Macey's Worker

T got a new job working at Macey's and I couldn't be more thrilled.  I'm so glad that he is out of the fast food side of things.  He is enjoying working there much more and it is teaching him a lot of useful skills that he'll need throughout his life.

Elder Bailey

Jalen left for his mission on Dec. 3.  He is going to be an amazing missionary.  I am so grateful for his wonderful example he is setting for his cousins, and more specifically my boys.  T really looks up to Jalen and I'm excited for him to be able to watch Jalen grow in the gospel and share it with others.  It's crazy to think that in only 2 years T will be doing the same thing.  Where did the time go?

My Little Chicken

M had her first drill competition last Saturday.  Her "kick" routine is my favorite.  They are "chickens" and the dance is super cute.  I love it, it makes me smile every time I watch it!

First Temple Trip as a Family

We went to the temple for the first time with all our kids!  What an awesome experience.  J finally turned 12 and got her recommend so we decided we should all go together.  I loved it!  We are going to try to go at least once a month so that the kids can get in the habit of regular temple attendance.  I feel so blessed to be able to attend with all my children.  I pray that we will always be able to go together and enjoy the wonderful blessings that come from going to the temple!

Sarah Eden

For one of our recent book clubs we read "A Kiss of a Stranger" by Sarah M. Eden.  One of the girls in our book club sent Sarah an email and asked if she would come to our book club, and she said YES!!  It was a very small setting, I think maybe 7 of us girls and Sarah.  She was so enjoyable.  She was very personable and funny.  She was very down to earth and chatty and I loved her book.  I'm ready to read another one by her.  It was a fabulous evening! 

Zombie Dance

One of M's drill dances was a Halloween/Zombie Dance.  The girls had to "make" their own costumes and I thought M did a great job!  Their dance was super fun and M did a great job!

Flag Football Champs!

S's flag football team took first place! 

They had a really good season!

Recent Happenings

~Completely loving all the beautiful colors of fall!
~T dislocated his shoulder.  He should be wearing a sling for 4 weeks to see if it will heal without surgery.  He wore it for about 1 1/2 weeks and now isn't wearing it any more.  That kid!  If I survive it'll be a miracle.
~M is super busy with drill all the time.  Drill in the early morning, after school, and some evenings!
~S made an accelerated basketball team.  He's been busy practicing and getting ready for the season to start.
~J is loving cheer and they are getting ready for competition season.
~I got first-aid and CPR certified.
~Ry is getting released tomorrow.  It's a bitter-sweet day.  He's loved his calling, but sometimes a break might be nice.
~General Conference was uplifting as usual.
~We had to fix both cars which cost a pretty penny.  I HATE putting money into cars.  I wish we could buy them and they would just work for x amount of years.
~We had our YWIE program on Wednesday and it went really well.
~Did some work for North Star.
~Had our first Halloween without any trick-or-treaters of our own.  That was weird.  Ry and I went out to dinner instead.

CNA

I took a CNA class in September/October.  It was from 5-10pm, Monday-Friday, plus clinicals on Saturday.  It was busy and a lot of work, but totally worth it.  I LOVED it!  I got my certificate last week that said I passed both my written and practical exams!  I'm officially a CNA!!  I've been wanting to do this for a long time and am so thankful that I finally had the opportunity to do so.  Now, it's on to the next step.  I've got to see what classes I need to take before I can start an RN program.  Yeah me for finally doing it!

Fishing Trip

Ry went to Idaho for a few days to do some fishing with his dad, brother, uncle, and cousins.  He isn't really a fisherman, but ended up having a good time.  Thanks to Greg who hooked him up with all the proper gear, he looked like a true fisherman!  

Be The Change

For Student Council M had to choose a "Be The Change" project to complete.  It had to be something that would better the community.  She chose to clean up the trails at one of the parks.  So, we headed out with garbage bags in tow and walked the trails collecting garbage.  I was surprised at how many people thanked us along the way.  I thought it was a good project and obviously very appreciated.

He's Playing Football?

