Cuteness

 I am just so in love with my sweet baby boy.  He is just so full of love, snuggles, and sweetness.  He's been sick for the past two weeks and really sad, so I was thrilled to find these pictures to remember him during happier times filled with yogurt and an inability to keep a bib on.  

Owen 'cracks' me up.  He dresses himself during the week and 90% of the time refuses to wear underwear.  When he does wear underwear he prefers it inside out and backwards.  And to spruce up the outerwear he ALWAYS wears his pants on backwards. . . every day.  On Sunday I dress him, so he can look like his body is facing the right direction.  It's pretty funny watching him everyday play outside with his sweat pants strings hanging down his backside.  He's such a funny boy!

100

The Kindergartners celebrated the 100th day of school this year by dressing up like they were 100 years old.  Noah was SOOO excited about dressing up.  We picked out his clothes the night before.  The suspenders were borrowed, sweat pants were his way to small pants from being a TMNT, and his hair was coated in powdered sugar because I couldn't find the baby powder. He woke up and got all dressed before 7.  This boy is such a cutie!  He kept trying to make an old man face for the picture, but couldn't stop smiling and laughing, so it made it even more cute.  

Busy busy

I feel like I haven't updated this blog in a while, and since it is our family journal, I should.  We've been busy.

Hyrum is conquering his eye therapy!  It's amazing to see his progress in just four months time.  When we started him in vision therapy he was barely scraping by in level 'B' books (which is early-mid Kindergarten level).  The "B" books were difficult for him and doing homework, reading, . . or pretty much focusing in on anything was a battle.  Therapy is pretty intense with 20 minutes of work at home to do each day and spending an hour once a week with his therapist.  Some days have been harder then others, but we just keep going.  In just these last few months he's already leaped into the "F" level books!  He still has a ways to go to completely catch up with his class, but we can see it on the horizon.  We are so happy for him and his eyes that can now cross.

Noah is doing amazing at school.  He earned 'Kindergartener of the Week' for all the Kindergarten classes.  He doesn't always like doing his homework, but I think it's because it's kind of easy for him. He's zooming through the 'C' level books, now and it won't be long before he's on to 'D'.  His teacher approached me after school this week to inform me that he had a girlfriend in class and that they were holding hands during story time.  Big smiles and laughs from me.  He's 5! What!  Anyway, we had a little talk after school about what a girlfriend is and why we have girlfriends when we're older and preparing for marriage.  I explained that having friends that are girls are great, but he can't hold hands or be a boyfriend until he's 16.  He was completely fine with my explanation (hopefully he stays content with it until he's 16).  The next day when I picked him up he said that he told the girl that she couldn't be his girlfriend until they were 16.  Good boy.

Owen loves all of his 'buddies'.  He talks about them all the time.  He has three best friends that all live on our street that he wants to play with all day long.  I'm doing Joyschool with him with some other moms and their kids.  He does really well during Joyschool and loves to learn.  He is a great friend and is very caring.

Emmett, "Bubba", is cuter then ever.  He loves snuggling, his blanky, his thumb (future braces wearer), and his brothers.  He is so sweet.  When someone is sitting on the floor, even other kids, he walks up to them slowly, turns around, and then backs up and sits on their lap.  It's so funny to watch.  He's like a truck backing into a parking spot.  He loves sitting on other peoples laps.  He also love to climb. . . on everything.  It's kind of driving us crazy.  He climbs on top of the table, the counter, the entertainment center. . . everything!  He is pretty scary, so it's a good thing he's so cute too.  He can say 'I want down' although it sounds like 'uhwundow. uhwundow, uhwundow!'  He just says it over and over again until someone gets him out of his high chair.  He can say and nod yes and he nods no.  He can say Bubba, Mom, Dad, this, dog,. . and I'm probably missing a couple of other words in there too.

Brett has been diligently serving as Second Councilor in the Bishopric.  He loves the people he works with and really brings the spirit into the home when he comes home from meetings.  He's also working very hard at his job trying to meet some big deadlines that are coming up in a few weeks.  Brett also takes Rocky to obedience school every Saturday.  Rocky LOVES Brett and attacks him with kisses whenever he comes home.

