my apologies...

Sorry I totally melted down and vented for all of you...my mom said that I should put that kind of stuff in my journal and not for the world to read...the only problem with that, though I didn't tell her, is that I don't keep a journal and so I guess this is my journal. So, my apologies. I totally appreciate everyone being nice to me, though, I don't want anyone to feel bad for me, I just needed to vent. I'm so glad that I am surrounded by such awesome people...I have a wonderful family and fabulous friends.
You know me, always have to have a picture. This is of the boys. Their new thing at the time of this picture, which was in June (sadly, notice how in June my boys are having to wear jeans and sweatshirts...welcome to Washington!), was to pretend to sleep on the stairs. Joel decided to join them one day and I thought it was cute. Funny boys.

Reality...bites...

I'm bugged. I feel like I'm in a rut and...actually, don't really want to figure out how to get out...that would take more work. I love my sweet Joel and love my kids (which is why I had to post cute pictures of them), but why is life so not like on tv. Why are things so hard and why do things not work out the way I planned them to. I always wanted to be a mom. Ask anyone I went to high school with, that was my dream. I was going to be an awesome wife who made cookies and took them to my husband's work and I would make great meals and I was going to have 9 boys. We would have our own football team in which I would be the
center because I figured after 9 kids I would be huge. So, let me tell you how that pans out...I'm not an awesome wife and I rarely make cookies and when I do, we eat them (mainly me). Uh, I don't make dinner hardly...we do eat dinner, just things like Mac and Cheese, Pasta Roni, pizza, chicken (the breaded frozen kind that I only have to heat up) and our veggies consist of either corn or broccoli. Awesome huh. Are you all salivating? Let's see 9 boys...not going to happen. I had no idea what a pain it was to be pregnant and then have to get a huge baby out of my body and then recover from that and then raise
it...yeah, there will never be 9...we may not even make it to 3. In my dream world, which I thought was reality, it was awesome to be pregnant and kids were so fun and obedient and I had tons of energy. Seriously what happened? Why when I ask my kids to come get ready for bed, do they flip out? Why does one take toys from the other? How do 4, 3, and even 2 year olds know how to talk back and why do they actually do it? Why is potty training such a nightmare...is this really that hard of a concept...when you pee you just do it in the toilet and not in your pants. Why do people keep telling me it doesn't get better, just new and different problems with each stage...awesome. Why do toddlers get into everything even after you tell them a million times to get out...why is the dishwasher so cool and the toilet water and the remote and the phone and electrical outlets...I admit, I am totally anal. I make things harder for myself because I want things a certain way...I want a clean and tidy house and I don't want my kids to get dirty because then I have to destain their clothes because I don't want them wearing stained up clothes that I spent money on. Why is it so tiring to be with them all day and why do I keep wanting to get away? Why am I still complaining when it is 5:15 pm and I should be downstairs making some Mac and Cheese or something for dinner...I guess that's enough venting for now...just so you know, I do love my family and they really are awesome...

Good old Utah!

We just got back from a too short, but super fun trip to Utah. We went to visit with Joel's family and planned our
trip so that we could be there when his sister Cami and her family were visiting as well. Sadly, we missed having Joel's sister Kelly (she is due
to have a baby the middle of August) and Joel's brother Connor(he just moved to North
Carolina) there with us. We hope for a full Thompson gathering soon though! While in Utah we spent a lot of time swimming. My kids had so much fun. Carter and Mason did not want to get out...ever! It took Mason a little bit to warm up to the pool though. At first he just cried and cried and then he cried and cried when we said it was time to get out. Carter took a little bit before he was brave enough to jump in, but once he was, he was jumping in and out
nonstop! Mason even starting jumping in off the edge once he saw his brother doing it. It was so cute. Carter
saw some cousins jumping off the diving board and so, of course, he wanted to and jumped off the diving board (with a float of course) and thought it was so cool...Mason then attempted, but was just teasing us...he never actually jumped off. He would just go to the edge and say "hi daddy". Joel got to do some wakeboarding and even a little slalom skiing. I was super happy because it was so nice and hot! Even though our trip was so short, we had a great time with everyone and can't wait to see them again.

