July 2007
Mike and Rachel Guymon Family
Dear Family,
Wow!!! Did this month go fast or what! What’s the saying, time flies when you are having fun? Well, this month was fun intermingled with busy, going crazy, hard work, and being busy some more!!
The poison ivy that we thought Talia got from a bike ride in the woods is actually alive and thriving behind our shed!! Talia had been back there helping a baby bunny that was stuck in the fence. Our neighbors have the rash too. It is coming from the neighbor behind us. Got to love Minnesota!!! Talia’s rash got much worse before it got better and spots popped up all over her body. I guess if you don’t wash off the oil right away, it gets in your blood stream and then you break out everywhere. At least the others weren’t as bad as the enormous blisters on her leg where her skin actually touched the plant!
Soccer is in full swing with games 4 nights a week. Yes, my car goes on autopilot to the soccer complex Monday through Thursday. Amber and Mason love it!! They both are very good and enjoy pushing the other kids out of the way so they can get the ball, even their own teammates (mostly Mason).J One more month to go, and to use Mason’s favorite saying, “Oh yah BABY!!” are we excited!!
School got out on June 7th here. Talia and Sarah went to Valley Fair (similar to Lagoon) for a day. Amber and Mom went with the 1st grade class to the zoo. Talia and Sarah had an egg launch assignment where they had to design a vehicle to support an egg being flung out of a slingshot. Both of their eggs were scrambled. They survived our testing at home, but I guess the sling was too much for the little fellas to take.
The day after school was out we went to Lutsen, MN for the weekend. It is up on the North Shore of Lake Superior. It was sooo pretty and we had such a great time. We stayed in a cabin that was beautiful and relaxing. We went on the alpine slides, on a gondola ride up a mountain, threw endless rocks into Lake Superior, went hiking, saw beautiful waterfalls, and enjoyed being together as a family. We LOVED it!!! We also discover the famous MN bugs (in particular, chiggers) up there. On the first day, I noticed dried blood on Braden’s head and thought he must have fallen. Then when we were hiking, Amber screamed because she had blood on her hand that was coming from behind her ear. We weren’t sure what had happened. That night while I gave the boys a bath, I noticed about ten scabs behind Mason’s ear and on his head. Braden had about 8, Sarah and Amber had several. Thankfully Talia was spared. She was still covered in Poison Ivy spots and had developed a chlorine rash from Valley Fair waterpark. The next day all those scabby marks swelled like mosquito bites. Needless to say, every time we went out we were all covered in bug spray.
Talia and Sarah started tennis lessons this month. They are enjoying that and the little ones and enjoying playing at the park with the other little kids while they are playing tennis.
We finished painting the downstairs bathroom, and put most of our pictures and stuff up. It is nice to be almost done!!
Braden had his last three fillings done and he did great. He only hit the Dr. in the head once. He picked out a sheriff gun set at the store and that was his prize. He was holding the gun and since he was on the gas stuff he was waving it around and it hit Dr. Johnson in the face. Dr. Johnson said, “I’m going to go home and tell Tatum (his wife) that a patient pulled a gun on me today!”J
All three girls went to Omaha on the 26th to help Josh and Amy for a week. They were so excited and have had a great time so far. Stay tuned next month for more details, including getting a love note from a boy at Josh and Amy’s church.
We love you all and pray for you daily!!! We think about you often and love to tell “Do you remember when” stories. Stay healthy and love each other!!!
Love, the Minnesota chigger (and mosquito) bitten Guymons
|
|
|
||
Mary and Mike Ferguson and Family
June for the Fergusons was packed with vacations, t-ball, baseball, and softball
games. I now have the routine down pretty well. I pack snacks, drinks, and
toys for Ben, the stroller, bats, balls, mitts, chairs, and blankets and just
keep everything in the car ready to go. Everyday we started off going to the
ballpark. It has been fun to watch the kids learn a new sport. Lizzie was
ready to quit last week because it was too hot and you just stand out in the
field and wait for the ball. Brandon couldn't get enough of his games and
wished that they kept score at his age level. He has been practicing pitching,
and batting at home and with anyone who will play with him. Mike says he has a
pretty good arm pitching. Maybe he will take after his uncle Mike:) Katie has
been on a team with girls that have played before and are pretty good. she has
learned a lot and much to our surprise actually swung the bat when she was up
last week (she had been walking all season because the pitchers aren't that
great). She struck out but got a piece of it. The catcher dropped the third
pitch and off she ran to first. She isn't so sure about the sliding because
most of the girls say it hurts. She has enjoyed being part of the team and has
learned a little too.
