The Thomas Family

Since we were all finally together in one place at one time, we decided to take a family picture. We debated on getting all dressed up fancy and looking our best, but decided in the end to just take a picture as-is. Apparently I was the only one that got that memo and everyone else looked adorable. You'll notice that one of my kids isn't even in a shirt and the other one looks like the uni-bomber with the hoodie. That's my family.

The only one not looking in the picture is Max. He's Lyndsey & Brian's baby. Poor guy was pulled out of bed for this picture. Here is a close up of his cute little face since it isn't really visible in the group shot.Here is a shot of the 6 of us. I'm the oldest of the crew. To the right is Lyndsey. She is married to Brian and resides in Idaho. They have Max in their family now. She teaches special ed. in an elementary school and is finishing up a class so she can apply to OT school in the fall. Brian is the computer whiz at the school district my mom teaches in. Behind Lyndsey is Charlie. He's next in line. He lives in Alaska with his wife Keri and their dog racecar. He's an engineer up there in the north, and Keri has a demanding job that keeps her stressed out and traveling all over Alaska in small planes. Ben is on the far left in the back. He's #4 in the line of kids. He lives in Southern Utah with his wife Jena. He is an appraisor there and loving it, and Jena is working on her nursing degree. Matt is behind me. He's the youngest boy. He's also the tallest. Matt is a student at BYU when school is in session. This summer he was a tour guide in Alaska and lived with Charlie & Keri. I hear he's quite the guide and am sad I didn't get to take one of his tours. And last but definitely not least, is Katelyn. She is on the front left. She turned 19 in May and just finished her 1st year at BYU-I. She also just sent off a missionary so life is pretty hard right now. She's applying to be a nanny on the east coast while taking a breather from school. She'll start ISU in the fall of '08 in the physical therapy assistant program. I really wanted a shot of just my sisters and I. Shawn obliged. Well, I guess it was really Kate's idea, but I'm sure I would have thought of it eventually. Only 2 years seperate Lyndsey and I, so we shared a room pretty much our entire lives. We also used to fight over anything and everything. Age has mellowed me out, and now I can say we are pretty good friends. It's fun to see her as a mom, she is such a natural. She makes it look so easy to have a baby around.

Kate. Who doesn't love Kate? 13 years seperate us so I vividly remember rocking her to sleep at night. I secretly claimed her as my own. It's fun to watch her grow up and become a woman. Everyone is always telling her how much like me she is. (I'm sure it scares her to death to know what her body will look like after 4 kids!) She is actually much more patient and calm about things then I ever was. I'm so glad I have these 2 girls. I'm also glad that my married brothers snatched girls that are so much fun and easy to love. It makes me kind of sad that Kennedy will never have a sister. However, maybe she'll get some say in who her sister-in-laws will be.

***I also didn't get the memo that I was supposed to wear a red shirt with a white one underneath. Funny thing is, they didn't intend to dress alike, sisters just do that sometimes.

Bear Lake, Utah

While we were out west, we had the 1st official Thomas Family Reunion. It is the first time in about 5 years that all my siblings, spouses, and parents were together. We decided to rent a house at Bear Lake in Hidden Harbor. We were 1.3 miles from the beach, and a short walk from the associations swimming pool. We all spread out in the house and filled it to capacity. The very first night we got in early evening, so Shawn & I took the kids down to see the water. We rolled up our pants and waded in. It was the beginning of an awesome trip.

For the next 2 days we headed down to the beach early to reserve our spot in the sand. We had 3 canopies but the wind was so fierce the first day that one side on each canopy broke. Lyndsey's handy husband Brian and my Dad jimmy-rigged them up to vehicles so they would stay put. Anyone tired of the sun's rays hung out reading or eating under those canopies, everyone else dug in the sand and splashed in the water.

