The Bear Cave

Blue and Gold Banquet

2012-02-04T14:08:00.000-08:00

Thursday February2, 2012 was the Annual Blue and Gold Banquet and we attended as a family. Grandma and Grandpa Matlock were up in Paradise California helping out Grandpa's Mom so they were not able to come with us. I made oatmeal raisin cookies to take with us and as soon as Chris got home from work we made sure everyone had socks and shoes on and then we headed down to the church to have dinner and participate in the program.

Dakota was given some awards that he had complete in the past few weeks. He received the Fitness and Citizen activity badges. Which aren't really badges. They are little pins that are pinned to his Webelos ribbons. He also earned the Citizenship Belt Loop and this time he was able to actually put it on his belt. I got him a belt just a few days earlier so that we could put all his loops on and then they wouldn't get lost somewhere in the house.

For dinner we had Hot Dogs, all kinds of salads and then all different kinds of desert too. I guess you just never know how to do an awards ceremony and dinner until you do a few and have some trial and error. I though that they could have done the awards while everyone was eating dinner that way the smaller children would not have been so rowdy and getting antsy, and wanting to run around and make noise. All in all it was a very good night and I am glad that we were all able to attend as a family.

Cleaning up the Back Yard

2012-01-30T16:16:00.000-08:00

We are trying a new thing with the kids so that they are not watching to much TV. Saturday morning we had most of the kids outside with Grandma and Grandpa working on cleaning up the backyard so that we can start getting some planting beds made up so that when the weather turns a little warmer we can plant some vegetables and use them all summer long.

This was the first time that I had ever seen Dylan using a rake. It was pretty cool that Grandma found a little rake that was just his size and he was having a ball helping rake up the sticks and leaves that were all over the ground. Shalynn and Tawny were off doing some other work.

Dakota did a really good job of picking up all the leaves and other crap that was all over the backyard and using the shovel to pick it all up and get it in the trash back so that Grandma and Grandpa could make a run to the dump.

Shalynn Gets New Pins in her Arm

2012-01-30T15:59:00.000-08:00

Well last Tuesday we headed to see Dr. Shah so he could check out Shalynn's wrist and make sure that everything was healing like it was supposed to. When we got to his office he brought us into his office so that we could see the x-rays that were taken on Monday. He didn't like the look of one of the x-rays and asked us if we would go back over to Advanced Imaging and get another one done, and then before we came back to see him have them call him so he could take a look at the image.

I was fine with that I didn't think it would take to long to get another x-ray taken and then we could be right back at Dr. Shah's office and then be home so that we were there when the other kids got home from school. Grandma and Grandpa were down in Victorville for Dr. appointments for Grandpa so it was only the dogs at home. So it took us at least a half an hour to get in to the x-ray machine and then they took at least 5 new shots of her wrist and still could not get the angle that the Dr. wanted.

By the time they finished taking the last picture of her wrist I hear from the x-ray tec that Dr. Shah had to go back down to Palmdale and that he would call me later and tell me what he had decided about Shalynn's wrist. As you can see from the pictures that are here he decided that he needed to go in and fix her wrist because he thought that the bones had moved and it would be better to fix it now instead of having to break her wrist again if it got to mended.

So when I first talked to Dr. Shah later in the day he said that he wanted her to come back down to Palmdale and he would take a look at it under a better x-ray machine and then if things had moved he would already be ready to move her bones around. He wanted to schedule us for Thursday or Friday and told me that his office staff would get back to me. It must have been about an hour later when I got the call that he wanted to move the surgery if need be up to Wednesday at 11:15 in the afternoon. He said he thought it was critical enough to get her down and into surgery so we could fix anything that was wrong.

In the end everything worked out for Wednesday. Grandma and Grandpa were going to be out of town on Thursday because they had Dr. appointments down in Loma Linda for Grandpa and Chris is still using the Van because the Truck still needs to be fixed. So I was able to take Grandma and Grandpa's truck down to Palmdale Wednesday morning and I left earlier enough so that I was going to be there a little more than an hour before her surgery was scheduled. It just so happened that after I left the surgery center called to see if I could leave now and Grandma told them that I had already left. I guess the Dr. was running a little ahead of schedule and they just wanted to make sure that I was going to be on time and maybe a little early.

Dr. Shah explained to Shalynn and I that he was going to go in and take a look at where things were sitting in her wrist and then he would decide on what type of action to take. So we had the option of having wires put in her arm along with pins and if he was going to do that she was going to have her wrist cut open so that the wires could be put in. After getting in there and taking a look he decided to just take out the old pins which in the long run was a good idea because it looked like one of the pins was getting infected. After the surgery he came out and talked to me and told me that this time when he tired to move her bone back into the right place he heard it pop back in where as last time it did not want to go back in and there was a lot of swelling. So in the end he put two pins back in and there were on the side of her wrist not on the top and none of them were sticking out of her skin this time. He wants to see her again on Tuesday in the morning and we need to get an x-ray done again on Monday. I hope that we don't have to go down again until it is time to take the pins out.

Caris Turns 7

2012-01-26T16:15:00.000-08:00

Caris turned 7 this last Friday but we were not able to celebrate until Saturday. Friday evening was the Girl Scout Cookie Rally and since I am a troop leader and all the girls are girl scouts we attended the Cookie Rally. The girls had a great time, they went around to all the booths and played games and made little crafts. The one big craft that they all had a great time doing was the Service Unit craft of making scarves. There was a different scarf for all the different age groups. Since Caris belongs to a daisy troop they did not have a booth to run, so she had a buddy and just went to town at all the different booths. Shalynn, Tawny and I are in a Cadette troop and we had a card making booth this year. Shalynn and Tawny had buddies and they participated in all the activities too, I was the one that ran our little booth for the Rally, it was pretty fun to see all the girls and how they made all of their cards different with the supplies that we supplied with them.

This was the first year that I have been brave enough to have a birthday party for any of the kids that involves anyone besides Family. Some of the little friends that she invited were out of town this year and others had lost their privilege to come to the party. Natalie and Baleigh were the two little friends that were able to attend her party. The three of them had a very good time.

I totally fell in love with the cake that my friend Tami made for Caris. I wanted to be different this year and not buy her cake from one of the grocery stores here in town. I remember from a Relief Society night that my friend Tami liked to do cakes and I asked her if she would do one for Caris and she said that she would. I gave her artistic control and just gave her the cake toppers and this is what she came up with. Totally awesome cake.

When everyone was singing to Caris it was really funny to hear little Dylan singing the Cha, Cha, Cha after each verse. He was just copying all of his siblings since they taught him to sing that after every line lol. Her party this year was a Princess theme and she received some great gifts. Grandma Tolman and Aunt Christi gave her new outfits which she really needed and they look great on her. She also got two wii games this year from Mom and Dad and her siblings.

Before it was time to go home all the girls got to decorate their own cupcake and put all kinds of sparkles and confetti on it and then wrap it in a Princess wrapper so that they could take it home. It was pretty fun to watch all the girls and how the decorated differently. Some liked a lot of frosting and decorations and then others didn't want to much frosting. On the frosting note, I offered Dylan some frosting on a spoon once and he flat out told me he didn't want it. I was like what kid doesn't want sugar on a spoon. But at least he will eat Peanut Butter from a spoon.

