Monday, August 30, 2010

THIS post is awesome!!! it's a MUST read!!!

Knowing Better

I have something to say and it's that I am 100%, gut wrenchingly, without a doubt against genital mutilation, otherwise known as circumcision.

This wasn't always the case. My husband is circumcised and I never really gave it any thought until my second son was born in late 2008. Our first son was a victim of our ignorance...sadly and regretfully, he is circumcised. We didn't know any better at the time. We thought it was what we were supposed to do. So that he could look like his daddy, because it was cleaner and easier to care for, because if you didn't you were weird, or as one person told me, "It's gross if you don't".

When my first son was born in 2004 we didn't have great internet access to do research. I was also only 25 and none of my friends had kids at the time. I didn't have anyone to teach me or to guide me. So, if you're wondering why I care so much and why I'm posting about issues like this? It's because I wish I had had someone in my life 6 years ago that would have told me what a mistake I was about to make. Someone to tell me that all of my beliefs and feelings about circumcision were false. Someone to lead me to studies and to the knowledge I would need to make a different choice. We made a mistake and we are regretful but with all of our pain we want to make a difference for other parents and baby boys.

Here are some facts about circumcision that we find worth noting:

1) No health organization in the WORLD recommends the procedure.

2) It is the amputation of a completely normal body part, much like the amputation of a toe or maybe the outer ear.

3) There are many myths surrounding circumcision such as that it somehow helps to prevent some diseases and cancers or that it makes the penis more hygienic.

4) Circumcision is a huge money maker for the medical industry. Money that is hard to give up even though the AAP and WHO have made statements saying that there is no reason to do the procedure.

5) This procedure is highly painful for infants. Babies feel pain at a much higher level than adults. Even though anesthesia is sometimes used, it is never substantial enough to keep the infant from feeling the excruciating pain. Many medical workers or parents will claim that their baby boy slept through the procedure or was calm. This is because they enter a semi-coma state to deal with the excessive pain. After the procedure they are withdrawn and unsettled. This often interferes with sleep, breastfeeding and bonding. Circumcised baby boys often won't look in their mothers eyes after the procedure. There are studies showing that this kind of trauma in an infant can have LIFE LONG implications!

6) The foreskin has a purpose! It protects the glans (head) from abrasion (which if it is exposed causes a decrease in sensation over the years because of the formation of calluses). It also excretes essential fluids as it is a mucous membrane. It also protects the urinary tract from infection and guards against sexually transmitted diseases. The only way to protect oneself against HIV is abstinence, monogamy, barriers, no IV drug/shared needle use and sterile surgical instruments.

7) The foreskin plays a role in an adult males partner's life too. Many defensive men (and women) will say they are just fine without their foreskin. But one can also be just fine without a finger, arm, toe, etc.

8) There are many risks that go along with the procedure such as hemorrhage, infection, damage to the glans, tightness of the skin on the shaft (painful erection), scarring, and death. Circumcision has a complication rate of 1 in 500 and a death rate of 1 in 500,000. I believe the numbers are along the lines of 200-300 baby boys dying per year from the procedure. These numbers are higher in Africa.

9) Circumcision is a violation of human rights. Thus why it is called genital mutilation. It is the amputation of one's body part without their consent.

10) Just because daddy is circumcised doesn't mean baby needs to be too. One of my dear friends was counselling a couple who were expecting their first baby boy any day. The couple didn't really want to cut their son but were distressed that baby should look like his daddy. My friend brought up a good point. She said, "So, dad, if you were missing an arm, would you cut off baby's arm so he would look like you?" This was the ultimate deciding factor for this couple. Of course they wouldn't do this! Every child is unique and needs to be treated as such.

11) "The US has the highest rate of medically unnecessary, non-therapeutic infant circumcision in the world - and yet the HIV infection rate in North America is twice the rate in Europe, where circumcision rates are low." (The Truth About Circumcision and HIV by Gussie Fauntleroy).

