Billy started his 8th grade football season this week. He is playing linebacker on defense and receiver on offense. His team won their season opener against Sommers 48-6. This morning, they had a little tournament--3 short games. His team won one, tied one and lost one. He is doing very well and we are thoroughly enjoying his games!! He's such a wonderful young man!

Growing Baby

Tanner is growing fast--all the kids are. He is changing so much at this stage. He's starting to smile and coo more regularly now. He loves to look up and is curious about his surroundings. And Amelie and I can atest to his grip--he's latched on to our hair a few times and boy, is he strong! He's definitely a keeper--and still has blue eyes (I'm still keeping my fingers crossed, though I know they could still change. We are all enjoying the newest member of our family.

Tanner was blessed on Labor Day weekend. Anna and Jacob with Justin, Chelsea and Coby were there, as well as Michael and Karen and Grandma Marie. We missed Tiffany and Mary immensely. It was a great weekend as we traveled up to Logan's Pass on the Going to the Sun road through Glacier National Park. Jim gave a beautiful blessing and Tanner was a great baby until it came time for pictures after church. He's a wonderful baby and very loved!

The Newest Allen

On July 28 at 8:16 a.m., we welcomed Tanner James Allen to our growing family. He came out very vocal--in fact, all the doctors and nurses in the OR with us commented on his very healthy set of lungs. His pediatrician even said she had never heard a newborn quite so loudly announce his arrival. And then he promptly peed on her. Oops! But that was not our only surprise at his birth. He was born at 39 weeks while Amelie and Eric were both basically at 41 weeks. Good thing we didn't wait any longer as he fooled us all with his size! At 9 lbs 12 oz, he caught us all off guard. We lost a whole pound before we left the hospital but is now back up slowly but surely to 9 lbs. 4 oz.
The delivery went exceptionally well. I have a wonderful OB and my Bishop was the anesthesiologist so we were in very good hands. Jim got to see them pull Tanner out and I got to hold him just minutes after he was born! The lactation nurse had me nursing him within 15 to 20 minutes or so after his birth--the doctors were still patching me up on the other side of the curtain. It was quite the miraculous experience.
Tanner is a wonderful baby--he had to be on a billibed here at home for a few days, but he's much better now. He smiles and is so curious as he takes in his surroundings. Tiffany and Mary laid claims on him right away, taking turns holding him in the hospital. Amelie was just so excited to finally see his face and touch his soft skin. Eric wanted to see 'that Nanner baby' and kiss him over and over again. Billy can calm him like no one else--Tanner knows his big brother! we sure love him and are so thrilled he has joined our family!

Jackie Johnson

While teaching at Yuma High, I had the great opportunity to coach volleyball and basketball for seven years. One of those athletes, Jackie Johnson, went on the play basketball and track at ASU. She is a tremendous athlete. She was a great student, too, as I was her Junior English teacher. Anyway, she led the ASU track team to several NCAA championships. She graduated from ASU last year and participated in the Olympic Track and Field tryouts in Oregon at the beginning of July. We watched her compete with anticipation and excitement. She came in 2nd in the heptathalon Olympic tryouts, so she is headed to Beijing! I saw her Nike Olympic poster on her facebook site yesterday. She sounds good and looks great on the track. I can't wait to watch her next month! It is so neat to watch former students/athletes with whom I have worked excel in whatever they do!
Way to go, Jackie!

Summer Update

We are getting a real kick out of Eric--he loves to stand on his head on the couch (which does wonders for his harido!) and he loves to laugh. He is talking in sentences--okay, so maybe he leaves out a few filler words, but the basic sentence structure is definitely there. This morning, he said the blessing on breakfast without any help! He's adorable!
And Amelie is a hoot--she talks non-stop. We have to tell her to stop talking so she will eat a meal or so we can talk or watch a show. Billy loves to bug her and she is quick to catch on and feed it right back to him. She loves to have Mary and Tiffany put lipstick on her and do her hair.
Billy is getting ready for a big scout camp all next week and possibly the next week, too. He's well on his way to getting his Life Scout and his Duty to God. He and Jim have done 85% of his Deacon's requirements this summer. Billy is a very big help, as is Mary.
She and I are doing her summer reading packet stuff on A Midsummer Night's Dream, so I feel like I am back in the classroom to an extent. She has her first job this summer and is thoroughly enjoying it. She and Tiffany just got back from YW camp on Saturday and they loved it. I got a little jealous listening to al lthe fun they had, but am so glad they enjoyed it so much!! :)
Tiffany works and plays with friends and texts, and she got me into reading the Stephenie Meyers series. They are good. I especially like the connections with Wuthering Heights that the author makes. Tiffany is getting ready for senior year and has chosen the school she wants to go to, so Jim has been going through questions for her to ask of the school and things to get going so she can make it there (FIDM) next fall (Can she really be only a year away from college?!?)
Next Monday morning I am scheduled to have this baby- c-section, of course. We are so excited. I am so ready. And this summer, the weather has been awesome! Those who saw me during either of the other pregnancies may remember how swollen my whole body from face to feet was with the other two. Well, my feet have never swollen at all and my face is just chubby because of the weight gain, though I have gained less with this one than the others--I've been on a special 'diet' and exercised more religiously until it was too painful. Overall, it's been the best pregnancy :) But, I am certainly ready for him to be here with us!!!
Jim is enjoying his office in the mountains here in Montana. He is always telling us about the wildlife he has seen at work--elk, moose, tonnes of deer, I think even a bear, or at least tracks. He is also thoroughly enjoying his calling in Young Men's. He is 1st counselor and works with the Deacons (I don't even know if our ward has 1 teacher right now!). He and Billy are working hard on scouts. He also just started a night shift stocking shelves at Target. We are most excited about the 10% off discount :) That will help with diapers for the new baby, school supplies, . . .!!
That's the Allen family update in a crunch.

Summer Fun Begins

The summer will officially begin for us tomorrow as we travel to Utah to pick up Billy, Mary and Tiffany. Tiffany and Mary are going to spend the week at EFY while the rest of us visit family and friends and play. Today will be busy preparing for the trip and getting bedrooms set up for the three big kids. Jim is busy building Billy's room and I will be putting bunkbeds together for the girls. And Amelie keeps asking when we are leaving--she is so excited! Eric just keeps mimicking words he hears--usually the last words in our sentences. It's very cute!
Believe it or not, one of the terms of endearment that we use, and I am being totaly honest when I say it is truly and usually a very dear term of endearment said with love and fun, is bonehead. The other day, I came home from an afternoon of subbing for elementary music classes and Jim asked Eric 'What is Mommy?' Without hesitation, Eric replied, "Momma bonehead!' And then he went through the family saying the same for us all. Jim was so proud of having taught Eric to say this that Eric says it quite often and always with a smile. We love our quirky family!