Here Today Gone Tomorrow

Time sure does fly by. It seems like we were just getting ready for Christmas and then it's over. We had a great Christmas as always. We had our Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve with Steve's parents and his sister Jenn and our great, great friends, Bryce and Keri (we joked and said they were my side of the family). We had a Honey Baked Ham, twice baked spuds (yum) and Steve made homemade creamed corn (double yum). Keri brought her incredible homemade rolls and Jenn brought chex mix and muddie buddies. We had a wonderful time playing games and being together. Christmas morning lasted all of 15 minutes. Devynne and Dylan both got new cell phones and Dakota got an XBOX 360 plus other little gifts for all three, Santa was good to them. The kids left around noon to spend the rest of Christmas and the following weekend with their dad. They stayed in a cabin in Cedar City and had a great time. Lots of snow fun for them. Steve and I went for a triple feature (yes, I said triple) at the movies with Steve's parents and Jenn. It was so much fun. We've never done two movies in one day, let alone three. We saw Benjamin Button, Marley and Me and Valkyrie (spelling? not sure), Marley and Me was my favorite however lots of tissue was needed. Steve and I enjoyed our weekend and many times we said "so this is what it's like to not have kids" or "this will be us in a few years". I must admit that I did miss the activity of kids coming and going, though. Anyhoo, I hope you all had a great Christmas and I wish you a very happy new year. :)



Wake up!! Time for Christmas!!!

Santa left stockings.


The kids with their dad

Happy New Year!!!

Ready for Christmas!!

I can officially say that I'm ready for Christmas. My shopping is done, my baking is done, the presents are all wrapped and under the tree and our deliveries have all been made including the out of town ones. Yay!!! I now get to enjoy this week with my family. This past weekend Steve and Dakota went to Utah to see Cadie, Cody and Carson. They hit major snow on the way Friday and it was a little tense for them for awhile but they arrived safely. Steve took the kids shopping for Christmas gifts and brought them stockings that we had put together for them. (Dakota said it was torture for him and we told him his day was coming). They played together and watched movies. A good time was had by all (Cadie looks like she had too much fun). :)

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

Yes, it did snow in Las Vegas. It was very exciting around here yesterday. It snowed for hours. I have not seen it snow here like this in the 20 years that I have lived here and I never thought it would snow like this on our side of town. We even had a snow day from school if you can believe it (family in Wyoming). Crazy, I know. :)

Whacky Emotions

I'm not sure what is going on with me. First, I told Steve that we should start saying family prayer at night. We say it in the morning with the kids but we haven't said family prayer at night in I don't know how long. Anyhoo, we decided that yes we should start saying it at night so last night was our start. I could not stop laughing. We're gathering together and my kids are teasing and messing with each other, Steve is "scolding" Devynne for bringing her cell phone, Dakota is getting aggrivated because we're taking too long and he is missing his show(hmmm, too much TV for that kid) and I said "Maybe this is why we stopped saying family prayer at night". For some reason I was thrown into, not just the giggles, but HYSTERICAL laughing. I could NOT stop. And I was the one who was supposed to say it. We would finally get quiet, then the quiet would start me up again. Steve finally said "Can you just laugh silently and I'll say it?" So I "silently" giggled through the whole thing. When we were done I had tears running down my face and my entire abdomen ached from my "hysterical giggling". Then this morning I'm driving to the gym to work out and I'm listening to Christmas music and "Little Drummer Boy" came on and I started to cry. I never cry during Christmas songs. But for some reason it just touched me. Oh well, now you know that I some times have whacky emotions and I sometimes laugh during the most inappropriate times. :D

Anyhoo, we had a great weekend. Surprise party for my closest and dearest friend Friday night, Ward Christmas Breakfast Saturday morning (it was great), lunch with Dylan just the two of us (I absolutely enjoyed having alone time with him), dinner Saturday night with Steve's parents (we always enjoy time with them) and a great day at church on Sunday and a family movie (The Grinch Who Stole Christmas). Again, life is good. :)

The Token Family Picture

It's been two weeks since we took family pictures and I'm just now feeling like I can blog about it. It's typical to want a nice family picture to send with Christmas cards so people can see how lovely your family is, right? Do you think that would be an easy feat? Not for our family. Let's just say Mom (me) was so over it really, really quick. I wanted to do a couple of really cute and maybe even silly poses and I was shot down every time. Steve: "No, that won't work, the lighting isn't right" or "No, that won't work because I don't like the back ground" or "No, that won't work because lack of background" The kids: "No, that's dumb" or "No, we'll look rediculous" (did I spell that right?) or the ever whining "Mommmmm, Noooooo" After a few takes, Mom: "That's it, I'm done!" So anyhoo, here is a the first snap, and yes I'm on the phone, and the best snap with a couple in between. Crazy I say. :)

Golf Anyone?

