Feelin' Lucky in Kentucky

Finally!! word from the west....

2011-11-09T23:23:00.000-08:00

Our Favorite Missionary.....

2011-11-09T21:10:00.000-08:00

postcard created by Andi Baughan

ELDER BAUGHAN

.....biggest news of the moment. Our son, Zach (19) just left for a two-year mission for our church. He reported to the MTC (missionary training center) in Provo, UT on November 2nd, where he will be studying the french language for 2 months before he leaves for Paris, France. We miss him terribly....obviously this is bittersweet for our family. For twenty four months we will need to communicate through letters and weekly emails instead of phone calls and text messages; he has put dating and his education on hold; he has set aside his athletic pursuits. And to be perfectly honest....there isn't any other place I would rather him be, and nothing else I would rather him be doing....xoxo

Zach would love to hear from you!

Elder Zachary Baughan

Box 313 12-21-11

France, Paris Mission

Provo Missionary Training Center

2005 North 900 East

Provo, UT 84604

zachary.baughan@myldsmail.net


Elder Zach Baughan with cousin Elder Keaton Baughan...ready to walk into the MTC

Being in the temple with Zach and our family made for an amazing day.....One of the best days I've ever had as a mother.

r
Steve and Andi Baughan, Rob and I with Zach....Columbia, SC Temple

Kelly and Ali...my temple sistas


the Whitten family...miller, weston, zach, mitchell, rob, jack, jett, meme, pops, ali, emy and maddie xoxo

Saying goodbye at the airport was so difficult..so bittersweet. I just kept thinking about how wonderful it was going to be in two years when he comes home.....

zach, jett, miller and weston

A Merry Christmas, Indeed....

2010-01-09T19:01:00.000-08:00

For Christmas, this year...I got my favorite wish....

can you guess what it was?

Was it seeing the fun the boys had picking out and opening their brothers' gifts on Christmas Eve?

No....

Was it opening my fake first season of Glee dvd and thinking it was real?

close....

but, no...

Was it the delicious low country boil Rob made in keeping with our Christmas Eve tradition of only eating foods with our hands like Jesus did at the Last Supper?

ummmm...sorry, honey, but
no.

This was my favorite gift this year.......

having all of my boys home...

Together.

love these boys...so much.

A few highlights...2009

2009-12-27T17:45:00.000-08:00

I've been so busy these past several months...so now you get to suffer through a marathon of pictures and comments that will go on forever...sorry. Here are some of my favorite pictures and moments of 2009...

Miller wins the Pinewood Derby for the Pioneer Ward

There were so many awesome, colorful cars...

Some of my favorite people of all time...

Brigham Cook (The Master of Scoutmasters!), Drew Millar (Lawyer..every Pinewood Derby needs one!), Grant Peterson (old Bishop), Todd Hjorth (new Bishop).

In July, Weston Keith Whitten turned 12 and received the Aaronic Priesthood. Such handsome boys...I love them.

Jett (13), Miller (10) and Weston Keith (12)

In August, my friend, Patty, put on another BEAUTIFUL wedding..this time for her daughter, Danielle. The wedding and reception were held in the Charleston, WV State Capitol Building and she turned a hallway into this magnificent gathering place.

This was the table she cleverly set up for the children in the family and wedding party. Their own little place to eat and keep busy.

In September, Miller and I headed to Charlotte for our first trip to watch Zach play football. It was warm and it was fun to have some one-on-one time with the Baby.

I really look like a bug...

Some shots of the North Mecklenburg Vikings...ZeeBee is #33

After the game, Miller, Zach and I drove to Virginia and spent time with Aunt Kelly at the Samples' Family Farm. This was my favorite place to visit this year...so peaceful and rustic...always so much love and good food.

The Farmhouse...love the laundry drying in the sunshine.

A view of the land....

Wouldn't be a real farm without a tire swing....

....or some 4-wheelin'....

(Oliver-17 and Jett-13)

Daisy (8), Journey (5), and Zach hitchin' a ride on the farm limo...

Wilbur the pig eatin' s0me home-grown, rotten peaches...

Wilbur has since passed on...they ate him for Christmas :'(

(Jett, Zach, Ryanne, Oliver, Weston and Journey)
Journey is quite the sassy one!

Daisy and Ryanne

The wind grew cold and the leaves fell, ushering in Halloween. For our church Trunk or Treat, Rob was MIA (studying) so Weston stepped up and decorated our "trunk" for the party...all on his own. I was very impressed.

A few of my favorite Nursery kids...

Bentley and Paisley

J0ann....

Zach and his mom, Katrina.

My friend, Suzie, bringing the 80's back...Hot.

The Schultz Family...Mary Poppins and the Chimney Sweep!

Great costumes!

Weston, Jett and Miller...So glad they'll still dress up.

Can't wait for next year!

Touchdown ZeeBee!

2009-10-22T17:47:00.000-07:00

Took a road trip last week to see Zach play football.

He made the only touchdown that night for the North Meck Vikings.

It was magnificent...

FrEaKiSh Rash....

2009-10-21T13:54:00.000-07:00

A few months ago, Weston put on some new pants we purchased from the Gap Clearance Center (before I washed them) and headed to church. During Sacrament meeting I noticed he kept scratching his arms, his stomach, his sides......to be honest, it was annoying. Of course I asked him to stop scratching...to sit still....and he did try. I just figured he was extra fidgety that morning.

When we got home, I noticed he was STILL scratching so I told him to take off his shirt and we took a look.

YOWZA...

He was COVERED in huge hives all over his torso and arms. We made him strip down further and the gigantuous HIVES were on his thighs, too. I felt so bad....

