Kutter's Last Day of Freedom (Elementary, that is!)

Kutter's last day at Buckeye's Freedom Elementary School was November 21, 2008. This was also the day our truck was being loaded and leaving for Iowa. I had talked to Ms. Nunez, Kutter's teacher, to see if we could do something special for him. My plans were to make a special treat but then I realized all my kitchenware was packed and gone so.....I bought donuts. Mom of the year, right! The kids did not seem to mind my store bought treat, however. The class had made that Friday all about Kutter. All the sentences written on the board for them to read had Kutter's name in them. He got to be the line leader, treat helper, paper helper, everything. Now to us adults, this seems like slave labor on a day you should get to kick back and be pampered. But to a kindergartner, this was heaven. He felt very special.

I came at the end of class with the treats and to gather his things. All the kids wanted their picture taken but I thought I would just post the group photos. There is one exception to this, I had to post Kristi, Kutter's first crush. Well I should rephrase this, I am not sure if Kutter had a crush on her but she sure did have a crush on him. She followed him around like a lost puppy. What can I say, the girl's got taste. She had made him a birthday card and drew a picture of him and her holding hands....awwww!

We sure loved Freedom Elementary and especially Kutter's teacher, Ms. Nunez. She just loves her students so much and it shows.

I Hate Goodbye's!

I have not posted in awhile. I have had quite the crazy past few weeks. I tell people I have not posted because I have nothing good to say. That is not to say good things have not happened to us , it is just to say I have not had a very good attitude about it.

A quick summary of the life changing events: On Oct 14th, 2008, Ryan was laid off from his job at Pepsico/Gatorade. Talk about a punch to the gut. It is indescribable the feelings that ensued those few days after the layoff. Ryan being the amazing man he is always had a great attitude about it. Me, being the not-so amazing person that I am, was mad as h-e-&-%!!! But, we are very lucky and Ryan had 5 job offers within 2 weeks of being laid off. When you have an entire day to talk, I will fill you in on that whole ordeal. To make a long story short, he accepted a position in Iowa and we are on the move. The packers are finishing loading the truck tomorrow and then we are abandoning our lives in Arizona on Sat, Nov 22nd. I admit, I still do not have the best attitude about it. I am always up for an adventure but I am leaving some amazing people behind. I need to learn a lesson from this and quit making friends wherever I go because it hurts so much to leave them behind. But to those I love here in Arizona, I thank you, you truly made this a home for me which I never imagined was possible. I am struggling more than you could ever imagine with not having you in my daily life. I made so many fantastic friends here, too many to name. But there are a few that I have to give an extra special shout out to. (Disclaimer: These are in no particular order!)

Bridgette: You showed me what a true friend is. I knew I could count on you for anything and you would not hesitate to be there for me, regardless of what you had going on in your life. My only regret is that I was not half the friend to you, that you were to me. I think about that every day and I apologize for not holding up my end of the deal. I am a better person for knowing you and I will miss you so, so much! You, my friend, are so amazing! And I thank you for all the moments I shared with you. They are all treasured memories! I cannot tell you how much it hurts me to leave you behind. Would you consider trying to fit in my suitcase?

Megan: What can I say about Megan, so many great things!! I had the pleasure of experiencing some of the biggest moments of my life so far with you right along side of me. And I cannot think of anyone I would have rather shared them with. You were there for me when almost no one else was and I will always be indebted to you for that. You have taught me so much about being a better person, a better wife and a better mother. I will miss our get togethers with our little families when the hubbies were at work. I will miss your kids and I will miss so much seeing all our kids play together. I am not sure what you did wrong in your life to have to be my friend but I am thanking my lucky stars for whatever I may have done right to be able to be your friend. I will miss you every day! I am not sure I am going to be able to make it without you.

Holly: I will miss so much having a little sunshine in my life whenever I am around you. You have a way about you of making me feel so happy, regardless of how bad I felt before I was near you. I am not sure I will ever be the same without you around. Most of my early and best memories of my time here in Arizona involved you and your family. Hey, if anyone can motivate me to visiting teach, they must be amazing. Not to mention Rockband...."Pleasure!" You are one of the most thoughtful people I have ever known. From the first moment I met you, I always thought there is no way I deserved to be your friend. You seemed just too good to be true and definitely a much better person than me. But you are the real deal and you never made me feel anything but great when I was around you. Thanks so much, you are awesome!

Sage: Ah, Sage! The trouble we got in, and the messes we made! I don't think I will ever have quite the adventures in life with anyone else, like I had with you. We are crazy kids together! Ah, good times, good times! I know you will be fine without me, but I am not sure I will be fine without you. I am just holding on to the idea of Halston and Maggie getting married so we will just say, see you later, not goodbye. You are such a giving person and would do anything for anyone regardless of what it costs you personally. I am certain you have given up your shirt on your back several times over. You are a true example to me and I want to thank you for being my friend!

