August

August 26, 2011

I hate August. Nothing but hot, hot, hot, and there are no holidays! What the heck?!

Jeffy and Tommy ended up going on the big Scout campout with Charlie this evening. . . Lincoln was bitterly disappointed and cried for an hour, before finally falling asleep. Sigh. Poor little guy. These were his words: “I AM a big boy!” Sad.

Lea is starting sixth grade and discovering boys, Laena is looking at Nov 19^th for the wedding, Clint has started school, and is spending way too much time with the girl down the street.

It has been SO HOT these few weeks that you really have to take 2 showers, one in the morning, and one in the late afternoon. We may as well move to Vegas. Random Facts: Eric watched Binky all day today while I ran errands, Jenny came over night before last, and we finally got rid of the snake. Clint quit his crazy warehouse job, Laena might get a promotion, Tommy has applied at Zupas and KFC.

Aleia and Jeffy started school last week, at Hawthorn Academy, and seem to be doing okay. Lea threw a big ole fit in the Spring, when she was first accepted, didn't want to leave her old school, but now Jeffy’s the one with the problem. We ran over and said hi to his ‘would-have-been’ teacher at Majestic today, and she seems really nice. I wish he could have stayed another year.

Autumn approacheth. Binky wore nothing but his ‘Iron Man suit’ for 2 days this week, before I took it away and chucked it in the laundry. 😊 Halloween’s only 2 months away, you know! We're already in the planning stages.

In other news, Kaylie Jo has recently learned to stand up all by herself, and 2 more teeth have come in. 4 on the top now! 😊 Not sure I’m ready for all this. . . Eleven months old already. They grow up so fast!

On the flip-side, Aleia lost a tooth today, and is almost ready for braces. Clint wants to work at the NIKE outlet store, and Eric has been drawing a lot recently. We got a couple of calls last week about a possible local service mission. I really hope it works out!

Jeffy’s gonna miss his last basketball game tomorrow, darn it, but probably won’t mind too much, since he’s camping with Daddy. . . Laena has been taking some of her stuff over to Paul’s to store until the wedding. She stayed home sick from work yesterday.

Kaylie Baby Jo is my little Teddy Bear. I just wanna curl up with her and snuggle! 😊 Tommy started school Tuesday. He’s pretty excited about it. Taking Spanish this year. . Finally got his pull-up bar in the mail yesterday. He can't wait to try it out! 😃 Eric spent some time at the Aquarium Wednesday afternoon, checking out the FISH! Also some penguins, etc. He's a big fan! Lea forgot her lunch today.

On a different note, I've recently discovered that almost all of my close friends that I've made over the years have written and/or published books. When’s it gonna be my turn? I wish there was more time in the day.

Eric just called, and is getting a ride home from work. A movie about the Book of Mormon is coming out soon, and will be playing at his theater! I can’t wait to see it. It will be interesting to see how they put it together.

Charlie started school, his last math class, last night. He’s a little bit nervous about it, since he’s never taken Trig before, but I think he’ll do fine. He’s pretty smart, really. . . Surprised us all and got a B last semester in Math 1050! I was impressed. 😊

22 years since Charlie’s and my first date. 💜 Laena should be home soon. .

Eric brought me a sunflower today. 😊💙

Holiday Correspondence! 2010

Holiday Correspondence (A little late, but still entertaining. . .)

A Joyous Holiday Season to one and all!

For those of you who dig this sort of thing. . .

Here's our Mason Family News:

Charlie, after a ten-year run with the Scouting program, has been called back into . . . the Scouting program! J He’s now working with Tommy and the Varsity Scouts here in our neighborhood. Still loves his job with Coke, and has a great time with all our shenanigans here at home! Charlie got to travel to Boston earlier this year, and helped out a bunch with the little kidlets while Amy was ‘out for the count' toward the end of the summer.

Amy survived yet another pregnancy, and not such a fun one at that. But of course, ultimately, good came of it! We welcomed Kaylie Jo Mason into our home Sunday, September 12^th, 2010, with joy and rejoicing. Happy Birthday to me! 😊 She is a sweet, pretty baby, beloved and adored by all! Mama is excited to be able to walk again, and has great hopes of finally painting the kitchen and a hundred other things! 😊 Very busy with our now 8 little minions:

Laena . . has been attending college classes throughout the year, and they have been many and varied. She does very well in school, and if she were to actually study, she’d probably be able to take over the world. 😉 If you were to Google the phrase “Social Butterfly,” up would pop a picture of our Laenabug. I kid you not! 😄 At one point, she had sworn off men, but has now “rethunk” her decision. Working, dating everybody, having all kinds of fun with her Institute Sorority, (I know, it sounds weird, but seems to be a great program), and besties Stephania and Misty, she continues to enjoy college life to the fullest! Sadly, she has been wearing far too much red. . . 😉💖

