Service

We enjoy having the missionaries in our home so we try to feed them twice a month. We love when they come and eat because we usually have no leftovers..LOL! We always have great Gospel discussion and they always leave us with a great lesson. It's so weird to think that they are just 19 year old boys...LOL...they are truly men of God and they always bring a great spirit with them. Trey loves to shake their hands, he does it about 20 times while they are here. We get missionaries from all walks of life and it is fun to hear their stories or how they gained a testimony of which they are so eager to share. I also cut the missionaries hair for free. I have done this since I graduated from beauty school. It's a service I feel I should give them for all of the hard work they do. It's pretty easy...I have mastered the "missionary haircut" so to speak! We love the Elders and the great message of salvation they have to share with the world. We pray for them daily and hope that one day we can have them over teaching in our home instead of just for eating and haircuts!

Last week we were informed of an African American family who just moved here from the slums Chicago just to make a better life for their family. They are not members but just such good people. They have 2 young boys and also a baby just a little older than Porter and they literally moved here with nothing. I immediately wanted to help and they exclaimed that they had no beds for their kids. I had a twin bed that I have had since I was in 5th grade that match my furniture set in our bedroom. I just had it in the guest bedroom but it was not even being used so I figured they needed it more than I did. Truthfully, I had a hard time parting with it because so many wonderful memories go with that bed (not in a gross way) but when I thought of the faithful family I knew that I was doing the right thing, just to know that their kids will have something to sleep on instead of the floor did it for me. Service to others makes you feel so good inside doesn't it? Maybe because it's like that scripture says, "When you are in the service our your fellow beings you are in the service of your God."

On to more service....Chris was called to be the Secretary in the Elders Quorum. He has been doing it for like a month now and is enjoying it. He could not hide under the radar for too long...LOL! He works with great men, all with different personalities which makes it fun. This means Sundays are very busy for us... so with school, studying, rugby, and Elders Quorum I am lucky if I get a "hi" out of my husband! Nonetheless we are grateful that we get to serve in the Church.

Speaking lastly of service.... Treyson was giving his dad a little "chiropractic care" the other day by walking on his back. He thinks it pretty fun and of course the whole 27 lbs of Treyson does not phase Chris. Its funny because then Trey says he wants a turn and then proceeds to lay on the ground so we can walk on his back..ha ha, silly boy! We just tap our foot on him and he thinks it's the same thing. Chris says we are teaching him young to serve his parents with walking back massages...I guess we are!

We can give service to others in so many ways. I pray that we will look for ways to serve our fellow men even if it is a tiny back massage! Putting other first always makes us better people and I know that I need a lot of work so I will continue to serve..... so go and SERVE! ;)

Oh JAX!

OK so I told you that the drama with Jax a month ago deserved its own post and it certainly does. When we were headed out of town we took him to this Apple Valley Kennel place and instead of being a 30 minute trip in turned into 5 hour big ordeal. First, we had a hard time finding the place, our GPS was going all over the place and his directions were not that clear. It took us an hour and then some to even find it. Second, Jax was up to date on his vaccines in Iowa but since the Kennel was in Illinois we had to get him 2 more shots. We called the vet and they could not get us in until a couple hours later. Third, on top of all this Jax was FREAKING out! We have never left him at a Kennel before but we had to this time because my friend was unable to watch him. This Kennel place only charges 8 dollars a day and they have the kindest old man running it. He loves dogs and he said he especially loves BOXERS! He used to breed them. He told us they were the best dog on the planet and he also said, "they come here your baby and leave MY baby!" Anyways, the whole thing was very frustrating but we laugh at it now even though at the time we were very annoyed. Jax did not do well at the Kennel. He had bloody stools the last day..they say that is normal when they are very stressed and he would not eat anything while we were gone. Poor guy thought we abandoned him! We have no choice though, he goes just about everywhere with us but he can't go "EVERYWHERE"...if you know what I mean.

Here is Chris talking to the Kennel Man

"Oh Jax we love you to death DOG but you are NOT human!"

