Happy 50th Dad!

Well Pops, you're over the hill! What a ride it has been. 

Dad you are the greatest father any one of us girls could have asked for.  

I want to tell you thank you, thank you for:

- going on a mission when only active in church for four months, and then serving awesomely 

- marrying Mom

- teaching us to love Lynyrd Skynyrd

- teaching us to love Florida State University Football

- teaching us to change a tire and check engine oil

- embracing a house hold of females and loving it

- playing hard with us and wrestling us to the ground 

- holding us while we cried after a boyfriend breakup

- never complaining when we got into your tools and built odd things in the yard

- loving cats and dogs

- being the biggest kid on the block

- teaching us how to build sandcastles, play on the beach, and body surf

 

(the two legs belong to me)

And being a wonderful grandfather. 

You helped so much this past year with Eli. Your presence helped me and Matt breath during 2 difficult hospital stays.

Happy 50th! 

Can't wait to see you in Indianapolis for the Final Four! 

Poem of the Month

I love literature. I love poetry. During high school I was very fortunate to have two fantastic English teachers. (I am from a small/rural town in Alabama... recourses a bit limited.) These two teachers taught me so much about the English language and the literature produced. 

I feel that I am loosing a bit of my knowledge. To help retain this knowledge I have decided to start a series in which once a month I post a poem. Make sense? Hence the name: Poem of the Month. 

This month is Black History Month. I LOVE THIS MONTH! Forget Valentine's Day, let's celebrate some awesome people! 

This month's featured poem:

We Real Cool

THE POOL PLAYERS.

SEVEN AT THE GOLDEN SHOVEL.

We real cool. We

Left school. We

Lurk late. We

Strike straight. We

Sing sin. We

Thin gin. We

Jazz June. We

Die soon.

by Gwendolyn Brooks 

 

How did you read this? It's "We real cool. We," said in one sentence. Then on to the next line: "Left school. We." Follow it this way through out the stanzas. 

Did you notice the last line and how it ends? Isn't that amazing?! I love this poem. 

I found this neat site about this poem which Brooks reads it herself. CLICK HERE 

I'd love hear your thoughts on this; be it this poem, Black History Month, or literature in general. Thanks for stopping by!

It's A...

BOY!

Can you believe that? Matt and I just laughed and laughed. How fun will this be? 

It was very apparent on the screen that this little guy is a little guy. Now we have to think of a name! 

His little heart looks good. All four chambers, 2 valves, and the pulmonary artery and aorta are present and accounted for. 

I will be having a fetal heart echo in Salt Lake just to make sure... that is in 3 weeks. 

Even though I am still in a bit of shock, I love this little man. Life is crazy, eh?

Sunday Morning Thoughts

Tomorrow is the baby number 3's 20 week ultrasound. Mmmm... I must admit I am getting nervous. I hope this child is developing well and that the ultrasound technician will have the skilled eyes to see his/her little body. So when we say, "I don't care if it's a boy or a girl, we just want him/her to be healthy," we really do mean that. 

This has been a bit of a crazy weekend. Isaac was sick with fever and cold Thursday and Friday, and now Eli has the same thing. On top of that this is Matt's National Guard drill weekend. A little crazy at times. Needless to say, no church for us today. But I think we will sing songs and go over Noah's Ark story. 

Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwich shop opened this week in Rexburg. Yummy!

We are hopefully moving to Boise next month. I just want to throw everything we own in the trash. Has anyone ever tried having a Yard Sale in 20 degree weather and in 2 feet of snow? I kinda want to try it. 

I need a shower.

Percy Jackson and The Olympians is a really fun and informative book series. Wish I had this during middle school--would have helped a lot understanding Greek Mythology. 

I want to cut Isaac's hair. It's getting a bit out of control in the back!

Why don't I own more maternity clothes? Oh, thats right, I hates them! But I have no pants to wear so maybe with this third and final child I should break down and get some panel pants. 

