luke and amy

Hello Everyone!  Sorry not to wait for mom to start this one, but I won't be able to be on the computer tomorrow!

It has been a busy week for the Luke Mathews family!! Last Saturday, Luke took off for Taiwan and the kids and I and Dad (Grandpa) headed down to NM to visit my family.  Dad was great and drove pretty much the whole way -which allowed me to take care of the kiddos and he didn't even mind too much when we had to stop along the way to eat, feed the baby or go to the bathroom (even on the roadside). LOL  We left dad at Becky's and continued on our way. We visited my BF from high school and her two kids. She and I stayed up late watching videos (on VHS) from our hs days - volleyball championships, basketball games and even graduation.  It was certainly a blast from the past.  It snowed overnight (my sister said - Oh just bring sweatshirts it's going to be in the 80s!)  Actually it melted very quickly and we went to the zoo about 11 am and it was just perfect.  We saw elephants (Quincey's favorite animal), monkeys (that were crazy), pacing polar bears, etc.  It was a fun time!

Then, we headed off to Grandma and Grandpa Matkin's house where we have had fun everyday playing with the local/loco cousins!  Monday morning we all had dental appointments since Uncle Trevor is the local dentist and Aunt Cheryl is his dental hygienist.  The kids all got great reviews (no cavities).  However, he says both Emma and Tyler need braces and that sooner than later we need to pick an orthodontist for Tyler because he needs to get started.  Emma can wait until a few more permanent teeth come in.  I on the other hand got to visit almost EVERY day of the week to get sorted out - TWO crowns.  BOO!!  The cool thing is that Dr. Williams now has a crown making machine (I don't know it's technical name) and he was able to make them there in his office the same day!!  Thank you Trevor for saving us over $3000 - since we do NOT have dental insurance!!

We got to talk to Luke via Skype on Tuesday.  However, for some reason we couldn't see him.  He planned to visit several manufacturing facilities on his trip, but when we talked to him he had more than quadrupled the number they saw!  They are 14 hours ahead of us.  So, he was ready for bed and we were just waking up.  We also spoke to him this morning, but only for a few minutes because we were headed out the door to go to the Florida Mountains (pronounced Floor - ee - duh).  It is poppy season and they were EVERYWHERE!  Bright orange small poppies.  We went on a hike and then had a picnic lunch.  Since Luke took my camera and my video camera to Taiwan and China, my sisters and mother have been taking tons of pics for me! I may have to forget my camera on other trips, because it has been nice not to have to worry about taking pics!! ;)

Parker has started laughing.  It is pretty cute!  She doesn't stop smiling and has everyone wrapped around her little fingers.  Mom Mathews called yesterday to see how we were getting on.  Sounded like she was having a rough few days.  We prayed for her and hope things are going better.  We are having fun, but are excited to get home and see her.  Plus, we miss our daddy.  We go to Aunt Hillary's tomorrow and then to Aunt Becky's on Wednesday and home on Thursday.

Love you all, 

Hope things are going great!!

Love,

Amy, Luke, Tyler, Emma, Quincey and Parker

luke and amy

Hello Everyone!!

I have intended to write one of these whenever I see yours.  Then, life gets in the way and I don't get it done. I have all the ones you have sent saved in a family update folder! :)  So, right now while I am supposed to be working with Turbotax here on my computer, I will take a break and attempt one of these updates!!

Parker was blessed Sunday.  Deb & Nick and their cuties came. Grandma Rosie & Grandpa Bill, Dixie & Linc, Kathy & Kyle, Stephen and his family, Chelsea & Carson (my niece & Nephew) all came. It was great to see them all. We sure missed not having EVERYONE there! I love when we are able to get together!  I made Parker's dress. Kathy was great and made sure we got some pics. She does such a great job taking pics!

