Phone Photos and Fun Memories

So, here's the story - Ryan finally unloaded all of the photos from his phone. There were pictures on there clear back from when we had our baby, now 20 months old. I hadn't seen a lot of these pictures: 'cause they were on Ryan's phone. But I've had lots of fun looking at them today and wanted to share them; along with my memories over the last year or so.

We typically have a camera with us, and take a lot of photos, these were pictures taken on occasions when we didn't have a camera with us. Not as high of quality, but still lots of fun memories! (Some of which I had forgotten until today ;)

September 2008 - for Family Home Evening we took a trip up Scout Mountain and had a fun little cookout. It really was pretty chili, but Tate didn't like the jacket I packed for him, so he wouldn't put it on. Eventually he went to the car and got it.

Eating Tiger Ears at the Eastern Idaho State Fair in Blackfoot. Mmm Mmm

We went to the park nearly every day this last summer. My kids had fun getting out and playing on the toys and it was a good chance for me to get some fresh air and visit with other Mommies. School District #25 has a summer lunch program where they serve free lunches to kids ages 1 -19. It's a neat program. They serve lunch at a bunch of parks in Pocatello (6-8 I think) we usually went to Raymond Park.

July 24, Pioneer day. We had a fun primary activity - and got to dress up like pioneers. Oran got worn out and fell asleep - we found another use for the skirt ;)

Space Chimps

For our anniversary, July 12, Ryan and I took a weekend trip to Idaho Falls while the boys stayed with Grandma and Grandpa in Preston. We forgot our camera, but did lots of fun things! We saw 2 Movies; "Hancock" (don't waste your money) and "WALL.E" (Gotta Love it).
We also went to the 35th Anniversary Performance of "Saturday's Warrior" went to the Museum of Idaho and saw the Ancient Egypt Exhibit - WHICH WAS SUPER COOL!! We visited a few art galleries, went to the farmers market, did a little shopping - and did some sealings in the Idaho Falls Temple (definitely the high light of our trip) to commemorate our own sealing, then we ate in the temple cafeteria.

The view of the Idaho Falls Temple from our hotel- Shilo Inns. On our last morning we ate our complimentary breakfast and went for a little walk along the river before check out time.

Before we headed home we attended church in the Idaho Falls 4th ward. They meet in the chapel next to the temple. We had an hour between check out time and the start of the meeting so we walked around the temple grounds.

Both Ryan and I at the Idaho Falls temple.

July 4, 2008 - watching the parade with Brady and Anna and their boys. Brady used to live about a mile from us, and we arranged to meet them along the parade route. We miss them now that they're living in St. George.

Ryan and I needed to get away, and we needed a cheap date, so my awesome cousins, Wes and Kyle, came to watch our kids so we could leave. We went for a ride and watched the sun set from Scout Mountain.

Say "Cheese"

The View of Pocatello from Scout Mountain.

This year marked 10 years since my parents bought KACH radio in Preston, ID. They hosted a community party at Riverdale Resort to celebrate their anniversary.

The boys and I. We finished our sloppy joe's and are ready to go swimming!!

This one makes me laugh! After the swimming; Tate, Canton and my cousin Matt all sharing a slurpy.

After Gavin and Callie blessed their Baby, Arvil, we had a nice lunch at their house. It was such a nice day that many of us chose to eat out side.

I chose to stretch out on the blanky after we ate.

Oran laid down with me, but he kept eating!

Oran's 1st birthday April 23, 2008 - We ate dinner at Butter Burr's in Pocatello.

I love Butter Burr's - with my food allergy they are one of three restaurants I can eat at and not get sick!! Yea for restaurants that make all their food from scratch!!

Canton had been having an extra hard time being good. He seemed to be acting out a lot and we thought maybe he just needed some extra attention so Ryan took him to The Fun Zone for some one on one time with Daddy.

Does he look like he's having fun?

Ah, wasn't that fun!? I love looking at old pictures and remembering!

