Happy Halloween

Caden was Harry Potter for the Youth dance on Wednesday night. Tonight he is taking the kids around as the scariest costume- Caden Dirks!

Keilie came up with this costume. MP3 princess!

Shelby is a baby. Binkie and all!

Brennon is Harry Potter...

And so is Tyson. We have some extra Pollyjuice Potion if anyone needs any. 

Which one is the original?! We don't know either. 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!

Demolition

We had a huge food storage in Wyoming. The friends that purchased our house also purchased 90% of our storage. With such a small house, the only place to keep our current storage of food is in the garage. Two years of fluctuating temperatures has spoiled too much food. It breaks my heart each time we open a can and have to throw away the 24 other cans because of spoilage. Randy and I sat down on Sunday to address the issue. And the idea of remodeling was born. 

Randy left for Montana on Tuesday morning after a jam-packed Monday, so we didn't have any time to begin. He told me that I could begin, but at that time I didn't have enough courage to begin ripping apart our house without him. Until I got an urge...

I didn't tell the kids what I was doing before I took the sledgehammer to the wall. The looks on their faces was priceless. You could feel the electric charge of excitement build from that moment on. 

Since we share a kitchen wall with our friends, I made sure it wasn't bothering them that we were pounding holes in our walls. And of course, I asked if they wanted to take a bash at it!

Blake had a blast! What little boy would not want to get the chance to beat holes in a wall? Caden was practically flying with excitement!!

This wall was the hiding wall for our fridge that sits directly next to our stove. I have always hated that. When I cook, I want space to move around. The fridge always created a barrier. No more!! We are knocking down the wall to open up our tiny kitchen, adding a double counter and cabinet to the space, and getting 39 more inches of counter space. (Sigh)

When Steph, Jeff, and Blake left, Jeff made the comment that everyone loves demolition, it's the cleanup that everyone hates. And boy did we have cleanup. And the wall isn't even done! But my kids LOVED cleanup. There was even arguing about whose turn it was to help!

At prayer time, Shelby said, "We thank Thee for the fun time we had bashing holes into the wall. And we thank Thee for the fun time we had cleaning it up."  I think we can chalk that one up to cool mom moment!!

Stay tuned for more fun moments. More demolition begins tomorrow morning. If Randy had his way, we'd be knocking down walls at 6:00AM!

B-Boy's world

Last night, while cleaning out Brennon's backpack, I noticed the bottom of the bag filled with tiny, cut-up papers.  I grabbed them all in a handful and had him throw them in the recycling bin. 

"Mom!  These are my collection!!  I want to save a bunch of tiny, tiny papers so I can have something that is mine to collect."

Heaven help me if this is what he truly wants to collect!  I think I need to bring out "The Tone" and convince him that he wants to collect something a little more exciting.  And less messy.

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This morning, while we were working on his Blue sight words, Brennon kept mispronouncing Who for How.  He got a little frustrated with himself after missing it time and time again, and asked in a huffy breath,

"Mom?  Why doesn't this word have two o's?  Two o's makes the "OOO" sound.  This one only has one.  Why did they do this?"

Beats me, kid.  It. Beats. Me!!

TOTALLY 5!!

"Mom, MOM!! I just had the perfect fart!"

He's all boy, for sure!!

Update at 6:06P-

After gymnastics, he was excited to tell me, "Mom, there is another boy that is five in Brennon and mine class. We are twins! I have a twin with that boy. We are five, so we are twins."

Pumpkin patch

We loved it so much yesterday, I had to take the other kids today!

The only sunny time of the day. There are a lot of winks to come. 

We decided to try the corn maze. Not my favorite!! I saw this opening...

And loved the peek of pumpkins through the corn. 20 minutes later and I was wishing I would have just taken the easy-out. I just don't like corn mazes. 

Best part of the maze! Brennon told me we had taken enough and needed to be done with pictures. Doesn't he know me at all?

We passed the Enterance, so I cheated. The boys followed me, so I just had to get another picture. They may have wished to be back in that maze again. 

Wink, wink!! We had such a great time. Carving party pictures coming soon!!

Haircut

See how one side is sticking out more than the other? That is where he kept pulling it up and saying, "Mom, I think I need a haircut."

Ummm...ya think?!

Cutie!

Preschool field trip

A couple of friends and I are doing a preschool this year. Today we went on a field trip to the pumpkin patch. Tyson noticed that we matched, and told me that we needed a picture. That's my boy!!

He didn't quite understand the concept of the maze. He climbed over the bails a time, or two. Or all 50. 

Cassidy, Austin, Tyson, Madelyn. 

They had a bunny, calf, two pigs, two goats, but this is the only one he would touch. Maybe it was because the sheep actually stuck his head out for them to pet. 

Caleb, Austin, Cassidy, Ty, Maddie. 

I didn't get a picture of him in the patch. The clouds decided they could hold the rain back no longer and dumped. We lectured the kids to grab the first pumpkin they could grab and jump back on the trailer. Tyson rushed so much that he got caught in the vines and sprawled in the fresh, wet dirt. We had such a good time, despite our wet clothes. I love being a teacher! I love these kids!!

Starving

On our way out of town, headed for Seattle, we stopped by Taco Bell for some dinner.  I'd spent the entire day doing a TON of cleaning, and didn't want to mess it up before leaving.  We didn't realize that we didn't order quite enough food for Shelby.  However, we did order more than enough for Tyson.  Shelby asked if she could share the remaining burrito with Tyson.

