Planet Grubbs

The Bucklein Bunch: Dear Mr. Road Construction Dude and Friends

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 21:37:00 MDT

Hi, this is your friendly neighbor. The one watching you tear up my road yet again. Yes, I realize it's not technically MY road but I do live here and occasionally, I have need to drive on this road. I just have one favor to ask. CAN I PLEASE HAVE MY ROAD BACK? Ok, I know you're busy. Can you at least not park in the middle of the street? Please? Oh, I know I'm asking a lot but if you tear up a hole in my front yard, will you do me a favor and NOT cut through my sprinkler pipes with a hacksaw. Yeah, that'd be nice. Thanks. I know I'm asking a lot. I know you just have a job to do but when you do construction on ALL SIDES of my street and the adjoining ones ALL SUMMER, how do I get anywhere? Today, I walked. Thanks so much. Have a great day. Happy paving! That means you're almost done!!! HOORAY! Oh, and while you're at it, could you please finish up that other major road you guys were working on? I'm seriously thinking our city has the wrong nickname. The sign that welcomes you to our lovely city says: City: Family Town, USA. I was thinking maybe you could change it to: Town of Never Ending Road Construction Also fitting would be: City of Detours. Yeah, I like that one. The only problem is their Detour signs need detours!! Don't think of this as complaining. It's really just constructive criticism in disguise and we all need to take that a little better don't we? City of Mystery sounds a little nicer, doesn't it? That's because it's a mystery each day how we manage to get out of our driveway and go anywhere!!!

The Bucklein Bunch: What We Do ALL Day

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 19:25:00 MDT

I have so many things I need to blog about but I've been so busy lately that it's hard to get everything done. After I finish this, I need to go bake some bread. Wish me luck!

So, Marshall and I have had a grand time playing in the backyard. We're loving the breeze and (a little bit) cooler temperatures. Marshall has wanted to play in the sand box a lot lately. We have built so many things. We made the Great Wall of China but the bad guy Shan-Yu kept fighting and that guy "can NEVER die!!!" Then Marshall decided his pirate guy (he says he has a lotter pirates) was a Lamanite (a group of people from The Book of Mormon). So I decided to grab a guy and be Captain Moroni from The Book of Mormon. Our wall became the city of Moronihah's wall that Captain Moroni caused to be fortified. It's amazing what a pile of sand can be. :)

Next, my Marshallman put his Lamanite in this broken plastic toy and said if he puts his guys in there, they get exploded and turn into good.

Here he is at his most favorite spot in the backyard...the water spigot. We are always having to say "Marshall, turn off the water!!" He will leave it running all day. He always fills the sandbox with water too. The only problem with that is we're running out of sand. Oh well. It doesn't matter. We have enough to build a fort! That's what he said he wanted to build but that really means a bridge or a wall. I asked if he wanted me to make a castle. He said "NO, make a bridge!" Ok..whatever you say little dude.

I love this next picture. When he pours the water, he sticks out his tongue. Hahaa...like mother, like son!

Then he helped me wash the tarp that was under the swimming pool. He LOVES
water so that was such a great time.

He had a really great day.

My Three Kids: Meltin My Heart

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 08:40:00 MDT

Me (so sick I can barely get off the couch and looking like death): "Benson, how do I look?"
Benson: "Um, bootiful!"

So of course Camron tries this same trick....

Camron: "Benson, how do I look"
Benson (without missing a beat): "Um, Cazy (aka Crazy)!"

Oh how I love my little boy!

Angela's Photo Gallery: 10 Month

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 07:00:00 MDT

Date: Aug 27, 2008
Number of Photos in Album: 17

View Album

GrubbsFamily.org Bulletins: Tyler Plaster: Hadley's Blessing

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 22:24:00 MDT

We will bless our little girl Hadley on the 31st of this month. So this sunday. It will be done in Spokane at Jim and Debbys ward. We would love to see any one who feels inclined to attend.

The Bucklein Bunch: How Our Family Home Evening Lesson Went

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 20:01:00 MDT

It's hard to do FHE with a hyper 3 yr old around. The age gap between the boys (just about 6 yrs), makes it difficult to do a lesson that will help both of them. Tonight, Brian decided to focus it on Marshall. Earlier, we went to a park and fed the ducks. If I had planned a little better, we would have taken a picnic lunch and stayed there for a while but I didn't plan ahead so we didn't stay. After our lovely dinner of Chicken Nuggets and peas (ugh. I'm still not a fan of these.), we quickly picked up the living room and started our Family Home Evening. Marshall was in charge of leading the music. He did a terrific job!! Well, terrific unless you rely on the person leading the music to help you in any way to sing the song. But it was a really easy song tonight so why worry, right? He was happy and that's all that mattered. Here is how he looked while he was directing the music. I tried to teach him a little bit about directing but I didn't really care that he did it his own way. Look how happy he is!!

We sang "When Jesus Christ Was Baptized" because that is Marshall's FAVORITE song right now. I'll have to see if my video camera still works and get him singing it. He knows it really well and it's quite a long song for a little guy. When he decides he likes something, he really sticks to it. But enough about that. Back to the topic.
So, next Brian decided to talk about when Jesus created the world. He asked Marshall to look out the window and tell him what color the mountains were. Marshall looked like this:

and this:

We finally gave up when he started doing his cool moves. They lasted until he found a toy that distracted him.

We were in desperate need of something to calm him down so we got out his Airwalker Swing.

He picked out his PJs for the night and got his 2 favorite stuffed animals. Then Daddy put him in the swing and put on a soothing CD called Primary Songs for Bedtime. He used to fall asleep in here but tonight he was really wound up so he just swung for a while and got calm.