Jena and Keri buried Matt in the sand complete with the added female anatomy. Jack wanted to help and figured he would start on Matt's head because that was the only part everyone else seemed to forget. Sorry Uncle Matt! Thanks to the ingenuity of Charlie and I, Matt will be able to continue to use his eyesight.

Kennedy LOVED being around so many Aunts. One day I caught her having a heart-to-heart with Keri in the hot sand behind the canopies. (Excuse the wierd camera problem in this one)Later, I caught her being the ring leader in a heart-to-heart with Keri's niece from the other side, Gracie.

When we weren't down at the beach, the kids wanted to be poolside. Luckily there were enough aunts and uncles around that somebody was always up for another swim. Kennedy and Ethan loved launching themselves off of uncle Matt, and when they wore him out they went to the side of the pool. Uncle Ben was also used as the catapult a few times. The endless energy of children always amazes me.

At night when all the kids were tucked into bed, we played games and ate milkshakes from the famous LeBeau's. Wonderful. What a great vacation. I can't wait until the next Thomas Family Reunion!

Make New Friends, But Keep The Old.....

I've been very blessed in my lifetime with great friends. I can look back over the years, and various places I've lived, and actually see why some of my friends were placed in my life. My family moved about every 5 years while growing up so I had the opportunity to meet a lot of new people. Now I live in an area where I'm staying planted for awhile, but others are moving in and out, making it possible to create even more friendships. This little vacation I took out west allowed me to cross paths with some old, but dear friends. By no means are these the only 3 people that have impacted my life greatly, these are just a few that I was able to get in contact with.

This is Stephanie. She was the very first person to actually talk to me on the first day of school my junior year. That was the year we moved to Moses Lake. Yep, I said junior year. Rough time to move. But, Stephanie introduced me to a lot of new friends, helped me find my niche in the area, and basically helped me survive. We are grown up now, and she's pregnant with her 5th child. We talk about twice a year. It usually ends up being to tell each other we are expecting another baby, and then again to let each other know we've given birth. I'm stopping at 4, so she still better call me!

This is Rhonda. I met Rhonda my first year of college, but really got to know her while we were roommates our second year. She was that crazy-stay-up-all-night-and-just-hang-out type of friend. I was totally myself whenever I was around her. She was along for the ride with my relationship with Shawn, and listened many nights to my thoughts on that subject. This picture was taken at 7 am the morning we left her house to head back to Missouri. I'm sure she'll be happy that I'm stating that for the record. This picture doesn't do her beauty justice. The great thing about Rhonda? I married her brother so we are now not only friends but sister-in-laws.

This is Becca. We became friends right after I gave birth to Ethan. She had Andrew a few months previous, so we had an instant connection. She was student teaching for a few months after we met, but as soon as she was done we became connected at the hip. We didn't do anything without the other, and if we did, it seemed almost wierd. Becca really helped me adjust into motherhood and staying home full time. Her friendship was priceless, and still is. We got to have lunch together one day a few weeks ago, and though it was short, it was like we'd never been apart.

I wish there were enough space on this entire blog to do a small entry on all the friends that have helped me get through certain phases of life, or just people that have taught me life lessons. There are so many of you out there. Who could forget the entire "Ching" circle? Apartment 007 because the 3 fell off? The girls that got me through that 1st year of med school and are now helping me get through residency? The girls that let me be their friends even though I'm just "that girl that's been in SAA for 6 years"? When I think of all of my friends, I think of a song I learned in Brownie Scouts when I was 7--------"Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other gold".

***If you would like to be a featured friend, you need to arrange to see me while on vacation!***

Back To School....

