The TRUEST meaning of Christmas

We had a wonderful trip up to Oregon over Thanksgiving. We were able to be with family and friends and enjoy their company. We were even able to throw my mom a surprise 50th birthday party. Black Friday was a hit and were were able to shop for 12 hours and get most of our lists complete!

However, an unexpected occurrence happened. As were were driving back from our long day of Black Friday shopping, my car started to make some weird noises and then....nothing. We began coasting. I knew in an instant that it was probably my transmission. We made it slowly to my mom's driveway and that's were our car stayed. Come to find out, it was our transmission and the cost was more than we would have liked to hear. My long day of bargain shopping turned into not much of a bargain after all. Unfortunately, our car just passed it's warranty mileage and we're stuck with the bill.

Needless to say, our Christmas budget has come to a halt and pretty much all we have bought so far is what we'll have to give on Christmas morning.

As Justin and I sat down the night we got home from Oregon to discuss our plans for Christmas, we decided that our gifts to one another would be the spirit of the season. We would enjoy doing all the fun stuff you do in anticipation for Christmas and go without the stuffed stockings and presents under the tree and enjoy this wonderful month. Our boys are so small that they don't "expect" to be given too much and are pretty much happy with unwrapping anything, which is nice to have this year ;).

Well, last night Justin came home and told me about Diane (a women at work) who has a neighbor that lives down the street from her who is a crack addict. This women has a son who has been very neglected. This little boy is malnourished and doesn't have any warm clothes. SO SAD! All night I was thinking about this poor little boy who probably feels alone and especially sad during this month. The local foster program can't take him in because he's not being physically abused and there are a ton of children who need be to fostered in front of him. His mom was given a chance to go to a shelter, but declined because it's a woman and children only shelter and her "boyfriend" couldn't come along.

As we headed for bed Justin and I decided that we would adopt this little boy for the winter months and that tomorrow we would go and buy this little boy some clothing to get him through the winter. I felt good enough with that that I was able to eventually fall asleep.

When I awoke this morning I had another idea. I jumped on the phone and made some calls to a couple friends. From there,in less than 45 minutes, I was able to collect bags of blankets, clothes and food for this little boy. I called another friend who runs a foster agency here in Gridley and she has offered to open her clothing closet at the agency for me to go in and get anything I need.

What an amazing blessing. I feel so filled today that I am able, with the help of so many wonderful friends and family, to bless a little boys life. This is the truest meaning of Christmas. To give the gift of comfort, love and warmth to those who need it.

I feel blessed to have the friends and family I do that are so generous and caring. Who at the drop of a dime, give all that they have to help out.

As a little girl my mom would always take me and my sister to the mall and had us pick out another child's name off the tree to buy gifts and clothing for during Christmas. I loved that tradition. It was my favorite of all and now I am able to give this wonderful gift of tradition to my boys. Benson is just now old enough to slightly understand and he's really excited to go and pick up all the stuff and deliver it.

It's not the gifts that we have waiting for us under the tree each Christmas morning that makes Christmas. It's not the bargains we find on Black Friday. It is however, the feeling that we have done something for someone that they couldn't do for themselves. The gift of giving. The gift of love and generosity.

I am so thankful for the blessings in my life and in a way, thankful for this unexpected expense of a new transmission that has led me remember what Christmas is all about. Not just gift giving but helping someone that is truly in need.

Merry Christmas!

Holidays are a comin' HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Things have been a little crazier than usual. Besides all the youth activities we have in the coming weeks to plan and accomplish we have several BELIEVE activities with different schools around the area and a couple parties planned. I've also been put in charge of our ward Christmas party program and a blanket drive to go along with wrapping boxes for the food that we've collected in the scouting program. At Justin's office, I've been put in charge of the advertisements and signage around the office..that's been a lot. Also, I've been super busy with photo shoots and Christmas card designing. I'm up to 15 this year just about. It's fun but I am definitely busy! We took some family shots for Amy and Travis on Saturday and I decided to get the my boys pictures while all my stuff was set up. Typically, they are nuts and don't really cooperate, but on this fine and beautiful Saturday, they were great. I got some great shots with the help of Justin being silly to get the boys smiling more. After designing all but our holiday cards, we finally got ours done on Sunday, using our pictures from Saturday.

On Wednesday, we're heading to Oregon to see my family for Thanksgiving. It will be a nice break from all the business around here. I'm excited since I haven't been in Oregon for the holidays in the past 5 years. We've been here and my family has come to us. Chance of snow always makes it better to be in the cold!

Happy Thanksgiving!



(not our christmas card..you'll have to wait for that one!)

So Excited! Great service opprotunity!!!!

Many of you know, since we have tons of family on our site that stay up-to-date with our blog, but Make a Wish foundation and Macy's have teamed up for a holiday campaign called BELIEVE. Macy's has promised to donate $1 to each Santa letter that comes, hand delivered to Macy's, that is addressed to SANTA AT THE NORTH POLE and Stamped. Donation up to 1 Million Dollars! When I read the blog of Justin's Cousin I knew I was hooked.

It's been awhile since I've done a huge service project. A couple years ago I was able to hold a Locks of Love fundraiser where we raised more than 40 feet of hair. Donating just under 12 inches myself. And before that, during high school when I co-chaired a fundraiser for Doernbecher Children's Hospital in Portland Oregon, raising $20,000 with the help of so many people. I knew, as I read the blog, that it was my turn to help out as much as I can.