It is really amazing how fast your children grow and how their personalities grow too. The little Drama Queen is growing up to fast. I am so thankful to be a mother and I am thankful for the little spirits that were sent to me. Happy Birthday Caris I hope you had a great Party. Love MOM

Lone Pine Film Museum

2012-01-23T17:00:00.000-08:00

There was a short film that you could watch when you got to the museum and it talked about some of the films that were made in the area. The films started out with Silent ones and I didn't know any of the films that they talked about. It was only when they got into the films that the actors talked that I started to recognize some of the moives and even some of the televisions shows.

I totally fell in love with this quilt that someone had made for the museum. When I saw it I thought of my Mother-in-Law Dee and how she loves horses. I knew that she would love this quilt too.

So if you live in Ridgecrest and you need a nice outing for your family try up at Lone Pine and make sure that you go earlier enough in the day so that you can get some really good pictures with the Alamaba Hills. It would be a great place for Family and Individual pictures of the kids. I think our family is goign to be planning another trip up there pretty soon.

Trip to Lone Pine Film Museum

2012-01-23T16:44:00.000-08:00

Mom Dad, and Christi came down a few days before they were going to cruise the Panama Canal. We took a trip up to Lone Pine to see the museum that talked about some of the many movies that have had parts made here in our little valley. It was very interesting to see all the movies that had been mad here and to see how much work had been put into making cities rise out of the desert. The really pretty rock formations that are found in quite a few western movies is an area called the Alabama Hills and we were all able to go and take a look at some of them.

My mom had found an article in a newspaper that talked about the museum and the films that had been made in the valley and she said that she wanted to go and see the museum when she came down. There really is not a whole lot to see in the desert where our little family lives so when we find something we want to invite my extended family down and go with them. While we were out we found a few other places that we might like to go in the future and also for Chris and I to just take our family.

Some of the newer movies that have had parts filmed in the Alabama Hills include G I Joe, Transformers, Tremors 1 - 4 LOL. IronMan, Gladiator, and a few more.

Now the kids and I need to go back and watch the movies and see if we can find the parts that they filmed in out neck of the woods. It was really fun to have Grandma and Grandpa Tolman and Aunt Christi down even if it was just for two days. We hope that next time they will be able to spend more time with us.

Shalynn Breaks her Wrist

2012-01-14T18:33:00.000-08:00

Monday on her way home from school Shalynn was riding her bike and she was getting ready to ride from the bike lane to the sidewalk since she was getting close to the house. She hit the curb at the wrong angle and she fell off her bike. When she got home she came into the house crying like there was no tomorrow. Grandma and I had her sit down for a little bit to calm down and so that we could then look her over to see what all was scratched, sprained or broken. She looked fine from the outside except for her knee which was really skinned up, and her wrist that she said was hurting pretty bad. So we put some ice on her wrist because it was swelling a little and then I finished up some soup for the rest of the kids and then I took her to the Urgent Care facility here in Ridgecrest. It must have taken us 3 hours to actually get in and see a Dr. We had an x-ray done and when we got in to see the Dr. he told us that she had broken her wrist. Not only did she break her wrist but she broke it good.

(Shalynn getting prepared for surgery)

Since we live in Ridgecrest and it is rather a small town they do not set broken bones here in the valley. So we had to go home with her in a splint and in a lot of pain. The Dr. gave her some pain pills, and we tried to make her as comfortable as possible. Tuesday morning I was on the phone trying to get ahold of the one of the three Orthopedic Surgeon's that come up to Ridgecrest. I lucked out and got Dr. Shau in his Ridgecrest office and he had a surgery cancellation so I went and got Shalynn out of school and took her to see the Dr. He was worried about her wrist and if she had not eaten breakfast he would have taken her and put the pins in her wrist right then. So he scheduled surgery down in Palmdale for 5:30 in the morning. What a yucky time to have surgery and we have an hour and 45 minute drive just to get down there and they also wanted her there an hour early so we were looking at leaving Ridgecrest at 2:00am.

(Shalynn and her Nurse Shirley)

Later in the afternoon the Oasis Surgery Center called and said that they wanted to change the time of Surgery to 8:45 I was so thankful that the time was changing. Now we didn't need to get up so early to drive down to Palmdale.

(Shalynn's first I V)

Chris decided to go with Shalynn and I on Wednesday for her surgery. It was a pretty fist trip down to Palmdale and the Surgery Center was pretty easy to find. So we arrived at 7 in the morning and we filled out some paperwork and then they took her back and got her ready for surgery. When I say surgery I am not meaning that they were going to cut her open. They used x-ray and looked to see where the bone was and where they need to put the bone and then the Dr. put in the pins and then took a few more x-rays to make sure that the bone was in the right place.

(The IV is in)

Chris and I took turns sitting with her before they took her back to move her bones back into place. The whole operation took all of 30 minutes but it took her an hour to actually come out of the anaesthesia.

(The drip is attached)

After she was more awake she needed to eat so that she could take some medication for her pain. So she was given some apple juice, ritz crackers and goldfish. We gave her some pain pills and then came the job of getting her dressed again so that she could go home.

The Dr. wanted her to move her fingers as much as she could and right after she woke up she could not move them very much with out pain. We were told to make sure that she kept moving them and if we saw them starting to turn blue or they were cold we were to call them immediately

Now that she is dressed it is time to get her out to the car and get her arm up above her heart with all the pillows that we brought from home. When it is up above her heart the blood does not rush into her arm as much and cause as much pain. At lease she is smiling as we get ready to leave the surgery center.

When the Dr. came to talk to Chris and I after the surgery he told us that the bone did not want to go back into place so he had to do a lot of maneuvering and that she was going to be in quite a bit of pain. He also said that he put in two pins instead of one to make sure that it would not move around. Shalynn is the first one in the family to break anything so I guess I better knock on wood so that none of the other 4 break anything.

Who gets to play "Mr. Body?"

2012-01-04T15:54:00.000-08:00

For Christmas the Matlock family was given the game Clue. To give you a little background the kids love to watch the Movie "Clue". So we get out the game and Grandma is reading all the instructions so that we can play the game right. One of the kids yells "I want to play Mr. Body." Chris had to tell them that Mr. Body was not in the game only in the movie.

Then we got into a discussion about how the movie was a spin off from the game Clue. Only then did the kids understand that Mr. Body was just a character from the movie. To make a long story short the kids, Grandma, and Dad had a good time playing the game and learning how to start rumors to try and figure out who done it.

Caris was actually playing the game by herself and she did pretty well. She needed a little help with reading some of her cards that she picked up during the playing of the game but she was a good sport about it all.

I think during the playing of the game Shalynn blurted out something that she was not supposed to. So then everyone else playing knew that so and so didn't do it. But you live and you learn. Next time she will keep it to herself so she will be better informed and she might win.

In the end no one won the game but fun was had by all. The kids really enjoyed playing the game and the TV didn't come on the whole time they were playing the game and let me tell you it was not missed. By the time the game was over it was time for the kids to get ready for bed and then go to bed. "I love it when a plan comes together". Ok who can tell me what 80's TV show that is from.

