A Crazy Little Thing Called Life

Devynne's Engaged!!

2011-07-13T08:41:00.000-07:00

And we are so happy for her. Brandon purposed to her Monday night down on one knee in front of the temple. We are now planning a wedding and we are so excited. We just love Brandon and we know they will be so good together. Here's the ring. :)

Hoover Dam

2011-06-24T08:41:00.000-07:00

Friday after the graduation and after Mom and InkDink headed back home, the rest of us went to the museum off of 95 and Wagon Wheel and then headed to the dam. It was a great day and we had great time. We ended the day with dinner at BJ's where we met Steve after work.

Graduation Pics

2011-06-24T08:28:00.000-07:00

Dylan became a high school graduate on Thursday, June 16th between 6pm and 8pm. It was the first graduation ceremony for East Career and Technical Academy and it was a great ceremony. We are very proud of Dylan and we look forward to things to come for him. :)

Pyramids

2011-06-23T10:54:00.000-07:00

On Thursday the 16th our family pics continued outside.

The Kids

The Big Kids

Family Fun Continues

2011-06-23T10:11:00.000-07:00

The week after Cadie, Cody and Carson were here my family came to visit and to see Dylan graduate high school. Missy and her family got here on Sunday the 12th and stayed in a time share near the strip while mom and InkDink got here on Monday and stayed with us. Together we all had lunch on Tuesday at the Harley Davidson Cafe and toured the M&M World. Wednesday we went to Caesar's Palace and walked around the Forum Shops and did some shopping. Wednesday night we then went down to Fremont Experience.

Daddy and Rita and the Muchmores got here late Wednesday night and stayed at the Orleans Hotel. Thursday the 16th we had everyone over for a celebration lunch for Dylan. We had a ton of food and took a ton of pictures. Here are a few of them. So much fun!

Basketball Pics

2011-06-23T09:32:00.000-07:00

Carson

Cody

Dakota

It's Been Almost 3 Weeks...

2011-06-23T09:06:00.000-07:00

...ago since Cadie, Cody and Carson were here. They spent a week here with us and were able to go to church with us two Sundays in a row which never happens. We were very busy for the most part. Movies, basketball, golf, hair appointments, dress fittings, shopping, family barbecue with everyone, Jenn and Nick's rehearsal and rehearsal dinner and then Jenn and Nick's big day. The wedding was absolutely wonderful. Steve was a groomsman, the four boys were ushers and Cadie and Devynne were wardrobe assistants for Jenn. We had so much fun as a family eating, dancing and spending time together. Who knew our kids were such fun on a dance floor. We also had a good time with the photo booth at the wedding. Jenn and Nick were gorgeous and everything about the wedding was just lovely. Here are the photo booth pics. :)

Senior Project

2011-05-25T08:38:00.000-07:00

This semester Dylan has been doing an internship for his education program. He has been teaching 5th graders with Kevin Sullivan at Brookman Elementary. So for his senior project he asked the question "Are male teachers more assertive than female teachers?" He put all his observations together and came up with a conclusion which he had to present on Monday along with his written observations and pictures. He did a really good job and received an A on the project. :)

Standing next to his poster board

Some of the pictures that were on the board of him in Kevin's 5th grade class

The seniors in the Education Program on Monday

Jenn's Bridal Shower

2011-05-25T08:27:00.000-07:00

I drove to Utah this past weekend with Jenn and Grammy for Jenn's bridal shower with the whole family. We had a really great time. The shower was Friday night and it was really fun to see everyone. It was fun to see Cadie, Devynne and Brooke since they were able to go too. Saturday, Jenn, Grammy and I were able to hang out with Tracy and Justin. We saw a little of Jake playing basketball, spent a big part of the day at the mall, picked Jenn's wedding dress up (which is lovely by the way) and finished the day at Lou's for pizza, salad and a movie. A really great day. The whole weekend was a lot of fun and I really love this family. :)

Me and Devynne at the shower

The Robinson sisters

Prom Pics

2011-05-13T10:37:00.000-07:00

Cadie went to her Jr. Prom this past Saturday with her friend Connor. Isn't she a beauty? :)

Swimming Pics

2011-05-11T10:33:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday Dylan swam the 100 yd freestyle and the 100 yd backstroke and qualified in both for regionals (he also placed 3rd in both). In all he has qualified in the 50 free, 100 free, the IM and the 100 backstroke. He can only swim two events in regionals so he has decided to swim the 50 free and the 100 back. Regional Prelims are tomorrow so we'll see how he does. :)

The Freestyle

The Backstroke

Dakota Gets a Trophy

2011-05-11T08:41:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday Dakota's basketball team had their end of season banquet. Dakota won the trophy for "Most Rebounds" and received a certificate for "Excellent Achievements in Basketball". He had a great season and we look forward to basketball in high school. :)

Utah Visit

2011-05-11T08:32:00.000-07:00

Two weekends ago Steve was in Utah with Cody and Carson. They went to Jaxon's baptism with Grammy, Grandpa, Jenn, Nick and Tracy and her family. They had a great time and had fun hanging out with everyone. Congratulations to Jaxon. :)

Senior Pics

2011-05-04T08:45:00.000-07:00

Just Pictures

2011-04-26T10:59:00.000-07:00

Pictures from a family dinner at Grammy and Granpa's house. :)

It's Been A While

2011-04-20T10:36:00.000-07:00

Since I've blogged. Let's see, we had a few birthdays. Cadie turned 17, Dylan turned 18 and Steve turned...well let's say he had a birthday. :)

Devynne has decided to stay in Utah for the summer and get Utah residency so she can pay in state tuition for school. She has 4 job interviews this week in and around Spanish Fork where she will be living with Brooke's family for the summer. So hopefully they go well. She also has secured an apartment in Cedar City for the fall so no more dorm living for her.

Dylan just finished his year long assignment to be on the Stake Youth Council where he helped plan the quad stake youth conference, which from I hear was awesome. He is also on the swim team right now and has already qualified for the 50 freestyle. He's still taking the missionary prep class which is every Sunday and he really likes it alot. He also is doing his internship for school by teaching twice a week at Brookman Elementary with Kevin Sullivan. He's a busy boy and let's not forget graduation is around the corner. :)

Dakota has been accepted at East Tech and will be going there next fall for high school. As of right now he is enrolled in the Education program however, we are going to see if he can change to the Business/Marketing Program so we shall see. He still plans on playing basketball for Eldorado and should have a few camps this summer. He and Steve went to the Father and Sons camp out this past Friday and had a great time hanging out with each other. He is also looking forward to the end of school which also is just around the corner. :)

Steve has been busy too. He got a promotion at work and is now Operations Manager/Vice President at Lawyer's Title. Very exciting! He's very busy at work needless to say. His golf league began a few weeks ago so his golf night is every Tuesday and he absolutely loves it. His church calling also keeps him busy and we are so grateful that he has the opportunity to serve in this capacity. We have been blessed tremendously.

Cadie, Cody and Carson are doing great. Steve and the boys "face time" each other often and they have a ton of fun doing it. Cadie is still working at the Mandarin restaurant and is becoming quite the young woman. Steve looks so forward to their monthly visits and Dakota goes with him most of the time and they just have a ball all together. We're excited about having them down here for a week in June. Not too far away.

I'm busy raising kids (all two of them) and spending as much time with the boys as I can. I went from going to basketball games every week to going to swim meets every week. I'm still teaching Sunday school to the 16 and 17 year olds (my favorite calling so far). I take exercise classes Monday through Thursday. A pilates class and a cardio and strengthening class which make me feel great. Steve and I also spend all the time together that we can. We had a great weekend last month when we went to Salt Lake, just the two of us, for Justin and Laci's wedding. (Justin and Laci were lovely and make a wonderful couple.) We drove to Cedar City this past Saturday to take the Fit to Devynne(so she will have transportation this summer) and we had a great time driving home together just talking about everything under the sun.

I think that catches us up. Here are just a few random pictures.

