Sunburnt!

Whenever I think of a sunburn I always think of my sister Debbie. She has the very fair skin that burns easily and freckles even more. When we decided to move to Arizona I actually started paying attention to the sun and my skin. I didn't want to look leathery so I have never been one who tans much. Even with the pool I don't seem to do too bad with the sun (maybe it is the lower elevation) but I seem to get a good burn once a year.

Last weekend Jay and I took the boat out of storage planning to go to the lake. There was a problem with the gate at the storage facility so by the time we got the boat out it was too late to actually go to the lake. (If we had gone to the lake, I know I would have remembered sunscreen). So we decided to just head home and play in the pool all afternoon. I started out playing but then began to work on the sides of the pool with a maintenance. I never even thought about whether I was in the sun or had sunscreen on. By 3:00 p.m. I knew I was burnt. But it couldn't be that bad.... Just my shoulders were burnt.

That was on Monday, today is Thursday and my shoulders/back/neck are still sore. The heat is gone but I am definiately going to peel. Next time I really need to remember the sunscreen!

Party, Senior Style!!!!

And the party begins.... Getting the kids out of the stadium was one of the biggest tasks of the night....













And Friday night was the bash at our house... Sorry, Parents were banned upstairs so I didn't get any of the pool party earlier or the food/videos after that. This was when they had all settled down to play Cranium. Best part of the night, it was a great success.

More on graduation!

Jace had a great graduation, and the high school did an amazing job presenting for 600 plus seniors. It was held in the high school football stadium which forced us to be a little far away but it was still a great experience. And I am proud to say I didn't embarrass Jace too badly by crying my eyes out.

Graduation is an amazing time in a young persons life. You are so at the threshold of life. All you have known for 12 years is school. Now you are ready to embark onto your future. But it takes a plan. Kind of like a map. Those people that create a map, or plan out what they will do are successful. Those that don't can delay on the path to their plan. Both can be successful but with a plan or map, it is so much easier

Jay and I weren't really the type for creating a plan or map. We always said, our careers found us, not the other way around. But we were a few of the lucky ones because we truly like what we do and are good at it.

I asked Jace if it has sunk in yet that he has graduated from high school, that he is an adult, and what he is doing now will create his future. He doesn't feel any different. He doesn't think it has sunk in. I don't know when it sunk in for me. Jay remembers it was the day he walked into the dorm for the first time at college.

As for the future, all I can guarantee to Jace is that plan, map, or none, it will be quite a ride. But I will guarantee another thing, we will always love him and be be proud of him.

And he is off!!!!!!

Now does this look like an excited face to you.... And he is finally done.

I won't even begin to tell you how the end of last week went. Lets just say Jace was to graduate Thursday night. Jaron answered the door Thursday afternoon and our local power company just mentioned that the power would be off for 20 seconds or so. After it had been off an hour we got a phone call. They wouldn't turn it back on until some repairs were made on our power box outside our house. No warning, no official word on what was wrong. Needless to say I was on the phone with the power company for the next few hours. We ended up leaving the house to go to Jace's graduation with still no power. No power in Arizona means no Air conditioning!!! Luckily it was a cool day for us, only in the mid 90's. After Jace's graduation that night the boys slept outside, even with the mosquitos. Friday Jace was having a big graduation celebration. But we still had no power. We did some begging, some more phone calls, and they finally came at 2:00 and turned on the power. All we needed was for them to send someone out who could open the power company side of the meter so we could sink two lag screws in the box to secure it better to the wall. What an experience. You never know how much we love power or air conditioning, until you don't have it!

More Class of 2007!!!!!

Just one more....

Richard Nash Fowler

Running Back

Pitcher / Center Fielder

Track/Field

SCHOOLS OUT !!!!!!

Woo HOO !!!! As Anita would say.... Schools out here and today is graduation. Does that look like an excited senior to you! Natasha... That was the sweetest thing you put on you blog for Jace. Jace loved it, and I cried of course!

Jace is at commencement rehearsal right now then this evening is commencement. Commencement will take place in Highland Hawk Stadium at 6:30 tonight. As it is supposed to be only 95 degrees today, we should survive...

Seriously though, we couldn't be more proud of this young man! He is a great son, friend, definiately a keeper!!!!

Natasha, just for you!

all about me. ..
A) Four things about me:
1- I love being a mom most of all.
2- My favorite thing to do is to laugh.
3- I am a homebody.
4- My dog weighs 85 pounds and is great company.

B) Four movies I would watch over and over:
1- Armagedan
2- Independence Day
3- Notting Hill
4-Mulan

C) Four places I have lived:
1- Denver Colorado
2- St. George Utah
3- American Fork Utah
4- Mesa, Arizona

D) Four TV shows I love to watch:
1- Bones
2- NCIS
3- Numbers
4- Planet Earth

E) Four places I have been on vacation:
1- Kyoto, Japan
2- Astoria NY
3- Victoria British Columbia
4- London England

F) Four of my favorite foods:
1- Mexican Food (Anything Mexican)
2- Molten Chocolate Cake
3- Ice Cream (Caramel Cashew Shake specifically)
4- Hamburgers

G) Four places I would rather be right now
1- In the Pool
2- Curled in the sun with a good book.
3- On vacation
4- With my friends and family, anywhere!

hee hee hee..... That was fun....

The Joys of Parenting!

Anyone who has followed this blog realizes that I have been silent for a long time. Anyone who is familiar with me personally knows that I am not silent very often. However, the last week has been both busy, and stressful. As I write in my blog when I am feeling particularly clever, chipper, or happy I didn't add anything this week. My baby is still sick - my baby who is 18 of course. My baby who is also a senior in high school, and expected to "walk" at commencement exercises on Thursday.

