Planet Grubbs

~ Our Road ~: BYU Basketball

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:28:00 MST

I let Brody watch part of the BYU vs. Gonzaga basketball game with me tonight. He was quite confused about why all the players had to go to "Time Out." Then, he didn't understand why one player pushed another player down, and didn't have to go to "Time Out." Such a confusing world for a toddler! He kept me laughing. I love being a mom, and watching my kids grow and learn.

~ Our Road ~: Nap Time

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 01:39:00 MST

Nap time for Brody has been hit and miss lately. Some days he will actually fall asleep and take a nap, and other days, he just plays in his room. I'm always amused at what I find him doing when I go in to check on him after "nap time." This particular day, I found him building blocks in his closet. There is actually not a whole lot for him to do in there because most of his toys are in the play room. His bucket of books is almost always dumped in the floor, and his stuffed animals are often strewn about. Sometimes, I just stand by his door listening to him because he is so entertaining. He is quite happy and content to play in there, and I am quite happy and content to have a chance to get something done around the house, or occasionally catch a much needed cat nap. I am relieved that his dresser is finally bolted to the wall, so we no longer have to worry about him climbing up the drawers and tipping the dresser over on himself again (that was a little scary).

~ Our Road ~: Company

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 01:25:00 MST

My parents came to visit for six weeks (yep, I said six weeks), and I loved every minute of it! The time flew by way too fast, but it was much more relaxing than their last visit which was only a week long. There is way too much to do here in one short week. This time we were able to do lots of touristy stuff, and lots of relaxing. They spoiled me rotten, and I especially appreciated the extra hands as I spent lots of time laying around feeling quite nauseated from this pregnancy. We also had the pleasure of having my Uncle Mack & Aunt Kaye, and Uncle Bill & Aunt Diane visit for a week. We always enjoy sharing our little piece of paradise with anyone who wants to come sleep on our floor.

The Bucklein Bunch: Home Away From Home

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 08:56:00 MST

In November, I got a job at Chick-fil-A. I really like it, actually. I usually work full-time, so Nate has had to take care of his brother after school a lot. I usually just work days, but sometimes I work until 7 or 8pm. With one car, it's been challenging to work out our schedule of getting Brian and I both to work, but so far we've managed. I've made some friends there, and we have a good time working together. I love the meal benefit they give us there. We get a $6 meal allowance. What could be better than working in a great environment that is closed on Sunday? Getting free food, that's what.

I'm off to work, but while I'm gone, I'll be singing this song by Tim Hawkins-

Click HERE for the Chick-fil-A Song since I can't seem to embed it today.

~ Our Road ~: Children's Discovery Museum

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 20:46:00 MST

While Peter was gone flying a mission over Thanksgiving, the kids and I ventured to the Children's Discovery Museum with some friends. I didn't want to pack the camera, the diaper bag, and have to wrangle two toddlers, but luckily I remembered that my new iphone had a camera (not the greatest pictures, but better than nothing).

These two monkeys were so excited to find a monkey friend.

They both loved working on this car.

Brody discovered the beds in the firehouse. I never knew he knew how to cover himself up with blankets, but he climbed right into the bed, and covered himself up. I guess I don't have to worry about him getting cold at night when he kicks his covers off. Apparently he knows how to put them back on.

I guess I should have taken more pictures, but I had my hands pretty full with these two. I'm sure we will make another trip there, and next time we will have to take daddy so that one of us can get some good pics while the other one chases the two toddlers.

~ Our Road ~: Evie's News

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 20:17:00 MST

Crazy, but true!

We are thrilled to be expecting baby #3 in July.

