Take These Broken Wings....

So once again, my Parker bug has managed to break yet ANOTHER bone! Actually, that's not quite accurate. He has RE-BROKEN the same collar bone that he broke last February, and in the exact same place! This poor kid has been through it! 3 broken bones in 6 years! This, too, was the result of big kids, little kids and a trampoline! They don't mix, so don't try it at home!

For all that he went through last night, he was a pretty brave boy! He even had to get a little IV so that he could have medicine for his pain, otherwise he would not cooperate for the x-rays to confirm our suspicions.

His cute Kindergarten teacher called him today to check on him and tell him they all miss him! (No, he's not her favorite at all!!! :) )

So say a little prayer that his little broken wing will heal in time for the baseball season that starts in a few short weeks. Oh, and another one to keep his little wings safe from any future mishaps!! :(

Some Valentine Folklore

This Valentine's Day has found love in my heart and happiness in my life. I am so grateful for a husband who adores me and treats me like his Valentine all year long! And for children who are the loves of my life! I hope the same for everyone I know. Enjoy your Valentine's Day, let those around you know how much you love and appreciate them, even if you've already said it 50 times, say it again! I love LOVE!

So here are some little Valentine facts that I found online that didn't focus on the paganistic roots of this holiday of LOVE! Enjoy!

In Wales wooden love spoons were carved and given as gifts on February 14th. Hearts, keys and keyholes were favourite decorations on the spoons. The decoration meant, "You unlock my heart!"

In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see who their valentines would be. They would wear these names on their sleeves for one week. To wear your heart on your sleeve now means that it is easy for other people to know how you are feeling.

In some countries, a young woman may receive a gift of clothing from a young man. If she keeps the gift, it means she will marry him. Some people used to believe that if a woman saw a robin flying overhead on Valentine's Day, it meant she would marry a sailor. If she saw a sparrow, she would marry a poor man and be very happy. If she saw a goldfinch, she would marry a millionaire.

(Apparently I saw a robin flying overhead !=] )

A not so Sweet 16 :(

Wow, I can't believe I've let a month get away from me without uttering a word! How totally unlike me....I'm usually so hard to shut up!! It's not like NOTHING has been going on, or that I don't have anything to blog about, I guess I've just been busy livin the life and trying to get through my busy days!

So, sadly, I didn't even give my boy the attention he deserved last week on his big 16th b-day! I feel like a crappy mom - I've been blessed with such a great kid and he deserves some recognition, so here it is! Last Tuesday, my oldest boy Brendan, turned the big 16!! He's so easy going, he didn't even want to do anything for his birthday! No party, no cake - he's not much of a cake eater (he definitely doesn't get that from me!). He didn't even want to go out to dinner - he just wanted a grilled cheese sandwich - his favorite dinner. But because my big sister, Debi, and her husband, Brian, just so happened to be here from Orem on this awesome occassion, we talked him into going somewhere that had grilled cheese on the menu! Then we went to Cold Stone for some birthday ice cream, I practically had to force feed it to him! And the only gift he wanted was money! (he's saving up for his car!) So we took him to the bank and opened him his first bank account and loaded it up with money! (Yea right!) Although he did do pretty well on the gifttage from all his extended family members! And I'm such a bad mom that I didn't even remember my camera! Although, in my own defense, because of the economic state of the world today, I have been working a little and I happened to work that day - an 8 hour shift that began at 6am - ugggh! So, by the time we got to dinner, I was pretty wiped out and ready for an early bedtime - as I had to go back for another 8 the next morning.

I guess I just wanted my blogger friends to know I hadn't fallen off the face of the earth and that I love my son with all the love I have in my heart! I'm so grateful I have been entrusted with his care and I do my best everyday to raise him the way he deserves to be raised. He is so loving and has such a good heart, he is a good big brother and so much help to me and Rich. Thank you, Brendan, for being you!!! I love you!

Playing at parks with friends!

January has brought some beautiful weather our way, so we've been taking full advantage of nature and the wonderful parks the city of Vegas has to offer. Say what you will about "sin city", they build some great parks for families! Today we visited 2 parks that are connected by nature paths and share an outdoor amphitheater. One park is all butterflies and flowers and the other is all dinosaurs and outdoor creatures! I almost love them as much as the kids do!!!
Wanna come play with us?

Auld Lang Syne...

FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS - HAPPY 2009!!!

The Tusko's spent a quiet night at home with our family ringing in the New Year! Sparkling cider for all and watching the spectacular Vegas fireworks - ON TV of course. You'd have to be half crazy to venture down to that mad house! Hope yours was happy and as uneventful as ours!

A Merry Christmas it was!

Chistmas morning came way too early for me, after a late night of last minute wrapping and waiting for Hailey to finally fall asleep! But bright and early, I heard footsteps RUNNING into my room, Parker could barely contain his excitement! He'd peeked down the stairs and saw that Santa had left him his very own, pint-sized drum set! Needless to say, within 30 seconds the rest of the house was awakened by his very first drum solo! I think it may have woken a few neighbors as well! :) Yes, Santa must have thought that Parker was ready to pursue his musical talents with drums....after all, Daddy was a drummer. I just wish they came with a volume knob!!! hahahahaAfter a whirlwind of bows and paper, the gifts were opened and the playing began. The big boys got a Wii, so they were pretty much MIA the rest of the day. And Hailey was perfectly content playing with her new baby and Disney nursery set.

Thank you Santa for another job well done! We hope everyone's Christmas' were equally as Merry and that through it all, the true meaning of the season was able to reside inside everyone!

My favorite gift was having my college girl home for Christmas morning! I love that girl! And I know she'll be back to school before I know it :(

Thank you all for your cards and Christmas wishes. I hope you all had a beautiful holiday!

'Twas the Night Before Christmas...

Christmas came and went in a hurry! Doesn't it always seem to do that? Well, unfortunately for us, Hailey was feeling a little less Hailey than normal this Christmas Eve, she had a fever and a tummy ache and spent most of it curled up on the couch waiting for the Motrin to work. So needless to say, we missed Christmas Eve services at Canyon Ridge Christian church, which is sad because they always do such a great Christmas Eve program to help keep everyone in the right Christmas spirit:( But after a cool bath and some new Christmas jammies, everyone was feeling better, so we left cookies and milk for Santa on the fireplace and read Christmas stories in bed instead! It was a nice quiet evening at home with much anticipation for what Santa might leave us under the tree! Hailey is old enough now that she was sooooo excited, when I was trying to get her to sleep she kept getting frusterated with her lack of fatigue. She kept putting her hands over her eyes and saying "Stop it eyes! Go to sleep! Mom, they won't stay closed!" She cracks me right up! Thank goodness her eyes eventually cooperated and she finally fell asleep!