Dylan Eats Cheese Pizza

2012-01-04T13:29:00.000-08:00

Shocker Dylan has finally decided to open his eyes to another kind of food. I tried a half cheese pizza for him just to see if he would actually try it. The rest of the kids had the Hawaiian pizza, but they also had to eat the cheese that I had gotten especially for Dylan, the bratz.

Tawny has really been into trying to curl her hair and she kept asking to get a perm so Grandma and I decided to get her some curlers and see how she did. She actually loves them and for the next week we saw her with them in all the time.

I love this picture the most because Dylan is just digging into the pizza and totally enjoying the whole thing. It is really great that he has decided to try some new foods. I think I could still probably buy stock in peanut butter lol.

Dylan Grandpa & the Dogs

2012-01-03T19:58:00.000-08:00

Dylan has had a love hate relationship with Rose and Patch ever since Grandma and Grandpa moved in with us. Where some of the older kids were just really afraid of the dogs and every time that we would go for a visit they had to get use to the dogs again. Dylan wants to be with the dogs but he just has no concept of personal space and Rose and Patch are just not use to having a little kid want to play with them all the time.

Dee just came and told me to get the camera and get some pictures of him because the dogs were actually being nice and so was he at the moment.

Rosie is a little better able to take the antics of Dylan than Patch so to see her just letting him love on her was really great and we just had to take some pictures so that we could show him later that he does know how to be nice to the dogs and they like it when he is.

Shalynn's Choir Concert at the Lighting of the Ridgecrest Christmas Tree

2012-01-03T19:46:00.000-08:00

Shalynn had a Choir Concert where her School Choir sang along with the Band for the lighting of the Ridgecrest Christmas tree for the Holiday Season. Grandma Matlock, Tawny, Caris, Dylan and Mom were the only ones that attended the Concert. It was a little nippy and I think by the time it ended we were all wishing that we had worn a little warmer jacket.

I think Dylan is the only one of the kids that actually likes wearing a had and will keep it on his head. He will run around the house looking for his hat before he will walk out the door to go someplace. Here he is Cheesing it with Grandma.

Shalynn, Tawny, and Dylan playing around before the start of the singing.

Shalynn and her friend Kira from the Choir just having a good time playing around after singing in the Tree lighting Ceremony for the City of Ridgecrest. We have lived here for 7 years and this is the first time that we have attended the Tree Lighting. It was really great and those of that attended had a great time. I think we will go again next year as a family.

Home Depot Christmas Project

2012-01-03T19:32:00.000-08:00

The first Saturday of every month Home Depot has a free project for the kids in the community to participate in. This December it was a Snowman napkin holder. It was pretty fun to let all the kids just go at the tools and glue and see how the project turned out. Shalynn is getting a little old for the projects but she is really good at helping Dylan to put together his project.

Dakota, Caris and Tawny still have a good time trying to figure out how to read the instructions and then using the tools the right way to make sure that their project turn out how it is supposed to lol.

Here we have my Ham of a daughter and I swear as she gets older the more of a Ham she becomes lol. It is really exciting to see her personality starting to really assert itself.

Happy Birthday Dakota

2011-11-15T15:48:00.001-08:00

I can't believe that Dakota is now turning 10. It seems like just yesterday that I was bringing him home from the hospital. Boy does time fly when you are having fun. I can remember while I was still a kid living with mom and dad that time would just drag and drag and drag, well all except for summer break and that would fly by way to fast. Ever since I have become a Mother time just seems to get away from me and my children are growing up way to fast.

As I look at the photo above it is hard to believe that all of these beautiful children are mine. Every time I look at Shalynn I hope that I am teaching her what she needs to know to survive in the environment that is now around us. In church this last Sunday someone made a comment during Sunday school that we are raising our children in enemy territory and that our homes are one of the only sanctuaries that our children have from everything that is out there trying to trip them up.

Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa Tolman Dakota is ready for his next year of Scouts as a Webelos, he got his hat, neckerchief, slide, and book so he is READY. I think that we are going to have Grandpa Matlock help Cody earn some badges so that we can keep grandpa busy.

I don't know if you can tell or not by the expressions on Shalynn, Dakota, and Tawny's faces that they really like the wii. It continues to be a challenge to make sure that all their homework, and chores, are done before I let them get on the electronics. But I have seen a difference when the electronics are off during the week. The kids seem to get along better and there is less yelling and screaming. At least when they all leave Dylan alone LOL.

Cody gets his Bear

2011-11-15T15:40:00.001-08:00

Well another year has come and gone for Dakota and his Scouting. He received his Bear the first Thursday of November at the Monthly pack meeting. We all attended and Grandma and Grandpa Matlock came too.

He also received a gold and silver arrow point, and the following belt loops. Wildlife Conservation, Geography, Astronomy, Chess, Flag Football, Music, and Kickball. Now mom just need to get him a belt so that he can wear all the loops that he has earned.

Halloween

2011-11-15T15:26:00.001-08:00

Just to get caught up a little here. Halloween was great Grandma Matlock and I took all of the kids in their costumes to the Trunk-or-treat and the kids had a blast.All of the kids but Dylan were able to wear their costumes more than once this year. Shalynn, Tawny, and Caris wore theirs to the Girl Scout Fall Harvest Festival and had a great time. There was even a haunted house there that the girl wen in more than once. Then they all wore their costumes for their school Halloween parties. Since Dylan is still home with me he did not get to wear his except for on Halloween. He was just do darn cute as Scooby Doo.I especially love the little tail on the costume. He had a ball trying to get it to wag while he was trick-or-treating.Dakota was a Ninja this year and he had a pretty good costume. He decided that he didn't want to bring any of his weapons to trick-or-treat with though.

Dylan Eats something besides Peanutbutter and Jelly!!!!!

2011-06-30T13:50:00.000-07:00

Trying to get Dylan to eat much of anything but Peanut buttter and Jelly sandwiches has and continues to be a challenge. Most of the time when we sit down to dinner Dylan won't eat what we have and we have to break out the peanu tbutter and jelly. I swear that kid is made of the stuff. So today when Caris was making a cup of noodles for lunch I guess Dylan wanted one too. So Caris made him one and I was totally shocked when Dylan actually started to eat the soup. We had to tell him that it was hot and that he would have to blow on it but he picked up eating with his hands as soon as he could get the noodles cool enough with his fork.

It is funny the little things that make a Mother smile. LOL I can now add another item to the lunch menu for Dylan and I so that we are able to have a little more variety when the other kids are at school once school starts again.

Pictures after Church

2011-06-13T19:03:00.000-07:00

So I am trying to be a little better at keeping this blog up to date so that Friends and Family can see what we are doing out here in the desert. So on that note one day after church last week I took some pictures of the kids and I. Mind you we have the late church and we don't get out until 4 in the afternoon.
I totally love this picture of Dylan and Dakota my two little men. Dakota looks so handsome in his shirt and tie and then Dylan is trying to be like his older brother. I love their smiles.