Luke is heading for China this Saturday! He's been busy buying gifts to take to the people he will be working with over there. Evidently, it is more important to wrap them nicely than to worry about what you are giving them?!  He has been busy with bishopric duties. He is such a great dad. The kids love to wrestle and snuggle with him.  The other night when Emma had a MELTDOWN, he handled her so well.  She was being soooo belligerent with him (usually she is not with him) and he was just firm back.  I was downstairs thinking she deserved to be thrown in a cold shower or the snow!! Good thing he was handling her and not me.  When she calmed down, she snuggled with him. :)  He is super helpful around the house and keeping us straight on things going on - because for some reason I have lost the ability to be organized (at all!!) with the addition of a 4th child!! I'm trying to get a handle on it!! I was late to church two weeks ago for the first time in YEARS because I can't seem to get the knack of estimating a timetable to get ready or get things done when I am going somewhere!!

Tyler just finished basketball!  He missed 2 of the last 3 games due to "almost pneumonia" according to the dr.  I took him in on a Saturday morning and proceeded to spend 5 hours going from the dr's office to the hospital for chest x-rays and back to the dr's office.  He didn't have pneumonia but they said if we had waited a day or two more, he would have.  So, after breathing treatments, steroids, an antibiotic for ear infections and over a week out of school, he is doing much better!! He and Emma have started piano lessons and love them!!  If I call him and he doesn't answer it means he has his nose stuck in a book somewhere and he gets so engrossed that he doesn't hear what's going on around him. (My mother used to get after me for that! LOL)  He is just about to outgrow his pants (okay, he already has but I make him sag them a bit so they will fit until shorts weather!! LOL - keeping fingers crossed)  He is so cute with his sisters. He and Quincey have THE CUTEST relationship! They are pals.  He loves to snuggle Parker - but his chances are limited because if she is not in my arms she is in Quincey or Emma's!  He and Emma have figured out how to play together, as well! Actually, the 3 of the now play peacefully together (well, peacefully may not be the word to describe our house!! They are quite LOUD, but at least it is usually with laughter now and not arguing!!) We had one of Emma's friends come over. When she walked in the kitchen, we had the soundtrack from Rapunzel playing and the girls (and I - sheesh) had been dancing and singing.  She said, "Uh, I wish I lived here!! I asked her why and she replied, "because, it's loud and crazy!! My house is too quiet and peaceful."  Hmm. There is something to be said about quiet and peaceful, but we won't really know for several years to come! LOL   I think my 3 (now four, but she's still pretty quiet) are louder than my sister's 5!

Emma is now reading up a storm.  She reads the scriptures with us without much help at all - usually on names LOL!  She loves to help with Parker. Can I tell you how few poopy diapers I change??!!  She doesn't even tell me she is going to change Parker.  She just takes the initiative and does it!! How nice is that?  She is still super precocious and I have plenty of messes to clean up, but they are less severe than they used to be!  She came home from church 3 weeks in a row, upset because a girl in her class was picking on her - poking her with sharp pencils and hitting and kicking her!!!  The mama bear in me was about to talk to the mom, but instead I was prompted to call and make a playdate with the girl.  I called her mom and asked if Jenna could come over to make pretzels with Emma. I also briefly said they had not been getting along in class and I wanted them to get to know each other.  When Emma came home and I told her Jenna was coming over she about flipped!! LOL  But they spent 2 hours laughing and giggling and playing with that pretzel dough.  Now, they play at least once a week!

Quincey is now reading.  She brings home books from preschool and reads them to us.  She feels so grownup! I love when we read the scriptures and Luke helps her "read."  He reads a phrase and she repeats it. Sometimes he says a full full sentence and she is usually able to remember the whole thing and repeat it! It impresses me!  At the beginning of the school year I was bummed that she was missing the kindergarten cutoff by 20 days.  Now, I am so grateful to have had this extra year with her! She is a great little buddy.  She loves to cart Parker around.  She even forgives Parker for pulling her hair and barfing on her! LOL

Parker puts up with a lot too!!  She is so good-natured.  It is a good thing she is stronger and can hold her head up, now.  I don't have to worry (as much) about the girls carting her around.  I did lose the pics from her first week of life because I broke the sd card from my camera. So, any of you who have pics, I would love to have you email them to me so that we have some. PLEASE??!! ;)  She rolled over Saturday.  She also smiles and coos and talks for anyone who will give her the time. She is such a happy girl - as long as she is not hungry or stinky.  We are taking her down to NM to meet some of the family.  Bec, I hope you are able to make time for us.  I tried calling, but left a message. I will try again.  

