Disney Day 1

We arrived here Sunday about 12pm. We got on the Disney bus, arrived at the hotel and were able to get a room right away. We were so happy when we walked into  the room! We have a theme park view, with bunk beds. (Kids loving those) We can see California adventure from our room, and also the color of wonder show. I was excited to meet my aunts and cousins here also! They are experts on the whole Disney experience, and so we got to go on a ton of rides! In 5 hours we went on Pirates, Indianan Jones, Space Mtn 2x, Big Thunder mtn, whinne pooh (cade said was gay), tower of terror, splash mtn, jungle adventure (tons of elephants sandrine, need to go back and get some pics for Erin) ferry boat ride, buzz lightyear. We are having fun, and will update day 2 (today) later!

Disneyland

We are going on our first family vacation to Disneyland Aug 1- 6th! We are so excited. We are staying at the grand Californian on Disney property. If your in California come meet us for a day:)

Cade starts 1st grade Aug 11,
Teagan 5th grade Aug 16

Random Tucson-El Crapo pics..

Teagan updates.

Teagan-

She has gotten 2 new pair of glasses, she was complaining she couldn't see out of her glasses, and now she can see. She has started to turn into a little young lady. She has training bras (yikes) and is always playing with her cat Kiko. I didn't sign her up for softball this summer, because she didn't want to play, and I thought we would be out of town alot. She is enjoying playing with her Nintendo Ds, and her brother. They fight like cats and dogs, but she cares a lot for him. We go on bike rides, walks and go to the pool. I didn't sign us up for any amusement parks this summer, because I ama mean mom..(JK) She flew to Tucson with me and Cade on June 28th, she met her little cousin Cole, and had a blast with all of the boys out there that Amy's stepmom to. Teagan really had a great time with Aaron he is a week older then her, and Cade had a blast with Ethan and Taylor who are 7 and 8, and Cade is bigger then the 7 year old, and as big as the 8 year old. Teagan went to El Paso for my brother's wedding. She had a lot of fun swimming in the hotel pool, it was a indoor/outdoor pool and the kids had to swim under a glass wall to get to the outdoor pool, they loved it. After we got home, Teagan has been to the Dr. She is 56 in tall and 85 pounds. She had to get a shot, and wasn't happy about that, but afterwards asked me if getting her ears pierced would hurt like that. I said probably less. This has been an on going battle for me. I really want her to get earings, she has no desire to do it. but as I have always said, I want it to be her choice, her body, she can make this decision. She also has no cavaties, but the dentist said she is starting to get some over-crowding in her mouth which means she needs to loose a few teeth, but for the most part her teeth are really straight on the top, a little crooked on the bottom, but she is a great little kid. We are going to get bank accounts today.

My cousin has moved here now, so on occasion we hang out with him. That is who is in the Boulder hiking pic..That is at Flagstaff.

Wednesday

Today the kids went to the dentist..No cavaties yay! Even with all the junk food, late night sodas they drink etc, I'm happy about that. Today I took the kids to the library. No special reason, just to get some books before my Dr appt. Well the library is all new here, and has a really nice kid area, and all these computers. It's so much nicer then our old library! They even gave the kids scrapbooks, real rectangular 3 ring books, and pages to insert about their summer plans, all about summer. And they got a good size book bag to bring their books home in. (I'm sure our taxes paid for these) Cade found all these comic books, and Teagan also got comic books, and a few chapter books. The new library even lets the kids check out their own books, and is totally worth the trip! We will be going back soon. Later the kids had to wait for me at the Dr. I felt horrible, since the Dr was running 1hr and 15 min behind! Cade was running up and down the hall, and I just about left as the Dr walked in. After that we went to Sonic and then home. Phew..

Summer so far...

Our days have been full of basically nothing. We get up, we go to the gym, we have been to the pool each day this week. cade is finally learning how to swim. He does really well with diving to the bottom now to retrieve sinking toys. We have seen Marmaduke (okay movie wouldn't spend a ot of money on that one, we have seen Shrek whichever number it was, I didnt care for that, we have seen Prince of Persia (great movie) and also Iron Man 2. Con also took the kids to see Robin Hood. Today I took the kids to Jumpstreet, an indoor trampoilne place. They have 3 seperate trampoline areas, the kids maily played dodge ball the entire time. Both got hit in the head, and both were crying at one point but they kept going back in for more..We went to day because it was 10 buck Thursday, 2 hours for 10 bucks. The kids were sweating, and really tired aferwards! Then we went to the pool, butit started to rain on us, so we left. Then we went over to our friends house to see her little baby bunny, and of course my kids had to bring their new kittens...I will post more of the aventures we go on. I have a list of random things I want to take them to that we have never been to before.

