Our Unsent Christmas Letter...

December 2009-

We wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and very Happy New Year. As we look back on the last year and look forward to a new one, we couldn’t feel more blessed.
Tyler is back teaching at Jerome High. Although he misses coaching he is enjoying being back in the classroom teaching technology and night school. He’s working with the young men at church, and is having fun on the campouts.
Catherine ended treatment the beginning of February and has remained in remission ever since. She still gets to “enjoy” check-ups every three months to make sure all is well, but all in all, remission is great news. She ran a couple 5k’s, one in July and one in September and is playing volleyball at the rec center again and is enjoying that. She also stays busy working in the Cub Scouts

Kevin turned four in September and has never ending energy. He is having fun in preschool and astounds us with his knowledge of dinosaurs every day. He is a joy to have around the house and is becoming a real peacemaker.

Cameron turned two in September and is catching up in height and weight to his brother. His speech is coming along so quickly. He is always climbing on something, and shows interests in dinosaurs, cars, and lately, trains. Cameron is showing a little more of the “terrible-twos” every day.

Kevin & Cameron are best friends and we couldn’t ask for more! They keep us on our toes and are our pride and joy!

We wish you a wonderful holiday season and hope the best for you and your family!
The Idaho Wardles

Tyler, Catherine, Kevin, and Cameron

Wahoo!

Why the wahoo? We had a great day in Sacrement meeting yesterday. Kevin sat through the whole thing without screaming or making too much noise, he sat next to me read his book, laid down on the big pile of winter jackets next to him on the bench but never once did anything that made me want to take him out! even when the kid behind him wanted to play with him, he was very quiet, not that I didn't have to remind him that we don't play during church, he was great!.... there is always a catch though...

Cameron is officially two years old! has been for almost 3 months and boy is that a fun stage, he was wiggly and giggly and everything that noise is.... he was easily distracted so I did get to hear most of the meeting but I have to say, the next couple of years are going to be interesting.

And on an even better note, my kids made it through most of the meeting without even a mention of snacks, I am bound and determined to get them to wait until the speakers actually start speaking before they want food, but they made it though 80% of the meeting! Very glad, I haven't been through Sacrament without lugging along snack and a sippy cup in a really long time, I am glad to cut down on that!

Cute sayings from the Wardle house...

Grandma and Grandpa Powers came to visit over Thanksgiving, one night Tyler went in to check on the boys, he said "I love you Kevin" Kevin replied back "I love Grandma"...lol

Grandma was talking to Kevin "I love you" Kevin says, Grandma says back "I love you more" Kevin says "I love you enough"....HAHA!

The other night we got up to take Kevin potty about midnight, he must have been dreaming of dinosaurs because he sure was talking about them, "the t-rex, ...just a carnivore, ... cratious period..." we we trying not to wake the boys up so we had to stifle the laughter!

9 months!

9 months and still Cancer free. I flew out early out of Boise yesterday, (by the way early is the way to go, no lines, the bathrooms had just been cleaned, and everything was quiet!) flew in a brand new plane, Horizons new Boise State bright orange plane, very cool, very quiet and a great flight. Then did blood work and a chest x-ray then headed to visit all the nurses in the ITA, very good to see all of them, they all remembered me and my kids and my PhD/teacher husband, that was cool. Then I headed down to see Dr Advani, loooong wait and I am cancer free! I was able to go to Olive Garden with Teri, Ben and the kids, seriously love that soup salad and bread sticks thing, even took two bread sticks for the plane... great choice by the way.. they don't serve snacks anymore, just a drink! Then when I got to the airport the plane was delayed an hour and 15 min... turns out that the plane that was flying from Boise, that we were gonna get on, had to turn around an go back to Boise because a passenger had a seizure about 1/3 of the way through the flight, scary! So it was my first really delayed flight that I can think of.. anyways, after flying home and the two hour drive home I was exhausted!.. the whole driving there in the dark and driving home in the dark made it seem like a really long day! I really wish that it didn't get dark so early, makes the days drag out! But when I asked the Doctor what my chances were, she said about 80%, that is an 80% chance that it won't come back! Wahoo!! love it! O and in February (my one year mark!) i get to have a PetCt.. grrr. o well it is better than a CT with contrast!

