Reunion- per Shayla's request!

Okay- we will have a get-together Friday night at the Byron park at 7:00. If you don't have a babysitter, bring the kids, otherwise... this will be the time to let the grandparents have some quality time!:) Saturday we need to meet at the parade staging area in Cowley at 9:30. The parade starts at 10. T-shirts will be handed out Friday if you come to the park. If not you may pick them up right before the parade... but only after dues are paid- which are $20. Saturday after the parade, we will have the family BBQ at the Byron park. It's still somewhat up in the air, but we're hoping to have waterslides for the kids... so bring suits and sunscreen. We'll have some basketballs and hopefully the volleyball net set up. Probably going to try our hand at some water balloon volleyball, so everyone can wear their suits if you want... good way to cool off!

Anyone with a maiden name ending in A-M bring a salad on Saturday to the park. Those ending N-Z bring a dessert of some kind. Dues will pay for beverages and chips, as well as the class member's sandwich at the BBQ. Additional adults will be $4 and kids will be $2.

We will be getting together sometime Friday before the park to work on the float... not sure where or when, but I will let y'all know more when I get everything finalized! Any suggestions on decorations, anything like that, let me know!!!
307-250-5034 Take Care!

My Grandma Pearl and our trip to CO!

WARNING! This is a LOOONG post!

As most of you know from my previous post, we took a little trip to Colorado. We went to stay with my Aunt Deana, which is where I lived after I graduated from high school. It's been a long time since we were able to go and actually visit, so I was super excited! We got there Saturday evening, and Aunt D had made us homemade chicken noodle soup- AWESOME!

Sunday, Jaran started tearing apart the basement bathroom and took all the tile out of the shower and the floor. Then he had to scrape all the stuff that the tile was laid with. He is such a hard worker that he was done by the afternoon! That night we went to my cousin Shasta and her husband Pound's house for a BBQ for memorial day. It was really nice to finally see their house (GO BRONCOS!) and to visit. My cousin Lance and his kids were also there. His son, Hunter, is one of Ansleigh's favorite people... not sure how she remembered, but last summer during Ames camp she was his little tag-a-long. Hunter is 12... and he's awesome with the kids!

Monday Jaran took Aunt D to pick out tile and new fixtures... which took quite some time, but they got some awesome tile! I'm an idiot and didn't take pictures. They got back and Jaran started right away, and finished the floor before the day was through. That night Lance and his family came over for an impromptu BBQ for the real Memorial day. I wish I'd taken more pictures... but like I said, I'm an idiot!
Tuesday Jaran worked on the shower, and finished it quite quickly... then we decided we'd take a break for the rest of the day... which meant we tried to keep the kids from driving us crazy.

Wednesday we needed to let the paint dry... so we split up... Jaran took the boys to go pick up some stuff for Bob while Ans and I went with Aunt D and Grandma Pearl to a Dr. appt. I'll tell more about that later.

Thursday was time for grouting the shower and floor, and I helped Jaran wipe down the tile. After that, we met up with an old friend of mine, Stacy, and her fiance` and ate some food at Red Robin- Jaran was in heaven! Then we took the kids to the park a bit. When we got home, we watched a movie with Aunt D and then went to bed.

Friday was painting, and we got two of the spair rooms done, and then I tried to help Aunt D locate some stuff in her storage... no luck!

Saturday we did a second coat on the two bedrooms and then got washed up to go to my cousin Shanda's grad party. It was fun to spend time with family again, and I got to see Uncle Rick and Aunt Janna, who I hadn't seen for quite a while. The kids had a blast, and my cousin Brooke was kind enough to watch the kids for the next two days so we could finish painting and not worry about them getting into things, as we were moving on to the main room where there are no doors to keep them out!

The next two days we finished the main room and got the fixtures for the shower. It was a good time, and I felt like we actually accomplished quite a bit. I know you're all thinking- well it doesn't really sound like a lot... and here's where the time consuming part comes in:

Grandma Pearl
My Gma has Alzheimer's disease. It's something that she's been living with for over 10 years, which is a pretty big feat. We started noticing some memory loss in 2000, and maybe even before that. She has lived with Aunt Deana, my Dad, Aunt Brenda, and then a nursing-type home that specializes in the memory loss patients. When Aunt Deana realized she wasn't getting taken care of quite right, she removed her and started taking care of her full time. Two years ago she had a fall and broke her hip. The Dr. told Aunt D that she was basically taking her home to pass away, but stubborn old Pearl decided that she wasn't ready yet!