I've been learning to truth behind people's comments that having a puppy is just as much work as having another baby.  Actually, I can't say it's just as much work.  Rocky is a REALLY great puppy, so that helps a lot.  He doesn't bark much, doesn't bite, is pretty low key, he doesn't seem to shed at all which is really nice.  The kids love him.  I've also been busy working on the PTA Book Fair coming up next week, the Blue and Gold Banquet for scouts in a couple of weeks, and my gospel based summer school curriculum that I've been making. . . that is when I'm not helping the kids with homework, doing laundry, cooking, or taking the dog out.

We're all pretty busy, but I can't think of a better way to be.

A magical time of year

This picture just cracks me up.  It perfectly shows the boys personalities.  Owen has a REALLY hard time staying dressed, so I frequently find him stripped down around the house, luckily he hasn't done it in public.  He's also covered with spots from markers and frosting.  Noah's pajamas and fist say it all.  He loves pretending to be a fighter/ninja/superhero.  Hyrum is diligently working on his gingerbread house and showing me a piece of candy in his hand that he's about to put on. 

 The boys were super excited about these gingerbread/cookie cutters I found online.  They loved fighting the Star Wars guys and eating them too:).

 There's something magical about Christmas Eve for a mom and dad.  Brett and I both at different times walked into the front room to see how everything looked and if it looked magical enough for a Christmas morning surprise for the boys.

Other then a couple of last minute pajama changes that needed to take place, the morning went perfectly.  

 Brett and I have beed discussing and planning on getting a dog for the past few years.  We finally felt like we found the right time.  The boys, especially Hyrum, had shown us that they could carry extra responsibilities and handle the sacrifices it would take to care for and save up for a puppy.  They were all very surprised and thrilled to get a real puppy to join our family.  His name is Rocky, and he's pretty dang cute!

Once everything had settled down from around the tree we had a very big breakfast of chocolate waffles, doughnuts, whipped cream, strawberries, raspberries, sausage, eggs, egg nog, and fudge.  They boys got to pick the breakfast this year:).

 Rocky is a small dog and doesn't like the cold too much, so we try and keep him bundled.  He's a Bichon Frise and Havanese mix puppy, 12 weeks old.  We are now in the process of crate training him and keeping him on a rigid schedule.  

Then and Now

This was really fun to do.  

Grandpa Clyde's Funeral

I have a lot to say about Gramps' funeral, but I think I will put the majority of my feelings about it in our hand written family journal. His funeral was incredible, because he was an incredible man. He was a great example of sincere Christ-like love, service, humor, and endurance. I hope to follow his example.

Obituary for Clyde Leavitt Rushton

Clyde Leavitt Rushton, 97, passed away Wednesday, November 26, 2014 at his home in Lakewood, WA. He was born May 15, 1917 in Logandale Nevada to Frederick John and Mabel Leavitt Rushton. Married Grace Norris in 1942 in Tacoma and after her passing a second wife Carroll McMullin in 1985. Clyde is preceded in death by his wives Grace and Carroll, a son Edwin, 13 siblings, a step-son David (Tracy) McMullen. Survived by 6 sons and 1 daughter; Denton Clyde and Sandra (Hughes) of Lakewood, Harold and Jill (Boronda) of Albequerque, NM, John and Candace (Larson) of Puyallup, Paul and Patsy (Bender) of Gig Harbor, Robert and Laurie (Hansen) of Midland TX, Ted Rushton of Gilbert AR, Barbara and Curt Pollard of Lacey; 44 grandchildren, 107 great grandchildren, and 5 great-great grandchildren; one brother, Ned Rushton, Bountiful, UT; two sisters, Edith (Robert) Fryberger, Great Falls, MT, and Mary (Leon) Inman, Graham, WA; 7 Step-Children; Jolayne (John) Eastman, Graham, Lynette (Larry) Clark, Federal Way, Phil (Joy) McMullin, Vashon Island, Jerry (Connie) McMullin, Caldwell, ID, Nadine (David) Adams, Portland, OR, Wallace (Kim) McMullin, Renton, WA; 30 step-grandchildren, 105 great step-grandchildren, and 5 great, great step-grandchildren.

