Aaron & Janice

Okay, here's my dress that I said I would post a few weeks ago. And I don't feel like writing much, so maybe I'll write and post more pics later...

Meet Tilmann: All American Boy Super Hero!
Opportunity to dress up as a super hero day came this week at the elementary school....and Drey got working on Tilmann's costume. Drey is taking 'teen living' at school, which has been advancing his sewing skills. He did a fabulous job on making the mask, take note the blue around the ear, it has holes so he can hear, and the blue shape around his eye isn't marker, it's thin blue fabric which he sewed on. He also made his cape, the rest of the outfit was chosen by Tilmann. He loved it! Tearsa took these photos which were just too fun!

All American Boy can Leap Tall Fences in a single bound! Run Faster than a Speeding Bull!

Keep Peace and Justice in a single corral. That's my boy, my All American Boy!

On Saturday Night, we had two wedding receptions to attend...but the children didn't want to go with us. When we got into the car to come home, Aaron notices his cell phone has 9 phone calls from home, we knew there was trouble. We called home and talked with Tearsa. The boys had been out on the trampoline jumping, and Taft had fallen, hitting the frame and broken off teeth. (I had heard it was 4 teeth, and thankfully it was only 2, the top front teeth) I felt so bad that we weren't there to help deal with it, or nearby on the phone...knots just form in my stomach. Aaron calls our dentist & faithful friend, who we just saw at the reception, and asks what to do. If the tooth is broken off to the point that the nerve is exposed, then he needs to work on it now, not later. So he calls Tearsa, and asks her questions. We finally arrive home, and call the dentist again. Taft is in pain, but is also tired. I was thankful that we had Sunday to rest. We arrived at Dr. James P. Hughes office at 7:30 Monday morning for repairs.

Things were easier than I expected, he was able to add some composits to the teeth, instead of capping them. His teeth look just fine, one wouldn't ever notice that something had even happened to them. Tearsa of course on Sunday decided to torment her brother and go around talking like she had a lisp....so he wouldn't let her take a photo of his teeth. I took these at the dentist office, and you can kind of see that they are broken...but if nothing else, you can feel for Taft. Drey by the way was able to show me the dents his teeth made on the trampoline bar, he also collected the broken teeth parts. If you are ruling out trampolines, I think it would be smart to point out that 'good judgment' is useful. These boys were dressed up in coveralls which they had stuffed with pillows and blankets, so they could be fat. They bounce around like this and think its funny, but it's harder to deal with reflexes, thus the injury.

Sometimes pictures just 'appear' on my camera....at least it is digital instead of film! By the way this is Tavin, acting goofy. I thought I'd add my remarks with his photo.

The insurance company has made a claim on our van. Tearsa had a car in the parking lot at school hit the van, doing damage on the door & side panel. (see blog of 2 weeks ago for car photo). It's nice when it isn't your fault, but it would be nice if the insurance people showed some compassion. The damages (and with used parts at that!) came to over $3000.00. That was a surprise....but a bigger surprise was how much they decided our 12 year old always reliable van was worth....$1500.00.

I am not sure why they feel we can replace our car for $1500.00, but I am sure that isn't their concern. They did give us a choice, we can keep the van, and get paid $1000.00 or we can give it up and they would pay us $1500.00. We of course are keeping the car, since we need a car. Aaron tells me things like "look, it's like buying the car for $500". But I see it as, "it will cost you $3000.00 to fix, but we will pay you $1000, and you should be happy". I'm sure the car won't always be reliable, it is getting older, but until then, it is reliable, and dented....but it is ours.

Yesterday, around 9:30, a person called Filer with bomb threats. We had to leave the school, go to the fairgrounds, and stay in an empty building for a few hours. Well, the high school did. The middle, elementary, and Hollister elementary evacuated to various other places. After a while we could leave if our parents came and got us, after a little more while we could drive home if we had our keys with us (they wouldn't let us in the school), and after a lot more while they bused the remaining kids home. I had my keys with me, so Drey and I were able to go home around noon. The road was blocked off so we couldn't get Taft, and he had to ride the bus. It was a bus driver who made the threatening calls. I don't know for sure (rumors at school today), but I guess the guy actually helped bus kids home after the bomb threat. Isn't that sick? It made the front page of today's newspaper. If you would like to read it, click here.