We spent a week in Branson Missouri with Mike's mom and new husband Travis
Strickland. He is a very nice man and seemed to fit in great with our family.
Mike's brother Paul came and Ed and Stacy and their kids. We had a blast on the
Showboat Branson Belle-dinner, entertainment, and a hilarious ventriliquist who
had dogs do the talking.... my cheeks hurt so hard from laughing. Mike and
his brothers played golf and competed for the trophy they pass around. Ed, the
oldest finally won. We went to a few shows, swam at the pool, a theme park for
a day (it rained for half of it), and lots of homemade ice cream. on the way
there we visited Liberty jail, far west, and some other church sites. We saw
the headquarters for the Reorganized Church of Christ and it was interesting.
On the way home from Branson we met up with Corky and Liz driving out west quite
by accident. It was fun to have lunch together at Wendy's and then stay at the
same hotel that night. After Corky's family reunion they all came over to Twin
for a few days. it was great fun! Becca drove down for the afternoon to
see Liz and we had a great time together. I just wished that ruth could have
been there too:)... Liz and Corky headed back really early Sat and then we left
right after them to go to Boise
for the day and go boating with the Jarvis family. Boy was it incredible to be
out on the big tube with the music jammin' in the background and feel the wind
in your face. Rich worked with Mike and Katie and they both got up on skis for
a few seconds. It was a start! After June went by I wondered where it went.
things went by so fast!
Congratulations Ruth and Adam on your sweet little boy! I can't wait to meet
him. We hope that all is well. We pray for you dad, Rachel and Jim and your
family struggles too. It is great to be a family!
The Fergusons!
|
|
|
|
|
Ruth and Adam Olson Family
Well not much happened this past month.
Kidding, we had a wonderful, wonderful month of family! Rebecca and
Brooklyn came down and we had so much fun together. We were a
little worried that Ruth wasn¹t going to have Eli until after Becca
left and were especially worried since they came early. Ruth delivered the day
before they were planning on leaving. Ruth would have still been in the
hospital when they left if they didn¹t extend four more days.
Wow even though Mom and Dad weren¹t here they were sure here in proxy
through family members. They paid so much to have Becca and Brooklyn
come out and got us groceries and stuff. I tell you with that kind of
treatment I think we¹ll go for 15 children (you can tell who¹s writing
this months news letter J). Thanks to Rich and family for giving up
wife and mother, daughter and sister. Big thanks to Mike and Marry for taking
on the Jarvis family for a big part of the time that Becca and Brooklyn
were with us. Also Rich the trooper gave up his Fathers Day since they
extended their stay to help us. Adam got breakfast in bed instead of
Rich (sad). I keep telling myself his blessings will come many fold later.
We also had the pleasure of having a surprise last minute visit from
Jim and Rachel and family. We had a lot of fun together and the Jarvis¹s
bought us a deep floor freezer and boy is it wonderful to have!
They picked it up in Rachel and Jim¹s cool new mini-van.
Ruth is having quite the time getting adjusted to three boys or should
I say four? The stress has been a lot but thanks to family you have
made things much easier. Ruth has been doing awesome the first week
of July, just like Christine said she would be. I am amazed at how
much Ruth does and at how little sleep she does it on!
Adam has sadly not been able to help all that much as he is franticly
working 12-14 hour days trying to get his thesis done and Logic
certification finished. Now also the VTC Cubase (audio software)
tutorials that he finished last March are back and need some fixes and edits,
YIKES!
Atom Riley seems indifferent to his new brother; Joshua on the other
hand is very excited to have a new little brother and is always trying to
help him. When Atom came to the hospital the night Eli Axel was born daddy
picked him up to see him and he said, No, I have already seen him!². Joshua on
the other hand kept asking dad to pick him up so he could see Eli and then would
just stair and not respond when you would talk to Josh. He was in deep
thought; it was very, very cute.
