Ryan is 30...can you believe it!

Today is Ryan's birthday.

Thirty use to seem SO old but come on, it's nothing!

I had big plans to throw a HUGE BIRTHDAY BASH,
complete with face painting, piniatas, party hats, and a Bounce House, but Ryan, being the Quiet Birthday-Type that he is refused, but luckily Isac's birthday is this weekend so I can put my creative energy into his day.

Anyways, Ryan works ALL day today so leave him a comment wishing him a Happy Birthday so that he will know everyone was thinking about him on his special day!

Happy Birthday Ry!

And now let us FLASHBACK 30 years of Ryan....

Our Easter was sugary sweet...

A day filled with chocolate bunnies, flowers, egg hunts with cousins, bow ties, yummy food, and numerous reminders of why I am grateful that He lives.

We really are good parents, I promise...

Last night there was a mix-up at the Harvey House.
You see Isac's fifth grade class had the option to make a catapult for fun and bring it to class today.
Ryan was working late and I was not about to get mixed up with that especially on a Thursday night, post "Sam Day".
So Isac was pleasantly surprised when a friend called at 7:30 p.m. and invited him to come over and help build one.
I willingly took Isac, dropped him off and instructed him to call me when they were finished and I would come to pick him up.
So home I went. I cleaned up dinner, laid out PJ's, and got the kids in the tub.
Once they were sufficiently cleaned, I removed them from the bath and proceeded with the bedtime routine.

Ryan got home around 8:45.
I gave him the run-down on the happenings of the day:
this is what was for dinner if you want some,
please but the towels in the dryer so they don't mildew,
don't lock the door because my dad will be back late,
oh and Isac is at Troy's, I am sure he will call soon for you to go pick him up.

Then I retired to bed myself since I had to work the next morning.
Ryan went about his own business and at 10:00 p.m. decided that being a School Night and all Isac needed to be home.
So he called only to be told by the flabbergasted parents that they had brought Isac home an hour and a half ago!
Yes folks, our child was home and we didn't even know it.

He came in while I was bathing the kids and I guess I didn't hear him because of the running water. He went downstairs to his room to read and then went to bed before we even thought about looking for him.
I think we will just chalk this one up as:

"Our 10 year old is so responsible even though he was actually
suppose to call us"

rather than

"We, the parents, are completely oblivious to
the comings and goings of our children".

Very embarrassing....

You probably won't care about this post unless you are related to me...

Today was a "Sam Day" (I keep my 2 nephews every other Thursday) and we uncovered an interesting probability:

While discussing "The Wizard of OZ" with Sam and Emily we realized that one day Emily could be called "Auntie Em". That led to an explanation of how when she grows up and Isac or Mackey have kids she will be an Aunt.
Weird to think about but anyways...

Then Sam needed a personalized explanation of what would make him an Uncle and that is when we discovered that he would be an "Uncle Sam"!!!
Random I know, but maybe it would be a good idea for a future
Halloween costume!

Did I ever tell you about that time...

Last summer when my WHOLE side of the family went camping and floated the Provo River? It was a clear back in August, but looking at the pictures today in iPhoto made me remember and wish we could go back.
We had so much fun!

Happy Birthday MOM!!!
I love you, even if you are getting OLD!!!

Ode to Girl Scout Cookies

Oh Caramel Delights* how I love you.
I bought $21 worth of you on Saturday,
and this morning I threw away the last empty box.
Our time together was so short.
Why must you come only once a year?



* I know, I know they are called Samoas. But when I was selling Girl Scout cookies in Oklahoma they were called Caramel Delights which in my opinion is a much more appealing, and appropriate name. So that is what I will always call the delicious little morsels. I mean come on wouldn't you rather eat a Caramel Delight over a Samoa any day?

Charming, isn't she...

Earlier this month, Emily's preschool teacher invited the kids to come to school dressed as a character from one of their favorite books. I thought Emily would be perfectly adorable as Fancy Nancy. However, she had something else in mind...And since apparently I am no match to the will of this 3, soon to be 4 year old, she went happily as Peter Pan.

After reading my last post...

My mom posted pictures of some of my dresser handiwork on her blog. It's way worse...click here to check it out.

What is up with kids, stickers, & dressers?