We say this to him quite a bit because he seriously thinks he is a human.

He thinks he owns the show and is the boss of everyone.

LOL!

I seriously can not complain because he truly is the BEST DOG for our family. He loves our children so much and looks out for them. He lets them do whatever they want to him and has never snarled, barked, or even nipped at them what so ever. Trey is very rough with him, pokes him in the eye everyday because he thinks its funny, uses him as pillow when watching movies, chases him with toys to annoy him, and pulls on his tail as hard as he can and Jax just tolerates it. Porter really likes Jax... His eyes follow him wherever he goes and he giggles at him, it's totally cute! Jax is good for keeping my kids company, they both like when I am in the same room as them but when Jax is there to look at Porter never cries and Trey usually stays with him. He usually wants to be in the same room as me but if I tell him to stay he ALWAYS LISTENS! Jax also hears my kids cry before I do sometimes, he will just stand right by their door to tell me something is wrong. He also lets me know if he needs to pee, or wants food or water by doing the same thing. What can I say he is a intelligent dog!

Our dog loves to play fetch and our kids sure enjoy it too. Porter loves to watch while we play it and it enthuses him for hours and Trey loves to throw the ball or his toy for Jax. He usually likes it better when Chris or I throw it because it goes farther but he still plays along great with the kids even though you can tell he is not enjoying it as much. We do not show him as much attention as we used to but he is getting used to it. Chris takes him running when we can and I take him on walks with the boys but if it was up to Jax he would play 24/7. He never slows down. He has tons of energy and is a happy happy DOG! We lucked out and got a really good MUTT that is for sure. We probably tease him more than we should especially Chris but like I said before he just put up with it..LOL! Did I mention he is a awesome beggar..he will put his head right on your lap and give you those puppy dog eyes...yes I am a sucker sometimes!

Jax is our vicious guard dog...um, yeah right!

He thinks he is tough but he really isn't!

For example, he scared of the broom, vac, big toys, boxes...silly little things. Chris and I said that if someone ever breaks in Jax definitely would not scare them off. He is more like a watch dog, he loves to stare out the front door window or any window really. He is also very particular about watching us. When we go to bed he makes his way around the house to check on everything. When we are all in separate rooms he will find a median so he can keep an eye on all of us. He is very smart...too smart for his own good sometimes!

On a side note: Jax was running full sprint the other day at the park where Chris practices then just collapsed. He started shaking a little and was as stiff as a board. I was FREAKING OUT, literally! All of the team came running to see what was wrong but by then Jax was back to his happy chipper self. I know weird huh? I felt really dumb too, but I swear he like died for a minuet and came back. LOL! They said he must have been dehydrated even though I gave him water. Who knows with this dog!?!

He has always peed like a GIRL! We have tried and tried to get him to pee like a MAN but he wont. The vet said its is because he personality is not territorial which means yes he is a very nice dog. Also the first dog he ever met was Oscar (Chris's Mom's dog) and he peeped the same way. I think I have only seen him lift his leg once and I swear it was a fluke because he has never done it again.

Go ahead call him a sissy!

Couple of other things We love about Jax are...

We never have to clean out from under Trey's high chair.

He is our pre-rinse before the dishes go in the dishwasher.

He makes a wonderful foot warmer.

There has been a couple of things buggy me about Jax....

1--His HAIR. He has NEVER EVER Shed as much as he has here. I have no clue what happened but it is so ridiculous I have thought about getting rid of him! I have told Chris that in order to keep him he has to buy me an expensive vacuum...like I would ever get rid of him but seriously why has it gotten so bad? I have been putting him outside more but like I said Jax is a people person kinda dog and wants your company always so he barks but oh well. It's good for him and he is liking it more.

2--He is my 3rd son! Really having a dog is like having another kid...you have to feed, bathe, clean up their poo, (Chris does that not me NO WAY) and show them attention. Yes I know it comes with having a dog but it just gets old and sometimes I just do not want to deal with him. With 2 kids it makes things difficult sometimes.

