This is What Happens...

...when your son makes it known that he's an animal freak! People ask you (and by "you" I mean "Nick") to pet sit their bearded dragon. My nephew and his wife are going out of town for Christmas and Nick is EXTREMELY excited to pet sit for them! Between his new snake and having this lizard for a week I'm not sure that Nick even cares that Christmas is almost here...he already has everything that makes him happy. :)

Best Kids on the Planet! :)

Last week was my company Christmas Party so the kids were home alone that night. I had been gone the entire day as well because we had our Winter Conference at work that same week so I spent the day there then Brian came up and met me for the party. Knowing that the kids had been home without us for most of that day and they were fending for themselves for dinner, I was just hoping the house was still in one piece and neither one had killed the other. :) But to my great surprise we not only came home to a clean kitchen, but a treat waiting for us as well!!!!

This is what we saw on the counter as we came in the door with the following awesome note. :)

 There were no dishes stacked in or around the sink and the dishwasher had even been started.

Luckiest parents in the world for at least one night. :)

Band Concert

Hailey is taking percussion this year in school and she is loving it! A couple weeks ago was her first concert and she played the big bass drum for the first song and then the bells for the other songs. She's in the back right in the middle in the picture below.

 Below is Nick's band but I couldn't get a good picture of him because he's hidden in the middle. You can kind of see his head in the 2nd row behind the 2 dark haired flute players. :) He's playing the alto sax again this year.

Don't Ask Me Where the Real Julie Morrow Went...

...cuz I don't know.

It all started the day Nick brought me and Brian into the office (separately) to show us the power point presentation he created. You can see the computer screen below to see the title of the presentation with his school picture sitting on a stand beside the computer. He had the office lights off and the bookshelf lights on for "mood lighting" then left us alone to read the presentation. There were several slides explaining the particulars about the snake he wanted and why it's the best pet of all time evidently. He even had a very heart felt letter to us as one of his slides and in parenthesis he put that there was a tissue underneath the laptop should I need it. Ummmm...I did! :) That's the minute I knew I must've been drugged at some point during that day because I realized I was seriously considering letting Nick get a snake...with his own money...to keep in his room...yep, I was drugged. Brian came out of his viewing seriously considering it as well.

We did make him suffer about two weeks while we were considering it before we gave him an answer...which turned out to be yes. The drugs were still in my system apparently. So he ordered it and waited not-so-patiently for it to arrive. Today was the day. I signed for it from the FedEx guy today at noon and Nick had to wait 3 more excruciating hours before school was out. At 3:05 a hoard of kids came bursting through the front door to open the snake and see if it lived through transportation. I really should've gotten a picture of them all gathered in a circle on the living room floor for the opening but I was a room away trying not to freak out about a live snake coming to live with us.

It's actually very tiny right now but I'm still keeping my distance!

Dress Clothes Make Me Tired

...I think it's the shoes. :)

I've noticed that when I'm in shoes that I wear with my dress slacks to work I feel tired most of the time. But as soon as I'm in my comfy jeans or sweats and my tennis shoes or slippers I perk right back up. Does anyone else experience this or is it just me? :) Luckily our dress code at work does not require us to dress up so I get to be comfy most of the time...unless I'm interviewing.

I know that for many women style is more important than comfort but I'll take my Converse or Reebok's any day of the week.

Just sayin...

:)

Hard to Say Goodbye

Brian and I met Bryson at the airport this morning at 5:00 am to say goodbye as he leaves for his next round of training for the Marines at Camp Pendleton. He was not necessarily looking forward to this next round of training and we were not looking forward to saying goodbye...again. But my heart does swell with pride and admiration as I see his dog tags around his neck hanging next to the small container of consecrated oil that is also hanging on a chain around his neck tucked safely inside his shirt. We love this boy with all of our hearts and are realizing that he is growing up to be a pretty awesome man!

Boot Camp Graduation

I don't know if I can even begin to describe the feelings and emotions involved in watching these new Marines graduate. Thursday was family day on base and they invited the families to come watch the "Moto Run" (Motivational Run). This is their last 4 mile run in boot camp and it is the first glimpse you get of your Marine after 3 long months. The neatest part was when we were waiting for them to come, all facing the direction they were supposed to come from and we were told to turn around. Across the huge parking lot...probably 1/2 mile away you could see them all lined up in formation facing us. They told us the only thing that would get them moving our direction was our cheering so of course everyone was cheering as loud as they could but I gotta say it's very hard to cheer loudly when you're crying...it was so emotional to see them lined up and knowing everything they had gone through the last 3 months to get to this point. Of course I pulled it together and cheered at the top of my lungs (as the sound from our video camera will attest). :) It was amazing when they all turned at the exact same moment and started running. They warned us as they were running our direction that it would be hard to spot our family member because they all basically look the same...and they did! :) We did finally spot Bryson in the very back on the right but that was after they started off running again.

