Texas Bohmans

My Full House

2010-09-02T14:51:00.000-07:00

Some days I'm overwhelmed with the activities and chaos associated with having 5 children. Some days I'm overwhelmed with the pure joy and love associated with having 5 children. I never knew my heart could hold so much.

Above is a picture taken in Steve's Grandma's pasture behind their house in Peterson, Utah. It is a beautiful place. Kids are welcome to explore and play here. There are hiding places, swings, campfires, and all the good stuff that comes with an old farm. Of course, the kids loved it! It reminds me of a place several hundred miles away. My Grandma & Grandpa's house in California. The scenery is a little different, but the feeling is the same. Freedom to be a kid, to get lost for hours in make believe, to be loved. I hope one day my grandchildren can come to my house wherever it ends up being and enjoy these same feelings.

Back in the Saddle Again!

2010-09-02T14:36:00.000-07:00

So much has happened since my last post. I kept thinking I would make the time to update, but it just hasn't happened. I'm turning over a new leaf. I will begin again. I will get "back in the saddle." Perhaps I will fill in the last six months...someday...over time. Perhaps I won't. For now I'm just moving forward from here. Now.

Happy Valentine's

2010-02-14T20:21:00.000-08:00

What a sweet Valentine's Day!

I received the best present ever, a homemade gift from my Valentine. The night before I set the table and decorated for the kids. When I woke up in the night with the baby I saw a beautiful tulip planted as a centerpiece. Then when I woke up in the morning (yes, there's a lot of "waking up" around here), I saw the note attached to the tulips. It told me to go to a website to get my card. I followed the instructions to: www.texasbohmans.com. Steve had spent months collecting old photos, scanning them, and putting them in place. What a sweetie! Best Valentine's gift ever! Thanks honey!

Arianna's Book Group

2010-01-30T06:12:00.000-08:00

We had a fun time reviewing Gooseberry Park this weekend with Arianna's friends from school. Since the book is about a chocolate lab, Kona and his friends, we decided to make "chocolate" our theme. The girls loved the chocolate fountain and made quite a mess!

Green Workshop

2010-01-16T05:18:00.000-08:00

Ashley's Girl Scout troop held a "Green" workshop for younger girls on Saturday. They worked so hard to put on this event! Each attendee was able to do a variety of activities including making draft stoppers, eco-friendly household cleaners, terrariums, recycled soda tab bracelets, and more. It was awesome! Ashley and her friends were also able to teach things about saving electricity, planting trees, and recycling on all kinds of cool levels. They showed the girls a PowerPoint sharing ways they have tried as a troop to make a difference in their world (litter pick ups, trips to Goodwill, projects using recycled items, and more.) They even put on a little skit and song for the younger girls. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle people!!

2009--A Year to Remember

2009-12-31T23:04:00.000-08:00

2009 is a year filled with memories. We started the year innocently enough. In January things were going relatively good for everyone in the family. We all enjoyed good health as we kept ourselves busy with our various activities. We were hoping to have another child in our family, but not overly concerned about it. Ammah and Ampah came for a fun-filled visit.

By the end of February we were expecting, Ashley became an official teenager, and we had survived our 7th consecutive year of selling Girl Scout cookies.

March was a fun month. We FINALLY got to visit Dale & Jae in Florida. We had a great time visiting with them. The Nerf guns and the large Lego pit were very popular with our family. We also got to visit the Creers in Alabama and sneek in a trip to Disney World.

April was bitter and sweet. We found out about Dad Bohman's cancer, but were also able to start sharing the news of our pregnancy. DJ played soccer. Arianna participated in Super Squad, a dance/cheer/tumbling type of group. Alyssa started to really be able to play her viola. Ashley participated in a few school district art contests and began to receive blue ribbons.

May was also bitter and sweet. The first week we celebrated Grandma and Grandpa North's 65th wedding anniversary with family in Santa Barbara. The next week the fire swept through. It was a miracle their house wasn't burned, but Great Aunt Marian's on the adjacent property was completely destroyed. DJ graduated from preschool. Heather finished a year's worth of volunteering at the school.

June was all about swimming! The girls participated in swim team each morning and in the afternoons swam with DJ & Savannah. Cousin Savannah spent most of the month with us. We all enjoyed our foster pets. Ashley and Heather took a Girl Scout trip to Dallas.

Pregnancy fatigue started kicking in during July. We tried to do as much as possible. Heather took the kids back to school shopping in Dallas. Steve flew in to meet us and we had a great time doing touristy type things there, too. Ashley loved her week at Girl's Camp (a church camp for girls 12-17).

August was all about doing as much as humanly possible for Heather being 7+ months pregnant. We went on a week long Texas parks motor home trip with boating, swimming, diving, hiking, and caving. The idea was to do as many activities as possible before the limitations of strollers, diapers, bottles, etc. We had SO much Fun! Soon school would start. DJ began kinder, Arianna-3rd, Alyssa-6th, and Ashley-8th. Heather enjoyed working more with the Backpack Connection (a local family magazine.) Stephen continued to keep a good job (no small feat in this economy--yeah Steve!)

September was more of the same.

October was mostly about Benjamin. Dad Bohman had his last radiation treatment the same week Benjamin was born. We are so glad he has had such good medical care. Mom Bohman also took such good care of him during everything (on top of the cancer, he also had shoulder replacement). Ammah (Heather's mom) stayed two full weeks when Benjamin was born. We have been so blessed to have her help each time we have had a new baby. Talk about priceless!!!

We celebrated 15 years of marriage in November. Yippee for us! Stephen was planning a cruise, but we got a baby instead. He says "a cruise would've been cheaper, but...you get what you pay for." Honestly, November was challenging. Heather and Benjamin kept having problems and went to way too many doctor's appointments.

December got a little worse and a whole lot better. More doctors. Some pretty challenging illnesses. A trip to the hospital. Good medicine. Then there was DJ's birthday party. We are learning six year old boy groups are very energetic! Arianna skipped the big birthday bash and settled for a sleepover/movie night with a few friends. Christmas was wonderful, as usual. This year we got our very own live nativity. That was very special.

