Cherries Jubilee

 I don't know if the stars were aligned a certain way or ir the tides were high or if it was global warming, but we had cherries coming out of our ears this year.  The first year we moved in there were quite a few cherries but we could never get them the birds kept eating them.  Last summer our supply was very low and the birds ate whatever precious cherries there were.  This year the cherries were in abundance and no birds in sight!  We can't explain it, we don't know what happened, but we were grateful.  We picked a lot of cherries.  The kids especially picked a lot, they brought their friends over and they picked cherries.  Betty ate a tone of cherries.

 Maddy and Tenley had picked a ton of cherries and wanted to sell them.  We thought the busy road across from Brandy's salon by the elementary school might be a good location.  There was a lot of traffic but cars were going too fast, I think it was hard to stop.  They sold one bag, had a lady stop and tell them they were too much, and sold one to Brandy.  They were school lunch sacks 2/3 full for $5.00.  It might have been a little steep but come on lady, help a kid out!  They made a poster, brought a table and a table clothe, they decorated a money box. IT was a pretty hot day so I sat in the shade behind the fence and set my timer for five minutes so they could switch holding the sign and trying to lure cars over to make a purchase.  They worked hard and made $5.00 each but then they came home and went around to some neighbors and made some charity donations and sold a couple more.  They each ended up making about $11.00.  It was a good experience for them but I don't think they will open up a cherry stand anytime soon!

Costa Vida y dieciséis

  

 Cole turned sixteen on May 11th.  He wanted to go to Costa Vida for dinner.  Grandma, Grandpa, Riley, Lindsay, Ryder, Ruby, Rydge and Adrienne joined us for good eats. Some of us went to see The Avengers after dinner too.  Cole has grown up so much these past few years.  Even just looking at his face he looks so old, not wrinkly old just mature old :) He is such a help around the house. He willingly does most of what we ask him too :)  He's doing so well in school, he took a practice ACT this year and they projected his score to be a 34 when he takes it next year.. That's quite a score, I know he can achieve it!  He took his first AP test for World History this year too.  We just got the results in the mail and he scored a 4!  5 is the highest so we are pretty stoked about that!  Let's get some more college credit for $95!  I hope he knows how much we care about him and how much we want to teach him how to handle things on his own. We want him to be a responsible problem-solving adult.  Those are some great skills and are not easy to come by... they take hard work!  He's on his way to getting there.  We are so glad he is a part of our family. He's come along way from our little Cole-y bug!  Love you Cole!

 

 Ruby, Tenley and Adrienne, trying to get Ruby to look at me was a chore!

 Cole, Maddy and Ruby

 Cole and his group date for his 16th birthday.  He had this planned for probably two months before his birthday.  Cole took Allison Simpson, Preston and Alea and Lindy.  They met another couple there at the movie theater.  So, even though they are all 16 and legal for dating, no one had their license long enough to be allowed to drive with other kids in the car so they had to get a ride.  As I was pulling out of the drive way and looked in my mirror with these kids I just had to say, "So, is this how you all imagined your first date going?"  I couldn't resist.  I was quiet the rest of the way, but I so wanted to follow them in and buy a ticket for the same movie just so I could observe. They saw The Avengers and loved it! Preston's parents brought them home and they came back to our house.  We all disappeared, but I had set the kitchen up for them to make milkshakes.  Ice cream, syrups, candy bars, fruit, etc...  They all had to be home by 10:30 so it was a short night.  Norm drove Allison home, with Cole, of course.  I think it was a fun night for everyone, but I'm sure they had pictured it a little different in their minds.

So, this is tossed in on Cole's birthday page, but it's really Mother's Day.  They were all making me Cafe Rio Salads for our fantastic Sunday meal.

Cole is 16 going on 17....

Many milestones are reached when one turns 16

1. Driving
2. Dating
3. Getting a job
4. Later curfews
5. Becoming a Priest

For some reason, this last one really hit me.  Knowing that my little  boy will be up on the stand at the Sacrament table was so weird.  Those boys always seemed so old, so close to going on missions!  I couldn't believe that was where he is at!  We had his ordination at our house on a Thursday night.  Cole really wanted his Grandpas to be there and this was the night that worked out that we could have everyone here.  Brother Needs came over to officiate.  Omie and Papa drove down from Idaho to be there and Grandma and Grandpa drove all the way over from Taylorsville :)

 I wanted a picture with all the men and Norm didn't know what to do with his hands.

 Cole and his baby sistahs.. Tenley is sooo serious.

 Omie, Cole and Papa.  We love that they are so supportive and do their best to make it to all our family events.

