HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!

I just wanted to write a little birthday shout to my wonderful mom. Janelle Waite Stratford. Born on a snowy January 28, 19(your welcome mom) and it has snowed on every birthday she can remember. I told her it must be God's special gift to her each year. My mom wears so many different hats and "looks" incredibly good in each one. My mom is a WONDERFUL DAUGHTER. She is a choice daughter of God. She has great spiritual strength that she is so willing to share with everyone around her. She takes her callings very seriously and always goes the "extra mile" to fulfill them. She is a very loving, caring and doting daughter to her earthly parents. She is always thinking of them and is always 5 steps ahead in knowing what they need and how she can help. She is such a good example of service. She is a GREAT WIFE. It has been so great to see them being able to so many fun things together especially since they became "empty nesters". The greatest thing I have been amazed with is how much they support each other and are so helpful to each other in caring for their parents. She is an INCREDIBLE MOTHER. She loves each of her children with an intensity that I never fully understood until I had children of my own. Growing up she was constantly helping us with EVERYTHING. She always seemed to know just the right way to help and was ALWAYS there to talk when we needed it. (Even when we didn't think we did). She is a GREAT EXAMPLE of love and unity. She is so wonderful to keep us all pulled together and taught us the great importance of always supporting each other in everything. She is a SUPERB NURSE. She has always had a very good "bedside manner". Her patients have always loved her. Currently she is working as a Registered Nurse at Island View Treatment Center. The kids there have many troubles that they are there to work through and mom is definitely a constant for them. She is very SELF LESS in her time that she devotes to them. Now she is full filling one her greatest callings of GRANDMA. GRANDMA BO BO to be accurate. She is definitely one of those "doting grandmas". Sometimes, we think, a little too much. She spoils them. She is always asking when she can see them. She makes herself available (at any cost) to be with them. Most important, her grand kids absolutely LOVE and ADORE her. Mom, you are AMAZING in all you are. THANK YOU for your true examples. I am so grateful for you in my life. I THANK YOU for my life. THANK YOU for sacrificing the 48 hours it took to get me here and for giving me everything you have in getting me where I am today. I LOVE YOU!
Love,
Deanne
P.S. I didn't have any pictures to honor my mom on our computer and our scanner is broken. But please visit my sister Melanie's blog for some great pictures. Go to May and Ty under my friends and family link. Thanks.

