Happy birthday Molly

Happy Birthday Molly! You should be eating a cake this nice! But since you are in California (and who wouldn't be for their birthday if they could) we'll have to skip the cake and just wish you a great day. Enjoy yourself

Thoughts that I should probably keep to myself

I have been thinking a lot about Lucy lately. As we approach Allie's baptism next Saturday I have a lot of mixed emotions. I am so excited and proud of her because she really wants this, it really is her choice. Part of me though also realizes that this marks the end of her innocence so to speak. She is accountable now. And WHAT IF she decides to make choices in her life that we are not happy about. What if she chooses not to follow the Savior later on. That is a real possibility and in the end it is her choice. Part of me feels... maybe a little of jealous of Vic and Molly? Lucy is theirs! Now all they have to do is their part. If someone gave me the option of living my life without Allie... well that is like asking "would you rather have you arm bitten off by an alligator or your leg bitten off by a shark?" Well, hellllooo- neither! There is no answer to a question like that. I am sorry about these morbid thoughts. This is a joyful time! Allie is going to be baptized!!!

But there you go. I just shared them with you.


This is a sculpture in Slovakia at a memorial for unborn children.

...And My Daughter Too.

(She always has to have the last word.)

I love my boys

Nuff said...

Allie's journal entry from school

Let me know if you cannot read this. I thought it was so funny. I love the tear-jerker beginning coupled with the joke at the end- which was a true story.

Kid History Sightings!

This story might only be interesting/cool to Jenny and the boys, but here it is. As some of you know, Thad and I are on an indoor soccer team. Tonight, we had a game. As we're standing there waiting for the team who had just finished their game to come out of the "dugout" we noticed some familiar faces! ALL of the guys from the "Kid History" videos were on the team right before us! I nearly shouted out "RANDY!!", or "I'll take 2 completos!!" Thad had to hold me back from rushing up to them an asking for autographs! Anyway, cool story of the week?

What the...

I went out this morning and saw this in my driveway... I have no idea how Jango got there or how long he had been in the car. Near as Jen and I can figure, he snuck in when she got home from an errand 40 minutes earlier and was quietly devouring a burrito Hailey had left on the back seat.

The funniest part was when I opened the passenger door, Jango politely moved over to the driver's seat. "Oh, you're going to sit there this time? Okay, I'll drive." Nice.

Dear Family,
We took a little trip to Mesa to see our Hailey baptised. It was wonderful and Hailey you were radiant and I know Heavenly Father knows you were baptised and now are in his fold.
We retured home and to our surprise a secret pegnancy has taken place. I suppose it happed at night but we didn't know it. It was kept secret and we couldn't see signs of it comeing , no large belly did we notice. We hope it's not an unwanted event but who can tell. We have taken care not to spread the secret until now. You know some things are personnal. However, we do not know who the Dad is. We hope we will know soon. We hope he is a fine unstanding citzen that can provide for his family.
The secret is out now. We have a new baby fish! He is tiny and cute. His job now is to not make any adult mad and eat him. I guess that's what happens when the kids get out of hand.
So, I didn't eat any of you and you turned out fine. Hope to hear from you all.
Love Mom

Tonight like several nights before have been emotional and long. This journey to the "other side' has been going on for awhile now and when Mom was in the hospital I thought it was at an end. It sure looked and felt like it and I started grieving then. Then we brought her home and she rallied and we could talk and she was a littler slower but almost her same self. I can't think of a better gift than to have a loved one approach death and then get a repreave and have them back for awhile. You appreciate and devote your time to them.
Monday, Mom fell. Hit her head. It was going to be sore but she didn't need stitches. Then Tuesday morning she fell again. It was hard for her to get up. I had to have your Dad help me. She is sliding into that next curve of her journey.
Tonight I was in the TV room, reading, and she sat up in bed and said,what? I went in to her. "What's wrong Mom. Someone called my name", she said. " Was it Dad", (your grandpa) no, it was a women's voice, it was as clear as can be". She has two sisters and her Mom, grandma Price, on the other side. Well, I guess they are trying to encourage you, I guess." " Yes, I guess they are waiting".
I bent over and said, Mom, I love you and I will miss you,I said.She put her arm around me and told me she loved me and I don't know what I would do without you".
I treasure these momments. Of course we are ready because she is tired of her afflicitons. But, you don't always get to have this time.
I had a friend tell me I wouldn't regret this time. It has been 4 years and not easy. I missed being with my kids sometimes and taking off. But, I will never get a chance to tell my mom I will miss her and I love her for a long time.
I hope by sharing this that you hold each other a little closer and remember all the family that you have. We miss our Lucy and can't wait for this time to hold her again. It hurts doesn't it.
So, to all of you, I love you and I miss you tonight. Each phone call and post is a reward to me.
Good night, Love Mom

Book idea

Since many of us (all us girls it seems) have read "The Help" and liked it, here is another book I thought sounded interesting. Especially for us! And I know Vic has lots of good books to recommend too! Shall we do a little book club together?

