My Family:

A photo essay by Jordan Karafa...

(EDITED BECAUSE JORDAN SAID "HIS" PICTURES WERE TOO BIG)

Taking a dip...

Sometimes a photo can evoke such strong feelings. If this one doesn't say, no scream HOME I don't know what does. I can almost smell the orange blossoms...

I so need to take a drive with my boys so the can see her at night.

Ding, Dong...

AVON Calling.

I wanted to put this here for all my friends and family. I have decided to start selling Avon. I must admit I envision making enough money to be a stay at home mom. Big dreams start small after all.

Make-up seemed the perfect choice for me. I have loved make-up since I was first allowed to wear it for my dance recitals. I love make-up, jewelery, accessories, perfume. I love it all.

I never want anyone to feel pressured to buy anything. But if you happened to want to purchase any Avon products I would love the opportunity to be your Rep.

I have started a separate blog for my endeavor and will be updating it with sales & features once I am completely signed up. From now on I will be keeping a separation between my two blogs.

If you are interested here is the link: Online Avon Lady

Mom School...

Jordan was one sad little man when I had to break the news that Miss Brooke wasn't doing preschool this year. He loves learning and I didn't want what he learned last year to go to waste before Fall 2010 when he will begin Kindergarten.

Our solution was Mom School. At Mom School this year we have one goal: teach JoJo to read.

The curriculum we are using is Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. I did some research on homeschooling sites to find something that I felt confident I could do. We are on lesson 10 and he is doing amazingly. He is "reading" 3 letter words not realizing he is doing anything but sounding them out by "saying it fast".

At the end of each lesson we are also working on writing our "sounds". He is getting so much better at holding his pencil...er crayon (pencils are potential weapons at Mom School).

Does school get any better than attending on Mom's bed in your jammies? I doubt it!

 I'm so proud of my little buddy!

To bedtime & beyond...

Dillon has been having a meltdown of epic proportions each time we shopped at Wal-Mart for a month now. And we go to Wal-Mart frequently. VERY FREQUENTLY.

He has had his eye on some Buzz & Woody jammies that he is sure are there. The problem is that we have not been able to find them. We were starting to believe they were a figment of the poor boys active imiganination until Bama Karafa confirmed their existence.

Tonight I decided to try and put the poor boy out of his misery. That and there was a pint of Chocolate Fudge Brownie with our names on it.

A happier boy could not be found. I just wish he would fall asleep already.

To Bedtime & Beyond...

Fort-tastic...

Our grand plans of doing chores this morning have been cut short. By a fort. Simple for Mom to assemble with endless possibilities of fun for the kids.

I love the entryway...er hole. We've only had one bonked head so far.

Yee Haw...

The birthday girl is a trooper. Yessiree!

The Birthday Month...

August is a month full of birthdays. Birthdays of ladies I love, admire and adore.

The 8th of August was my Grandma Vowles birthday. This year Grandma has been gone for 8 years. My Grandma was born and raised in Tennessee and never lost her the Southern charm that I'm sure was part of the reason Grandpa was so in love with her. The things I loved best about her was her twangy drawl, her ladylike manners, her great ability to laugh especially at herself, her homemade desserts, her soft skin, and especially her never ending love. I wish so much that she could have met Blair and the boys. Especially my little rascal Dillon. She loved babies and would have died over his chubby cheeks.

August 18th is my sister in law Tara's birthday. I won't say how old she is this year because that's just rude. That and we will be the same age in 2 months. Relationships are different between brother's and sisters so when we were married it was hard to understand the dynamic between Blair and Tara. They are the same age as Betsy and I and we were so close and they seemed to barely speak. Norma has told me of a neighbor who once asked her when they were kids if either one even knew how! I am trying to make it up to her by being the sister she never had. It took me years to get as close as I am with my own sisters so I look forward to having a new sister and making years and years of memories with her too! Happy Birthday T!

Yesterday was my Grandma Hunt's birthday. Grandma passed away in Fall 2005. When I heard she was sick I made a trip to see her and I am glad because it was the last time I saw her. I took pictures that day of Jordan with her and my Dad. I'm glad that even though he will never remember that he was able to meet her. I always had a special relationship with her. I think it is because I was the spitting image of her baby boy. She came down for a week every month and stayed with us while she attended the Temple. I wish I had the the same diligence. I miss her. I miss her back scratches. I miss going to get her Lemon ice cream at Baskin Robbins for her. I miss her stories.

Today (I think...I hope I am right) is the birthday of one of my favorite people: Blair's Aunt Valerie. Valerie is one of Heavenly Father's special children. I have loved her from the first day I met her. She has a love for life that cannot be matched. Watching her family lovingly care for her has been a blessing to me. The relationship she has with my sweet father in law always touches my heart. Oh how she loves little children! She spent a few months this year living with Norma and you have never seen two sadder boys after she left. We begged and pleaded for her to stay (and are counting down the days until she comes again). We love you Valerie! Have a wonderful birthday!

Saturday is the birthday of a very important lady. My mother in law Norma. It's hard to put into words my relationship with her. In six years she has become my Mother, my teacher, my confidante, and my friend. She loves my boys with a Mother's heart and cares for them every day. There's no way I can repay her for that. I think of her as a 50's housewife. In a good way. She dotes on her husband and it is so cute. Happy Birthday Norma! Can't wait to see you in the saddle (you can't uninvite me!!)

Cough, cough...