Our "Special" Sunday

So...Sundays are usually "special" days for us. Getting all of us up and ready for church and then be seated by 8:45am only to wrestle our way through the meeting with many potty trips and "Shhhhhhhhh you must use your quiet voice"is a bit on the tricky side, but somehow we usually accomplish our goal. Well, today was particularly "special". I think it really all started Friday night. So we finally were able to attend the temple. Of course we had a wonderful evening there thanks to Great grandma for keeping Tate and for our amazing babysitter, Amanda (whom our boys love). When we got home about 8:30p the boys were sound asleep in bed and Tate was ready for bed. Needless to say, Dan and I were in bed and asleep by 9:15pm!!! Hooray!! Because of this, Dan was wide awake Saturday morning at 4:30am. I was...not so wide awake and very happy to still be in bed. So Dan got up, worked out on the elliptical for about 30 minutes, lifted weights, and then went out to dig our car out of the snow where it had been stuck for about 3 or 4 days. All this was unknown to me until around 6:00am when Dan loudly came up the stairs and with very cold hands rudely awakened me to come help him dig out the car. I laid in bed for a few more minutes trying to decipher if his request was part of the wild dream I had been having involving Dan's cousin Scott(who had lived with us for a while and recently married a very wonderful woman). I dreamed that it was Scott's wedding day and we were all gathered in the backyard of some one's house. Scott and his bride came out from behind some trees as some Scottish wedding march music began to play. His bride of course was wearing a lovely white wedding gown, but Scott (in true fashion) was wearing a black suit coat with one of his weird "comment" T-shirts underneath and green plaid shorts that were way too short. They immediately climbed onto the trampoline with a sprinkler going underneath it and said their wedding vows. So...you can see why I'd be a bit confused trying to wake up after that dream. Anyway, I decided Dan's request was unfortunately real. So I threw on some snow boots and a coat and shuffled outside to find Dan digging vigorously in the headlights of his car. I so wished I had still been at Scott's wedding. We finally got the car out shortly after I realized that the emergency brake had been on throughout the whole ordeal. There was no point going back to bed after that, thus, the day began. Dan left about 8:30am, picked up my dad, and headed to Provo to pick up my grandpa (my Dad's Dad). They spent the day moving my grandparents into their new home at Peach Tree Assisted Living Center here in Clinton. I packed up the kids and by about 9:30am headed to the "other" Jacobs residence to help Christy re-upholster an amazing chair she inherited from her grandmother. We got quite a bit done. It was a very educational experience. May I never try that on my own. Anyway, I rushed back home around 4:30p to get food going for my family which was coming to our house around 6:00p for dinner and a little Dance Dance Revolution. In true Stratford/Wangsgard fashion, all were late(except my mom-who came to help get the food set up). We had much fun, but couldn't get anyone to leave until 11:30pm. J/K. So... then this morning (yes I am getting to the point of this) our alarm did not go off. And because of the crazy days and late night, we did not wake up. Around 8:15am I awoke out of yet another dead sleep and night of wacky dreams (no Scott was not in this one). Imagine my panic. I was supposed to be showered, beautified, have Tate fed, and all the rest of "the boys" out the door and seated at church by 8:45am. Why such a panic? Couldn't we just be late this one time? Not when I am supposed to be leading the opening hymn for the congregation! AHHHHHHHHHHH! Needless to say, I was ready in 15 minutes, fed Tate in 15 minutes (poor Tate), left Dan with the duties of getting all of them dressed in church attire, fed and to the church with the promise of me saving them a seat on the front row and with the threat of "Hurray, don't be too late". I thought I was definitely going to make it and be 5 minutes early. Nope. I entered the front of the chapel as the congregation was singing the opening hymn "Hark All Ye Nations" and someone else was leading them. I am so grateful to be in a ward where everyone else is on top of their callings. So, I sheepishly sat down, opened my hymn book and tried to sing. But, living up to my earlier threat, my amazing husband came trotting up to the front row with all our beautiful children. He sat down by me with Tate, with a very frazzled look on his face, as Tracen and Tyler continued their march to an entirely different bench also at the front of the chapel. They immediately began "hugging" each other loudly and telling Tracen's primary teacher a very loud story. We finally got things under control and had made it through the Sacrament, when Tate began crying (Tyler probably poked him in the eye) and then Tyler announced loudly that he needed to go potty. Dan promptly took Tate and Tyler out as I was going to need to lead the closing hymn shortly. Tracen reverently stayed with me. I went up to lead the hymn and left Tracen on the bench. I was so proud when I looked down to see him reverently sitting with a hymn book open on his lap. Then, middle of the hymn, he stood up and ran out the front doors of the chapel. After the closing prayer, I cleaned up our very messy bench as the people behind us were commenting on how "all those boys must keep you pretty busy" and went to meet Dan in the foyer to take the kids to Primary. I found my crazy boys on the couch and Tracen sobbing quietly to himself. Apparently he didn't get to the potty on time. So... Dan took Tracen home to change and I took Tyler to class. I was very happy when Tate slept through most of Sunday school, but unfortunately he did not wake up happy and I spent Relief Society walking the halls. When I went to get the boys from their Primary classes, and meet Dan, I was greeted with Tracen crying because he had smashed his fingers in the door and Tyler running away because he wanted a special treat from the librarians. As I am running after Tyler, carrying Tate in his car seat and making sure the crying Tracen keeps up, I am stopped by Tyler's teacher. He said, "so I have to tell you what Tyler said to the other teacher today." I am often greeted by Tyler's teachers this way. "So Tyler came up to his teacher and told her he had a secret. She bent down and Tyler whispered in her ear "Psst... I have a knife"". So.... that concludes our "special" Sunday today. Pray for us. We look forward (I guess) to sharing with you many more "special" days.

B-Day shout out to the Spanish Missionaries!

This is a picture of good ol' Mom and Dad somewhere in Spain. I post this picture and message as a Happy Birthday to both of them for this month. I don't know what age constitutes "ripe old", but I would say that they both might be nearing the "over-ripe" stage. That comment was meant as a joke. Along those lines, I remember a time when I was in the 6th grade and one of my friends was telling me that his 35 year old mother was "over the hill". My mom was well past 45 at the time and I sheepishly told him that if that were the case then my mom was on the downward slope of Mt. Everest. Once again, just a lame joke told by a kid trying to impress his adolescent buddies. While my comment wasn't very impressive in and of itself, what was impressive is that both of my parents looked younger than most of my, much-younger, friends' parents.

