9 lounsburys

hello again

2010-04-23T08:37:00.000-07:00

So next week's YW lesson is on journaling and keeping a personal history and it got me thinking . . . maybe I should start posting again on that old blog I used to keep. I'm not promising anything but if there's one good thing about me:

I always keep trying.

Be it organizing my desk, losing weight, or keeping a blog. I always keep trying. So I'm shooting for once a week, folks. Because I do know in my heart that I should really keep some kind of a history of what's happening in our family--the highs and lows, the day to day, random thoughts, and most especially, the funny things Noah says. Which is where I'm starting today.

Today before 8:15 a.m. Noah offered up the following gems:

1. "This tastes like wooden cows." (thoughts on rice krispies)

2. "Mom, is there a rope in heaven? cuz you would fall."

3. " . . . and please bless that I can go to space. And hold a sign that says, 'workers ahead.'"

This one has been a regular in his prayers for a few weeks now. He's obsessed with construction workers and the power they wield over traffic by holding a simple sign. Not sure where the thing about space came from.

Other family news for the week:

Zack did great on finals & is will be home Saturday. We're so excited to have him home . . . just wondering where to put him! Emma & I get to go prom dress shopping this weekend. I know for some mothers/daughters this would be a big thrill, but we are not one of those mother/daughter duos. Not loving the whole shopping thing, especially with a deadline & challenge of finding a modest dress. Wish us luck! Madeline missed her track meet this week due to a flu bug :( Also, experienced her first Thursday School (detention) so not the BEST week, but that's ok. Caleb & Isaac started their season with Salem Track Club so they're excited. Daddy fixed Noah's jeep (needed battery charged) so Noah is thrilled to be riding around in that. And the big news for Enoch: he discovered playdoh.

Dan & I got to go to the temple last night to be with the Papritz family when Austin received his endowment. It was really wonderful being there, not to mention two hours in the car with my husband all to myself. I really love that guy.

whatever happened to that baby . . .

2009-05-17T16:15:00.000-07:00

some of you may be wondering what ever happened to that cute baby we had about six months ago??? this blog has been sadly lacking in updated pictures, cute tid-bits, etc. of said baby for which i apologize, especially to long-distance grandmas. so i offer up the following pics & tid-bits, which in no way correspond to each other. grandma lounsbury & grandma doris, these are for you. and for anyone else who would like to comment on what a cute, sweet baby we have :)

tidbit #1: weighs 17 pounds & is 26 1/4 inches

tidbit #2: is the king of slobber/spit up.
i'm sorry enoch, but it's true

tidbit #3: can sit in his high chair & pick up cheerios.
from the amount of slobbery, gummed up cheerios that i pick up
off his bib & high chair, i'm pretty sure
he's never actually digested one!

tidbit #4: LOVES to watch caleb, isaac & noah jump up and down.
laughs his little head off. thinks they're hysterical

tidbit #5: also LOVES to watch zack dance.
also thinks this is hysterical.

tidbit #6: not sleeping through the night yet, but that's ok :)

tidbit #7: rolls over, enjoys playing with toys on his blanket, and
will soon be sitting up without help

tidbit #8: like every other baby i've ever known,
LOVES to be outside.
we go walking about three times a week
and he sits perfectly contently in the baby bjorn
while i push noah in the jogging stroller. he doesn't make a peep!

tidbit #9: he recently started making his first consonant sound.
"da da da da da" (of course)

tidbit #10: the upside to #9 is that he can answer
perfectly clearly when i ask,
"who do you want to change that stinky diaper?" hahaha

he's 3

2009-05-09T23:18:00.000-07:00

noah turned 3.

we seem to have two very different perspectives on the big event.

me: "I can't believe my little baby's growing up so fast" (sniff sniff)
noah: "this CAN NOT happen fast enough!!!" now I confess he's never actually said those words, but he is quite determined to be a grown up. I guess that's what happens when you have 5 older siblings. I offer up the following evidence:

1. top on his birthday list was a wallet, keys, and a "purse." (we went with a backpack instead)

2. he carries around & has frequent conversations on his "cell phone" (old calculator)

3. for fun, he "practices the piano" and "does homework"

4. this morning he made his own sandwich (peanut butter and . . . yogurt) to carry in backpack

5. frequently announces--with keys and cell phone in hand, of course--that he's leaving for work ("ok honey, have a good day at work!")