 All the parents were then told to go to the Parade Deck while they finished their run, showered, and changed. They did all of that in about 30 minutes. Once they marched them out on the Parade Deck they said a few words and then released them for Liberty...which is free time for about 5 hours. That was the first chance we had to go hug him and talk with him.

 We went and ate lunch together and heard probably just a fraction of the stories he has to tell and it was so awesome spending time with him again. We have missed him so much!!! He earned a rank advancement (which apparently is very difficult to do in boot camp) for his fitness and leadership and he was in the top 6 of 300 boys for the fitness tests. We knew he was ready physically but it sounds like the mental aspect was the most challenging. He told us the only way he got through the last 3 months was through prayer. We are so grateful for all of your prayers that obviously made a difference to him!!!

One of the neatest parts of the day was after lunch the couple missionaries that serve on the base took us over to a small pavilion by the boat docks on the harbor and Brian ordained Bryson an Elder. It was an amazing experience in a beautiful place with a strong spirit.

 He had to report back at 5:30 that afternoon and it was really hard for him to have to go back when all he really wanted to do was go home. :)

The next day was graduation and again, it was amazing and highly emotional to see them marching in. You can see in the picture below that for those front few rows where they are directly in front of us it looks like one person marching but there are four people lined up per row and they are marching in perfect stride.

 Below Bryson is the the 4th person back in the middle row. One of the neatest parts of graduation is when the Colonial was talking to the crowd and then said, "Now if you'll excuse me a moment I'd like to address our nations newest Marines." When he said good morning to them, all 300 Marines in PERFECT unison responded to him with an "OOH RAH" at the end. It sent chills down your spine...SO COOL!!!

 Bryson is in the front in this picture the 2nd person over from the left.

 Again, Bryson's in the back row...3rd person back.

We are so proud of this boy and this great accomplishment in his life. He is now off on 17 days leave and then he'll be reporting back to Camp Pendleton for his next round of training.

Just one of those "Bird Flies into the House" Kind of Days

I should have known what kind of day it was going to be when Brian and I were sitting at the counter this morning reading the newspaper and eating breakfast and a bird literally flies right into the house and up to our bonus room. Brian had left the sliding door open when he let Rocko out and instead of Rocko coming back in, a bird does. It startled the heck out of both of us and we both dove behind the counter (with me screaming and Brian saying a few choice words...starting with the word "Holy" - it is Sunday after all). The first thing we said after we stopped screaming and then laughing was, "Let's get Nick!" We ran downstairs and woke him up and had him grab his "net" he made (which by the way is a pillowcase duct taped onto a stick - only Nick). :) Then the 3 of us headed up stairs to the bonus room. The bird was frantically trying to get out the window and kept backing up and flying directly into the window then flopping back on the floor. Brian told Nick and I to stand in the doorway in case the bird tried to fly out of the bonus room while he went over to open the window and take the screen out. Ummmm....yeah right I'm going to stand there and keep a bird from leaving a room...did he just meet me or what about me tells him that I'm the right person to keep a bird from leaving a room???? So when the bird made a beeline right at my face to get out of the room I did the polite thing and dropped to the floor behind Nick and used my son as a human shield to protect me from the bird...as I am screaming of course...yep, mom of the year right here...and allowed the bird to leave the room. Brian could not believe we let him get out of the room since he had asked us not to..yes, shocking!!!! Brian and Nick ran downstairs to find it and couldn't see it anywhere. I was still upstairs and could see it hiding behind my flowers on top of the kitchen cabinets. So Brian had Nick open the sliding door as wide as it could go and Brian coaxed it out of hiding with the "net" and out it flew.

So here's what I've learned...when you start the day with a bird flying into your house, you know it's going to be "one of those days." It kind of went downhill from there. My lesson didn't go very well at church, the dinner that I spent a long time preparing was DISGUSTING (it was a new recipe I was trying), and the chocolate cake (from scratch...another new recipe) that I made to make up for the disgusting dinner was equally bad...seriously, who can screw up chocolate cake????? I'm ready to go to bed and start over tomorrow. And luckily we're going OUT to eat tomorrow...thanks for having a birthday Marci! :)

Never Thought I'd See the Day

The unthinkable has happened! Nick has slaughtered TWO of his chickens. He had to kill the first one because somehow it damaged its leg severely and all of his research told him to put it out of its misery. So he gathered a group of friends and prepared the scene and when it came time to chop the head off, he couldn't do it.:)  So another brave friend stepped up and offered to do it for him and you should've heard these boys screaming like girls as the head flew off and the body started flapping around...I'm feeling a little queasy even writing about it. And no, I was not outside watching this, but I was watching through the blinds at an angle that I couldn't see the head become separated from the body. But Nick stepped right in while all the other boys were running the other direction and did what he had to do to make sure everything was contained in a bucket. Then he proceeded to de-feather it, etc. to get the practice since he decided we are going to eat a few of his chickens...WHAT??????