Mom, Dad, I love you both very much. I have so much to thank you for that a blog entry would never quite do. I do hope that you realize my gratitude for your example, and caring throughout the years.

Since today is Dad's birthday, I would like to post a poingnant memory I have of him. It may very well be one of my most cherished memories. When I was 11 years old or so, I recall my Dad pulling me aside. He had told me that he wanted to talk to me alone, and as kids that age are prone to do, I was scared that I had done something wrong and was in for it. He sat me down and in sweet awkwardness explained to me that he wanted me to hear that he loved me. I remember a hint of emotion not often shown by him as he told me that while he always knew his father loved him, he wasn't sure he could recall a time where he had told him so. His desire was that he would not have it be the same way for me. Something as simple as that "I love you" has had a profound impact on my life. Knowing the kind of rascal I was at that age makes the occasion even more miraculous! In seriousness, I am very greatful for that 5 minute expression of love given to me that day. I have also vowed, that if nothing else, my children will know of my love for them. Thank you Dad, I love you too, and have a very happy 66th birthday. Mom, I will leave your age out of this, but Happy birthday, and know that I love you. - Dan

Jumpin' January

Snow Mojo

We have had a great weekend with some fun events. Yesterday I took the two older boys up to a cabin in the Uintahs. As we have had so much snow lately, we were only able to drive within a mile of where it is and we had to hike in. Well I should say that I hiked in, the boys got to be hiked in by dad. I would say that in some places, the snow would have easily been up to my chin, but the majority of the area had at least 3+ feet of fresh snow.

We spent the majoity of the afternoon playing in the cabin, eating junk food, and snowmobiling to our hearts content. We had so much fun in fact that we didn't leave until around 8:30 pm. The conditions were just too perfect to not stick around as long as we did.

Of course Deanne was invited to come as well, but she opted to stay and go to lunch with several of her girlfriends from high-school. We missed her but both parties seemed to have a good day.

Pictures are worth a thousand words so they say, so I will let the pictures and videos speak the rest of this post for me.

WHAT AN AMAZING DAY!!

ZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!

Hooplah

I am pretty new to the whole blog theater, but I am becoming converted more and more to the possibilities. Thank you to those who convinced us to give blog a chance and thanks to those who showed us how to work the dang thing.

Here is a picture of me reading the book "Cars" to my sons. You will note the "Cars" pajamas, "Cars" lunchboxes, and "Cars" cars that Tracen is lining up on the chair. Any doubt as to what type of a Christmas we had this year?

We have had lots of snow lately - as any of you Utahns already know, and as such we are all getting just a touch of cabin fever. The three older boys (myself, Tracen and Tyler) are headed up to the mountains for some low-risk snowmobiling on Saturday to remedy said fever. I say low risk because we will be on flat open fields the entire time (that was for you Grandmas). Not outrunning avalanches up in the more mountainous sections. Dee is staying back with Tate to attend a little reunion with some of her high school friends which I am sure will be give her a good enough estrogen fix to get her through another month or so of our testosterone-packed household.

The boys remain themselves - and they keep us busy. Perhaps we will create a slideshow of some of their antics here in the future. Until then... thanks for caring.

It's a Happy New Year!!

So, does this picture tell it all? For New Years, we had the "other Jacobs clan" over. We had dinner, (if you want to call chips and dip, veggies and dip, bean dip, guacamole dip and all of us dips.... dinner) and then a very scrumptious egg nog cheescake that Christy made. We had planned to play games, cards, Dance Dance Revolution, and watch a fun movie.... but with six kids 4 & under.... well it didn't happen. In fact, by the time we finally got the kids "under control" and "in their beds" we just ended up watching Transfomers,toasting a little bubbly when midnight hit, and going to bed. Then to start the new year right we had yummy egg nog french toast for breakfast. This picture of the the boys (L to R: Riley, Tyler, Sammy, Tracen) was taken to send to Tricia ( Dan's mom) for her birthday which was on January 1st. The shirts were a gift from Leo and Tricia, who are on a mission in Spain, to the boys for Christmas.
As crazy as it usually is when we are all together, we absolutely love being with Bruce and Christy and boys. We are so grateful the boys have fun cousins their age so close to us.
We look forward to a very happy new year filled with lots of fun and laughter with all of our dear friends and family. We also hope we will get better at this blog thing so you all can have a much more enjoyable time reading our blog. WE LOVE YOU ALL and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!