tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2374967462688455592024-03-05T10:51:53.961-08:00Simple PleasuresTracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18341675279695784392noreply@blogger.comBlogger328125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237496746268845559.post-26907136958934974022014-11-30T19:03:00.001-08:002014-11-30T19:03:42.858-08:00Life goes on, people grow up, we get older every day.Amazing, isn't it, how time flys? I can't believe it's been almost two years since I've last posted. Much has changed in my family's lives over the past two years. Emily had another sweet baby boy named, Tommy. He's as blonde as ever with crystal blue eyes, just like his big brother. Steven and Emily moved to Allen, Texas, this past August. Steven got a new position with Ernst and Young after recieving his Master's of Accountancy. Cole moved to Brooklyn, New York, to follow his girlfriend, Victoria. He has a job cooking for an upscale Japanese resturant in Manhatten. He seems to really enjoy it! After a year hiatus, Cole is working to get back into college. Truman left for a two-year mission in Bogota, Colombia, on November 4, 2014. Currently, he's still in the in the Missionary Training Center, learning Spanish and Gospel lessons. Quinn is in 8th grade and really enjoys his big circle of friends and football! My 80 year old mom, Bama, lives with us. She moved back in last July after being placed on Hospice. Shea's been living with pulmonary hypertention for several years Although having Mom live with us has its daily challenges; with issues of house arrest (she cannot be left alone) to pain control, we are blessed to have her in our home. Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18341675279695784392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237496746268845559.post-42058165846791046812013-02-07T19:37:00.000-08:002013-02-07T19:37:13.215-08:00Who does this?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">The other day</span> I came home from work and saw yet another permanent ink had been penned on one of my cook books. As you can tell, there are three different colors, signifying three different times my husband wrote on my cook book. The first time Rick wrote on the book was a few years ago when he found a pizza dough recipe in the book. So he wrote, "<span style="color: magenta;">PIZZA</span>" on the spine. About a year or two later, he wrote, "<span style="color: lime;">short</span><span style="color: magenta;"> PIZZA</span><span style="color: lime;">dough recipe</span>." Most recently, he wrote the specific page number, "<span style="color: blue;">p. 259</span>" so as not to be any confusion about what and where! <br />
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Who does that? When I inquired about the writing, Rick said, "I kept having to find it once I was in the book so I wrote the page number down. You don't use the book anyway." I guess he hasn't heard about sticky notes.......I think I know what I'm getting him for Valentine's Day.Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18341675279695784392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237496746268845559.post-22494634911359275692013-01-01T17:13:00.002-08:002013-01-01T17:13:57.124-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is a test.Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18341675279695784392noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237496746268845559.post-20679972019429476292012-12-04T19:59:00.001-08:002012-12-04T20:00:07.873-08:00Things I know about Christmas.<br />
<ul>
<li>I know that I don't like pretzels but pair pretzels with chocolate and/or caramel and you have a winner. I can't stop eating that kind of concoction. </li>
<li>I know I hate flashing Christmas lights wherever they are, on a Christmas tree or outside on a house or bush. I hate them. There is no reason for them to flash. Nope, none at all.</li>
<li>I know I don't like it when it's cold outside and yet it doesn't feel like Christmas without some kind of weather other than really warm, like we've been experiencing this year.</li>
<li>I know I feel pretty darn lucky that I happened upon "Rudolph" tonight while channel surfing and my family and I got to watch it from the very beginning. Seriously, made my holiday.</li>
<li>I know how hateful and hard it was to get our Christmas cards done last year and how easy breasy it was this year. Thank goodness for small miracles.</li>
<li>I know don't like it when the single strand of lights on the house is all cattywhampus. I love big, old fashioned lights for the outside of our house as perfectly straight as possible. This year we switched to all white lights on the house. I love them.</li>
<li>I know it's exhausting to decorate my home for Christmas but I love to see the enthusiasm of my youngest get into the Christmas decorating spirit when he takes it upon himself to cut out snowflakes to add to the decor because, "There just aren't enough decorations!"</li>
<li>I know I love my family and the reason we celebrate Christmas. I am far beyond blessed.</li>
</ul>
Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18341675279695784392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237496746268845559.post-58595233829996193252012-11-18T19:23:00.001-08:002012-11-18T19:23:53.577-08:00Family pictures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;">We had family pictures </span>taken for the first time in a couple of years due to Cole being on his mission. It was a nice morning full of the same Tipton/Hale tricks and moves to make a photo session memorable.</div>
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Winston was adorable and smiled while, in most of the pictures, he held onto a Smartie that I had given him as a bribe. He never ate it. <br />
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Smartie in hand.<br />
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Steven with his Mini-Me on his shoulders.<br />
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Oh, just a few of the poses...there are more like these. Lots more.<br />
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What a cute kid.<br />
