First Day of School 2011

2011 Noftle Family Theme -- "Rise Up"  I wanted something to do with making the most of each moment, class, opportunity and Michael said my idea coincided with the BYU football team's mantra for this year--it's catchy and it makes us feel collegiate!

Mr. First Grade himself---Carter aka Cougar

My (sob, sob) first daughter (sob, sob) is starting High School (sob, sob) Ninth grade watch out.

Zoe, heading to third grade with no worries 'cuz Justin Bieber has her back.

 Sierra--my fashionista, is sporting a fetching school uniform for the first day of fifth grade.  Please note the OWL lunch box she HAD to have.

My tenth grade is so awesome, excuse me, so McAwesome.

The Fearsome Five.

Another fearsome group of five, except we substituted a Sammi for a Grandma Louise.  Sammi and Bailey had to make their stop at Grandma's desk without us---it's almost as though Sammi thinks Bailey is cooler than her McAwesome family--nah can't be that.  I was happy to hear Tiffany took a picture of the cool freshman walking into the high school despite their protests!

 Traditional picture of grade school Noftle's in front of the Red Rock Sign.  Next year only TWO grade school Noftle's -- it's like they are trying to grow up or something, I've got to check into this phenomenon.

 Mr. Buster and Carter---I will have to dig up the picture of Jackson and Mr. Buster on Jackson's first day, of course that picture was taken before I had a digital camera so it'll take me a bit more effort!  Trust me Mr. Buster doesn't look a day older than when he was Jackson's first grade teacher.

However; I did have a digital camera when Zoe started first grade with Mr. Buster!!  See what I mean, the man never ages.

Mrs. Ziegler and Zoe (and Dayne--hi Dayne!)

                                    

What's this---blast from the past, Sierra and Mrs. Ziegler first day of school 2009.  Like mentioned before deeper digging will have to ensue to find Mrs. Ziegler and Sammi's first day of third grade!  Maybe I should start teaching at Red Rock too, it's keeping Mike and Sheila from aging....

I was walking back to my car when I found this red hot cutie pie--we call her Crazy Mae at our house.

Let's take a walk down Memory lane shall we.... 2009

2006---Red Rock must be doing something right, Mike and Sheila not aging and Grandma Louise looks younger and thinner in 2011 compared with 2006.  These people should have to pay to work there.

2007 school year, Sierra looks uncertain!

Jackson is 16 (actually he turned 16 on July 27th but I've already lost mother of the year this year so just add this to the reasons why!)

While he was living it up on BYU campus my oldest baby turned 16.  I know, I know, driving (gasp), dating (gasp, gasp), but don't fret--he turned 16 so I did the only thing a mother can do, I broke his arm.  Now no worries about driving licenses, they won't let him test with a cast on, and as for dating I told him it's far to dangerous in a cast, he might go to put his arm around the girl and accidentally knock her unconscious which would not look good on his dating resume.  So there -- I gotcha boy!!  He actually hurt his arm in weights class before school got out and one of his parents (I'm not naming names or pointing fingers, but I'll give you a little hint it twasn't moi) took him to the Doctor and the saw the swollen elbow, did the x-ray and didn't see anything; however, they did tell Jackson and his parental guardian that he should come back in 2 weeks if the elbow still hurt.  Fast forward 2 months, during which he fell out of the gator at the bike-a-thon, and rolled his four wheeler, and I am picking him up from football practice and I ask him if his the elbow he hurt in June ever bothers him when he is lifting weights for football, he gave me a look that clearly said, "silly little mother, you are so clueless and I am so 16", and he verbally informed me that he can't lift weights with that arm, that it still hurts and that he still can't straighten it.  I took him back to the Doctor the next day and the new diagnosis is a broken elbow---so cast.  In true Jackson luck style the day he got his cast on I stopped at his friends house that we didn't have a mailing address for and had Jax run a thank you card to their door, he would have made it to the door if the giant black dog hadn't bit him.  Luckily the friend came out before the bite became two bites and Jax made his escape.  Then two days ago the Jackson luck continued and he fell down our front steps giving himself a lovely goose egg on his forehead between his eyes, with a cute little cut in the middle of the goose egg.  He is a walking testimony about 16 not being as cool as teenagers want to believe!
We had done cake at Aunt Holly's house before EFY.  Then he turned 16 at EFY and I sent cupcakes and he had the entire group of hundreds of kids to celebrate his birth.  BUT his mother couldn't sleep unless he had a sweet sixteen party at home.  Unfortunately his mother is also a big procrastinator and after she got home, got unpacked, had another weekend of company and got organized the party day happened during Grant County fair week which many a Royal City Teen has a cow, pig or lamb at!!  Jackson wanted to go paint balling so that further limited his invite list to the number of paint guns I could beg, borrow, or steal.  But I think he had fun, and he didn't have additional injuries (just minor bruising) so it was a success. 
Normally this would be the part of the post where I would write a little about my birthday child.  But I can't, because I will cry.  So I can't write that every birthday he celebrates reminds me of how lucky I am to have him HERE on earth to celebrate them.  How Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis, though often not fatal, IS fatal for some.  That Neurodegenerative Central Nervous System Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis is a cat of a whole different color and I can't help but wonder what he will look like, sound like, move like on his next birthday.  How I KNOW he hates going to the Oncologists and getting MRI's, and BAER tests, and lab draws, and Endocrine appointments but he stays cheerful and tells me how bad he feels for the other kids he sees there. I wonder how his life would be if there would have been no cancer, no chemo, no brain lesions.  Would he be as athletically talented as he was as a young boy?  Would he be tall like his Dad if cancer had left his pituitary gland alone?  Would he be as kind, and loving, and patient, and empathetic, if he hadn't gone through all this?  So I better not write about my birthday boy, my hero, my limited vocabulary wouldn't let me put what I feel about him into words anyways.

