So the hole Harry Potter craze came and we watched it go from book one, two, three, four, to seventy. You get the picture I am NOT a Harry Potter fanatic. Yes, I watched some of the movies. I just didn’t get all sucked in…….. UNTIL NOW. (The broom is a Harry Potter broom that makes a whooshing sound.)

 Scott decided he wanted to start reading something fun to the kids. If you would have asked if I thought my kids would have loved every single tiny little second of their reading time I would have said ” ARE YOU CRAZY!?!” Scott started the first book a few weeks ago and it was a MASSIVE hit. The kids would BEG and BEG him to read just one more chapter. It was the first thing to go on the table if they were naughty. “Do you want to lose Harry Potter tonight?” Their IMMEDIATE response “NO… PLEASE… NO!!! We will be GOOD!” They LOVE Harry Potter just like the rest of you. I started the first book and stopped only after it was taking over my dreams. I wish I were kidding. It is really great watching my kids dive in to reading and the magical world of Harry Potter. They finished the the first book the week of Adler’s surgery and watched the first movie. It was too much for Halston but he still can’t get enough of Scott reading the second book to him. 

Scott’s “Best day of my life” activities didn’t end with just reading the book. He took it a few steps further and had Art days with the kids where they drew the Harry Potter characters. He also helped the kids make their own wands. They are all so EXCITED to be Harry Potter for Halloween. I am trying to stay on top of it (code for: I was TOO excited myself to NOT buy them) I got the guys their own Harry Potter glasses (not the ones shown in the pictures nicer ones).

The kids sanded their own wands and chose the stain. The kids also designed their wands.

 The stain is drying.

THE WANDS.

  Little Sisters.

Now that we just found something that they really LOVE, I want it to last. I don’t want the love of reading, story telling and their imaginations to stop flowing. So I find myself giving in to things I normally wouldn’t like “Sure you can have a Permanent Marker to draw a scar on your forehead”. It will eventually come off, right. “I guess, if you want to go to school with bed head you can”.  ”OK, This will be your last haircut until after Halloween to grow your hair out like Harry’s”

 I am going to finish the first book and see where it takes me.

   Adler’s surgery was yesterday morning. We woke him up at 6:30 and left shortly after Mammy got here to watch the kids until the neighbors were awake and ready to watch the kids.

 Adler enjoying the last few minutes with his HUGE tonsils.

Adler was so hyper he bounced off the walls and laughed his face off. I am NOT sure what that was about maybe his way of dealing with the unknown or fear. We tried to walk him through as much as we could so he knew what to expect. He wasn’t looking forward to the I.V. Luckily since he isn’t 12 they put it in after giving him gas. I tried to explain how cool the operating room was with the huge lights and neat machines to help with the fear. Who knows if it actually helped but he left us with a wave and a smile. They took him at 8:05 am and I tried to be patient and finish my book but my antsy pants wouldn’t allow me to focus to read the words in the book. I went to the nurse at 8:50 am and asked if he was recovering and she said yes. I walked back in the room and sat down in time to hear my baby crying I flew out of that room SO FAST. Nothing was keeping me away from his cry and gasp. I almost lost it myself. Seeing him is pain and disoriented scared me. I  snuggled him while petting him trying to comfort him trying to let him know we were there. It was so heartbreaking. I really hope that the other kids don’t need theirs out too. Adler kept coughing and gasping for air (i think) it is the worst wound I have heard in my entire life. It didn’t take long for Adler to gain control of himself. The nurses kept commenting on how well he was doing. He almost threw up a few times. He was as pale as a ghost which for him and his ultra air skin didn’t take much. He was able to keep the juice down so we were able to go home. We left at about 10:15.  It hurt to talk but he did to tell us he wants to go home.

******************WARNING*****************

YUCKY PICTURES AHEAD!!!

   The first day

Today

The day after the surgery.

Adler has complained forever about sore throats and stomachache’s mostly right at bedtime so we always thought it was his excuse for getting or staying out of bed. He has also had problems with earwax. He need his ears cleaned out regularly with peroxide. This last time he had gunk down in his ear canal that was too far down to be touched so my father in law sent us to an ENT. We went to his scheduled appointment and the doctor said it was swimmers ear and gave us drops and cleaned his ear out. We call his left ear his wax museum.  He also checked out Adler’s throat and adenoids and said that they didn’t look good and that we should think about getting them out. He also asked is Adler snores, has sore throats and/or stomachache’s/illnesses. YES, YES, and YES. I felt so BAD. It was a huge “OH MAN” moment thinking of all the times I was insensitive about his sore throat and stomach ache. Mommy the JERK. I felt like such a BAD Mom. My kids are full of excuses. They have seriously perfected excuse giving. So I just thought that is what is was with Adler. I am so grateful for his wax museum so we could get it all figured. I have definitely learned to listen to my kids as they listen to their bodies. Adler is the sweetest goofy energetic boy. I am sure he will pull though in NO time at all.