I have to complain a little now...we drove...enough said...okay, not enough said. We had five days over a weekend to go and two of them were spent driving. I am never driving to Utah again. Okay, so I say that everytime we drive and then end up driving again...Joel is too persuasive. This time I might, maybe, be serious though. The drive home was the pits. Mason is at a bad car traveling age in my opinion. He doesn't last long before he gets sick of being in the car and then just cries. We left at 6 in the morning and just before Twin Falls, ID he started crying...we had only been driving for three hours and had, hmm, only 9 to 10 more hours to go. We stopped at Twin Falls and had breakfast where we watched these bridge jumpers jump off this amazing bridge. I don't know if you can see the blue parachute in the picture of the bridge, but it's there. It was really cool, though I told the kids they couldn't ever do that. Then we took a super fun picture of the our super happy kids and the beautiful canyon...pleasant. Then we went through the open house for the Twin Falls Temple which was so beautiful and awesome, but not so much for the kids. Carter the entire time was whining about the cookie he wanted that this nice Sister Missionary promised him after the tour, but that he thought he got right that second...and Mason was just done with everything. It was really awesome though and so cool to be able to take our kids there...serious it was really neat. So three hours later we were back on the road. It's noon now and we still have 9 to 10 hours without stopping to get home. I'll just sum of really fast...my tailbone gives me problems now all the time and I can't sit in the car for that long and then Mason threw up in Ellensburg where morons close their gas stations before 11pm and we had to knock on the locked glass sliding door and ask them as they are counting their till if they would let us in for paper towels and water...Carter then complains about this nasty smell as he tries to bury his face in the side of his carseat and tells Mason "We don't throw up in cars". We didn't get home until after 1am and instead of just crawling into bed, we had to clean up a nasty car seat...seriously, besides the driving, a super fun trip!

I Do it!!

Hello folks. This is Joel with my first post ever on our family blog and on any blog for that matter. I did want to start a my space page and blog with people from the Middle-east and see if I could help fix some things over there, but Kadi and I felt like it was a little too risky for our us. But hey, if you're from the Middle-east and would like to chat, please feel free. Kadi has been doing this for so long and I've wanted to give it a try. So here I am after Kadi gave me the blogspot lesson. Mason always says now "I do it!" (which is somewhat annoying to both Kadi and I) but that's what I was saying to Kadi tonight. Now I can say "I did it!" too just like Mason does as well. We'll see how consistent I'll be. At least I can say I've done it.

Shafer time...

We had our yearly Shafer Fam gathering. It was so much fun and as always, not long enough. The first few days were spent building a deck at my parents' house. We all helped out in some way or another...mostly the guys, but the ladies totally played a part.
The adults got to go out without kids one night and we ate at Applebees. It was great and just nice to not have to deal with the kids for a bit.
We spent some time out on Mom and Dad's boat. The boys just loved it. We did a little tubing and Carter, Joel, Kadin, and Mason gave it a try. Kadin was the brave one who wanted to try it first!
Silver Lake is a very shallow lake, but it is more shallow than you might think...we stopped the boat somewhat near an island, but still out there and everyone got out and walked around...even the kids could walk around in the lake...funny huh! Ben and Doug and Joel walked out, seriously more than half way across the lake and then turned back because we were worried they would get run over by boats that were speeding around the lake...
We played a little Bocce Ball which was fun. A game for all ages. I thought this would be a cool shot to take it from the ground with the balls...turned out okay...
My Uncle Chris (Dad's brother) and Aunt Jeannie came for a short time. It was so much fun to see them and get to be with them even if it was for just a short time. They are so much fun and we wish that we could see them more often. I totally appreciate them coming...all the way from Chicago...just to see us.
Dad took the kids to go get the mail. They had fun in the wagon together, though I'm told they didn't last on the way back...
My brothers are the best! I seriously love them so much. They are such good people and married wonderful girls and all of them are so much fun to be with. They are being goofy here, which is typical, but they really are the greatest.
It was hard to get a good picture of all the kids in the hammock, maybe someone else got a better one with their camera. The boys really have a great time together. It is fun to see them playing so well. They are good friends.
It is always sad to say goodbye. Carter and Joel really had a great time together. After they left he had to take a nap and kept asking if Joel was going to sleep with him. Mom made the storage room the kids room for sleeping and so Carter and Joel and Kadin slept in there together.
It was an awesome week and a half! I'm so grateful that Doug and Jackie were able to come too. They are off to Virginia for dental school, which is awesome, but I will miss them so much. Thanks to Ben and Doug and their families for traveling so far to be with us. Thanks so Uncle Chris and Aunt Jeannie for visiting as well. And thanks mucho to Mom and Dad for housing us, feeding us, and putting up with us! We had so much fun and can't wait for Christmas!!!

