Pictures of Jonathan

Here are a few pictures that I found of Jonathan and my birthdays and just two cute pictures of Jonathan. They are not very good images because our scanner is not hooked up and Alan is busy at church so I just took a digital picture of them and put them on. Again, Happy Birthday Jonathan!

James and Karla Vanderpool Family

Well, I just read Amy's Blog about Jonathan and it made me cry, because I remember most of those incidents also, but from a different perspective. What is this about swimming in the canal? The one time I went in I almost drowned, I wonder how many angels were with you with names like Asher and Mark. Today is Jonathan's birthday and tomorrow is Amy's. Neither one of you are here but we will think of you tonight. We are starting a new tradition called Birthday Sunday. On perhaps the third Sunday we will have one party for all the birthdays that month, so no one will be left out and everyone will feel loved, hopefully. The yellow round table will now be the birthday table that everyone will sit around, quite a promotion from former uses. I wish everyone would reminiss like Amy did so I could relive more memories. Love to both of you,
MOM

Happy Birthday Jonathan

I wanted to wish Jonathan a very happy birthday. It has been way too long since we got to share a birthday party. We used to hate it back in the day but I think it would be lots of fun now. I wanted to share a few memories of Jonathan that I can remember. I am going to leave out the majority of memories I have that all consist of me teasing him relentlessly because if we don't talk about them then maybe they will cease to exist.

*Jonathan and Spencer watching Pinocchio over and over and over again. They sure loved that movie and everyone else hated it.
*Making a snow fort in Colorado when I got home from kindergarten with Jonathan and always coming in with frozen hands.
*Of course giving him the poison. It really was pretend koolaid and he wasn't supposed to drink it. I didn't have it out for you at that young of an age.
*Playing cars at the top of the stairs with you when one happened to fall off and so did you. Once again a very innocent accident. I was only four.
*Picking wild grapes in together in Texas and our lips itching from them.
*Climbing the stairway walls and doorways.
*Playing enchanted forest (the little game where you look under the trees and move around the board). I don't think we ever finished a game.
*Visiting Aunt Jackie in Houston together just you and me. Didn't we sneak into a pool after hours, and go movie hopping? They were good examples to us.
*Going fishing for crawdads in the river in Georgetown.
*Spending the night together at the Potter's in Texas. You and Scott loved to bother Natalie and I.
*Watching your wrestling matches and football games. I only saw a few but it certainly made me afraid of you. You became a wild man. That is probably why you were so good at it.
*Playing countless games of connect the dots, hangman, and tic-tac-toe during sacrament meeting.
*Having you cushion my fall when I drove into the ditch. Thanks for that.
*Swimming in the canal, and having massive mud fights in the mud bog we called a road in the Guadalupe house.
*Climbing trees together in the same house.
*Loving to see how sweet and tender you could be with your pets. Was Aragorn your dog?
*Seeing you as a dad is very special.

There are so many more but I will stop there. It has been fun to think through memories with you. We did have some good times together between all of the fighting and teasing. I do apologize for being relentlessly cruel to you. I love you and hope you have a great birthday!!!!!
Love you--Amy

It has been almost a month since I last posted. I have been bad, very, very bad. I'm sorry Mom. You and I seem to be the only ones who care if anyone posts or not. I still check the site and have loved that Jonathan and Andrew posted. Even if they were short and sweet. I haven't posted because my life seems so routine and boring these days. Yesterday the kids had the day off of school and it made me dread the coming summertime. They were acting like they had been bored for days on end and were just picking at each other all day. We even went to Turtle Park, the Zoo and met Dad for lunch at his school. Granted the trips to Turtle Park and the Zoo were very short due to the 32 degree weather. We had to get out but the weather just wouldn't let us stay for long. I am so ready for warm weather. I would take the humidity and heat over this any day. I just about cried when I heard you had almost hit 90 degrees in the great AZ. We had a high of 17 two days ago and still no snow. This place is rotten when it comes to weather. I can't believe Colin likes it.
I am facing the big 30 birthday next week and it is freaking me out. I don't know why. 30 year olds are supposed to be all grown up and settled in life. I think I have multiple new wrinkles appearing just over the stress of getting older. That can't be good. Mom was 30 when she had me. I don't know why that is weird to me but it is.
Alan is doing well in school. People keep asking me if he still likes what he is doing. You must be worried that he has gone through all of this and is going to hate it when he is done. Well, rest assured that he loves orthodonitics but just hates the school part of it. He says often that he thinks he is going to have the best career in the world. He is constantly frustrated with his immature classmates that love to make innapropriate comments and are constantly doing rude things. His class is becoming known as the rude ones. That makes him absolutely crazy. If Alan is anything it is respectful to professors and fellow classmates.
Mark is doing much better in school. He works hard and gets a "good" rating most days. He got a note home saying that he was doing the right thing when everyone else was choosing otherwise. This is a huge thing for him. He even got a "super" rating the other day. I think he is finally adjusted here and is feeling good about himself. It sure makes our life a little easier. He is taking piano lessons and loves to practice. He is so proud of himself when he gets a song memorized and can play it perfectly. He played "Yankee Doodle" for his music class in school last week and couldn't wait to tell me about it when he got home.
Bradley and Eleanor are fine. Ellie is much happier lately unless she gets tired and then she is pure rotten. She cannot deal with little sleep just like me. She is getting quite good at saying innapropriate things at the innapropriate time. She loves to tell the handicapped grocery bagger that he talks funny or say "shake your booty" during sharing time any number of different things that emabarass me and she thinks are very funny. Luke is weaning right now and is not loving it. I am trying to get him to take formula/milk from a sippie cup and he is refusing. We are down to one nursing a day but he can't be getting anything from it. He is as adorable as ever and is even finally making attempts at walking. The kids think he will magically be able to walk perfectly on his first birthday in less than two weeks. Ah, the dissapointments of childhood. I need to run and pick up Bradley from kindergarten. Happy day to all. We miss everyone.
Love ya--Amy

