Cooperation

Cooperation is our family word of the week-- Chance is passing off Wolf Achievement 10a.

Came across this today on CNN--about a football player who also marches with the band at halftime.  A good look at what "Cooperation" can do. Click here to view video on CNN

To Do List: sew on patches...lots of patches!

Chance had Pack Meeting on the the 16th and Jordan had a Court of Honor on the 24th.   This is where the boys get their awards.  Pack Meeting is for Cub Scouts and the Court of Honor is for Boy Scouts.  

 Scott is awarding Jordan his merit badges he earned at camp Wente.  Jordan also earned a 50 mile patch for the High Adventure backpacking trip to Yosemite.  That trip also cinched up his camping merit badge.   I also expect his Uncle Mike to either call him, email or text him about what is up with the uniform.   Jordan is a fully outfitted scout and this is what he showed up in!!  He is missing his scout pants and merit badge sash!  And this kid loves SCOUTS, so what is up?  I asked him, he was like... "I don't know".    Come on Jordan... need to wear the "uniform".

A bit more on the uniform... In May we had a very large "Little Philmont" with Pres. Dalqhiest, President of the Young Mens for the LDS church.   Uniforms was one of many, many scouting topics talked about.  The boys need to respect and wear the uniform.   They showed a picture of  a young man in his two uniforms,  his boy scout and his priesthood.  The priesthood uniform being the white shirt, tie, and dress slacks.   So... for cub scouts our committee decided we needed to "Up the Bar", the theme of "Little Philmont".  As leaders we needed to be in full uniform-- including the pants. (Can't expect the boys to wear a uniform if the leaders don't)  We then asked the cub scouts to come in full uniform from the waist up and then on pack meetings to wear a nice navy or blue jean pant.    Our Cubmaster then offered to do uniform inspections.   It has been great!  Here's the Wolf Den lined up for uniform inspection-- Chance is at attention, he was missing his Wolf manual.  But he passed on the rest... nails trimmed, hair brushed, shirt tucked in, neckerchief, slide, hat, and belt!

Award time...  Chance earned quite a bit over the summer.  He scored a bunch by going to scout camp and earned some speciality patches by attending our Family Pack Activities during the summer.    In fact, we gave out lots of awards-- $430.00 worth!  We have 27 boys and that was not ALL the awards as the Scout shop had run out.   Our Webelos who attended camp earned 8 activity pins!  We had a very productive summer.

The photos of him earning his Wolf awards with his den leaders handing them out did not turn out well.  The two below are him being awarded by the cubmaster with the Trail Trekker, Leave no Trace, and Outdoors Activity badge.

Scouting... it is a good thing.

What it has done for my boys and family--

backpacking trips with dad

hikes with mom

family home evenings on wolf achievements

leadership

hanging out with friends

doing lots of fun boy stuff-- like BB guns, archery, shot guns

doing even more fun boy stuff-- like camping, making catapults, baking cookies

record keeping on chores, exercise, healthy habits, and money spending

service to God and Country

Happy Birthday Natalie!

Natalie means "Christ's Birthday"

Natalie is the English form of Natalia, which is derived from the Italian "natale," meaning "birthday." The term refers specifically to Christ's birthday - the Italian phrase for "merry Christmas" is "buon natale!", literally "good birthday!"

Natalie's birthday was Sept 17.  Natalie is my niece, the daughter of my brother Kirk and his wife Monica.   She is as quiet and sweet as can be.   As I was searching through my photos for a picture of her,  I just had the urge to want to squeeze her.  What a sweetheart!

These photos are from the Surprise party Brenda threw for me last year, 2007.  Natalie is the blond right in front.

Natalie is on the end holding Jens.

Here she is again-- all the cousins are having a crazy picture.

Happy Birthday Natalie!  Hope you had a special day and wish I could run over and give you a squeeze.   Love, Aunt Karalene

Happy Birthday John!

John is my brother-in-law, married to my sister Brenda, and today is his birthday!  He is a happy go-with-the-flow kind of guy.   He is so good to my parents and calls them Mom and Papa.  When my parents moved from Blanding he helped throw out and pack all of the stuff that had collected through out the years. At my parents new home he helped sort through all the extra that had been brought up from the old home to the new home garage, clearing a way for the cars.  The list goes on...   He also spends many a Sunday evening with my parents, having dinner and playing games.

John has been a blessing to our family and I know he is perfect for Brenda.  And besides, how could you go wrong with a man who has read the Twilight Series!   I joked with him that he has his very own "Bella".   Just look at my sis... he made a sly grin.  Yes, I dialed into exactly why he likes the Twilight Series! 

 

John wake boarding-- Aug. 2008

John with nephew Palmer and daughter Katelyn

Have a great Birthday John!  Thanks for being so good to my family!

