Every Party Has A Pooper...

This last week was an amazing one...my brother David was married on Thursday in the Timp Temple. It was such a fantastic weekend with family and friends, especially those we hadn't seen for so long. It was wonderful meeting Summer's family and learning first hand how uniquely talented & fantastic they are. Here are the order of events (since you don't want me to write them all down in paragraph format--trust me!)

1. Wednesday: mad rush to make our flight in Las Vegas to SLC--Scott forgot his wallet & phone in the car, had our ride turn around and bring it back to the airport (thanks Whitney). Got to our gate just in time to take Jason potty and board. Big sigh of relief!
2. Wednesday night: went to a prewedding dinner in American Fork--absolutely delicious. My cousins Steph & Noah watched the boys (found out Jason & Ryan knew how to operate the microwaves in the hotel room after Jason melted several plastic cups--they unplugged the machines until we got home!)
3. Wednesday LATE night: Dave sticks his keys, wallet & cell phone in the microwave thinking it is a safe hiding spot from the boys. We hear a ding and YES--Jason has officially fried Dave's phone, Summers key less entry clicker (which shorted the alarm on her car so that we couldn't get in without it screaming at us for HOURS--the car wouldn't start either.) This all resulted in various people working on it for hours before the wedding and a few after trying to turn off the alarm/start the car so the happy couple could actually get from place to place. Papa Jenkins finally figured it out, got it running and us on the road after the wedding. WHAT A DAY! (thanks Jason--this will be the wedding story remembered for years--everyone has one!)
4. WEDDING DAY: Thursday Dave & Summer were married by President Samuelson. It was a very spiritual and fulfilling afternoon. A few of us met for lunch at Little America afterward, Dave pulls out his wallet and sees that a few credit cards & his student ID have sever burn marks on them--now totally useless due to the previous night's microwave incident (we got a good laugh) as I shook my head and apologized for my child's behavior YET AGAIN FOR THE 2,000 TIME THAT TRIP) and then hit the road to Idaho. We got in around 11pm. I was just happy for a little sisterly bonding time in Lisa's car. At least Ryan (the only boy with us 3 sisters) didn't spoil the girl talk!
5. Spent lots of great time with Big Papa & Grammy Jean (Scott's parents) and the rest of the Tidwell clan. Jason got to ride four wheelers and the lawn mower with Big Papa. We had a family dinner at Scott's sister's house and it was great seeing everyone!
6. We went wake boarding with my fam on Friday (I know, I know--I watched, Lisa & Dad wake boarded but I still consider it participating lifting the orange flag when they wipe out!) We followed up with a BBQ and fire in the backyard--wrapping up the night roasting marshmallows and waiting up for the Judd's to roll into town.
7. Reception was Saturday night: absolutely beautiful, tasty food, lots of hugs and catching up with friends & family. We ended with some serious dancing by Judy Booty and then my Aunt Barb had an encore to Dancing Queen! They've still got it--if only someone had recorded it!
8. We finished the weekend with a last minute game of knock knock at my house, eating the traditional peanuts & M&M's. Myrna took us to the airport, we had plenty of time--you gotta love the non busy Boise airport! We flew home, got compliments on how "good" the boys were (hallelujah), were picked up by our great friend Phil and then headed to Kingman.

Needless to say we are tired, already miss the Idaho, it's green landscape & beautiful farmland and our families, can't wait to go back, inspired to do better in life and just all-around-love-everybody (I think that is the Claritin & lack of sleep talking). There are photos to come--you'll just have to endure them cuz there are lots! :) Love you SUMMER & DAVE!

Nothing like a new puppy?

Well...we didn't really get a puppy--but we did potty train Jason and I figure that is pretty much the same thing. He scratches at the door, whines, waggles his tail and I come running to open the door, let him out, and then check to make sure the deed is done. The first day was nuts--urine EVERYWHERE! So I gave up, took a 5 day sabbatical for sanity sake and when he started begging to have his big boy undies back we tried again. It totally clicked and has been a breeze ever since. Only one accident to speak of and that was because we were at the park and he was completely distracted--probably my fault. Oh well.

As for the last several weeks--we've had lots of visitors, which we love getting out here in nowhereville. First my parents & mimi came for a visit followed by Scott's parents. The kiddos were spoiled rotten, especially Jason with pre & post birthday surprises. We hit up lots of cool touristy things, especially the Grand Canyon and had a great time!

Last item--I met BJ's mission president's daughter. She lives here in Kingman with her husband and almost 2 year old little boy. What a small world. Ashley was kind enough to invite us over for a Cafe Rio dinner (pulled pork, lime rice & the works!) She headed out to Houston to visit her mom & dad and took some treats to BJ for me. Nice to have door to door service for that stuff sometimes.