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We love Yoga, apparently.<br />
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My only daughter. Such a beauty.<br />
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Quinn had a tongue/smile issue.....don't know what happened.<br />
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The other day Rick, Truman, Quinn and I were driving home from some event and a conversation about puberty ensued. I guess the kids in his 6th grade class were talking about it and how bad it can be when Truman offered;<br />
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"Puberty was pretty good to me." <br />
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"Why?" Quinn asked.<br />
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"Have you seen me?" Truman replied. That sums it up. <br />
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<br />Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18341675279695784392noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237496746268845559.post-72887230017631442412012-11-14T15:42:00.002-08:002012-11-14T15:42:18.452-08:00Christmas 2012 is on its way!<div class="sflyProductPreviewWidget" style="height: 494px; width: 425px;">
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After much grief and pain, our 2012 Christmas cards are done. This just may be the hardest part of Christmas!Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18341675279695784392noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237496746268845559.post-44720943580049841572012-10-28T19:31:00.003-07:002012-10-28T19:36:04.512-07:00A band of coyote.<span style="background-color: white; color: #783f04; font-size: x-large;">Late last night or early this morning,</span> (I say it that way because it was 2:30 a.m., so whichever way you're going, it's either really late or really early) I laid in bed suffering from insomnia and I heard a band of coyote howling outside my window. They could have been miles away, but with the beautiful weather we've been sleeping with our windows open, giving us an up close and personal experience of the wildlife sounds that go on at night. <br />
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We live on the outskirts of town and although having coyote cavorting in the middle of the night is not an everyday experience, it does happen from time to time. Lately we've been getting a lot more wildlife visits than normal due to the earth movers a couple of miles down the road preparing the land for a new housing development. There are stories of rattlesnakes, scorpions, hyenas, field mice, etc., making themselves comfortable in our little neighborhoods.<br />
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My own son and two of his friends chose to play with a rattlesnake a few weeks back that they found in a nearby greenbelt. I cannot confirm nor deny if the snake was alive before or after these boys met Mr. Rattle.<br />
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There's no head because the boys removed it....somehow. Sometimes I wonder what happens with the thought process of 16 year old boys when real live danger if facing them. This was definitely a, "Let's play with it!" mentality. Scary!<br />
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Did you know if there was a group of rattlesnake, it would be called a rhumba of rattlesnakes. Who knew? I do because I looked it up. I can keep going:<br />
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If you have a group of......<br />
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<b>Pony: </b> A string of ponies<br />
<b>Tiger: </b> An ambush of tigers<br />
<b>Toads: </b> A knot of toads<br />
<b>Owl: </b> A parliament of owls<br />
<b>Monkey:</b> A troop of monkeys<br />
<b>Raven:</b> An unkindness of ravens<br />
<b>Gnu:</b> An implausibility of gnus - Use that one in a sentence.<br />
<b>Cow:</b> A kine of cows (twelve cows are a flink)<br />
<b>Emu:</b> A mob of emus<br />
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Okay, I'll stop. I find this fascinating, obviously. Trust me on this one, there are more of these... a lot more.Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18341675279695784392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237496746268845559.post-28913701546461237242012-10-24T08:00:00.000-07:002012-10-24T08:00:03.757-07:00Sakura!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: x-large;">I want to go to there. </span>I found this picture on Pinterest a while ago and thought it was beautiful and Pinteresting! In Japan they call these blossoms <i>Sakura </i>which means cherry blossom. Some even name their girls Sakura. We couldn't do that here though, name a girl Cherry Blossom, that is. That would be weird.Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18341675279695784392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237496746268845559.post-45609828300141030602012-10-23T15:31:00.000-07:002012-10-23T15:37:52.957-07:00What?!<span style="color: blue; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">Where have I been? I dunno.</span><span style="text-align: left;"> Life has been full lately and because of that, my life has been missing from this blog for a few months now. One of the reasons for the absence is that we welcomed home Elder R. Cole Tipton on August 31st after serving an honorable mission in Fukuoka, Japan! </span>
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Here is most of the welcoming crew, with Em Zoe behind her camera. I lifted this photo from her blog. Thanks Em.<br />
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My how Winston has grown. Here's what he looked like when Cole left:<br />
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From a brown haired peanut to a blond tornado!<br />
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Our banner! We are top notch, only the finest at Casa De Tipton.<br />
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Elder R. Cole Tipton, fresh off the plane from Fukuoka, Japan, after traveling 24 hours straight.<br />