Yesterday, Steve played golf with his dad, brother (Mike) and sister (Jenn) to raise money for the Silverado H.S. Girls Volleyball team. They played at the Sienna Golf Club. It was a beautiful day and they had a great time. We won't say how they placed, oh ok we will. They placed in last place and not only were they last, they were the only team to be over par. But they look cute, don't you think?

A Must Read

My sister suggested I go to a mommy blog and read the latest entry. So I'm passing it on. If you have 5 to 10 minutes you must read it. It is a story that reminds me of the real meaning of family, life, love and faith. As I read this story about a woman (Nie Nie) and her family, it's her sister that is amazing to me. When you go to the website and read this story, you should click on the sister's link and read some of her entries. Go to damomma.com and read the entry "A story of a girl named Nie"

A Great Day for a Birthday

Yesterday was my birthday and it was wonderful. Steve took the day off from work and helped me decorate the house for Christmas. He also took me out to lunch and we had fantastic conversation. All three of my children remembered my birthday and said "Happy Birthday" before I realized it was my birthday. My sister called, my dad called, my mom called, my step mother called, my best friend called (and her family, they sang to me over the phone), my visiting teacher called, and my sister in law sent me a text, as did Dylan's friend Corin. We had a great family home evening (which isn't always the case) and Steve made a delicious dinner of homemade turkey noodle soup (and yes, the noodles were made from scratch) and homemade rolls. And guess what, he is still taking me out to dinner Friday night with our closest friends for my birthday. Life is good :)

17 Years and 9 Months in the Making

Yesterday was Devynne's 17th birthday. I can't believe she's that old. It wasn't that long ago that she was learning to talk and walk. Now she is this beautiful young woman with so much ahead of her. Yesterday, we girls (Devynne, Cadie, Jenn and myself) went to the movies and saw Twilight for the 2nd time. We loved the movie even more the 2nd time. Today, we had a family party with her choice of lunch (egg rolls and pot stickers) and her favorite cake (yellow cake with butter caramel frosting). She also had many birthday wishes from friends and family throughout the day yesterday. She is my first child and the first grandchild on my side of the family and we love her so much. I am very grateful that Heavenly Father sent her to me and I hope that she will be blessed with much happiness in her future.

Happy Thanksgiving

Yesterday was Thanksgiving and we had a great day. The food was fantastic, of course and the people were even better. We ate, talked, laughed, played games and a couple of us napped (as you can see by the last pic). It can be a little hectic and a little stressful at times but nothing beats having family around to celebrate a holiday. We love all of our family and we're thankful to be able to have some of them with us for this day. Steve's kids were with us as well as Mike's kids. So fun to see nieces and nephews/cousins from time to time to see how they've grown. Grammy and Granpa came too (see the great picture of them). Aunt B wanted a picture with the girls and a picture with the boys. Again, we had a wonderful day and I hope you all did too. :)

We Have Good Neighbors Too

A week or so ago, I read a blog about good neighbors and it got me thinking about our neighbors. So I would like to take the oppurtunity to gush about our neighbors. We have not only good neighbors, we have GREAT neighbors throughout our entire neighborhood. I love that I can drive around any corner throughout our neighborhood and wave at many different people who are outside that I love and appreciate. I know that I can call any one of them for help to move a piece of furniture, to keep an eye on one of my children, to lend me a cup of sugar or an egg or two, ask for a recipe, ask for help in fixing my garage door when Steve isn't home and many, many other things. (By the way I have done all of these) I love knowing that my children can go over to any of their homes and will feel warm and fuzzy and will be watched over and cared for. I can call any one of them and stop by for a visit and have a good laugh or a good cry. (I have done that too) I think its so much fun to go to Target, Smith's or even a craft sale and see people that I love and I get excited about seeing them out and about. I just wanted say how much I appreciate and love my neighbors, no wait, "my friends".