Clyde served in the Army 41st division WWII from 1941-45. He was a carpenter by trade and had a family business. He retired from Ft. Lewis in Civil Service as an engineer. He is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His life revolved around his family, his church, friends, carpentry and quilting. Funeral services will be Saturday, December 6 11:00 AM at Steilacoom Chapel, 10018 Farwest Drive SW, Lakewood, WA. Viewing prior to the funeral at 9:30 am.

Here is the cousin choir during practice.  There were 43 voices heard singing praises to God in Gramps' favorite hymns.  The spirit was so strong.

It's not often that we sisters can get together without kids.  It was a little crazy fun.

There were 320 people that attended the funeral.  The chapel and over-flow were full.  So many people loved and admired Gramps.  I am blessed to be numbered among his posterity.  This shot above was taken at the family luncheon.  

 

Mom got us some fun aprons from my cousin Wendy.

Dear Boys, Choosing 'The One'

Dear Boys,

  I can't tell you who to marry, because that is a decision that only you, your love, and Heavenly Father should be making together.  In an effort to give you some guidance though, I wanted to tell you a little bit about your Dad and I, and more specifically, characteristics that I saw as a must in my future companion.

Similar Backgrounds/Goals:
 On our first date one thing that your Dad and I will always agree was the biggest thing that caught us in each other's net was how much we had in common.  When your Dad asked me out I really could not imagine what we would possibly have in common.  Up to that point, every guy I had dated was super outgoing and a true extrovert, like me.  I thought that was what I wanted in a future husband: the life of the party, funny, crazy, and loved being out.  I was always told that if I marry someone similar to myself than there will be less of a life adjustment after marriage.  I guess I just picked out certain things that I loved and assumed that my husband should love those same things.  As you know, your Dad is not shy, but he is NOT an extrovert.  Going on a mission really helped me grow up, but I was still kind of crazy, spontaneous, and wild.  When I started dating your Dad, I felt like he calmed me down and brought practicality and logic to my life that. . . ehhem. .  let's just be honest, wasn't there otherwise.   Going back to our first date, we talked for hours about music we liked, similar people we knew, our missions, our dating experiences, life goals, our families, etc.  We couldn't stop talking, because we had SO much in common, even though it wasn't the commonalities that I expected.  So, just like I had been told, I will advise you to marry someone with a similar background and with similar goals, just don't be too picky about which backgrounds and goals match up, except for the essential ones like their love of the Savior and His influence in their life.

Social Compatibility:
  You should see your future spouse in a lot of different social settings.  Take your love goggles off for a minute while dating and carefully pay attention to how they act and react in different situations.  You will spend a LOT of time with this person and you should start envisioning how this person you love will handle themselves in lots of life experiences.  This is why dating lots of people comes in handy.  Over the years you will determine things you like and things that drive you crazy in other people.  This is a time where IT IS OKAY to be critical of another person, because you have to decide now if this is someone that you can love forever AND someone that you can live with forever. One thing that was important for me in my future spouse, was that he could handle himself well in conversation and awkward social moments without shying away.  I knew early that your Dad didn't like going out as much as staying in, so I didn't have a lot of opportunities to see him socialize with other people beyond his roommates and myself.  On our second official date we went out to eat and on our way out of the restaurant there were two homeless men sitting on a bench.  I started up a political conversation with them and after hooking Brett into the discussion, I went silent.  I wanted to see how he handled himself.  He was confident, kind, not awkward, and talked for a while before we walked on.  He will probably claim that this was the weirdest thing I did while we dated, but it was all for a purpose.  I loved him a little more after I saw him having a good conversation with these two random men and keeping his cool, even when their views were pretty whacky.  Later on that night we went back to his apartment and watched a movie with his roommates.  Your Dad held my hand for the first time, and I stopped in the middle of the movie to announce to everyone that he was holding my hand.  Your Dad was embarrassed and his roommates were laughing.  If he didn't have his love goggles on, he would have learned that night that I really don't like elephants in the room and I say whatever needs to be said to remove all question or doubt.  Your Dad put up with a lot of my bluntness, and I am very glad he didn't see my occasional embarrassments as a deal breaker.