Tavin decided it would be 'really cool' to go out and mow the snow. He was thinking he would have lots of white snow blowing out the side of the mower. That did sort of happen, but most of it became a snow/grass clipping ice block under the mower. Last night the snow was coming down, and the wind was blowing so hard, that it wasn't anything like spring. The power even went off a few times! Notice the fact that Tavin is adorned in ski goggles- that is because of the wind & the snow, not for equipment safety! Tilmann too is in ski goggles, due to fast flying snowflakes. Our concern with this weather is the blossoms on the cherry & plum trees. Tilmann is holding a branch of a cherry tree, notice how the flowers are plastered in snow? More snow came during the night and it was 27 degrees when we woke up. Last year we had no fruit....we are crossing our fingers but, it isn't looking too promising for these trees, yet there is still a chance for the apples, they haven't bloomed yet.

For Spring Break, Drey, Taft and finally adding Tavin- went skiing with their cousin Carrie. A perfect day, it had snowed 4 inches the night before. These photographs were taken by their cousin Carrie. This is Taft coming down the hill.

Drey tried snowboarding, and quickly learned its a lot harder than it looks!

Tavin on his first ski trip that isn't involving the school. He had the challenge of having skis too long...since it was all that was left, we'll have to keep an eye out for another pair during the off-season. He also had a swollen finger from a bee sting the day before, the cold made it more swollen.

Here is a photo from church today of Aaron's three favorite women....his mother, Elsie, his daughter, Tearsa & his wife Janice.

Say "Welcome" to our New Neighbor! Pat & Vicki were married yesterday in the Boise Temple....reception next Saturday. Pat lives a couple miles away, and we are so happy to add Vicki to be the farmers wife.

On Tuesday my (parents') car was hit in the school parking lot. It really wasn't my fault and it made the rest of my school day not very happy. The dent may not look substantial, but the fixing costs are.
Other things about me that I haven't posted yet:

1. I am going to the American Legion Auxiliary Girls State in June.
2. I need a formal dress for Girls State, and so I got one at Deseret Industries.
3. Despite what you may be thinking, it is a beautiful dress.
4. My Grandma Elsie is helping me make a bolero so the dress will be modest.
5. When we get that done, I'll take pictures and post them so everyone will see that it really is beautiful.
6. I took the ACT for the third time today.
   
7. The ACT is not fun to take.
8. I really don't want to take it again, so I hope I scored high enough.
9. For me, scoring high enough doesn't mean a 28 or something like that. More like a 33.
10. I tagged along with Emily today, prom dress-shopping (for her).
11. I tried on a $400 dress.
12. Okay, I think that is enough about me. Have a good weekend.

Tavin & Tilmann went on a field trip, with their school at the Herrett Center & Planetarium, on the campus of our junior collage. I met up with them and had a wonderful time! I love this wall, with the Aztec design, it even 'feels' right. Tavin & Tilmann in front of a fossil bug thing, not real, but it made an interesting photo.

Hand's on action of learning how earlier drills were made & used. Tilmann with friend Kyle.

This is in the Conference Center, with room for thousands of people. I love the shapes of the ceiling. The session we had tickets for was the Saturday Afternoon. Which wasn't the best session in the conference center, since the people who we came to see up close, and who were to speak, were in the tabernacle, which was dedicated at this time. But we were together as a family, (we all spent the night in one room of the motel) and it was a beautiful sunny weekend.

These are the shots that nobody sees- it's Tearsa who is the photographer, so if I was to get a photo of the 5 children, well here it is.

Here are some pictures from Conference at SLC Saturday and Sunday. I don't feel like writing much, so here are some pictures. Janice will probably write about it in a later post...