Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Kindergaten Bound

Today was Degan's last day of preschool with Ms. Gerilyn!! and his last day of speech with Ms. Wilson! The funny thing is, he thought he was starting kindergarten the very next day and was fully prepared to catch the bus with Dillon that next morning!! He had so much fun in preschool & made lots of new friends, Oh and learned a little too! I will miss his funny stories about all the other kids in his class especially the ones about Meagan! Degan also made good progress in speech this year and probably won't need to go back next year!! I'm so proud of Degan and can't believe that after one short summer he will get to go to the "BIG" school! I better stock up on tissues now!!

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Man's Best Friend

Today was a difficult day for all of us, in our own way and many tears were shed simply because we missed our dear friend. Our daily routine seemed a little off with no dog to feed or take for a walk. I was especially sad to not hear a bark at dusk to remind me it was your feeding time. Our lives were forever changed when you joined the family and we loved watching our boys grow up with you, if only we could keep you around forever and you could always keep up with them, but sadly we know that's not how life works and we have to say good bye to the ones we love the most. Our hearts & minds are at peace knowing that you are no longer in pain. You were the best dog that 3 boys could have ever asked for and they will miss you greatly. R.I.P Ruger

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Driving Lessons

Degan has decided that he is big enough to ride the "BIG" 4-wheeler so Dad pulled it out and gave him a few lessons and off he went cruising around the backyard all by himself!! Now he asks everyday if he can ride his 4-wheeler!! Boys and their toys!!

Desert Friends

Dillon & Degan petting a horny toad!
Dillon & Degan in 2007 with some turtles
Living in the desert you never know what you might come across, especially when you live out in the boonies like we do! We've seen some cool desert animals and some not so cool desert animals! Of course we have lizards by the dozens that the boys try to catch but never do cause they are way to fast! On this particular day with the horny toad he just sat there and let them pick him up and pet him. The boys thought it was cool he wasn't running away!! another one of our favorite visitors was the turtles that showed up in our backyard after a rainstorm, totally random and we've never seen another turtle since!! Some of the not so cool desert friends are the scorpions that like to hide in the garage and the time we had two baby rattle snakes in our courtyard, it was so scary cause Dillon walked right past one before he spotted it and went and told Darin! I could do without the snakes & scorpions but I guess that's just part of living in the desert!!

Friday, May 13, 2011

Jones vs. Tanner

Wednesday was Grandpa's funeral and what a wonderful service it was, everyone did an amazing job paying tribute to a great man. Funerals are always hard but the time you get to spend with family is priceless! Somewhere in between the rhino rides and running around the grand kids from the Jones Clan and Tanner Clan got into a war on the teeter totter! they were chanting their last names and running around recruiting the older grand kids!! It was pretty funny and those poor Tanner's didn't stand a chance cause they were out numbered!! GO JONES!!

Sunday, May 8, 2011

A Love of a Lifetime

There is something to be said about young love and all the excitement it brings! but there is even more to be said about the love that stands the test of time, for better or for worse, in sickness & in health! I feel that this is the kind of love Grandma & Grandpa Waters have for one another, They have never been ones for public displays of affection, I don't think in the 17 years I've known them I've ever seen them kiss, but I did witness in the last weeks of Grandpa's life them sit next to each other so sweetly holding hands, I saw Grandma when she probably thought nobody was looking bend down & lovingly kiss Grandpa's forehead. Have they had an easy life? probably not. I've heard many a story of there moves to find work, and there struggles to raise a large family and suddenly I find myself thinking wait Grandpa I haven't heard enough, and Oh how I'll miss the "Oh Ron, I'm sure they've heard that one already" that Grandma would say every time he'd start a story!! Grandpa had quite the life and some of his stories were so funny! and somewhere along the way he learned how to fix just about anything, Once one of our car doors wouldn't shut right and Grandpa went to his shed and got a piece of wood, shoved it somewhere in the door jam, slammed the car door a few times and it was good as new!! he loved working in his shop & creating things out of wood, many a birdhouse were created in there!! He enjoyed watching westerns & anything John Wayne, over the years there was a great battle with the two satellite companies because of the "Western Channel" I don't remember how many times Darin & I left Grandpa's house laughing because he got pissed off and canceled his satellite, but it was a lot!! Grandpa always said he was built like a Chevy "Like a Rock" and he proved that many times in his life First time had to be when he was a prisoner of war in WWII, I can only imagine what hell they put him through, but as he would say we beat those dam Germans and flew his flag proudly!! Second, would be his first battle with cancer, none of us ever doubted that he would beat it and he did, even with all those trips to Mexico! Lastly would be his last month on this earth, the nurse would give him a few days and he would late a week, the nurse would give him another few days and he said "I'm gonna stay till the 1st of May so Retta can have a full paycheck", crazy I know but he made it!! I know he was in a lot of pain and ready to go & be with Rodger but he wanted so badly to be with the love of his life, and although he thought she was keeping him here I know it was him who didn't want to leave her because that's just who he was, a fighter to the very end- "Like a Rock" I'm so thankful for their example of what true love is and I feel even more blessed that my boys got to know their Great Grandpa and the amazing man that he was. I know Rodg is happy to have his "Bud" back and I can only imagine what that reunion was like! R-I-P Grandpa we promise to take good care of Grandma!! and enjoy your ice cream, according to Degan they have the best ice cream in heaven!!

A Day for Mothers!!

How lucky are we to have a day that we can get our kids to do anything by saying "But it's Mother's Day!!" I am so lucky to have been blessed with healthy boys and that I get to stay home and watch them grow up!!

Friday, May 6, 2011

Aloha!!

Tonight was the annual May Day dances for the elementary school! Dillon got to do the Hawaiian Roller Coaster this year and totally rocked it! Good job bud!

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Ronald Morgan Waters

 
God saw you getting tired and a cure was not to be. So he put his arms around you and whispered come to me. With tearful eyes we watched you suffer and saw you pass away. Although we loved you dearly, We couldn't make you stay. A golden heart stopped beating, hard working hands at rest. God broke our hearts to prove to us, he only takes the best. You will be greatly missed Grandpa---We Love You!!

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

My Back, My Aching Back

Darin has a bad back and it likes to go out at least 3-4 times a year and it's usually caused by something silly like trying to break a couple of frozen hamburger patties apart or playing around on Dillon's 360!! (both true stories!) This time he was in excruciating pain and went to the Chiropractor to get adjusted and Dr. Askeroth decided he'd better take an x-ray and discovered that Darin is a freak of nature and his last vertebrae is pointy and when his back goes out they poke into his nerves and makes it more painful than it should be. My poor honey. His final diagnoses is regular trips to see Dr. Askeroth to keep his spine aligned!!

Monday, May 2, 2011

Nobody Mourns the Wicked

September 11, 2001 is one of those dates that will forever be a tragic day in American history, It's a date that you know exactly what you were doing when you heard the news. I was getting ready for a day at hair school when Darin called and told me to turn on the news, and sadly I watched the second plane in disbelief fly into the other tower. So many lives lost that day because of one evil plan, But after 9 1/2 years of hiding out our awesome US troops got Bin Laden!! I can't help but feel a sense of American Pride--God Bless America!!