Tisha: Oh my goodness, Tisha Bierman. Or should I say, Linda Miles, Jr. When I grow up, I want to be just like you. You are hands down the hardest working, most giving person I know. I am blown away every day by the things you do for others. I don't think I have ever even seen you make a sandwich for yourself, you are just too giving. You and I are bonded for life so don't ever forget it. I will fly back and paint your house with you any day so we can have our little talks. You grab a roller, I have got my brush and we will meet over a gallon of paint. You saved my life once, and I will never forget it.

Cheryl: I just love to listen to your stories. I am certain you have a story for every occasion. I find you so entertaining. I am already missing our little rendezvous over t-ball practice or play dates with the kids. I know Ryan hopes someday I am as good of wife to him as you are to Scott. You are a great example to me. I cannot wait to meet your new baby. You are such a great mom and you have great kids. My poor kids are losing some amazing people to be around. The kids are amazing because they have amazing mom's!!! I am still plotting out how to do that bead board-doorknob project so stay tuned.

Brooke: I wish you had more house to paint and I wish I had more time!!! I loved our painting dates and I loved our dinner dates and conversations. I wish you and Chris the best of luck with the upcoming year. Good things are coming your way, I can feel it. You are such an example to me as to what a woman, wife, LDS member, and especially mother should be. All you ladies make me realize how much I need to work on but I am so grateful for your examples and support. I am a work in progress but I am excited about the progress I have made in large part because of you.

Kim: We will always have Vernal. Ha ha ha, that is the only mark against you. I wish I could be half the wife and mother you are. Ryan wishes I could at least cook half as good as you. You are so talented in so many ways. I am amazed by you at what you can accomplish. I am in awe at the trials that you go through and how you are able to take things in stride. I am so sorry that I failed you as a friend but I want you to understand how wonderful I think you are and how I will always treasure our friendship. I value our time together and our project endeavours. There were so many good times. I will miss you.

Kimberly aka Kimmy: Man, you are one amazing person. You were the first to welcome us here. Eric sacrificed life and limb (well, toe) to help us. You took us in as a part of your family so easily and just made us so comfortable. I do not think I will ever experience compassion and welcoming like I have felt with you. You have taught me so much about life and "how to deal!" You are an inspiration to me and I am a better person for knowing you. I will miss our late night bike riding sessions where the kids crash and burn and we get to just talk. At least we have NCI to keep us together. Thanks so much for taking such good care of me/us!

If I have offended anyone, I assure you it was unintentional. I would never want to hurt anyone and if I have, I would work the rest of my life and beyond if I have to too make things right. I am the lucky one and am so honored to have known you and been considered your friend. I love you all!

T. Funny

Payton's Preschool Field Trip

Payton's Joy School had a little field trip to the Buckeye Fire station. This happened when the packers arrived to pack up our house to move to Iowa. I was able to sneak away for a few minutes so Payton would not miss out. She did not like the field trip very much. She cried, a lot. I think it was a scary, intimidating place for her. I can't say I blame her, I am certain I would have been scared at her age. She managed to dry up the tears when I was about to take a picture of her though.

The field trip was great though. The firefighters taught the kids all about 9-1-1 and how to escape a fire. They showed them how the truck works and also got dressed up in their uniforms so the kids would know not to be afraid of them in case of a fire. The firefighters seem to love having the kids around. They played games with the kids, which Payton refused to do. They were given them high fives, and putting their clothes on them, again, Payton wanting nothing to do with it. The firefighters let them in the truck, which I threw Payton in kicking and screaming. They also sent them all home with firehats and a bag full of goodies.... Payton loved that. It was a hit!

May The Force Be With You

Seeing as how we decided, or more that we were forced, into moving so suddenly, I felt we needed to throw a BD party for Kutter before we moved. He has made so many great friends here and his birthday was just the week after we moved away. I don't know why I do these things to myself. As if moving is not stressful enough but Ryan was already in Iowa so I was alone with the three kids trying to get the house packed and cleaned. Who in that situation thinks to themselves, "self, why not throw a birthday party while you are at it?" Then I thought, well lets make it a going away party for Payton too. I think we invited 36 kids. All but 7 came! That is a big ol party. Luckily I have some amazing friends who came to my rescue. Tisha Bierman deserves all the props in the world. She made the most amazing pinata and made light sabers for all the kids who came. I mean seriously, this life like Darth Vader came equipped with gloves, all the mechanics and even a cape. It was the coolest thing I have ever seen. Kutter was inconsolably crying when it got all busted up with a bat. He wanted to keep it forever, I felt bad. But it truly was an amazing creation.

Megan and Bridgette jumped in and helped get food served and cupcakes decorated. Then there is Kelly who stepped in as my knight in shining armour for the party. Kelly is Megan's husband and he became the entertainment portion of the evening. He took on all the kids in a light saber war. It was so funny and such a stress relief for me. He also manned the pinata and figured out all the tricky stuff that came up that evening. It was a sad time for all when he had to duck out early to go to work. Thanks Kelly, you da man! Seriously, I could not have done it without any of you guys. All in all it was a perfect party and a great send off for my kids. I don't regret doing it one bit. I am so grateful for the friends my kids made during our time in Arizona. They will forever have a place in all our hearts.