I also should say that I understand that there are religious belief issues surrounding circumcision and it is never my intention to insult anyone's religion. I am touching on two religions, Judaism because I was attacked by someone whose partner is Jewish and they were offended by our stance on the procedure and the LDS church because my husband was raised Mormon. Many Jewish families are choosing not to do the procedure to their baby boys. Dr. Mark Reiss, a retired Jewish physician states, "Growing numbers of American Jews are now leaving their sons intact as they view circumcision as a part of Jewish law that they can no longer accept." There are many Jewish couples that are very active in their religions that now speak out against the procedure and refuse to let it happen to their children. Instead some are choosing to do a "Brit Shalom" which translates as "Covenant of Peace" instead of a "Brit Milah" which translates as "Covenant of Blood".

The LDS church has asked that circumcision be done away with. I take this excerpt from "The Book of Mormon on Circumcision" and I encourage you to read the full article. "In Moroni 8:8 of The Book of Mormon, Christ, following his death and resurrection, speaks to the people of the western hemisphere, the Nephites and Lamanites. He says, "Listen to the words of Christ, your Redeemer, your Lord and your God, I came into the world not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance; the whole need no physician, but they that are sick; wherefore, little children are whole, for they are not capable of committing sin; wherefore the curse of Adam is taken from them in me, that it hath no power over them, and the law of circumcision is done away in me."

To quote my husband, "In the Mormon faith, it is taught that the body is a temple and is not to be marked, so much so that many women in the faith refuse to pierce their ears. Why, then, would it be okay to permanently alter the body of an infant male, who was created in God's own image? Especially when there is scripture that states clearly that it is no longer a ritual of significance."

Someday we will apologize to our first born son and explain to him what was done to him and why. My deepest hope is that he forgives us for making a decision about his body that was not ours to make.

I will not stop fighting for the end of circumcision. I cannot stand by and let other misguided or misinformed parents make the same mistake we made. The pain I feel is tremendous and I am going to need therapy (yes, seriously) to overcome my feelings of remorse. If I can prevent this from happening to other sweet mamas and baby boys, I will. This is not an attack on those that have chosen to do the procedure; after all, I fall into this category. All one needs to do is to watch a circumcision video, read what it really is and how it's done, and what it does to a baby's brain. Once one does this, I highly doubt they would let it be done to their sweet child.

I am happy and proud to say that our second son is intact. When he was born we still didn't know exactly what circumcision was but we knew it didn't feel right. I am so glad we made the decision not to cut him by following our primal instincts. And now that we know the truth about circumcision, we are even more thankful that we left his body whole.

If you would like an information packet sent to you, I will gladly pay to have one sent. It contains tons of great information to read and also comes with 3 DVDs to watch. All you have to do is send me a message and I will take care of it.

I mentioned www.drmomma.org earlier in this post. I encourage you to visit this site as there are many excellent articles on circumcision among other peaceful parenting ideas.

And finally, I must thank those of you who are making a difference and standing up against this horrid procedure. I wish I could do more, I wish I could reach farther. I am honored to know that so many of you feel the same and are making a difference for our baby boys, their parents and their future partners.

"When we know better, we do better." ~ Maya Angelou

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Sadness...

Check out this post that Nick's aunt Arah wrote...(before you read my post!)

On Monday last week (August 22), Nick's cousin Cody, and his sweet wife Melissa, found out that their baby had died in utero at 31 weeks. They went in to the hospital on Wednesday August 24 to induce labor. That was an extremely emotional day for me as I KNOW it was emotional for them as well. Mackenzie Eva Kunz was born asleep on August 24, 2010 weighing only 2 lbs 1 oz. She looked perfect in every way and so peaceful. (Thank you Arah for the picture)

I was in basically their same position nearly 9 years ago and even though I thought I had complete control over my feelings after all this time, hearing that they were going to have a stillborn just like I did, brought all those memories and feelings back to the surface for me again! When Nick came home from work that night he arrived to a sullen, blubbering wife. My heart literally aches for Cody and Melissa. I wouldn't wish this kind of pain on my worst enemy...let alone another family member.

The funeral for Mackenzie is today.

