Texas Birds

Horsin' Around

2012-01-15T15:36:00.003-06:00

Poor little Tay doesn't have an interest in organized sports. Never has, and unfortunately, it may be she never will. Somehow, over the past few years, she developed an interest in horses. We had to drive certain streets to school to pass the horses grazing in pastures. She got so excited every time. She watches horse cartoons, checks out horse books, and recently received cowgirl boots, a sweater with a horse on it (yeah, think Napoleon Dynamite), and a horse calendar. We tried to dismiss it for a long time, having dollar signs popping around in our heads. It's been said the squeaky wheel gets the lube. Boy has she been squeaky. And we finally lubed her. Found a Groupon for an introductory lesson for half price and decided to go for it.

Our evil little minds secretly wanted her to be scared once up on a horse. After all, she freaks out riding a bike with training wheels, afraid she'd fall off and get hurt. Being scared would mean we could find a cheaper hobby. She wasn't scared. Now we have guilt.

Tay learned about grooming and prepping her horse, Cinnamon. Naturally he became her best friend immediately.

Learning about using the reins to steer. Just a little help from her instructor.

Just a little pose.

Already wondering when she gets to do it again. Guess it's time to shop around.

We Moved!

2011-12-05T20:50:00.001-06:00

Just wanted to note our move back into Round Rock...hallefreakinlujah! No more commute! No more of that other place. (Sorry residents of that other place, we never really meshed with the town).

Moved everything downstairs to clean the upstairs carpets. That was an interesting 4 days.

So long, they said.

The night we either love or loathe

2011-11-01T16:56:00.002-05:00

Kids love dressing up, getting silly, and collecting candy. Moms and dads loathe the late night, waking the kids up the next morning for school, the whines when the last house cry is made, and being forced to eat most of the chocolate treats. (Been losing weight so good. Dang you tiny chocolate bars that taste so good in my mouth).

Cami ballerina, what else?

Elli dancer, again, what else?

Taylor ladybug ballerina.

Carter headless horseman.

All of em, posing. Carter wouldn't smile.

Amy and her Kinder team were rockstars.

I didn't dress up, I just hooked up with the drummer and got my own treat.

Knives and guts

2011-10-30T16:38:00.000-05:00

Nothing like driving a sharp knife into the side of a gourd...

...pulling out it's guts...

...and sticking them on your......face?

Could be worse, you could be getting ready to make out with it.

We should have followed Tay's lead and just enjoyed the evening.

All finished!

Practice makes permanent...

2011-09-18T17:21:00.000-05:00

The children had a hard time sitting quiet during sacrament at church today. When they got home we told them that they would need to practice sitting quietly because after all, practice makes permanent. So we turned on conference from April and made them practice sitting and listening. This is how well Cami listened....

She practiced until she crashed!

Lake Travis 2011

2011-09-06T11:31:00.000-05:00

This year's trip to Lake Travis was a blast! It's a totally different boating experience when most of your children are self-sufficient in the water. I think Kelly's favorite part was that the older three were willing to try new things! These are a few things we did....

Captain for a minute....

The captain let Carter take the wheel for a few minutes. I think Carter fell in love for the first time- with power! (The boat moved at 4 mph)

Randy wanted some action at the wheel so Carter let him touch it and never gave it up completely.


Taylor driving... I think 16 will come too soon!

Swim in the lake...

The waters were rough so Cami opted for two life jackets.

Much to the girls dismay, mom required life jackets in the lake regardless if they wanted them or not!

Jump off the side of the boat....

Unfortunately both Kelly and I were in the water when Tay jumped so we didn't get the photo. But this is her after, she loved it. The jump is about 10 feet which is a very big deal for our Miss Taylor.

Cliff jumping...

Dad talked Elli into jumping but she definitely had second thoughts.

There she goes!

After Elli's first jump there was no turning back. She went off over and over again!

Carter had no fear and did everything the dads did!

Cliff exploring...

Carter and Randy

Little Ms. Elli

Good Friends.....

The Hill parents and baby Jackie

Lani and me


Mnisa and the girls from the Harlow family

Half of the DeLeeuw family

The most amazing Captain...

Our Captain rocked. He was funny and patient with children. He let them drive and when we were parked he took out his fishing pole and let all the kids have a turn fishing. He caught and released a few...this one included!

oh my curls.....

2011-07-29T22:45:00.004-05:00

Cami found the foam curlers under the sink
and wanted to try them.
This is the result Sunday morning....

She ABSOLUTELY loved it!!!!

Tay turns 9!

2011-07-24T18:21:00.014-05:00

TAYLOR TURNS NINE!!!

It's hard to believe that our little Taylor has turned nine,
but it's true!
This year she opted out of the birthday party and took the cash.
(I take the money I would have spent on a party to pay them off!)

Tay's counting the money to make sure
that I upheld my end of the bargain!

Aunt Chandi also sent money for Tay's birthday,
she's super excited!

Not only does she get cash from us but she gets great gifts from family. Thanks for the darling outfits Grandma and Grandpa Whittaker!

She was super excited about the cute dress from
Grandma and Grandpa Birdie!

I think her favorite gift was the rolling backpack from the Hills. She has been begging me for the past year to buy one but I told her she could carry her own bag. Thankfully, Ms. Lani came to her rescue and bought one for her!

Her birthday wouldn't have been complete without a Justin Bieber poster. Carter knew what she wanted and made sure she got one. Man, what a great brother!

Of course, a birthday would never be complete without a cake. Taylor is loving everything peace so Mom made a peace cake (Mom and Dad also gave Taylor a peace outfit and notebook). We literally fed all the neighbor kids with this cake!

FYI: Taylor put half her birthday money in her savings account and spent the rest on school clothes. She bought three dresses and two pairs of shoes. This girl LOVES to shop!

PEACE OUT....

Bieber fever....unfortunately.

2011-06-23T13:52:00.005-05:00

Our house contracted the filthy disease awhile ago, and our condition has been upgraded to critical the last few weeks due to extra time on the girls' hands. Plus it's so dang hot we can't send them outside to pass the time.

I was doing some things around the house, Amy was on the computer doing genealogy. Cart was away with a friend and Cam was playing PBS on the laptop (she has not had her soul viciously infected by the life sucking force that is Justin Bieber...yet).

Here's my two very pre-pubescent girls watching videos of their "love," also known as the "princess of pop." (My term for him, not theirs). Our phone batteries are sucked dry.

The antidote? Who knows? Maybe if his juevos drop, his voice lowers, and he is unable to sing like a girl anymore he'll become irrelevant.

Probably not.

Posting over load.... coming soon!

2011-06-19T22:56:00.003-05:00

BEWARE...many blog postings coming soon. We have a year and half to catch up on this summer!

Celebration Dinner!

2011-06-15T13:41:00.003-05:00

After months of praying, waiting, and hoping I finally got a new job. With the massive layoffs in the district I was laid off due to being a new teacher. After several interviews I was offered a few different positions and was able to choose a job that fit our family. To celebrate we took the kids to dinner. We let them choose, they chose Chilis!!

(We took the photos with our phones so the quality is not great!)

We were trying to keep warm, they had the AC pumping high!

Tay just loves her Dad

Carter just loves food!

The girls just love the camera!

P.S. My new school is scheduled to open the beginning of August. I will be teaching Kindergarten again. I'm excited to help open a new school and to be able to use my lesson plans from last year. The girls, Taylor and Elli, want to come to the new school with me but Carter will do his last year of elementary school with Kelly. He wants to stay with his friends and teachers, can't blame him. Cami will go to pre-school at the same school she went to last year. She's in a class where she is a peer model for students with disabilities. It is an amazing program and I adore her teachers. Even though we'll be at three different schools we feel extremely blessed and thank the Lord daily!

The D*&# Cake...

2011-06-11T14:53:00.001-05:00

Oneida came over one afternoon and said that Paola had picked out her birthday cake and she asked if I could make it. Never had worked with fondant before, I agreed not knowing before hand the drama that lay ahead. Sixty dollars, and eight hours later, this is what came out. I'm not satisfied and will NEVER, no NEVER use fondant again!!!

Here are some up close and personal photos of the details...

I didn't realize that the fondant had to stay cold and ended up using regular icing, toothpick and cardboard to help the cake stay upright. Next time, regular icing! It's cheaper, faster, and much more forgiving!

Hoarders....

2011-05-30T13:07:00.002-05:00

Since it's summer time, Kelly and I have been a little lazy. We've decided since we work so hard during the school year that we can be a little lazy during the summer. With that said, we started watching some television shows on Netflix that we don't normally watch. Kelly asked if I've heard of Hoarders. Little did I know that he had an alternative motive. After watching the first few episodes I was mortified, not only that people lived that way, but because I realized I am a hoarder (albeit a clean and organized hoarder, but a hoarder none the less). As soon as we finished the sceond show I went straight to my fridge. I pulled out everything that was expired, molding or even looked questionable. This is what I found....

I was shocked! I have since cleaned out my closet, garage, memory boxes, and book shelves. The cleaning continues, which I think Kelly is very happy about. I'm intervening on myself, wish me luck! (So much for the lazy summer)

My Anniversary Gift...

2011-05-14T12:59:00.003-05:00

CRABS!!!
Kelly surprised me and took me away for our 12th anniversary. We spent the night playing in the live music capitol of the world, Austin TX. We went to a hilarious show, Ester's Follies, and then stayed the night at the Hilton on 6th street. It was perfect walking distance to literally hundreds of live bands.

Saturday morning we woke up and started driving. I have wanted to see Fredericksburg ever since I went to Germany in 2008. Kelly tried to keep it a secret but after driving the opposite direction from home for over an hour, I figured it out. We spent the entire day learning the history of Fredericksburg and window shopping every store. It was a beautiful day including the weather, which made it easier on Kelly.

So how did I get crabs? I fell in love with them at this little shop. Kelly bought my two little ones, which we named Phineas and Ferb. The kids loved them and my class adored them.

This one is Phineas. He's always getting into something even though he's nocturnal by nature.

This is Ferb, he's shy and doesn't play much. He loves sunlight and moves tons then.
(Maybe, he moves in daylight because he's trying to get somewhere dark so he can sleep?)

Thanks for the crabs, baby!

Look who we found!

2011-05-11T12:44:00.000-05:00

At my annual Special Olympics banquet we have a different theme to celebrate with. This year's theme was Rock-n-Roll. Who exemplifies that theme better than Justin Bieber?

The decorations committee found this cardboard cutout and the kids (both mine and the athletes) had more fun than anyone should with cardboard.

CHEER!

2011-03-19T13:01:00.000-05:00

The girls like cheerleaders. Why? Good question, but that debate is for another day.

Today, we celebrate the Jets, the cheer team put together by the little girls in the neighborhood. They made shirts, came up with cheers, and made us all sit down for a performance. It was riveting.

Congrats to you girls for a great show and for all the hard work!

Future.....something??

2011-02-20T14:31:00.002-06:00

Carter is so me at his age. Proud father here!

Blizzard 2011

2011-02-06T17:10:00.010-06:00

It snowed again this year, not as much, but it snowed. Everyone had about the same reaction as last year, that of panic, misery and woe. Temperatures didn't exceed freezing levels either for a couple of days. I don't know how we as a community made it through it. So of course I had to find a way to make fun of it.

Had to get a few shots enjoying our couple hours of snow.

That's how we roll. Don't worry if the bottom wore out, just got a new roll of duct tape to fix it.

Girly Girl!