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Brothers reunited.<br />
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Sister and brother reunited.<br />
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Re-meeting Winston.<br />
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A tired missionary.<br />
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My four kiddos.<br />
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Cole traveled home with Elder Gregory who happens to be from Gilbert. They were companions for 6 weeks about a year ago. He was one of Cole's favorite companions.<br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-size: x-large;">Welcome home Coleyman!</span>Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18341675279695784392noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237496746268845559.post-5133547986797446082012-08-15T15:34:00.002-07:002012-08-15T15:34:38.262-07:00Newport Beach, CA 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: blue;">The Tiptons made our way</span> </span>out west once again this year to Newport Beach, CA. There were 34 total in attendance, plus two pregnant people. I took a lot of pictures and on the last day I went to get my camera to take a picture of our cute beach house but my camera was gone, gone, gone. I figured, hoped and prayed that it had been packed away. Once we got home and unpacked, I realized it didn't make the trip home. The night before we left, Rick and I had visited his cousin, who had just arrived with her family, and were staying a few streets over from our pad. Luckily I left my camera there and was able to get it back the following week. That could have been bad.<br />
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Balboa was fun, as usual. This year we took the ferry over to the actual island and walked around. It was lovely. We hadn't done that in years. Next year we're going earlier so we can shop longer!<br />
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Why do I have two pictures of a pelican? Because I can.<br />
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'Nuff said.<br />
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My beach boys.Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18341675279695784392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237496746268845559.post-56625759918101732892012-06-25T15:00:00.003-07:002012-06-25T15:01:11.437-07:00Quinn turns 11, and Happy Father's Day!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: x-large;">This year we combined </span> Father's Day breakfast and Quinn's birthday breakfast, which meant I was able to kill two breakfasts with one skillet! The day was hectic and full of family. Both Quinn and Rick requested crepes with bacon and sausage for their morning food.<br />
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For our Father's Day dinner, I set up a beautiful table in the dining room with our nicest goblets and curry bowls from Japan, since curry was on the menu. Emily made a Happy Father's Day banner and put it up in the dining room as well. However, when then father's arrived, they meek-ish-ly said that they would prefer to sit at the women's table because it was in the family room where the TV was and some sports championships happened to be on. What else is new? So the men got their wish, and the women sat in the dining room. Emily and I waited on the men, filling their drinks and getting them seconds, basically catering to their every need.<span style="background-color: white;"> </span><br />
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Then it was time for cake; cheesecake (two of them), Texas sheet cake, Jello/lookathecake cake and pumpkin bars. I'm not kidding. <span style="background-color: white;"> </span><br />
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I made strawberry and blueberry topping for the cheesecakes. I also made two different kinds of cheesecake because I was worried that one wouldn't be enough and I didn't know how good they would be. How obnoxious is that?!<span style="background-color: white;"> </span><br />
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Quinn had a wonderful time opening presents.<span style="background-color: white;"> </span><br />
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Quinn specifically asked for Sparkling Apple Cider for a present. He ended up with four bottles.<br />
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Bama was able to make it. The little girl cousins, and sometimes Winston, ran around screaming most of the time. They were so loud even Bama could hear them. (Please note the TV is on in the background the entire time. Again, a Father's Day miracle.)<br />
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A few of he Fathers and Violet relaxing, watching some kind of sport thingy.<br />
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Danny and Kelly showed up. Emily made ties for the dads to wear too. Kelly has his on.<br />
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When it was all over, I felt like I had Post-T<span style="background-color: white;">raumatic Father's Day Syndrome. Unfortunately I couldn't recuperate because the following day was Quinn's actual birthday. This year he didn't have a party but chose one friend to got to lunch and a movie with. We ended up going to Johnny Rockets for lunch and then on to <i>"Madagascar III"</i> .</span><br />
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Quinn marked his cider, don't you worry.<br />
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Quinn enjoying his cider. He had to get a special glass for the drink. It kind of looks like I have an 11 year old lush. <span style="background-color: white;"> </span><br />
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After the birthday lunch but before the movie, Quinn and Cooper jumped on the trampoline with a water sprinkler underneath. They had so much fun! I felt a little, shall we say white trash-ish, but the boys didn't care and jumped and laughed until it was time to go to the movie. Afterwards they said it was the best time ever. Take that swimming pools.<br />