All I can say about the girls is that they are beautiful and I love them very much. If you can't tell Shalynn is getting into wearing sunglasses everywhere. Caris wants to be involved in everything going on around here and Tawny is just totally excited to be moving on to middle school.

Fathers and Sons Outing

2011-06-13T18:41:00.000-07:00

Our ward had a Fathers and Sons outing out at the Trona Pinnacles and Chris, Dakota, and Dylan had a pretty good time. They would of had a better time if the wind had not been blowing. In some of the pictures you can see all the dust and dirt in the air. All the Dads left Ridgecrest around 5 in the afternoon and they were going to go out and have a bonfire and cook hot dogs and just have a good time.
There would have been pictures of Dylan but he fell asleep in the car on the way out and you don't wake a sleeping child.

Ridgecrest Christmas Parade

2010-12-20T22:03:00.000-08:00

Well this year all three girls were in the parade with their Girl Scout Troops. Shalynn, Tawny and I with our troop and then Caris with her Daisy troop. It was actually pretty fun seeing all my girls in the parade this year. My troop was the tail end of all the Girl Scout troops that were walking in the parade so I only got a few pictures of Caris before we started the drive along the parade route. Caris and her troop were in the back of a truck because it is just a little to much walking for kindergartners.

The theme for the parade this year was peace so the Girl Scouts decided to be Peace Angles and we had Tye-dyed shirts of all kinds in our section of the parade. It was really fun to see all the different kinds of t-shirts that everyone came up with. I was actually very nice this year. It was not very cold which was really nice for everyone involved in the parade. I remember last year when it was really cold and the girls were just not having a good time at all. This year they were really up beat and you could see that they were enjoying themselves.

This is the only picture that I have of all three girls and the sun was in their eyes hence their lovely faces LOL. I am just glad that the girls still want to participate in Girl Scouts and that they let me be their co-leader and are not "Oh my Mom is the leader and I don't want to do Girl Scouts anymore." It is amazing how fast time flies when you are no longer a kid. As I sit back and think about when I started Girl Scout wish Shalynn it just seems likes yesterday but it has been 6 years already. Shalynn will be in High School Before I know it and then off to College. Where does all the time go?

Camp Ocean Pines

2010-06-20T16:25:00.000-07:00

The first weekend in June Shalynn, Tawny, and I headed over to the coast for camp with the Girl Scouts. We didn't have to drive this year and it was really nice for me to just be a passenger. Last year we went to Camp Ocean Pines with another Girl Scout Service Unit and we had a really good time. This year we just went with our little troop, not all the girls went either. We have 14 girls in the troop and only 11 girls came. The girls and I rode with Ellen the troop leader and then we had two other parents that came with us and were drivers too. We had two cabins at the camp and they were really great, they had a bathroom and a shower inside the cabin and not all camps have that. When we would go up to Camp Quaker Meadow the cabins are off in one area and then there are showers in another building and bathrooms scattered all over the camp. Tawny was a little sad that we were not going there this year because she really wanted to go on the Zip Line again. It only took me forever last year to get her to actually try and and then once she did she was hooked on it. Each camp has its special features and this time we were planning on actually going kayaking, something that we didn't do last year. The first night that we were there it took the girls forever to actually settle down and go to sleep. I knew that it was only going to last for that first night, because the next day we had a lot planned and the girls would be just to tired not to go to sleep once we hit the cabins. This year we stayed in the Galileo cabin. It was painted with stars and planets all over the walls and it was really great. Normally at camp you don't expect the food at camp to be any good but this camp has always had good food and this year wasn't any different. It was totally worth the money that we spent to go there.

Day two started with a great breakfast and then we all packed our lunch for our day trip kayaking. The camp is in Cambria California and we were going to be kayaking down in Morro Bay which is only 30 minutes south of Cambria. So we all put on sunscreen and bathing suits, and for us adults clothing that we were ok getting wet in. For the first half of the trip I was in the big War Canoe with a couple of girls that were a little afraid of trying the kayaks at first. We were on the water for about 20 minutes and then we pulled ashore on the spit of land that was between the estuary and the ocean. The mud was really great to walk in and it was nice and cool in the water. The girls had a great time chasing each other in the mud. We then decided to hike over the beach spit over to the ocean. Now that was a journey that I will not be to hip on taking again. The sand was so hot that we had to dig our feet in deeper so that we were on cooler sand. It was so hot I think some of us got blisters on our feet. If you look in this picture you will see Shalynn at the top of the hill sitting down to cool her feet of a little bit and psyching herself up to keep on going. We had a small area that we could walk in because parts of the beach were roped off for the wildlife that was hatching at the time. And because the Morro Beach area is a preserve we were not allowed to take anything from the beach like shells and thing. It was really hard for the girls but they had a great time looking at all the different kinds of shells and other animals that live on the beach. I think I must of stood in the ocean for a good 30 minutes to make my feet cold enough so that I could walk on the hot sand back to where we had beached the boats. I was a little behind the kids in going over the hill to the beach and I saw this really great flowering plan just growing out of the sand and I couldn't resist taking pictures. When I saw this it reminded me of some of the beauty of the desert that we are living in right now as well. I guess I will just have to look a little harder to see some of the beauty. By the end of the kayaking trip I think all of us were a little sunburned and some of us more than others. We did a little souvenir shopping at some of the really cute shops along the boardwalk and then we all went to get ice cream because once we were off the water it was hot again. Tyler and Robin the two people that were leading our programs for the camp told us that it hadn't been this hot in awhile. I guess we brought the heat with us from the desert. That was something that we really didn't want to hear but we did have a good time. We came back to camp after ice cream and we were just in time for dinner. We had hamburgers, french fries, and some really great green beans. After dinner the girls were ready for crafts. As Ellen says our girls really love to do crafts and this year the camp really provided for us. The first craft was tye-dying t-shirts and we didn't even use rubber bands this time. The second craft was making a glass piece that we could end up making a bracelet or necklace later. We started with a base piece of glass and then added all kinds of different pieces of glass on top. Ten Scott the guys in charge of all the crafts put them all in the Kiln to melt together. Then we all tried our hand at some Gyotaku which is fish painting in Japan. The girls were given blue bandannas and then they painted the tops of some rubber fish and then laid them all out on the bandannas and made their own piece of art work. After making the bandannas we headed out for Campfire and then it was off to bed. I think the adults were really wiped. You forget how fast the sun and wind can take the energy out of you. Once we got to the cabins the girls were pretty much asleep once their heads hit their pillows.

Day three started with me getting up and getting as much of me, Shalynn and Tawny packed up so we wouldn't have to do it later because I know I was going to be helping the other girls get all their stuff packed up. We had french toast, eggs, and cheese for breakfast and then we headed down to the beach to take a look at the tide pools and to see if we could seen any animals left in the pools while the tide was out. We saw a ton of hermit crabs, some small starfish and we even got to see some pretty big starfish. Most of the bigger ones were really attached to the rocks that we were climbing on but we did find one that was not attached and some of the girls were able to pick it up and touch it. We also saw a sea urchin and it was pretty cool. I remember when living in Tunisia and we would go to the beach we would always find their empty shells and it was really great to actually see one still in its shell. I think we were at the tide pools for about an hour and then we went back to camp to finish packing up and then check out. We then went up to coast a little way and went to see the elephant seals and we let the girls out a moonrock beach to see what they could find. Then we finally got back in the cars and headed out for home. I think we stopped for lunch/dinner around 5 in the afternoon and then hit it hard to get home. Even then we didn't get home until 9 in the evening. By the time the girls and I got home I was totally ready to hit the hay and not get up for a long long time. But fun was had everyone and I think the girls would really like to go again next year but Ellen and I might be trying to get a cruise set up for the girls. We will have to see though.

