Please put your weapons down

Apparently it is still winter. This I know because I haven't seen Brigam's naked little feet for a couple of months.

I do get to see his hands on an almost daily basis. OK, I do see them on a daily basis, but I don't always look for the nail length the boy is sporting. When Mykie threatens to start to paint them, then I get to where I think, "Now where did I put that nail clipper?" They don't get too out of hand on his hand (wasn't that funny), but I sometimes wonder if the teachers at school look at those and wonder if I have some type of problem with Brigam being a boy. I mean the mixture of lengthy fingernails and those GORGEOUS eyelashes - put a dress on the boy and you too might be doing a double take.

Anyway, back to the story. Last night, I was sitting by Briggy on the couch and he was holding my hand, I looked down (probably because I thought it was so sweet that my boy was sitting next to me and holding my hand. I was probably looking for a 'sweet moment memory') and that's when I saw that he was sporting some pretty "french manicure" type looking nail tips. Those, I informed him, would have to come off in the morning. He HATES to have his nails cut. Is this a boy thing? Then I said, "Briggy, I haven't seen your toe nails for a while, I bet those need some trimming." That's when he showed me his WEAPONS. He took off those cute little socks that should have been covering some cute little feet, but they were only covering his WEAPONS. Especially on those big toes. How long had it been since I saw those 10 little piggies? Absolutely TOO LONG. (I will NOT picture them here. You might be eating.) They were gross. I swear that the whites of his big toe nails were as long as the whole nail on his baby toes. Yuck!

He was especially proud of them as he said, "I should have pulled these out the other day when Jeremy and me were wrestling. I bet I could have cut him!" Umm....SUPER GROSS!!!! Thank goodness it's not flip flop weather. Shopping for flip flops with him taking those nails out of those socks would have been super embarrassing - or on the flip side, if I were being taken hostage, he would have saved my life.

But, since I don't get taken hostage on a regular basis, I decided to do what good mothers do - I sat on his chest and cut those weapons off! He even giggled when he heard one get away from me and PING on the floor. Still gross. I think I need to make a planning note on my calendar-I cannot think of a future with this type of nail growth from my boy.....

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What's been keeping you busy?

This isn't one of those trick questions where you should already know the answer, but the answer to this question should be obvious - I do have 4 children. But I am talking about what I've been doing in my extra time. OK, it's really not extra because no matter how hard I try, I only get 24 hours a day. I have asked Santa many times in years past if he will give me just one or two extra hours in my day for Christmas, but he has always let me down. I have stolen some hours to enjoy myself (if you don't do this, you really ought to try it. This kind of thievery keeps me sane!) This is what I have utilized my hours for.

A purse.

Not just any purse, but one that you can put pictures in. Isn't it so cute? This really was papering with a purpose. Here are some inside shots of pages I really like.

Apparently there are others who like it as well because I had someone order 7 of them. Now I have to figure out a price, but wow! Seven - really?

I did see this idea at the craft store, but they used real wood. How heavy is that? Aren't our purses heavy enough without carrying around chunks of wood with a picture show on it? I thought so, so I made mine out of chipboard (or something akin to chipboard. Let's just say I am recycling.)

Don't you just love a new purse?

Well, I better go now. I have to steal an hour or two more of those 24 hours for myself. At least it will be fun! Go right side of the brain!! Work that creativity!

Briggy-isms

Brigam went to Walmart with Jeremy and Tyler the other day. They had just gone to eat at the Golden Arches and I think he really felt so SUPER COOL to be hanging with the big boys. He was very excited and had a great time.

That night he was running some errands with me and we were just shootin' the bull when he said, "Mom, today when I was at Wal-Mart with Tyler and Jeremy I was talking soooooo much that my lips almost fell off! I had to grab them before they fell on the floor."

When he came home from school the other day, he ran in with TWO pages of homework instead of the usual one. He said, "I have two papers to do. It's like I'm in college now. It just keeps getting harder and harder!"

Raising this kid is a laugh fest!

Happy Birthday Big Boy!

Well, I knew it would happen someday, and that day was yesterday. My itty bitty 6 lb 11 oz baby gained 145 lbs and turned 18. Yes, 18. Now I know what you're going to say, "18? Terilyn, you don't look old enough to have an 18 year old." And I publicly and lovingly thank you for that comment, but it's true - the boy is 18 and poised to graduate from Pasco High this year.

Here's a picture of the handsome guy now!

