Watch out for the little ones

We were out running errands tonight and as we turned the second to last corner to our house we were faced with several emergency vehicles, with their lights flashing.  I instantly went back in my memory, just a couple minutes before, when I had seen LifeFlight landing.  I thought it was landing at the airport, it had actually landed at the park located at the end of our street.  I instantly felt sick to my stomach, not knowing anything, I instantly assumed something really bad had happened to a small child at the park.

We parked our car and got out to hopefully get some information and waited along with what seemed like the entire neighborhood, so many people waiting.  I asked a couple people and finally someone said the ambulance had transported someone to the park where the helicopter was waiting.  I then look behind me up the street to see more emergency vehicles, lights flashing.

After asking a few more people, apparently a child had been hit by a vehicle in a driveway.  Talk about heart ache!  Oh no!  Something I always worry about and something that happens way too often!  Several minutes passed and they continued to work on her in the back of the ambulance, the whole time the helicopter sitting, waiting, quite.  I started to really worry because if they weren't transporting her then it wasn't a good sign.  Finally, after who knows how long, they got her out of the ambulance and moved her to the helicopter.

I couldn't help but think about her mom and the fear she must be feeling and then my thoughts went to the person that hit her and I cannot imagine the agony that person is currently going through.

The news is now reporting she is 4 years old and was visiting her cousins house.  She is in critical condition.  I hope she recovers and I hope the woman that hit her finds some stillness in the chaos.

A few of the things I miss

I've been a Navy Mom for 10 months and 3 days now.  I think I'm finally getting the hang of this but there are things I definitely miss.  Here's my list, and I'm sure other things will make their way into my memory when I start to miss them too.

1) Laundry, washing 6 loads of laundry instead of 3.  I'm not sure how one more person added so much more laundry, but there is so little of it lately.
2) Reminding Austin to brush his teeth and fix his hair.  He did need reminders.
3) Running out of milk.  We always have milk now, sometimes I wish we would run out.
4) Running out of bread.  Austin would eat half a loaf at one time.
5) Not buying Oreo cookies, which are Austin's favorite treat.
6) Toothpaste in the sink that didn't get washed down.
7) Austin's smell, we all have our smell and I miss his
8) Hearing him come in the house after I've been asleep for several hours, who knows the time, but he's just getting home.
9) Waking him up for school in the morning, it was difficult the last year of school, but I wish I could still wake him up everyday
10) Listening to the typing of the keyboard
11) Hearing him talk to his friends
12) His laugh, oh how I miss hearing his laugh from the hallway, the kitchen, his bedroom, the back seat of the car, the front seat of the car
13) Racing to the driver's door, so I don't have to tell him he can't drive, because I have a hard time letting anyone else drive
14) Wiping up his crumbs and milk from the kitchen counter
15) Trying to convince him to mow the lawn
16) Walking next to him
17) Driving him to Lehi to see his friend
18) Going out to dinner with him
19) Taking him to a movie
20) Watching him roll on the floor with the dogs
21) Looking at him and thinking how handsome he is and how grateful I am to be his mom.  I can do this from pictures, but there really is something to say about looking at your son, so tall, handsome, strong, funny, brilliant, witty, and a straight talker and feeling that amazing sense of pride

Well that's my list for now.  I miss the boy so very much and some day's my heart is a little more tender than others.

Catching up

Okay, I have failed miserably at keeping up with all of the happenings for over a year. So much to catch up on and I must get it done before the end of May, when Austin turns 18. That is my goal.

Some brother bonding

Austin, Sam and I were driving to dinner and my tire blew out.  These awesome boys of mine worked to change it, well Austin did Sam mostly mimicked his brother.

 Tire is changed, and bellies are full... time for some bowling.

Kindergarten

It's kind of a reality check on the passage of time when our children start school.  They are still so young but it is a quick reminder how fast the time is passing.  Sam gets to ride the school bus, which he finds to be an adventure.

Jr. ROTC

Austin started Jr. ROTC at Northridge High School. Twice or three times a week he will have to leave at 5:30 AM to catch the train, then a bus, and then walk the final distance.  This is his new hair cut!

Soccer, the beginning of something special

Sam started playing recreational soccer.  I call it "bunch ball" but he loves it!  This is the beginning of something special.  #4

No hands, if you touch the ball with your hands you have to do push-ups, per Coach (aka Dad)

A little dental work

Austin had to get more teeth pulled.  This poor kid has had more teeth pulled and knocked out than I think he has legitimately lost through the natural way.

He was so silly on the anesthesia. 

Zion National Park, Austin's 16th Birthday

For Austin's 16th Birthday and Memorial Day Weekend (he has the best birthday ever!) we took the dogs, kids, tent, and dutch ovens and went to Zions National Park.

Don't let him fool ya, he loves having his picture taken!

Paris in a day, May 23, 2010

Isik had a lay-over in Paris and they asked him if he would take another flight because the flight he was scheduled for was full.  Of course he took the offer because they paid his hotel and gave him cash for food. He made it around Paris in less than a day, from one side to the next, seeing the major attractions.  Some day, we will go there together.  These are some of the pictures he took.