The Bucklein Bunch: Nate's Choir

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:54:00 MST

Nate just started his 2nd Semester singing in an audition-only choir at the University where Brian teaches. It's called Griffion Junior Singers. His Choir Director speaks so highly of him. She says he is a leader in his section, he always knows his part so well, and she loves having him in the choir. We applied for a merit scholarship for this semester so we won't have to pay tuition. I really hope he gets it! One of the things I had to submit for his application were two letters of recommend. His director wrote one, and Bro. Roger Hale, 1st Counselor in our Bishopric, and a Music Professor at the University wrote the other one. I think I need to paste those here so everyone who reads this can know how awesome my boy is.

I am writing this letter of recommendation for Nate Bucklein, a Griffon Junior Singer
who is seeking a scholarship to pay for his enrollment expenses for the spring semester,
2012.

Nate has been in Griffon Junior Singers for only one semester, but has proved in that
short amount of time that he deserves a merit scholarship. He is a leader in his section.
He comes to each rehearsal with his part learned and often memorized. He has a natural
talent and sings with purpose and intelligence. He listens carefully to instruction and
implements all my requests with attention to detail.

When we performed in December with the St. Joseph Symphony, a member of the
audience came to ask me his name because she noticed his polished performance. He
stands out in performance and is an asset to this group.

Please feel free to ask for further information as needed to support Nate Bucklein for a
merit scholarship.

Respectfully,
Karen Heyde-Lipanovich
Director, Griffon Junior Singers
Premiere Choir

Awesome, huh? Here's the letter from Bro. Hale--

I would like to enthusiastically recommend Nathan Bucklein as a recipient of one of the merit scholarships to sing
in the Griffon Junior Singers. Nathan is a remarkable young man that possesses wonderful leadership qualities.
He comes from a musical background and I am confident he will carry his musical heritage into the Griffon
Junior Singers program.
Nathan has conducted our church choir which consists primarily of adults. He treats people with professionalism
and respect. He also has a wonderful ability to sing and adapt to those around him in the choir.
I am confident that you will benefit from his continued participation in this wonderful ensemble.
Please free to contact me with any questions you may have.
Respectfully,
Roger H. Hale, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Choral Music Education and Voice
Missouri Western State University

I am so proud of my boy!

The Bucklein Bunch: Temperature Talk

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 07:11:00 MST

Our after dinner conversation went like this last night.

Marshall completely out of nowhere asks, "Where is the Synagogue Thermometer?"

Me: "What???"

Marshall: "A Synagogue Thermometer! (He gets upset pretty fast when we don't understand what he is asking.)

Brian: "A Synagogue is a place where Jewish people go to worship."

Marshall: "No. A Synagogue thermometer!"

Me: "What are you talking about?"

Marshall: "It's the opposite of Fahrenheit."

There was a loud, "Ooooohhhhhhhhh" from the rest of the family at this point.

Me: "Marshall. I think you mean Celsius."

Marshall's response: "Oh."

The Bucklein Bunch: Jenga

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 19:39:00 MST

For Singing Time today, I've decided to play Jenga with the kids. I'll use my "HOPE you get a turn jar" (a flower pot I was given that has the word HOPE painted on it) to choose helpers. I printed the temple cards from previous issues of The Friend, and had them laminated. Then I printed the kids names on them in permanent marker. That way, if they move, or graduate from Primary, they can take their temple card with them.

So, I'm going to write the words for the song, "As a Child of God" on the chalkboard, and then set up my Jenga game on the table. Every time a child pulls out one of the Jenga pieces, we will erase one of the words for the song, and we won't sing that word anymore. They still have to think about what the word is because they have to keep going with the song. When the tower falls, we will sing the whole song (even the words that have been erased will be sung again).

I'm still kind of in the planning stages on this one, so if I change how I do this, I will do another post about it.

I want to incorporate a little more understanding of the words, not just memorizing. I want to get the kids to think about the words and apply them in their lives. I don't want there to be such a focus on the activity that I forget the purpose of Singing Time. The Sharing Time outline says,

"Music in Primary should establish a reverent atmosphere, teach the gospel, and help children

feel the influence of the Holy Ghost and the joy that comes through singing."