I remember Christian's funeral as being almost harder than giving birth to him...it was hard seeing the teeny tiny casket and knowing that my baby boy was in there. And then knowing that he was going to be put in the ground and I would never see him in this life again. I would never be able to hold him, love him, cuddle him, kiss his chubby cheeks, or watch him grow up. I remember feeling extreme heartache, physical pain, frustration, grief, sadness--and an overwhelming feeling of just wanting to run away. I couldn't imagine that this was my life....how could this happen to me??? How could my first born baby be taken from me???

I haven't had a chance to get to know Melissa well, since they live in Spokane, but it's amazing how I can suddenly feel so connected to her after her loss. A loss we both have in common. A loss that neither of us ever wanted....and one I know neither of us wish we had had.

My thoughts are with Cody, Melissa, Arah, Matt, and all the extended family that has been affected by this today. My heart aches for your loss, as it does my own....we'll forever be connected by this.

*the Kunz family as a whole has had three babies die.
Christian Nicholas Call August 30, 2001 stillborn
Olivia Kamille Kunz November 11, 2007-November 11, 2007
Mackenzie Eva Kunz August 24, 2010 stillborn

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Randomness and exciting stuff!

I love that school has started and Preston and I get our quality time together every day again. We went to the Dollar store and outside there's a little carousel so I let Preston have a ride.


Cuddling with my kiddos....I REALLY love them!!!!
Nick and Randy finally finished repairing our last sprinkler system box! YAY!!! I am more than excited to finally have that hole all filled up and covered again! They work so well together. I love that Randy lives close and is always willing to help us out.

Nick's been MISERABLE at his job at US Bank for a few months now! We've toyed with the idea of him being a stay-at-home dad, and me going back to work full-time. Instead, Nick was able to find a job at Ebay! I don't completely understand what he'll be doing there yet, but he'll finally be on a set schedule every week! It's a completely casual environment and best of all he won't be doing any selling! He's really excited and so am I! He'll be working swing shift, which is great too, cause when/if I need to get a job, it'll be easier for me to work during the day time, than at night!

Nick's on the phone with his new boss getting the official job offer.
I love the pencil he's using! haha.
Oh, and today I got an email for an interview at Jet blue! I'd be doing Reservations and after my training, I can work from home! Yipee! :-) Wish me luck! My interview is in 2 weeks.

Cops???

A while back-a year ago? 2 years ago? our next door neighbor was taken to jail (for 6+ months) for drugging (and taking advantage of) teenage boys!!
She's back now and although we haven't seen her outside (I assume she's on house arrest), I've seen her through their house windows.
Today, 2 police-type women came to the house (they had guns/handcuffs/badges, but were in dress clothes, not uniforms). That's pretty much where the story ends, but I'm a nosy neighbor and always interested in what other people are up to....
Anyone know how I can find out the status of her case and if she is on house arrest or not?


Blog book

About a year and a half ago I made my 2007 blog in to a book. I had been putting off getting my 2008 & 2009 books done because it's not exactly cheap. My first book cost me $55! This time my book had more pages and was going to cost me $76 BUT...I looked online for Promo-codes and found an awesome one that took $50 OFF my order AND gave me FREE shipping!!! Holy cow...my final total was $23!!! I was SO excited.

Here's my book...all 209 pages of it! :-) I love it and I'm glad I will always have these pictures and memories.
Go to www.blurb.com to make your own book! :-)

Saturday, August 21, 2010

20 min each day

Ashleigh's teacher this year requires the kids to read 20 minutes every day as part of their homework. I Love it!!! Ashleigh likes to read, but she doesn't love it yet--she hasn't found the joy in reading. In completely immersing herself in the story and that's something I hope that she finds this year.

Meeting

Last night Natalia came down the street and called for Preston to come and talk to her. Preston rode his bike over and they had a little meeting for about 20 minutes! What do a couple of 4 year olds have to talk about for 20 min? ;-) It was so cute!
Today, Natalia came over--played trains with Preston and then they went on the porch and had a picnic. They are simply adorable together!

