooke was too kind to let Noftle's, Wades, and Bergholms invade when she was only contractually obligated to allow the Cammacks' in! 10 adults,16.5 children, and a cool mattress in the basement which doubles as the best slide Zoe has EVER ridden down! We threw a few family skeletons around and watched Brett drool over Brookes cool artichoke decorations. You can always dream Brett! And although it is against my religion to post pictures of myself I had to post the one of the original "Chaos Causing Cousin Crew". Holly, Becky, Shannon,Heather, and Greg, minus about 17 of our other cousins!

Then it was on to Highland, Utah for some Noftle family fun. We went with Michael's family boating,(Carter, Zoe, and Jax all fell asleep on one of their tube rides!) on a ride in Grandpa Fred's new "Ranger" toy, and stayed at Billy and Mandy's fabulous new home that Zoe wants our house to "turn into". She actually has said that a few times, "I hope when I wake up our house is turned into little Billy's house"! Keep hoping Zoe, that would thrill me too! I got to go Sister-in-law wedding shirts shopping, I knew that secretly all these years Sarah has wanted to dress like me and that this is her plan come to fruition! Just you wait Marcie, when the wedding reception comes Sarah and I will have worked out a fabulous synchronized dance routine to do justice to our matchy shirt outfits!!! The girls and I also got to attend Marcie's bridal shower which was a treat for us out-of-towners. I've decided I need another bridal shower, my stuff is looking 15 years old.

Then it was time for Michael to start his Irrigation Association Certification Board Meetings or the Holy crap that is one long Name for such a boring organization meetings. We checked into the "Hotel Park City" and I never wanted to leave. Michael had to pry me out the room on the last day. The whole place was gorgeous and our room, not to brag or anything, had 3 fireplaces, and our own hot tub! Heaven. The kids and I swam and swam and then swam. The pool was sooo warm that even Jax could stay in for hours at a time. Saturday Michaels' meetings ended, and the Andersen family reunion officially began!! A wuhooo! Talk about your kids, they were everywhere, in my car, my hotel, my pool, my vacation, my hair, my lap, my food EVERYWHERE. I had to keep up an internal dialogue a lot!! Here is a sample of my "inner conversations" Becky remember how much fun you had as a kid with your cousins, Becky remember you are doing this to help them know their Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, and make them feel closer to all of them. Becky you don't need sleep, your a mother for hecks sake suck it up man, and take one for the team, do it for the Gipper, or for flipper, or maybe Free Willy, yeah whales hate it when people sleep do it for the whales. See my logic got a little off after several nights of Farley family fun. We spent a couple of days at Olympic Park, watching the skiiers jump and do their "stuff" and land in the practice pools at the end of the jump ramps. The kids and most all other adults who aren't deathly afraid of heights ( Me & Holly) rode ski lifts to do the Ziplines(Holly did do that but it was just to make me look bad so I don't really count it) and Quicksilver slide. Carter could have gone up and down all day, however to afford that we would have had to sell him, so kind of a catch 22 there! I wish I had a close up of the kids shirts. Mom got them shirts that say "Team Andersen" on the front and then on the back it says "Chaos Causing Cousin Crew" and lists all the grandkids names. This confused Braxton a little, every shirt he saw had HIS name on it and therefore should be his! How can you fault logic like that? Makes perfect sense to me. We had fun, we laughed, cried (mainly the adults from lack of sleep) we shared, (germs mostly), all in all a great time was had. I am looking forward to November, Courtney is promising laminated posters with color coded schedules to keep us all in line. (I promise to post pictures of her rocking in the corner mumbling nonsense words when we get out of line like you know we will!) She complains about being the only sister-in-law but I mean really, Dad likes her best so what is she whining about?!