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A few days after Quinn's actual birthday, Rick took the boys to Jump Street. A place with lots of trampolines. I was at work so there is no pictures to present. However, Rick did video Truman, my 16 year old, completing a double back flip on the trampoline. Just as well.Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18341675279695784392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237496746268845559.post-60032055400380037732012-06-01T12:05:00.001-07:002012-06-01T12:13:15.338-07:00Writers block, or May is crazy!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">When May was on its way</span>, just about the only thing I was thinking about was...<i style="color: blue;">the phone call</i>. The one we would receive from Cole, who is on his mission, on Mother's Day. Other things happened in May, a whole heck of a lot, in fact. However, once we communicated with Cole, my mind shut down into this happy little world and I haven't been thinking blog straight since. Not only did we get to talk to him, but we got to see him as well on Skype. Who invented that by the way? I need to give them a big hug or something nice. It really changed my world and made it so much better! Cole has been able to call home 3 times now (two Mother's Days and one Christmas) and this was our first time being able to Skype. </div>
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I uploaded my pictures from my camera to my computer this morning and saw some images that I had plumb forgotten about. Life did indeed move on and lots of fun stuff happened <i>before and after </i>the call.</div>
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Emily turned 23! Oh my. See the wonderful card I got for her? So funny. I love unfortunate family photos.<br />
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I found a sweet pitcher for her, among other items. We ate at Liberty Market in downtown Gilbert. I had never been there so I didn't know what to order. I chose a burger and it was out of control delish. One of the servers had to be over 7 feet tall....not exaggerating! My mom is all of 4' 8" and was astounded by this boys height. I wish I would have gotten a picture of the two of them side-by-side now that I think of it.<br />
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Quinn started cleaning out his desk and school room during May. He brought home all kinds of projects. I chose to take a picture of this one and then throw it away. It was hard but he was fine with my plan. One less thing to store away.<br />
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A Sunday afternoon sometime in May after church. Someone loves somebody.<br />
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Quinn had a Famous American report he did in May too. He chose John Hancock and as part of his grade, he had to dress up like him. So, for part of his costume, I put a lot of time, effort and money into making him an awesome powdered wig. When he tried it on at home, he looked more like the professor from "Back to the Future", which gave the family a full evening of entertainment. He didn't wear the wig.<br />
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The last day of school was May 24th. What's up with that? I remember I didn't graduate until June 5th. Sheesh. Truman will be a Junior next year and made it onto Student Body Student Council, a big feat! There was a banquet for that too.<br />
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Quinn's last day photo. He reminds me of the the bad guy in one of those old James Bond films.</div>
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End of the year orchestra concert. At least that was short and sweet. Although, what's up with the orchestra parents who start waiting in line 2 or more hours before the concert just so they can get a seat up front? This is elementary school people. Chill.<br />
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Isn't this normal in your home? I see this every night.<br />
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We finished May celebrating my Mother-in-Law's 73rd birthday at Crackers. Yum. Later that night I took Truman and Cameron to see Fun., the band. It was awesome! I was plugging my ears during the warm-up act called, Now Now, and some sweet white-haired usher lady saw me and handed me some ear plugs. I was wondering right when she handed them to me if I should go get some toilet paper to stuff in my ears. I mean, I didn't want to loose my hearing to a band I didn't even know. That would be bad. Goodbye May, even though it was super busy with the end of school year, Mother's Day and birthdays, I loved it.Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18341675279695784392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237496746268845559.post-75865368731497099902012-05-14T14:35:00.001-07:002012-05-14T14:45:13.594-07:00Skype it to me! Happy Mother's Day.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;">Each Mother's Day</span>, all of the male figures in the family put on a Mother's Day dinner where the women (18 and older mothers or not) eat in the dining room without the interruption of tiny feet. This may sound odd since it is motherhood we are celebrating but oh, how we love it! While we sit in the dining room enjoying each other's company, the boys/men sit and eat with the kids. Our only interruption comes from our servers whose only wish is to make our meal delightful. </div>
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Each year we pick the menu and so far we haven't deviated. On hand we had fillet mignon, baked potatoes, a green salad with spinach, goat cheese, toasted almonds, and craisins, topped with a raspberry vinaigrette. Talk about good stuff! For dessert we had a build your own ice cream sunday buffet with tons of toppings. We actually had to get out of our seats to make our own dessert, but it was worth it. </div>