Basketball is Over (for now)

2011-03-21T09:37:00.000-07:00

Basketball season is now officially over for O'Callahan. The Comets did make it to playoffs, however they were out after the first game. The Comets played hard and had a great season and Dakota and I both are a little bummed that it's over until next year. Devynne was home for spring break and was able to go to his last game of the year (the first playoff game) along with her roommate, Brooke. These are some pictures from the warm up prior to the game. We "heart" #14. :)

Catching Up

2011-03-07T08:25:00.000-08:00

Dakota is still playing basketball and has 2 more games left in the season. It looks like playoffs are in our future as well.

Dylan has started swimming daily and swim meets will start very soon. He also is taking a missionary prep class now every Sunday and he really likes it.

Devynne is doing well in Cedar City. She's enjoying her classes and she's extremely social and having a good time.

Cadie, Cody and Carson are healthy, happy and very busy. Cadie still works at the Chinese restaurant and likes making her own money. Cody and Carson are busy with scouts and they are all doing well in school.

Steve and I are doing great. He's busy at work and with his church calling. I'm busy running with teenagers and taking care of our home. We also spend lots of quality time together and love being together. Life is good.:)

Second Sadie's Date

2011-02-17T11:41:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday, Dylan went to Sadie's with Chelsea. They did a scavenger hunt on the strip and ate dinner at the Rain Forest Cafe. Aren't they the cutest? :)

First Sadie's Date

2011-02-10T08:41:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday Dylan went to Sadie's with his friend Maria. They had a great time at Town Square and the Belagio. Here's a group shot of the evening. :)

Youth Paste

2011-02-10T08:34:00.000-08:00

Pause my music before playing the video. This is so funny and there are outtakes at the end. :)

January

2011-02-03T11:08:00.000-08:00

Kids are back in school.
Dylan was asked to Sadie's by Chelsea.
Dakota's basketball season officially started.
Cadie got her braces off. (yay)
We went to Lacie's (Justin's fiance) bridal shower.
Devynne received a calling in church.
Dakota earned his Life rank in Scouts.
I got a new phone. (yay)(a Blackberry)
Benny got his yearly shots and now weighs 14 lbs. (not 7)
Dylan started his internship at Brookman Elementary.

Our top 10 for the month with a few pictures to go with. :)

Christmas 2010

2011-01-12T08:30:00.000-08:00

Christmas has come and gone and I'm finally posting some pictures from Christmas day. We had a great Christmas this year. Devynne was home from school so we were able to spend quality time with her as well as with the boys. Christmas Eve we went to Nick's house for our big Christmas dinner and had a great time with Steve's family and Nick's family. The food was delicious and we always enjoy the family time we spend together. Christmas day started out in the morning with stockings from Santa for the kids and Benny. We opened presents as they were handed out by Santa Steve (everyone was very happy with their goods) and ate our Christmas traditional crepes (yum). The boys, Steve and I headed to Grammy and Granpa's for more gift opening while Devynne headed to Breanna's. We all headed to the movies (minus Devynne) to see True Grit and Gulliver's Travels then headed home. I truly love this time of year. I love the giving and the kindness of this time of year. I love the family time and friendship that we are so fortunate to have. I love this special season of celebrating the birth of Christ and remembering all that his birth and the example of his life here on earth has brought to our world. I'm grateful for all of our many, many blessings and pray that we all have a healthy and happy new year! :)

Who Are The Cutest Kids Ever

2010-12-07T10:23:00.000-08:00

The Highlights

2010-12-03T08:55:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving was a great day. Devynne, Cadie, Cody and Carson were here with us and it was so much fun to see them. We went to Nick's house where Jenn did a fantastic job hosting dinner. She made the turkey while everyone else brought side dishes and desserts. We brought Steve's mash potatoes and gravy and homemade rolls. I made cheese balls which Cadie and I loved. Delicious! We ate, played games and enjoyed being together.

Devynne's Birthday

Devynne turned 19 on November 28th. We celebrated her birthday on Friday the 26th by going to the movies. We saw Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (part I) and we thought it was a great movie. We then met the rest of the family (grandparents, Jenn, Nick, Mike and cousins) at California Pizza Kitchen for dinner. I can't believe she's 19 now. She's growing, changing, maturing and is a wonderful young woman. I can't wait to see what her future holds. We love her so very much and it was great to have her here.

Saturday Morning at the Temple
The next morning we met Grammy and Grandpa, Broc and Mikelle at the temple to do baptisms. It really was a wonderful experience being there with 5 of our kids (unfortunately, Devynne didn't make it because she had a hair appointment that morning)and Steve's parents. The kids were all lovely in their white clothes and it was so neat to see them all there. Thank you to Grammy and Grandpa for the great idea to do this. Afterwards, we all met Devynne, Jenn, Nick, Mike, Tayler and Cory at Blueberry Hill for breakfast.

Other Things This Week
Decorated for Christmas
I had a birthday (7 layer chocolate cake...YUM)
Dylan made Performance Glee Club
Dakota made the Basketball Team
Went to a work Holiday Party
Ran lots of errands

There, I think we're caught up. :

A Teenage Melodrama.....Like Whatever

2010-11-22T12:08:00.000-08:00

This is Dylan after his performances last Thursday night. He played an angel (Chet) in Day Six and the air conditioning maintenance man (Dylan Everready) in A Teenage Melodrama.....Like Whatever. He was a great angel but we really liked his performance as Dylan Everready. Hilarious!!! He is one talented fella, if I do say so. Both plays were directed by students and they all did a really great job. :)

UNLV vs. Wyoming

2010-11-15T17:05:00.000-08:00

The three of us went to the UNLV football game Saturday night and this picture was taken on Steve's Iphone and it's a little fuzzy, I noticed. Anyhoo, it was fun to be out with Steve and Dakota and this was after we got a free meal at IHOP (because they lost our order and the food was late getting to us, the manager picked up the check)Yay!! Steve's parents were there too so we were able to hang out with them for a while and share peanuts. It was a good night. :)

Pine Valley Trip

2010-11-10T17:39:00.000-08:00

I have snuck onto Toni's blog and taken over for a day!!! Feels good to be back! Actually, I just wanted to write a little bit about a trip Dylan and I took last weekend. We went with the Priest Quorum and their leaders to Pine Valley Utah.

Friday night, we had a great lesson about quorums by Daniel Barnhurst and then just hung out with the boys talking and playing old Nintendo games. Saturday we went and shot rifles, handguns and shot guns in the morning. Here is a great video of Dylan being all Gangster with the handgun.

Later that day, we took a tour of the oldest operating LDS Church building. The contruction of the building was amazing. It is hard to believe what people did without the modern building tools we have now. It is a beautiful building.

The last thing we did was go to the Mountain Meadow. This was a little bit sobering. It is the location of a very sad story of some people traveling through the meadow on their way to California. They had been traveling all through Utah and the entire time, were pretty much being shunned and/or ignored by the people of Utah, due largely in part that the people of Utah, mostly Mormons had been driven out of their homes back East, abused, tortured and looked down on. As such, they were not receptive to people from the East and those travelers may have done their part to antagonize the Mormons. It is very unclear exactly how things got to be so bad, but the end result was nearly all of the people from Arkansas were killed, many by ambush from the Indians and Mormons both. It is a sad story but what we took from it was the need to not let situations escalate. Things like this could be avoided with cool heads and open hearts.

Anyway, the trip was great and I enjoyed the time with Dylan and the other boys and leaders. Here are some pictures.

One of My Favorite Things

2010-11-06T09:14:00.001-07:00

Is to hang out with Steve when the kids are in school. Yesterday, Steve took the day off and after dropping Dakota off at school we headed out to Henderson. We stopped at Einstein Bagels for bagels, a danish, a pumpkin muffin and fresh orange juice. Delicious!! We headed to Walmart where we roamed around for way too long (we did buy a few things) and then stopped at Costco for a few things. By now it was the time frame you are allowed to drop paint cans off at the dump, so we did. The whole time we talked about so many different things and held hands and just enjoyed being together.