I have planned and am mailing out invites to a Santa Letter party that we'll have in Oregon when we go up to visit my family for Thanksgiving and then one the next week at our house. We are also going to a Family night activity at Biggs Elementary school and also Benson's preschool and "to be" elementary school in December. We may even have our Stake Youth Dance, which we were just informed we are doing...again... be inspired by the BELIEVE theme and bring the entire youth of our area into this project.

I love organizing service projects and in the spirit of the Christmas season, all the better.

I feel so blessed in my life! There's nothing I love to do more than to organize projects and activities that benefit others.

If you want to help participate, let me know.

We will be hand delivering these on Christmas Eve as we always go to Sacramento to the mall and see Santa, do a little shopping and go to John's Incredible Pizza with the family.

Happy Weekend!

Results are in!

WE DID IT!!! Proposition 8 has passed! Thank you for your support!

Election Coverage

Although we aren't jumping with excitement tonight over the Presidential Election choice we are however very hopeful for Prop 8. As of now, 10:30pm (PST) Yes votes are at 54% and No votes are at 46%. I think I might have to sleep with the TV on because I won't fall asleep wondering the final result!

Thank you to all who supported our efforts here in California!

BIG boy underwear, HERE WE COME!

So 3 blogs in one day....we're excited, what can we say?!!!

Max, 20 months is eager to be a big boy, so much so that he's going potty on the toilet often. For the past 2 weeks he's been saying "potty" and then going and sitting on the toilet but nothing. Then, last week he went potty for the first time. YEA! A couple days ago Ann was watching the boys and while assisting Benson with his bathroom needs Max wonders in and is jumping around saying he had to go "potty". By the time Benson was done, Ann had Max undressed and lifting toward the potty and....too late, Max peed all over Ann's pants :) (Sorry again, Ann!) Then today, he told me he had to go potty and Tada! He went on the toilet! So excited!!! Maybe we'll be down to just pull ups by Christmas. NO MORE DIAPERS for us for a while...that would be WONDERFUL!

Halloween Preview

Monday we had gymnastics in Yuba City and the kids were invited to wear their costumes. They had so much fun and look so cute!

World Series Champs!

As most of you know, we are all B-O-Y in this house. We eat, sleep and breathe sports. Last night the the final game of the World Series was on and Justin and the boys were pretending to be the Phillies during the last inning. Benson the pitcher, Justin the batter and Max a fielder.

*****Top the the 9th, 1 up, 1 down. Pop fly to center. Second batter, base hit. Third batter, pop fly to Right field. 2 Outs, one to go. Fourth batter up...Strike 3! Phillies win! ****

Benson runs to Justin and gives him a biggest hug and says, "We won Dad, we won!"

So cute! The boys love watching every sporting event. You will often find Benson acting out the sport with Max by his side copying him and then Max reacting to the event. Usually "ahhs, Hike!, Ohhh, Strike," and clapping.

I can't say we have in any Professional Leagues but Go Phillies! You deserve it!

Pumpkins, Pumpkins and Beds

Last week Benson got a BIG BOY BED! Yea!!! He loves it. When Max is a little bigger the bed flips upside down and turns into a bunk style bed. Max's bed will actually rest on the ground which will be perfect for him. Falling off will only require a 9inch drop! :)

We're getting closer to finishing Benson's room. We still need to put up the baseboards and then hang the frames, which still are in the design process. We're doing a sports, Norman Rockwell theme which will include clippings of Grandpa Bagley and his sports playing mission along with Benson's pictures of him playing sports. It's going to be so cute! We'll have to add Max to the mix when they move in together.



PUMPKINS!

This past Sunday we had our annual Tolman Family Pumpkin carving contest! Each of the kids won! Ann and John got them little Halloween lanterns! They're so cute!

Benson, of course, chose to have the Lazy Town logo because we eat, sleep and breathe LT! Max chose to have a baseball. Max just happen to fall asleep on the way to grandma and grandpas so we missed all the messy fun but got to join later to see the pumpkins in the dark.

The kids always have such a fun time. It was weird not having Jordan. We miss him. But he's doing well. Max still goes straight to his room looking for him....we'll see how long that last.

The boys are so excited for Halloween. We're almost done with our costumes! Stay Tuned!!

Sending off Elder Tolman

It was a bitter sweet day. After Stake Conference Jordan was set apart by President Papa then Jordan bore his testimony. What a wonderful experience! His sweet thoughts and emotions of the Savior and the work he's about to do was motivating and sincere. I can't wait to hear him when he gets home.

The day was filled with lots of tears and hugs. My emotions felt uncontrolled. I must have been acting a little somber because Aunt Sally asked if I was okay. Again, later she asked and I broke down. I've really enjoyed having a brother and Jordan and I have had a great relationship. But most of all, all of the nieces and nephews love him to death and it's sad to think how much they're grow up when he's gone. I think Jaxson (Alisha's son) and Max will have a really hard time. Max runs into Ann and John's house and straight to Jordan's room looking for him every time we visit and wakes up asking for Jordan in the mornings....then if he's not around, he cries. In the mornings we've been calling so Max could talk to him.

We'll all miss him so much but are so excited for him to go and love and teach the people of Mozambique.