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Twice a year we get to actually speak with our missionaries, Christmas and Mother's Day. It brings a whole new meaning to Mother's Day! This is our third actual conversation with Elder Tipton since he's been gone but our first Skype session. I must say, I much prefer to Skype! It was amazing and awesome to see him! A small group of us gathered to see, hear and talk to Elder Tipton. We were allotted 45 minutes from his mission president and got pretty close....we talked about 50 minutes or so.<br />
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Cole said his cheeks are fuller due to all of the rice he ingests. You can see the crowd viewing on the bottom right of the television.<br />
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Here we are talking to Cole on the big screen.<br />
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It's the first time that Cole has seen Winston since he was one month old. We had so much fun I hope we get to do it again at Christmas!<br />
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We're all crowding in to get in Cole's view. I hope he had as much fun as we did! Having a son happy and on a mission is the best Mother's Day gift ever!Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18341675279695784392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237496746268845559.post-47243505174778553742012-05-03T18:49:00.000-07:002012-05-03T18:50:12.628-07:00The best obituary, ever.<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: x-large;">I read this great obituary yesterday</span>. I don't typically read obituaries for sport, but sometimes when I'm looking through my Wednesday paper, if I happen to turn to the obits, I'll see if I can find a good one. Yesterday I found gold. I found the type of obituary I think anyone, especially me, would want written about them. Please indulge me. In part it said:<br />
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<i>"....a kind and gracious woman, died. She was a mother, wife, daughter, sister and aunt. She had more friends than we knew. Perhaps in her fondest role, she was a grandmother to 8. She bought crazy socks at Christmas for her grandchildren, some with bells and individual toes. She held a Camp Grandma at Mormon Lake every summer. And she was fun. She kayaked and zip-lined; at Disneyland she rode the teacups and even roller coasters, though she disliked them. She took the kids to movies and always bought popcorn. She cheered at their baseball and soccer games, swim meets and ballet recitals. She would read the same book to a grandchild over and over, for as long as that grandchild deemed necessary.....</i><br />
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<i>And cards. She was always writing notes and delivering flowers to someone who needed a friend. She loved meeting new people. She loved her book club and hosting friends for dinner on her patio. Her guacamole was legend. She like traveling, skiing, camping and hiking. She skied in the Swiss Alps and hiked the Grand Canyon rim-to-rim. She went scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef and walked on a glacier in Alaska. She saw a bear.....</i><br />
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<i>When her daughters were young, she sewed doll clothes and then matching Christmas dresses, and finally prom dresses. Later, she sewed Halloween costumes, including a vinyl Evil Knievel suit that is still the talk of at least one neighborhood....Her Easter egg hunts were the best, and the birthday cakes she made were always special. She kept her Christmas tree up through January. Every year....</i><br />
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<i>She was a nurse for many years...She loved her job, her patients, who became friends, and her co-workers. And then she found out she loved retirement even more. Nobody was surprised. </i><br />
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<i>She was loved.</i><br />
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<i>Please bring a flower from your yard, or someone else's - she would love it."</i><br />
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See, great obit, right?! I wish I had known this woman. I know I would have liked her! That is what you call living. Even though she's gone, her family, friends and co-workers will keep her memory living for the rest of their lives. What lucky grandchildren too. <br />
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<br />Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18341675279695784392noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237496746268845559.post-19689736715368022372012-05-02T07:42:00.001-07:002012-05-02T07:42:39.642-07:00It all stems back to Weezer. Happy Birthday to Emily Zoe!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Today is Emily Zoe's 23rd birthday</span>. </span>This isn't her birthday suit. It's just a little something she wore while at college. Not everyone dressed like this, just Emily.</div>
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It was a great outfit for poses.<br />
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She played with Weezer one October, while in college. Her friend, Steven, drove down from Vegas to see her play. I knew it was over...her single life, that is.<br />
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They got married 5 months after that Weezer concert and now they have this little nugget:</div>
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Mr. Winston, the cutest little boy in the world.<br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Happy Birthday Emily!</span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">May all your birthday wishes come true.</span></div>Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18341675279695784392noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237496746268845559.post-77129513043373764532012-04-26T19:51:00.000-07:002012-04-26T19:51:51.727-07:00A bicycle built for two.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #0c343d; font-size: x-large;">Last weekend my work</span> had a 10 mile bike ride for the Women's and Infant Services department and their families. It was a warm morning and hardly anyone showed up but we still had a good time. Rick and Quinn rode the tandem bike. I like how Quinn's helmet is hanging from his handlebars, lota good that will do. For some reason, Rick looks like a German in his helmet. He's not.<br />