We then headed home and did a few things around the house that needed to be done. After some computer time and book reading we picked Dakota up from school and made our way to Sonic. Yippee I love me some sonic! When Dylan got home, he and Steve left for Pine Valley with Bishop and the Priest Quorum for an overnight trip. Dakota and I had pizza for dinner and watched Back to the Future. A great day for me. :)

Halloween Came and Went

2010-11-06T08:50:00.000-07:00

October 30th was our Ward Halloween party and was so much fun. Steve made my most favorite soup ever, Cream of Mushroom, for the Chili/Soup cook off and it was as always absolutely delicious! Dylan and Dakota didn't dress up this year but they had a great time hanging out with their friends and playing games. Steve was busy taking pictures of everyone and I spent most of the night visiting with Brad and Leslie Johnson (who are such wonderful and awesome people).

1 bowl of soup and 2 cupcakes later, the Trunk or Treating began. I was going to make an early get away at this point, however, Dylan made off to Albertsons with my keys in his pocket. So again, I sat with the Johnsons chatting away while watching the little goblins trick or treat for candy and I had a ball. So much fun. Dylan and my keys found me and it was off to home. We have such an amazing ward and I truly love being a part of it. Our bishopric is fantastic and I am so grateful for them (especially the 1st counselor I absolutely love him):)

Sunday the 31st was a great day at church and wonderfully quiet at home. Dinner was awesome, left over Cream of Mushroom soup for me, thankyou very much. Then we watched Hocus Pocus, my favorite Halloween movie, to end the day. Happy Halloween! It was a great weekend! :)

October 22nd Came and Went

2010-11-06T08:32:00.000-07:00

Just like the last 14 years. Dakota turned 14 on this day and I have no idea where the time went. He's my baby and I can't believe he is cruising through teen years now. I can remember just holding him as a baby and thinking "I better enjoy this and remember it cuz he's the last one" I'm so glad I did that. I remember how he used to wave his little hands in circles and scrunch his nose when he wanted you to pick him up. So cute I tell you!! Just look at this picture, I just want to bite a chunk out of him.

He got a cell phone for his birthday and couldn't have been happier. Evidentally, "everyone has a cell phone" and now he does too. We celebrated his birthday by having family over for brats and potatoe salad (dakota's favorite) and a burnt frosting cake. Yum!

I'm so grateful for this kid. He is kind, loving, funny, spazzy, energetic, smart, handsome, full of knowledge which he is always willing to share (whether you like it or not), sticks to his guns (whether you like it or not), athletic, and did I say funny? He makes us laugh all the time even when he's not trying to be funny. I love him, this little child of mine, which he's not so little anymore (6'1" at 14 sheesh). I'm so grateful for him and the love and joy (and the occasional craziness) he has brought to our family.

We love you Dakota and Happy 14th Birthday! :)

The Planetarium

2010-10-22T11:57:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Steve and Dakota went to Utah to see Cadie, Cody and Carson. One of the things they did was go to the Planetarium. I'm not sure why Cadie isn't in the picture or why Dakota is looking so thrilled. :) Anyhoo, they did have a great time hanging out with the kids and on their way home Sunday they stopped in Cedar City to have lunch with Devynne.

Dylan has a Unicycle

2010-10-14T08:14:00.000-07:00

Friends Randy Sly and Jacob Crist looking on while Dylan practices. :)

Trip to Florida

2010-10-12T11:32:00.001-07:00

I just got back from a week long trip to Florida with my mom, aunt and sister. It was a really wonderful time. The four of us flew to Jacksonville and drove an hour to Lake City so that we could have a funeral service for my grandma. When we got there on Tuesday, we checked in with the funeral home, bought flowers and headed over to the cemetery so we could look at the different grave sites of family members. We cruised the mall and just hung out. We also drove by the house we lived in with my grandparents when I was in the first grade (my dad was in Thailand that year) and I was so surprised to see that it was abandoned and so small from what I remembered it being. It was so crazy.

Wednesday we had the funeral service in the morning and were pleasantly surprised to meet some of Grandma's cousins. Several of them came to the service and it was nice to see them and talk with them. After going back out to the cemetery we changed clothes and headed down town for lunch. We met Helen and Polly (grandma's cousins) at another cemetery to see grave sites of more ancestors. I evidently come from a long line of Latter Day Saints. In fact, Arthur Douberly and his wife were baptized in 1897 and were considered pioneers in that area. Who knew? We had a crazy ride looking for Jeanette's house and laughed until we had tears. We did eventually find her and had a great visit with her.

Thursday, we headed to Ft. Myers to see my mom's cousin Bonnie. We spent two days with her and her family and laughed alot while she shared stories with us about my great grandparents, grandma and Inabell (Bonnie's mom and grandma's sister). Bonnie took us to do some souvenir shopping and to the beach. We ate lunch on the water at a place called Nervous Nellie's and it was really good.

Saturday we headed back to Lake City where Mom, Ink Dink and Missy dropped me off at Helen's. They headed back to Jacksonville since their flight was leaving Sunday morning. I spent the night with Helen and had a wonderful time getting to know her and learning more about my ancestors. We went to church together on Sunday and I was able to meet more relatives. After church, Helen and I ate lunch and visited with Geneva until it was time for me to head to the airport.

I had the best time with the four of us being together. I know my grandma would have really liked that we were able to take this trip together and spend time reminiscing about her and her relatives. I was also excited to learn that so many of our relatives are LDS and that I actually come from mormon pioneers. So exciting. I love my family and I will always remember this trip and the great time my mom, sister and aunt and I were able to spend together.

Happy 10th Anniversary!

2010-09-22T08:33:00.001-07:00

Yep, it's been 10 years and we couldn't be happier! We've come a long way in our lives since 10 years ago and I'm so grateful for where we are. I love Steve and he loves me. We've grown together in so many ways and I know it's because of living the gospel of Jesus Christ. I'm so grateful for the gospel in our lives and I'm so grateful for our spiritual journey through these last 10 years and I can't wait to see what the next 10 bring us. :)

10 years ago.

Today. :)

Scouting, A Movie, Rock Band and a Birthday, Oh My

2010-09-20T11:48:00.000-07:00

My weekend went entirely way too fast. In fact, it must have worn me out because I slept like a rock last night and had a hard time waking up this morning. Friday night Steve, Dakota and I went to the 100 years of Scouting celebration held by our stake. It was fun visiting with some friends while the boys planted a tree with a plaque commemorating the event. They also buried a time capsule. Kind a cool. They ended the evening with a slide show that had a couple pics of Dylan and Dakota over the years doing "Scout" stuff.

Saturday, Steve and I ran errands and went to the movies. We saw "Easy A" and we really liked it alot. It was so cute, quick witted and funny. We laughed out a loud several times. We hit Baskin Robbins on the way home (yummy). We then headed over to the Winders for a going away party for the Alexanders (we will miss them tons) which was so much fun. We played Rock Band and I gave it a go on the bass and the drums. Steve was really good on the bass and guitar. Me, not so much. Still so much fun.

Sunday was Ward conference at church and it was a great oppurtunity to hear from our Stake leaders. I felt the spirit at some point in each of the hours of our 3 hour block. Very uplifting. Sunday was also Grammy's birthday so we all headed over to Jenn's house for dinner. The food was delicious (thanks Jenn and Steve) and the conversation was even better. Lots of talk on the upcoming wedding (so exciting) and just regular family stuff.

We are so grateful for family and friends. We love being able to get together and just hang out, eat and have fun. We also got to spend some time, just the two of us this weekend. Very grateful for that too, since Steve has been very busy with work and his church calling. All is well and life is good. :)

Quiet for Me, Busy for Steve

2010-09-13T11:25:00.000-07:00

This weekend was very quiet for me. It was just Dylan and I at home and we mainly just hung out here at home. I watched movies and read my book. Dylan and I went to Josh Sly's open house Saturday evening and had fun visiting with friends. Sacrament meeting in church was great. Josh gave a great talk about Joseph Smith and his dedication to serving the Lord which he did until the very end of his life and was a very touching and powerful talk. Overall, a very relaxing weekend.

