The Buntrock's

Viva, Las Vegas!

2011-06-14T16:59:00.000-07:00

I have been a pretty busy girl these days. Between being a mom, wife, housekeeper, cook, laundress and cabby, my days are super full. But lately I have been putting more time into our Lip Gloss line called Lip Bliss by What's your Virtue.

Every part of this project has been so fun and I have learned do much about well, everything!!. We are leaving this week for a Cosmetic show in Las Vegas. It is the first time we have done this type of show and we are a wee bit nervous.....ok, a lot nervous!

So we hope for luck and success.

Here is what we will kind of look like, just incase you want to find us in Vegas

Newest Addition

2011-03-01T08:07:00.000-08:00

A new family portrait of the Buntrock's

done by

Steve Nissle Photography.

Plus a great photo of the kids

And a picture of Shane and I....

save your "old " comments please.

All pictures taken in Arizona........in December!

Cyber Monday!

2010-11-29T08:01:00.000-08:00

So maybe you have heard me talk about WyV....

We are having a great sale today.

We make the best moisturizing lip gloss on the market!

These are tints of color, not too much not too little,

just right!!!

They make great gifts for teachers to sisters and everyone

beween!

ps....my favorites are Wisdom with Simplicity on top,

or Devotion with Generosity on top.

But really...... I love them all!!

Playing catch up

2010-11-17T07:54:00.000-08:00

So I am a little behind.

Ok, a lot behind.

So I am going to show some pictures and get

caught up.

Maddy was in the children's ensemble of

Oliver at MCC this past October.

She did great and really loves the stage!

Jake was Captain Jack Sparrow for

Halloween.

He was pleasantly surprised by how good his

costume looked.

This was Scout's best scary face.

Hope you had a great October....

cause here come November!

my new best friend!

2010-11-17T07:29:00.000-08:00

I have to take a minute and introduce you to my new best friend,

Shaklee Scour Off.

I used this stuff to clean my fryer that I thought was beyond gross

(no judging please).

But this scour paste ate thru the nastiest grease on the outside and the inside.

I spent about 15 minutes on this job..... Love this stuff!!!

This is the before shot of the outside of my fryer and the

after is above with Scour Off in the picture.

This is the inside of my fryer

(remember.....no judging please)

Look!! This is what I did in 15 min!!

We made homemade eggrolls that night

and I couldn't believe how much better they tasted

with a super clean fryer.

Plus this product is totally green and I love this stuff!!

I am sorry to keep saying that, but I can't help it

Looking for time

2010-10-28T09:35:00.000-07:00

I have much to post about but no time.....

I will have a catch up post soon.

Weekend past.

2010-10-06T22:31:00.000-07:00

General Conference was great.

We had a great family pot luck after the second session on Sunday

followed by games.

There was about 20 of us.

My family feels a little bit

My Big Fat Greek Wedding.....

we are loud,

we always have tons of food

and

we have as many as we can crammed into a game of Pounce,

which brings us back to being really loud (which Shane is not fond of)!!

My family is not perfect but they

are perfect for me

and I love them much.

Jake "resting his eyes" during conference with Scout

Fhe and gratitude

2010-09-28T15:55:00.000-07:00

Fhe (Family home evening) was great Monday night,

Jackson was in charge and we played Minute to Win it.

We had so much fun.

Here are some of the crazy things we

did..

apple stacking was tricky

blowing 51 cards and leaving 1 on the vase was harder than it looked!

The subtle change in the weather

here in Az, makes me think about

gratitude (not sure why).

I may have done a post like this last year or so,

but I just felt that I wanted to

add to my gratitude list.

2010 has been full of many growing experiences

and I guess that I have been reflecting on them lately so

I wanted to add to my list.

here is some of what I am grateful for in 2010...

my home, husband,

Haley, Jackson, Madison and Jake,

extended family, great friends, RCBB,

What's your Virtue, my fast paced crazy life,

The Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at ASU,

my faith, my Savior, being a visiting teacher,

temples to be married in, a Prophet

and General Conference that I get

to watch this

weekend.

15 years and 6 months

2010-09-20T23:16:00.000-07:00

We have big news.....

Jackson got his drivers permit!!

He even got it on his first try.

He is a good learner

and

of course, he wants to drive all the time.

I am selfishly excited for when he

can drive himself to batting lessons or run

to the grocery store for me.

Either way I win

and I love that.

Jake Bennett

2010-09-13T14:55:00.001-07:00

this is our caboose.... Jake Bennett with his

girlfriend Scout.

He loves to play with her, tease her

and love her.

She feels the same about him.

Jake loves to do everything with his dad and his

big brother Jackson.

He is a funny little man but he

totally fits into our family

and we wouldn't know what to do without him.

It is hard to believe that he started

1st grade this year.

He loves school but his favorite parts are

lunch, recess and PE.

I am sure that he will have his

teacher wrapped around

his finger by the end of the month.

He has mastered that skill for sure!

xoxo

Boutique Season is here

2010-09-08T10:00:00.000-07:00

Can you believe that we are now in the 4th quarter of the year??

I can't!

That means that I become a weekend boutique crazed woman

selling this.

Don't get me wrong....I love this and I love selling this,

but what it means is that I need more crock-pot recipes!!

If you are in the Gilbert/Mesa area

check us out here.

Going Green

2010-08-31T16:09:00.000-07:00

It's official....

We are going green here at the Buntrock house.

And this company is helping us do it.

We are very excited about this.

I will have pictures coming soon

from my cleaning tests.

But until I do

please go

here

to read a great

review of

just some of the products

we are using.

Oh, and she is doing a giveaway too...

so read and register.

If you want to go green

lets talk.

Drama Queen

2010-08-20T21:59:00.000-07:00

Maddie just started 8th grade.

She loves musical theater, it's her thing.

Maddie has always been a drama queen,

but two years ago

we found out the girl can sing as well as act.

So last fall she was cast in

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat

and

this year she has been cast in Oliver.

It will be a great show.

Break a leg Maddie, we love you!!!

When did this happen?

2010-08-20T20:01:00.000-07:00

One week ago, we moved our oldest child into a her new home in downtown Phoenix. It was surreal to say the least.

I don't remember how we went from the little girl that

looked to us for everything

and

some one who is ready to make her

way in the world.

It seams like yesterday

we brought this little girl home from the hospital.

Haley

is our first to do everything, which sadly includes

leaving the nest.

It is great to see her go forward in her life, but

it is a little sad for our house,

as our family is changing.

We are so proud of you

and

we love you so much !!

Its time.

2010-08-09T13:50:00.000-07:00

Its time to get back on track.

Its time to start doing all the little things.

Its time for school to start.

Its time to stop watching Lost for 3 hours a day!!

Its time to give more service.

Its time to start working out again.

Its time to start blogging again.

Honestly, its just time!

Mt. Rushmore in July. Notice the person who took this photo forgot the monument!!

and sorry honey.....your eyes looks shut in all the pictures.

bittersweet..

2010-04-26T12:23:00.000-07:00

So it's been awhile. Lots of things have been going on in the House of Buntrock. Enjoy some of what has been happening around here.

Haley's senior prom was this past weekend. They looked so cute together and they had a great time to boot!

She looked so beautiful and grown up!

Jake loves coach pitch baseball! His skills on the field remind me of another son of mine.....

I love this son of mine. He is so good and he is good at a sport he loves. These are pictures from his last game as a Freshman. It's kind of bitter sweet. I remember when he was Jake's age playing coach pitch and now he is ready for High School ball. His last game as a Panther was awesome, he hit a cycle. If you don't know what that is, (I didn't either, btw) it's hitting a single, double, triple and a home run in one game

I wish him continued success in a game he loves. Go Torros!!

I have photographed these two together for 18 years. These girls are cousins that will graduate together in a month and then go off to different schools and experiences. Love you both!!

I haven't really thought about the changes that are coming to our house, but after taking the pictures of the girls yesterday, I was really emotional about it all.

I have been so blessed by the lives of my children.

and I am a little sad at the changes that are knocking on our door,

but my mom always said to be excited for the milestones in their lives, so

that is what I am trying to do.

Focus on them.

Easter re-cap

2010-04-12T17:00:00.000-07:00

Haley, Maddie and Jake color eggs

Grandma and Grandpa Mannes came for all the fun

Wii Just Dance is a crowd pleaser!!

Jake was pleased with the Easter Egg Hunt

Amy, Haley and my mom... love those girls!

I do love the spring time as it is a time of renewal for all of us. I am grateful for my Savior"s love and ultimate sacrifice for me.

I hope that you all had a great Easter weekend...

we sure did!!

Spring Break 2010

2010-03-30T10:59:00.000-07:00

After the wedding we headed to Mexico.

Food, Family and fun!

Life doesn't get any better than this.

we will miss the fun and games, but will return soon.