Is it simply an impulse that kids can't resist?
I remember doing it.
At least she only put them on the knobs and I guess it kind of looks cute, maybe.

Sympathy for Mack

Last week Mack dropped a 5lb. dumbell on his big toe. Emily had been "exercising" at Dawn-Dawn's house and decided when she was finished it would be wise to bring the weight downstairs and place it on a barstool in the kitchen that has tile floors where her baby brother was playing. Awhile later Mack moseyed over to the barstool, attempted to pick it up, decided it was too heavy and dropped it on his barefoot. For the record I am not blaming it Emily or Arin because I was standing right next to him when it happened, but come on Mack, 5lbs., really I thought you could handle that. Anyways it cause some serious emotional distress and also broke his toe, which caused more emotional distress for his parents over the next 2 days. We knew it was probably broken, but didn't think the doctor would do anything if it was, etc. I won't get into specifics but it was looking worse after 2 days and he would periodically throughout the day point to it or touch it and say "OOWW?" Pathetic I know. So we called or neighbor who is a P.A. and specializes in Orthopedics for some advise and before we could do anything he was at our door. He looked it over and decided it was definitely broken but only the first joint so there was nothing to do about it and it would be fine. That was a relief but we still feel so sorry for him, poor baby. Plus anyone could really have felt sorry for him simply because he seriously needed a haircut but thankfully grandma took care of that this weekend. Now he is cute with a broken toe instead of scrounge.

Our camera has been missing for awhile. I have turned the house upside down looking for it but no luck. I was convinced that my dad must have taken it without permission on his latest trip to the Philippines. The missing camera plus the fact that I have been working more has meant a lot less time spent wasted on the computer. Plus with all the nice weather this week the kids and I have been spending the afternoons outside in the sunshine and so I decided to start on a project I have been putting off for too long. This beauty has been hanging out in our dining room for at least a month now and it is driving me crazy.When we started working on it guess what Ryan found in one of the drawers...

The camera.

Anyways we are glad to have it back but even more excited to work on this 'diamond in the rough'. It is a hideous, FREE desk that I saw tons of potential in. I have sanded it down and hope to slap on a coat of paint today, add some new handles, and then VOILA a lovely new addition for Isac's room.
Wish me luck...you should have seen the muddy mess Mack & Emily created while I attempted to work on it yesterday.

Spring where are you?

After several lovely spring-like days in a row why did we have to wake up to snow this morning?
We want to be doing this:

Not this:

I am so ready for Mr. Sun to come back so that the kids and I can spend the majority of our days outside again. I have big plans for our yard, our garden and our summertime adventures in general. Plus I had my wisdom teeth out earlier this week (not fun by the way) so I have been shut up in the house eating milkshakes and Jello. I am hungry for real food but every time I try to eat any I have issues with it sticking in my gums and mixing up with flappy pieces of skin and stitches so that's not really working out very well. Sorry to gross you out but I'm living it.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMY!!

Monday is Amy's Birthday and I wanted to take a minute and wish her a Happy Birthday. She is such a wonderful wife and mother and puts up with a lot of crap that we give her. I really think she could be some type of new super hero because I don't know how she does it all, and so often she has to do it by herself because I am never home to help. Thank you Amy for all that you do and for loving me even though sometimes I am just that 4th child. Happy Birthday!!
Love,
Ryan

Remember that time...

Remember the time when Isac didn't bring home homework all week so we had to try to print it off of the school website, except remember how there was no ink in the printer. Remember that was the same week that Emily decided to pee her pants at least once a day. Remember that while we were trying to print unfinished homework Emily peed her pants right in front of the potty. Remember how Mack is her shadow and that he slipped in the puddle and slammed his head on the bathroom tile. Remember that while I was trying to comfort Mack and strip down the 2 littles for a shower, Isac jumped up to investigate all the commotion and stepped on a random sewing needle that was loose on the floor. Remember how it jammed itself over halfway (almost 2 inches!) into his barefoot. And remember that while I was dealing with the pee mess Isac came hopping on one foot, hysterical into the bathroom. Remember that when I pulled the needle out, blood squirted all over the carpet, and that when I returned to the bathroom for a washcloth, Mack had copied his sister and was standing in a new puddle of pee on the floor.
And do you remember that all of this happened in about a minute.
That was fun.