So, how do I maintain a reverent atmosphere, but still allow the kids to do wiggle songs, and play a game? What are your thoughts on this subject?

The Bucklein Bunch: Battleship for Primary

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 17:03:00 MST

I'm the Primary Chorister in my ward (a congregation). I think it's a blast! There are tons of awesome blogs to read for fun and creative ideas to teach the songs. Today I chose to do Battleship. I got the idea from a blog called, "Diving Secrets of a Primary Chorister".

Here is what my board looked like. It's not as good as I hoped, but it will do. I used Tempra paint, but I guess I should have tried poster paint or something. Then, my loving husband Brian, helped me make the game pieces since he knows Excell and Power Point better than me.

I divided the poster into 9 rows, and 7 columns. That way, I had a nice border. I realized after I painted it all that I forgot to put the letters and numbers on both sides. Whoops! It worked anyway. As you can see from the picture, I put the numbers 1-7 across the top, and A-E down the side. There is a teacher supply store here in town, and they laminated my poster board for me for $3. I got 2 packages of Sticky-Back Velcro from Wal-Mart (in the craft/sewing department). I cut the Velcro into squares, and put the soft side on the poster board. After printing all of the game board pieces on cardstock, I took them to my Primary President's house to laminate (she bought a laminating machine). I put the rough side of the velcro on the game pieces so I could attach them easily.

This is what the finished product looks like. I made a key, and printed it on cardstock. This was one of my layouts. The black circles represent the 1st verse of "As a Child of God." The yellow circles are the 2nd verse, Blue stands for the 3rd verse, and the green ones are Sea Mines. When you hit one of those, you get to do a fun song. For Junior Primary, our fun songs were "Popcorn Popping", "Roll Your Hands", and "Give, Said the Little Stream". For the Popcorn song, every time the kids said the word Popcorn, they had to pop out of their chairs. For "Give, Said the Little Stream", I had them stand up or sit down each time they said "give", and they had to clap every time they said a word that started with "S". The kids really loved it! Senior Primary didn't do "Roll Your Hands". I figured they would feel too babied, so I had them do "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes."

When the kids hit one of my ships (black, yellow, or blue), they had to answer a question about that particular verse of the song. This was such a GREAT way to get the kids to sing the same song over and over, but still have fun. I'm actually really pleased with how it turned out.

~ Our Road ~: Family Photo Shoot

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 00:30:00 MST

Here are some of my favorite pics from our photo shoot on our favorite beach at Bellows Air Force Station. It was a crazy windy day, and the kids were not super cooperative for our family shots, but overall I think it was a success.

The Bucklein Bunch: Christmas Already?

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 09:25:00 MST

Where did this year go? Why is time going so fast? I can't believe Christmas is in 5 days!! This year has been full of ups and downs, but we know that is how we learn.

Nate is doing GREAT in 7th grade. He loves his school, and really enjoys his advanced Math class, as well as the Gifted and Talented Program that he gets to attend. He is a member of the Scholar Bowl team at school, plays trombone in band, and sings with the Griffioen Junior Singers. He recently turned 13 yrs old, and got a Facebook account. He is a responsible kid who tries so hard to do everything right. When he isn't perfect, it's so hard on him. He takes his Priesthood responsibilities seriously, which is a rare thing in a teenager. He has had to be more responsible for his younger brother since I started working full-time. I sure appreciate him.

Marshall has had some struggles at school lately. It's hard to teach a child with Asperger's Syndrome what it means to be a friend. He does whatever the other boys in his class do, even when it's something that he knows he's not supposed to do. He can be the most loving, caring boy you've ever met. He had a 1st grade Winter Program at school last week, and he did GREAT! He knew all the words to the songs! He is doing GREAT academically too! He is well above average in reading and math, but just above average in writing. He is seriously so smart! He is excited for Christmas I think. It's hard to tell with him. He was very happy that it snowed last night. He put his boots on and tromped out the door with a smile on his face. Oh, I love that boy.