Eli is doing well and weight 8lbs 8oz. We are so excited to have him
in our family and it feels so good to have him in our lives. It makes me sad
when I think about all the people that don¹t have the knowledge of the
gospel and are just worried about things on this earth only.
Well a special P.S. in closing to Rebecca and her magical mothering
Skills she worked o n Atom and Joshua. She got Atom to go from eating
no green beans to eating cans off it. That is one of the dozens of examples
I could give (I hear we have Rich also to thank for that one). I also
miss seeing Brooklyn every day she is so lively and fun to
be around. All her puppets and puppet shows are
missed. I am not quite sure if she and Joshua developed a special
bond but she and Adam sure did.
Sorry this was so long we just had so many things to say and people to
thank.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rebecca and Rich Jarvis Family
Dear Fam,
Well, I don't know about any of you, but we are having a lot of fun this summer and it is sad that it is going so fast. Lets see, last time we wrote, I was in Virginia with Ruth. The night I got home, Rich informed me that he and I were supposed to go up to the last night of girls camp when the Bishopric comes. Since I was not willing to leave the children right after I got back, we made it a family trip and packed like mad, then left and had a wonderful time. We slept in our little backpacking tents and mummy bags, got up the next morning and went 4 wheeling in some gorgeous mountains for 6 hours. We were pooped! Michael's arm swelled up pretty big from some bite while we were out camping and by the next couple of days it was all the way down his arm and into his hand. We took him to the doc and they were worried that it had gotten so aggressive so they put him on a very strong antibiotic and that kicked it by the next night. He has some funny allergy to bites cuz this happens every year. I guess it gets worse every time he is bit, so I am trying some diet changes and always keeping Benadryl around and in our emergency kits.
The next week, Rich had some business at the logde and was gone for a few days, the kids started piano lessons, we made a day trip to Twin Falls to see Liz and Corky and fam, and the next day we had Mary and Mike and the kids up for a temple trip and some boating for Katelyn's b-day. That was a lot of fun! Mike and Katie got up on waterskiis for the first time ever and we tubed like crazy. Last week was 4th of July which we spent up in at Rich's parents' cabin. We watched the fireworks on the lake. Up there you go on the lake and are actually under the fireworks. Kinda fun. Sure beats sittin up on our roof at home in AZ in 105 degreee weather, though I always thought that was really fun growing up. We went boating and Brooklynn, Richy and Michael got up and waterskiied!! It was awesome! I learned how to wakeboard for the first time, too. Damien was soooo brave and tried to wakeboard too!! He is a lot of fun to have around. What a cutie and so helpful.
All the kids are doing well. Brooklynn is loving piano....for the moment. After her first lesson, there was much whining, wailing and gnashing of teeth for the first times of practicing. I don't know HOW Mom did it with all of us! Once she had practiced two times, she actually started to enjoy it, few! We decided that the kids need to play the piano at least until they can comfortably play the hymns. She is also working on learning to make a cook book of meals she is learning how to prepare, devouring books, and having fun playing with her brothers.
Richy, on the other hand keeps asking me if he can practice piano, also loves to devour books, especially while reading to Michael and Joseph. He is working hard and playing hard.
Michael, he looked like he had chicken pox after the weekend up in the mountains. He swelled up again, but I gave him a double dose of Benadryl and thankfullly have avoided another costly doctor visit and antibiotics. He is busy as ever and seems to have unlimited amounts of energy, even on few hours of sleep. He has become an expert bedmaker, silverware unloader, table setter and waterboy for my plants. He likes to chase this one girl at church and hold her hand and kiss her, that silly boy.
Joseph is just so dang cute! He loves to dress up in Brooklynn's play high heels, Michael's knee pads, or whatever. He has not stopped saying at least once a day, "mommy I missed you, I love you." Which he then follows up with a big hug and kiss and a wet zurburt. He loves to go boating and especially loves to go on the tube. He gets this plastered huge smile on his face, until he gets really wet, then it's all over. He also looks like he has chicken pox from the cabin trip. I am not sure what purpose Mosquitos have....but I really hate them! It was a all you can drink buffet with my kids!! I just learned, after the weekend that if you put dryer sheets in your pockets and clothes, they stay away!! And no yucky bug spray! Boy, knowledge is power!!
