Happy Birthday Gavin

Wow Gavin is 8. There have been many days since he was born that I didn't think we would make it. We had a great little party at home for him, we had sloppy Joe's, root beer in a bottle, and chocolate cup cakes (with a little surprise inside). The highlight of the day for Gavin was when Jay came home from Twin Falls and actually stayed the whole night. Gavin got his long awaited Nerf Bat and Ball so we headed outside to play. After playing a small game Gavin pitched to Kaelee and she connected with the ball and it hit the neighbor's roof and rolled into their rain gutter. Now on regular (or older styled) homes the rain gutter is a Meir 10 feet from the ground, but in our neighborhood they are all 15 feet high. So we borrowed a ladder, that was 10 feet tall and attempted to free the ball. All the while Gavin was sitting in the middle of the lawn bawling his birthday was ruined. The best Kodak moment was when Jay was standing on the top (The 'this is not a step' top) leaning, stretching, and sweating trying to get the ball as the neighbor pulls up. Oh their faces were unforgettable. Jay got the ball, the neighbors laughed, and the birthday was saved. Hopefully we will have a friend party on Saturday, then Gavin get baptized on June 5, 2010. Wow we are getting old.

What have we been up too?

So What have the Fullers been up to? Not much and it is wonderful. Kaelee made it through the first two weeks of May by the skin of toes. The poor girl I actually felt bad for her. She loves to be busy and I love to support her being busy. but the first two weeks of May everything overlapped. Kaelee was doing club volleyball, a weekly 3 on 3 tournament, track daily, and Jazz band. So one day she had Jazz Band practice before school, then school, then a track meet in Rigby, then a Jazz Band Concert, then a Volleyball practice. This kind of craziness went on for two weeks and now everything is done. Yeah me. Kenzie was doing Club Volleyball, her activity days, and practicing then trying out for the fourth grade play. Gavin had a speaking part in his 1st grade program so he practiced that until everyone in the house also had his part memorized. Cache just gets to run from one activity to another with me. Jay is between shooting tournaments, but starts long range tournaments in June. Me I have actually had the opportunity to get bored what with going to school, the kids, and taking care of the house. So I started editing patterns for a friend. Kaelee somehow (I am still not sure how) started playing softball. Funny thing is I did not sign her up. She showed up so her friend's team wouldn't forfeit, then started pitching and now she is the team's main pitcher. How that works I am not sure. So right now we Fullers are enjoying having nothing but yard work, house work, and shopping to do on our Saturdays. I am loving not having the opportunity to use an entire tank of gas running kids to activities (all with in a 10 mile radius). Jay is still in Twin I have accused him of enjoying his quite time, he claims he is learning to hate the quite. So life moves forward and we are excited to take on the next adventure, while being grateful to have lived through May.

Mom's day

The time of year that we mom's get told thank you. Since my mom died this has been on of the toughest times of year. I nolonger have a mom to give a gift to. I know it is weird but this is how I feel. My mom taught me practically everything I know. She taught me how to fight for what is right, she taught me how to cook, and unfortunatly she taught me how to clean (long story). Most of all she taught me how to be a mom. Gavin this week has started saying, "To bed, to bed said sleepy head, not so fast said Slow, put on the pan said Hungry Nan let us eat before we go," This is what my mom said to us almost everynight, everytime he says it it makes me think of her. I always thought that once I grew up that it wouldn't be so hard to lose one's parent, but since we all know that inside we never grow up and often feel like scared 12yr olds we all still need a mom. I love to remember my mom while she was healthy. She was amazing. Since dad wasn't home much mom did everything. General house repairs, plumbing, sewing, yard work, and disipline. Mom never grounded us, she never seemed to punish us but we all would do anything not to disappoint her. Everytime Kaelee makes a new achievement I wish my mom got to see it, Every time Cache says somthing funny I wish mom got to know him, and saddest of all I wish everyone of them knew my mom better. So here is to my mom one the most amazing people I knew, I miss her so much it breaks my heart to think about it. So here is to my mom I love you and hope to half as good as job at being a mom as you.