 Before you say anything Brenda, I think I may better getting a better camera soon!  This poor quality picture is illustrating (barely) that Jackson preferred to be hunkered down during the "wars".

 We have not had our usually hot weather this summer, but don't worry the day we make kids put on layers of long sleeves, and  long pants we hit the high 90's.  Luckily Gatorade saved them from dehydration, many a war has been lost due to dehydration according to no survey.

The gang (they actually look like a gang)  BrittneyJo Hebdon, Selia Jenks, Becca Lee, Tanner Christensen ( who informed me is the only person besides Jackson to make the invite list to all 3 of Jackson's parties this year!!) Jackson, Kai Jenks, Jacob Lee, and Carter Allred.

The Noftle version of a volcano birthday cake, birthday boy sold separately.

Just a suggestion, don't use GIANT sparklers, they sparkle a loooong time.

                                      Masks up---they must not be in a real gang, any reputable gang member knows not to get their face caught on camera with the gun still in their hands.

July, july, july why must you fly by??

It's a new day, (actually it's 8:30 pm on a not nearly productive enough day) and I am turning over a new leaf.  There will be blog posts at LEAST twice a week for the month of August---you hear that blog owner, TWICE A WEEK.  But let's just roll the end of June and all of July into this post to get us all caught up in the saga that is my life.Actually it's not so much a saga, but it sounds more DRAMATIC (and less "laundryey")that way.  I tried for a while to get these photos in chronological order, for optimum clarity, but it was hard and I dramatically gave up.  As I have said before, you get what you get and you don't throw a fit.

The last week in June we took Jax to the hospital in Seattle, we brought along some other cutie pies and treated them to the glass museum in Tacoma for being so dang cute. 

Glass horse made right before our eyes.

The Chuey, or chewy, chawhooly, or caboosy glass bridge--someone famous made all these and his name starts with a ch--or at least a c.....

Since Jackson couldn't fall asleep 3 months ago during his Brain stem Auditory Evoked Response test the Docs. prescribed Atavan to make sure he could this BAER test.  The atavan worked.  I was to give it to him an hour before the test, it's a good thing I've been working out (stop laughing Michael) I practically had to carry the poor kid back to the exam room.  His words, "Atavan's da bomb".

The Eagle project is completed--not the merit badges or the paper work--but hey--the sign looks awesome.  Thanks El Dorado stone, Farrah, SHOC committee, Royal II Ward scouts, and City council.

The fourth of July and Allred's pond keeps getting bigger and better every year.