Happy Anniversary Jared and Marlo!

Jared and Marlo are celebrating 9 years of marriage today.   Marlo was living with Scott, Jordan and I while she was dating Jared.   Some things I remember... her car broke down a few times and Jared would be her knight in shining armor... him and triple A.   She would work all week at Rainbow Preschool and then travel 2 1/2 hours on the weekend to see Jared.  

When Jared and Marlo announced their engagement I was pregnant with Chance and he kicked me immediately after their announcement.   It was quite startling because it was his first kick and it was sooner in the pregnancy then I expected such movement.  We were all joyful over their engagement... including Chance! 

Jared and Marlo were married in the Oakland Temple.   After the pictures we had a wedding luncheon at the swanky club house where Scott and I lived!   I offered to do the wedding luncheon for Marlo-- our gift to her and Jared.  Scott cooked the marinated teriayki chicken.  I made lots and lots of sour cream potato casserole the day before and had a few friends baking it for me so it would be ready when we got back from the temple.  We had Costco rolls and I can't remember what we had for a salad or dessert.  Do you remember Marlo?  We played a "newlywed" type game.  Each had to answer 10 of the same questions without the other in the room.  It was fun to see how different or close their answers came to each other.   I believe they got most of them right.  

    

Some pictures Before Marriage

Marlo on her birthday... Jared's hand with the watch.  Only proof I have that he was there.  Should of got a picture of the two of the them, huh!

Jared addressing his Wedding Announcements.  Marlo is doing the same on the other side of the table.   Jordan, 6 1/2, and Scott in the background, his leg is in a cast because of a stress fracture from running too much.

After Marriage Picture

Last years Christmas picture.  They just added another boy to their family.

Happy Anniversary Jared and Marlo!   Enjoy your day.

With Love, Karalene-- Scott and boys too!

On the Off Chance....

Definition of Chance #6-  on the off chance acting on the slight possibility:  He told the teacher about his chores on the off chance he could be excused from his unfinished homework!

By Chance...

I have been having a hard time getting my homework done.  In fact, I had to tell my teacher my homework is not getting done because my Mom gives me too many chores!  You heard that right, I do not have any free time after school... it is work , work, work.   Even Saturdays and holidays are ruined by chores!  And my Mom pays me no money, I am just her slave.

Chance's Mom...

Yes, life is surely tough in our home.  Mrs. Martin definitely gave me an ear full a couple of weeks ago... since my sweet child unabashedly told her that his homework is not getting done because of all the chores he has... and then he listed them all.  She said that she would like him to come work at her house.

So a bit about homework... the first couple of weeks we were a little confused over what was due the next day and what was due in a week.  The above had something to do with that-- at least on my end-- I think Chance may of known better hence the "chore" excuse.  

For the fit that Chance throws about his homework you would think that this was his math...

No, it is Jordan's math.

This is Chance's math... thankfully we have overcome this obstacle and he has buckled down and gets it done in about 5 minutes.

Chance's Chores--- 

Here he is replacing the broken handle on the fridge.  Oh and you thought the duct tape was a permanent fix!  Really, I am not that much of a redneck!

This is the one consistent daily job Chance has... unloading the silverware.  Jordan unloads the rest of the dishwasher.  Most often this is done right before school because they are not allowed out of the house without the dishwasher being unloaded.  

Chance tightens the screws on the kitchen chairs.

Chance unloading the dryer after he has started a load of laundry. 

You can't see this, but he is showing me a berry that went through the wash and dried in the dryer.  No doubt something that was in his pockets!

But the truth must be told,  

Chance spends most of his free time...  

playing the Wii.  AND... yes we have rules but they do not include "only on the weekend" crap!  He gets to sandwich his Wii time between his homework.  We do 10 min. of Wii and 10 min. of homework.  And when he sasses me about the 10 min. being shorter on the Wii then his homework 10 min. he gets threatened with no more Wii.   

Folks, that is the only way to light a fire under this kid, you dangle something fun in his face and he will hustle.   Oh... and the, "I have already done 3rd grade, not my work... but you can go to school without it done, I will NOT be signing your organizer and you can suffer the consequences!"  works really well.  Love the teacher, she has consequences for not having the planner signed and it means something to Chance... you loose recess time.

A Plea

Is your Christmas picture here? 

 NO?  

Well then you did not send us a Christmas picture for 2007, however you can redeem yourself for Christmas 2008.   

 Break the work up in to 3 months-- October is the picture, November the cards and/or newsletter and December you stamp and address.  Ta Da.... by Christmas my family should have Christmas Greetings from you and yours-- something we really look forward to.   If it includes a picture, we put it on our board for a year round visual reminder of all those we love.