So yesterday he and a couple buddies (the rest were apparently traumatized to the point of not coming back for the 2nd one) prepared everything for the 2nd slaughtering (that's such a harsh word).They built a fire in the fire pit and put a big pot of water on the grate to get it boiling to soften the feathers once it's dead. They decided to kill this one another way (which Nick researched of course) but I'm not going to say how because I think it's even grosser but apparently the way some farmers do it. Once again, when it came time to do the actual killing, Nick couldn't do it so another brave friend stepped up. But once it was dead, Nick took over and proceeded to de-feather it, and everything else to prepare it to one day be the centerpiece of our dinner table. As you can see from the picture below...it was a pretty stinky process. Deep down I understand that this is where ALL chicken comes from and I eat chicken all the time, but after watching and hearing about all of this I'm really not sure that I'm going to be able to eat this one...I'll let you know.

Words to Live By

The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary. 

Opportunities

One of the things I love most about the youth program at our church is the opportunities it provides for these kids. Last week we had a dance festival for all the youth in our stake and even though there was a lot of grumbling from the kids I think it turned out to be a good experience for them. We've been practicing this Charleston dance for a couple of months now and some of the girls even helped make their own outfits.

Nick loved this activity because he got to dance with a cute girl. :) Hailey thought her partner was great but this is not something she loves to do...dancing in front of an audience. :) But after it was all over she was glad she did it.  

The Dash

Something to think about...

The Dash


I read of a man who stood to speak
at the funeral of a friend
He referred to the dates on her tombstone
from the beginning...to the end.


He noted that first came the date of her birth
and spoke of the following date with tears,
but he said what mattered most of all
was the dash between those years.


For that dash represents all the time
that she spent alive on earth
and now only those who loved her
know what that little line is worth.


For it matters not, how much we own,
the cars...the house...the cash.
What matters is how we live and love
and how we spend our dash.


So think about this long and hard;
are there things you'd like to change?
For you never know how much time is left
that can still be rearranged.


If we could just slow down enough
to consider what's true and real
and always try to understand
the way other people feel.


And be less quick to anger
and show appreciation more
and love the people in our lives
like we've never loved before.


If we treat each other with respect
and more often wear a smile...
remembering that this special dash
might only last a little while.


So when your eulogy is being read
with your life's actions to rehash,
would you be proud of the things they say
about how you spent your dash?

Great Quote

Just thought I'd share a great quote I came across this week...

"Men go to far greater lengths to avoid what they fear than to obtain what they desire"


Obviously this is "men" in the general terms not a slam against men. :) How many times do we put our energy into avoiding what we fear rather than pouring that energy into obtaining our desires? Just something to think about today. :)

Happenings

Brian and our neighbor Brett went on their annual backpacking trip. This year they went back to Kings Peak but decided they went a little too late in the year as they woke up one morning to snow covering the ground. On day three they decided it was worth it to hike the 20 miles out and come home a day early.

Hailey started her first season playing volleyball and is loving it! She was lucky enough to get a great coach and be put on a team with AWESOME team spirit!!! She didn't know one person on the team since they pick teams on a draft system but has developed quick friendships. The coach has made it a point to unite these girls as a team and even made matching headbands for each girl as well as T-shirts with their team name on the front and own names on the back for them to wear to school every Friday before their Saturday games. To me, this is what being on a team is all about...I love it! They won their first game but lost their second. I've decided at this age it's all about the serve. If they can get the serve over the net, there's a very good chance they're going to win the point! :)

I'd love to give a report on Bryson but we've only heard from him ONCE in the 6 weeks he's been gone. I know he is extremely busy but I really hate not hearing from him!!! In the one letter he received he told us that he was extremely homesick for the first couple of weeks but things were starting to get a little better for him. He was made a leader over a group of guys based on his physical abilities so he felt good about that. Please keep him in your prayers as he sounded like he is going through the hardest experience of his life, which I'm sure he is!!!!!

Where's My Award???