As I reflect on these last 18 years, I really don't have much to complain about. I realize that as a girl and as a mother, the only thing I have to compare a teenage boy to are those I grew up with in my own home and those that I knew at high school. I have to tell you - he's better than anyone else I knew as a 18 year old teenage boy. I told him so yesterday when we went to his favorite restaurant Outback Steakhouse - which - just in case you didn't know - doesn't open until 4:00, don't plan on lunch there. It was just he, Mike and I - if we took anyone else it would have seriously rendered our bank account totally helpless. Anyway, I told him that these past 18 years had been pretty good ones and I appreciated him for it. He made his own mind up early that he wanted to put God first in his life and he has lived his life that way thus far (is that a word?). He's been a great asset to our family mood wise. He is easy going and doesn't get angry easily or often. He makes everyone feel happy. In fact, the other day Jeremy asked me what I was going to miss most when Tyler was gone on his mission and I had a hard time putting a finger on it. Jeremy said, "I think our house won't be as funny as it was when he is living with us. Tyler's pretty funny." Truly I beg to differ. Jeremy is pretty funny in his own right and Brigam - he has a future in stand up comedy. Anyway, back to Tyler and my singing praises of him.....

He's always planned on going on a mission - although he has never saved for a mission, he started the other day. He just recently got hired on at the Tri-City Court Club as a lifeguard. I'm pretty proud of him because the manager of the lifeguards that hired him had no idea that he was my kid. That means he got the job all by his big boy self. Anyway, he an I were talking about his mission and money for it a few weeks ago and I told him that he should put 40% in the bank and 10% to tithing and have the remainder 50% for whatever he wanted/needed of every paycheck regardless of how much it was. Well, payday came and that afternoon I asked him if he got his check and cashed it. Yes he did. I asked him where he cashed it and he said at HAPO (where his bank account is) which shocked me because I didn't know he knew to do that there - no seriously - Tyler really doesn't have any experience with paychecks. Then he told me that he put 50% in his mission fund that day. I was so proud because that was him and not me nagging him. See - he's a smart boy.

I truly love my boy and am so proud of him and the choices he's made. As I sang his praises at Outback of the great kid he is, Mike had to add something as well. I'm sure this will be long remembered as "something my dad used to always say" as Mike said, "And if you aren't a good kid, you've really got us fooled." Wasn't that touching? So nurturing.

Upcoming in Tyler's life - even before the graduation - is his involvement in

MR. PASCO at Pasco High School

as a contestant. Now I think that this is just like Miss America for boys, but I know it will be fun. They have 4 Juniors and 6 Seniors that they've chosen to be in the contest and Tyler is one of the 6. They will have an evening wear competition, swimsuit competition, questions/answer portion and a talent portion of the contest. I'm really serious. This is happening. You must ALL come and support him.

It's at Pasco High THIS Thursday the 12th at 7:00 pm at the Gregson Auditorium. Some lucky man/child will be awarded the coveted title of MR. PASCO (and two prom tickets.) Tyler has a great and interesting talent portion - come and support him. You need $1.00 and 1 canned food item. Doors open at 6:30. I am excited to see Tyler on stage. This has NEVER been him, so I am excited that he will have this memory in his lifetime.

Happy Birthday Tyler!

Jeremy the Wrestler

Jeremy has started wresting season once again. For those of you who know Jeremy, you know that he is pretty darn competative. I mean that this boy has been known to be a sore loser and a sore winner in the past. Wrestling was really the worst sport for hiding this well known fact. In fact, when Jeremy was about 4 years younger, he was at a wrestling meet and lost. Tyler decided to keep the camera rolling throughout his 5 minute tirade where nothing and NO ONE could calm him down. It's was down right embarrassing and he knows it.

He started getting a bit better last year. In the beginning of the 2008 wrestling season, I noticed early on that when he lost, his anger really came to the surface. When his friends would try to console him - he would push them away - I mean physically not emotionally - and retreat to the hall where some poor sucker would follow him and recieve the haranging of his life! I worried about his future friendships. You treat people bad when they try to console you and pretty soon NO ONE will try to console you or befriend you.

So, as any good mother would do, I advised him - probably to death, but hey, that's what we do. I told him that his friends were trying their best to let him know that they still thought he was "all that" even though he lost. I acknowledged that with the personality that Jeremy has, he has to have some few minutes to get it together and that is best done in private. I suggested that he tell his team mates (before the next match) that if he loses, he needs to have a few minutes all to himself to gather his emotions. Please don't try to talk to me or follow me. I'll come back and be OK. Well, the boy took my advice and the season went on much better. He was able to deal with his little hissy fits by himself AND have friends thoughout the season. Good for him.

