Busy December!

Britton snowboarding in our field on Christmas Day.  Nut case.

We'd gotten 17 inches of snow by the time Christmas day rolled around.  First white Christmas I can remember.  It made the day even better.  

Cameron said goodbye to his best friend Calvin.  They moved to Utah and Cameron is still sad about it.  We miss you Gappmayers!

Aunt Iva came to town and the boys talked her into giving them their wrestling season haircuts.  Of course, I had to be in on the decision making of what could be done and Jordan ended up with some type of mohawk thing.  They went from the mullets to the mohawks or fohawks or whatever they are called these days.  I made Jordan shave it off this past week though as I couldn't let him go to church like that!  He was not real pleased about it but oh well!

Cameron celebrated his 10th birthday with his friends.  We had a football party, cake and opened presents. 

Patriots game with Dad and Uncle Hans who just happened to come to town for the game as well and found out we had tickets.    The boys are big Patriot fans and were excited they got to go see their first NFL game and their favorite team.  

Maple Valley Rapids U10 Developmental Team Champs!

This past year I decided to coach Cameron's select team.  This was the first ever U10 Developmental team to be formed within the Rapids FC.  This was one of the most fun coaching experiences I've ever had.  These kids have some serious heart and are an absolute joy to coach.  Cameron was on the team of course and I really enjoyed watching him play and develop under my watch.    The kids were so coachable and at this age, it's like starting with a blank canvas.  I'm extremely passionate about the game and my coaching.  I spend hours learning more and more about the game, how I can be a better coach, analyzing the games and implementing training sessions to better the team.  

I selected the team in March and we started training in May.  We played in two tournaments over the summer and did pretty well considering these were our first games ever played together on a bigger field.  We started our regular season in September and played 14 games.  Cameron had a great season and even got a Hat Trick in the second to last game.  He also scored the only goal in one of the last games that kept us in first place.  Our team was playing up a year and we won our division.  We only lost one game the entire season and managed to squeeze out the win by one point!  Pretty exciting considering the kids we were playing were much bigger boys than my little guys.

It was so fun to watch these kids develop thru the season and to see the results of my hard work coaching them.  I love the game and coaching but there are some days when I'd rather be just a normal soccer mom and be huddled up in a blanket with my hot cocoa like the rest of the moms.  Most of the time though I'm happy to be out in the cold, rain, sleet, snow, sun, roughing it with the boys.  Who would have ever known I was called a barbie doll in my past?? Seriously....those folks who called me that wouldn't know me now!  HA!

Love these boys!  Well done champs!

Britton wins Special Team's Player of the Year 2008

Special Teams Player of the Year 2008 Tahoma High School Bears.  

Britton Jolley  #4

Britton was the kicker for the Tahoma High School varsity football team.  At the banquet the other night he was awarded the Special Teams Player of the Year and was also honorable mention in the SPSL North for Special Teams.   He lettered and now has two letters as a sophomore.  He lettered last year as the only freshman to make the varsity soccer team.  We are so proud of him!  He works really hard and has a pretty tough schedule.  He's even got good grades so far this year! 

Longest FG was 38 Yrds.  He was 10/12 on FG's and 9/9 on PAT's.  He made 45 yarders in practice all the time but he never got to do those in the game.  The coaches said next year they want to see a 50 yarder in a game!  Can't wait to see what he does next year.  He scored 39 total points for the team.  His kicking helped the team to get into the playoffs.   

WARNING:  TURN YOUR VOLUME DOWN BEFORE PLAYING THE VIDEO!

  

Here he is kicking off in the first playoff game against Jackson. 

Here is a 21 Yrd FG.  Look how far that ball goes!  

My Little Irish Twins/Flashback Friday

My Little Irish Twins.  Cameron's 1st birthday and Maddy is 3 1/2 weeks old!

