Ziter Family

Hiking in Albion Basin

2010-07-25T21:29:00.005-06:00

We did a Sunday afternoon hike to Cecret Lake. The wildflowers are in full bloom and the scenery was beautiful.

Goofy boys

The kids named this critter "Tom"

Stansbury Park Triathlon

2010-07-25T21:23:00.002-06:00

Ed competed in the Stansbury Park Triathlon yesterday. He took second place in his age division, 18th overall amongst the men. Great job!Congratulating the first place winner who was 1:30 faster. It was close.Olivia and Harrison woke up early to go see their dad compete.

Happy Father's Day Ed!

2010-06-20T19:01:00.002-06:00

Locks of Love

2010-06-20T18:34:00.004-06:00

Olivia participated in the 6th Annual Locks of Love assembly at her school last week. She donated her hair a couple of years ago and wanted to do it again. We took some photos to help her remember her luscious, long locks the night before the big cut.

Her good friend Kaitlin participated in it with her.

The stylists were having a difficult time preparing Olivia's hair because it was so thick. The instructor ended up suggesting they make 5 or 6 ponytails instead of 3!

The school had all of the other students come in the auditorium to watch as 15 girls got their hair chopped off. The kids yelled "Cut cut cut" in unison. Olivia had 3 stylists cutting her ponytails off so I couldn't see her well enough to get a decent photo of them actually cutting her hair off.

The final result after 90 minutes of cutting and styling what was left after donating 10 inches of beautiful hair.

She looks darling, and it's a perfect cut for summer. Here she is with her certificate to acknowledge her donation. We're so proud of you Liv! Your hair is going to make a gorgeous wig.

Harry on his way to second place.

2010-06-01T21:48:00.000-06:00

Pinewood Derby Boy

2010-06-01T20:54:00.002-06:00

Harrison participated in his first Pinewood Derby tonight. Ed changed his work schedule so we could all go ... then life intervened as it has a way of doing, and I ended up in the emergency insta-care with Madeleine while Ed and Olivia cheered Harrison on. One splinted and slinged arm later, Maddie and I arrived at the Derby just in time to see Harrison's car in the Finals, racing for second place overall. There were 15 participants and he was sooooo excited to place! He had so much fun. Ed took some video and Olivia tells me she has other photos that she took with her phone so I'll add more as it is sent to me! Congratulations Harrison! Props to Ed who helped with making the car. My boys work well under pressure - they started on the car late last night and Ed finished it up early this morning!

Swim, Bike, Run

2010-05-31T21:56:00.003-06:00

Ed participated in the Daybreak Triathlon on Saturday. He had been battling an injury so he was unable to train until 3 weeks ago so he was very anxious the night before the event. He did great - took 3rd place in his age division, just like he did last year!

He got lots of support from Rileigh, Olivia, Chad, Harrison, Maddie, Derek and me.

Here he was, just happy to be done, awaiting the results.

Happy 14th Maddie!

2010-05-31T21:43:00.003-06:00

Where in the world has the time gone? Madeleine turned 14 years old on Friday.

Our sweet, fuzzy haired girl has grown to be a beautiful young woman. She still speaks often and in long sentences, just like she did when she was small!

She desperately wanted a new cell phone again this year - last year's model lost it's shine for her when it took the trip down the elevator shaft. She was thrilled to get exactly what she wanted.

Reading her birthday letter from Grandma Ziter

Celebrating with Nikki

Happy birthday Maddie!

Spring Soccer

2010-05-23T21:52:00.002-06:00

This Spring has brought unusually cool and wet weather to Utah but we've still survived the Spring Soccer season. Olivia returned to playing soccer and has played really well. Her team has two games remaining and they are undefeated. She plays defense and forward. The girl has some good kicks and is incredibly accurate with her throw-ins. We went to see Sawyer Nelson play yesterday. Tami coaches the team so we helped to keep Thatcher distracted as much as possible. He still managed to run to mom twice!

Keira is on her first soccer team and we've made it to a couple of her games. She is darling - not all that interested in the actual game but has fun with her cousin Alex! She wears the uniform well and is always sweet to spectators.

Anniversary Get-Away

2010-05-23T21:45:00.002-06:00

We celebrated our 15th anniversary Thursday by taking some time off work and spending the day together. Ed surprised me with lunch at Al Fornos ... a place we used to frequent when we were dating. We had a fabulous meal and enjoyed an unexpected reunion with a man I worked with 15 years ago who just happened to be having a business lunch at the restaurant! We spent the night at Stein Erickson Lodge in Deer Valley. We had a lovely room with a private hot tub on the deck. We had a wonderful dinner at the lodge and just wish we could have spent another day there.

15 Years into Our Shared Adventure

2010-05-19T23:27:00.003-06:00

Happy 15th wedding anniversary to my loving husband - thank you for focusing on the areas where we are compatible rather than those where we differ, thank you for stopping when there are still a few words you'd like to get in your say and thank you for trusting that when there are moments of "for worse" there are moments of "for better" just around the corner. I see your dedication to work, fitness and hobbies and I admire your tenacity. I appreciate your willingness to try new things, to embrace change and to share this adventure with me. It's not easy to figure out how to dance a duet while both are doing solo performances at the same time. You make me laugh. You inspire me to want to climb mountains. I feel blessed to have the life that we have and to raise our children together. Thank you for loving me, thank you for walking this road with me, thank you for anticipating the next 15 years with me. I love you ~ happy anniversary.

