Broken times 2

Soccer is the sport of our family. It is how we spend our time. Our younger kids have always been involved in soccer because they started tagging along to games and practices very early in life. It is fun to support each other and as parents we encourage it. I would be lying if I said that the kids love to go to one anothers games....they don't. The reality is, once they get there they seem to be very "into" the game and end up being part of the cheerful crowd. Soccer is also responsible for some not so positive family times.

There seems to be some a correlation between soccer and broken arms in our family. So far the girls have taken fall as victims.

When Kara was in Kindergarten she was playing on a playground (monkey bars specifically) during a soccer tournament and she fell and broke her elbow. It required pins and surgery to fix it.

Then in August 2010 there was a phone call from the nurses offices at the school. Soccer had once again taken an opportunity to test the strength of Kara's arm.

During lunch recess there was a friendly soccer game taking place and Kara was participating. After an obvious sign of a broken arm visually, we rushed to the ER. Confirmed BROKEN. Not only was her arm broken, it needed to be set. So off to sleep with some emergency room special, Michael Jackson Juice as it's called.

After a couple of minutes it was set and wrapped. She was a trooper!

So, when was the next curse of the broken soccer arm ?

September 2011, Devri was practicing with her high school team when it happened. During the season and until the end of the semester, Devri had her A4 class period at the high school. It was common for them to practice soccer and play some soccer related games. One day they had a challenge called "goalie wars" and the object was to keep the ball out of the goal. When it was Devri's turn, the ball came racing in and she hit it away with her arm - and immediately knew it was not without consequence. In pain she exited the goal and took hold of her arm. After some faculty and her coach took a good look they recommended a phone call to mom and dad.

Off to the Dr's office we went. Broken arm, cast for 6 weeks and padding and brace for a while longer. She played the season with a CLUB on her arm. Her coach has now advised her that she is never allowed to play goalie again....ever.

Let's just hope this is the end of the broken bones, because there is never an end of soccer.

Back to the Blog

I wish I didn't feel so overwhelmed by the beginning of my return to the blog. After all, this is the only scrapbook my kids will have. I HAVE to get in gear and keep up some of our family life happenings.

So, bit by bit the blog will get updated. Amazing details of events, milestones and our not so glamorous life are upcoming. Well, I think they are amazing...but if you read this you might find them amazing too.

Because I haven't posted since my kids were sent off to school in 2010, I need to first announce that they started school again in 2011. I took pictures, sent them off and enjoyed having all of them in school....even if the littlest one was only gone 1/2 day.

KELSON ---------> 7th grade

KARA---------> 4th grade

DEVRI---------> 9th grade

OWEN ----------> kindergarten

cant find his actual back to school photo???

And what was I doing while they were all at school? I was also going to school. I went back to school to get a bachelors in dental hygiene in May of 2010, and as you can see I have since graduated. YAY ME!

I wasn't sure if it was time for me to go back to school yet, but as it worked out I was going back - accepted to the program, able to get some financing, and luckily Dan was ready to be Mr. Mom so that it could happen.

It was a tough 20 months. I was not prepared for how difficult it would be and I did not prepare for the amount of stress I would feel as a wife and mother of 4. However, I did not look back but, when I look back now, I see that it was so quick and so worth it. Laraine Hartle BSDH, RDH.

Another post is in order to explain all the tasks and horrors of attending a high demand accelerated dental hygiene program. Whew

And what else happened over the past 18 months?:

(things I intend to blog about)

*Kara broke her arm (again)

*Devri made it onto the Timpanogos High School Soccer team AS A FRESHMAN :)

*Kelson began playing on the Rangers in a competitive league

*Owen learned how to ride a bike, read, play soccer, and is going to be the next Steven Covey (let's just say he's a planner)

*Kara was baptized

*Kelson turned 12 and is a Deacon

*Devri recently became eligible for a learner's driving permit

*We sold our house and moved

*Bought a camp trailer....so I won't fear the bears so much anymore

*Dan and I went on a cruise, our first one, to the Bahamas and it was COLD

*Christmas 2010 and 2011 were both successful, and 2011 was full of electronic gifting

*I began losing interest in crafting and creating.....and haven't gotten it back yet!

