Reays in the Sun

Why does this have to be so difficult!

2010-10-10T19:34:00.000-07:00

Okay, so on a semi-regular basis I type up a little note to send to my family and close friends to let them know what we are up to. I try to do it almost every week. But, as you can see, I never blog. I would like to keep up the blog, so I thought, at least once in a while, I could copy and paste my family newsletter and put it on here. It did not work. I copied but it will not give me the paste option. Arghh!

So we are "very very busy and we have a lot to do and we haven't got a minute to explain it all to you..." - Thank you Sandra Boynton for that song.

I will take the time to say that even in all of our busyness, we have been enjoying the time we have had together and it is wonderful to see our kids growing up becoming cool people.

I also feel so blessed to live in a free country where I can worship according to the dictates of my own conscience without fear.

One final plug...If you would like to donate to Andrew or anyone on our team we are walking in the JDRF walk on October 30th. If you want to walk with us, I will print you a T-shirt if you bring it to me. www.walk.jdrf.org .

A loooonnnggg time........

2010-03-28T19:28:00.000-07:00

It has been a busy few months for us and I just realized it has been three months since I have posted, unlike my niece Emma Pearl, who keeps her blog www.extinctstinks@blogspot.com very up to date and interesting.

We are all doing well. School keeps Lee and the kids busy and I have almost a full part-time caseload of clients to keep me on my toes.

My youngest, Seth was baptized yesterday and I don't have pictures yet, but will post them soon hopefully. It was a wonderful day with both sets of grandparents and Aunt Patty there to celebrate with us. Seth is such a fun and sweet boy and it was nice to see him in the spotlight and to see him growing up.

Last week over spring break, Lee and I made a trip to the Mesa temple and had a nice session. On our way home, however, we were hit while traveling through an intersection and our cute little red Corolla was totalled. Miraculously, neither Lee nor I, nor the other driver had serious injuries. So, we are in the process of car-shopping.

That is about it. Work, choir, school, and so on and so on.

OREO TRUFFLES

2009-12-28T12:44:00.000-08:00

This is a recipe I found on www.allrecipes.com and it is so yummy and good. I would have a picture but they are all gone.

1 8 oz. bar cream cheese softened
36 oreos finely crushed in a blender or food processor (do not use double stuff because they will be too gooey.

Mix these ingredients together and form into 40 or so 1-inch balls. Freeze for a few hours.

Then you need
9 oreos finely crushed in a blender or food processor
2 2/3 cups of semisweet chocolate chips melted in the microwave or on the stove

Dip the cookie balls into the chocolate using 2 forks to allow the excess chocolate to drip down. Cool on wax paper. While the chocolate is still wet, sprinkle the balls with the 9 crushed oreos.

Wii did it again!

2009-12-28T12:36:00.000-08:00

In addition to all of the Lego Santa brought, we gave the kids a few more Wii games this year: Mario Kart, Mario and Sonic at the Winter Olympics and Sports Resort. Aunt Evelyn and Uncle David got us Guitar Hero World Tour and Lego Rock Band and Grandpa and Grandma Williams got us some new accessories.

You might think we would be tired of all of this by now, but NOOO! We are having a blast. We limit Wii time to about an hour a day (if at all) and this has made it a valuable reward. It is so fun and the kids work together on a lot of games. I am not good at all, but I like to play when I am home by myself.

We did not just play Wii last week though. We also had a Melvin L. Huber family reunion that I was in charge of. It was not a big deal, but we had a potluck and picnic at a nice park/preserve out in Gilbert. It was fun to see everyone, especially my cousin Heidi whom I have not seen in 10 years and all of my newest nieces and nephews.

This week I am working my usual 3 days and then we are off to Sierra Vista on Thursday for New Years with the Williams clan. Should be fun!

Hallelujah (Chorus that is...)

2009-12-14T20:19:00.000-08:00

Matthew happened to mention the other day that his teacher knows the Hallelujah Chorus. When I asked him how he knew that he said "because when I start singing it, she sings with me." How great is it that Matthew feels comfortable singing in class and that his teacher feels comfortable singing with him.