Steve and Dakota spent the weekend in Utah with Cody and Carson. Cadie was able to join them for breakfast Saturday morning and hung out with them at Broc's soccer game. After the game, they did some swimming and then headed to Tracy's for a barbque. Sounds, like Tracy's family is doing well and her kids are all growing up as well. Steve said they had a good time over there and Cody and Carson were able to spend some time with Grammy and Grandpa, too. Sunday morning they got up and headed home after dropping the boys off. Steve and Dakota both said it was a good time.

Mikelle, Cody, Carson, Dakota and Taylor

Carson

Senior Picture for the Yearbook

2010-09-08T18:03:00.001-07:00

Behind the scenes. :)

A Great Weekend

2010-09-06T09:35:00.000-07:00

Saturday morning Steve and I got up early and went to the temple and had delicious cinnamon rolls after our session. We then attended the baptism of Sam and Abby Potter and felt the most wonderful spirit as we watched their dad baptize and confirm them as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I know it truly was a special day for their family.

Our friends, Bryce and Keri were here for the weekend so they came over for a barbeque lunch with their sons Connor and Tyler. It was so great to see Keri and spend some time with her. Like the old days, we ate lunch together and then did a little shopping. Devynne and Ryan joined us for lunch and even went shopping with me and Keri. (Devynne was home for the weekend)

Saturday evening, Steve and I met his family and Nick's family for dinner at the Claim Jumper to celebrate Nick and Jenn's engagement. It was a great time and we are very happy and excited for Nick and Jenn. :)

Sunday was a great day at church and a lot of emotional testimonies were shared with us. (Micah Potter and Karley Darrington stood out for me) The boys, Steve and I watched Dead Poets Society together after we ate dinner and I really liked being together.

Today we're off to see the movies and then to Grammy's for an early family dinner.

What a great weekend. :)

My Guys

My little guy.

End of First Week

2010-09-03T11:11:00.000-07:00

It's the end of the first week of school and so far so good. :)

Me: Do you have home work?
Dakota: Yeah, in math but we don't have to do it.
Me: Then why would it be called home work?
Dakota: My teacher said we could do it if we want.
Me: Oh, then it's extra credit.
Dakota: No, my teacher said we aren't turning it in.
Me: Huh???

First Day of School

2010-08-30T15:59:00.001-07:00

As you can see, Dakota (taken in the am)and Dylan (taken in the pm) both look thrilled with the "first day of school picture". Both boys like their schedules and seem to have a positive feeling about their teachers. Hopefully we'll have a great year. :)

This Room

2010-08-25T08:52:00.000-07:00

Used to be Devynne's bedroom and every wall was as orange as orange can get. It's now Dylan's bedroom and is a nice neutral taupe (way more masculine). Notice Dylan with bed head playing a nice tune for Benny. :)

This Room

Used to be Dylan's bedroom and was midnight blue and white striped and is now Resort Pumpkin, which is really a peachy yellow I guess. It's the "guest slash Devynne when she's home on holiday" room and is very feminine. :)

This is how I (with lots of help from Steve) spent my Saturday, Monday and some of yesterday. Lots of prep work, painting, cleaning and moving of furniture. It looks great and Dylan is very happy to be in a bigger room that is much cooler in the summer. :)

Catch Up

2010-08-22T17:41:00.000-07:00

This past week has been a little crazy for me. Not so much busy just crazy.

Dylan got his driver's license. Yeah, I know...crazy.

I drove Devynne to Cedar City, Utah for college. Again, crazy.

Why are my children growing up so fast? After dropping Devynne off and making sure she was moved in and had all the neccesseties we could think of and after saying "Bye, I love you, I'm proud of you" through tears, I drove to the gas station, got gas and a HUGE Dr. Pepper. I got back in the car and sitting there in my drink holder was a picture Devynne forgot to take with her of her and Dylan when they were 4 and 5 years old. I was a mess needless to say. They aren't my little 4 and 5 year old babies anymore. :( On the other hand, I love my teenagers. And it is exciting to see them begin on their journeys through this life. I'm excited to see where they go and what they will do.

P.S. Thank goodness Dakota is only 13. :)

Despicable Me

2010-08-13T17:44:00.000-07:00

Steve and I took Dakota, Cody and Carson to see this movie today. It really was a great movie. It was cute, funny, touching, sweet and I really liked it alot. I laughed and even cried a little (Steve did too) Great flick. ;)

Happy Birthday Cody!

2010-08-09T14:41:00.001-07:00

Cody's birthday was on the 4th. He was actually at Scout Camp the whole week so he got to spend his birthday at Bear Lake. He is now 14 years old and was ordained a Teacher by his Grandpa Sly yesterday at church. He is sweet, smart and full of energy, especially when talking about the Utah Jazz. Like father, like son. :)

Happy Birthday Cody, we love you!

August 1st thru the 5th

2010-08-09T14:40:00.001-07:00

After church on the 1st, the boys and I drove to Cortez, Colorado to visit with family. Grandpa and Rita along with the Muchmores drove from Cheyenne and Royce and Amy drove from Denver. We had a great time hanging out with family. We spent two days in Mesa Verde checking out cliff dwellings built by the Puebloan Indians hundreds of years ago. We ate great food, visited with one another and the kids swam constantly. I'm so grateful for these visits and how they help me grow. I love seeing my family and can't wait to see them again. :)

August 1st

2010-08-09T14:39:00.001-07:00

A week ago on Sunday, August 1st, Steve was ordained a High Priest by his Dad and was set apart as the 1st Counselor of the Bishopric in our ward. We are very grateful for this oppurtunity that Steve has to serve our ward in this way and for the blessings that will be given to him and our family because of this service. He will be very busy and the kids and I will be very supportive of him. Steve is a great man and I'm very grateful that he is my husband and a father to my children. I love him very much. :)

EFY in July

2010-08-09T14:32:00.000-07:00

In July Dylan spent a week at EFY in Cedar City, Utah. He had a blast and absolutely loved the experience. He made new friends and got to see some old ones. He always has such an amazing time and he grows so much during that short week. I'm so grateful for this program that is Especially For Youth. :)

Algenia Toni Vajda

2010-07-29T08:55:00.000-07:00

My grandma taught me how to cut my eggs. She taught me how to fish. She taught me children's bible stories. She made the best pineapple upside down cake and german chocolate cake. She really was an amazing cook in her day. She gave me my first cookbook when I was 18 years old. Her favorite color was green and she was a big fan of Eddie Arnold. She loved the song "Amazing Grace". She was strong willed, very opinionated and stubborn and she didn't hesitate to tell you what she thought. She always cracked herself up and had this great laugh. She madly loved her husband and would do anything for her family if you asked for her help. I spoke to her a few days ago on the phone and she was chatty and laughed a little. I told her I loved her and she said she loved me too. She was a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mother, a grandmother and a great grandmother. Her time here on earth has ended and now her journey continues on the other side. I know she is with granddaddy and her parents and they will show her the way. I do love her and I will miss her and I look forward to seeing her again some day.
(Dec. 16, 1921 - July 28, 2010)

The Boys Go Camping

2010-07-15T08:44:00.000-07:00

Steve took Dakota, Cody and Carson camping this past weekend. Somewhere in Utah and they had a great time. I heard the food was tasty, so tasty in fact that Dakota ate the chicken and loved it. :)

Things I Did Today

2010-07-08T19:13:00.000-07:00

Laundry

Went with Dylan to get his hair cut.

Paid off the Tahoe. (Yay)

Got lunch.

Hung out with the boys.

Saw Devynne and Chase at work.

