Grandpa Bob

 He was a pilot in the second World War.
He graduated from Stanford with a law degree.

He was a famous, and incredibly well-respected, judge in Utah.
He loved his family and especially of late, made sure they knew it.
He always wanted to know everything you were doing
and never forgot a detail you shared with him.
He was generous and kind and easy to smile and laugh.
He was especially proud of a certain grandson that
graduated from his alma mater.

Last night, a tremendous man left this world.

We love you Grandpa.
And keep praying that we showed you just how much.

A morning at the park with my boy

I don't ever want to forget...

How it feels to sit and write a blog post, with my little Ben on my lap, hair all crazy from sleep, chubby hands trying to "help" me with my typing.

How a rainy day, with no where to go, makes everyone happy. Especially me and my pajamed self.

How Matt looks after losing another tooth. So excited and happy and relieved.

How Cam comes up and puts his arm around me to give me a hug. And then smiles and walks away.

How Annie's room has little pieces of paper all over the carpet constantly from all of her creations. That girl is an artist to the core.

How Jacob calls me every single day, when he is getting off the train, to ask if there is anything I need on the way home.

How Ben mixes up his letter and says his Ls with a Y sound. My favorite of late? "Mom, what is that yittle thingy called? I yove that yittle thingy."

How Cam only slept for about four hours the night before his birthday because he was so excited. And then instead of being disappointed (because really, could anything be as great as a kid's expectations?), he was completely and totally thrilled and declared it, "His best birthday ever!"

How sometimes Matt laughs so hard at Ben's antics, he falls off of whatever he is sitting on. And how it makes Ben feels like one of the big kids.

How I want to learn to knit and spent about an hour last night following instructions to learn. And then told Jacob I was frustrated that I didn't get it all down. And how he had to look away to hide that he was laughing at me.

How Annie's laugh sounds. I truly don't know of a better laugh in the whole universe.

How Jacob passed up an opportunity to be at an event with some very famous men (Warren Buffet and Lloyd Blankfein to name a couple), to attend open house at the kids' school. And how when I accidentally found out about it and told him he should go, he still refused. Because being there for the kids was more important to him.

How editing our home movies makes me laugh, cry and feel so very blessed.

How my Heavenly Father is so patient and good and kind to me.

How life is good. And being a mother and wife has completely and totally exceeded my expectations.

Time consuming

Leaning close to the bathroom mirror with tweezers in hand, I said to Jacob,
"How did Michael Dukasis even have time to run for President of the United States?"

Jacob laughed hard.

I wasn't trying to be funny.

And she rambles

Our Campbell boy is officially eleven. I do not even know how that is possible.

I ran two and a half miles this morning, at a pretty good pace, and it wasn't hard. I kind of enjoyed it. Never in my life would I think I could say that. That is never with a capital NEV.

I really love my husband a lot. But I need to spend less time busy with life and stop to show him that more. He puts up with a lot. And loves me still.

Being the Relief Society president can be entertaining beyond words. If you even knew what happened last night, you would shake with laughter. Or maybe not. But you really should.

When I finished running this morning, I walked by a mirror and noticed the most perfect curl on the left side of my hair. If all of my hair looked like that, I would have the best hair on the planet. Best hair on the planet, people.

We took the little boys' bunk beds apart last night and made them two separate beds. The room looks terrible that way. But the boys love it so much I don't think I have the heart to change it back. At least for an hour or two.

Our kids get to choose how much of school they go to on their birthday. Yesterday, Cam asked to please come home around 11:00 this morning. And then he asked if his brother and sister could come home early too, so all of the kids could play together for his birthday. Oh my mother's heart.

I have the best friends, who keep doing health challenges with me, so I can keep my promise to myself and make 2010 the year I become healthy. Thanks darling people. You know who you are.

My nose is peeling like a chimpanzee with a banana.

Getting out of a warm shower on a cold morning is painful.

My mom is one of the greatest blessings of my life. Our conversations are so good and happy and funny and therapeutic for me. I'm so grateful for her.

