Cardinals Baseball Game with the boys

We took the boys to a Cardinals Baseball game the end of September and I forgot to post about it. We had a great time. Although we spent a lot of money by the time the night was over, the kiddos had a blast! We were on the 13th row between home and first base (closer to home plate though). Parker thought for sure he'd catch a fly ball :) (didn't) and Evan was infatuated with breaking the peanuts out of the shell and getting them all ready to eat for us in his cotton candy bucket. The night was awesome.... perfect weather, perfect seats, no baby to hold and fight the whole time, it was GREAT!!!! I hope the link will connect you to a few of the pics from the night. Click on each picture to get the full view or do a slide show :)

http://picasaweb.google.com/CondiffCrew/CardinalsBaseballGame#

Remember when??? I remember

Do you remember where you were on 9/11/01? I remember where I was. I was at my parents home in Bountiful, Utah. I was downstairs in my old "pink room" asleep. I had Tanner who was 4 at the time and Parker who was almost 2 there with me. Chris had gone home to St. Louis earlier in the week for meetings. I remember being asleep and my mom coming in and saying "The Twin Towers have been hit!" Me, being the not good morning person that I am, turned with eyes shut and probably very onry said, "What?! What are you talking about and what are the Twin Towers?" After I put some clothes on to come upstairs to see what she was talking about that was on CNN, I was able to see them replaying the plane hit the first tower. I was in shock and as I continued to watch (and wake up) I could not believe what I was seeing... the reporters showing a second plane heading for the second building. I COULD NOT BELIEVE MY EYES!!! I was in shock and immediately my mind started to go a hundred miles per hour thinking of so many thoughts.

The first thought was about the people who were in the building, on the plane, in the streets that they were showing running for the their lives, and they talked about the daycare on site. Wow, my heart broke. Then I came to my own reality...I'M SUPPOSE TO FLY HOME ALONE WITH MY 2 KIDS TODAY!!! So with the help of concerned parents I started to call the airlines and of course a huge wait to talk to them, but then the results... YOUR FLIGHT HAS BEEN CANCELLED TODAY, CALL BACK TOMORROW. I was actually relieved, but Chris wanted me home with him and he was not happy. We started to talk about if dad would drive me 1/2 the way home and meet up with Chris somewhere or let's wait and see what happens with the airlines. The other huge concern at the time was I was teaching preschool and was suppose to have started school on 9/11. I had gotten a sub for the first day of school, but what now? I called them at let them know I wasn't going to be there. The next day comes... YOUR FLIGHT IS CANCELLED. I was still okay with that, but again, Chris said, this could be days, come home. We gave it one more day and I was able to come home on the 14th. The security at the airport at that point was CRAZY... especially alone with 2 kids. We made it home and Chris was glad to see us, work was glad I was back, and I was grateful for what I had.

My heart aches for the people who lost their mom or dad, brother or sister, child or friend. For the moms (or dads) who instantly became widows. My heart aches for those who are living with the trauma that happened to them seeing and living this event first hand. For those who were able to escape the second building and are remembering everything about that day. My heart aches that it takes major events like this to bring a nation "under God" to come together to comfort others in times like this. Why does it take something like this to happen to have us come together? I will remember this day always and I'm grateful I was not more effected by this by having personal ties or a loved one dealing with this. I am grateful for being with my family, safe on this day in history. I still believe in "one nation under God."

Yes, my brother's adopted

Although this is a dumb post, I've had a few friends ask if "by chance" Chuck is adopted or not. Yes, Chuck is adopted. My parents actually have a cool story about how and why they adopted him after 5 kids, but he came to our home as a baby from Costa Rica (maybe why I also want to travel there so bad?). Anyway, he fits in our family perfectly (as close as any siblings fit together) and will always be one of my best buds ever. He is our little "mono" and I give all my kids 3 squeezes on their arm for "I love you" like we used to do together sitting in church and why I teach my kids about "RRRRRRRenny's" (family inside joke). We love ya, Chuck!

MY FAMILY!!!