All in all, it was a very good year. Through the challenges there were always little miracles reminding us that we have a Heavenly Father that is mindful of each one of us. A quote keeps coming to mind by Spencer W. Kimball:

"God does notice us, and He watches over us. But it is usually through another person that he meets our needs.”

As the New Year begins, may we continue to love one another, serve each other, and strive to be the type of people God needs us to be. We are so thankful for our wonderful friends and family that set such good examples of this for us!!

Happy New Year!

Life goes on...and on...and on!

2009-11-01T07:13:00.000-08:00

(This is Benjamin's first outfit. Thanks to my friends and their creative talents, he looked extra adorable coming home from the hospital!)

October was an eventful month. The funny thing about bringing home our 5th child is that life is still going on at super warp speed. In the past it seemed like my life would sort of freeze for a few weeks when I'd bring a baby home from the hospital. Not this time!

The week before Benjamin was born the whole family (minus Mom) came down with a stomach virus that caused intense vomiting. We were sanitizing everything in the house like crazy, because we heard this bug could stay around for a week or two.

The day Benjamin was born, DJ was honored at the Kendall Elementary Knighting Ceremony for his good behavior. He was so excited, but unfortunately his parents couldn't be there! I was being induced at the exact same hour. Thankfully two grandmas were in town and attended. The pictures show how thrilled he was. Later in the day DJ lost his first tooth! What a day for a kindergartner.

(DJ earned a free ticket to the Wild West Day when he was honored at the Knighting Ceremony. He enjoyed this outing with daddy on Oct. 24th.)

The day after Benjamin was born, DJ came down with a very high fever. He was taken to Urgent Care and put on antibiotics, but we had to keep him away from Benjamin, which was heartbreaking!

Here is how we spent our first two weeks with Benjamin, which explains how "life goes on..."

We had plenty of concerns over Benjamin. He broke his clavicle during childbirth, so we had to be a little careful with his right arm. He was also jaundiced with a borderline biliruben level and we prayed he wouldn't have to go back to the hospital for lights. He was born with a heart murmer, so we had to get an EKG. After the cardiologist received and reviewed the test, his heart appears normal. He started losing weight and spitting up a lot on his second week. On his two week birthday he threw up some old blood which was scary! He had gone down in weight to 8lbs. 10oz. (about 1.5 lbs less than birth weight.) The Dr. is concerned that he could have pyloric stenosis, but we are hoping it is a case of acid reflux. He is taking medication and seems to be doing much, much better!

Things started breaking all around the house. First the washing machine stopped agitating and we hired a repairman to fix it. Then the toilet was overflowing and needed to be completely replaced. Steve wanted to do it himself on his "free time." So, he started working on it, but was missing a part so he left a big open hole in the bathroom and promised to get to it after work. Of course, that was the day we were doing catch up laundry (remember the washer was broken) and the drain water from the laundry started shooting up through the open hole in the bathroom. Something about water flow and lowest points...don't ask me--I'm not a plumber. Several friends had suggested we contact Roto-rooter when this happened as my shower and toilet started "burping" gunk. Well, when Roto-rooter came, there was no blockage. He said our septic tank was full. Thankfully, the next morning we were able to get our septic tank pumped out, but we were given bad news. Our septic system is on its last leg and will probably need to be replaced ($10 thousand smackers!)

As if this news wasn't depressing enough, our T.V. broke! Now, I'm not a big television watcher, but I couldn't handle one more thing being broken, so I just about cried! We had enjoyed our t.v. for 15 years, so I guess it was time. I just don't know why it happened at the same time as everything else. Early in October all four of my tires had to be replaced, then there's the baby bills, and now all of these household expenses. Yikes! When it rains it pours. I really do have to laugh about the T.V. breaking. Nobody needs to worry about that though, because I think Steve was thrilled to replace it. He's wanted a new T.V. for years. :)

Halloween Costumes also kept me busy. Since my old sewing machine broke in September, I got a new one and have enjoyed using it. Steve brought home fabrics and patterns early in October. I plugged away at sewing the costumes over the course of the month: a little here, a little there. Of course, there were a few things that were reserved for the last minute, just to make sure we had a sufficient level of stress around the house.

With all of that stated...

Life Goes On
&
Life is Good!

October 16, 2009

2009-10-23T15:56:00.000-07:00

Benjamin Stephen was born Friday, October 16, 2009 at 11:59am.

We arrived at Methodist Hospital at 6am. They were waiting for us and remembered we were the ones that were sent away on Wednesday when the scheduled induction got postponed. Since our paperwork was all done, we pretty much just strolled into labor and delivery. The nurse looked up my history and was pretty nervous that should would have to deliver our baby and she did not want that to happen. They said things like, "once she goes into labor, she goes fast," etc. I wasn't really feeling much by way of contractions, but I decided this time to go ahead and get an epidural early. Every other time my babies were born before the epidural had gone into full effect. (Having an early epidural is the way to go--I now know!!!)

I read my book, Stephen "tweeted" and we had a pretty enjoyable morning. When they'd come to check on me, they'd say "still smiling?" Yep!

The nurse came back from her break and said, "shall we sit you up and get things started?" And I said I didn't think that would be necessary, because the baby was ready to be born. She checked, confirmed, and started to slow things down the best she could as she tried to find the doctor. They were prepped for me, but no doc. So, they pulled a random Dr. in from another area and told me not to move, as this baby was crowning. (No kidding! It was kind of embarrassing to be told NOT to move or thinking of rolling over--I was on my side.) Just in the nick of time my doctor arrived and delivered the baby. The nurse was so relieved!

The BIG news was that he weighed 10 lbs. 2 oz. and was 21 inches long. I guess he just wanted to outdo his siblings. I kept telling everyone how huge I was feeling!! I was ridiculously large. I knew it. Steve knew it. Now baby Benjamin proved it!