After eliminating any unsual foods or new soaps, we decided the cause for this freakish rash HAD to be those new, unwashed pants from the Gap Center. We bought Benadryl and cortosone cream and checked his tongue every 30 minutes for swelling. The rash kind of came and went throughout the night until about 4:00 am when Weston came down to our room and collapsed at our door. Weston was delirious but could tell us he didn't feel right so we got him dressed and took him to UK hospital. By the time we got there, his rash had almost completely disappeared (of course). They took his temp, checked him out and decided to admit him for observation.

They gave him some more benadryl and we sat.

About 30 minutes later, Weston's lips and face started swelling up and the freakish rash came back, worse than ever. They decided to give him an Epi shot and within another 30 minutes he was good as new. I have never seen anything like it..... Here is Weston right after the Epi shot....freakish rash just starting to settle down.

Sorry Weston....these photos could be valuable to me as you get older....

The Lunch Buffet...

2009-08-11T15:38:00.000-07:00

We were going through Miller's backpack this morning getting it ready for school tomorrow and I found this. I promise this is a word-for-word letter Miller wrote to his elementary school principal...probably a language arts writing assignment. Now I ask you...who's kid is this?!

Dear Mrs. Henderson,

Starving, stressed out. That's me after lunch when I don't get enough to eat. If we had a buffet, no one would have to go through that.

If we had a buffet we'd be happy because we wouldn't be starving. I know this because when my dad is hungry he is not all that happy. You try starving every day and see how miserable you'll be. What if you were given a small lunch and you couldn't get full and you got a bad grade after lunch because you couldn't concentrate?

If we had a buffet it would be fair because sometimes people that have a late lunch, sometimes you run out of the main thing. This happened to me when we had chicken nuggets one day. When I got there, salad was the only thing left. Now a buffet may cost a lot but people pay for lunch and the people on free lunch pay for extra so why not a buffet?

100% of the kids in Mrs. Mitchell/Mr. Spivey's class want a buffet for lunch. We would be able to pick what we ate and not be forced to eat what we don't want to. This will help so we can concentrate in class.

If we had a buffet it would help our social skills because we would not be angry because we would not be hungry. If we had a buffet then the teachers would have an easier time teaching because kids will be full and engergized. When people are hungry they intend to slack off and get bad grades in school. People are starving before lunch and then they're stressing because they didn't get enough to eat.

I can see it now....kids coming to lunch hungry and leaving full because you gave us a buffet.

Sincerely,

Miller Whitten

Get You Some Deals....

2009-08-04T12:31:00.000-07:00

I love getting a good deal.
It thrills me.
My friend, Robin, won a new mattress yesterday on this site while she was checking out some freebies...had to share.

www.sassysupersaver.com....check it out.

4th on the Farm....

2009-07-15T18:06:00.000-07:00

We went down South for the 4th of July holiday....drove down to southern Virginia to see Rob's parents and spend time on his cousin Kelly (and her husband, Gary)'s farm. It was wonderful.....the boys were without video games....they baled hay and rode horses...we enjoyed Kelly's amazing food and hospitality....we watched a baseball game....a hillbilly beauty pageant....and the best display of fireworks. We loved it all.....good food, good people, good times!

Oliver, Jolly (Oliver's buddy), Miller and Weston storing the hay in the barn.

Uncle Gary, Weston and Miller taking a break...

Gary drinkin' some of that Mormon Moonshine...(water)

A visit with Meme and Pops wouldn't be complete without a few games of Mahjong...

The Pulaski Mariners were playing....lovely Ginny Ryanne got the fox(?) to pose with us...

Contestants for the Miss Hillbilly Pageant.....I think the lady with the black cowboy hat won...she had the best pig call and could spit her watermelon seed the farthest....

Meme and Miller enjoying the fireworks....

Jett, Rob, Weston and Miller visit with Meems..she's beautiful and sweet at 92!

My Birthday Card...

2009-07-06T18:40:00.000-07:00

Miller always knows just the right things to say.....Having him..makes having all boys OK with me...

"Happy Birthday to a mom that helps me everyday. Who loves me and protects me. Each day of my life. Love you always, Miller (The baybay)"

The Summer Buzzzzz

2009-06-16T19:22:00.001-07:00

Time for summer haircuts....
Of course the boys wanted to look just like "big Z" so I let him do the honors. We ended up with some fuzzy heads....Jett's mohawk lasted about 20 minutes before I killed the joy and made him shave it off.

Weston...first victim.

Real funny, Zach

Our Garden....

2009-06-06T09:03:00.000-07:00

Rob found the one spot in our little yard that gets sun most of the day and planted our 2009 garden....I hope this isn't a year of drought and famine or we're in serious trouble.

Love being a Cheap Date....

2009-06-03T17:13:00.000-07:00

Always looking to enjoy something new within our d-school budget, I came across an ad in the Friday paper for some cheapo tickets to see the Professional Bull Riders in Lexington. $11 bucks, a diet coke and a bag of p-nuts made for a fun night out. I honestly thought I'd get to see Jewel's husband, Ty from DWTS ride a bull but Rob informed me this group was the "minor league" of bull riders....only disappointment of the night. On the way home Rob said, "Love it when you're a cheap date...thanks!" You're so welcome.

The BULLNANZA arena...

The "rescue" cowboy... a favorite with the ladies in the audience. Just saying...

Wish I had Rob's blue eyes...

Oooh Nothing....Just Crashed a Wedding...

2009-05-03T15:19:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago the Whitten women got together to celebrate my mother-in-law's 60th birthday. I have to credit Ali (Kevin's wife) who got the whole thing rolling, and to express how much we missed having Kristen (Adam's wife) with us. It wasn't the same without her and she absolutely HAS to work it out to come with the next time.