2011-02-03T15:14:00.000-06:00

I have never been what I would call a Girly Girl. I remember finding out that I was pregnant with my third girl and thinking to myself, "I better learn how to put on eye shadow." I called my mom's Mary Kay friend and she was happy to come to my rescue. Over the years I have slowly started dabbling in the girly things like make-up, jewelry and shoes. So this year for my birthday I bought my first matching set of shoes and purse.

I never thought I'd be here but I am sure having fun!

Extreme Reading

2011-01-31T14:46:00.001-06:00

The kids' school library announced an "Extreme Reading Contest" asking them to take pictures of them reading in unusual places. The winners would have their image blown up to poster size and placed in the library for all to see and to go down in library history. Well, they didn't promote it THAT dramatically, that was just for effect. Let's call it extreme writing....or not.

After multiple shots here were our submissions.

That's extreme.

We were on a tight deadline and the camera battery was dead when we arrived at the park. It would have been too dark had we gone home for a new battery. So these were phone pictures, turned out pretty good considering.

We were deemed not extreme and did not win.

Carters debut....

2011-01-30T21:42:00.003-06:00

This is just one of the many things that have kept us busy......enjoy!

Carter's Debut!!!!!

(Not to mention he has great back-up singers and dancers!)

Happy B-day to you...in the car.

2011-01-25T14:38:00.000-06:00

Living so far away from school has proved to complicate our lives. If we have any kind of after school function or an evening program we don't make it home until late. It also affects other things.

I had Special Olympics practice on Elli's birthday, thus forcing an impromptu "party" in the car at a Chik-Fil-A parking lot. Love the chicken there.

She didn't care, she was just excited to get presents.

The party guests.

And we can't exclude the party planner.

The hired phone camera photographer never turned the lens on himself.

Awards Ceremonies....

2011-01-21T14:39:00.001-06:00

At Gattis Elementary, they have awards ceremonies every nine week grading period.

Here are some of the awards that Elli and Carter received....

Elli got perfect attendance!

Carter received a few different awards...

Perfect attendance and academic excellence!

I left a little too early and missed the super writer award!

We are very proud of all the children and their accomplishments!

Uh....we rock.

2010-12-18T22:24:00.004-06:00

Now that we're out of school for a few, we've picked up other ways to keep our skills sharp.

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Jammin' to the computer!

2010-12-12T16:08:00.002-06:00

What do you do when you can't hear the speakers?

That's my Cami rockin' it 80's beatbox style!

Christmas with Elmo and Santa

2010-12-11T16:43:00.003-06:00

Our local library tries real hard to put on events for the kids. We hit up as many of these free events as possible and as a result get in to the local paper frequently. We're almost like a reverse paparazzi, us chasing the media down.

Elmo came to the library to read Christmas stories, then Santa came to take our Christmas wish list. We were able to bring our friend Gabby along, but unfortunately Elli was sick and didn't feel like participating too much.

Just displaying some holiday enthusiasm.

ELMO!

This was when the local photographer shot Cami and put a similar photo in the paper.

Sick girl.

Boys have &$@*!

2010-12-08T20:47:00.014-06:00

Cameron goes to a district preschool program that includes children with disabilities receiving early intervention services. As a result, many of the kids are learning social skills and expectations, students like Cami are expected to model these skills appropriately. One little boy, whom we'll call Joe, has recently become quite enamored with Cam and can be found in her vicinity throughout the day.

I picked her up today and one of her teachers began telling me about her encounters with Joe and how she has been handling it well and not getting frustrated or mean about it. The teacher commented on how Joe has become Cam's "boyfriend," and naturally Cami freaked out and made a big fuss.

I pick her up and take her back to our school with the rest of the family and proceeded to tell Amy about the situation. Mom obviously has to dig deeper and makes it fun and begins teasing her. Here's a transcript of the end:

Amy: "Cameron, boys have cooties."
Cam: "What's that?"
Amy: "Cooties are bugs that boys have and if you touch them you'll have boy bugs."
Cam: "Ew, cooties."
(Another teacher/friend comes around the corner and is brought in)
Amy: "Sarah, listen to this about Cam. Cameron, what do boys have?"
Cam (suddenly very loudly): Wieners.

Yeah, we laughed that one up good...and learned in the meantime that Cam has a boyfriend with cooties and a wiener.

I couldn't find any good wiener pictures...or videos, for that matter.

Reality sucks

2010-11-30T20:30:00.005-06:00

We've been hit by a both-parents-working tsunami.

Wow.

I think we survived it though and the flood waters smothering life as we once knew it are slowly receding (much like my hairline, Amy says).

Carter's been asking about Santa Claus and the plausibility of his existence. He wants to believe, that's his personality, but knows something's up. So I was trying to BS my way through and let him down gently...unsuccessfully. You know, "Santa is something magical parents use to make Christmas more mysterious and special..." or something dumb like that. Usually I'm pretty good explaining life's mysteries to him. I sucked this time.

Amy to the rescue, "Santa's not real Carter." Then she gave a great monologue on how we get to be Santa, what Santa represents, and how we express love through gift giving. Carter was upset, but first asked if we ate the cookies and milk. Darn the sensitivity we Bird men carry. He's cool with it, and excited he gets to be Santa with us this year...probably for the cookies.

Ghoulish/Girlish Halloween

2010-10-31T16:59:00.000-05:00

Halloween costumes for 2010. Dad was a loser...and didn't dress up.

RSL 4 Life!

2010-10-30T09:32:00.003-05:00

Real Salt Lake is in the playoffs with the second best record. Carter and I were expecting some magic again after last year's championship. They faced FC Dallas in the first round, so we HAD to go to the game. We were both pumped!

Can't you tell?

Here's our boys warming up, Cart wants to play for RSL when he grows up...sounds good to me.

We found a few RSL supporters to sit by, and we tried to be as loud as 7 visiting fans can. Fabian Espindola put us up early with a nice goal. Unfortunately it wasn't enough. We gave up two 2nd half goals and lost 2-1. We stood by the bus and saw our guys up close, but didn't take any pictures or get autographs...shame on us. Hopefully the 2nd leg in Utah goes better so we can move on.

Kids' bathroom...

2010-10-23T10:48:00.001-05:00

We've decided to put our house on the market. Commuting to work every day has been difficult on the family so I called in a professional. Lani is my sweet friend who is an amazing interior designer. One of the first things she said had to go was the kids' bathroom. Before I gave the bathroom a makeover I wanted to document the kids' bathroom!

History: We waited a very long time to own a home. I was so excited to paint our new home that I painted every room, closet and ceiling. The kids wanted to help so I told them they could paint their bathroom. Keeping my promise, I drew on the walls and then let the kids paint. This is how it turned out... I thought it was darling!

While the kids were painting Cami put her hand on the wall. Yes, she had that much paint on her hand. Cami loves to finger paint so when I saw her hand print I had to leave it!

Girls Night!

2010-10-15T11:47:00.000-05:00

So the boys went somewhere, I don't remember where exactly, but we decided to have a girl's night. The girls and I went to the store and picked out everything we needed.

Our cart consisted of:

Hot dogs,

hot dogs,

chips,

and candy!!!

We painted our nails, ate tons of junk, and watched a movie. We all had a blast!

I love having THREE amazing girls!

Good story

2010-09-23T21:12:00.006-05:00

One of the my favorite things about my husband is his amazing heart. He heard this story about a high school near us and forwarded the message to our entire staff encouraging them to share the story to all our students in order to help all of them become better people. In order to honor his request I'm sharing this amazing story with you.

FYI: If you're sensitive like me, grab a Kleenex!

"If I could speak, these might be my very words….to the students of Georgetown High School."

"I was blown away Friday night when you chose to crown my friend Jared and I as GHS’S Homecoming King and Queen. One thing you might now know is over 15 years ago, my heart stopped beating for 20 minutes and left my body broken and my brain injured. None of the doctors believed I would live much less ever smile again. So when God chose to give me back my smile I knew I would always have to share it with who ever was nearby."

"When you grow up different than most kids in the world, you begin to adjust and understand those differences might not ever be accepted or celebrated but even less likely to be honored. Jared and I have never been recognized as we were on Friday night. We will never forget what it felt like… the lights, the band, the thousands of students cheering us on; it was our first true moment of acceptance and love from everyone collectively. Even if I could speak I would never be able to fully express or think you would fully understand the significance of what you did. When my name was announced I felt the magnitude of God’s love for me through the choice that you made."

"You chose to honor Jared and me in a way that we could never have attained or accomplished on our own. You looked beyond our weaknesses and differences to sweetly bless us in a way that was more a reflection of your character than anything else. This past Friday, GHS stood out in a way that will be remembered for many years to come not only by Jared and me but by everyone who witnessed it from the stands. GHS you set an example for the younger generation that could only wonder why you didn’t pick the most beautiful or most popular girl and guy. Your vote might begin to teach those younger to place value on all people no matter whether they are able to attain straight A’s or just give the gift of a smile. I ask that each of you will continue to go out of your way to interact with students like us….we crave that encouragement from you! Don’t worry how we respond, it will probably be different than what is comfortable but don’t stop…you make us great! Peer Buddies you truly do lift the students of CBI high on Eagles Wings…thank you for choosing to hang out with students like us"

"And finally to my teachers….thanks for always believing not only in me, but also in every 'special' student in CBI. Without each of you and your contagious love, this would have never happened. Your daily patience with each of us keeps us striving towards reaching our God given potential."

"Next time you look up into a night sky, I want you to think of each heart at Georgetown High School and know that Friday night your hearts shone brighter than any of the stars!"

"Proverbs 13:12 says “Hope deferred makes the heart sick but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. Georgetown High School is a tree of life not only to Jared and I but to every 'special' student."

With a smile,

Gracie Kiltz

There is a reason.....

2010-09-07T22:43:00.006-05:00

I know that we have been MIA in the bloggin' world but there is a reason... I'm working full time and it's changed the entire families routine. I don't' have much time but let's just say that working full time as a class room aid paid off because today I was offered a job as a new kindergarten teacher!! The classes are over stuffed hence my new position. I need to have my room ready by Friday and lesson plans ready to go by next Wednesday. Wish me luck!!!!

First Day of School....

2010-08-24T12:54:00.007-05:00

This year's first day of school was a little more hectic than in years past. With both Kelly and I working full time, getting ready for the first day of school required extensive planning and preparation. I'm happy to say that we all made it bright and early enough to take a quick photo in Kelly's classroom. This year we're all at the same school, except for Cami who's in a fabulous preschool just around the corner.

Someone yelled, "Don't quit your day job!"

2010-08-07T22:18:00.003-05:00

Years ago, when really crappy songs were good and we spent money on sweet new cassettes albums, my brothers and I performed a little number at a family gathering. Every time, it seems, we get together it gets requested again. Back then it was rad, today it's awful.

Call us The Bird 5. Or call us A Bunch of Idiots, a more fitting title for our style of performance. We even embarrass Mr. Vanilla himself I'm sure.

Lake Austin

2010-08-01T14:09:00.005-05:00

We have some good friends who have nice bosses. The nice bosses let the employees use their home on Lake Austin while they're off seeing the world. Being our good friends, they invite us to join them for a night on the lake, kid free!

Kelly tried the paddle board first. He had a few falls but overall enjoyed himself!

All the boys LOVED the rope swing!

Each boy picked their board and headed out for an adventure. They toured the lake and all stopped to see what Kelly found in the lake...

A BABY TURTLE!
He was so cute. I decided to take him home and use him as a class pet.
I knew my kindergartners would love him!

Isn't he cute!

I didn't want him to be all alone so we set off to find a friend to take home with him.

