Jake the Great!

We have late church right now which means we can squeeze in the morning newspaper before church. Jake LOVES reading the sports page. He totes it around the house (and even takes it with him to church to read with his nursery leader, Brad). All of us seem to know what the game of the night was because Jake points to the pics and tells us "baa-ball", "bae-ball", "foo-ball" then with his big bright eyes dancing with delight at his new picture discoveries he says "bat". I am still working on teaching him "golf"! At Christmas Ruth got a set of clubs and Jake was all over those. My walls have a few dings from him trying out her clubs!

Jake in his favorite attire, Emily's basket ball shoes! He likes wearing her school uniform as well.

His favorite sport, teasing his sister "Aaa"

Computer Trouble

Well,Jakedecidedtoflickoffmyspacebarbuttonalongwithsomeotherkeysonthelaptop.Itmakesitquitedifficulttotype.ButIamworkingonjerryriggingitsosoonyouwillbeabletoreadmyposts!

Life is always interesting at the Bott house! If you didn't get our Christmas Card here it is! I think that about sums up our year!

TOUCH!

Sometimes I feel like I have let technology run away from me. By the time I get all my daily jobs done I rarely have much time left in my day to catch up on technology. Well, it has definitely been one of those moments lately. We were riding home in the car and I was manning the ipod touch. How difficult could it be to touch the screen and have it manuever to where I want it. Screams kept coming from the back of the car like "mom let me have it you're taking too long!"; "mom, that's the wrong song,"; "we didn't want dad's podcast we wanted Taylor Swift!"

Where was Anna when I needed her! I guess I need ipod lessons from the three year old! She can touch and move like no one I've seen. Her little thumbs can really dance! I can't imagine speedy gonzalas when she ventures into texting!

What a good Daddy

The other day I was getting ready for the day when Anna walked in with her doll all wrapped up in a blanket. She is such a good mommy. She was showing her baby to me when Jake walked in behind her with a blanket as well. He had his football all wrapped up like a baby. He was so proud of himself! He was showing me his "baby." It was all I could do to not laugh.

This week Jake has been very sick. We are waiting for some tests to come back to find out if he has some serious infection, we probably won't know till Wednesday. We are hoping it isn't anything to worry about. Saturday morning Alan had taken Emily and Ruth to early morning basketball. They were so noisy while getting ready that they woke Jake up about 7am. I tried to console him as they were walking out the door. Finally I thought I'd try to watch something while he cried. I turned the TV on and of course it was on the Mountain channel. Immediately he stopped crying and tuned right into the football game that was blaring. "Ba-Ball" was all he could say. He settled into my lap quietly and I began watching TCU play SMU back in 2008. I must say I wasn't that interested! But he was. We sat there for a good half an hour till I decided that I had had enough of watching two teams that I didn't even know what the letters stood for. My question is this, how does he know about football!?! I hope he doesn't plan on playing the game! He is definitely getting golf clubs for Christmas!!!

Jake shaves his head

Last weekend Alan came home from Korea. He had been up for over 24 hours and was feeling the effects of jet lag. He had just showered and set his razor down. When I walked into the bathroom I saw Jake with something gray in his hand rubbing it back and forth along his head.My first thought was that he had a comb and was trying to comb his own hair, ohh how cute! Until I realized it was Alan's razor that he was rubbing back and forth. He was left with this cute little bald spot! Better him than Anna right!

Baby Bumble Bees and Footballs

Anna has been learning so much during nursery. She has a great leader, Sis, Christiansen, who teaches her all sorts of songs. I usually spend the week trying to figure out what song she is trying to sing. However, last week I understood the words to "I'm bringing home a baby bumble bee, won't my mommy be so proud of me. I squishing up a baby bumble bee..." We sang the song together a couple of times. On Friday I was getting ready for the day after the kids were home from school when I heard a very loud shriek from the family room. It was Emily and so I ignored it because she usually over dramatizes everything. The screaming continued so I walked out to see what was going on. There Anna stood holding a wasp by its wings bringing it into me. She stood so proud and couldn't figure out why Emily was freaking out! I sometimes wonder who thinks up the songs that we sing to our children.