Clinton, Eagle Scout and high school graduate, has also joined the Bruins at Salt Lake City Community College. He made some friends, and lost about 35 lbs this fall, with his weight training class and working out after school. He’s also been following a relatively strict diet of protein and fruit. Clint is excited about school this coming semester, and has signed up for 20 credit hours, his theory being that if most of them of are gym classes, that he won’t have any homework to speak of. 😂 Ha ha ha! Whatever works. And speaking of work, he and Laena have been working off and on for a cleaning company owned by a friend of a friend. With any luck, our eldest son will learn how to break dance before the end of the school year! 😊

Eric, who also earned his high school diploma and Eagle Scout rank this year, is still working at the theater on 90^th South and Redwood Road, and not wanting to do much else. We do enjoy the enormous bags of popcorn he brings home on the weekends. 🍿 He is currently signed up for a couple of Institute classes, and should enjoy them, but is still entirely opposed to the idea of growing up, and all that goes with it. It’s so hard to leave Neverland! 😄 Eric continues to enjoy photography and drawing. He had the opportunity to visit Wyoming and Montana with his Grandma in August, and brought back many beautiful pictures of the scenery there. He also had fun at Aunt Sarah’s cabin, where he met some really cool chipmunks! 😎

Tommy, breaking with tradition, has decided to leave West Jordan behind, and give this whole charter school thing a whirl. .:) He really loves Paradigm High School, and is excited for next semester also, looking forward to a Tae Kwon Do class and some other fun things. . Earlier this summer, Tommy spent a week at BYU EFY, had fun at a couple of Scout camps, and somehow lost 40 lbs in the process! :) Actually, he was extremely disciplined with both diet and exercise, and the results are evident! He’s enjoyed school this year so far, and just a week or so ago, got to see a fabulous Christmas performance there, which was accompanied by his Seminary teacher, Brother McDonald. Tommy is full of ideas, and is looking forward with great hopes to the future! :)

Aleia, with her beautiful, lyrical voice, got to participate in a local production of the musical “Wicked,” for kids! :) She had a great time in 4th grade with Miss Jeppson, and is now thoroughly enjoying 5th. She’s been recognized for her achievements in art and academics, earning awards for her entry in the Reflections program and other contests. Aleia recently got to sing and play the bells in the Majestic Christmas sing-along. :) Our ‘little’ Rosebud loves to play with her friends and hopes to learn more about music and theater in the future. She’s growing up way too fast and prides herself on being a ‘preteen’. I like to call her a ‘tweeny-bopper”, which she, of course, loves. . Aleia is still the most goal-oriented of all of us, and is already planning her eleventh birthday party, three months in advance. 😄

Jefferson is now 8 years old, and was baptized in November. He’s all boy, but truly loves his little sister, and writes about her in his stories at school. : ) Jeffy got to travel to Yellowstone National Park with Daddy and the Scouts in June, and had all kinds of fun catching fish and exploring the wonders of nature! He also enjoyed visiting Grandma Harshbarger at her 70^th birthday celebration, and was especially excited about riding the miniature horses! :) Jeffy has great fun with his friends and loves to spend time playing with Legos and other favorite toys. As energetic as he is, we are reminded every day of many reasons why he is still our ‘little sweet thing.’ :)

Binky is our sweet, lovable little ball of fire! We love him so, but are still at a loss as to how to get him to relax at times. He’ll beat up on his older brother, for instance, and then proclaim his undying love for everyone, all in the same couple of minutes. 😄 I sometimes wonder. . If you add ‘terrible 2’ and ‘terrible 2’, do you get ‘frightening 4’, or adorable little angel, as they cancel each other out? Maybe a little bit of both. 😉 We just shake our heads. Lincoln loves to play outside and roughhouse with Daddy and Jeffy and Tommy. He and Jefferson are both fast friends and sworn enemies, depending on the time of day. :) Our lovable little red-head certainly keeps us on our toes!

And Kaylie Jo Mason, our newest addition, is all sweetness and spice and everything nice!:) We love her so, our Kaylie Jo! (Hey, a rhyme! With sort of a Dr. Suess flavor. .) She’s what smiles are made of! Three months old, so chubby and cute! Our little honey, we can’t get enough of her! :) She’s recently discovered her hands, and may end up a thumb sucker. :) We couldn’t be prouder!

Best wishes to all!

Prospero Ano y Felizidad!

Love, Charlie, Amy, and Minions 🎄