The Crazy Days of Summer...

Not feeling the blog as of late...  too many other things I am trying to juggle.   See school may be out for kids... but it does not mean I am laying out pool side sipping a Mojito, sleeping in everyday, and watching movies every night.

I could only wish I am doing such in a month, at least for my big 40.   But for now--- duty calls.

And maybe... if you check back in a bit I will share it ALL.

Athletic Injury....

In English this year Jordan wrote a persuasive paper on Marching Band and is it a Sport?  He compared it to other sports and found it does meet the definition.  And actually= much harder as it requires musically ability and 100% team effort every second on top of the Physical Stamina.

On Saturday Jordan came home in pain... saying he had pulled his groin muscle (the abductor).   He went to practice the next day... suffering through with pain reliever and Icy Hot.   Today...  4 days after the injury I took him to the doctor as it is very swollen and bruised.   It is a very torn muscle, very common in athletes.  More proof... it qualifies as a sport.   It is a bit perplexing as he needs to rest... and there is no rest for a Corp member.   His 9-9 days are killing him!  And this is just the beginning.

He made the point that his instrument weighs about 30 lbs.  Added strain on his growing body.   When he came home with this monster months ago I asked if it could be any bigger.  He said this was just the medium size.

Here is the giant size.... Whoa!  

So our athlete is out with an injury.  He will be standing in place and playing for a bit,  I guess.  We just wish for a speedy recovery.

Happy Anniversary Duane and Shana!

Dear Duane and Shana,

You are celebrating 14 years of marriage.  So very proud, thrilled at where your path has taken you.  I loved spending time with you and your beautiful family during the 4th last year.  I love how you just did it... came and spent the time with us and then attended Brianne's Baptism.  You made it happen even though it was a quick trip and was not easy, being that Duane has to work and your kids have busy summer schedules.  I look at you and think... if they could do that with 4 kids and a baby... anything is possible.

Going to miss Your Family,  Marlo's Family, and our annual trip to Solvang this year.  The changing of the tides as my teenager embarks on his own adventures.   But then it just makes the time you took last year to spend with us all the more precious.

Last year I wrote up memories I had of your wedding day and the good ole' ranch dressing.  It is here. 

Love you two.  Wish I could see more of you.  We do have to make arrangements for a visit and it would be great if it was down your way.   I may have to take a page from your book and do it! 

                                                                                  Much Love,  Karalene

Happy Birthday Rachel!

Dear Rachel,

Sweet, Beautiful Rachel. Last year I did a little bitty write up about you here.   That was before I wrote more lengthy Birthday blogs.  

So this past year, I have had the honor to see you a few times.   And best of all I get to keep track of you by following your very own blog and even more fun you are my Facebook friend. How great is that?!  Technology is really wonderful.

You came out to my side of the country in April with your mom, grandpa and grandma, brothers and sister.   We communicated by Facebook and made arrangements to meet up at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom.  It was a fun, warm day.   I remember that day as one of the first warm days we had.  Did you know it has been quite chilly here lately? 

We started with lunch, because that is when I finally caught up with ya as I happen to write your Aunt's cell number down wrong.  That would of been so sad if your Dad was not able to get my cell number.   Then we went on some rides.  You were so very kind to buddy up with Chance since Cameron was not feeling well.  You made Chance's day.   

A couple of things I learned about your that day.  You like to sing and you knew the words to the popular rock songs they were playing.  When we took pictures... you did the cool sideways peace sign... I do not know what that is.  You will have to tell me as I am OLD.  

I also saw you this year at Brenda's baby shower.  That was a fun, grown up event and I loved having the nieces there.   I did visit your home, but you and Cameron were off having a slumber party.  

You turned 12!  Wow.  I saw your slumber party birthday pictures and all the pampering you had.  Cucumbers on the eyes, I have always wanted to try that.  Did it work? 

Well Rachel, I will be seeing you around... via the internet.   Happy Birthday Sweetie... (of course I already wished you that on the FB (; )  I love you.

                                                                                  Love Aunt Karalene

A Walk through my Garden.

Table Conversation 

 

Me:  "How was your lunch today?"

Jordan: "I hated the sandwich... was it the bread, the peanut butter or the yucky jam, I don't know but I did not like it."

Chance:  "It was okay, Mom"  

Me:  "Well, that was the jam we use for the Apricot Chicken, we are all out of the Freezer Strawberry Jam.  I need someone to go pick the strawberries so we can make some more."

Chance raises his hand.

Scott:  "Actually we need someone to do some weeding."

Me:  "He would not know what are weeds.... *cough*  do you?"

Scott nods with understanding and he points out to the yard and calls these weeds.

Not weeds.... this is my Wildflower patch.  Babies Breath and Poppies are there.  

I then took the camera around documenting the flowers I have that are not weeds.  Do not know what he grew up with, but just because something comes up year after year without you actually planting it.... does not mean it is a weed.   Those are Perennials! 

These are my Perennials that are in bloom.  Minus the Alysum. 

I have known at one time all the names of my plants...  maybe Jared will help me out.

A vine that smells delicous.  Is it jasmine?  It reminds of orange blossoms.

Oleander grows among the freeways of California because of its beauty and survival without much water.  

I have red oleanders on my side of the fence.  And the pink is from my neighbors side of the fence.  It is very poisonous... every part.  Unfortunately Pooh Bear has never had a hankering for it.  

The little violas I planted many years ago.   It is growing among the oxalis.  Oxalis... a weed that comes up year after year.  Note: a very obnoxious weed with popping seeds... you can see them in the green of the viola.   This would be an area that needs some weeding.   Purple flowers good, what is below it, bad.   But do not pull the Primroses that are also there.... the nice broad leafy plant-- not blooming right now.  