I have been busy trying to keep the house clean, keep up with the MOUNDS of laundry (Parker seems to throw up on everyone and everything!! Seems to be a little less throwing up lately though, but lots of laundry!)  I sewed Parker's dress and just keep up with the kids homework, etc.

Well you got and ear/eyeful from us to try to catch you all up. I will try to update more frequently so these are not so long!! LOL

PS. I attached some pics

love you all!!!

Amy and the rest of the gang 

Now back to TurboTax! You sure you don't want to hear more about us?? LOL

marlies family

Hello Family

I started this yesterday – BUT I am going to finish it today J

I have to agree with Jill that these updates have really become a great way to keep track of everyone.  I know that I don’t do a great job calling, but I sure do love you all.

It was a difficult weekend in the Marlies Mathews home.  We had a boy in one of our residential homes attempt suicide on Friday. He is OK, as some of my great family teachers got to him in time.  Regardless of whether you know the person or not, it is at these times that I am so grateful for each of you - We tend to take family for granted until you are reminded how important it is to kids who don’t have one.

Because of this, we were unable to go to Utah this weekend to see Parker be blessed.  Luke and Amy, we were so sad to miss this special occasion.  Melissa, Roderick and I were so excited.  We enjoy our trips up there so much.  I think Roderick was the most upset because he was excited to ride the 4 wheeler. 

Melissa is doing good.  She continues to text like a maniac and Roderick and I refuse to go to the store with her anymore because our 10 minute trip and her 10 minute trip differ by about an hour.  That girl knows everyone.  Tim, she might be more popular than the two of us put together J

Roderick is getting very excited to go to college.  We called and talked to his counselor last week.  Looks like he will be going the first week of Aug. Honestly I think I will cry like a baby when he leaves.  He gave Melissa and me a card he made in church yesterday.  I know this is normal for all of you mom’s out there, but it was my first “church card”.  He drew some pictures on the front (heart and a Bear????) folded it in half and then wrote that he appreciates and loves us.  I have it hanging on my mirror in my bathroom next to mom’s story about her dollar.  My goodness, God works in mysterious ways.

Well, I love you all and hope you are well. 

Marlies

ben and tamme

I guess I'll take a stab at this.   I love when Ben does it because it fun to hear his perspective on life here in Texas.  The weather here is crazy.  One day its 70 degrees and the next its 30.  We are still in a drought, but the wild flowers are starting to pop up.  Texas has the most beautiful wild flowers.  

Our fast and testimony meeting was wonderful.  Kael, Kloey, Ben and Gali bore their testimonies.  Kael, always leads the charge and then asks Ben or I to go.  But yesterday, Kloey followed him up and when they were done, Gali asked if she could.  We told her she has to do it herself and so she practiced with Ben and just went for it.  It was so cute!  She said "I like to bare my testimony.  I like coming to church. I like my mom.  I like my dad.  In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen."  After she was done, Sadee said clear as a bell, "my turn!"  I think the whole room heard her.  Then she started crying, I think because she was embarrassed, because everyone was laughing.  

Basketball and cheer leading have ended.  Kael loves to play basketball and did a very good job.  He is a very good defensive player.  He is good at not slapping and hitting like the other kids, just puts his hand up and out.  He also uses his body to push the player.  A few times he pushed him right out of bounds.  It just makes me smile to watch him play.  

Kloey LOVED cheer leading.  She was the loudest on her squad and did a great job being a leader.  It brought a new side out of her that I hadn't seen.  Not even sure what it was, but I loved watching her, because she loved it.  She is just finishing up the 7th Harry Potter book.  I think she started it last week.  