I have always loved the first day of school. Brand new backpacks, fresh white paper, sharpened pencils, crisp new clothes, and a stomach full of excited butterflies. I still get that feeling every first day of school, even though it isn't actually MY first day anymore. It's a different feeling as a mom. A feeling of excitement through the eyes of my own kids. More than that now though. I have slight feelings of fear. Will my kids have teachers that are kind to them? Will they be treated fairly by the adults supervising? Will the other kids be nice? Will they be able to make friends easily, and enjoy the kids in their classroom? Will they be starving 2 hours before lunch because they were too excited to finish breakfast? Will they actually be placed on the correct bus and make it home safe? I could sit here and list all of my fears for hours. When it was MY first day of school I owned all my fears and was able to somewhat control the outcomes, and handle the irrational ones. I was in control. I am no longer in control of these fears and just have to let go. I need to let my kids experience life and then when they run through the front door at 3:20 I can once again reassure, love, and be ready to help deal with any misfortunes that might have occurred during their time away. That is if they aren't getting too old and wise to let me in on those incidents. I know there will be those times when I won't be able to pry my way into the working brains of my children, and they will prefer to suffer in silence, or call their friends and work it out over the phone. I can only hope that this year isn't THAT year yet, and all will be well. Good luck Ethan and Kennedy. I hope you enjoy 1st and 2nd grade. Your teachers are lucky to have you in their classrooms.

Home Sweet Home

It's good to be home. I don't mean to take-away all the fun memories we created while vacationing out west, it's just good to have all my clothes in my closet instead of a suitcase, shower in my very own shower, sleep in my very own bed, and get back into somewhat of a routine when it comes to exercise.
Here are a few things I learned on my long drive home from this 3 week vacation:

#1) Ethan is actually very helpful when it comes to putting dvd's into the player, and doing things in the van for me that I can't do because I'm tied up trying to navigate the vehicle safely.

#2) Kennedy DOES get carsick when watching dvd's or playing her nintendo ds. She is also pretty efficient when it comes to aiming for the throw-up bowl, that is after the unexpected first time all over her seat. We will now travel prepared.

#3) When Jack is functioning on sleep deprivation and large quantities of sugar no amount of redbox dvd's or otherwise entertaining gadget will distract him from the fact that he is buckled into a carseat that only allows minimal movement. He starts to use his voice to irritate when he can't use his body.

#4) After a few days of eating fast food 3 meals a day everything starts to taste the same and NOTHING on any menu even sounds good. Water becomes the desired beverage.

#5) No matter how many snacks are actually in the car, every stop at a gas station brings new options and temptations. Apparently gum is high on the list of my children's favorite gas station treat.

#6) Even after driving over 1000 miles the stretch of road from Macon to Kirksville is the LONGEST road ever.

It's good to be home. I really just want to sit here and blog all about our trip, but the mountains of laundry are piled high and we all want to get dressed at some point today. I guess the vacation really is over....

I talk too much.....

My brother Charlie is one of those iron-man, rock climbing, mountain biking, mountain running, repelling, anything outside and energy using type of adventure guy. Him and my other brother Ben, and my brother-in-law Brian planned a 3 day trip to Zion to canyoneer deep in the canyons. It involves repelling, hiking, and some swimming. I thought it sounded like fun, an adventure never before taken, and one that I'd like to attempt. I've been talking about it for weeks. My mom even offered to watch my 4 children while we all ventured down south for this excursion. The plan was for the boys to canyoneer saturday, take me repelling saturday night for practice, then take me into the canyons Sunday. All day saturday I spent looking for the perfect "wick-away" athletic suit that would dry after the short swims required. My sisters and sister-in-law, and I had a blast at the outlet strip, and then hanging around my sis-in-laws parents pool all afternoon. At around 8 the boys returned and we headed to a place in town to repel. I was so excited----until I got to the top of the place I was to repel. One look over the ledge and I said, "I won't be canyoneering tomorrow, and I probably won't be able to do this repel." The clencher was when I still hadn't really decided and I asked Charlie if the bolts were solid enough to hold me and keep me safe. When his response was a shoulder shrug with a tilted head look I knew the canyons and me were to bond in a different way than previously planned. My sister Katelyn and I drove the boys to the canyons Sunday and drove them to their starting destination. As we drove up into Zion and Charlie was pointing out where they would be returning, I wondered how in my little head did I actually think this feat was even possible. Or realistic. We dropped the boys off and Kate and I had an adventure of our own. We hiked up to Scouts point, a 4 mile hike that was mostly up hill, but very safe and secure. We had a great time. After our hike we went back to the campsite and sat in our camp chairs reading novels until the others arrived with dinner. That is the way I decided I enjoy the mountains. Hiking safely, then reading books in a cozy chair, all with a beautiful view of the canyons without all the danger.