Pumpkin Patch

Saturday was our last hurrah with Jordan at our annual Bishop's Pumpkin Farm trip. We had such a great time. Yummy, fresh apple cider, pumpkin bread, caramel apples and the train ride around the farm.

We always start talking about this activity as soon as September hits. The kids have so much fun every year. I love traditions!!!

This year was nice because it was actually fall weather, although I could have done without the wind. It made it soooooo cold but we loved it anyway.

Our next family activity - Bumper to Bumper on Halloween!

We're getting our family Halloween costumes complete for the premiere of Tolman Family gone LAZY TOWN! Stay Tuned!

Help Support the Fight! Please post on your site!

Here's another video for our grassroots effort! We've had a lot of negative comments towards our other video so I thought I'd post one with a lot of facts to prove our point!

Thanks for you all help!

Tolmans

Weekend Update

Still no news on the biopsy from my dad's head. I'm guessing Tuesday. He says he has a headache still and it hurts to yawn because it stretches the skin. 11 staples are keeping his noggin together. Gross! But he's up and around and feeling decent considering his week.

We've enjoyed the rain and cooler weather this week. It's supposed to be around mid 80's again by Monday :(

We've been cooking and baking a lot this weekend. We kept the kids busy during conference by making sugar cookies and frosting them. They were decently quiet and we've heard a good portion this time around. Thank goodness for TiVo! We'd never get to actually watch if it weren't for the best invention in the history of TVs.

As of 12:30 ALL the boys are sleeping....ahhh quite! I almost don't know what to do with all the silence. Hopefully Benson and Max stay asleep. I love the last session!

INSANE Week

This week started off well. Justin and I were feeling great from our detox which was decently successful. I lost a total of 8lbs and Justin around 7. We were able to enjoy Summer and Steve's reception and also the delicious food they had. I actually ended up eating mostly the veggies and fruits with a little dip. A dip goes a long way after the week we had! :) Monday was as usual with gymnastics and errands but when we got home later that afternoon I was presented with some information I wasn't prepared for.

A month or so ago my dad had fallen in the bathroom in the middle of the night and had to be revived by his girlfriend while she was on the phone with 911. Once at the hospital they did a lot of tests and scans to see what the problem was. Nothing was found until later in the week the scans showed a spot on his brain. After tests, and tests and more tests they did a blood test to see if he perhaps had pancreatic cancer (which in most cases is terminal). We were supposed to have the blood test results by 5pm Tuesday and if everything was clear he'd go in for BRAIN SURGERY!!! to remove and biopsy the mass.

Needless to say, I didn't sleep very well Monday night and Tuesday was filled with anxiety and an ill stomach. By Tuesday night still no news on the test. Come to find out that they still hadn't done the test and had to run it over to the coast (2+hours away) and do them before 8am Wednesday.

Needless to say again, no sleep on Tuesday night either.

Wednesday morning came and he was instructed to head to the hospital to prep for surgery. The test showed negative on pancreatic cancer.

- By this time, I was trying to decide whether or not to take my boys up there to be with my dad. I felt I HAD to be there for support but when I thought it through I came to my senses and realized we'd just be troublesome. My mom is in Mexico with her fiance' so they wouldn't be there to help and I am not going to be sitting at the hospital with my boys doing nothing all day. I'm not a good mom when I'm stressed or overwhelmed which I would have been if I were there. My dad also told me that I could only come up if I had the boys with me - halfway kidding - At this point we didn't know if he'd be in the hospital for a day or 3 days and if he went home, would he want my boys running crazy around the house...probably not. We decided to head up another time when he'd feel better and was able to enjoy our company rather than feel bad because of his recovery time.

Wednesday afternoon he was in the ICU for recovery and everything went well. As soon as I heard the news I hit the couch and crashed for a well needed afternoon nap. He was out and everything went well...I can finally relax a little.

Now we're waiting for the biopsy results which could take until Monday. I'm trying not to be too stressed and just wait for the results.

TGIF!!!! It's raining for the first time in months (at least for more than 2 minutes) and this has relaxed me a lot. Conference is this weekend and it's supposed to rain through Saturday. Great excuse to be in comfies and drink hot chocolate and lounge on the couch....much needed around here.

Justin was a saint through my crazy week. So supportive, not upset that the house wasn't touched or dinner even thought of. He just stepped right in and took care of the family when he got home. So wonderful is he!!!! I would have gone insane if it weren't for him!

Day Five - Final Detox Day

Friday, September 27 - Day Five

The day was filled with lots of stuff to do.

The boys and I went to a lap and sit reading at the library at 10. After that experience, I might go back but in a year or so. Max would have rather ran around at the park. We met with a lot of friends but it didn't encourage Max to sit down any more than if he's been alone!

Then, my visiting teachers came over with their kids. Benson and Max always have a lot of fun playing with their friends. My house ends up being a bigger mess then when they came but it's just a sign of too much fun had by all! :)

Nap time couldn't have come any sooner. We were all a little tired after the hustle of the morning.

As the boys slept I got the house cleaned up and got to enjoy a little reading time to myself...ahhhhhhhh

The boys woke up just before we were to head down the street to watch the annual Gridley HS parade of floats. It's homecoming week so each class builds a float and then they're judged at half-time by the crowd.

Tanner and Brady joined us for the second half of the parade which was a little tricky with Max and Brady, being the same age, trying to walk down the street :) The boys enjoyed it though and after we got home we had to get ready for Summer and Steve's Reception.

