Ben had many opportunities to play on the ranges.
Afghan Police Recruits
Hand to hand combat training!
Ben's room.
Air conditioning!
Flying to Afghanistan.
Always comfortable!
Ben Dawson, you are our Hero!! Keep Smiling!!
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Fun in Afghanistan
Ben had many opportunities to play on the ranges.
Afghan Police Recruits
Hand to hand combat training!
Ben's room.
Air conditioning!
Flying to Afghanistan.
Always comfortable!
Friday, June 18, 2010
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Michael's Seminary Party
Michael got 100% Attendance his Freshman year of Seminary and he loved it!!
The Devil Made Me Do It!
Spencer came home from preschool on Monday with a "blue slip." Blue is bad. I asked him what went wrong? His response:
"I was just SO WILD! I don't know what happened. I was just WILD all over the place. I mean WILD, Mom...really WILD." He didn't seem very repentant...mostly just bewildered.
As a punishment I sent him to his room explaining that WILD children with no self control need time to chill out in a boring, quiet place. He was not happy.
About 10 minutes later I walked upstairs to check on him. As I approached his room the quiet led me to believe that he had fallen asleep on his bed. After all, being WILD, as we all know, can be exhausting. I peeked into his room, anticipating the sweet innocence of a babe in slumber and was shocked to find the room empty. I checked the bathroom...empty. I checked my room...empty. I pushed open the door to Jasen's room just as my WILD five year old went over the window sill and out onto the roof.
"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?" I bellowed.
He turned around nonchalantly and raised his hands, palms up and shrugged. "It was my only choice Mom. My only choice."
It was then that I noticed his backpack, overflowing with books, toys and a flashlight.
"Are you running away?"
"No!"
"Well, where do you think you are going?"
He paused and rolled his eyes at my stupidity. "To the roof, Mom."
He spent a lot of time in his room that day...with all the windows locked. I am not sure what possessed him to be so WILD in class or feel as if his only choice was to hang out on the roof but maybe it was the same thing that possessed me to tell him that if he ever went on the roof again I would call the police and report a burglar.
"I was just SO WILD! I don't know what happened. I was just WILD all over the place. I mean WILD, Mom...really WILD." He didn't seem very repentant...mostly just bewildered.
As a punishment I sent him to his room explaining that WILD children with no self control need time to chill out in a boring, quiet place. He was not happy.
About 10 minutes later I walked upstairs to check on him. As I approached his room the quiet led me to believe that he had fallen asleep on his bed. After all, being WILD, as we all know, can be exhausting. I peeked into his room, anticipating the sweet innocence of a babe in slumber and was shocked to find the room empty. I checked the bathroom...empty. I checked my room...empty. I pushed open the door to Jasen's room just as my WILD five year old went over the window sill and out onto the roof.
"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?" I bellowed.
He turned around nonchalantly and raised his hands, palms up and shrugged. "It was my only choice Mom. My only choice."
It was then that I noticed his backpack, overflowing with books, toys and a flashlight.
"Are you running away?"
"No!"
"Well, where do you think you are going?"
He paused and rolled his eyes at my stupidity. "To the roof, Mom."
He spent a lot of time in his room that day...with all the windows locked. I am not sure what possessed him to be so WILD in class or feel as if his only choice was to hang out on the roof but maybe it was the same thing that possessed me to tell him that if he ever went on the roof again I would call the police and report a burglar.
Some Girls Get All The Breaks!
On Monday, for Family Home Evening, we met some friends on the beach for pizza and fun. Monday was a long day (please see "The Devil Made Me Do It") and we were all happy to be able to relax with friends. Emma made a beeline for the ocean, splashing and playing. Nearly 30 minutes into the fun Emma came limping up the beach.
From a distance, and through the mound of sand collected on her wet foot I could see the tell-tale blood red indicator of a run in with a rock. Sometimes, when the beach is rocky, waves will scoop up a rock or two and hurl them towards your bare feet. Scraps and bruises are almost always acceptable companions with days at the beach. It is just a fact of beach life.
She wasn't crying, just limping and complaining. I yelled down to her to "turn around and let the cold ocean water clean it out and numb it up." She went back down to the water. She only lasted a few more minutes before she turned back around and made her way up the beach. As she hobbled closer I could tell from her face that she was in pain.
"Mom, could you please run to the Commissary and get me a water-proof band aid?" Her request, while ridiculous, was simple and seemed to downplay any real injury she might have. I led her to the van where I propped her foot up and dumped a bottle of water over it to clean off the sand and get a better look. When the sand cleared I could feel the blood drain from my face. Her pinkie toe was scraped and bloody but also jutting out from her foot at a 45 degree angle. NOT NORMAL!!
Needless to say, we packed it up. I dropped the boys off at home and, with my wonderful friend Sara, spent the next couple of hours with Emma in the ER. They x-rayed her, cleaned her, numbed her, set her, taped her and sent her home! She was very disappointed to leave without crutches but happy to have a print out of her x-ray to show off to all the world!
This is called a "fracture and dislocation." 
This is called "an angel!" She was delightful nearly the entire time. She wasn't crazy about getting shots to numb the toe but she was a little crazy about the handsome red-headed doctor we had!
This is her toe 2 days later. She enjoyed a fun filled "field day" today at school. I am amazed that she can even walk but it doesn't seem to be slowing her down one bit. She is amazing!!
From a distance, and through the mound of sand collected on her wet foot I could see the tell-tale blood red indicator of a run in with a rock. Sometimes, when the beach is rocky, waves will scoop up a rock or two and hurl them towards your bare feet. Scraps and bruises are almost always acceptable companions with days at the beach. It is just a fact of beach life.