Chris talked me into getting a bigger dog. While we were doing summer sales I told him if he got so many in one week then we could get Jax. Well he broke his record which I never thought he would so I could not break my promise. I grew up with all "field goal kicking" dogs or at least that is what Chris calls them so I was not used to bigger dogs! Jax is really small for his age, he is 3 and only weighs not even 50 pounds. He was the runt of the pack. They told us he was the only dog that learned how to escape out of the kennel...imagine that! He was the cutest puppy ever! He won the medal for "listening to his master the longest" at obedient school. What a good pup he is. He is a big part of our family and I really could not imagine life without him. Dogs just make life so much more fun...especially ours!

We love you Jaxson Bear!

Even though you get on my nerves sometimes...ha ha!

--Mentions--

There are a couple of fun outings I forgot to mention....

The quad cities is knows for John Deer and they have a big tractor museum that you can visit. We went one afternoon and Trey loved it! He loved climbing up on the big tractors and acting like he was driving them. Some of the tires were so big that I could even fit into them...CRAZY! He had fun milking the fake cow and so did I...haha. Definitely a fun place to take the kids and not to mention its FREE!

We try and do something as a family together every other week whether its going out to eat of going to the park, on a walk, ect. Sometimes it turns into a whole day adventure but its all about making memories right? We have to bring lots of things to entertain the kids and Heaven forbid I forget the snacks..LOL! I love going out with my little family even if it ends up being a big ordeal!

Couple of weeks ago...well maybe more than that, we had SPIZZ NIGHT! It happens every four months or so and it is totally awesome. We get a FREE yummy dinner then we get to hear a couple of successful Chiropractors educate us and get us excited about Chiropractic Care. They even have FREE babysitting! Chris and I have enjoyed it every time we have went and learned so much. We always come home more enthused about epidemic of Chiropractic and it always confirms to Chris why he chose this field. He loves it and I can see it in his eyes and actions how passionate he is about it and it makes me really happy!

I know these are kind of boring writings but I just thought I would share.

Tomorrow is FRIDAY..YAY!

~Look-a-Like~

People say that Trey and Porter look so much a like. What do you think? Some days I think they are complete opposites than others I feel they look more same. I was comparing their pictures at 4 months old and in the same outfits. When they smile they for sure look A LOT alike!! We all know that Porter has way more hair but they both have the same dimples on the left side of their cheek. Porter has more of his dad's button nose but my Chinese eyes. Trey for sure has his dad's eyes and ears but my face shape in general. Yes, they both favor their DADDY more but I would not have it any other way. They look so different but yet they have so many similar features.

I don't care who they look like all I know is that they are SO ADORABLE!

I get so many compliments on how cute they really are and all I can say is, YES I KNOW!

They are heart breakers already...watch out for when they get older..LOL!

These boys already melt my heart everyday.

Besides they wont even be melting other girls hearts or even kissing them until their a LEAST 25!!! Right?

Looking good in my suit...

I bought my boys some little man Church suits and oh man did they look SO HANDSOME!

They must get it from their Father!

I seriously cried when I saw them in their suits.

They really made a statement -- I just wanted to eat them up.

Trey is a little more serious on Sundays. He does not get a nap because we go to Church at 1 o' clock. I do not mind though I am sucker for his serious face!

Porter is my happy go luck kinda guy and wants to babble and scream all through Church--well always really!

Look at my 2 sons they are just to die for! I love them so much and each day I thank my Heavenly Father that I have them.

I love you Treyson Poncik and Porter Russel.

Treyson got really sick of me taking pictures but I could not help myself...they are just adorable!

NO MORE PICTURES MOM!!!

They are truly Children of God.

Being a MOTHER puts everything into true perspective.

When Christ came in the BOM he blessed the Children first.

Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child he shallnot enter therein.

Jesus loves the little Children, and I love my little boys.

Nanny & Papa Visit LAST take

I am sad to write that this is the last take with my grandparents.