Then I read him books, said prayers, and got him in bed. PHEW! It's been a long day. He is bored. I wish I could afford to put him in Karate or Swimming or SOMETHING. This boy has more energy than the Energizer Bunny!! I love my little hyper boy though.

Tyler Chelsie and Hadley Plaster: You can not get much cuter then this

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 14:10:00 MDT

I got this look from my Dad

Strike a Pose

Here I am dreaming away of the day when I will be able to go riding with my parents

I am not sure were i got my smile but it sure is contagious

Tyler Chelsie and Hadley Plaster: Trip To Great Grandma Browers Hosue

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 13:56:00 MDT

Here I am with my uncle Shannon. I got my own little massage when he held me because he was shaking so much. I guess he was afraid to drop me or something. But I loved being in his arms.

Here I am with my Uncle Clayton. He would not put me down and the only time he allowed someone else to hold me is when Mom had to feed me or he had to go feed the horses. I am that cute!

Here I am in a four Generation Picture.

The Bucklein Bunch: High School Tag

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 21:34:00 MDT

My friend Heather tagged me. I actually went to 2 different High Schools. For my first 2 years, I was at Naperville North High School. My last 2 yrs were spent at Woods Cross High School. So here goes:
1. Did you date someone from your school?
I didn't really date.

2.What kind of car did you drive? When I went to Woods Cross, I got to sometimes drive the family van. Most of the time I took the bus.

3.Were you a party animal? Not at all. I do recall going to a few sleepover parties but that was just with my Young Women's classes I think.

4.Were you considered a flirt? I doubt it but one of my best friends at Naperville North sure was. :)

5. Were you in band, orchestra, or choir? I was always in choir. I sing Alto because I find soprano too boring.

6. Were you a nerd? I don't think so, but I did look pretty dorky back then. I'm pretty sure we all did though.

7. Were you on any varsity teams? No, I never tried anything.

8. Did you get suspended/expelled? Nope, but I did have horrible grades at Naperville North. That all changed when I moved to Utah. Schools out here are a BREEZE!

9. Can you still sing the fight song? No, I can't remember the one for Naperville North and I don't think I ever learned the one for Woods Cross. Did they even have one?!

10. Who were your favorite teachers? Mr. Mazzarella was my health teacher and I liked him because he was kind to me and he was impressed with my desire to stand against abortion for any reason.

11. Where did you sit during lunch? At a table?! Uh, in the lunchroom. I remember, it was either my freshman or sophmore year, my friends and I were sitting at a table together and we got laughing. I don't remember what was so funny but I could NOT stop laughing!! I laughed so hard my stomach hurt but they kept making me laugh more. Good times people, good times.

12. What was your school's full name? Naperville North High School and Woods Cross High School.

13. School mascot? North- Husky, WX- wildcat

14. If you could go back and do it again, would you? Yeah and if I did, I'd TRY more things. I'd try getting better grades and be involved more in the school.

15. What do you remember most about graduation? My Dad and my sisters were there. My friend Delsa came too. I remember being so scared that I was going to fall flat on my face! Thankfully, I made it without falling once.

16. Where did you go senior skip day? I don't think WX had one. If we did, I don't remember skipping.

17. Were you in any clubs? I tried Key Club for a bit. I also tried German Club. I was in my Mom's choir Young Naperville Singers so I was pretty busy with that.

18. Have you gained some weight since then? Unfortunately, yes. I'm working on losing it though.

19. Who was your prom date? I didn't get invited. I never went to a boys' choice dance.

20. Are you planning on going to your 10 year reunion? I already missed it and No, I wasn't planning on going. I don't really have ties to that school. I'd like to go to a reunion from my first H.S. though.

I tag everyone who wants to do this. Let me know in my comments section if you're going to do it so I can read about it! :)

Tyler Chelsie and Hadley Plaster: My First Hike

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 19:17:00 MDT

Yesterday Mom and Dad took me on my first hike. It wasn't very long because Mom isn't ready for a long one yet. We all went with Steve and Lidia to Mesa Falls and just walked around. It sure was fun.

Here we are at the train tunnel.

Here I am in my pack. Man I sure am cute!

Tyler Chelsie and Hadley Plaster:

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 19:10:00 MDT

I just got my new crib and changing table. Boy do I love my new crib. I have yet to have Dad take pictures of my changing table so I will put those on later.
I love you all.

Love,

Hadley

Tyler Chelsie and Hadley Plaster: Granny and Papa's first visit

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 18:20:00 MDT

This was the first visit of Granny and Papa Plaster. You can see the joy and excitement on their faces. Thanks for visiting. It was great to have you guys here. And also it was great that Angie and Jason could come over.

The Bucklein Bunch: 52 Blessings Project, Week 33

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 11:53:00 MDT

I am so grateful that the community comes together in times of trouble. Earlier this week, I posted about Christian and Stephanie Nielson, who were involved in a terrible plane crash. The flight instructor, who was with them, died. The Nielsons are still in critical condition. Their bodies are badly burned and it's still tough to say if they will survive. For updates on her condition, you can look at her sister's blog-
C Jane
Yesterday, we had a Celebration of Hope for Christian and Stephanie. Their 4 young children were there with the wonderful family members who are caring for them while their parents are in the hospital. There were balloons everywhere and we let them go with messages to the Nielsons. The people who came, donated money. The 2 little girls in the picture are 2 of the 4 Nielson children. They are holding the jars of money that was donated. The people at that event donated $1131.18 to help this unfortunate family. My prayers are with this family. I pray that the parents will recover and be able to raise their young children. I'm sure the kids miss them so much!

Together: Sheetrock!!!