Rob's sister, Leslie, arranged for us to stay in their Aunt Susan's beach house in Morehead City, on Atlantic Beach. It was a beautiful place two blocks from the water and Susan couldn't have been more generous to share it all with us. The house was meticulous when we arrived...not a thing out of place and with no children around, it stayed that way all day. After taking a nice walk on the beach with Leslie, we got ready for dinner and decided on a fish restaurant called "Sanitary". It is hard to describe how funny this place was....(the name, to start with..) It was a Friday night, hardly anyone else was there...the lights were so bright and there was absolutely no music or other noises in the background so we really stood out. This didn't stop us as we all laughed and talked so much that night that Leslie lost her voice. Anyway, we got our first fill of fried seafood and came back to the house. We were putting our leftovers in the fridge and setting down our purses when Ali turned from the kitchen sink and asked me to call 911.

Me - "911?!" "Why do you want me to dial 911?!" (We were not taking each other seriously at all at this point).

Ali - "Because someone has been in the house...someone was in here while we were gone. When we left there was nothing in this sink (she had washed her hands there right before we left) and now there is a bag of garbage sitting here. Dial 911 and let's see if there was a break in."

Ali and Leslie grabbed knives (!) and as we walked through the house, we found one of the bedroom doors to the front porch that we had not touched, unlocked. That was it...we locked ourselves in one of the bedrooms and I called 911. Barney Fife answered the local 911 call...I gave them what I thought was the correct address and we waited.....

20 minutes later, no police, no phone call, etc...so I called 911 again. Barney answered, "Yeah, we went to 110 Longpoint but you weren't there." "I know", I said. "I was nervous and was off with the address by two numbers. Could you please come to 108 Longpoint? Someone was in our house while we were gone and we are afraid they are still here!" "Okay, we'll come on out." (K, when you got to 110 and we weren't there, why not check other houses on the street JUST IN CASE we were there with a rapist or robber in our house?!) Three Atlantic City Beach police officers finally came, non-chalantly checked out the rest of the house and left. No finger printing...they didn't even look at the door we thought was used for the break-in. It was insulting. We ended up sleeping together that night...with the door locked!

The next day we slept in and headed to the beach for some sun. It was still a little chilly, but it felt good to be there. That night we opted to try a new restaurant Aunt Susan recommended called Amos Mosquitos and it was FANTASTIC. (We actually went back the next night to eat before we left for home) After dinner, Pam suggested we drive to a little nearby town called Beaufort and stroll along the harbor. We did and before we got back in the car, we heard a band playing some great music down the street. We drove to check it out and thought maybe we could dance outside the tent and no one would care or notice. The band started playing "Carolina Girls" and Pam and Leslie decided they were going in....

Ali and I wanted to do it but chickened out at first.... Go to a wedding you weren't invited to?! What if you got caught? What if people stared at you or worse, tried to talk to you and figured out you weren't invited?! I don't know why, (like it would make us look LESS suspicious) but we slid down in our seats and peeked above the dashboard to watch what they were doing. We watched them stroll up to the tent ("Carolina Girls....the best in the world......"), SIGN THE GUEST BOOK, GRAB A PLATE OF FOOD, and then walk through the guests to the dance floor where they started rockin' out. We were dying! Then we see the videographer... Yep, you guessed it...Pam and Leslie FRONT AND CENTER ON THE COUPLE'S WEDDING VIDEO. Then, Leslie started walking over towards the car with a plate of fresh oysters. (OK, dying again... Are you kidding me?....tent on the water, 10-piece band and fresh oysters?) Leslie grabbed her little Zipp video camera and headed back to the tent. The band then started playing the old 60's song, "Sherry Baby" and I could NOT stop myself. I was going in....and I begged Ali to come with me. I have to add here that Ali may currently be living in Colorado, but she is a true-blue, raised in NC, total southern girl . Being seen wearing jeans to a wedding went against everything she knew to be true...It was a difficult dilemma for her.

The videos you are about to see pretty much sum up what happened next. My mother-in-law is the one dancing in the beginning of the video, my sister-in-law Leslie (Rob's sister) is the one wearing the hat and Ali (Rob's brother's wife) is the pretty, short-haired blonde. There is so much more that went on that evening (including ALL of us getting footage on Margaret and Larry's wedding video and getting caught and reprimanded by security) but this gives you the picture. My apologies to the bride and groom if anything we did took away from your special day. We were just four mormon ladies who had escaped our protected, tame, everyday lives and just wanted to dance to some great music. It was such a fun, enjoyable weekend....Thanks to Lew, Pam and Ali for so much laughter and love!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VUUo1sOo3U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJWTiBcGn-Y

Aunt Susan's beach house

Three Sistas....Ali, me and Lew

The Wedding Crashers.....Ali, me, Pam and Lew

Eating fried pickles at Amos Mosquitos

All of us at Amos Mosquitos

"You Need to Get Him Some Glasses...."

2009-05-01T17:54:00.000-07:00

Last week I took Weston in to get a school/scout camp physical. I'll be honest....unless my kids are sick or the school requires immunizations, I don't take them to the doctor. I have failed to bring them in each year for their "Well-Visits". Why give up the copay and take them out of school? Or spend a perfectly good summer day with your healthy child sitting in a waiting room of sick ones. Anyway, so it's now been 6.5 years since Weston has had his eyes, ears and blood pressure checked and the school sort of threatened to suspend him if I didn't get him a physical.