We weren't able to get a friend for our new turtle but we're excited none the less. After getting our new friend home and learning all we could about turtles, we set out to create a home. I noticed our friend wasn't eating much and moving around as much as normal. Guilt sunk in and we ended up taking him back to a lake.
I was sad to return him but I knew it was for the best. At least we have the photos!

Newspaper article #3

2010-07-07T11:19:00.006-05:00

I was given the opportunity to teach a seminar for the teens of Taylor. It was a blast and the newspaper thought it print worthy. Here's the article....

Amy Bird, a local professional photographer, led the latest teen reading program event, hosted by the Taylor Public Library. Bird led a 30 minute lesson on the basics of composing a photo and using a camera, then challenged the teens to a photo scavenger hunt. The participants had 30 minutes to take photos in six categories: close up shot with a blurred background (shallow depth of field), landscape with detailed background (great depth of field), a photo in full shadow and one in full sunlight, and an action shot freezing the subject’s movement.

Bird’s aim for the program was to teach the teens to be proud of their work and enable them to better preserve their memories.

“We just had a blast,” Bird said. “I just had a great time doing it, I hope I get to do it again.”

The winners were:

Close up shot: Melynn Lambert and Anna Nemec

Landscape with detailed background: Nury Andhavarapu

Composition using the rule of thirds: partners Ali Rhinehard and Jessica Boodham and partners Joshua Bostick and Tristan Torres tied in this category

Full shadow: Josh Gautreaux

Full sunlight: Andrew Kaziar and Faith Nemec tied in this category

Action shot: Morgan Repa and partners Paige and Taylor Johnson tied in this category.

We're coming to Utah!!!!

2010-06-05T16:01:00.005-05:00

We have finally gotten around to making some summer plans and decided to baptize Taylor in Utah this summer. We are trying to plan the details of our trip and I know that some of you have requested family photo shoots. In order to accommodate everyone and all the things we have planned, I need to book the photo shoots by June 20th. So If you are interested, please contact me as soon as possible so I can create our schedule. You can call or email anytime. If you would like to see my work or pricing info please click on the link below.

JD Portraits

Birds in the news again....

2010-06-02T11:14:00.000-05:00

It seems that the Taylor Newspaper can not get enough of the Birds. This time Daddy Bird was questioned in the paper.... See below for the fabulous quote!

The Taylor Public Library was anything but quiet Wednesday morning when Mr. Puppet paid the summer program a visit. The Mr. Puppet event kicked off the Summer 2010 reading program. Each week, the library will host a movie night for children Mondays and programming for kids Wednesday mornings.

The event room was filled to the brim with kids from day care, summer camps and schools from all around Taylor, all ready to be entertained by Mr. Puppet.

Kelly Bird brought three of his four children to the first event of the summer reading program.

“(The kids) enjoy coming to the library in the first place. We’re here pretty frequently...it’s better than just sitting at home,” he said. The Bird family has done the reading program every year.

Both Joe Stiles, the president of the school board, and his granddaughter enjoyed Stinky, the opossum posing as a baby elephant. Stinky and friends encouraged the children to read, pointing out different sections that they could read from, like art and science.

“This gives children an insight into how fun reading can be,” Stiles said. “(It’s) a good program to get them excited about reading.”

“We want the kids to enjoy reading during the summer,” Librarian Karen Ellis said. “We’d like them to discover how much fun books are and how much fun reading is during the summer.”

There is also programming for teens and adults. Information about each of the programs is available on the Taylor city website.

Add novice electrician to my titles.......

2010-05-29T13:00:00.007-05:00

Situation: Burned vacuum cord which is the result of almost burning down my house, blowing-up my car and leaving Kelly as a widow all while he's out of town.
Solution: Buy a new vacuum $150!
Male friend's comments: That's super easy to fix, let Kelly do it when he gets home.
My thoughts: If Kelly can do it why can't I?
New Solution: I can fix it myself!

Supplies:

Complete Home Improvement and Repair book (we own it so $0)
Google: read repair tips and hints ($0)
Call Dad for extra support and advice ($0)

Wire cutters and strippers (found them in the tool box and neighbor $0)
Electrical tape (also in tool box $0)
Small electrical connectors (Neighbor had extra and gave them to me $0*)

Result: IT WORKED!!!! I practiced cutting and stripping wires on the piece of cord that was burned. When I felt comfortable with it, I connected the vacuum cord and completed the job. I turned off all appliances in the house before I tested the vacuum out. I went out side and plugged it in. (If it started on fire outside at least the damage would be minimal). After letting it run for a few minutes and making sure that my connection was not getting hot I went inside to try it out. I worked great. I know you men out there are saying big deal, it's an easy task but for me it was a first and I rocked. Maybe I have a little Whittaker in me after all!!!

Total Cost: FREE!!! I think since I saved us $150 I should treat myself it a Diet Strawberry Limeade...yeah I deserve it! Amount saved $148.50!!!

*When I was getting ready to go to the store I went to the neighbors house where Carter was playing at to get him. The Dad said he could stay and asked what project I was working on in the garage. He offered his advice, wire strippers, and connectors. Thanks Todd!

No pictures just my journaling...

2010-05-20T07:59:00.008-05:00

This is truly becoming our family journal so this entry will not interest most of you. It's extremely long and detailed, but I had to add it for future reference. More interesting entries with pictures will come soon.

Two weeks ago I told myself that if I could get through the next ten days, life would be sooo much easier. My schedule consisted of:

Sunday=Mother's Day
Monday= Photographing a Wedding and Cam's 3rd Birthday
Tuesday= Substituting from 7-4, Carter's Robotics Showcase 5-7, and Kelly's Special Olympics Banquet from 6-9.
Wednesday= Substituting from 7-4, Carter's Scouts 5:30-7, Kelly's scouts 7-8:30
Thursday= Substituting from 7-4, soccer practice 5:30-6:30, Kelly's Special Olympics 5-7:30
Friday= Our 11th Anniversary and Work at the restaurant 5-1am
Saturday= Soccer games 8:30-11, Wedding Reception Photography 8-Midnight
Sunday=CHURCH
Monday=Substituting from 7-4

I thought for sure that once Monday, May 17th came along I could breathe easier. I have never been so wrong. The week went as scheduled, actually pretty smoothly until Tuesday. Carter and I were driving home from school when he asked me a question about oral sex. I remained calm, which took a lot of self control not to freak out, while he explained that a kid at school told him about a picture that he found on his computer at home. Carter said that he didn't see the picture, but that he imagined it and that he was having a hard time forgetting about it. After a lengthy discussion about sex, pornography and the church, I came home exhausted. I am SO thankful for the gospel and the guidance that the church offers. I cried for Carter that night and prayed even harder. He lost some innocence that day that he'll never get back. I never thought that my nine year old would be facing these challenges at such a young age.

We spent the rest of the week following our busy schedule but added extra scripture and prayer time- we all needed it. Saturday morning things became a little more hectic. We woke up to a horrible thunder storm and the YMCA calling to cancel the games. I was a little excited to think we could relax and enjoy the morning. Maybe exercise and nap. That's when Cami came in and said her head was itching.

I looked and saw that it had been bleeding from her scratching it. Upon further investigation I found lice. We started looking at the other kids' hair to make sure she was the only one and found that all four kids had lice. So the day began. I went to the store and bought the lice shampoo and got to work. We started the daunting task of laundry and picking through hair. After attempting to get the lice out we decided that it was a nearly impossible task so I asked a huge favor from a good friend and everyone got new summer haircuts.

Carter's head was buzzed, which was harder for me than I thought. He had been growing it out for so long and he really liked the way it looked long. The girls got the shortest bobs they've had and that was only hard on me. The girls love their new cuts.

After doing more research we learned that we would need to treat the entire house. So we packed up all the stuffed animals and soft dolls and put them in garbage bags in the garage for the next two weeks. I knew that I needed to clean all three girls' hair accessories but didn't want to put them in the washing machine, so I boiled water. I thought that I let them cool enough that it wouldn' t ruin the bows but still sterilize them, but I was wrong. One pot of water was fine but the other was too hot and I ruined over half the bows and flowers. Again, I was the only one who cared that we lost all those bows. Kelly didn't care until I told him how much money we lost, I don't think I can convince him to replace them! After that, Kelly went to the store and bought a spray to treat the couches, mattress, carpet, car seats, backpacks and anything else we could think of. I have lost track of how many loads of laundry I've done. Let's just say that they can only wear things once or sleep on it once before I wash it. It's now Thursday and we're washing clothes, blankets, pillows, hairbrushes, combs, etc. after each use.

Now back to Saturday, Kelly and I were scheduled to do the photography at a wedding reception that night and couldn't very well "call-in sick". The problem was that the kids were planning on having a sleep over at a friends house because we would be in Austin until at least midnight. With the lice they couldn't very well have a sleep over and we couldn't fly a Grandma in time for the reception. Thankfully a good friend came over to our house and watched the kids so we could go to work.

Sunday, we picked and we picked and we picked at the girls' hair. I did go to RS to attempt to do some compassionate service but that's another story for another day. That night after spending the entire day working on the girls' hair we felt pretty good that we had gotten all of it out. We found out that the kids could go back to school once they had been treated so our schedule continued.

Monday I worked and came home to resume laundry, gardening, cooking, and lice hunting. Grateful to be done substituting I thought it would get easier from here. Little did I know. Cam had started breaking out in a rash Saturday night and all of Sunday. We treated her with Benadryl and calamine lotion. We couldn't figure out what it was until she spent Monday with the Sortos while I worked. The only thing that changed at our house was that we sprayed lice killing chemical on every surface of our house. Poor Cami was allergic to this chemical and her little body reacted pretty severely to it. The rash pretty much cleared up while she was at the Sortos house but it came back even worse Monday night when she was at home. Tuesday morning the rash was worse than ever. I doctored her up and we left for the day.

I planned on attending Elli's field trip and classroom party, knowing this would give Cam a break from the house. Only a few hours after being out of the house her eyes were almost swollen shut and every square inch of her body was covered in hives. So I took the older two girls out of school and took Cam to the doctors. We got there at 3:20 but had to hurry because Carter only had robotics until 4:15 and we needed to pick him up. My hope was that this was an allergic reaction and that they would give us some great medicine and send us on our way so we wouldn't be late getting Carter from school. Well apparently the medical staff and never seen an allergy reaction this severe before so every doctor in the clinic came to look at her. After sitting there for an hour and a half they told me I was doing everything right and to go home. I was livid- no great medicine, no cures, nothing- just keep waiting.

Speaking of waiting. Poor Carter had been siting in the school's office waiting for us. I felt awful that we'd kept the office staff there waiting as well. I grabbed Carter, apologized, and kept running. We grabbed Taco Bell on the road and then ran to soccer practice. Kelly's meeting had gone late so I tried coaching practice while holding Cami who was crying because the itching hurt. Kelly got there about 6:10 and then I grabbed the girls and ran home. I had spontaneously planned a girl's night to celebrate the end of teaching and the start of a less hectic life, so I rushed home to change before leaving for girl's night. Kelly got home just in time for me to leave for girl's night.

Girl's night was wonderful. It was so nice to sit and rest for an hour. I couldn't believe how much I needed it. My hour was short lived when I came home and got the children ready for bed. I was running up the stairs with Cami right behind me when I heard a thud. Cami had fallen down five steps and landed head first on our hardwood floors. By the time I got to her she had blacked out and had a massive goose egg above her eye. It was the longest ten seconds of my life until she started to cry. We called a wonderful friend who is finishing PA school who told us what to watch for and gave us our options for keeping her home or taking her to the hospital. We watched her for an hour and she was doing well so opted to keep her home. I woke up every two hours that night to make sure she was okay and easily awakened. She woke the next morning with a fabulous bruise and major headache but other than that she was fine. What a huge BLESSING!