Beautiful Day

2010-03-12T09:04:00.000-08:00

My niece Alex got married yesterday and It was Beautiful!

The dress, the bride, and the weather, it couldn't have been better.

We love her and Daniel and

wish them the best!!

Here are some shots of the day....

News from Hope St.

2010-03-02T08:25:00.000-08:00

The Olympics were great. We are sad to have them over. But we are moving on, as time does. So we are ready for one of my favorite past times, Baseball. Not major league, but 9th grade. Jackson has waited for this opportunity for years and I think it is going to be a great season. This is Jackson sliding into home for the first run of the year. Let's go Panthers!!

Haley is still contemplating her college future, so no news yet. But she is getting close.

Shane was Pheasant hunting in Utah this past month and had a great time. Now if we could just get him to not want to eat what he shoots, the rest of us would be happy.

Maddy got to be Thing 2 last night for

under the stars at her old elementary school.

She was a great Thing 2!

And then the last big news I have is this picture of Jake. He lost his first tooth!! He was so excited for the tooth fairy to stop by our house!

lately...

2010-02-17T09:21:00.000-08:00

I am to busy watching this

and

this

to do this.

I will catch up later.

Go team U.S.A!!!

Show your lips how much you care

2010-02-01T10:54:00.000-08:00

Just Dance!

2010-01-26T06:30:00.000-08:00

The kids thought the Wii game Just Dance would be a great family thing to do for FHE (family home evening). Well they were right! It was really fun and I did get my cardio in for the day, which was an added bonus in my book.

We had a great time and we played for most of the night. It was humbling though to be schooled by this kid, my 5 year old. He out scored my dance moves the last three songs we played! I couldn't believe that I was beaten so badly by someone who I thought would have a hard time picking up this game.

Well I am going to practice while the kids are in school today so that I am ready to have a dance off tonight. Wish me luck!

Death in the family

2010-01-20T09:22:00.000-08:00

We had a death in the family yesterday.

While Jake was at school his new pet Ninja died. Ninja had been in our family for a short time, but he was a good fish. After tears were dried we went and picked out a new Ninja. He is very handsome (pictured here) and quite feisty for a Chinese fighting fish.

We hope for a longer life of Ninja 2.

January blues

2010-01-15T08:00:00.000-08:00

Already behind in my blogging...

why am I not surprised.

But I have been busy this week,

I don't know with what exactly.

My wheels seem to be stuck in the mud,

or I just can't find my mojo.

This must be the January blues,

even though I live in sunny Arizona.

Here is to 2010

2010-01-06T08:47:00.000-08:00

So basically I have been blogging less than half heartedly...

I need to do better if I am going to do this. Cause by nature, I am not a quitter!

So my goal is this, to post at least twice a week. That is my minimum(I hope).

I am going to start out this year by sharing with you my "I am" statement and one word I want to improve on for 2010. My partner gave me this idea (thanks Molly!!) This way I have not failed with my resolutions by the 23rd of this month. These are reminders of what I want to work on for the year.

Be Compassionate

I am reading my scriptures

I am giving Service

I am not a quitter

I am a Cosmetic success story

I am a good wife, mom and friend

Wish me luck!!

30 second round up

2009-12-15T07:37:00.000-08:00

Its been so long since my last post ( I need to do better in 2010). I am going to bring you up to speed in 30 seconds.

Jackson finished football

started basketball (love the 5:30am practices!)

Jake finished football

Maddy finished Joseph (she was wonderful!)

Haley went to Winter Formal

Haley and I went to New York City for our birthdays this month!

Did I say how fun it was?

It was great fun!!!

Our house was Christmastized and

just started my shopping today, 12/15/09.

Working on What's your Virtue (a little business we started) like crazy,

but loving every minute of it!!

Really enjoying my kids and husband!

Life is good,

I am so blessed!!

October flew by...

2009-11-11T15:23:00.000-08:00

I have one word to describe the past 30 days.....BUSY! I am not complaining, just stating a fact.

We had Grandparents from South Dakota the last week of October and here is sampling of what they got to do while they were here. It started with a final 9th grade football game, then a final fall baseball game, a pee-wee flag football game and finally we got to see Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat all before we carved pumpkins and trick or treated!

Maddy did such a great job in Joseph. She had worked so hard since early September. The show itself was wonderful and the performers were great! Jackson had a great football season and only got to play two baseball games due to his finger injury. He received the "tough nut" award from the football coaches. Not surprised by that.

We have had two local sales events for this and the first month has been really busy. Go to the web site and check out all that is happening on our blog.

I am thinking about Thanksgiving and Christmas. I can't believe how fast this past 6 months have gone. It is hard to believe that this is Haley's last round of Holidays at home. Next year at this time she will be a college student coming home for the Holidays. That is just CRAZY!

Here is a picture of our Mexico group. We had a really fun time even with the two injuries we incurred. We are beach lovers, plain and simple!

What's your Virtue?

2009-10-18T17:14:00.000-07:00

I would like to introduce you to six of my closest friends. I understand that they are lip glosses, but my partners and I have spent the last three years bringing these little ladies to the public.

They are smooth but not sticky, shiny but not alarming and most of all they are moisturizing beyond compare. The message that they convey is that we are all beautiful and that starts from within. Each one of us has virtues within us and this product line is just a reminder to be like the virtues found on these tubes.

You can purchase these on line here.

We do have a local show that we will be selling at this Saturday 10/24/09. The address of that show is 1809 E. Gary St. Mesa, AZ 85203. If you live in the Mesa area, this will be a great start to doing some holiday shopping. Everything in this sale is under $25 dollars! So don't be late!! For more information go here!

Homecoming and more

2009-10-05T21:03:00.000-07:00

Another year has flown by, like they all do, when you are my age. But honestly, it seems like Haley and I were shopping for the perfect dress last year and now we have done it again. There was no stress (honestly) involved this year. I think she picked the 6th dress she tried on. The stress came from the earrings..... go figure. Her date was Dan Kindt. They had a nice time and he brought her home early. Shane was thrilled.

Jackson has had a great football season so far. He has scored 2 TD's, rushed for lots of yards, dislocated his finger (still played) and has an all around great experience. That is him holding the ball.

Jake is playing flag football which is super cute and Maddy is in her first stage production of Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat. It opens Oct.28 and is at MCC's Theatre Outback. She is in the children's ensemble and has loved every minute of it. Pictures of these two will follow.

Life is Good!!

Top Ten list

2009-09-21T08:40:00.000-07:00

My top ten favorite things about our trip:

1. The weather. Anything beats 114 degrees

2. Picturesque views 24/7.

3. Seeing whales, seals, eagles and NO bears!

4. Having a balcony to sit outside and watch the ice burgs.

5. Playing cards, eating dinner, and touring Alaska with good friends.

6. Zipping through the trees 100 off the ground in Juneau.

7. Sleeping in

8. Spending time with Shane with no cell phones, clients or kids.

9. Hiking and then floating down a freezing river in Skagway.

10. Kayaking, catching a nasty fish and finding my boat, The Sara B.

I loved it and I would go back again. Here are some of my favorite photos from our trip.

Let's start planning the next trip!

-sara

Time flys

2009-08-19T18:41:00.000-07:00

I don't know where the time has gone, but since my last post we have survived Toro Football camp, girls camp, back to school shopping and Scout to name a few. Some of these items I listed have been easier than others to have survived.

It has been a long and short summer at the same time, if that is possible. It was short enough that we did not get a summer trip in. Which is the first time in a long time that we stayed home. But was long enough that everyone was ready to get back into school. This is a milestone year for each of us this year at our house.

Haley is a senior this year! We are very excited for her and kinda sad for us. Haley took two classes in summer school, to lessen her hourly load for her Senior year and to add to her GPA. She is a good student and is working hard at her academics even though she already announced to us that she has "senioritis" on the third day. She is busy trying to figure out what she will be doing next year as well as where she will be. It could be Utah, Idaho, California or even right here in Az. She is actively looking for a job for the year and a major for college. We love her and are very proud of her!!

Jackson is 14 and a freshman. Even though he is still in Jr. high (location), the grades count! He is a really good student and he is blossoming as a good athlete as well. Jackson decided to go out for football. His father is so proud and I am not so happy about it. He loves it and has not complained about any of the 6am summer practices, the weight training that followed or Toro Camp, otherwise known as hell week. He is loving seminary in school this year and is growing into a great young man. He is looking forward to an antelope hunt in Az and a pheasant hunt is SD later this fall. We love you!

Maddy is in 7th grade! I can't believe this. She is totally ready to be in Jr. high and has made a smooth transition so far even though some parts have been a little bumpy. Her schedule was totally changed on the 3rd day of school and then was changed back to her original schedule on the 6th day of school. Maddy hasn't even missed a beat and has taken the bobble in stride! We think Maddy might have a future in theater.....she is going to try out for a local musical. Keep your fingers crossed! We love you so much!

