Christmas with the Campbells

This Christmas has been out of the ordinary for our family. The week before Christmas the kids were sick and stayed home from school a few of the days. By the weekend before Christmas, we were all so sick and we hoped that we would feel better by Christmas. We had planned to see the lights at the temple, see the lights in DC including the national Christmas tree, and we also planned a day trip to New York to ice skate at Rockefeller plaza and see the Christmas tree. Unfortunately, we did not get better. We still enjoyed opening presents, but slept the rest of the day away. We spent the day after Christmas in the ER from 2:30pm to 10:30pm. Clay has resolving pneumonia and bronchitis, I have pneumonia, the kids have colds, and Ryan has conjunctivitis as well. We are just so happy to have the right medicine now and even though our house looks like a bomb went off in the living room and we all look and smell like death, we feel much better. We have high hopes of getting our sense of smell and sense of taste back so that we can have our Christmas dinner soon. It doesn't sound like a joyful time, but we are happy and will never forget this Christmas.
I didn't take any pictures (only video), but I assure you, we all got some wonderful things and were very excited. Not being able to do everything that I had planned was a blessing in disguise. I was forced to think about what things are needful and what things just take up time. I certainly wouldn't choose to be sick every year, but next year, I am going to cut out the "traditions" that are too commercial.

Breakfast with santa!

There is a progression here! CLick on the pictures to get a closer look at Ryan's face. Ha Ha Ha!




As you can see we had a great time at our ward primary Christmas party!

heaters, ants, cars and christmas cards

The Wednesday before Thanksgiving, we discovered that our heater was not blowing warm air. We were warm because all of the cooking and we built a fire. For the entire weekend we kept a fire going and did lots of laundry so that we could run the dryer. We had fun, but the chilly air has given Dallan and I a cold. My voice is so low that it is disgusting. I am not feminine at all! Thank goodness it is fixed now! Hopefully I will become a woman again before I have to sing at a wedding this Saturday.
Another wacky thing that happened this weekend was when we decorated for Christmas. We got out our huge bin of Christmas decorations only to find that many of our items were moldy and covered in ants. It was disgusting. We saved the things that we cared about and threw the rest away. The ants were in huge piles and looked like piles of dirt. It was strange. On the bright side, now we have an excuse to buy new things...and decide if we really need something. Our tree and ornaments are fine. The crafty things are in the garbage. The only things that we want/need to get are stockings and a tree skirt.
The Sunday before Thanksgiving, our second vehicle broke down. It is a long story, but basically the engine seized. The cost of fixing it is more than the car is worth, so we will just live with one car for a while. Thank goodness we had 2 cars. We will probably get a second vehicle with our income tax refund in March.
Many of you know that Clay got to work with the presidential dental team. He met President Bush on more than one occasion and has some gifts and pictures to show for it. Today he also got a special Christmas card from President Bush. It is very exciting for our family!
One more thing...tomorrow is our 13 year anniversary! We feel that it is an unlucky number so we will not be celebrating it. Obviously I am kidding-we will celebrate it on Friday!

Thanksgiving

Clay and I both feel pretty nerdy in this video, but rather than post a bunch of pictures and try to think of what to write, I felt like just sharing this video to show a few minutes of our Thanksgiving. I love other people's posts and pictures, but right now I just can't think of what to write and I really wanted to update my blog, so here you go. I also wanted to share this video of Ryan and his love for violence.

