A Parents Worst Nightmare---

The thought of my child being kidnapped or lost for a long period of time, is one that literally makes me nauseous! I can not even imagine what a parent in that situation goes through! I love these 2 little "ming-rats" more than anything. They are my life and are what keep me getting out of bed every morning! Believe me...I love my "katie time" but when the kids are gone with their Dad, my house can become way too quiet and I find myself not knowing what to do!

With the recent kidnapping/murder that has taken place in SLC, it makes me once again realize just how scary and evil that this world can be. I forget just how important every day is...how important every hug is...how important every "I love you" is...how important life is! I am naive at times thinking that it will never happen to me but...it can and it does!

Anyway...my heart goes out to her family and to any other parent who is going through this type of thing. Don't ever forget how it can all be taken away...morbid I know, but so unfortunately true!

WAAAAAAAH!!! More Snow! :(

This is what we woke up to...and as gorgeous, quiet, and peaceful that it is, I am still crying right now!!! :(

Today Will Officially Go Down As The "G Day"

So let it be known...and it is official...that my little-big Kinny will now be the proud owner and wearer of GLASSES! We all jumped in the car and drove down to pick out the new member of our family :)

....and let the try-on's....BEGIN!

...being sarcastic....
hmmmm...maybe these or......
...maybe theses...UMMMM...

"Carter, quit trying to check out the lawnmowers! Help me choose some new candidates!
"Mom, are these too big?"
"Do you think that these are too dark? Maybe a little too "Matrix"?"
This whole experience was pretty interesting. Of course you have the adult advice/choosing...and then you have the defiant child who wants what SHE WANTS! I finally told Trevor that we can help her but not tell her what to do. She has her own personality and her own thoughts. So that is what we did. We had to stand back and let her make the decision since she is the one that will be wearing the glasses...not us!

I am finding that with this child, it will in most cases, not matter what I say. She is like her mother (eeeek) and is very strong willed. I will help, teach, and guide but if I fight with her about things, it will, possibly, cause her to go the other direction. I know because that is what I did! My parents were learning just like I will...and we all make mistakes, huh?!?

OH THE JOYS OF LIFE!!!

"Ok, Ok...I think that these are the winners as long as the frame can come in PURPLE"! Now, there's a surprise??!??

We had some time to spare before the movie "Horton Hears A Who" that we were going to go and see so we decided that a hair cut was in order! Kindra was very nervous that they were going to use clippers to "buzz" her hair off just like they were doing to Carter across the room....
How funny is this? We took the kids to "Sports Clips" and the rest of the clientele were 35+, receiving head massages, and were watching the NCAA sports highlights! he he he They were quick and cheap! :)
...and the hair is officially gone!
Showing off the new do! :) FYI "Horton Hears A Who" is a fun movie both for the kids and for the parents so you should go and check it out for a fun family or even a fun single activity! Having fun taking some crazy pics to entertain our bored and lazy selves! Kindra has now become my picture taking partner in crime! he he he

The "Utah Wheelin' Jazz" Outing--

First of all...sorry that these pictures did not turn out the best. My camera is acting up!
The following team would be "The Utah Wheelin' Jazz". They are ranked 5th in the country as part of the National Wheelchair Basketball Association and for the first time, they've made it to the final four!
After my injury, a few of my therapists tried to get me to go play ball but I firmly would decline. "My baller day's are over and I have put that up on an untouchable shelf. Wheelchair ball is not true ball and I would never take it seriously or respect it as a game." Believe me, if I could take those words and thoughts back I would!
After you go through a life changing experience there are different emotions that you have to go through to recover. Each individual goes through them at different points and times in their life and they have to be ready for them in their own way. We all have our own ways of "mourning" and last year I was finally ready for a new "baller" experience.
I agreed to meet Mike Schlappi for one of their practices and told myself that I would at least go for 20 minutes so as to be polite. 2 hours later, I was still there! It is hard for me to properly express the thoughts that were going through my mind and the emotion that I was feeling. It was awesome and it put me in my place! It was then that I realized that wheelchair basketball is a completely different and separate game than "able-bodied" basketball. It has its own logic, maneuvers, strategies, offense, defense, etc, etc! Sorry to say it...but some of these guys are better athletes than some "able-bodied" athletes. One day when you are bored...go put a chair under a basketball hoop and take a shot and see how hard it really is. "You've got no hops" and you don't have the correct momentum! Not to mention the strength that you must have! Again...you just have to see it to fully understand what I am talking about!
I decided that I wanted to take the kids to one of their practices and let them check it out. It's all about knowledge and unless you have that knowledge, you can't really understand it. Even though my kids know that wheelchair "stuff" is normal for us, I want them to understand that wheelchair "stuff" is normal for everyone. It should be "no big deal" because I can guarantee that they will have "not so normal" things come up at some point in their lives! (sorry! I just get so passionate about this concept!)
The kids loved it and got a kick out of how they "crashed" into each other! (gotta see it to believe it) Carter sat by my side so intrigued, which made me happy, and Kindra, the chatter-box, ran up and down the side of the court and asked them a million questions at every break! Pretty funny actually!