Jake started Kindergarten this year!!! He so far he loves it! He loves being the table captain because it means he is the boss of his table for the day. He has assured me that he is nice when he is the boss. I hope that is true! He loves being big like Jackson and the girls by going to school all day. He also is mister independent and wants to walk to and from his class by himself with no help he says, every morning. He is learning so much and is so proud of himself, which is great! Love you!!

Sara is home by herself everyday, now I don't want any of you to feel sorry for me, I will be just fine!! I know that some friends are worried that I will have too much free time and will not know how to best spend it. The kids think that I will be very lonely and will be depressed having so much free time to myself. Shane is worried that I will spend to much money going to lunch everyday with friends or shopping for the kids or the house. I think he would be ok with my spending if I told him I was going to The Bass Pro Shop.

In case there is any confusion, I am good, happy, excited, and ready for this next phase of my life.

Shane is having a much better 2009. In case you don't remember 2008 was a little bumpy for him and us. He has been to Alaska twice so far this year, both without me or the kids. He was bear hunting (got one) for a week and then he went to a funeral, but did get to experience Alaska when it is light at midnight. He also has an antelope hunt with Jackson and a trip to South Dakota on the books for this fall. He is very excited about taking Scout with to bird hunt with him this year. Hope she lives up to expectations! Love you!!

Scout is still very much a puppy in a big body. We are trying to break her before she breaks us. She has been swimming and chasing birds to get ready for pheasant, duck and whatever else they can find to hunt, hunt. We do love her, just not when she is digging in the garbage cans! But you have to admit, she is a cutie-patutie!!

Shane and I are celebrating 20 years of wedded bliss this month. We are doing an Alaska cruise. My first time in the area, his third! It should be a great time out of the heat! More on that later.

Sara

Wicked good!

2009-07-05T14:46:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that we are in the middle of summer vacation, six weeks done and six to go. Haley finished summer school with straight A's, Jackson had a great week at EFY in Flagstaff, Maddy was fabulous in musical theater, and Jake is working hard at becoming Michael Phelps. He loves being big enough to ride 4 houses down the street, by himself , to swimming lessons.

The girls and I went to see Wicked on it's opening night in Az. We are huge fans and we were not disappointed. We wanted to share this experience with the boys as well, but an All-Star baseball game got in the way. But Jackson had a great game and they won 13-3. Which means they have another game this week. Way to go boys!! But we are "wicked" through and through!!

One final news flash.... Jake learned to ride his bike without training wheels! Pictures to follow later.

Nothing but a bear

2009-06-10T16:54:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that it has been two months since my last post, my bad. I guess blogging just hasn't been my main focus as of late. It seems like the last two months have gone super fast and super slow are the same time. I know that is impossible, but that is the best way to explain.

Shane has been gone alot, for work and for sheer pleasure (he must have a good wife). I had the task of being a single parent for almost three weeks starting with his trip to Alaska for bear hunting and some fishing and ending with a second trip to Detroit for business. Some of us in the house have said in the past,"When Shane goes hunting, he brings back nothing".
That was what I was hopping for, but here is what I got....

Shane has promised a bear skin rug and not the full body mount. We have had a standing rule of no animals in the house except domesticated animals of course. After 20 years of marriage (we had our anniversary o5-27) I gave in, but with strong conditions. So I am starting to gather ideas for a new bedroom addition or a new addition in front of our fireplace. If you have ideas please advise.

So I did say that we had an anniversary but we aren't celebrating until later in the summer. But Shane was gone for it.....Young mens encampment (boys camp). That led into my second week of single motherhood. But Jackson had a great time and Shane was in charge of the shooting range (go figure), so he was in heaven. We girls and Jake got really used to a quiet house but we did come to miss them both. After a last quickie trip to Detroit, I officially handed the kids over to Shane for 3 hours of AT (alone time). I asked for two weeks but I took what I could get.

We are now flying thru summer at super sonic speed. Summer school, musical theater, swim lessons, jump start Jr. High, football practice, baseball hitting practice, weight training and All Star baseball practice and games and EFY. I am exhausted. I need to go lay down after I put gas in my car.

Anniversary

2009-04-16T16:21:00.001-07:00

April 17, 2008, I found myself on the way to the hospital to find out what happened to Shane. I had just been told of the plane crash but had very few details.

I have been taken back at times to the images of peoples faces upon hearing the news, of telling my kids what happened to their dad and the uncertainty of so much. I remember many of the sounds of the hospital, some I hope to never hear again. I think of the feelings I had of being truly overwhelmed at every front..... being a mom to our 4 kids, being there for my best friend who needed me and honestly the worst was having to take care of the bills. Who really likes to do that? But also trying to imagine how our lives were going to change from that day forward.

We have seen changes over the past year, but I can't say they have all been bad. I have learned the importance of letting things go, meaning that I spent way to much time worrying about things that honestly didn't matter. It feels as if we (immediate family) like each other better and really like hanging out with one another. Trust me this is not perfect but I have liked the marked improvements. Plus Shane gained a few more mother hens to watch over him and make sure that there is not to much risk taking by him. Which I am sure he doesn't totally appreciate.

I remember having incredible support at every single turn! So many people, so much food and so many prayers in Shane's (our) behalf. I felt every one. They carried me from that first day forward. So much service was given, I can't say thank you enough! Many blessings/miracles came our way for which I am eternally grateful to my Father in Heaven.

This also marks a year anniversary of blogging. I can't believe that I have kept this up for a year!!!! I just gave myself a pat on the back..... I am not a great writer, but I am trying to improve. It has been therapeutic to re-read all that has happened to us this past year. We spent our anniversary day celebrating life and it was a great day. Let's see what the second year brings us, shall we?

2009-03-25T20:24:00.000-07:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Our March madness

2009-03-22T21:04:00.000-07:00

I am amazed at how fast the past month has gone. We hosted the dinner for Sadie's in our back yard. We spent weeks getting ready for this two hour event. I wish I wasn't such a procrastinator! But the kids had a great time and we got some things done around the house. So it was a win, win for all involved.

Jackson turned 14 on March 6th. He shares his birthday with my mom. We had the family over for treats. So we started a new family tradition, cinnamon rolls instead of cake. Thanks to Jessie! But honestly, they are the best rolls on this earth and everyone loves them so they are a real treat. I don't think there was one roll left. It is amazing to me that my son will be leaving on his mission (for the church) in 5 years! I can't believe how fast he has grown up. He is a great young man.

We then got ready for Shane's parents to come and visit for a week. They came to Mexico with us for spring break. We had a great time and the beach is alway one of our favorite places to spend time together. I will post pictures in a slideshow of our past adventures.

Life is good, I am blessed.

family time

2009-03-03T08:52:00.000-08:00

It is hard to believe that we have been back from vacation for almost a week. I guess it is time for me to finish unpacking today. But before I do take care of that task, I thought I would post a few pictures from our Disneyland get away. I think we ruined Jake's idea of fun rides when we started off at Space Mountain. As a family, we decided not to split up any more than we needed to, so Jake went on the ride, as he is tall enough. He was a good sport, but after that ride he asked if every ride was super fast, super scary or super dark.

But other fears were conquered this trip..... everyone (but Jake) did Screamin at California Adventure and we got Jake to go on Grizzly River even after he was terrified after Splash Mountain. So our two days at Disney ended on a high note. But the just of the hole trip was for each of us to remember that our family is awesome and that we can have fun together. It was almost magical......

happiest place on earth, besides our home.

2009-02-21T08:17:00.000-08:00

We are going here,

to do this,

this,

and this!

Don't be jealous, just wish us well. A special thanks to all those who make this trip possible! Thanks for keeping an eye on the girls (genna & scout). xoxox

blessings

2009-02-09T14:28:00.000-08:00

I guess that I really don't have much to post about family wise other than my mom is doing really good and has been super chatty the past couple of visits. I have learned many things about her that I didn't know. I feel so blessed to be able to visit with her sometimes late into the night. I do miss her thought provoking visits around my kitchen table, the talks over folding clothes and some of my favorite conversations were as walked at the mall. But I still enjoy listening to her voice as she talks about her youth. I know that it sounds crazy, but I do miss my mom!

But I don't want to feel sorry for myself today so I thought I would just mention some of the blessings in my life......My husband, Haley, Jackson, Maddy, Jake and Jessie. My family. The roof over my head, food to feed my family and clothes (to many for most) for one and all. My friends...I have great friends! My health and the health of my family. Shane's job. Living in a safe neighborhood. My faith. My Savior. Scout and Jenna. Miracles. Living in a free land and having a great life!

2009-02-02T13:33:00.000-08:00

Another dance has come and gone. We were able to pull this one off in just two weeks with very little stress for those who were involved. I am not going to lie....Haley's dress was beautiful on her though the pictures don't quite do it justice. She looked so grown up. The old Hollywood glamour look worked for her. She loved it. She had a great time and of course they are already working on Sadie's (another girl ask boy) and Haley has decided that she really needs a job!