Dakota's Baptism in February.

2010-03-28T12:10:00.000-07:00

The first weekend in February Grandpa and Grandma Tolman, Aunt Christi, and Uncle Matt came into the desert of their own free will to participate in Dakota's Baptism. Grandpa was asked to baptize Dakota and he accepted. A day before the baptism Everyone but the Matlock clan went down to Ft. Irwin to pick up Uncle Mike, and three of his beautiful children, Rhett, Aurora, and Maverick. We really missed Madeline but she didn't want to come. We all had a great time being together. It has been awhile since we have been able to be a big TTribe family. The Matlock clan was still out their van so to get to the church we had to shuttle people back and forth. Also on the special day it deciced to rain on us and let me tell you it rained a lot and it was coming down pretty good all day long. It has been 5 long years since it has rained like that here in the desert. When we first moved here it rained that first winter and then for the next 4 years it has rained maybe once a year and then it was a quick little thunderstorm and then it was over so we really knew that we were living in the desert. It was really great to have as much of my family here that was able to come. Thank you all for coming to see Dakota and be a part of his special day.

Trying to catch up

2010-03-22T12:48:00.000-07:00

Well it has been awhile since I have been on here and I will try better to keep things up to date. It is Spring Break this weeks and I will try to get some pictures of the activities that we will be doing this week and all the time that we will be out side enjoying the weather before it gets too hot in a few more months. It has already hit 75 degrees this last week and we are not looking forward to more hot weather yet. That is not supposed to hit us until June so I am hoping that it will not hit us to bad until then. Pictures will be coming shortly.

Back to School

2009-08-21T09:23:00.001-07:00

The kids went back to school this week and so far they are having a good time. We went to their open house on Monday to meet their teachers for the year and so that they would be able to find their classes on Tuesday morning. They are at a different campus this year because the school district is planning on revamping their school. Last year they did one of the other elementary schools here in the valley and they just barely finished with it right before school was supposed to start. So the kids are still able to walk down the street to Las Flores School and then they get on a bus and are taken over to the new campus for the year. I am so glad that they can use the bus because it would be a pain in the but to have to take them every morning to school. I did it before when we were living on Helena street because I didn't trust the kids to cross the busy street that they needed to get to school. At lease when they walk from this house they have a crossing guard. Before they only had a traffic light and I really didn't trust them to follow the rules of the land. We will see how they do after their third week in school once they get settled into their classes and get use to their teachers. I will write more then.

2009-08-18T13:45:00.000-07:00

Chris and I went up to his parents house in northern California and while we were on the way there our engine died and so his parents had to come and get us. It is a good thing that we were really close when the engine died and his parents were able to come and get us. We looked into how much it was going to cost to get the engine fixed and we just didn't have the money right now to get it fixed. So we left it at grandma and grandpa's house and my lovely brother Mike drove up to bring us back home so that the kids would be able to start school the next week. At least the van is safe and when we get the money his mom will have it brought to her mechanic of who know how many years to fix it. Boy do I ever hate money and everything that needs money to work. Cars and Homes are necessary evils.

Camp Ocean Pines

2009-04-21T11:12:00.000-07:00

Well the girls (Shalynn and Tawny) and I left for camp right after school on Friday to head out to the coast of California for an Under the Sea Core Camp for Girl Scouts. We had a 5 hour trip ahead of us with 7 girls and two adults in a Chevy Tahoe. If we only had 6 girls we wouldn't have been as cramped but we made it to the camp in pretty good time and we stopped enough times so that everyone could stretch their legs. This is the first camp that we have taken the girls to that has actually been more than 3 hours away from home. The girls actually did a great job and we didn't have to remind them to often to have a buddy. We had to stop along the way for dinner because we weren't going to make it to camp in time to have dinner there. Once we did arrive at camp we checked in and headed right to our little cabin. There were bunks for 10 in the cabin and it also has a bathroom and a shower all inside. It was actually a really cute place. Our cabin was the VanGogh cabin and it was painted yellow in the inside and then some of his famous paintings were painted on all the walls. It was really nice to have an indoor bathroom and hot water to shower in when we needed it. Here is a picture of some of the girls having a little get together in one of the bunks. So our first full day of camp was fabulous. Breakfast was at 8 in the morning and we had scrambled eggs, bacon, cereal if you wanted it, and the fresh fruit was really wonderful. We were so lucky and we had fruit at every meal. After breakfast we went to the craft building and the girls started putting a picture frame together with sea glass and other fun beads. They glued all their pieces down and as we waited for them to dry the girls went and visited the outdoor center. After they were dry we were given some grout and the girls were able to put grout between all the items that they put on their picture frames. As it started to dry they were told to pull off the excess and we had to make sure that we got all the film off the sea glass and the colorful beads so that they would show up between the grout. All the girls had a great time getting dirty and moving the grout between all their treasures that they put on their frame. When they were through with their frame they put it out in the sun to dry and they they all took off in pairs to go hiking around the camp before lunch. After lunch we were headed down to the beach at low tide to look at the tide pools and to make some sand candles. The walk across the beach was rather rocky where we were and the sand was more little rocks than soft sand. But the girls had a great time climbing all over the rocks. They were told to be careful because there were all kind's of sea anemone on the rocks and they were trying to be careful not to step on them. They were also able to see some starfish, and some sea urchins. I was totally surprised that Shalynn and Tawny did not get totally soaked during this outing. But they came back to camp dry. After being on the beach for most of the afternoon we were ready for dinner when we got back to camp. We had tacos and boy were they really good. Why is is when you are camping everything seems to taste better? After dinner the girls were able to do some more things on their own and then it was campfire time. We had a great time singing songs and watching all the skits. Also the stars were so bright that we just had a ball looking up at them and trying to figure out which constellations we were seeing. We didn't have any problems with telling the girls to be quite once the lights were out in the cabin. I think everyone was asleep in 10 minutes or less they had a really full day and just wore themselves out. Sunday morning we were up and out for breakfast at 8 again and then back up to the cabin to pack up and leave camp. After leaving camp we drove up the coast on highway 1 to the elephant seal viewpoint. We had a guide meeting us there to tell us about the seals. It was very informative and the girls had a great time watching all the seals on the beach sleeping and some of the late arrivals still out in the water playing. After seeing the elephant seals we drove back down the coast to another beach so the girls could get their feet wet in the ocean for a little while. Well they all pretty much got soaked while there so we had to unpack the car so everyone could change into dry clothes for the return trip. Then it was back into the car for the 4 1/2 hour car drive back to Ridgecrest. We had a great day at the beach and we got home aroundd 7:30 in the evening I was ready for bed. The girls had to get in the shower so that they were ready for school on Monday. So all in all we had a great time at the camp and we even got some requirement out of the way for some badges for the girls.