I'm working sort of full-time at Chick-Fil-A. They said they hired me full-time, yet I don't have very many hours today. I'm hoping to get more soon. I like working there. The people I work with are friendly and nice. The managers are nice too, so that helps. Plus, I get a $6 meal allowance every shift I work. YUM!

Brian just finished his 2nd Fall Semester at MWSU. He has to spend some of his month off between semesters prepping for next semester. Hopefully he can enjoy a few days off. He is also the Scoutmaster in our ward. He sure is busy!

The Bucklein Bunch: Nephews

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 18:02:00 MST

These two are adorable. They are my sister's boys, and I just love them to pieces. I wish we lived closer so we could play. Aren't they cute?!

Grubbs Family Blog: Kodak Moments

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 23:23:00 MST

Today Natalie reminded me of a picture I took some years ago that was less than favorable (in her eyes). It was one of those special times where I was able to catch her off guard in a "kodak" moment. Surprisingly that photo has somehow graced the pages of the family album in our living room for all to see. When asked about it, Natalie simply responded that it was one of the children's favorite photos and so she couldn't help but allow it. I guess they think it's funny to see their mom mad at their dad.

I took another one of those photos last week which I'm sure will get a similar response from the kids. However, she is smiling in this one instead of giving "the look".

I bet there are a million and one creative captions for this picture. Natalie would say it was her last line of defense from a wild and crazy 4 year old...you cans see him helping mommy in the background with the mop or sword or bat or whatever weapon he is imagining it to be in the moment. Or we could say she simply went crazy from the joy of raising 4 children and is protecting what's left of her brain.

I wonder if she knows she has the helmet on wrong? Just makes it that much more funny to me.

The Bucklein Bunch: Guitar

Sun, 27 Nov 2011 07:39:00 MST

Did you know I can play the guitar? I just realized I had this talent. I always felt bad because everyone else in my family can play. Except me. I figured I was just the one that never would. Well, this summer Nate wanted some guitar lessons from Aunt Stefanie when we were there visiting. He picked it up right away, and was able to play several songs in his first lesson. We were only there for 3 days, but he learned a lot.

Stef and Will saw how excited he was to learn, and how well he was doing, so they asked everyone to pitch in some money to buy Nate a guitar for his birthday (November 17th). He was SO excited to get a guitar, and he picked up right where he left off, easily playing some tunes.

The other day I decided to try playing a few chords, and I have loved it! I can't do the bar chords yet, but I'm going to be playing a few of the Christmas songs from the Primary Children's Songbook in Primary today. You see, I'm the Primary Chorister, and I think the kids will love it.

~ Our Road ~: Happy Thanksgiving!

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 02:18:00 MST

Thanksgiving at our house was a little . . . um . . . interesting this year. Peter left last Saturday to fly a short mission to Thailand. He was scheduled to be back Tuesday morning, and then have five whole days off of work. We were looking forward to some quality family time. He called Monday night to let me know the jet was broke, but that they thought they could fix it, and they should be home Wednesday morning. Tuesday night, he called again to let me know it was still not fixed. I was hopeful they would get the plane fixed, and he would somehow make it home for Thanksgiving. This morning I discovered that they are still broke in Thailand, and are waiting for parts to be flown in, which won't be there until Sunday, and they will hopefully be home sometime on Monday. BUMMER! Thankfully, we had plans to join some friends for Thanksgiving dinner, but Peter was very missed. Thanksgiving is just not quite the same when part of your family is missing.

I am so thankful for my family! I am so blessed to have a wonderful Husband! He is my BEST friend, and I miss him so much when he is gone. We have been blessed with two beautiful children, and they bring so much joy and happiness to our lives. I am so thankful for the opportunity I have to be a wife and mother. I learn and grow every day, and I am so thankful for the things my husband and children teach me. Nothing could be more rewarding!

