Casts, and Doctors and Shopping! Oh My!

Griffen got his cast off!  Finally!  He had it on for 7 weeks!  On the way to the Dr he took it off himself in the car.  He stuck his arm out the window and with a look of pure enjoyment said, "Now I know why dogs like to do this so much!"  The feeling of wind and summer on his arm was the best thing ever!

 

 

Blake really loves his snake he got at the zoo.  I guess pics like this make it worth the stupid $30 it cost.  I picked him up from golf the other day and he gets in the car, clearly annoyed and said, "Flippin, it must be Grandparents Day here or something!"  "Why?", I say.  "Because this place is crawling with old people!"  

I gave Ben tickets to Def Leppard and Poison, so I decided to rock some big hair.  This picture really doesn't do it justice.  Ben said he didn't know I could make my hair that big, and I was like, Please! I'm from Tremonton!

We babysat Eva!  She is so stinkin cute. The boys even took a little break from XBOX to play with her.

We went to Wicked!  I am officially obsessed.  It was so freaking good I can't get over it!

We went to Cheesecake Factory for lunch after and it was delish.
We also did a little shopping at City Creek.
I took Griff to a follow up appointment at Primary Children's for his foot.  It was stupid.  I don't know if I had too high of expectations or what, but they weren't helpful at all on either visit.  The Dr there referred him to a foot and ankle specialist at the University.  He has an appointment there on the 8th.  She said she was referring him because he was too big to qualify as a child.  That iritaties me for several reasons, but the top two are, did she not notice his size the first time we went in April????? and regardless of his size, he is still a child!!!!!!   BAAAAAHHHHH!  #@!!%*$ I am losing it! I just wish someone would figure out the problem and fix it already!  After his appointment we went down to Fashion Place to do a little school shopping and then went back downtown to eat at PF Changs.  He was in heaven.  He kept trying to talk me into ordering a ton of food because it was going to be the last good thing he ate until he goes on his hike.  It didn't work, but it was a good try.  He is all packed.  His pack weighs 36 lbs.  He leaves Monday for a week. : (

Nutty Buddy

This has been a pretty lazy summer so far!  Griffen still has his cast on his arm.  He has 2 PT appointments each week and an appointment with the chiropractor once or twice a week for his ankle.  He has basketball M & W and soccer T & TH.  He hasn't been going to soccer because of his foot, but will be back at it this week.  Next week he is going on a 50 mile hike for Scouts.  I hope he has fun.  Blake has been alternating every other week M-TH swimming lessons or golf lessons.  He loves to swim and his favorite part of golf is chipping.  Griff and Blake have been getting along really well.  They have to do jobs, read, and play outside for at least an hour before they can play X-Box.  That is all they want to do!  They can play from 1-5 and for an hour or so before they go to bed IF they get all their stuff done and IF they're good.  So far, it works like a charm!  I started Jazzerscise-ing and I freakin love it!  Brittni started going too.  I'm still doing stupid WW.  Ben works 2 days on and 2 days off. 

We had our 4th of July BBQ as always, and it was fun, as always.  The kids were playing soccer and Blake took a pretty good shot to the nuts.  We now call him Nutty Buddy.  He hates it.  The next day he was having trouble moving and was in a lot of pain.  Friday it was really swollen, but the pain had gone away some so we didn't go to the Dr.  Sunday came and he was still in pain, and swollen and the color was way off so I called the hospital and the Dr. on call said to bring him in.  Really?  Just what I need, more Dr. bills.  I said I didn't want to bring him and if it could wait until the next day I would get him in with his Dr. but On-Call-Guy was all about getting him in in case there was a blood flow problem.  Then he went on to say if the area was compromised it could effect his growth and bla bla bla.  So, off to the hospital we went.  I could just imagine if I hadn't taken him and there was a problem, so he was stuck at 4 & 1/2 feet tall for the rest of his life because I was to cheap for an ER visit.

He had to have an ultrasound and everything was fine.  YIPPEE!  It was 2:30 am so of course we went and got Happy Meals at MickyDs.  After we ate, we decided to walk around the new temple.  We were the only ones out (imagine that), it was quiet, and everything is so clean and new and pretty.  We were about half way around and Blake says, "We really need to get some of that gel like the ultrasound lady had."  Why, I asked.  He stopped walking, spread his legs out a little, put his arms up and said, "Because, my balls feel.....
A-MAAAAAA-ZING!"  I guess a 15 minute massage to the nuts will do that for ya!