Ed's Adventures in Cooking

2010-05-04T22:11:00.003-06:00

Ed has a newly discovered love for cooking. He has always been good about helping out if dinner was being prepared on the grill. He's good with a microwave. He has the Thursday shift for dinner preparation since he has the day off. It's nice to have a night that I can come home after working all day and not have to think about what to prepare! Ed has started to look for recipes to try and he has served up some scrumptious meals. Seriously, it always tastes better when I don't have to fix it myself, but he really can cook! This was a margherita pizza recipe that he found in my cooking magazine from his mom. He made it all by himself, other than me helping to crush the fennel and cut the fresh basil. Fabulous.Last Thursday's meal was his most daring yet - a duplication of Alice Springs Chicken from the Outback Restaurant. I dug right in so I didn't get my own photo of his creation, but this gives you an idea of the massive caloric/fat intake it entailed, and it was delicious!

We're still working on the "clean up as you go" theory of cooking. This was the aftermath of his culinary prowess. Unfortunately, I get clean up duty when he cooks! I did manage to get all of the bacon grease off of my stove top and oven controls. I have a recipe for glazed salmon that I'm hinting for him to try next. I really am a lucky girl.

9 Years Old!!!

2010-04-12T23:28:00.002-06:00

We have somehow managed to spread the 9th birthday festivities over several days. Harrison opened his gifts from Grandpa and Grandma on Easter Sunday. We had birthday cake last night and his birthday dinner tonight. His actual birthday is tomorrow! His birthday dinner request - salmon, shrimp, couscous and broccoli. Cranberry juice to drink. I love this smile!

Happy birthday Bubbas! I can't imagine a sweeter boy.

Real Salt Lake Home Opener

2010-04-11T14:35:00.005-06:00

Last night was a family night to see the Real Salt Lake season opening at home. The team received their 2009 MLS Championship rings in a ceremony before the game started.

The girls were in a punk-ish sort of mood

My sweet boys David Archuletta made a surprise appearance at the Half. He had spent the previous day with this little boy for Make A Wish - hanging out with the Real team and touring the facility and then surprised him at the game to sing together. I went to school with this little boy's mom. Seeing his excitement and hearing him sing with his idol brought me to tears.

The game was tied 1-1 at the half

This guy has seats by our friends. Ed and Maddie had gone to say hi at the half so Olivia had to get a photo of "Spike" - Liv and I designated him as Maddie's boyfriend.

Seattle went up 2-1 and it looked like Salt Lake was surely going to lose. With less than 45 seconds left to play, a corner kick was headed in to the net. A tie has never felt so good!

Grateful for Good News

2010-04-09T22:01:00.002-06:00

There were a few anxious days at our house last week. Maddie has been battling her ankle injury for the past year. We had seen an orthopedist last September who had pointed out a spot in her x-ray, saying it was just a cyst or tumor in the bone where it hadn't calcified in-utero and it was nothing to worry about. We went back last month when her physical therapy had failed to solve the nagging ankle problem. The orthopedist sent us to have an MRI done. Upon receiving those results, we were referred to a Pediatric Orthopedic specialist at TOSH. I took Maddie to see him and he had new x-rays done, saying his office does a different type of x-ray and he wanted to see her ankle from a different angle.

I knew something was up as soon as I saw his face when he came back in the room. He pulled up the new x-ray and the MRI films to show me what concerned him - he thought the tumor looked different from the previous x-ray. We were referred to a Musculoskeletal Oncologist who got

us in just 4 days later. His evaluation is best case scenario ... he doesn't see it as anything aggressive. He thinks it's a benign tumor that we shouldn't worry about unless something changes. Maddie will continue with her current treatment at TOSH to strengthen her ankle. Because she is still growing, her growth plates are open so they don't want to attempt a surgical repair unless it's absolutely necessary. They are hoping that they can strengthen the muscles around the unstable ankle to compensate for the damage. They will re-evaluate everything in 6 weeks. Maddie is just happy to be out of her boot!

The anxiety over the unknown and the constant stress with work just about pushed me over the edge. I was unusually emotional (for me) so sweet Ed had the flowers shown above delivered to me at the office with a very thoughtful note. We are feeling very grateful for all that is good in our lives.

Early Birthday

2010-04-09T21:48:00.002-06:00

It's difficult to comprehend, but our little guy really is almost 9 years old! He was thrilled to celebrate his birthday with the extended family a few days early.Aunt Sara knows just what Harrison likes! He got a Pokemon birthday card with a gift card to buy the new Pokemon game for his Nintendo DS. The card had stickers that he used to decorate his DS case.Harrison is a voracious reader but it has been a struggle to get him interested in anything other than non-fiction science books. He reads about space, dinosaurs, plants, animals, geography, etc. which is great but I had to point out to him that when he's in the 4th grade, they have to do book reports for all different genres. He enjoyed reading "How To Train Your Dragon" so we looked for some other options. He wanted the Fablehaven series and Grandma and Grandpa delivered! He was so excited. His birthday is only 4 days away. Where has the time gone?!

