Halloween, graduation, birthday and other fun stuff

What a handsome soldier, don't you think.  It is weird to see Mr. Happy looking so somber, but there you have it!



Seeing the sights at Ft. Benning.  Jim said that DJ automatically went to the "at ease" postion any time they were standing still.  Too funny!




playing in the leaves with apple juice for sustenance




Happy birthday number 12!!  He is now a deacon and is happy to have particpated in his last Primary program!! (which was the week before his birthday)




He actually asked for those books - we will have a reader after all!!




Mason was chowing down on the birthday cake like crazy, it was so funny, he's never done that before.




pumpkin carving time!!




A lizard and three power puff girls at trunk or treat!!





looking at the "fishies" is his favorite thing to do

 In other news, we finally got our basement back - YEAH!!!!  Preston was not sad to give up the couch, but we are keeping the fish tank upstairs because Mason has so much fun just staring at it.  We are so excited for DJ to come home on December 3rd, though that means he can't camp out on Black Friday at Best Buy.  sigh. . .   Karly will have to do it.  It actually snowed here the other day, though it didn't stick thank heaven.  How long before we can move to somewhere warm??????  Soon???   

Happy Shriners'!!

Yesterday Jim and I took baby Mason to Shriners' to begin his orthopedic care there.  It was a great visit.  Traffic and construction made me 45 minutes late so I was totally stressed by the time I got there.  I think Jim has recovered from me screaming at him on the phone that I didn't know where the #@% I was after construction had sent me on yet another detour.  Oh well, he understood.  So, the doctor said that Mason is improving so very much on his own that further interventions are questionable at best.  It was really fun running up and down the hall with a diaper-clad Mason to show off his abilities to the doctor.  We decided in the end with a device that will keep his left foot from flexing so that he is required to utilize the bend in his knee more.  That's it.  No surgery or casting!!  He will never have a compete range of motion in his knee, but the doc said that the structure of his knee probably makes that impossible, and that all the extreme interventions like surgery will have negligible results.  I don't have to put those awful orthotics on him ever again!!  Good-bye leg brace!!  Shriners' is such a cool place - so kid-friendly, and organized, I'm so glad I heard about them. 

Jim went and watched our big boy graduate from basic training.  It was really cool, and DJ is so happy to be done with it, though he actually really liked it.  (Who likes basic training????)  He's now at Ft. Leonard Wood until December, he can call and Skype now so we can talk to him every day.  He is definitely on the path to adulthood, he bought his very own laptop the other day! 
We have been following the story of the miners' in Chile and I watched highlights of the men as they emerged from the rescue pod.  How cool was that??  One guy quietly knelt down in prayer after he emerged, there with millions watching he gave thanks.  What an amazing example of gratitude!  You would have to have a heart of stone to not be a mess as these guys emerged to their families, with their kids and wives crying and hugging them.  Gosh, it was cool.  Preston finished his season of football, and Jim has proclaimed that we have another softie who can't hit hard in a tackle.  I can't help it if we raise sensitive sweetie boys!!  Jim still has hope that Preston will get in touch with his inner beast, time will tell!!  I guess there is always interpretive dance. . . . . . .             

Time surely flies!