6. and finally, he recently came to me, took my hand pulling me toward the back door, and said "you gotta show me how to work your car." he was TOTALLY SERIOUS.

of course, there are other times when he bonks his head or stubs his toe and with tears streaming down his face insists that I kiss it "right there." and then I know he's still my little baby for a little longer.

AWESOME 3000

2009-05-09T22:30:00.000-07:00

so the awesome 3000 was last saturday and it was . . . well, AWESOME! this is the 26th year of the event which has become one of the largest, timed, children-only races in the nation. it started off in 1983 with 350 runners and has grown to around 3000 participants! caleb & isaac donned their official shirts & fastest running shoes and they were off. caleb finished 4th in the 3rd grade boys & isaac finished 2nd for 1st grade boys! WOW! and to top it all off we had beautiful weather. not bad.

the little speedsters

with their biggest fans

"i'll hold those for you . . ."

of course, we had to walk up to the bush park playground

all in all, it was a great day & we were especially glad grandma "papwuff" (as noah lovingly calls her) could join us. we love having her around!

my baby's growing up

2009-04-29T19:48:00.001-07:00

well, my baby girl turned 14 this month. what fun :) she is still the fun, creative, curious, happy, independent, and sometimes feisty little girl she's always been except, well, not so little anymore and a little more into boys and shopping than she used to be! I thought I'd let her tell us herself what she's into these days:

favorite food: Chinese sweet & sour chicken
favorite dessert: brownie sundae
favorite thing to do: "probably shopping" (this was said with slight one-eyed eyebrow raise and voice inflection = duh)
favorite song: break your bones by kill paradise
dream vacation: cruise to Europe w/ cute guys w/ English accents
favorite hymn: sunshine in my soul
favorite scripture: D&C 18:10 "remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God"
favorite tv show: mentalist or heroes
favorite thing about our family: "the fact that I always have someone to chill out with"
what I want to be someday: mother (of course) and designer of some sort

if ya gotta go . . .

2009-04-19T00:28:00.000-07:00

imagine emma's surprise when she returned from soccer practice to find . . . a dozen roses in her toilet???

teagan's unusual prom invite gave us a good laugh!

emma has such wonderful friends & their group had a ton of fun celebrating prom!

teagan & emma

the big kids' beach trip

2009-03-22T23:59:00.000-07:00

I just love watching my kids enjoy each other . . . especially knowing there's so little time they have together before Zack is off to school. This warm, spring day they loaded up their blankets, makings for s'mores, and a little ben & jerry's for the road, and took off for Lincoln City.

madeline, paige, & emma

hip hip hooray

for the Oregon coast

he's alright

2009-02-18T10:28:00.000-08:00

happy 18th birthday zack!

it's hard to believe we've had this guy around for 18 years! and we still can't get enough of him. we've laughed at his childhood antics/ mishaps like the time we caught him skinny-dipping in the pond with emma, or the time he gave himself a pretty good shock trying to disassemble a blow dryer. (yea, gotta unplug it first.) we've seen him through his first day of kindergarten all the way through early graduation this january. (and acceptance to byu. yeah!) we loved the enthusiasm of our 8-year-old cub scout (he offered to sew on his own patches when mom just wasn't doing it fast enough) and now bask in the relief that his journey to eagle is finally over! and we've definitely enjoyed watching him play a little basketball, a little t-ball, a little flag football, and a WHOLE LOT OF SOCCER.

we couldn't ask for a better first-born. zack's been very patient with his first-time parents because we've certainly made our share of mistakes. he is truly a peacemaker in our home. don't get me wrong. he's not perfect. we've had to shake our heads during the 14 - 15-year-old bad hair years (very long & very bushy); at his very strong aversion to stake dances; and his not-so-discreet attempts to text during dinner, family night, and even sacrament meeting (YIKES). but all in all . . .

we think he's alright

make me laugh

2009-02-12T20:37:00.000-08:00

the other day I was feeding the baby when Noah started entertaining himself by decorating my toes with q-tips. when he was finished he proudly sang "happy birthday to you." I guess in that alter universe that is Noah's imagination, candles look a lot like q-tips. which would make my feet . . . cake?

guess who's driving?

