Labor Day Redefined!

I thought I knew what Labor Day was all about until Labor Day 2011. It will go down in history as the Labor Day of Chaos. The day started off with dropping both vehicles off at the shop to have an oil, lube and filter. Since both shops are close together this was very convenient. We killed the hour or so it took to check out the Saturn and Titan by playing in the isles at Walmart, which was conveniently near by as well. That is when the call came. The Saturn needed $1,800 of work done and it wasn't even worth that much. We had been preparing ourselves for the worst for months as the Saturn has started a slow decline and had been looking at car possibilities, but it always feels like we've been caught off balance by these types of things. While we waited for them to finish the Titan, Steve looked on the Nissan lot and fell in love with a Maxima, but I was not convinced, plus we had other things planned for the day.

We took the Saturn home to rest while we headed downtown to see Perry the Platy-bus. Perry is a favorite character from a favorite cartoon on the Disney channel and we weren't going to miss him on his nationwide tour! We were ALL so excited when we got down to the NASCAR Hall of Fame where Perry was making his appearance. The bus was hooked up inside with Phineas and Ferb video games and other fun stuff.

Outside we had cool Perry benches to sit on and rest our tootsies. Radio Disney was on-site with games and music. The kids got to play several games and had a great time.

After a couple of hours with Perry we started heading home. Steve wanted to stop at Carmax to see what they had on the lot - which was not much. For months, I had been extolling the virtues of the Toyota Camry I had driven in Utah and finally talked Steve into going to the Toyota dealer near our house. We had met the general manager in August when he bought Naomi's princess bike off Craigslist for his daughter. We talked for a good while and he was a really nice guy. I am glad that we did. He had one of his salespeople show Steve several different options in our price range. He also did a side-by-side comparison of the Camry and Maxima which convinced Steve not to get the Maxima. The Nissan salesperson hadn't told us that the Maxima needed premium gasoline. Long story short, we got Steve a sweet deal on a 2008 Camry with only 30,000 miles. Labor Day weekened sales and knowing the general manager helped a lot. Thanks, Donnie! They took the Saturn as a trade and this is what we ended up with.

Steve thought he would miss his Saturn more than he does. The 34 miles to the gallon, compared to 24 miles to the gallon, won him over the first time he didn't have to fill up after driving to work and back a couple of times! He also does not miss the clutch in traffic.

As if this was not enough already, we then hurried to the Elder's Quorum Labor Day party at the Richardson's home. We stayed for a bit and chatted, but were soon off to do a crossing over for Garrison Stewart at his house. We had been trying to get it in since July, but there was not a Wednesday night that work for both parties at the same time.

Okay, the day was finally over! We all got home and collapsed into bed about 9:00 p.m. This type of exhausted was good though because we had enjoyed a full day of fun and surprises - but I am not encouraging any more days like this anytime soon.

Just a Reminder

For those of you just joining us, you might be a little confused as to the number of posts going up in a single day. I am catching up after several months of blogging silence. Be sure to check out everything that is "new".

Naomi's First Taste of Soccer

Fall soccer season started the last week in August and ended the first week in November. Here are some of the highlights from Naomi's first (of many) soccer season. Her team name was Academica.

The first day of practice Naomi was ready to leave three hours early. Finally, after being asked every five minutes for two hours "When are we leaving?", I broke down and we went to Strikers Soccer. We arrived 45 minutes early during which time Naomi soaked up all the pictures of previous teams and oogled at the trophies while dreaming of the trophies she would win.

Here she is driving the ball to the goal. She scored at least three goals a game. Her top-scoring game included 10 goals. Not only could she score goals, but she did it in style. Notice the striped socks with big pink roses on them.

This is Ella, her soccer buddy. She and Ella were quite a pair. The two of them could run really fast and score lots of goals. Naomi started to understand the concept of working as a team when she and Ella would help each other score goals.