I have been to more doctors with him in the last few weeks than I have his whole life. This child in the one that was always well. He never gets sick. Our last visit to the doctor was very productive. They took him off all medications and we are basically starting over. And the doctors initial thought is, it might be what I suspected (and told the family practicianer) 3 weeks ago. But at least we are getting somewhere. Needless to say though, as parents we are worried.

As I mentioned this week is the end of the 2006-2007 school year. I don't know who is more excited about it, me or the boys. Jaron will start high school next year, and Jace is off to start college June 11, 2007. It is both exciting, and depressing. Realizing this is a necessary step in the journey of life, doesn't make it any easier on a parent! No one warns you how hard these benchmarks are on the parent. You smile for them, cheer with them, and celebrate with them. But Jay and I look at each other and realize the tears will come in time.

This weekend we had big plans around the house but didn't do much at all. We worked in the yard, did some shopping, picked out the stone to use on the front of the house. And watched movies with Jace. Since he is unable to get around too well, we have seen a lot of movies in the last few weeks. I do love the relaxing, stay at home, weekends.

Happy Mothers Day!

Sorry in advance, this could be long today. Historically Mothers day isn't a good day for me. My brother says that it and Fathers Day, Valentines, etc. are days created by card companies to sell more cards. Whatever the case is, I don't need someone to set a day for me to remind my family that they love me. My family shows me their love, affection, and appreciation every day. Mothers' day can cause to much pressure. Everyone has the day here and there when they don't feel like making a big breakfast, cleaning the house, having a big dinner. What happens when that feeling falls on Mothers day, fathers day, memorial day, valentines? Pressure! I would much rather receive the convictions I do every day, than have that one day a year that everything is given to me, done for me. I know someday my boys will have families of their own to celebrate the day with. I would love to hear from them on Mothers day, just like I would love to hear from them any day. But I hope that they don't feel the pressure to meet some expectation. For the record and all the world to see, Boys, you love me perfect every day, mothers day is just another one.

This weekend has been interesting. We had Jace in the emergency room yesterday. It actually wasn't a bad deal this time. The emergency room wasn't crowded like they usually are here in AZ. Jace had another bout with the dreaded mosquito. Some how Jace got a dozen or so bites ending up with another systemic allergic reaction. After a shot of steroid and a perscription antihistimine he was feeling much better. For a day or two there he was looking like a puffer fish. The school nurse even sent him home from school on Friday. Sorry all, I didn't take a picture of him like Dad would have.

Don't Tag me!!!

Three Characters I would like to be:

Eve Dallas: (Nora Roberts, Innocents in Death) The unspeakable just makes her stronger.
Temperance Brennan: (Kathy Reich, Cross Bones) Brilliant but socially innept (I just want the brilliant part.
Eve Duncan: (Iris Johansen, Stalemate) Strength, courage, an incredible talent and tenacity.



Three Characters I wish where real so I could meet them:

Professor Minerva McGonagal: (Harry Potter of course!) Anyone that is magic and can handle all those kids must be special. I would turn them all into toads.
Roarke: (Nora Roberts, Innocents in Death) He just sounds fun, a little devious but still good
Robert Langdon: (Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown) Intelligence and puzzles are his specialty.

Three Characters that scare me:

Dolores Umbridge: (JK Rowlings, Order of Phoenix) She is just downright evil.
Opus Dei: (Dan Brown, DaVinci Code) Evil in the name of religion is just scary.


Believe it or not the hardest part for me was to think of characters that scare me. Books I read are fiction, so the characters really aren't scary.


Tagged: April, Jace, and Anita.

Hot Blooded!

May is here and it look s like we will finally start feeling the heat. Last weekend it was in the low 80's, unusual for this time of year. We took advantage of the great weather and spread 7.6 tons of new landscaping rock, we really needed it after the trenches that were dug to put in the pool heater. It was hard work but looks so nice now. We also finished some of the odds and ends in the house. The plumbing work was a joy, that is for sure.

Friday we had a handyman here doing work on the house. One of the things he was supposed to do was change out the shower/faucet/tub sets in all the bathrooms. We have Delta sets now and some of them were starting to leak or drip. All we were supposed to do was change the handle sets to get a new look. The handyman started on Friday by telling us the model to purchase. I went to three Home Improvment stores to find the right one. After finding it he tried putting it and and it wouldn't work. It wouldn't change to shower. The handyman left with us only having one shower working. All the other hardware was missing.

Jay did some calling around and found a plumbing supply store open on Saturday, and went in to get a new set. He came home with a real nice set, but when he tried to put it on a piece was missing. Luckily the same store was open on Sunday for a few hours. He went back in and picked up the part he didn't have. Got home and it still didn't fit right. Monday he had to work but stopped by on the way home. Got a new part, didn't work again. Finally, this morning Jay got up early and took the old part with him. He got home with the correct part and got one shower fixed this morning. Tonight is a late night though, (more Light Rail testing) so we are still only at 2 showers. But I will take 2 over one any day.

Jaron and I had upset stomachs yesterday but we are feeling much better today. Since I didn't feel well, I was reading a book. Do you ever read a book and realize you don't like it? I do it all the time, start it but just don't like the writing style, or plot. What do you do? Read the last few chapters, or continue reading. It may be because I read mysteries but I can't just put the book down and not finish it. I have to know how it ends. I have learned to start skimming through the book to get to the end. I wish I knew why I can't just read the last few chapters. It is too confusing, I have to see how the characters got where they did. One of my many quirks!