On the singing note, we are halfway through the Boys Choir Christmas season and have completed 4 of 8 concerts. They sound beautiful and Matthew is having a great time. They sing some of my old favorites as well as a couple of new ones. It is really fun to travel around the valley and see other churches. Marissa and Andrew had their school concerts early in the month and they were enjoyable as well. Andrew earned a new moniker from his chorus teacher which Marissa has adopted - he is a "Funky Bass Brother."

My Cub Scouts did it again and made me proud. I got the idea to send my brother-in-law Brady a care package. He is serving in the Army in Afghanistan and will hopefully be coming home soon, but not before Christmas. In a little over a week's time they made over a dozen Christmas cards and snowflakes, and gathered over 30 pounds of snacks and treats for him and his unit.

I am feeling extremely grateful for my job and the children and families I serve. It is a privilege to work with them and I feel blessed by it daily. A new, sweet, 2 1/2 month old baby girl is my latest addition and I could not be more excited.

Life is good, the weather is cool and my heart is ready for Christmas.

Seventy-six trombones, 20,000 walkers, 3 cans of frosting and sprinkles

2009-11-01T18:20:00.000-08:00

We have had a really busy month with Andrew in "The Music Man" for his high school in addition to Cub Scouts, stake musical rehearsal, Boys Choir, the JDRF Walk, school, work, and so on, but it has been good.

Andrew did really well as the bass in the barbershop quartet for the musical although it still throws me off to hear him sing so low after being a first soprano for so long. He finished off the Halloween weekend by going Christmas caroling with a couple of friends for Halloween.

The JDRF walk was fun. Susie and Emily, my sisters came as well as my nephew Jordan and our friends, Lynne and Taylor Turschmann. The kids got tons of free stuff and we raised some money for a good cause.

The stake musical is next week and Lee, Marissa and Matthew are all participating. I am excited to see it after hearing about it for a couple of months.

Marissa is going to spend a night at Outdoor Ed at Lake Pleasant this week. She is also busy revising her book which has been edited by two of my very good friends.

I went to Seth's class for a Fall Party on Friday and got sent to the cookie table. The kids definitely had more sprinkles and frosting than cookie. It was really fun.

Matthew is busily getting ready for Choir Christmas season. He is excited for their number "Twas the Night Before Christmas."

Lee and I are busy working and taxiing kids around to activities.

Life is still good.

Same old, same old

2009-09-27T18:23:00.000-07:00

We are well into the school year and I am getting back into the routine of car pools, rehearsals, more rehearsals, scouts, Mutual, Activity Days, etc. It is good to be busy sometimes, but sometimes I just want to get off this merry go round for a few days. I look forward to Sundays because after we get home from church at noon, we have some time to just be together, read, play games, etc. No homework or TV on Sunday so that simplifies things even more.

I should not complain too much. I am truly blessed. Lately, it has been so fun to see my children learning new things and sharing their talents. It is amazing to me to see what they are able to accomplish. They are growing up to be fun, talented, happy, pleasant, mostly polite and good kids. Lee and I are not always sure where they came from.

I am really looking forward to General Conference this weekend (and it is not just because I get a break from Nursery.) It is so nice to just sit and listen to those inspired messages and get charged up for the next six months. I went to the Relief Society meeting last night and it was good.

I know that none of this may be profound or life-changing, but life is good and I am glad for it.

The Soprano Who Now Sings Bass

2009-08-23T18:02:00.000-07:00

Well, Andrew tried out for "The Music Man" this week for the coveted role of the barbershop quartet (the School Board). I was on pins and needles all week and I can't imagine how Andrew was feeling. I knew he wanted the part badly, but I also know that he is a Freshman and that sometimes these parts go to deserving upperclassmen who have put in the time and effort into the drama department. We told him that any part would be fun and that we wanted him to do whatever they cast him for.
He tried out on Tuesday, and callbacks were on Thursday which he went to after school. He said that at the last callback there were eight guys trying out. I talked to the choir director and she said that Andrew had done "very, very well." The cast list was posted early Friday morning, so I had Andrew call me from school. He was so thrilled to tell me that he got the bass part. Even our other kids were excited.
Now, I hear from the older sister of one of the high school boys that everyone is talking about that "Andrew Reay kid who got the part in the musical." At least it is good gossip!
Okay, enough bragging! I am just really happy for him.

Back to School!