1. Renasance Festival opens this weekend

2. Buffalo Bill grave

3. Sanddunes

4. bowling

5. Garden of Gods

6. Winter Park alpine slides we are doing for sure!

7. Boondocks for all you can ride go karts, mini golf etc.

This is just the begining of my list...It might get longer, but these kids need some culture!

Videos of Cole

Here is baby cole kinda making noises..Kinda not but still really cute! 5 days

When I first saw him, I had to video him!

Cade vs Cole

c


Do they look similar? I was wondering...Can you tell a difference?

Tucson

I went to Tucson to visit my sister and baby Cole! It was a lot of fun, and I can't wait to see them again. I really love being an aunt, its just so hard when my niece and 2 nephews live so far away..So I am greatful to be able to be an auntie!!

I'm an auntie to Cole!

My only sister, had her 1st baby yesterday! After almost 10 years of her wanting a baby, she has her little miracle finally:) I'm so excited for her, I cannpt wait to see him Friday night! I am just so happy Amy is doing well, and she is just so happy! Love to the sister:) Love to Cole! And I have the nicest husband in the world to let me go see my sister for a short weekend! Got a screaming deal on a ticket, so I will be able to help her, since there is no family in Tucson for her.! Yay for little boys!

Congrats to Austin!

My little brother graduated highschool today! It brings back a lot of memories for me, because when I graduated HS, Austin was graduating Kindergarten! And that was Cade this year! So Cade and Austin are exactly the same age difference as me and my brother! I hope my brother goes to college, and I know he will. If I had any advice for him, it would be GO TO COLLEGE!!! No matter where you are in life, no mater what you are doing, if you have the opprutunity to go to college and get a degree do it! You will make more money, be independent, and have so many more options later on in life! I totally screwed up, and didn't go to college, and now that my kids are growing, I sit around and think I could totally have a career right now, while they are in school! I do not regret my life now, I just wish I could go back and have an older sibling to guide me, but I think I have taught my siblings a lot. Like go to college, wait to have kids, and wait to get married. Slow down, and enjoy life. Live the dream, is what I tell them. Maybe that was my job, to guide them, but I am going to go back to college..Maybe I'll be graduating with Austin in 4 years!!LOL Today at the graduation, cade had to have some shade because he couldnt see his Nintendo DS, and it was awful. It was hot, and he was a grump. Butmy dad saved the day with an umbrella!!! We also got to enjoy our grandparents Ted and Joyce, the kids' great grandparents, my mom, dad, Melissa, Paul, Steven, his friend Ben, Ausin's GF Sam, and my kiddos. Congrats to Austin!

Denver Brain Tumor Walk:

Denver Brain Tumor Walk:

Kindergarten memories

This free picture collage generated with Smilebox

Bye Kindergarten Hello 1st grade

Cade had a fairy tale ball tonight. Yes I dressed up, and yes I was one of the ONLY parents dressed up, but it made my son happy. We did the waltz together, and I'm glad I wore my old foofy dress! I love my kids and I would really do anything for them! Next Thursday is their last day of school! chek us out on youtube. Part of cades preformace is up there..My channel is hoskinskids..I will upload pics soon. I am on the wrong computer to do that. However they are up on facebook!

Visit our Brain Tumor page

http://www.braintumorcommunity.org/goto/grandmajanesbrain

My brain tumor memory

It was 6 years ago in August that my grandma called me, and asked if I wanted to take the kids to Illinois with her, to visit her mom, and all our family out there. Of course I wanted to go! We left in September 2004. Cade was still a baby and Teagan was 5. My dad and Austin were there too. When we got there, it was fun, and everything was normal. But the entire trip my grandma was complaining of headaches, but would just pop Migraine meds. My dad had to leave and come for for a family emergency, so I stayed back with my grandma to enjoy the family. Looking back I thought it was really weird that while my grandma was driving she would forget where we were going. Example we went to Ihop, before we flew home, and she couldn't figure how to get out of the parking lot, when I was telling her to go left or right. She was very unsure. She kept questioning me, and wondering if we were going the right way. She also was very excited to go in the pool with the grand babies, so we went to Walmart to find a swim suit, since we didn't bring 1. Well we had so much fun shopping, and when we returned (and she had to ask me over again how to get back to the hotel) she just couldn't get up off the bed to go to the pool. She kept baby Cade and I took Teagan swimming.