Seeing as how this is a season for thanksgiving it seems very fitting to remember the people we are grateful for. My family and my friends are very cherished by me and I hope you all know that. I'm so glad to have the parents that I have, I would never trade them for anybody. I love them dearly. I am grateful for my siblings and their families. I'm grateful for Steve's parents, they are a wonderful example to me and I love them also. My friends and my sister are what keep me sane on those "crazy Mom" days. I love my husband and my kids with all my heart. And now that I can no longer see the screen through my tears, I'll close for now. I didn't realize I'd go on for so long. :)

Go Rebels!

Steve went to the UNLV basketball game last night with his brother, Mike and his sister, Jenn. They had a great time as you can see. I'm glad Steve has his brother and sister to go to these kinds of events with. I am so not a sports person (most people who know me will confirm this). He has a great time with his siblings. By the way UNLV won 73-48 .

Night at the Melodrama

Saturday night was fun for our family. We went to a melodrama performance (Dogsbreath Devereaux The Dastardly Doctor or Nurses! Foiled Again!) that was put on by our stake. Dylan had a small role as Officer Tommy Gunn and was hilarious. My best friend Keri was Nurse Hilda Hatchet and she stole the show. Her daughter Dani played Trixie St. James, a burlesque dancer. They were all wonderful and very talented. Below are some pictures of them in their costumes. I'm also posting pictures of me and Steve that his sister Jenn took of us before going to the show.

Let's Play Catch Up

Here are a few pictures from Dakota's birthday (he's now 12) and a picture of Dylan and Corin on Halloween night. For Dakota's birthday, he took a couple of friends to the skate park and then came home for pizza and birthday cake. We continued celebrating the following day with Grammy, Granpa and Aunt B. For Halloween, Dylan and Corin went to a party as Danny and Sandy from Grease. Aren't they cute? Devynne also went to a party as a football player (no picture :( because she got ready at Breana's). Dakota went Trick or Treating with his friend Brian. So Steve and I had a wonderful dinner out. :)

Officially Taken Over

Hey everyone!!! I have officially taken over the family blog from Steve. (to his dismay) When I saw how cute other blogs were, I decided it was time to give ours a facelift. It is still a work in progess as is everything in our lives. Hope you enjoy it. I will be keeping you up to date on our "happenings" on a regular basis. (I also have a bit more time than Steve) Lots of Love, T

Steve's Job...Here we go again

Well, I guess that 2007 was just not enough fun with the merging in of my former company Land Title with Commonwealth Title (who by the way in June of 2008 merged in locally with Lawyers title and we have been operating under the name LandAmerica). LandAmerica is the 3rd largest title insurance company in the nation. However, they are probably #1 is speed in which they have run themselves into the ground!!! We were on the verge on bancruptcy this week when the 2nd largest title insurance company offered to buy us at the bargain low price of 128 million.

The result for Steve....back to the waiting game to find out if I will even have a position at the new company, Fidelity National. I won't know anything until at least April of next year. I have hopes of being able to stay on at the new company, but they are consolidating efforts to some degree and management is always combined.

Keep me in your prayers!!!

Wyoming Trip Part 3

Here is the last of our Wyoming trip!

I am not sure what it is about boys and skipping rocks...but we love it!

Surprisingly, we did not get the chance to ride horses this vacation, but the kids did ride a lot of the "iron horse".

This is my Uncle Don and I. He and my Aunt Tammy let us stay at their place in Cody. I used to spend some summers with them when I was 13-15. He has always been a great influence in my life and I love and appreciate him and Tammy very much. Thank you for letting us come stay!!!!!

Shooting clay pidgeons was one of our favorite activites.

I can't have you think we did not see any buffalo while on our trip. In Hayden Valley, they happened to cross the road right when we were there. So we got some real up close looks at them. This was the biggest one we saw. He was their leader and was puching some of the other buffalo around and calling out to them. We also saw deer, antelope, elk, fish, swans, hawks, geese, chipmonks, bug, mesquitos, deer flys and dragon flys on the trip.

Wyoming Trip part 2

Here is another goup of pictures from Wyoming. This one is by the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.

The kids really loved being together!

You have know idea how hard it was to get the family to pose for a family picture. They all liked their picture taken except when it was a full family picture!

The Alpine Slide was a lot of fun!

If you are wondering where the picture of Toni on the chairlift is?....Well, let's just say she still has her little fear of heights!