All About the Argyles

Tanner had an assignment for his english class to write a biography.  He was really struggling with who to write about.  I suggested Brent.  He loved the idea!  Here is the finished product. My dad, Brent Argyle was born in Huntsville, Utah in 1967 and raised on a horse farm. His humble beginnings were what shaped most of his admirable character. His parents frequently struggled with supporting a family of nine while pursuing a life as farmers and ranchers. My grandparents’ modest home was even given to them by their employer. He and his family were close because they all relied on each other to provide food. He has told me before that he recalls once opening up his family pantry and only finding a box of rice. My dad has never once forgotten where he came from which has made him the meek man that he is today.   Just about six years ago he was struck instantly with an excruciating headache.   He was hospitalized off and on for three months as doc...

One of our favorite families to do things with called and told us about a fun opportunity this past saturday.  We went and saw a new boy band that is quickly becoming all the rage, One Direction.  We bought our girls their new cd this week and they spent the following five days learning all the songs.  And saturday we went and joined 8000 other young tween and teenage girls and watched them perform.  It was their first concert.  And everyone knows when you go to a concert, you have to make a sign. This is a picture with one of the firefighters on hand to help maintain order and just in case one of the 8000 fainted from all the excitement.  :O)  We had yummy nachos and corn dogs while we waited, patiently. Another milestone.  First concert.  Check.

Almost 6 years ago when I sat in a dark hospital room for months, surfing the web, trying to find answers that the team of Neurologists and infectious disease experts couldn't give me about why my poor husband was suffering from such a chronic intense headache; I remembered Tanner's 5th grade teacher, Ms. Lisa Ledesma. I was Ms. Ledesmas's room mom the year before.  As such I knew her a little better than most.  I remember her telling the kiddos one day that she ALWAYS had a headache and that she was going into the hospital for a brain surgery and would have to take 6 weeks off to recuperate.  I called her that summer while Brent lay in the hospital bed and asked her about her condition.  It sounded exactly like Brent's.  I asked her what it was called: Pseudotumour Cerebri.  (Now they refer to it as Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension).  Later that day, I asked the Neurologist, "Could Brent have "Pseudotumour Cerebri"? I'll never ...

Sooo.  The other day I was giving this gal a little pep talk.  For the most part this is young lady that is pretty comfortable in her own skin and doesn't have one single SHALLOW bone in her body (despite her rather shallow mother).  But all teenage girls need a pep talk every so often when they have had a little disappointment in their life.   They need to be reminded about what is REALLY important. They need to be told not to underestimate themselves.  They need to be carefully prodded to reach higher.  Sometimes they need to hear from the adults in their lives how important it is to not settle for "plan B" just because "plan A" didn't happen right away and it might require a little more work. And in the process of having said conversation, I told her that she needed to remember DAILY that she is a beautiful, smart, kind, and wonderful person.  At the end of the day that is all that matters.  I told her I wished th...

Without a doubt this is it. Atleast for me. I have never been a nervous mother before. But this makes me nervous. In a month or so we will have not one but TWO teenage drivers on the road. (Tanner is being held hostage a little bit by Brent who insists that he accomplish a few things toward getting his Eagle Scout before he will take him to get his license.) . Oh my! It scares me to death every single time they are behind the wheel. I worry that they are going to get lost. or distracted and run into something or someone. that they might get hurt Or hurt someone else. Uuugggghhhh. The reality is you just have to teach them best you can and then loosen the apron strings. It doesn't mean I won't worry.

 I woke up to this on Valentine's Morning.  My hubby is the romantic one of the two of us.  This is his LOVE LANGUAGE. Made not one but two yummy heart shaped pot pies (Brady's LOVE LANGUAGE) and a salad in a fun red heart salad bowl.   Had some leftover GIANT cupcakes from the 4th grade valentine party to share for dessert.  (All three of my girl's LOVE language: chocolate!)   (Forgot to mention that I threw a party for 147 4th graders today.  Boy, am I glad that is over.) These are my honey-do's that my honey has committed to getting done for me this week.  This is MY LOVE LANGUAGE.  :) Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Back here  I talked about what this is above.  Yesterday, while cleaning the girl's room, I came across this lunch box note to Reagan (aka: "Ray-Gun")  from Tanner.  Apparantly, she felt it was profound enough to be a "keeper".   Sometimes an older brother's wisdom has more potency than a parent.