Happy Mother's day to me!

Mick & Brandyn joined us for dinner. Tahnie had to work and her family had taken Kallie to Wyoming with them. Shawn & Angela joined us for dessert...but camera had been placed on the shelf at that point I guess....I stink at taking pictures!
Rick barbequed for all of us and then we all joined in a family baseball game..I love the picture of Mick...even little ....un-named baby was part of the play! She looks so cute prego! The boys just can't get enough of all of us playing together. It WAS fun...and I'm with Mick...I see an entire family game of baseball coming our way, wouldn't that be a blast!
I LOVE having my family together...it's getting harder and harder to have them all at once...they all have their inlaws we have to share with..it's getting easier for me to share...but..well...it's just hard! Life is too crazy!
The biggest joy I get from life is knowing that my family surrounds me. We have had our trials, but we all love one another and that's what matters right! I couldn't be more proud of my kids..they have each developed into such great people and I LOVE their choice of spouse! They have truely become a part of our family that I can't be more happy with! It's such a joy to have each and every one of them around us! Thanks for always honoring your Dad & I..for always loving us and trying to be the best you can be! We are so proud of each of you and feel so blessed to call each of you our Friend! Being a wife and a mother has always been such a joy to me...it really is what defines who I am! I'm so very lucky! Love to each of you!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

As most Sunday's go, we spent the afternoon with my Mom & Dad. I've said it before and I'll say it again, the picture of my Dad & Mom holding hands is one of my favorite things that I get to experience each week. I love watching the enduring love my Dad has for our Mom, who no longer knows who any of us are. He loves touching her, just holding her hand, or patting her leg. She's very receptive to him and acts like she knows who he is, like those touches are HOME to her. But nothing else is famialiar or makes any sense. Some of her sentences make sense, like "I haven't seen my Daddy lately, have you?" and then she give us the "mixed salad version of a sentence, with lots of words that don't go together and then she begins singing a hymn to us! This disease is awful and wearing! I HATE it! and I miss my Mom! The picture with Linda & I was taken two years ago, when the disease began to take a toll on her..two years later, we have a "scarry creature" as my kids will describe but one healthy strong woman that is holding on for who knows what. Really...what is this purpose...I just don't know! It's heartbreaking to watch my Dad be so lonely and grieve for the loss of his sweetheart that he has yet to bury!
SIGH!

CONGRATS SHAWN

After attending Iowa Western, BYU, BYU Hawaii, and the University of Utah..Shawn graduated with his Bacherlor's degree in the Humanities department, majoring in Communications-walking with his class on May 7, 2010. I can't express how proud we are of what Shawn Has completed! There was two ceremonies at the U and we wanted to be at the one where he received his diploma! He wanted to hear Governor or Ambassador Huntsman speak, but more importantly to us was to see him receive what he has worked so hard at! We joined them for the graduation ceremony at 11 am. Shawn has worked hard and accomplished a major goal that he set many moons ago! Taking on the full responsibility to pay for his schooling getting only lunch money or small donations from us. Thank heavens for soccer scholorships and school loans that helped him so much! We know that he'll move forward and far in all that he decides to do! He has started working in a sales position with Angela's uncle Todd, called MBOFFICE.me. They offer Architectural Services, Web Services, Admin. Services, and Creative Services. He's way excited to be a part of this new company and we wish him the best in whatever he endeavers! We couldn't be prouder!
We had a great celebration with our family and Angela's family and their friends at our house, of course everyone sporting the true colors of the U of U! It's good to see all the support that he and Angela have around them!

Kallie turns 2

Kallie turned 2 on 04-27-2010 and we celebrated with the whole family the Saturday following. Kallie's a little firecracker...does not stop until she drops into sleep. Her movements are all so girlish..she prances when she runs and she has the cutest move to brush her hair out of her face...I wish I could catch it on film! She loves her cousins, and her Grammpa...both Rick & I were walking down the hall the other day, me in front and she ran to us shouting "Grammpa"...what...am I invisible! She'll take our hand and pull us to the toy room or wherever she wants us to go...she loves to have someone join her and watch her dump all the toys out of the buckets! It's a joy to have her here with us! She loves the car we gave her and she loves to play in her kitchen...she's known to go fill the cups up with water and dump them into her sink..problem is..water is from toilet...ewwww! Gotta love those 2 year olds! Chris & Tahnie gave her a mini tramp...it's been so cold that she really hasn't been able to enjoy it. Hope spring arrives soon!

Happy Birthday Mick!

Mick just turned 28...wow...did I really say that! I can't believe it...did we blink and just jump from her as a small baby...and now she's a beautiful wife and mother of almost 4!
I'll never forget that late Friday night that she was born. It was the ol days when I was in the recovery room trying to get warm and Rick was beside me on the phone. For a new daddy who wouldn't even consider the thought of having a girl first, he was babbling on and on about how beautiful she was to our good friend and neighbor, Karen Bingham down the street! Most of our family who had been at the hospital had all gone home, but Rick was still on cloud nine and would remain there for quite some time! (28 years maybe...he's always been a sucker for his little girl!) He just couldn't get over how perfect and precious she was...neither could I. Our lives changed forever that day...as we entered into the role of parenthood. What a blessing she has been in our lives! Mick is fun to be around, she can make you laugh and is such a good listener! I've turned to her more times than I probably should have and I'm grateful to not only call her my daughter, but my best friend as well! Over the past year, I've sat back and watched her...it's hard to explain. She became a great Mom right away with Payson...but today...it's more than that. She's developed into this grown-up woman, with a beautiful family, right before our eyes and we couldn't be prouder! Happy Birthday Mick...we love ya to the moon & back!

What's better than a "gramma day?" A WHOLE week with them!

Mick & Brandyn had the opportunity to go to Cancun for Brandyn's sister's wedding...we got the opportunity to take care of the kids for them. It was a blast!
I arrived Sunday night to spend the night so I would be there bright & early when they headed to the airport. Kallie joined me. That was a little nerve racking at first, but it was fine. It was fun to play with all the kids, but man...not as young as I use to be! Monday night, after a fun day at the park...well I was exhausted! It was good to see Chris when he picked up Kallie. Preslie would not let me put her down-so the two little ones was a handful I'm not use to!...but hey...we bonded and now we're great friends!
The weather didn't cooperate to the extent I had hoped, but we managed to still find fun things to do! Talan is a great artist, and loves to dictate things for Gramma to draw! Payson loves being the big brother. He was a great help when he stuck around. He's Mick's little social bug and LOVES his friends. We chased baseball practice, and just hung out with one another and found time to play at Hollywood Connection for a little bit of miniture golf and Liberty Park to the Tracy Avairy to see the cool birds. We had hoped for more outside play, but rain rain, wouldn't go away! Grandpa would come join us after work and it was good for all of us to have him as part of the play group! The kids think their Grandpa is pretty rad! Too bad I didn't get any pictures of it! The week went by so quickly and I can honestly say, I miss being a stay at home Mom...but now it's not my turn...it's Mick's and I'm so glad she gets this opportunity to be at home with these sweet kids of hers! And I'm so grateful we get to be so much a part of their life! Grandkids truely are the sugar on top of it all! There really isn't anything better!