Gali and Sadee are good friends and it is fun to watch them play together.  They both loves to read books, play with playdough, color and be outside.  Gali rides her bike "faster fast" around in circles on the carport.  Sadee has found a new friend.  She loves my friend Julia and calls her "Jewie".  Every time she sees her she wants her to hold her.  Sadee will just snuggle in and is so content to just be with her.  

Ben was gone all last week on business and we all survived.  It was hard because he was so busy we only spoke for about 15 minutes all week.  He was sick of eating Indian food by the end.  His partner is based out of India and so he has gotten to eat a whole lot of Indian food over the last few years.  He was grateful for the cheeseburger for lunch one day.  Although he said he felt funny eating a cow in front of his Indian co-workers.  

We are down to 4 weeks for this little guys arrival.  I am at the uncomfortable stage and all my clothes are getting too small.  I told Ben I needed a muumuu.  The kids are having fun watching my belly move and feeling him kick.  Kael and Kloey just came home. The first thing Kael did was give my tummy a nuzzle.  Friday I go in for an ultra sound to check his size and make sure he has what he needs for the next 4 weeks.  It will be fun to see him, but I feel like its kinda unnecessary since we know he will be on the larger end of the scale.   

We hope you all are well and we miss you all.  

Love, Ben, Tamme, Kloey, Kael, Gali and Sadee

tim and jill

Hello FAMILY …

I seriously love these little informative email blurbs about how everyone is doing.  By the way…sorry Momma Rosi…I reminded Tim to call you back…but Tim is still at the dinner table trying to remember to call you  back!  You might want to ring his phone again.

We are all good here.  Over the weekend, we went to Boston to visit the Museum of Science with our good friends here and their daughter.  It was so much fun!  Elle and Liam got to see how the body works, watch baby chickens hatch from their egg, visit the dinosaur exhibit, and visit the live butterfly exhibit(We thought of Becky when we saw all the butterflies).  We have pictures of beautiful butterflys landing on Elle.  It's good luck you know when the butterfly lands on you...we all got lots of Good Luck that day!!! 

Elle and Liam are the sunshine in our lives.  They are doing so great and Tim and I just love playing with them talking about them all the time.  Elle has recently taken up watercolors and is becoming quite the artist…you all should see her paintings!  She has also started to read a little and is using the computer now all by herself.  She is loving her Montessori School experience and has made so many great friends.  It cracks me up...we will be out doing an activity somewhere in the community and Elle seems to always run into someone she knows.  She is my little social butterfly. 

Liam is our chatterbox and is saying so many new words and forming quite clear sentences now.  His favorite animal and favorite word right now is Hippo.  He cracks us up...if you ask him his name he says "Hippo"...typically any questions you ask him you get "Hippo" in response.  He will even act like a Hippo while taking a bath.  Liam is always lucky to go with Tim to the store because if Tim sees a Hippo stuffed animal it usually comes home with Liam.  LOL!!! 

Tim is doing great…he keeps his Boys Town couples busy with lots of feedback.  His phone never stops ringing.  As for me, I’m busy being mom, activities coordinator, chef, maid, nurse, support via phone and in person…lol.  All is good!  I must say…in the WHOLE time we’ve been out here LIFE has finally stabilized.  THANK GOODNESS!  That storm was quite rough and super long…and we made it through!  WHEW…We are hoping to come out to see everyone this summer…we were assessing the idea today and it looks like I will be needing to talk about an extra 150 hours of talk time between now and then for us to afford to come out or Tim will need to get a promotion fast J.  Hope you all have a great week!  Sending our LOVE and HUGS!!!

Tim, Jill, Elle, Liam, and Brooks 

nick and deb

Luke and Amy had a beautiful blessing day for their Parker. It was warm in Payson, too. Something I was very glad for. It seems that there is always a lot of snow coming when you think it's just turning into spring. But we have been lucky because it has melted so fast in the past and because today was warm, there is only a bit left after 3 days of snow storms. Nice, I'm talking about the weather. :) Isn't that what people do when they don't know what else to say? ;)

I had a wonderful Sunday last week. I am doing Lent this year. I know it's a Catholic/Evangelist Holiday, but I didn't think it was bad to give up something to Christ for 40 days. I am in no way perfect, and I do give myself Sunday to indulge a bit more, but I have enjoyed it. I was even lucky enough to sing for an Episcopalian Church the same day. Listening to her sermon was quite remarkable. She spoke about how giving up chocolate isn't exactly what God had in mind, but remembering the sacrifice is the point. I loved it.

