Rockaway Beach May 2011

“Don't grow up too quickly, lest you forget how much you love the beach.” -- Michelle Held

Thank you, Omi for a wonderful, fun filled weekend at the beach!

Happy Birthday to JR

At the Heathman Hotel!

Easy to see why she metabolizes food instantly...

Jr celebrated his 31st bday on May 13! Such an old man.

Shele and Glen were kind enough to give us their voucher for

a night at The Heathman hotel. We had a blast swimming,
going to dinner in the city, playing in our fancy hotel room,
opening JR's gifts, and sampling some awesome cake from

Portland's best cake bakery "Piece of Cake." There are MANY

reasons to love JR-far too many to name, but here are at

least of few of them.

-Best sense of humor!

-Hot, super hot...sorry JR, but it's true.
-An incredible, hands on dad and husband.
-Incredibly thoughtful, compassionate, quietly spiritual.
-Activist in all things he believes in.

-Appreciates the finer things in life, such as sushi and Chuck

Norris.

-Incredibly intelligent and can do anything...literally anything

he sets his mind to.

-The most sincere and genuine person I know.

-Fiercely loyal.

-My best friend in the world.

-So hard working and passionate about life, family, and friends.

-Is married to a super awesome woman, of course.

Stepping it up for Mother's day...

Hopefully, Mom had a great Mother's day. We started off on the wrong foot as Ben did not want to go to church and Grace was hurting due to her recent ear-infection, but the day got much better. Ben started to fully walk, which we caught one try on tape and in a series of shots where the last one, that is out of focus, is where he is falling. We are so grateful for a devoted and amazing mother. 4 kids, even on the best day is a handful, and Kim mother's with love, compassion, and unlimited patience.

Kim and I are grateful for both our mothers and we hope they know how much we love them, and how grateful we are for them. After all where would we be without them, but more than that they have made us who we are. Thank you for everything. Love JR and Kim

Grace's last step.....removing her portacatheter

We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face... we must do that which we think we cannot.-- Eleanor Roosevelt

Dear Grace,

Today you looked fear in the face-in the form of surgery. You had your portacatheter removed from your heart, finally closing the book on your encounter with Cancer. Today you are sore, but soon you will be healed. Soon all the hurting will be a thing of the past. Cancer did not stop you. Fear did not stop you. You looked fear in the face and sent it on its way. Today, you brought our family to our knees in humility. Thank you, Grace. Thank you for fighting your way through the pain, suffering, and fear. Thank you for trusting your mom and dad through the fight. Tonight, with humble and happy hearts-we are taking our "Team Grace" bracelets off. The fight is over and you won!

Love,
MOM

Grace,
You pulled your head off your pillow early this morning knowing you had to have your port removed from your chest, knowing you would be in pain, and knowing it would be scary. Yet, you got up smiling like always and trusted your parents to guide you through another piece of your heroic journey. As you sat there on the gurney with you hospital gown on and your hair in a side-pony, I was speechless witnessing your courage. The familiar is comfortable to everyone and you have made even going to the doctor and having spinal taps seem familiar, but today you were in a new hospital with new nurses, and new surroundings and you handled it......well what better term than GRACEFULLY! Grace, I hope someday you will read this and feel the pride, and amazement that your parents feel about you and your strength. This strength will serve you all of your life and will give you opportunities and chances that many of us would not even know. I know your Heavenly Father does not give trials bigger than what we can handle and he gave you an enormous one, which you handled astonishingly well. That is not to say you did not have your bouts of fear and emotion, but in the end, tonight, after your last big battle, you came out smiling, healthy, happy, and glowing with life. I cannot think of anything more to say than WOW! Thank you Grace for touching so many with your strength. Now be a kid and enjoy the simple things you have had to grow up enough for a while.

Love
DAD

"DRIBBLE DRIBBLE SHOOT......HOOP.....DRIBBLE DRIBBLE SHOOT."

Ever since Ben has been very young he has loved any type of spherical object, whether it is the lights in the chapel at church, the moon, oranges, or typical soccer and basketballs. Since Tanner's basketball season just ended, Ben observed a lot of basketball games, which we think is the reason he is completely obsessed with basketballs, dribbling, basketball courts, and hoops. An extreme example happened tonight. Ben has figured out that ward buildings have basketball courts, in fact he has memorized all the outdoor basketball courts in our neighborhood and yells "hoop, hoop!" as we near them. Tonight the stake primary kids had a singing concert and as soon as Ben got in the building her starting yelling "hoop!", after trying to distract him with everything Kim and I could think of, we found our way to the empty gym. For the next 30 minutes Ben pretended to dribble and then shoot at the hoop. He asked "up more" which means hold me and let me dunk it, like he does on our home hoop which is only 8ft tall. I lifted him up trying to get him as close to the 10ft hoop without success and he continued pushing off of me saying "up more!" He was so frustrated that he couldn't stand it, not even the promise of getting a treat and seeing mommy would distract him. He wanted to dunk it so bad. He finally threw his head back balling. All the way home he was saying "dribble dribble shoot hoop!" until we got home and let him dunk the ball on our hoop. What a funny kid. Soccer season has just started with T, let's hope soccer isn't such an addiction because he may get a little frustrated kicking the ball since he can't walk quite yet.