Dad the pyro technical dude with his minions Matt and Brian.  The Brian minion might have an L& I claim with the burn he sustained on top of his noggin--ouchy.

Some cool cats I saw on the fourth.

The Royal fun run (two words that just don't go together---fun and run) proceeds benefited Histio Heroes this year. 

 The kids fun run--can you spot, Jackson, Kylie, Sammi, Sydney, Wesley, Sierra, Tyson, Preston, Braxton, Carson, Zoe, Avery, Carter, Dexter, and Adalynn?  Yeah I didn't think so.... but they were there I promise.

Zoe at community days in the park.

Grandma Louise, Brenda and Kylie at the wind farm--these crazy people will farm anything.

Back at the fun run Michael completing his first 5 K and doing it in dang good time.  I can't exactly remember his time but I remember it was dang good!

Somewhere in Vantage there were these weird kids, just had to take a picture of them.

On the "Dam" tour, we could watch those fish swim by for hours, I just wanted a comfy chair and I would have been perfectly happy.  Let's make that happen next time Uncle Rick!

Our fearless guide, Uncle Rick.

Abigail and Adalynn had trouble with their hard hats, apparently they don't make them in preschool size---strange.

                                           All right, who wants to see a deep hole?  Anyone?

I'm a sucker for old people, holding young people by the hand, whilst they all wear protective head gear--but who isn't?

Adalynn and Kylie showing that dressing like bumblebees is still in.

Andersen's can't get enough of watching fish swim by--we are easily entertained.

Mathew, Gina and Jordan in Cafe Rio.  (Oh and my purse a lovely hand me down from Sammi) 

Dallas, Marcie and Jonnie at Cafe Rio.  Did everyone hear that Carter has discovered Apple Beer?

Tour of BYU with the all the kids but Jackson--he was at BYU though, attending EFY.

                   We got a sneak peak at the new Basketball floor in the Marriott center.  AKA Jimmers house.

 Sammi giving us the thumbs up---for Elephants, she has loved them since I can remember....Sierra too--whatever floats your boat.

Now jump back in time to the last little league game and watch Sierra watch the ball go by.

And watch Zoe play catcher.

Dreaming of playing on that court someday---Cougar playing for the Cougars, works for me.  Carter actually told our tour guide that his middle name was Cougar---this kid just won't own up to the fact that Michael is his middle name!

Four very cute girls getting ready for a Stake Dance.

Cougars can play Catcher too.

And Cougars can swim in Allred's pond-Cougars are pretty talented.

Did I mention the girls got new rings?

Cougar had to pose for me--his sisters were to afraid to get that close to the stuffed animals.

Ice-cream and tire swings two good reasons to spend your fourth of July at Allred's pond.

Plus if your lucky Shaina will use your head for a walking stick.

Everybody loves a parade, especially Will because Grandpa bought suckers.

One might ask;  Becky why are your daughter making those strange faces?  One would not get an answer;  because Becky just doesn't know.

BYU creamery---life is good.

                                Brushing the sand of dinosaurs bones---the worlds cutest archaeologist.

Somedays your children all get swallowed by a giant prehistoric shark--somedays that's o.k.

Padding his resume.

The world's tames water tube ride---not Zoe's choice, Sierra is a scaredy cat!

                                  Bored boys on a boat---Scaredy cat Sierra makes for a slow ride.

The worlds' most patient nail tech--Brooke.

Sammi touched the cousin that touched Jimmer---thanks Taylor for putting up with the touching!

Tanner and Jackson hugging their EFY group goodbye.

   What should you learn from this picture.....How about when your Mom tells you to wear a helmet when you ride a four wheeler ---- do it.  We are hoping Jackson gets the message--he should 1. remember to count his blessings 2.  remember he is not invincible  3.  remember to listen to his mother.

Theatre room at Greg and Brooke's  Kylie apparently gives this room two thumbs up---high praise.

Having your 16th birthday at EFY isn't bad at all....it's pretty good in fact.

JACKSON IS SIXTEEN!  How, when, where, why is the world spinning so fast??

I have beautiful nails now---watch out boys.....

I have beautiful nails but I am scared of fish in tanks---go figure.

Did I mention you should listen to your mother?