We made a nice day of it...I picked him up just before lunch, we enjoyed a sandwich at Subway and then headed over to the UK Clinic...for his appointment. Now, the clinic attracts lots of interesting folks and as I was sitting there watching Weston get weighed, I was sure the nurse thought I was one of the good moms. Just two weeks earlier I had been there with Jett (for the very same reason) and he had passed the vision and hearing tests with flying colors. But as Weston began to read those little letters posted on the wall, it became very clear he could hardly see them. He only started to get them right once she had him read the line with just three big letters on it. At first I thought he misunderstood which line she had asked him to read....or that he had gotten nervous... but when he finished reading the "three-letter line" she looked at me from across the room and very slowly and articulately mouthed the words, "You - Need - To - Get - Him - Some - Glasses ! "

Seriously, who doesn't notice their 11.5 year old CAN'T SEE?! When did this happen? Why hadn't he said anything to us? Had his teachers noticed? Did he always have headaches? I felt so bad! According to their "test" at the clinic, Weston's vision was 20/50. I didn't waste any time...THE VERY next day I took him to get some glasses and we waited in the store until the lenses were ready to go in his new frames. Because of our insurance, we were only allowed to pick from a certain section of the store for his frames. Believe me when I tell you, this was not the section with the neat looking, cool type of frames. However, we did find some that Weston liked and looked very good on him and it was bittersweet to watch him "rediscover "things with his new glasses. Honestly, I still feel bad when I think about how long he went with his vision so bad. Oh, and just a side note, when the Optometrist checked Weston's vision, he was 20/30 and 20/40, not 20/50 as the clinic said. The nurse lady had him standing too far away from the letters....

Here is sweet Weston with his new "eyes"!

Trip to Cali...

2009-04-28T18:11:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I had the chance to spend a long weekend with my parents. It was a quick trip but it filled me up in so many ways. Great, warm weather, delicious food and time with old friends and some much needed r & r with my family. A HUGE thank you shout out to Rob for holding down the fort and keeping the boys safe and happy while I was gone. (I missed you like crazy!)

One of the hightlights of my trip was getting to spend a little time with a longtime friend, Michelle Boyanner. We have been friends since our freshman year of high school. She is an AMAZING, generous, giving and talented woman. I also got to see a dear friend, Karrie Denton, and catch up with her after 15 years..

Michelle...

This is my dad...my mom and I quit playing our round of golf at hole 12 but my dad had the round of his life. His Tiger Woods "sinkin' the putt" impression....

We followed the warm weather to Palm Desert for a couple of days. One of my favorite places to eat ever is Tommy Bahamas where I ate the most incredible fish tacos with coconut sauce and fried plantains....ohhh my goodness....YUM! This trip, my folks introduced me to their new favorite place to eat, Jackelope Ranch. The grounds, landscaping and this big ol' pig made eating there something you just did while you enjoyed the incredible surroundings..

This is me and my sis...she is the best Aunt...and has the custest little puppy....

..named POOKA! Spoiled rotten...so cute I can't blame them.

All of us at Jackelope Ranch..

Mom and Dad

Thanks for a wonderful trip...I love you!

...Took a little trip..

2009-03-25T16:56:00.000-07:00

We'd really been wanting to see Zach play lacrosse so we took advantage of a few days Rob had off from school and drove to Charlotte to watch him in action. Let me tell you, that game is AGGRESSIVE. I had no idea. It was freezing cold when we got there (not at all normal for Charlotte this time of year...of course) so we bundled up and watched North Meck beat the harm out of the other team with Zach making two of the goals. I took pictures but even with the "zoom" on my camera, the shots were too far away to see anything. (I'm just saying....hint...)
Anyway, it was a fun night and we got to meet Zach's new girlfriend, Rita. Then we were off to Adam and Kristen's for the night. We had a great time with them all...the boys got to spend time playing video games with Carter and we got to watch our niece, Berkeley, take her iceskating class. She was the best one ...by far! Again, pictures were taken, but there is a three-second delay once I push the button before the picture is taken so this is all I was able to get. (Just saying..) Thank you, Kristen and Adam for your hospitality. We love you! And I just have to say that I have the most beautiful nieces and nephews in the entire world...

Our beautiful niece, Berkeley at iceskating class.

(note the figure in the left lower corner...He had a really rough time out there but they gave him his pink "Pass the Class" slip regardless.)

Rob, Adam, Miller, West, Jett, Carter and Berkeley

After Zach got off work, we picked him up and headed part of the way home to Asheville, NC to see Rob's sister and her family. We were completely spoiled by lew's (Leslie's) cooking and loved going to church at their branch. Lew's husband, Matt, is the most musically talented person I know and his band, LEWIS, plays all over Asheville. Check out myspace.com/lewisland.

Matt and Zach jammin' in the garage

We had a great time and appreciate all the fun, love and cookin' lew! Here's a picture of the whole crew..Matt, Leslie, Zach, Weston, Clive, Van, Jett, Miller, Rob and baby Dean.

Ok, now this is how we really look most of the time....
I think we scared the Baby Dean....

Prom with Eve...

2009-03-08T15:30:00.000-07:00

A few posts back, I mentioned a little story about Zach and his first official date with a darling girl named "Eve". A typical mom, I bugged Zach for months to send pictures of the girl behind the story so I could see what she looked like...see what their kids would look like, etc... (jk, I think..) Well, many months later, they are still good friends and decided to attend a Mormon Prom night together this past weekend. She is beyond cute and sure puts a smile on Zach's face. Thought I'd share.....oh, and one more thing...for the dance, it was "jackets required" for the girls. Cute.

Zach and Eve....

The whole group....

Doesn't every guy have one of these pictures from Prom night?....

Jett The Poet...Part II

2009-02-08T20:29:00.000-08:00

I don't know why, but I never seem to see this kid's work until a major project is due and he has to display it on a pretty board or something. This week was a display of five of Jett's best stories or writing examples that brought this poem to my attention. I guess his ability to write things like this surprises me because he usually says so little and seems to notice very few details when I ask him how his day was....and...he says he absolutely hates to write. In any case, I thought this was really good....

