Shout for JOY!!

Life can be disappointing and at the same time very surprising, and I can prove it! We thought, back in spring, that we would be able to afford to send Kimball to Preschool. It would be in the 60 dollar range, seemingly affordable at the time. Kimball was SUPER excited about school, especially since he would get to go to school with his friend Braxton.

Coming into the fall semester however, it became very apparent that our budget had no breathing room for any extra expenses. We knew that we would have to downsize, and Preschool was one thing to be taken out of the budget. We wanted Kimball to get used to the idea of having a teacher before kindergarten, and also to get adequate social interaction before that time. We decided to pay a one time fee for soccer, giving him social interaction and also the opportunity to learn how to listen to an adult other than mom and dad.

How grateful I was to other moms in our ward who wanted to organize a Joy school. We have 6 moms and 8 kids, and it has been an awesome experience! It is very similar to the Preschool organized last fall by Ashley Krieger, but the lessons are already prepared. Meieli Hales has an account at www.valuesparenting.com, and it is at this web address where all the Joy school lesson materials can be accessed. The moms use her log-in info to access the lessons, songs, and handouts when preparing for Joy School. Each week, one mom is in charge of Joy School at their house, Tuesday and Thursday from 9:30 to 12:00. Another mom is assigned as the helper for the week. They come to Joy School to be the extra set of hands that is always needed with that many youngsters.

You know what the biggest surprise was? Brandon AND Kimball get to go to Joy School!! They love going together, and they both feel included. Brandon definitely would have felt left out if Kimball had left for preschool. It is bound to happen next year with Kimball going to Kindergarten, but Zach will be a little older and hopefully a good enough companion for Brandon. Joy school will live on though, I am hooked! I am definitely getting my own membership for valuesparenting.com!!

Above all else though, I get the opportunity to be their teacher. It was really enjoyable this last week to be the mom in charge and have the lessons prepared for Joy School. Not being able to send Kimball to preschool has made me step up as my children's first teacher as well. I spent $20 at The Learning Store in Pocatello on educational materials for the boys (charts with colors, numbers, animals, letters, and shapes). I put them on the wall in my kitchen around our dining table. On the day I put them up Brandon's ABC'S sounded like this "A, B, C. A, B, C...." That night it was "A, B, C, D, E, F, G. Next time won't you sing with me." Now, one week later, he can sing the whole alphabet! Mike and I both work with Kimball on addition and subraction.

$20 has gone a long way, which is why every 2 months I will take $20-$30 dollars to the learning store, or even online, and buy educational materials for my boys. The great thing is that these materials will be handy and in great condition for Zach and all other children that join our family circle!

So where we were met with disappointment in our budget, we are now met with fulfilling activities with friends from our ward and greater purpose in my role as a teacher for my children.

I remember...

The Blue Ghosts

Did I ever think I would be a "soccer mom"? No, to be honest. But its not so bad, really, as I thought it would be. I always pictured soccer moms as way too busy, running everywhere, kinda going crazy. However, my perception changed when I became a mother and realized that moms everywhere, whether they are considered soccer moms or not, are busy and we all run everywhere and go a little crazy sometimes:)

Kimball wanted to play soccer this year, and we consented. After paying $55 (too expensive if you ask me) and gathering his soccer supplies that we'd purchased last year, we were set. After a short first practice last Wednesday, his team, the blue ghosts, played their first game on Saturday. He did great the first half, but lost energy and enthusiasm in the second half, that is until the end of the game when he found out that there was juice and gold fish for an after game snack. Boy, he perked up for that pretty quickly.

The second half aside, I think that Saturday was a great experience for Kimball. Brandon wants to play so badly, he even ran onto the field at one point, ball in hand, ready for some action! Watch out next year for Brandon, he is already excited that he gets to play next year:)

Oh, and don't ask how they came up with the blue ghosts... lets just say that democracy rules!

Double chubby chunk!

Ok, I guess that is an exaggeration, but to me a mother of 2 wiry and skinny boys, Zach is chunky! He is in the 50th percentile for his height and weight, as compared to his Kimball who is in the 25th (used to be even lower) and Brandon who is now bursting onto the charts (finally) at the 5th percentile!
Kimball and Brandon never had rolls as a baby, and look at this! My baby has some rolls, I LOVE it:) The hair is awesome, though not quite as awesome as the hairstyle that Brandon rocked as a baby... I'll never forget his crazy hair!!