Well, that is a small sample of what is up with us! We leave from the 13th-22nd on the Jarvis Family Reuinion and will be going through Yelllowstone on the way to the Lodge in Wyoming, where we will stay for a week and do all kinds of fun stuff. We are going to Martins Cove while there and are excited to have that experience. And we finally get to see the Rexburg temple on the way too!
Take Care all!! Sure love you!
Bec and Fam
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Liz and Corky Clark Family
June was an eventful month for the Clarks. School got out just in time for swimming lessons. Both Haley and Donelly have been taking swimming lessons at the local waterpark. Haley attends the level 1 class by herself while Liz joins Donelly in the parent-tot class. Both girls were excited but soon became very frustrated with the "cold" Chicago water. Donelly spent the first 2 weeks just begging to get out of the cold water. I was beginning to think she wasn't going to learn anything this summer. Then the HOT humidity set in. Suddenly the pool became a refreshing place to be. Both Haley and Donelly are doing really well and love to show off how long they can stay under water. They are learning to swim quickly and Donelly may even move up to Haley's class next week. That is if this Chicago weather ( rain, rain, rain) will let up long enough for them to get in the pool.
Haley had her second piano recital (her first was in CA) and did really well. Although she complains a lot about practicing, when the time came for her turn she couldn't hide the huge smile on her face when she got up to perform.
We packed up all the kids in the car and headed to Preston, Idaho for the Clark family reunion this month. The trip was long but was made much more bearable when we ran into the Ferguson's on the interstate coming back from the Mike's reunion in Branson Mo. So we did the only thing you could do in the middle of nowhere Nebraska, we ate at Wendy's and did some quick catching up - followed them to Cheyenne Wyoming and went swimming at the Little America Hotel. When we arrived at the Clark reunion in Preston Idaho, it was a total blast. Haley and Donelly quickly claimed the loft area and made it the "Girl's Club" No Boys Allowed. We went horseback riding, stayed up 'till the sun rose each day playing board games, did talent shows, etc, etc. Of course we went around Preston looking at all the Napoleon Dynamite filming locations. They have maps in the chamber of commerce for geeky tourists just like us, that show all the hot spots, Napoleon's House, the Rex Kwon Do studio etc. Then off to Twin Falls to stay with Mary and Mike. We had home made ice cream and watched "High School Musical" . Cool, huh. For the 3rd of July (They do fireworks here on the 3rd so people have a day to recover from their partying... crazy huh) we all went downtown and watched the fireworks over Lake Michigan with 1.2 milliom people all crowded on the lake front... The most amazing fireworks display ever! Ta Ta for now! Corky,Liz, Haley, Donelly Reese.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Jim and Rachel Guymon Family
Thank you everyone for your
prayers and fasting on behalf of our family.
The latest ultrasound showed the bleed around the placenta and uterus is
no longer active and we surprised the doctor by still being pregnant, so
that is good! The previa is still complete which continues to pose a risk
to mother and baby, but we feel good and hopeful that if we continue to
follow doctors orders to "take it easy" and be careful things will go
alright and we can hopefully avoid preterm labor. Besides the problem
with the placenta baby seems to be great, healthy and is very active!
Bailee turned five-years-old June 7 and had a fun water splash party with
friends in our backyard. We can't believe she will be entering
kindergarten in the fall. She is ahead of the game and still loves to
read. The other day she brought down a stack of books and read them to us
one by one. It's nice she can keep herself and Olivia occupied that
way.
Olivia is our little chatterbox that never stops! She is a funny and
happy little girl. She loves to turn on the music, get into a dress up
and have a dance party with Bailee. She also loves to sing just like
Bailee and Daddy.
Jim is officially a fourth year now and is keeping busy with his
application to pediatric residencies and treating patients in the
clinic every day. It was fun to see Becca, Brooklyn and the Olson's with
their
cute new baby!
|
|
|
||