Daily schedule with GMA:
Wake her up and give her some yogurt with her pills mixed in.
Get her breakfast ready, and make sure that the laundry is done from the day before.
Breakfast: 1 scrambled egg with cheese, 2/3 cup blueberries, 1 packet hot oatmeal, 1 banana. Mix it up in the AWESOME blender until it's "porridge" and you're ready. This sometimes takes a long time, as grandma sometimes doesn't sleep at night! After breakfast, it's time to take her to the potty and get her cleaned and changed. This part of the day usually take a minimum of an hour, sometimes 2, and I don't know how Aunt Deana does it alone. I was there to help, and I felt like I was so exhausted by the end of the day. She has no control over anything... so sometimes you have to wait with her forever until she does her duty. She's still very modest, although she can't put a full sentence together that makes any sense... so she's constantly trying to pull on her clothes and things to keep herself covered. Finally, it's time to take her into the living room to "her chair" where we put her feet up and cover her up with her blanket. By then, it's about lunch time... and that's usually homemade soup Aunt D makes her. after lunch is about the only time Aunt D has to do anything. Then it's dinner around six or so, which is chicken breast, potatos and gravy and peas... all super smooth and mixed up in the mixer... or she will chew forEVER! Then after that you have about an hour to finish laundry and get her bed ready, get her pudding and pills, and then it's another trip to the bathroom to change her pants, get her pj's on and then get her to bed and tuck her in. My Aunt Deana is such a great lady and takes such good care of my Grandma Pearl... who still has her sense of humor, and is constantly giggling! Every now and then you catch a glimmer of the old Pearl in there, and it's awesome. The first few days was hard for me, and I was constantly tearing up. My grandma used to take care of me, now I was taking care of her. I suppose that's the way it's supposed to go, but as I was singing to her one night trying to get her to go to sleep... I was reminded of how she used to do that to me, and it was hard to continue with my song. She no longer knows who any of us are, but she still smiles at us and if you say- "I love you" she'll say it right back. And here I am crying again. I was thinking about how blessed I've been to be so close to my Grandma's, and how precious my memories are with them, and how glad I am that we were able to go visit and help Aunt Deana. I didn't do that much, I fed most of her meals to her, and sat with her so Aunt Deana could go with Jaran or go pick Jason up and go to a quick dinner, but it was the smallest thing. I hope that I can go back later and give Aunt Deana a couple days off to go and do something for herself! She deserves it! Well, enough ranting... I know this was long, and I apologize, but I felt I needed to say it! Take Care!

Colo-rado!

It's been a LONG time since we were able to visit Colorado. The last time we went it was just for a quick trip to grab our camper (that we just sold today!) and we didn't get to spend any time there to really visit. The time before that it was when I was coming back from Texas, and we just stayed the night over before continuing on. The last time we really got to visit was for my cousin Jenna's wedding quite a while back. Man, it's been too long!

So we are leaving either tomorrow or Saturday morning to make the journey! I can't wait to see everyone and to actually be able to relax and be in my home away from home. I'm going to be helping my Aunt Deana with my Grandma Pearl, who has Alzheimer's and Jaran's going to re-do her downstairs bathroom with tile, and paint the rooms down there as well.

My Aunt Deana is an amazing lady, and I love her so much! She takes care of my Gma day in and day out, and she hardly ever gets a break. I know that it's really hard, and I'm sure takes quite a toll on Aunt Deana. So being able to let her get out of the house alone to do some things that she really wants to do is something I can't wait to help her do!

My cousin Shanda just graduated high school yesterday, and she's having a party this weekend. I made her a pretty sweet blanket for the occasion, and it's going to be fun to see her and her again! Not to mention her sisters Brooke and Jamie! And don't forget her mom, my cousin Traci! Also, my cousin's Lance, his wife Laura, their kids Hunter and Keeley, Shasta and Pound, Des and Chad... it's going to be great! :)

As most of you know, I used to live there with my Aunt D. and I loved it there. I made a lot of great friends, and I'm hoping to meet up with some of them while I'm there too! Can't wait, can't wait, can't wait!!!!

Well, that's all my ramblings! Take Care!

McKie

Although his birthday isn't until Sunday, I've been thinking a lot about McKie lately. I can't believe that he's almost 7 years old! It's amazing the way time passes as you get older, and it's hard to believe that my baby is no longer a baby. I remember how frustrated I was when I was pregnant with McKie. He was stubborn, even in my belly. He was due on May 14th... but didn't come until May 22nd, and even then we had to force him. We almost didn't get him until May 23rd, but thankfully he gave in, arriving at 11:17 PM. He weighed 8lbs. 2oz. Boy he was a chunky little monkey.


As hard as it is sometimes to deal with some of his issues, I love him so much. I know that having a child with ADHD doesn't seem like a big deal, and I know there are a lod of people who have to deal with issues that are a lot worse than that, but sometimes it's hard to remember that he's just a little boy and that a lot of what he does isn't intentional.


He really is a good kid, and hilarious at times. Even though he usually does things to be funny at inopportune times, you can't help but laugh at him, and he's always trying to make you laugh. He's always making faces or saying crazy things.