2009-02-05T07:39:00.001-08:00

happy day! Emma got her driver's license! Afterwards her tester came up to me and said, "I usually don't talk to the parents, but your daughter just did an excellent job! She was so observant at every intersection." of course, I still need a text every time she arrives somewhere safely, but when I'm anxiously waiting, I can remember those kind words and I feel a little better :)

7 things I love about Isaac

2009-02-05T00:08:00.000-08:00

HAPPY 7TH BIRTHDAY ISAAC!

In honor of Isaac's 7th birthday, I'd like to share 7 things I love about Isaac:

1. He is resourceful. One thing you'll probably never hear come out of his mouth is "I can't do that." He is a can-do man. From making strawberry smoothies to learning to ride his bike, he will figure it out himself, thank you very much!

2. He is smart. He has turned into quite the reader, speller, and mathematician. Mrs. Benton, his first grade teacher says, "If only I could have a whole classroom of little Isaac's . . ."

3. He is best buddies with Caleb. When I asked Caleb what his favorite thing about being in 3rd grade he said, "Now I can play soccer with Isaac at recess." And Isaac sure feels the same. More often than not when I look in on them at night, they're sharing one twin bed because they've been reading together or just don't want to be apart. It makes my heart melt.

4. He is full of faith. Isaac says the sweetest prayers, and frequently remembers those who are sick or need special blessings. When we're looking for keys, or a backpack, or whatever is lost that day, he is often the first to say, "we should have a prayer." He well remembers the time he and his buddy Colby got lost after going through the fence to the neighbor's property. After some time, Isaac knelt down and said a prayer and soon after got a glimpse of the soccer field and found his way home. He knows Heavenly Father answers our prayers!

5. He is funny. He loves to make people laugh with his funny faces, smart remarks, & first-grade antics. And we do laugh . . . and sometimes roll our eyes :)

6. He is a lover of the outdoors. Whether he is snow camping with Dad, climbing rocks in the backyard, fishing, kicking a soccer ball, playing by the pond, or even working in the garden, the kid loves being outside. And I love seeing him out there!

7. He is ours forever! We love you, Isaac. Our family wouldn't be complete without you!

not your mama's dance team

2009-01-12T20:39:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I got to see Madeline perform with her dance team for the first time. I was so proud I could hardly stand it! Boy, did it bring back memories. The energy, excitement, and screaming girls were all the same. But the look, as you can see here, was all new:

Like I said, not your mama's dance team. And as further evidence I offer up these gems:

AWESOME

christmas 2008

2009-01-12T12:08:00.000-08:00

Top 10 Christmas memories of 2008:

#10 SNOW!!!

a beautiful white Christmas

#9 Dan as Bob Cratchit

not to mention Grandma P as narrator

#8 Cutting our Christmas tree in the pitch black and pouring rain. Picture flashlights, chainsaw, and very muddy boots in my clean suburban. And hurry, because the ward party starts in 1 hour. Now there's a little Christmas chaos for you!

this isn't actually ours. it is shauna/wayne/grandma's. ours was very unlit sitting in a very dark, cold, empty house. see #6.

#7 Decorating Christmas cookies

this one, in particular, was done eyes closed by Patti & Madeline. lovely girls.

#6 SURPRISE! No electricity. (for 4 days, but who was counting?) (no picture available)

#5 Christmas caroling to the neighbors through the previously mentioned SNOW!!!

#4 Loading all the little boys onto Dad & Mom's bed for the classic Christmas TV specials. Nothing says Christmas like Rudolph + popcorn.

(prior to the electricity going out, of course)

#3 Christmas jammies

#2 isaac's night vision goggles, noah's guitar, & what came to be known as Caleb's "Heidi hat." enough said.