A fast for Arvil

I keep thinking I need to post something, but haven't found the time! I still don't have it - but I wanted to let any of you, who are concerned for the welfare of my nephew, that we will be having a fast for him tomorrow, Tuesday, January 27, 2009.
See Arvil's Blog for more information.
We appreciate all of your prayers, and have been feeling the effects of those prayers!
Have a great day, maybe I'll find time to post more later!

The Gavin and Callie White family
December 24, 2008
After finishing their annual Christmas Pageant

Callie & Dawsey, Duncan, Gavin & Arvil, Rannon, and Brigham

The Switch to Digital

It's taken us this long, but we are ready!
My awesome Daddy came and put our antenna back on the roof - It can get pretty windy in Pocatello, our antenna blew off the roof; I put it in the garage so it wouldn't get damaged further, and that is where it has sat for more than a year. We have been using our rabbit ears and picking up 3 channels, and that was good enough. But After one of those went exclusively digital and with February 17th looming ever nearer we decided that we'd better do something about it!
My Awesome Daddy came and secured our antenna to the roof, using several, rather creative ways, to reinforce it; it has now withstood up to 50 mph winds!
Ryan drilled a couple of holes in the siding, put a splitter of the coax cable and pulled it into the house. We now get reception in BOTH living rooms! And if that wasn't exciting enough...
We then got our government coupons in the mail, and later that day headed to Radio Shack!
We got 2 digital converter boxes and now get FOUR different PBS channels!! Plus NBC, ABC, CBS, and FOX!!!
My kids have really enjoyed having PBS Kids, But Tate's new favorite show is "NOVA." It's funny to me. He just loves learning new things and gets so excited about it.
He watched the program "Is There Life on Mars?" which he LOVED, he is fascinated with anything that has to do with space, so I wasn't surprised.

The next "NOVA" he watched had to do with the Oceans and marine life. He enjoyed that one too. Then there was one about the Artic, and the one he watched most recently was about the human heart.
I was listening to Tate and Canton play. I picked up on the fact that they were pretending to be doctors, then I heard Tate explaining the function of the human heart to Canton. How it has 4 chambers, and the opening to each chamber is covered by a valve that opens and closes. How the heart pumps blood through your whole body so that all of your "internal organs function properly."I just think it's so funny that he's so much like his Daddy in that regard. He loves to gain knowledge and share that knowledge with anyone who will listen! I never thought that "NOVA" could be so fascinating to a 4 year old. He even asks when it's on and if he can watch it.

So it's exciting that we can get PBS now, and we are READY for the switch to digital!

A good day

Most Sundays I feel so rushed! Especially since we are now on the 9:00 schedule for church. I'm rushing to get everyone fed, bathed, dressed, and out the door in time to make it to church soon enough to get everyone to their classes before they start!

I have a hard time feeling very spiritual, or ready for church when I feel like I've been rushing for 2 hours and still left the house before I was ready.

For some reason I always wait until last to get myself ready, and then it doesn't always happen. Last week I didn't get a shower, the week before I went with wet hair. Many weeks I don't curl my hair or get makeup on, some weeks I have to go in glasses, occasionally I forget to brush my teeth, or I simply couldn't find clean clothes I was happy with. I typically get to church in a foul mood, for whatever reason and have forgotten something: diapers, snacks, scriptures...
But today, I was actually in a good mood! And it was such a nice change!

I knew that we had to leave early so last night I prepared our diaper/church bag. I found and set out clothes for all of us and I bathed the boys before sending them to bed.

This morning things went so smoothly! Ryan got the boys breakfast and I showered, Ryan took a shower while I was dressing the boys. I got to do my hair, put in contacts, and fix my face! For the first time in YEARS I actually felt pretty at church!

Ryan helped take the boys to their classes and I was there early enough to fulfill my calling, and make announcements about our upcoming Home, Family and Personal enrichment meeting.
Ryan had to be to work at 9:30 so he left soon after our arrival at church, but I felt so peaceful and was actually open to hearing and receiving the messages presented.

Relief Society ended early so I was able to visit quietly with a few of the sisters in the ward before Sunday School started.