I felt so much relief to have him out, safe and healthy. Bringing Benjamin into this world will be a mission of faith. The pregnancy wasn't easy, but it was better than I expected. My doctors were able to regulate my medications and keep the pregnancy as uneventful as possible. I have been humbled by this particular pregnancy experience and I am very thankful for the support of our friends and family, particularly Stephen. Most of all, I thank our Heavenly Father for blessing us with this sweet baby. Early in this pregnancy I knew I couldn't do it alone. I simply can't. I will pray every day to be a good mother for him and for our other children.

If my life were an ice cream sundae, Benjamin would be my cherry on top. How sweet it is!

Back to School

2009-09-19T16:59:00.001-07:00

Day 1
D.J. - Kindergarten!!!!!
Arianna - 3rd
Alyssa - 6th
Ashley - 8th

Day 2
D.J. is adjusting wonderfully.
He loves school, has made lots of friends,
and seems to be loving every bit of kindergarten.

Birthday Bash

2009-08-19T16:38:00.000-07:00

Let's get this party started! We decked out the backyard with surfer gear, lanterns, and twinkle lights for the night.
There were A LOT of girls in the pool, but they seemed to be having a GREAT time!

It's official--the birthday girl is eleven!

At the end of the party, everyone settled in for a big screen movie outdoors. We watched Race to Witch Mountain. This turned out to be a great party. Alyssa was so happy!

Summer Projects

2009-07-26T22:08:00.000-07:00

We've managed to sneak in a few Summer Projects. The pictures show some of our projects. We've also tie dyed a bit, for which my nails are still stained! I can't believe I forgot to put on gloves!

Eighteen years ago when I graduated from high school (yikes--has it been that long?), my mom bought me a simple little sewing machine. Who knew it would be so fun and reliable. It's not fancy, but it gets the job done. Ashley enjoys sewing and I think Alyssa has now got the bug, too. Since she sleeps on the top bunk we designed this bed side bag to hold her "stuff."

Now, I'm just wondering when I'm going to get around to sewing a cute bag or quilt for myself??? A friend of mind suggested a fabric store in Kerrville that is sooooo inspiring (Creations). It took a lot of will power not to spend a fortune there when Crystal and I visited in June!

Beat the Texas Heat--Camp Indoors!

2009-07-26T21:51:00.000-07:00

The kids really wanted to camp, but it is scorching hot right now, so what's a mom to do? Camp indoors of course! Yes, the tent stretched from wall to wall. It is a very big tent! The kids had a blast and the adults survived without a family room for three days. They loved setting up camp, playing board games, and using their imaginations.

Foster Pets

2009-07-26T21:03:00.000-07:00

Lately we've started working with Tejas Rescued Pet Adoptions. We foster pets that are waiting to be adopted. It's been a good experience. The dogs that we've had have been awesome! The kittens were cute. It can be a little hard saying good-bye especially after caring for them for weeks, but it's a good feeling to know we've helped in some small way. As an added bonus, our dog Meka has enjoyed the company.

Everyone has had their favorite. Jake was my favorite. I really wanted to adopt him!

Happy 4th of July from the Bohmans!

2009-07-04T23:35:00.000-07:00

Our friends, the McClellands, invited us out to the Comfort parade for the 4th of July this year. We had a great time! For years I've been told about this parade, but somehow never got around to it. Feels good to say, we finally went!

Happy 4th of July Everyone!

June 2009

2009-06-26T21:20:00.000-07:00

June was mostly about Swim Team and visiting with cousin Savannah, but we managed to sneak in trips to Six Flags (3 or 4 times), the Witte museum, movies, the skating rink, Guadalupe State Park (highly recommend for day use), Blanco State Park (don't recommend during the drought), downtown touristy stuff, a ton of backyard swimming and even a trip to Great Wolfe Lodge with Ashley's Girl Scout Troop.

Swim Team started for Arianna at 7:45am, then Alyssa's group would start, and Ashley's would finally end around 10:30-10:45am. Needless to say, we did not sleep in during the month of June. This was Arianna's first year and she swam freestyle and backstroke. Alyssa is our backstroke queen, but does a beautiful butterfly. Ashley still loves to do breaststroke.

My Talented Family

2009-05-31T20:37:00.000-07:00

I'm constantly amazed at how each person shines in their own unique way and our children are no different. Whether it be academic, music, art, athletics, whatever it is, I'm so pleased to see my children try new things and develop their own talents.

There is one talent our whole family shares; we are really good at rolling/sliding down hills! The story goes, when I was dating Steve another guy was trying to win me over. He asked me, "What does this guy Steve have that I don't have?" I didn't know what to say exactly and I replied, "He rolls down hills!" So this other guys says, "I can roll down hills..." Sorry, it has to be spontaneous. As you can see, our kids are all good at going down hills. It's a family thing.

DJ Bids Farewell to Preschool!

2009-05-19T19:28:00.000-07:00

DJ had a great time in preschool this year! He made friends, learned a lot, and enjoyed two days a week away from Mom--or was it Mom that enjoyed that?!?!

DJ took some awesome field trips this year: the San Antonio Zoo, Enchanted Springs, HEB, parks, fire department, Sea World, and more! What a lucky young man. He really enjoyed centers and playing on the playground. Singing was also one of DJ's favorite things about preschool. He felt it was "exercises for my throat, because I talk a lot." Needless to say, his graduation was full of singing and we had no idea he could sing that LOUD!

DJ is excited to start kindergarten and be a Kendall Knight. We are so happy for him.

Jesusita Fire

2009-05-10T18:45:00.000-07:00

As one relative said "the Bohman family just escaped a total disaster." We left Santa Barbara on Sunday. By Tuesday, May 5, the horrible Jesusita Fire had begun in Santa Barbara. I received a call on Wednesday at 9pm that someone said Grandma and Grandpa's house had burned down. A half hour later, I was told we didn't know for sure, but it looked like the stables in the canyon had been burned. It was a long night.