She wasn't crying, just limping and complaining. I yelled down to her to "turn around and let the cold ocean water clean it out and numb it up." She went back down to the water. She only lasted a few more minutes before she turned back around and made her way up the beach. As she hobbled closer I could tell from her face that she was in pain.
"Mom, could you please run to the Commissary and get me a water-proof band aid?" Her request, while ridiculous, was simple and seemed to downplay any real injury she might have. I led her to the van where I propped her foot up and dumped a bottle of water over it to clean off the sand and get a better look. When the sand cleared I could feel the blood drain from my face. Her pinkie toe was scraped and bloody but also jutting out from her foot at a 45 degree angle. NOT NORMAL!!
Needless to say, we packed it up. I dropped the boys off at home and, with my wonderful friend Sara, spent the next couple of hours with Emma in the ER. They x-rayed her, cleaned her, numbed her, set her, taped her and sent her home! She was very disappointed to leave without crutches but happy to have a print out of her x-ray to show off to all the world!
This is called an appendage deformation...YOU THINK?
This is called a "fracture and dislocation." Please note that this x-ray was taken during a 5.7 earthquake and it isn't even blurry!!
This is called "an angel!" She was delightful nearly the entire time. She wasn't crazy about getting shots to numb the toe but she was a little crazy about the handsome red-headed doctor we had!
This is her toe 2 days later. She enjoyed a fun filled "field day" today at school. I am amazed that she can even walk but it doesn't seem to be slowing her down one bit. She is amazing!!Monday, June 7, 2010
Good Fortune or Miracles...They Are the Same To Us!
The last few weeks our little family has been richly blessed.
First of all, three weeks ago we received word that Michael has been anonymously sponsored by one of our San Clemente 1st Ward friends to attend the National Boy Scout Jamboree, taking place the last week of July in Washington, D.C. This is a chance of a lifetime and over $3300. His troop is leaving on July 21st and touring New York City and Philadelphia before making their way to D.C where they will take part in all of the amazing festivities. They get home around August 4th. Michael is so excited and is making new friends quickly in his Jambo troop!http://www.bsajamboree.org/
Second major blessing, Jasen entered an essay contest and won a full scholarship to Yosemite Sierra Summer Camp, $2400. He wrote about why he wanted to go away to a summer camp in Yosemite and his 15 minutes of minimal effort paid off majorly. He gets to spend 2 weeks kayaking, hiking, mountain boarding and so much more. He leaves on the 5th of July, only two days after getting home from Scout Camp. He is so excited, especially since one of his buddies also won. They will be roomies.http://www.yssc.com/
I feel like the heavens have opened and are raining down blessing upon us!! It has been a good couple of weeks for the Dawsons!!
First of all, three weeks ago we received word that Michael has been anonymously sponsored by one of our San Clemente 1st Ward friends to attend the National Boy Scout Jamboree, taking place the last week of July in Washington, D.C. This is a chance of a lifetime and over $3300. His troop is leaving on July 21st and touring New York City and Philadelphia before making their way to D.C where they will take part in all of the amazing festivities. They get home around August 4th. Michael is so excited and is making new friends quickly in his Jambo troop!http://www.bsajamboree.org/
Second major blessing, Jasen entered an essay contest and won a full scholarship to Yosemite Sierra Summer Camp, $2400. He wrote about why he wanted to go away to a summer camp in Yosemite and his 15 minutes of minimal effort paid off majorly. He gets to spend 2 weeks kayaking, hiking, mountain boarding and so much more. He leaves on the 5th of July, only two days after getting home from Scout Camp. He is so excited, especially since one of his buddies also won. They will be roomies.http://www.yssc.com/
I feel like the heavens have opened and are raining down blessing upon us!! It has been a good couple of weeks for the Dawsons!!
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Jasen's Science Project
Jasen's 7th Grade Science Project was titled "To Be Full Or Not To Be Full, That Is The Question." He tested the distance a kicked soccer ball would travel, depending on it's air pressure. He invented and then helped build a kicking machine to ensure each soccer ball would be kicked with equal force and then performed multiple tests, measuring the distance the balls flew across the yard. He did a great job and learned alot. In case you are wondering, a soccer ball filled to it's suggested PSI will travel the farthest...go figure.
The Small and Simple Things
Over the last few weeks I have had the enormous pleasure of having a bird's nest in a bird house on my front porch. The kids and I have found such joy in listening the the sounds of baby birds. We sit on the front porch and smile at the frenzied "tweets" that fill the yard as 'Mother' arrives with a juicy bug. The baby bird sounds are nearly constant, and while to some it may seem grating or terribly annoying, I find it very maternally satisfying.
This morning, there was a bit of commotion on the front porch. One of "our" babies had ventured out of the bird house and tumbled from his perch. He wasn't strong enough to fly back and so he hopped about on the ground and low bushes. We were all delighted and watched him happily from a distance...until he made his way to the street. I intervened. He jumped aboard a stick I offered and I gave him a lift up to his front stoop. He sat there for a moment and then hopped back into the safety of the nest. All is right again with the world...and I was a bit of a hero to my kids. Isn't motherhood grand!
We loving refer to him now as Ferris, as he had a "Day Off" and was very bold and a little silly.
This morning, there was a bit of commotion on the front porch. One of "our" babies had ventured out of the bird house and tumbled from his perch. He wasn't strong enough to fly back and so he hopped about on the ground and low bushes. We were all delighted and watched him happily from a distance...until he made his way to the street. I intervened. He jumped aboard a stick I offered and I gave him a lift up to his front stoop. He sat there for a moment and then hopped back into the safety of the nest. All is right again with the world...and I was a bit of a hero to my kids. Isn't motherhood grand!
We loving refer to him now as Ferris, as he had a "Day Off" and was very bold and a little silly.
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