Keep growing Zach!

Slow: Papa at play!

Tuesday Sept 7th was a day that my boys will never forget, and this is why:





Thanks dad for a wonderful day, one that I will never forget and hopefully the same goes for my Brandon and Kimball!

P.S. You are still a good monkey, just like you were in your younger days:)

Labor Day

September 6th, labor day was well, full of labor for Mike. He spent the whole day on campus doing experiments for the labs that he is teaching even though he didn't sleep at all the night before. So I feel bad still that me and the kids had a fun day at Mor-mor's for breakfast and later on at Grandma's for a BBQ.

I really enjoyed our holiday, I thought the pictures I took captured the fun we had. It was so good to be able to visit with Cheryl, my parents, my grandparents, Brent and Debbie, and my brother and his family. I am so excited to spend time with some of my cousins and my grandma tomorrow night, Sept 12, playing games and having fun.

I picked a few pics from the Labor day BBQ and tried to do some cropping and editing, although my editing program is basic and I am no professional by any means:)

I love this one of Kimball in
the climbing tree

I was so glad that the camera was aimed
in the right direction and that I was
able to capture such a tender moment
between Brandon and Abigail

Visiting on the back porch (no editing)

Jumping (no editing)

Silliness!

Sweet blessings

Dear Zachary,
You are a precious son of God, and each one of your family members loves you! We are so grateful that you have come to our family and brought so much love, joy, and laughter. Each moment that we spend with you is a gift, because looking into your eyes is like looking into the windows of heaven. You have reminded your parents of our precious time with our other boys when they too were babies, time that flies by far to quickly.

Your blessing day, September 3rd, 2011 was beautiful! Dressed in a white outfit made for you by your dearest Great-grandmother, snug in a blanket made by your Mor-Mor, and surrounded by those who love you, your daddy took you in his arms and blessed you and gave you a name. Yours is a strong name, noble and defining, Zachary Abram Matusek. There were many blessings pronounced upon your head, and my prayer dear Zach is that you live up to your divine potential. How blessed I am to be your mother. I love you!

Zachary Abram Matusek

The priesthood circle

Getting ready for the blessing

Enjoying the evening after the blessing

Playing red rover at night

Dad and his boys

A reason to visit Utah again!

With Marty and Marge in Florida we hardly ever visited Utah. Then when my Brother Matt and his family moved to Mississippi we thought all our purposes for going to Utah were gone. However this is not true anymore:) Our reason to visit Utah has moved back this summer, and our kids couldn't be happier! They talk about their grammy and grampy all the time, and had such a fun weekend with them in July when they got to stay at their place in Utah without Mom and Dad and Zach around. We decided to take a day trip to Utah before school started for Mike so that we could enjoy their company. On August 20th we left early in the morning and arrived at their place shortly after 9am. After visiting and feeding Zachary, we left for Hill Field Air Museum, only a short distance from Marge and Marty's apartment. Everyone had a great time together as we learned more about airplanes.

Grammy and Kimball at the museum

Grampy and Grammy exploring the museum
with the boys

This is how Zachary stayed happy the
whole time... strapped to mommy

Mike experimenting with
conservation of angular momentum

Brandon the Astronaut

It was such an enjoyable day, at the museum and at their apartment visiting and playing games. We also went into down town SLC and enjoyed pizza at an authentic Italian pizzeria. Marge and Marty thought the pizza was good, but they fell in love with the gelato, who wouldn't though? Gelato is what I dream about at night, so creamy and decadent! I would love a bowl right now:)

At Settebello's pizzeria:)

Haha, Mike looks stuffed!!

We didn't get back to Idaho until late that night, and we were exhausted! Thanks to Marge and Marty for a fun day, and we are so glad you are back!

ARE YOU KIDDING ME!