Sat, 23 Aug 2008 15:26:00 MDT

Trev has been working really hard on the new room. My sis and her hubby are coming in Sept. so we now have a deadline we'd like to meet. Trev, with the help of a few friends, (thank you Brett and Dave N. -- bless you, bless you!) has put up a lot of the sheetrock and it is really looking like a room!

We had no idea just how much work this room would end up being and we are soooo happy to be at this point. Still a lot to do but look how far it's come!

The Bucklein Bunch: Those Boys Are Much Too Much

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 18:40:00 MDT

Click this:

Cheerleading Dad

Tell me what you think of it! We've been saying this cheer all day!

The Bucklein Bunch: This Makes Me Laugh

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 13:16:00 MDT

Here is a video of someone who didn't quite make the Women's Olympic Gymnastics team.

Here are some other people who didn't quite make it to the Olympics either.

Bill's Photo Gallery: Grubbs Family Reunion 1913 Grant Park, Atlanta, Georgia

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 07:00:00 MDT

Date: Aug 21, 2008
Number of Photos in Album: 2

View Album

The Bucklein Bunch: He's Gonna Have a Great Year!

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 09:15:00 MDT

I tend to over-think stuff. I worry about Nathan's education. A lot. There is no need to worry. Heavenly Father knows us and knows what is best for us. I have to trust in my answer. Brian and I prayed ALL SUMMER long. We felt uneasy about sending Nathan back to the Charter School. We loved the curriculum. We loved that he was challenged but we did not love the out of control behavior at that school. This summer, he got to know some boys in his Cub Scout Pack better. They are from a different ward. We've been combined for almost 2 yrs now but they boys usually do a great job of steering clear of one another. They sit together with boys from their own respective wards. They only want to be on teams with the boys in their ward. Yeah, you get it. So, I don't know for sure when it happened. Maybe it was Day Camp. Maybe it was Night Games at the Stake President's house every Thursday night throughout the summer. Whatever it was, Nathan was able to break that "ward barrier" and make friends with the boys from the other ward. Sending Nate to the charter school really made him more distant from the kids around here. He had another great day at school yesterday. His teacher assured me that she would try hard to challenge him to think through things more. He has a WONDERFUL teacher. Is 4th grade at this school where he is supposed to be? You betcha. I know it is, Brian knows it is, and Heavenly Father helped us know it is. HOORAY for answered prayers. Someone really is up there listening. You just have to listen too so you can hear the answer.

The Bucklein Bunch: God Be With You Till We Meet Again

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 19:53:00 MDT

My previous post was about the young couple who were in a plane crash. This is Doug Kinneard. He was the other pilot. I am touched by the strength of this family. I think we need to remember them all in our prayers. From what I read here, he was a wonderful man who was very loved and will be sorely missed. We are so blessed to know that life doesn't end when you die. Families can and will be together forever.

~ Our Road ~: 10 Weeks

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 19:17:00 MDT

Here are the pictures from my ultrasound yesterday. You can see one arm along the side in front, and a little hand up behind the face. We could see the two little legs during the ultrasound, but they didn't turn out very clear in these pictures. The heartbeat looked great (176 bpm). The ultrasound tech said the measurements were right on for 10 weeks. I get to meet my OBGYN on Thursday.

The Bucklein Bunch: Birds Of A Feather Stick Together

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 09:10:00 MDT

It is an interesting thing about us Mormons. We stick together. Almost anywhere you go in this big world, you can find an LDS church to attend. (The full name of our church is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, or LDS for short. People call us Mormons because of The Book of Mormon.) Some places you have to travel farther than others but no matter where you go, the religion is the same. Perhaps that is why we tend to feel a connection with others of our faith, even if we've never met them.

Yesterday I learned of a terrible accident involving an LDS couple. Christian and Stephenie Nielson were involved in a private airplane crash. They have 4 young children that were not with them at the time. Please pray for this young family. The parents are in critical condition in a burn unit of a hospital in Arizona. Here is a link to the news story about it. Click HERE

We are ANGUS: Holly Lake Ranch Mini-Vacation

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:53:00 MDT

I got a call from Granny Joy last week asking if we wanted to use their timeshare at Holly Lake Ranch in Hawkins for a reservation my Uncle Tommy couldn't use. I figured we could use it at least part of the week so we went Monday night and stayed for a couple days anyway. They have everything right there, but of course, James enjoyed the miniature golf the most. That's most of the pictures I have. I've been wanting to get some of James golfing anyway since he enjoys it so much. If you look at the pictures, there is one hole we stayed at for a long time. James repeatedly took my ball and his blue ball, dropped it down the hole that ran a pipe out below. He'd walk down the steps, run and get the ball, climb over the little ledge, and start all over again. It was so nice just to sit there and watch him play and the enjoyment he got out of it. When the ball got stuck it was really enjoyable to watch him bend over to look up the pipe for it.

Also, we finally got to swim with TJ. We've tried to go to the Longview City pools now three times as a family, but alas. So, we got to go to the resort pool, but since we all enjoyed swimming so much I only got the one picture pre-swim. However, James enjoyed this swim experience much more than any other and much longer. Yea! There's hope! I know it's probably just his age right now, but since I was on the swim team in high school for 2 years and I still love swimming, I kind of hope he likes it some. Anyway, we had a really great time relaxing, swimming, golfing, playing, "hiking," grilling, and just enjoying each other.

The "hike" we took (once again, I forgot to take pics) was a walk through the woods near a creek and we got to see a small and large waterfall. The water was actually moving pretty fast and it's definitely the best East Texas waterfall I've ever seen. Our trip got cut short since I got a call from a birth mother I've been working with for a few months who went into labor. That was a wirlwind for me, of course, but we were really glad we had the few days just together enjoying nature and mostly each other.