All About Griffy Poo :)

Standing at 5 feet 11 1/2 inches tall, weighing 150 elbees, my baby is 14!  It really kinda blows my mind.  This was a lot easier to do for Blake's birthday, because all of his pics are digital.  I also know we were gone for 2 of Griff's birthdays.  Just thought I'd throw that in there so nobody thinks I'm playing favorites or anything.

Griffen's cakes usually represented what he was into that year.  For the past couple of years he has wanted strawberry cream cheese cakes with the candles close together because he HATES it if he can't get them all out with one blow.  He said it happened when he was 11 and I don't think he has quite gotten over it.

Some of the best birthday presents ever!  A truck, bike, massages from Ashley, sports stuff, silly string from Britt, a head  lamp, legos, and snuggling with me.  I don't know if he loves snuggling me, but I do!

Since this post is about Griffy, I thought I would add this. 
The first broken bone was the white cast when he was 4.  He was jumping on a tramp.  I only remember this because it was the first bone he had ever broke.  I took a bunch of pictures, and everyone wanted to sign it.   The rest is kind of a blur.  The novelty has slightly wore off, and I just had to look through pictures and spot the ones where he has a cast.  The second was the blue cast on his left hand.  It happened at school.  I don't remember what he was doing.  Next was the broken toe at Oceanside.  He was jumping over a rock, and didn't quite make it.  It was so sick!  His toe was sticking out sideways!  Then was the purple cast on his right hand.  No idea what happened.  Then the broken right hand.  Can't remember that one either.  

Then the broken right foot.  That was in PE.  After that, the staple to the finger that went into the bone.  Next, we have the infamous Denver fall.  That counts as 3 since he broke 3 bones on that one.  Hopefully the last, but not least, is the broken left arm.  He managed to do that when he wrecked on a 4-wheeler at The Empire.

I freakin love this kid!

ZOO!

Me, Griff, Blake, Brittni, Caleb, Ashley, Eva, Kim and Sandra all went to the Zoo!  I'm not trying to be a total cheap ass, but it was a lot more expensive than I thought it would be.  That said, we had fun!  I will always remember it as the time I actually saw a monkey spanking his monkey.  It was pretty disturbing.  He was looking right at me!

Griffen claims he has wanted one of those snakes for the last 11 years, so they both chose that as their souviners.  We drove up the canyon and ate at Ruth's for dinner.  It was delish. 

ddfdfd

Me and the boys and Brittni and Caleb went to City Creek after because I had to return a necklace.  We walked through the temple to get there and on the way back, Blake had to use the bathroom.  When he came out, we had the following conversation.

Blake:  You have to come in here and see this!

Me:  I can't. It's the men's room.  What?

Blake:  There are like 100 guys in there and they kept doing whatever I did!

Me:  What?

Blake:  Ya, like I was washing my hands and was trying to look behind me and I would lean one way, and they would all lean like that, then I would lean the other way, and they would all lean that way!  They just kept doing what I was doing and getting in my way!!!

Me:  Well, there was probably a mirror in front of you and a mirror behind you.

Blake:  Oh!  So that's why they were all in a line behind me?

Me:  It wasn't anybody!  It was you!  It was just your reflection in the mirror.

Blake: OOOOHHHHH, I get it.

 

End of School! Yay!

 

 

 

And the Livin's Easy, In St. Geezey

 Huge has been going to school in St George.  He was graduating, so my parents got timeshares and we were all off for a little vay-cay!  Yippee!  We had to wait to leave when Ben got back from work, so our family hit the road around 6.  We stopped in Nephi at One Man Band Diner for dinner.  It was yummy.  Blake was skillfully putting jelly on his toast, and dripped some on his pj's.  He always travels in pj's, no matter what time of day it is.  The boy likes to ride in comfort.  He said in a sing-songy voice, "I'm drippin  jelly on my nuts!"  Ben, Griff and I about died laughing.

We spent lots of time at the pool.  I know it seems like there are more pictures of Blake than Griff.  That's because Griff and Ben left 3 days before us.  Griff had to get back to school and Ben had to get back to work. Griffen and Blake had lots of fun.  They think it is so awesome to go on vacation with the whole family.

We went to Zions.  When we first got there, we did the driving route where you drive through a long tunnel.  After that we had lunch and went hiking.  We went to Weeping Rock and to the Lower Pool.  