2nd grade

On Wednesday Ashleigh started 2nd grade! We are so proud of her. She loves going to school and learning and does such a great job there! We requested Mrs. Diediker, but got Mrs. Johnson instead--and now I am SO glad that we did. Mrs Johnson is very nice, very personable, but also VERY no-nonsense and "drill Sargent" like. I LOVE that in a teacher--she doesn't let the kids get away with anything and follows through on discipline. She expects them to be on time each morning, with their homework completed, she wants them ready to work and expects them each to work really hard each and every day. She says that every day of school is important and the kids should be committed each day to doing their very best. This is exactly the type of teacher I wanted for her. :-)
The down side is both boys that Ashleigh has had crushes on are in her class this year.... Jace is her Kindergarten crush and Cole is her first grade crush. I need to keep my eye on that girl.
The upside too is that both her best friends from first grade are in her class this year too--Madi and Melody.
Everyday Ashleigh comes home telling me how much she loves school. I hope that lasts all year long. I am impressed with her this year too....she and I both have woken up before our alarms each day and she has been ready for school about 15 min early! It's been a really nice change from last year.
I am excited for this school year and I know she is too! :-)


First Day of Kindergarten



















First Day of 1st Grade















First day of 2nd grade

Thursday, August 19, 2010

FUNNY!!!

I stole this from a fellow blogger--I literally laughed out loud to most of them! Hilarious!!! (It's long, but a good/FUNNY read)



Random Thoughts from People Our Age

  • I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.
  • More often than not, when someone is telling me a story all I can think about is that I can't wait for them to finish so that I can tell my own story that's not only better, but also more directly involves me.
  • Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.
  • Have you ever been walking down the street and realized that you're going in the complete opposite direction of where you are supposed to be going? But instead of just turning a 180 and walking back in the direction from which you came, you have to first do something like check your watch or phone or make a grand arm gesture and mutter to yourself to ensure that no one in the surrounding area thinks you're crazy by randomly switching directions on the sidewalk.
  • I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.
  • Is it just me, or are 80% of the people in the "people you may know" feature on Facebook people that I do know, but I deliberately choose not to be friends with?
  • Do you remember when you were a kid, playing Nintendo and it wouldn't work? You take the cartridge out, blow in it and that would magically fix the problem. Every kid in America did that, but how did we all know how to fix the problem? There was no internet or message boards or FAQ's. We just figured it out. Today's kids are soft.
  • There is a great need for sarcasm font.
  • Sometimes, I'll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what was going on when I first saw it.
  • I think everyone has a movie that they love so much, it actually becomes stressful to watch it with other people. I'll end up wasting 90 minutes shiftily glancing around to confirm that everyone's laughing at the right parts, then making sure I laugh just a little bit harder (and a millisecond earlier) to prove that I'm still the only one who really, really gets it.
  • How are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?
  • I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.
  • I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.
  • The only time I look forward to a red light is when I'm trying to finish a text.
  • Was learning cursive really necessary?
  • Lol has gone from meaning, "laugh out loud" to "I have nothing else to say".
  • I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.
  • Whenever someone says "I'm not book smart, but I'm street smart", all I hear is "I'm not real smart, but I'm imaginary smart.”
  • How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear what they said?
  • I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars teams up to prevent an idiot from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers!
  • Every time I have to spell a word over the phone using 'as in' examples, I will undoubtedly draw a blank and sound like a complete idiot. Today I had to spell my boss's last name to an attorney and said "Yes that's G as in...(10 second lapse)..ummm...Goonies"
  • What would happen if I hired two private investigators to follow each other?
  • While driving yesterday I saw a banana peel in the road and instinctively swerved to avoid it...thanks Mario Kart.
  • MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.
  • Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.
  • I find it hard to believe there are actually people who get in the shower first and THEN turn on the water.
  • Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.
  • I would like to officially coin the phrase 'catching the swine flu' to be used as a way to make fun of a friend for hooking up with an overweight woman. Example: "Dave caught the swine flu last night."
  • I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.
  • Bad decisions make good stories.
  • Whenever I'm Facebook-stalking someone and I find out that their profile is public I feel like a kid on Christmas morning who just got the Red Ryder BB gun that I always wanted. 546 pictures? Don't mind if I do!
  • Is it just me or do high school girls get sluttier and sluttier every year?
  • If Carmen San Diego and Waldo ever got together, their offspring would probably just be completely invisible.
  • Why is it that during an icebreaker, when the whole room has to go around and say their name and where they are from, I get so incredibly nervous? Like I know my name, I know where I'm from, this shouldn't be a problem....
  • You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you've made up your mind that you just aren't doing anything productive for the rest of the day.
  • Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after DVDs? I don't want to have to restart my collection.
  • There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.
  • I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten page research paper that I swear I did not make any changes to.
  • "Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this ever.
  • I hate being the one with the remote in a room full of people watching TV. There's so much pressure. 'I love this show, but will they judge me if I keep it on? I bet everyone is wishing we weren't watching this. It's only a matter of time before they all get up and leave the room. Will we still be friends after this?'
  • I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Dang it!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voicemail. What'd you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?
  • I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.
  • I like all of the music in my iTunes, except when it's on shuffle, then I like about one in every fifteen songs in my iTunes.
  • Why is a school zone 20 mph? That seems like the optimal cruising speed for pedophiles...
  • As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate cyclists.
  • Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.
  • It should probably be called Unplanned Parenthood.
  • I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.
  • Even if I knew your social security number, I wouldn't know what do to with it.
  • Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey- but I'd bet everyone can find and push the Snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time every time...
  • My 4-year old son asked me in the car the other day "Dad what would happen if you ran over a ninja?" How do I respond to that?
  • It really ticks me off when I want to read a story on CNN.com and the link takes me to a video instead of text.
  • I wonder if cops ever get ticked off at the fact that everyone they drive behind obeys the speed limit.
  • I think the freezer deserves a light as well.
  • The other night I ordered takeout, and when I looked in the bag, saw they had included four sets of plastic silverware. In other words, someone at the restaurant packed my order, took a second to think about it, and then estimated that there must be at least four people eating to require such a large amount of food. Too bad I was eating by myself. There's nothing like being made to feel like a fatty before dinner.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Maura's Ballet