The Bucklein Bunch: Hail the Conquering Hero

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 15:05:00 MDT

Well, Nathan survived his 1st day of school. He said he kind of felt like a new kid but he did have a good day. I made him promise not to complain in Math because I knew he would be far ahead of the kids in his class. I didn't realize just how far ahead he would be. He said today they learned about place values. He learned that in the beginning of 2nd grade. This is going to be a really long year. I emailed his teacher to see what we can do. I wish they could make some kind of allowance and let him go up to at least the 5th grade for Math. The said thing is, he could easily do 6th grade math too. OH BOY! I KNOW this was the right decision because socially he can't handle 5th grade. The district is the one who makes the final decision in his placement anyway and they would never move up a boy who has this much anxiety. We will just have to keep praying and working with his teacher, principal, and psychologist.

The Bucklein Bunch: First Day of 4th Grade!

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 09:15:00 MDT

Today was the first day of school. I think Marshall will really miss him. We dropped Nathan off because we were running late and Marshall wanted to know why Nathan was going to his pre-school. Marshall goes to the Special Ed preschool at the same school but he doesn't start until next week. I CAN'T WAIT!!!
Here is Nathan leaving for his first day of school. Look out world! Here comes a 4th grader!!!

Bill's Blog:

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 17:02:00 MDT

While I was on a high adventure hike in the Uintas, Diane was home drying some beautiful appricots she picked. As Aprilyn mentioned, it is time for fall canning/drying once again. I don't know if my kids have good memories of canning season at our house or not, but we put up several things including green beans, peaches, pears, corn, tomatoes, grape juice and of course, strawberry jam. We probably still have some of those jars of food buried deep in our storage. We probably even have some jars of food DuRell put up years ago. Since eating was a family affair, we thought canning should be a family affair too. It was usually long days and in to the night before the project was complete, but together, we put up a lot of food. If you counted the cost of your time, perhaps it was not "profitable", but it was something we could all pitch in and do together. Perhaps lessons were learned in the process. Perhaps not. I still have good memories of sitting around at Grannie's home in the summer snapping green beans for canning. Neighbors would drop in and pick up a bowl of beans and start snapping as they visited and caught up on the news from each other. I learned that what I considered hard work was and enjoyable social experience for others.

I can see it all now if families were inclined to do home canning. Each person would have an IPOD plugged into their ears listening to their own music. This senario misses out on one of the blessings of canning together as a family.

Bill's Blog:

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 16:43:00 MDT

The Uintas are still as beautiful as they always were. Nathan and I took off Friday after work and backpacked to long lake just as it got dark. Surprisingly, on August 16 there was heavy frost covering the tent and all the grass when we woke the next morning. Nothing a blazing camp fire couldn't take care of until the sun came up and warmed everything. We had a great time hiking and rock climbing.

The Bucklein Bunch: 52 Blessings Project, Week 32

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 12:47:00 MDT

I couldn't find exactly the picture I wanted so this will have to do. I am SO thankful for the wind!!! We have had some windy days lately and it has been so nice to turn off the Air Conditioner and open our windows. I love how the wind cools things off outside so we can play out there without being so hot. Now I need to make kites with the boys and go fly them!!

The Bucklein Bunch: I Did It!!!

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 23:27:00 MDT

I made freezer jam tonight!! I can't believe I did it! It was a much longer process than I imagined and Marshall was very patient, given the circumstances.
I grew up in a home where my parents did lots of canning. Every year we did tomatoes, tomato sauce (I think), applesauce, pickles, pears, peaches, and grape juice. Those are the ones I remember. I want so badly to be able to do this with my family. I want to have a food storage. Unfortunately, I'm lacking in a few things. I don't have the equipment or the money to get the equipment to do this. I don't have the money for the extra fruit and veggies, I have 2 very demanding children, and my husband has no experience with this kind of thing and fails to see why it's so important. He said "Yeah, my Mom made salsa too. Then she put it in a bottle and labeled it 'Pace Picante Sauce'." BRIAN!!!! He did help me, even if he didn't agree that it was a great thing to do. I also want to get a garden. I know it's a lot of work but it could save us so much money. Brian doesn't want to do that either. I grew up with a garden in our backyard, a garden by a park somewhere, and I remember something about a Stake Garden. I HATED gardening when I was a kid. I HATED taking time out of my day to go pull weeds. Now that I'm an adult, I see the benefit of growing your own vegetables. Just think of the money I could save!!! Someday when we get a house of our own, I'm making sure there is space for a garden in the backyard and I will teach my boys to work in the garden. Maybe I can give them the same reward I got if I worked hard...take them to the park!

My kitchen is so messy now!! My dear, darling, hubby picked up the huge bean mess that Marshall made all over the kitchen floor. It was one of my attempts at keeping him busy. He really wanted me to play with him.

More mess. I just cleaned this whole counter off before I started! Sigh!

The finished product! I found these plastic jars but unfortunately, I didn't see the larger ones early enough. The small jars hold barely a cup of jam. The bigger ones are 2 cups. I love that the lids twist on and the cups stack nicely. It takes up less room that way!

The Bucklein Bunch: Testing, Testing, 1, 2, 3

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 23:18:00 MDT

After much prayer, we decided to send Nathan back to the local Elementary School instead of the Charter School he had been attending for the last 2 years. Last year he finished up 4th grade math (in 3rd grade) with an A. He got 100% on nearly every test. So you can imagine our concern with putting him in the 4th grade at the Elementary School down the road. We worry he will be bored out of his mind!! So, we asked that he be tested to possibly skip a grade. The Psychologist tested him over 2 days and he did really well. Math is definitely his strong point, along with Receptive Language. Overall, he tested very high. In fact, he tested high enough to skip up to 5th grade. Academically, he's ready for 5th, even 6th or higher in some areas, but socially he's just not ready. Nathan's life is ruled by anxiety. The Psychologist told us her recommendation was to keep Nathan in 4th grade because of his high levels of anxiety. He could soar so much higher if he could learn to control it instead of anxiety controlling him. Nate met his teacher on Thursday and he already knows 2 boys in his class. I hope he has a really great 4th grade year and that we can help him learn to control his anxiety.