How do I invite Thad to view the blogs?

He can get onto the main page, but if he tries to click on anyone else's blog its says he has to be invited. So do you all need to invite him? His email is thad.paget@gmail.com

Do You See What I See?

Ten Years Ago

Ten years ago today, I woke up to a large rumbling that shook our windows. I turned on the TV to find that an airplane had hit the World Trade Center. I looked out the windows and could clearly see the plume of smoke coming from Tower 1. Jack was still asleep and our apartment was quiet. The Today Show speculated it was a small two-person airplane. I saw the explosion from the second impact and then everyone knew America was under attack. I watched both towers fall, holding Jack in my arms. Jack pointed and said, "Smoke."

The wave of dust flooded into Brooklyn and made it hard to breathe all day. Papers from the destroyed office buildings also drifted across the river. Before they fell, our neighbor, Mike Whiting, and I used binoculars to watch the towers. I could see into the massive black hole on the side of the tower, surrounded by flames. I watched the firemen who lived next door from us and welcomed us so generously to their family Christmas party, leave to do their duty. Thankfully, they all returned home. Our ward's Elders Quorum President called me and we started a calling tree to try and locate members of the ward, especially those we knew worked in that area. After several hours, everyone was accounted for, although several walked home across the Brooklyn Bridge amidst the mass of soot-covered zombies who were in Lower Manhattan and had no other way home than to walk.


Jenny and Grant were in Utah for her Grandma's funeral. I didn't want her flying with two small children (weird, considering she's done that since on more than one occasion), so I kept Jack and stayed home from work... on that one day. I hated knowing I couldn't be there with my coworkers and friends in lower Manhattan, five blocks from the WTC. I later saw the landing gear from the first impact, which passed through Tower One and landed right in front of my office building.


Thanks to Grandma Jackson, I was spared being at work on Rector St on 9/11. Who can know what would have happened to me otherwise? One of my coworkers was killed by falling debris. I suppose that could have been me... Others later told me they thought they were going to die when the Towers fell and they were covered by that massive dust cloud. Nevertheless, a large part of me is extremely resentful that I was not there. Oh, I was there, but not really there. Just as I was home on the day my Lieutenant was shot and killed on a traffic stop, and my teammates chased him down and shot his legs out from under him while he and his driver hid behind their truck and fired on the officers.

I have a real need/desire/want to be there when these momentous and horrible events occur. I want to be on the tip of that spear, part of the force that takes action and saves lives. I've spent countless hours training and drilling for when violence occurs, to be able to save my own life and those of innocents. To be able to confront evil when I encounter it. But, for some reason, the Lord has kept me out of these rare and violent events. I've seen my own share of violence and horrific events, but I was kept out of specific ones. I do feel resentment and, at the same time, gratitude for His intervention. It was during these weeks alone with Jack that I first started thinking about being a police officer.

So, where am I going with all this? I don't know... Jenny encouraged me to blog about my experience on that day. I have a lot of conflicted emotions. It's hard to watch the videos on TV and the computer about it all. I am grateful the Lord has kept and preserved me. I am grateful to be where I am today.

I remember it all so clearly... and yet wish my view had been several miles closer.

remember

Mom and I were talking about 9/11. My kids schools won't let me bring in the newspapers we have from that week in NY. I want my kids to know this part of history. (after all, my kid's school shouldn't get in the way of their education) We were talking about what we experienced. There are so many things I remember but I have a bit of tunnel vision for that day. I would love to hear all of your memories. Some of us were together but we all still have different memories from it. If you are up to sharing, I would love to hear your thoughts.

Conversation with Grandma Hope:

"I know it hard to have me here and be a burden. I know you have others things to do. "
I said, "Mom, don't worry, you may be my ticket to heaven."
Then she said," yes, and you my have been mine ".
No matter how hard things can get in a family, or how uninteresting people can be sometimes, we are each others ticket. This I believe.
Love Mom