Cannon is 12!!

Tonight we invited all our med student/resident friends out. It was fun but the old blog post might suffer 😉

I get pretty amped up when I’m the host so, it was fun, I’m glad we did it, I’d do it again but…I’m exhausted! 

Oh and we have a 12 year old! Crazy!! This week he told me “it’s a bummer that you’re getting old” 🤣 I know! Tell me  about it! 

So back to Saturday-oh it was so cold at soccer again! But I got to take some pics! 

I have more of Tan but since I’m phone blog’n I only have one that I emailed myself. And his cute little pose. 


From Soccer we headed to baseball practice. Tan has LOVED soccer but he  is kind of take it or leave it as far as baseball is concerned, but maybe as this summer wears on and soccer is over he’ll like it…🤞🏻

This kid was begging me to swing his bat before his birthday. This was my version of yes 😉😂

And I’ve heard of plugging your nose to not taste vegetables -or anything gross- (doesn’t work) but I’ve never heard of plugging your ears! It was carrot (aka poison) 

Sethy snuggles! ❤️ and a pretty good find at church 



***so much more to blog but I’m falling asleep so…more later! ***

Ok so more:

Monday Tanners team played a game instead of practice.  Oh and this guy bought himself a wood bat on his little birthday shopping trip from Grama. He says it’s going to help him hit “nukes” 


“Nukes?” I asked to which he clarified “nuclear bombs” so…. “Nucs” ok “bombs” aren’t cool enough anymore. I just hope his version of a Nuc is a line drive😉

He had a scrimmage Tuesday night but I didn’t see much (any)  because I Took this girl to Colts (last 👍🏻) soccer practice and she was showing off her standing skills. 

By Wednesday she was acting like it was no big deal. 

https://youtube.com/shorts/QNJ8N22Ub1Q?feature=share

And since this kid had weights early we decided he could open his clothes Wednesday night so he could wear them Thursday on his birthday. (He knew every present he was getting) but his brothers didn’t want to miss out on the opening of presents fun so we did Wed night and after school Thurs. 

I know I have mentioned taking him to weights before but have I mentioned that I love it? I just realized this is going to be my Trump card when it comes to early morning seminary. When he says he’s too tired to get up I’m going to remind him that he was never too tired when it was for weights. Taking him now is killing his excuse for later when weights is in the school day but I still expect him to get up. 👍🏻 sweet! 

Got this picture from Bro Baker noting how Colt eats and reads at the same time “what a great student”  what he doesn’t know is that he ALWAYS reads and I wanted to say take the book away and have him actually talk to someone at lunch! 😉

Cannon however got busted at lunch because the kids at his table were discussing a test. I’m just SO THANKFUL it bothered him to be in trouble. The teacher let them all retake a (harder “it totally sucked”) version of the test which I thought was more than generous of her. We discussed options he could have done to stay out of that situation. Like have the courage to say something and call out the dishonesty when the first kid said something. Or at very least just leave. And I had him watch that “leave the party” inspirational clip from Elder Stevenson instead of saying the Articles of Faith going in the next morning but overall I just hope he learned from it. 

When mom makes frosting while the brothers are at school Addster gets the beaters! 



He didn’t want a cake-just lots of cupcakes. I made lots, but he only got to light 12. 

Tanners stories are the best: 



It was teacher appreciation week and after trying and trying to get Colt and Tanner to write their teachers thank you notes—I finally did. I am grateful for their teachers!!!! They both have great ones this year—and man, Colt was due for a good one! 

Finally that little shin dig, why I was so tired last night, we invited a ton of people over, only about 1/2 came but that was still 10 families -ranging from just a couple to families with 4 kids. But it ended up really fun. A good size group but not too many. Isaac cooked the fajitas I’d prepared, my friend Emily held Addi and I ran the zip line… until Bro Tenney and Bro Dryden took over—then it was GREAT!! 

This was Seth’s first time!!! (Well, since he was in my tummy 😉) 



It was fun though-we love the med/dental students! 

The worst part is preparing…trying to pretend like we’re not such messy people. But we are!  😩

It seems like a simple solution-don’t be-but it hasn’t worked out for me yet! 

Oh I remember one more cool thing: Seth came said me a few days ago “Mom, do you know Great Grandpa Frei?”  I said “yeah! Did you get to dream about him?” And he said “yeah” so I of course asked if Riz was there and he said  “yeah” good enough😊

But while I’m doing add on things I’ve got put a couple Isaac stories I wrote down a few weeks ago on here: 

“If I build that motorhome like I want it I’d might make it so Enzo can ride in there too”

Uhhh ok but I’m not going! 