Jake came programmed to love sports. He carries a ball, bat, tennis racket, etc. around with him everywhere. We cannot get him to sit and watch Clifford or the Berenstain Bears, but when ESPN plays football, golf or tennis (women's included) he will stop what he is doing and zone in to the TV. He climbed up on my brother's lap and sat for 20 minutes just watching a football game with him. THIS IS CRAZY!!! I am definitely learning that boys and girls come very differently.

our top TEN list for summer

This is in mostly chronological order because all of these were #1! Remember we are simple people, it doesn't take much to make us happy!

#1 Family trip to Boston-Ruth is a Boston Celtics fan, I know it is just wrong! But she got her Celtics jersey she has wanted. Jake and Anna saw Boston from the most wonderful double stroller ever. It was worth all the money that I paid for it!!!!! Em, Ruth and I walked the city over. It was such a family friendly place. A couple of people asked if they were my sisters, that made my day, not so much theirs. The 3 of us got so good at the T, but we did hall the big stroller up and down A LOT of stairs because I didn't listen to the 12 year old who really has hear head on right. We visited Harvard, the Aquarium (not so good), walked the Freedom Trail, watched street dancers, ate roasted almonds from a street vendor, visited the Cappachetti's (our dear friends), CELEBRATED ANNA'S 3rd BIRTHDAY!!!

#2 Fenway Park-You can't go to Boston with a bunch of sports fanatics and not see Fenway. Because we had Anna and Jake we didn't go to a game, but just on the history tour which was very cool. Em took about a thousand pictures of the Red Sox hall of fame. Truly it was one of the most beautiful fields I have ever seen.

#3 Bear Lake with the Petersen Family-If you can look beyond the beauty of the Princesses, you will see the view of Bear Lake that we had from this cabin. It was exquisite. I wish I could describe the happy feelings that were in that cabin. These girl cousins (not to many boy cousins and very large gaps in ages makes them feel a little girl trapped) love each other so much.

#4 Tiling the basement- I know this doesn't sound fun, but it is always neat to learn a new skill with your husband. Alan and I spent 3 Saturdays together (now with Alan's loose interpretation of what a date is I am sure he is counting all three as dates!) cutting and laying about 800 sq ft of tile. It actually has turned out very nice. Someday it will actually get grouted as well.

#5 Photo Shoots with Aunt Di-Di was kind enough to take my girls, and Jakes pictures. Anna wasn't all that interested, she mostly wanted to play with Bella. Jake just wanted to explore, Emily and Ruth just wanted to look perfect, I think they did a pretty good job of that.

#6 Back to Bear Lake to see Alan's brother Dave-Dave was kind enough to do some work for a gift for me so we took Alan's parents up and spent the day with him. It was peaceful, calm, and happy. Jake explored Camp Hunt finding his first stick. Who knew that boys come with sword abilities!

#7 Jake learned how to say "ba-baaaa" let me interpret 18 month old that would be football, taught to him by his football fanatic sisters. I am still shooting for a golfer where no one will tackle my son and hurt him. If that doesn't work then maybe a punter then he will have to be fast and just get out of the way,but at least his blows would be limited!

#8 Best year ever for Summer Fun! Em and Ruth with two of their friends have run a fun camp for kids between the ages of 4 and 9. This year went so smoothly and the girls enjoyed it so much more than they ever had. Most of the days were planned well and with precision. There were a few gliches, but we call those learning experiences.

#9 Ruth got braces and her ears pierced-even though she doesn't want me to say so, she was sooooo excited to get braces! She kept begging me to make the appointment. I don't know if it is the transformation from 6th to 7th grade or the braces,but she is looking more mature.

A few years ago Emily wanted her ears pierce and I said I thought she was too young but if she read the Book of Mormon I would take her the day she finished and have them pierced. Well for the next two weeks she read day and night. So when Ruth wanted her ears pierced I had to follow the same pattern, again she read all day (not at night) till she too had finished the Book of Mormon. Moral of the story is be careful what you say because you have to follow through when you are the mom.

#10 Having one last summer with Anne. Sometimes we need to look at all the little miracles around us. We have blessing upon us all the time. And even when situations are difficult we will see the tender mercies of our Father in Heaven if we will focus on them instead of the pain and heartache that may be surrounding us. We spent a lot of time with Anne and are grateful for every memory.

Hard to believe that she really is so sick, I know!

