Building A Fort

We decided to build a fort in our family room at the end of August. Using the treadmill as the main center building block, we used cushions and sheets to build quite a big fort. You could crawl all the way around the treadmill. The kids helped by getting the cushions off of the couches in the living room, bringing them into the family room, and then getting under foot as they tried to "help" build it. It was a lot of fun.

View from the entrance and the top. Doesn't look like much from here, does it?

Inside there was plenty of space for Katie in her walker. Aaron read us a story under here. Oh to be a kid and build your first fort!!!

Take Me Out To The Ball Game!

We left Katie with Aaron's mom on September 18 and took Rebecca and Anson to the Diamondbacks vs. Giants baseball game. We got there a little late due to unforseen work circumstances, but it was only about 30-45 minutes late. We enjoyed it so much that we stayed until the end. One little mishap though. Aaron put his hand behind the seat next to him, and stuck his finger in someone's beer. We didn't have anymore cash with us so he went to an ATM machine to pay for what he had ruined. Unfortunately it was right before the 7th Inning Stretch, so Rebecca and Aaron missed singing "Take Me Out To The Ball Game" with us. Anson and I enjoyed it though!


We made little cushions to sit on at our "pre-baseball game" festivities. We each painted our names on a gardening knee pad and sat on it at the game. We can use them in the garden too!


Rebecca and Anson loved the Crackerjack and by the end were devouring the peanuts as well.


We were right by the aisle and the steps going down which was good and bad. The kids had somewhere to roam a little to burn off excess energy while still being right by us, but they were also up and down too much. Hopefully it wasn't too distracting to those around us!
What fun memories!

Camping

The weekend after Labor Day we went camping with my family at their land in Overgaard. Anson LOVED roasting marshmallows. Actually, incinerating would be a better word for it. My mom would put a marshmallow on his stick, he would put it into the flames and wait for it to catch on fire, then bring it back to my mom to blow it out. He seriously thought that was the FUNNIEST thing hehad ever seen. He kept doing it over and over again. In the sencond picture here you can see how much he loved having the marshmallow blown out.

Rebecca actually asked me to go to bed early. It was around 8:30 or 9:00, but you'd think she would be excited about staying up a little later. I was worried about Katie being cold, so she ended up in her car seat with Aaron's sweatshirt on her lap, a blanket all around her, and a blanket over the top of the carrier. She woke up warm (but not too hot), so it worked.

Caming is fun but dirty. We're going again with our ward in October.

Tea Party

Last Friday (September 12), I wasn't feeling good, so we just hung around the house all day. We ended up having a tea party in the Family Room. If you watch the video, please remember that 1.) I wasn't feeling good, and 2.) Rebecca helped me pick out my outfit. Enjoy!


Rebecca, Anson, Raggedy Ann, and Raggedy Andy enjoying the tea party.

Video of our tea party. See our cute shoes and outfits plus the bonus of seeing Katie in her cute little bonnet and a close up shot of her lopsided teeth.

Is Life So Dear Or Peace So Sweet?

Aaron and I read through Patrick Henry's famous speech given at a church in Richmond, VA. We found that the speech is very applicable today, and matches many of our sentiments exactly. I wish that people were as fired up about what is happening and letting their discontent be known as some were back then. I would like to share a few excerpts from the speech.

"This is no time for ceremony. The question before the House is one of awful moment to this country. For my own part, I consider it as nothing less than a question of Freedom or Slavery."

"Should I keep back my opinions at such a time through fear of giving offence, I should consider myself as guilty of treason towards my Country and of an act of disloyalty towards the Majesty of Heaven, which I revere above all earthly Kings."

"I have but one Lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the Lamp of Experience. I know of no way of judging of the future but by the past. And judging by the past, I wish to know what there has been in the conduct of the British Ministry for the last ten years to justify those hopes...?"

"Suffer not yourselves to be betrayed with a kiss. Ask yourselves how this gracious Reception of our Petition comports with those warlike Preparations which cover our waters and darken our land. Are fleets and armies necessary to a work of Love and Reconciliation? Have we shown Ourselves so unwilling to be reconciled that force must be called in to win back our Love? Let us not deceive ourselves, sir. These are the implements of War and Subjugation, - the last arguments to which kings resort."

"They are meant for us: they can be meant for no other. They are sent over to find and rivet upon us those Chains which... (they) have been so long forging."

"And what have we to oppose to them? Shall we try argument? Sir, we have been trying that for the last ten years. Have we anything new to offer upon the subject? Nothing. We have held the subject up in every light of which it is capable, but it has been all in vain. Shall we resort to entreaty, and humble supplication? What terms shall we find which have not been already exhausted?"