Brother Barker, the amazing second counselor in our bishopric, came to one of Naomi's games. It was a lucky pick of games. Since Naomi's team played Haylee's team, Brother Barker got to see two of "his primary kids" play at the same time. Here he is with is son, Cohen, Paige Tufts, Naomi and Haylee Tufts. Notice the smiles on the girls' faces. Brother Barker inspires smiles where ever he goes. I am glad that my children have such a great example of what it means to be part of a ward family.

Coach Jim is giving them some last minute advice before the game starts. The girls really connected with him because he would get down on their level to talk with them and he was there to pick them up when they fell - sometimes literally!

Nicholas found a way to be of assistance.

The boys were very helpful throughout the season. When either Coach Jim or Coach Ralph needed some help demonstrating a move or concept they would have Jeremy and/or Nicholas come and assist.

Front Row: Nicki, Gia, Naomi, Molly

Second Row: Ella, Claudia, Hailey

Back Row: Coach Jim, Coach Ralph

Not pictured: Megan

After the last game, all the girls were awarded a trophy.

For now we will keep Naomi in the recreational league for soccer until she is ready to enter the world of competitive leagues.

Paige, Haylee and Naomi all showing off their trophies.

After the last game and awards ceremony we went to Tenders for a post-season party. This group of girls worked very well together and the parents all got along as well. We are planning to get the girls on the same team for Spring Season which starts in February.

In the meantime, we have signed Naomi up for Winter Season since she "cannot live that long without playing soccer."

Bathroom Alchemy

The following entry really is quite humorous in hind-sight, but it was really scary at the time. I am giving you permission to chuckle or out-right laugh as you read.

It was a normal day and things were going well. I was finishing up the dishes and the kids were done with their school work for the day. That is when Nicholas came downstairs carrying the blue, long-neck bottle he got when we attended the Utah Reniassance Festival in May. He smiled as he told me he had been concocting things in the bathroom. As he talked I detected a faint hint of rubbing alcohol and baby powder on his breath. My mind started swirling with what this might mean when his voice burst through my thoughts, "It didn't taste too bad either, Mom!" Realization hit like a Mack Truck - my baby had been drinking things from the bathroom! Trying to keep a level and collected voice I had him take me upstairs to the bathroom and show me what he used to make his "drink". My heart sank further and further into stomach as he pulled out one thing after another from under the sink. After a lengthy call to Poison Control I was finally reassured that he was not going to die of poisoning or that his stomach was not going to erode or explode. We sat down and had a more lengthy talk about the dangers of drinking things made from items found in the bathroom. Later that day, after putting him to bed, I found the following note on his door.

"Do not drink any bathroom supply mixtures!"

I would say that is good, sound advice.

First Day of School 2011

We woke up when we pleased, got dressed at our leisure, ate breakfast and then got busy. We reviewed the schedule for the year, did some math, science, spelling, reading and art. After lunch, we headed to the pool for P.E. It was a great day! For those critics who say homeschooling is rough I am going to give you some advice I got from a dear friend (Anita Hallman) years ago - "If you aren't having fun you aren't doing it right!"

Naomi made a sign for us to commemorate the occassion.
It was her "official" first day of school. If she were attending public school she would be in kindergarten this year, but since we covered that material last year she is proud to tell you she is in first grade! Nicholas is starting his 4th grade year and Jeremy is in 7th grade! WOW!!

Deja Vu

When I was little my parents called me their little fish. I LOVED the pool. If I could have spent all day long, every day, during the summer at a pool I would have. One of my fondest memories was my dad lifting me high into the air, over his head, while I balanced on his hands. I loved the feeling of being so high up with the anticipation of falling into the water with a glorious splash. I would plunge deep into the water and have a moment of panic before I surfaced and Dad would grab a hold of me before I inhaled half the pool. It was awesome!

Apparently, this is genetic and I have passed it onto my daughter!

Sumo Wrestling

There is nothing like a good Sumo wrestling match to get you ready to start school! The kids all used several layers of clothing to get the desired effect. It proved to be a very entertaining activity, although I did have to do several loads of sweaty laundry. It was all worth it in the end.