#1 most memorable thing about Christmas 2008: 18 grandkids, 13 siblings/spouses, and one awesome grandma at a Papworth reunion. We love you guys!

here's just a sampling of our gang. the official family picture is to follow at a later date.

moball

2008-12-15T09:00:00.001-08:00

moball=mormon snowball=standards friendly girl's choice winter dance

emma & alex. turns out in addition to being a star football player, alex is also a killer waltzer. emma learned a few new moves & had a great time. their group's pre-dance fun included lazer tag, miniature golf, arcade, and a little wii rock band. they regrouped for a "crazy dinner" which included some very unusual eating utensils and dinnerware. think pasta in a frisbee and juice in a vase.

jordon, alex, kyle, stephen, ryken, joe, & adam. what tough guys.

brittney, emma, ami, katie, alex, alli, ashley. what cuties.

zack & sarah's day included a picture scavenger hunt, gingerbread houses & pictures with santa. their glamourous dinner was served on silver-lidded platters and grandly presented to reveal . . . burger king for dinner!

i take no responsibility for zack's hair that night. i do take full responsibility for emma's :)

the girls looked so pretty

and so did austin

enoch's blessing day

2008-12-15T08:21:00.000-08:00

enoch was blessed by his dad on december 7. dan gave him a beautiful blessing and enoch has truly been a great blessing to us all, especially me. there is nothing in the world like a newborn baby. i love the softness of his skin, the dead weight of him on my shoulder when he falls asleep there, the smell of him, even his cry is sweet. i am so blessed to be a mother. when i think back to what i wanted as a little girl . . . all those hours spent playing "house," . . . i am truly living my dream. and i thank God for that great blessing.

livin' the soccer dream!

2008-12-14T15:56:00.000-08:00

caleb & isaac are truly living the soccer dream! soccer in this house is an all-year sport. fall outdoor soccer, winter indoor soccer, spring outdoor soccer & summer soccer clinics. and when they get home from practice or a game, what are they doing? playing basement soccer in their pjs. you get the picture. and if not, here are some for you to check out.

caleb fall '08 played for: teams real madrid & liverpool

check out that form

a sweet corner kick
frolicking down the field

isaac played for: team shock

"stay on your feet, isaac!"

what a cutie

and how cool to have your dad for a coach

dan & his undefeated U7 boys: TEAM SHOCK

he's here!

2008-11-10T21:20:00.001-08:00

And to answer the much asked question, his name is . . .

Enoch Benjamin Lounsbury
Born November 3, 2008 at 3:12 p.m.
9 lbs 14 oz *** 21 in

My beautiful baby

This is what I like to see about 11:30 p.m.

There's nothing in the world like a sleeping baby

This baby's arrival has been much anticipated by the whole family. On the morning I was being induced, Isaac said the morning prayer with Grandma, who was with the younger kids. She later told me he said, "Please bless our new baby, that he won't be scared when he's born." When she asked him why he thought the baby might be scared he said, "Well, when he comes out there will be all these strange people and sometimes it's scary to meet new people."

No one could be happier that he is here than me! Being pregnant . . . not my favorite thing. But I feel very blessed to have another healthy baby. Right now we're still in hibernation mode--feeding, sleeping, changing diapers, staring in awe at my beautiful baby and repeat. Despite the sleep deprivation, hormonal changes, etc. I try to remind myself to enjoy the moment. It only happens once.

homecoming

2008-10-11T18:29:00.001-07:00

For starters, who does this outfit remind you of??? (think back about 10 years or so) This is Zack all ready for the soccer float in the homecoming parade.

Austin, Nicole, Heather & Zack

the boys--Jake, Austin & Zack

the whole gang

dinner masterminded by Sheila Wetlauffer--she did a terrific job! All we had to do is clean the house! Now that's the way to entertain.

Emma's homecoming started at her friend Ashley's. Let the primping begin!

The three beauties--Ashley, Emma and Ami

all gussied up

With instructions to bring home LOTS of pictures, this is the only one Emma brought me with the whole group. (She's not a big fan of pictures.)

noah loves tractors

2008-10-06T09:42:00.000-07:00

Earlier this summer our family went to visit our neighbors, the Farrs. While there, Noah discovered their tractor. We could hardly get him off of it. I decided it would be a good place to go back and get some cute pictures.

