So Ang & Mick have been on me to update this blog...the longer I put it off, the more overwhelming it has become. When I look at the Photo gallery of the past 6 months, so much has transpired, and happened, that I really don't know where to begin! As my friend Gina put it the other day, Life is just running us over day by day. I physically feel like that today! Reading other blogs is fun, uplifting, inspiring even sometimes....I'm not feeling like much of that lately. Actually feeling down & discouraged and learning the real feeling of anxiety or saddness...I don't know how to explain it, like wanting to crawl out of my skin in some respects. But reminding myself of the many things I do have to be grateful for. All I have to do is look at my photo gallery! Family, good times and bad, that's what it's all about isn't it!
So where to begin...
We're blessed! We have a great family...we're normal I suppose...whatever THAT is~ and I'm telling you, being a parent of grown adults...man....no one warned me of the worries and heartaches that entails. I remember being annoyed with my Dad. You couldn't tell him anything without him pacing and worrying about it. It made me feel like I shouldn't share many things with him. I DON'T want it to be that way with our family! I love it when they do turn to us, as friends and parents for advice or just a sounding board. I wish for that to always continue! We have raised 3 great kids, and they in turn have chosen great companions that we have learned to love as our own! Although we may not always approve of what they are or are not doing, but we love them "to the moon and back" and wish for their happiness and success, no matter what!
The grandkids are a bonus, an extension of our love, that each time one is born, a new part of our heart is exposed that we didn't know existed. When I'm feeling down, the best cure is to have a Gramma & Grampa day. (and yes, I know how to spell it...this is just how they all say it!) I feel extremely blessed that they are all here, in the same state (Brent reminds me of that often as his are spread out over the US), just a jump in my car and run to them away distance!
It's always been my dream to have our children be our friends, and us theirs, and have each of us enjoy one another's company. That feels like success to me.

So I don't know how else to catch up, so here goes, it will probably be random, and I'm sure I'll miss stuff...but what do you do...It's 6 months worth!

I mostly took care of Hayden while Mick & Brandyn and Angela and Tahnie played with the kids at Payson's birthday party. I played a little, but I was good to hold baby! My cousin, Jen, mentioned on facebook to Mickie that Hayden looked like my Dad. I had never noticed it before, until I was holding him that night. I was saying to him, "hey, you do look like Great Grammpa Slug...are you two buddies?" and he began to coo and smile and talk to me. He had never done that for me yet. It was so sweet, and tender, yep, it made me tear up a bit. I wonder...what exactly did my Dad have to say to him? I hope he's watching out for all of us! I sure need him!

For Pay's real birthday, they had everyone over for dinner. The guys weren't back yet, so we were short a few. I hate that, but it was good that the boys were together supporting Chris at this game. They lost in the championship to Weber...that was a bummer! Chris tells Rick he's done with SLCC.
Anyway, we had lasagna, Payson's favorite and opened gifts. Rick & I gave him Karate lessons through the community ed. They start next week. He needs more toys like a hole in the head! And this gives us time to be with him. win win.! gotta love it!

Mickie threw a party for Payson's birthday at Classic Skating for his friends. Rick, & Shawn went to Boise to watch Chris play in Regional tournament for soccer with SLCC, so it was just us girls, including Angela & Tahnie to help her & Brandyn out at the event. With all 4 kids, they really need an extra hand. It's a great play place that offers skating, blow up jump toys for all ages and a track to ride your scooters, or wiggle cars that seemed to be the hit with the little ones. Kallie and Preslie fought over the one Mick brought and the boys just ran non stop to all the things they offered. Laser tag, ball something or other that they got to shoot at one another, you name it, they did it. For being the birthday boy, Pays got to do the money grab machine and the spin wheel. I'm not sure how many tickets he got in the money grab, but the spinner, he won $10. When Brandyn got in his truck to leave, there was a $100 bill on his windshield...not sure why or where, but why look a gift horse in the mouth, or as I reminded Mick...geez, look, blessings boiling over again!

Payson turned 8 a week ago. Can it really be that long ago that this little guy opened up our hearts to a blissful extention that we did not know existed! Have I said that before? Seems like it was just yesterday, okay....maybe just a few years ago, but REALLY...8 years ago! Wow. I thought it went fast with our own kids.
The blessing of being a grandparent is that you really know how to relish every second with them. Because we understand just how short the time is that we have them under our wings.
Payson is a social butterfly. He LOVES his friends. He loves to be on the go! When he comes here, it's an all day adventure of will you play soccer with me, will you play football with me, will you ride bikes with me...and you know what...we try to do it all. He can out run me in the back yard and now takes it easy on me for the soccer game, instead of the other way around. I'll say, okay, next score wins, and he will prolong that game as long as he can. He'll still cuddle to watch a movie, or snuggle up when he's tired when we're all just visiting. I'll eat that up as long as I can, because before I know it, he'll be this big kid that doesn't have much time for us ol folks. I dread that day! I'm so grateful for that special bond we have with him!

For Birthdays, we try to have everyone over to celebrate. Sometimes it takes a whole lot of planning to get a date when all can be there. That's a challenge with a family, with everyone going in all kinds of directions, but we have managed.