I have given permission for a couple of things lately that REALLY should earn me a Mother of the Year Award...hahaha. Nick has found TWO snakes that he is now keeping as pets on our back patio. This alone should qualify me for a Caribbean vacation but on top of this I gave permission for month long science project that I should seriously have my head examined for because it includes a MOUSE. Nick's project is to run the mouse through the maze below using different triggers...whether it's smell (cheese), sight (colored construction paper), etc. and then after a couple of weeks testing the triggers, taking all triggers away to see if it runs the maze the exact same based on memory. Of course that means we now have a mouse living at our house...UUUUGGGGGGG.

But here's the moral of the story. Nick asked me why on earth I would agree to these things when I dislike these creatures as much as I do. Here's the answer...I dislike these creatures but I love my son! He is a good boy who cares about school, grades, etc. and for a 14 year old boy I couldn't ask for much more. He is so interested in these kinds of things that I want to support him. So I guess I don't need an award after all...I have a very happy boy!!!

New Favorite Poem

Maybe I've been living in a cave but I have never heard this poem before by Mother Teresa. I came across it in the last few days and LOVED it! Just thought I'd share...

Mother Teresa's Anyway Poem

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self centered;
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and your God;
It was never between you and them anyway.

Back to School...ALREADY?????

I REALLY can't believe summer vacation is over and the kids are back in school. The kids are excited so I guess that makes me excited, but if I had my way we'd have an additional month of summer this year. :) Hailey was a bundle of mixed emotions yesterday as she left for "7th Grade Day" at the Jr. High but came home saying that Jr. High is WAAAYYYY better than elementary school!!! :) She also loved riding the bus to school which is a first for her. She didn't want me to follow her down to the bus stop to get a picture...apparently that would be very embarrassing for her...so this is a picture of her walking down there that I took from the doorway so no one could see that she was getting her picture taken. :)

 Nick is excited for 8th grade and I am taking comfort in the fact that the kids are at the same school again. I like to think that they can watch out for each other and that Nick will help Hailey if she needs it. Although that might be just a fun fantasy I have in my mind because if they treat each other at school like they treat each other at home, it might be better if they went to school in different counties...hahaha. Here's to hoping it's a fantastic school year for both of them!!!!!

Happy Birthday Brian

Brian's birthday was yesterday...29 again...hahaha.

He bought his own birthday present this year...a new (used) road bike and he's pretty excited about it.

We love this man!!!! 

Now You See 'Em...Now You Don't

 Today was the day for Hailey that all kids with braces live for...the day you GET THEM OFF!!! Hurray!!!!! :)

Off to Boot Camp

We had a farewell barbecue for Bryson last weekend. He is now down in Southern California for his first 13 weeks of training. He'll come home for 10 days in November and head back out again for his next 13 weeks of training. It was fun to get together with family and friends to wish him luck, but hard to say goodbye!

 Bryson and a few of his friends...Rand, Leah & Luis.

 Bryson with his cousins Savannah, Chelsea Kate & Adi.

 The Morrow and the Atkinson kiddo's (plus J's boyfriend :)). These kids go waaaayyyyy back and have hung out since they were just little. 3 out of the 4 parents were on their mission in Spain together...I'm the "odd parent out" there. :)

 Last family picture before heading out. I love this picture other than the fact that it looks like I have no hair...I did not chop it off, I just have it back in a pony tail...haha.

I did not think to start taking pictures until after the grandparents and some other aunts, uncles & cousins left so I'm sad to not have those. But we'll get those when he comes home in November! :)

FOURTEEN

For whatever reason, I really can't believe Nick is FOURTEEN. Where does the time go?

We have a tradition in our family that we wake the birthday kid up with a candle in a muffin and singing Happy Birthday. Because there is no element of surprise here anymore, the kids have now started telling us what time they'd like to be awakened. Nick surprised me and said 8:30 am...on a SATURDAY. He's become the typical teenager where he could sleep till noon if we let him but he decided he'd be too excited to sleep very long since it was his birthday and he didn't want to have to come tell us he was awake and ready for his muffin...hahaha. :) They also get their presents along with the muffin so I'm sure that's the bigger draw...not the muffin or our singing. :)

We took the kids down to Lowe's Xtreme Air Sports for part of the celebration and they had a blast! That place is amazing! You can go from tramp to tramp, up rock walls, flip into foam pits, etc. etc. etc.

They had a ton of fun and worked up their appetite for Toucano's that night.

Nick was a very good sport when they came to sing to him and even showed off his wicked dance skills with the tambourine as they sang!!!

We love this boy and are so grateful he's part of our family!!!!