A few days ago his stomach hurt. The next day it was my throat hurts. We were definitely more sensitive to Adler. I  jumped up to get Chloraseptic. I look in his mouth and called for Scott to look also. He looked in and said “he needs them out”. I was so glad that we were on the same page. I called the doctors office and he is scheduled to get them out on the 14Th of August. Just in time to recover before school starts. I am so glad that they could fit him in so he didn’t have to miss school. He is excited about living on Popsicles and shakes for a week. Halston said “you are SO lucky”. SILLY KIDS!!!

Adler asked all about his tonsils and adenoids then asked if he could see them. I told him my cute cousin Racelle had hers taken out at about Adler’s age and they put them in a jar that she got to take home. (at least I think it was her tonsils). He thought that was SUPER cool as any 8 year old boy would.

Me in my NERDY GLORY.

YES, YES, YES I love it. I went to the release party. I debated over and over and finally gave into Edwards call. That’s right I am an EDWARD fan. Who am I kidding I am an EDWARD lover. I thought I was going to be one of the oldest females there boy was I wrong. I was quite a bit younger than some of the ladies there. Silly Me! It turns out women of ALL ages are fans of Edward and Jacob.  

I wasn’t sure which release party to go to so I did the high school thing and did drive bys. I went past Hastings (plan A) and it looked busy so I went past Borders (plan B) and it was even busier so I headed to the mall to Walden books. I was at the mall earlier with my sister in law Melanie shopping for fun girly things. I wandered into Walden books and a lady told me about the release party (plan C). I got to the mall and the parking lot was pretty empty at least compared to Plan A and Plan B’s parking lot. I ventured in and it looked fun and under control. There were 30ish other people there. A line was forming so I found my place. The bookstore had lots prepared to entertain us for our long wait. I got there at about 9:20pm. They had word scrambles, word searches, coloring pages, face painting, cherry blood drink, trivia questions, drawings for t-shirts, and a pole that we never found out the answers to. They gave us pins that said I was bitten by Breaking Dawn, sheets of stickers, and bookmarks.

The wait actually went really fast. I sat quietly and nerdily doing all my activities YES by myself. I am NOT embarrassed. FINALLY 12:01 hit the doors opened and the books were selling. The line moved pretty quickly and I had my copy paid for and 40% off by 12:15. Truthfully I would have paid full price or even EXTRA to get a copy last night.  

As I drove home I was so Excited and Exhausted. I am sure the exhaustion won over when it came to showing how PROUD I was that I owned a copy of Breaking dawn. I am getting OLD. OK, Old id the wrong word I am TIRED so tired. I need some serious ENERGY. On the way home I drove past Borders and their parking lot was JAM PACKED with cars. CARS were everywhere. Then past Hastings and its parking lot was also FULL FULL FULL. The line was OUT the door. I was SO SO SO glad I went with plan C, Thank You Walden Books. I am in Heaven.

I PROMISE NOT to talk about the book and ruin any secrets.

I am so excited to get Breaking Dawn tonight I can hardly wait. Maybe I will see you there.

  WOOHOO!!! I can hear all of you cheering your pants off. OK so that is just me. I LOVE JAMES BLUNT!!  He is coming August 25 with Sheryl Crow. They are coming to the Usana Amphitheater in West Valley City. I am not much of a concert goer  but I would LOVE to see James Blunt.  I love all his music and am CONSTANTLY listening to him. He is DEFINATLY one of my favorite musicians.

 I was tagged by my cute friend Cadence and now my also cute friend Allison.

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn’t matter if you knew me a little or a lot, if we’ve actually met in person or not, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. If you don’t want to play on your blog, or if you don’t have a blog, I’ll leave my memory of you in my comments or on another post. Thanks for reminiscing with me.