One Sunday morning the missionaries text Isaac to see if he could give a guy a ride to the church. He agreed and as he was throwing on a hoodie he mumbled something about “coming back here to help with the kids” as in he wasn’t going to stay at the church and watch conference there. My eyes widened “you are going to help with kids?!?!” I said incredulously. He shrugged and said “Well…that’s what I’m going to say.” I just started laughing (and wrote it down so I’d remember to blog it)

Stinker. 

The guy didn’t go to conference anyway 

He couldn’t find his wallet..or his keys (presumably to his house cuz he needed a ride) or his belt. Something. 

But Pres Nelson asked us to please listen carefully and if there was Anything virtuous lovely or of good report let that be what I say. I have one of those too—Let me tell that story: Tuesday I went to feed  Jane’s animals then it was just too late to make homemade pizza my plan before soccer so I made a frozen pizza and we had carrots frozen pizza and fruit and Isaac was like “this is delicious thanks so much” seriously he raved about the frozen pizza….I was like this guy is AWESOME and why don’t I make life easier on myself more often? 

He’s pretty great. Those stories are a few weeks old but as I pasted them in —in that last one—today he made himself  a leftover fajita salad…or something. Made it himself then thanked me (I guess for having the leftovers in the fridge) because it was “one of the best salads he’s ever had in his life”

He’s a character-horse IN the motorhome-but we love him. 

What did the week hold? I don’t even know! 

Saturday.

🤢

Oh. My gosh. I woke up so sick! I should spare ya the details but—that’s not my style. I woke up so green! Not puking but so close. I was laying in bed with shooting pains in my stomach-out of nowhere. This was NOT the day to be sick I had to cover for Tanner and Colt’s real soccer coaches! I finally willed myself out of bed and my mouth started to water. Ug! I ran to the bathroom. Dry heaved a couple times but somehow, amazingly, didn’t puke. Isaac said “how can you not have to go?” I didn’t have an answer, Tanner’s other coaches husband had offered to help the night before so I probably could have got out of that one but then I still had Colts. (And he ended up scrambling for the coach who’s car wouldn’t start anyway) Oh it was awful. And it was FREEZING! In the 30’s and Blowing/snowing/hail miserable in every way. 1/2 way into Tanners game I text Isaac that sucking it up was good for me- the fresh air was helping. But then the stomach pains came back. Oh and I didn’t want to get anyone sick so I just wore a stupid mask-I felt ridiculous but on a good note it definitely helped keep my face warmer. 

It was a disaster but we survived it. 

Oh and Tanner scored a goal! That was fun. We play 4 on 4 and the other team only had 3 show up so he and one other kid traded teams but hey a goals a goal! It was a good (on purpose) shot too-those don’t always happen in our league. 😉

I laid in bed the rest of the day. I NEVER warmed up. It was awful—cold bones. Until the middle of the night Sunday I woke up sweating and was fine from then on. So weird. Not sure where I got it—glad it went away’ 

The single only picture from Saturday I had on my phone was of my Walmart list-I sent what I already had “in my cart” to Isaac (ok ok I empty a handful  of unnecessary things first) but he picked up what I needed but all he said was “I didn’t get out of there for $11 bucks.”  🤣 Welcome to shopping with kids. It pretty much always more fun  for all of us when he goes to the store. I’m not sure what all he got but Seth talked him into donuts. 😋

Sunday since I was back among the living I have pics 😊

Brothers fun.

Not really explainable but they have a good time! 

We went for a family walk and checked out the dams. And I tried to decide what kindof back drop I want for the new wall pics. Not this Colt. Back light backfire! (He wanted me to take it.) 

Cann was like “Mom I look good-you can just put that on your wall.” …No! 

Tanner’s teacher missed the week of school last week because her daughter broke her ankle and had to get screws and a plate in it and the surgery kept getting canceled and rescheduled but Sunday I made cookies and Tanner wrote the cutest note and we took it down. They weren’t home but they found it later. (I should have taken a picture of the note but I didn’t.) The one below is just an old one I couldn’t quite throw away without documenting. I don’t know it might have been blogged before when it was more recent. His get well note was a lot better with the structure of Dear Channing then his message and signed your friend Tanner 

Who has the bigger grin???