All in all, great experience!

Ending Weigh In - Libby 8lbs and Justin 7lbs!

Day Four Detox

Thursday, September 25 - Day Four

Well, we're surviving! Justin and I have declared that a 5 day detox will be it. We have a fast on Sunday and think that it will be healthier to eat a day before we fast being that be both have meetings 2 hours beforehand and then our regular 3 hour block...too long of a day to go without food or water after this detox. Justin's mind isn't focusing well and I am getting lightheaded as well, but it could be that the timing of this detox could have been a week later or earlier to have suited both of our schedules better.

Other than those two things, we feel pretty good. Still though, between 4 - 7 pm is killer. But after that, it's great!

As of this morning Justin and I have both lost 6lbs. My stomach looks flat and I like that! Justin doesn't have much to lose anywhere, but it's nice to have a companion to do this with.


So here's to a day and a half left! We can do it!!!!
If you are reading this Justin - YOU CAN DO IT!!!! JILY!

Day Three Report

Wednesday, September 24 - Day Three

Day three turned out to be the easiest to get through. We had a lot going on so that probably helped. However, I almost had a lapse when I took my boys and Angela's kids to Tanner's bday party. Amy was serving pizza! Ahhhh! It smelled more wonderful than ever. Even though I don't care for Sam's club pizza, the smell was addicting! The boys finished their pizza on the way home in the car. We had mutual at 6 so we hustled through the evening to get there in time. At the end of the night, and after a mere 4 mile hike with the YM and YW we were pooped! We reached our car and to our delight, it smelled like PIZZA! Had it not been for each other's support, Justin and I would have headed to the nearest restaurant for dinner.

We got home, bathed everyone and settled down to watch Project Runway (My choice) and feast on some ice cold watermelon! MMM...still pretty good though.

Love this site!

I found this site in a magazine and actually remember to check it out. It's called MYSHAPE.com You give your measurements,your "color", choose how you prefer your clothing to fit, pick your style and favorite brands and voilla pages of clothing to fit your style and a shape! I loved it. It was so much fun and a great excuse to find some new cute clothing for fall and winter. So excited! Check it out! www.myshape.com

Half way through Day Two Detox!

Tuesday, September 23 - Day Two

We woke up this morning not as hungry as we had imagined ourselves being. We enjoyed a fruit smoothie and began our day.

Justin reported at lunch and said he'd love to have a cheeseburger and fries but would sacrifice another day to the detox :) What a great husband.

I'm at home with the kids and food all day long. Today isn't as bad as yesterday. I've had my smoothie, a banana and a pear. For lunch I just had some veggie sticks and will continue to snack throughout the afternoon. I'm finding that just the smell of the boys snacks and meals are enjoyable and give me a little boost :) I love PB and it's their fav as well. It took my all not to lick my finger when I dropped some from the knife while preparing PB sandwiches. But I've made it through another meal and no cheats! Hooray for me! The boys though seem to be enjoying eating more fruit and veggies. They always want what I have and as you can see, no junk! Great habits are in the making!

I'm dying for salt so crackers and snack time are really hard. I've even resisted licking my fingers after getting the gold fish out of the bag...big step for me! I just wash my hand immediately and carry on with my busy work of distraction.

Day One weight 1XX. Day Two 1XX - 2LBS for Libby, 1XX - 1LB for Justin.

Not too much detoxification yet!

Stay tuned!

Day One - Cleansing/Detox Diet

Monday, September 22 - Day One

For the most part, us as a family are pretty healthy eaters. We do like to snack though and enjoy a treat every once in a while, but overall, I think we do well. We got the idea from Afton who has done this diet a couple of times.

Apparently,our bodies collect toxic substances throughout the years and can pack on undesired pounds and a lot of allergens that affect our internal organs. So we decided to take on the challenge. Seven days of strictly raw fruits and veggies. Doesn't sound too hard, right?

Monday morning was usual. I (Libby) got up for my spin class and Justin was up around 7:30. Justin headed for work with a banana and apple and I saved myself from breakfast and made a quick stop at Jamba Juice for a custom drink consisting of strawberries, banana and ice...mmmm...

The boys had gymnastics and after the morning shuffle of all their classes we headed over to see if Justin was done with his patients. He was, so if was off to Jamba Juice again for lunch. We tried a couple other custom drinks consisting only of raw fruits which ended up tasting like mostly orange peels...mmm...and more mmmm....then headed to Sam's Club to buy our week of groceries. One hundred dollars later, we were ready to take on our week.

By evening we were both pretty tired and starving. We had chopped up some cucumbers, cilantro, red onion and tomatoes and marinated them in lemon and lime juice. Then tossed in some avocado and put in on a bed of lettuce. We were amazed that we couldn't eat the whole entire bowl we made for ourselves. We were dying for some fat of any kind by 7pm. We almost gave up. I'm lucky we have each other for motivation. We made it through the night and by 9:30 were fast asleep!

We'll see what the week brings....

Jordan's Farewell

Jordan had his farewell today. All the nieces and nephews sang I Hope They Call Me on a Mission and then we sang As Sister's in Zion/We'll Bring the World His Truth Medley. Benson wasn't too thrilled during practice this morning but in the end, all the boys pulled through and sang really loud!

After sacrament meeting we headed to the park for a family picture since this will be the last family photo for the next 2 years with everyone present.