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I dragged everyone in my household to the bike ride and surprisingly, they enjoyed themselves!<br />
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We rode all around the San Tan Mall area.<br />
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Our team name is<i> Team Push</i>. Get it, we're labor and delivery nurses....Team Push.Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18341675279695784392noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237496746268845559.post-14015478105998738472012-04-23T10:04:00.001-07:002012-04-23T10:04:29.573-07:00A Moment in Time.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: x-large;">Last week Truman</span> was involved in the Desert Ridge High School Dance Concert. (I never thought I'd be typing that last sentence.) He took a pilot class this year called, "Athletic Movement" which was for boys only and the only class of its kind in the United States (so I'm told). The class was physically demanding and the boys did learn a lot of manly type moves such as parkour (<i>free running</i>), beat boy dancing, etc.<br />
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Last Wednesday, Thursday and Friday the boys got to show their talents in the 2 hour plus dance concert. On Friday, I was sitting in the audience waiting for the show to begin wondering, "How did I get here?" I hadn't been to a dance recital since my only daughter, Emily, was in dance and that was a long time ago. It felt a little odd being there to support my son when there were 480 kids involved and maybe 30 were of the male type. But, nonetheless.<br />
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Truman had lots of friends involved with the concert and many friends who came to support. Even Bama came. He was in two dances and one was picked to go perform at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts in May, a big accomplishment since only two dances in the entire program were selected.<br />
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Friends, family and dancers.<br />
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So, what do you give your son after all of his hard work? Flowers? I opted for chips and homemade salsa. He was fine with that! (<i>Sorry for the blurry picture, it's the only one I got.)</i><br />
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Truman told me this morning that he wants to drop dance and take weight lifting for next year. <br />
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I'm fine with that.Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18341675279695784392noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237496746268845559.post-46217448421730727272012-04-19T07:16:00.001-07:002012-04-19T07:17:25.803-07:00Love notes.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: x-large;">Does your husband leave you love notes?</span> Mine does but sometimes they're a little weird. These eggs are left from Easter.....and this note on the egg carton appeared last week. </div>
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Am I supposed to reply directly on the carton or use a sticky note? This is uncharted territory. </div>
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<br /></div>Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18341675279695784392noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237496746268845559.post-47378518197985214912012-04-11T20:00:00.000-07:002012-04-11T20:05:03.454-07:00German Pancakes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQgxYd5NHDhwkGJMEWeYjrb4ehIOLT4m-E9jvdyf0b1UkLpoVnwEUmqVB52_7IoMZQvY-fCoOwvLd4LFLIesCRJ7hh7K1HbQNSgCMlDJzWyw-57HuSplofDlQLyHUBMhI2izRdlH9hrOzV/s1600/03+26+12_1841.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQgxYd5NHDhwkGJMEWeYjrb4ehIOLT4m-E9jvdyf0b1UkLpoVnwEUmqVB52_7IoMZQvY-fCoOwvLd4LFLIesCRJ7hh7K1HbQNSgCMlDJzWyw-57HuSplofDlQLyHUBMhI2izRdlH9hrOzV/s640/03+26+12_1841.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: x-large;">When Emily and Steven were staying with us</span>, she introduced the kids and me to these crazy puffy German Pancakes. Now Quinn requests them often to which I oblige. I found a simple and fast recipe on Smitten Kitchen. <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2006/12/loopy-breakfast-goodness/">Click here for the out of control German Pancakes recipe.</a> If you're not interested in clicking, then just follow below.</div>
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4 eggs<br />
1 Tbsp sugar<br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
2/3 cup flour, sifted<br />
2/3 cup milk<br />
2 Tbsp soft butter<br />
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Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Butter two 9-inch cake pans well ( I used spray Pam). Put eggs in blender container, cover and process at "stir" until light yellow in color. Push "mix" button, remove cover and add remaining ingredients; process until smooth. Pour into prepared pans and bake at 20 minutes; then reduce heat to 350 degrees F and bake 10 minutes. Slide onto hot plates. Serve with powdered sugar and fresh strawberries.<br />
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Mmm good.Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18341675279695784392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237496746268845559.post-44121664192471197272012-04-10T07:18:00.000-07:002012-04-10T07:25:04.462-07:00Surprise!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: x-large;">Friday, April 6th</span> a few of Truman's friends threw a surprise birthday party for him. He was with one of his best friend in Queen Creek the whole day, which allowed me to cook all the live long day. We had <i>copy cat</i> Costa Vida sweet pork burritos along with the rice and dressing. It was the best recipe that I found and it turned out delicious! <a href="http://www.abountifulkitchen.com/2011/09/cafe-rio-style-sweet-pork-salad-at-home.html">Sweet pork and fixins recipes here!</a> We also had two different cakes, Black Magic and 4 layer carrot cake along with fruits and veggies and chips. And the entire Washburn clan helped out with the decorations and sodas.<br />