2009-08-16T14:20:00.000-07:00

Although I know that I should be totally happy to have my children back in school - and part of me is, since I worked all summer and did not get to stay home and play with them - it is with a little bit of sadness that I sent my children back to school last Monday.

Andrew is now a Freshman at Sunrise Mountain High School. He missed the bus his first day to come home (not bad considering he has never ridden a bus to or from school in his life.) But, since then, it has been pretty smooth sailing. He likes his classes, which are Algebra 1, Intro to Engineering and English/World Humanities and Chorus. He tried out for the show choir singing both bass and soprano just to show off. Only 9 boys tried out so he thinks he has a good chance of getting in. He will be trying out for the school musical this week which is "The Music Man." I am so glad he is jumping right in.

Marissa is in 6th grade this year and her teacher is someone that Grandpa Huber hired for the district when he was principal at Peoria High School. Small world. She is also taking Algebra 1 at school (although she says she doesn't like math), and she is excited because her teacher is going to put a lot of focus on writing. She is in the school chorus and we are going to try and find a new piano teacher for her, since hers is going to college in a couple of weeks.

Matthew has a teacher who is new to the school this year but he says she is really nice. They are going to be making a flashlight at some point in the year and he is really excited about that. Boys choir will not start until September when their first gig will be singing the National Anthem at a Diamondbacks game. Too bad it is on Sunday so he can't stay to watch.

Seth has moved over to Copperwood with Matthew and Marissa this year since he tested in, but also because I did not want to leave him at Apache since Andrew is gone. He seems to like school, but by Friday he fell asleep sitting in our rocking chair after he got home from school. It makes for long days for some of these little ones. He is in second grade and is excited because there is another boy named Seth in his class.

Lee is still teaching in the gifted program at 3 schools for 6-8th graders. He is busy as ever, but seems to enjoy it. He is learning a new math curriculum which is taking a lot of time though.

I am busy with work and other projects like Cub Scouts. I still love my job. However, one thing I hate about this time of year is that I have nothing to look forward to in big holidays or vacations. This summer our older kids had some fun trips, but our wonderful week at the cabin and a weekend at a resort were all we had. I know it is more than some, but it is sad to be back to routine.

Our World Travelers!

2009-07-10T13:32:00.000-07:00

I am sorry it has been so long since I have updated this blog. My niece Emma (see Extinct Stinks) does a great job with hers and she implied that I had been a little negligent.

Our most exciting news is that right now we only have two children at home - no, we are not early "empty nesters"- Andrew is gone to Japan for a Phoenix Boys Choir Tour and Marissa is spending time with her Reay granparents and cousins in Utah. Both are having the time of their lives.

Andrew has been able to visit many historic sites and stayed with Japanese host families as well as performing both scheduled and impromptu concerts. They also got to ride the bullet train. We have gotten a few pictures and e-mails and he seems like he is having a great time.

As you can see they all look pretty happy. The director has been really good about keeping us updated on what they are doing, so we can vicariously experience Japan. I can't wait until Andrew gets home so that I can hear him talk about everything. He was able to e-mail us at one host family's house and he told us that his family lived 10 minutes from the beach and that they had 2 girls - one 15 and the other 12 - who both spoke English quite well. He also said that he was buying souvenirs. I hope he still has some money left at this point.

Marissa has been having her "dream" vacation. She has been horseback riding, hiking, doing crafts, swimming, going to see "Singin' in the Rain" and - one of the best parts - hanging out with her girl cousins. She gets enough of boys at our house and at Cub Scouts and Boys Choir. She does not really like to talk on the phone, but her Grandma Reay has kept us updated on things.

In the meantime, Lee and I have enjoyed a relatively quiet house and we went with Seth and Matthew to a local resort and spent 3 days playing in the pool with waterslides, a lazy river, etc. They are enjoying going to our community pool nearly every day and I am struggling to come up with different meals every night for my two pickiest eaters.

Andrew the Eldest

2009-05-26T18:47:00.000-07:00

Today is Andrew's 14th birthday. He is not here to celebrate however, because he is at Scout Camp. We had the big bash Saturday before he left. He got an ice cream cake which he raved about (I'm glad, because it was my first attempt) and he had breakfast for dinner with all of the sausage and bacon he could eat (which is a lot!)