Ouch

Yesterday morning I heard the garbage truck and suddenly realized that my garbage can was still on our deck. So I ran down stairs and ran outside. After stepping onto my deck my body gave out. There was a thin layer of ice over everything since it had rained the night before. I fell on my knee. Since it was so early and just outside my back door, no one saw. I got up and hurried to take my trash can down and I was careful not to fall again. As I walked in the house, I knew that I didn’t make it on time, but I wasn’t going to go back and get it. SO I fell in vain. I twisted my knee and have some weird little cuts on my foot and arms. I feel bruises in weird places, but my knee is killing me. I think I will be limping for a few days. Even though I am in pain, I suppose I can laugh about it. The funny part is the way that I fell. I slipped in such a weird way that my body thrashed around which probably explains the little cuts. I landed in such a goofy way that I was reminded of the weird body positions that Jim Carrey can do when he falls in his movies. I can picture my shaggy bed head hair flying in my face and I can vaguely remember that I let out an awkward yell. Again-thank heavens that no one saw because if my description made you laugh even a little bit, you could imagine how hilarious it would have been to see it. I still have a little bit of dignity left knowing that my description is the only account of this incident. Well, that and the pain in my knee. Oh and did I mention that I was wearing jeans under a mu mu style pajama top? Laugh it up!

Doppleganger

video

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid988092926/bctid1842856410
you should take the time to paste this link in your address bar. It is funny!

Let's get political

This video is so funny!
I wanted to post some of my political thoughts since the election is drawing near. Normally I wouldn't want to force my ideas downs anyone's throat, but no one is making you read this right now. One of my biggest frustrations with this election is how superficial our country has become. Many adults way older than 18yrs old are voting for the first time. Why now? What I am seeing is that voters do not even know or care about the policies that their candidate is proposing. They will not be basing their vote on the merits and qualifications of the candidates. This is pretty annoying to me. If it is not obvious, I am supporting McCain. He is a true patriot and I know that he cares about our country. You should check out his book "Faith of our Fathers" if you get a chance. There is some really good stuff in there. It lets you know what kind of man he is. Does anyone know what kind of man Obama is? I know that he thinks that the idea of spreading the wealth is a good thing. I think that is a terrible idea. It reminds me of Robin Hood. Now, I liked that movie as much as the next person (Kevin Costner-woohoo), but that concept doesn't make sense in our society. Taking from the rich to give to the poor implies that everyone who is wealthy is wicked, corrupt and is undeserving of their prosperity. That is ridiculous! Some people worked hard and overcame tough obstacles to get where they are today. Should they feel guilty because someone else hasn't achieved as much success. I completely support government programs that will help those who are working for the "American dream" and are starting out with a disadvantage. I don't mind help that will level the playing field a little. But it seems like Obama wants to give away the "American dream". He wants to give it to everyone. I have to wonder, though. If you give someone the "American dream"(whatever that dream may be), is it still a dream? What will they work for? Why work if the government will provide for you. The whole idea proves that there is a break down in the work ethic. Not only that, but people should have a right to choose how they spend their money. We have all wished at one time or another that a rich relative would send some money our way. But would we appreciate and value that help if we didn't earn it? Obama defended his position by saying that he is being called a socialist because he shared his toys in kindergarten. I must say that if he wants to share his money that is fine with me. But taking from someone else and sharing their money is wrong. He will raise taxes on everyone and then-AFTER the tax hike-he will cut taxes for a certain income bracket. He says that is fair. It doesn't sound fair to me. Having everyone pay the same percentage makes more sense to me. He says that they (rich people) can afford it. Does he know everyone's financial situation? People spend what they make. Wealthy people lose their homes too.
For the record, no matter who wins, we are in the military and the next president will be Clay's boss. We will respect and support whoever wins and do our best to accept whatever changes will come about. We have complete hope in the checks and balances and hope that we will have enough conservative representation to fight for the things that we stand for. I have high hopes that Marriage will be defined between a man and a woman. I also have high hopes that someday abortion will be illegal and that our country will recognize that there are only 4 circumstances that should justify abortion. As much as I like the respect that is given to women and their right to choose, it is wrong for a woman to choose what happens to a body that is not hers even though it grows inside her.
I could go on, but politics tend to bring contention and I don’t want to ruin my blog. So this will be up until I post pictures and a description of our Halloween night.

World Series!

I can get my life back now that the world series is over. I did want the Rays to win, but I don't hate the Phillies, so I am happy for them. There were some pretty tense moments so the entire series was wonderful. Clay and his dad seem to have the attitude that they are happy baseball is over so that they can move on to football. I do not like football. Maybe I need to go to a pro game in order to change my mind. Hmmm...Redskins or Ravens...what do you think?