Jordan woke me early this morning to tell me that Tootsie was coughing. And that he wanted breakfast. I protested the hour and went back to sleep. When both Jordan and Dillon could not wait any longer I finally headed downstairs to fill their bowls and tummies with cereal.

Toots was indeed coughing. A very weird hairballish cough that I had never heard. This is the dog who has previously eaten half a diaper so I figured she had found her own breakfast and it was stuck. I checked her mouth and didn't see anything, she was breathing fine so I figured she would work it out. By the afternoon she was still coughing so I made her an appt at the vet for a check up and some overdue shots. Turns out she has kennel cough. Which I find weird since she has never been around another dog in her life.

I thought giving kids cough medicine was hard. Ha! She smelled the spoon a mile away and was not going to take it for anything. I think I got the full dose down. I am hoping and praying that we have a quiet night.

Why is it Blair is always gone for things like this?

I'll be here all week...

Like any self respecting mother with a house full of boys I went out this evening to stock my pantry full of food. Specifically cold cereal. The breakfast of champions. A boys favorite meal. No one ever complains when served a heaping bowl of Fruit Loops.

As I backed out of my driveway I heard a loud thump. Fabulous! My first thought was that I backed into a car parked across the street. My second thought... whoops, I forgot to take the trashcan back to the garage. My third thought...I really hope none of my neighbors saw this (they did.)

We returned home just in time to make a late dinner. A vegetarian meal that could only pass for dinner when Daddy isn't around (no meat= no food). We were going to dine on sautéed string beans, carrots and delicious watermelon. My boys favorites! My helpers each toted a bag inside while I carried 4, turned off the alarm, quieted of fierce watchdog and headed back out for the stragglers. I herded the boys back inside and got my last 3 bags full of 1/2 gallon milk and my watermelon. Then I shifted everything to my left arm and tried to shut the van door. AND THEN I DROPPED MY WATERMELON.

If you have never seen a watermelon crash to the ground and explode you are really missing out. It was just short of amazing how far the carnage flew. My first thought was a word I cannot say on the blog. My second was hopefully I can save some (I did). My  third was that I hope none of the neighbors saw (they did). But my fourth thought was at least the garbage can is close.

Thank goodness for the weekend.

Early to bed, early to rise...

A little boy was sent to bed early today. We have been having trouble with the concept of listening and obeying. Par for the 4 year old course I guess. From my bed I heard howling coming from his room. The good mother that I am I decided to capture the moment on camera. He tried his best to not smile. It helps if you close your eyes. The crocodile tear running down the chin was a nice touch.

I brought my secret weapon to assist in Operation Cheer Up. How could anyone resist?

It works everytime.

And then I realized that the offender had turned on the movie BOLT. Which means the howling wasn't directed at his mean old Mom, it was him pretending to be a dog. I'm such a sucker. And I guess my punishment isn't working too well.

Letters to Daddy: August Edition...

The day that Dillon has been waiting for has finally come! He is spending the night at Bama Hunt's house! Daddy you should have seen him swimming. He "kick, kick, kicked" his little legs like crazy all the way across the pool. His face was scrunched in determination...imagine his right eyebrow at a severe angle, with his lips to match.

He also helped Bama by cleaning the leaves out of the pool. He's a helper that boy.

 

 

Jordan had fun with Aunt Gill. First they attacked Noah with their elephant impression (spitting water through a noodle) then they attacked each other all during our volleyball game. He took his floaties off and did a back stroke all through the pool. He even jumped from the side and held his nose closed. He was really proud of himself.

We sure miss you!

I like that oldtime Rock N' Roll...

That kind of music just soothes the soul...

Daddy bought us a fun new toy to play during our family time this weekend. We are practicing hard for when he comes again this week. Jordan has Eye of the Tiger down pat... sort of. I love the rock n' roll snarls!

In the canyon...

I am missing the hubs...

While I have grown unfortunately accustomed to his working away for the week it still never gets any easier. This week has been especially difficult due to his lack of cell phone service. He has also been putting in 12-15 hour days which makes him a little less than thrilled to chat for long when he gets back to the hotel.

Blair is staying in Chinle, AZ. The only good thing in Chinle is this:

The Canyon de Chelly (photograph by the master Ansel Adams).

Not that he is getting to see it or anything. At least he has easy access to his beloved Strawberry Crush (inside Hunt family joke here).

Tomorrow he will be home...I hope!

A fresh coat...

My boys and I painted the TV room a glorious shade of green yesterday. My orange (or cantaloupe as Betsy says) kitchen made my tan paint seem rather blah in comparison. My mom suggested I go with green and I think she was on to something.

My little helpers and I had the room disassembled and painted to completion before noon. We didn't even get up until nine. We make a mighty fine crew. I can't post pictures yet, Jordan wants Daddy to be surprised.

There is something about a new coat of paint that just makes you feel good. Clean, happy, bright & cheerful. Sometimes I wish that I could give myself a fresh coat. It would be especially nice if it only took a few hours too!

Water Dog...

When Jordan was a baby he loved taking baths in his little rubber ducky bathtub. We were living with my in-laws at the time and it was our little private time together.

Blair and I figured that he would love splash pads and took him as soon as he was big enough. He hated them! Screamed bloody murder if we even tried to get him wet.

It's only been the last year that he has decided to like them and sometimes we still get a glimpse of his funny facial expressions when he gets surprised by a spray of water. Disneyland was no exception.

We went in the Bug's Life land for the first time this trip and he was in water heaven!