Right now, Cameron and Maddy are both nine!  They are 11 months and 3 days apart.   I remember crying the day I found out I was pregnant with Maddy.  Cameron was 5 months old and I was already about 11 weeks along before I knew.  I couldn't fathom having TWO babies!   I called my Mom and cried my eyes out to her about how overwhelmed I was!  

At the time, Craig was in his last year of dental school, we were living in Portland.   We were managing 55 apartments (one of the worst jobs on earth!) and I was also managing the collections and A/R for the company I continue to work for now.  We were crammed into a 3 bedroom apartment and one of the bedrooms was the office with an outer door.  

I was so embarrassed to tell anyone I was pregnant again but I couldn't hide it for long with this pregnancy.  I had to go to Craig's dental school graduation and see everyone's reaction to my pregnancy.  "Didn't you just HAVE a BABY?" ..............  What do you say when people say that.   We left the apartments in the middle of June and Craig left for San Antonio for Officer Basic Training School with the Army.   There was no way I was staying in Portland alone with the three boys (6, 5, 6mos), pregnant and managing the apartments with a pool that had to be cleaned 2 times a day.   I didn't have anywhere to live so I ended up driving to Idaho and staying with Craig's mom for a month and then I came up to Washington and stayed with my parents for the rest of the summer.  It was the longest summer of my life.  I cried EVERY day!  Cameron would wake up 10 times a night and Brit and Jordan were a handful.  

When Craig came home finally after 11 weeks, I literally wept tears of relief when he came off the plane!  I was so exhausted and pregnant!  By that time we had found out that surprise baby #4 was going to be a girl.  I call her my "reward"!   We moved into a rental house in Lacey while Craig was stationed at Ft. Lewis for a year while he did his AEGD residency.  Maddy decided to come about 3 weeks early and thus, the 11 month apart deal.  I was sooooo happy to not be pregnant anymore!

These two have been inseparable from the day Maddy was born.  They still sleep together in the same bed.  They've moved to Cameron's room now but last year, they slept in Maddy's room.  One under the covers on one end and the other on top of the covers at the other end.  It's so funny.  Cameron is sorta like Maddy's security blanket.  She never wants to go anywhere unless Cameron comes along.   He pretends that it annoys him now but I think he really likes it.  They have their moments these days but I think they will always be close!  If I get something for one of them, each one always asks "What about Maddy or what about Cameron"?  They always look out for each other.  Now that the baby day's are over, it's pretty fun!  I still don't know how I survived!

Forgotten Carols Choir

Tyler Castleton with me before the show.

This past week, I had the wonderful opportunity to perform with Michael McLain in the Forgotten Carols.  I had waited for 3 years to get this chance to sing in the choir.  It was a wonderful experience and I can't wait to do it again next year if they come back to Seattle.

We had three rehearsals in Bothell over a 3 week period and then one before the show.  The show is produced by Deseret Book and Tyler Castleton.  He was there and we got to work with him and meet him.    His name is on just about every other piece of music I've ever sung over the years.  His arrangements are amazing!  It was so cool to meet this person who is so talented and has done so much for LDS music.

I also had a vignette part.  It was a little scary as I didn't know what I was supposed to do on stage until a couple hours before the show.  My part was to be a "person who was cold and in a serious hurry".  I had to walk around the stage a few times and then give Uncle John (Michaell) some money as he was playing his flute.  I was really scared I was going to slip and fall as the stage was a little slippery and so were my shoes!  Luckily, I didn't fall and embarrass myself.  You see, back in 1991, I had the main part in a musical at the college I was attending.  Well, a week into the rehearsals, I ended up having to have an emergency tonsillectomy and so I was unable to sing.  I had to take a chorus/dancing part and it was a serious disappointment but at least I still got to do the show.  Then, on opening night, I was dancing on stage during one of the acts and fell during one of the dance moves and broke my foot.  There were 500 or so people in the audience!  What luck huh!  I don't think I was meant to be in that musical!  Luckily when I fell, I was towards the back and just slid off the stage behind the curtain.  When the number was over, I was able to get backstage and get a look at it.  I left for the ER and sure enough, sprained and broken and casted for 2 months!  Soo.......when someone says, "Break a Leg" I say, noooooo, don't say that to me....or I just might!