I thought for sure that Wednesday was going to be my day for rest when Tay's school called and said she forgot her lunch. I ran it in after watching Elli's award ceremony. I poked my head in to drop off the lunch when her teacher asked to speak to me. She then told me that Tay had been having an extremely hard time paying attention and focusing at school. She wasn't causing any problems but she didn't pass the 2nd grade benchmarks and would need to stay two weeks after school got out for additional instruction. I was frustrated that the teacher was just now telling me about Tay having a problem but couldn't solely blame her. We had known for a few months that Tay was having problems at home and I should have checked with her teacher. So an hour later I came home and called the neuropsychologist that tested her last fall to see where we need to go from here. She told me to call our pediatrician. I called them and told the entire story to them starting from last fall to today and set up a consultation meeting for June 8th. They talked about possibly putting her on attention meds. Now we have a lot of research ahead of us. I don't think any parent wants to hear that their child needs medicine, but if it would help- I'm all ears.

After finishing up phone calls I had a knock on my door and my neighbor had an emergency at work and needed me to watch their little boy for the afternoon. He came in and played for a little bit and then we all took naps. After watching kids and doing more laundry, we all headed out for the evening. I was helping clean a sister in the ward's house while my kids got to play at a friends. Kelly had scouts so he wasn't able to stay home with the kids. We came home and all went to bed at 9:30!!!

Needless to say that today I'm ready for whatever the day brings. I've learned that through faith in the Lord all things are possible. I thought it was hard when my kids were little and I was constantly running around feeding, bathing, and playing with them, but never did I imagine the work that came from helping them spiritually, emotionally, and physically. I know that my trials are nothing compared to others and for that I'm grateful. I have four "mostly healthy" children, a husband who's as helpful as possible, and the gospel-what more could I ask for!

P.S. I know Elli wasn't mentioned much. I didn't forget about her, she had no real drama this week. She's my peacemaker and helpful girl. All of her needs were support for her busy pre-K life. Her last day of school is tomorrow and she couldn't be more happy and sad at the same time.

Cami's 3!

2010-05-10T15:02:00.000-05:00

That's the ghetto way of doing it.

Check out the cool stuff I got from my sisters and brother!

G'pa and G'ma Birdie gave me a warm blankie and cool board games.

G'pa and G'ma Whittaker gave me sweet Snow White toys.

Mom and Dad gave me a kickin' ride. Yeah, I'll get the hot boys now.

Later that night we had a party at the Sorto's where I had a Princess cake, cause I'm a princess.

HaPpY bIrThDaY tO mE!!!

Carter...

2010-05-04T17:03:00.005-05:00

I didn't realize that some of you might not recognize my nine year old who is determined to grow his hair out. For those of you who don't recognize Carter, I labeled him! This is the current Carter.... at least until I cut his hair one night when he's fast asleep!

soccer, soccer, soccer!!!

2010-05-04T10:31:00.007-05:00

If there is one thing that my husband loves more than me it would be soccer! He lives for it!!! I am already planning on being a single mom for the month of June while he enjoys the World Cup! Because of this love, Kelly has encouraged the kids to play. He never forces them but the kids can't help but want to play with their Dad, which usually means- soccer time. Well that being said, Carter has been playing for a few years now on different teams. Carter has never been on that great of a team until this year! Thanks to an amazing coach, they kids are understanding the fundamentals and putting them to work with their skills! It has been a blast watching the kids starting to understand the game. I'm sure Kelly will post a detailed blog later but for now... Here's the amazing team that's 2-1!!!

They were slaughtered the first game 0-8. The second game's outcome was 4-1 giving them their first win. I had to grab a team shot of their first victory!! This last weekend for the third game, I was watching the girls' games but Kelly came home the proudest father- Carter took a few hits like a man and even pushed a little to get the ball- which is a big deal since he doesn't like harsh contact. They played the team that destroyed them the first game and beat them 1-0. Kelly could barely talk the rest of the day because his voice was shot from yelling with excitement the entire game!!!

Can you tell how excited the kids are?

Spring Photo Shoot....

2010-05-01T10:14:00.001-05:00

Just another entry documenting our children's growth....

(Location: Downtown Austin)

Carter age 9 year and 3 months
Carter is too cool for pictures so we only got one decent photo of him.
P.S. he's growing his hair out much to my dismay!

Taylor age 7 years 10 months

Elliott age 5 years and 4 months

Cameron age 3 years!

Independance...#2

2010-04-15T08:29:00.012-05:00

On the brink of turning three, Cami is becoming more and more independent. She dresses herself, puts on her own shoes, refuses help to go potty, which often results is a power struggle between the two of us, and now she's determine to make her own sandwiches. While I was balancing the check book, it was very quiet and so I went looking for Cami. I found her in the kitchen...

Here is a close-up of her masterpieces..

Can you tell how proud she was of herself?

Of course she had to help clean-up her mess before she could eat. For those of you who don't like double-dipping- never eat the peanut butter or honey at our house!

One more note... if you make a sandwich, always get a clean spatula!

We had to have the safety talk so Cam didn't attempt to cut up her own bananas. She was a little reluctant to have help but I had the advantage because it was Mom helps or no bananas and trust me, this girl loves her bananas!

The best thing about all this, she ate half of one and was full- Buddy ate the other half before I could stop him. I found that Cam and put one of the sandwiches in a Tupperware, with extra honey, that she's saving for later. I'm learning to be grateful that she can feed herself and the dog! She'll always be my baby but it's time I embrace her growing up and just enjoy the ride that moving a head at full speed!

P.S. Her hands were sticky so she tried finding a baby-wipe. When she found the empty container she decided to make her own wipes with toilet paper and water! We cleaned the mess up together but at least she's figuring things out for herself!

Elli Kay....the independent one!

2010-03-28T17:47:00.006-05:00

This is our Elli Kay!!!

She has always been independent but this week she proved her independence!!!

The week started last Sunday when she told me she wanted her hair cut because it was getting too long. I told her we would talk to Ms. Oneida, our good friend and hair stylist, and schedule something with her. (I was secretly hoping to prolong her haircut because I love the girls' hair longer. Nothing beats the ponytail on school mornings.) Later that afternoon I found chunks of blond hair in the playroom and in the girls' bedroom. When I asked Elli what she did, she said she was being like Ms. Oneida and gave herself a haircut. Once that girls gets something in her head she always finds a way to make it happen. Needless to say, Ms. Oneida fit El in the next day to fix her hair.

Her haircut was only the beginning. She decided she wanted to learn to ride a bike without training wheels. I had school and told her she would have to wait until her Dad could help her. Saturday morning rolls around and Elli convinces her Dad she's ready to ride without training wheels. Due to school I missed the entire thing but Kelly claims that he took off the wheels and she rode away without any help from him. She's a natural! She rode all over the neighborhood sporting her "evil" mask she made herself!

(Kelly notes the weed free lawn, his, versus the weed ravaged lawn, not his. Thank you, thank you very much.)

Elli keeps us on our toes and has us terrified for the teenage years!!! Even though she's mischievous when she's planning to get her way she's also our peace maker. She's always the first one to give up a toy or treat to make her siblings smile. And if you're having a crummy day, just make Elli laugh and her giggle will turn any frown upside down. The best way to describe our El is "Sugar and Spice!!!" We love you sweet Elli!

Stress-reliever....

2010-03-21T15:50:00.003-05:00

To say that the last 12 weeks have been stressful at our house is a little of an understatement! I have been in school working on my teaching certificate for the state of Texas. I had to attend classes for 12 weeks, pass the state test, do 30 hrs of classroom observations, and finish 15 online classes. I am so happy to say that this week I completed my last class, finished my observation and passed the state test!!!! I have a few more online classes to finish but there's an end in sight. I am able to start applying for jobs this week and am planning on attending a few different job fairs in the next few weeks. Hopefully when the next school year begins Kelly and I will both be working as teachers in the state of Texas!!!

Going to College & I've been classified as old......

2010-03-04T07:22:00.006-06:00

Last night Elli was making a picture for Uncle Jordan when she asked how to spell Grandma's name. I asked her why she needed Grandma's name. She replies, "I don't want Grandma to feel sad when she sees Jordan's name on the paper and not hers." I explained that Jordan doesn't live at home anymore because he's in college, so Grandma won't feel sad. This opened up a tearful discussion about moving away from home. Elli was very upset to think that Jordan didn't live with his parents and that one day she would have to move away from us.

I thought that this would be the perfect time to tell the girls how important an education is an how much fun it is to move away. I pulled out my college scrapbook and showed them the pictures of my apartment, roommates and adventures. Elli didn't care about any of that and stubbornly announced that she was never going to college and never, EVER moving away from Kelly and me.

Carter comes in at that point and started looking through my scrapbook. He had just gotten home from scouts and missed the entire discussion. He stops a few pages into it and says, "Mom, are those your glasses or a joke?" I reply, "Mine, why?" Carter, "Man you look like a geek, those glasses are huge." There you have it, my child has just aged me very quickly. (I remember getting those glasses. A well-known ophthalmologist was in town from Park City and was famous for fitting the right style of glasses with your face. I was so excited when she fitted me and now my son dated my glasses to be old and geeky. Gotta love kids!)

Me with my geeky glasses and some of my roommates our freshman year of college!

I am happy to report that after a tearful night and partial morning, Elli has decided to go to college. But only after I told her that she didn't have to move far away and that we could go to lunch together, get manicures and pedicures and go shopping. College doesn't sound so scary anymore. She even said I won't have to cry when she leaves because we'll get our nails done together. Now I need to not only save for tuition, but I also need to save for mani's and pedi's!!!

I sure love this girl!!!!
(this photo was taken at her school performance a few nights ago-
a blog entry of that will come soon)

Erase the "R" Word

2010-03-02T21:14:00.007-06:00

Friends, please join with me in this cause I support wholeheartedly. You can choose to sign the pledge at www.r-word.org. If nothing else, be more mindful of the casual, everyday language you use and the impact it may have on someone with an intellectual disability.

This from Special Olympics.

Throughout the nation on March 3, Special Olympics is asking for your support to Spread the Word to End the Word. Join us in taking a stand against a word that has gained popularity in culture, but is offensive to many. The “R-word” or “retard(ed)” has found a place in common language and seems to be accepted by most, despite the fact that its use, casual or otherwise, is hurtful to millions of people with intellectual disabilities and those who love them.

The word hurts, even if it is not directed at a person with intellectual disabilities. For too long, people with intellectual disabilities have had to overcome the challenges society has put forth through stereotypes. It is time for a change, and you can help!

5 Ways to Show Your Support on March 3, 2010:

1. Get social. Donate your Facebook status for the day and tweet about your support. “Join Special Olympics Texas and spread the word to end the word. Take the pledge today to eliminate the R-word at www.r-word.org.”

2. Send an email to everyone in your contacts.

3. Start a conversation. Tell 5 people about the R-word campaign and challenge them to pass the message onto 5 more people.

4. View our R-word PSAs at Special Olympics Texas YouTube page. Or search in YouTube for R-word videos. Email links to your friends.

5. Take the pledge at www.r-word.org.

Please help Special Olympics Texas to bring acceptance and inclusion to our communities. We need your support, and the support of your friends and family, for our Spread the Word to End the Word™ campaign. Though we work year-round to educate people about proper terminology, please use tomorrow, March 3, 2010, to join with others across the nation and show your support of Special Olympics Texas athletes and our efforts to erase the R-word from people’s vocabularies.