My monsters are wonderful. Claire is absolutely driving me up a wall with incessant questions, but she is a dear and helps around the house so much for a three year old I wouldn't know what to do without her. She is scared of being tackled lately and I think she's going to end up more like Kloey, who doesn't like to wrestle. Matthew is so excited to wrestle that I sent Claire to time out last week and while I was on the phone for a second, I hear Claire yelling for me. I come back to find Claire on all fours with a Matthew on her back trying to ride her like a pony! That kid is so adventurous! He does that to me and to Nick regularly. He is especially good at giving raspberries on our backs when we pick something up. He lifts up our shirts and slobbers all over our backs. He is speaking, but not clearly. He says "All duh" (all done), "outside" (ow sigh), socks (sahks), and a few others.

Claire had her first recital last Tuesday. She sang "Part of Your World" from the "The Little Mermaid". She will be doing it again at the end of April. She was freakin' adorable! If you want to come see her, please do! She was pretty shy and you couldn't hear her well, but it was wonderful. I remember singing "Bibbity Boppity Boo" when I was a wee one. I don't remember performing it, but I remember learning "sall a ka doo la, men key ka boo la" with Mom and the piano. Hopefully we're carrying on a little heritage ;) I played the piano...poorly. It was my first professional accompaniment. ha ha ha ha

We are lucky. And we know it.

We love you all. Hope you are well. Please let us know if there is anything we can do for any of you.

bill and rosi

Hello Dear Family!!!!

How are you????   It's March and I can't believe it!!   Yet another year is flying by.   

Here in Utah I am not sure if it is winter or spring.   One day we wake to 3 inches of snow, the next the temperature is in the 40's or even mid 50's.  It has been quite a winter of ups and downs.  I am so thankful, however, that we have not had much snow in the valley's.  My drive to Orem each morning is already a hazard.  Because of construction, the lanes are narrow, unexpectedly winding, no shoulder space on either side,  and the lines on the road vague and difficult to follow.  The road will be completed just about when I retire.   I think it has been 4 years now.  One thing I will add is that I am a more competent driver now.  I get lots of practice.

The week has been rather uneventful.  I have been getting a lot of paper work completed at school and preparing for tour.  I have a cute little "saucey" student teacher from BYU.  She has very long, beautiful black hair and is about the size of our Jill.  She is from Houston Tx. and is doing a fair job at our school.  She is very computer savy and I really appreciate that.  Just to spice up my conversation with you. I will tell you that she has a large black mole on the top part of her nose.  I want to pluck it off.  But she has snappy dark eyes and I think she might just bite me if I tried.

Tim, I never heard back from you.  That must have been quite a long supper.  Ben, so good to hear about your trip to San Jose.  Glad it was so successful.   Nick, sorry that you were having a miserable Saturday.  I have some of those sometimes.  However, this week was especially good because Tyler, Emma and Quinc were with us.   They spent Friday night and most of Saturday.  For supper we always have macaroni and cheese (this time we added O.M. hotdogs... the kids even ate some mustard.   In the morning we had some boiled eggs for Emma and sausage and bacon for Tyler and Quinc.  We went swimming on Saturday morning.  (at least they did...  the Shark, Tyler; the Dolphin, Emma; and the Minnow, Quinc.)

Today is Parker's blessing day.   We expect it will be beautiful.  Dad has pictures of Blessing days on his computer that we frequently see when we are talking in his room.   Days of Elle's blessing, Kael's blessing, Claire's blessing and more.  Great memories of the family being together.

Becky, so glad that Adam is back home after a hard working show in Mesa.  Marliesi, we will certainly miss you and your family today.  We had hoped you would be able to be here.

Much love to all!!!

Mom

Dad and I think of you all and pray for you all every day.