Easter

We have a tradition in our family that we make our Easter baskets out of brown paper bags. This is because I HATE storing thing so once they are used they are gone and it has become a contest to see who's is the most original and colorful.
We color eggs for the fun of it but I can not stand to hide real eggs it just grosses me out
This year since there was six inches of snow on Easter we had the hunt inside.

Just another Day

Ok so I have been thinking lately why am I always so tired! So I began to think hmmm maybe it is because my day begins at 6:30am and never ends before 2am. Ok I've been doing that for awhile so why am I so tired Now? So to find the solution to this issue I have to look at my day. Ok is it really bad that by 2pm I usually can't remember what we had for breakfast. So I guess it is time to say my life is hectic. I thought once we did not have infants, toddlers, or even potty trainers that I would have all sorts of time. Ha, I did not think that older kids just have more activities. I have been forgetting activities lately so I sat down and began making a Family Calendar, sounds easy enough. I began by downloading a basic calender format (easy enough), but soon figured out that the little squares were to small for everything to fit, So I download a weekly calender and it was still too small. On one day we had over 8 activities after 4pm. Since that day is two weeks away I quickly told Jay that he was coming home that day. Oh well just another day.
I have a new goal and that is to update the blog once a week so you might want to check back less because I might babble.
I am so happy that our kids are busy but I never understood that during the busiest time of the year Jay would be gone! I had to laugh when Ang invited us to dinner and I could not find a day that we have 2hrs available to just relax. This too shall pass, and then I know that I will be missing it. So here is to just another day?

Fuler's spring break

Gotta love spring break in Idaho! My favorite thing of the break is when my Critical thinking Professor accused me of being on beach sipping a pina colada (ha ha) No I was in the snow. We had a great weekend planned, we were going to Salmon fishing. Well even though Jay would fish in the snow the kids and I are fair weather fishermen. So we stayed home. We went sledding, funny thing is there was better snow in April then at Christmas time. Oh the joys of Spring in Idaho! We made our Easter baskets out of Grocery sacks and colored eggs. I found a new trick for boiling eggs. I put 1 cup of salt in the water with the eggs and it makes it really easy to peel them. Yeah! We also tried painting eggs with a paint brush, I was fun but the paint went through the shell and so our deviled eggs were colorful. Sunday morning we had a great hunt and found that Gavin is our expert finder. The Easter bunny hid eggs to well though because we were still finding eggs 5 hours later. Happy Spring Everyone!

Our "New" Life

Around Christmas I kept telling everyone I needed a change. A change of scenery, a change in adventure I didn't know. Well life has changed so much that it is as if we have gotten a new life. Is it better? I'll let you know when I have lived it for awhile. First we moved (yeah us), kids changed schools, mom quit tutoring, started upper level college courses (which is a BIG change), and Jay is working out of town. Jay's boss asked me how it was being married to a traveling salesmen, I think it is like being a single mom with a big supporter on the weekends. By Friday I need a break, by Sunday I dread Monday mornings. I take this as a good sign because Jay is still my best friend and I don't want him gone. I love every one's advice like,"you'll get more gone while he is gone" well that might be true if my kids left too. I figured out today that I could make some major changes in our home life and Jay would have no say. So here is my thoughts: Mac and Cheese multiple times a week, bedtime at 6pm (hey it might be good for them), chores have to be done before dad get home (yeah even with a week to accomplish this it wont happen), but most of all I have started a schedule. I'll let everyone know later how it all works.

The other big change in our life's is that the kids are just plain growing up! Makenzie came home complaining that someone did not like her (only if you know Kenzie would know how rare this is). I couldn't fix it for her anymore. Kaelee is just plain a young woman she can no longer be mistaken for a child (she is becoming one of my good friends. Gavin is really learning and not so lost, he has an attitude a mile wide and he thinks he is the man of the house, then my baby Cache is not a little boy no more, he can read most words, he gets bored of me and lets me know regularly. Oh how I miss when he thought I knew more than him.

Our "new" life is good it is different, and there are days I look around and think did we move to another state, but it is an adventure and we will make it through these changes and eventually beg for more!