Micheal McLain in the "green room" before the show, expressing his love and gratitude for us and the gifts he is able to share.

Michael was so warm and gracious.  When we were in the green room, he came back before the show and spoke with us.  When we were rehearsing earlier, he came and taught us a song he had written and asked us to learn it right then and sing it that night!  No pressure or anything!!  It was so fun to meet him and hang out with him. I've always loved his music and to have this opportunity was a dream come true!!  He is truly a blessed, brilliant, inspired man. I sat 3 feet away from him during most of the show.  It was so amazing to me how he plays the piano and sings, never missing a note, beat, or line.  All that kept running thru my mind was how brilliant and special he is.  There is no one else like him.  What it must be like to have that talent and the ability to share it with the world.  

Here I am with Christian Molnard and Kathy Gappmayer from Lake Wilderness along with Grant Erickson from Eunmclaw Second.  When I found out that we needed another alto, I asked Kathy to join us and she was able to do so.  When we got the first rehearsal, we discovered that Christian and Grant were involved too and didn't even know it.  We had a wonderful time together and are working on some things to sing together at our home ward before Kathy moves to Utah next month! 

Welcome to the Red Carpet Birthday Bash for Maddy!

Maddy celebrated her 9th birthday last Friday, November 14th.  It seems that in our family, birthdays turn out to be a week long celebration!  On the Tuesday before her big day, we went to HS Musical with the Gillies cousins and then did Glow in Dark Put Put at the supermall.  We then met up with Grandma and Grandpa Benson at the Country Buffet for dinner to celebrate with them.  Grandma B made her a cupcake platter and got her a little purple christmas tree to match her room. 

Then, on Friday, her actual birthday, we celebrated as a family.  We went out to La Fogata with all her cousins and they sang to her with the sombrero on. They brought her deep fried ice cream with a candle in it and she almost caught the sombrero on fire when they were singing to her.  It was really funny(sort of!) and lots of other patrons in the restaurant were freaking out as they could see the candle and the sombrero getting too close to each other.

Saturday, we held her actual party with her friends.  This proved to be quite and undertaking!  What to do with 16 8-9 year girls??

On Friday I still was at a loss as to what to do for 2 hours.  I usually prepare ahead a little better but I've had a lot on my plate these past few months (Okay, I know, when do I not??) and I was stressed to figure something out.  Maddy had said that she wanted to do a Hannah Montana Concert party.  I rented the concert DVD and thought I would play it in the basement on the big screen and went to the party store to buy some supplies.  I figured we could do popcorn and play some games.  As I was in the store, I had a brilliant idea, at least I thought it was considering the timeline I'd left for myself.... (and the fact that before the party that started at four, I had to do a 3 hour rehearsal in Bothel and coach a soccer game in MV).  I was pretty proud of myself and excited about my idea!

I came up with a "Movie Premier/Red Carpet" party.  We have this huge (106") home theater screen so why not use it!!  I found all these cute red decorations, stars, and shimmery stuff.  Then I came up with using a long red tablecloth on the roll to use as the red carpet, got popcorn containers like at the movies, bought movie candy and a bunch of other red accessories to make a concession stand.  I borrowed my neighbors movie popcorn popper and whala.....we had a "real" red carpet experience.  We have a helium tank at Craig's office so I did a bunch of balloons as well which always adds to the fun!

The girls lined up outside and had to walk the red carpet and head down to the "theater".  It was a total hit!  I gave each girl $20 in monopoly money and they were able to buy their own popcorn, drinks, and candy at the "concession" stand.  It was so funny!  The girls really got into it.  Cameron manned the concessions and took his job very seriously.   The girls watched the movie and then then the screaming started!  It was a serious ear plugging time!    I apologized to the parents when they came to pick their kids up as I feared their kids might get sick from all the junk food!  I've never seen girls pack that much candy, popcorn, pizza, cake and more down in one setting!