Thank you everyone for supporting the people I love like family.

Here are some favorite videos.

Elli's Pre-School 2009-2010

2010-03-02T18:22:00.001-06:00

Elli had a performance at school and did a fabulous job. Her class sang the song "I walk the Lonesome Trail" with darling movements. Here is how it went...

I walk the lonesome trail in the morning sun,

I walk the lonesome trail till the day is done,
I walk the lonesome trail cause it's so much fun,
yes I walk on the lonesome trail.

I saw a Texas lone star,

and a tumble weed.

A rattle snake

and a coyote.

I saw a Texas lone-star

and a long horn too,

a jack rabbit jumps

and the cactus grew.

Elli had a great time in pre-school. I was very impressed with her teacher and her love for the students. Thanks to Ms. Lawton Elli learned to read, write, identify shapes and count.
Here is Elli showing us some of the fun things she did in school.

Of course the year wouldn't be complete without showing her two best-friends:

Zalie, Elli, and Mackenzie

Kelly's story....

2010-02-17T08:12:00.003-06:00

So Kelly was spotlighted at work this week. The assistant principal asked him to do a write-up on himself and this is what he wrote:

Kelly Bird, Adaptive PE Teacher

As the snow capped mountains of Utah began
their annual release into the fresh mountain rivers
& streams, the budding leaves of aspen & oak
began to fill the crisp air, blooming wildflowers
started canvassing the landscape, & the young
fauna left the comforts of their protective burrows
& caves, young Kelly Bird was born. (And you
probably thought PE teachers were just dumb
jocks! Ok, that took me like 15 minutes to write.)

So, I find it difficult to talk about myself,
I’m such a boring topic. I started my life in Salt
Lake City, but pretty much grew up in
Tremonton, Utah. My family lived in Panama for
a year when I was young, & I lived in Cebu,
Philippines for 2 years after high school serving a
church mission. My life has revolved around 4
things; my family, sports, the outdoors, & the
virtual reality of being a rock star on Guitar
Hero. I blow my kids away on all the instruments.

After receiving my masters degree in
adapted PE, the Texas heat called my name and I
came. (Loving the warm winters here). I’m in my
3rd year & enjoy most of it (except writing about
myself). Part of my job includes coaching Special
Olympics, which I coach bowling, basketball, &
soccer. Come volunteer, it’s a blast!

My wife, Amy, & I are 10 years married &
my son, Carter, & daughters, Taylor, Elliott, and
Cameron keep us busy. I enjoy playing sports,
recovering from injury, reading, writing blogs,
and being husband, dad and coach.

Now you know a little bit more about my better half!!!

A Girls' Dad

2010-02-07T17:02:00.000-06:00

Uhh....no comment.

Taxes are good for....

2010-02-04T20:34:00.002-06:00

....tax returns.

They pay for speeding tickets, year old car repairs, birthday presents, and food to fill bare cupboards.

Hoop it up Carter

2010-01-30T17:19:00.003-06:00

Carter doesn't share the same excitement I do for basketball, but was willing to try a season of it. Overall I think he enjoyed it, but doesn't want to play anymore.

Sigh.

Tear.

Says he is a soccer player, which is great. Just nothing else.

Here's the action.

Tight man D.

Monster air going for that board.

Beating the full court pressure.

Ball handling skills.

The team.

Amy's clipper skills

2010-01-30T13:40:00.001-06:00

A kid at school asked me if I lost a bet. My reply was, "No, I let my wife cut my hair."

I typically keep it short now due to a less than stellar growth pattern on top. Just not this short. I had asked Amy to trim around my ear after finishing, you know, to clean it up and make it look nice. She interpreted that as I wanted her to shave my head. She took out a chunk behind my ear, paused on my "What are you doing!?" reaction, then gave the clippers back. After a sheepish sorry, I finished the job and now look like a neo Nazi, or maybe a slightly sun burnt cue-ball, which is preferable to the former.

Christmas Re-cap....the long version

2010-01-19T13:16:00.049-06:00

Disclaimer: I have officially given up scrap booking; not for good, but for now. I am three years behind in my scrap booking and don't foresee catching up anytime soon. For that reason my blog entries are full of information that most of you could care less about, but this is the only form of journal-ing I currently participate in- feel free to jump to the photos. If you do look at the photos, make sure you see the last one- it's my favorite!

Spending Christmas in Utah was an unforgettable experience. When we set out we had so many plans that we weren't sure how we'd fit everything in but we did our best. For posterity sake I should start at the beginning. We planned on leaving Thursday, December 17 around 3:00. We have found it's best to travel for about 6 hours before the kids fall asleep and then they usually sleep for 10-12 hours only leaving 6 hours left. Our kids do great on road trips but let's face it nobody like to drive for 25 straight hours. Well, just as we were finishing up loading the car, Cam says her tummy hurts. Next thing we knew she was throwing up. The kids were anxious to play with their friends since they didn't know that we were going to Utah, so after some disappointment, we told the kids early that we were going to Utah for Christmas. (I had hoped to keep them guessing for at least a couple of hours). Since we needed to wait for Cam's tummy to settle we let the kids gather up a few last minute things and play for a little while. Needless to say, we didn't get on the road until 7pm but Cam was doing better so we felt good about waiting around- so we thought!

The drive went off very smooth all night and into the early morning. We packed tons of food so we only had to stop for gas and potty breaks. Into the early afternoon Cam got sick again. I have never been so grateful for our Odyssey. While Kelly drove, I was able to move our two captain seats next to each other to make a bench-seat so I could sit with Cami. (Yes we could have pulled over but that would have made a long drive even longer!)I can thankfully say that we had no spills in the car and Cam loved that I sat with her. Not to mention, Carter thought it was pretty cool to sit in the front seat for a little while.

We made fabulous time and got to Utah around 8:30 Friday night.The surprise was priceless!!! But I must say that after being up for 48 straight hours, my cold went from bad to worse so I went straight to bed once we got to Kelly's parents' house. The next morning Candy asked what our schedule was like. When I told her about not surprising my parents until Christmas Eve she told me how grateful she was that we came but that if I had been in Utah for a week and didn't let her know she'd be upset. After talking to Candy we decided that we'd better surprise her early.

So back down to Salt Lake we went. Unfortunately our communication wasn't perfect so Jeremy and Brandie weren't able to be there for the surprise. I felt awful that they weren't there! Mom and Dad were extremely surprised and happy to see us. Cami and I were still under the weather so Grandma took good care of us. I should mention that we are a family who share everything so Carter started getting sick around this time as well. (Taylor had just finished antibiotics for pneumonia and Elli was on antibiotics for a sinus infection.)

Despite our illnesses, we had a great time. After spending a day sleeping and eating we set out to enjoy the holiday. It wouldn't be a Utah Christmas without visiting temple square so we loaded on all the warm clothes we had and set out. We met all the Birds at Temple Square and got ready for a fabulous evening.

Can you sense the enthusiasm?

Since Kelly and I were married here 10 1/2 years ago, I was extremely excited to show the children the Salt Lake Temple. I must admit that I was cold when we got to Utah and never warmed up. This is Kelly's way of "helping me" stay warm!

The lights at Temple Square were even more beautiful then I remembered!!!!

After taking in all the beauty we headed inside to thaw! This picture was taken minutes before Isaac threw-up at the foot of the Christ statue. Didn't I say we were a family who shared everything. We only spent about six hours with Isaac and managed to pass on a flu bug!

Despite illness, we decided to make the most of it. Cami was getting worse so I stayed home with her while Kelly and the kids set out for an afternoon of bowling at Tremonton's local bowling ally.

The younger ones had no idea what to expect....

....but they had a blast figuring it out!

Carter impresses everyone with this fabulous form!

But my favorite picture was when Kelly captured the sheer joy that Aunt Jess felt!

We celebrated Christmas with the Birds on the 23rd in order to accommodate everyone's hectic schedules. And what Christmas celebration would be complete without a live reenactment of the birth of our Savior. Taylor was more than ecstatic to play Mother Mary! I love that she decided to add the balloon as a last minute effect during her journey to Bethlehem.

These are the stars of the nativity, complete with Audrey playing the
role of our Savior and Redeemer!

This was Cami on a good day- she was able to hold her own head up. She did her best to have fun but it was obvious to all that our little Cami did not feel well.

Unfortunately, Cami's flu-like symptoms only got worse. We left to go to my parents house on the 24th and Cami was in pretty bad shape. She had now been throwing up for six straight days. She was not able to hold her own head up and was completely lethargic. We called our insurance to see if they would cover a doctor visit but they informed us they only covered out-of-state ER visits, no private practices. We called my mom on the way down and asked her to meet us at the new IHC hospital near her house. We figured she was dehydrated and that after some fluids would be ready to party at the annual Whittaker Christmas Eve party later that night.

After spending three hours in the ER and having numerous tests taken, including X-rays, the doctor contacted Primary's Children Hospital and felt it best to have her transferred there. They gave us the option to have the hospital transfer her or we could take her ourselves. Knowing it wasn't life threatening, and only imagining what an ambulance bill would cost, we drove her ourselves.

We spent the next two hours in Primary Children's ER when they decided to admit her to the Rapid Treatment Unit and observe her for 24 hours. I will admit that I was extremely grateful for the blessing of being in Utah when Cami got sick. If I could pick anywhere it would be there. I have complete faith in Primary Children's Hospital and the best part was that the other children were with family during those long hours. I was extremely disappointed to have driven hundreds of miles and then still miss Christmas Eve with my family but getting Cam taken care of was our priority. Because we were admitted to the hospital 8:30 PM Christmas Eve, it was very late for dinner. With it being Christmas Eve our choices were limited, very limited. In fact the only place open was a Maverick gas station. Kelly and I enjoyed a private dinner of Bahama-mama hot dogs, chips and SOBE drinks. This is definitely a Christmas Eve we will never forget!

The doctors discovered that Cam did have the flu which led to major dehydration. Because she was extremely dehydrated her little body was not able to dispose of its waste, which was backed-up clear around her colon and liver. After 12 long hours, a horrible enema and five bags of IV fluid she was finally getting back to her normal self. My parents brought the kids to visit her on Christmas morning and they had a hard time believing she was ever sick.

Because kids are not allowed to visit hospital patients, we secretly met them in the cafeteria. Cam was running around, laughing and showing off her IV! (These photo's were taken by my Dad with his cell phone! I left my camera packed in my suitcase with the intention of using it at the Christmas party.)

Cam also thought her bracelet was pretty cool... oh the things that kids like!

I must admit that if I had to be stuck in a hospital on Christmas Eve, PCMC is the place to be! They had Santa visit and brought her a stuffed moose, which Cam thinks is a reindeer, and this gingerbread house. Not to mention that the staff gave her a singing snowman to remember her time visiting the land of snow, a teddy bear, and three blankets- yeah she made out pretty good on Christmas!!!
The older children were amazing. They opened their gifts from the aunts and uncles on Christmas Eve at the party but saved all their gifts from Grandma and Grandpa and us until we got home so Cam could be there. Santa even left a note saying that he would make a special trip back to South Jordan when Cami was released from the hospital. I was so proud of them waiting one more day for Christmas so we could spend it as a family!

As you can see- everyone had a wonderful CHRISTMAS!!!

The following week was so much better. Cami was back to her normal, happy self and we had very few problems from then on out. Carter's cough was horrible but he was a trooper and complained very little. We were hoping it would go away or at least wait until we got back to Texas so we could see a doctor. No one wanted to go back to the ER. (Carter did wait until we got back to Texas to see a doctor. He also had pneumonia! After antibiotics and ten more days of coughing they have tested him for whooping cough. We should get those test results tomorrow!)

