A Sad Day

On Tuesday, My Sweet Grandpa Stan, Passed Away...

I Love his cute smile, in this picture!

(I think I took this picture the first Summer we came back to visit from Az. Dax would have been two,  and Tregan, four)

Although Stan was not my Real Grandpa, We loved him like he was. 

 He married my Grandma when I was younger.

When my Grandma was still married to my Grandpa, she was friends with Stan and his wife. His wife passed away from Cancer, and my Grandma got divorced from my Grandpa. So they hooked up, and got married a few years later. They were so happy together. They traveled alot, they were part of a traveling group called Good Sam. They had a motor home, that they went all over the place in. They had a second home, in Mesa Arizona, where they spent their winters.  

He kept a supply of ding dongs in his freezer. He Loved Chocolate! After sharing with Tregan one time when we visited, Tregan remembered they were there, and he always wanted one, when we came back.

My Grandma passed away with Cancer, about 8 years ago. She was the last of my grandparents. So it became really important to me, to make sure we visited Stan as much as we could. My grandma and Stan were the only great grandparents, my kids knew. My other grandparents passed away when I was still in highschool and college. Because we visited him alot. My boys became close to him. I only had Tregan when my grandma died. It was shortly after that, I found out we were expecting Dax. So Stan was the only one to meet all of my kids. He was even there, to see Aty blessed. Which meant So much, to me!

 He lived in his house in Logan, on his own, for a few years. But one day, he fell and got hurt. So his daughter decided it was time for him to move in with her. She lives in Arizona. I was living in Arizona when he moved there. So I was excited to be living close to him again. We tried to go and visit him as much as possible. He was always so happy to see us. But as time went by, he would express to me, how lonely and bored he was there. I felt So bad for him. I just wished he could have been back in Utah, living in a retirement home, making friends and having fun. He always had fairly good health. He walked a lot! I remember when I was younger, he used to walk from his house in Logan, to Macey's grocery store. Which amazed me! 

The last time we visited him, was in August 2009. Right before we moved back to Utah. I remember being very Sad, knowing that this was probably the last time I would see him. I called him right after Thanksgiving, and he was not doing well at all.  He kept saying how unfair it was that people he knew were dying, and he wasn't.  It made me very sad. He turned 95 in January. He got really sick and weak these past couple of weeks,  and was ready to leave this earth.

Because he was living in Arizona, we won't be able to say our final goodbyes to him, until next Saturday. Because of funeral arrangements and such.

So for now, we are just sad, and we miss him. But we know he is with Grandma now, and he is much happier!

We love you Grandpa Stan!

Holding Aty on her blessing day.

Love Is...

Tregan made this at school the other day. When I read it, It made me smile, and want to cry, at the same time. It is So Typical of him. But Yet, it is so sweet too.

He also made us this.

It says:

Dear Mom and Dad, I love you. I think your the Best Mom and Dad in the whole World. You make me really good food, and you give me video games. You are the Best. I love you more then Call of Duty Two. your the Best!

Dax made us this. It says:

 I love my Mom and Dad XoXo

It is so fun having two, sweet little boys. It makes me happy when they do funny, sweet little things like this, for me. They don't normally like to express their feelings, to me. So it makes me happy, when they make me little things like this. And it is the BEST, when it is totally their personality.

Every Valentines Day. We start out the morning with heart pancakes. This year was no different. I got up early to make breakfast. The boys were supposed to be getting ready for school. I got done making everything, and they still had not came downstairs. So I made them a plate, and went  up to check on them. They were both still in their pj's sitting in bed, waiting for their breakfast. Such silly boys! They crack me up!

For dinner, we always have a candlelight dinner together. We usually have heart shaped pizza. But this year, we decided to have lasagna instead. (Jayson's Favorite). The boys always get excited for this dinner every year. I wondered if they were maybe getting too old, this year. But, No. They were Way excited! Tregan even decorated a chocolate cake for us. After a while in the candlelight though, one of them always gets a little scared, and wants the lights back on. It is usually Tregan. Aty kept turning them back off though. She was having a great time.