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We had roughly 28 girls and maybe 6 guys. That's a normal ratio, right?<br />
See how my mom is leaning on the counter taking it all in? She partied with the kids all night long. She always walks with a walker but not that night (I think she hid it out of vanity). She's usually always sitting in her room watching TV all night. But while the party was going on, she was front and center of all of the activities. The next day, instead of sleeping until 10 a.m., her usual time, she slept until 12:45 p.m. I had to check in on her just to make sure she was still breathing. She partied too hard, and loved it.<br />
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We had Just Dance II set up outside on a big screen that the kids played. <br />
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The kids ate too! I mean they really did eat. I wasn't sure they would. I'm glad they did.<br />
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Part of the cute decorations. Marc Washburn was the official photographer, so I didn't take too many pictures. The one below Rick took and it's real swell......but it's all I've got of Truman blowing out his candles.<br />
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Happy 16th Truman!Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18341675279695784392noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237496746268845559.post-23707285842459792902012-04-05T09:26:00.001-07:002012-04-05T09:27:01.765-07:00It's not a train wreck.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuvIdT_PJFwmiia_bCJ9ajP_j_SE2cyulyJthSbrAt3V_oYaEysanlQ_s2ClKPPQqGYcVSQizsgamRsfEL8OImJGUPAOTiIoVOEB-op4C4Wah7tKqh5-0iZJYQ_NqcC9qvNNnr6p7qyhcR/s1600/03+31+12_1835.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuvIdT_PJFwmiia_bCJ9ajP_j_SE2cyulyJthSbrAt3V_oYaEysanlQ_s2ClKPPQqGYcVSQizsgamRsfEL8OImJGUPAOTiIoVOEB-op4C4Wah7tKqh5-0iZJYQ_NqcC9qvNNnr6p7qyhcR/s640/03+31+12_1835.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: x-large;"> Quinn found this</span> almost 50 year old train set in our garage. Rick got it one year for his birthday from his dad and grandpa. Apparently his dad and grandpa ended up playing with it because Rick was only 1 and wasn't interested. Now, all these years later, Quinn asked Rick to put it together.</div>
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He did, and it still works! Even though the track is razor sharp and could potentially cut off a finger, it's still a great toy!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAfGmtvRgMPoRZTQFDF9iMmAzbbn7MZyNYZYMC4QyCwrqKA2RvSw6Sz0HecsCO1t0tw-CUzcKSfjsKry5WrCqBqm8GyHIKIUDUgpH_v3o1gVYCIC_N1xmhhEyf2cDiTOPfAbAY9AbLfrWW/s1600/03+31+12_1837.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAfGmtvRgMPoRZTQFDF9iMmAzbbn7MZyNYZYMC4QyCwrqKA2RvSw6Sz0HecsCO1t0tw-CUzcKSfjsKry5WrCqBqm8GyHIKIUDUgpH_v3o1gVYCIC_N1xmhhEyf2cDiTOPfAbAY9AbLfrWW/s640/03+31+12_1837.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18341675279695784392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237496746268845559.post-31729147354722254542012-04-02T19:19:00.000-07:002012-04-03T07:28:35.881-07:00April Fools = one 16 year old boy!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: x-large;">Truman turned 16 yesterday! </span></div>
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The day started out with a crepe breakfast with all the fixins. Truman opened up some presents and even tried on a pair of shorts. The best part of this picture is Emily's face. "Yep, that's my brother."<br />
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Emily & Stephen spent the night to watch Conference with us and to celebrate Truman's birthday with the family later on. After breakfast, Emily went out to her car to get something and found this. Our front yard is rather large so 5 rolls of toilet paper doesn't quite get the job done.<br />
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It was a fun for Truman.<br />
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I mean, really. How cute is Mr. Winston?!<br />
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The Washburns came over too for dinner. <br />
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I think we had 30 or so family members. Most seemed to be under the age of 9!<br />
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Truman and his cousin Chelsea.<br />
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Seriously.<br />
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It was my nephew's birthday too. Funny. Two sisters having a son on April Fool's 18 years apart. What are the odds? The cake had the traditional Ariel on it along with RIP and question mark candles. The fun thing about having a kid with a birthday on April 1st is I get to use all of my left-over Christmas napkins and paper products. And, even though I didn't have a real candle, these candles worked perfectly for the day! What luck.Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18341675279695784392noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237496746268845559.post-91874283994200451762012-03-28T20:58:00.000-07:002012-03-28T20:58:09.527-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: magenta; font-size: x-large;">Today we got a package from Cole</span>. In it contained a jump drive with over 202 pictures and videos on it. This is just a small smattering of what it offered. </div>
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It's so good to see Cole as a missionary. Cole is third from left and his companion is to his right. This is down in Nago, Okinawa, before he was transferred to Takasu, Hiroshima.<br />
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Cole likes to send pictures with no names, dates, or explanations. That way, we can make up whatever story we want to go with each picture. This one looks like spaghetti with Skittles. Derishous.<br />