Best way to ride to school! I was headed to Rizzy’s to plant the Cala Lilies so I stopped and snagged a pic. 

After school he asked me what vehicle I brought to pick him up—I’m so boring always driving the van.😏

Chewing on black markers. Tans a great sleeping babysitter when I need one! 

This is how well milk in a sippy cup went. 

Thursday we fed the animals (we’ve been tending Sister Johnson’s animals all week) but then I bought slushies and we headed for the ball field. I thought I was being a fun mom—silly me! Cannon wouldn’t stay in front of the ball. I admittedly was not a nice loving mom telling him that he should. Tanner wasn’t coachable at all but I think the fact that he took the first ball I threw off his chest had a lot to do with it. . Oh and he missed practice Wednesday because I put 6:30 (the time of Cannons practice) in my phone instead of 5:30🤦‍♀️ Colt and  all the younger kids were enamored with shuffling their feet and seeing how much dust they could  kick up. So then they started making piles of dirt to shuffle through, I wouldn’t let them do that between the lines, so they had to move over into foul territory. Well, somehow Colt slipped ended up falling into the fence???? and he did this to his face.  At that point, I gave up! …and I’ll be holding off on those new wall pics. 😏

Today however, we tried again with throwing with Tanner and he was a lot more coachable so I think he’ll be OK. Even Colt worked on things! So yesterday was a bust but today was some version of my idea of heaven. 😉
Sis, Seth, and I would have mowed this morning but something wasn’t right…so these two worked on the mower tonight. 

And these guys did a little fish’n with Bristol at Kilmer’s pond. 

And now Cann’s tending (watching baseball) so I can blog. I think that’s a win all the way around! 

It’s late. Everyone should be in bed but they just keep coming in tattling 🤯🤯🤯 why don’t they tattle to Isaac? 

Last week I’d over-documented so I finally stopped. But After the bon fire they had a squirt gun fight in the dark-great…until I go out to call them in and get drilled by Cannon. Of course out of my mouth comes “I will kill you” which by that I mean grab his skinny little tail  and throw him in the shower and turn it on cold or something along those lines but instead I get wailing Seth “don’t kill Cannon mom! Moooom don’t kill Cannon” talk about feeling like a loser parent. By then we’re in the house and I just want Seth to be quiet because Addi is (was) asleep I’m trying to shush the “don’t kill Cannon” wailing and Cannon sees my shirt (soaked) in the light and is like “whoa dang I drilled you, I would’ve reacted the same way, I thought I just barely got you” yeah nope! 

So this week was mild. 

All I got as far as pics at soccer last week and it’s supposed to be COLD again tomorrow. 👎🏻

The Tilton’s gave us some knee savers-desperate to try them out they hooked them to the soccer shin guards. Ha. Cannon all of the sudden thought we needed catchers gear—to use the hand me down padding with? I don’t think so! They are in the donate box now and I haven’t heard anymore about it so—I think that’s good. 

Sunday: 

This might have been “the monkey game” with stuffed animals. I dunno. I’m just glad they weren’t fighting. 

Then we had Seth’s friend Liam and his brothers out Tuesday. It was fun. I do like combined children and youth-otherwise we wouldn’t know them! 

This girl! She puts everything over her head like that bat. Just trying things on, clothes, Cannon’s hat, allll the dirty laundry 👎🏻…and so on! But we love getting outside. She just played under the tree while I hit Cann a few fly balls. 




The boys had youth activities Wed night. Cannons was Iron chef, I don’t know what Colt did except “Oreo Roulette” and he wanted to play at home too-with Golden Oreos. No thanks,  I like mine dunked in milk and I’m NOT willing to risk it with the crazy options they had (soy sauce, mustard, lemon juice to name a few 🤮) 

Thursday I went to RS-it was on gardening. I learned a ton-mostly that I do EVERYTHING wrong. That’s why I buy food at the grocery store-if I have to grow it starvation is a serious risk. I’ve even managed to kill the zucchini plant I planted. I thought everyone could grow zucchini-that’s why I planted it in the first place. Oh well. 

I have some good ideas to go with. 

These two were blowing in each other’s faces-it was hilarious and fun! 

I Had some good help today. Yesterday Isaac and I bought the bits for the impact and that little project got a whole lot better in a hurry! 