Just some random pictures of some of the things I did today. I also read my book and took a nap. Life is good. :)

Fourth of July Weekend

2010-07-05T16:23:00.001-07:00

In no particular order:

Eclipse
Last Air Bender
Cherry Dipped Cones
Bar b cue with the Millers
Fireworks with the Millers
Thin Pancakes
Doughnuts
Sonic
Ray Bans
Dakota came home from camp
Dakota bore his testimony (it was awesome)
I bore my testimony
Devynne saw Kenny Chesney with Ryan
Pizza
Chimichangas
Family Home Evening

A great weekend! I am so grateful for my family and friends and I'm so grateful to have been born in this country and for all the wonderful blessings that come from being an American. Happy Fourth of July! (yesterday) :)

While We Were in California

2010-06-17T08:14:00.001-07:00

After the Mud Run (see previous post) we went to Old Town in San Diego and had lunch with family. After lunch the kids, Steve and I split off from the rest of the family (they went to a baseball game) to walk around Old Town and bought some souvenirs for the kids. (a t-shirt for Devynne and wooden Samarai swords for the boys, I guess boys never out grow swords).

Sunday, we drove up to Laguna beach for breakfast at this little cafe that Steve and I really like called the Greeter's Corner on the beach and then we drove on to Huntington Beach where Devynne and I walked the shops and the pier. The boys headed down to the water for ocean fun.

It was a great weekend and we even took Benny with us and he did great. We took him everywhere with us and he was a big hit with people. The weather was beautiful and it was great just being together. :)

(the kids at Old Town)

(in the hotel room after a long Saturday)

Mud Run in Camp Pendleton

2010-06-17T07:45:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday, Steve ran in the Camp Pendleton Mud Run with Mike, Jenn and Nick. They look like they had fun, however, Steve and Jenn aren't sure they will do it again. :)

Graduation Day!

2010-06-08T11:14:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Devynne graduated from high school. It was an exciting and emotional day to say the least. She was beautiful and glowing. We are so very proud of her and we are truly grateful to have her as our daughter. Graduation was at 9:00 in the morning and then it was back to our house for a celebration lunch with family and friends. A big thankyou to everyone who came to support her and share this memory with us and everyone who sent love and support by mail. We have great family and friends and we love you all. Congratulations Devynne!:)

Last Day of School

2010-06-03T09:33:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the last day of school. Dakota is now an 8th grader, Dylan is a senior and Devynne is officially a high school graduate.

Dakota and I celebrated by going to lunch with Bryce and Keri Miller and 4 of their kids (Chase, Ryan, Brenna and Connor). Afterwards, Dakota went swimming at Connor's.

Dylan spent the afternoon with some friends swimming at Miranda's and had a great time.

Devynne went to a baseball game after work then went to her friend Marissa's for an end of school shindig.

And now summer begins. :)

Dylan's Prom

2010-05-19T08:06:00.000-07:00

Dylan's prom was this past Saturday. He and Miranda went with friends Emily and Justin. They started their day early and went to the Wax Museum and the New York, New York hotel to ride the roller coaster. After getting dressed and taking pictures they went to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner. Then it was on to the dance where Dylan won Prom Prince. After the dance they headed to the Eifel Tower. They really had alot of fun.:)

Happy Birthday Carson!!

2010-05-17T12:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Carson's birthday. He is now 12 years old and was ordained a Deacon by Steve yesterday in Utah. They celebrated his birthday Saturday by going bowling and had a great time. They also played alot of basketball and went swimming. Happy Birthday Carson and we love you tons!!

P.S. I think he is a year and a half old in this picture. Isn't he sweet? :)

Cadie's Prom Pics

2010-05-13T08:38:00.000-07:00

Here are some prom pictures that I snagged from Cadie's facebook. Doesn't she look like Tinkerbell? She looks so pretty and her date, Connor, doesn't look bad either. So cute, cute, cute.:)

Senior Pictures

2010-05-10T08:07:00.000-07:00

PHOTOS by Steve Dover:)

A House Painted (Saturday Part III)

2010-05-05T13:05:00.001-07:00

While prom and the breast cancer walk were going on we also had our house painted. In keeping with the colors of the neighbor (so no one would be mad at us) we opted for a darker shade of the previous color and accented the door, garage and shutters with a chocolatey brown. The "before" picture was actually taken in 2005 so notice how the landscape has changed and wow that tree has grown. :)

BEFORE

AFTER

Devynne's Prom (Saturday Part II)

2010-05-04T08:36:00.000-07:00

Devynne's senior prom was also on Saturday. After pictures the group went to dinner at the Venetian, made an appearance at the dance, went to the wax museum, rode gondolas and had a late night breakfast at Ryan's house. Devynne said it was so much fun. :)

Breast Cancer Walk (Saturday Part I)

2010-05-03T08:32:00.000-07:00

Saturday morning Steve and I with Grammy, Jenn, Mike and a few 18,000 other people did a 5K walk for breast cancer down town. It was the first time that I had done that and it was so much fun. We'll definately do it again. These pictures were taken by IPhones so the quality is a little off. :)

Be Careful What You Wish For

2010-04-30T09:07:00.000-07:00

Dakota was in a play last night at school called "Be Careful What You Wish For". He played the woodcutter in the scene of "The Woodcutter and His Wife". There were four different scenerios of wishes that came true and didn't work out and the characters were happier when the wishes ended up returning them to where they started. Dakota's scene was so funny and he and his "wife" played their parts so fantastically. The wife not believing the wish would come true wished for a sausage, then wished it to be stuck to her husband's face and then wished it off his face after several failed attempts to remove themselves (it really was so funny). Here are some pics. :)

A Weekend Getaway

2010-04-20T12:29:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Steve and I went to Dana Point, California for a little weekend getaway. It was so much fun! We stayed at the Quality Inn the first night right across the street from the beach and at the Mariott above the harbor the second night. I loved the quaint little room at the Quality Inn and loved the view from the Marriot. Things we did: walked along the beach, walked along the harbor and ate dinner while watching boats come and go, watched the sun setting, ate breakfast at a cute little cafe on the beach in Laguna, drove along Pacific Coast Highway, got massages, spent an afternoon in Huntington Beach and walked the Pier and lots of talking and just being together. It was awesome! By the way, I could not get over the abundance of bright, colorful, plush flowers and trees in California. Just beautiful. We did manage to take a few pics. (Notice that my hair is in the "growing out and looking like a wig phase") Oh well. :)

Happy Birthday Dylan!!!

2010-04-07T11:45:00.000-07:00

Dylan is about 10 months old in this picture. I just want to eat him up! I can't believe he is 17 years old today. This is why we shouldn't wish away time because it really does go fast. I do sometimes miss those sweet baby years when I could scoop him up and squeeze him and love on him. I used to pretend that I was going to pluck his toes (or sometimes his nose) off and put them in my pocket. Now I get an occasional hug and usually a daily "I love you". I'm so, so, so grateful that Dylan is my son. He is funny, smart, mellow, kind, grateful, talented, considerate, quick witted and just a really great kid and I love him so, so, so much.

We celebrated his birthday on Saturday by going out to dinner and walking through the MGM with his friends Chase and Megan. We also had a family dinner and birthday celebration with Grammy, Grandpa, Uncle Mike, Aunt B and Nick on Sunday.

Dylan was a beautiful baby and he is a beautiful or I should say handsome young man inside and out. No more "plucking" toes or noses, now just watching him grow into a wonderful man. We love him and wish him a Happy 17th Birthday! :)

Happy Birthday Steve!!!

2010-04-01T12:20:00.000-07:00

Isn't this the cutest picture? Today is Steve's birthday and I wanted to post a picture of him when he was little. He told me I could only show a picture of him when he was 5 years old or younger (long story). Anyhoo, it's his birthday and I love him and he is the best husband ever! I appreciate him more than he knows. He does so so so much for me and our family and I truly think I have the best husband in the world. And I think he was an adorable child regardless of what he thinks. :)

Benny's Spring Break

2010-03-31T09:34:00.000-07:00

Benny is spending his spring break with a cone around his head. Yesterday was the dreaded day, at least that's how Dakota made it sound. "Benny's not a man anymore". :)

Sweet 16!