No way, you can't be serious! These are just a few of the phrases that came out of my mouth when my mother let it slip that Brandon would be visiting Idaho with his girlfriend Kayla and Jackson their son. Words really can't describe how incredibly excited I was upon hearing the wonderful news! Talk about a fun week, from Wednesday the 17 until Friday the 19th, our days were jam packed full of fun and catching up. Brandon and Kayla left Missouri monday night, the 15th, late and arrived in Idaho Tuesday evening. I saw them on Wednesday morning at my mom's house. I just love my big brothers, it is always so fun to see each of them! Now that Matt lives in Mississippi, Brandon in Missouri, and Melissa my sister in Michigan, I only live close to one sibling. So it is no wonder that I got so excited:)

Well, Wednesday evening was spent at my Grandparents house for a family BBQ. Corey came back to Pocatello after the BBQ and stayed Wednesday and Thursday night. We had a sleepover with our kids and 2 of Corey's kids at our house. Get this, they stayed up until midnight playing and giggling. I thought for sure they would sleep in late because of this, but NO... at 6am I see 4 little heads pop out of the boys room as I was laying in our bed nursing the baby. Later in the day, Brandon and Elena took naps because of the late night/early morning stint. Thursday was a perfect day! It started with french toast at my mom's. We soon decided after breakfast to take the party to my house. We set up a badminton net and filled up the pool and also set up the slip-n-slide on the hill, and we were ready for a crazy fun day! We played many games of volleyball and badminton, switching up the players and teams. The BBQ was amazing, great food from my mom's kitchen (AMAZING pies for dessert!). The kids spent all day in the pool for the most part. I have a video of my hubby going down the slip-n-slide, and being on a hill and running and jumping onto the slide, he zoomed down that thing!

What better way to end a great day than to play games with the adults at my mom's house? Friday morning dawned bright and beautiful, and delicious with "Mor-mor's special pancakes" (Norwegian pancakes). Corey's family had to leave shortly after breakfast, and Mike was working all morning, but the fun kept on going. I stayed at my mom's all day hanging out with Kayla and Brandon and Jackson. I fell in love with that little boy, he is about the cutest thing, especially when he is next to my Zachary. Kayla and my mom and I went shopping for baby clothes, and that was just what this mom needed... time to spend some money:) It wasn't clothing for me, but it was the time with my mom and Kayla that renewed and revived me! We played Wheel of Fortune and Family Fued when Mike came over later that evening. Brandon requested a special dinner from my mom, fried chicken and mashed potatoes. I haven't had that for quite some time, it is such a comfort food from my childhood, I am glad Brandon requested it. Well, I am going to just wrap up this post with my favorite pictures from our adventures.

Cousins playing on great-grandma's tramp

Visiting on the backyard patio

My mom with 3 of her children (double love this pic!!)

Kimball holding Jackson

Mor-mor and her grandbabies

Kayla and Jackson

Corey playing a one on one game of volleyball with Brandon

The kids swimming

Sleepover at aunt Tiff's and uncle Mike's

Jackson is a thumb sucker... so darn cute!

Big Brandon and little Brandon

Holding the babies, Mike with Jackson and
Brandon with Zachary

Cousins Jackson and Zachary

Jackson's face is funny, he was probably thinking
"Who is this other baby invading my space?"

Grandparents

Monday August 15th my mother, Zach, and I headed to Idaho Falls for a fun night at my Grandma's house. We attended a wedding shower for Karlee, who married my cousin Kyle Moore on Aug 27th. It was a fun evening, but the best part for me was watching my grandpa and Zach interact at the end of the party. Zach sat on the swing outside with my grandpa for about 30 minutes, cooing at him getting to know his great-grandpa. How deeply blessed we are to live so close my my grandparents and to see them so often. Kimball talks about them all the time, and it always puts a smile on my face when he or Brandon talk about them. I wish we lived closer to Nida, who is Mike's grandmother, so that our boys could get better acquainted with her.

So if I had to choose my favorite things to do at my grandparent's house, that list would look something like this:
1. Talking with Grandma on the couch or the backyard, just her and me
2. Picking raspberries and grape tomatoes and eating it right then!
3. Helping Grandpa in the vegetable garden or Grandma in the flower beds
4. Looking at all the photo albums, reminiscing
5. Wiffle ball in the front yard
There are a million more things to add to this list, these are take the top for me though. I love you Grandpa and Grandma!!

Smile!