Stuffed and ready to go.

Help! We've fallen and we can't get up. Watching the kids get up off the floor was hilarious!

Nicholas takes Naomi out with his famous belly bounce!

In the end, all three were champions.

Best Friends

If you looked up "best friends" in the dictionary you would see pictures of Nicholas and Zach. These two wonderful, adorable, lovable, amazing, boys have so much fun when they are together. Time seems to stop and no amount of time together is long enough. That is saying a lot for a boy who usually lasts two hours, MAX, before I hear "Is it time for them to go home yet?"

I think these pictures will speak for themselves.

Every Mario needs his Luigi

Having fun at the church trunk or treat.

Helping each other get past their stuck point on the DS.

Eating a popcicle in the back of the truck after riding their scooters around the neighborhood several hundred times.

Dancing around the living room to Mario's theme song.

Yep! Definitely best buddies.

Zach moved to Colorado at the end of August to live with his dad while his mom does a tour of duty for the U.S. Navy overseas. We will miss him, but he will be home for a brief period for Christmas, right before his mom ships out. We are so excited to see him!

It's Fashion, Baby!

July 26th was a fun day for us. The Hansen family decided to host a fashion show at their house. Everyone was encouraged to dress up in their fashionable favorites and come show them off. Their house was decorated with curtains for the backstage area and a lighted runway. The kids were all super excited to show off their stuff on the runway. Jeremy and Nicholas acted as the announcers and read off of 3x5 cards that the moms had done up describing the outfits all the kids were wearing.

Isaac and Joshua, in their fashionable garb, were in charge of the curtain.

Naomi, strutting her stuff down the runway. Nicholas had worked with her to make sure that her outfit and runway moves were just right. They picked her outfit to highlight the warm summer days, complete with fashionable flip-flops, sunglasses and a tiny dog in her purse (which Nicholas saw a star in a magazine carrying, so it was a must!) She added some jewelery and was ready for the runway.

Here is the whole fashionable crew!

Afterwards there was luncheon to celebrate the success of the show!

Boy Scout Camp

The first week in July, Steve took Troop 215 to Camp Grimes for summer camp. They had a great time and all the boys came back excited about scouts and camping, which is saying a lot because some of them were NOT excited to go to camp. Steve really worked hard to make sure that this experience was as positive and fun as possible. I would say his hard work paid off.

Troop 215 home base

This is where all the camp meetings were held. I think I could get used to the view!

The combined number of merit badges earned during the week was an impressive 50, but they still found time to relax. Steve's hammock was very popular.

Jeremy at the rifle range. He is very good with a gun and he really enjoyed it as well.

Steve got to go on the ATVs since they needed adult leaders. He had a blast! It rained a bit while they were there and so his clothes came back caked in red mud, but it was worth it.

Here they are at mess hall. Jeremy was feeling kind of left out before leaving for camp. Because of his allergies we had to fix all his meals in advance and send them up, all neatly labeled by day and meal, in a cooler so he could reheat them as needed. He thought he was going to be picked on for not getting to eat what everyone else was eating. Boy, was he wrong! Apparently, the food was not that great and Jeremy could have made a killing selling his homemade meals. Everyone wanted what he was having! As if that was not enough, all the scouts were jealous that Jeremy got to go into the kitchen fridge, the walk in kind, and cool off while getting his super delicious meals.

As I said, they came home completely exhausted and stinky, but it was all worth it. They are already looking forward to the next campout! I think Steve can call that a monumental success!!