2010-03-29T16:55:00.000-07:00

Cadie's birthday was Saturday. She turned 16 and went on her first date all in the same day. She asked her friend Connor to go to Morp (which is Prom backwards, the girls ask the guys to the dance). They (a group of them) went on a scavenger hunt at Target earlier in the day and went to the park to play games. Then that evening they went to Iggy's for dinner and then to the dance. She said it was so much fun! We still can't believe she is 16 years old (already, sheesh). Anyhoo, we are very happy that she had fun and we love her tons. Happy Birthday Cadie! :)

A Poem

2010-03-26T08:15:00.000-07:00

If Only If Only
by dakota shults

I once had a dream
That maybe just maybe
That the crowd would just scream
They’d shout, they’d yell
They’d scream my name,
For I, yes I, just won the game

I remember in September
The sky was shinning so very bright
No matter what happened I couldn’t be sad
For I have just made the one and only
That’s right, the basketball team

After tons of practice I was ready
I was ready to fulfill my dream
But sadly I had an “F”
For my teacher Mrs. Peacher
Did not like my work, not one bit

Then the coach said to me, sorry, you’re off the team
I cried boo hoo, yet no one cared
For I, yes I, was off the team
I worked so hard, day and night
Yet that didn’t matter, for my grades were bad

I could have been the best
But now I have to rest
For I have nothing to do
But dream of what could have been
If I was still on the team

I found this on the computer desk one morning a couple of weeks ago. It was a handwritten rough draft that he had typed the night before for homework. I think it is really good and he never even mentioned that that was what he was doing for homework. I told him a couple of days later that I had seen it and that I thought it was sooo good. He just shrugged his shoulders and said "I just came up with it in about 10 minutes". The next day he said his teacher asked him if she could keep it and use it next year in her classes. Evidently I'm not his only fan. :)

Another Test

2010-03-24T13:41:00.000-07:00

Today I had an EEG because not only have I been numb for the better part of 2 months, I also smell exhaust fumes. I smell exhaust fumes at ramdom times and in random places. Nobody else smells the fumes, just me. I don't know if it's related to MS or not. It's crazy I know, however, my doctor says I'm not crazy (thank goodness). :)

P.S. I'm smelling exhaust fumes right now. UGH!

Back to Blogging, Hopefully

2010-03-22T13:36:00.000-07:00

Here's why I haven't posted in two months. I haven't been able to type because my hands and fingers have been numb, and I'm still struggling alittle.:)

A little over two months ago I woke up and my stomach and legs were numb. Within two days I was completely numb from my chest down front and back including my feet and hands. There were days where I thought I was going to lose my mind. It's very hard to walk when your feet are asleep. Since then, I have had blood work, a nerve conduction test, a neck scan, a spinal tap and a brain scan. The diagnosis? It looks like MS (multiple sclerosis). Both my neck scan and spinal tap show MS, however, since my brain scan was normal (yay, no tumor) we have to wait to see if I have another attack or a brain scan shows something in 6 months.

Today my numbness is gone except for my hands and my left arm. Although, my right hand does feel like it's almost back to normal. :)

So this is some of what has been happening with our family.

Basketball season is over (Dakota)
Swim season has started (Dylan)
Planning for college (Devynne)
Mountain West Conference Tournament (Steve)
Almost 6 months old (Benny)
Golf has begun (Steve)
Sunday School teacher for 16/17 year olds (me, love it)
School
Seminary
Church
Scouts
Work and so on........

Here are a few pics from Steve's Utah visit last month. Dakota went too and Cody seems to be MIA and I don't remember why. :)

Sadie's

2010-01-29T09:57:00.000-08:00

Devynne and Dylan went to Sadie's this past Saturday (not with each other) and had so much fun. Devynne's date was Ryan and Dylan's date was Ryan's sister, Ashley. See the fun! (and this was only during pictures) :)

He's So Sweet

2010-01-13T18:26:00.000-08:00

Puppy update. Benny is 3 and half months old and he is the best little puppy. He goes potty outside, sleeps through the night in his kennel and hasn't (knock on wood) chewed anything except for chew toys, oh, and our fingers and pant legs (we're working on that). He has so much personality and is a little love muffin. We got a good one. :)

2010

2010-01-06T11:15:00.000-08:00

2010 is off to a great start. We celebrated New Year's Eve with our friends, the Millers and had a great time as usual. New Year's weekend was very relaxing and mellow, which is exactly what I need after a very busy December. Our house is back in order and I even organized several drawers, cupboards and our desk (a folder is waiting for all the end of year tax stuff). The kids are back in school so our "normal" routine is back in play.

I've been thinking the last few weeks about what I personally would like to work on this new year. I came up with being "more present". I would like to be more present with my family, friends and neighbors. Sometimes I only half listen to people who are talking to me because my mind is somewhere else. I want to be a better listener for my husband and my children. I want to be a better friend and neighbor. I want to pay closer attention when I'm in my church meetings. Over all, I want to be "more present". That is my new year goal and I have already started. :)

A Glance Back

2009-12-31T14:26:00.000-08:00

A random picture from each month of 2009. I don't think any of these made the blog before. :)

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Merry Christmas to All and to All a Good Year!

2009-12-29T09:33:00.000-08:00

Every year our Christmas tree downstairs is "my" tree. I decorate it myself with all gold and red decorations. I even match the wrapping paper for the gifts underneath. The tree upstairs is the "family" tree. The kids decorate it with all the homemade ornaments and the one of kind ornaments that we've collected over the years. Last year, Devynne and Dylan had no desire to decorate it (to my chagrin) so Dakota and I did it.

This year, there was no room for the "family" tree upstairs since we now have a heavy buffet (which we use for a book shelf) where the tree usually goes. So I decided to do the "family" tree downstairs with all of its wonderfully fun ornaments with lots of character. I even bought what I thought was mix matched wrapping paper for the gifts. (Melanie Cannon said I didn't quite pull it off because the paper was definitely coordinated) Anyhoo, Dakota and I decorated it together and it turned out beautifully.

I mailed out Christmas cards in plenty of time. We made homemade hot fudge, magic cookie bars, chocolate chip cookies dipped in white chocolate (yum, thanks for the idea Missy) and pretzels dipped in white chocolate. I put together our yearly scrap page and made copies just in the nick of time (Christmas Eve) and had all the gifts wrapped and under the tree weeks before Christmas day. We had visits from many friends and neighbors who came bearing all kinds of yummy treats for our family. And we even had a few carolers. :)

Christmas Eve was spent with a stop at Bryce and Keri's for a wonderful visit and some yummy pumpkin roll. We love them tons and are grateful for their friendship. We then went to Steve's mom and dad's house to spend time with family. We had lots of great food, fun games and truly wonderful conversation and love.

Christmas Day we opened gifts around 8:00 in the morning. That is the latest we've done that. Which tells me the kids are getting older although, they were excitedly waiting for us at the top of the stairs so we could all go down together. Devynne got a digital camera, Dylan got a video camera and Dakota got Rock Band 2 for the XBox, plus several other surprises each. Steve had a very, merry Pittsburgh Steelers Christmas. Lots of Steelers gifts and he was very happy. I, in case you haven't read previous posts, got a furry little bundle of joy named Benny. :)

We had a delicious breakfast of crepes and were joined by our good friend Korby Miller. She is always fun to visit with and we love when she comes by. The kids then spent the rest of the day with their dad for more good food, fun, friends, family and a few more gifts. Steve and I went to the movies to see Avatar which we absolutely loved and can't wait for it to come out on DVD.