My First 5K

Since I recently decided I was going to become a runner, my Bridgette dragged my butt out of the house a few times a week to get me started. After Ryan got laid off, it was a great release for me and I cherished every minute I got to spend with Bridgette. She approached me one day about a 5k race that was being held 2 weeks before I moved. My first thought was a loud chuckle followed by a "no way!" But then, as time went on, I thought was a perfect thing for me to get to do with Bridgette before I move. It became very clear it was something I had to do. I just hope I survived!

Well...I survived, barely! I thought it would be a piece of cake because Bridgette and I had been running nearly 2 miles a day anyway so another 1.3 miles was not going to be a big deal. Well, I was wrong. Especially because the last 1.3 miles was uphill, the last half mile or so was straight up a hiking trail up a mountain. What kind of sick person designed that course. I mean really, if you want us to run up a mountain, at least put it at the start of the race, not at the end. I am sad to report that a 60-year-old lady passed me on that trail. Hey, I never said I was a fast runner, I just said I was running.

When I crossed the finish line, however, I was so happy. It was a feeling I have not had in quite some time. It was such an amazing experience for me and I cannot think of anyone I would have rather done it with that Bridgette. I just hope I keep up the running and make her proud.

Recipe Group 2008

I was lucky enough to be a part of an incredible group of women here in Buckeye. We got together once a month to swap recipes. Holly Wallin was the one who started the group in January of 2008. We rotated houses and whomever hosted that month picked a theme. We all brought a food item associated with that theme along with enough cutsie recipe cards for everyone to take one home. It was such a perfect thing because we were all able to try out each other's recipes so we would know which ones we would like and want to make for our families. Throughout the year, I have come home with some of the most amazing recipes. I am totally blaming my insane weight gain this year on this recipe group. Nope, it was not the pregnancy, it was the recipe group. It was my turn to host in December, maybe that is why Ryan got laid off so we had to move before I could subject the group to my hosting abilities. I was very sad to leave so many great people behind and I miss the ladies and the food so very much. I am pretty sure they disbanded after I left because they just could not bare to go on without me, at least, that is what I tell myself. : ) Thanks for the book full of recipe cards, the extraordinary memories, and the 15 pounds.

Pictured above are:

Back: Kaci Perkins, Katie Hunter, Cheryl Wellman, Bridgette Jankowski, Charity Rose, Holly Proctor, Kim Rolfe, and Sage Harper.

Front: Brooke Jenkins, Holly Wallin, Tifany Wright, Brianne McKinley, and Tisha Bierman

Halloween 2008

One of my favorite things about living in Arizona is Halloween. It is such great weather this time of year. The kids actually get to show off their costumes instead of covering them up with layers of warm clothing. Most people sit outside in their drive ways to give out candy so they can see all the trick-or-treaters. It is quite the event around these parts.


Our activities for the day started out by me attempted to put Payton's hair in curlers. I really wanted her hair to be perfect. She was Little Bo Peep for Halloween and when I think of Bo Peep, I think of blond hair with big ringlets in it. The day before, I made a trial run at it by using a curling iron. It did not work. So I attempted the curlers, it was quite the step for me. I have to say, not bad for my first time. Her hair was actually quite perfect!

The next adventure of the day happened at Kutter's school. Since I knew it was a possibility we may have to move, I wanted to take special treats to Kutter's class and make Halloween a memorable one. I had way too much fun making goody bags for each of the kids. The bags included such items as pencils, bugs, eyeballs, funny glasses, candy, etc. Ryan came with me when it was time to deliver the goodies. He somehow convinced Kutter's entire class including his teacher to put on the funny glasses and pose for a picture. This was so fantastic!

After school, we got the kids all in their costumes to go trick-or-treating. This turned out to be a bigger challenge than initially anticipated because Maggie's costume did not fit her. The hat was way too small. Go figure! I had to make a few little modifications to get it to sit on long enough for pictures. I was so excited for the girls costumes this year. I found Payton's at TJ Max for $20 and found Maggie's at Wal-mart for $11.88. Sure wish I would have tried on the hat on Maggie earlier. The costume fit fine, just not the hat. But you get the idea. The idea of Payton as Little Bo Peep and Maggie as her sheep was just too good to pass up. It was priceless!
Kutter wanted to go as Spiderman again this year. We found a great "Black Spiderman" costume with the big cushy muscles. I like finding good costumes for the kids because they wear the costume all the time. My kids play dress up nearly every day, several times a day if you are Payton. So it saves me a whole lotta heartache if I can buy one that will last awhile.


We met up with the Zierse's to hit the road for trick-or-treating. It was such a fun night watching the kids run from house to house and the adults just getting to walk and talk. It was a bit of a depressing Halloween on our street, however. There was only about 1 in 10 houses giving out candy. Our town has been hit pretty hard with foreclosures. We then loaded up all the kids and headed to Weinerschnitzel for dinner. Cheap and easy, that is my motto! All in all, it was a pretty terrific Halloween!