Easter Pictures

2009-04-13T12:14:00.000-07:00

Well first of all Tawny was upset because I asked her to put a dress on and she didn't want to.

So in most of the pictues she is frowning because she has to throw a fit and let us know that she is upset. Oh and Dakota also didn't want to smile either because I asked him to do something that he didn't want to do. Why is it that you can never really have a good picture with the more kids you have. There is always someone that doesn't want to do what they are asked. I think it is a miracle when all of the kids acutally cooperate and we get a really good picture. Then when you add a few more kids to the equation it gets really fun. So when we added the 4 M&M kids to the picture we got a few good pictures and this is one of them before Maverick pitched a fit. It was a really good visit while they were here. The kids really played well together and I am so glad that there were not that many fights. There was the occasional tattle tail issue but that is normal when you get that many kids together. We actually had a great visit and I am so glad that the kids had a great time again. It has been a long time since we have been this close to family to acutaly have a family get together where one of us didn't have to travel a long distance to be together as a family. Chris moved us out here to the southern desert in California 4 years ago and I have missed being close to family. We will probably be her for a few more years because it is a really good job and as of right now there is nothing out there in his field that he can find. He is looking though. Thank you Mike and Megan for getting stationed out here in the California Desert with me.

Coloring Easter Eggs

2009-04-11T10:43:00.000-07:00

Shalynn, Tawny, Dakota, Caris, Madeline, Rhett, and Arora all colored eggs in the backyard the other day and they had a ball. Caris and Aurora had a great time with the dye and they acutally came up with some really colorful eggs. The dye when it dried was really bright and some of them were really great. We also had the dye in the cups and Shalynn had a really brilliant red come out after she let her egg sit in there for a pretty long time. We started out with just Caris and Aurora coloring eggs and then all the other kids came out to color as well. And guess who the last two kids to be coloring eggs were. Yes you guessed it Caris and Aurora. I think the kids colored 3 dozen eggs. The great part was that they didn't break any of them as they were coloring them. With my kids breaking them would be a natural happening. With all the kids in the house we are really having a Loud and Great time. When I see all these colored eggs I start to wonder who ever came up with the idea to start coloring them, and then hiding them. As we go to church this week I hope the kids will remember the real meaning behind Easter. The atonement of our Savior and everything that he did for us. I am so thankful for the family that I have and the wonderful man that I have by my side.

Family in the same State

2009-04-11T10:35:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to have some family close by. Mike and Megan moved to California and they are stationed Fort Irwin. It is two hours away but that is so much better than being 16 to 20 hours away and in different states. Chris brought me out to the southern desert of California and we will probably be here for awhile. The community is great and I love the people here it is the weather in the summer that really gets to me and I miss the green from other places that we have lived. So it will be the Bear Cave and the M&M's in Southern California for a while. Woo Hoo.

2009-03-03T10:32:00.000-08:00

Well in the last week or so Dylan has found his toung, had one tooth come in on the bottom and figured out how to sit up. Once he is in the sitting position and falls over he doesn't quite know how to get back to the sitting position. He rolls all over the floor but is not crawling yet or even getting up on his hands and knees. I guess we will just have to wait for that little achievement. But that is fine. I am still trying to get the kids to remember to pick up after themselves so that Dylan does not become the human vacuum cleaner. They tend to just drop whatever they are done with wherever they are and it drives me crazy. It is just amazing to watch Dylan grow and all the new things that he is learning to do. He is such a happy baby and I am so thankful for that. All I have to do is smile at him and he will smile back. He is also starting to laugh. When he is sitting in his high chair Caris will come and start playing with him and he will just laugh and laugh at her. I guess she is just really funny to him. She is such a big help with him. She will try and play with him when I am trying to get other things done around the house. Sometimes she tries to be the mommy and to watch her try and carry Dylan around is just a hoot. I will try and get some pictures of that and post them. I know you will just laugh when you see them. Ok well I think this is enough for right now. I will post more later.

Christmas

2009-01-18T16:02:00.000-08:00

Christmas here in the desert was not what we are use to. I would really like to see snow on the ground. I guess this year it all came down on Grandma and Grandpa up in Mead Washington this year. It was sure cold enough here to get snow and we did get some up in the mountains that surround our little valley but none down on the valley floor to speak of. Dang it. Christmas was great and we started something new and different this year. Before we opened presents this year we read the Christmas story to the kids and reminded them that the reason we celebrate Christmas is to celebrate our saviors birth and not just to get presents. All the kids still have to be right on each other when they open presents though. They can't wait till they get their next turn they have to be right on each other and try and help them all rip the paper off the packages. The only well behaved kid this year was Dylan and I think that was only because he couldn't walk around and rip open packages lol. The last day of school for the kids Chris and I took them out early and took them up to where Chris works and they got to walk around in the building that their dad works in. When I say walk around that is all they were allowed to do. There are to many things that they were not allowed to touch so we had to tell them that they needed to put their hands in their pockets. I was surprised that they actually listened and did what they were told. Good for the kids. All in all the kids and I survived the two week break from school and we all had a great Holiday Season. We wish we had been able to go and be with family this year but it was just not going to happen. maybe next year.

Hey Look It snows here in the Desert.....

2008-12-18T23:27:00.001-08:00

Well maybe not. It didn't snow here in the valley. It snowed up in the mountains that surround our little valley. The high temp today was only around 54 and the kids think it is cold. I try and remind them of when we lived in Logan and there was snow on the ground when we went trick or treating. We had only been out for 10 minutes and the kids told me that they wanted to go home. But I guess that they are getting use to the weather here in the desert of California and they think that this weather is cold. I do have to say that I really miss seeing the snow and it just doesn't feel like Christmas without snow on the ground. We got a tree this past week and the kids helped decorate it the other day. Mom got to put on all of her ornaments and the the kids got to help with some of the ones that they have made throughout the years and then some of the new ones that we got this year. I bought some beeds this year and cut them in 6 inch lengths and the kids hung them on the tree like icicles. They all had a good time. I will post a picture later. I hope everyone is ready for Christmas. I finished my last gift today.

The Annual Ridgecrest Christmas Parade

2008-12-18T23:10:00.000-08:00

Well the time has come and gone again for the annual Christmas Parade here in Ridgecrest. The girls have participated every year that they have been in Girl Scouts. This year was ok but it was not the best of years. The wind started blowing the night before the parade and it was pretty fierce. I was worried that the parade was going to be to windy for the girls. So Saturday morning comes along and I get the girls in long sleeve shirts and turtle necks and tights and white pants and so on. I try to keep them as warm as possible because they need to be wearing white so that they look like the rest of the troop. Well we get to the parade and put the bells that we made during one of the meetings on the girls and we put bells on their shoes and bells in their hair. The theme this year for all the troops that were participating was cookies. So we were sugar cookies bells. It was pretty cute and it wasn't that hard to put together. We hadn't even started walking yet and Tawny is already telling me that she is cold. I told her that she needed to jump up and down and run around so that she could keep warm. By the end of the parade the girls were pretty tired and when we did finally get home they had to have another shower because of all the sand all over everything and all in their hair. It was a mess but we all had a good time.

