July 4th ~ the Demolation Derby

All year we look forward to the demolation derby. The boys will talk about the great hits for the entire next year and they count down to the next one. They really hated that we missed last year so we knew we had to get them there this year and it was so much fun! The kids were so fun to watch at the derby! They had them say happy birthday to their dad from his 15 kids and they played Thunderstruck.... Hyrum was sitting next to Thayne and was singing the song. Thayne said, "You don't know this song!" Hyrum said, "Yes I do!" The guy in front of us said, "Wow, they don't teach that song in our primary!" We had moved over to let his family sit by us because it is always so packed there. They seemed to be obsessed with our family and kept watching and laughing and watching some more. She asked me if we really had 15 kids. I told her we really did... though it looked like we had lots more than 15 since my nephews and Preston and Karrie were with us. We laughed and laughed and enjoyed every second of being together! The girls were in rare form dancing to the 80's music. It was just too much fun! We worried the whole night that it might rain, but it held out until the final destruction and then the heavens let loose and just like at Lagoon, we were dumped on with huge raindrops. We gathered everyone, and everything and off we ran to the cars. We had kids going every direction and making sure everyone was accounted for was fun, but in the end, we made it safely back to grandma's house, with the $5 pizzas for our midnight snack! We had such a great time and didn't want to have to come back to the real world. It seems like lately there had been so much garbage going on in our lives and getting away, enjoying time as a family. Next year can't come fast enough!

The derby is as old as I am and I have been to all but a handful of them. They added the trucks, and the mini cars which are just as fun as the derby itself! The boys especially love the trucks.

Hayden... and Kassi dancing!

Kalli cheesing for the camera!

Nate just wants down to run!

Getting ready to start....

The kids love it when one of the little cars gets flipped over!

Kassi and Kimi in on the excitement too!

Notice the 3 navy blue t-shirts hanging on the fence! They can't get enough of the crashes at the derby!

July 3rd....

After losing the cord to the camera and going into withdrawals from lack of blogging pictures... the house was searched from top to bottom and the cord was found and I can now give into my addiction! We had a great 4th of July weekend in Delta. It's always our favorite place to be for the 4th. The kids had a great time hanging out, walking all over town, playing in the park and at grandma's house and looking forward to the parade and of course the demolation derby that is the high light of the year!

Kassi and Kimi watching Nater's trying to escape by climbing the fence. Kassi was cracking up because Nate was so determined!
Nate seeing the kids leaving decided that he would just climb the fence and go with them!

Boom, Boom... FIRE POWER!!!

This picture drives me crazy but Bummy wanted it included. No matter what I did to flip it, it keeps showing up here sideways! ARGH! This is just Bummy cheesing for his mommy! And NO I did not buy the shirt... that was Caitlyn, she thought it was funny but was worried that I wouldn't let him wear it. I had it hid in the closet for months but he finally dug it out!

Nate is king of the world... at least in our house!

Just lots of pictures of the kids in the park. Delta has a wonderful park and the kids love to go there and walk in the water and hang out!

Kalli and Bummy.... cheeeeeese!

Popcycles in the park after the kiddie paradeDad and his boys hanging in the park

Mom and Nathaniel....

Nate pulling a Jace... when Jace was little whenever he got mad he would stand on his head like this... should we be surprised that Nate does too???Karrie and Kassi hanging out on the bridge! Now for an obnoxious amount of silly posing pictures of the girls... Kailee, Kassi and Karrie... so Karrie's mom can feel like she didn't miss out on anything because Karrie was with us!

And finally at the pool.... the kids absolutely LOVE the pool in Delta and would spend hours there... oh wait, they DID spend hours there!!!

Kalli says, "Hey mom, I'm a fish!"

Tanner, Wyatt, Kinzee

All of the kids playing ball....

Kailee and Bummy

Tanner, Preston (he has adopted himself into our family), Tallin and poor Bummy getting man handled by Tallin!

And my favorite picture... Kailee caught this picture of Hyrum and Kami walking arm in arm at grandma's house! They are best buddies and are so fun together!

Happy Birthday Thayne....