We played and played hard. When we got out of a movie there was a few inches of fresh snow so the kids headed straight out for some fun in the snow before we went out to dinner.

Cami was just excited to get outside!

Elli enjoyed eating snow- this time she got caught!

Our little angel made angels!

Carter was so excited to play in the snow he was even willing to work. He loved shoveling the snow. Even my parent's neighbors benefited from his pleasure!

Taking pictures of the Whittaker's is a very painful experience for all those involved. Hence the lack of pictures, but consider this a warning for all you Whittakers: I need more photos and plan on taking more, a lot more, this summer! And that's a PROMISE!

FYI: I am wearing a sweater and TWO jackets! I adjusted to Texas weather very quickly- Utah was FREEZING!

After a difficult goodbye with the Whittakers we headed to Tremonton for New Years! One of the things Carter really wanted to do was go sledding and thankfully the new few inches of snow provided him with that opportunity. I must say that it's hard being away from family, especially Kelly's brothers. They are so close and have so much fun when they're together and sledding was no exception!

Cory and Issac were here most of the time but they had to leave early due to nap time!

Cami LOVED, LOVED, LOVED the snow!

Elli learned quickly that she didn't get in trouble for eating fresh snow! Oh the memories of catching snow on your tongue!

Taylor was irritated I made her stop for a photo, she had much better things to do!

Despite being sick, freezing and inadequate snow clothes, Carter had the time of his life!

This is one of his first times down the hill. I was too cold to stay the entire time and missed out on his attempts at sledboarding (snowboarding on a sled, Kelly made the word up). I was told he's pretty good for a first-timer!

Loving UTAH WINTER!!!

But I can't help but wonder, who had more fun, the kids or the Dads!

Definitely the DADS!!!!

Thanks to everyone who made this Christmas an unforgettable one!
We had a blast!!!

Port-a-potty

2010-01-12T16:03:00.000-06:00

The large entry on our trip is forthcoming, but had to share this from the drive home.

Famous last words-"I don't need to use the bathroom."

One hour later-

Carter- "Dad, I need to go!"

Dad- "Thought you didn't need to?"

Carter- "Sorry, I have to."

Dad- "Too bad, we just stopped and I'm not stopping again. Here's an empty water bottle if you want."

Carter- (Laughing) "I can't do that."

Dad- "Why not? Got bad aim? Just don't miss or it will stink in here."

After a few minutes of self-doubt and chuckles....

What a wiener.

Best Christmas Gift EVER!!!

2010-01-11T15:30:00.002-06:00

So for Christmas this year Kelly's sister-in-law, Jess, came up with the greatest idea for Christmas... She asked if we would accept money to help cover the costs of driving to Utah this year for Christmas. That sparked an idea: the perfect Christmas gift ever for our parents. I quickly called all of our siblings and asked if they'd be willing to donate some money towards a gift. They all gladly accepted and the plans were made. We decided that for Christmas this year, our gift to our parents would be all of us together! After a month of secret planning we pulled it off: the greatest surprise. Here's the outcome, (watch for when they finally realize what's happening):

and they're gone.....

2010-01-08T09:39:00.002-06:00

After ONE WEEK Carter misplaced his new glasses. I only saw him with them on once over Christmas break and we haven't seen them since. If we visited your home over the break, will you please keep a look out for them! I'm ordering another pair but I think it would be best to have a back-up pair! Thank you!!!

Slightly behind....

2010-01-08T09:15:00.004-06:00

To say that we're slightly behind would be stating the obvious, so I'll just get to the point: Christmas happened in the blink of an eye! We attempted to send out Christmas cards this year but always seem to lose addresses, forget to add postage or write down the wrong address on others. So for those of you who slipped through the cracks and care about what happened this year, here's the annual summary of the Texas Birds:

Family, friends, and acquaintances of convenience (not in the Tiger Woods kind of way, but in the "will you babysit for us for free tonight," or "can we borrow your Flowbee [google it if you've forgotten]" kind of way),

Merry Christmas! That is the purpose of this non-individualized, cliche-ridden, mass letter that I don't even know who it will reach; to say we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Though not traditional in its delivery, it carries a traditional message of goodwill, happiness, and love, from us. I'm trembling as I attempt traditional-ness and avoid sarcasm and mockery. Now, on to the narcissistic commentary of egotism and vanity-check out my family. (Working through my Christmas letter loathness...yearly, it seems)

Baby Cameron is a baby no more. She is two and a half now and feels she is entitled to all the liberties her older siblings enjoy. Things like choosing her clothes, appearance, and food. Toilet training is nearly complete, evidenced by the often heard cry through the bathrooms of our home, "get out, do it myself." She loves "school" (YMCA Mother's day out), playing with balls and barbies (she's always got two of them kissing) and doing everything her sisters do, like do hair, and like, dress up, and like, you know, be cool.

Elliott is the four year old queen of sassy momma. She is literally going to drive us to our parental graves with her feisty attitude and mischievous behaviors. She goes to all day preschool and is beginning to read her Mat and Sam books. Elli makes us laugh all the time with her contagious little giggle and her humorous little jokes. She loves coloring, playing barbies, solving sibling disputes, and playing with friends. Oh, and by the way, she is still infatuated with her booty.

Taylor is the big seven-year-old-2nd-grader-boss-woman-child. Taylor has recently morphed into a young lady as well. Her appearance is important to her as she spends many minutes "doing her hair" and accessorizing with rings, bracelets, and purses. We did recently/finally receive a diagnosis of her difficult and sometimes odd behaviors and are working through those. School, overall, is going well for her and she's recently discovered the big girl world of chapter books. She loves being feminine (you know, hair, clothes, purses, Troy Bolton, etc), playing barbies (noticed any themes), coloring, and teeny-bopper music.

The man among women, Carter, is approaching nine and in the middle of his 3rd grade campaign. He demonstrates geek characteristics periodically by not missing school no matter what, always reading, correcting his parents when they say/do/act/recall something wrong, and just last week, sporting glasses. Sports, to dad's delight, carries more meaning now in his life and he is playing basketball and soccer. He has also recently discovered an affinity towards drawing, and does it rather well. Beyond these loves, he is into video games, playing with buddies, working on Cub Scout awards, and being curious about life.

Amy, the glue that holds this art piece together, the fuel that makes this car go, is busier than ever. Motherhood takes the majority of her time, church callings comes in a close second. Her ability to manage our home, and then still do all she does for others continually impresses me. She launched her photography website, www.jdportraits.com, and has had a moderately steady flow of clients to work with. When found, her free time consists of reading another good book, coming up with another great idea for a scrapbook page, and loving on all of us.

Me, nothing's changed, except my hairline I guess. I grow a beard more frequently to compensate. It's a lousy compensation. Working with special children is still a reward and simultaneously, a challenge. Sometimes my nerves get too far contested and husband/father duties suffer as a consequence. Working through that, too. But I love the little kiddos and love coaching Special Olympics as well. I still "play" sports when possible, then whine about how much it hurts later.

There you go. That's us...in one page of text. We still blog, www.texasbirds.blogspot.com, and facebook and all that other generation Y stuff. Keep in contact, we always enjoy saying hi. Thanks y'all! Until next Christmas letter....
Cami, Elli, Tay, Cart, Am, and Kel
Oh yeah, we still have that annoying dog too.

New Paper Debut....

2009-12-24T11:08:00.001-06:00

Taylor made the Taylor Newspaper this week at school. You can view the original link or see the info pasted below. We are so proud of the progress she has made.
Way to go Taylor!!!!!

Students at Pasemann Elementary School hold up their “Rocket Into Reading” awards at the Pasemann awards ceremony Dec. 18. Pictured, from left to right, are Taylor Bird, Maria Fernandez, Matthew Mina and Zachary Zavada.

Promised Grandma more video...

2009-12-11T22:29:00.001-06:00

Grandma Birdie, as promised here's some video. We'll do more as I remember.

Maybe select breeding should be enforced....

2009-12-09T16:01:00.010-06:00

When we decided to have children we should have seriously considered all of my "negative" flaws. Kelly is the model of perfect health: no cavities, ever; perfect eye sight and no major medical conditions to date. I, on the other hand, am a walking mess. When our children were formed they unfortunately received too much of their mother! This week was an eye-opening experience.

Carter has my eye-sight and received his first pair of glasses this week! He's pretty excited and picked out the frames himself! His vision isn't that terrible, he just can't see the chalk board at school, slight problem now corrected! (Not to mention- Carter's having his first cavity filled tomorrow. And for those of you who care- no I'm not paying the extra $60 for laughing gas to make the experience more enjoyable for him!)

Taylor spent all of Saturday in the doctor's office receiving asthma treatments. They diagnosed her with walking pneumonia, one of the worst cases this winter, and asthma. Yep, those great asthma genes of mine passed down to my beautiful daughter!

Cam inherited my inability to keep myself warm! Okay, so this isn't a medical flaw, but a flaw nonetheless. I am always cold- right now I'm in my house with jeans, tee-shirt, sweatshirt, and slippers on with the heater cranked up and my fingers are icicles. Cam is the same way. This morning when we left the house I bundled her up and she walked two steps out into the garage and turned around and headed back inside while saying, "It's too cold to go anywhere today!"

Can you sense her enthusiasm to go the YMCA today?

Elli, on the other hand, got one of my good traits...the love of reading! She has officially started reading the "See Sam" series! She's pretty excited and I'm extremely grateful to know that I passed on at least one good thing on to one of my children. Although I can't take full credit because Kelly loves to read as well- maybe we should enforce select breeding!

Champs

2009-11-26T22:42:00.004-06:00

I've never been a part of a winning team. I am now...yes, I willed a win with my mind power. It's a good feeling, plus I didn't pull a single muscle or tweak a single joint. It's a good day! Viva RSL!

The good o'days...

2009-11-17T14:12:00.003-06:00

I have been homesick lately and not just for family, but amazing friends, the holidays always do it to me. I remember in church one Sunday an old "villager" aka high council man, was telling us one day we would miss the village. My good friend and I looked at each other and said we wouldn't. Well, I do: so here some things I miss about the village in no particular order:

Sitting outside all day while your kids played with tons of friends that you didn't have to invite over, while you talked with friends and had a bathroom two seconds away. And then complaining about how hard it is to sit outside all day!

Cleaning your entire house in 45 mins!

Pot luck bbq's in the middle of the court!

Movies on the lawn and friends that will ignore the movie and talk into the wee hours of the morning about silly stuff!

Yelling out the window to friends to shut their windows so you don't have to hear them being intimate!

Being within driving distance to family!

Always having someone there to talk to!

FALL: the leaves falling and my kid jumping in them. Next time, I'll join them!

BRA SHOPPING!

Heck, shopping in general. How many of us fit in the jeep?

Solider Dave walking in, in some type of military uniform and Miss Margo's huge grin while she simply says, mummmm. We all laugh because we think the same thing but never say it, well except Sis, she always says what we're thinkin'.

Swimming pool drama! Okay so it sucked then but you have to admit it's just funny now!

Late night french fry and soda runs!

Friends coming in your house with a simple tap to let you know they're coming and then ask what's for lunch. You reply, what ever you find just make enough for the both of us. OR calling your friends to come up and eat spring rolls with you because you can never finish them by yourself.

Bike rides up the mountain!

Walks to the zoo!

FRESH PEACH PIE and COOKIES, yummmm!

Putting the kids to bed and then sitting outside all night by a bbq fire laughing our heads off until the cops come!

Playing games!

BEAD PARTIES and scrapbook nights!