Kallie is growing up so fast, just like the rest of them. This is one day that Tahnie straightened her hair. It's to the middle of her back without all the curl. She's beginning to talk more, in almost full sentences. She's a Mommy's girl and won't have much to do with any of us when Tahnie's around, but she's a cutie. She love's her purse and books and loves being around her Aunt's & Uncle's, especially Tahnie's siblings! She's found Grampa's money and tries to hide it in her pocket and has found Gramma's bag balm 2 times! UGH! Now it's high in the shelfs, out of sight! I love how she says uh ha...(for yes) in the sweetest innocent voice. and "love you gramma, love you grampa"... And she LOVEs LOVES and LOVES baby Hayden!

This was Rick's birthday. We had so much fun! The kids had given us a nights stay at the Homestead for Christmas, so I decided this was a great weekend to put it to use. So we headed up there after work. We had dinner at Texas Roadhouse first, and used a gift certificate that Tahnie & Chris had given us. Sweet, all this entertainment, all on the kids! YEAH BABY! We didn't get up there until 7 but it was still nice and relaxing. I love the mountains and I have missed camping so much this summer! The drive up there is always so beautiful and peaceful. We went for a walk, listened to a "cowboy" story teller around the fire and just simply enjoyed the time together without any distractions. Shawn & Chris were playing in a soccer tournament this weekend in Park City, so it was nice and convenient for that as well. When driving to their first game on Saturday morning, I was bummed, I didn't want to check out, felt like we had just arrived, so we decided to stay another night and have the kids come up to the Homestead for swimming and dinner! Perfect plan! Between games, we ran to the hospital in American Fork to visit and check on Dad, at this point he was in the transitional unit, before he was sent to the Sandy Rehab. Rick & I stopped and bought chicken at Walmart (not a good plan! ick!) and we all gathered for a picnic and swim at the Homestead about 7. Rick kept telling the kids, that all of them coming up there and being all together was all the present he needed! It is sweet!

This is Father's Day and the last picture I took of my Dad before he passed. I can't erase it from my camera, I can't erase his phone number from my phone. I miss that man! He was having a rough day that day, in a lot of pain and didn't want to go anywhere. I was sad too! I went to see my Mom on that day by myself cause Rick was on call. Mom looked at me and touched my arm, and said, "your having a bad day today aren't you." She never makes any sense, ever! And she whips that sentence out like it was normal for her. All I could do was cry! I miss my Mom too!

One of the fun things we did this summer was have fire's in our back yards. Brandyn started us off on that and they invited us over to roast marshmellow. We made all kinds of goodies. We made banana boats, smores with reeses peanut butter cups and hot dogs. We enjoyed the fun times together so much, that Shawn dug a pit in our back yard under the tramp in our sand pit. We used it a few times and invited our good friends the Jensen's over and Angela's parents. Ang's brother even blessed us with his guitar...Can't find those pictures! This has been a great bonding time for all of us. Brings us together for simple little things! This is what Rick & I call happiness!

Preslie turned one this summer on June 18th. Mick & B threw a great bash with a huge blow up slide that all the big people got to enjoy! She's really a sweetie and we love seeing her grow. Last week at Gardner Village, she ran after me saying..."gramma, gramma, gramma!" Awweee, the sweet sound of that!

Talan graduated from his first year in preschool this spring. He's getting so big. He loves to color with me and loves the one on one attention. He's so tender hearted and as all the kids, pretty much has us wrapped around his little finger!

Payson played a lot of baseball this Spring and summer...he's pretty dang good too! A man at the batting cages a few weeks ago, watched him and told me.."he's got one natural swing!". Yep that's our Pays...a natural athelete!

Halloween has come and gone, REALLY...will it be November tomorrow! WHAT THE HECK!
We enjoyed spending Halloween with Mick & her family along with Shawn & Ang at Mick's house. (One day maybe, we'll have our entire family gather for something other than a main event.) Mick & Brandyn have ran their selves ragged over the past few years trying to get to our house, to Brandyn's parents, to wherever, and the kids just didn't get much real trick or treating done. Pays and Talan are at the age now where they deserve that! Every kid needs a memory of running through their own neighborhood to see how much candy they can gather! Shawn & Ang brought soup, I made homemade root beer and Mick's friends brought over pizza. I wanted to stay inside with the baby and answer the door. The Utah game was on so Rick, Shawn & I stayed while the others headed out. Ang lasted a little bit, but she was cold, & wet, and Brandyn and Mick took turns. They brought in a haul! Rick had to leave about 9, he was on call, and the rest of us stayed and started to watch a movie. We started with Beetlejuice, a favorite of my kids growing up, but it had commercials...UGH. Then they put Karate Kid on. Shawn & Ang had seen it, so they didn't last long, and we all started to fall asleep. Payson cuddled up on my lap and I didn't want to move...don't know how many more of those I will get! When he was out, I headed home. We were all tired!
Friday, the day before, I didn't work cause I worked on Saturday, so I went out to Payson's school for their parade and tended Pres and Hayden while Mick helped with the party. I love being able to do things like that! When I was home, I would go, but most often I would be hauling a half dozen or more daycare kids with me and it was exhausting! I'm happy to make it a little easier for Mick to enjoy the little things that will be gone before they realize! I love being a part of my kids lives, no matter how big or small the part may seem! That's what it's all about isn't it!
Here's a few pic's from the Halloween month....