I told Jeff that I would "commit" to borrowing one of his sport chairs and practice with the team one night. Oh yeah...the other thing that frustrates me is that I am the only girl! I mean...come on! I can't be the only one but whatever...I won't let that stop me! :)

If you go to ksl.com...search for "Utah Wheelin' Jazz basketball"... it will pull up an article that they did and you will be able to see a video of them actually playing :) I can also tell you when and where their practices are if you'd like to go check them out first hand!

An Apology

Yesterday was a long and hectic work day. Not only am I working hard to maintain my current obligations and take care of current clients but I am also exploring new career possibilities...yuk I know!?!

I came home exhausted but what do ya do? Just come home to my next job...motherhood! The kids are at that age of teasing, laughing, conniving, yelling, crying, getting hurt, etc, etc and I love it! We make it work and we have a routine. The warm weather definitely helps and they go to bed exhausted and they go to sleep fast! It's still hard as *!#& but ........

I was on the phone when the kids jumped in and they were all ready hyper but I have taught myself to tone it out. :( I know...such a bad parent move but at times I have to otherwise I would choke myself! Anyway, I was on the phone catching up with a friend, who was also giving me the best news ever but that's another story for another time :) but I found myself complaining about the job that I have as a parent! It was like it was the "cool" thing to say. I had to stop myself, jump off the band wagon, and re-state my thoughts.

Later on, as I was talking to another friend, we were laughing at the things that I was having to discipline my kids about. She just laughed at me! Her daughter is still at the nice and polite stage so I always feel bad when I let her "into my world"!

The point of all this is to give my friends an apology for the sarcastic and negative things that I said last night about my kids and my "job". No matter how hard or easy, it is an awesome job that I can not imagine ever living without! Like I said earlier...we make it work and we live on a roller coaster. A uncontrollable roller coaster but a fun one! Even though I was tired, frustrated, and overwhelmed last night, I still can look back on some of their funny comments and actions and just smile and realize just how lucky I am!

Happy Easter 2008---

Let's just say that this Easter had another one of my "bad Mom" moments! I admit that I did not buy Kindra a new Easter dress so Sunday morning we were experimenting with outfits. This one took the cake and we were laughing so hard at what Kindra looked like! She is getting so big!

...and her pretend short hair! hehehe ...and to clarify...SHE DID NOT WEAR THIS TO CHURCH!
The Easter bunny came while we were at church...aka...we came home during their primary classes and hid the eggs... We had a lot of fun and it helped that the weather was soooo freakin nice! I can not express to you the love that I have for the sun and for the warm weather!

...smile...

Trevor and the kids... It was impossible to stay inside so we took full advantage and went out and played some ball...
Carter is turning into a pro, a little hoop pro, but still...it makes another ball player proud! :)

Kindra working on her soccer skills!
Lyssa....we missed your kids...but the cousins had fun during one of our infamous "Terry" Easter egg hunts! We started laughing as we remembered some of our past Easter traditions....We have always had egg hunts and there were a few years that Dad would hide the jelly beans numerous times for us to continually have hunts. He'd hide them, we'd find them, and he would hide them again! Classic!

Our brother Jake's little girl, Abbi, was so funny! She would just wander and follow the rest of the kids as they collected...

Jenny and Abbi...

Jake tried to teach the kids how to climb trees and they were all so nervous except...

...Kindra of course!


Then Carter had to try it also.... :)
Happy Easter!