It has been Awhile!

Wow. I have really let the blog go. Just had a lot of other things going on I guess. So, Christmas has come and gone, new years and Spring Break! What have we been up to? I guess I could list all the events, but I would rather say we have been learning how to be a moving up and out kind of family. With Tami graduating this year, our home has taken on a different kind of life. Growing up just isn't what I remember it being like. The kids text each other, not call or talk in person. Dates, appointments and needs are met all on the internet. Even the Bishop has face book! Pictures are shared. After prom, I was at church and someone asked me if Tami went to prom the night before? I said yes, why? I guess All the other kids already had their prom pictures up and posted on their facebook. Crazy! You can do all of this from your personal phone too. I have an iphone and should be able to blog from there as well. I thought I might give it a try this weekend.

Marne and I spent a great weekend with D.J.'s family last weekend. Jaryn was in the play Beauty and the Beast and we went ot see it! We had an amazing time! The car ride to and back was hilarious and insightful and we did just what sisters do. Solved the world's problems!

Chelsea is preparing to go on a mission. Her papers are ready and waiting at the Bishop's office. She has been having a problem with her gall bladder or something. So, after she figuresit all out, or has surgery, she will send those in. What an awesome kid!

Tami is a full on karate instructor. The kids just love her. She was working as a hostess at a restaurant that had to close its doors due to Olive Garden moving in. She is getting ready to invest in college. I drop hints every now and then that she and Chelsea could be roomates, if Chelsea's mission doesn't come first.

Charlie has played basketball, practices piano with a smile on is face, climbs into our bed every morning after scriptures to snuggle, keeps dad reving up the 4 wheelers, sold fat boy ice cream to the neighbors all by himself, is testing for his blue belt in karate this weekend and pulled his own 2 front teeth after losing 2 bottom teeth as well!

I love spring. I also like the idea that school will be over soon. I always need a few months to fill my love bucket so I can go back and teach again! So, I can't wait to talk to our Elder this weekend. It will be the highlight of my week.

UEA Break!

We had a little fun this long UEA weekend. Took a couple days and played at the sand dunes with Eldon and his little ones. Charlie, Tamara and I competed in our state Karate Competition. Charlie and I took 3rd place in our divisions. Tamara has been going to instructor school, so she competed against a lot of different belts. She worked the whole competition helping judge and organize. She is doing great! Charlie and I spent Monday at the Dinosaur Museum. I have been promising him a visit for some time. We had a great time. Some time, when I get a moment to talk with you, I will tell you about my awesome jump on the 4 wheeler that scared Zach to death, defied any of Eldon's dare devil moves and made me laugh so hard... you know what happened next! Love you all.

Fall

I love this time of year. The smells of autumn bring back good memories. The beginning of school at BYU is a good memory. I loved college. I loved learning. I loved my professors. I loved being on my own. I can remember struggling to find a job and wondering what in the world I had gotten myself into. Did I seriously think I could move 800 miles away and survive! Then, I landed jobs at the cougar eat, worked in catering, rode my boyfriends bike to clean a house somewhere out of town up a huge hill in the middle of winter with all the snow and ice that falls in Provo! Was I crazy? A little desperate, but not crazy! I was scared and would not ever let anyone know. I ate soda crackers to make the rent and it was a good thing I worked at the cougar eat, there was always food lieing around that I could snitch at. I would always take a 'sub' job to work in the bowling alley serving ice cream! You can imagine why. I didn't really date, I felt lonely a lot of the time, but I found comfort in just being me, figuring out who I was, and I took a ton of elective courses that, quite frankly, sounded like I could use the information somewhere down the road, in life. I learned how to write in caligraphy, compose music, do geneaology, write personal histories, be a missionary, sing, speak a semester of Japanese, cook elegant food, bowling, interior decorating, art history, architectural history, the history of Scandinavia, drafting, and I paid for one semester of piano lessons! I figured if I was going to go to school, I was going to make it worth my time. Yes, I love the smell of fall in the air... I had a great birthday this year. We took the four wheelers up to Brigham City and saw the sights in The Mountains! What fun we had. We were all dumbfounded as Tyler immediately sat down on one, aske dif he could ride and took off!! No hesitations. Just off and away he went, following Charlie over jumps and around trees. He loved his new found freedom. The trip was worth it just for that! Tyler was behind the wheel and loving it!