Bill's Photo Gallery: Hiking in the Uintas with Nathan 8.16.2008

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 13:59:00 MDT

Date: Aug 15, 2008
Number of Photos in Album: 24

View Album

Bill's Blog:

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 08:10:00 MDT

Watch out kids at Wasatch Elementary School. Mrs Hatch will be teaching all these lucky kids music this year.

Bill's Blog:

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 08:06:00 MDT

Congratulations Stefanie for successfully completing your degree at BYU. Now on to bigger and better things!

Together: Back in Session

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 13:06:00 MDT

Ahhh, the first day of school. I can't recall a summer ever going as fast as this one did! It was a great summer full of fun memories that I will cherish.
Hallie and Megan were excited and anxious to start school in fact they could hardly sleep the night before and they insisted that I wake them up at 6:15am so we had plenty of time to "get ready and do their hair cute." Stripes greeted us at the front door of the school. Hallie willingly posed for a picture while Campbell stared in unbelief and Megan hid behind me (She was nervous enough without adding a 7 ft tiger into her morning).
We dropped Megan off first to her class where they were coloring a schoolhouse then off to Hallie's class just down the hall where her teacher anxiously awaited her arrival (did I mention we were running a little late... even after waking up at 6:15am! ) I felt the lump forming in my throat as I walked from their new classes towards the exit. What is it about the first day of school? I can't help but get a little choked up about this milestone in their lives. But, I was strong and held it in... until I got in the car, then I allowed myself a few tears before I headed home for a quiet day with just me and my little man. (Did I say quiet? Haha )

When the afternoon came I headed up to the bus stop and the girls walked off the bus smiling and looking triumphant. The first day was a huge success and there was lot's to talk about. Stealing a tradition from a friend years ago I make cookies on the first day of school every year and so when the kids got home we sat around the kitchen table eating cookies and milk and talking about all of the events of the day.
Megan's favorite part was riding the bus and reading stories and Hallie enjoyed learning a new song and seeing her old friends and teacher again (they keep the same class for 2 years).
They were both beaming and I was so thrilled and so thankful that they had such a wonderful day!
Here's to the first day of school!!

The Bucklein Bunch: Prepare To Be Amazed

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 23:30:00 MDT

Today I ate fish tacos with Mango Pico de Gaio and Black Bean Salsa. Yes, that is an amazing feat for me. I hate beans and I hate fish. Except tonight. Talapia is a pretty good fish, surprisingly enough. Nathan has decided to stick with Fish Sticks. My family is going to be so surprised they will think it's not really me. Here is the picture of what it was supposed to look like. Ours was pretty close to the picture. If we ever make it again, we will skip the Cilantro. Brian doesn't like it. Wow! I've tried 2 new recipes in 2 weeks. That is a record for me!!!!

Together: He hears me.

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 14:05:00 MDT

As all of my dear friends and family know I have been worried about Megan for awhile now. To say she is shy is an understatement. Infact there are dear friends of mine who have never heard her speak. She only speaks to a select few so when I was praying to know if I should put her in kindergarten this year I was nervous when I felt strongly that I should.

How would she communicate? How would they test her? Who would be friends with a little girl who won't talk to them? Would they make fun of her? Would she hate school and be sad and lonely everyday?

As her mother I just want her to be happy and thrive and feel loved so I prayed for faith and for help for Megan.

Soon after, I was vacuuming my house and felt the prompting to stop and call the school to talk to someone about Megan. I did, not knowing what I was going to say. They answered and connected me with the school counselor. I tried to explain my concerns and told the counselor we believe Meg has what they call "selective mutism". She stopped me and said, "My child had that". I was shocked... my pediatrician didn't even know what it was, it is so rare. I felt myself warm inside and tears filled my eyes as she told me she thought I should put Megan in "Jungle" during the summer (which is a program at the school for kids whose parents work) to help her get comfortable with the school and meet some other kids.

After calling the Jungle director and talking to the teacher over Megan's age group it was all set-up and they knew the purpose of Megan being there.

The first day of Jungle was hard. I took her early and tried to get her comfortable with the new surroundings but when it was time to go she clung to me and when I looked in her eyes I could see she was absolutely terrified. I finally had the teacher hold her while I tore myself from her grasp and practically ran to the car where I promptly burst into tears wondering if I was making a huge mistake. I cried and prayed... and I was comforted.

Needless to say we did this for awhile but gradually it was easier for her to say good-bye and we noticed she starting acting differently at home. She seemed to somehow be braver and happier.

Last week was Megan's last day at "Jungle" and she walked in happily and sat in her spot as I waved good-bye. When I came back to pick her up I was greeted by 2 smiling faces as the director exclaimed, "Megan talked today!" "What?" I couldn't believe it but apparently Megan talked to one of the girls (Sydney) in her group. That was the first time she spoke to anyone there... and everyone was so proud of her. I was thrilled and so grateful that the Lord led us there.

My prayers have become more fervent as school started today. Monday we had the opportunity to meet Megan's new teacher and some of the other kids in the class. Her teacher was as sweet as can be and we were shocked to find that of the 4 friends starting kindergarten ALL 4 were in her class!