Boys are Amazing

2008-11-28T21:05:00.000-08:00

You know I am so thankful that I have two little boys in my family. Dakota and Dylan are such wonderful kids. I hope that I will be able to raise them right and teach them how to respect women and treat them right. It is amazing how fast they grow. It seems like just yesterday that Dakota was a baby and I was trying to pat down his hair that looked like he had suck his finger ina light socket. Right after Dylan was born I was afraid he wasn't going to come home for a long time and he changed that and came home fairly fast. He has grown so much in the past 5 months. I took him to the Dr. the other day and he is already 17 pounds. I can't even believe that. He is just growing so fast.

Thanksgiving

2008-11-28T20:56:00.000-08:00

We acutally celebrated Thanksgiving on sunday when Grandma Matlock was with us. She was only able to be with us for a weekend but it was a good weekend. She was able to get a rest from the job and from Grandpa and she was also able to finally meet her youngest grandson Dylan. We had a great time and the turkey dinner was great. When it was time for her to leave we really did not want her to go. But we made her promise to come back soon. I think that she will now that she knows she is always welcome and the drive is not that long for her to come and see us. Thanks again Gramdma for coming to visit

2008-10-08T13:39:00.000-07:00

Shalynn is now officially a Junior in the Girl Scouting program. She and the rest of her troop had a Slide into Juniors ceremony a few weekends ago at the base pool here in Ridgecrest. The really great thing is that Shalynn was able to pass the swimming test and she really has not had any lessons whatsoever. I was really proud of her. I guess the playing around in the pool in the back yard has really paid off. She had a ball and keeps asking to go back. When Tawny go there she said in no uncertain terms that she did not want to go down the slide. So of course I am not going to push her in anyway. Hopefully she will get our of her littel fear of certaing things and be willing to try new things at least once in a while. While we were at Girl Scout camp this last summer she really did not want to try the zip line either. She got all dressed in the gear and then she chickend out. I have even been on the zip line and Shalynn and I tried to tell her that it was really fun but she was having none of it. But anyway the girls are loving Girl Scouting still and so am I. I will post more as the school year continues to get more and more interesting.

Dylan Plays Nintendo

2008-09-24T12:53:00.000-07:00

Dylan got his first taste of playing nintendo the other night. Shalynn was holding him and Dakota wanted her to come and play a game with her. At first he did not like it. But once he started hearing the music he settled down and just sat in Shalynns arms while she played the game. I thought it was a really cute picture. So I decided I neede to post it to the blog.

Chock Full Weekend

2008-08-05T10:47:00.000-07:00

Well this weekend was full of fun and exciting things that happened to the Matlock Family. We had Tawny's baptism on Saturday and then on Sunday we blessed Dylan. It was really great to have pretty much the whole family here in our neck of the woods for a little while. Even if it was 115 degrees most of the time everyone was here. Saturday morning we took pictures with all of the grandkids. This was the first time that we were all able to get together after Dylan had been added to the family. We were only short Jon and Shannon and they needed to be back in Utah because of jobs and other commitments. If we had all ben together we could of taken another family pictures. Now that we have added three new little additions to the family. But we all had a great time and are looking forward to the next time that we can all be together.

2008-07-31T17:25:00.001-07:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Dylan's Tanning session is over

2008-07-02T22:34:00.000-07:00

Well when I went to the hospital to see Dylan today the Dr. had decided that he no longer needed the lights for jaundice. so he is light free and he no longer needs to wear the goggles. He can also have a shirt on now since he doesn't need the light to be on his skin. So one thing down and a few more before he can come home. He is still on Cpap for his breathing and I am hoping that his need for the help will continue to drop. He is almost off the nutrition solution as well. As soon as they take the pick line out of his leg he will not have any thing that is stuck in his body and he will just have the leads stuck to him so that the nurses can monitor his heart rate and other things. So we are hoping the he will be weened from the oxygen machines really soon so that he will be able to start eating with a bottle. He is already getting breast milk in a tube that goes down his nose but we want him to be able to eat and breath at the same time. So if everyone could pray that he will be able to be off the oxygen machines really soon I and the rest of the family would really appreciate it.

Dylan Looks at the world

2008-07-01T22:52:00.000-07:00

This evening when I went back over to the hospital to see Dylan I was able to hold him again and this time he actually opened his eyes and was looking at the world around him. It was really great to hold him even if it was for a little while. During the day today I went to the 2 hour discharge class. I wanted to make sure that I had that under my belt so that as soon as Dylan is ready to go home I will just be able to take him. I have a few videos to watch now, I think 4 and then I will have watched everything that I need to so that I am ready to take Dylan home when they say that I can. I still can not tell who Dylan looks like yet. Maybe it is still to early to tell. I do think that he is going to have my long face though. I will write more again tomorrow.

The Bear Cubs Visit the Newest Bear Cub

2008-06-30T15:39:00.001-07:00

Sunday June 29th Christi drove up to Ridgecrest and picked up my whole family and brought them down to see Dylan at the hospital. The kids had a 4 p.m. appointment to see him. The kids had to go through a little class that told them a little bit about what they were going to see while they were in there and they all did really well once they actually were allowed to go in to see Dylan. We only did two kids at a time so not to upset Dylan as much. The first two to go were Tawny and Dakota. They kept asking when he was going to be coming home and I had to keep telling them that it was up to Dylan. So I told them to talk to Dylan and tell him that he needed to come home. So hopefully he listened and will be ready to come home in a few days. Then it was Shalynn and Caris's turn to go in and see the baby. Caris had a good time washing her hands and then putting on the little gown that she had to wear so that she could get close to the baby. She also kept asking "when is baby Dylan going to come home?" So I told her to ask him and tell him that she wanted him to come home soon. I am so glad that Christi was able to stay with me the first few days that I was down here and I am so glad that she was willing to come down and help me out when I needed her to. Thanks again Christi for everything you have done for my family so far. I don't know what I would have done without you. If you can see in the pictures Dylan no longer had the big breathing tube down his throat and he is getting oxygen another way and that is helping him on the road to recovery. So thanks again for all of your prayers.

Aunt Gick Tanning in Loma Linda

2008-06-26T20:18:00.000-07:00

Well I guess it is Aunt Gick's turn for a tan in Loma Linda just like Dylan. We had some good news today from the Dr. When we finally got to talk to him he said that they were going to try and take out the breathing tube tomorrow and I am so looking forward to that. He is actually breathing at about 30% and you and I breath at 21% so he is not that far off. Gick and I were so happy when we found out that they are going to try and take him of the O2. While Gick was out running a few errands today the nurse and I had a great experience. Dylan was acting a little fussy and so the nurse decided to see if he needed his diaper changed. Well he didn't but she decided to finish because she had already started. Well Dylan decided that it would be the perfect time to try and pee and so he did all over the new diaper that we were trying to get on on him. So we just held in in place and tried to let him finish. When we thought he was done we tried to clean him up and get all the pee off of him and he decided to do it again. So we paused again to see if he would finally finish. Well here comes another diaper and he does it again. I think the nurse and I were in stitches by this time. It was really funny. I don't have any pictures because I was trying to hold his hands because he wanted to pull out the oxygen tube. He is trying to jump the gun a little here. I think that is all for now and I will write more tomorrow as soon as we hear anything and hopefully I will have pictures of him without the big tube down his throat.