Tanner came home from school one day and told me that he was now on the football team.  What?  How?  I totally didn't believe him for a few days, until he told me he needed to go to practice and then a game.  Then, low and behold he was in a football uniform, down on the field.  Super weird to see him in a football uniform.  He kicked for the Freshman and JV teams.  I guess next year he may be the Varsity kicker.  He was excited and is looking forward to what next year holds.  

Ogden Temple Rededication

Ogden Temple
Before & After

Sunday we went to the Ogden Temple Rededication.  It was a very nice meeting.  One of the talks was about eternal families.  That one really hit home for me.  When I think about temples I almost always think of families.  In the temple we are sealed to our families forever.  How amazing is that?!  To know that I will be with my loved ones FOREVER, is such a wonderful feeling.  I feel so blessed to be a part of this church, to have the knowledge of eternal families.  I'm so grateful we were able to be a part of this wonderful event and that we could witness the special prayer that was given to dedicate this holy temple!

Homecoming 2014

Saturday was Homecoming.  Dance dates are a big deal here.  I had no idea.  They go on a day date before the "regular" date.  So, for their day date they met up with a group of friends and went to the park and had a picnic.  They also kicked the soccer ball around for a little bit.  The picnic didn't last very long, so Tanner and Bailey went fishing afterwards.

My Tanner all grown up!

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He's wearing some pretty fancy socks that I wanted a picture of, and this was the pose I got!

All dressed and ready to go.  They went to a park and had some pictures taken and then headed out to dinner.  For dinner they ate  at Carraba's.  Tanner said it was pretty good.  After dinner they went to the dance.  They didn't stay the whole time, but said it was fun while they were there.  Someone in their group was having a party after the dance so they went there for a little bit.  Sounds like they all had a really fun time.  Glad they enjoyed it!

They Say They Come In 3's

We might as well take up permanent residence at the doctor's office.  My sweet precious Tanner was mad today and had the brilliant idea to punch the wall.  Smart right?  Well, not so much.  The doctor is pretty sure he broke his hand, possibly in 2 different places.  He is going to have the radiologist confirm.  So, for the next week he'll be in a hard splint.  Then we'll go back and probably get it casted.  People say things come in 3's, and I'm pretty sure we've had our 3.  I thought we were finished with all of Ry's ER trips, but I guess 3 of us needed to have something go wrong.  So, there is our 3, I'm DONE!

More Medical

It has been a bad couple weeks in our home.  Ry was in the ER 3 times last week for various things:  possible blood clot, possible bowel obstruction, etc.  He has been miserable.  He's lost 20 pounds in 2 weeks.  Finally he's starting to feel better, it's been a long hard recovery for him.  I feel really bad that he's had such a hard time.  He's ready to be up and feeling "normal" again.

I guess I was feeling left out or something because Sunday night I hurt myself.  I was standing on the couch and wiping off the blinds.  When I stepped down, I stepped right onto a charger and the prongs went into the bottom of my foot.  Holy cow, it hurt so bad.  I think I cried for at least an hour.  Ry said you could hear the cord crunching into my foot.  I can't walk or drive.  It's super lame.  Ry and I are a real pair walking around, him with a recovering knee and me with a busted foot.  We're both limping around on crutches.  It's a lovely sight.  Hopefully this is the end for us and we can move on and have no more injuries for a very very long time.  Now all we have to do is wait for our enormous hospital bills that are awaiting us.  Oh the joy!

Ready, Set, Fight

"Ready, set, fight!"  

Great words from my sister.  This is Yoho my brother-in-law.  He was diagnosed with testicular cancer and just yesterday had surgery.  The doctor said he got the mass.  Now, they will test it and see what stage it was.  Crossing our fingers that they got all the cancer out and he can recover well.  Yoho and Ange have 2 cute boys and are an amazing family!  We love them so much.  I feel so bad that they are faced with this huge trial.  They are strong, they are fighters, they can beat this!

