Happy 100th!

Gas…$100
Food…$200
Flight…$300
Being there to celebrate Tam’s 100th birthday….PRICELESS!!

This past weekend I flew to Wichita, Kansas where I met my mom and 2 sisters, who were driving from Joplin, Missouri. Our destination was Larned, Kansas, a small town in middle-western Kansas. We were going there to celebrate our dad’s cousin’s 100th birthday.

During our childhood, Tam was more like an aunt to us. It was her mother, Pearl, who raised our dad when both of his parents had passed away by the time he was 11 years old. Tam’s late son Dick was like a brother to Dad since they grew up together. So Tam and her husband Verlin of 69 years (who is 96 years old) were involved in our lives when we were young, as was their son’s family. While technically more distant cousins, Dick’s children, Holly and Mark, were as close to us as any of our first cousins.

So this celebration included all of these relatives that I hadn’t seen for 20 or more years. But the connection was still there. Several hours were spent reminiscing about trips to Kansas for Christmas or summer vacation, and the many times they all came to see us in Joplin. Precious memories were taken out of our minds and relived. Our cousin Mark, who I hung out with reading comic books, riding mini bikes, and playing piano all those years ago, had a remarkable memory for the details of our times together.

Tam was nothing short of amazing. Her mind is still sharp as she recalled things that happened when she was as young as 4 – that’s 96 years ago! Our last night there, we bombarded her with questions as we tried to sort out the tragic, yet interesting childhood our dad had experienced. Since my dad is gone, it is incredible to have someone, who knew him as a child, fill in the holes that were left in his history when he passed away.

Our “girls” trip through the small towns of Kansas was amusing. Miles and miles without another car in sight…yet roadkill every few hundred feet. I haven’t seen that many different kinds of animals in years – a deer, a raccoon, several skunks, a porcupine, and who knows what else I couldn’t identify. The scenery was a little disappointing as I was hoping for lots of fall colors. Most of the trees were green, whether from timing or type. We saw more turned trees in Wichita than anywhere else, so at least I got to see a little of the fall colors that are missing in Arizona at this time of year.

It’s times like these that I wished there were 2 of me, or that I lived closer to my childhood home. While I love having the opportunity to see my extended family, I always dread and hate leaving my husband and sons. Plus, I’m a terrible traveler and flying almost always makes me sick at some point. Guess I just need to keep hoping for that ability to teleport. In the meantime, my trips will have to be few and far between, but hopefully as memorable as this one.

Corona del Sol on 9/11

I'm so proud of how our high school commemorated 9/11 this year. The day started out with the football team meeting at the school flagpole at 7am for a ceremony. Unfortunately, Grant did not tell me this would be televised. :/ So I didn't see it.

For the Varsity game that night, Mike Pollak of the Indianapolis Colts, who played football at this school, donated camouflage jerseys to the team. How cool is that!! So the school ran with that and other companies/parents got together and donated the money to have camouflage t-shirts and hats made to sell to the entire school. Since the jerseys will only be worn once, the parents had the option to buy their son's jersey. Which we did. All proceeds from the sale of the jerseys, t-shirts, and hats go to The Wounded Warrior Project which helps the most severely injured US soldiers. A great cause!

The game started out, of course, with the National Anthem and the team standing at the end of the field holding an American Flag. That's Grant, second from the left. After the song was over, the team took off running, with the flag holder in front! It was an awesome sight! But of course, my photo came out blurry so I didn't capture it (it is incredibly difficult to get action shots with the field lighting).

Not only did the players have camouflage jerseys, but the coaches had shirts:

And the cheerleaders and pommies had shirts (cheerleader shirts had gold glitter letters and pommies shirts had white glittery letters)

And many in the crowd had camo shirts too! (sorry, no crowd shot)

In the end, we lost the game, which was tough since it was such a special night. I caught Grant on his way to the locker room (he's number 4). He can't wait to get his jersey (the school is washing them) and hang it up on the wall in his room!

A Month of School and Doctors

I thought I was going to be so much better at keeping up my blog since I went to all the trouble to move it from Typepad. But Facebook is making me ignore it. Oops.

So school started a month ago. Since then we've had doctor visits galore. Wyatt started out the first day of school with a wicked cough. His asthma always makes everything worse, so after 4 days of school and football practice he was barely hanging on. "Mom, my ear hurts" - oh great...so into the doctor the first Friday of the school year - ear and sinus infections, plus not getting 100% oxygen. Yikes - and he's been practicing football in 110 degree weather! By Monday, he was not better, so back to the doctor we go. More antibiotics and steroids for his breathing. Finally by Thursday he was back at practice again.

Just in time for....Grant to get a groin injury. So into the sports medicine doc, then leaving with instructions to hold back on football practice so it doesn't get worse. That works for about one day and he is back full time. Still icing it and it's been a couple of weeks. In the meantime, last week we are at the regular doctor...infected ingrown toenail. OUCH!! On antibiotics, but if it doesn't get better, he will need surgery.

Fortunately through all of this, neither of them missed a full day of school, just a few periods for doctor visits.

Kent and Kurt have already had colds and coughs, but nothing to keep them out of school. Those germs in school just seem to find their way!

Here's to hoping the worst is over for the next few months!

Denver, Colorado

For summer vacation, we took a quick trip to Denver to visit Greg's sister Marlys. Despite the long drive, it was a great trip! Marlys and Ed live in downtown Denver and we loved being able to walk anywhere downtown. Free buses run up and down the main corridor so you just hop on and off whenever you want.