God's Rolling Pin Upside My Head

I've been told before that I don't listen very well. I have vehimently denied it, but it is time to face the truth. I don't listen very well. Last May Nicholas had a mini-meltdown saying we are always so busy that we don't have time for family. We patted him on the head and said we would try to do better. And we did, sort of! June, July, August, September, October passed and Nicholas brought up the argument again. We set a date to go to the zoo, which is what he really wanted to do (for almost 9 months now). Nothing got in our way and we had a fabulous day! The next day was the primary program and the kids did a tremendous job. The spirit was there. The last song was "Praise to the Man" and was started by a father and his two sons for the first verse. The primary joined in for the second verse, followed by the priesthood members in the congregation joining for the third verse. By the time the fourth verse came and the entire congregation joined in I could hardly sing because of the tears. The spirit was so strong by the end of that song that even the smallest child felt it. The chapel as completely silent during the prayer. I get chills now just thinking about it. That was a powerful primary program.

Anyhow, that's when the rolling pin hit. I had been sick with a cold since before Halloween (and this was now the 20th of November!). For the first time in years I left church right after the program and came home and crashed. Monday I called the doctor because if I didn't Steve was going to. Tuesday I saw the doctor and was diagnosed with pneumonia! I was told to take it easy for a week. If I wasn't going to slow myself down then a loving Heavenly Father was going to do it for me, thus the rolling pin analogy! That is what it takes to get me to listen. You would think I would learn after having a 3-month-old in the hospital deparately ill after being given a bottle because I wasn't there to feed him and later finding out he was allergic to milk. I had been to a job interview and a Young Womens meeting. I turned down the job after realizing that my baby needed me more. You would think I had learned my lesson. I warned you, I don't listen! I felt like I needed to contribute to the family income not long after that and started selling vitamins from home. I ended up with a complete body rash from taking the vitamins. It turns out my body doesn't handle large amounts of B vitamins very well. Once again, the rolling pin and I listened.

I have learned my lesson and I am taking it easy. The kids and Steve have really stepped in and helped to make sure that I don't over do it. They helped fix Thanksgiving dinner and did the dishes afterwards. They cleaned up the entire house, dusting and vaccuming included. I tried to do the 9 loads of laundry that have been accumulating and broke down half-way through with Steve finishing up the last of it for me. You can't blame me for trying. No one had any clean underwear! Steve also spent the weekend picking up the items that were on sale during the fabulous After Thanksgiving sales that were on our Christmas list. He even spent time with each individual child helping them pick out things for everybody for Christmas. On top of that he took the kids geocaching to get Jeremy's Geocaching merit badge requirements almost done.

I have stayed true to the promise to relax and take it easy. I caught up on my journal during this time and am now taking time to catch up on the blog. So keep checking in over the next couple of days as I catch you up on what has been happening with the Cannon family since July.

The Reniassance Festival
By: Jeremy Cannon


Hear ye! Hear ye!
Come to the Reniassance
Festival for a load of medieval
fun. HUZZAH!!!!!!!









They have tons of shops


<

This is the DaVinci Flying Machine./\

It is a merry-go-round that celebrates Leonardo DaVinci and his inventions.

/\

Naomi and a wooden (as well as hand-carved) dragon.
Naomi likes dragons.Period.

Who doesn't love throwing sharp stuff? /\
< >

Oh my throwing stars! >

That shuriken (throwing star) that I am about to

throw sticks into the wood! Nick was kind enough to let me throw one of his stars. At the Utah Reniassance Festival I purchased a throwing knife, so I have had some practice.

BEHOLD!!!!! The biggest rocking horse that I have ever seen!!!! /\

Say "hi" to the walking woods.
<

Now that is a halloween costume to DIE for.
Yes, there is a person inside of there.

/\

A street musician playing a violin while laying down.

I prefer to sit up when I play an instrument.

A glass-blowing demonstration. /\
It looks harder to do than blacksmithing
(which I have done).

This is the joust simulator. /\ \/

It's a horse on a zipline with a PVC pipe lance.
(I didn't try it.)

<\/ These are the three legendary knights.

Do they look familiar?

We had a blast in the wooden weaponry shop.

One of the shop owners is behind us in all three pictures.



Overall, we had a great time at the Reniassance Festival.

You should try it to!

HUZZAH!!!!!