 Grandpa, Cole and Grandma.  Grandma and Grandpa are playing the role of grandparents very well... making it to concerts, recitals, performances, church things... they are always willing and excited to come and support if they aren't on a cruise or vacation somewhere!

Cool Additions to our already cool state... UTAH

 One Friday night we were going to go grab some dinner and I suggested running up to City Creek after and Norm actually agreed!  I've been wanting to get up there and check it out.  Norm wanted to eat at Chick-fil-A and there is one at the food court.  Maddy needed some new church shoes but we quickly realized that his fantastic mall is not exactly where you are going to typically find "screaming deals".  It is a beautiful place in our city, I kept walking around going, this doesn't feel like Utah, it feels like some big major city.  It is truly beautiful.  I loved all the water fountains and features and the indoor outdoor feel.

 Another very cool, new place is the Utah Museum of Natural History.  It sits up on the mountain above Red Butte Gardens.  Tenley's fourth grade class was able to go on a field trip there and I was lucky enough to be a chaperone.   This is another high end big city feel.  It is huge, 5 floors, full of discovery.  The kids were very enthralled and looked at each exhibit.  As an adult, I'd love to go back and read and linger a little longer at each exhibit.  Tenley really liked the dinosaur displays, the Native American exhibit and the display of different rocks.  The hands on exhibits were the favorite though.  Make your own earthquake, dig for dinosaur bones, put pottery pieces together, braid rope and the outdoor deck.  The view from the rooftop is amazing, you can see across the whole valley.  One of my favorite parts was a glass enclosed scientist lab.  There were archaeologists working on a tortoise shell fossil.  They were cleaning it and watching him do such delicate work on something that is hundred to thousands of years old was fascinating!  I highly recommend going and can't wait to go back and linger longer!

 The view from the top!

Tenley, Tenley, Maddy and Aspen

Angie and I took the girls swimming at Dimple Dell indoor pool after the last day of school.  They played and swam and kept each other entertained for a couple of hours while Angie and I visited and watched them, of course...  They are such a cute group of friends... different ages but they have a grand time together!

UP... with Cole

Cole's final orchestra concert this year was amazing!  It truly was a night of cultural uplifting entertainment for a fantastic value of $5.00 per person.  It was a high quality concert and we all truly enjoyed it.  The favorite was the final number, a medley of songs from the Disney/Pixar movie "UP".  They took a 15 minute or so intermission with the curtain closed.  When it opened there were balloons tied to the chairs.  Then the best surprise... the teacher/conductor had changed out of his tuxedo into a fantastic costume of Russell.  It was too funny.  We were all humming the songs from UP the rest of the night!  They concert was all concertos (except the UP piece).  I didn't even know what that was, I am embarrassed to say. It's a piece written in three movements where one solo instrument is accompanied by the orchestra.  So there were violin, trombone, cello and piano concertos.  The kids who performed the solos were AMAZING.  I am so glad there is talent like that to share with the rest of us.

Tenley in May

 Tenley and Tenley are in a cute musical performing group called TRIO.  Miss Tricia is their adorable teacher.  They focus singing, dancing and performing (hence TRIO).  They did a group number of "There's No Business Like Show Business", they did a vocal performance to "Part of Your World". Tenley's solo was "Flipping your fins you don't get too far, Legs are required for jumping dancing, walking along, down that, what's that word again, STREEEEEEET."  They did a dance to "New York, New York" with top hats and canes.  They all wear black leotards and white tights and Miss Tricia has simple costumes they put over them, little skirts, scarves, etc... I love this sweet simple class.  It's all about the girls, not the costumes or the teacher.  Aspen came to watch their recital this spring and thinks she might want to join up again in the fall.  It's been such a fun thing for Tenley to learn some vocal and dance skills and self-confidence.

 Fourth grade means learning about the state you live in.  The kids each picked a county to learn about and display at the county fair.  Tenley came home with San Juan County (which I was excited about).  They had to make a miniature float, a poster and write a report.  She had to present to the class five interesting facts about her county.

1.  They have filmed some western movies there and part of Back to the Future 3

2.  Rainbow Bridge 

3.  T-shirts are a huge industry

They had to sit at their desks as parents walked through and answer any questions.  She worked really hard and did most of the work by herself.  Even though it was the last few weeks of school, she trudged forward and finished it like a trooper!