It was a really fun party and after it was all over (and I could hardly keep my eyes open) Maddy came up and hugged me and said it was the best party ever.  Doesn't that make it worth all the effort when one of your kids says thank you!!

Maddy's family celebration and getting her first Ipod!

Watching the concert with some of her friends. 

Her favorite thing...a DQ ice cream cake.

Watching the movie on the big screen.

Maddy's entrance on the Red Carpet!  Each girl was greeted at the door with "Welcome to the Red Carpet" and was given a red necklace to wear.

Cameron manning the concession stand.

Happy 9th Birthday to the sweetest girl we've ever known!

The New Office - Completed!!!!

Okay, after about 10 attempts to upload these photos with no success, I finally got them onto blogger!  I don't know why but for some reason, it would not upload them until today.....so without further adeiu........Here is the new office all completed!  

Our new office has been selected to appear in Sullivan Schein's national magazine.  It's a quarterly magazine and each issue showcases new offices that have used their products and materials.  They liked ours so much that we got nominated and were chosen!  Someone came and took some photos and then we had to fill out a questionaire.  We don't know when it will appear, could be a year out they say but it's pretty exciting for us to be recognized as one of the premier offices that they have helped create!  We are very pleased with how it turned out.  Our open house on October 16th was a huge success and we are very excited to see the new growth our practice has already seen since opening the doors.  It's so great to be in a new office that reflects us, our taste and what we want to convey to our patients!  It was a lot of hard work and stress to get it all done but it was well worth it.  We were looking to create an atmosphere of warmth and I think we did it!  All the artwork is my Dad's photography.  It really completes the decor and I'm so glad we opted to use it.  It brings a nice feeling to the office.  

Part of Craig's office with Storm, our office manager.

Looking down one of the hallways.

One of the 8 operatories.

One of 3 waiting areas.

View of the front desk area.

Decorative element with my $6.97 spray of twigs from Wal Mart!!!  Who'd of thought!  I searched high and low for some kind of arrangement to go here and couldn't find anything but a cool vase.  Then I came upon the sticks from WalMart!  Looks expensive huh!

View of the chart room and Storms desk.

One of the waiting rooms.

Back side of the front desk where patients check out manned by Mandi, our sweet front desk girl.

View of part of the patient bathroom.

Here's the sign going up. That was the last thing to be completed.  Whew!

Brothers

Britton and Jordan were close when they were little.  They are only 19 months apart.  Jordan always had to do whatever it was that Britton did.  I had to buy two of everything or Jordan would lay down and throw a serious tantrum if he didn't get to wear the same thing as Britton right down to the shoes and socks.  It was cute that they were always the same until they got a little older, and then they didn't think it was so cute!

Then they went through about a 10 year phase where they didn't like each other as much so it's been nice as of late to see them becoming close again.  Now, they are mostly inseparable again and like doing the same things.  Jordan still likes to do whatever Brit does but now Brit is also interested in what Jordan is doing.  Jordan started wrestling a couple of years ago and so Brit decided that he wants to try it to so they just started up the HS wrestling season together. 

I never thought they'd be close again after all the years of not wanting to be in the same room as each other for the most part.  It's kinda nice to see them like this.  I hope it continues through out their lives.  I used to tell them that they needed to be nice to each other because when all is said and done, all you really have is your family. 

Britton and Jordan on the banks of the Willamette River, Portland 1997.

Happy Halloween

Cameron went as Indiana Jones this year!  When we were at Disneyworld this past summer, he loved all the Indiana Jones stuff!  He said he wanted to be IJ for Halloween so I bought him all the stuff there!  He's been saving it to wear on Halloween, only the coat only came in one size fits all!  Oh well!  What can a busy mom do?

Maddy wanted to be Dorothy again!  We took Toto along but he's gotten white over the years!