Anyone have an extra $450...

Just kidding! We are just so excited about the world series! I bit off all my fingernails during the game last night! For those of you who don't know baseball, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays beat the stupid RedSox 3-1 last night in game 7! It was so intense since the RedSox have a short history of coming back after being down in a series. We were also thrilled that the Phillies beat the Dodgers in their series. Especially since Manny Ramirez is so annoying. It will be much more pleasant not to have to look at his nasty dreadlocks during the world series. Now we can't wait to see the Devil Rays play the Phillies in the world series. We are torn on who to cheer for because the Devil Rays have never won a world series. And they were pretty much the worst team in baseball last year. But Kasey is on a mission in Philadelphia so we are partial to them too. We are only about 3 or 4 hours from Philadelphia, so if we were rich we would try to go to one of the games. The minimum price at auction is $450, but I wouldn't be surprised if they are sold out now or if the cheapest ticket is more than $1000. I want to be there so bad that I have considered starving my family for a couple of months to pay for it. I love October!!!!

For Sale

We listed our house for sale on September 12 and we already got a contract going. Even though we are in conract, the realtor just put the sign out today. Don't ask me how much we listed it for...it is too depressing. It will be a blessing to move into a more affordable place. We will probably rent from a friend and be able to stay in the same ward. Dallan will have to change schools, but he actually wants to because he will be able to go to the same school that his girlfriend goes to. I will be excited not to live above a grumpy woman. The place that we would rent is less square footage, but has a basement. I am happy because it is the beginning of the next phase of our life-preparing to move and begin Dental school.

Which brings me to another piece of news...all of our (Clay's) dental school applications are in. We are hoping for UNLV, but we added:

University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry (UOP) CA
Western University of Health Sciences (WESTU) CA
University of Louisville (UL) KY
University of Maryland (MYD) MD
University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) NV
Baylor College of Dentistry (BAY) TX
University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (HOUS) TX
University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (SAN) TX
If we don't get UNLV, I really hope we get WESTU because it is like 30 minutes from Disneyland! Yes, I still love Disneyland and I always will. The earliest that we will know anything will be December 1 and the acceptance process will probably last through April.
Keep us in your prayers.

End of summer

Our mornings are getting cooler and the leaves are changing. A couple of weekends ago we enjoyed probably one of our last warm weekends. We went to the park and played croquet and then we went to a local ice cream place called Jimmy Cone. Everyone in Damascus swears that it is the best, but I don't really like it. The kids loved it!

Down by the banks

This video is not exactly entertaining, but it does reflect the beauty of this area. Everywhere we go we are constantly impressed with the gorgeous plants, flowers, and trees. It is such a joy to watch the squirrels run around gathering their food. Even though the animals are great, we hate that they keep getting into our trash. If you have seen "Over the Hedge" that should give you an idea of what I am talking about. Leah is a little snotty at the end of the video, but that is no surprise. DUH

Crazy Eights

Rebecca Gibson tagged me!

8 T.V. shows I love to watch:
The Office
Seinfeld
Law & Order
America's Funnies Videos
Scrubs
Corner Gas
King of Queens
?

8 Favorite Restaurants:
(We haven't been out to eat in many months)
Olive Garden
Outback
Golden Corral
Ruby Tuesday
?
?
?
?

8 Things that happened yesterday:
exercised
did the laundry
did the dishes
walked to the bus stop to drop off and pick up Leah
made spaghetti for dinner
spent too much time on the computer
continued with our latest family scripture study plan (Yes, I am bragging because I am happy that this plan is actually working)
Had muffins with Clay and watched The Office after the kids were asleep

8 Things I look forward to:
Getting an acceptance letter for Clay from UNLV Dental School
moving to a cheaper place
more income because of the move
Being out of debt someday
Visiting family
upcoming holidays
The beautiful scenery that comes with the change of seasons
eventually some snow

8 Things I love about fall
Cooler weather
Fall smells (crisp air, fireplaces, warm meals cooking)
Halloween
Thanksgiving
The beautiful colors
going to pumpkin patches and corn mazes
Coming into a warm home from the chilly air
?

