Finding Dinosaurs!

 One of Tim's best childhood memories is going out to the desert with his dad and rockhounding. He was taken all over Utah to find different minerals and rocks that he could keep as souveniers. He was really excited to bring his kids along for the ride. Most of our kids are huge rockhounders like their daddy. They love the desert and get excited when we take them out on adventures.

 In June of 2013, Tim and I decided to recreate this experience for our nieces and nephews. We organized a rockhounding excursion and invited all of our brothers and sisters to bring their families. We got a really good response and was able to plan an epic trip!

We chose the place and the rocks we were going to look for. Tim thought it would be fun to show everyone where they could find dinosaur bones. He found a dinosaur when he was younger, and thought the kids would find this absolutely amazing! We set up the camp, let everyone know where we were, and thus the adventure began.

It was a great family reunion! The kids were excited to see their cousins. They helped set up camp, explored the area and got everyone settled in. After the first night of camp songs and smores, everyone had a difficult time sleeping because of the excitement of looking for dinosaur bones.

The first morning, Tim loaded most of the kids in our Suburban, Zina (my best friend) loaded a group in her truck and off they went into the desert to find themselves a dinosaur. Now, if you know anything about Tim, you know that the desert speaks to him. He drives until it says stop and digs where the desert tells him to dig. He drove to an area and told everyone that this is where they would find something. He explained that dinosaur bones are not white, like you would think, but more purplish red or black.

Everyone started searching. It wasn't very long until my nephew Justin and my sister Aimee thought they might have stumbled onto something. Tim came over to verify...sure enough! They had found a dinosaur bone. Tim asked all the kids to back up, because he didn't want them to ruin the site. He carefully started digging around it. What we soon discovered, is that this was a full blown dinosaur vertebre! They hadn't just found bones, they found a full dinosaur!!!!

Everyone was so excited! Tim taught the older kids how to carefully dig around the bones to prevent damage. He dug far enough to verify the dinosaur, then he called the state paleontologist to find out what to do next.

The story got picked up by the local news station and everyone got to be on TV. (Click here to watch the news cast) The dinosaur that we found, was a juvenile cephelapod. I can't remember what the full name of it was, but I know it was a long neck. I took the kids to the Museum of Natural History shortly afterwards to show them which dinosaur it was. (Not that ours got put there, just that they had the type on display.)

Now, unfortunately, being on the news and having all this excitement, put Tim in a sad predicament. He had federal officers come and arrest him. Apparently, it is illegal to gather dinosaur bones and a fragment of one was shown on TV, so they suspected that we gathered a lot of them. They confiscated all the small fragments that were found in the wash, and Tim had to go to court.

Fortunately, the judge decided that there was no malice and dismissed the case. It was really scary to think that Tim would have to go to jail because of our desire to share our adventure with the world. Thankfully, everything turned out okay.

We still rockhound, and have found several more dinosaurs with our little family, including a T-rex. Ara has found a raptor tooth and Tim has found a T-rex claw. We don't gather anymore, just take pictures, but it's sad that the kids can't keep their little momentums. Rockhounding is a dying art, but if you're ever in the area or interested to see what we found, let me know. We might be able to arrange a rockhounding excursion for you!

Life Update!

 Here I am after 8 long years of ditching my blog. I have decided to start anew. Our family moved again to a tiny little town in central Utah. I have 4 children that have graduated high school, and one left to graduate this year.

Orion lives on his own now. He has bought and sold his first house and is working at Peppertree with his dad. He builds the cabinets, and then Tim installs them. He isn't really dating right now, and is still trying to figure out where he fits in this world. I'm very proud of him! He is a talented musician and he has been working on an animated show that is music themed. He is a wonderful example to his younger siblings.

Vega is living in her own apartment. It is upstairs from our home, but it has everything she needs to live on her own. It's nice that I can give her the space she wants and needs, but I can still have her close by if she needs me. She does janitorial stuff for the company I work for. Vega works 2 days a week and really enjoys her job and the people she works for. She loves being independent, even though she has her sisters as roommates.