P.S. Tyler did a very good job being a "stay at home dad" yesterday, he carpooled a load full of preschoolers to and from preschool, took Cameron to speech, and went shopping and cleaned the house, I think I am gonna keep him! Thanks and Love ya babe!

It's official...

I have turned into my parents... I now get my kids dressed while they are still laying in bed when I have to wake them up for something (my mom did this for me until I was like 12, what it is too cold to get out of bed without your socks on!) When my kids don't want to go to school I tell them that means they have to stay in bed all day, no toys, no tv... its amazing how fast they change their minds and want to go to school... it must be all down hill from here... :)

thought this was worth passing on!

I have been there before, and me and Tyler are happy to say our house is the cleanest it has been since before cancer... we spent Thursday, Friday, and Saturday cleaning, and other than the fact that our carpets need cleaned,(again) we have even been able to keep up with it. It is nice to know that all the clothes are cleaned, folded and where they should be, to know that the floor really is clean enough for the 5 second rule to be pushed to the 10 second rule and that My husband isn't too embarassed for people just to drop by.... it's a great feeling! ( can you tell I just got done with a jog and am still on my runners high?..lol) I need a dose of this happy pill daily I think ;)

It has come full circle...

Thats right, 20 years ago in a small town, there was a father laying in the middle of the family room tickling and wrestling with his two kids, mommy, says to the youngest, "bring me daddy's glasses".. this is when you know the real wrestling is going to start... tonight there was a dad in the middle of the family room floor, tickling and wrestling his two young kids, when mommy said to the youngest, "bring me daddy's glasses".. and the real wrestling began... the only difference was I wasn't the youngest, I was the mommy, and I have to say, both nights are some of my favorites....now I know, all is well!

Seriously?

Ok so the kids are testing me... in the last week alone, Kevin has drawn on every surface possible with a sharpie marker, the only places I can't get it off of are the dishwasher and the pantry door (thanks to the magic eraser!- I used a full magic eraser cleaning it off every other surface in my house) Kein and Cameron used a whole bucket of corn meal and sugar as decorations on my ficus tree and carpeting, and while I was cleaning that up Kevin covered his little brother in Pam cooking spray.. I am soooo lucky he didn't get him in the eye!... really? seriously? where does this stuff come from?... grrr. Not to mention that when I went to go get them out of their room, they wanted to "spike there hair", the only thing they had on hand apparently was diaper cream, my kids now have white hair! I have been so busy cleaning up their little messes, I haven't had time to.. I don't know, do the dishes!...yikes! Cameron is now pushing the bar stools around, climbing up on them and getting onto the counter and then looking though my cabinets, lets just say I can't take my eyes off them for second!.. going to the bathroom is stressful! erg!

Is it me ...

or do Kids learn things at school... Good things and bad things... Kevin is doing great in preschool and comes home everyday with a new letter, doing better with his numbers, it is all good! But there is something I have noticed... his vocabulary is growing, by words I wish 4 year old wouldn't say.. things like stupid, shutup, and crap and there are some others that I can't remember right now but shock me every time he says them. The funny part is he goes to preschool at out Young womens president's house, (Miss Lydia) and I know for a fact it isn't her, and 4 of the of 5 kids in the class are in our ward.. so I started to look around and say.. he is learning them form me and Tyler... well Crap (see it snuck in right there).. you mean he is learning his bad habits from me.... now what is a Mom to do.. well the first step is to stop calling the flies, stupid flies and stop telling Tyler to shutup when he gives me attitude.. (I swear there is a smile on my face when it is said) and as for crap, I think he learned that one from Tyler.. but at least I can figure out where the problem is.... ME! Mental note... the 4 year old is listening!

General Conference

So in this mornings sessions my favorite talk was by Elder Bednar (I still call him President Bednar.. and probably always will!) about being Deligent and Concerned at home. He gave us three ways to work on being better at home. Showing our love, sharing our testiomonies and being consistent with the things that matter. All it all, great advice that I hope I can implement... that was a point in his talk, not just learning more but implementing the things we do know... Loved it!

Work out buddies...

So I did the 30 day shred a month or so ago, and enjoyed it and felt stronger, (and have since gained the inches back) so I figured it was time to start again, well we are getting fit as a family so I put my boys to work!.. (actually they were supposed to be in bed, and jumped in so Dad wouldn't make them go back to bed).. What do you think of their form?