Easter Sunday

2010-04-09T21:11:00.005-06:00

It was a fun, chaotic, slightly chilly Easter Sunday but the enthusiasm of excited kids looking for a sugar high could not be dampened. We had the entire gang over to our house to celebrate Easter, search for goodies and celebrate birthdays. Here they are, lined up youngest to oldest, ready to go outside!Ed rescued a Krispie treat that had been stashed on the roof.Cute curlie girlies ... Olivia and Keira

Beautiful baby EisleyCreighton wouldn't pose for a photo until I told him to do a silly face. Fortunately, there is never a shortage of silly with our family!Madeleine and Keira

Spring for a Day

2010-03-28T18:24:00.002-06:00

I am sitting on the deck soaking up rays from the sun, the smell of ribs on the grill wafting through the air, my feet up after spending the day working in the yard. The early daffodils are in full bloom, the hyacinths are trying to open and the leaves of the tulips are sprouting up. Alas, we have a week of storms in the forecast but I am determined to relish this moment in the sun. I am ready for Spring to stay for an extended visit.

Midnight Madness

2010-03-19T22:52:00.002-06:00

My sweet Olivia cried huge crocodile tears this afternoon because she wanted to go to the midnight dvd release party for New Moon at the local WalMart. She wore her Twilight t-shirt and bracelets to school today and wanted me to take her to wait in line for hours to buy a movie. After working a 14 hour day, I was not going to WalMart ... I could, however, bribe my teenager to go. I dropped my two girls with two of their friends off at the store entrance, shook my head at the parking lot filled with cars like it was the last shopping day before Christmas and drove home to sleep on the couch until they call me to come pick them up in a couple of hours. They were squealing with excitement because our store is slated for a visit by the actors who play the wolf pack. Apparently a chance to meet hot, young, muscled actors is appealing to teen and tween girls. Who knew?!

Spaced Out

2010-02-28T17:47:00.003-07:00

It has been a project in the planning stages for months. We have lived in our house for 6 years as of next week and Harrison has never had his bedroom decorated. He has lived with builder beige walls because he couldn't decide what he wanted. When I re-decorated Maddie's bedroom last summer, Harrison asked if his room would EVER get done. We started talking and looking - he loves dinosaurs, science and space. We looked on-line for ideas and he was most excited when he saw a solar system mural. With that settled, we bought the mural ... and then nothing happened! I had to get through the holidays - then unexpectedly found myself working 60+ hours each week for work. Knowing the room would never get done if I didn't give myself a deadline, I scheduled this weekend with dad to have him come help hang the mural. I finished painting the bedroom at 3:30 Saturday morning and slept until dad arrived at 10:30. It was a long and knee-creaking day but the mural is done. We spent today assembling a storage cubby and working on accessories. Maddie bought a space shuttle poster from the Smithsonian for him that we framed and hung over the window. We still need to assemble his black bookcase headboard and I need to paint his dresser, but his room is put together enough for him to enjoy it and he's thrilled with how it turned out. When dad asked Harrison if it looked ok, Harrison said "Ok?! It looks GREAT!!!" Thank you so much Grandpa!

Rain, Rain, Go Away

2010-02-21T16:58:00.002-07:00

Poor Ed. He flew to Phoenix Saturday morning for a golf weekend with his brothers. The weather in Phoenix has not been cooperative, as they were greeted by unseasonably cool temperatures and scattered showers. They hit a bucket of balls at the driving range but it was raining too hard to play a round. Similar story today. At last check, there's a 70% chance of showers tomorrow as well. I'm sure he's having a good time just being away from the usual grind and spending some time with Jace and John but it's disappointing. Oh well ... guess Ed will have to take another vacation sometime soon - this time with me!

Fun With Eisley

2010-02-21T16:36:00.000-07:00

The kids wanted to get out of the house Saturday so we went to lunch at Leatherby's and to play with Eisley. She was happy to have cousins to play with and she showed off all of her new tricks. She plays peek-a-boo, makes a pug face and can walk with the push toy all by herself! She is so observant ... it was fun to watch her watching my kids and trying to mimic what they were doing. She is so comfortable with them, she climbs over them on the floor and plays like she is one of them. She is such an easy going baby, she reminds me so much of my girls when they were younger. She loves to entertain, just like Denice did at that age.

90th Birthday Open House for Grandma

2010-02-13T16:38:00.005-07:00

February 12, 2010: Grandma Clara turned 90 years old! The family hosted an Open House to celebrate her amazing life. Aunt Diane had put together a beautiful display of framed photos and decorated the tables with fresh flowers and garden themed accents. Cousin Nichole had created a dvd slide show of family photos that played at the entrance where people could write messages on papers featuring copies of the same photos. The signed pages were assembled in to a commemorative guest book for Grandma at the end of the evening. Mom and Aunt Annette helped with the food and kept the buffet table stocked all night. Various grandchildren brought different desserts ... I made my sinfully delicious mint brownies.

It was a wonderful evening spent with family. I was most touched by the comments from dad's various cousins about how close our family is. They were all so impressed by how well the siblings get along and how the grandchildren are so comfortable with all of their aunts and uncles. Several of them had assumed that Eisley was mine when they first saw me with her. A couple thought Olivia belonged to Denice! I love that despite the fact that we see each other on a fairly regular basis, we still enjoy being with each other and genuinely like one another. Some various photos that I was able to get before my camera batteries died:

My cute little man with his oh so nutritious dinner that he obviously served up himself! I am pleased to see that he had celery sticks to help balance the sugar cookie and pretzels!
I had a great time with Eisley while Denice enjoyed a child-free meal! Eisley loves necklaces so she was content to play with my necklace while her mom ate.

Beautiful girls ... Denice, Olivia and Deb.

Allyson was having fun with her dad. Bryan would lean back with her on his shoulders and she'd laugh and laugh. She is growing up so quickly!