Centauri has been working from her computer. She designs different things for Minecraft and sells her designs online. She doesn't make a ton of money doing it, but she loves it. This also seems to be a lot of people's dream job, because she gets jealous comments from everyone it seems. She is living in the upstairs apartment with her sisters too. She remains a very talented artist and wants to do more with her talent.

Ara has been working at an animal rescue in Salina. She was recently promoted to afternoon manager and does a lot for the company. She designs their website, Fullmer Menagerie Animal Rescue, and creates the schedules. She is so good with animals and loves them a lot. Ara has been coming into her own, showing people her strong work ethic and making herself valuable. She lives with her sisters in the upstairs apartment and acts like the manager there too. She tries to make sure that her sisters clean up after themselves and do their fair share. She will still give you the shirt off her back, but she's a little more jaded now.

Rigel is being homeschooled right now. He is teaching himself German and enjoys learning new things. He has really changed a lot since he was a child. He's mellowed out and has become really laid back. He still doesn't like to be around people much, and he's still a home body. He surprised us recently by showing us some of the drawings he's done. He went from drawing stick figures to full blown characters with movement and shading. I was absolutely amazed at his talent! If he wants to figure out how to do something, he just does it. He's a lot like his dad in this manner.

Tim and I have been doing amazing! Tim works up north and stays there during the week, which makes me love and appreciate him even more on the weekends. We have been remodeling our house and he has made some amazing progress. He built the apartment space that the girls live in, he created a master bathroom for me, he remodeled my bedroom, remodeled Rigel's bedroom, and is now working on the Butler's pantry and kitchen. He works so hard for me and the kids, I just can't help but love and adore him.

I have a job working with people with disabilities. It's pretty much the best job in the world. I get to hang out with some of the funnest, happiest, and wonderful people in the world. They make their choices and live their lives, and I am allowed to be a part of that. I tell people that it's the funnest, most easy job you'll ever do, with some of the absolute most difficult moments of your life. It is pretty much the toughest job I'll ever love! 

Our family dynamic is a lot different now. My children are now mostly adults. They make their own choices and do their own thing. It's been very different for me to have the space and freedom to do what I want to do. This is the reason I now have time for a blog again. Hopefully, I can still have good adventures with my family and be able to write about them. I'll delve into some memories of past adventures, and I will create my own adventures without the kids. I hope I can maintain my audience and you all will enjoy my writing.

Baby's First...

When you have a child one of the most wonderful things to experience are baby's firsts. His first smile, his first steps, his first birthday. It seems as if there are a million firsts that baby goes through in that first year of life!

This is Orion at 3 weeks old. My very first baby and his first photo shoot!

 

 

Here he is at 6 months old roasting his first marshmallow on his first camping trip

This is his first birthday

Here is his first outfit that he loved to wear, he would pick out that vest everyday!

As Orion grew, his firsts changed. Once he hit his first birthday they were fewer and farther between. He had his first day of school, his first overnight with a friend. It was bittersweet as he was hitting his firsts, he was also doing some of his lasts. Like the last time he needed me to brush his teeth. The last time he cried in the night for his mama. The last time he needed to hold my hand to cross the street. He grew so quickly it was hard for me to keep up.

This was Centauri and Orion getting ready to go to the park for the first time without mama there to keep them safe.

 Once again, at 16, Orion is doing some firsts! Today, December 4th, 2014, he is going on his first airplane ride! He is going to Hawaii for the first time and going to get to see the ocean the first time in his life!

His first airplane ride!

 It was so difficult to drop him off this morning. It felt like I was letting go of so much. It felt like it was the last time he would really be a kid. My baby was all grown up. He didn't need me to walk him in (although I am happy to say that he wanted me to), he didn't need me to hold his hand.