There really is never a boring moment around here - well, during the day when it's really quiet maybe sometimes.  Nevertheless, we have had a few momentous happenings lately.  Last week I went downstairs to get a toy for Mason and stepped ankle deep into soggy carpet.  It was everywhere!  The rain that had poured non-stop for the previous week had overwhelmed our sump pump and unbeknownst to us, the motor had burned out.  As a result water was pouring into our basement through the pump for a few hours before we realized.  It's a good thing Mason wanted to play with the choo-choo that was downstairs!  We knew it was beyond our capabilitie to manage so Jim called a Flood Restoration company and they came to our rescue.  We also called a plumber.  The Flood guys came and were in our house until 4 am pumping out water and pulling up the carpet to try and dry it out with big fans.  The basement looked very interesting with all the big humps of carpet with huge industrial fans underneath them blowing them dry. The water hadn't been there long enough to ruin anything but the carpet and most of the baseboards, it hadn't started seeping into the drywall yet - yeah!  (I think).  Our insurance has a sump pump rider.  Heave a big sigh of relief here.  Jim ascertained this at approximately 2 am on the morning of the flood when he was checking over our policy to see if we were covered.  A silent prayer of gratitude went forth for the little rider that will cover this big old mess!!  The plumber came the next morning and installed a new sump pump.  I have learned more about sump pumps the last week then I ever thought I would, or would want to if we're being honest. 
     So, the silly little dance studio that was in one corner of the basement will have all the warped hardwood pulled up and the wall of mirrors removed and we will put carpet there with all the other new carpet being put down.  Now we will have two bedrooms down there - yeah!!  Poor Preston is sleeping on the couch upstairs, showering in Karly's bathroom, brushing his teeth in the kitchen and getting his clothes out of the garage, where all the contents of his bedroom currently reside.  Just two short weeks and we will be good as new.  The Flood guy even brought me a donut today, he has my heart forever. 
     In other news, Mason got accepted for treatment at Shriners' Hospital!!!  The treament there is free and they deal only with orthopedic issues and burns for children under the age of 18.  We are so happy and blessed.  We love Gillette Children's, but even with our deductible, the expenses were substantial.  He has his first appt next week.  I'm so glad a friend of mine told me about Shriners', I researched them and they give top-notch care, the best!!  The application process was simple, and we heard back within a few weeks.  Honestly, after applying to adopt a baby from China, no application or paperwork will ever intimidate me.  Really.  He continues to do so well, his progress is amazing.  Once his knee bends and he has that increased mobility, it will be fun to watch him progress. 
     Mason's transition to daycare has gone well, though he still cries when I drop him off.  I still feel very good about that decision, though the requisite guilt is still lingering.  He has learned to do so much more by himself, as Marilyn (the daycare provider) pointed out, I did everything for him.  I didn't really realize it, but I did.  He now is so much more independent, eats so much better, sleeps better, and is more obedient.  Who knew?  I slave away at the computer all day while he is there, and I try not to touch schoolwork after I pick him up.  I am getting more used to my days, though it was certainly a huge adjustment for me.  I still go to bed every night feeling like I've been hit by a truck. How can doing schoolwork make someone so tired???  I still get a little scared each morning that I won't be up to the challenge and the my professors will e-mail me that I am too stupid to be in the program, but so far that hasn't happened.  I drive up to the University about once a week, and enjoy the face-to-face time with other students and the professors.  I hope I make it through this program.  21 months to go!!!
     Jim left today to go to DJ's graduation from basic training.  My heart is aching at not being able to be there.  He also took my camera which is why this post has no pictures!  There was no way I could leave - with a two-year-old and lots of schoolwork it just wasn't possible.  Jim promised to take lots of pictures and to give him lots of hugs from me.  I miss that kid.  I'm glad that he is making grown-up decisions and is becoming an adult, but there sure is a empty spot in the house without him.  After graduation he is off to Ft. Leonard Wood and specialty training until December first.  I can't wait!  He will be home until school starts at Utah State in January.  There will finally be someone to eat all the food that I am used to cooking.  With Jim's diet and everyone's busy schedules, the meals that I cook never get eaten anymore!  I suppose I should be glad that I don't have to cook as much. 
     That is a sum-up of the latest at the Hansens'.  General Conference was great, as was the RS General Broadcast.  I am so grateful for a prophet to give us counsel - we are so blessed!      

Back in the saddle!

What a week we've all had here!  I just have got to give a shout-out to my honey, he has lost a total of 40 lbs in the last couple of months!  Amazing.  Once he made up his mind there was no turning back.  Some very ugly cholesterol numbers, plus my insistence that he live for a few more decades at least, must have helped make up his mind.  I've given him my best years, now he has to stick around for the slow descent into decrepitude.  I'll do the same for him!!  Here is a recent picture of him with the chili-cook-off hat he won at church.  That was a proud moment, he actually made up the recipe and cooked it from scratch.  I also figured out how to make pictures turn the correct way when I load them from the camera.  I amaze myself sometimes.  Is there a cuter 45-yr-old anywhere? 

     OK, speaking of age, I am the oldest by far of anyone in the OT program.  Way.  I'd say the average age is somewhere in the neighborhood of 25, maybe 27.  So, mostly 20 somethings, a few 30's, and . . . .you guessed it.  Me.  Do I admit I also have 5 kids?  Actually I already did, and got the requisite oohs and aahs, but everyone was nice.  I have never actually been the oldest person before.  I don't like it.  So, for you all to judge, does this look like someone that is the oldest person in her class - by far?   I know.  The answer is yes.  Though I do take comfort in the fact that I used to not be old.  Really.    There is also comfort in the thought that this first semester there is a lot of writing to do, we read lots of articles and other stuff, and then write in many different formats.  This is right up my alley, and I also have a lot of life experience to draw from when I have to analyze all this info.  I don't know what these young whippersnappers are writing about, but at least I have a small advantage that way!  I also need a whole bunch of immunizations to be in a health professions program, and my answer to that was when I was a kid we all lined up in the cafeteria from time to time and got shots from a cool little shot gun. . . . with the same needle.  Since that didn't seem to hold water for the admissions people, I had to go to the doctor and be a human pincushion.  Ouch!!  I still have two more visits to be current on my shots.  Who knew?

     My little caboose is still rather ticked off at the whole daycare situation.  It turns out he's used to getting his way all the time, and getting waited on hand and foot.  This doesn't work so well at daycare.  In my defense, here is a picture.  You tell me if you could resist spoiling this little bug rotten.  Right.  Didn't think so.  This is his smile face - we can't get him to do anything else.  He has pretty much resigned himself to being one of the daycare crew, and Marilyn says he is just fine after I leave, though he is still miffed on a daily basis when Marilyn tells him no or to do something himself.  Life is tough little guy, real tough. 