This year, I was concerned again. I mean, it's been a year since I doled out that great advice. Jeremy had a meet 2 Tuesdays ago up at Park Middle School. He was nervous and had a great deal of butterflies in the stomach to deal with. That started that morning before he left for school. The match went all 3 rounds. Basically 4 1/2 minutes of shear torture for the mom of the wrestler. I can hardly watch, but have to - you know what I mean? Anyway, he lost by points (the boy has never been pinned. He's too flexable. People shouldn't bend that way, you know?) It was heartbreaking. As the wrestlers came to the middle and the other boy's arm was raised as the winner of the match - that's when it happened. Jeremy was supposed to turn around and shake hands with the opposing team's coach, but he didn't. Instead, he lightly grabbed the shoulder of his opponent. Mykie was right next to me and I could hear her take in a sharp breath of air as we worried about what would happen next. But Jeremy actually stuck his hand out to shake the boy's hand and told him that he did a good job (I can read lips), then he turned around and went straight to the opposing coaches and shook each of their hands, then he went to his coach, shook his hand and asked him what he could have done better. Then (as if those miracoulous things were not enough) as he was getting on his sweats over his singlet, his friends all came over to console him and he just kept talking in reply and nodding knowing that it was alright. Then, (ok, I've said then about 100 times, but it just kept getting better) instead of having to have a moment outside, the boy sat back in the chair he was originally and cheered on the rest of his team.

Let me tell you, I was in shock and I must say I shed a tear or two. Mykie was as shocked as I (minus the tears). I immediately called Mike and told him that Jeremy had lost and it was the best match I had ever been to. Mike was kind of confused how that loss could make me so happy, but I tried to explain to the best of my ability. It was hard because I really was overcome with emotion of the growth that I had just witnessed.

Jeremy is really an awesome person. He really used to be so difficult for me to deal with. He just wasn't very easy going and I wasn't too bendable myself when it came to him, but every since the move to Kennewick and him being in 7th grade there has been some HUGE and GREAT changes and I couldn't be prouder to call him my son.

I LOVE YOU JEREMY! - Love yo mama!

Super Sunday!

Today Mykie was set-apart to be the second counselor in her Beehive class. This is her first leadership role. I love that about being LDS. The kids are given ample opportunity to grow and learn how to become good leaders early on. It is an amazing transformation to watch.

Jeremy gave a talk yesterday in church on Friends. He did a great job. He was poised and confident. He even shared a personal story about his friend, Dylan Hatch and himself. His point was that good friends can help us by making good choices easy to make. He told of the time that he and Dylan were on the bus riding to McLoughlin and how the cussing was so bad. But since they (Dylan and Jeremy) knew all the definitions to the cuss words, they'd replace the cuss words with the definitions and laugh because the cussors sounded so inarticulate. He said they sounded ridiculous because they couldn't communicate. It was great and I was giggling wondering if defining cuss words is the same as saying them. Like I said, he did a great job and several people told him (and Mike and I) so. I am glad they did because that encourages them and takes the fear out of giving a talk. At least a little of it!



After church, Jeremy was ordained by Mike along with Tyler in the circle to become a Teacher. The Bishop said as long as both Priesthoods present are recognized in the ordnance, Tyler could be there. That was so incredibly spiritual for me. I am so grateful that Jeremy is worthy and wants to advance on in the Priesthood and that Tyler is worthy and willing to utilize his Priesthood. Brigam wants Tyler to baptize him this year. It will be neat to see brothers support each other again in their duties and rights.

I love being a Latter-Day Saint because I KNOW that God loves me and knows me individually as Terilyn and wants me back with Him. I love our elder brother, Jesus Christ and know that He KNOWS me as an individual person among many on this earth. What he did in Gesemane was for me and for ALL MAN KIND if we just take advantage of it. Sometimes in our human minds, we cannot comprehend how one act can be for so many. I don't have to know all the answers now. We don't know all the mysteries of God. The thing that we do know without a doubt is that He is a Loving Father and He is aware of all. That alone inspires me and gives me hope that I can be successful as long as I know that I am on God's side. The peace I feel from this knowledge is priceless.

Watch Brigam's Snowboarding Smile!

A couple of weeks ago, Mike took Brigam snowboarding up to White Pass. It was just he and Brigam. Brigam has been once before, but it was a long time ago and he just wasn't ready, according to Mike. It wasn't the best time for Brigam then either.

But this time was different. Not at first. After the first run, Brigam said he was done and wanted to go home. Mike said that would be fine, he would take him home, but if they did go he wasn't going to bring him back for a year or two. That made Brigam think a bit and become a bit more determined. Mike spent quite a while with him instructing him and the results were a happy, smiling snowboarder in the making named, Brigam.

Look at that view! Mike said it was a beautiful day up there.

Here's my happy boys.

He looks thrilled, but check out the death grip he has on the chair lift!

Soon he's going to learn to use both edges of his board.

He came home saying, "This was the best day of my life!" But don't be worried about that. He's had many, many "best days of my life" moments.

For the past two Thursday nights, he's had all his boarding stuff ready to go for Friday morning in the off chance we get some snow and Mike wants to travel 2 or 3 hours to play on it. Poor guy. Hey, could you please let some big flakes fly up there?

PS I just noticed that these dates on the camera said from 2001. Um, that is really wrong - at this time in 2001 Brigam hadn't even been born yet. I shall have to fix that camera so in a few years we won't be confused as to which child this was!!!