Andrew has really had some big challenges this year and he has largely risen to meet them. When he was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes (the shot kind) in September, I was so worried because he doesn't even tolerate getting out splinters well. But, he has really done well and does all of his own shots, blood tests, etc. and he keeps up with it without much prompting.

He also found his voice and found a new talent. He was privileged to sing a solo at one of the Boys Choir Christmas concert, which was a goal of his. He will finish his Choir experience this summer with a 16 day tour to Japan. He has spent 6 years in the choir and has given up many other opportunities and also relaxing on the weekends to do it. His new talent is....comedy. We watched a Victor Borge special on PBS and Andrew loved it. So, he worked up a routine based on the act and did it in the school variety show. He was a big hit. http://mediaserver.peoriaud.k12.az.us/ApacheElementaryMedia/media/movies/Andrew%20Reay's%20Comedy%20Routine%20-%20Variety%20Show%205-14-09%20video.wmv

He is looking forward to new challenges and excitement as he starts high school next year. I can't wait to see what happens.....

Birthdays in Bunches

2009-03-29T19:46:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed that Marissa and Matthew have birthdays two days apart in November. Seth and Lee have birthdays 1 day apart in March. We did not plan that very well.

Lee is my wonderful husband of almost 15 years. He is great at playing with the kids, folding laundry, and keeping everything going when I am gone. He has a great sense of humor and he is a hard worker.

Seth is our youngest and he is still my "baby." He has a great imagination and he is often found in his own world. He loves to talk and loves to read and learn new things. He is still in the stage where he misses school when he has breaks and vacations.

I am grateful for my March birthday boys and I love them!

Wow! It's been a while.

2009-03-29T19:43:00.000-07:00

Sorry we have been out of the loop for a while. I have been really busy trying to keep my job with the state budget cuts and also trying to keep services for the kids that I work with. I have also been doing some choir functions and everything has just ganged up on me.

Andrew did not advance past the regional spelling bee even though he made it through 4 rounds. He got out on the word "perfidy" which I had seen before but I couldn't tell you what it means. We were kind of glad to be done with that.

Other than that, life goes on.

A-N-D-R-E-W spells success!

2009-02-08T11:22:00.000-08:00

For those of you who haven't heard already, Andrew won our school's spelling bee and a couple of weeks ago he took second place in the district bee, so now he is going to the regional bee on February 18th. Keep your fingers crossed for him. He has not really studied up to this point so I am not sure what will happen, but we will be cheering him on. (Too loudly, according to Andrew after the district bee.) I guess I have had too much experience at outdoor events where a well-placed "Woo-Woo" is appropriate.

The marquee was a complete surprise to us. They had misspelled "congrats" with a d instead of a t, but they changed it. We didn't even mention it to them.

Back to the Grind...

2009-01-11T14:17:00.000-08:00

Although I am sure that I would eventually get tired of having my kids around all day every day, I wish that some breaks were a little longer. We had such a nice break over Christmas and spent some quantity and quality time together. Now we are back to school, rehearsals, work, etc. and it just gets hectic. I am looking forward to Spring Break already. Too bad Lee and the kids don't have the same one. We'll figure something out though.

But, life is not all bad. The weather has been great and we are enjoying being able to go outside, ride bikes, and so on and so on. Andrew is in the district Spelling Bee this month and we are proud of this accomplishment. It is also Choir Sweeps month - which we are just going to get through this year.

We have a Wii!

2008-12-26T11:18:00.000-08:00

Yes, we have finally entered the 21st century of parenting and enlisted the help of Santa to bring our kids a video game system. He not only brought the basic system, but we also have several games. The kids said "We must have been really good this year!" They are having so much fun with it - although Seth is taking time to warm up to anything other than creating "Miis." I am really not very good at it, but I enjoy playing. We feel the need to rationalize this latest addition by saying that it will help with coordination, motor skills and also socialization opportunities. This was really the only present our kids got so luckily they like it. However, Lee got 6 tickets (from me) to see the Broadway version of Lion King on January 3rd which he will be sharing with all of us.

The Christmas concerts are over along with Christmas and it is a relief. Andrew did an amazing job at the Mesa Arts Center singing the "Silent Night" duet and my dad and Jackie were there to see it. I still get goosebumps at the end of every concert when all of the choirs together sing the "Hallelujah Chorus."

Happy New Year to all!