The first day we went to the Denver Aquarium, which Kent and Kurt especially loved.

We also took a drive up to Winter Park to do their summer activities - a 3000 foot long alpine slide, plus a ski lift to the very top of the mountain, and a few other activities. It was nice and cool and we thoroughly enjoyed doing something fresh and new.




We were very close to some of the professional sports complexes too.


Vacation was over too fast though, and soon we were back on the road...leaving the cool mountains for the hot desert.

Football Camp #2

Grant left today for football camp. They go up north about 3 hours to a small town called Snowflake. It's much cooler up there for their 4 practices a day schedule. Grant really dreads going. It's a lot of hard work, plus the food is terrible. And that's not just according to Grant.

So yesterday we went shopping for food he can take along. All the boys take quite a bit of food with them because they get hungry between practices and no snacks are provided. He takes 2 duffle bags - one is entirely full of food and Gatorade:

I am very detailed when it comes to packing for camp. The first year he went, I made a list of everything I packed. This year, his friends were asking for the list. :) I just tried to think of every little thing he would need while he was there, because they have no access to a store of any kind. So I work off the small list the coaches provide, my list, then I also make a list of what is in which bag. Since I'm doing the packing, Grant would never find anything if I didn't specifically tell him. Yes, he is spoiled!

Last year when he was gone, we redecorated his room. This year, nothing is planned, and he will be lucky if I even have a chance to clean it! This is his last year, so I hope he at least enjoys being with his friends. :)

Another era comes to a close...

A significant part of the beginning years of my relationship with Greg took place at his parents' house. Even before we were married, we spent Sundays and all holidays at their house along with his sisters and brothers and their families. We'd swim and grill in summer; and watch football and cook in the winter. After we were married, it didn't change much and definitely after we had children, it didn't change. In fact, since I started telecommuting after I had Grant, Grandma and Grandpa watched him on Thursdays when I had to go into the office. Likewise when Wyatt came along. Many, many memories developed during those years.

When Grandpa passed away, things changed, and that era came to an end. We no longer went over there all that much. Instead, Grandma came to our house and we spent holidays here or at Greg's sister's house. They were still family gatherings, but of a different kind.

Then Grandma moved to assisted living and the house stood empty for a little over a year. Greg took charge of getting it fixed up to sell. Before it sold, however, Grandma passed away. At that time Greg's oldest sister bought the house and it stayed in the family. During the last few years, we didn't spend much time there.

Fast forward to the present and the house is being sold. Today we spent all day helping them move. I wandered the house...feeling all those memories flooding back. It was weird. And sad, too. I took advantage of today and took some pics of my boys, and 2 nephews - all Larsons - on the infamous 50 year old loooooooooong sofa (that remained in the house when my SIL bought it), and on the Brady-Bunch stairs.

The final era is over...

Football Camp #1

Wyatt started Freshman Football Camp this week. It's 2 hours a night, which wouldn't be such a big deal, if it wasn't so hot out! When I took him over to the high school it was 111 degrees outside. At least for now they are just in t-shirts and shorts!


Wyatt is so different from Grant, who is so quiet about everything. Wyatt comes home from practice full of news and wants to tell us every little thing that happened. I hope that continues as he gets older!


Last night, Mike Pollak of the Indianapolis Colts came to talk to the freshmen. He's an alum of their high school, and Grant had his mom as a math teacher in 8th grade. Mike had already talked to the Varsity team a few days ago. Grant said he answered lots of questions about being on the same team as Peyton Manning!


Wyatt...in his very first Corona Football shirt.

Summertime!

Summer is more than halfway over! The boys have 4 weeks left before school starts again. Why does it have to go so fast? We've had Roanna and her family visiting, summer school for Wyatt (PE!), football practice for Grant, weight room for both Grant and Wyatt, Grandma visiting, and now we are down to football camps.

Kent and Kurt are still around, but they took the summer off from activities. They've spent a lot of time in the pool and hanging out with friends. In fact, we've had a revolving door for friends for all of the boys!

School will be here before we know it...maybe I'll be ready by that time to have the boys out of the house. But for now...I'm enjoying having them home and wish summer was longer...

End of the Season baseball video

It's been a long season for Kent and Kurt - they ended up coming in 6th in the regular season, but 2nd in the playoffs!

The Art Pot

This year at Kent and Kurt's elementary school, we are doing an Art Pot fundraiser. Each class in the school has to decorate some kind of pot and then it will be raffled off at the spring social in April.

I volunteered to head up Kent and Kurt's class' pot and chose to do a recycled/found object art piece with a garden theme. Their class is known as the Broncos because their teacher rides horses. So we decided to call it Broncos' Good Luck Garden with additions of old rusted horseshoes.

It started off as a galvanized bucket purchased at Lowe's. Then I added metal painted various shades of green to act as stems, grass, greenery, etc. Kurt and I then created lots of various pieces and took all of it into the classroom. The kids then all decorated and painted the flowers and insects in any way they wanted, and glued them onto the stems. I told them we were going for a worn, rusted look, and that the painting could be as messy as they wanted. They did SUCH a great job! I never would have come up with the designs they did. The result was a wonderful, whimsical, colorful (and heavy!) pot in which the winner of it can plant something or use it indoors as a basket.

When we were all done, I had the students all sign their names on the bottom of the bucket...as artists always sign their work!