Parenting is about raising a child to become an adult. It is about helping a child to tell right from wrong and give them that moral compass they can rely on. It is about letting your child practice becoming a grown up over and over in safety, knowing that you have their back. It is about letting go when they are ready and allowing them to do their firsts on their own.

As I let go this morning, I realized that my first baby was now going to be my first adult. He still has some practice to do, he still needs the safety of my home, but soon he will be doing some of his lasts again. I can only pray that God has guided mine and Tim's hands enough to have brought him up on the right path. I pray that God will now guide Orion to make the right choices and to be the amazing adult I know he can be.

Being punished for being bullied

It's been awhile since I've written in my blog. We've had a million adventures, including finding a dinosaur! I've found that I just don't write as well when I'm having a good time. Recently, Rigel has been experiencing some bully issues in school. There is a group of boys that likes to play soccer in his school that have decided they are better than everyone else. Rigel is an independent kind of guy. He isn't afraid to say what is on his mind. This group of boys decided a certain table belonged to them at lunch time. Rigel's friend (with Aspberger's Syndrome) didn't understand about the territorial issues that can arise from sitting on this table, so he sat. Rigel sat next to him. This is what started the bullying.
     Rigel is a fierce protector of the people he loves. He and his friend were told to move, in a not so polite way. Rigel told them they had a right to sit where they wanted. He was then pushed, threatened with his life, and physically forced to get off the table. They picked up his lunch, told him they would kill him if he didn't get out of here. The same was done to his friend. Rigel came to me (I was working in the lunch room at the time) I went over to diffuse the situation. After I had everyone sitting and eating their lunch I went to my supervisor, Mr. S. I was told by him to let him deal with it in the future so that I could remain unbiased. I agreed. I wish I hadn't.

     Over the next several weeks Rigel was tormented. They started by name calling, moved on to cursing and spitting, then started in on Ara. These boys were the most rude disrespectful kids in the school. Every single time they did something I informed Mr. S. Every time I was told something was being done about it. I trusted the school, I had no reason not too.
     When they started getting physical is when I started getting concerned. One boy pushed Rigel down, so Rigel got up and hit him. Guess who was punished? It wasn't the boy that pushed, that's right, it was Rigel! There were many instances similar to this, except Rigel would just walk away. I reported every one. Why wasn't anyone stopping these boys? At parent/teacher conference I learned what some of the problem was. I was told by the teacher that she didn't believe any bullying was going on. She said that boys will be boys and they needed to learn to figure it out on there own. She told me that Rigel was just as much an instigator as the other boys. Okay, Rigel isn't an angel, he's got a big mouth, maybe she was right? WRONG!!!! I should have gone with what I know was right.
     Yesterday, according to these five boys that have been tormenting Rigel and Ara, Rigel threatened to bring a gun to school and "shoot every one of them one by one". Rigel told me he didn't say it, I believe him. The police were called, interviews happened and charges were pressed. Rigel was suspended for three days. I told the police about all the bullying instances. Not a single one had been recorded by administration. Three of these 5 kids were teachers own children.
     Rigel is being punished for being bullied. He had a trumpet blown in his ear. He's been spat upon numerous times. He's had balls thrown at him. He's been pushed, he's been kicked in the behind, he's been reported for doing things that he didn't do just to get him in trouble. The only person that stood up for him was his sister. My hands were tied. He's been suspended. Spread his message, stop the bullying, stand up for some one! Call Canyon Grove Academy in Pleasant grove, Utah. Tell them to stop the bullying, don't let this happen to another child. You can email them too at office@canyongrove.com.
   

 

All New Adventures

This is a tale of happiness and sorrow and of healed hearts.

In October of 2012, we found the perfect dog for us. He was a beautiful Boxer named Rocky. He was smart and funny and fit our family perfectly. For two whole months we loved our Rocky boy. Sadly, over Christmas break, Rocky got sick. At first he just seemed a little slower and tired. Soon, he was having a difficult time with the stairs and he stopped eating. It was this time that I knew some thing was terribly wrong. If we could have afforded to take him to the vet we would have. The next day Rocky was peeing blood and we knew that it was kidney failure.