"Let us not, I beseech you, sir, deceive ourselves longer. Sir, we have done everything that could be done to avert the Storm which is now coming on. We have petitioned; we have remonstrated; we have supplicated; we have prostrated ourselves before the throne and have implored is interposition to arrest the tyrannical hands of the Ministry and Parliament. Our petitions have been slighted; our remonstrances have produced additional violence and insult; our supplications have been disregarded; and we have been spurned with contempt from the foot of the Throne."

"In vain, after these things, may we indulge the fond hope of peace and reconciliation. There is no longer any room for Hope. If we wish to be FREE; if we mean to preserve inviolate those inestimable PRIVILEGES for which we have been so long contending; if we mean not basely to abandon the noble STRUGGLE which we have been so long engaged, and which we have pledged ourselves never to abandon until the glorious object of our contest shall be obtained, - we must FIGHT! I repeat it, sir, - we must FIGHT! An appeal to Arms, and to the God of Hosts is all that is left us."

"THEY TELL US SIR THAT WE ARE WEAK -unable to cope with so formidable an adversary. BUT WHEN WILL WE BE STRONGER? Will it be next week, or the next year? Will it be when we are TOTALLY DISARMED, and when a British Guard shall be STATIONED IN EVERY HOUSE? Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction? Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance by lying supinely on our backs, and hugging the delusive phantom of HOPE, until our enemies shall have bound us Hand and Foot?"

"Sir, we are NOT WEAK, if we make a proper use of those means which the God of Nature hath placed in our Power. Three millions of pople armed in the HOLY CAUSE of LIBERTY, and in such a Country as that which we possess, are INVINCIBLE by any force which our Enemy can send against us."

"Besides, sir we shall not fight our Battles alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of Nations, and who will raise up Friends to fight our Battles for us. The Battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the VIGILANT, the ACTIVE, the BRAVE. Besides, sir, we have no Election. If we were base enough to desire it, it is now TOO LATE TO RETIRE FROM THE CONTEST. There is NO RETREAT BUT IN SUBMISSION AND SLAVERY. Our chains are forged. Their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston. The War is inevitable. AND LET IT COME! I REPEAT IT, SIR, LET IT COME!"

"It is vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry Peace, Peace, but there is NO PEACE. The War is actually begun. The next Gale that sweeps from the North will bring to our ears the clash of sounding arms. Our Bretheren are already in the field. WHY STAND WE HERE IDLE? What is it that Gentlemen wish? What would they have?"

"IS LIFE SO DEAR, OR PEACE SO SWEET, AS TO BE PURCHASED AT THE PRICE OF CHAINS AND SLAVERY? FORBID IT ALMIGHTY GOD! I KNOW NOT WHAT COURSE OTHERS MAY TAKE, BUT AS FOR ME, GIVE ME LIBERTY, OR GIVE ME DEATH!"

Slipping and Sliding!

On Saturday we had a water balloon fight (really more of a one sided fight with the ground!) and played on the Slip and Slide. Anson loved throwing the water balloons on the ground and breaking them. Enjoy the pictures and video of our backyard fun!


Can this boy be any happier about a bowl of water balloons?

Gotta treat that balloon with care! Use both hands.

YUM!

My friends from High School, Whitney and Kaci, came over Saturday night with their husbands. We had a great time singing karaoke and playing games. It is fun to get together with old friends. I love how some friends are always there and no time seems to have passed at all. Thanks for the fun time!

Christian and Stephanie

About 4 weeks ago, Aaron's cousin Christian and his wife Stephanie were in a terrible plane crash. They were flying back from New Mexico and made a stop in St. Johns to refuel. Witnesses at the airport say that the plane couldn't get the height it needed to successfully take off, which necessitated an emergency landing. The plane may have flown into some electrical or phone lines , causing a fire (they are not exactly sure of all the details yet. Needless to say, they ended up with a fire in the engine when they landed).

They landed the plane and all three were able to get out of the plane. From my understanding right now, Christian went for help, Doug helped Stephanie out of the plane, and they all ran from the plane. When the plane blew up, Doug was the closest, followed by Stephanie. Christian was the farthest away since he had been going for help.

Doug ended up with 90% of his body burned. He died the next night.

Stephanie ended up with 80% of her body burned. Christian has 30% of his body burned and a broken back.

They are both in a burn unit fighting for their lives. They have 4 small children and have not been able to see them since the accident. The children are living with Stephanie's sister in Utah. There have been many successes and setbacks in the recovery of Christian and Stephanie since the accident, but they are in for a long recovery. Stephanie has a 50%-60% chance of making it. It looks like Christian will make it through.

The medical bills are expected to be in the millions before recovery is complete, and costs of keeping their home still need to be made as well. For this purpose, a fund has been set up to help pay for these expenses. There will also be a benefit concert at Mesa High School in Mesa this Wednesday, September 10, 2008 at 7:00. There will be a silent auction as well.