James and Karla Vanderpool Family

Yea, Jonathan Blogged! My day is made. Well besides that I have two appointments today, one for two root canals, not mine but Miguals. Since Andrew and Shannon are moving into their other house we inherited their chickens, and they are a big hit. Mindy is busy all day long protecting them from our other wild life (not just the animal kind). We are hoping the novelity wears off soon. The big question is will Mom and Dad actually get rid of the sheep to make way for the other horses; after all they are an instuition around here. Too bad there isn't room for another bedroom somewhere in the house, but eight seems to be our limit. Cory sent us a list of things he plans for us to do in Costa Rica and all I can say is it isn't too late for anyone who wants to join us for the trip of a lifetime. Love,
MOM

James and Karla Vanderpool Family

OK, I am already feeling guilty about my blog a couple of minutes ago. And I remembered that last night (Valentines night, and the day his wife left for a whole month) Spencer presented me with a beautiful set of knives he ordered 3 weeks ago. That was amazing and makes up for alot. Thanks Spence.

James and Karla Vanderpool Family

Been thinking alot about those who are living far away last night and today. I wish Jonathan and Kari were on the internet more and that Amy would communicate more, after all she started this whole thing. Did you notice that Colin didn't write this week, Mindy says for sure that he is in the hospital or something, me I think he is in some snow bank and needs a savy person to come along and rescue him before he freezes to death. I just hope they send his package back that I sent him, wouldn't want to waste it. No kidding, that kid better not miss again, I hate few things more. One of those things are getting reports of foster kids who kick dentists, bus drivers, and school aids. By the way can you tell this is a feel sorry for yourself session. But what do I have to feel badly about, I have 11 lovely children and a great husband and no valentine from any of them. Of course I didn't give them one either, who needs the silly things. Guess what, Peter might come to work for us, I hope he does, we need him.
Love,
MOM

M&M and M&M

School, school, school, and more school. Someone thinks I need my masters of accountancy, and I guess I agree, but it means at least one more year of school making graduation in the spring of '08.

Unfortunately for Mom, I will be living in her basement even longer. Two years of "Deep Thoughts from Downstairs". Do you think she will survive? Fortunately for me, she loves my wife and children. She especially loves being involved in the development of Mateo aKind Miguel. They are growing all too quickly. Mateo is learning A-A-Apple and L-L-Lightsaber in preschool. Miguel's vocabulary is developing too. He can say Mommy, Daddy, Grapa, Abby, and StaWa. No, I am not exagerating. He asked his mom to turn on StarWars yesterday. One of the proudest moments in my life was less than a month ago when Mateo called Miguel a "scruffy looking nerf-herder". I am turning my children into geeks. So to balance, we are going to buy more children's sports movies like Bad News Bears, Kicking and Screaming, etc. Hopefully they are not yet completely lost to the dark side.

James and Karla Vanderpool Family

OK, so I'm writing to myself. I will make it my journal. We have had a rough week with our new kids. Two were kicked out of school after one and a half days and the other one isn't very easy. But we are commited to keep them until we go pick up Cory on April 4th. They have to be absent on Sunday evenings though because having the family come here is one of the most important things in my life. We have to hang together. We have our reservations and are very excited. Tara had to sacrifice EFY to go with us, but it has to be worth it. We are also committed to go to Kansas and see the twins this summer and visit Amy and Alan too. We miss our St. Louis babies. If we could only get another peek at Absher then our life would be complete. If you didn't know Shannon came out of surgery in good shape; the tumor was a benign sist. We are all rejoycing over that. We had a really great visit with granny while she was her and she reminded us it was our turn to go up there next. I could just travel constantly if it were possible, but it isn't. Aunt Jackie is here and we went to lunch and the temple the other day. I could live like the other half (you know the people our age who are actually done raising kids).
MOM

James and Karla Vanderpool Family

Well, no one has posted lately but I don't want this to go away. I want to let you all meet our latest family members. They are three kids from Phoenix. They are one half hispanic and one half Blackfoot Indian. They are sweethearts and pretty quiet because two of them are mute, but they can hear. They are 15 year old Miguel, 12 year old Salvadore and 10 year old Ashiana. They will go to school but it is taking awhile to get them enrolled. Mindy is helping me a ton and I appreciate it. We have a deal worked out that helps her too. So we are glad to have them even though Abbey tries to eat them daily. I have to do something about that dog. Don't tell Colin. Alan I have to barbeque pork for the Blue and Gold Banquet next week and do I wish you were here. Colin, Dad bought a new weed eater, and do I wish you were here. I guess I will have to grow up and do these things on my own.
Love MOM