There is a Taylor Swift song that says "I had the best day with you, today" that is how I felt yesterday as I sat with my sister Anne in the hospital. For days she has been unconcious and unable to speak. She is paralyzed on one side and now blind in her right eye. But as I walked in to her room for my short shift I found her sitting up laughing with 2 of my other sisters and my mom. All of us sat laughing, visiting and waiting for Ward, her husband, to arrive with the kids after back to school night. I sat with her Monday and Tuesday nights and got no reaction at all. I prayed that I might have just one more chance to have a conversation with her. I knew it was a selfish request and did not expect it to be granted. But last night there I was experiencing exactly what I had prayed for. It was a gift that I will cherish always.

She has had actively growing melanoma for the last 19 months and wrung through some of the roughest, most gruesome treatment imaginable in fighting to stay here on earth with her husband and 3 daughters.

Her rapid decline has been almost a shock for our family. She has been doing so good. Friday I talked with her as she ran errands getting her kids school clothes. Saturday she and her husband went on a date with some friends and had so much fun. Sunday at 5:30am she had something in her brain burst and bleed. It is unclear if it is a tumor or not. She is now rapidly declining and completely unconcious again with no hopes of waking up this time. She has said her good byes now. With each ring of the phone I wonder if it will be the news that she is gone.

Death is not an easy process and does take time. It does not scare me anymore. Elder Lance B Wickman said in an LDS General Conference address something that has changed my thinking, he said "grief is the natural by-product of love. One cannot selflessly love another person and not grieve at his suffering or eventual death. The only way to avoid the grief would be to not experience the love; and it is love that gives life its richness and meaning." Because I love Anne I will grieve intensely, but all my memories of her will be sweet and precious.

I know that through the blessings of the temple families can be eternal. I know soon she will be holding and loving my little Sarah and reminding her how much her mom loves her. I know that one day the 3 of us will hug again and that cancer will not be able to hurt us or cause us pain. How much I detest the vile word of cancer, and yet it has been my teacher these last 8 years. It has changed my soul for the better and made me more sympathetic, compassionate and humble bringing me closer to my Father in Heaven.

(Can you believe that I posted soquickly after sending an email!)

Counting My Blessings

Because I Have Been Given Much!
Because I have been given 14 loads of laundry I have been blessed to have a family
Because I have been given a broken lamp and light bulb all over the floor I have been blessed with a darling healthy little boy to climb on the table
Because I have been given a driver’s license I have been blessed to run kids around
Because I have been given two beautiful daughters I am blessed to attend many basketball games with younger children
Because I have been given pencils I have been blessed with original artwork on my walls
Because I have been given large shirts to press I have been blessed with a husband who loves me
Because I have been given shoes I have been blessed to have a daughter who gets me out of bed to go running
Because I have been given stains on the sofa and carpet I have been given two cute little mugs to kiss every day.
My list of blessings could go on or I could actually end by saying Because I have been given much I to must give, So who a two hour shift with a two year old and a one year old?

Sometimes a mom has two choices, she can scream or laugh. Today I chose to laugh because otherwise I would have SCREAMED! Anna Joy is definitely a spunky vivaciously active little girl. Truly nothing slows her down. In fact she drives our home teacher nuts every time he comes. You can see his skin crawling when she walks in the room. Every time he has come he comments that we are in trouble with "that one". But she never does anything maliciously, it is always in fun and she smiles the entire time she is doing it. So how can you get angry! Jake is usually just along for the ride. Today while I was showering Anna was extremely quiet and wouldn't answer me when I called, which always makes me nervous. I figured she had left the house so I got the Superman in a booth shower. I peaked out to check on her and she finally called back. Jake escaped my room and I decided rather than streak anywhere with all the windows open I would get dressed really fast. What damage could be done in 30 seconds Right? Well, obviously a lot! The kitchen, Jake, and Anna were all covered in chocolate pudding that Anna had made (the night before mostly by herself, after she had poured the milk in Emily helped her finish it) and whipped topping. I noticed a large puddle of water on the floor, Anna knew she had made a mess so she was going to clean it up. She climbed on our bar chairs and grabbed the sprayer "cleaning up the mess". Here I am one hour later happy that both are asleep because I know when they wake up I will love them as if nothing ever happened. One little snuggle in the neck and that is payment enough for the career that I have chosen!