Most Wonderful Time of the Year

2008-12-17T15:46:00.000-08:00

I don't know if I inherited this trait from my mom, but it is possible - I love Christmas! From Halloween on I am just excited. My mom used to buy presents in the summer in anticipation (I did this for the first time this year.) She also did not sleep on Christmas Eve even when she was an adult because she was so excited. I think what I love most about this season is the emphasis on family and giving. It just brings out the best in everyone.

The kids are getting out of school tomorrow and the boys' big concerts are all this weekend. We are going to be spending this Christmas here at home after our big trip to Utah the first "White Christmas" my kids have seen last year. It is nice to be able to just slow down and relax. We plan on doing some baking and some hanging out and even some fun activities.

May you all have a wonderful Christmas season and share it with those who love you!

M & M's

2008-11-23T09:42:00.000-08:00

Not only are M & M's one of my favorite candies, it is also the first letters of my two middle children, Marissa and Matthew who have birthdays this week. We jumped the gun a little because of our schedule this week and gave both of them their presents yesterday. Marissa got a new adult-size purple bike and Matthew got to go to a really cool store (http://www.ridemakerz.com/) and build his own car. It was a really fun day.

Marissa, as those of you know her can testify, is a sweet girl. She is generally our peacemaker and all of her brothers adore her. She can be silly and fun and also serious. She loves animals, especially horses and loves to be outdoors. However, she also has another side. She is an extremely motivated hard worker who is also very smart and curious. She blows us away with what she is doing at school. As Lee's mom says "How does it feel to know that your kids are smarter than you?" We expect to see amazing things from her someday.

Matthew is our passionate child. He feels every emotion deeply. I love the way his whole face gets involved when he smiles. He can also be our "absent-minded professor" who can't find his shoes when they are right in front of him. He and Seth spend hours making up elaborate characters and story lines which they plan to make into a movie someday. He has an amazing memory for details which is almost freaky. He puts his whole heart into things that he loves and it is inspiring.

Marissa

2008-11-02T12:56:00.000-08:00

Marissa recently received the honor of having her picture displayed in our school district's food services building for the next year. She was the only one selected from her school so we are proud of her and her accomplishments. Remember - Food is Fuel!

The Election

2008-11-02T12:52:00.001-08:00

I am not going to get political, but I hope you are all voting and making your voice heard. It is the blessing that we have of democracy that allows us this privilege. Even if we feel our choices are limited, it is still our choice to make.

Halloween!

2008-11-02T12:48:00.000-08:00

We had a fun Halloween night going to "Trunk-or-Treat" at church. The kids got plenty of candy, although not as much as they would have liked. Lee was a "Goth" guy, Andrew a mad scientist, Marissa a cowgirl, Matthew was our "green" costume, made from recycled parts of old costumes, and Seth was a deputy riding a horse. I was a busy mom. I did manage to turn my hair blue helping to make cotton candy at the party.

News Flash!

2008-10-25T13:26:00.000-07:00

I am an aunt yet again! Jacob and Jennifer had their first baby, Addison Louise, last night at 11:50 p.m. Jacob sounded like the proudest papa on the planet. I am really happy for them.

Parent Teacher Conferences

2008-10-25T13:18:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I have to admit I was dreading some of the parent/teacher conferences this time around. This is Matthew's first year at his new school and he started with the "deer-in-the-headlights" look after the first week. Seth was, and is, our "drama king" and I was not sure how his new teacher would take it. We are just happy that Andrew survived the first nine weeks of school without failing any of his classes. The only one I knew that I would enjoy was Marissa's.

However, overall, things went really well. The kids are doing fine for the most part and they are liked by their teachers. Andrew's homeroom teacher gave him a little lecture about maturity and responsibility (and not reading during class instead of completing assignments), but he also talked about how Andrew had a special place in his heart because he was the one who alerted us to Andrew's health problems and who may have saved his life. I think Andrew really was touched.

I really appreciate the time that teachers make to talk to us as parents not only at conference time but throughout the year. I want to be an involved parent and most seem to welcome it.

It's Fall

2008-10-12T08:56:00.000-07:00

Here I sit in my sweat pants (yes, pants) and I am still feeling a little cool. Our temperatures took a big drop yesterday and we are down into the 70's for highs. I know that it will be back up in the 90's later in the week, but for today I am going to enjoy it. I think I might even make cookies later today and enjoy it.