As for our house we were a house divided. Half cheered or the Cardinals and the other half new the Cards would get beat. I am sorry to report that half of us were right. I know that some of you real Card fans will be dissapointed with this post, but we knew the inevitable was going to happen. But it really was a good game and truly the Card's have nothing to be ashamed of, they played a good game.

I also have great news to announce....Scout is house broken!!!!

Need I say more.

Super Scout, super dress and super fast month

2009-01-24T09:11:00.000-08:00

Wow, has this month gone by fast. I am not sure really why or what I have been doing other than house braking Scout, working on the winter formal check list.....my only thing to do is to write a check for everything on the list. Haley was a hold out until a week ago when she decided to ask someone. So we went into a dress frenzy to find that "perfect" dress and we hit the jackpot on the second day. At first glance I thought we would get out of this pretty resonably, so keep your fingers crossed for me.

As for Scout, she, I thought was really close to being house broken this past week, but the last two days have been the worst so far. I hope I can remain patient and not move her out of the house. But Jake can't get enough of her. He is still able to carry her, so to her sometimes dislike, he carries her everywhere. He sleeps with her, drives her in his truck, plays tug of war with her and just won't give her a minutes peace. But all the kids love her and want to hold and cuddle with her.

Jackson also had his first experience being in a club baseball tournament. It was out at Big League Dreams, which is really cool but really expensive, like a real big league game. Overall, he had a great time though his team lost both games Saturday and didn't advance in the tournament. Sorry the picture is fuzzy, no flash aloud. He also started his basketball season as well last Saturday and lets just say they got off to a rough start. I am sure that I will have more highlights later in the season.

The other major thing going on in our house is all of the talk of Jr. High registration. Madison can't wait to get into Jr. high and that is all she talks about. Jackson assures her that it is really no big deal, but nonetheless her enthusiasm is not waining.

construction zone

2009-01-16T08:51:00.000-08:00

I thought today would be a great day to revamp my blog, so I started moving, then deleting and then before I knew it, my blog was mostly bare. So I started looking for replacement parts. I looked and looked and looked. And as you can tell I found nothing. I spent way to much time on this today and my blog is still bare! So I do appologize for the nakedness but until I find some cute things to add, she is what she is. So if any of you readers have any cute fixin's for my blog please advise.

What a year old and new

2009-01-05T10:07:00.000-08:00

I have been contemplating the year past and thinking of what lies ahead for 2009. I really do wish I had a crystal ball for this year to come, but I am content to look ahead and not look back. Not going to lie, 2008 was a hard year, at best. With Shane's accident, my mom's health issues, family issues and business issues, I guess one could say that I have plenty of issues!! So the best advice I have given myself is to take one issue at a time and not to stress over the many things that I have no control over. Let's see if I take my own advice...

I do know that I would have had the strength to deal with all that stuff without a few people....My Savior, my family, my friends, my faith, and my ward family. Thank you one and all, you make me a better person! Our family motto for this coming year is "It will be fine in 2009" and I truly hope that our trials will be a little less this year.

We continued our New Years Day tradition of a crab leg feast. This is the third year that we have done this and I have to say this was the most fun yet. We decided to carry on the tradition another year and to add personalized bibs and a mallet for all that dine. The food was tremendous and let's just say there was lots of it.

can't believe that we ate 14 lbs of crab....it wasn't just me, but there were 13 others.

to top the night off , Jackson and cousins even did the dishes. I am truly loved!!!

But I would have to say that for the kids the most exciting part of the new year was being able to pick up our newest family member. Scout came home Jan. 3rd and

just say that the kids have been home more than I expected. She is a German Shorthair Pointer and is 7 weeks old. Scout is actually a Christmas gift for Shane. We thought with the year he had, there was no need to continue putting it off for the right time. We thought the right time was now.... although, I have forgotten the sleepless nights and potty training. She will be a great addition to our family and will be a great hunting companion for Shane, Jackson and someday Jake.

And lets face it, the photo ops will be great. So we have joined the ranks of being an owner of dogs not a dog. So hopefully Jenna will play nice with Scout. But Jake says, "she is the cutest darn thing, even though she bites sometimes".

Merry Christmas to all...a few days late

2008-12-26T11:30:00.000-08:00

Do you hear what I hear? The quiet after Christmas sounds....content children! It feels so good to have nothing to check off my to do list today. I get to just enjoy having the kids home and a good movie with holiday left overs! Woohoo!!

Since my last post we have celebrated two birthdays, a surprise visitor and Christmas. Haley had her 17th birthday on Dec. 18th. Wow, it is hard to believe that our little girl is almost grown and thinking about college. We had a family dinner with some of the cousins but all of my siblings, spouses and my dad. It was really fun and the food was great! But most importantly we got a recent photo of the five siblings together for us but also to give to my mom. My brother Dave (second from r) came from South Dakota as a surprise Christmas gift to my parents. We had a really fun 52 hours together.

I had my birthday a couple of days after Haley's. Of course I am not 17, but non the less I had a great day. I opened my presents with my kids present and giddy and much to my surprise, Shane and the kids got me my very own computer. I have been a very good girl! I no longer have to log off of their stuff to get to mine, or have my pictures on three different computers, or have to wait for them to finish up their stuff. I feel as though I am a grown up now. I love my new mac book!

Christmas eve we spent with Shane's aunt and uncle and cousins in Scottsdale and had a really nice night that included a visit from Santa, who had gifts for the kids. We got this cute little photo opp with Santa and Bolt. Then we came home and got ready for Santa to come to our house... Jake sprinkled reindeer food in the front yard for the sleigh pullers and then of course he left three cookies on Santa's plate. Everything he did must have worked because every child was very happy with their Christmas!

We are incredibly blessed this Christmas to have our health, to know the real reason for the season, and to have our family here, together. I am eternally grateful to my Father in Heaven and to my Savior, Jesus Christ, for the countless blessings in my life.

Talking about blessings, that brings to mind one of Jake's gifts..... an Ipod shuffle (thanks gpa Mannes). Since he opened up this gift and had "His" music downloaded, which includes all of 7 songs. We find him asleep with his music still playing. Grandpa, I can't thank you enough!

We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Tablecloth of thanks

2008-12-07T14:08:00.000-08:00

The kids and I had a very nice Thanksgiving with our family and friends. In all there were 19 of us eating dinner. The meal was fantastic and so was the company.
Nine years ago when we had our first Thanksgiving in Az., two of my cousins and their spouses came to our home from out of state for Thanksgiving. We had so much fun with them and started our longest running tradition....we wanted all who had dinner with us to sign their name and mention something that they were grateful for that year. We used the same cloth every year until this year. I am not sure if it was by accident or coincidence that this year we needed a new tablecloth, due to the old one being full. Our new cloth has many of the same things that we were and are grateful for but family and Dad(Shane) were especially high on the list. It was sad not having Shane with us for the holiday but, I found myself thinking how blessed we are that we still have him with us. Even my mom was with us and signed the cloth as she has done before. We welcomed new friends to this tradition and the rest(including kids)remembered with laughter some of the signings of the past nine years. We spent most of the meal laughing.

Speaking of Shane, he was living one of his dreams by looking for the biggest set of elk antlers he could find in northeastern Az. He has patiently(somewhat)waited to be drawn for a super elk hunt and as luck would have it, he gets drawn this year. So we all encouraged him to go and bring us back an elk. But by looking at the picture to your left, nature is huge and I think the elk have a really big advantage! So after hunting for 3 days then a trip to D.C. for a 15 minute oral argument then 2 more days of hunting and very little sleep. I am sad to report that Shane's dream will continue, no elk was taken on this hunt.
So now I am starting to panic about this.....

breaking the block

2008-11-24T14:11:00.000-08:00

I guess that I hit my first bout of bloggers block. It could be that nothing has happened to write about or that the steam has run out of my blogger or that I have been so busy that I haven't taken the time to read my email let alone blog. Honestly, it is the third option! Some of you might think that I still am having some post election blues, but I have moved on.
So what is happening at the house of Buntrock? Well Shane is leaving this Wednesday to elk hunt. Yes, you read that right. The man survives a plane crash, 3rd degree burns on his lower half of his body and 60 days in the hospital and yet he still wants to do a once in a lifetime elk hunt 7 months after this accident. We all are a little nervous about him going on a hunting trip but the one item that gives us some comfort is that he is not flying!! So he will be gone for his birthday and Thanksgiving(same day). Then he leaves for Washington D.C. on Monday to get home Wednesday.
I was in S. California last week for some What's your Virtue? business. We even ate lunch at the Bright Spot Cafe and saw Mark Ruffalo eating lunch. He was in 13 going on 30. It was a very positive trip and I will write more on this later.
Then last Friday morning, Madison, Haley, myself and two of Maddy's friends skipped school and went to see Twilight. I didn't love the two books that I read in the series, but I did really enjoy the movie. I would have to say that maybe my neck might belong to Edward.....

moving forward....