Visiting teaching 2 sisters, 3 if you had a big route, and walking to their apt. in 30 seconds!

The PIE's cheesy bread sticks!

But most of all: MY FRIENDS!!! I love you and hope our friendship remains strong until we can build a compound to live in with our own sound proof houses, swimming pools and separate drive ways. I love ya but don't need to know if you're comin' or goin"!!!

LONG LIVE THE VILLAGE!!!!

Ole' ReAL Salt Lake!

2009-11-15T01:50:00.000-06:00

It's 1:45 in the morning. I just finished watching the semifinal between RSL and Chicago. I have to be up in a few for a Special Olympics event, but have to have some kind of joyous outlet and someone, or something in this case, to share this moment with.

RSL won! Going to the final! Woo hoo baby!

(I was like fist pumping and had the nervous shakes. It went to 7 penalty kicks)

I know every one of you don't give a crap, but thank you for celebrating with me.

P90X Day four: YOGA!

2009-11-12T06:31:00.003-06:00

After completing only 60 minutes of the 90 minute yoga route, Kelly and I fast forwarded to the stretching in order for Kelly to get to work on time. The end is complete meditation. I don't think Tony Horton knew how hard it would be to meditate with a family. As I laid on my back in "corpse" pose I tried as hard as I could to focus while my dog licked my face, my two year ran laps around me singing bibbity bobbity boo into her princess microphone, my four year was laughing at her own bodily functions, my seven year old kept asking what I was doing, and my eight year old was continually telling me I was doing it all wrong. Despite the challenges I faced, I did pretty well until my husband started harmonizing with Tony Horton meditating tone- then all mediation was lost!

Oh the joy of family...at least I can say we do
EVERYTHING together!

FYI!

2009-11-10T13:02:00.002-06:00

FYI: I seem to have misled some of you yesterday and I want to set the record straight. The picture with the last blog entry was not taken by myself or Kelly. I simply wanted to empathize what comes from a fertilized egg! I have no idea how developed the fertilized egg I bought was. I saw all the blood and simply screamed and ran- Kelly disposed of it. I hope this clears up some of the confusion!

P90X Vegetarian!

2009-11-09T07:49:00.004-06:00

So Kelly has been wanting to do the p90x program for sometime now. He finally got the DVD's from a friend and asked me to do the program with him. The only time we had to do it was 5am. For those of you who know Kelly, you know he does NOT do morning. But today was day one and he was up and ready by 5:08! I was very impressed. After our work-out, we went to have breakfast. I made Kelly his six-egg white omelet and went to work on mine. For those who don't' know, I'm a disgrace to the Whittaker name, in that I don't like meat. I eat it but never, EVER think about what I'm eating or where it came from. As I cracked my fourth egg I was quickly reminded why I could easily be a vegetarian- a fertilized egg! After screaming and turning around, Kelly even said that it was pretty disgusting as he disposed of the entire mixture.

So my question is, can I find success in my work-out program as a vegetarian? I can't wait to hear my "personal-trainer" brother's answer! If not, then a better learn to like cottage cheese or tofu!

Two days of HALLOWEEN FUN!!!!

2009-11-05T18:10:00.015-06:00

This is just living proof that I'm always running a little behind. My wonderful Mother emailed me today and told me she missed seeing her grandkids- man I'm a slacker! So, this is for you Mom- I love you!

DAY ONE: We had two days of Halloween this year. Elli went on a field trip to the local pumpkin patch and the rest of the kids wanted to join in the fun so off we went.

Can you sense the enthusiasm?

Trust me... you don't want to know what she's laughing at!

What can I say, Taylor loves having her picture taken!

Carter is way too cool to pose for a picture. He had better things to do, like rearrange the pumpkin displays. Especially the bigger pumpkins- you know, see how big of a pumpkin you can lift, that kind of thing!

The sun started setting so we called it quits- just one more picture of the girls sticking their faces through pumpkin board thingies...what are those called anyways?

Yeah they look sweet and innocent. This is literally about two seconds before the huge tantrums that humiliated Kelly and I as we carried these two off to the car kicking and screaming. That would have been a much more appropriate picture!

Carter's been begging to use my new camera so I finally gave in. Maybe I should let him practice more often so the pictures will be in focus-hum maybe not! ( I haven't posted my new hair cut and color yet so this will have to do for now. It was a little wild at first but I really like it now- something different!)

I had to add this one for Grandma- This is the face that she makes every time I ask her to do something. I don't know if it's her pout, but it sure makes me laugh!

DAY TWO: HALLOWEEN!

2009-11-05T14:45:00.001-06:00

Oh the joy of Holidays....why is it that as parents we feel in order for our children to have fun we must pack their day full of activities, and then we're running around crazy trying to make sure we fit everything in? Well this year was a blast for the kids but next year---we're going super simple.

The day started off like a normal Saturday. I slept in until 8 am- the joy of working until one in the morning, and woke to Kelly making Texas french toast and whip cream, no wonder I look six months pregnant. (No, that's not an announcement, just a simple observation.) Anyways, my neighbor knocks on the door and is ready to decorate my house for the Neighborhood Halloween Party. Don't ask me how I got talked into that. The underlining factor was all I had to do was lend my house for the night. No decorating, cooking or cleaning. Sounded great. Needless to say I decorated from 9-3 pm. At 3 pm I rushed to get the kids ready for the ward Chili cook-off and trunk-or-treat, which I was helping out with.

We made it there in time to help set-up and get ready. By the time the dinner started, I had already given my kids a champion dinner of corn dogs and soda. No mother wants her children to eat chili in their costume when they have to wear them for the entire day, so we went outside and took some photos. I know there's a ton but hey, Grandmas need to see......

The Ladybug Ballerina!

The White Ballerina!

and the Pink Ballerina... the one who started it all!
(hey I'm not complaining, they were super easy and cheap!)

To prove his masculinity in a house full of girls, Carter was Anakin Skywalker.
(Whom I learned is different then Luke Skywalker- thanks Sis!)

I decided to get out the old King and Queen of Egypt that I made for Carter's first Halloween. (He was baby Moses) Needless to say after a little touch-up they worked out okay. I think we'll retire them after this year. You should have seen the trail of rhinestones that I made everywhere I went!

And of course, the King himself...Kelly. He doesn't care what he is as long as he gets to dress up and have fun.

After a quick dinner and even quicker trunk-or-treat, we hurried and cleaned up the church and rushed home. We got there at 6:00 and the party was scheduled to start at 7:13. I walked in to a decorated house and was handed food that needed to be prepared. So Kelly and I started cooking and finished at 7:50, yes that's right, 37 minutes after the party was supposed to start. The kids didn't care that we were late, they were running around screaming with the other million kids that were in and out of the house. Once the party started everyone had a good time. I didn't take many photos because, well honestly, I was exhausted. Kelly actually took most of these- thanks for that, babe!

This was the fortune teller's room. As the kids came in they all received a fortune. They had a great time. I must admit that the neighbor who planned the entire party did a lot of prep-work. She had the evening planned full of games and fun activities for all ages.

What would a party be without great friends. The Sorto's have become wonderful friends, we're thankful to have them as close neighbors!

The party ended at a reasonable time but to say we were all tired would be an understatement. The party planner decided to come back the next day while we were in church to clean up- sounded good to us. So off to bed we all went. The kids had the opportunity to go trick-or-treating but even they were too tired, Carter said he thought he had plenty of candy and didn't need to go out.

The next morning I had asthma attack after asthma attack, so we stayed home from church. I think it was just an excuse for Kelly to clean up the house himself. He was super nervous having someone else pull out the staples that were everywhere. He wanted minimal damage. I'm happy to say that the damage is minimal and that we just have a few places that need touch up paint.

The lesson I learned- keep it simple. Although the kids had a great time- Kelly and I were worn out. So next year- we're trick-or-treating and that's it!

P.S. While I was decorating, Kelly carved the kids' pumpkins. They picked difficult designs so the kids gutted them and Kelly carved. He's pretty proud of his art pieces! (PS-Kelly here. Fireface was done free hand, gotta give myself some love.)

Finally- the END!!!

Finishing the dang trip...gosh.

2009-10-30T21:18:00.008-05:00

Let's be honest. Us Mormons are nuts. All the church service, meals, helping others, poppin' babies like rabbits. Serious free time restrictions...holy cow. Oh my flippin' heck. (That's how you Mormon cuss Sis!)

Finishing up the summer trip. I think this is it. Likely not. Amy to edit later.

I have turned into a bona fide soccer geek. I've always loved soccer, played it, watched it when possible. Now, I also watch the Telemundo, love my mlsnet.com (get to watch almost every MLS match), ussoccer.com, YouTube highlights, and have even followed important matches online with MatchTracker (you haters think watching soccer is slow, try doing it this way). Some day I'll be rich and pay for cable and get Fox Soccer Channel too. But now I'm just bragging.

I got to see my team once with Carter and my bros and parents. Great game, made a second half comeback and won. Then, 4 nights later my buddy Martin invited me to the All-Star game, sweet. Amy got to come too, she's begun her morph into hot soccer mom (already hot, beginning soccer mom morph, just to clarify). Thanks babe for both games!

Sorry I didn't squeeze you too Marty. I'm not attracted to you.

We were a few rows down from the ESPN broadcast. I was going to go stand behind them after the game and get some air time. They cut away too soon. Flip. This is what a dejected Alexi Lalas, not a World Cup winner, feels like doing to a World Cup winner, Julie Foudy. Just punch her in the head man. No, she is not the one who graced our TVs with her bra.

Until next summer.

"The TALK"

2009-10-15T19:58:00.002-05:00

(This is more for posterity sake. Something to tell Carter when he calls and asks at what age he received the talk. But it's also for laughs!)

This evening the girls were playing with barbies and Polly pockets while Carter was admiring his pez collection when Kelly and I over heard Carter say with one pez to another "Don't you be sexin' with other men". After the girls had finished brushing their teeth and headed off to bed we asked Carter where he heard about sex and what it meant. He told us, after much hesitation which we weren't sure if it was from embarrassment or fear of being in trouble, he replied that its something you do when you're dating. We explained to Carter that sex is something that husbands and wives do when they're married and that its how they make babies. We said that as LDS members we believe that you must be married to have sex and left it at that. Thinking we did a pretty good job Carter then asks, how do you start having sex? We told them that he didn't need to worry about that and that when he was older he would figure it out. He then says, I bet it starts from lots and lots of kissing.

After Carter left the room Kelly and I sat there a little surprised that we were having this conversation with our eight year old, when Carter pops his head back in and says you two better get to sexin'. Maybe if you have lots and lots of sex I can get a baby brother!

Now we know that Carter understands that sex means babies. Hopefully he remembers it's only between husbands and wives- Heaven HELP us!!!!

...aaaand Autumn's over.

2009-10-14T21:36:00.002-05:00

Remember Amy's great tribute to our cool, wet, foggy weather? Here's today's weather look:

Overnight low: 73
High: 91
Humidity: 100%
Feels Like: 95
I feel like: melting

I really hope we start to cool off for good.

Autumn....

2009-10-13T07:57:00.005-05:00

Over the last two years that I've lived in Texas I have learned that there are advantages to living here. I love the winters, I love that you can garden 11 months of the year and that you can swim nine months out of the year. However there are some things that I desperately miss about Utah- one being AUTUMN!!!! I miss the leaves changing colors all around you, the cool crisp air and wearing sweaters and jeans! This morning the Lord gave me a wonderful gift in Texas- a cool, foggy morning that almost felt like a Utah autumn morning. For the last three days we've had cool weather (60-70's) and rain. I know it's not the same as Autumn in Utah but I'll take it!!!!