That night (Wednesday)five fire trucks with crews fought off the fire from the driveway. They made my cousin Jason leave, but he had started the sprinklers and done everything in his power to help. He plead with the firefighters to save the house. They told him they were going to do everything in their power to save the house; Grandma and Grandpa (with Jason's help) did everything right as far as fire prevention on the property.

We were relieved to find out on Thursday that the house was still standing, despite the fire in the adjacent canyon. They let Grandpa on the property (to pick up his medicine) and he confirmed that the house was good, but the fire came within 15-20 feet from the house. We were all rejoicing in the wonderful news! The house we (the grandchildren) grew up in was saved!!

Friday morning brought horrible news. The fire had picked up and started coming from the other direction. Great Aunt Marian's house didn't make it. Their house is on the adjacent piece of property from Grandma and Grandpa's. The family in Santa Barbara watched the house burn down on TV. It was gone. Nobody was sure about Grandma and Grandpa's house. Our hearts went out to the Koonces. We waited nearly 48 hours to confirm the status of Grandma and Grandpa's house. Again we rejoiced that the house survived, but it was bitter-sweet, knowing Aunt Marian's did not.

My cousin reported, "the house was like an island with smoke on every side." Once the smoke had settled and family could see things, my aunt said, "it's like a volcano went off, but Grandma and Grandpa's house is like a little green oasis in the middle." The fire came from both directions. It truly is a miracle that the house only received some smoke and soot damage. Once again, we are counting our blessings!

Happy 65th Anniversary Grandma & Grandpa!

2009-05-03T18:19:00.000-07:00

We had a GREAT spring trip to Sunny Santa Barbara to visit Grandma & Grandpa North. The kids and I stayed a whole week. Thanks to Stephen for driving us half way across country, just to hop on the first flight back home, so he could work all week while we played. What a man! We were happy to have him back with us Friday night to enjoy the family gatherings over the weekend.

Most of the week was spent visiting family, picking fruit in the orchard, swimming, and visiting the Natural History Museum. We are always so spoiled when we visit. Grandpa kept the pool heated, homemade lemonade was plentiful, and we never ran out of juicy oranges to snack on. When indoors, the kids watched Animal Planet, played on the computer, and put together a puzzle (for old time's sake) on Grandma's dining room table.

On Friday night a bunch of the family gathered at Jane's house for an enchilada making marathon. Someone suggested to skip the catering this time and have a sort of homemade enchildad buffet. I have to admit the food on Saturday was good! We had a variety of enchiladas, beans, rice, and tri-tip. YUM! All of Grandma & Grandpa's children and grandchildren were there. Almost all of their great-grandchildren were there. The weather was perfect and everyone had a wonderful time. We even managed to pull off a little lip-sync rendition of "We Are Family" from the younger kids.

We were sad to pack up and head back to Texas, but the kids still had four more weeks of school to finish up--life! We feel so blessed to have been able to spend this special time together, celebrating an accomplishment very few reach. Way to go Grandma & Grandpa! You're the best!

Blessings

2009-04-17T19:10:00.000-07:00

What a day. Dad had his surgery today and it looks like it was a total success! We were so happy to hear they felt all of the cancer was removed.

Steve and I started the day at a "high risk" ultrasound appointment in the Med. Center area. We got to see "Five" and he/she looked great! We were curious to find out if our new baby would be a son or a daughter, but were quickly told, "this is not an anatomical check." We had to schedule that ultra sound appointment for June 1. We headed out the door with a few cute photos and went straight to the hospital to check on Dad. He had just barely gotten out of surgery and the report was great. We enjoyed a quick lunch in the cafeteria with Linda. We shared baby photos and sighs of relief.

I can't help but feel the blessings today. It seems like the cancer diagnosis and news of our pregnancy carried such opposite emotions. Life is like that I suppose. Today began with a lot of fear and worries. The day ends with joy and thanksgiving.

He Loves Me!

2009-04-05T19:53:00.001-07:00

Tonight DJ said, "Mom, do you know why I passed out when you picked me up at preschool?" I said, "no." He said, "because you are so beautiful. Dad sure is a lucky guy." How cute is that?!

Mega Raptor

2009-04-05T18:54:00.000-07:00

Here's Arianna's raptor costume. The performance is on the post below.

Dinostars!

2009-04-03T14:11:00.000-07:00

Last night we were truly entertained by the 2nd graders. All of the kids were adorable! Under the direction of their music teacher, the 2nd graders have been working nonstop on their program, "Dinostars." They sang five unique songs:

Dinostars!
The Raptor's Rap
Micropachycephalosaurus
Dinosaur Two-Step
Dinosaur Rock!

The program was interspersed with jokes and their was A LOT of animation from the kids. Arianna was chosen for the solo part in The Raptor's Rap...

"I'm a Mega Raptor. I have a mega claw.
I can do a lot with my big and mighty jaw.
Some say the mega raptor turned into a bird.
We lived so many years ago and that's my final word.
And that's my final word."

March Madness!!

2009-03-31T21:10:00.000-07:00

I just realized I have 50 minutes to get a post in before the month is up!!! Where did the time go!?

I learned a few interesting things this month.

1. My husband can blog with the best of them. He captured our entire Spring Break on twitter and then posted a complete blog with photos, before I had a chance to put away the suitcases. Check it out: www.thebohmans.net.

2. My husband should not update my blog background without permission--even if he didn't like my outdated St. Patrick's day background--it's off limits, Mr.! I do think it's interesting that he doesn't touch the decor in the house and we still have some Valentine's stuff hanging around.

3. I LOVE Disney World!!! We had a great time on vacation. I just love being with my little people. They bring so much joy to my soul. And, it's not just the "Disney" thing. Most of our time was just spent being together in the car, playing games, visiting family & friends, and lounging around. I've always said "the family that prays together & plays together, stays together."

4. This month, more than ever, I love my family--the family I'm raising, the family I'm from, and the family I married. There are trying times and joyous times ahead and I'm so grateful that we're not alone in the journey.