This is the "THOMPSON FAMILY". This was who and what I got to grow up with :)! Top left to right: Chuck 26 (now goes by Christian), Ponch 43, (born as Jeff, changed on a school field trip to Mexico), Mike 38, Steve 41. Bottom row: Tami 31, Mom 39 and holding.... still, Dad, and Becky 34.

top l-r: Chuck, Rochelle and Ponch, Mike and Julie, Steve and Katie

bottom l-r: Tony and Tami, Mom and Dad, Becky (Chris was in St. Louis)

Dad with his girls

Dad with the boys

To finish off the "SURPRISE" night

These are the babies born in 2007 (thanks to my editors for catching the date mix up). From left to right are: Blake 8 months old (Tami and Tony's), Jaden 16 months old (Mike and Julie's), Abby 14 months (Ponch and Rochelle's), and Mason 10 months (Becky and Chris'). To have 4 grandchildren in 8 months makes for a busy year.
This was NOT the best picture of all the grandkids, but it's the one that will stay and have to work. Here are grandma and grandpa with all the grandkids, except my 3 oldest (Tanner, Parker and Evan) who stayed home. The grandkids range in age from 15 1/2 to 8 months and there are 17+.
17+ leads me to the end of the night "Surprise". We had all given dad much heartfelt and time consuming gifts like photobooks, a personalized song or a DVD of his life or presents that the grandkids had made. Well my older brother Steve surprised everyone when he and his wife came down from Montana (they said they weren't coming because I wasn't coming, so I had to let them know early I was coming!). So the night ended on an exciting and happy note. See picture below:
So this very ugly baby is how my brother told my dad (hence the previous picture of emotions) that they are expecting their first kid (after time and trials). Steve took a current picture and added parts to his baby picture to get this very FUGLY baby! It was the cherry on top of an eventful night. Congrats Steve and Kate and may your baby be better looking than this!

4 WHEELIN'... YIPPEE!

These are for sure not the most flattering pics of me, but we did have a good time. Tami's kids have two four wheelers (thanks, Papa Bruce!) that they share with the cousins when we get an opportunity to get together. I was privledge to get to take Aliya out for a ride, only she drove. By the end of going "jerk... stop... jerk... stop" from her hitting the gas and letting off, I had to bring us back home. She did a GREAT job for only being 3 and really did drive it whole time (see I was doing a "look no hands, mom". Then I took Mason for a quick spin around the block. I think he appreciated "the wind in his hair" vs. water in his face (when we go jet skiing). It was a fun family activity and Tam and Ton were AWESOME for letting (and trusting) A LOT of kids drive them on their own!

Happy 70th Dad!!! SURPRISE!!!

My dad had his 70th Birthday this past week and I was able to go to Utah and surprise him. I knew all my brothers and sister would be there and didn't want to miss out, but I've missed out on things before. So I told them I wouldn't be able to go because Chris had to work (which was true... he worked... just not in Chicago like I said...he'll be there tomorrow, a week later). Anyway, i didn't tell anyone i was coming, except my little brother Chuck (Christian) because he was my ride. He picked me up from the airport in his Land Rover and I dropped him off to get his other car. So he went out to mom and dad's first and I showed up at 10:30pm and rang the doorbell. Tami and Tony were already up from Pheonix, so mom answered the door, surprised and tam was shortly behind her. But it was truly the surprise on my dad's face when I walked in with Mason and he was shocked. It was fun and all worth it to see his face. I was able to see and surprise Ponch and Ro and Mike and Julie and their families on Saturday. It was so fun to just hang out. Saturday Mason was sick, so it wasn't what I was planning on, but we worked it out. He napped while everyone else was swimming. Then we had the cousins driving 4 wheelers. Sunday was church and a Luau. Monday was shopping and dad's big party surprise with dinner at the Mandarin (yum!) and "program". Tuesday was lunch with Kell at our traditional, Robintino's. It was fun surprising Kat Tuesday night and that was really great to see and spend time with both of them. Wednesday was lunch at Paradise Cafe' and the good old Bountiful Parade where it was really fun to see Steph, Molly, Kim, Carri, Joe, Brad and people I grew up around. Then I stayed up way to late (again) talking with my "big sis", Rochelle and left and came home Thursday morning. The flight GOING to Utah was great with Mason... he got his own seat and he did wonderful! Coming home SUCKED! The plane was full, he had to be on my lap, he wouldn't sleep, he peed through his diaper and just wasn't as pleasant. I'm grateful for a husband who let me go be with my family for a few days and take care of the 3 older boys at home. Thanks, honey.... YOU ROCK!!! :) PS Pictures to come soon.

An effort for a FAMILY PHOTO!

So we tried to get all 4 boys together and of course the 3 oldest couldn't help but look at Mason as I'm trying to get him to laugh, but this was the best one we were able to snag.

We thought it might be fun to attempt a new family picture and this was the best picture we could come up with. The lighting was not perfect, but we can at least say we tried. We thought we'd go PLAID so that when we look back on this photo, we'll laugh and say, "That was so ugly, I can't believe we wore that!"