~ Our Road ~: She's Growing

Sat, 19 Nov 2011 01:58:00 MST

Evie had a weight and height check-up this week. She weighed in at 18 lbs 14 oz (2nd percentile - up from the 1st percentile a month ago). She measured 29 1/4 inches (I can't remember what percentile that was). She is finally drinking her pediasure after a month of refusing to drink it after one sip every morning. Hopefully that will help her put on some pounds now. On a side note: Brody also loves Evie's pediasure. In an effort to keep the peace, we let them each have one pediasure a day (our grocery bill has significantly increased - that stuff is not cheap). We mix Brody's with milk to make it last throughout the day. Otherwise he throws tantrums about it. I wish you could hear them ask for pediasure. It is so cute the way they both say it.

Evie also had an urinalysis to follow up from her HSP diagnosis. That was an experience! The doctor was nice enough to want to try to get a urine sample without having to put her on a catheter again (somewhat of a traumatic experience in the ER for a 1 year old - she still freaks out when we change her daipers), so we were tasked with having to get her to pee in a bag. Sound difficult? It was! You should have seen the nurses and techs celebrating when we finally had success. Anyway, her tests came back normal, so things look good so far, but the doctor still wants to do follow up urinalysis for the next few months just to make sure.

Together: Carson's Birth

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 12:19:00 MST

My due date with Carson was Oct. 16th. and my mother-in-law came up Oct 8th just to be safe . My OBGYN thought he would start me that weekend so we sat around waiting for the phone to ring but it never did. I went to my appointment the following week and was 4cm dilated and my doc assured me that he would induce me that coming weekend. Friday and Saturday came and went without a phone call and by Sunday night (my due date) I had all but given up hope when at 7:00PM I got the call to hurry and come to the hospital to be induced that night. YAY!

He broke my water at 9pm and Carson was delivered at 12:15am. Trevor actually delivered him! I wish I would have taken a picture of him catching the baby but I was kinda busy... ;)

8lbs 7oz 20inches

Our heaviest baby yet!
The proud papa.

The relieved mama.

The kids came by the next morning and were thrilled to meet their new baby brother. Hallie and Megan are so good with him.

Megan was really concerned about picking a name for him ASAP. She didn't want to leave the hospital until we had decided but we still couldn't decide between Carson, Parker, and Max.

Davis was so cute with Carson. He wanted to hold him CONSTANTLY. No matter whose turn it was holding him Davis was right there next to them begging, "My turn?! My turn!".

Such a sweetie.

As always I enjoyed being at the hospital and just lovin on my new baby. Trevor came (bringing the traditional Wendy's frosty) and spent a few hours with us both days at the hospital and we ordered room service ;), watched movies, and just stared endlessly at our new little guy.

We were so blessed to have Kaye with us for 2 more weeks. She was a life saver! Especially in the morning when she got the kids up and off to school so I could get a few more minutes of sleep. The kids loved having grandma here.

When Jerry came to pick up Kaye he brought Kim and Julie who stayed for another week to help out. It was so nice to have them!!

We have never been so spoiled... 3 helpers for 4 weeks!!

They are all gone now and Trev is back to his busy schedule... I'm adjusting to 5 kids and having 3 little boys at home all day. I still don't know how I am going to keep up with everything that needs to be done but I am so grateful for these little blessings in my life. I am one lucky mama that is for sure. :)

The Bucklein Bunch: No More Lego Battles

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 19:35:00 MST

Marshall has been EXTREMELY obsessed with one Nintendo DS game: Lego Battles. If he isn't playing the game on his DS, he is playing it in his head, or writing lists of the game characters, or building the characters with Legos. I decided that I needed to take his game away, and attempt to get this boy to cope with change. It very nearly broke his heart. He cried and cried this morning. He thought his world was over. He was certain he would never be happy again.

