Brandon's Post

Brandon keeps telling me that I haven't posted enough about him on my blog, so in honor of my secondborn.....here are a few pics of him.

Brandon has been playing the flute for a few years now and suddenly during the summer, he decided he wanted to learn to play the Alto Saxophone. He'd never picked one up before, but for some reason it looked fun to him. So his jr. high band teacher let him borrow one of his saxophones for the summer. Brandon immediately started practicing. We could hear him belting out the notes throughout the house at random times during the day. He was so excited. Then one day, we found out that someone in our ward was selling her alto sax. We immediately called and made a deal. And Brandon became the proud owner of his very own Alto Saxophone.

It's been a few months now and can I just say that this instrument is quite LOUD? We can hear it upstairs when Brandon is in his room downstairs. But it sounds so awesome and he loves it. He's become quite the little jazz player. And it's pretty much been all self-taught. Brandon also loves jazz music. He has a jazz CD that he frequently plays in the kitchen. Personally I've never been one to listen to jazz music, but it's so fun to see him "love" it. He listens intently and wants me to listen as well. He reminds us all about his upcoming concerts and even made me schedule his orthodontic appt to get his bottom braces on AFTER his November concert. "Because, Mom, it might mess me up." :)

Here he is with a friend of his and their twinner saxes.




And here they are trying to sneak up on Eric and then playing it loud right behind him while he's trying to watch TV. Eric didn't even see it coming.....it was pretty funny. And then Eric just tried to ignore them. Typical teenage behavior.....

Here are a few pics of Todd showing Brandon how to tie his tie. I love this ritual and I don't think it will ever get old as I watch each young man in my family learn this great skill. They are growing up so fast. I can't hold onto their childhood like I want to....

Brandon is totally "skilled." Apparently that's the new word these days....he and his friends use it all the time to describe themselves. (so funny). We love you Brandon!

The Pinewood Derby

The pinewood derby......what do I say about that? It comes upon us every year and while Todd is not one of the "crazy, competitive" dads out there, there's still this underlining "hope" that our children do well.....

And while every year, we go home, proud of our children for "doing their best," pat them on their backs and say, "good job, sons," we've never come home with a trophy. We feel good, yes, but the kids know, darnit, that someone else won the coveted prize.

I've never been one for competition. I'm not really a competitive person. We're all winners. We should all be proud of the efforts we've made. And even though our children's cars don't go as fast down the track as other kids' cars.....well, it's okay. Life goes on and we're happy.

This is the mentality of the pinewood derby for me. And a couple of weeks ago, it was with this same feeling that we entered the building for yet another pinewood derby.

Kyle and Jacob (even though Jacob was too young to compete.....he still wanted to race his car after it was over) drew their designs of their cars on paper and Todd brought the block of wood to our neighbor's house for a good ol' cutting. They were simple. They were back in five minutes. The cars were ready to be painted. They each picked out a color.....Todd spray-painted them. This year we actually bought rub-ons for the cars. They looked awesome.

This is Jacob's car.....



This is Kyle's car.....

This is Dallin's car.....from last year, though he added a few little things this year (the shiny metal sheets). He wasn't really planning on competing since he just turned 11, but they talked him into it when we got there and he decided to do it.

We got there plenty early to register and weigh in. Kyle was the first one to register. His car was #1. He was among the first group to race. When the cars came across the finish line, to our surprise, Kyle's car was first. Todd and I both looked at each other in shock and amazement. It's not that our kids' cars have never won a race (among the group), it's just that in this particular race, Kyle's car was pretty far ahead of everyone else's. Crazy!

As the races got going, the first 4 different races Kyle was in, he came out first each time. We couldn't believe it. And Dallin was doing well also. He wasn't winning them all, but he was doing okay. 1st, 2nd, 3rd.....about what our kids always do.

By the middle of the derby, we knew Kyle's car was pretty fast. We don't know how.....and we're pretty sure we couldn't repeat it, or give any secrets as to why (although Todd seems to think he has an idea.....), but each race, Kyle came out ahead. He was either first or a really close second. By the end of the first round of races, they tallied up all the scores of all 17 cars and narrowed it down to the final 6. Kyle's was one of those cars.

I've got to admit. This was kind-of exciting. We've never been in this position before. We've seen other parents and children get excited over having "the fastest car," but we've never experienced it first hand. Never. And we have a lot of boys. We've been to quite a few pinewood derbys in our time.

The last races were a little intense for me. By the end of the finals, Kyle had tied with one other car. They each had the same amount of wins and losses. So they decided to race the two to see whose car would win. They used tracks 1 and 2. Kyle won the first race. Then they switched the cars to each other's track. The other kid's car won. They were tied again. They switched the cars to tracks 3 and 4. Kyle won first. Then the other kid won. They were tied again. They did this for all 4 tracks, alternating each race, and each time, taking a turn at 1st place, then 2nd place. Talk about stress!