P.S. watch the boys.... they are the entertaining part...

Random September-ness

So it has been a busy month and I finally got to unloading my Camera.. here are a few random things for ya to take a gander at…

Garden Harvests….

My new Haircut…reminds me of the news anchor women haircut… only curly, its so much fun!

I hear Cameron yelling “stuck! stuck!” like a thousand times a day but when I turned around to find this, I had to take a picture, Cameron is a climber, and yesterday he found himself on top of the TV, and he was saying “horsey!…stuck!”… :) ( and yes I know you are wondering, where is the Parental supervision in this house?)

I finally got the boys some snow pants…! They are very excited!

Cameron 2 year pictures

So blogger won't let me comment on each picture (random) So I will just mention how much fun he had running around the park on his birthday!... Plus I can go print them out at Costco, and have a hay day decorating my house!

Cameron 2 year checkup

Height: 36 1/4in which is 90%
Weight: 33 lbs 8 oz which is 95%
Head: 19 3/4 in

P.S. the doctor felt to see if he has a pallet problem..
she thinks he has a high arch but no real issues there..
so now we just work on muscle strength...

P.S.S both boys got one shot today... I chose not to give them the flu shot...
(I nor the boys have ever got them) Tyler is not so happy with me...
Do you think I will regret it?
And no.. neither of my boys have had the chicken pox vaccine either...

A year ago today...

Was the day that someone said "I think you have lymphoma, or more Hodgkins lymphoma..." yep it was my baby's 1st birthday, it was a Friday morning and I first freeked out to my Dad on the phone becuase I couldn't get a hold of Tyler, Then later after my 20 minute freek out, I spent the rest of the day as planned, taking my son with best friend/neighbor and rest of the family to Target to get these great pics... The next day was Saturday, and I was headed to this yearly gathering that I look forward to for the next 364 days of the year, It was wonderful! The theme of the night was Hope, as I listened to the nights speakers and sang the songs I was wrapped in warm arms and I had hope that everything was gonna be ok. More than a few tears were shed, but it is really nothing new, I was among my sisters, and no one really even notices tears there. I remember at the dinner before not really knowing anybody but having the bishops wife walk up to me and give me a hug, look me in the eyes and offer support, there is nothing better than that!
Again tonight I headed with my Sisters to the gathering and listened to something that was so different and yet so the same... The message was uplifting and was of happier words.. I loved it. So as I look back on the difference between Cameron's last year birthday and this one, I keep hoping, that things will continue on in a positive manner, I thank the Lord for all that he has given me. Just to mention a few, my kids, my husband, my health, a job that pays the bills, a roof over my head and Sisters (that although not biological) that love me anyways... Thanks girls, your the best!

Happy Birthday Cameron!

Age: 2 years

Nicknames: the little one, Cam Bam, baby (we are working on stopping this), brother

Favorite Activities: going outside... playing with is brother, cuddling, climbing

Favorite Foods: Cereal, sandwiches cheese or ham, bread, fruit- pears, strawberries, grapes,

Least Favorite Foods: I haven't found anything he won't eat

Favorite Music: Cars movie music, and blues clues

Favorite Toy: his brother... he loves to play with his brother!..Lightening Mcqueens are his favorite, lobes to kick balls, or hit them off his T-ball

Favorite Book: McQueen books, or books that play music to him like the VTech ones,

Favorite Item of Clothing: Shoes!!!

What Makes Him Happy: playing outside, eating, reading, cuddling

What Makes Him Sad: when he can't find his brother,

Funny Words or Phrases: "Baby did it" "Brother did it", "get it"

the boys second birthday..

So my boys got their Powers side birthday parties this weekend... they are just plain spoiled...
Not only did Grandma and Grandpa bring them backpacks filled with stuff, but also large birthday gifts that happen to be perfect for the boys. Cameron loves playing with balls and he loves lightning Mc Queen.. so Grandma and Grandpa got him this...


They both love to roll around in it and throw the balls in the top basket to watch them roll down..