We had a birthday dinner for Tanner later in the afternoon. Chinese was the cuisine, request of T-Man himself. We had a fun time hanging out with family and relaxing after such a busy weekend.

I'm just happy it's Sunday evening and we're home relaxing....until tomorrow morning at 5am and our week will officially begin.

IT's HERE!!!

Please post, forward, talk about and support us in all our efforts to save traditional marriage and preserve our families!

With lots of love,
Justin, Libby, Benson and Max

Check out Elder Jordan Tolman's blog!

We've set up a blog for our very own Elder Tolman so that we can keep everyone up-to-date with his mission life. He's leaving in less than a month and we're all so excited and anxious for him.

Here's his blog!

http://elderjordantolman.blogspot.com/

Finish the Sentence...

I am...totally procrastinating today. My boys wanted to watch a movie and instead of doing something productive, here I sit, doing THIS!
I know...I am truly blessed with a wonderful husband and family!
I want...for it to rain this weekend!
I have....a lot of things to do today.
I wish....for "world peace"
I hate....bad service in a restaurant.
I miss....my family in Oregon.
I feel...happy when Max uses new words like "pip pop" (flip flop)
I hear....Benson singing "Wheels on the Bus" while watching Holes.
I smell....my fall scented candles burning...mmmmm
I crave....Peanut Buster Parfaits from DQ too often!
I can't....wait for my kitchen to be fully finished!
I search....for ways to improve my life and help make my family happier. (This week is going very well.)
I wonder....how my hair will turn out after today's appointment
I regret....nothing.
I love....the sound of laughter.
I care....about what my house looks like.
I always....love the turn of the season.
I am....ME!
I believe....prayer is powerful!
I sing...all the time with my boys. Right now we're practicing "I Hope They Call Me On A Mission" for Jordan's farewell. Benson's got it down, Max just sings whatever comes out!
I fight....to keep the rules of the house consistent with both boys.
I write....on my new chalkboard everyday.
I lose....my mind occasionally :)
I listen...for children screaming, which usually means fighting.
I need....a date night with my husband to Sopa Thia.
I tag...whomever else wants to procrastinate for the next 20 minutes!

Have a wonderful day!

So Frustrated!!!

Logging into my email, my homepage had this plastered in the headlines -
Pitt donates money to battle gay marriage ban
AP - The mega-star gives $100,000 to defeat a November initiative on California's ballot.

Brad Pitt says ""Because no one has the right to deny another their life, even though they disagree with it, because everyone has the right to live the life they so desire if it doesn't harm another and because discrimination has no place in America, my vote will be for equality and against Proposition 8,"

I'm pretty sure some of his quote also fits towards pro-life, although he's pro-choice. Is he talking out of both sides of his mouth or is it just me? He thinks "everyone" has a a right to their life, but how about an unborn child. Apparently, an unborn child is a nobody!

I get so frustrated with some people and they skewed morals. How can it be one way and not the other? Augh! I'm just frustrated and fearful of what tomorrow will bring for my children and grandchildren. What kind of world will they be up against?

Very Important - PLEASE READ!

Proposition 8
on the California State General Election form

Originally named "California Marriage Protection Act" was renamed "Eliminates Right of Same-sex Couples to Marry" by Attorney General, Jerry Brown.

History on Prop 8 -

In March 2000 California voters overwhelmingly (by 61%) approved a state law providing that “Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.”

In May of 2008 the California Supreme Court overturned the vote of the people.

On November 4, 2008, Californians will vote on a proposed amendment to the California state constitution that will restore the March 2000 definition of marriage approved by the voters.

What will happen to Same-Sex Couples Rights?

In 2005 the state of California adopted legislation allowing for Domestic Partnerships. This permitted for same-sex couples to have equal rights and benefits as those with traditional marriages within the state.

So what's the problem?

Federally, same-sex partnerships are not recognized, so the tax benefits (federally) are not equal those within the bonds of traditional marriages.

But within the state are treated and benefited equally!

What will happen if this doesn't pass?

In some countries, TEMPLE MARRIAGES ARE NO LONGER ALLOWED. A civil marriage must be performed first and then a couple can go to the temple to be sealed. All ministers of the state, who are in authority to marry must be willing to marry same-sex couples, if not, can and will be prosecuted, fined and/or placed in jail.

Same-sex "marriages" will be taught in our schools as early as 1st Grade!!!

Adoption agencies that do not allow for same-sex couples to adopt will have to close down and will eventually cease to exist because they will be "discriminating" against those who choose to be in a gay marriage.

No church or teacher of any kind (from pulpit or in a class room) will be able to teach that marriage is between a Man and Woman! This would be considered a hate crime.

Our very own Proclamation to the World will be considered discrimination.

THIS PROPOSITION MUST PASS!!!!

Our children are the ones who will be faced with the torrential downpouring of more evil to come and have to face a world where families are fired upon each and every day by those who seek to destroy us.

We are blessed and cursed with media, including the Internet during this time on the earth - as much filth as there is bombarding our lives each day, good can come of this.

Those in favor of Proposition 8 are trying to raise money for National Air time to inform Californians of this amendment to the State Constitution. Unfortunately, many Fortune 500 companys are against us and have donated much more monies for their own cause.

We need money before all the air time is taken up by the opposing side.

We have joined a coalition that has been going door to door raising awareness and holding meetings in our homes.

I have come up with another idea on how to help this cause.