 

Me, Blake and Kim went back to Zions a couple of days later and went to all 3 pools.  It was so beautiful.  Blake had a snack break at the Upper Pool and there were tons of squirrels there.  He dropped a chunk of his brownie and threw it into the rocks.  A little squirrel got it.  It was pretty cute.

Griff  caught a fish one day.  We went to the Sweet Tooth Fairy and got a dozen cupcakes to bring home and sample.  The blue one was my fave.  It was kind of like cotton candy.  Blake's fave was peanut butter.

The condos were so nice, here are a few pics.  Griff got a rubber band gun on the way back from Zions and he loved it so much, he slept with it.  Oh, Griffy Poo!  What a kid :)

 

The Boy Made of Glass

Griff wrecked on a 4-wheeler today and broke his arm.  I really don't think this is surprising anymore, more like un-freaking-believable.  We were on our way to the Dr and I asked him if he saw any rattle snakes.  I would have hated him to wreck into a big pile of them or something.  The following conversation ensued:

Me:  Grandpa tells you about not messing with snakes out there, right?
Griff:  Ya
Me:  So you know not to touch them or try to catch them or whatever, right?
Griff:  We caught a blow snake today.
Me:  ((SIGH))  Ok, well don't touch snakes out there, especially if you're alone because its a long way away from a hospital or something if you get bit.
Griff:  I could just suck out the venom, probably.
Me:  (Pointing to his upper thigh)  You couldn't suck it out if it bit you right there!
Blake:  What if it bit you in the nuts?  Good luck getting anybody to suck your nuts!

Blake......Always a thinker.

Beehive Mile

Blake ran the Beehive mile in 10 minutes and 40 seconds.  We have been training for a couple of weeks and he did great!  Way to go Blake!

Branding Festival

Ahhh......the Branding Festival.  A Friday and Saturday filled with 'annoying' (as Caleb would say) mooing cows, the smell of smoking cow hide, food, and, if you're lucky,
you'll even get a nut or two tossed your way.

Blake was the bravest he has ever been.  He hearded a little with Kim, learned how to shut gates, worked the shocker (his favorite) and helped skin a calf. (It was already dead, don't worry.)

Griff was the pusher this year.  It's the lowest point on the totem pole.  I have a feeling he will be in this position for a while.  He worked hard and loved it.  He took a pretty good kick to the juevos, but it's all part of the fun. ;)

THE HAT was only thrown once, so things went great!

Beesie

Have you ever been THIS sleepy?

O. My. DElish.

Who is the best?  ME!  I made these chocolate chip covered Oreo cookies,
and Blake died and went to Cookie Heaven.

TFZ

Finally!  Weather is fabulous enough to mini golf outside!  We have season passes to Toads, and have really used the crap out of them.  It's close enough to just buzz down for a quick game of golf and laser tag when you're bored.  We have had a lot of fun.

Eva Loves Ben

Finally!  Ben has a baby that loves him! (other than his own)  We watched this little cutie while her mom was taking care of some biz-ness.  She was LAUGHING at him for like 5 minutes.  It was so cute.  Then she just put her cheek on his cheek and they watched Gold Rush.  Adorable!  Blake was just saying the other day that 'we should get a baby girl because then maybe people would come and visit us, like the way they go see THE GIRLS,  or how they go see EVA' .  Too funny! 

Thanks Easter Bunny!

After many failed egg coloring kits, we have made THIS the way we color eggs.  Swishing around vinegar and food coloring in a strainer.  Voila!  Colored eggs.  We cracked a few and put them in bags with food color in them so that when the shell was taken off they were all spider-webby.  They were pretty cool.

Aaaahhhhh......the Promontory Picnic.  The kids look forward to this as soon as I write it on the calender.  Their friends get so jealous when they tell Promontory stories.  Freakin city kids.  ;)  They had fun hunting for their eggs.  Blake tore it up on his 4-wheeler.  He loved it.  Grandma and Grandpa Hunsaker, and Bridgette and Julia came, too.  No lizards this year.  And no Dylan either.  Sniff, Sniff :(

After church they look for a note from the Easter Bunny.

Dang, the EB has mad rhyming skills.

Finding eggs in the back yard is also a fave.  Griff had a 'Too Tall' bunny who's ears stuck out of the top of the box.  I really wanted a picture of it with him because I thought it was so perfect, but it melted!  He also had Tangled and a catching game in his basket.  Blake got Sandlot, and a Boom Ball game.  They both got plenty of candy and some jerky.

I really wanted to get a family picture, but forgot how to work the stupid timer on my camera. 
Happy Easter!