We love the rain but not on graduation day!

For the first time, I was told in twenty years, there has been rain in the Valley on Graduation. I sat in an assembly with the prinicipal talking to stafff and saying how he didn't want to put the ceremony indoors. All Seniors begged to still have it outdoors. He said he will do an all call at 5:00pm. Well, he didn't get his way and Mesa District told all to move indoors. Dobson had to split their graduation in two, A-M in gym, and L-Z in auditorium. All seniors could only give three tickets to families to attend. What about grandma and grandpa who may have come from across the country to see their grandson or what about kids with two sets of parents? They were all out-of-luck!
How does this night affect me? I don't have a senior, but Matthew and I help unload and stock 1,800 water bottles, in the hot heat, to sell at the football stadium for the event . We were permitted to sell water to guests in the gym before the ceremony and did make money for the football team. Matthew and Anthony, another player, made many runs from the soaking wet rain getting tables, carts, towels to bring into the foyer of the gym. Matthew and Anthony, trayed bottles in the gym before the ceremony and did really well. When the ceremony started, I tried to reason with the security when parents who didn't have a ticket to see their son, couldn't get into the ceremony. The security wouldn't budge. I later watch the news and felt better learning that Red Mountain only let two guests into the ceremony. Parents were mad.
In spite of the weather, it was fun seeing all the seniors we know, a kid from our ward and many football players, whose last names are A-M. And we did make some money. This will be a graduation that I and many others will never forget .

Matthew's 16!!!

He got his license

His Seminary class enjoyed cookies and sang to him

He ate his favorite breakfast-Machaca burrito from Filabertos

I surprised him by baking 80 cupcakes and having kool-aid after his football practice for all of his teammates. He was surprised!

I can't belive it he is 16! I remember when I was pregnant. was in college, in my senior year, pregnant and had to take it easy, because he was going to come too soon. I had to take my finals early, and hope that I would not deliver before he was 34 weeks. My water broke and he came at 36 weeks. His liver was not as developed and he had severe Jaundice. He stay in the hospital, underweight, but improving. He was a thin little baby and cute blonde boy. Time went on and he was always accomplishing something. I remember when David use to travel and was gone over Sunday. Matthew didn't know how to tie his tie for church. He got his scout book out and after about an hour he figured it out. From playing baseball, trying basketball, playing in band, taking piano lessons, volleyball, and now his love is football, he's done a lot in 16 years. He gets good grades, earned his eagle and now driving! Wow, do I feel old! Happy 16th, Matthew.

"From Here to Maternity-Oh How We Change"

Jeremy is my fifth child. However, this picture reminded me of a story I put in my third child's book (Zachary) on how we change with more children. My first child, Matthew would have been in a the grocery cart seat-belt. With Jeremy, my last child, I'm glad we have good insurance.

"a column I wrote on how mothers age and each child prompted a reader from Dallas to pass this chart, written by dr. P.E. Luecke Jr. and should hang on every pediatrician's office wall nationwide:

Birthdays - First baby: Tues., Jan. 26, 1956, 7:34 a.m. Second baby: July 28, daytime. Third baby: the year the grocery store burned down.

Named after-First baby: grandmother and paternal aunt for political reasons. Second baby: Daddy. Third baby: Daddy's boss. Godparents- first baby: Bernard Ryan and Joy Smith, Second baby: Martha Dunn and either Uncle Fred or Fred the barber. Third baby: relatives.

Formula -First baby: fortified prepared infant formula. Second baby: heated cow's mild poured from a carton. Third baby:cold milk, cokes and kool-aid. Bottles- First baby: boiled 10 minutes, removed with tongs and rubber gloves. Second baby: boiled five minutes, removed with beer-can opener. Third baby: rinsed in cold water, dried on apron. Handling- First baby: right hand behind head, left under knee, clutch baby close to body. Second baby: Place hands under armpits and lift. Third baby: one arm around stomach. Length and weight at 1 year - First baby: 15 pounds, 14 1/2 ounces, 26 1/4 inches. Second baby: 16 or 17 pounds, same height as vertical knob on TV set. Third baby: heavier than a bowling ball. Short. Sanitation - First baby: rubber gloves, face mask, scrub floors weekly, mosquito net. Second baby: use air freshener weekly, swat all flies. Third baby: keep the dog out of playpen. Baby records-First baby: detailed in gold-embossed book. Second baby: written on back of old envelopes. Third baby: Ask Grandma. The good doctor is right. As the challenges keep coming, mothers realize they can't possibly keep pace, or they'll wind up comatose under the kitchen sink. I got to the point where I was feeling sorry for the dog, and when one of the kids kissed him, I washed the dog's mouth out with soap and said " You never know where that mouth has been." It's hard to believe I needlepointed my first child's name onto a pillow. By the time the third child came along I wanted to do that name- but couldn't remember it half the time. "

( article written by Erma Bombeck in AZ Replublic in 1993)

This is her year!

Amanda has had quite the year! She was awarded on Monday night at 'Rhodes Junior High school student recognition & extra Curricular achievement awards' Outstanding Musician for 8th grade band. (It was awesome to see five others from our ward receiving awards, too). She has loved playing her saxophone and has done so much since January. She went to Outdoor Education in Payson for a week, an outdoor camp in the mountains. Then she went with the band, choir and orchestra to Disneyland and competed in the forum festival. She played her saxophone in the pit for the Rhodes Jr. High musical 'Back to the 80's.' She then flew to Washington, D.C., visited Philidephia, and spent two days in New York. And now she ends her school year with an awesome award. I'm proud of her and I know that this is the year she will never forget.

Dobson Ranch 35th Anniversary

After 35 years, It's still a fun place to live. We all had a great time enjoying all of the events at Dobson Ranch Park. There was a magician, booths with games, jousting inflatables, 25 ft. rock wall great music on stage, especially the Rhodes Jazz Band- (Amanda had a rockin' solo) swim team booth, and our Dobson High football booth, food and fireworks to end the night. We even had our Mustang Mascot. Matthew got talked into wearing it for a few hours( he wasn't so excited at first, but then got into it) Several football players helped throw footballs threw the horseshoe, for prizes. Zachary made it half way up the rock wall ( and my camera was out of batteries at the moment). Jeremy liked the snowcones and he loved the fireworks. He kept saying "wow!" The whether was nice and the day was fun.

Pretty and Pink

I love pie and I got a "Fat Sisters cookbook" for Christmas and decided to try making homemade pie crust. Amanda wove the lattice and we all enjoyed it.

My roses are coming back, and I have a huge bush, which amazingly, hasn't died. It has for the last several years bloomed these beautiful pink roses.

I made it

We have a sewing queen our ward. She moved in one year ago and loves to sew. She taught Amanda along with other girls how to make pajamas and is teaching women in our ward how to make rag quilts. The Snoopy fabric was donated to our humanitarian project, and someone knew that Jeremy liked Snoopy. The sewing queen, Carol, had the orange and blue fabric. I spent one day sewing and took the quilt home and cut the edges to have it fray. For those who might be in shock, here it is. This one is for Jeremy. Zachary now wants a leggo quilt. He might have to wait.