Happy 13th Birthday Ashley!

2009-02-12T12:52:00.000-08:00

On Friday, Feb. 13th Ashley turns 13!!!!!!!!!!
Things We Love About ASHLEY

1. She has a GREAT smile and shares it often!
2. She loves animals.
3. She is a talented artist.
4. She makes friends wherever she goes.
5. She thinks the best of people.
6. She is SILLY.
7. She has a contagious laugh.
8. She has beautiful sparkly eyes.
9. She is brave.
10. She is accepting.
11. She is a fun camper.
12. She is a curious scientist.
13. She is LOVING & KIND!

A Weekend in San Antonio

2009-02-06T06:10:00.000-08:00

Isn't it interesting how tourists have all the fun? Steve & I have been trying to "getaway," but our calendar keeps filling up. At a San Antonio Chamber of Commerce gala we bid on a Silent Auction weekend package and won! We used to never get the high bid on these things, but in 2008 we wound up with a lot of the winning bids. Anyway, our package included a two night stay at the Holiday Inn Select and tickets to the San Antonio Symphony.

We had a lovely weekend! On Friday night, after dropping kids off to Grandma & Grandpa's we went and saw the Curious Case of Benjamin Button. We usually love movies, but this one was a little long--maybe we were just tired and it was the 10:30pm showing. Remember we are night owls, so you'd think that wouldn't be the problem. I wouldn't say we didn't like the movie, but we both just looked at each other and said--"that was the longest movie ever!"

On Saturday we enjoyed a nice breakfast at the hotel and headed off to do touristy things. We visited the McNay Museum. This little museum used to be free, but after their add-on now charge admission. You can tell it is still a work in progress. I loved the old McNay, but until they finish their new construction, I'd rather go to the San Antonio Museum of Art. We shopped a little, purchased some coffee table art books for the kids and headed to the Riverwalk.

Our evening was wonderful! First, I was freezing so we had to go to Macy's and purchase a new dress coat. Love it! Then we did the whole romantic stroll on the Riverwalk and dinner at Biga on the Banks. The atmosphere, food presentation & flavor were top notch. We wanted to try something special and we were not disappointed. After a delicious three course meal, we walked to the Majestic Theatre. I love this theater, which reminds me a little of Santa Barbara's Arlington, but smaller and more cozy. The visiting pianist was Andrew von Oeyen. Now that Alyssa plays the viola, we were particularly impressed with the strings!

Before meeting our children for Sunday dinner at the Bohman's, we attended church in our neighboring Boerne 1st ward, which was a lot of fun.

I highly recommend getting away. Now, it's time to start scheming for the next getaway...:)

Christmas Letter 2008

2008-12-17T21:26:00.000-08:00

Greetings from Texas, Home of the Bohmans!

This year Steve suggested we post our Christmas letter to our family blog. Cuts down on paper and anyone who doesn’t really want to read the letter, doesn’t. So, if you are reading this, thank you & MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2008 was too busy, too action-packed and too much fun! We have had a great year, and have a lot to be grateful for. Our lives continue to revolve around our family and our growing children. They are at a very nice stage right now, independent—but still children. This is the stage I wish I could freeze. This is it.

Ashley is twelve. Twelve years old is awesome! She is in 7th grade and just started Middle School. In the last year she has participated in art club, choir, trumpet, swim team, Boerne Outdoor Academy, Girl Scouts, and the YW program at Church. She continues to love nature and animal life. Ashley had a special opportunity to stay with her Ammah & Ampah in Oregon for a couple of weeks over the summer. She made a beautiful quilt while there. She also participated in Underwater Exploring at the Monterrey Bay Aquarium. Ashley is now the proud wearer of braces and will be a teenager in February!

Alyssa is ten, “double digits.” Alyssa is hard-working, conscientious, and sweet. Parents know what a blessing that combination is! Alyssa loves to spend time with her friends, is a great student and loves anything puppy related. This year she’s enjoyed reading, writing, designing “dream houses,” swimming (especially backstroke), playing the viola & piano, Girl Scouting and Activity Day. In July Alyssa and cousin Spencer took a trip with Grandma and Grandpa Bohman to the LDS Church history sites in their motor home. They did a loop from San Antonio, up the East coast to New York and back home by way of Illinois and Missouri. The day after she got home she was on the San Antonio Living Show with Mom for a segment on Etta’s Book Club.

Arianna just turned eight and is really looking forward to her upcoming baptism. Arianna loves learning! Her teachers really enjoy her, probably because she is so interested in learning new things. Anna constantly surprises me with what she knows and has a terrific memory. She continues to enjoy artwork and playing on the computer, especially Webkinz. She participates in Super Squad two days a week and we think it’s really good for her to have the physical activity. She has developed into a bright, healthy, and happy little girl.

DJ just turned five on the 2nd of December. He attends preschool two days a week, which he absolutely loves! He is learning the basics and making a lot of friends. He attends speech for one hour a week, and also participates in a Mommy & Me music class once a week. Steve is keeping his dream alive of having a football player in the family. DJ’s at the top of the growth chart, so that helps. When DJ grows up, he still wants to play for BYU or the SPURS (wonder who planted that seed.)

Heather kept busy with Etta’s Book Club, Church, the P.T.O., Girl Scouts, and everything else. We now have club members in 8 states! I especially enjoyed my invitation to Indianapolis for the Christamore House Book & Author Event earlier this year. I was treated like a V.I.P., but don’t worry, my children brought me right back to reality the minute I got home. Lately I’ve been writing and working on layout/design projects freelance. There’s never a dull moment and I love it!

Steve is our family’s anchor. He is always supporting and guiding each one of us. He says he is a “normal guy, just trying to make it through the universe the best [he] can.” I argue the whole “normal” notion! This year Steve continued to work like crazy, but he managed to take some time for the finer things in life, a trip to Santa Barbara, California, Disneyland, Carlsbad Caverns, BYU football, Sea World, and summer nights playing with the kids in the pool.