Ryan took his lunch break to help during sacrament meeting. The boys were all relatively good, and I only spent the last 5 minutes in the foyer.

I know it might seem like a small accomplishment, but overall it was a sensational day!

In the World of the Whites

For those of you who don't know - I was a White before I turned Green. My family has been going through a lot this past week!

I had planned to go to Preston to spend some time with my parents while Ryan was away on his business trip, but my parents, unexpectedly, ended up taking care of my brother Gavin's four older children.

Sad News

Gavin and Callie have a home in Preston not far from my parents. Their 10 month old Baby, Arvil, has been having a lot of health problems. He had been having lots of seizures. His first experience with seizures was in August, they thought they had the problem under control, but he has had a cold, and every time he would start coughing he would have more seizures. Gavin and Callie took him to the emergency room in Preston. There they made arrangements with Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City, UT and sent them there.
The doctors told them that children his age who have seizures typically have seizures that last 2 - 4 minutes. But Arvil's average seizure lasted about 20 minutes and he had several that lasted a full half hour. It's pretty scary.
He hasn't been able to move his right arm since they went in, but they've been having a therapist work with him. The MRI showed a lot of damage to the left side of the brain, primarily in the cortex. Which would explain the lack of motor skills on the right side of his body.
They have blood specialists, geneticists, gastroenteritis, neurologists, etc. working on his case. The radiologist said that there were indications that he had had strokes and that his blood vessels are too small and disorganized.

They now believe that the seizures are occurring because of the brain damage, that is consistent with a series of strokes. Arvil's seizures and strokes seem to be caused by abnormally narrow blood vessels in the brain which can not always keep up with demand for oxygen by the brain tissue. Illness and stress seem to worsen this and act as triggers for increased seizures. This is something that none of the doctors have seen before. They are contacting some internationally reknowned vascular specialist today and then later they will have a big sit-down with about a dozen doctors and discuss options.
Arvil has a combination of RSV, Rotavirus, and C-dipth (a bacterial infection). All of those things seem to be aggravating his condition and causing more seizures. But Arvil is a fighter. We've all been praying for them and hope that he comes out of this all right.

They have been at PCMC since last Thursday, a week ago yesterday. The other kids are still with my parents. My Mom said she's not getting much else done, but that's alright! Taking care of grand kids is important too! I'm glad that she's able to help them out.

Arvil White Dec. 25, 2008
(chewing on woody)

Gavin and Callie's cousin Clancy have started a blog for Arvil to keep us all updated and in the loop.

Glad News!

AND some happier news! My Sister, Alayna, had a baby yesterday!
Ainzlee May Slinker joined our family at 7:58am January 15, 2009. She was 6 lbs. 11 oz. and 19 inches long.
Both Mom and Baby are doing great and plan to be back home on Sunday.
Brandon and Alayna have a 4 year old little boy, a 2 year old little girl, and a brand new girl to add to their collection!

To read more about the Slinker family adventures see their blog.

When Daddy's Away...

We have really missed our Daddy for the last 5 days! I was thinking with Ryan gone I'd have a little more free time, to do things like catch up on laundry, put the Christmas decorations away, and do a good deep clean on the bathrooms and kitchens - I don't know what I was thinking!!

It's all I can do to just keep on top of the everyday messes! I've been spending a lot of time scrubbing markers and crayons off the walls and furniture, pulling my children off each other and just keeping the toys picked up! I think I must not be quite as scary as Daddy, because they're being extra naughty and don't seem to want to mind AT ALL!!

I feel frazzled and over extended - but have really enjoyed all the alone time I get after the boys are in bed! It's kind of this new found since of freedom as I can watch all the sappy girl movies I want (that Ryan would never watch with me.) Plus I can wear whatever I want without thinking about the time that Ryan said he didn't like this shirt, or do my hair however I want without worring about whither of not Ryan would like it this way. Plus I don't have to wear make-up, or contacts, or even shower if I don't feel like it and I don't even feel bad! There's no guilt when I don't get everything cleaned up and dinner on the table by 6pm - I'm just doing my own thing.
I guess I never realized how much I stress about perfection - and wanting to be this great wife - which is a good goal, BUT WOW - I never realized how stressed I was about it. So it has been a nice break, and a good learning experience, but I'm ready to have Ryan come home - if only to keep my kids in line!