Mr. Creighton didn't want to stop chewing his food long enough to smile for a picture. I was lucky to get this one of him with his mom, Sara!

The table decor was lovely. The fresh flowers and framed photos were perfect.

My lovely ladies ... Maddie and Liv.

Miss Keira did not want her photo taken. She would run and hide each time she saw the camera pointed her way. She thought she was being sneaky - I managed to catch her before she dove under a chair. The photo isn't completely in focus because she was moving, but I love the expression on her face! Gotcha!

Little Eisley, working on tooth number 2, was being awfully silly with her tongue! She was happy to have a necklace of her own when Keira shared her bell on a ribbon.

Little Asher is so adorable. He was shy upon arrival, until Olivia came along. He was more than happy to go with his "Wivi!" He was so cute all night - especially when it came time to put all of the chairs away. He was very concerned about what was going on. I explained that the chairs were going night-night because he was worried about them going on the cart under the stage. He then proceeded to help us "carry" the chairs by holding on with one hand. He's such a big boy!

Me and my honey. Ed met us at the party because he had to go straight to the gym after work. He's in full on marathon training mode. I was happy he was done in time to join us.

This was just funny ... Eisley gnawing on a cup because her mouth was sore!

Beautiful Michelle with little Eisley.

Our family with the lady of the hour. Grandma told me she'd been sure that no one would come. She had a fantastic turn out and I think she enjoyed the evening. We had a nice visit as we looked over old photos. There was one picture of Grandma at the age of 4, with the family outhouse in the background. She shared a story with Olivia about how she and her sister had dropped their cat down the outhouse and I saw a look on Grandma's face as she told that story that made me think she'd probably worn that same mischievous expression when she was 4!

It does kind of answer the question as to why my family are really not cat people!

Happy birthday Grandma!

School Valentine Boxes

2010-02-13T16:12:00.002-07:00

It's that time of year again ... the kids bring home a paper that says they need to decorate a box for Valentines and thus the challenge is on. Every year, the kids have come home with stories of amazing boxes that other kids had. Every year has ended with Olivia in tears because she never wins a prize. This being her last year in Elementary (gulp ... it's painful to type that out!), it was time to step up and think of something creative that would give her a shot at winning a prize.

Harrison, who can never tell us what he does want, only what he certainly does NOT want, was no help at all! I researched on-line for ideas ... found some darling ideas for boys that are not frilly or mushy.
I suggested a pirate ship.
Absolutely not.
Firetruck?
He rolls his eyes.
Dinosaur?
His eyes light up.
He goes to bed once he has finished writing all of his Valentine's.
I attempt to find a dinosaur picture on-line that we can print out. Ed is cranky and beyond irritable when the picture he prints doesn't fulfill the vision that I have in my head. I want something cool. I tell him it looks lame. He gets upset and tells me I'm investing way too much in a box for a 3rd grader. Thus proceeds the battle of wills. It's 10:30 and I give up looking on-line when nothing we've found will work. I dig through Harrison's closet in the dark and come upon a book of his that gives me a brilliant idea.
15 minutes and some precision with a razor blade, and we have not a dinosaur but a dragon:
3-D, popping off the box! Nothing girly or mushy about it! Harrison liked it, once he got over the fact that his mother took a blade to his book. I promised him I was careful so we can glue it back into the book. When Ed picked the kids up from school the next day, he saw the parade of children with their over-the-top Valentine boxes, obviously created by ambitious parents who didn't wait until 9:30 the night before to start on theirs! Harry's friend had a 4 foot tall mail-box with working door and Valentine decor. Ed told Tyson that his mailbox looked good. Tyson said, "Yeah - my mom made it. But Harrison had the coolest box!" Ed suddenly understood why pasting 4 inch pictures dinosaurs to the box was a lame idea!

Challenge Number 2: Creating something for Olivia. I proposed a Twilight themed box - we could make a 4 poster bed with tulle netting and a poster of Bella and Edward on the wall. Olivia wanted something different. She wanted large hearts attached to a box. I didn't want to disappoint her with my inability to draw large hearts to attach to a box! I told her to let me show her some other ideas. One visit to Hobby Lobby and a few bucks later, I had the supplies needed to create a very cute and very hairy Love Monster! She loved it!

The best part ... the smile on her face when she burst through the door after school, anxious to tell me that she won the prize for "furriest" Valentine box!

Super Bowl Sunday

2010-02-13T15:52:00.002-07:00

We enjoyed Super Bowl Sunday with company. James, Denice and Eisley, Heather and Sage, & Chad and Becky joined us for an evening of food and football. Eisley was very happy when Harrison shared his Nintendo ds with her!
Sweet kisses for her mama.

Heather and Sage.

Sage had a blast, playing with Harrison and playing with Charlie.

Becky and Chad. Their little girl is due in mid-May and we're so excited for them!

Rachel's Baptism

2010-02-06T19:42:00.003-07:00

Miss Rachel was baptised this morning. Harrison and I enjoyed lunch with the family that the Jenkins family hosted at the church. Rachie was very nervous but came through like a champ! Cute Keira ... this picture cost me a dollar!

Asher was being silly and tried to run every time he saw the camera. He was my little buddy today - I got him to eat most of a roll, we played peek-a-boo with his blanket and he let me take care of him when his mommy was busy with his baby sister. I adore this little man. Deb was able to snag him long enough to get a quick pic snapped.

Cute chunka-monka Senya with her mommy.