For most of the population, it is those of the youngest generation who are at a crossroads and don't know which way to go. I thought that producing a commercial to be spread over email and YOUTUBE would be a fast, easy, and inexpensive way of getting out the right information.

Our opponents have made stickers that read "SAVE MARRIAGE, VOTE NO ON 8". Deceit is all around us. We must be well informed and educated or we'll be blindsided.

This coming week I will be sending out and uploading my commercial via email and YOUTUBE - please send this out to everyone you know!!! California has historically led the way of the Nation, please don't let this issue go unnoticed!

For more information on this proposition, please visit www.protectmarriage.com

Down by the River

This was one of the first Saturdays that we've had that was free from plans. We got up fairly early and decided to take the boys to the river before it got too hot. It's September and where I come from that means fall, but not here. This past week has been above 100 degrees!!! CRAZY. I love the fall but around here, it comes around October.

The boys had a lot of fun throwing rocks into the river. Max was a little more cautious than Benson, which is exact opposite of their norm, so Max tended to stay up on the rocks while Benson was down in the water the entire time.

At one point we heard a "THUD" and saw that Max had thrown a rock, golf ball size, and it had hit Benson in the head. Justin and I had a hard time not giggling at the sound that it made. It was pretty apparent that it was a firm throw, sort of the sound that you would get throwing a rock at a ripe watermelon and then having it bounce off. Benson shrugged it off pretty fast and was back to his search for skipping rocks. Needless to say, Benson moved to the other side of the beach to protect himself from Max!

The rest of our Saturday was spent hanging out at home and playing inside, away from the heat.

Day after first day of school....

Benson woke up this morning wanting to go back to school, however, we only go one day a week this year so I guess that mommy school will have to be in session more than one day a week to compensate the yearning for learning.

When we went to pick Benson up from school, he ran out to greet us and about knocked me over with excitement. He had a blast and couldn't stop talking about the day's events. He learned about the letter "A" and the number "1". He sang the Teasing Mr. Alligator song into the night. He also "learned" his name is Benson. hahahah And he said that it starts with "B" (I'm positive that he knew most of this stuff before going, but his "teacher taught him this at school", so says Benson!) heheheh

Needless to say, he had a great day and a lot of fun. He loves to be social and enjoys being independent. I guess that comes with the birth order and a lot of MOM in him.

Benson's First Day of School

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Getting ready for school! / Max's first haircut

Tonight was a moment to be remember. It's Max's first haircut - oh, what a handsome little boy he is now. The sweet baby is now a boy. My heart is sinking. And to sink it even more is Benson. His first day of school is tomorrow. He got a haircut to prepare himself to look as handsome as he can for all the girls in his class. They both did a great job while Jenny cut their hair. Jenny has been my stylist for years and had done Benson's first cut just 3 years ago. The boys love her and sit so well for her. We'll put up more pictures in the morning of Benson's first day. Bittersweet!

Our Family Picture

So, after taking thousands of photos this summer for other peoples weddings, reunions, birthdays, graduations, etc, I realized that our family had not had our picture done since really last fall and that is was time for a new one. Well, Benson is a cheese ball and loves to sit for a pic but Max on the other hand doesn't like to sit still for any length of time unless otherwise distracted. So my attempt was to try and snap a shot of us on Memorial day down at Afton's house turned out successful but not without any stresses. We drove around looking for a spot around the golf course but the sun was so harsh during the afternoon hour. And being a relatively new area, the landscaping is too new for any great shaded areas. We ended up back at the house and there was a great big chair perfect for our shot. Well, we got one...finally....a family photo where the boys are looking toward the camera, you can see our faces without weird shadows and Justin and I are not looking in distress or trying to coerce the boys into looking at the camera. Thanks to April who pushed the button for us and Aly for jumping up and down above the camera to get the boys' attention! Ahhhhhh....we've completed the task, at least for now!

Nebraska style popcorn

Justin brought us home some popcorn on the cob and the boys were so excited to see what would happen. Max, of course, thought it was corn on the cob (normal style) and tried to eat it. So we popped it and dressed it with butter and salt and ate it when we got home from mud football. The boys thought that it was pretty cool. The popcorn however wasn't the best but the experience was great! :) Thanks Justin! hahahaha

Mud Football

Wednesdays = Mutual Night. Tonight was our YM/YW activity which was mud football. It's been a tradition to do it in the fall but last minute change and we ended up playing on one of the hottest days of the year - 105 degrees. We had a decent turn out. The leaders kids liked playing in the mud the most though. By the time the pictures would have been best Justin and I were both covered in mud from head to toe. After, we jumped into the canal and rinsed off then headed for the front yard to have a BBQ. Max as usual went around and ate other kids' food when they weren't looking and then finished off the rest of the plates when they were all playing tag. He finished his night with some watermelon (see picture).

STRAWBERRIES!!! mmmmmmm

Max is always making everyone around him laugh. He has a HUGE personality and does the funniest things. For instants, he loves to eat so the other day we were snacking on strawberries while watching a movie and Max scarfed down tons, but with each bite made a hysterical face. There wasn't one bite that he wasn't animated about. Enjoy!