I dropped Megan off today for her first day of school. I could tell she was anxious as we nervously looked for her seat in a crowded room of strange faces and then there was Sydney sitting right next to Megan's assigned seat. "Hi Megan!" Sydney smiled and Megan smiled (looking relieved) and slid into her seat. Again my heart warmed. The spirit whispered to me that the Lord had heard my prayers and He will take care of my quiet little Megan and I am so humbled by His love.

Together: gIrLy HaiR

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 10:42:00 MDT

With school starting this week I've been trying to come up with some new fun hair-do's for the girls. I used to be creative but I've gotten really boring and lazy when it comes to hair. Anyway, I found some awesome hair blogs and wanted to share them. Check them out!
http://allgirlshair.blogspot.com/
http://babesinhairland.blogspot.com/
http://girlydos.blogspot.com/
http://shedoeshair.blogspot.com/
http://hair4myprincess.blogspot.com/

The Bucklein Bunch: 52 Blessings Project, Week 32

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 10:30:00 MDT

Nathan recently started using a Peak Flow Meter and we're sure glad he did! We found out he was having serious asthma symptoms and we had to quickly increase his controller meds. Thankfully he is fine now and the doctor said he just barely escaped having a major asthma attack. We thought Nathan only had Cough Variant Asthma but we just found out he has typical asthma too. So, he's back on his medicine and doing well.

Brandon & Karen: The 'Utah Date'

Sat, 09 Aug 2008 20:38:00 MDT

Today Brandon and I were able to go on what I call a 'Utah Date.' We started the day off with a 3.5 mile run. We are wanting to run a marathon next year so we are slowly starting to train. Brandon is doing great considering he had knee surgery in February and only started running a few weeks ago. We then headed up to the SLC temple to see our friends Jana and Scott on their wedding day. They look so happy. After taking pictures on the temple grounds, Brandon and I were planning on doing a session but as we were walking into the dressing rooms we were asked to do proxy sealings. It was a really cool experience because we were able to do the sealings in the same room my Grandma and Grandpa Cannon were sealed in 51 years ago. After the temple we headed down the street to the Lion House for lunch.

We then went and test drove cars. We have been trying to sell Brandon's car before the big move and then get a new one when we get up to Seattle. If any of you have any suggestions on what kind of car to buy or know any great deals we would love some input. To finish off the 'Utah Date' we went to Jana and Scott's reception. It was an garden reception at Thanksgiving Point and turned out beautifully. It was fun to see lots of our Provo friends one more time before leaving. Marcy and Me

Marcy, Jana, and me

I'm so happy we were able to do this 'Utah Date.' I'm sad to think that we are moving away from all of this in less than two weeks. But we are both really excited for the chance to go to Seattle.

Bill's Blog:

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 22:05:00 MDT

Pumpkin Update August 7 2008
As you can see the pumpkins are continuing to grow like crazy. There are two that are 57" around already. If they keep growing, who knows how big they will get. We are not competing for the biggest pumpkin at the fair, but it is fun to grow such a big one. There are probably 20 others started.

Now the real garden story for the week. Notice the corn patch is looking pretty good. We planted four rows every 2 weeks so we would have corn over a longer period of time and the first four rows I planted a early variety that only gets about 4' tall. Well as the ears were beginning to ripen, some animal went down all four rows and peeled the husk back and ate some of the tender corn. Almost every ear was ruined. We just figured it was a raccoon and expected he would be back for more of our tender corn. Mack decided he would put a stop to that so the next night he brought a spot light and his shotgun as well as a variety of other guns to see if he could eliminate the varmit before he destroyed the rest of the garden. I know it is difficult, but I would like you to picture this in your mind. Mack is sitting in his Suburban down wind of the garden so the corn destroyer will not pick up his sent. He is lying in the front seat with the seat reclined as far as possible. He set his watch to vibrate every 20 minutes and placed it on his forehead so it would wake him. I only wish I had a picture of him. That is dedication to the garden. Lucky for the raccoon, he did not appear that evening.

Now for the rest of the story:

Talking to a neighboring gardner down the road he is told there were two raccoons thrown in his dumster by someone. He was also told that the real corn killer might have been starling birds who also love corn. This reminds me of another story, but it it too long to tell tonight.

We have been enjoying a ton of squash, beans and swish chard. The tomatoes are just starting to ripen and I ate one of them tonight for dinner. It is nice to have fresh garden tomatoes even if we don't have very many yet.

Thank you Mack for your dedication to the garden. If we could find someone as dedicated about killing the noxious weeds we would have a beautiful garden. Any volunteers?

My Three Kids: The Jaycie says.....

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 21:57:00 MDT

So one of the songs we sing all day long at this house is from the LeapFrog "FridgePhonics" magnet. It is a very basic tune with the words, "The A says ah, the A says ah, every letter makes a sound the A says ah" (Great way to teach your kids the letters by the way, especially when accompanied by the DVD "Letter Factory") Anyway, we have adopted this song to Jaycie's newest sound, a grunt/squeak/yelp. She loves the song (especially making her sound nice and loud) And as you can imagine, her brother and sister love the song as well:

But we might need to add another verse to the song soon....Jaycie has started saying, "bah, bah". This of course translates to "bye, bye". She has been attempting it for a few days, but I just thought it was a fluke until last night when she consistantly waved her hand and said "bah, bah". SO incredibly cute, but also so sad that she is already so big!! Although if this is anything like any of the other tricks she's learned (rolling over, waving, giving kisses, etc.), she'll do it for a few days and then we won't see it again for about a month.....not really sure why she works that way, but she does!