Actually we had the funnest day yesterday. We watched “Facing Nolan” we never watch movies and certainly not together. Occasionally with the kids but…We’ve honestly probably only ever watched 4 or 5 just the two of us. But I loved it. Probably because I grew up watching him pitch but Isaac seemed to enjoy it too. Baseball, bits, and a chimichanga lunch date—it was a great day! 
Today he had to tend while I went to the soccer coaching training. It was well intended…but at this point. Whatever. But it was long and Isaac was tending and I don’t know how it all went but Addster was screaming when I walked in the door…and I need him to tend while I coach soccer tomorrow so—sorry to both of them! …

And to bed with me. 

Easter

It seems like only two days since I blogged… and yet at the same time it seems like it’s been three weeks!! But really it’s just Friday again-only one week- but we shoved a lot into it! 

Saturday morning we had soccer again the boys played pretty much the same time so I didn’t get to see much of Colts game but at least Grama and Grampa did! They thought it was freezing it -was nothing compared to the week before😉

I was hoping to get some pictures of the boys playing soccer tomorrow but they’ve changed the schedule on me so they’ll play at the same time again so I don’t know what will happen —maybe one of these days I’ll post soccer pictures. They’re both pretty fun to watch (which you know that’s a recent convert “soccer mom” typing because…it’s soccer! Ha) 

Saturday morning the Easter bunny showed up. He brought some fun squirt guns and Addi a pink hat but that was pretty much it-no big spread- it was kind of lame but I didn’t feel at all bad about that after Elder Stevenson encouraged us to keep our Easter traditions Christ centered. And I was glad the Bunny has pretty much always been a Saturday thing for us. 

I thought there was some good squirt gun wars. But then again-I wasn’t involved…

I felt like we stayed busy Saturday. I’m not sure what we did. 

Grama just doing her thing-thanks! 

And sis was warming up to Grampa. 

Then Sunday we started out with some resurrection rolls! 

(If you wonder why all of my laundry baskets are broken-don’t! …but look at that grin-really all three of them-totally worth it! 

Then headed to church.  And it was a great meeting! 

I especially loved Bro Hilton’s talk. Their family had been over to the cemetery to watch the sunrise that morning. We went after church and read 3rd Nephi 11:1-17 there. (Which sounds fantastic right? Let’s just say I want it to be our Easter tradition but I will be banning squirt guns in the future! ….but I do think the flowers benefitted from the extra water so-maybe just leave the squirt guns in the truck until after the scriptures? I dunno.) Anyway-I think next year we might try combining traditions with the Hiltons 😊 we’ll see. It was good to be over there though —especially on Easter! And Grama and Grampa there meant I got a family pic too! …terrible lighting but better than nuthin! 

One with them and my kids too! 

But one glance at these—and knowing we were headed to Nauvoo meant I packed the t-shirts for that trip cuz I wanted different that bright green with yellow and orange🤷‍♀️ Call me crazy. 

Shenanigans: 



The real story of Sat, and Sunday, and Monday was the leaking toilet. We (yeah I’m the assistant non plumber) re-set that thing at least 4 times. There were literally 3 trips to Home Depot Saturday and 2 more Monday morning. 

Here’s the kicker—it’s still not fixed! 

What a pain! 

Not sure what his game plan is. Hopefully we can talk bro speaks into helping him. He did finally call him but…there been a time it was all put back together and he felt good about it since then. But it’s still not fixed. 🤯

I wasn’t gonna leave him with the toilet disaster so we waited around Monday morning and I helped him set it one “last” time. Then we took off for Carthage-he didn’t come with us since we had to take two vehicles anyway and Seth stayed with him. They met us over in Nauvoo that evening. But it was good to go to Carthage is it been a long time.

after Carthage we drove over to Nauvoo and just tried to hit some of the sites. I thought we went “all the time”. But I guess since Covid and all that craziness we really haven’t gone that much…but they don’t do bricks at the brick house anymore-there’s just a little thing in the family living center. They don’t do bread at  the family living center anymore and they don’t do cookies at the bakery I was surprised how much has changed even though I feel like we have continued to go there at least occasionally. I was telling somebody about it today and they said “yeah they don’t know the prairie  diamonds either” it’s crazy. 

We missed the gun place by a half hour because it had to close early which was fine because we’ve been there tons of times so we just went up to “pioneer past times” and the kids played. 

Once we checked into the Villa the TVs sucked them in😉. But Seth and Isaac got to talk to a farmer that was planting his cornfield on their way to go get pizza so —they loved that! 