I left St. George monday morning to pick Shawn up at the airport. We stayed with Shawn's sister Darla and her husband Brian that night. We all 4 went out to dinner and to see the "Bourne Ultimatum". Very fun evening with great company. Oddly enough I didn't take a picture of the small group of us, but I captured one of Shawn and I in the theater the next morning when we saw "Live free or die hard". After the movie we shopped a little and then headed back to Idaho to relieve my parents of their child-rearing adventures. Upon our arrival our kids wanted nothing to do with me, but wouldn't let Shawn out of their sight.

Life in a mini-van.......

Day 1: We left at 7:45 am and by 9:00 we had to stop for breakfast. The kids were actually pretty self-entertained and probably just excited to be headed on a trip with promises of Grandma at the end. We averaged about 90 minutes in the car between stops to get out and stretch our legs and use the potty. Our destination for that evening was a hotel in Kearney Nebraska. This hotel was recommended by a few friends as a "must stay". We were only able to clock around 450 miles due to the location, but it was well worth it. The waterslides alone took away the memories of the long drive.

Day 2: Again we were out the door by 8 am. I'm actually pretty punctual when I'm alone and in charge. (I can now blame lateness on my adorable husband.) I was determined to make our next destination by dinnertime, so stops were going to be infrequent this day. Our destination was 8 hours away with no stops, so probably 10 with stops. Our longest day. I sure was feeling this trip by around 1:30. So were the kids. The novelty of traveling had far from worn off, and I allowed Jack to ditch his carseat in hopes of some sleep. Yea, right. At 3:00 Kennedy was trying to handle the crew by reading them stories. Sweet girl. At 4:00 Jack started screaming at the top of his lungs. He had pulled his arm out of the neck of his shirt and was stuck. I was trying to explain how to get out of this tricky situation, when Kennedy tried to take over. She stuck her arm through her neck hole to physically show Jack how to solve his problem, only she found herself in the same predicament as Jack. She started howling as loud as her brother and I just started to laugh. Partly at the

innocent stupidity of my daughter, and partly because if I didn't laugh I would probably cry. Jack solved his problem, as did Kennedy, but Jack found it more comfortable to just stay shirtless.

At the 500 mile mark I started throwing skittles into the backseat for entertainment and distraction. We needed to go this many miles to reach Green River. It was a long 100 miles.

Arrival into Green River Wyoming brought Aunt Rhonda, Uncle Curtis, and cousins Logan and Atlin. It also brought a lot of energy release.

The only downside was the previously distributed skittle toss brought about a sugar high that didn't end until around 11 pm.

Day 3: The kids were having so much fun with cousins we stuck around until 10:30. I was hoping since the kids were tired they'd sleep. Have I not learned anything yet? We made it to lunch at noon. I forgot that along with the West comes sweet blessed fry sauce at the Arctic Circle. Aaaaaahhhhhh, totally worth the drive.After lunch we had 300 more miles to go and I wasn't going to stop. I was determined not to. I was actually succesful this time. We pulled into Idaho Falls at 4:30 pm. The best part of this entire road trip? Grandma and Grandpa at the end.


****I would like to thank all the products that made this trip possible:

Mam pacifiers and their sweet addictive abilities.

DVD players that come with 2 screens.

Skittles.

Kellogs cereal straws, to pacify hunger.

Elmers "Go Paints".

And of course, my ipod tuned to Blink 182's "I miss you".