We truly are very blessed and I'm so grateful for all that we have. I'm grateful for this time of year to remember the birth of Christ and to remember what His birth has meant for all of us here on earth. He is our Savior and has provided a way for us to return to our Heavenly Father and that I'm truly grateful for and feel the blessing of. I'm grateful for our family and friends and the love that everyone shows me and my family throughout the year. I love Steve and my children and I'm so grateful for all that they bring to my life. There have been ups and downs this past year and I feel ready to move on to a new year and look forward to all that the year will bring. I hope we all have a really, really great one. :)

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Cute Puppy Pictures

2009-12-19T09:02:00.001-08:00

Benny missed our family Christmas card pictures so here are some of his Christmas "shots". Isn't he the cutest? :)

Flashback

2009-12-17T19:22:00.000-08:00

The kids and I had dentist appointments today and after I signed us in, I turned around and all 3 kids were sitting side by side and were flipping through these books. Devynne said "Mom, remember when we used to read these books all the time?" I sure do. We used to read these books to together when they were real little and then when they were learning to read, they would read them by themselves. Even today, they looked so cute flipping through them. It was a good flashback. :)

The Christmas Card Picture

2009-12-09T07:00:00.000-08:00

Over Thanksgiving while Cadie, Cody and Carson were here we took our family picture for the Christmas card. The kids had so much fun doing this, it was hilarious. The ones where the kids were behind Steve and me, we had no idea how they were posing. Everytime the camera clicked a frame they would change up. Here are some of our "shots". The last one is "the one". :)

We Have A New Baby

2009-12-03T12:10:00.000-08:00

A puppy, actually. He is the cutest little thing. Steve and I decided it was time to add a puppy to our family. He's a Morkie, which is a Maltese mixed with a Yorkie. We were going to name him Spike, however, when we got him home it didn't fit. So his name is Benny. He's 9 weeks old and now the house training begins. :)

It's Toni's Birthday!

2009-12-01T07:41:00.000-08:00

Things I love about Toni

I love her fun personality (which is what drew me to her in the beginning)
I love her quick wit
I love that she is taller than me - :)
I love when she calls me Daddy-O
I love her beautiful smile and the way she flashes me a grin from time to time
I love that she likes my cooking and the little moaning sound she makes when something taste really good
I love the way she supports me, especially in Church callings
I love the way she snuggles up to me to watch TV in bed
I love how much she cares about the kids
I love the way she takes care of our house and makes it a refuge from the world
I love how she makes me laugh ALL THE TIME
I love our long talks about everything
I love how she accepts and loves my family
I love how she always encourages me to play golf with my dad. She gets how important that is.
I love how she loves her family…and shows it.
I love how she doesn’t hold a grudge for anything anyone may have done to her in the past
I love that she has a testimony of the gospel and wants to always be a better person
I love that she wants life to be simple for everyone
I love that she keeps me grounded, reminds me to relax and not be up tight over the little things
I love that she is beautiful, inside and out
I love that she pretends she wants to give me a piggy back ride down the stairs all the time, just for fun.
I love that she accepts me for who I am and doesn’t try to change me (but I always seem to want to be a better person around her. She inspires me to be my best.)
I love her with all my heart and I hope she has a wonderful Birthday today.

Steve

18! 18! 18! 18! 18! 18!

2009-11-29T19:38:00.000-08:00

Devynne is now 18 years old. Her birthday was yesterday and I'm still blown away that I have an adult child. I remember the day she was born vividly. I went into labor the night before I was scheduled to be induced. She was born at 4:40am and I was scheduled for the induction at 6:00am. She was born 7 days past my due date and after 13 hours of labor (starting with mild contractions) she came into the world at 9 pounds, 2 ounces and 21 inches long. She had black hair and a very round face.

After a few weeks she was very round all over with round eyes and whenever her eyes were open she looked like the pillsbury dough boy. She was a round, chubby, pink skinned bundle of joy. Now she is a tall, thin, beautiful young woman.

She is smart, funny, messy, silly, goofy one minute, serious the next, full of life, quick to share, loyal to family, kind to strangers, romantic at heart and we love her tons.

She is my first born and I love that I was blessed with her the last 18 years. I'm so grateful that she chose me to be her mom. I have learned so much from her and she has helped me to grow as a mother and I absolutely cherish her. I can't wait to see what she does with the next few years because I know she can do anything she puts her mind to.

Happy 18th Birthday Devynne! :)

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T18:27:00.000-08:00

Today was a great day. I feel really grateful for all that we have and I feel really blessed for our family. We spent the day with all 6 of our kids and Steve's parents, his sister Jenn and his brother Mike. We love hanging out with them and we love eating lots of good food. Steve cooked a really awesome turkey (which I'm told since I don't eat turkey) and he made sweet potatoes in the crock pot (which I did eat and they were delicious) and he made mash potatoes with gravy. Grammy made stuffing and a different version of sweet potatoes and she made awesome rolls. Aunt B (Jenn) brought, not 2 pies, not 3 pies but 7 pies! It's so great to have that kind of choice. Mike brought the relish tray and Grandma Dover's "goup" dip. I provided the cranberry sauce even though I'm the only one out of this group that thinks that is a must at Thanksgiving. Anyhoo, a great day and here are some pictures of our goings on. :)

Glad to be Me

2009-11-18T11:00:00.000-08:00

Sometimes being a mom feels like a thankless job and I sometimes feel like I'm not important to my kids. Unless they need something or want something. However, there are times that they surprise me with an act or words that really make be feel like they really do appreciate me and that feels so amazing.

The other day Dylan was waiting in the car while I ran into a store and when I got back in the car Dylan said "I'm glad you are my mom". Just out of the blue, I hadn't even done anything. I got choked up and said "I'm glad you are my son".

Today Devynne sent me a text message that said "Hey mom I just wanted to tell you I love you and I don't tell you enough how grateful I am for you. You're the best mom ever" (Again, I hadn't even done anything) Teary eyed I replied with "I love you too and I'm very grateful for you."

I'm truly grateful for all three of my kids. They tell me everyday that they love me and I them. I feel so blessed that they chose me to be their mom and I hope they know how much they mean to me. :)

It Went to Locks of Love

2009-11-09T12:50:00.000-08:00

I did it! Saturday I had my hair all cut off. I had been wanting to do it for about 2 months and I'm so happy I did. I feel so light and free. I had been growing my hair for about 2 1/2 years and it was getting so heavy and cumbersome and I was ready for a change. My pony tail was long enough for Locks of Love so I donated it (locksoflove.org) and I hope they will be able to use most of it (some layers were a bit too short I think). So there we go. :)

Two Postings in One

2009-11-04T15:36:00.000-08:00

(#1)
Last Wednesday Dakota's theater class put on a Halloween show. It was called "The Dracula Rock Show". Dakota, as you can tell, was Dracula and he was awesome. He did a really great job as did the other kids. We're very proud of him and he is very talented (if you ask me). :)

(#2)
Devynne, Dylan and I went to Salt Lake City with the priests and laurels (16, 17 and 18 year olds) from our ward last Thursday for a couple of days. On Thursday we went to Welfare Square, the Humanitarian Center, the Church Museum, the Visitor's Center at Temple Square and watched the movie "Legacy".

Friday we went to the Church Office Building, the Visitor Center at Temple Square, toured around Temple Square, toured Brigam Young's house, toured the Conference Center and we did baptisms at the Salt Lake City Temple. We ate dinner at the Lion House (house that was built for Brigam Young's wives and children) and then watched the Joseph Smith movie at the Joseph Smith Hotel. Saturday, we headed home.

It was a fantastic couple of days and I teared up a couple of times at almost every place we went and there were times that I flat out cried. The kids were awesome and it was so much fun to hang with them and to experience such spiritual places together. This trip really strengthened my testimony and I learned so many new things. I am so grateful for Joseph Smith and his family and for all the pioneers who experienced such incredibly hard and terrible trials to bring us the truth of Jesus Christ and His gospel. I am truly grateful to have been given the oppurtunity to go on this trip and I'll never forget it. I am so grateful and happy to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Here are just few pictures of our trip.

Go Thunderbirds!

2009-10-27T18:49:00.000-07:00

Devynne applied to and was accepted to Southern Utah University in Cedar City, Utah. We are very excited for her because this was the school she had her heart set on. Her plan is to become a 3rd grade teacher and we hear that SUU has a great teaching program and she really likes Cedar City (I can't blame her). Wow, I still can't believe I have a near college aged child. Crazy!!

Dakota is 13!!

2009-10-22T10:59:00.000-07:00

Today is Dakota's birthday. I can't believe he is 13...where has the time gone? We celebrated his birthday this past weekend. He went to the skate park with his friend Brian and then came back home for pizza. We had a family dinner in honor of Dakota and Steve made his favorite food (orange chicken and home made egg rolls). We also made Dakota an ice cream cake (chocolate cake with oreo cookie ice cream) as per his request. I think he had a great weekend.