 And be careful of the baby starts of violas and primroses.  It takes a careful eye.  On second thought, I'll weed it myself.

Pansies.  They love it here and stay all year round.  The snails find them yummy too.

Oh... can't remember the name.   But does not need much water.  It grows in a place..... that does not get any water!  How is that for filling in those awkward places.

Forgot name.  A bulb.  Very easy, nice growers.  

Agapanthus  or Lily of the Nile, African Lily

Not in bloom yet.  But I will take a picture of them when they do!  They have Rhizomes and I do much transplanting.  But I only have so much space.  I have thrown some in the trash... such a waste.  Do love this plant for its beauty year round and ease of growing/transplanting.

This is a flaming something or another-- ahh.... I remember-- Red Poker.   Love these, so tropical feeling.  Also have transplanted them around the yard.

4 o'clocks.  Basically a weed I decided.  They look good now... but come the end of July I will be trimming them back.  They have to be kept in a confined spot because they seed like crazy and grow anywhere.  This is from a seed packet I used about 8 years ago.  It was a multi-color packet, but mostly yellow keeps propagating.  Not much red or any other color left.

My midnight purple Clematis.  A vine.  I need to give it more "vine stuff" to grow.

This is also the color of my shutters, Dark purple it is almost black... but not.

And then I have lots of Roses.  Pictured all but 4 that do not have good blooms.

Prize winning Red Rose. 

 Unfortunately I have not loved my roses much the last few years...  they are showing it.

And I have yet to get buy my impatiens for my hanging baskets and shady areas.  Also, no tomatoes.  

I am a bit behind.  But then... do I care.

Probably not too much.

A Sign that the End is NEAR.

The END of the School Year that is!

A Fresh, Crisp Yearbook.

Remembering the day this picture was taken.  

He had been in Band Camp for almost a week and he took a break to get registered.  Their pictures are taken before school starts... for the yearbook and activity card.

  He is sporting a bit of the sun... our Puerto Rican boy.   

Do you see his sunglasses and hat line?

Scott saw the book and wanted to know how much it cost.  Alot, alot... it was a big ticket item for back to school fees.   I price I debated spending.

The book is sporting 428 color pages.   I remember my Yearbook days.  We could only afford so many color pages.  Had to go procure ads in Cortez and our local businesses-- you had to have hard sales skills to be on the Yearbook staff.   Jordan's yearbook has Senior Ads.  Senior parents pay to put a 1/4 Ad with a write up and picture of their beloved.  It is a great fundraising idea.  I did that for Jordan his last year in Middle School.  It is very nice.

Somewhere in that sea of purple is Jordan.

And those are his 2 pictures in the book.

....So do not go looking for him in these pages.

From Marching on Football Fields

To the London Streets

Sweet Pages... However, we are glad we have many other memories of his year.  One of which is a DVD complied of events of the year... including London.

Yes, it is wrapping up.  

2  and 1/2 days of B Corp this weekend.

Then Finals next week.

Thankfully Seminary is done... and he passed.  Whew,  but we have much more to go and the kid is sooooooo exhausted!

When the NEW is better then the OLD.

Saw this last night with a friend.   We found it to be quite humerous at times.  Although those around us did not... they were so serious.

The highlight was NEW Cap. Kirk.   Actually liked him much better then old. 

I can handle that kind of change.

Picture Day... it is a Crapshoot

I love it when you send your child to school, forgetting it is Spring Picture day, and you get this lovely picture back.  Could not have planned it better.  Nice when the planets all line up.

Chance, Spring 2009,  3rd Grade.

Or you leave town as my sister did when we went to Utah back in March.  Your son cuts a chunk from his hair and this is what you get back from Spring Picture Day.  

 It then becomes a priceless memory.   

 Easton, Spring 2009,  1st grade.

By the way,  Chance does that all the time to his hair when a piece is sticking up... he thinks it is a good solution to the problem of bed head. 

Jordan has a great picture of his Kindergarten year, he had fallen face first the day before.  He is sporting a very large scab over most of his nose.  It reminds me that a friend was watching him as I was working and he tripped on the way to her house.  Yes, a priceless memory.  (PS-- I will find it and add it here when I get time)

The tall boy rules.

Playing a bit of catch up... During the month of Jan, Feb, and March Chance played basketball.

  He found his height was a great advantage.  

He was a rebounding machine.

The day this picture was taken, I was out of town.  I left his clothes out, with instructions that he needed to wear a white shirt underneath.

Note: the white shirt was in that pile.

We wanted the kids to look "uniform" for the team picture.

All I can say... at least he did not wear red.   Thankfully it is not noticeable.   

And yes, Chance is really THAT TALL.

Chance found he could just stretch out his arms and get the rebound.  He would hold the ball high until he could pass it to a team mate.  It was quite the sight to see.  Other kids would try and get it from him... jumping and stretching, but they could not reach it.  Unfortunately I never got any pictures of that.   He was a great assist man.  He would get the rebound, pass it out to his teammate,  he would shoot... Chance would get the rebound and repeat.  One time it happened 3 times in a row until the basket was made.  It totally threw the competition off as most kids that age... just hog the ball.  They never expected him to PASS it.

Getting in position for the ball.   

This is blurry... but very significant.  It was the last game of the season and finally Chance put his own rebound back up for a basket.  He MADE it.  Very exciting it was!  This is after the shot and he his heading back down the court.

And I was treated to this great trophy from the team for being a coach.  

Very nice, very sweet.