My sister Anna set up a fund to help raise money for them to help cover the cost of their medical bills.  Our entire family has been overwhelmed with the generosity of so many.  More than half the amount of money they need has been donated.  Thank you to those who have helped.  We feel blessed to be surrounded by so many wonderful people!

We love you Ange, Yoho, Reggie, and Noah!

Her First Talk

Jo gave her first talk in sacrament this past Sunday.  She spoke on service and did a great job.  I told her she didn't even sound nervous, and her response was, "Oh, I was SO nervous. I had butterflies!"  She's been wanting to have a turn to speak in sacrament for probably a year, so when the bishop asked her it was easy for her to say YES!  Wonder how long that excited "yes" will last?  

ACL Surgery

Ryan had knee surgery almost 2 weeks ago.  He went in to have his ACL replaced, but ended up with a lot more work.  When the surgeon came out to talk to me he told me that, "Ryan's knee was a mess."  They ended up replacing the ACL, repairing the ALL, fixing 2 tears in his meniscus, and cleaning up a lot of arthritis.  No fun at all.  It's been a tough recovery for him.  We haven't been able to find pain medicine that works and that doesn't make him sick.  We've tried several different ones.  Now, not only is his knee hurting, but he has nausea, a headache, constipation, and he's having panic attacks.  Plus, he can't sleep, which means I don't sleep.  It's been a long hard recovery and I hope we can get this figured out soon.  Poor guy, I feel really bad for him.

Star

Spencer advanced to "Star" ranking in Scouts.  He also earned 3 merit badges.  He's moving right along.  I really need to help him and encourage him to keep going.  Tanner also needs to keep going.  He's finished with his last 2 merit badges, he just needs to fill out the paperwork.  Then he has his Eagle project to do.  That's it.  Hopefully he'll get it done. The scouting program really teaches the boys good skills that they will be able to take with them and use throughout their lives.

Bailey's Answer

Tanner asked his friend Bailey to go to Homecoming with him.  Asking a person to a dance here is a much bigger deal than it was when I was growing up.  We didn't get a picture of the way he asked her, but I'll try to explain.  He wrote on a piece of paper, "Now that we've broken the ice, will you go to Homecoming with me?"  Then he put it in a plastic bag and put the bag in a container filled with water and we froze it.  So, she literally had to break the ice to find the message.  Then we left in on her porch, rang the doorbell, and ran.  He was so excited.  After waiting a week and a half, she finally answered him.  She left a box of donuts on our porch and inside the lid wrote, "I DONUT want to go to Homecoming with anyone else."  I thought it was very cute and very clever.  Now, we have to find him something wear and plan the date.  Should be fun!

Happy 12th Jo

This cute girl turned 12 yesterday!  She's been waiting a long time to be 12, so that she could go to Young Women's.  Luckily for her she got to go on her birthday!  I can't believe she is my baby and she's 12.

12 fun facts about Jo:

~She loves to cook.

~She's doing cheer and tumbling.

~She's my personal space heater when I'm cold.

~She's got a great smile.

~She has long skinny fingers.

~She has a pinchable booty!

~She's very friendly.

~She's thrilled to finally have a phone.

~She does not like to clean her room.

~She's my sassy pants.

~She loves penguins.
~She's my baby!

New School Year

 

 Since I was such a bad blogger last year I never got first day of school pictures up.  So, this year I thought it would be fun to compare last year and this year.  These darn kids grow up way too fast!

Tanner is a Jr. this year.  I can hardly believe it.  I remember being a junior, and all the fun things that I was able to do. Tanner is driving now and loves it!  He loves soccer, playing Clash of Clans, listening to music, and hanging out with his friends. He is turning out to be such a nice young man!

Kenzie is a Sophomore this year.  Two kids at the high school = CRAZY!!  She is such a fun girl.  She is on the drill team this year and student council, which means she is busy, busy, busy.  She loves dancing, dancing, being with friends and family, and dancing!  Love that girl!