 

Recent photos we love:

Sooo Pretty!

Round this time last, after forgetting my dad's 49th birthday last February, I got this great idea: "Lets send my Papa to the Final Four next year for his 50th birthday!" My dad LOVES basketball, and adores the college level (I'm pretty sure he thinks he is a 19 year old when he gets on the a basketball court). 

 

Something you may not know: tickets to the Final Four are very hard to get a hold of. One must buy them a year in advance... into a lottery round! After 4 months of waiting, one will find out in August if he/she has the up to two seat purchased. The tickets are not sent out till February, 6 weeks before the Final Four. Its a lot waiting... 

But they came! They finally came! And they are soooo pretty. Just take a look:

 My finger on the section we are sitting. It's in the NFL Colt's Arena... really big and high!

Okay, get this... I am going too! I know, I know, it was my dad's gift. But then he and mom turn around and invite my and my two sisters to come with him! How cool is that?! It is really starting to sink in: I am going to the Final Four. I AM GOING TO THE FINAL FOUR! Without kids for 5 days! Do you think Matt can handle the weekend without me? Oh, who cares! I am going to the Final Four! 6 months pregnant, but still, way awesome!

Ahhhh!

We got in! Hooray!

We just found out that Matt has been accepted to Boise State University's MBA program... Phew! "What about the Marine Corps?" one may ask (remember this post?). Well the Idaho Army National Guard will not release Matt to go to Officer Candidate School. Sad times. Matt would make a great Marine Officer. On to plan B, which is: Go to BSU, contract with BSU's ROTC Army program, and become an Army Officer while getting his Masters of Business Administration with an emphasis in Human Resources. After graduation Matt will be in the Army as a Human Resource Manager Officer under Adjutant General. Any Questions? I'm sure there are lots... we are still in the middle of finding everything out. We do not know when we are going to move to Boise. We do not know when Matt will start the program (its either this summer or fall). And still, after so many explanations, I do not know how airplanes stay up in the air!

There be five of us:

Matt, Shannon, Isaac, Eli, and Titus.

A thought we be loving:

"Children need sunlight. They need happiness. They need love and nurture. They need kindness and refreshment and affection. Every home, regardless of the cost of the house, can provide an environment of love which will be an environment of salvation."

Gordon B. Hinckley

Our Story:

We met fall of 2003 in Alabama; I (Shannon) was a senior in high school, and Matt was a missionary for the LDS church. Obviously our relationship was just basic friendship. May of 2004 Matt was called off his mission with 18 months under his belt to complete an 18 month tour of duty with the Idaho Army National Guard. (6 months training in the states, 12 months to Iraq.) When Matt returned home to Boise from the mission feild to wait for his deployment to begin, we started dating. We became engaged during a two week leave in November 2004. Matt left for Iraq for 5 months, came home for another 2 week leave in April of 05. We were married, then he left for 7 more months to Iraq. All through this I was going to college and living a full life with lots of adventure. He came home safe and with many stories--and many more pictures. And that was just our first year.

Matt graduated from Brigham Young University-Idaho with a BS in Construction Managment. Shannon graduated from Brigham Young University-Idaho with a BS in University Studies. Matt is currently attending Boise States University's Master of Business Administration Program. Shannon has a lot of dreams, and needs to figure out what she wants to do! (Librarian? Doctor? Landscape architect? Who knows!)

The Boys:

Isaac, Eli, and Titus are wonderful boys. They have lots of energy, and love spending time with each other. Isaac was born in September of 2006; Eli, April of 2009; and Titus, June of 2010. Each has his own personality, but each fits perfectly in the family. We love all the crazy and thankful that they all (almost all of the time) sleep through the night!

The Plan of Action:

Our current plans are to become an active Army family (Matt is in the ROTC program, too)! Maybe even live in Europe for a few years.

... Things change fast, so we'll keep you updated.

(Last updated 2 September 2011 @ 7pm.)