June 23, 2005

Great news...Yesterday Daniel got an offer to play basketball in Germany next year. WHAT?!* I know...it's too crazy to even think about. He would be playing in the top league in Germany, which is great and challenging at the same time. he would be playing for an American coach, which helps, since we don't even have a clue what German sounds like. They would pay for our apartment and give us a car while we are there and although it's not the best paying league we'd definitely be making more than his scholarship check. Oh dear-nothing is final yet but if this works out we will know more soon. We'll keep you posted.
Daniel has been playing with a semi-pro team called the Oklahoma Storm. It's a fun team to watch but the fan base is kind of sad. The coach doesn't have a clue what he is doing. No, seriously, I'm not kidding. Daniel isn't having the greatest time but he says it's better than doing manual labor at Conoco and it's almost over. This weekend he has a tournament in Salina, Kansas and then we are on our way to Utah. HOORRAAYYYY!! We can't wait to get there and see everybody and actually have time to stay and visit.
First stop is to visit my little cousin Parker who was just diagnosed with Leukemia. Last week my mom told him, "Natalie will be here soon to visit you," and she said that he gave a big sign and said, "When is Daniel coming?" I see how it is. Isn't it great that Daniel has the ability to make dreams come true? Second stop is to Vernal to see my Great Grandma Drollinger who isn't doing very well. After our visit there we are going to take Jaxton to the Dinosaur museum...he is going to eat that up! We will be back in Provo for the 4th of July. Daniel has never been to the Stadium of Fire so we are going to try to find some tickets and let him have that experience. We will be in Utah until the 14th of July and then we are going to drive to San Diego. There we are going to take Jaxton to Sea World for his birthday of the 15th, can you believe he is going to be 3? Daniel's cousin Robin is getting married in the San Diego temple on the 16th so we will be there for that and then after the wedding we are going to Newport Beach until the 20th. Plans are up in the air after that, we will drive back to Utah and hang out until we are ready to go home and then head back to OK. If Daniel plays for Germany he will need to be over there by the 1st of September and then Jaxton and I will go over around the 1st of November.
I took Jaxton to his 3 year checkup today. He is 42' tall-that's not normal. I have yet to meet a three year old that is taller than him. Twice this week when he has been in the tub he has jumped up on the big boy toilet and gone "poopies" all by himself. He wipes and flushes and everything! This is a huge deal for us because up until now he wanted nothing to do with potty training. I realize this is a huge step in a very gradual process but it's been exciting and he's done it completely on his own. I could use any pointers that anyone has on little boys. We buzzed his head the other day and my friends said to me, "wow, that haircut really fits his personality!" Now what does that tell you? he actually reminds me a lot of Daniel's younger brother Aaron.
I started keeping a journal of all the funny things that he says and it has been so fun. Daniel and I are crackin' up all the time. I have to share some of these with you:
*My mom came out to visit and watch Daniel play with the Storm and after the game we went to Applebee's to eat. She had some broccoli on her plate and he wanted to try it. he barely even touched it to his lips and he said, "I don't like the trees."
*I've been trying to teach Jaxton the concept of getting our bodies from Heavenly Father-because his big question lately is "Where did you get that?" I asked him where he got his eyes and his answer was, "WALMART!"
*We were getting ready to run errands and he wouldn't leave the house without his little alligator that he couldn't find. We finally found it and I said, "Ok hurry and get in the car." he said, "Ok-at ease!" (I wonder where he got that one from, Daniel?)
*A few weeks ago I had a horrible stomach ache and I tooted (why am I telling you this?) anyway, a few seconds passed and he looked at me and said, "You stink Mama-go in the toilet and go poopies!" (He hears me say that to Daniel constantly cause Daniel is the stinky kid in our family)
* Daniel was getting dressed to go workout one morning and Jaxton looked at him and said, "Oh Man." "What?" I asked, and he said, "Daddy's strong!"
*About a month ago we were on our way to church and he said, "Mama where are we going?" I said, "We're going to church, bud." and he said, "Jesus is up in the sky and he sees you." How tender is that?
*We went to get Jaxton's hair cut at Whispering Richards (that's the barber) and he said to him, "Richard, you're the best!" A few night later he came up to me with his little safety scissors and said, "Mama, I'm going to cut your hair." "No bud, that's OK", I said. he said, "I'm Richard- I'm going to give you a haircut!" Once I had forgotten about it he actually did come up behind me and snip a few hairs. That could have been scary. What a kid!!!