The final race they decided to race them individually on the same track and time them with a stop watch. Kyle's was first. His car's time was 3.1 seconds. It was FAST. It was exciting. Then it was the other kids' turn. He let go and I swear my heart skipped a beat. I held my breath. The guy timing yelled out.....3.1 seconds. It was very exciting. The two kids had tied and they decided to have them share the first place title. It was the perfect ending for me. I would have felt bad for the other kid if Kyle had won and I would have been disappointed for kyle to have him come so close and come home with 2nd place. In the end, it was the perfect way to go home.

Jacob with his car......

Dallin with his car.....and by the way, he was only one point away from being in the finals. Way to go Dallin!

The four kids who placed 1st, 2nd, 3rd.......Yes, that is Kyle in red pants! :)

It was a pretty exciting night. One I never expected or anticipated......and never will again. But it was fun. Good for you Kyle! Not bad for your first pinewood derby.

Now we have a title to defend......YIKES! (I hope that's really not true).

Battle Ready Sword Cane

I haven't updated on Todd lately and I need to. So here's the latest.

Todd got his PICC line removed on Thursday, September 9th. It was a scary and exciting moment for both of us. Scary because those anitibiotics were what was keeping the infection under control.....what was saving him. Scary because what if the infection wasn't completely gone? His numbers were good, but the doctor said there was a 5% chance that the infection could still be in a pocket somewhere and that eventually it could grow and we'd be exactly where we started in the first place. SCARY!

But of course, it was exciting because NO MORE PICC LINE! It was a pain to work around and to shower around (we had to cover it completely with saran wrap and tape before he showered). It started to bleed the week before he had it removed and I pretty much freaked out. We found out eventually that one of the stitches had come lose and had caused a sore, which is where the bleeding was coming from. But it was really scary at the time. So it was such a nice feeling to be rid of that thing.....that life-saving thing! Sort of contradictory, isn't it?

But it's been 2 weeks now and so far things are okay. He has improved quite a bit. He began this journey with 2 crutches......eventually went to just one.....and now he uses a cane. He can limp around without it, but not for very long. He is very stiff in the mornings, very similar to arthritis pain. Once he gets going, he does okay, for the most part. But by the evening, he is tired and sore. I'm still hoping for even more improvements.....

He returned to work last Monday, the 13th, so tomorrow will mark his second full week. We are so grateful for the progress he has made and life is good!

In honor of his "cane-filled" future, he recently made a cool purchase online.

Introducing the Battle Ready Sword Cane! It arrived today and Todd wouldn't let any of us open it until he got home. He wanted to open it himself.....I guess I can't blame him, but the kids were dying.

Out of the cane-sheath....

Biggest grin ever......fight me. I dare you!

Admiring its craftmanship......just like a true swordsman.

See the point on that thing? I wouldn't try and fight him if I were you. He is armed....and....dangerous!

It's actually a really cool "toy." Although it's more than a toy. It's actually a real orthopedic cane and the sword is made of pure, bonafied, 1055 carbon steel. The only down side? It's a little tall.....it's more like a sword cane for a giant. But Todd still loves it and is ready for battle! So watch out!

I wouldn't challenge him to a duel if I were you......just saying.

Dallin turns 11!

Dallin had a birthday last week....exactly 1 week ago today, in fact. And here I am finally blogging about it.

The day started out with a few presents. He got a DVD called Planet Earth because he loves science stuff. And a science kit with all kinds of cool tools. He also got a gift certificate to the Army Navy Store.....that way he can pick out something he wants for camping. He was pretty excited and thankful.

Around 5:30 we headed to Leatherby's for an ice cream/french fries dinner. That does count for dinner, doesn't it? On this day it did, and it was a lot of fun!

Even Dad got to come! That was exciting too.

In true Jones fashion (for our family anyway), you don't get away without the Leatherby's crew singing to you on your birthday. And today was no exception. So we told them, and they brought Dallin an ice cream scoop with a candle in it, and then they sang to him. He was so cute. I wonder what he wished for.....

Kyle, Eric, and Grandpa Johnson.....

The family.....

Brandon and Grandma Johnson......

Mom and Dallin.....

I can't believe Dallin is 11 years old. He is a very sweet, tender-hearted kid. He is quiet and a serious thinker. He is smart and talented. He is my biggest helper! He doesn't complain (mostly) and does what I ask the first time. I am so grateful he is a part of our family. He is a good example to his brothers and every Fast Sunday, he fasts longer than any of his brothers! He is such a cutie!

Happy Birthday Dallin! We hope you had a super terrific day! We love you!