On Friday we went to Provo to see Maura's last ballet concert. She did such a great job! She's so flowy and graceful. I was really impressed.

After the concert
Todd and Preston

Ashleigh and Maura

Wahoo Night

We invited my parents over last week so we could teach them how to play Wahoo. We had some snack, good conversations and fun games. It was a great night.

Gifts from Aunt Maree


After playing Wahoo, we listened to Nick play a couple Apocalyptica songs on his cello.
I LOVE hearing him play!!!


Thanks for coming over Mom and Dad!! We loved having you!

South Towne Train

We went to South Towne Mall last weekend and took the kids on the mall train ride. It was fun to ride all around the mall--the kids really liked it and so did we! We'll definitely need to go ride it again!


Amazing Race FHE

My parents set up a FHE edition of The Amazing Race. My siblings came, we met at my parents house, got in to teams (ours was Nick, Meg, Ashleigh, Preston and cousin Teriesa) After a few instructions, we were off....this was the MOST fun I have ever had doing FHE. The kids and I begged my mom to put more of these together for us to do in the future! We loved it!!!



The Amazing Race FHE

Driver – Your job is to drive legally and safely, be the non-partial judge, and take the video. You must NOT help with the directions – let the kids do the navigating using the map provided. You are the final “Judge” for many of the events. Please judge fairly. As a group decide who is the driver FIRST.

Coach – The other adult will be the coach who will supervise, make sure things are done kosher, help the kids with activities, and be their cheerleader. Coach may NOT do the roadblocks. Coach must always make sure ALL kids are seat belted in before telling the Driver “Go”. The Coach is the ONLY one in the car who can say “go”!

3 Kids – the 3 kids in each car are doing this race. This is not a “first one to the pit stop wins” type race. It’s a “let’s have fun and see the videos at the end with our family” type race.

Enclosed: A map for each car, 1 piece of paper, 1 pencil, and $1.10.

One you have read the rules and decided your driver, you may begin by opening the first clue.

FIRST CLUE: Find a clue to your first destination. It is hidden in plain sight in our home – one clue is hidden on each floor. Last one out of our door – please lock the door with key that is under the front mat!