8 Things on My Wish list:
Be debt free
A new wardrobe
A home we can afford
Family to want to visit more
Us to visit family more
Clay to be done with school
More kids
Ryan to be potty trained

8 People I'm Tagging:
Amanda Cook
Michelle Scott
Mandy Crandall
Wayne Linford
Jennifer Dennis
I think that is everyone in my blog list that hasn't already been tagged by someone else...If you haven't been tagged by someone-then I tag you now.

This is cute

I wanted to add this video even though I am not crazy about seeing myself on screen (who is ever comfortable with how they look in pictures/videos?) But it is so cute and Leah is pretty funny so I will deal with it.

Leah's First Day

Leah started preschool today. It was all pretty unexpected. I didn't think she would go because we can't afford the prices out here, but she qualified for the headstart program which is free. So we ran out and bought her a backpack and lunch box and she started school this morning. I am glad it happened so fast because I haven't had time to get sad. She just looks too small to ride the bus that picks her up. She will go Monday through Friday from 8:10-11:30. I miss her, but I am excited for all the fun she will have and for the friends she will make. Oh, and I guess for the education. ha ha ha!

Leah'

check it out

I got this link off of Bec's blog and you should check it out if you like styling your daughter's hair in really cute and creative ways. She is also offering a giveaway so that is worth visiting the site too. If you comment, make sure you mention my name!
http://girlydos.blogspot.com/

support my cousin

Here is a link to a song that my cousin wrote and performed. I guess that if a lot of people visit the link, then she could get her song played on the radio. So if you don't mind taking some time out to listen to it, it would help her out. Thanks!

http://www.971zht.com/cc-common/artist_submission/player.html?art=185183&gateway=exiting

I guess you will have to copy and paste it in your browser

Six flags was so fun!

It was family fun day for Clay's department and they provided a yummy lunch!



This was the last picture taken before Jaron left. We had a great time with him. Dallan is hoping to visit Henderson if we can not visit as a family. I really hope we will be visiting at the end of the year!
On a side note-Clay is done with school for a couple of weeks. Yahoo!

Jaron's Visit

Here are the kids enjoying the 3rd bench that Clay installed in our Yukon changing it from a 5 passenger to an 8 passenger vehicle.


There were lots of dead crabs for the kids to play with-yuck! We also saw a small jelly fish (alive)

Ryan's face is so funny!

Jaron's Visit

Chinatown

In the background is the spy museum. We didn't get to go inside because it wasn't free. I think it is safe to assume that any attraction that is not within the national mall will probably cost money.

The Smithsonian museum of Natural History. These kids are so cute!

We have been having a great time with Jaron! We went to the zoo and the boys were so funny. They were more interested in the walkie talkies than the animals. We also celebrated Ryan's 2nd birthday on August 2. I can't believe he is already 2!
On Thursday we took the kids to the Chesapeak bay to play on the beach, but we got rained out after only 30 minutes. On Friday we went to Six Flags America and had so much fun. We left the babies (Leah and Ryan) with a babysitter so that we could go on bigger rides and do more things. It was so dang fun! On Friday night, Kevin, Jessica and their family came to visit too! We really enjoyed their company! We went to a huge park and the kids had a blast. It was also great to take them all to church with us. We have a few more things planned with Jaron and obviously I will be posting some more pictures...so stay tuned.

Pizzaria

I'm done!!!!

I actually accomplished something. I finished my medical transcription training! I enrolled around October 2006 and intended to finish in 6-9 months, but obviously took almost 2 years. There were times when I wondered if I have ever finished anything that I started. I have surprised myself. I still need to take my final exam and then receive my certificate, but all my assignments are done and I am waiting on the school. Then I need to apply for a job and I don't know how that will go, but I am just happy to finish something. I am so happy that I will not be so stressed out all the time. It will be nice to be free to do more things with the kids for the rest of the summer.

