Happy Birthday, Jaxon!

I can't believe it has been 8 years since Jaxon was born! It seems like yesterday that he was this tiny little baby. Now, he is this big, active, reading, adding/subtracting/multiplying/dividing, sometimes sassy, always sweet boy! He was so excited for his 8th birthday. We had the family over on his actual birthday (March 1) to surprise him! (Does that sound familiar to my previous post? John is in to surprises lately)! Jaxon had no idea anyone was coming over or that we were celebrating his birthday that day in any way. His favorite food is pizza so I picked up some Papa Murphy's pizza on Saturday along with his Spiderman III cake. John took Jaxon out for a walk around the neighborhood while I quickly decorated the house and started cooking the pizza. We had my parents, John's mom, and my sister-in-law, Kayla, park up the street. When Jaxon came home he was very surprised and happy everyone came over to celebrate his birthday. The following Thursday we took the boys to ITZ. The boys had a blast and I was thankful for a decent salad bar!

For his birthday, Jaxon got a bigger bike, a new set of scriptures, and some money for his birthday. Papa even surprised him again by hiding more cash in the pages of the scriptures! He loved his pizza and cake. However, beware of blue frosting!! That stuff is potent! Just a little bit and EVERYTHING turns blue! All of our mouths were bright blue. The next day Ethan demonstrated evidence that his insides were also blue...you get the picture...

I love my kids birthdays! I am always a little sad they are a year older but I also love how excited and happy they are about a day devoted only to them! Each age brings new milestones and all new adventures! I am looking forward to see what age 8 brings! First and foremost, Jaxon gets baptized this month. March 28! He is really looking forward to it!

Jaxon's first week home. He was so tiny!!


I think he kind of looks like Megan here! He loved to be outside...still does!


Jaxon at the Air Force football game eating kettle corn when he was 4. He still LOVES to go to the games with papa. He still loves the kettle corn there. I think he eats the whole bag!


It just doesn't seem right. It seems like yesterday Jaxon was riding his mini bicycle now....


he has graduated to this, AND...


this!!! The older they get the bigger, faster, and more dangerous the toys. Oh, well...such is life with little boys!


The infamous blue frosting!


Always a ham! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JAXON! We love you!

Playing Catch Up

I have been a blog procrastinator lately. I haven't found the time to sit down and post anything or ready any other blogs lately! Bummer!! Here's a snippet of the last month's occurrences in the Havenar household. Nothing too interesting but things that made me laugh anyway...


Ethan has been napping again lately. I guess he is really tuckered out lately. Maybe it's the really nice weather and he has been wearing himself out! Well, this is how I found him. He must have been really tuckered out from scaling the kitchen counter, lifting the giant bag of M&Ms, pouring them without spilling into his cup, and climbing down again. Whew! That's hard work!


John is really old! He turned 35 on February 12. John kind of planned his own surprise. A few days before his birthday he said, "I think it would be really fun for the boys to decorate the house, turn off the lights, and jump out to surprise me when I came home from work..." We always decorate the house for birthdays but I thought it was funny that he was all excited about a "surprise"! Of course, we did it. The boys did love it...all 4 of them! ha ha!





Ummmm, how many kids do we have? How many times have we (me and John) dressed a child? I asked John to put on Megan's pajamas...poor girl!


I was unloading groceries from the car and Ethan was playing with sidewalk chalk on the driveway. He runs in the house saying something about bugs buzzing his ears. He HATES bugs! I told him that bugs live outside and if he left them alone the bugs would not bother him. Well, he took matters into his own hands and brought out the fly swatter! That'll teach those bugs!!


Jaxon is such a good helper around dinner time. Megan was extremely tired and fussy. I was right in the middle of making dinner and so Jaxon offered to hold Megan. He was able to calm her down and he loved the fact that she fell asleep on him. He has actually offered to hold her every night while I make dinner in hopes that she will fall asleep on him again. Can you blame him? I love holding sweet, cuddly, sleeping babies!


YUCK!!! Megan started cereal last week. All the boys ate it without a problem. Not Megan! I put the first spoonful in (of course I had the camera ready) and I got pouty face, then this sweet screaming face! She HATED it!!! So funny!!

Paint Removal

Does anyone know how to get wall paint off of a refrigerator and table without totally ruining the appliance/table?

I had paint samples I was experimenting with. I put the little foam brush in a plastic bag so it wouldn't dry out (I'm too lazy to wash it and just use it later). Anyway, Ethan had a good time painting today!! The back of the couch (I got that out), the stamped concrete in the backyard, the sliding glass door, his toy car, his sweatshirt (a total loss), his cute little foot, and a nice Ethan height line ALL around the walls on our main level! GOOD TIMES!! I figured I could just paint over the walls but the fridge and the kitchen table...not so happy about! Help!!!

No more "Potato"

Potato. That's the word John's parents gave to "cancer" when John's dad had cancer. The word was scary and they hated talking about it so, they called it potato.

Well, my dad's labs all came back today...NO POTATO!!! His lymph nodes were negative. There are no signs of cancer. They said he was 97% cured (whatever that means). Of course, he will have his regular follow-ups but once he recovers from his recent surgery he will be good as new!