I Can't Imagine

by Jett Whitten

I can't imagine the torture you must face,

leaving our beloved family, going to a foreign country,

raiding ghost towns condemned as if by the devil.

I can't imagine what you must go through, limited rations,

inconvenient living, blistering sun, and the souls of all those who you killed

staring at you with dead eyes in your dreams.

The death of your friends scarring you for all eternity.

I can't imagine your stress, having to hide, having to dive,

having to avoid grenades with shrapnel ready to pierce your very soul.

And worst of all, noble sacrifices made by our troops that were all in vain.

All of this for our country's freedom,

We thank you

Miller Takes it to the District Level...

2009-02-08T18:54:00.000-08:00

I've counted up over the years approximately how many science fair projects we have helped put together between all of the boys. I'm not positive, but I think this year was at least the thirteenth one. I hate to say this, but after so many, I find myself totally dreading the time of year when those "packets" come home, spelling out the rules and deadlines for the annual science fair projects.

This year was no exception for me...only two mandatory projects were due this year, instead of three, though (thank heaven!). I decided Weston's project was going to assist me in my quest to find the most cost effective laundry detergent and I told Miller to think of a question he wanted to find the answer to and we would go from there. He decided to find out if listening to music affected a person's heart rate. It was a quick, one-nighter project and it went together easily. Weston's was a little more involved...a couple of loads of laundry, three different detergents, etc....but we were excited about the results and it was finished on time.

Well, for the first time in Whitten family history, one of our science fair projects earned a school trophy and a trip to the District Science Fair this weekend. We were very excited for Miller and the opportunity to enjoy the science fair experience further. There were 600 projects competing from every school, private and public, in Fayette County. Miller was one of the ten finalists from ACE elementary school. Here are some pictures from the awards ceremony at ACE and the day of the district fair. Congrats, Miller! and thanks, Weston, for figuring out that Gain works better than Tide for a fraction of the cost!

Miller at the ACE awards assembly with his TROPHY.

Miller and his project on District Day.

Waiting for the judges.......

Look at all those projects...lots of devoted parents!

The judges asking questions.....

It was a fun day and we saw several friends who were finalists for their own schools. Unfortunately, our experience with the science fair ended here but there was a free t-shirt and lunch afterwards with dad....it was all good!

B-I-N-g-O!

2008-12-25T19:33:00.000-08:00

Many years ago I came across this website that allows you to create bingo cards for any season or theme. We've been playing Wacky Winter Bingo ever since and several of the boys' teachers have received a set for their classrooms over the years. We decided to have a few people over this year to play Wacky Bingo with us and the only rule was to bring a white elephant gift or your favorite re-giftable. The kids played first and each got to win and pick prizes from the gift basket. Then it was time for the real games to begin. No playing nice....no "fairness first"....just GAME ON. So, our friend Ammon won like the first 4 games in a row. His first pick from the prize basket were these awesome tennis shoes (used.)

I also have to add here that we were at his house a few days later and he had been wearing them all day. Only A-man could pull these off and actually make them look stylish and cool.

So, like I said, he kept winning and his next pick were these awesome colognes Rob actually won at the Elder's Quorum Christmas party called "BODman Cologne". There were three different scents..."Black", "Ripped Abs" and I can't remember the other one. Best white elephant ever!

He also won some body lotion and Martinelli's but the next winner swiped his "Ripped Abs" cologne. By the time it made its rounds, Wil was the lucky winner who got to take them (and the Martinelli's) home. He's almost 16.....perfect for his first date.

Our friend, Grant won some hair clips (briefly) and wore them in his hair. I did promise not to post a picture of this.... so you'll just have to imagine it.....since he does sign my Temple recommend.

Rob and the gang...

Is There Really a Santa Claus?

2008-12-16T18:33:00.000-08:00

OK, first of all, SPOILER ALERT!! This post discusses the delicate issue of Santa Claus... so for adult eyes only. The other day, my 12 1/2 year old son, Jett, made a comment about "SC" that had me thinking he might actually still believe he is real. His two younger brothers have both asked certain questions, like, "How does Santa Claus get everywhere right exactly at 12:00?" and, "Santa's writing looks a lot like yours, mom..." I mentioned my concern to Rob and he felt like Jett was just stringing me along so he would for sure get all of his presents. We've always told our boys , "If You Don't Believe then You Don't Receive." But something about what Jett said and the way he said it convinced me he still hadn't figured it out yet. Each year, at our house, "Rudolph" shows up a week or so before Christmas one night while we're getting the kids ready for bed. Someone always sees Rudolph's red nose outside (it's really Rob or Zach or Kevin with a red sweater and flashlight moving around in the yard) and he leaves a gift outside by the door for everyone. Well, Rudolph had just come and I overheard Jett telling one of his friends about it.

Jett: "Uh, actually, my brothers and I are playing a game that Rudolph brought us. Yeah, he's come to our house every single year since I was born...we just put a little food out for him, some oats, and he brings us a present, usually a dvd or something. "

I have no idea what the kid on the other end of the phone was thinking, but fortunately it was his good buddy Dalton who wouldn't think anything Jett did or said was strange.

I actually did talk with him later and told him the truth about "SC" and I was right.....he did think he was real still. He took the news well, though and kind of laughed and said, "This is all starting to make sense now." On one hand I was pleased he was still so innocent and child-like to believe what we told him. On the other, I felt like at his age, I had to tell him the truth. I can't remember how old I actually was when I found out Santa wasn't real, but I remember how I felt when my mom told me. It saddened me to have to end that for Jett and to realize it won't be long before we no longer have any children young enough who "believe". But real or just a wonderful tradition we participate in for the joy and fun of giving, we're sticking to our motto. All Jett asked was that we keep Miller and Weston from finding out for at least another year so he could help hide gifts and be Rudolph next Christmas. Aahh...the tradition carries on.