I don't know what I'd do without my little man. When he wants to be, he can really be a great helper. He's a good big brother, and even when he's crazy, he's trying to look out for his little brother and sister. He LOVES lizards and frogs and things like that. He's gotten really good at t-ball and has a pretty darn accurate throw. He can throw further and further each time he tries, and I think he will be pretty good by the end of the season.


Well, just wanted to say a little... I know it was rambling, but I felt the urge! Take Care!

Finals

This year's finals have been a little bit harder in some ways, but easier in others. For History, I had to write an eight page paper, and then we have a final tomorrow where we have to write 500 word essays on at least two questions. The open book, open note test in A&P today was pretty darn good! I think I got all but maybe 2 questions right, and I know I got the extra credit ones, so I should get at least a 100% on that one. Then there's the Public speaking test I can take online, open note, open book. Pretty sweet if I do say so myself. But the history one is really hard. oh well! Just wanted to take a quick break and post again... trying to get back into the habit. Oh, wanted to just show these quick pictures of Ansleigh when she was tiny. Just saw them again the other day and I love it!

Thoughts

I got asked to help with the makeup for the musical at Rocky. While looking through some old pictures recently I came across pics of my senior year high school musical. It was Cinderella and it was HILARIOUS! Jen, Steph and I had so dang much fun being the step-family... def a good memory!

So we are selling our camper... not sure if I mentioned it on here... and our van. So if anyone cares or is interested give me a call or comment or whatever. I've got some older pics on an old post, or I have them posted on facebook of the camper.

I need to go gather my supplies and head to Cowley... but I wanted to post before I forgot for a few months! Take Care!

random stuff

Ok... you know when you are getting ready to post a comment on someone's blog and it makes you type in a totally random nonsense word? I've decided I'm going to start typing that at the end of any of the comments that I make... because it amuses me!

Well, I'm pretty much healed up from my surgery. I've got some pretty great pics that the doctor took of my insides while he was in there. If enough people comment on this post, I may be pursuaded to put them up. I'm pretty much convinced that nobody reads my blog anymore since I took forever to post again... or maybe because I'm random and boring in my posts. Anyway...

Our Grand Am, which we had for longer than we've had McKie, died on Monday. Luckily, our super duper awesome brother Jeremy came to the rescue with a little Mazda that we'll be able to use. It gets great gas mileage and it's super clean. Thank goodness for that!

We had Cam's kids over yesterday and they stayed the night and then went to church with us today. It was actually not too bad. I was a bit fearful of having 6 kids 7 and under, but they were pretty well behaved. We played some BAND HERO today for a bit, and the kids loved it and Jaran and I laughed a lot. I taught the class that Taylin was in, and we were talking about the golden plates and the book of mormon. I decided to make some "silver plates" out of aluminum foil. I then created some characters that were the alphabet and a key that said what the characters were. The kids then had to put on a pair of my glasses with the lens out and decipher things I wrote... then they wrote things themselves. It was their own "translating" experience. Taylin loved it so much I had to make her one of her own and she made up her own little characters... pretty cute! I felt good that the kids liked the idea so much. I'm thinking about finding some gold foil and making all the kids their own.

Well, it's time for me to stop procrastinating and write a history paper. Take Care!

Pictures

I'm so proud of my baby sister and niece for the awesome pictures that they take. It really does take a good eye to make a good photographer, and they both seem to have it. Knowing how hard it is to capture a whole family looking good in just one picture, it's amazing the amount of options I always have when looking through all the pictures. Now, granted, my children are the best looking kids on the planet, but still! Just kidding! Anyway... just wanted to give them a shout out. If you're ever in need of a photographer, they are ready to be booked!

This is Calli's facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100001571180751&sk=photos

This is Kalee's facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100002278688694&sk=photos

And here are some of my favorites of Calli's:































and some of Kalees:


















Just so you all know, I didn't ask Kalee to take those pics of me, she asked me to pose for her cause she's never done female senior pics or anything and wanted a sample. :) Anyway- y'all should look them up next time you need a shoot done!

Take Care!

Thankful

I usually write a post on April 14th about my brother, Carl Scott. This year I just mourned in my own little world. I took flowers out to the cemetery and cried like usual. Every time I went to get back into my car, the flowers would get blown over by the wind. McKie was in the car, and kept asking to get out. I kept saying no. Finally, when I realized that I couldn't keep getting out and picking the flowers back up, because it was doing no good... I asked McKie to get out with me and help me find some rocks to hold the vase up. Holding his little hand, we walked across the cattle guard to the outer area of the cemetery. As I went to pick up a larger rock, he said, "Mommy, be careful and make sure that there's nothing under that rock that will hurt you!" What a sweet little man. He was worried about me, and could tell that I was sad anyway. As we took our rocks back across the cattle guard and placed them around the vase, he said, "Mommy, I know why you're sad. Cause your brother died, huh? And you miss him?" I wasn't sure how to respond to that. How to tell him that he actually died before I was born, so that I never knew him. Then I thought, what am I talking about? Of course I have met him. He has watched over me my whole life! I knew him before I came to this earth, and I know that he was my best friend. So I told McKie that I did miss him, but that he was in heaven with Heavenly Father and Jesus. He smiled and gave me a hug. Then he asked a few questions about other headstones around of other family members.