     Our big National Guard boy was attacked by wasps the other day and was sent to the hospital.  It turns out he's allergic!!  A shot of Benadryl and a nap and he was out shooting some gun or other after just a couple of hours.  I think he's getting a lot of mileage out of the story, everyone we talk to seems to have already heard about it.  He got phone privileges on Sunday for a couple of hours, so he was able to really get the word out!  He will be home for Thanksgiving!!!!  Yeah!!!  It was going to be a small group, but just feeding DJ will make it seem more like Thanksgiving. 
     I've got my first full day of classes on-campus tomorrow - eek!  We go up a few times each month for a long day of classes, and the rest is online.  The class time will be fun, it is kind of lonely sitting in front of the computer for 8 hours a day.  So, I am off to gather my stuff, and then hit the rack!!           

School Days!!

Yesterday was the first day of school. . . . . and daycare.  We all had a good first day, Karly said the summer already seems like a distant memory - a long weekend.  Oh for teenage angst . . . . or not.  Preston was just his cool calm self - "school was good mom, I can open my locker like crazy".  I dropped my baby off, he was so unsuspecting and innocent!  I then came home and logged on and began my odyssey.  According to all the syllabuses (6(!) graduate level courses) I will need to devote 90 hours a week to schoolwork.  Ha.  I hate how they give you an average amount of hours to study for each class, when you add up the "minimum amount of time you need to devote to this class" the numbers are obviously wildly exaggerated.  I have created a little corner with all my books and papers and my trusty wonderful laptop, where I will spend all the hours (minus lunch and a few little breaks) that baby is at daycare.  Today when I dropped off little man he knew what was going to happen.  He was going to the house where he had to be obedient and not hit and eat when his food is in front of him, and other unimaginable horrors.  He screamed.  I cried.  Marilyn (the mean lady) picked him up and shooed me out.  She is a dear sister in our ward who has 20 years of daycare under her belt, she spends the whole day with 5 kids, doing preschool and other activities.  I will repeat to myself over and over, "this will be ok, this will be ok."  Marilyn said one week and he'll be an old pro.  When I picked him up yesterday, the wise and seasoned 5-yr-old of the group came up to me and very seriously expressed his reservations at Mason's behavior.  Off-the-charts cuteness factor.  I told him I was grateful to have such a good helper and example - he sighed, knowing the job ahead would be a challenge.  It's all good.   Well, better crack the books!

Wicked!!

This Friday we attended the musical "Wicked" in Minneapolis!!  Jim bought the tickets back in May as a surprise for Karly's birthday.  What a fun night!  We left Mason with a friend of DJ's for the evening (bad idea, more later), and went up with Karly and Preston for a dinner and then the show.  At first Preston was convinced that he was giving up valuable "friend time" to go to a boring play but he ended up loving it.  I have the soundtrack and they have heard it a million times so they knew the music.   Before the play we went out to eat at Applebee's, for us that's the epitome of fine dining!  It actually was the first restaurant that we saw on the long walk between the parking garage of Jim's work and the theater, we were all starving and it looked wonderful.  This winter Shrek and Billy Elliott are both coming to Minneapolis, we are hoping to save our pennies and take the kids to them.  Kasey and I saw Billy Elliott on her school trip to London and it was so good.  Of course since I was in London I probably would have loved staring at a wall, it would have been a London wall of course. 
     Endnote:  18-yr-old babysitter decides to have a little party while he's at our house with baby.  I hear about this at church on Sunday:  So. . . . there was a party at your house, my kid was invited along with many others. . . etc.  It was peaceful, but a mixed crowd,  and so not cool.  But all is now well after a visit with the guilty party.  He won't be babysitting for us again. 

Golden Gopher

I am now officially a Minnesota Golden Gopher.  Jim and I drove up to the campus today and I got my ID card and walked to where my classes will be held.  23 years ago we did the same thing at ISU.  We were newlyweds and I was starting up at this big new intimidating school.  He helped me register, showed me where all my classes were and then took me to the ISU bookstore to buy my books; one of my novels for American lit was entitled (get this!) "Mountaineering in the Sierra Nevada".  Jim was convinced that it was a mistake, though it was clearly labeled as a book for that class.  I prevailed and we bought it, and we laughed all semester as I read excerpts of it to him.  We seem to have come full circle.  I love the feel of a college campus - all the students wallking around, and just the atmosphere of a new semester, the anticipation.  The student loans are officially borrowed, so I am in it to win it!  To seal the deal we ate in the student union building.  I about fell over when I saw a Chik-Fil-A there.  I haven't seen any in Minnesota, we have long mourned our Virginia favorite.  I won't tell the kids about it, they will just die until we go there.  Maybe I'll take them to the campus museum and surprise them with Chik for lunch!!