Forward to October, less then a month from our trip my sweet, outgoing, kind, golf-loving, traveler, best friend, grandma, great grandma, aunt, sister, mom, daughter, my hero, was airlifted from St. George to Salt Lake city, where she had a cat scan, mri, and they found a tennis ball shape in her brain. She had brain surgery, and was diagnosed with Stage 4 Glioblastoma multiforme, the most common type of brain tumor, and most deadly. My grandma was given 18 mo to live.

This shocked our ENTIRE family, and really made me sad. My grandma and I had the best relationship, I called her daily, before the discovery, she was my maid of honor at my wedding, she was my best friend. She never judged anyone, and always saw good in a person. During my grandma's stay in Utah, with my Aunt Sherri, I tried to visit as often as I could which equalled out to be almost every other weekend. I wanted to take care of her. I would fly out with Cade, and try my best to help my aunt, but my aunt was amazing at taking care of her mom. My grandma would call me EVERDAY after her radiation, and tell me where they were going to eat for lunch, and when I was coming out again. When I was in Utah, I would bring her favorite ice cream to her, peppermint from Leatherby's, I brought her all kinda of goodies. I watched as my grandma would become so sick, she was moved to a hospice, and we were all there trying to prepare ourselves for what was next. My fondest memory of this whole time was when we were all around her bed, and they were giving my grandma a blessing, telling her it was okay to go..Well my grandma looked right at me, and just grabbed my hand and squeezed it. After that my grandma got well enough again to go back to my aunts house.

We all planned Christmas in Vegas that year. Her favorite vacation spot, besides Myrtle Beach, and Hawaii. I would wheel her around in the wheel chair, and she wanted to just play her slots! Looking back I wish I would've just stayed with her at those slots like she wanted too, and let her just play, because I wonder what was going on her her mind? Right before this trip she had declined again, and we weren't sure if we should go, but we did. She had a lot of fun, and tired easily. She invited me to her room for breakfast one morning, and we just sat there eating breakfast together, and she just kept telling me she was going to get better, she would never admit to me she was going to loose the cancer battle. She was determined to beat this tumor.

My grandma, held on past Teagan's 6th birthday, and gave her a beautiful horse that I haven't ever let Teagan touch of have yet, because this was the last gift she would ever get from her great grandma. Still to this day she isn't allowed to touch it. My grandma held on past my dad's birthday, and she would still call me everyday no matter what. One night I was sitting next to her in her hospital bed, and she said to me, Let's Call Alycia...At that point my aunt and I were like Alycia is right next to you, and we figure she couldn't really see out of the left side, since that's the side of her face that was mainly paralyzed. My grandma was moved to a hospice in St. George the end of January, and she was showing signs of improvement again. She called me on Feb. 7th that night. She was telling me how she has such a beautiful family, and how beautiful it was in St. George and when would I come visit her. She told me how she wanted to get back into selling homes soon, and was planning her 64th birthday in May. My grandma told me how much she loved me, and told me she would talk to me tomorrow..

The next day my grandma went into a coma, and died on Feb. 10th 2005. I knew she wouldn't live the 18months, she survived 4 months after her brain surgery. This is why I like to do the Brain Tumor walk/run. Because if the roles were reversed, I know she would be doing the same thing for anyone of her friends or family. And May 10 2010 she would be 69 years old.

One more thing I forgot to say is my grandma would want me to shave her legs, and I was like okay grandma, but in my head I was thinking why me..? You know if there were any moments I could take back, would be that one because I would shave her dang legs everyday if it meant it made her happy, and feel good at the time. I would shave her legs everyday just to have her back here. I question all the time why her, and why did our family have to go through such a hard loss, when there are so many other people out there that have done worse.
She is who I look up to still, and even though I know she is at peace, I still want to keep her alive for my kids, for me, and for all my family.