The pain of knowing that we could do nothing was too much to bear. We set up a bed for him in our kitchen and Tim would carry him out to the yard to use the bathroom. That tells you how wonderful Rocky was. He couldn't even walk, yet he would still whine to be let out.

The kids and I were gathered around trying to make him as comfortable as possible. Ara asked if we could pray to make him better. She has always been my spiritual kid, reaching out to God when her life has struggles. I told her that Rocky's sickness couldn't be healed. It was already to a point where his body was shutting down. In tears, she asked if we could pray that Rocky died quickly so he would stop hurting. My heart was broken. My sweet 9 year old daughter has so much wisdom inside of her.

After we prayed, I sent the kids to bed having them say goodby to Rocky one last time. A half hour later he stopped moaning in pain. I could see the life had left his eyes and I knew his body was still alive, but he wasn't there anymore. Soon after that he passed away. It was so difficult for my babies! All of the kids were crying and sobbing in the morning. Even Tim cried when he saw how sad the kids were. It was the middle of winter with more than a foot of snow on the ground when Tim dug a grave for Rocky in the backyard.

This isn't just a story of sorrow. This is also the story of our how we got our new dog. After Rocky died, Rigel still wanted a dog to play with. He was so sad without his buddy, Tim and I decided we could search for a new dog. Tim thought it might be fun to have a Border Collie. We searched on KSL.com again and found a 7 month old Border Collie puppy. I called the owner that day and told him we'd like to see the puppy that night. sadly, Tim had to work late and the car was acting up. I called the owner again and told him that we couldn't come tonight.

He sounded like he was in a slight panic. He asked me where I lived and I told him. He said he was willing to bring the dog to us. He was kicked out of his home and had to give her up. If he didn't give her to someone that night he would have to take her to the pound. We agreed. I had the kids find all the money we could to pay him for his drive out here in boony land.

It was worth it! She was such a sweet puppy!
Harley Quinn was her name and we thought it suited her, so we kept it. She is so funny! She has more energy than Rocky, but she is smaller and easier to handle. Rigel had a hard time warming up to her, but he quickly became her best friend. They even play Hide and Seek together. She has been trained well enough, but it is fun to teach her new things. I'm glad we have a new member of our family to help fill the hole that Rocky left behind.

Meet Rocky

Rocky is the newest member of our family. He is a 5 year old boxer with an awesome personality. To tell about the adventure of how we came to have Rocky join our family, you need to understand one thing... Tim hates dogs. There, I said it. He hates dogs so badly that I sometimes wonder if he was attacked or something as a child and repressed that memory or something. As it is, I was resigned to the fact that we would never own a dog.

The kids on the other hand...
     They would ask for animals all the time. We've had cats, guinea pigs, rats, frogs, and a mouse. There were even times we had a dog, but as quickly as we got the dogs, they would have to be given away because of some reason or another that Tim would think of. Usually it involved the dog poop or the barking. He can't stand neither. He kept saying he wanted a useful dog if we were going to have one.

Sadly, when we moved, we had some unfortunate deaths in the family. Our sweet rats, Salt and Pepper, passed away. It was so sad! All of the kids had a really hard time with their deaths. I think it was because we had just moved and they felt like everything was already falling a part. In the aftermath of this great sadness, Rigel decided he couldn't live without a pet of his own. Of course, he wanted a dog. He kept wearing his dad down with things like, "I will clean up the poop" , and "he will be trained to do fun and cool things." Tim kept saying no.

I got Rigel a little mouse named Strike. Rigel loved her and would give her treats and play with her a lot! Sadly, Ara's cat Midnight loved her as well. He caught her one night. Ara saved her before there was damage done...or so we thought. Two days later, she died.

Rigel was heart broken once again! He cried for a long time, but all the tears paid off. He convinced his daddy that he needed a dog.