Tomorrow is THE day!

2009 Kick-off Event

Ryan is participating in an IDA training conference. He's been asked to speak on selling the product, the CDRP (Collision Deductible Reserve Plan.) I think he's a great public speaker, and even a better salesman. He's nervous, but I'm sure he'll do fine. He stayed up all night working on a power point presentation he could be happy with.
The conference is today. They're calling it the "2009 Kick-off Event" and will be at the Three Rivers Convention Center in Kennewick, Washington: http://www.idaleaders.com/2009kickoff.pdf
Ryan will stay at Bill Moreland's house in Hayden, ID. Bill is Ryan's sponsor, they have lots of work planned. Then Ryan will be coming home on Wednesday evening.

Here are our official IDA photos, they were taken at the event in Portland, OR in October. They'll be in the information they hand out, on the internet, on the training videos, and who knows were else!?
Ryan isn't sure how he feels about having his blown up larger than life and projected on a screen behind him while he speaks. I think that might be a little awkward myself! But over all I think they're not such bad pictures.


I think it's so awesome that Ryan has this neat oppurtunity to be seen as a leader and hang out with the head honchos! http://www.idaleaders.net
Canton is really missing his Daddy and will be excited to have him come home!

All of December

We had an eventful December. I think December is always a crazy and busy month as you scurry around trying to get everything ready for Christmas. Plus you have to schedule around family and church get togethers, there's so much to do, the calender fills up so fast, and before you know it the month is gone!
Now that I'm older it flies by faster and faster - as a child the month seemed to be plenty long enough. I've always enjoyed the season and all that comes with it! Family, parties, presents, snow, sledding, Christmas cookies, pageants, and caroling - But I feel like I kind of missed out this year!
Everyone in our house has been sick off and on since Thanksgiving, and we're still fighting it! SO that took some fun out of the holidays as well! But here are the pictures I've been meaning to post!

Uncle Quinten

Probably the most anticipated event of our December 2008, even more so than Christmas and Santa Claus, was the visit from my brother. Quinten is in the Air Force and has been stationed at Ramstein AFB in Germany for the last 2 1/2 years. The last time we saw Quinten, Canton was only 6 months old!
Our boys were all so excited to have their Uncle Quinten come visit that they could hardly sleep! All of them ended up on the hide-a-bed with him by morning. It was so fun to see him!

Cookie Party

The first REAL holiday celebration we participated in was a day for cookie making at my Aunt Bonnie's house here in Pocatello.

Bonnie is so much fun! I thought cookie making was a great idea for a party! I think we may have eaten more than we actually took home, but it's all part of the fun, right!?

My Daddy is so funny! I ask him to pose for a picture and this is what I get! After I looked at the picture I'd just taken I started laughing and he said, "What?" I told him that all the pictures I had of him were goofy! His response was, "I'm not so handsome, so I HAVE to be goofy!"

Here's my awesome cousin Carrie mixing up the cookie dough for the lemony Christmas trees.

This batch was a little over done, but I think they're so clever! You roll the dough into snakes (my kids loved that part!) then frost them and put a star on the top and sprinkles for ornaments! They're great!

My Mommy was there too! She's making peanut butter balls to stick a Hersey's kiss in!

Here's my cousin Michelle! I love the mice! Michelle is so creative, and made many different kinds!

Tate wanted to make a gingerbread man! We didn't have any gingerbread dough, so he molded one out of the peanut butter dough and decorated him. He was very proud of his little man!

This is before he got eaten. (He didn't run so very fast)

The Dunn Christmas Party

Every year we participate in the annual Dunn Family Christmas party. Ryan's Grandma Green was a Dunn before she married Grandpa Green. So this party includes all of her siblings, their kids, and grand kids, great-grand kids, and even a few great-great-grand kids.
We have a huge pot luck dinner, Santa comes and brings a gift for each of the kids (under 12) then we play a few games and go home.
The party has been held at the church in McCammon for years and years, but this year we broke from tradition and held it at a church in Pocatello.