Jett the Poet....

2008-11-09T16:39:00.000-08:00

We were finishing up some homework this evening and Jett asked us to print out this poem he wrote that he had to turn in. I thought it was really good.... The assignment was to do a journal entry about the kind of person you would liked to have been in ancient Egypt and then write a poem based on this journal entry.

I Am A Blacksmith

by Jett Whitten

I am a blacksmith.

I fight for my rights to defend my shop.

My shop is a small building full of the smell of sulfur.

I visit the town market as often as I can.

On the journey I saw a father smiting his child.

The father was furious, something about leaving the boat untied

for this child was weeping like a fountain never ending.

Witchey Witchey, Screamy Screamy, Happy Happy Halloweenie!

2008-11-06T17:45:00.000-08:00

Halloween 2008 was a blast. We had beautiful weather, fun parties and lots of cavities...I mean candy. Our festivities began with our ward trunk or treat and a surprise visit from Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin. Then it was on to the Mortenson's annual Halloween Party. Brent and Erin always put on such a fantastic evening with great food, fun and amazing costumes. Rob and I went as golf caddies. Halloween night, we had a great time trick or treating and gettin' down with the karaoke at the Tippetts house. Hollee and Steve should be rock stars....they have some serious talent!

Our Bishop's wife, Amy, made an amazing Sarah!

The boys had a lot of fun dressing up. Weston, for the third year in a row (yes!) donned his goul mask and wig, Jett was a great vampire (thanks to dad's artistic skills with the make up and fake blood) and Miller made a very handsome Indiana Jones.

Rob and I dressed up as Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf for trunk or treat. Rob is warm blooded anyway, but then I made him wear fur on his head, face and hands. This was pretty much the only time Rob had his full costume on. The rest of the time he just wore this furry tail. A nice lady in our ward told him he had a cute tail and it made his night.

Rob, acting frisky. I know....kind of inappropriate with a picture of the Savior in the background...sorry.

Rob dressed up for school on Halloween. I love how he got up extra early to create this bloody masterpiece. Brooke, the teeth are for you!

Zach's First Date...

2008-10-23T16:02:00.000-07:00

Zach called me on Saturday to tell me he had gone on his first "real" date. He turned 16 last May and when I took him to get his driver's license, I asked him if there was someone he was excited to take out now that he was "legit". He didn't really say a whole lot but I knew she would have to be someone special for him to part with his hard-earned money.

Ok.....so, she's a girl in his Stake, not his ward. Her name is Eve..(cute, huh?) and according to Zach,.... she's hot. He was very excited for this date and went to a lot of trouble to make it nice. He got his dad to let him borrow the new car, he called the movie theatres in her neighborhood (about 20 minutes away) to get showtimes, programmed her address into the GPS, cashed his paycheck from Harris Teeter, did some push-ups (jk...but he is a hunk and a half, though) and drove to go get Eve. Just a few things went wrong...

1. He put the wrong address in the GPS and ended up in someone's driveway in a very "questionable" part of town.

2. After he called Eve and got her correct address, they arrived at the movie theatre only to find out that Zach had called the wrong theatre for show times and the movie they were planning to see wasn't even playing at that theatre.

Being the easy-going person Zach is, they just picked a different movie that was starting in a few minutes, grabbed some popcorn and Jr. Mints and found some seats. He was just settling in next to his "sweetie", relieved to finally get to sit close and maybe put his arm around her, when he felt a little tap on his shoulder......

Sitting right behind them with a big smile on his face was Eve's Bishop.....

Driving around town lost in this day and age.........$11.00 (gas)

Showing up at the wrong movie theatre.......$17.50 (can't use discount tickets)

Sitting right in front of your hot date's Bishop at the movies.........................PRICELESS!!!!

A Budding Photographer....

2008-10-19T14:41:00.000-07:00

We have always loved going to Boyd's Orchard. We've picked blueberries, apples, pumpkins.....always a fun experience for us. The last time we went it was late summer, early fall....too early for apples, too late for peaches...and we were the only ones there except for the workers. We talked with the owner for a bit and he let us play on the slide and walk around the orchard for free.

On Friday, the boys were off school so we headed out to the Orchard for some kettle corn and their fresh apple cider. The place was a madhouse! (I don't know what I was expecting....) There were so many people there and because we are spoiled, non-crowded-going Boyd's customers, we were a bit disappointed. We walked around outside for a minute....counted all of the school buses....decided to go back inside the barn and get a bite to eat....waited and waited in line.... then finally decided to go get hot chocolate somewhere. I felt bad enough that my plans to have a fun day with the boys didn't quite turn out the way we'd hoped, but then I stumbled in the dirt on the way to the car and broke my flip flop. It wasn't so bad that I embarrassed myself....I do that all the time....but breaking my favorite pair of shoes.....devastating!
Fortunately, the drive to the Orchard is a beautiful one and Weston took some amazing pictures along the way.....

These are the sweetest boys....

He Gets it Honest....

2008-10-19T13:28:00.000-07:00

I pretended to jog, again, yesterday. Miller was my little companion this time and followed along on his scooter to keep me company and keep me from quitting too soon. It's cooled down a bit here so I had to break out my new jogging suit from Gabe's. (That's Gabriel Brothers for those of you who don't live in a small enough town to know what this store is.) Anyways, as always, the pants were too long so instead of hemming them, I thought I'd try pulling up and rolling the waistband down once to take the length up a bit. Normally, I fake jog at night so no one can see me, but I'd slacked all week and it was a pretty day, so off we went. A few minutes into it, I felt self-conscious so I turned to Miller and asked if my nylon pants looked like they were riding up too tight in "the back". He performed the "I'm going to slow down and nonchalantly walk right behind you to make sure you don't have a spot on your bottom" maneuver, rode his scooter back up next to me and said:

"Yep...they're a little tight. I'm guessing that's why dad wanted you to have them."