Spencey Poo is an 8th grader this year.  He is smart and fun to be around.  He loves basketball the most, but is trying flag football this fall.  He also loves playing Clash of Clans, shooting hoops, hanging with friends, and spending time with his family.  He has such a tender heart and love getting hugs from him!

My baby girl is in Jr. High this year.  No more elementary school kids for me.  She is a little sassy pants but I sure love her.  She is taking cheer and gymnastics right now and is really enjoying it.  She also enjoys spending time with her friends, being with family, drawing, and  cheer.

I'm hoping for a wonderful school year!  

The first day was a success for everyone!  

7th Grade Day

I sent Jo off to 7th grade day today.  She's excited to be going to Jr. High, but is also pretty nervous.  We had a little pep talk in the car and then she said she was ready to go.  I can't believe I'm done with having kids in elementary school, it's a whole new phase of life.  Love that sassy girl of mine!

Jenna's Graduation BBQ

My darling "Pickle" graduated from BYU today.  I can't believe it. What an accomplishment!  She's worked so hard and it's all paid off.  Lana had a BBQ celebration and there were a lot of family members there to support her.  She's off to New York on Tuesday to reunite with Clayton and to start her life there.  

These cute cousins are showing their BYU spirit!  They quickly posed for a picture and then headed out to watch the SF football team and Kenzie perform during half time.  It's been a busy few weeks!

Sophomore Orientation & A Mission Call

Kenzie had sophomore orientation the other night.  She is on student council and they did a skit.  She was the "bachelorette" and she had to pick a guy that she would want to go on a date with.  The skit turned out really cute and of course she did a great job.  She also performed with the drill team, and they all did really well.  She is loving being so involved with everything.  She is one busy girl and school hasn't even started:/

My super handsome Jalen got his mission call.  He will be serving in the Long Beach, California mission.  He enters the MTC on Dec. 3.  I'm so proud of him.  He is a great example to all his younger cousins, especially all the boys, and even more specifically Tanner.  I'm so thankful for his desire and willingness to go and serve our Heavenly Father for 2 years.  I know the lives of many will be blessed by his service.  Love you Jay!

It Looks Worse Than It Really Is

Ry had a cyst removed off his neck today.  I wasn't able to go with him, so I told him he had to take pictures for me.  The video is even better!  This is right after the cyst was removed before they cleaned and bandaged him up.  He got 3 stitches and now has a very sore neck.  Hopefully it heals soon!

Sunday & Monday Family Time

Kenzie spoke in church on Sunday and did a fabulous job!  She was pretty nervous, but it went great.  Jo had a talk in Primary and I missed it by like 30 seconds:(  I felt so bad.  It was her last talk in Primary before she moves on to YW.  Everyone told me she did a great job.  I did get to read her talk and I'm sure it went well, I just felt bad that I missed it.

We met at the park for a picnic for dinner.  We also played games, sat around and talked,

 and just enjoyed being together!

Spencey-Poo

Mom, Lana, & Em

Monday we gathered at Mom & Dad's.  We made Pelmeny, a family favorite!  It's super yummy, but takes FOREVER to make.  We all love it, so it's worth it!

After dinner, we played some Minute-to-Win-It games.

7 Peaks Fun

On Saturday Lana and I took some of the kiddos to 7 Peaks for some water park fun.  Not sure how Spencer didn't get in a picture, but he was there too.  The sun was shining, the water was warm, cousins were around, and we were all having a great time!

Pope Beach

We headed to Pope Beach on Thursday.  It was, of course, beautiful there.  We didn't have sunshine for too long, but there was still a lot of fun happenings going on!

Kids enjoying the water!

Kenz & Tate

Swing Me!!

Love my girls!

Always a dancer!

Tahoe was a huge success!  We loved it!  I'm so thankful we had the opportunity to go there as a family and to make many wonderful memories together.  It went by way too fast/

Rainbow Trail

We found a cute little nature trail to walk on and decided to take some family photos there.  It was the perfect place for some pictures!

Mom & Dad with their kids!

Sisters!

Cute Girls!

Kenzie

Rainbow Trail