Brian was in bed, and called Marshall in to snuggle with him so he could attempt to explain to Marshall why I took his game. I went in there too, hugged Marshall, and told him I love him. In between sobs, he said, "I only love you a little." Hahahaha. I laughed and laughed. Then, because he was mad that I laughed at him, he coughed in my face. It was a big, fake cough. He was coughing in my face to get me back. I just laughed some more. I thought it was the funniest thing ever!

I finally had to tell Marshall that he could still play his game in his head. That made him happier, and he was able to stop crying before the bus got there. I'm sure he will keep begging for the game tomorrow, but I have to be firm. I need my son to learn that there will be changes, and he has to adapt. It's going to be rough, but we will make it.

Bill Grubbs's Photo Gallery: Andrew the Dragon

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 07:00:00 MDT

Date: Aug 3, 2011
Number of Photos in Album: 1

View Album

We are ANGUS: Jade's 2-year Well-Check

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 15:57:00 MDT

Jade had a great check-up with Dr. McCrory. We love Dr. McCrory!

Jade's (tiny) stats:

Height - 32.5 inches (16.70%)

Weight - 20.4 lbs. (0.30%)

Although on the itty-bitty side, Jade is growing healthy and strong. We love our little 2-year-old girl and hope she continues to be healthy and happy.

Angela Plaster's Photo Gallery: Lake Powell

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 15:16:00 MDT

Date: Jul 13, 2011
Number of Photos in Album: 81

View Album

Bill's Blog:

Tue, 10 May 2011 09:20:00 MDT

Charitable Giving, Food For Thought!

I gave a lesson on tithing Sunday and broadened the topic to giving. I found some very interesting information that I thought I would share.

The average person in the US gives away three and a half times as much money as the average French citizen, seven times as much as the average German, and 14 times as much as the average Italian.

The most charitable state is Utah, where people give approximately twice as much as the second leading state.

When people get richer, they tend to give more money away. When people give more money away, they tend to prosper.

People who volunteer do better financially. Is income driving up donations or are donations driving up income? The answer is both. When our country gets richer, people give more away. And as we give more away, that translates into economic growth for our country.

People who give to charity are 43 percent more likely than people who don't give to say they're very happy people. People who give blood are twice as likely to say they're very happy people as people who don't. People who volunteer are happier. You simply can't find any kind of service that won't make you happier. Givers are healthier, happier, and richer in this country.

Many churches are opposed to the concept of tithing saying it was abolished with the Law of Moses. On the average, Christians are giving about 2.5 percent of their income to churches, not ten. Weekly collection didn't even exist until the middle of the 19th century, when churches gave up selling or renting pews.

One spokesman said tithing remindes him of Martin Luther, father of the Protestant movement, who broke away from the Catholic church because it was selling indulgences: Promises of a quicker road to heaven in exchange for cash. Striped down to its basics, he says, "I don't think tithing is different than indulgences. What we see today, though, is a return to 'this-for-that religion,' give God this and God will give you that".

I thought it was interesting to find some churches have installed "Giving Kiosks" in the church where attendees can swipe their card and donate. Some call them God's ATMs.

The Plaster Family: New Blog

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 16:13:00 MDT

We have a new blog! And we are going to make it private so if you want an invite please leave me your email address in the comments! Thanks!

brandonandkarenplaster.blogspot.com

Star Attractions: Happy Easter!

Sun, 24 Apr 2011 13:21:00 MDT

2 Boys, 2 Girls, 1 Mom Blogging Wildly: First Day of School

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 15:36:00 MDT

School started today and I just had to share pictures of my big first grader (and her adorable brothers and sister who so lovingly walk her to and from school each day).

Jerry Mack's Blog: He influenced my life for good . . .

Sun, 10 Feb 2008 11:55:00 MST

. . . and passed away five years ago.

Andrew Glenn Wahlquist

August 22, 1912 - February 10, 2003

Uploads from nevilleslosttoad: DSC02758

Wed, 27 Jun 2007 21:34:00 MDT

nevilleslosttoad posted a photo:

Contemplating his next move...