I found these plastic heart glasses at the dollar store. And made fun shaped ice cubes, out of lemonade. then we drank squirt.  Dax was a big fan of the ice cubes! Aty was a big fan of the cups!

After dinner, we were all stuffed on lasagna and chocolate cake. But it didn't stop us from having a dance challenge, on our new game.

Dance Central!
Daxton has been begging me for this game since Christmas. So we got it as a family gift for Valentines day. I do not normally give my kids anything other then candy. But, I really wanted this game too. And I figured, it could be my gift from Jayson as well. Of course, he was game on that idea.
It is a Big Hit at our house! Jayson just sits and watches us. He doesn't get into it as much as the rest of us. I don't understand why. It is WAY  Fun! and a Way good workout.

Tregan dancing to Poker Face.
We decided to give them this game on Sunday night, so we could have more time to play. Since Monday was a school night. So we played for hours on Sunday. And then the boys couldn't wait to get home from school the next day to play again. Tregan, who I thought would not be that thrilled about the game. Well, I think he might like it the most.( Almost! )He spent hour,s after school doing this dance, trying to perfect the steps. Then he challenged us all to a dance off. And Well, he won every time. So Funny!

The kids, after our delicious Valentine Dinner!

                                                          I Love my Sweet Valentines!

 I couldn't think of any better way to spend my day, then with these three! And of course, my Honey!

Girl's Night Out!

Me, Nissa, Christa, Angie, Sommer, Danette

This past Friday. I got together with some of my High school Friends. We had a full weekend planned. Dinner on Friday night, stay over at Little America, and shopping in Park City on Saturday. Well, my kids got sick. SO, I just went to dinner instead. I had called and told them I wasn't coming, because Aty was very sick. I felt bad leaving her. But, I was sad that I would be missing out. I haven't seen a couple of them, in years! So at the last minute, I changed my mind. I made Jayson promise me that he would hold Aty all night and take good care of her.

We went to dinner at PF Chang's. Ate a ton of food, and yummy dessert! We caught up with each others lives. And reminisced about old times. After dinner, we went back to the hotel, And talked and laughed for a couple hours more. Before I finally decided I better get home, and take care of Aty. It was so fun to see them all again. I haven't laughed like that, in a long time.

Day Six

We are now on Day 6, of the Terrible, Crappy, Never Ending:

 Sleepless Nights, Raging FEVERS, COUGHING, COUGHING, COUGHING, Stuffy Noses, Miserable, Whining...

INFLUENZA!

I had NO Idea, that it could be this bad! I have heard Flu, I have heard Influenza. I never really knew the difference. We have always gotten our kids their flu shots. And they always got colds, and the barfs anyway. So, This year I figured, "Let's not get the flu shots. We don't have insurance, it will cost alot, and.. They get sick anyway!"

Well, now I am kinda kicking myself. I know they can still get the flu, even if they have the shot. BUT! I don't think they would have gotten it this bad. Who Knows?

Our kids have gotten sick ALOT these past Winters that we have been back in Utah. I don't know if it is the climate change, the smog or what. But we have had our fair share of Everything! Even Jayson and I, have been sick more then ever before. I feel like I have blogged alot about my sick kids. So I apologize. But well, it is part of our life alot. lol! And well, memories right??

On a positive note, It has been almost TWO months since we have been sick. Yes TWO! that is a record for us. So that is good news. I guess it was bound to happen sooner or later right?

So we are now on day 6. Well, 6 for Dax, 4 for Tregan. And I think Aty is getting it today. So day 1 for her.

But the boys are starting to feel a little better. If we could just keep those dang fevers away. Just when I think they are good, and ready to go back to school, the fever creeps back.

So, we carry on. Hanging out in our PJ's, Watching lots of Movies, Playing WAY too many video games. (I am going crazy with this one) And, whining to mom for EVERYTHING, and ANYTHING! This Too Shall Pass... Wish us Luck! Oh, and Health!

I love this picture, it makes me smile. It totally shows how much my boys adore her!

I took these pictures Today, when Aty was supposed to be having a nap. The boys were laying by her, and she was cuddling with them. Then they got silly! It is a good sign, that they are feeling a little better.