If you got all the way to the end of this letter, you are good! We love receiving Christmas letters from our friends and family this time of year, so you better write back!

Merry Christmas Everyone! May the joy and love of the Savior be in your hearts now and throughout the coming year.

Love,
The Bohmans

Three Birthdays in 8 Days!

2008-12-10T22:11:00.000-08:00

DJ, Anna & Grandma have birthdays early in the month which keeps us busy celebrating! December is just one non-stop party for us Bohmans. We go from birthdays to Christmas to New Year's.

This year for Grandma's birthday we made her something special. We decorated a nice wide mouth jar and tucked in 100 "things we love about Grandma" on little strips. The whole family got on board, but we had a few funny moments, too. Arianna whined, "100 is a lot! Do we have to do 100?" Honestly, there was not even a pause for the first 50 we jotted down, they just came so fast. Then there was about a 10 second pause and someone suggested, "maybe we should just do 60 or so. I think that would be enough." Kids! I told them I was sure they could do it and I was right (of course.) Grandma never lets us down with things to love about her!

We usually have "birthday dinners" for each person at Grma & pa Bohman's, but this year the three combined for a night out to Chili's. We had a great dinner, but there were a few problems that the wait staff apologized for and we ended up getting free desserts for everyone!

Happy Birthday You Lucky Three!

Happy Birthday Arianna!

2008-12-05T21:56:00.000-08:00

Arianna turned 8! One day she told me she knew what she wanted for her birthday. I asked her what and she said, "I want a real Etta's Book Club Welcome Kit with a charm bracelet and everything!" Reminded me of the shoemaker without shoes for his children! I put together a deluxe birthday package for her and included a new "Happy Birthday" charm. She loved it!

To celebrate, we invited some of her friends to Artworks-Art Studio for Kids in San Antonio. Everyone had a wonderful time. The staff was really friendly and the accomodations were great. Our children were right at home with all of the creativity stations. Best part? No clean up!

Our Five Year Old!

2008-12-02T21:13:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe our baby is FIVE! He celebrated with a Speed Racer themed party. I felt bad for his little girl friends. His party was all BOY. It was super noisy with every car and track toy in the house zooming around. We were so thankful to have friends celebrate the day with us.

Having DJ in the family has been wonderful. I can't imagine life without him. His mom adores him (he is the cutest boy ever) and his dad enjoys having a miniature version of himself to play with.

Happy Birthday Buddy!

Volunteering

2008-11-20T21:20:00.000-08:00

Last year I got this cute card that said, "Stop Me Before I Volunteer Again!"

I didn't quite "get" this until recently. Volunteering is a passion of mine. I love to work with different people in the community. Over the years I've really enjoyed involving myself in different organizations I care about. I particularly love getting to work side by side with other volunteers. This fall I went a little overboard when four, yes four, of my volunteer projects overlapped. I am so thankful for a husband that is supportive and an easygoing family. I was demanding a lot out of myself, but they were not. They were a constant support to me. My children were blessed with good health through the craziness and I am so thankful for that. I have been struggling with a pinched nerve and osteoarthritis since the diagnosis in September, so having my children healthy has been a real blessing. Also, the people that came along, other volunteers, to help carry my load, I can't thank enough. There are some really amazing people out there! A few just seem to always be there when you need them.

So, I will never "stop" volunteering, but I hope I learn to "yield" more in '09!

Kitchen Face lift

2008-11-10T21:06:00.000-08:00

You can't really call it a "remodel" but we did give our kitchen a bit of a face lift. Unfortunately, our dishwasher died on us over the summer and we replaced it with a stainless steel model. Honestly, I was a bit bothered, because we had white appliances and a bisque refrigerator. However, I felt we would eventually convert things over to the updated look of stainless steel. Then our refrigerator started acting up and finally broke down and we were told by the repairman to get a new fridge. He couldn't fix it. So, we ended up with a new stainless steel fridge and that called for a fresh coat of paint. Eventually we will get window coverings, but haven't figured out what we want yet. I really wish our refrigerator hadn't broken, because I loved my old one, but it was fun to get a more unified look in the kitchen.

Halloween!

2008-11-01T20:56:00.000-07:00

This year the WHOLE family wore costumes. Steve only occasionally wants to get a costume and this year, he was in the mood. He came home one day and said, "I want to be Shrek for Halloween." I figured he'd get over that. Then he said it another day, so I figured he was serious. I asked him (innocently), "who is going to be your Princess Fiona? Ashley?" He responded, "I was kinda thinking you could be Fiona." Well, it was a lot of fun, we turned some heads, and got a lot of laughs. I was glad I could be the ogre version--much less stress!

Ashley came up with her own costume as "Little Miss Muffet." She looked great! Alyssa was perfectly happy reusing her hippie outfit with a few embellishments. Arianna was Lucy from Chronicles of Narnia. DJ was Captain America! We tried hard to convince him to try a different costume. Alyssa proclaimed it as "hideous," but in the end he had his heart on that one (one size too small--the only one in the store) and I let him have it. After all, this is for the kids people!

Everyone Agrees, Mom Needs a Time Out!

2008-10-26T07:19:00.000-07:00

Sometimes life can get pretty busy these days. I welcomed the chance to help at the recent Time Out event hosted by the Deseret Book Company. Even though I volunteered to be on the "team" and had just a few responsibilities, it was all fun and I enjoyed the weekend immensely. I felt like I instantly made friends with 1700 other ladies like me, ladies that needed a "time out." There are a few sisters I met that I will not forget. I hope the event theme of "JOY" will help them face the challenges ahead.

My bucket is refilled and I'm so happy I attended this event. First, I love Hilary Weeks. Her music inspires me. I had a chance to visit with her and tell her how much I appreciate listening to her music as I clean the house, do chores, etc. She has such a beautiful voice and gift for composing. I was also touched by another one of my favorites, Michael McLean. Music has a way of getting to your heart. I met one of my teachers from my Utah days in Carolyn Rasmus. I want to be like her someday. Each speaker made me laugh, lighten up, and at the same time feel optimistic that I can do a little better with tiny paradigm shifts. I just LOVED it!!