Well Kevin is in love with Dinosaurs.. so they got him this...


this thing is huge!...when he unwrapped it Tyler had the remote control and started moving it, had it roar at Kevin and start walking towards him, he ran away, around behind the island back and forth watching this thing... it was so cute!.. then he asked "can you stop it".. It took him a good five minutes after we told him Dad was controlling it to get used to it enough to get near it. It didn't take Cameron half that long although he did climb into my lap for a minute before he went over and slapped it...lol.. ADORABLE!

To add to the spoilage, we had Strawberry cheese cake, and ice cream, plus Uncle Kens gifts... We joke that the kids are going to think that they don't have birthDAYS but birthMONTHS... they get to party all month long! (and this year it is true!) Cameron doesn't actually turn 2 until this saturday but has already had two cakes and two birthdays parties.. yep spoiled!

Can I just say...

That I love my kids...

We started Kevin in Preschool this year, even though he won't start Kindergarten for 2 years, he is behind if he was going to start kindergarten next year but is doing well, His Mom (yep that is me) is the only set back ( is it bad to learn what NOT to do on your fist child?) He knows his alphabet and his numbers and colors and shapes, but has never really been big into coloring or writing or cutting of paper.. why might you ask?.. because his mom never handed him a writing utensil or scissors for fear of what he would do with them, So in effort to get him up to speed with the rest of his class (all of which are starting kindergarten next year) we have been cutting and writing and drawing like crazy! He is making great progress, other than he doesn't really press hard enough with a pencil, he is now holding it correctly (most of the time) and is cutting soo much better.. why? Because we now have, number time, letter time, scissor time, and all sorts of "time" on the "chore chart" now.

Cameron is doing much better on his speech, he is now doing much better with intial sounds "b" and "p" and we are moving on to "t" and "d"... his vocab is quite large he just has issues with articulation, the worst is the "x" sound and "c" "k"and "s".. it almost sound as if the sound isn't coming out his mouth but his nose, which is making his speech thearpist wonder if he has a soft palet problem... the good thing about Cameron is he can handle different therapies that other kids his age, usually they don't use flash cards with 2 year olds, usually they do "play therapy" but he loves to do the flash cards (at home or at speech) and because he loves to color she can get him to color the words he has to say... although he still has a 2 year old attention span so he does end up doing "play therapy" he is doing really well!

Cameron's favorite thing to do now is "color" pronounced ("dolor")... he does how writing utensils the correct way and now becuase Kevin is doing it, is wanting to write letters, although his favorite thing is stars and hearts.

Kevin has been going through a fun stage, when I ask him to do something he answers "of course" and goes and does it... LOVE IT!

Aparently someone told Cameron his is turning two next week and his first response to everything is..... "NO!"... his has the best pout and gets more attitude everyday. ( such a fun stage... can you see me rolling my eyes?)

We overhauled the boys room last night, the crib is gone, the boys are sleeping in the big bed and the room is all switched around, the book case is out... they read so many books every night, that they were all over the floor in the morning, now We are treating books with more respect!

Kevin's 4 year well child check up...

He is 37.8 lbs which is 50% for his age.
He is 42.5 in tall which is 90% for his age.
He is happy, healthy, a little bit strong willed and darn cute!

Kevin's 1st Primary Program

Goofy Kevin before we left for church...

Huh.. before we left for church...

Kevin before we left for church...

So today Kevin sat on the stand at church the whole time.. we were very surprised... A month or so ago we were supposed to as Kevin what his "favorite part of being in our family is..." he for some odd reason told us.. going to church with us... why a three year old (at the time) enjoys Moms most stressful hour and 15 min of the week.. I don't know but that is what he said.. fast foward to today. When they asked the primary children to come to the front, he went!... and sat in his seat... and then ran back to us... so Mom took him back and left him... he looked so sad, me and Tyler were about to cry watching our little boy up there... they went through the first group of kids and their first song... he was almost in tears, and Tyler figured out what he was mouthing to us.. (so surprised he wasn't yelling at us, by the way) he wanted his T-rex... well in an attempt to get him to say his correct part and not yell something angry into the microphone I took him his tiny sponge yellow T-Rex. He stopped crying and eveything... the second song ended and they said "what is your favorite part of being in your family..." He said it "going to church with them".. Such a proud moment!... he then continued to play with his yellow T-rex, and tap the girl next to him for the next half hour... I couldnt be more proud! :)