SCHOOL RUINED ME :(

*Visited Las Vegas and St. George twice since my 2010 post for soccer tournaments

*Devri grew taller than me

*More apprehensive than ever about not having a "little" boy in the house for much longer...my kids are all growing up so quickly.

If it takes another year to get all of this in here, I will get it done! Small bites, right?

School Begins 2010

The kids have made it through their first 3 days of school. So far so very good! Everybody likes their teachers and it has been fun to pick them up and hear lots of GOOD things about their day. The only negative thing so far is that for hot lunch the school gave them a turkey sandwich, that's it, nothing else! NOTHING! But I think Im only getting about half of the truth on that one so Im not too worried. They didn't die from starvation. Nor do I believe they haven't just chucked an entire tray of food in the garbage before and gone hungry completely by choice. It's all good :)



1ST DAY PICS.







Devri

Kelson and Kara

Owen

13 yrs old

I know I haven't blogged in a very long time. And I choose to blog today on this photo? Of all the things I could blog about I choose this lovely photo as my inspiration...why you ask? I guess it's because I saw it during some house de-cluttering and was overwhelmed with a flooood of memories and thoughts.

This picture is a representation of my great (one of few I ever had )birthday party that I shared with my bestie Kin! After all, our birthdays are only 6 days apart so what better way to celebrate than with a duo party. The memories that I have aren't so much about the party itself, because I sadly don't really remember much about what went on there. I remember more the whole period of my life at that time. Being 13 huge years old! Really, thirteen is super old and super cool right? After all it is the beginning of "teens" and a whole new chapter. Or is it?

Isn't thirteen still just a kid....I say it is :) I have a 13 year old daughter of my own and she is still, in my eyes, just a taller and prettier (much prettier than I in that lovely photo) girl. Was I anything like her? Were the clothes so similar in ways to the styles that are flooding back into the stores? - SCARY ! Love the pegged pants, plaid, and colored jeans. So 2010 :)

I remember that I had made some lasting relationships at thirteen. I still have these close friends today. Some I see occassionally, some rarely, and some even with the search of facebook, I don't even know where they are?? SAD.

I think at thirteen I was appropriately worried about style, hair and the other typical things girls worry about. I remember it being a lot more fun to think about the next time I would get to hang out and do nothing very significant at all:

1. Watch the Cosby show at the Anderson's

2. Eat the treats we got from FAST GAS

3. Ride bikes at the dirt hills

4. Figure out how I was going to get to a friends house in S.F. to hang out

5. Ride bikes to the Payson Pool

6. Collect some more magazines with NKOTB pics

7. Make up another dance

8. Listen to the TOP 20 on the radio so I could hurry and push record when my fave NKOTB song came on.

9. Go to work with my mom to earn a couple $$ straightening greeting cards. That was good money BTW

10. Go with my friend Heather to her grandparents house and get those pink Pepto-Bismol tasting mints. MMMM (how did I ever eat those?)

Mostly I think of how simple life was. I am a firm believer in letting kids play out their free time. Not overscheduling!! We choose not to do too many dance, piano, karate, soccer, lessons, lessons, and more lessons just because I feel like there is not enough time to let kids to grow individually through their own interest. Kids and even 13yr olds need to pick some free time activities. Mine like the cosby show :) I recently found them watching Family Matters, you know with Erkel? (sp). How simple is that. Of course there are cell phones, game systems, internet and all the other stuff I have to tear them away from. If I could wish something for them it would be that they find that "free" and "easy going" part of life I feel is missing in these futuristic years.

As I looked at this pic, it really took me back to a day I long for - perhaps when I was about 13 :)

In the pic: (front) Laraine, Sara, Kindra, Natalie

(back) Heather, Tracy, Ali, Julie, Danielle, Teresa, Trudy

(on the couch) my MOM !