Dance-A-Thon

2008-10-19T15:33:00.000-07:00

I took on the awesome responsibility of doing the "Fall Fundraiser" for the school this year. Little did I know how much time this would take! We kicked off the fund raiser with a "hippie" themed dance. This is definitely the easiest theme I could think of for me to pull off. We had a great time.

The night before a small group helped decorate the gym. Stacy had a brilliant idea to do this balloon string--loved it. I got in the spirit making a 5 ft. hippie van for the backdrop. A few of us came back to my house to put together fund raiser/cookie dough packets for each student. Stacy went home and painted word signs like "Peace" & "All You Need is Love," etc. We were up until 11:30! I'm so glad they came out to help, or I would've been up all night--yikes!

The dance started at 8am and went until 2:30pm (clean up another hour). Everything worked out perfectly. Tons of parents came to help. There were goodies for the kids, music, and a whole lot of "groovy" attire.

Peace!

Cookies For Soldiers!

2008-10-07T09:03:00.000-07:00

Baghdad Slideshow

Our girls have all participated in Girl Scouts over the last several years. When Arianna was five and looking forward to becoming a Girl Scout soon she turned to me thoughtfully and said, "You know Mom, Girl Scouts is about making the world a better place"...pause, thoughtful smile..."and selling Girl Scout cookies."

A really neat opportunity came our way last winter when the girls decided to collect cookies for soldiers. Our family alone donated about 150 boxes of cookies. We have to thank our family from out of state and great friends for supporting this effort. Ashley's GS troop made the connection with a troop serving in Iraq and shipped the cookies to them. They were so happy to get a "taste from home" and sent this powerpoint thank you. I hope we can do this again next year!

Maybe cookies can make the world a better place!

Worldwide LDS General Conference October 4 & 5, 2008

2008-10-05T21:26:00.000-07:00

Since we have satellite (yay), we get to stay home and watch conference. General Conference is a time for members of our church to hear from the worldwide leaders. It is so cool to think we are living in a time when we can project a conference clear around the world for millions to hear. Sometimes the accents can be pretty thick, so we put the closed caption on for a few of the talks. I just love modern day conveniences. Over the years we've developed a few traditions. Saturday varies, but on Sunday we usually sleep in (doesn't start until 11am in Texas), have a big breakfast, curl up and enjoy the talks. We always play conference bingo. When the kids hear certain key words in a row, they win a piece of candy. While this may not be recommended by the dentist, our kids pay a lot more attention!

When we sit in our living room watching conference, I always think of the story found in the Book of Mormon when King Benjamin, the prophet, addresses his people. Everyone is so excited to hear his message that the families put up tents with their openings facing him so they can hear. Our family room was our tent this weekend and we sure camped out. I feel a kinship to the people of that ancient story! Probably one of my favorite parts of conference is just being together as a family, learning side by side.

We watched the four general sessions over the weekend and I'm so happy that the kids never complained (except maybe that their sibling had gotten "way more" bingos than them.) I think breaking out the lego helped DJ stay in the room with us! He didn't get too much candy, but he seemed okay with it. We are not the perfect picture of what families do (and look like)over conference weekend, but we are trying!

All That Glitters--Isn't Gold, but Costs Pretty Close to It!

2008-10-03T18:46:00.001-07:00

Ashley finally got braces! When she was about three years old we took her to the dentist for her first appointment. After the x-rays and evaluation, the dentist gave her opinion that we start saving, because she would need braces, eventually--someday. We've tried to be proactive all the way along, by having teeth pulled to make room for new ones. Sometimes she would have teeth growing in sideways, but as soon as we'd pull teeth, they'd start to straighten out. She even had a space maintainer for awhile. Well, the baby teeth are gone now and if we don't want her to have a severe crowding issue, we have to go the next step. I'm glad we've had nine years to prepare for it, but it still feels strange to see braces on her. I suppose we'll get used to it over the next two years!

P.S. I feel kind of old to have a kid in braces!

Bike Rodeo

2008-09-26T10:03:00.001-07:00

Arianna was all smiles at the Bike Rodeo this morning! She did a great job and enjoyed participating in the different activities. She has a GREAT attitude in trying new things, listening to instructions and just eating up all that is new and exciting.

DJ tagged along as Mom helped at different stations. He enjoyed watching his friends in kindergarten during the Jump Rope rotation. He can't wait until he gets his chance next year!

Silly DJ

2008-09-25T10:15:00.000-07:00

We love our silly boy! I am enjoying the little time I have before he starts kinder next year. He is loving preschool and comes home incredibly dirty from playing with all the boys on the playground. Needless to say we are using the "shout" stain remover a lot on Tuesdays & Thursdays. I wouldn't have it any other way and love to see how happy he is!

DJ's weekly schedule looks a little like this-
Monday: Speech School
Tuesday: Preschool
Wednesday: Music Makers/Play With Friends
Thursday: Preschool
Friday: Errands with Mom & Down Time (when we are lucky)

When DJ grows up he wants to be a "Cougar Football Player" or sometimes a "Spurs Ball Player." He can't see beyond this even though I tell him those careers won't last forever. Oh well, I guess we have time to discuss alternative career paths!

Project of the Day

2008-09-22T21:53:00.001-07:00

I volunteer for the school PTO in a bunch of different ways. One hat I'm wearing this year that I really enjoyed doing last year is the Staff Appreciation Team with Kim M. We like to host lunches, give gifts and leave little favors for the staff in their mail slots. We try to do something every month. October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and so Kim had the idea to give little pink zipper pouches and I'm attaching this note to the gift. I loved this idea and wanted to pass it along! Remember to do your breast exams ladies!!

State Number Eight

2008-09-22T05:53:00.000-07:00

I always get excited when we list a new state to our list of customers from Etta's Book Club!

We are now in...

