New water pump AND genius parents!

Two weeks ago Dave and I bought a 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan. With a baby on the way, we soon will no longer all fit in the jeep. So, I officially now drive a mini van. I would have posted a picture, but it is snowing outside today and I don't like getting cold! Anyways, last week we noticed the van was leaking something. My parents happened to stop by and so I had my dad take a look at the puddle. He used to be a mechanic, and so I trust his opinion when it comes to anything car related. I know you are not supposed to do this, but he tasted some of the fluid (we could not tell what it was just by looking at it). His diagnosis was that it was antifreeze, and that we should have our water pump checked out. So, $300 and a new water pump later, we thought we wouldn't have anymore difficulties with the van.
Sunday morning we all piled into the van. Low and behold, the van started....but immediately turned off. It did this several times, and not wanting to be late for church, we all switched to the Jeep. Frustrating. We buy a used vehicle and every week something is wrong with it? Dave and I talked about the fuel pump, fuel filter, etc... That night I was on the phone with my mother and told her about the van acting up. She asked me if we were using the original Dodge key, or a replica. I had just had Ace make 2 new keys and Dave had been using one of them to start the van that morning! My mom works at a hardware store in Ferron and she says that whenever she makes a key for someone, she asks what year the car is. This is because the newer vehicles will not take a key, unless it is made by the dealership. Who wold have thunk it! I passed this valuable info onto Dave, who immediately went out with my original key, and surprise, surprise, our van works just fine!
This goes to show that I still, and always will, need my parents. I love them and am thankful for their love, support, and their visits. I have not been down to Ferron since we moved back here, but am looking forward to traveling there within the next few weeks. Thanks Dad and Mom! This picture was taken Christmas 2006.

Snowboarding...A First.

What an adventure! Dave and Andrew both came home from Brighton happy, sore, and thankful that they had our neighbor Dave (an experienced snowboarder) with them to teach them the ropes. Andrew let me know that it was harder than it looks on TV, and that he did spend some of the time crying. Dave says next time they need to rent helmets because it hurts like heck to hit your head on ice. It looks like it was a successful day. They plan on trying it again this season.

Isaac is 11!

This boy used to be my baby. I cannot believe how much he has grown. His feet are already bigger than mine, and I am sure it won't be long before he is taller than me, too. He didn't want a huge celebration for his birthday. Just some friends over to play football, watch Madagascar 2 and to play the candy bar game after school on Friday, the 6th. Cheri's family came over for the party, and she helped me decorate baseball cupcakes.
That night we had family over to celebrate both Isaac and Luke's birthdays. They shared a baseball cake, and enjoyed being around family....and the gifts were great!
Isaac's birthday, March 7th, fell on a Saturday and Dave had planned to take both Isaac and Andrew skiing/snowboarding at Brighton. Isaac, however, injured his wrist at school and had to stay home while the other two went off to enjoy a day on the slopes. He was not too disappointed. We ended up going to the Clark Planetarium to see Under the Sea 3-D. We then wandered around Gateway, ate seafood at McGrath's and enjoyed chocolate from the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. It was a very full day, which he claimed to be one of his best birthdays ever. I loved being with him. He constantly surprises me with his vocabulary. All of the reading he does definitely pays off! He can be very reserved and sensitive, but I have learned that quality time and a lot of love makes a huge impact.

Luke Turns 2

My baby is quickly turning into a big boy. His birthday was March 5th. He received some very cool toys including this dump truck and a bag of balls to haul around. All three of my boys love to peg one another as hard as they can, even Luke. The best part is that when they are done injuring one another, I just hand them the bag and say, 'Clean them up, boys.' Luke has become very attached to baseball. He plays it on the wii, outside and indoors. His favorite shirts have baseballs on them. He tells me all day long how he wants to 'Play ball. Play.' He can be quite accurate when hitting, and from what I see, he is left handed.