The search for the perfect dog was on. He couldn't be too little or too big for that matter. He needed to be older and already trained. But not an old dog, we had one of those once and it didn't last for too long. He needed to have the energy and strength to keep up with Rigel, but not so much energy that he couldn't calm down easily. We searched for a long time.

Finally, on KSL.com we found a dog that had all of our qualifications. He was fully trained and had been a wonderful companion to a boy that had now become a man. His boy decided to join the Army reserves and could no longer take care of the dog. That is where we stepped in. I made all the phone calls and made sure that he would be perfect for Tim's specifications. The best part...they were only asking $100 for this fine dog. The down side...he was in North Logan.

We made the drive and it was worth every penny. Rocky is a wonderful dog! He is obedient and clean. Weird enough, he even pushes his dog food that spills on the floor into a pile. He plays with the kids and calms quickly when they calm. It's like he was made for our family! Even Tim is in love with Rocky. I never thought it was possible for Tim to enjoy a dog so much, but he really does love him. Rocky loves and respects Tim too. The new member of our family will surely be loved and appreciated for a long time.

Welcome, Rocky, to our adventures. I'm sure you will fit right in and enjoy every minute of it!

The Great Indiana Jones Adventure

Indiana Jones is the most epic adventurer I know of. He is quick on his feet, good at solving problems, and always has another adventure he's ready to go on. The closest adventurer to Indiana Jones would be my husband, Tim Watt. He always has a new place to explore, another treasure to find, or just some Spanish symbols to investigate. Another thing they both have in common... The Hat.

Indiana Jones

Tim's hat has been a part of him for so long, that my children can't draw a picture of Daddy unless it has a hat on. He wears it everywhere he goes and it has enough wear and tear to show the adventurer that he is.

Tim Watt

This weekend we took the kids to the local amusement park, Lagoon. If you are a native Utahn, then you know exactly what I'm talking about. The roller coasters and thrill rides, all the stuff for the adrenaline junkie to get their fix for the year. My kids included. The first ride you go on when you get there is always The White Roller coaster. We stepped on the ride strapped ourselves in and got ready to go. As we slowly made our ascent, I reminded Tim to watch his hat. "I got it" he says. Halfway through the ride, it flew off his head, hit Centauri's arm, and fell overboard! I could have cried!

The exact spot he lost it is covered by the tree in the left hand corner.

There was no way he could just walk away. My brother Christian and I took the kids on a few more rides and Tim became more and more obsessed with getting his hat back. He walked the perimeter of the coaster, going back and forth trying to find it. It was nowhere. It had disappeared and was lost forever. He was feeling so sick and thinking "Not like this, a cliff or a river, not like this!" We went to the security office and checked the lost and found. In a last ditch attempt to find it, we rode the White coaster once again, this time to see if we could see the hat.

Tim with no hat is NO BUENO!!

When we came to the place that he lost it at, I looked around and saw it. It was between the tracks! I yelled "I found it" and everyone cheered in excitement. The problem now, was how in the world could we retrieve it? There was talk of breaking in after hours and all manner of silliness going around the kids. Tim was willing to do anything. It felt like the moment on The Last Crusade when Indy had just climbed up the cliff and everyone was so happy to see him, but he still didn't have his hat. He sits down to take a rest and his hat flies in front of him.

I knew we would get it back somehow. Tim went to security again and told them exactly where it was. He was told they were doing a track sweep at seven and he should come back then. We did a few more rides and had some more fun. Seven o'clock came around and Tim went to see if they got his hat. The kids and I decided to head back to the picnic tables with my brother and his young-un. We were eating a snack and praying that God would let Daddy get his hat back.

He's just so cute and sexy!!!

Sure enough, he comes strolling in with his sexy hat on his head and a grin on his face. "I'm back, Baby!" he says as everyone cheered so loud I'm sure the whole park could hear it! So, just like Indiana Jones, my adventurer lives to go on another adventure with his amazing hat intact and on his head, where it should be!