Warren Family... April Highlights

 Maddy wanted to play softball this year.  We looked around for a league that wasn't a competitive fast pitch league with girls that have been playing since they were three. It wasn't very easy.  Actually when I say "we looked" it was actually my Dad, Grandpa that started looking around.  Maddy was at Grandma and Grandpa's house one day and mentioned that she might like to play softball.  Grandpa ran with it and was texting me all these options!  I was a very leery about this since she has never played before and is 13.  I didn't want her on a team where the girls were nearly professionals.  Here is where my pessimism comes out, but that's another post.  So, Grandpa found a league in Taylorsville that is a beginning league.  PERFECT.  We are out of town on the sign ups, but never fear Grandpa comes to the rescue.  He signs her up and after a couple weeks, before the season starts, he is the head coach!  Not very many kids get to have their Grandpa be their coach so Maddy was very excited!  It was fun for her to spend time with him and learn the techniques of the sport.  It was fun to watch these girls learn and progress together.  The season was very short but the amount of confidence and the level of their ability increased exponentially.  Then, one sad day,  Maddy was opening her bedroom window and the whole frame and glass came out of the track and cracked the top of her foot.  The glass didn't shatter so there wasn't any bleeding.  There was immediate swelling and a deep bruise.  We wondered if it was broken, but there were not any tell tale signs, just symptoms that could possibly be a break.  So, we iced it and had her keep it up.  She missed a day or two of school because she couldn't walk on it.  I just wanted to send her to school and just move on, but deep down there was that Mom part of me saying "What if it is broken, then I would fee terrible."  So, after a few days, we made the trek to AfterHours Medical.  There was no way to ease my mind, or Maddys without getting it x-rayed. The Dr. examined her foot, said, "Hmmm, I can't see any obvious breaks so let's x-ray".  I wasn't too far off!  After the x-ray he said, "Hmmm I can't see any obvious x-rays and the radiologist will read the x-ray tomorrow, so here is a boot to wear just in case."  I didn't question, and off we went.  The boot made it more comfortable to walk on and protected it in the mass of people swarming the junior high halls.  She was able to go back to school, but no softball for awhile.  The radiologist got back to us two days later saying there wasn't a break, it's just a deep bruise.  We were relieved because that meant she didn't have to wear the boot for 6-8 weeks.  She did wear it for about a week until she could put more pressure on it and it wasn't so sensitive to touch (or being stepped on at school)  All was well, except for she was out for the rest of the softball season and the bill I got for the boot from the Dr.  So, his little idea of being overcautious cost me $300!  This whole idea of the doctors being so afraid of being sued by someone cost me 300 bucks!  Don't get me started on our medical care system!  They don't even give you a choice, they just send you off with something just so they are covered.  We could have just gone home and kept her off of it for a day until the radiologist looked at it, but nooooo!  Anyways, this was supposed to be about softball. We were sad we missed out on the last few weeks of practices and games, but the games and practices we were able to participate in were amazing!  Thanks Grandpa!

 Our Ward talent show was the end of April.  The week before Tenley says to me,  "Did I tell you I am singing in the talent show with Aspen and Tenley?"  I say, "Nope, you sure didn't... what's the plan"  The girls decided they wanted to sing together and the other girls Mom's are vocally talented, so they practiced at their houses a lot!  They sang an adorable song of the "Nashville Tribute to the Pioneers Trek" CD called "Somewhere There's a Mountain"  It was Tenley's first time performing other than her dance/singing class.  The girls sounded so sweet and amazing together. Their little voices blended so great and it truly was precious.  Angie curled their hair and they work cute little pettiskirts.  They were adorable.

 Cole's participation in the talent show consisted of being the page turner for Jenna Hicken as she accompanied her sister Sarah and Lindy Green.  He excelled in his performance and was a joy to watch :)

 Tiffiny Law (one of our Laurels) wanted to put a dance together for the YW to perform at the talent show.  She scheduled practices at her house and choreographed the dance together with the few girls that showed up.  We have about 18 young women and there were four of them that participated.  Maddy, Maddy Swallow, Megan Loutensock and Tiffiny Law. They danced to a medley of "Once There Was a Snowman".  They did some lip syncing and dancing and they all looked adorable.

 Tenley Derieg, Aspen McRae and Tenley

 Front to Back

Maddy, Tiffiny, Maddy Swallow and Megan Loutensock

G-man

After 3 fast, blissful (most of the time) weeks I finally have it together enough to blog about the new addition to our fam!  Long, detailed post for my memory and G to read one day :)  I have decided I am destined to have children when my parents are on a cruise.  B came one week late while my mom and dad were cruising in the Caribbean and G decided to come 2 weeks early while they were in Alaska.  Talk about foiling Grandma’s plans to come and help us!  Well, thankfully all worked out just fine and G came happy and healthy J 

We were scheduled to have a c-section on the 15^th, but he decided to come early!  I never thought I would be lucky enough to go early… I was so unprepared thinking I still had a week to plan and get ready for him.  No hospital bag, no arrangements for B, no groceries in the house, piles of laundry, and a messy house.  I guess that’s how normal labor goes- you never know when they are coming!  But, I was just so hung up on having a day and time scheduled that I was planning on getting everything ready that weekend.  Oh well….  And we were supposed to have B’s birthday party that Saturday, so she will have to celebrate another day!  Good thing she’s only 2 and doesn’t know the difference J  I’m sure we’ll hear about it one day….