Santa and Mrs. Claus arrived loaded down with gifts and candy canes.
(See? Two bags!)

The kiddos waiting for Santa to call their names.

Oran with Santa - Mrs. Claus has his present.

Canton with Santa.
Canton was so cute. He was just hanging on the edge of his seat the whole time, and when they read his name, "Canton Green," He immediately jumped to his feet, raised one arm in the air and headed straight for Santa, tripping over a few cousins on the way. Mrs. Claus helped him back to his feet and up to where Santa was sitting.
He was all smiles until just before this was taken when Ryan said, holding the camera, "Canton have you been good this year?" Then he got this expression and said "Well, I've tried REALLY hard!"

Tate telling Santa what he wanted him to bring him for Christmas.

Tate got an Iron Man action figure from Santa.

Oran opening his gift.

Canton is way excited about his Batman!

Ryan's Birthday

December 24, is not the best day for a birthday. But our Daddy has that one, every year! We went to Preston this year to spend Christmas with my parents and my brother Quinten. SO for Ryan's birthday we had a nice big dinner, presents, cake and even balloons!

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

My Mom got these balloons for Ryan - I thought they were funny! It says "Oh, NO, the big 30 - (Three OH)" It made me laugh. My Mom was apologetic, and kept saying, it was the only one they had..." I thought it was great!

Look, even candles! Like a real birthday!
Do you think he made a wish?

Canton is ready for some cake!
(Which he later threw up, all over his bed!)

After we finished dinner:I made way too much pasta!

I kind of miss all the Christmas Eve traditions I grew up with. Caroling, a pageant, eggnog and getting everything ready for Santa. But now we have a new tradition, celebrating Ryan's birthday. I guess that's the price I pay for marrying someone born on December24!

Christmas!

My Mom and I - after all the present opening.

I made her hat (remember I said everyone was getting a gift from my yarn collection?) She was glad to have something to hide her unwashed hair, and I think it's cute! Maybe I'll make myself one...

Santa brought a life sized WALL.E! Here he is guarding the stocking until the little ones get up.

Oran's monkey sat next to the stockings and waited for morning.

Poor Canton was so sick! He threw up in the night. And when it was time to open presents, he has a fever of 103, wasn't at all interested in presents and just wanted me to hold him. I felt so bad for him.
That night, he was still pretty sick. He was crying in the night so I went and got him, he seemed all confused, and said is Santa coming tonight? He was sad when I told him Santa had come last night and we'd already opened all the presents. He couldn't remember and asked if he'd gotten any presents. How sad!


Oran really liked the monkeys I made (I crocheted 3 monkeys, one for each boy) I tried to get a picture of Oran hugging his monkey, but I wasn't quick enough. But he kept hugging him, patting his head and singing him songs.

My Daddy and Oran. I can't believe how big he's getting. In this picture my baby looks HUGE!

Grandma gave all of our boys a new chair. Here's Tate sitting in his. He got a lot of space stuff from Santa, here he's holding one of his little astronauts.

Once Canton's fever got to 105 I put him in the tub to try and cool him off/break the fever, and he fell asleep in the tub. What a sick little boy.

We had an interesting Christmas. It was different than any we've had in the past and I'm sure we won't forget it soon. Canton seemed to start feeling better around 3 or 4 pm on Dec. 26. And then Oran was sick from 5:00 on. It's not fun to have sick kids, and it's even harder when you're away from Home.
Here I am with a sick Oran.

Any of you who live in the area will remember how much it snowed this Christmas. It started snowing in the evening on the 24th and snowed steady ALL day on Christmas. We were all snowed in, and there was no way we were going anywhere until the 27th - when we did head home. In time for Ryan to go to work at 11:00.

This is probably the most unattractive picture ever taken (plus it's fuzzy) But it's the only one we have with our whole family and Quinten. My Mom took this right before we headed home to Pocatello. Quinten headed back about an hour after we left.