Funny kids...

Kids can be so funny. The kids have said some funny things lately and so I wanted to write them down before I forget. Maybe you'll get a kick out of them too. I wanted to
post these pictures because the kids love to go to Jamba Juice. I think Mason is so cute holding his cup...he looks like a little man when we go...he walks
around the store constantly sucking the straw. So funny. Also, I don't know why, but I just thought of this. Carter...and actually Mason too...don't like peanut butter. Weird huh? Infact, if I have even eaten peanuts or anything with peanut butter in it and then go and talk to Carter, he covers his mouth and says, "What did you have in your mouth? It's disgusting. Don't talk." It's hilarious.
Anyway, here are some conversations I have overheard or had...Mason was playing with Carter's Leggo Mack and was taking the pieces off and then couldn't get them back on. Mason would say, "Elp...elp" (which is help) and Carter would say, "I'll help you Mase." and then Carter would fix it for him. Sometimes Mason would get it back on by himself and he would yell out, "I di it." (I did it) This was awhile back, but was so cute to me because they were playing with each other and Carter was being a good big brother.
Another day Carter was playing with his "Car movie cars" and Mason was sitting by him and I hear Carter say, "I wish I could share with you Mase...maybe another day when you get bigger. Okay Mason?" To which my sweet Mason responded, "Okay, Mason."
Carter gets in trouble and has to go to time-out when he hits his brother and Mason loves to tease Carter by taking the cars he is playing with, so Mason had taken some of Carter's cars and Carter then hit Mason and so Carter had to go to time-out. When Carter came out of his room, I said, "What do you need to do...go and say sorry to your brother and give him a hug." As I was saying this, I could see Mason in the doorway and he put down the cars he was holding and stretched out his arms and starting walking towards Carter. They then hugged and all I could see was Carter's back with these two little arms wrapped around him. That was too precious.
Mason loves Carter. Every morning and pretty much all day long I hear Mason calling for Carter...but he doesn't say it very well and it comes out as "Cah-ku". It is so cute.
We were riding in the car the other day and the new Coldplay song came on...which we love...Viva la Vida and so we turned it up and sang it...amazingly, Carter already knows the words, and after the song was over I was saying how awesome I think the the song is and Carter says matter-of-factly, "Those guys rock Mom." Cool.
I love it when kids start talking. This is one of my favorite things. They are so funny and so amazing. I remember when my cousin was just 3 and I would take him with me everywhere because he just cracked me up. He was so interested and excited about everything and it's fun to hear them learning new words and phrases. Carter never ceases to amaze me with the things that come out of his mouth...good and bad...we have to start watching even more how we talk. The other day Carter told me, "I'm just going to freak out and go nuts if you don't do this." Maybe it's just me, but hearing your kid say "freak out" doesn't sound that great...I don't think it's a big deal for me to say (though I guess it is), but I don't like hearing my kid say it for some reason. Anyway...kids are funny.

Visitors!

Memorial Day weekend we had Joel's brother Connor and his family come and visit. It was so much fun. Michal's (Connor's wife) brother was getting married that Saturday
in Portland and so they extended their trip to be with us for a bit as well. Can you tell in the first picture that all of the kids are Thompson's or what? I think they all definitely have a Thompson look. Corbin is so darling. He
was about 3 1/2 months when he was here and he is such a good baby. So cute. Mason just loved Corbin and would come and just look at him and smile at him and say "baby"...that is
a big step for Mason, seeing as how he usually doesn't like anyone other than me, Joel, or Grandma...I asked him to hug him and he did. It was seriously cute. Carter was in heaven. He loved playing with Dylan. He loved playing with him so much that he didn't want to take naps, eat, bathe, sleep...do anything other than play. They are such a fun family and we really appreciated them coming all the way from Ohio to visit...especially squeezing us in with a wedding and all. It was awesome to be with them and play...we can't wait to see them again.