Dylan Tanning at Loma Linda

2008-06-26T09:42:00.000-07:00

Hello friends and family. Well I was very thankful to my friend Wendy on Wednesday because she drove me down to Loma Linda so that I could be with Dylan. It was very nice of her to offer and I am so glad that I could take advantage of her generosity. When I arrived at the hospital I only have about 15 minutes to spend with Dylan before the Dr.'s started to do their rounds. They do their rounds from 9 to 12 so no parents are allowed when this is happening. So if you want to see your child in the morning you need to be there from 8 - 9 and then you can come back again around noon. So I had seen him for just a few minutes and then had to leave. Since I did not have a place to stay yet I was sitting in the waiting room waiting to see if the Social Worker assigned to Dylan's case was able to get me into the Ronald McDonald house while I am staying down in Loma Linda. I had just started Dylan's afghan a few days before he decided to join us so I was working on that when who should show up but Dylan's Aunt Christi. I knew she was coming but it was just really great to have some family here with me. We went to the Ronald McDonald house and checked to see if there was a room and actually got right in. We then had to have some lunch because we were starving and then we went back to see Dylan and we were there until 6:30 when they kicked us out so that the Nursing shift could change. So we went to have dinner and then we were right back at his side so that we could just watch and touch him.

Happy Birthday to Me and Dylan

2008-06-23T18:26:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me, Oh wait I think I am going to have a baby. Surprise It is going to be Dylan Teancum's birthday as well. I got a really early birthday present this morning. Dylan decided to enter the world at 1:45 a.m. on Monday June 23, 2008. He also decided that he did not want to be born in a hospital he just could not wait. I had him at home and about totally freaked out. The ambulance arrived about 10 minutes after he was born and they were able to cut the cord. Chris was actually getting ready to cut the cord when they arrived. I feel that Chris and I did pretty well birthing a baby at home. The ambulance crew took Dylan and I to the hospital emergency room and just started monitoring Dylan. They didn't put the IV in his head until after they couldn't find any veins in his hands that were big enough. After I had been in the emergency room for about a half hour they had to move Dylan and I over to the Labor and Delivery wing because they all of a sudden got swamped with patients. I was not able to see much of Dylan during the time that he was in the hospital. The nurses were helping him breath and they were trying to get all the stuff in his lungs out. After monitoring him for about 2 hours the nurses and Dr. decided that they were going to send him to the Hospital in Loma Linda down south of Ridgecrest where they have a NICU unit. I was pretty upset that he was not going to be in the same town that I was going to be in but I know that he is where he needs to be right now. He is pretty much perfect except that he is having problems breathing on his own because he is 6 weeks early. So they have told us that he will be able to come home as soon as he is breathing on his own and when he wants to start eating. Chris and I are hoping the he will be home in three weeks or less. But the worst case is that he will not be able to come home until his actual due date which is August 15. We are hoping the he will be able to come home sooner. I am already home from the hospital and I am so glad that I did not have to stay any longer in the hospital. I hate it when everyone is coming in all the time to take your blood pressure and push on your stomach. I will be going down to Loma Linda on Wednesday with a friend so that I can be with Dylan for a little while. I will know more about what is going on with Dylan in a little while and I will try and post again later tonight when I know more about his condition.

Baby Update

2008-04-30T13:53:00.000-07:00

I went to the Dr. today for my monthyl check up and I was 24 weeks and the baby decided to cooperate when we did a sex check ultrasound. Well if you take a look at the picture we are having a little boy. Dakota is so excited that he will finally have a little brother to play with. Now he will not have to play the Prince to all the Princesses in his house. Chris and I are really excited as well. The rooms in the house will now fit nicely. All the girls will be in one room and once the new baby is out of mom and dad's room he will be able to go right into Dakota's room. I also think that now that we have another little boy to add to our family Chris and I will done. Besides we are getting older and do not want to have kids in the house when we decided it is time to travel and see the grand kids and other things that we would like to do. There are just a few things that we would like to have for our new baby and you can see them online at our baby registry at babies r us. Just type in my name and everything should come up. If you want to get clothes just make sure you do not get premmie clothes because none of my kids have ever fit in those. I don't have babies I have toddlers and they like to crawl home. I think that is all for now I will write again soon.

We have moved

2008-04-20T20:26:00.000-07:00

Don't worry we are still living in Ridgecrest but we moved to a bigger house. We needed the room since we have number five on the way. It was a rather crappy move. I was sick the week before the move and so I was not able to do a lot of packing. So as of today we still have a few things over at the old house. Chris and I are still working on getting everything out. At lease we still have the old house for another week to make sure that we can get everything clean so that we can get our deposit back . Our new address is going to be 1024 West Las Flores, Ridgecrest, CA 93555. Since we have Vonage for our phone number it will stay the same lucky us and you. You will not need to learn a new phone number 760-446-5041. The kids will now be able to walk to school which will also save on the gas that it was taking to get them to and from school. It was during the move on Friday when we got a text from Mike letting us know that Both Chris and I had become and aunt and uncle again. It was pretty cool. We will post more pictures when we get everything put in its place.

2008-04-09T17:31:00.000-07:00

Well last weekend Dakota finally lost his first tooth. But then he lost his second, third and forth all in the same weekend. So he really needs his front teeth on top to come in and two on the bottom. Now he doesn't look as bad as Tawny did when she lost all four of her front teeth the top and the bottom. You should have seen her trying to eat corn it was really funny. We haven't had any corn on the cob yet so we don't know how Dakota will do but he is pretty funny looking when he smiles at you.

Easter Clothing

2008-04-07T08:29:00.001-07:00

Well first of all the kids could not get together and pose for the camera they each had to do their own thing. Tawny is saying it is to bright to look at me while I take the picture and Shalynn has to lean down to hold on to Caris for some reason. Dakota, well he just wants inwith the girls. The clothes are beautiful thanks to Aunt Gick. The only problem is that Shalynn grows to much and we are going to add some lace to the bottom of her dress so that she can wear it again. It is a little to short the way that it is right now. She just grows to fast to keep her in clothes.

Spring Break

2008-03-27T16:01:00.000-07:00

Well this week has been rather exciting. The kids have been out of school and they have been driving me crazy. What is new about that nothing really they drive me crazy all the time. Tuesday morning we all went out to a place called wagon wheel and the kids were able to play on some really cool rock formations with some other kids in our ward here. They had a great time and it was fun to just get out of the close quarters of the house. We took lunch with us and we just made a day of it. On the way home we stoped over by the Salt Wells fire station and we fed some of the wild horses and burrows that are kept there. It was pretty fun for the kids and I had a good time as well. Wednesday was our regular park day and we had a potluck lunch that we invited all the dad's to come to as well. It was really great that the kids were able to see their dad's during the day and have lunch with them. It would have been even better if the wind had not been blowing all day long.