So we had a tree a very large tree that was very kindly giving its branches away at any given moment.  Last week a branch was given by the tree to the kids playhouse sending me into a frenzy. We are usually outside enjoying the giving trees shade with the exception of 1 day where Estee had a fever. I was cruel and made the boys stay in the house and have a day of rest when I heard a loud sound that I wasn’t able to explain I flew up to the door and saw the dust rising to the height of my nose. After the dust settled I saw the HUGE branch laying across my kids playhouse and the heavier part of the branch laying where I have spent the last few weeks recovering from my surgery reading my obsession books the Twilight series. I immediately grabbed the phone and called Scott shaking like a leaf. It took a while for my nerves to settle. I could barely talk. I was and still am amazed that it happened when it did and that nobody got hurt. We called a tree service Total Tree Care and they said they would come by and check it out.

A day or 2 later they called telling me how dangerous the tree was and that they would rearrange their schedule to get over here and take her out ASAP. I was to call and get  phone and cable lines taken down. The tree company was going to contact the city to get the power lines temporarily taken down and schedule a crane to come.

The kids were a bit sad and I admit I was a bit sad to see her go. She gave us many conveniences like SHADE for one lots and lots of shade,  hours and hours of agonizing raking, some body work on the old trooper that may one day run again, a port o potty for the guys (WHY go inside when you can pee on a tree), and it at one time had a playhouse built on it that my kids were constantly eyeing.

The tree guys got here in time  on the scheduled day and got started it was COMPLETLY amazing watching them work. They are true professionals. It was incredible watching these massive branches being lowered by a crane over the lawn. We have 4 large trees. All of them need some work. The first needs a cable that can hold up to 11,000 lbs put in the v of the tree. The 2nd needed a large split branch taken out and the 3rd needs lots of pruning. All three of the trees left need to be cleaned up but will have to wait until next summer. The tree service cut off the dangerous branch and will be back to install the cable a little later this summer.

I took pictures like a crazed blogger would. I love having the tree and its hazards gone. Especially after the tree guy Mark told me that when he was up in the tree he could just shake branches and they would fall. SCARY!!!! He said it is a GOOD thing it was taken out when it was. YIKES!!!!!

I am so grateful to those that helped us get the trees taken care of. We now have peace of mind.

 The tree was rotted all the way through from the way it was pruned years ago. Somebody had the tree topped off and that allowed the tree to rot and now die. It really takes somebody that knows what they are doing. Topping a tree may seen like the smart thing to do but it actually makes them more dangerous.

It was really sad to watch 70-80 years of growth gone in 7 hours.

Horrible parents?  So Halston came to us in a mellow sad mood he asked us if the tree died because he peed on the tree and we allowed him to think it was his fault for a minute (seriously JUST 1 minute). Then we told him why the tree really was dying.

Mark M. The tree guy told us to water the trees to help keep them healthy they are SO large they may not get enough water. The kids love their new job. They all want to water the 2 remaining trees (that we want to live) the 3rd we want to eventually go it is taken over the driveway, sidewalk, and power lines.

This is one of our Elm trees. We love this tree and are so glad that it is healthy and now one step closer to safe with the cracked branch gone.

We loved how things were looking and with a little added motivation from our insurance company we painted the garage and LOVE how it turned out. Two pictures up you can see what the garage looked like before. Now I am ANXIOUS to paint the house and side porch. 

The best part is that the spray painted HI and smiley faces are GONE, GONE, GONE. Now for the roof. That is the stump from the tree. It is going to be removed when their grinder is fixed. I love the small makeover so far. It is one step closer to my vision.

IT has been 10 years……..10 LONG…….and ……..LONG ….AM……….AMAZING years (JUST A LITTLE TEASE). He thinks he is so funny when he says it like that with an exhausted voice.

 We have definitely had our ups and downs. We have both grown up a lot in so many ways. I now am woman enough to end the fight and say I am sorry. I am grownup enough to warn him when I am hormonal and grouchy so he doesn’t take it personally. He is learning when to let me be crazy and rant or cry and not get offended at my occasional ridiculousness. He is loving and knows what I need when I need it for the most part. We definitely understand each other far more than I would have thought we were capable of. Our communication has changed dramatically over the years especially the last 2. I know the hard times in our marriage made it what it is today so I can’t say that I wished something did or didn’t happen. I LOVE SCOTT SO MUCH. It amazes me that we are so right for each other getting married so young. I knew I loved him from the start, I just didn’t realize that he was more than what I wanted he was also what I needed. I hope for many more healthy happy and hormonal years (I don’t really hope for hormonal years but it’s apart of the deal with me these days).  Sorry Scott the crazy lady is here to stay and I am pretty sure I will only get crazier. What is with this I get CRAZIER and he gets Smarter?