Photo Tag...

2008-10-06T19:32:00.000-07:00

Cutie-pie Brooke tagged me in a blog game of "Random Photo"...I was asked to post the fourth picture in my fourth photo folder. Unfortunately, I haven't been doing this very long and don't have a ton of pictures so I used the third picture in my third photo folder. Here it goes......scroll down if you want to see three guys barefoot and shirtless roughing it in the wilderness.....

I know...a little anti-climactic...

Jett took his camera with him on a campout this past spring. These are some of his Deacon buddies from our ward in Mount Pleasant.

OK....I tag Melinda, Lew, Ali, Angela and Kristen

Our Year in Mount Pleasant, SC

2008-10-05T14:48:00.000-07:00

One year ago, this weekend, our family moved from Lexington to Mount Pleasant, SC. It had been a difficult couple of years for us and the move, for me, was a gift. Rob had accepted a job, earlier that summer, with a company who needed him to cover the North and South Carolina territory. Although he was in the process of applying to dental schools, this job was a blessing and we needed to take it.

Last May, before Rob was actually offered the job, we were visiting Zach in Charlotte and decided to take a detour to Charleston on the way home. We had heard there was a dental school there and thought we'd just get a feel for the place. We got into town very late on Saturday evening and looked up directions for a chapel in the area to attend church the next morning. The first one that came up was for the Mount Pleasant Ward so that's where we went. Bishop Morrow greeted us as we sat down...he was about my age, tall and seemed both physically and spiritually strong. We had originally planned to attend just sacrament meeting so we could drive around the town and see a few things since we had to leave first thing Monday morning to get back to Lexington, but half-way through Sacrament meeting, I leaned down the row and told the boys we were staying for the whole thing. I didn't want to leave.

It wasn't until I was in Relief Society that I met the Bishop's wife. Sister McDaniel, our Relief Society President, (and THE BEST cookie and muffin maker in the entire world) taught the lesson and I loved the feeling of that group of women. Towards the end of the meeting, a beautiful woman scooted in next to me and whispered, "I just wanted to meet you....I have five sons, too, and it's not every day you meet someone with 5 boys!" She then stood up and bore her testimony...... She thanked the sisters for their prayers and support during this difficult time as her husband, David (Bishop Morrow) was recovering from surgery for brain cancer and had just finished his rounds of chemo and radiation. I was very moved by her testimony and the grace with which she seemed to be handling her situation. It never occurred to me that the man I had met earlier had even suffered a cold recently, much less brain cancer.

We did sell our house and found a cute place to live there....It was 10 minutes from our door to the sand on Isle of Palms beach. We were a few hundred yards from a crab dock and the tidal river, had alligators in our neighborhood ponds (our family likes this kind of thing), great schools and we enjoyed very delicious, fattening, southern foods. My favorite were the Just Chill Grill's Sweet Potatoe Fries with melted honey butter. Eventually, I had to buy some "buffet" pants. My jeans got too tight.

Our first Sunday, I noticed a guy who looked very familiar to me....I told Rob I knew him from somewhere...probably from my BYU days or something. Anyway, come to find out, he and his wife, Debbie, were at BYU the same time I was and Debbie and I lived in Helaman halls together our freshman year. The Smiths became our friends and shared their home, their family, and their freshly caught shrimp and oysters.

I didn't think I'd be able to leave this place...but we found out in March that we would be going back to Lexington for sure for Rob to go to school. I guess I felt so fortunate that we were even given the opportunity for Rob to do this that my focus turned to preparing our home and finances for the next four years. We were hesitant to tell the boys but we found out they couldn't be happier to be back in Lexington and our friends here could not have been more helpful in finding us a house in a safe place with good schools. The transition has been a very happy and positive one for all of us.

Here are some pictures of our "almost" year in Mount Pleasant.....I know this is a long post, but I loved this place, our time there and the people I had the priviledge of getting to know and I wanted to make sure it all got a place in our book.

In March, Jett received the Aaronic Priesthood. Rob's parents, Pam and Bob and his brother's family came to celebrate and be a part of the ordination.

Carter, Berkeley, Jett, Weston and Miller (front)

Rob, Me, MeMe, baby Marlee, Pops, Aunt Kristen and Uncle Adam

Weston graduates from Charles Pinckney Elementary School.

The Fergusons had us over for dinner our last night in Mount Pleasant. Bill was a great help to us on moving day.

Tessa, Sullivan, Natascha, Bill and Rob

Miller and Weston took First Place and Grand Champion at the annual Pinewood Derby Race!

This was an alligator in one of the ponds in our neighborhood. People didn't just leave their smaller dogs or cats outside unattended.

This little "fella" liked to sun on the banks of another neighborhood pond.

They boys got to fish a lot.....

and learn to ride four-wheelers....

Rob got to go deep sea fishing with his good buddy, Brent. They were out about 10-15 miles from the harbour when this photo was taken....smooth as glass.. He says he caught something (a Bonito) but I do not have documentation of this.

This is where we lived in Mount Pleasant...See Rob standing in front of our unit.

We had the neatest neighbors....Dave and Carolyn lived next to us on the right. They had the cutest dog named Daisy who was the boss of everyone.

Our neighbors across the street, the Bosleys, own Landmark Pictures. This is the company that makes the signs like the "Whitten" one we have on our living room wall. Marilyn and Scott were wonderful friends to us and we miss seeing them everyday and doing fun things with Maggie, Max and Miles.