Little Eisley ... this little girl steals my heart every time I see her.

He's My Son

2010-02-06T19:39:00.003-07:00

He's definitely like his mom ... curled up in a chair, music playing and book in hand. I just had to laugh and grab the camera when I saw him. The only thing missing is my blanket that I usually have draped over my legs!

Comfort Food

2010-01-30T14:14:00.004-07:00

After a very long, stressful and tiring week at work, I was so happy to know I had survived to Friday night! Ed was working so I was in for an evening alone with the kids. Maddie called me at work in the late afternoon to ask if we could go see my parents, Denice and Eisley when I got home. Turned out, Megan was going to be there with her two little ones as well. I got the kids from our house, stopped at the grocery store for a loaf of bread and drove to the house I grew up in for an evening of baby loves and grilled sandwiches. Mom kept apologizing for not serving up anything fancy but there are times when there is nothing better than the simplicity of making a toddler laugh, snuggling with a sweet baby girl and eating a grilled cheese sandwich in what was my home for the first 20 years of my life. It was the perfect way to wind down. I love seeing my kids with their little cousins. Asher would get upset whenever he couldn't see "his Livi" and Eisley was so happy to have them there to play with her. Asher wanted a juice box when he saw my kids with theirs but he didn't know how to use a straw. He was so excited when he figured it out. He would squeal and cheer after each swallow!

I had to break out the camera when Grandma was holding the two babies and all of the kids were being sweet to each other, despite the late hour and being up past bedtime.

Senya was smiley until the camera came out! Little Eisley was hamming it up for Olivia. She looks so much like her mama did when she was this size!Grandma kisses for Miss Senya.

Sweet Eisley was snuggly with Maddie.

Sleepy boy Asher was getting a little jealous when he saw the girls getting all of the attention from his Grandma!

Sunshiney girl, telling her story to Olivia. Liv would echo the baby chatter and it thrilled Eisley to think that her big cousin was speaking her language! They had an ongoing conversation of "rah rah rah rahs" - none of us knew what she was saying, but she sure did!Little gangsta boy ... bundled up and ready to head out to the car. He started to fuss when his mom walked out to get the car warmed up so Denice asked him, "Whatsa matter, 'lil Thug, someone scratch your Caddie?" He didn't find that so amusing.

Two of the cutest little girls in the world.

Needed a Change

2010-01-17T21:46:00.003-07:00

I have worn different variations of the same hairstyle for the past 8 years. I took Harrison for a haircut yesterday and ended up signing myself in as well. Feeling ready for something remarkably different, I had the stylist do a conservative A-line bob. Ed was shocked when he got home from work. Olivia loves it - she keeps playing with my hair. It feels much lighter. It does require a bit more effort when styling but it's nice to have something different.

Ziter Family Christmas

2009-12-31T08:47:00.005-07:00

We spent Sunday afternoon with the Ziter family for a Christmas lunch and celebration. James and Nataliya were gracious hosts.

The Sill family brought their Guesstures game. It was fun to see how creative the kids were with their actions.

This was just too typically teen to not document!

The kids had fun playing pool in the basement.

Maddie

2009-12-27T21:23:00.000-07:00

She is an official teenager this year, complete with mood swings that can give a mom whiplash, a sharp wit that can bring 14 year-old boys to their knees and a smile that makes her dad nervous about letting her out of the house. She's a straight A student who doesn't ask for much, just one of everything! ;D Santa must have been feeling awfully generous because he brought Mad her very own television and dvd player for her room. It can only be used to watch movies (no satellite tv hookups in the kid bedrooms) but she is happy. Her gifts were a hit - black suede boots, perfume and lotion, Aeropostale tank tops and a shirt and hair product. She's a good kid. Just ask her ... she'll tell you!

Olivia

2009-12-27T21:18:00.000-07:00

My darling Livi-bug ... she's kind and sweet, a happy middle child who doesn't always get what she wants. She has wanted a yellow iPod Nano Chromatic for ages and ages. Santa heard her pleas and brought exactly what she wanted. She was happy with every gift, including her New Moon jewelry box, sweaters, fleece jacket and game for her ds. My funny girl was full of smiles, even though she didn't get the life-size cardboard cutout of Edward Cullen that she had mentioned. Maybe next year!

Harrison

2009-12-27T21:12:00.000-07:00

This funny little guy - he's so difficult to shop for. He knows what he does and doesn't like. He doesn't ask for much. He was thrilled with what he got. Anything Pokemon is good. Santa brought him the Pokemon Nintendo ds game that he wanted the most, along with an iPod Shuffle so Har can listen to Jack Johnson as much as he wants. He got his own copy of a Dinosaur Encyclopedia and some Club Penguin toys. When I asked him if he had a good Christmas, he shook his head and said "No, I didn't have a good Christmas." Then he gave that little smile and said "I had a GREAT Christmas!"

Christmas Morning

2009-12-27T20:52:00.003-07:00

Christmas morning ... we told the kids they weren't allowed to wake us up until 7:30. Olivia somehow construed that as 7:00 to 7:30 so they were in our room right at 7:00. We held them off for awhile. I made them sing Christmas carols for me while Ed got up to start a fire, turn the tree lights on and make coffee! Then, it was time for the annual pre-gift photos - one nice and one begging to go open the presents!