Justin's Business Trip

Well, Justin left bright and early on Saturday morning, heading to Lincoln Nebraska - yeah, fun huh? ( I hear it's beautiful out there this time of year - hehehehe. He's gone until Tuesday night which leaves me with the boys for 4 whole days. Thank goodness for close family and friends. They've made these days go by pretty fast and have helped out since I have an inflamed SI joint (in my back) and it's hard to pick up Max and hold him - so they've been so wonderful and helping out tons. Anyhow, Whenever I am gone on a trip with the boys I always come home to projects being completed that we've started prior to the trip and I'm always having to guess what they are. Justin usually gets tons done and I am so grateful for this late nights spent trying to fix up the house. So last time he was gone for scout camp I tried really hard to get a "project" done but came only as close as waxing the floor one night and painting 1 lousy door. Well, this time was going to be different....until my back began to hurt....so I made up a new project. I decided to paint another door (out to the garage) and this time it wasn't just white. I went shopping to find a frame which I would take out the glass and place over a painted chalkboard area on the door....... and here it is.

Justin and I used to have a word of the week which was meant to expand our vocabulary and a scripture a week to memorize so this board is to rejuvenate and motivate us to continue our newlywed tradition. I'll let you know how that goes....

And since I hurt my back the door didn't come off...shhhhhh....no one needs to know, hence, the ugly, painted over hardware still needs updating....that will be left for Justin to "finish up" hahahaha. (Maybe my next trip to Oregon.)

Libby's Birthday or birthweek?

*Not pictured: Blake, Michelle and her kids, Jill's hubby and daughter, Carianne and her girls :( *

My birthday happen to fall on a Wednesday this year which means YM and YW mutual night for the both of Justin and I, so my birthday ended up being celebrated pretty much the entire week. We usually have a Sunday birthday dinner for both myself and my mother-in-law since it's during the same week but this year Justin had a business trip to go on and wasn't going to be here on Sunday the 10th, so, on Monday the 4th we had a BBQ which was delicious but ended up being the day that Jordan got his mission call....so it was a birthday/mission call opening party.....so much fun though. Then Justin, Alisha, Jordan and myself went to see Emma at the theater. (If you haven't seen it, you've got to watch it when it's released. It was very touching.) Then Wednesday came and being my actual "birth day" I woke and went to my spinning class and came home to a wonderful husband who made me breakfast - Yum Yum! Then I took the boys along with some friends and their children to a place called GAP - Gauche Aquatic Park - for the afternoon. All the kids had so much fun and it was fun for us too. We got home and I found a huge poster plastered across my house with "Happy Birthday Libby" on it and a lot of really nice things to say - from my dear friend Farrah. Then we were off to mutual for the night. My YW and the leaders gave me a wonderful BBQ and super delicious cake - they are so thoughtful. They even invited the priest to come too so that Justin could spend the evening with me. And when we got home our neighbors had "noticed" that it was my birthday and brought me some cupcakes and a card - they are too sweet! So Friday came along and Justin and I went out with some friends to Sopa Thai for some more great food and yummy dessert. I think after this birthday week celebration I've gained some pounds though. I am so grateful for my family and friends. I had a lot of fun and really enjoyed being with them all week.

Tuesday Night Farmer's Market

Each Tuesday night we have a Farmer's Market in downtown Gridley. They always have a performance of some kind and a raffle drawing with lots of yummy food and free junk :). The boys love to dance to the music and have snow cones and Benson loves going and picking out his watermelon. This past week some friends of ours have a band and were playing so we headed up to support and be their "groupies". All the "groupies" children usually get up to help sing a song or play an instrument - they love the attention. This time though, Benson and Max didn't go. They just played in the grass and ran around in hypertivity (is that a word?). Baths were much needed by the end of the evening. But we all had a lot of fun.
Max! Always in the water! Benson and Skyler
(They were making "snow" with grass and then
making "snow" angels in the grass.)

One for the money, Two for the show...

As soon as Justin gets in the house and is mowed over by the boys, Benson begins asking to play this game. It's one of the boys' favorite things to do with dad but it ends up usually happening right before bed....nothing like getting them all excited just before bed! What a great tradition!!!

Crazy Weekend!

Last weekend was crazy. Both Justin and I serve as the presidents over our YM and YW and this past weekend was our 3 stake Youth Conference. The kids seemed to have had a great time as did we. On Friday I (Libby) was there for most of the day and it ended up being that way on Saturday as well. On Saturday, we had scheduled a group picture at 9:30am so I took the group of girls we had staying at our house that night early around 9am, to be on time, right?, well no one else was on time so it put the morning behind a bit. I left at 9:45am to return at 11:45am to take the picture and my shift started at noon. Well, at Noon! I was hoisted up in a utility truck (I'm terrified of heights by the way) and taken up and over the crowd to take a picture. Well at high noon it's not pleasant to look up and into the sun so there were lots of squints and complaints...but I think we got a decent picture. Then, during my shift the career fair was going on which also involved myself and Justin. By the time we were done it was 4pm and we had Alisha's birthday party to attend to at 5pm. Needless to say, we were a little late being that we had to go home, cook our dish, change our clothes, drive 20 minutes to Yuba City, drop off the kids and then head another 10 minutes to the Young's home. By 9pm that night we were home and I had crashed on the couch. Utterly exhausted. But our "relaxing" Sunday was upon us. Starting at 10:30am we had our "welfare" meeting, followed by 3 hours of church meetings and then a Stake Missionary meeting to follow. At 6pm we were home again. Let me just say how grateful I am for family being around to help out during times when we are serving the youth and our ward. How lucky we are to have help when we need it. We are so thankful everyday for all the help. During the past 4 years of serving in the youth programs, Justin and I have had 2 wonderful boys and have had a lot of fun. We know nothing other than this in life. We were just discussing how much more fun it will be to be able to serve again along side each other when we are empty nesters!!! But until then, we enjoy what we do and love having this time to learn time management and organizational/juggling skills that only comes with a full plate, which we love!!! :)

Youth Conference 2008

Time flies too quickly...