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Again, Cole is third from the left. I don't know much more about it than that.<br />
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This is Cole and his companion and some natives. At least that's what it looks like to me.<br />
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I figured out this is a waterfall. Don't know where except I know it's in Japan. Maybe when he gets home in February 2013, he'll be able to re-cap these pictures for us. Maybe not.Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18341675279695784392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237496746268845559.post-81672803638553657092012-03-27T15:09:00.001-07:002012-03-27T15:09:24.041-07:00Super powerful, fast, running shoes.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: magenta; font-size: x-large;">When Truman was 3</span>, he'd often put on his tennis shoes and tell us,<br />
"See how fast my super powerful, fast, running shoes can go!"<br />
He'd run up and down our long hallway making us count how many seconds it would take him to make the trip.<br />
He never got tired of doing that.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgARtczVtqTv6YyiFb6q3cBcwWQGooJBvaqd5ge_Tm22_lPCEE0UN2Xuq8yDJBGDxgKcxbV2H9b6qw_TppORAmRkC8_sYNUHtUuR9ZQ9xWzNV46SiIuUZ8sreKj4s6Q6u460M0PaPBiWJ2s/s1600/2012+03+09_1557.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgARtczVtqTv6YyiFb6q3cBcwWQGooJBvaqd5ge_Tm22_lPCEE0UN2Xuq8yDJBGDxgKcxbV2H9b6qw_TppORAmRkC8_sYNUHtUuR9ZQ9xWzNV46SiIuUZ8sreKj4s6Q6u460M0PaPBiWJ2s/s640/2012+03+09_1557.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
This year Truman is a sophomore and he made varsity on the track team. We purchased some awesome track shoes at Sole Runners to give him the best advantage. All during pre-season things looked promising. His coach helped him to focus on the events he does best and the season was set for good things to come. Rick and I showed up to his first meet in Tempe two minutes too late just in time to miss Truman and his team win the 800 meter relay. I was disappointed we missed it but wasn't too worried because it was only his first run of the season.<br />
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And this is his last run of the season, just a few days later. Truman performed at the Queen Creek Invitational with 30 or so other schools from around Arizona. He was running injured. Somewhere along the line he developed a knee injury. During spring break we took him to the orthopedic doctor where there were x-rays taken and an MRI done and a diagnosis made. <br />
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No surgery was needed but the diagnosis which is, IT Band Frictional Syndrome, requires him to stay off running for 6 weeks and intensive physical therapy three times a week for 6 weeks. Apparently this IT Band number is quite painful and will be something he'll have to work at keeping at bay once the inflammation calms down.<br />
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His coach told him he'll have two weeks left in the season to try to make it to state. None of us are too hopeful that will happen. <br />
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1. Can I get a refund for the athletic fee? (We pay a pretty penny in Arizona for our kids to participate.)<br />
2. Do you think Sole Runners will take back those super powerful, fast running shoes (and super expensive)? They've hardly been worn.<br />
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Mama's not happy.Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18341675279695784392noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237496746268845559.post-91235168230525752822012-03-25T20:00:00.001-07:002012-03-25T20:06:35.315-07:00Lost<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: x-large;">The 5th graders took</span> a field trip down to Oracle, Arizona, to tour the Biosphere. We were a rather large group with 150 kids and chaperons, but not to worry, our ever qualified volunteer tour guides took their jobs quite seriously and we got the best information anyone could wish for! And then some.</div>
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The Biosphere is 20 years old and the plant growth is crazy! </div>
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I figure I'm a typical Arizona dork who, when faced with greenery, I need to snap my camera. I'm just not used to that stuff. When I see it, I need to make a memory because it's so rare in these parts of the wood. </div>
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This is their "beach". Even I know it's a sad replica of the real type. There is a lot of growth...I think the tour guide was calling it, "coral". I see <i>Lost</i> the television series. I was a big fan and even stuck with it through the end when it got really weird. I miss <i>Lost</i>, a lot. The entire day we were at the Biosphere I kept telling my friend just how much I felt like I was in the Dharma Initiative. The resemblance between the Biosphere and the Dharma Initiative's station was uncanny.</div>
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Those metal things in the background are cooling fans all to help regulate the air flow in the huge structure.<br />
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Lots of tunnels and cement. Totally <i>Lost</i>! </div>
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The <i>lung</i> to help with air flow and oxygen. I wasn't listening too closely because I was thinking about <i>Lost</i>. I'm wondering if the creators of <i>Lost</i> came here on a tour and then felt inspired. </div>
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They really tried to incorporate this TV into the <i>natural </i>exhibit. Being there with Quinn and his class was so much fun. I think I'm going to get my DVDs out and start from the beginning with <i>Lost</i>....as soon as I have the chance.</div>Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18341675279695784392noreply@blogger.com0