Memories

1. As a comment on our blog, leave one memory that you and I (Clay or Allison) had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty fun to see the responses.

Nothing

This really isn't a hot topic, but I just wanted to update my blog for the blog junkies. You know who you are.
I was cracking up one night because of a commercial for desolvable gas prevention strips. The interviewer was complimenting the guy about his resume, but he kept hearing gas terms like-flatulence, gas, bloating, etc. Then her assistant comes in to give her a message and said "your son, Rip, is on line toot." I still think it is so dang funny even while I am typing it, I am laughing. Have you seen the commercial? I don't know if I described it well enough.

What a mess

I have been up really late studying so that I can finish my class before Jaron visits. I am about 2 weeks away from finishing, but I have to study after everyone goes to bed. Last night I was up until 3:30, so this morning I was so tired.

After breakfast was done and cleaned up, I went up to my room to lay down while Dallan watched cartoons with Ry and Leah. I didn't know it, but Dallan came upstairs, so the little ones were unattended. Leah got into the pantry and left it open. Ryan took advantage of a wonderful opportunity. He finally had his chance to pull everything out of the pantry. When I came downstairs to fix lunch, this is what I saw...

The kids were playing in the oats like it was sand in a sandbox.

It was wonderful when it was all cleaned up and it was time to put Ryan to bed. But now Ryan can get out of his crib and open his locked door. After putting him back like ten times he finally stopped getting up. I can't even begin to tell you how frustrated and tired I am. On the other hand, in a few days I will find it all amusing. I don't know, ask me in a month.

Another world

One of Clay's mission presidents, Pres. Bailey, emails us to keep us updated about his family and sometimes about the families of the missionaries that he presided over in the New York, New York south mission. He recently sent us this message:

Dear Everyone
Bart (a New York South Missionary) and Monica Bradley have been living in Bangalore, India with an international assignment with PCW (Price Waterhouse Coopers – Accounting firm) for one of their two years.
I have obtained permission to have you visit his picture library on their blog at www.mylittlemule.blogspot.com and see the many facets of a country we know little about. Please also read about the conversion of their driver Stalin. To see the info on Stalin go to the bottom of the page under 'Blog Archive' and click on '2007'.)Please enjoy
John & Lesley Bailey

If you have the time, you should check it out. The pictures are amazing and it made me want to travel. I especially loved the blog archive for 2007 that talked about Stalin.

Check out my Slide Show!

Camden Yards, Baltimore, MD

We had a great time at the baseball game for my birthday. It rained earlier that day, so the stadium wasn't packed. Towards the end of the game it rained again. Not enough for a rain delay, but enough for some people to leave early. Plus, the game went into extra innings, so people had to get home. Hence, the reason we have closer seats. This is right behind left field after the game ended around 11:30.

I'm 30!

I turned 30 and it wasn't as bad as I thought. I really don't feel any different than being 25. I do wish that Clay was done with school, but that's ok. As long as he is done by the time I am 40. I had a great day. Clay took the day off and made me breakfast in bed. We went shopping and out to lunch (at Target-oooo fancy) and then went back to the house to put Ryan to bed for a quick nap. After hangin' out for a while we then got ready and went to a baseball game. We saw the Orioles loose to the Royals 6 to 5 in the 11th inning. It was still fun and really nice to be with some of our ward members...it was Mormon Night at the ballpark. I love baseball and I can't think of a better way to spend my birthday. The game went late, so we got home around 12:30 and crashed. Our camera was in the car, but Clay got a couple of pictures on his cell phone that I will add to the blog later!

Clap Out

Today was Dallan's last day of elementary school, so it was pretty special. Click on the link to see all the 5th graders getting cheered for and leaving elementary school for good. You can see Clay and I standing by the wall holding Ryan and Leah is sitting on the floor at our feet. About halfway through the video Dallan gives Clay five! It was fun.
http://www.mharmon.net/gallery/displayimage.php?album=40&pos=1

Time Flies!