~ Our Road ~: 8 Weeks and Counting

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 16:51:00 MDT

Here is the ultrasound picture from today. They call this the crown/rump stage. You can see a definite head shape on top, and the little rump on the bottom. We got to see and HEAR the heartbeat today. We were not expecting to be able to hear the heartbeat until 10 weeks, so that was a big surprise. When they turned the audio on, I automatically knew what that speedy "whooshing" sound was, and got tears in my eyes. This was the first time Peter got to see the heartbeat, and he was pretty excited. The doctor measured the heartbeat at 168, which he said is perfect, and the measurements they took of the fetus show that it is 8 weeks and 1 day developed, which is right on target with my dates. They are calculating a due date of March 19th from the measurements.

This is a picture of an 8 week fetus out of a magazine from my doctor's office. It shows much more detail than my ultrasound picture, but you can definitely see the similarities in shape, so this is what our baby should look like now. I am just amazed at the whole process of how the baby grows and develops.

I have been feeling pretty well for a crazy pregnant lady. I am really tired all the time of course, and always hungry, but nothing really ever sounds good. I'll pretty much eat whatever lands in front of me though. I was a little concerned because I haven't really had much morning sickness with this pregnancy, but I experienced quite a bit of morning sickness with my previous pregnancies. Being able to see that the baby was developing correctly, and the heartbeat looked good today has put my mind at ease. I'll just count it as a major blessing that I haven't had much morning sickness. My legs have been aching lately, but I assume it is from sitting at a desk at work all day. I am going to try to take more breaks and get up and walk around a little more.

My next ultrasound is scheduled for 10 weeks. The fertility specialist was going to do my 10 week ultrasound, but I already have one scheduled with the OB Clinic. The OB Clinic doesn't usually do ultrasounds until about 18-20 weeks, so I am very happy that they seem to care enough about my pregnancy to make exceptions for me.=) We said farewell to Dr. Retzloff today, who has been an incredible blessing in our lives. He told us to be sure to check in with him, especially after we have the baby. He spends his days just trying to get people pregnant, and I think he was proud to be able to count us as another success.

Thank you for all the prayers that have been offered in our behalf. They have definitely been felt in our lives. We appreciate the love and concern of so many family and friends, and hope that you will continue to pray for us and this baby.

My Three Kids: Just lovin my little girl

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 12:05:00 MDT

Jaycie Grace
9 months old

My Three Kids: CHHEEESE!

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 11:54:00 MDT

You just gotta love that age when they first learn to smile for the camera....especially when it's so cheesy!

The Bucklein Bunch: Trying New Things

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 09:52:00 MDT

We are not good at trying new things here. I especially am not good at trying new recipes. Especially those that have things like salsa in them. If you know me, you know what a complete WIMP I am in regards to spices. Pepperoni, while I love it, is quite spicy for me. That's my limit of spice. I don't even have any kind of pepper in this house! We tried this yummy dish 2 nights ago and it was such a super success that we had it again last night. It was so easy and yummy! My blogging buddy had the recipe on her website. Click here to see the recipe- Pork Roast Tacos Try it and tell me if you like it too. Yummmy!

My Three Kids: Painting Pottery

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 07:46:00 MDT

The kids had a blast painting bowls for Grandpa and Grandma's house. They each painted and decorated their own bowl (well, Jaycie and Lucy did have some help!). The bowls turned out so cute; we can't wait to go back to their house so we can use them! And many thanks to Uncle Dallan for all his help and these great pics!

My Three Kids: Camron's New Love

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 07:06:00 MDT

Well Camron and I were able to successfully build his Father's Day gift (a remote controlled airplane) and with the help of Camron's cousin, Todd, Camron was even able to get it up and in the air and flying.

He was able to take it with him to Spokane for the Grubbs Family reunion and really enjoyed flying it there. There was a total of 4 planes at the reunion and the guys had a great time going out together. (Camron even offered to get up with Jaycie early one morning, I of course was shocked until I realized he pawned Jaycie off on his mom and went out flying with the guys....ah ha, it's all starting to make sense now.....LOL)

My Three Kids: Adventures in "fly fishing"

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 07:04:00 MDT

On one of the nightly airplane outings during the Grubbs family reunion, Uncle Mack decided it was time to give some amatuers some time behind the control. Great idea, right? Well it was, until his plane landed here....(if you make the picture bigger you can see a small spot of red in the top of the tree....that's Mack's plane)

Of course it happened right before dusk, so runners were sent to gather the necessary supplies: a spotlight, flashlights, and a fishing pole...

The idea was to cast a weight around the plane and tug it out of the tree. Great in theory, but after 1 1/2 hours of trying it we were on to idea number #2, throwing a tennis ball with fishing line attached to it up over the plane and hoping to tug the plane out of the tree. After several tries, and many, many yards of tangled fishing line, Camron and Brandon successfully rocked the branches enough to knock the plane loose. What an adventure....and great lesson in flying, steer clear and I mean really clear of any and all trees!

Together: The Adventures of an ER Resident

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 09:53:00 MDT

Trevor often works odd shifts in the night. He sometimes gets home in the wee morning hours but is careful to move about the house quietly so as not to wake us all up... last night was different.
I was sleeping soundly when I heard:
Trev (in an excited tone): "KATHRYN- KATHRYN, are you awake???"
Me (in a groggy, sleepy, slightly irritated tone): "Huh?"
Trev: "Guess what I did tonight???"
Me: "Huh?"
Trev: " We delivered a baby in a car!!!!"
Me (still groggy): "What?"
Trev (nearly bursting with adrenalin): "Yeah, and I didn't have anything to tie off the umbilical cord so I used the drawstring on my scrubs! Isn't that cool?"
Me (somewhat impressed but mostly tired): "Cool"
Trev: "And I put in 2 chest tubes!"
Me (drifting off to sleep again) : "wow... snore, snore"

Trevor is sleeping in this morning but now that I'm fully awake I can't wait to hear the whole story!