Christmas Eve

2009-12-26T19:23:00.000-07:00

2010 Calendar for Mom

2009-12-25T21:38:00.004-07:00

Dykes Christmas Party

2009-12-19T21:39:00.003-07:00

Tonight was the Dykes family Christmas party, with special guest Santa making an appearance. Asher was apprehensive about going to anyone except his mom or dad until Olivia arrived. Then he only wanted his Livi. It was cute to see them together.Asher didn't know what to make of all of the Santa hoopla.

Harrison liked this Santa, particularly his magic tricks with the rope and checking green lights from the kids' ears to see if they have been good this year. Keira was quite concerned when Santa didn't check her ear! Harrison was thrilled to receive the Club Penguin game that he has wanted for his Nintendo ds.

Maddie got a shower radio.Olivia got cozy flannel pajamas and a yo-yo set.

Asher was not happy about visiting with Santa, but he did like his gift of a truck and books.

Eisley got a rabbit that plays music.

She was mostly interested in attacking it with her mouth!

Nom Nom Nom ... teething hurts! She was so funny to watch.

Flying baby Ally-kins.

Snow Man

2009-12-19T12:03:00.003-07:00

The first good storm of the season hit last weekend. Olivia and Harrison had fun playing in the backyard most of Sunday. It was perfect snow for packing ... heavy and wet. Their snow man is still standing guard over the yard.

Maddie's Dance Recital

2009-12-14T20:43:00.002-07:00

Now that Maddie has completed her months of physical therapy for her injured Achilles, she wanted to do something active but the doctor said no soccer for at least 2 years or else she'd be in a cast because of the stress on her ankle. She recently joined a hip-hop dance class with her best friend Nikki and their dance studio had a Christmas Recital on Saturday. Here are Mad and Nikki modeling their fabulous 80's inspired dance costumes.
Despite the snowy roads, Mad got lots of family support from Denice and Eisley, Deb, Grandma, Mom, Olivia and Harrison. Ed was even able to sneak away from work long enough to see Maddie's class perform. Maddie did great, especially considering the only dance class she ever took prior to this was a little community ed class when she was 3.

Hip-Hop Dance Performance

2009-12-14T20:42:00.000-07:00

Darling Little Gifts

2009-12-09T20:55:00.005-07:00

My wonderfully talented and thoughtful cousin Nichole volunteered to set up a mini photo studio at the family Christmas party last weekend and did a mini-session for each family. She got a darling photo of each of our most precious gifts.

Harrison is the toughest to photograph because of his automatic camera smile that magically appears whenever the lens cap comes off. I stood next to Nichole and talked to him while she shot away. This is actually a fairly natural smile from him because he was laughing at his mom.
Sweet little Livi bug. She's always so photogenic. She really did just get a haircut last week. She is growing her hair out again so she can donate to Locks of Love for a second time. Olivia has a very good heart.

Maddie is so comfortable in front of a camera, Nichole was able to just shoot away as Maddie responded to the peanut gallery in the room. I laughed when I looked through her photos because the facial expressions are so varied. Mad has grown up so quickly - 13 1/2 already!

Thank you Nichole! I love these.

Have a Heart - bid on Thatcher's Tree

2009-12-07T22:26:00.003-07:00

Visit www.thatcherstreehouse.blogspot.com for details. This tree is being auctioned off to help raise funds to keep our dear friends, the Nelsons, youngest son insured for another month.

Evans Family Christmas Party

2009-12-07T21:42:00.003-07:00

What fun at the extended Evans Family Christmas Party. I was a slacker and didn't get my camera out until we were all in the gym for games so I didn't get a wide variety of photos this year. Cousin Kurt and his sweet wife Michelle drove up from St. George for the weekend and it was wonderful to have them here for the party again. Maddie was happy to have her texting buddy, cousin Jackson, with her to hang out for a few hours. We haven't seen them since our visit to St. George last March.Brit and Maddie

Cute cute cousins - Taylor, Austen and Charly

Sara and Ally

Rachel, enjoying the jumbo candy cane she got in the present game.

Deb and Eisley

Sweet mama Denice with her birdie girl

Keira was so cute all night. She was dressed in a darling red Christmas dress and was so talkative. Kurt and Michelle performed for everyone, donning elf hats for one of their songs. During the after party clean-up, Keira spotted the hats on the stage and had to model each hat for me. This was our favorite.

New Challenge, New Opportunity

2009-12-03T22:37:00.002-07:00

In light of the current economic situation, I remind myself each day to be grateful for the fact that I have a decent job. While I enjoy the challenge of managing labor, there are days when I would happily walk away from the stress and pressure of trying to keep up with everything. The past few weeks have been incredibly stressful as Acosta began the realignment of the labor structure. I have worked as the Intermountain West Unit Manager for the SuperValu banner for the past 2 years. There were 4 other Unit Managers in our region so everyone knew there would be job cuts as part of the restructuring. I hoped that my performance and success in managing the unique and rarely consistent piece that is SuperValu would help to secure me a place in the new plans.

The new assignments are being released and I have been given a new assignment to be the Area Manager for the Kroger banner. I will be the point person who interacts with the Kroger team for all reset and project work that needs to be done in the Western region. It's overwhelming as I survey all that I need to learn but I know I can do it. I will also be the point person for SuperValu for the first few weeks so if I seem a bit blurry eyed next time you see me, you'll know why. Besides the change in accounts, we will be switching to a geographic assignment for associates we manage. I will no longer be the direct supervisor for associates in Montana, which is, quite frankly, a relief! It's a beautiful place to visit - a nearly impossible place to find relatively sane employees in! I don't know my exact geographic assignment yet but I do know I'll be managing associates closer to home. It will be tough to say goodbye to some of my best employees in Idaho, Wyoming, Nevada, etc. but I am looking forward to taking on something new. I will also be the back-up for my supervisor in Denver so I will be working very closely with her over the next few months.