I didn't anticipate how hard it would be to get him to sit still and LOOK at me for a few pictures! He was much too busy driving, fixing, and checking out every lever, etc. But here's what we got:

At this point, he was seriously annoyed with me. "I already DID look at you, Mom!"

But I know I'm not in too much trouble when he picks me flowers. I sure love this guy!

our last summer fling

2008-09-16T11:01:00.000-07:00

This was our family's last summer fling to Yachats, Oregon on the coast. Unfortunately, Zack & Emma were unable to join us as they were both at soccer retreats that weekend.

I wasn't feeling too well so I mostly rested & read and Dan took over kid duty, including several trips down to the beach where the boys searched for rocks & shells, got buried in the sand, and had to be rescued from a couple bigger-than-anticipated waves!

We hit the Newport Aquarium where the boys were especially fascinated by the SHARKS. cool.

Madeline's friend, Paige, came with us too so that poor Madeline wasn't completely outnumbered. (as she will be in a couple of years!!) Here they are modeling their cool new shades.

Noah liked them too.

Caleb & Isaac messing around while we wait for some yummy Mo's clam chowder. That coconut shrimp isn't too bad either!

The girls couldn't leave Newport without getting this picture at the yellow submarine.

caleb earns his wolf!

2008-09-16T10:28:00.000-07:00

A lovely sideways view of Caleb awaiting his award. (nice blogging mom)

flag ceremony . . .

receiving his award . . .

and pinning on Dad's . . .

Isaac & his buddy Luke had a good time at the pack meeting too. (smile Luke!)

8 lake basin

2008-09-08T12:31:00.001-07:00

Dan & his annual summer trek with his scouts--this year to 8 Lake Basin near Detroit. Here he's with Zack, Caleb Moore, Alden Papritz, Brooks Peacock, Austin Papritz (showing off his fine legs) and Nat Levy.

Dan loves his float tube. I'm never sure if he has more fun buying new camping/fishing gear each year or actually camping/fishing!

Austin, on the other hand--not too into gear. Note his high-tech hiking boots--perfect for snow don't you think?

Zack testing the waters. icy cold. Notice the snow on the far edge of the lake.

The scenery was gorgeous.

A moment of quiet

more scenery . . .

Mt. Jefferson with Marion Lake & results of forest fire in the background.

Probably the last father-son scout trip for these two. Our baby's growing up! Three Finger Jack in the background.

happy birthday mom!

2008-08-01T08:23:00.000-07:00

Today I wanted to wish my mom a HAPPY, HAPPY birthday. She is just finishing her 18-month mission to Sao Paulo Brazil & we can't wait to have her home! Her mission has been very rewarding but also had its moments of discouragement. There are no words to express how PROUD I am of her--more proud than I ever thought I could be. I respect her so much for her courage, faith, and especially her hard work. She is the most hard working person I have EVER known. She always pushes herself harder and goes the extra mile when a normal person (i.e. myself) would . . . well, take a nap! Thanks for your amazing example to us all!

I love you Mom. Parabens pelo seu aniversario!

the trip home from redmond

2008-07-23T21:52:00.000-07:00

yes. it deserves it's own post. thanks to dan's father's day gift--a garmin nouvie (sp?) gps system--we had quite an adventure. we faithfully followed the garmin's directions through the mt. hood national forest (it must be a shortcut right?) only to get STUCK IN THE SNOW. that's right. in the 3rd week of june. we had to climb through 18" of snow in shorts and flip flops and dig our way out with a couple tree branches and a frisbee! now there's a family adventure we won't soon forget. the moral of this story is: when in doubt, trust your instincts, not the garmin!

trip to redmond, part II

2008-07-23T21:39:00.001-07:00

the weather was so gorgeous! we enjoyed our time in the sun. madeline was determined to come home with a tan, but as you can see she ended up not only with a burn, but a "farmer's burn" at that!

trip to redmond, june 2008

2008-07-23T08:26:00.000-07:00

this was a fun family trip for emma's soccer tournament. this was our fishing day. some of us fished and some of us waited patiently for said fishers. while waiting, we had an interesting encounter with a very tame swan.

2008-07-11T18:51:00.000-07:00