We are not doing anything special for the holiday tomorrow. I will be working and our kids have homework and school projects to keep them busy. Lee is enjoying his time off (I think) and we have been able to do some things together, like go to the temple, that we don't normally get to do.

Andrew and Lee went on a scout campout this weekend and an 18 mile bike ride. I was really nervous and would not let Andrew go without his dad because we are still trying to figure out his blood sugars, etc. but he did really well and stayed right up with everyone. He even sang at a boys choir thing last night after they got home.

Mid-Week good news!

2008-10-02T14:53:00.000-07:00

Generally the main reason I like Wednesdays is because it is halfway to the weekend. This week I had two more reasons to be happy about Wednesday.

1. Marissa's picture with people eating healthy food was the one chosen to represent her school in the Food and Nutrition building in our district. I often worry about Marissa getting her time in the spotlight with our boys in choir, scouts, etc., but she seems to find her own way. I will post a photo of the picture when we actually see it at the reception for the winning artists.

2. One of my clients was officially adopted yesterday (okay, so technically today is Thursday, but these good things happened yesterday.) His foster family has been working towards adoption since they got him at 2 weeks old and now he is almost 16 months old and someone else challenged it at the last minute and it looked like it wasn't going to go through, but the judge saved the day and used common sense and told the challengers that they should be ashamed of themselves for putting this family and this little boy through this. Many prayers were said and Heavenly Father heard them and I am so grateful.

Good Week!

2008-09-28T18:18:00.000-07:00

Andrew is back at school and doing well. He has been managing his shots and everything really well. The only problem we are having is that he is eating us out of house and home. I finally had to tell him that it is not okay to go through a jar of peanut butter, a Costco bag of string cheese 24 servings of peanuts, and two pounds of lunch meat in a week for one boy (and that was just for snacks!).

Andrew will be going to JAPAN and KOREA on tour with boys choir next summer! We found out about it yesterday. We are all really excited about it. Now we just have to hope his voice holds out until then.

I am attaching a picture of Matthew at the Rain Gutter Regatta. He did not win, but he looks so cute I thought I should put it on.

What a Week!

2008-09-21T21:53:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone! For those who don't know, we have had quite an eventful week. Andrew has been feeling kind of "off" for a few weeks - tired, thirsty, hungry, etc. but we chalked it up to being a growing boy. Finally when his teacher mentioned that he had used up almost all of his bathroom passes we took a close look and decided to take him to the doctor. We suspected diabetes. The doctor did not think he had it, but took a blood test anyway. Well, at 9:45 p.m. on Monday the doctor called us and told us that the test came back with a blood glucose of 926. Normal is 60-90 and diabetes is 200. Technically he should have been in a coma. So, I packed up a few of his things and drove him down to Phoenix Children's Hospital. We finally got into a room at about 4:30 in the morning. I had been up since 4:30 the day before. For the next 3 days we had intensive teaching and training on how to live with type 1 diabetes which is the kind where you have to take shots every day. It is not something that he could have avoided, he is just "lucky." We feel blessed that he is alive and doing much better at this point. He has gained 6 pounds already (which is a good thing for him.) The nurses and doctors were amazing. Andrew is amazing. He is giving himself shots and checking his own blood. He will be back to school tomorrow.

Hello Again!

2008-09-07T09:10:00.000-07:00

We had a fairly good week even though choir rehearsals started again. We had rehearsal Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, with a performance for Andrew on Saturday night.

I have managed to prolong my birthday celebration through the whole week by going out with friends, etc. I love all of the free stuff you can register for online for your birthday.

We have a blog!

2008-09-01T20:41:00.000-07:00

I can't believe we actually have a blog! Now I feel committed to do something with it. Thanks to Patty Reay for the beautiful photo in our heading and thanks to Uncle Ruel and Aunt Carol for the cabin so that we can go and actually spend time where the photo was taken. Today is September 1st, Labor Day, which just happens to be my birthday this year. It was a fairly low key birthday but very nice.

I am going to try to be diligent about keeping this up because I know that I enjoy looking at other people's blogs to see how they are doing -- so feel free to visit and comment.

Have a great week! Pray for rain!