I had specifically asked for a bunkbed room so we’d have enough beds for everybody. Whoops. That bunkbed doesn’t have a rail! We were three for three with kids in that room falling off the bed 😳 and that includes Addi who was supposed to be between us! It was a disaster—sorry kids!

But Tuesday morning Isaac and I got to hit the early temple session and that was nice, then my parents went to the 10 o’clock one and after Isaac and Cannon went back to the baptistery and granma and grampa got to meet them down there and be the witnesses!  I was super excited that he got to go to the temple with my parents. 😊

The rest of us did the oxen (watched a tree get cut down -cuz we’re Isons-) and then got to touch the temple! 



Ok and we hit the fudge shoppe too😋

My more coordinated family pic wasn’t exactly what I had in mind. Cannon and Isaac didn’t want to change then have to go back in front. And Isaac wasn’t interested in waiting for my parents (lost in an unfamiliar temple) to take the picture so he asked a random passerby. Whatever-it works-it’s a picture of the temple and we’re in front of it. 

I was hoping for more of a picture of US with the temple in the background—but we would’ve had to go across the street. 

Maybe next time…ha! 

Cannon got in the van and put his hat and sunglasses on then he said “mom I look like one of the guys that gets drafted” I thought it was hilarious. 

He’s a good look’n kid —and he likes to look good! Grampa was blown away he had to get all decked out to go swing at the batting cages. 🤷‍♀️ It’s just Cann—I can’t talk him out of it. 

It took a few days but -turns out this girl does like her poppa! 

She helped him make the climbing wall then she helped me work on it. 

If we really get done I’ll post pics…

It might be next time Grampa comes. 🤣

And Isaacs girls got to run this rescue mission. Between nervous me running the wrong joystick (just for a second) and Addi grabbing the controls in the excavator (again-just for a second) but yikes I wasn’t sure what was going to happen. 



But it all worked out! 

Rizzy’s tulips are up!!!!! 

Remember Isaac gave me 100 bulbs for my birthday…afraid the deer would eat them all at the cemetery we only planted 15 or so over there and the rest in front of the house. Well apparently the voles or whatever they are had a feast. We only have about 7 in front of the house. (But I realized we really need to paint those cinder blocks. Bleh-this was the best camera angle to hide the different colors of black and just unpainted part. It’s so bad I don’t even think 80 tulips would have hid it.)  I weeded that little flower garden while I was sad after my folks left. I always get sad-it’s hard to live far away even if it’s good. But this was a good project for me. 

But the wind chime is working!!!! There is an arc of beautiful red tulips around his headstone and those daffodils came up but didn’t bloom last year-I love them!!  Check out the difference between this pic I took this morning of the “best lil sis” a brother in heaven could ask for and the one we took Sunday where we had to plant the lily that day to have any color (it’s behind the daffodils)…

I guess there were a few yellow ones in front but I just love these. The cemetery is such a sacred place! (I’ve learned that all cemeteries are and the people buried in them are LOVED)  anyway when the flowers bloom in that sacred place-my heart jumps!! 

You’d think I’d be done by now but I’m not—still have the rest of today to report on. 

Walmart is just more fun in a cart like this. 

And we stored this at the church for the last five years I left it in a storage closet and just figured anyone that wanted to could use it, but since we don’t have church keys anymore I figured we’d better bring it home. There is nowhere inside it fits so…I guess it’s an outside toy now. They had a lot of fun! 

This is the compressor Isaac bought he picked it up on his way back from Nauvoo. I think it was made in 1958 or something 😳😳😳 and it’s been sitting in storage for 10+ years. He says “if it does what they said it would” he’ll “feel like he did well on it.”

I’m like I would have paid double —or not quite double— and bought a brand new one in a heartbeat! 

Oh well-that’s why were different! And it’s why I have a budget so when I want to do things my way I do guilt free! 

Cannon drove the skid steer and lifted it up out of the back of the truck after Isaac got the chains on. I drove the truck out from under it. Then they had to finagle it into the barn. See how close that bucket is to the top of the barn door? I walked away. (After the pic of course 🤪) 

And it’s supposed to rain tomorrow so it seemed like as good of time as any to light the burn pile! 

All of that and undoubtedly I didn’t get it all but the poor kids are growing up in an over documented life so I’ll cut them some slack. 😉

Until next time.