Riverboat ride in Bullhead city


Papa and his shadow


Keepers of the WilD (wildlife refuge)


Grandpa's idea of babysitting (animal cage at the refuge)


Hualapai Mtn Park


Old Route 66


Lake Havasu Paddle Boat


Lake Havasu


Birthday shoes from Grammy Jean


Freezing at the Grand Canyon


more Grand Canyon


Riding a train at Ashley's house

B-day Photos

Jason had quite the birthday "weekend". That's right folks, as it worked out, he played with friends, opened presents and celebrated the day of his arrival from Friday evening until Monday night. Actually, there are still left over balloons floating around the house so technically, he still things life is one big party. Coming down off the sugar high is going to be FANTASTIC!

This year Jason got to decorate his own cake :-)
Ryan enjoying the festivities
Jason & his "best fwend" Garrett

2 of the cutest girls we know-Scott limits my exposure because I always leave our friend's house googly eyed wanting a baby girl!

Jason riding his new scooter.

birthday ice cream sundae from IHOP. He wanted bacon, pancakes & eggs and wound up with this as a bonus.

A mood for memories...

It is late – too late and I find myself in the mood for remembering. It is timely and I’m able to focus my mind on a few memories in particular. Today was Jason’s birthday and the writer in me screams DOCUMENT IT! The mother wants to go to bed and clean up the large jar of spilled sprinkles, melted ice cream and chocolate frosting tomorrow. But tonight my mind wins and it is a good thing because I’ve never written down his entire story. I feel guilty.

It took a while to get pregnant with Jason. I think the Lord was helping me not take him for granted. I needed to struggle a little in order to appreciate what a blessing he would be. I was ravenously hungry all the time—as in, I gained 57lbs type of hungry! What a mental game that was for a girl with a great metabolism who wasn’t used to EVER eating breakfast. I didn’t experience much nausea and thought I was pretty lucky as pregnancies go. Until I hit month 6, had uncontrollable heart burn every night from 5pm on and pretty much puked my way through the last 4 months. Finally I woke up on April 19th around 2am with contractions and there was no apprehension at all. I couldn’t fall back asleep. I kept thinking of all the things I could do to get him here faster. I paced the halls, ran up and down the stairs, did jumping jacks and then tired out around 5am where Scott found me with a heating pad on my back, dozing in the rocker in Jason’s soon-to-be nursery. We headed to the hospital around noon where things were slow but at least we were there. 1am hit, I started pushing and then suddenly was being told to stop, hold still, lay back down, don’t even cough because the doctor was stuck in 2 emergency c-sections and I was going to have to wait. The only conversation I remember from the entire hospital experience occurred right at that moment. Scott: to the nurse “Are you kidding?” Natalie: totally glaring and ready to lose it “I just really need you to be positive right now. Be quiet.” And that was that. The lights went back off. He proceeded with his portable dvd of something manly which I don’t recall, and I sucked deep breathes through my oxygen mask and tried not to hyperventilate from claustrophobia (as it happens I don’t like things covering my face so the mask made for an interesting 10 hours). My epidural was wearing out but as luck would have it, the anesthesiologist was with the doctor so I was stuck.

Two and a half hours later the good doc rushes in, asks if we’re ready to have this baby (yes, I bit my tongue--after 26 hours of labor I was a little too tired to get feisty with the man who would be offering relief!) and about five minutes after that, there was Jason. I kept hollering for Scott to grab my glasses because I couldn’t see what he looked like. But everyone kept saying how “healthy” he was (8lbs 14oz, 21 1/2” long). And as the chaos of birth died down I was able to take a non-masked breath and be grateful that our lives had suddenly changed forever and I loved it. For a moment time stood still and everything was just a little clearer—at least for the three of us in that room at 4:19am.

Jason loves to laugh. I can never get enough of that sound. He is all boy, 100%, especially when it comes to sports. No one ever taught him about balls, cars, rocks or mud. He is ingrained with some male affinity for all things “manly” (except for his fear of instability i.e. swings, being swung, jumping on trampoline’s etc then he totally screams like a girl!) Jason loves to help me cook and I hope it is something I can pass on to him. Anytime he sees me getting out ingredients he scoots his chair up to the counter wanting to “mix with you”. The minute Ryan was born Jason became his father’s son. He and Scott were bonded for life. They go golfing together and one of his first full phrases was “dad, you’re my best friend,” enough to make any grown man melt into goo. Jason has piercing blue eyes. He is smart and intuitive beyond his age. Sometimes I wonder if he was placed here to help me grow up and teach me lessons. He wipes tears from my cheeks and says, “Mom, why are you sad? Don’t cry.” He is sassy, stubborn and knows his own mind (quite the combo for a three year old). He loves his brother and I find him telling Ryan how cute he is, good job, and clapping for him. And no matter how old he gets I think I’ll always be able to remember the feeling of the first outfit I dressed him in as we packed up to come home from the hospital. It had chunky baby blue stripes and was oh so soft—not like fleece but like shaggy, thick carpet that you squish your toes in. And I remember the way he smelled and how light he felt when I held him. I know someday he’ll be taller than me and smarter than me and all the things I never was. But hopefully, somewhere deep down he remembers what it was like to be wrapped in thick, squishy blue softness and be held oh so tight and know that everything is right in the world.

And now I know that no matter how much time goes by, I think I’ll always be in the mood for remembering if I have memories like these.