School has begun

Yes, school started last week and we are now in full swing. My little Jacob started FIRST grade! I can't believe it. He was excited and confident when the big day finally arrived. And he had a good day, except for the time when he fell apart during lunch. The principal told me he cried when amidst all the people in the cafeteria. She also told me it was enough to make any kid cry.....it was pretty chaotic and overwhelming. But after that incident, he was fine and made it through the day just great. There hasn't been another "glitch" since and I'm so proud of him.

The other day Jacob said, "I LOVE first grade......except when it's long." So cute! I laughed out loud.


And Kyle.....he has been so excited to start 3rd grade. He has a teacher this year who I'm so happy about. He (Mr. Campbell) is going to be so good for him. Kyle happily exclaimed every day of the first week, "I don't have any homework tonight." To which I would reply, "I'd better call Mr. Campbell and fix that." And Kyle would just smile. Well, he's got homework this week! Poor Kyle....But he's a little smarty and he'll do just fine!

Sweet Dallin.....my big 5th grader. He also has an excellent teacher this year whom I was hoping he would get. She's a tough teacher and will make him work hard, and I'm so glad about that. Dallin loves to be challenged and is a definite "teacher/people pleaser." He excells in all areas and challenges himself to do better. I'm excited to see the growth from him this year. He's already tried to do every "extra credit" assignment possible. He's also going to try the clarinet this year. He can't wait to get started.

Brandon, my big 8th grader this year......just got braces on August 17th. I think he was a little nervous and a little excited all at the same time. He is taking concert band this year and wants to get into Jazz Band also. He plays the flute and just recently (this summer) we got him an alto saxophone. He's practiced quite a bit and is ready for the challenge. I swear I can't get a sound out of either instrument. What the heck?! I don't get it, but Brandon seems to do great. Way to go buddy!

And here's mr. goofball himself (I only say that because of his hilarious expressions in seemingly every picture).....my beloved-16-year-old-teenager-who-has-not-yet-been-on-a-date, but we're not complaining....Eric. He's a junior this year! My brain still does not comprehend it. What happened to the little tyke who had to have a "special" person in nursery just to watch him so he wouldn't escape as soon as the door opened a crack? I can still remember those days vividly and boy was it embarrassing! :) But look at him now. He's all grown up....well he's growing up! He's got AP physics this year and pre-calculus and I can't comprehend that either. He's considered dropping the physics class and taking astronomy instead, but hasn't seemed to be able to make up his mind yet. Good luck with that one, Eric. I'm really no help in that department.

On the first day of school, Eric was asked by his choir teacher if he wanted to be in Madrigals this year. What? We were a little surprised....not because I don't think he can't sing, but because typically I think you're actually supposed to "try out" for such a group. I've heard they're always looking for boys though, who can actually carry a tune. Eric couldn't decide what to do. We talked about the time commitment and wondered if it was something he could handle this year in combination with his other classes.....and then I told him to pray about it. I told him it was a big decision to make and that we'd support whatever he decided. I didn't push the issue for him to be in the group because I worried abou the pressure he'd feel and I figured only he would be able to make that decision on his own. In the end, after talking to his choir teacher again, he decided to wait until next year. I was really proud of him. Of course, we don't know if the opportunity will still be there as a Senior, but I guess we'll just have to see what happens. I do think it would have been a lot for him to handle as a Junior.

So there they are. Growing up more everyday! I have all my kids in all-day school this year for the first time and I've been freaking out a little. But I think I'll surive.....now if I could just get my husband out of the house and back to work.....hee, hee

Speaking of Todd: He is continuing to improve. We had an appt with the surgeon yesterday and they took another x-ray. It's crazy the contrast between the two hips, the healthy one and the damaged one. You can totally see a difference. But the doctor said that in Todd's case, it's very possible that his hip will fuse on its own over time. That sounded a little scary at first, but the way he explained it, it appeared to be a positive thing. For one, that will eliminate surgery again in the near future. It could buy Todd some time until something more permanent needs to be done, like a hip replacement. Also, the risk of having another infection is always higher in a person who has already had one, and if you get an infection in "hardware," that can be really bad, so the longer he can wait to have something artificial put in, the better. We do have an appointment in October with another surgeon, so we'll get a second opinion and see what he says.

Yesterday was another day of humility. We are so thankful for the improvements Todd is making. While the previous doctor visit (a few weeks ago) was very hard, yesterday's was filled with hope and a new found gratitude for the blessings we've received (and are receiving). It's hard to put into words exactly how we feel, but we know the Lord has had a hand in this experience. We know He has extended His mercy to us. We know our prayers (and the prayers of many, many others) have been heard. We know we are stronger and better people than before. We are humbled by the outpouring of love from our Savior. And we are so grateful to live in a time where medical technology is growing in leaps and bounds and that there are options for Todd's future. There are so many things to be thankful for.....