So today we got a call from Mrs. Orme who is going to be Benson's preschool teacher in the fall to check in and see if we were still planning on coming and if he was potty trained! I was proud to say we are closer this week then 2 weeks ago and then it hit me, Benson starts school in the fall (even though it's only 1 day a week this year) but still, SCHOOL!!! My little baby is now heading to school, needing a back pack and some super "cool" school clothes. All day he talked about going to school and wanted to go NOW. Funny thing was, was that for mutual we were at the high school to make posters for youth conference next week so he kept thinking we were going to his school. Anyway, I just realized and am now in shock at how time flies by so fast and how my little boy, just 3, is turning into a school going, sports playing, phone call making, attitude starting boy. How I miss the days of cuddling with a little baby. aaaaaaaahhhhhh. Okay, so we're still really excited to start this new chapter in all of our lives and will try to prepare for the crazier times yet to come.
So it's off to bed.....Good Night!!!

Thanks Shannon!

Grandma rewarded him with $1

Our potty training days have come and are going great and I owe it all to miss Shannon who encouraged Benson to "pee on bees" .

We were anticipating a fast and early training last year when Benson began going potty on the little singing toilet we got for him just months before. After a couple weeks things were going well and high hopes were arising, however our annual trip to Oregon was approaching and the comfort of our home and stresses of travel took it's place and happen to land us back into diapers. Needless to say, another year of diapers for us.

As summer approached this year our hopes were high again! Benson runs around naked and usually ends up peeing on whatever he's around. No interest still.....until the encouragement of Shannon - THANK YOU - he talked about peeing on the bees but that was about it until the 4th of July, 2008, next day. He was running around, jumping all over the place and you knew what was going on. He had to pee and we were around tons of people at a party and Benson had no diaper on. His several tries turned into a success just minutes later when he found himself sitting on a toilet and an audience of one, cheering him on.

Days go on and things are still going strong. He's doing so well and loves to wear underwear. The underwear that was purchased last year is now too small and he calls them the "baby" underwear. Now he has "bigger" boy underwear which his struts around in.

Yay for Benson!

Soccer Camp

Our little Benson isn't so little any more. Since his birthday falls in the middle of the school year he has to wait one more year to play soccer but I recently discovered a camp called British Soccer Camp that come once a year for a week long camp and they start at 3 years old. Benson lives, breathes and eats all sports so this is right up his alley. He got to attend for an hour a day for a week. Coach Alaina was great and taught the kids some fun games while learning techniques. I was happy we choose the late afternoon time since we only had 3 children and the mornings were packed. The kids really benefited from this extra attention.

Each morning Benson would wake up and get his soccer "uniform" on and be ready 7 or more hours in advance. He had a lot of fun and asks if we can "play" camp all the time. We are looking forward to him being able to play sports in the coming years. He has a natural talent and I can't wait to see how he does in a team. We always joke that Benson will be our quarterback and Max our lineman! We're on our way to a team of some sort! Go Tolman's!

Dribble, dribble
Team Players
Always sliding
Our little "Beckham"

Happy 4th of July

It seems if we joined each years pictures of the 4th together the only difference is how many people are in each photo and each person seems to have aged. As of this year it was Max's second 4th of July and Benson's 4th. We began our day with the downtown Bigg's parade where most of the kids (being, Karsyn, Blake, Chase, Jaxson, Tanner and Benson) all got to ride in the mouse car and throw out fly swatters at the crowd. The rest of us along with the youngest of children hung out by the side of the road to watch and observe if any of our children would bail out or scream. They all seemed to enjoy it and made it safely around the block. Since they were toward the beginning of the parade, we were all able to be together and watch the remainder of the caravan of entertainment. Candy eating, lollipop licking, sticky hands touching, hungry kids were enjoying each moment while I tried to take in each moment with my camera crazy self....after 100 too many shots, the parade was over and lunch was way past due. As each of the several past years we all joined together at Amy's Sister-in-Law's house to enjoy some yummy food and swimming until dusk falls and we head to the driveway of Ann and John's to watch the Bigg's firework display. By this time of day most of the kids have had a great evening's nap in preparation to stay up until the stroke of midnight when the candy crash has taken over and the bug spray is as thick as a layer of skin. By midnight we were all in and ready for bed. Justin and I were exhausted and barely made it through prayers before we crashed. The day was fun and next year will be exciting to see the changes in our family and any new additions that may come along. We'll see....

Flyin' Chase

High Jumpin' Benson

Flippin' Ty

Pencil Jump Karsyn

S'more S'more?

Mr. Blues!

Yummy lollipop!

Benson and Jax

Max
Mom and Boys

Max and Brady

Having fun?

Weeeeeee.....

Benson and Max

Tolman Family 2008

Ready for the ride!

Cool Shades for Max

Mouse Car Ride

Karsyn, Tanner, Blake, Chase, Tyler and Benson



Benson and Jaxson