Last night as I was fighting a migraine and couldn't sleep, I started thinking about the fact that Thayne's birthday is today and what an amazing man he is and how much I love him. A lot of memories ran through my mind and the one thing that always sticks out in my mind is how in awe he leaves me. We all have things that mold us and make us who we are. Some people use their past to keep them from thriving in the future. Thayne and I had many discussions with one of his brothers about how we all have a responsibility to overcome things that could hold us back and to overcome any dysfunction we may have. This brother went so far as to tell Thayne that as children of an alcoholic they could never truly function normally and that he should give up thinking that he could have a normal family and thrive. The one that blew my mind was when he told Thayne that he was no different than an alcoholic, that he was just replacing the alcohol with children. To which I replied that I would be willing to give him his fix anytime! I think my respect grew for Thayne even more when he told this brother that as a child he had no control over what happened in their home or even to him. But as an adult, he was free to choose how he would act, and react to the different circumstances in his life. And he told him that he chose to rise above it, to not let another generation go by thinking that it is normal or even acceptable. He told him that his children would never see their father abuse alcohol, and that he would never put them in a position of wondering if they were loved, adored and cherished. Not once in our marriage has he put himself first above any of us. EVER! I have expressed many times to our kids how lucky they are to have a father that would give everything to make sure they are taken care of. He has gone without more times than I can count in order to let his children have more. Some men rise above nothing to become nothing. Other men rise above terrible things to become great! That is who he is, what he is! I see him dealing with his job and how clearly he thinks, how knowledgeable he is, how well he takes on any challenge and not only accomplishes great things, but often accomplishes things that shouldn't have been. One of the higher up bosses told me one day that they give Thayne the impossible to do, because they know that everytime he will do it! I think sometimes he even is amazed at where he is, how far he has come and what he is doing now. He was told he wouldn't make it, he didn't have it to get out and move beyond, and yet, I saw a great man inside of him the very first time I looked into his eyes. I saw the greatest within, and knew that he just needed to believe it was there.

I remember being down in Tahoe, where Thayne would be accepting the safe supervisor of the year award. I woke up in the middle of the night to a song that was on the radio. As I listened, I cried. Because Thayne had expressed much of the same feelings that the song was singing about. I realized the first time he heard it, really listened to the words how much his memories hurt him, because he told me to turn it off. Yet I have watched him soften and forgive and move beyond and grow. His compassion is endless for others that struggle. I see him connect to the young men that he works with at church. It seems like the ones who have a somewhat troubled home life are the ones that really bond with him and that he has the greatest compassion for. But I see how he builds them up. I have seen it in his work... there was a guy that everyone thought was a bum, but Thayne took that guy and made him a better person, someone that would do anything if Thayne asked him. A guy he works with told me one time that he has never met anyone like Thayne, that can rip you apart, chew you out, all while building you up and making you expect more of yourself! I know that his memories of the past sometimes haunt him... but like the words in the song I heard in the middle of the night so long ago, "if I've learned one thing from him, it's my kids will never have to say, walk a little straighter daddy..." He is the best dad a kid could ever want, because he has always been willing to work through his struggles to become better. He has never been so proud as to say, "This is how I am, deal with it." He has always, always said to me, "Help me be better, let me be a better man." He doesn't realize that in my eyes, he is the best man he could possibly be! We are so blessed to be his family. We are so blessed to know this incredible man. I am so blessed to walk side by side with him. He has always made me laugh, even when the world has crumbled around us... we have each other and nothing else really matters! I love you Thayne and I count that day I met you so many years ago as the luckiest day of my life. You have given me so much more than I could ever give you. Thank you for letting me share the past 24 birthdays with you. Forever isn't long enough... but at least we have forever to let our love continue to grow!

Walk A Little Straighter by Billy Currington

I remember looking up
To look up to him
And I remember most the time
He wasn't there.
I'd be waiting at the door
When he got home at night
He'd pass me by to go pass out in his chair.

And I'd say
Walk a little straighter daddy
You're swaying side to side
Your footsteps make me dizzy
And no matter how I try
I keep tripping and stumbling
If you looked down here you'd see
Walk a little straighter daddy
You're leading me.

He stumbled in the gym
On graduation day
And I couldn't help but feel
So ashamed
And I wasn't surprised a bit
When he didn't stay
He stumbled out before they called my name.

And I thought
Walk a little straighter daddy
You're swaying side to side
It's not just me who's watching
you've caught everybody's eye
And you're tripping and stumbling
And even thought I've turned 18
Walk a little straighter daddy
You're still leading me.

The old man's still like he always was
But I love him anyway
If I've learned one thing from him
It's my kids will never have to say

Walk a little straighter daddy
You're swaying side to side
Your footsteps make me dizzy
And no matter how I try
I keep tripping and stumbling
If you looked down here you'd see
Walk a little straighter daddy
You're leading me.

Yeah walk a little straighter daddy
You're leading me.

Randomness.... just because!

Because I am too lazy right now to get all of the pictures on the computer and blog about the 4th of July, I am blogging about the silly girls that live in this house! Karrie has been visiting for about a week. Karrie and Kassi have been best friends since Karrie was born (because Kassi is, as she pointed out 3 months older than Karrie!) They moved away too long ago, but as soon as the girls are together again they pick up right where they left off. Today they were bored and having a 'spa' day, facials and then Kassi did Karrie and Kinzee's hari. While their faces were being moisturized they took silly pictures and sent them to me! Since I am bored, I am posting the pictures so Karrie's mom can see how boring it is at my house! ;) It takes very little to entertain these children!!!!