Yesterday Matt came up to me rubbing one of his eyes and asked, "Can you buy some eye patches the next time you go to the store?"

There are balloons all over my kitchen and dining room floors. I mean really, how could that not make for a fantastic day?

Happy Birthday Campbell!

Cam is so wonderful and such a joy to be around. Eleven years ago, he made
me a mom. And I can't imagine my life, or our family, without him.

Happy Birthday incredible Cam!

Tomorrow's cake

Any guesses on what we have here, folks?

Tired much?

In the which I ran to the rock

I ran to the rock today. Ran to the rock, people. And it was awesome.

Every year, for the past 16 years, a 5K race is hosted in Plymouth, MA. And they call it the Run to the Rock. How cool is that? I thought so too. So is signed myself up. And then even went and ran it. I know. I'm amazing.

It was the first race I have run since my first 5K last year, which was followed a few weeks later by the stress fracture in my femur. So I wasn't looking for any records. I just wanted to start running when they told me to and stop running when I came to the finish line. I'm aware that I am pretty impressive with my goals.

Actually, my competitive self couldn't help but set a time to beat (based on my time last year and my recent running times). And I did beat it by a little over 90 seconds, so I was pretty pleased. But I have a feeling my legs will not be especially pleased in the morning.

Every time I run a race (and remember I've run two, so I'm like an expert here, folks), I wonder why I do it. I'm not a runner. It doesn't come naturally to me. So somewhere around halfway, I make myself promise that I will never sign up for another race. And I keep that promise. Until I cross that finish line. Then I can't help it. Which is why I am signed up to run another race the first Saturday in November. Because my competitive self wants to better my time. Blast my competitive self and how it signs up for races while my lazy self is distracted by eating cookies.

Jacob and the kids were disappointed they couldn't come and cheer me on, but the race just happened to fall on the opening day of soccer and our kids had five games between the three oldest. So I went to Plymouth to race, Jacob took the kids to the first two games, then we met up so that I could make sure and watch the last three games.

And now I know you cannot wait for the pictures of this event. Because would I post without pictures? I would not. But remember the part where my family abandoned me for soccer? Yeah, me too. So I took my own pictures. Nothing says loveliness like a lady by herself, with a small point and shoot, documenting her running race. And what kind of friend would I be if I didn't share those lovely photos? A good one you say? You would be wrong. And rude. And I don't listen to rude people. So, here you go.

On the way. Flattering picture, no?

It was a bit of a long drive. But a beautiful one, as it usually is in MA.

Right before the race. My glasses make me feel a bit like a little kid
with new shoes. I can run faster in them. I just know it.

My sweaty, red-faced self right after the race. Once again, lovely, I know.

My running number and medal. I'm 33 years old and I think medals are cool.

My cool race shirt. I have to admit the shirt is half of the reason I sign up for races.
Do you like my crazy sunburn? No, it didn't take me hours to finish the race, I sat
through more than three hours of soccer after and forgot about a little thing called
sunblock. I think the red and blue complement each other nicely though.

Not his favorite

I asked Ben this morning if he wanted to have school and he excitedly told me he did. I asked him what he wanted to learn about and he quickly respond, "Animals!" So, I grabbed our animal encyclopedia and we started to look at the pictures.

I asked him to tell me all of the animals he could see and he started listing them. He then came to one that he didn't know and asked, "What animal is that called?"

I told him it was an orangutan.

He paused, looked like he was thinking and then responded, "That is not my favorite kind of monkey."

Arrow of light

Campbell man earned his Arrow of Light at scouts last night. He also received his Webelos patch
and "crossed over" to the Boy Scouts. He was so excited about the night, the rest of us couldn't
help but be excited for him. His leaders went way above and beyond and made it extremely
special for him. We are so grateful for them and for the scouting program that keeps him
doing good things with his time. But mostly, we are grateful for Cam. He is one incredible boy!