He sounded so relieved on the phone. I can only imagine how he and my mom feel. I also feel a tremendous amount of relief. Here's to many, many, many more years and years and years with my dad!!

Kenmore or GE?

We have not had the best of luck with major appliances. Last year our brand new Kenmore washer broke after only 4 years and now our brand new GE refrigerator broke after only 3 1/2 years! After these two experiences I think I have decided which appliance brand will be in my home from now on...you decide...

The Kenmore washer (1 year ago)...we had the Sears repair man come out for $65. He informed us that the transmission was dead and it would cost us nearly $400 to fix and we were basically out of luck, especially since we did not purchase the over priced extended warranty. (cough, cough). Well, since you can by a decent NEW washer for around $400 we paid our $65 and sent the repair man on his way. Well my cheap, Dave Ramsey loving, pay cash for EVERYTHING husband found a washer at a laundry mat who was replacing all of their washers. Yes, I have a commercial grade Maytag washer now. It only cost $35 and yes, I have to put $1.75 in it EVERY time I do a load of laundry!!!!! The thing is so loud our dog thinks it's the garage door opening and gets so excited that John might be home! He just stands at at the back door and waits. This is the washer I currently have until the dryer finally dies and I can get my much coveted front loaders!

The GE refrigerator (Today)... Sunday we noticed the refrigerator was making this annoying clicking sound. The water and ice maker also began to work only intermittently, almost like there was a short in something. John looked in the owners manual but it only said it might be a fuse but the fuse looked fine and was sodered to the mother board. So, we called GE and they sent their repair man out for $75. It turns out that the whole mother board on the back of the refrigerator needed to be replaced for $260 (parts and labor). We did not purchase the over priced extended warranty. The repair man enters in the refrigerator information into his computer and tells John that GE wants the broken mother board sent back to them. When the company requests this there is something off (maybe like the fact the mother board only lasted 3 1/2 years) and the customer pays NOTHING!! So, we have our fixed refrigerator, no extended warranty, no used pay-as-you-go appliance, and we are not out any cash!!!

I am very excited that I can now put all my food back into my fixed refrigerator (we have another fridge in the garage, thank goodness). I think it's pretty clear what appliances I will be purchasing in the future (NOT a Kenmore)!! I am kind of loving GE right now.

Papa

I thought I would post a brief update instead of making a bunch of phone calls! My dad had surgery last week (Thursday the 22nd).Everything went really well. The doctor said it did not look like the cancer had spread beyond the bladder as the surrounding area looked like healthy tissue. Of course everything will be sent to the lab and we will know about the lymph nodes in a week or so.

He is doing well, just tired and very sore! I think it is amazing what doctors can do these days! They made a "new" bladder out of part of his intestine and routed things out the regular way. (I know...probably more information than you all wanted to know but I think it's so cool what they can do now)! He is still in the hospital and is anxiously awaiting the day he can EAT!!! and go home!!! So, thank you all for your thoughts and prayers! He still needs them so keep it up!

Christmas is over?

I don't know where it went but I can't believe Christmas is already over! I took all my Christmas decorations down today and it felt like I had just put them up! I guess that's what happens when you get old...time goes faster and faster and faster...

We had a great Christmas! My parents came over and spent the night so they could spend Christmas Eve and experience Christmas morning with the boys. On Christmas Eve we drove around looking at Christmas lights. Speaking of, did anyone go see the house in Pine Creek that gave the Griswald's a run for their money? It was impressive!! I should have taken pictures but did not. Maybe next year! Santa brought a Wii, Bakugon (don't ask), and a plethora of Star Wars Lego's! Needless to say the boys got more than they needed and most of what they wanted. Spoiled turkeys!!

I am currently trying to get used to John's new schedule. He has NEVER worked days our entire married life and I am thinking that I'm not so fond of it yet! I am getting used to the new schedule, 4 kids, and some days (most days) those cute little munchkins drive me crazy!! John is supposed to be home in the evening but that is even a maybe...like right now...he probably won't be home until late. I did get to go shopping the day after Christmas (just Megan and me)until the afternoon when he got paged out. I had to cut my retail therapy short. That's okay though, I got a full session in the next day! he he he!! Just when I think I have it under control and my sanity is in check one of my offspring does something like this:

I told Ethan to go wash his hands for dinner. He went in to the bathroom and I hear water. I am thinking, "What a good boy! He is washing his hands the first time I asked him!" I decided to check on him and praise his obedience. Well, I found sweet Ethan washing his hands. He was scrubbing as hard as he could and had quite the lather build up to his elbows! The only problem was...he was washing his hands in the toilet!!!!!! So much for sanity and organization today!!

Here are some pictures from Christmas! Enjoy!


Megan going to church the Sunday before Christmas. I just love these little girl dresses!!


Every year we make gingerbread men. I think the boys eat more than they make but that's what's fun right?


Dallen is Mr. Meticulous!


Ethan could not have enough sprinkles.


Original Works of Art!


Ethan is the official taste tester for gram's pie crust...


Did I mention he was half naked?