To my knowledge, there will be no pay increase to go with these changes, but I remind myself that I am fortunate to be one of the 3 managers that remain. In times like these, that has to be the reward in and of itself. I am still employed, I have new associates to train and grow with and I have no fear of being bored. The Kroger assignment also completes my banner trifecta - I will be the only IMW manager who has worked Associated Foods/Harmons, SuperValu and Kroger. I may not love every single minute of what I do, but I'm fortunate to have hours where I'm too busy to even worry about whether or not I love it!

Harrison Learns to Ski!!!!!

2009-11-19T21:36:00.002-07:00

Ed took Harrison and Olivia up to Solitude today. There still isn't much snow but there was enough for Harrison to learn to ski. He did great and he loved it!

Anxiously awaiting ski and board season

2009-11-01T22:28:00.002-07:00

Ed is getting all new ski gear for his Christmas this year ... but because ski season starts a month before Christmas, his celebration is starting a bit early! He was admiring the on-line image of his boots and skis that haven't arrived yet. A few minutes later, he was wearing his helmet and goggles. Within seconds, Olivia was in the mud room and returned with her boarding helmet and goggles on. Like father, like daughter!

Halloween Night

2009-11-01T22:14:00.004-07:00

TwilightReady for trick-or-treating - Rylee, Olivia, Tyson and Harrison

Maddie and the boys. She dressed up as a "guy" so she fit right in!

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

2009-10-31T15:57:00.002-06:00

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Separate seeds from stringy core and rinse clean. In a sauce pan, add the seeds to water, about 2 cups of water to each 1/2 cup of seeds. Add 1/2 tablespoon of salt for each cup of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and drain.

Spread a tablespoon of olive oil on the bottom of a roasting pan or baking sheet. Spread the seeds across the bottom of the pan in an even layer. Sprinkle with sea salt to taste. Bake on the top rack until seeds begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and use spatula to stir seeds. Return to oven for another 10 minutes or until browned to your satisfaction. Remove from oven and cool on rack. Let the seeds cool completely before eating.

Delicious!

Cucurbiticide!

2009-10-31T15:15:00.004-06:00

She's all smiles prior to cutting in to her beloved pumpkin.

Don't mess with her ... she has a knife.

Maddie wanted an owl this year. Of course, the pattern I found was too detailed for her to carve so Mom got to do most of the work on this one! I'm anxious to see it lit up tonight.

Harrison wanted a scary pumpkin face

Olivia chose the alien, completed with skewers for antennae.Olivia made this at school. They collected milk cartons and created skeletons, complete with the milk caps for the eyes. Olivia created one of the 5 chosen to be displayed in the main office at school. She brought it home yesterday so we get to use it on the porch.

Halloween Parade 2009

2009-10-31T15:08:00.003-06:00

Pokemon Trainer "Ash" ... you'll never know how happy this little guy was when his costume arrived in the mail.

Our biker mama ... who left her helmet with flames sitting on the bench at home.

Livi with her friends

Keira Recites her Halloween Poems

2009-10-26T21:48:00.002-06:00

Keira has learned some Halloween poems at school that she recited for us last night.

Denice and Eisley are Here!

2009-10-25T21:44:00.003-06:00

Family dinner tonight to celebrate the arrival of Denice and Eisley. I was so happy to get my hands on that baby girl again! She is such a beautiful baby.

Maddie and little man Asher

Uncle Trent teaches Eisley about football

Gorgeous girls - Eisley, Keira and Natalie

Eisley warmed right up to Uncle Ed

Sleepy girl had rosey cheeks and wanted her tights off so she could play with her toes!

Home Cooking

2009-10-25T14:48:00.004-06:00

Ed took Thursday and Friday off from work so we could both be home for a couple of days. Only problem with that is we weren't ever really home so meals consisted of grabbing something on the run or eating out. We were finally home last night so we went grocery shopping together and prepared a big batch of fajitas. Ed thought I was crazy and preparing enough to feed an army - I told him to hush and keep slicing the chicken. When all was said and done, there was just enough left for one of us to take for lunch on Monday! A home cooked meal was just what we both needed. This morning, Ed went for a run and I fixed french toast and sausage. He arrived home to a hot breakfast waiting for him ... just in time for the first football game of the day. As much as I enjoy a break from the daily stress of preparing meals after working all day, it's nice to be back in my own kitchen now that the activities of the past few days have wrapped up.

Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-25T14:47:00.000-06:00

Saturday was a little rainy but we had promised the kids a visit to a pumpkin patch so we braved the mud and each of the kids picked their pumpkin! Carving will commence this Friday.

Layton Park

2009-10-25T13:38:00.004-06:00

Friday afternoon, we drove to Layton to meet up with Brit Barker to have family photos taken. The park was beautiful with autumn colors and a lot of natural elements to keep the kids busy. Maddie found her nemesis in a black swan that would not leave her alone. Charlie dog didn't know what to make of the feeding frenzy going on with the ducks and birds! It was a great park - I can't wait to see how the photos turn out! Maddie met her match! She resorted to jumping on the table and yelling to get the swan away from her.

Harrison found the antics of his sisters and the fowl to be quite amusing!