SECOND CLUE: Go to 4023 Valderrama. All 5 members of the team must go to the door and ask for “Kate”. After Kate comes to the door, you must sing her a “fun family song” in order to get the next clue.

THIRD CLUE #1: Run to our neighborhood playground – 1 kid must go down the largest twirly slide 5 times in a row while the other two get on the little teeter totter and make it go constantly until the slider is finished. Once done the next clue is taped under the picnic tables. Do not open it until you are back in your car and seat belted in.

FOURTH CLUE: DETOUR – CANYON OR PEAK? (Do not open before you are sitting in your car and seat belted in. Then decide Canyon or Peak before opening enclosed envelope.)

CANYON: Go up American Fork Canyon to the toll booth – park on the right side of the road (do not pay a toll). Find the brown “self-serve recreation passes” sign near the toll booth. Count how many letter “A’s” are on the sign. Call G’ma on her cell phone (801-995-3001) to report the number & she will tell you where the next clue is located.

PEAK: Go to Lone Peak High School. Count the number of blue faculty parking spaces between the Seminary building and the school. (Do NOT count ones covered with dirt.) Call G’ma on her cell phone (801-995-3001) and report the number & she will tell you where the next clue is located.

FIFTH CLUE: ROADBLOCK – Who likes to get down and dirty? (Choose one person to do this task.)

Go to the covered tables by the Stake Center adjoining the Mt. Timp Temple parking lot. You will find hidden a bucket of water and some rags. Find 2 cars with dirty hubcaps and clean them really clean (8 total tires). When done to the satisfaction of the DRIVER, leave a handwritten note on the windshield of the cars you washed telling the car drivers what you did as a service for them. Return the bucket and rags to the hiding spot for the next person. Then only the same kid can go find the next clue, which is taped under one of the tables. IF you take the last clue taped under the covered tables after you are finished, please bring the bucket and rags to the pit stop with you.

SIXTH CLUE: FAST FORWARD – (ONE team may choose this clue at this location and may do the one thing necessary to go directly to the pit stop.)

Fast Forward – go to the 3 story playground. Find the hidden clue in the playground.

SEVENTH CLUE: FAST FORWARD

The coach and all 3 kids must climb to the top swinging chair and all 4 must sit on the swinging chair and swing and count outloud for 5 seconds (the driver standing in the parking lot should be able to hear you). When finished, find your final clue under one of the covered tables.

LAST CLUE: FAST FORWARD

Please proceed directly to the Pit stop – the Boley’s home. First team to arrive gets first choice of reward.

SIXTH CLUE: SPEED BUMP (Two teams must do the speed bump while one team is doing a fast forward).

Speed Bump: Go to the ball park by the Cedar Hills Fire Station. Find the hidden ball and bat. The Coach must be the pitcher. Each kid must hit the ball and run around the bases. Once all 3 kids have done this, hide the bat and ball again in the same hidden spot (unless you are the last one to pick up the next clue – then bring it back to the pit stop.) Once finished to the satisfaction of the Driver, the next clue is hidden inside the bathroom.

SEVENTH CLUE: ROADBLOCK Who is REALLY hungry? (Choose only one person to do this task – it cannot be the same person who cleaned the hubcaps.)

Roadblock: Tell the driver how to drive to the McDonalds next to Wal-Mart. Use the money you got at the beginning of the race to buy ONE item from the Dollar menu. You may NOT use the drive-up window. When you have eaten it ALL (show empty mouth to driver), you may look for the last clue. It is hidden inside the McDonald’s outside garbage dumpster enclosure. Only the one person on the roadblock shall be the one to find the clue.

LAST CLUE: PIT STOP

Please proceed directly to the Pit stop – the Boley’s home. First team to arrive gets first choice of reward.


Seriously, SO MUCH FUN!!!


At my sisters house after---enjoying snacks and watched the video tapes of our race. My mom stayed behind with Todd, Mia, and Tyler-since she wrote the clues she couldn't play. It was fun to show her what we did.





THANKS MOM and DAD!!!!

Water balloon fight

Nick got some water balloons from work so we got a water-hose attachment and he filled up the water balloons for the kids. They decided to throw the balloons at Nick instead of each other and had so much fun!!!