Endless Summer...

2009-10-07T21:31:00.020-05:00

Lots of pics. Lots of fun. Lots of time.

My youngest bro, Jordan, returned from his LDS mission in Peru, he turned into one of us...goofy. He's available ladies!

We spent time with my bro Tyson and his wife Jessica at their place. They must not have had any toys for boys because Carter created this. It's one of those boopy/boppy/whatevers for babies, two taped sticks, and a tupperware lid. He was quite the "warrior."

We also roasted wieners. Everyone loves roasting wieners. It's one of the few times we can make inferences and innuendos regarding anatomical parts and get away with it. In fact, sometimes it's even funny. Here's my attempt.

Cam is only a 1 wiener gal, I'm very pleased with her decision. Some anonymous person on the left is quite confident in their 4 wiener rotation. That takes time, effort, and skill to be able to handle 4 wieners at once.

Oh! Look! It's my bro Tyson...no surprise. He thinks he's all that. I mean, look at the focus and determination in his face as he avoids the black coals, yet brings those wieners to a nice and juicy state. He's both calm and yet cautious. After all, you don't want anyone knowing you're trying to hold 4 wieners at once.

Here's Jessica enjoying one of Tyson's wieners. You can see she handled it quite ferociously, requiring the use of two hands. I don't know about you, but I'm reading in her face, pure satisfaction in Tyson's wiener producing skills. (Just don't tell her about the other 3).

I'll stop.

We went to a drive-in movie theater. I always loved doing this, I also remember it being more fun without kids. That was a friggin load of work...but rewarding nonetheless. Parenthood's all about making the kids happy, right?

Before Jordan came home from Peru, my parents got to visit the country with him and see another part of one of their boys' experience. (They have gone to pick all 5 of us up from our misssions). They brought home these cool handmade beanies for the grandsons.

The granddaughters received handmade Peruvian "barbies." I thought it was weird the Peruvians don't build their "barbies" disproportionately.

We also were able to spend a few days in Wolf Creek at a little resort there with everyone. We were able to reconnect.

What my bro and I were really doing there is getting loosened up for pin-the-coconuts-on-the-pelican game. It's an intense game and we were not going to jeopardize our health by not doing some warm-ups.

Amy was heading straight for the big ones. She was like a man laser beam zeroing in on those things.

Closing your eyes, walking unsurely towards a wall with both hands in front, and giggling while doing it, can create some interesting pictures. I call this one "dookie peekie hold that sneaky."

Ironically, his wife Chandi makes the exact same face and pose. They must eat the same meals, thereby creating the same indigestion issues. Plus she missed the coconuts by a mile.

What every Bird male must do when realizing he has demonstrated superior coconut radar skills.

Silly Tyson. He's tricking my dad into thinking the pelican coconuts should go on him. He must have also thought he was going to receive a pelican jockstrap too.

My bro Cory. He didn't care how far off he was. He was just enjoying the whole coconut pinning experience. Wonder what the smirk is all about???? Wonder what name he gave his pelican????

His wife Heather. She was way off too. But, she has limited coconut pinning experience. That explains Cory's smiling fantasy previously.

All the little girl cousins. They just wanted to be together.

And of course the boys.
They're outnumbered.

And what would a little vacation be without Muddy Buddies snack mix. I was relaxed and was not going to sit up to enjoy them. Plus snorting powdered sugar is like, totally awesome, dude.

Well, this post has gone a little south, as far as it's literary content anyway. If anything, it tells you what a day with all us boys together is truly like. We have nothing intelligent to converse about. But we do sweet bodily function jokes.

That was Beachin'

2009-09-20T20:42:00.017-05:00

We went camping with the Whittakers for a few days at Willard Bay (back in Utah, 2 months ago, we're on top of this document lifestyle)

We spent a lot of our time at the "sandy beach."

Not sure what she's grumpin on...

Same here. Ornery children. Must have some of that sand where the sun don't shine.

Carter always loves running.

Cami liked chasing the gulls.

We did more than just swim. We did crafts...

...but mostly played with our grandparents and cousins and aunts and uncles. Grandpa always likes to tickle.

Whoa! Who's that hunk of hot temptation? You can light my fire and cook in my kitchen!

We had some nice scenery.

And sunsets too.

This wasn't during the camping trip, but wanted to show our time visiting great grandma Whittaker.

And hanging with great grandpa Floyd.

Only a few more things to document about Utah.

Flash Flood Warning....

2009-09-12T16:12:00.017-05:00

What do you do when flash flood warnings for your county flash across your TV screen for a few hours straight with the information that it will last your entire Saturday.....

You play!!!
Even Bud the dog, who hates water joined in the fun for a minute!

Kelly was the first out to play in the rain. With Carter at a friend's house, he had to "talk" the girls into it. Once they changed into their swimsuits they were in heaven. (Taylor "was NOT going to get her clothes WET!")

Following the leader, the leader, the leader....

Tay was having so much fun! Check out the small river running down the side of my yard!

There's always time to stop and pose!

Bring on the RAIN!!!

Everyone had a blast- Dad sure loves his girls!

Once the lightning and thunder started up again we decided it was time to come in. We all got in pj's and enjoyed yummy hot chocolate! We love rain storms in Texas!

P.S. I would have totally joined in if I hadn't spent the last four days sick with a cold and the last 24hrs hooked to my asthma machine. Besides, if the old wives tale is true that you'll catch pneumonia from playing in the rain, I need to be healthy to take care of a sick family!

One of the joys of home ownership....

2009-09-03T11:23:00.008-05:00

With our one year mark quickly approaching I thought I would share just one of the joys of home ownership.....

Cam is loving it!

She is the only lucky one to experience this freedom... the rest of us are just to old, at least as long as we have close neighbors!

Back to Utah

2009-09-02T21:52:00.011-05:00

There's so much crap going on we'll never get everything on here we want. Amy's given up on scrapbooking and photo albums. I used to write periodically in a journal. You're looking at a culmination of all of these. You should get like a risk-free trial period before going out and making a bunch of babies. You know, return the crappy ones that didn't work out so much....;)

So when we finally made it to Utah we spent some time with Amy's family. Took a family picture using the timer, turned out real good, considering our redneck ways.

Another day we hit up Hill AFB museum with cousins Jake and Cody. There were planes there. We looked at them.

This plane got painted like a shark, with a hot babe to come home too under the cockpit. If the machine guns and bombs didn't make the enemy poop their pants, than those razor teeth images sure did.

This one wanted to drop a bomb, or 40, on Hitler and put him in a coffin.

We were in Utah, so there was likely a temple opening/tour going on. Us posing out front, Elli taught us this move.

Kind of hard to be sarcastic or funny standing next to Jesus...

Looking at this picture made me think we may have presented ourselves in a not-so-21st century-Mormon way. 1 man, 3 women, lots of little kids. You know. We should have just done their hair in buns, slapped poofy sleeve dresses on the girls and polyester slacks and suspenders on the boys and we really could have turned some heads.

G'ma Whittaker took the kids to somewhere to ride horses. Sorry Am, you'll have to edit later.

Amy was falling off her horse or something.

Cam was really enjoying it.

That's it for now.

YouTube...my hero

2009-08-31T22:02:00.003-05:00

I know I'm about the only man that blogs (serious masculine/feminine fighting going on in my head), so this is on the ladies out there to share with your manly men as they lay in bed at night, reading car magazines, scratching themselves, having you pull their finger, and laughing when you actually do.

When something breaks, and your man is mechanically challenged (not mentally challenged, though we may act like it at times) like me, refer him to You Tube. There are instructional how-tos on everything there. YouTube has saved me some bucks a few times fixing the toilet when some parts needed replacement, fixing Carter's bike crank (ball bearings had all popped out), and all the other house repair that pops up.

(My true intention with this post was to bouy my own man esteem up a notch or two....not happening yet. I need to go fix a Hungry Man frozen dinner, then brag to Amy about myself...that may do it. Or just put on my man shirt.)

The best things about Saturdays.....

2009-08-30T18:16:00.016-05:00

Easy clean-up after berry pancakes....

even for those too big for sink baths!

...and the BEST thing about SATURDAY is TWO HOUR NAPS!!!!.

Sweet dreams birdies!

2nd grade crush!

2009-08-28T13:18:00.009-05:00

One of my new favorite things this school year is some one on one time I get to spend with Taylor. In the morning Carter walks or rides his bike to school. I drop off Elli and the other two neighbor girls and then it's me and Tay, Cam's there but is still too mad to be awake to talk to us. Well the last two days Tay has been telling about things that have happened at school. Yesterday morning she told me about a how she got in trouble at lunch for climbing under the table. When I asked her why she climbed under the table she said it was because Zachery was looking at her and smiling. He just kept staring at her and then he would wave. (Zachery is a boy that was in Taylor class last year. We heard his name several times and even saw him over the summer at the library. Taylor is adamant that he is just her friend.) I smiled to myself as a thought of a cute little boy trying to get Taylor attention and her hiding. Well this morning she tells me she saw Zachery again yesterday. I said did he smile at you again at lunch. She said " yeah but this time I didn't hide, I just smiled back. And then after school he asked his teacher if he could come and sit by me in my class while we waited for our mom's to pick us up. She said yes so Zachery sat by me until his mom came."

I have to admit that the entire thing makes me smile. I think it's so cute that Tay has her first crush and that she's being crushed back on. I think it's darling for now but in about four years the boys better keep their smiles and waves to themselves!

Nuggets

2009-08-27T22:49:00.002-05:00

Made some homemade chicken nuggets for dinner. You know, cubed chicken breast, Shake-N-Bake.

Kids were pumped. Let's eat. Elli dove into hers, took a few bites, and said something that was very telling.

Elli: "Dad, these aren't chicken nuggets. They taste like chicken."

You think?

A "roomage" sale

2009-08-25T22:23:00.010-05:00

This is not Utah trip related, but was on the mind.

Carter was approached a few weeks ago, during one of our up-to-this-point 66th 100+ degree days, by next door neighbor Gabby that she was going to do a "roomage" sale. You know, where kids pull a bunch of crap out of their room and sell it. It's the American way. Everyone should want useless kid stuff. They brought out the merchandise...

Mom and Dad set up the unforgiving, old school shade canopy in the unforgiving 100+ heat. (Bless the pop up canopy people and their innovation. Now if they could only do something about this danged heat).

Advertising/marketing was short budgeted, they made due.

Sweet. No tax. Don't tell Obama. You know he'd find some way to spend it.

Here are some of the deals they had rolling....

$9.30 for old, smelly, used sandals that likely cost less than that new at Wallymart-a steal.

The way I look at it if she makes all your wildest dreams come true...

Always keeping the lower socio-economically disadvantaged folks in mind. That's nearly a 20% discount. But, we must consider the value of Cinderella versus a generic Barbie and Strawberry Shortcake knockoff when determining the most bang for your buck(s). You have to think about this.

Don't want to forget about the male, age 4-10 market. They have a large spending power in this economy. Deep pockets you know. (Look at me trying to sound smart...what a joke.)

These were actually almost reasonably priced. 10 cents a card would count as the discount rack at this joint.

Needless to say they didn't sell a thing at these prices. And the poor kids stayed outside all day running around yelling, "roomage sale at 3876 Wunderbar Ln (to protect the children a fake address was used)," or, "roomage sale, no tax."

After a round of negotiations with their investment group, Mom and Dad, Inc., they lowered their prices and sold a few things to some neighbors and walked away with a few bucks each. Yes, it was the American dream in the flesh.