The Bucklein Bunch: When You Become a Teenager

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 07:31:00 MDT

Dear Marshall,
Today you were being silly and Daddy dressed you. It's funny how he makes you look when he gets you dressed. Earlier today you told me you wanted to wear a dress and be a girl. Like the kind father he is, Daddy made your wish come true. You make a cute little girl. It's funny that even dressed as a girl, you love guns and swords and fighting bad guys. Daddy can dress you like a girl but you can't take the boy out of Marshall! When you become a snotty teenager, I will have to pull these pictures out and remind myself (and you and your date) how cute you were. Even now when I have a bad day with you, I look at these pictures and think of the good days and the funny things you do. You're easier to deal with that way. Oh the joy of old pictures!
Love,
Mom

Tyler Chelsie and Hadley Plaster: Fun When Grandma Comes

Sun, 03 Aug 2008 21:54:00 MDT

It's amazing what you can talk your mother inlaw into doing when you're the favorite!

This shows our eventful walk we all went on.

No that water isn't warm.

But it sure was fun.

Tyler Chelsie and Hadley Plaster: Little Hadley

Sun, 03 Aug 2008 21:34:00 MDT

Whose feet do you think she has?

Little Hadley just hanging out with her daddy.

Here is our new family.

Together: Done... well, pretty much

Sun, 03 Aug 2008 18:59:00 MDT

When I was pregnant with Campbell I made this bumper for the crib (ha,ha, more like my mom made it and I kept her company while she worked on it). Anyway since we are having another boy I guess we will be using it again so I decided to redecorate the "boys room" to match this bumper.
This is what the room looked like before except the ceiling was also blue and the walls didn't have white spots, that is from the spackle (yes, those are all nail holes in the wall. Someone couldn't decide where to hang the pictures or something!)
I just finished the room yesterday. I did all the painting and Trev helped me make the shelves with 1x6 plywood and crown moulding. I was really worried once I got all the paint done that I might have picked the wrong colors but in the end I like how it turned out.

If you know me then you know I am cheap and love to stretch a dime (which is a good thing on a resident's salary) and this project is no different. I just used things from our house to decorate the shelves. I had a bunch of scraps left from when I made the bumper that were just sitting in a box so I decided to just roll them up and stick them in this bucket which I got from our downstairs bathroom. The dog is from Trev's mission and the sign a friend gave me... told you I am cheap.

The only thing I bought was the letters for BOYS but I did use scrapbook paper I already had to cover the letters.

Anyway, I still have a few finishing touches but for the most part I am done and excited to check this one off the list. On to the next project... anyone know how to hang drywall???

Together: Our Little Garbage Man

Sun, 03 Aug 2008 10:48:00 MDT

I made the mistake of cheering Campbell on when he picked up a wet diaper, I had just taken off him, and headed to the garbage then threw it in. What a brilliant child I have!... or so I thought.

Well, Campbell loved my reaction and apparently doesn't yet know the difference between garbage and non-garbage items because he was expecting the same reaction when he later proudly dumped a glass bowl in the trash can. I have since gone to throw something away and found silverware, cups, toys, books, bowls, and shoes inside the garbage and recently a few things have come up missing including my prescription sunglasses!

My brilliant little boy. Ugh.

The Bucklein Bunch: 52 Blessings Project, Week 31

Sat, 02 Aug 2008 22:49:00 MDT

We LOVE listening to music! I could list so many of my favorites but I'm limiting it to one this time. We LOVE Scripture Scouts. There are 5 volumes: The Book of Mormon, The New Testament, The Old Testament, Family: A Proclamation to the World, and The Articles of Faith. If you want a great gift for a child, I would totally recommend any of these CD sets. They have fun songs and tell the scripture stories in ways that kids can remember and understand. You'll all be singing the songs. We're trying to get Marshall to listen to them now.

Brandon & Karen: Fun at the Cabin

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 20:22:00 MDT

Wednesday afternoon Brandon took off early from work and we headed up to Brighton to spend some time at our cabin. Right when we got there we took off on a hike up to Twin Lake. All of Clint and Lisa's kids, Grandpa, Brandon and I made the trek (Isaac walked the entire way by himself...we are so proud of him). The lake was beautiful.

Somewhere along the hike I got bit by a mosquito or some other bug and developed a golf ball size lump on my forehead. No pictures were taken to document this mysterious aliment but it was pretty ridiculous. I took some Benadryl that night and it went down quickly...and I slept really well that night. (This is Brandon's face when he saw my bite. just kidding.)

No trip to the cabin would be complete without an intense game of Settlers of Catan. I had no where to build cities and was pretty much stuck in a corner the whole game. Clint finally came out victorious.

The next morning we walked around Silver Lake and watched Grandpa and the boys fish. They didn't catch any fish...I guess they just weren't hungry.

Throughout the day we watched movies, went to Solitude, and had an awesome Foosball tournament. Brandon ruthlessly dethrowned Brigham as the champion. You can see on their faces how intense the games got.

The Bucklein Bunch: SUCCESS!!!

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 16:08:00 MDT

Well, sort of. Marshall's hair was easy. He kept asking for me to make him bald. That would have been really easy but I didn't want him getting sunburned on his head.

Nathan's hair was more difficult. He didn't want a buzz. I did the best I could. The sides and back need improvement but I think overall, it's not bad for a beginner! It's definitely worth the savings!

Bill's Blog:

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 13:55:00 MDT

Fireball

I have considered creating a blog just to promote fireball activities, but I don't have very many pictures. If anyone has pictures of our fireball activities, would you please send me a copy? It is still unbelievable to most people I mention it to even with the pictures. Have you ever heard of anyone else who does such a crazy thing?