They left pretty early in the morning to head back to FL. I was sad to see them go and I am sure they were sad to leave their great grand babies.

Jax was for sure sad to see my Nanny go...LOL!

So here is the bucket story.... My Nan told me when she was a little girl that her and all her brothers used to use a bucket to go pee in during the night and then they would take turns dumping it in the morning, well really fight over who had to do it! Our stairs to the guest room are pretty steep and when you are tired they could be a doosy so my grandma decided to live out her childhood and use my cleaning bucket as a potty! LOL, gotta love her!

Nanny & Trey playing in his sand bucket before they left.

I love my grandparents so much and I am so thankful that they made the drive up. I enjoyed having them in our home. Being a mother has really made me see all the sacrifices they did make for me and for that I am truly grateful. I am not sure I could repay them in anyway but just to live my life in the way they would want me to. I hope I make them proud. I am truly blessed to even be their grand daughter.

XOXOXOXOXOXOX (From Us)

xoxoxoxoxoxoxox (from the boys)

We miss you already!!!

Nanny & Papa Visit Take 3

The next 2 days while they were here were busy. I did my Nanny's hair and I think it turned out pretty good. She like it and I thought it was a good new look for her. My Pop's like it a lot too and said that my grandma would now getting "cat calls!" LOL.

We treated my grandparents to dine out dinner at Famous Dave's! YUMO!! They always treat us to everything so we felt it was our turn to take them out. They really loved the food especially the mouth watering brisket! Trey only ate beans and corn, he sure does love corn on the cob and will not stop at it until every little kernel is gone! Trey was a good boy but Porter was a nightmare. Porter was screaming and screaming and had to be held the entire time. He was NOT all smiles like usual and he was just being a little stinker! We all took turns holding him so we could eat...LOL, its the way it goes sometimes. Minus that, it was a good time and good food. We were all satisfied and stuffed!

Porter was still a little goob when we got home and insisted on being held. I thought a bath might settle him so Nanny gave him a bath. It calmed him down and we finally got a little smile out of him. Since Porter had a bath Trey had to have one too. Trey always likes baths and asks me for one about 3 times a day.

My Nan enjoys watching movies but even then she can not sit still. She was always doing something with the kids or around my house. I am not sure if she knows how to relax...maybe that where I get it? She even cleaned my microwave and stove while she was here. She would say, "give me something to do?" She wanted to do my laundry but I would not let her..LOL! I wanted her to just relax and have a good time while she was here. Good time happened but I am not sure on the relaxing part..haha! I love my Nan;)

The next morning Trey was showing off his Sponge Bob p.j.'s and he even has a sippy cup to match. We spent most of the morning playing with his new electric cars he got from them, all he says is "again...again!" He gets really frustrated when they do not do what he wants but having said that they now are his new favorite toys!

Later that afternoon Chris has his very first home Rugby Game at Credit Island Park. They played a team from Minnesota and killed them. The day was hot and a little muggy which was a nice switch from the rain we had all week long. My Papa had never seen a Rugby game before and my Nan grew up in England so she had. They both though had never seen Chris play. Trey threw a couple of fits because I would not let him go out into the Field but luckily the Pulous boys kept him in line. Porter looked so cute in his summer hat and was blowing bubbles all throughout the game. I myself was enjoying my new double stroller thanks to my grandparents, and also the sunshine. We got to bring Jax along and to my surprise most all of the dogs there were Boxers...must be a popular dog among Rugby players. Jax was in dog heaven with all the other dogs. My Nan made sure all of the dogs had water...LOL, that my Nanny! They had a BBQ after which was awesome because I had been craving a hamburger for days..LOL! I am so happy that Chris gets to play something he loves while in school.

GO PALMER DRAGONS!

FYI- Trey was kicking the ball for a bunch of girls, they kept cheering him on and so he would give them a little flirty smile and kick it again. Already showing off to the ladies...LOL!

Did I mention that I love my family? Just checking..te he he!