2008-11-07T09:33:00.000-08:00

Ok, I am not going to lie. I was disappointed by the outcome of the Presidential campaign. It has taken me a couple of days to gather my thoughts about the changes coming to our country. It was a truly historic moment in time to have the first African American voted into office, but I wish I agreed with more of his policies. I am an American and I will give him the chance to be President. So for now, the only things I can do are 1. pray for him 2. pray for my country 3. pray for peace. It seems as though I will be very busy praying, but I will not have fear moving forward (just less money...).

Fhe, cookies & trick or treating

2008-11-04T12:27:00.000-08:00

I will apologize for the lengthy post that follows....Last Monday night the sister missionaries came over with an investigator and her daughter for Family Home Evening (FHE). Jessie gave a great lesson on Service and then we moved into the kitchen and decorated some of the best looking cookies and then delivered them around the neighborhood..

door bell ditching cookie deliveries (the kids favorite part). Above is Sister T.(hard name to say), Jessie, Shannon, Sister Harper, me and Haley. We all had our inner decorator come to the surface, some more than others, but all in all we had a great time. Thanks to the sisters for the opportunity to have a great family in our home!

Wednesday night Maddy and I had a mother daughter Halloween dinner, in costume no less. It was really fun and dinner was really good! Thanks to Ruth for all of her hard work with the achievement day girls. There will be a photo posted when I have it. But here was my cute mime, without all of her makeup(easier to eat dinner with). But I have to say that her costume idea was super cute and she pulled it off as only Maddy could. She even stayed in character all night while trick or treating, she did not speak a single word! Jake had a great time and he would say that trick or treating is his favorite holiday. He had a party at school on Thursday, that included super cute parade(see below).

But I loved the bat man pose that Jake made every time I took a picture. He loved everything about his costume and about being bat man for one night. He has already started talking about his costume for next year. It was a successful Halloween all around.

Halloween party pictures

2008-10-29T22:56:00.000-07:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

one of those weeks.....

2008-10-29T16:36:00.000-07:00

I don't know where the week has gone. I havn't been able to find time to blog at all and frankly I am starting to have signs of withdrawl.....anxiousness, frustration and craving chocolate bite size candy bars. Oh, wait that could just be the signs of having to come up with halloween costumes for my kids in the 11th hour. But in all seriousness Maddy and I have a mother daughter dinner tonight that I have been running all over town for today, and we will be in costume. So I will post pictures of us later.

But onto older but still important Buntrock news. First, I need to take a moment for my two hunters that hunted so hard but still came up empty handed in Jackson's elk hunt. After 4 full hunting days and lots of hiking with no elk in site they came home and decided to call if quits. They will try again next year and Shane is still looking forward to his in late November. But isn't Jackson cute in camo?

Shane and I went to an Adult only Halloween Party that was hosted by Molly & Tim Decrow and Cami & Tyler Wright. It was a ton of fun!! All of the couples were in costume and they were funny and really good. Of course I would have to say that the McCain/Palin team won the political division hands down, though there were two other couples as the Presidential hoefulls I was the only one who used a wig. So that should be worth something.....Thanks to the hosts for all of their work for a spooktacular evening!! I hope you enjoy the pictures.

Happy Haunting

PR finale and elk

2008-10-20T14:54:00.000-07:00

So we got everything put away from our Mexico trip and slowly started getting into our real lives now that our vacation was over. We had the usual school day routine Monday, tennis after school, FHE that night and moved on to Tuesday. Tuesday was much like Monday, in fact I really can't remember much of what happened on Tuesday(early Alzheimer's I'm sure). So Wednesday came and I started getting that feeling of looking forward to something.....Its the Project Runway Season 5 finale!!! I get that some of you may think of me differently now , but before you really pass judgment on me, know that this is the only real thing I watch on TV. Sad isn't it.
But it was fun watching it with some of the other Runway junkies that I know. We all were rooting for Kenley to get beat(she did) and after that we pretty much didn't care who won. The food and conversation was the real winner....thanks ladies!

Shane and Jackson left last Thursday morning to go hunt one of these, except with no horns. The hunters started hunting Friday am and saw nothing that even looked like an elk until they closed camp Sat. evening. But my hunters are not quitters, they went back out to hunt today and tomorrow. We at home base are keeping our fingers crossed that Jackson gets his elk and that I can find a home for all of the meat! But nonetheless, we are hoping that they have a great hunt and got to spend some real quality time together in the woods.

Puerto Penasco

2008-10-13T22:50:00.001-07:00

Rocky Point was a great time!! I have been luke warm on the whole Mexico thing up to this point. Shane had been the one pushing this relationship on me. But, I have to say that I am having a change of heart for this place. We had some problems with our solar power and had electricity about half of the time. I will admit that I was not super happy about that at the time, but I find myself looking for another weekend to go back. And I am even thinking if I would drive down by myself for a weekend maybe with with some friends or with my kids. So I would have to say that I am officially hooked on Mexico....well Rocky Point that is.

One thing that made the trip so fun was traveling with my sister Amy and with Jessie. I hope they had as much fun with us as we had with them. I am sure that it will be a trip that they won't forget soon, but they did say that they would come back even without electricity.

Some highlights of the trip were... seeing a whale bone wash up on shore.....watching the Office(season 1&2) for the first time.....seeing amazing waves at the beach......and just having a great time with people that I love the most!

I thought I would save you from a dreadful amount of photos that some of you may not want to see of our trip, so my good friend Jessie showed me how to do this cool slide show.....thanks Jessie!! So enjoy the show

2008-10-13T22:48:00.001-07:00

What a weekend

2008-10-06T09:40:00.000-07:00

It was a busy weekend at our house with everything from a double header baseball game, General Conference, Shane's date night with Maddy, and the usual laundry, housecleaning and errands.

But truthfully, it was all about Haley and Homecoming. Saturday after the baseball games we ran to get the finishing touches for the dress. We just happened to get to the MAC counter at the right time and got an opening to get her make-up done.....whew!! Which made the rest of the afternoon not so stressful for all involved. But I think everything turned out beautifully! And most importantly Haley loved her dress, shoes, custom made headband(thanks Becky!), her corsage, her makeup, her pedicure and everything else that went into this day that I might have missed. We did get some great photo ops.... like with Dad, and with grandpa and grandma, but the photo of the night

was with Haley and her date Tate Webster. Tate used to live down the street from us until about two years ago when they moved. We have known Tate and his family for years, so it was really fun to see how they have grown up and are still friends. Haley said they had a really fun night from start to finish.

They are so cute!

meetings

2008-09-29T07:45:00.000-07:00

We are on the final push for Homecoming, the dance is this Saturday. We have the dress, shoe and extensions(which Haley said is a must for every girl), but we still have to nail down a hair design, jewelry and of course nails and make-up. I hope that we can buy groceries when this is all done(just kidding). I told Shane to look on the bright side....we get to do this again in just 2 1/2 months for winter formal. For those of my friends with girls....start saving now!
All kidding aside, Haley, Jake and I met my mom, dad and Amy at the mall. It was great to have my mom out for the day, she had a great time! We did find shoes and they were a great deal. Shane and Jackson met some hunting buddies and went shooting to get ready for elk season and Maddy was babysitting. Then I met Shane at Jackson's baseball game, which they came from behind and won at their last at bat. Way to go boys!!!
`Then I went to Womens Conference(church broadcast, sorry I don't know how to link that up yet) with some friends. The broadcast was great.
Afterwards, I had the pleasure of meeting Stephanie Nielson's mom, two sisters and a cousin. For those of you who don't recognize the name, Stephanie and her husband Christian were in a plane crash August 16th of this year. You might imagine how close to home this was for our family to hear of this accident. We have followed their progress by blog. I visited with them for a few minutes and we agreed to visit Sunday after church and they would have the chance to visit with Shane. I hope it was helpful to them to see someone who survived and is at home getting back into life. Our hearts go out to both families. We pray for them and think of their struggles often but they are a strong family and strongly planted in the gospel. They are a great example to me.

my mom

2008-09-19T23:22:00.000-07:00

It is amazing to me how things have changed in such a short amount of time ( 1 year). Last summer we went to the 1st ever Gibby (mother's side) reunion in Park City. All but 4 family members where able to make it. We had a great time and we even got a pretty good family photo out of it.

It is sad to me how quickly my mother has changed since this photo was taken. But the one thing that hasn't changed is how much I love and admire her. I am so grateful for her and all she has done for me and my family.

I don't think that she ever thought she had done anything wonderful or super special, but I know that because of her never giving up her beliefs most of her posterity is active in the church(LDS). It was not easy taking 5 kids to church every Sunday by herself. Or teaching early morning Seminary to just one child because she wanted to make sure that the one got some of the blessings from seminary. But she did it without complaint, that was my mom.