On the way home, I thought a lot about Carl Scott, and how all three of my babies remind me of him in some way. When I was pregnant with McKie, our first ultrasound showed that he had some type of heart defect. While the tech was looking at his heart for so long, I started getting scared, knowing that Carl Scott was missing a chamber of his heart. So I started panicking. She brought the head honcho in to take a look and they told us that we would need to return in a month, to see if the problem might resolve itself. I was a mess for the next 24 hours, and after seeing our doctor, and him reassuring me that he knew all would be ok, I started feeling better. And, a month later, his heart was perfectly fine, other than a small murmur that has never bothered him. Carl Scott was watching over me, every time I'd start to worry I'd feel a peace, and I know it was the spirit letting me know everything would be ok.

When trying to think of what to name Brensyn, Jaran and I couldn't decide on a name. I loved the name Brennen after one of my most beloved cousins, and Jaran liked Bryson. So we decided, the night before he was born, to name him Brensyn. The one thing that we never had to think about was his middle name, Carl. The morning of his blessing, dressing him in that little white suit, I remember thinking how much he looked like my brother... the little flat chin, the tiny nose, and the little short stubby fingers. How proud I was to have a little man that would always remind me of my brother I'd lost. Baby blessings are so emotional anyway, but when Jaran gave Brensyn his name, Brensyn Carl Baker, I felt a special feeling, and I knew that my brother was there with me, Steph, Cam, Kade, Calli, my Mom and my Dad... and we were a family... all there... together. I know that Brens and his uncle have a special relationship. When Ansleigh was about a week old, Jaran and I had a meeting for McKie at his new preschool, and we asked Jaran's brother and his wife to watch Brensyn. While we were gone, Brensyn decided to wander off, sneaking out the door when someone's back was turned. When we got back and went searching for him, instead of freaking out and crying and screaming, I was calm. I kept my wits, and we searched for him. Finally Kendra came running down the road carrying him. He was 18 months old, and had walked clear down the road and around the corner to someone's house, went into their back yard, and started playing with their dogs. The owners saw him, gave him a Popsicle and kept him safe until we found him. Had he crossed to the other side of the road they lived on, or fallen in the ditch, or went into the swimming pool next door, found some dogs that weren't so nice... so many things could have gone wrong, but they didn't. His uncle was watching over him.

Ansleigh is our third. Carl Scott was the third. She is such a cuddle bug, and she knows when I need a hug. Sometimes when I'm having a hard day, all I have to see is her beautiful smiling face, and everything is ok. She's my shopping buddy, and she loves when mommy does her hair. We could sit for hours braiding and curling her hair. She loves singing Taylor Swift songs with her Mommy and getting dresses on to play. When she wakes up in the morning, I'm the first one she comes to. She crawls into bed with me, and we have our morning snuggle. She watches over me and always tries to make me happy. She is my little tangible spirit. Between the two of them, I'm taken care of physically and spiritually when I need someone to uplift me.

I'm so thankful for my three beautiful babies. I'm so blessed to be able to have children, and to have such and easy time with it. When I see others I know struggling to have children, or knowing that they can't, and finding other ways to become parents, it makes me that much more grateful. Jaran and I are truly blessed in our lives. Sometimes the kids are a challenge, and sometimes we think we need a break. But all we need to do is remember how blessed we are to have these little spirits to take care of, and that they are ours, and all is well with the world.

Forgive me for my ramblings. I can't seem to stop my incisions from giving me fits tonight, and trying to sleep isn't really going well for me, so I thought I needed to write some stuff down. I didn't think it would be to this extent. Goodnight all... and remember how blessed we all are! Take Care!

WAHOO!

I got into nursing school! It's such a relief! For those of you who don't know... here in Powell at Northwest they only accepted 24 people into the RN program this year, and I was blessed to be one of those 24 people! It's been a long road getting here, and I'm so excited to get started! I went and signed up for classes today, and it was all nursing classes! No more classes that I don't need like history or anything! :)

I have to apologize for not ever posting on here. I don't know why I don't ever, but I'm going to do better, at least until nursing school starts up in the fall. I have a ton of pictures and stuff to update on, but I don't have them all on here to do it. I just wanted to share the good news and I will work on getting some more posts up soon! Take Care!