D-Darn funny
A-Actor (and very dramatic)
K-Kind
O-Obviously handsome
T-Totally smart
A-Affectionate and loving

Happy Birthday Dakota!! We love you so, so, so much. :)

Homecoming

2009-10-20T16:37:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday was Homecoming for Eldorado H.S. Devynne went with Ryan and Dylan went with Patience. They both had a great time. Devynne's group went to dinner, the dance and then down to the strip and saw a movie. Dylan's group went to dinner, the dance and then to Ryan's (different from Devynne's Ryan) house for games and fun. We took a few pictures at home, then we were off to take pictures of Devynne's group and ended with taking pictures of Dylan's group. Here you go. :)

Best Gift Ever

2009-10-15T13:02:00.000-07:00

I bought both boys a rubics cube for Easter and they just love it. They work on their cubes constantly. Dylan mastered it several months ago and Dakota is close. I never know where I'll find one laying around each day. On this particular day I found one on the chair and one on the kitchen stool. It's a great little gift that they spend hours on at any given time or place. There you have it, one of my recomendations for a great little gift. :)

This Mother and Daughter

2009-10-09T12:54:00.001-07:00

When I was a teenager I never thought about mother/daughter relationships and how complex they are. Now that I am a mother of a teenage daughter I am blown away with how complex this relationship is. It's unbelievable how loving someone can feel like such an emotional tug a war.

Devynne is smart and funny and strong and loving with dreams and goals and can frustrate me to tears. Not only can I be frustrated with her, I get frustrated with myself and how I react to her. There are times where I feel like I'm really doing a great job of being her mom and other times I feel like I'm terrible at it. There are times where I loosen the grip on the rope and let her be her own person and other times I feel I need to pull her back. I want her to do things the way I think she should and that's not right. She is her own person and has been given the gift of being able to make her own choices and mistakes. She also then gets to learn her own life lessons as I have and still do. She is an amazing person and has lots to learn and I need to let her learn for herself while still being in her corner with tons of support.

I also need to figure out the balance between when she wants and needs me and when she doesn't. There are times when I try to give my advice or ask questions and she doesn't want it whatsoever and I get "you're always lecturing me" or "you never let things go" or "stop being in my business" and then other times when I don't say anything she's upset that I'm not saying anything. Very complex, like I said. I sometimes feel like I don't say the right things or do the right things. It's kind of like we want the other one to be a certain way at a certain time and we don't always match up.

I also am now realizing more than ever that she values other people's opinions and thoughts more than mine (maybe not more but as much... or maybe more). She doesn't need or want me around as much anymore either. I need to be ok with that. My struggle will be not letting myself be hurt by it. She will value the opinion of others throughout her life and she will love many people throughout her life and she will need different people at different times and that is a good thing. It doesn't mean that she will value or love me less. I will always be her mother and I will always love her through good and bad and I know she knows that. For the most part we have a great relationship and I'm hopeful that we will continue to have one. She is my only daughter and she is very special to me. A wise sister once told me that you keep your children by letting them go, I'm now realizing it is time to start doing that and it's not easy for me. I know the kind of mother I want to be and I definitely have work to do. I just hope she's patient with me. :)

Favorite Thing to Do....Not!

2009-10-07T11:11:00.000-07:00

The first of October is the time the kids "get" to seed pomegranates. They do the seeding and Steve makes the jelly (with a little help from me). It is probably their least favorite thing to do ever, however, they do it every year (with the ever so counted upon amount of moaning and groaning). They are good little munchkins. Oh, and Haley helped this year. Thanks Haley, you're a good friend munchkin. Notice the happy expressions on their faces. :)

October

2009-10-02T14:03:00.001-07:00

Some of the reasons why I love October:

Cooler weather
Having the windows open
Halloween
Dusk comes earlier
Smell of pumpkin and spice
Autumn colors (even though their inside my house)
The beginning of the holiday season
Hot chocolate is not too far away
There's an excitement in the air because the season is changing
Homemade soup

I love these things. The other day Steve even said that he is wanting to make pumpkin bread (yummy). I just love this time of year. The atmosphere just feels different when you walk outside. Halloween is upon us and crisp air is just around the corner. I had the windows open 2 days ago with a wonderful breeze blowing through the house and Dakota came home from school and said "Mom, I love the smell of October". I replied, "I know exactly what you mean". :)

Boy Scout Fun

2009-10-01T11:34:00.001-07:00

Last night was a Court of Honor for Dakota's scout troop. Dakota earned his "1st Class" rank advancement and 9 merit badges. We're very proud of him and the work he has put into scouting. Some of those merit badges were earned at scout camp in June. They went to Camp Fiesta in San Diego and had the "best time ever". Dakota's scout leader gave the boys a CD with a ton of pictures from that trip and I choose a few to share. :)

Last night receiving his awards from Br. Crist.

San Diego Temple

Camp Fiesta

The Boys Went Camping

2009-09-29T17:03:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Steve and Dakota went to Utah and picked up Cody and Carson for a night of camping. They camped somewhere near Bountiful, Utah and had a great time. They had really good food, which Steve is famous for (camping food) and had great conversation. Apparently there was some conversation about how to kiss girls. Keep in mind that these boys are 10, 12 and 13 and it is very doubtful that any of them have ever kissed a girl. Steve stepped in and forced a change in topic. Silly boys, gotta love them. :)

Lounging in the hammock (what a life)

Sticks catch fire??

Gotta love timers on cameras and gotta love these guys.

My Eternal Family

2009-09-23T11:39:00.000-07:00

Last night Devynne, Dylan and Dakota were sealed to Steve and I for eternity. We are now an eternal family and I couldn't be happier. It was incredibly wonderful and special to be together in the temple and know that we will forever be linked to one another as a family. No matter what comes our way in this life, whether it be by our own choices or choices of others, I find comfort in knowing that we are sealed and will be together as a family for always. I'm so grateful that Heavenly Father has a plan for all of us and that he leaves no one out. And being sealed by the proper authority only comfirms that to me and brings me such happiness and comfort. Life is good. (well, more than good) :)

Just Because

2009-09-21T13:29:00.001-07:00

This past weekend was a great weekend. Friday night Steve and I went to a Primary dinner with leaders and teachers from Primary and we had a great time. We did an activity called "2 truths and a lie". You wrote 2 true things about yourself and 1 lie, everyone had to guess the lie. It was really fun to see what people came up with.

We then went to a pinewood "demolition" derby on Saturday with our ward which was for the adult guys. It too, was a ton of fun. The adult men had more fun with this than the 8, 9 and 10 year olds have with their pinewood derby race.

Sunday after church we had a birthday dinner for Steve's mom at Jenn's house. Dinner was fantastic (thanks to Jenn and Steve) and the company was even better. Mike and Jenn had us laughing hysterically. Happy Birthday Grammy!!

Another hilight from the weekend was that Devynne went to dinner with the laurels (16 and 17 year old girls from church) and their leaders and she brought home a piece of chocolate cake from Claim Jumper for me (my favorite) just because. I love that girl. :)

Check This Out

2009-09-17T15:33:00.000-07:00

I ordered this necklace when I saw the web site on another blog I read. I thought it was so cute to have a necklace with my kids' names. So I went to the web site and saw that they had several different styles and I chose this one. If you want to check it out for yourself or for a gift go to:

http://thevintagepearl.com

Yay For Dylan!

2009-09-15T15:14:00.000-07:00

Dylan has a job! We're very excited for him. Yesterday was his first day at PBS (Public Broadcast Station). He's working Monday through Friday after school and is working behind the scene. Yesterday he operated the camera while they filmed a homework hotline show. Over the summer Dylan's Broadcast/Journalism teacher called him to see if he would be interested in a job at PBS and Dylan said yes. He interviewed in the first part of August and then didn't hear anything. We just figured they filled the position. Then Dylan got a call a little over a week ago and was told they wanted to hire him. Yippy! So now the boy will be earning his own money and he's very happy about that. We're very proud of him and we hope he enjoys himself and does well. :)