I have reflected much these past few months since Shane's accident, her hip surgery and having to place her in a care home. I keep coming back to the same feeling of, I don't know how I would have survived the crash and everything since without the gospel in my life. Because of her sacrifices, I know that my Savior knows and loves me, that my family can be an eternal family and that we need to have faith and not be afraid to use it. But most importantly, I know that prayers are heard and answered.

I have been so blessed by my mom.

Cloudy Day!

2008-09-08T13:39:00.000-07:00

I love these kind of days in AZ. I thought what a great day to do laundry, clean the house, steam my floors and the like. Then the sun came out and took away all of my cloudy day dreams as it was too hot for major house work....so I decided to get caught up on my blog.
Some of you might notice my newest addition on the side of my blog(c me read c jane). A husband and wife in our area were in a small plane crash in mid August. This has been too close to home as you might imagine. Our prayers are with the entire family as they heal in every direction! If you would like to see what an impact one person can have in the world, I invite you to read up on this amazing woman and family.
Here is my winning hand in Texas Hold'em. I wish I could explain why I won. What I can tell you is that literally I was down to my last mint when I won the kitty. Dave, Bruce, Carrie, Sam, Amy, Shane and I played for mints instead of money, so that everyone would be on their best behavior, with no cheating and good feelings at the end. Other than a few people who ate their neighbors betting mints, we had a great time.
Dave & Co. (Lisa, Spencer and Ryan) came for Labor Day weekend to see my mom and dad. It just was luck or bad timing that she fell and fractured her hip and needed surgery the same time as they were here. They did get to spend some quality time with both of them. I was reflecting over that weekend how, I had started the summer with Shane in rehab and finished the summer with my mom in rehab. Needless to say it has been quite a year so far. I am looking forward to 2009!
We have added a new addition to our house.......
Jessie Merrill has moved in with us and will be with us till the end of the year or so. The kids are thrilled to have her back in the house and she is a joy to have around. We love her and feel honored that she would want to live in the zoo, we call home.

Greetings from Hawaii

2008-08-29T15:14:00.000-07:00

Shane's sister Heather came and visited this past week. She arrived with some of our favorite treats from the island....we love her!! She was so excited to see Shane without all of the hospital parifanalia going every which way, since the last time she saw him was 4-23-08. Heather was only here for five days but we found the time to get the really important things in, like eating out and shopping! We did even get to cousin Heidi's house for cake and ice cream since Isabelle turned 1yr. old. Most of Heidi's family was there so it was a really nice visit with extended family.
Our week was going relatively smooth until ex rays of my mom's hip came back positive with a hip fracture, meaning surgery. So Monday evening we were at the hospital waiting for a room. Followed by Tuesday waiting for her surgery which happened at about 7pm. Wednesday was spent in the hospital spending time visiting with Grammy, as Jake calls her and with Dave (my brother), Lisa, Spencer and Ryan....the two cousins from SD. Today, we found a great rehab hospital for her to recuperate in. I am ready to spend some time outside of Hospitals!

oops... forgot the pictures

2008-08-12T15:33:00.000-07:00

Top is Haley then Jake
Bottom is Jackson and Maddy, all on the first day of school 8-11-08

A new school year begins....

2008-08-12T15:03:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite commercials a few years ago was "It's the most wonderful time, of the year." I think it was done by Staples, but it could have been Wal-mart. This was not at Christmas time but at the beginning of school. Now, don't get me wrong, I love my kids and I really enjoy the summer with them home but I was ready for all of us to get into a schedule again. Life has been a bit bumpy for awhile so getting a little more scheduled will feel good, I hope.
It is hard to believe that Haley is a junior in high school, Jackson is in 8th grade, Madison is in 6th grade and Jake is in real pre-school this year. No more play school for him. Although, Jake is feeling a bit slighted because his school doesn't start until after Labor Day. No major malfunctions were reported for the first day, but we started another list of what is needed for the year. Haley was a Toro Link Leader on the first day which meant that she got to help students find their way to classes if they were lost. Jackson was able to find all of his classes, no worries, he assured us, and he knows everybody in the 8th grade! Maddy was supposed to be on live TV to give morning announcements for tech club at school, but they were not quite ready on Monday. So all in all life is good and we are so blessed!

A trip to the beach

2008-08-03T21:23:00.000-07:00

We thought a change of scenery might be a good thing, so with a little bit of planning and a lot of luck we went to San Diego the last week of July. We planned a couple of days at the beach, some school shopping and a day at Sea World. It was great to be at the beach. The waves were great for boogie boarding, body surfing and wave jumping but it was overcast and windy, so it was a bit chilly for us Arizoner's. But we stayed most of the day and had so much fun that we went back for a second day. It was equally as fun but the kids said that it wasn't Mexico. I think all of the advertising Shane has put out there for Rocky Point is starting to stick with the kids....way to go Shane. But one thing I know for sure is that our kids love the beach no matter where it is.
While we were there Jake met some new friends... Slimy, Sasquach, and Little Foot(left to right). He played with his snail friends all afternoon and drug them all over the yard. He was sad that we couldn't bring them home but he loves this picture of them. There was lots of swimming. Night swimming, day swimming, swimming in just the hot tub and of course swimming at the beach. I think we should be good until fall break!
Sunday we went to church in Del Mar and then we spent some time on the San Diego Temple grounds. We all agreed that it was a beautiful place to send some time together. The last leg of our trip was a day with Shamu. As you can imagine some were more excited about this day than others. But when the day was done, all had a great day. Jake by far was the most excited about everything, but really liked being down in Shamu's house. But we were all a little disappointed in not getting soaked in the soak zone at the whale show. Although, no one smelled like a fish during the ride home. -sara

Life started again...

2008-08-03T20:07:00.000-07:00

It is somewhat hard to believe that it has been 6 weeks since Shane came home from the hospital. Time has gone by pretty fast most days. The daily care for his legs has gone down to about an hour, which is good news for all involved. He continues to improve. Not as quickly as he/we would like but we are grateful for his progress and we continue to give thanks for all of our miracles.
I have kinda enjoyed the whole blog thing, so with many words of encouragement, from many others, I am going to change our update blog to a family what's going on blog. I hope you enjoy.

-sara

Finally . . . an Outpatient

2008-06-20T22:17:00.000-07:00

I was able to come home on Saturday the 14th after 58 days and nights in a hospital bed. I am home for good and made my goal to be home by Father's Day. Saturday, I watched Madison sing with MCC's musical theater group. She was wonderful. I was able to attend church with my family for Father's Day then we barbecued later that day. My kids said that this was their favorite Father's Day that they could remember. Mine too. It feels great to be home and to have all of us together. It has been a long road with many blessings along the way.

It has been a busy week with with many adjustments and I have a long recovery ahead. However,I truly enjoy sleeping in my own bed. I forgot how soft it was. I am adjusting to physical therapy as an outpatient. The kids are doing great. Jake is glad his Dad is home but asks when I have to go back to the hospital. Sara is doing great as my "charge nurse." I wold not be where I am without her and have been amazed by her strength.

I would like to thank all of you who have brought meals in, sent cards, visited, prayed and fasted for us. The outpouring of love for my family has been overwhelming and humbling. I have enjoyed hearing from so many of you and look forward to seeing you again.

Signing off...
Shane

"There's no place like home"

2008-06-07T09:15:00.000-07:00

Dorothy said it best.

This Thursday I was able to convince my doc (she is a pushover) of my need for another outing. I had dinner at home with my family. It was wonderful. Sara made one of my favorites, shrimp linguine. Madison has taken on the role of gardener this year and I had some garden ripened tomatoes too. They were delicious. Jessie's fabulous cinnamon and caramel rolls were dessert. I went to Jackson's baseball game that night. It was fun to watch them play and see family and friends. The boys did not play their best and finished second. They had a good season though.

Life in rehab has its ups and downs. I am grateful to go home in less than 2 weeks. I see people here in rehab that have been here 5 months. I could not do that. On a high note I am able to walk with a stick (some call it a cane) and was able to pedal an exercise bike. The stiffness and pain in my right knee had prevented this until Thursday.

I can't wait to be home. After my visit home Jake told Sara the next day that "I want Dad to live with us again." Those things make it easy to work hard in recovery.

Thanks for all your prayers, visits and comments on the blog.

More later

Shane

Field Trip

2008-06-03T13:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a banner day. I was able to leave the hospital on a "pass". I ate dinner at home with my family. It felt good to be home even for an hour or two. I went to Jackson's baseball game at Gene Autry Field. We had a family and friend gathering at the field. Sara's brother, sisters, nieces, nephews and parents came to the game. It was awesome. It was great to see and smell the baseball field. Jackson's team won and the boys gave me a game ball signed by all of them. It was great to watch them play and see family and friends. I slept great last night. I made sure the docs knew that.