We can't believe it has already been 4 years since Clay joined the Navy. In that time he has advanced in rank from E2 to E5. He is currently a Petty Officer Second Class (HM2). We miss family so much and hate that life goes on without us. ON the other hand, we have enjoyed our experiences and love seeing so many new places. It is exciting not to know exactly where we will be after each set of orders. We can't wait to get into dental school and be near family again.

Talent show

I've been tagged. Times!

What is the best thing you cooked last week?
I wish I cooked enough to have something to write here.
The best thing that we had was chili dogs
If time, money and babysitting were no object, where would you go and with who?
I would go to Henderson and Utah to visit our families. Then we would go to Hawaii
When was the last time you cried?
During my talk in sacrament meeting. I didn't blubber, just got a little choked up.
List 5 things you were doing 10 years ago (1998).
1. Working for the city of Henderson doing safekey.
2. Taking care of my 1 year old, Dallan
3. Living at 448 Republic st
4. Enjoying Clay's lunch break when we would play ping pong with Kelly on our porch.
5. Trying to save up to buy our own home
List 5 things you were doing 5 years ago (2003).
1. Enjoying my second pregnancy that we prayed 4 years for.
2. Living in my childhood home and making home improvements
3. Being an active PTA member at Dallan' s school
4. Hating how little I saw Clay because he was in school
5. Making plans for our new life since Clay enlisted to join the Navy
List 5 things you were doing 1 year ago.
1. Enjoying our new home in Damascus Maryland
2. Not being able to afford our bills
3. Replacing our carpet with laminate wood.
4. Studying to be a medical transcriptionist
5. Hating how little I saw Clay because he was in school.
List 7 of your favorite hobbies.
1. sewing
2. reading
3. scrapbooking
4. Playing games with the family
5. computer stuff
6. piano
7. watching movies or shows with Clay
Name 5 of your favorite foods.
1. pizza
2. hamburgers
3. Chicken wings
4. ribs
5. fried rice
Name 9 places you have been.
1. New York
2. Canada
3. Washington DC
4. Hawaii
5. Boston
6. Florida
7. Dallas
8. Las Vegas
9. San Francisco
List 5 of your favorite memories.
1. Getting Married
2. Having my 3 babies
3. Going to disneyworld
4. Campouts with the family
5. Roadtrips


I tag Dave and Jaron

Military Spouse Day

I was honored to be able to attend a white house event that honored military spouses. Clay was a sweetheart for helping me get the kids dropped off and he rode the metro with me until we got to his stop. I went the rest of the way, but it didn't take long for me to find a friend to hang with for the day. First, we had a nice breakfast with the yummiest food. Then, President Bush spoke to us (at least 1000 spouses) about the great support that we are to our country as we support our spouses in the military. He also honored a few spouses that have done amazing things within their communities. It was a nice speech and it was great to visit with others and just be there. It was quite uplifting and encouraging.

We also got to tour the white house; which was nice. I have been spoiled by seeing gorgeous temples, so the white house did not affect me as much as it impressed others. Still, it was nice to see the history and see the way things have been preserved through the years.

A country music singer, Phil Vasser, was there to sing the national anthem and then entertain us afterward. We had a great time! Here are a few pictures...enjoy!

We had company

We were so excited to welcome Kelly and Ashley to our home for 4 days! We got lost while trying to meet them at the rental car place, but eventually figured it out. After about 4 or 5 hours we checked into our hotel in New Jersey and then went to New York City. We got there late so we only had time to eat and then get back to the hotel. The next day we were able to go to chinatown, the temple, and central park. Ashely was pretty sick, but we still all had a great time. We drove home and then took them to DC the next day. The weather was perfect and we had a great time walking throughout the national mall seeing the monuments and memorials. The next day we took them to church with us. After church we took them to the national naval medical center in Bethesda where Clay works. Then it was time to turn in the rental car so they could get to the airport. It was such a fun weekend and we hope to do it again! There are many more details on Ashely's blog-check it out!!!!!