My friend, Faith, took a few of us out on her boat before I left...it was a beautiful, warm day. She's a lovely!

The boys' first catch from the crab dock...He was delicious.

View of the Ravenel Bridge in Charleston.

The boys at the USS Yorktown in Charleston Harbour.

Halloween 2007

Jack, Goul and Darth aka Miller, West and Jett

We met up with the Smiths and Baileys for trick or treating.

Evan and Bobby (Nacho Libre...)

I need to add a little note here....

Unfortunately, a few weeks after we moved back to Lexington, Sister McDaniel called to tell us that our loving Bishop, David Morrow, lost his battle with cancer and passed away. His beautiful wife, Stephanie, is fortunately surrounded by 5 loving, valiant sons, two sisters and their wonderful families, and an amazing ward family. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with Stephanie and her beautiful boys.

The Offical White Coats....

2008-10-01T16:51:00.000-07:00

I guess it's the tradition at UK to give the first year dental students their white lab coats, names embroidered and all, during a ceremony put on by the UKDS alumni. It was actually pretty nice...kind of like a mini graduation.....Family and friends were invited and there was a reception outside in the garden afterwards. As I strolled the grounds outside and met some of the other student's families, I noticed I really look more like the parent of a dental student than a spouse of one but hey....who's counting wrinkles.

Anyway, here's some photos of the event.....Thank you, Rob, for stopping to pose during the processional so I could snap a few of you!

Outside before the ceremony....work it Rob!

A few of Rob's fellow students and friends....

Rob tossing his "sweat towel" at me on the way out of the auditorium.

Miller with dad....Weston and Jett were at a scout campout that night.

Rob and Miller with Kim Bryan.
Kim was the Dean of Admissions for the UKDS and just took a job at the University of Florida, Gainesville. We'll forever be grateful to this man for the opportunity he gave to Rob and our family.

Dancing With the Staaarrrrs!

2008-09-24T12:44:00.000-07:00

I am in HOG heaven.....Don't even think about talking to me while I'm watching this show unless your are sure you need a ride to the hospital. It's the new season of DANCING WITH THE STARS!....click here to see my current favorite couple. I love this guy! (Reminds me of my big daddy...) Beware....a few "rough" words and some "bleeps"....

Life is beautiful now........Ha-cha-cha-cha!

Never Judge an Instrument by It's School Issued Case

2008-09-20T13:31:00.001-07:00

Here in Lexington, you get to take orchestra in the fourth grade. Miller has been so excited to start and decided he wanted to play the VIOLA. We were also thrilled he was going to be able to rent an instrument from the school for $25 a year instead of having to rent one from the music store for $25 a month. Unfortunately, on the day they issued the instruments, Miller was sick. He was anxious to go back to school two days later so he could finally get his VIOLA and start practicing. This is the conversation that took place on our walk home that day from the bus stop:

Miller: Mom....Look at my viola case. It was the only viola they had left and it has a busted lock and all of this tape on it to hold it together.

Mom: Wow....I see that. Oh well, I guess that's what happens when you're sick the day they hand out the school instruments.

Miller: You should see what the viola looks like....

Mom: Oh, I can imagine. I'm sure it looks like C-R-A-P!

Miller: (doesn't say a word)

Mom: Well, I don't know how he's going to do it, but when your dad takes a look at that beat-up instrument, the first thing he's going to do is march straight down to the music store and rent you a good viola.

Miller: Probably!

Here's what he brought home....

Notice the "busted" latch....

When Miller got in the house, he sat the viola case on the chair and called me in. He said, "Come and look at my viola..." Expecting to see the worst piece of junk I had ever seen, already feeling guilty that my children have to learn to play music on the school's used and beat-up instruments because we are in "Thrift or Bust" mode, I walked over and took a peek at what was inside.....and to my surprise....

....it was a beautiful, perfect little viola.

I guess none of the kids picked it because the case was so beat-up but Miller could not be happier and I was, again, reminded of how important it is not to judge an instrument by it's school issued case.

You've Had a Birthday....

2008-09-09T06:29:00.000-07:00

So Rob just celebrated his....ummm.....29th birthday (we're counting backwards now) and we had another one of our rip-roaring parties to celebrate. This one really took the cake, though (no pun intended). Rob got a few cards, a sketchy rendition of happy birthday from his children and his favorite cake. When it was time to sing, I realized we didn't have any candles except for a left over number "4".

I'll admit it.....it was mine. We've been using it each year since I turned 40....(oops, I mean 34). So even though there was no "4" anywhere in his birthday this year, in keeping with the Whitten Family theme of "Thrift or Bust", we just plopped it on his cake and lit it.

I know....ghetto.

Thankfully, there was some cash in a few of those cards! Happy Birthday honey!

Seriously....everytime I say, "Cheeeeese!", this is what I get.

Love My Front Porch....

2008-08-19T06:05:00.000-07:00

The search for our dental school home was tricky. Good schools, enough space for the 5 of us, within our budget.....Not an easy ticket. With much help from our friends, we found this cute house in a great neighborhood matching all three mentioned criteria. It also happened to have a front porch. I don't know why, but being able to use my rockers from Charleston made me very happy.

Miller and Rob worked so hard trimming the bushes (with some scissors of mine they found...) and laying the mulch.

Feelin' Lucky in Kentucky

2008-08-16T18:37:00.000-07:00

Well...we're back in Lexington. Who would have ever thought, at our age, Rob would be starting dental school at the University of Kentucky. Rob is 38 and I am a tad bit older than that. We have five sons...Kevin (19), Zach (16), Jett (12), Weston (11) and Miller (9). The last few years have been an adventure, to say the least, and as we begin yet, another chapter in our lives, I thought it would be fun to document these next four years so we will never forget them....More to come...