Ben

As you can see from the post below, school has started where we live. And that means that our Ben is home alone all day, for the first time in his life. He obviously didn't really understand what was going to happen, but on the drive home yesterday, I think he started to figure it out. It was kind of sad.

But he is going to be fine and today and yesterday have been pretty good. He hasn't minded having my attention just to him, but he does keep talking about when the kids come home. And he won't put his lunch box down for a second. Can you blame him though? If someone bought me a lunch box that cool, I'm not sure I'd be putting it down anytime soon, either.
I sure love this boy.

First day

Our end-of-summer party

Shaving cream, water balloons and dad with the water hose.
What could be more exciting? Not much to our kids.

Phew, just in time

Complimentary return address labels? Yes please!
Because you just never know when my alternate
personality is going to want to mail a letter.

Ben's big sister

Annie girl is truly one of the sweetest people I have ever known. She is so kind to everyone,
but is especially good to her brothers. Ben absolutely adores her and she spends hours
playing with him, reading to him and doing things for him. Like for instance,
making a special guitar he could play with. I am SUCH a fan of this girl.

And as you can see, so is Ben.

Swim lessons

Last night

Last night was not a high sleep night and that is quite unusual at our house. I have been really good about getting to bed on time for several weeks now, but last night Jacob and I were talking about schedules and our little family and before I knew it, it was an hour later than I usually head up to bed.

In addition, the night was just kind of a strange one. Between the upstairs being warmer than usual, one of our kids having a nightmare, and another one of the kids having a nose that wanted to start bleeding, it was not the most restful of nights. After the third time of waking up before 3am, I got Annie cleaned up and sent back to bed and then headed there myself. But I couldn't go back to sleep.

I wasn't feeling sorry for myself (which sometimes in the past has definitely been the case), I wasn't annoyed at being woken up over and over (again, has absolutely happened in the past), I was just sad. I spent the next long while, laying in bed and praying. How does something like this happen? I couldn't get it out of my mind and just kept praying for his wife and his children and everyone involved.

Last night at Sunday dinner, before we heard the news, we talked a lot about our Savior and His Atonement. And that is the only reason that makes things like the above okay...at least in the end. But for right now, I just pray with all of my heart that his wife and children can feel some kind of peace. Somehow. Sometime. But mostly, I prayed that they could possibly know how many were praying for them and how broken our hearts were for them.

And each time I was awaken last night, I felt grateful that I could be. I was around to wake up with my kids and take care of them and I had my husband there that I could ask for help if I needed it. I just have to be grateful for that. When I realize how many others don't have it as good as I do, how many are dealing with grief that I cannot even imagine, how many would give anything to wake up with a child they have lost, I have to be grateful for what I have.

And I'm truly thankful for last night and how it reminded me of that.

Thirteen days

In just under two weeks, our kids start school. I think we are the last people on the planet starting school, but that is okay, because we were probably the last to get out of school. We have had a wonderful summer—a really fabulous one!

But thirteen days from today, I will send three kids off to school all day. Three. I seriously cannot believe it. It will just be little Ben here with me all day. Pray for that little boy. He could use it.

I love that my kids are growing up. I love that they are becoming independent and fabulous. But it also makes me teary. It also puts a big knot in my stomach. It also makes me want to hit a huge, old rewind button and go back to when school wasn't even in the picture.

I love my kids. And each passing day confirms that again and again and again in my heart. Especially days when they walk into a new classroom for the first time. And leave me waving, smiling and feeling a little sick to my stomach.

Being a mom is the absolute greatest. It is enough for me. It just is. I don't say that because I feel I should or because I need to justify what I am doing. I say it because I mean it from the deepest part of my heart.

And thirteen days from today, I will remind myself of that fact. I'll hug and kiss each of my kids, I'll tell them what a wonderful year they are going to have, I'll tell them that their mom loves them and is praying hard for them all day, I'll wave and smile and take more photos than is necessary. And then I'll get in my car and drive home. And cry just a little.

And all of that works for me.

Because being a mom is the absolute greatest.

I'm so grateful.