Texas
California
Utah
Idaho
Indiana
Michigan
Alabama
Virginia

2008-09-22T05:29:00.000-07:00

Saturday

Saturday morning the Activity Day girls (my calling right now) hosted a quarterly Activity Day for the younger kids in primary. We had a "All Things Bright & Beautiful" theme and pretended it was a day of camp. Some of the girls led the younger ones in games, some in crafts, and some in songs. We decorated with stuffed animals and pictures the girls drew. The activity was held outside and we managed to put up our family's tent and used it as the "song tent." I think it was a nice morning. All of the children went home with a new tub of play dough personalized with a label that read...

All Things Bright and Beautiful
All Creatures Great and Small.

All Things Wise and Wonderful
The Lord God Made Them All.

Some Thing Cute and Colorful
Now You Can Make Them All.

Movie Night!

2008-09-22T05:15:00.000-07:00

Friday was full of fun. I had a day late birthday lunch with Angie M. and then headed over to her house to help with preparations for her daughter's bday party. They were having a "pirate" party. After a few hours of helping over there, I headed back to our house to get ready for our Nancy Drew movie night. We invited several girls that had been reading Nancy Drew with us in Etta's Book Club. With popcorn, soda and a few sweets, we really pigged out!

Cute movie--we really liked it!!

Week in Review

2008-09-19T07:46:00.002-07:00

Monday: Whew! By noon, I had attended the monthly PTO mtg., had a planning meeting, taken Ashley to Dr. Ferris for an orthodontist appointment, gone back and forth to our house a couple of times, emailed two customers, and made it to a visiting teaching appointment! (Did I mention I was delivering several dozen just baked cookies to school and I dressed and put on makeup before 7:30am--that's an accomplishment in and of itself. Yes Grandma had DJ for the morning, or it just wouldn't have worked!)

Just another "Manic Monday!"

Monday night we toured Ashley's fabulous middle school, met her teachers, and marveled at how she can get from the portables outside to her English class upstairs and on the other end of campus in under 10 minutes. The teacher says she's never late.

Tuesday: Elementary Picture Day! That means waking up early and doing hair. As Arianna puts it, "it's all about doing hair on picture day." After dropping DJ off at preschool (yes, he's going to preschool--another post for another day), I went to therapy for my aching neck. After that, I worked on Etta packages for a few hours. In the afternoon, I picked up DJ at his school, snuck a trip to Sonic's "happy hour" and swung by to pick up Alyssa from orchestra (her first day with the viola.) We made it to the post office to mail a stack of boxes to out of state customers. Then it was time to pick up Arianna from Super Squad. After getting home, making sure dinner was under control and kids had jobs to do, I ventured into San Antonio to work at the food cannery. This was not the highlight of my day. By then, my neck, back and shoulders were really aching!

Wednesday: After Music Makers with DJ in the morning, I finally got the package I was waiting for. I had run out of charm boxes. Sometimes I greet the Fed Ex, UPS, and Mail people as my best friends--don't know what they think about it! With the delivery, I was able to finish putting together the majority of Etta's boxes for the month. Yeah! By the time Aly and Anna got home it was a major rush to tidy up, put away Etta and get ready for Activity Day to be held at our house from 4:30-5:30. The good news is, we survived the day, but it was a little crazy. Thankfully Ashley gets a ride from Sis. S. to Mutual on Wednesday nights--yeah, yeah, yeah for friends! While Ashley was at Mutual we ran into town to Party City. DJ thinks it is the best store ever. During Halloween it is especially festive.

Thursday: In the morning I took DJ to preschool, went to therapy for my neck and came home to pack up Etta's boxes. This means putting on the labels, and sealing them with packing tape. I had to determine who received welcome packets in addition to the regular packages. It's pretty easy work, but it can get confusing and I constantly have to double check my work to make sure I included every part necessary. Occasionally I find that I forgot to put in something during my assembly line process. By the afternoon, Anna & I picked up DJ (preschool) and Alyssa (orchestra). We headed to the post office again to mail packages. This time we made quite a spectacle of ourselves. DJ's shirt was dirty and everyone was looking frazzled. I'm sure there were a few frowns, but honestly the big long line I created at the post office wasn't my fault! When I walked in with 50 boxes there wasn't anyone in line!! Everyone showed up after I was being helped. I don't think they like me there. My kids running around, poking at each other and whining doesn't help, but I really needed to pay attention to my transaction and yes, my kids were a little out of control. Kids should not have to wait in post offices--it is trying for everyone involved. Not pretty.

By Thursday night, Ashley went to a GS rally, and we started planning for Friday's festivities. By the way, my neck still hurts--really bad!!! Thankfully, Steve was home Thursday night to help out. He'd been gone Tuesday and Wednesday night. He works so hard for us. I'll have to talk about how great he is on another post.

Friday: You'll have to get back with me on that one. It's still in progress...

Getting Started!

2008-09-19T07:46:00.001-07:00

I have friends that are good with scrapbooks, friends that are good with journals, and friends that are great with blogs. My friend Rachel inspired me to work on this blog. She printed this fabulous album of her family life last year straight from the pages of her blog using some kind of a service. I've never been too good at writing down our family history. I just know we are super busy a lot of the time! Maybe this will be a way for us to finally keep track of our ins & outs. I'm not going to try too hard for perfection, I'm just going to try to get started!!

What a Summer!

2007-08-20T22:37:00.000-07:00

We have had a lot of excitement around here! At the end of May we moved houses and started summer swim team. In June we welcomed cousin Savannah for a five week visit and had Aunt Jane, Aunt Marian, Uncle Felipe, Anthony, Christopher, Isaac, Cheyenne and Laurine come for a fun-filled week. July brought an unexpected trip to Utah for Grandpa Bohman's funeral. Also in July we traveled to Nauvoo Illinois for a week long Bohman family reunion. August started off with a bang as we visited Oregon to see Ammah and Ampah. Now that we are home from our whirlwind summer, I can finally get to unpacking those boxes that have been here since May--wish me luck!