Jackson's team plays Thursday for the championship and I already got the green light to go. The doctors set a discharge date for June 18. It is three days past my goal of being home by Father's Day weekend but I will take it.

More later

Shane

A note from Suite 102

2008-06-01T20:23:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delay from the last post. Time flies when your havin' fun in Rehab. Overall I am improving every day. Our goal is to be home by Father's Day weekend. My doctors did not agree or disagree with the date. They did say last week that it may be another 3-4 weeks. It will depend on how fast my legs heal and getting me more mobile. My legs look good but there are still a few open spots the grafts did not cover. The docs say that the open spots will fill in with my own skin. I feel stronger and am able to walk fairly well with a walker. My feet and calf muscles are still swollen and the docs changed my leg dressings to help alleviate the swelling. So far the swelling has not changed much. I am going to see if I can get a pass tomorrow to go to Jackson's baseball game. We will see. I look forward to being home soon. Thanks for all your visits, posts on the blog and prayers.

More later

Shane

The Power of Cake

2008-05-28T19:53:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, May 27, Sara and I celebrated our 19th anniversary. We had a steak dinner in my room and I baked a german chocolate cake earlier in the day. It was part of my therapy as I had to stand in the kitchen to mix it up, frost it and do the dishes. Sara and the kids said it was very good and they were impressed that Dad actually baked a cake.

Yesterday they hauled me back to Maricopa County Hospital for a "check up" on my burns. I was not very excited to return to "county." Although the burn center and surgeons are some of the best in the country the wound care at Health South is wonderful. The good news is that the folks at county agreed that my burns are healing very nicely and were happy with what they saw.

I am working hard in physical therapy and have three hours every day. Thanks for all your visits, kind words and prayers. They are a great support. More Later . . .

Shane

Back in the Saddle

2008-05-26T21:36:00.000-07:00

Today was a good day. I got back into my therapy routine after three days off. I had three hours of physical therapy today, I did lots of stretching and walking. Tomorrow I go back to county hospital for a check up with my burn doctors, I am not looking forward to going back, but this is part of the process. They need to evaluate my wounds. Thanks for the continued prayers and support. More later....

Shane

Sunday Afternoon

2008-05-25T15:46:00.000-07:00

Our family together

2008-05-24T13:43:00.000-07:00

Jake's birthday was yesterday, and he turned 4! We had cake and opened some gifts, thanks to B&H&R for all of the birthday fun. We took a quick minute to snap a shot of all of us together, and I have so say, we look pretty good. Shane's surgery went well and he started a new round of blood thinners to break up the clots, so we will see how they work. He is hoping that therapy will re-start on Monday without any other delays.

His legs have improved so much over the past 10 days, they are nothing short of a miracle. Thank you, for the prayers for Shane, and our family!
-sara

35 days out

2008-05-22T21:39:00.000-07:00

Today started out like any other day, breakfast, bandage change and therapy. About half way into therapy I had to have an ultra sound to check for blood clots in my legs. Unfortunately, I have at least one in each leg. My doctor is putting me on a higher dose of blood thinner. My doctor is also going to a have a vein filter inserted tomorrow afternoon. This will stop any clot that may move from entering my lungs. I am also getting a blood transfusion tonight to help with my anemia. It feels like I am taking two steps backwards today. However, it is good that they found the clot. I will be back in the normal routine in a day or two.

Thanks for your prayers and kind words

Love

Shane

Wednesday May, 21st

2008-05-21T20:36:00.000-07:00

Great to hear from all of you. I enjoy your thoughts and kind words. Today was a busy day. They took all my staples out of my legs today. I think the graft stapler at Maricopa was trigger happy. I was able to walk 500+ feet today with the assistance of a walker. My sweet wife brought me Tia Rosa's for dinner. The salmon taco and chips and salsa tasted great. Sara also took me out for a nice walk tonight. I enjoyed the fresh air and the cool breeze.

I had some nice visits today. It is a blessing to be at this rehab hospital.

More later

love

Shane

Power of a shower

2008-05-19T21:01:00.000-07:00

I was able to take a real shower for the first time in 31 days. Yeah! I got a hair cut today as, well. Thanks J & K. Overall I am feeling pretty good today. I was able to do 2 hours of rehab today, which included walking, leg stretching and the arm cycle. My strength and endurance is improving every day. The doctors looked at my wounds today and described the improvements as miraculous. I still have a long road ahead but am getting better every day. Thank you for your continued prayers, thoughts and support for my family and me. Prayers are being answered.
Shane

Saturday May 17th

2008-05-17T23:09:00.000-07:00

Shane is sleeping, so unfortunately you have me writing the post tonight. He had a pretty productive day for a Saturday in rehab. Saturdays are a slower day for the therapists, but Shane did get a solid hour of walking, stretching and upper body strengthening. His wounds look pretty good and seem to be improving each day. He gets the day off tomorrow, so maybe I can get him to write the post.
-sara

News From Rehab

2008-05-16T21:48:00.000-07:00

Today was a good day, I officially started rehab. I worked on walking, stretching and increasing my strength. Although, rehab will be a challenge, I am looking forward to participating in my recovery. My challenge will be my patience and taking it one day at a time.

Jake and Haley visited tonight and they brought a lot of energy into my room. It was great to see them and give them hugs and kisses. I enjoyed reading all of the cards and blog comments from so many of you. The outpouring has been humbling. I thank everyone for all of the prayers, love and support shown to me and my family. I have felt your prayers. I miss you all and can't wait to be home.

-shane

28 days (4 weeks)

2008-05-15T22:32:00.000-07:00

Wednesday May 14th

2008-05-14T22:21:00.000-07:00

We started a new chapter in our get well book today, Shane left the Maricopa burn center and moved into a rehabilitation center. He will have lots of occupational and physical therapy (about 3 hours a day) and other types of recuperating therapy as well. The new facility is clean, quiet and the food is actually able to be eaten. These are all good things in recovering, right? Well, Jake got to finally see his dad for the first time in 27 days!! It was really sweet to see Jake's eyes light up when he got to see him. He was a bit shy about getting up on the bed to sit by him, but he did give Shane a big hug before he left. Shane has a long road ahead of him, with some peaks and valleys I am sure, but I hope that even after this accident, we will remember to appreciate the small things in a day that really bring us joy. We are so blessed!
-sara

Monday, May 12

2008-05-12T22:37:00.000-07:00

Shane passed his swallow test today!! No more tube feedings and taking medicine the easy way, now he has to take it like the rest of us. It was sooo nice to see his whole face without tubes dividing it up. I took his picture today so Jake could see his dad, and was he so happy to see him, but he did feel bad when he saw dad's big band aides on his legs. Tomorrow, he should be getting back up on his legs after the past 5 days off, due to surgery. His grafts continue to look good and he is ready to get to work, in the therapy room. Thank you to all of you who read and post comments, I know that Shane will appreciate all of the words of inspiration left by so many of you and I have to say that your comments have helped me each day, especially when its been a hard day. So to all of you I say, "Thank you and I love you".
-sara

Super Saturday, May 10th

2008-05-10T22:46:00.000-07:00

Today was a great day....Shane's voice is strong and he sounds like himself again. His sense of humor is back as well. The skin grafts will be looked at tomorrow, so we will find out if the second graft will be as successful as the first. Madison got to spend two hours with Shane today and tell him about her elp field trip to San Diego this past few days. She really enjoyed her time with her dad today and noticed how fast the time went. I hope that Shane may feel the same in how fast the time will fly by in the hospital, yeah right!
-sara

May 9th, 1st day post op#2

2008-05-09T22:17:00.000-07:00

Today was a really good day for Shane. He looked really good and sounded just as good. His voice has gotten noticeably stronger and he really is more himself today than I have seen so far. They grafted an area of about 10%, maybe a bit less, but that was the 2% left from the previous surgery and then the rest was grafting that didn't take from the 1st surgery. So we will pray that this will be his last surgery. I think that changing his pain medication was a big help to facilitate really seeing and visiting with him today. He is more at ease and is not anxious about his current situation. If the grafting looks good, it is possible that Shane will be moved to a rehabilitation center by the end of next week. We will know more by Tuesday. Today was a blessing to see and hear him look and sound better. Thank you for all of the prayers in Shane's behalf!!
-sara

The end of week #3

2008-05-07T19:25:00.000-07:00

Shane stood up today with the help of a walker and a couple of extra pairs of hands, but none the less it was great to see him standing. I was and am very proud of him!! He has his second skin graft surgery in the morning, they are going to graft around 10%, I hope. Thank you for all of the strength, prayers, and love all of you have shown. I have needed it more than you know.
-sara