"Tyson, can I have just five bites and that's all?"
"No."
(Aghast) "Tyson, you're really going to let you sister starve to death?!"

I love the limited understanding of little kids.  They are so cute!

Boring

It was so good to see Sue again.  Although I'm glad to be away from Seattle Children's, I do miss seeing her regularly.  She is not just his doctor, she is my friend.

While checking Caden over, asking all of the regular questions that we heard daily, we kept answering in the most positive ways.

'Is Caden back in school?'  Yes.
'Is Caden doing well in school?'  Straight A's.
'Caden, do you feel like your appetite is back to what it used to be?'  Yes.
'Caden, do you feel like you can keep up with other kids?'  Yes.
'Have you noticed any significant changes in his activity?'  You mean aside from the fact that he has two more weeks, of twelve, to finish his Personal Fitness merit badge?  Or that he can do 35 pushups, about 12 situps/crunches (he could do zero after the massive surgery), and run a mile in under 9 minutes?  Yes.

'Well, look at you.  Caden, you are a boring kid.  You have nothing going on in your life!'

I like that word, boring.  I like that we are boring in ways that really matter.  Because, although our lives are full of fun, laughter, togetherness, activities, arguing, cleaning, homework, piano, church, service, camping, scouts, friends, school, and 'every-day life', our lives are boring in the best way.  We are all healthy.  And that is alright by me!

Go ahead

While sitting in the RMH on Independence Day, listening to fireworks we could not leave our room to watch, Caden asked if we could do something fun as a family when we came back for his scan. Without hesitation, I said YES!!  That day was today, my friends, and let me just say... If it starts out with swimming and this

It's bound to be the BEST day!

Randy was able to make it home a little earlier than planned on Thursday evening. And since Snoqualmie Pass didn't have rock blasting planned, we hopped in the car and headed to a hotel. Travel perk! 

This morning we lazed around while Randy worked. Two hours swimming!! Let me just say, our fingers and toes were Royaly pruned. Then, since Randy missed Doughnuts with Dad on both Thursday and Friday, we decided to stop at KK before the hospital. Weight Watchers became the devil incarnate when I couldn't have one without throwing away a fifth of my daily points. Not one bite, people! What kind of life is that, I ask you!!! 

The day was nice. The kids were good (although we won't take them in three months). The scans were clean. 

CADEN IS STILL CANCER FREE!!!!!

And now for the monumental crash. This much pent up anxiety calls for a few days of lazy-couch time. Six-hour Pride and Prejudice, anyone?  Who knows, maybe I'll watch it daily for a week straight!

I have been excited to lose weight. It is said that "nothing tastes as good as skinny feels." To that I say, "Nothing feels better than hearing your child is still healthy!" I think I'm going to embroider that on a decorative pillow. And since it will be the only one we have in the house until the kids stop throwing them on the floor, it will be the showcase of the Dirks' house, I tell Ya. 

Spelling

This is how Brennon had to practice his spelling words this morning. 

And how he has been spending a good chunk of his time, recently. Asthma sucks. (The air right out of your lungs!)

Claims

Randy called me today to tell me a story that he was told this week.  Stephanie, (best name in the world, if you ask me) from New World Systems had called Randy's boss, Craig, to ask about Caden.  They had been seeing the many, many claims coming in for his medical care.  Claims that stopped abruptly at the end of July.  She was calling to see how Caden was doing.

The way that Randy came across this job was serendipitous.  After many weeks of wondering, we found out on October 11 (Darwin's birthday.  We were headed to South Dakota to celebrate Tyson's) that he got the job.  October 31st, Randy headed down to Utah.  November 1st, I headed down to Utah while Randy drove up to Richland.  November 2nd, Darwin and Jackie carpooled with me up to Richland.  22 days from start to finish.  We moved into the perfect neighborhood/ward/schools, fell in love, bought our own home five doors down (which had us moving our family of 7 again just three months later), and have loved being here ever since.

Then it just-so happens that Caden gets cancer, gets flown to the best hospital around, with the number-one sarcoma doctor in the country.  Talk about destiny.  And through it all, New World Systems has been by our side.  Supporting us.  Always checking in with his progress.  And now this, wanting to know how things are going when the claims stop coming in.

One day Randy will retire (filthy rich, if he has anything to say about it) and we will live out our days without going to work every day.  He won't travel without me.  He won't have a boss.  Or a quota.  Heck, he won't have as many white shirts and ties.  But, what we will have is friends.  I am so grateful for New World Systems.  It's more than just a job.  It's a 'family' that I don't mind sharing Randy with.

Here's to hoping that Friday's news doesn't add any more claims!!  We check in at 11:45, Scans are at 12:45 & 1:15.  We meet with Sue at 2:30.  Fingers Crossed.

Selfies

I just barely got the pictures from Alaska downloaded off of our camera.  I had to laugh at all of our attempts at selfies.  I like to collect pictures of our adventures together, most times putting them in a frame from that place, so we always take at least one together.  You'd think after 14 years of marriage, and all of the places we've been, we'd be pros by now.  Nope!  Still need some practice!

I'm not sure which one I'll frame.  Probably the one that shows only my sunglasses and nothing else.  That one is my favorite! 

All I have to say is...

"Let me take a selfie!"