So, Wednesday the 9^th I was having contractions all afternoon.  Nothing too major, just here and there.  We decided to go to Tanner’s first softball game of the season since they weren’t bad.  They started to get more intense there, but I knew once I got home I could just lay down and they’d go away.  Well, they didn’t.  I decided to go to bed and after a couple of hours when Tanner came in they were still coming.  By this time it was midnight and they were coming every 10 minutes.  Tanner was freaked and sure we needed to call my doc.  I planned to “sleep it out”, bad idea, and hoped they would go away.  The thought of having G that night was out of the question!  So many things left to do.  And who would be there to help with B and my mom was still on her cruise!  Well, after 3 hours of consistent, more intense contractions we finally called my dr.  I was really protesting the idea because I did NOT want to be sent home saying I was just being a baby… But Tanner insisted and was freaking out just a tad more than me… My doctor didn’t call us back for about an hour and a half, and Tanner kept saying “call her back, we need to go in now”.  Such a great husband, so worried about me!  She told us to come in and see what was going on.  Since I was planned for c-section, they didn’t want me contracting at all because of the risks with my incision.  We called our bishop and his angel of a wife drove half hour to our house to get B.  Meanwhile, we were running around the house trying to get some what ready and prepared.  I was just throwing stuff in bags and not really paying attention to what I was doing.

  We left our house about 5:30 and ventured to the hospital.  The half hour drive was awful with contractions getting worse, especially compared to the two minute drive we had in Logan.  Once they admitted me of course my contractions eased up.  What is it about hospitals that make your body stop going into labor so you look like a fool when they ask you how you are doing?  That’s just how the nurse midwife looked at me when she saw the readings from my contractions.  Like I was a big fat pansy.  “Well, these are only 8-10 minutes apart and not crazy.  Your lips look a very dry, you’re probably just dehydrated.”  Ummm… don’t ever tell a woman in labor she’s contracting due to dehydration.  Wrong response lady.  She still checked me and with a “oops I’m an idiot” face, told me I was at a 3.  HA.  Told you so…..  And p.s. remember how I’m not supposed to be contracting at all so my uterus doesn’t bust open?   Yeah, thanks a lot.  Sorry for the rant everyone.

So… needless to say we were having a baby that day!  They admitted me and scheduled my section.  My doctor came up and told us she had one other surgery and then we were next!  Just an hour or so and we would see baby G!  We went back into the OR around 10:00 am and they got me all set up.  They gave me a spinal and it was so crazy how fast it worked.  And, how painless it was.  Thanks for a great anesthesiologist!  After about 10 seconds my legs started getting tingley and I asked if that was normal, they said it was and laid me right down.  They started and Tanner still wasn’t in there, so I was panicking a little.  But he came right in and stayed right by me the whole time.  It was such an out of body experience.  You can totally sense your body and legs, but can’t move them.  There were several times when I wanted to move my legs and couldn’t, and that was the weirdest and most uncomfortable part.

It seemed like forever, and I kept asking, “are we almost done?”  But I’m sure it was really only about 15 minutes by the time they started and had him out.  At 10:26 am out came our big boy!  Weighing in at 8 lbs., 20 inches, he was healthy and big for two weeks early!  The best part was that he came out crying- something every mom wants to hear!  And that’s about the only time you are glad to hear your baby scream like that.  Bridget came out silent and that was terrifying, so we were so grateful to hear his little screams! 

They cleaned him up, took him to the nursery and finished sewing me up.  I got really sick towards the end so they gave me so drugs that made me super sleepy and out of it.  The next thing I knew I was back in my room and they brought in Grayson!  I was so glad he was healthy and out J  The next few days were a blur and full of ups and downs, but all I can say is how blessed I am for another healthy, happy, Deaton baby!!!!   Here are some pics of our little buddy J

Getting cleaned up- we didn't get a "weight" picture because Tanner couldn't get around to the table... Boo

Don't we look great....  But we need the memory right/

Grandma Deaton flew in on a red eye flight to help us out!  Thanks Grandma!

Look at those fatty cheekies!!!  I kiss them A LOT.

We have a pic of B just like this- just like his big sis!

This is also another photo that looks just like B!

Getting ready to go home....

All set to go home!

Grayson Tanner Deaton

Thursday, May 10, 2012

10:26 a.m.

8 lbs. 20 inches