Hard Working:
  Being married is hard work, it's wonderful and awesome, but it is work.  You don't want to be with someone who gives up when things get hard, because no matter how in love you are, there will come a time when things get hard.  You should envision a life with both of you working side-by-side to achieve your goals, overcome obstacles, raise children, create a home, etc.  My parents were very hesitant about my relationship progressing with your Dad because he didn't have a job and his only work experience was a small stint at Coney's.  When we were dating I was working full time and had saved up enough to buy my first car.  I had had several jobs by that point.  I knew that your Dad was a hard worker judging by his work ethic and his enthusiasm and ambitions for his future career.  Not all characteristics and qualities can show up on a resume, but be aware of them and be looking for them in your future spouse.  When I told your Dad about my parents concern with him not working and being able to be a good provider, he immediately got a job at BYU before he proposed.  Not all educated people are smart and not all smart people are educated, but one sign of a hard worker is education.  I would say that you should only pursue someone with a good college education, but that would be hypocritical coming from me, who has a HS diploma and a cosmetology license, and was working as an apartment office manager when we met and married.  Although my credentials are lacking, I have a great love of learning and education.  I feel that my love of learning and teaching you boys has been one of the greatest blessings in my parenting experience.

Baggage: 
  When you are married you make a promise of unity.  Your two separate lives and experiences will join into one growing relationship together.  While you are dating, and fall in love, sometimes you see the other person as perfect.  Comments and mannerisms can be skimmed over because she's wonderful and it's not 'that bad'.  Let me tell you a secret:  your perception of perfection fades quickly after you are married and what's left is building blocks to add to, some to take away, and some to learn to work with.  Discussing everything that you and she 'bring to the table' is essential long before you even propose.  If she casually mentions that she has major credit card debt, don't skim over that.  If she makes a brief comment about her Dad beating her when she was young, don't skim over that.  Some baggage is bigger then others and you really need to weigh carefully in your mind and in your prayers what you, together, can handle.  I have seen marriages destroyed by seemingly small baggage and I have also seen marriages thrive while carrying much heavier baggage, but either way it is not easy.  You need to make a decision before you even begin getting too serious, if you are able to handle, hand in hand, all that you both bring to the relationship, good and bad.  Here are a few topics that I think are must have discussions before tying the knot: depth of religious conviction,  financial planning and financial present, future family dynamic expectations,  medical and health history, and traumatic life events.    These are the big topics that seem to cause the most amount of issues in future relationships.  I am not saying that a 'bad score' in these discussions is a sure sign to run away, but I want to be clear that these things can bring in some very heavy baggage.  Are you both strong enough?  Someone else may love her just as much as you but be better prepared to walk hand in hand with her through life.  With that said, I also want to add that I have a strong testimony in the power of the atonement and His healing powers.  Some things in life just can't be fixed without the Saviors grace and cleansing atonement.  If things are really hard when you are dating, then there is a good chance they will be even harder after you are married, so choose wisely. When your Dad and I were dating it was easy to be together, it was natural, and it felt right and that's what I want for you boys.  We have disagreements at times, and we don't always like everything about the other person, but those things don't matter because we're in it for the long haul.  Keep a critical eye before marriage, but once you've made your vows and promises to be married you have to let go of the critical eyes, and put the love goggles back on.  

There you have it boys, some more tips from you Mom.  Your Dad and I don't have a perfect marriage because we are not perfect people.  What we do have is mutual respect and love for each other combined with the loyalty of the promises we have made.  You are still all so young and I seam to get busier as you get older.  I don't want you to all grow up so fast that I don't have a chance to tell you these things.  I was just a silly girl who dated a jobless boy but we saw something great in us and we took the leap.  It was worth it!  I love you boys and I will never stop loving you, worrying about you, and thinking about you EVERY DAY!  We are so lucky to have been blessed to be stewards over you in this life. 

Love oodles and poodles, 
Mom