....A bit of good news....

Oliver and Braden go to Borah High School, in Boise Id.  As most know William E. Borah  was a senator of Idaho also know as "the Lion of Idaho".  So the mascot is a lion.  Well once again Borah High School is in the top 6% of all high schools nation wide.  During the year the teachers nominate students for what the call "Senator's Choice Awards".  400 students were nominated, and then they pick 40 out of the 400 to receive the award.  Well a couple of weeks ago we got a call from the school, (Trevor and I, they first call the house phone and I couldn't answer it, so they call Trevor's cell phone) .  We needed to show up today for the award ceremony, because Oliver was receiving one.  It was Trevor's job to make sure we had the car today so Edward could come with us.  Well that didn't happen.....We ended up taking Edward (unrestrained) to a neighbor close by, and she watched him. Sorry about the pictures....Yes I had the camera.  I didn't check the settings or anything because I thought Trevor had done that already, because when he handed me the camera he told me the battery was really low, so I didn't even turn it on until they announced his name.  Just before the program started I got a text message from Sarah saying they were OK and would call me as they got closer to Nashville.  I sat there thinking about how lucky we were that we could meet together like this.  Our lives are moving on.  WE have power, WE have warm showers, WE have schools to go to, WE have open road to get there.  During the presentation the recognized different groups, and sporting teams who had done well, and they also mentioned some of the scholarships that were won.  The honored some teachers who were retiring, and a coach. As the program started they had the Boise City Police Drum and Pipes group usher in the flags, carried by the JROTC.  Braden was there all decked out and looking nice carrying in the Idaho State Flag! Braden has done several of these (color guard) things, but made sure this was by far the biggest group of people he has done this for.   I wanted to get a picture but they (Oliver and Braden) didn't know we were there. They did ask all 400 of the kids who were nominated to dress nice for the day to make sure they looked the part.  Toward the end of the assembly Sarah did call.  I left early and went to talk to her.  As she described what they had been through, I was so thankful they were well and ALIVE!  She talked about some of the debris found in her yard, I will call it tokens of shattered lives....shopping lists, small toys, game pieces,  day planner pages etc.....  How blessed I feel, and thankful I was able to be apart of this fun assembly to recognize students who will always be remembered in Borah High school!

Walking down out of the crowd

Display as they were reading what the teacher said about him

After receiving the award

Too Many Questions??????

Doesn't he make an Oreo look good?

How do you eat an Oreo and get all over your face like that?

Well I didn't see it happen, after I helped him dip is Oreo in milk, I turned around.  However Adrienne said she sat there shaking his head like that while he was eating his Oreo!  Good Times!

18 years of Ollie.....Yup worth celabrating!

In one year Oliver will be going on a mission.  He is taking a missionary prep class.  This day Trevor went down and moved the car to see what would happen.  It was funny because he moved it to where they had parked the prior week, so it didn't take them long to find it, just made them (he and Paul) think....What the, dang this is weird!  He will make an awesome missionary!

He got everything finished and signed, and now he is tracking down some letters of recommendation.  Then he will need to get together a board for his Eagle Board of Review!  Almost there!

So happy happy birthday to my Ollie dear, happy days will come to you all year, if I had a wish then it would be, Happy Happy Birthday to you from ME!!!

My Beautiful Blond Baby Girl

As I was laying down with Edward this after noon, because he is just not taking a good nap today, I closed my eyes for a second to have this memory come flooding back.  I don't know what sparked it, but here it is.

It will have been fourteen years ago on August 2nd.  I was riding in the helicopter headed for Primary Children's Hospital.  Not know what to expect, I sat there looking down at my beautiful little girl.  She lay there with her eyes closed, not breathing on her own. I look at her golden blond curls, and wonder if I will ever get to do her hair again.  She looks like a little china doll with her eyes closed, but this day her head was a little miss shaped, with some bruising. I don't think I have ever felt more alone, as we fly over the green hills, and mountains below dotted with many mountain lakes and ponds.  I had put a little braid in her hair that morning, her hair was finally long enough.  I ask the flight medic if I can take her braid out.  Trying to be strong, because that is the only way I was allowed to ride with her to the hospital. I take the little rubber band holding the braid together, and let the braid fall loose in my hands, and the golden locks fall between my fingers just praying this is not the last time I get to hold her hair in my hands.  The 45 minute trek is over, we are at the hospital.  What a relief it was to get off the elevator and see my 2 wonderful sisters there, and one amazing brother-in-law.  I will be forever thankful for you and sacrificing your time so you could be there for my beautiful blond baby girl so she wouldn't be alone, not knowing if I would be able to ride with her or not.

I can still feel her hair between my fingers, and every time since when I have been able to to her hair.  It has been 20 year since I first found out I was pregnant with her.  I don't remember if I always knew that little baby was going to be a girl, but in my heart I want to believe I did.  What a blessing she is to me and Trevor, and we treasure every minute of everyday we get to spend with her.  I know with every passing day she is getting one day closer to getting married and starting a family of her own.  I think secretly I hope it is still 3-4 years out and she will still want to stay here at home, but one of these days she will be gone from our home and living on her own.  I only hope I have taught her what she needs.

Adrienne is Home!

Edward is supper happy that Adrienne is home.  When she was gone he kept going down the hall knocking on her door and on the bathroom door, yelling "Adean"!  He was so happy to see her this morning.  Then she left to go to school, and he just sat in the hall wondering where she went.  He was super excited to see her this afternoon when she got home.  He wouldn't let her put him down, and he just kept playing with her. He sure loves his big sister.  Just a side note...He loves his brothers too, and is excited when they get home also.