May 6th

2008-05-06T22:34:00.000-07:00

Sara is asleep on the couch, so i will pitch in for her. Today was another tired day for Shane, but he was able to sit up in a chair for a while. He will have his 2nd skin graft surgery this week to finish the rest of the skin grafting. All of your thoughts and prayers are greatly appreciated by Sara and her family, and if you would like to pray for something specific, pray that Shane's throat will heal quickly so he can get the feeding tube out so he will be able to eat and regain his strength.
-Jessie

Cinco de Mayo

2008-05-05T22:28:00.000-07:00

We were hoping to celebrate with tacos, burritos and chips and salsa today, but Shane is still having trouble with his throat....to much stuff getting into his lungs and lots of coughing. So we will have to wait for a third throat study and a better outcome. Otherwise, he looks better and his voice is growing stronger everyday. His 2nd grafting surgery is tentatively set for Thursday. But that decision will be made for sure Wed. afternoon. He did sit in a chair for about 45 minutes and was super tired when he was done.
-sara

May 4th

2008-05-04T18:05:00.000-07:00

The kids had a great visit with their dad today. When we got there, he was sitting up in a chair waiting for us. The kids were able to see him look pretty normal and more importantly give him a hug and kiss on the cheek. Life almost seemed normal with all of us in one room. Jake should get the chance to see his dad maybe by Wed. or Thur, he is hoping for Wednesday of course. Shane enjoyed the visit today, but he is very tired. But, all in all today is a good day

May 3rd

2008-05-03T22:27:00.000-07:00

Today was a day of lots and lots of coughing. Which is good for Shane's lungs, but he was really tired of coughing! His voice is getting stronger every day and he is turning into a really good conversationalist. Tomorrow will be the first time the kids(except Jake) have seen him in about 10 days, and they are very excited. We are so blessed, thank you for the prayers!
-sara

May 2nd

2008-05-02T22:28:00.000-07:00

I got to see Shane sit on the side of the bed and dangle his feet today!!! But the best part of my day was getting a hug from him! It was great to see him upright. He is still having a bit of an issue with swallowing....his throat muscles don't want to work as good as they should yet. Shane is really tired and not able to sleep so he got an Ambian tonight....lucky duck!
-sara

two weeks ago today or day 14

2008-05-01T22:20:00.001-07:00

Shane got to see more than his room today. He got into a chair and was taken over to ex ray, he was very happy to look at something other than his room, and he got to get out of bed. He is sooooo tired today from all of the new activity. I think he is ready for a steak dinner, but his doctor says he needs another day or two to rest his throat. On a funny note, two of Shane's nurses asked if he was a litigator? I replied with a yes and they laughed. They told me that he was trying to argue his case with them as to why he should be let out of bed. Of course he did not win that motion, but I think he has agreed to be a good patient. It is hard to believe that the crash happened two weeks ago today, we still have such a long road ahead, but he has come so far in a pretty short time. But, I still have to think about this one day at a time. Thank you for your constant prayers and thoughts for Shane and our family.
-sara

Wednesday's post week #2

2008-04-30T23:27:00.000-07:00

Shane got to dangle his feet over the bed today and I was told he did great. They do these great feats before visiting hours....bummer! But he is trying to get up and out of bed a little sooner than the nurses are ready for. He is still very groggy and some of his facts are a tad bit off, but he really is doing pretty well, we hope that he will be done with the grogginess within a week. He also started another infection today, but its source of origin has not been determined yet. So another penicillin was started. I told Shane that Arizona was getting two more temples and he said, "The work just keeps rolling forward, doesn't it?" And my reply was yes it does, I was not surprised by his answer, just how matter of fact he was. I hope for more clarity every day.
-sara

Terrific tuesday post, week #2

2008-04-29T22:19:00.000-07:00

Shane cleared some major hurdles today.... first, he was ext abated or the tube was removed from his throat, he sat up in bed and he remembered the names of his four kids. The first thing he asked for was a Diet Pepsi, which for those of you who really know him, is not a big surprise. He is still pretty sedated for the pain, but he is site for soar eyes!!!! His grafts are still good and his lungs are crystal clear today. He is still fighting a couple of infections, but will hopefully these will subside by the weekend.
I am so humbled by the love our Savior shows us in our times of need and for the love that has been shown to us by so many of you.
-sara

Monday's update week #2

2008-04-28T22:54:00.001-07:00

Today is post op day 5 and I feel like I actually got good news from the Doctors today. Shane's skin grafts look great, although, there is a small patch on his left leg that will have to be re-grafted with the 2% that didn't get done in the first surgery. They haven't scheduled that surgery as of yet, I would think that it will be next week. He is still on the ventilator, it appears that his lungs were not quite as good as they had originally thought,but we are hoping that the vent will be out by the end of the week. They did drop his pain meds today so that he will be awake more so when the vent comes out he will be able to get up and start walking. We have really be overwhelmed by the love and concern by so many that love Shane and our family. I would still ask for your patience when it comes to visiting. I will let you know when he is ready for visitors. But the thoughts and prayers from all of you are so appreciated. Thank you for the support!
-sara

Saturday 's update week #2

2008-04-26T21:55:00.000-07:00

Infection is the name of the post today. Shane is sporting some infection in his lungs and on some spots on his legs. They started antibiotics today, so I hope that tomorrow is better than today! He is still on the vent and I would have to say, there is no plan for getting him off. His lungs need to clear first. I would be lying if I wasn't disappointed, but we need to focus on the blessings not the bumps. Thank you for all of the the prayers for Shane and for our family.
-sara

Friday

2008-04-25T21:43:00.000-07:00

Sara is sleeping, so I am pinch hitting for her. Shane is doing great. He may have the start of an infection in his lungs. We will know for sure tomorrow. He has been sleeping all day, better to mend his body. He is basically breathing on his own, so hopefully by Monday he will be off of the ventilator. Tomorrow we will find out how the first skin graft went. We will be praying hard for a successful graft. Thank you all again for keeping them in your thoughts and prayers. The Lord has definitely been blessing their family.

Amy

Start of week #2

2008-04-25T00:05:00.000-07:00

Today was a sleepy day for Shane. With all of his pain meds, he is feeling no pain!! He has been completely out since yesterday afternoon. They say that the skin grafting recovery is worse than the actual leg burns themselves. So the doctors are being very liberal with the pain medication. Thank you for modern medicine.
-sara

Wednesday's post

2008-04-23T23:09:00.000-07:00

We got another blessing delivered today...the doctors were able to graph both legs with an exception of 2%(about the size of his hands) today! We were only expecting to have the left leg done, so this is great news. The vent tube is still driving him crazy and I am keeping my fingers crossed that it will come out by the weekend. He looked very comfortable and peaceful today, so maybe he knows that he just got over one of his many hurtles. Thanks again for all of your help and support.
-sara

Tuesday's post

2008-04-22T23:06:00.000-07:00

Well you know how you win some and lose some....well the surgery that was scheduled for today was moved to tomorrow. So we are sad for the delay in getting started with the graphs, but he needed an extra day to rest and gain his strength. He is growing more impatient about the vent tube and really wants to pull it out, so I have told him 2 more days and then it can come out, I hope I can deliver that, with the doctors help of course. Pray for a good skin graph outcome and that he will be off the vent by the weekend. Also, on a somewhat sad note....Shane has too many friends that love him and want to see him. I ask that you wait to see him until he is out of intensive care. I will let all of you know when he is ready for visitors. Thanks for your patience!
-sara

Monday 's update

2008-04-21T22:25:00.000-07:00

Shane had an MRI today, in hopes of getting his neck brace off, we will find out tomorrow if that really will happen. Tomorrow is another surgery day, but the first of his skin grafting surgeries. I believe that his right leg will be done first. He is really tired but is also trying hard to communicate by writing and using his hands.. We are still hoping for the vent tube to be removed this week....maybe Thursday, keep your fingers crossed! The kids and I are doing good, we miss him at home, but are greatful that he is still with us. We are greatful to our Heavenly Father for our many blessings!

-sara

Sunday's post

2008-04-20T23:25:00.000-07:00

Today was a continuing to look better day and the new ventilator is whisper quiet, so it seems that Shane is truly getting some good recovery rest. He also was not so medicated today, so we got some thumbs up and a bit more interaction from him. He also passed his cognitive tests as well. He is doing good.
-sara

Saturday 's update

2008-04-19T16:06:00.000-07:00

Shane looked really good today. The good news is that he will be taken off of the lung cleaning ventilator today. His lungs are clear and have sustained no major damage! He will remain on a lesser ventilator until he is good to breath on his own (Monday or Tues. hopefully). Thank you is not enough to say for all of the prayers, fasting and support that have come to us from so many of you.

Newest update for Shane

2008-04-18T22:42:00.000-07:00

Shane had his first surgery this morning, to remove the damaged skin from his legs. He came thru with flying colors. Your prayers have been greatly appreciated. Thank you for all of the love and support that so many have shown. We are truly blessed!

Sara & kids