Me and Charlie dog, relaxing on a rock and taking in the spectacle.

Our sweet Livi Bug

The girl has yet to see a tree that she doesn't want to climb.

Maddie refused to surf the tree like Tarzan. She ruins all my fun!

Witchapalooza at Gardner Village

2009-10-22T20:40:00.009-06:00

We made our annual visit to Gardner Village to see the witches this afternoon. The kids picked a treat from the candy store and we browsed through the different shops. Harrison was darling, posing without complaint and always ready with his camera smile.

Maddie keeps reminding me that she isn't very far from driving age ... although seeing this student driver gave her pause. Harrison has always loved Witchy Poo in the outhouse!

Monday Night Dinner and Football

2009-10-20T11:10:00.002-06:00

It was dinner and Monday Night Football (for the grown-up guys) at the Nelson house last night. Ed and Ryan hid away in the basement media room and the older kids hid away in the bonus room upstairs while Tami and I visited and hung out with little Munchie boy. It was a perfectly relaxing evening.

Autumn

2009-10-18T21:23:00.002-06:00

Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all. ~Stanley Horowitz

I love October. Today was a reminder of all that I love about this time of year. We spent the weekend at Snowbird and took in the amazing leaf show that Mother Nature offers. Harrison said the leaves were the most beautiful he'd ever seen. (Autumn leaf photos in this post were taken by friend Eric LeMonnier) Ed and I went stargazing with Harrison late last night, hiking in to the dark, admiring the Milky Way and seeing the moons of Jupiter. We returned home late this afternoon and I made a big pot of homemade chicken noodle soup. Olivia and Harrison helped to make brown sugar muffins to go with the soup and the house smelled so good! Charlie dog kept standing in front of the oven, looking up and sniffing as the chicken stock simmered and the muffins baked. It was sensory overload for the poor little guy.

I am looking forward to the coming week. I am taking 5 straight days off from work. I'm sure the week will fly by because my list of things to do far exceeds the amount of time I will have! Priority one - getting the flower beds prepared for the winter weather that is coming our way. I'm hoping the days will be a mix of things that I need to do and things that I want to do. However the week turns out, today was a fabulous reminder of why I love to be home.

Best Date Night Ever!

2009-10-03T18:35:00.002-06:00

With the car business being slow and our expendable income virtually non-existent, we haven't been splurging much lately so I was quite surprised when Ed told our friends Danielle and Eric that we'd go to the Ben Harper/Pearl Jam concert with them. We gave up date nights for the month to have the one night out and it was SO WORTH IT! We went to dinner at Tsunami and then to the concert. I was honestly a little disappointed in Ben Harper ... he played a very short set (5 songs?!) that left me feeling more irritated than happy to have seen him. He sounded great and was fairly talkative between songs - I just wish he would have been a little more generous with the set list. Oh well.

After a break that included waiting in a massive line for the restroom and fighting through an impassable crowd to get back to our portal (horrible event center layout ... the lines for the beer cart, ATM machine and concession stand encircled the massive line for the restroom) - Pearl Jam took the stage and proceeded to put on one of the most amazing live shows I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing. Seriously ... they gave the Rolling Stones show a serious challenge for the best live show I've seen. It was a totally different experience from the first time I saw them play in a small, hot, smoke filled club in Seattle a million years ago. I have to say, Eddie Vedder has only gotten better with age. They played for more than 2 hours and then came out for a double encore. My favorite moment? If I have to choose one ... a fan was introduced and invited on stage so he could propose marriage to his girlfriend. Then they were serenaded by Eddie Vedder, alone on a stool with an acoustic guitar, as he sang "Just Breathe" - my favorite song from their new release. A beautiful song that I have found myself listening to multiple times a day all week. (See song 1 on my playlist below)

The only thing I would have changed about Monday night - I wish I could have been standing front and center rather than watching from our seats! This photo is from the Salt Lake show.

Bug Boy

2009-09-26T14:07:00.003-06:00

The bug infestation that we've seen over the past few weeks has been a huge source of entertainment for Harrison. Thanks to his fresh supply of bug containers from Grandma Karen, he has had a great time catching different bugs to study and scare his sisters with before setting the bugs free.

Fun with Charlie Dog

2009-09-26T13:49:00.003-06:00

Barking at mom to play fetch with his toy squirrel. Charlie loves to play fetch and will drop a ball or his squirrel at my feet several times a day, urging me to play. The barking starts if I don't respond quickly!Worn out for a minute, but not too tired to jaw on the squirrel.

Happy boy

Newest Additions

2009-09-26T11:06:00.003-06:00

Olivia came home from school yesterday with a new friend she named Roger. Because Roger arrived with only the plastic bag he was swimming in, a quick trip to PetCo was in order. That meant picking additional friends for Roger who the kids have named Blaze, Tyler and Shatter.

Of course, this meant Maddie needed something of her own if Olivia and Harrison had goldfish. Maddie chose a new Betta now that she has finally recovered from the untimely demise of her beloved Betta Mike who was unfortunately killed when a cousin tried to play with him by taking him out of his bowl. Her new fish buddy has been given the moniker Jacques Pierre, perfectly suited for his luxurious abode in her stylish boudoir.

Homeboy Won a Medal!

2009-09-19T13:00:00.004-06:00

Ed participated in his first Triathlon this morning and took 3rd place for his age group - finishing in 1 hour 15 min. He was so nervous last night, I was happy to see him relax once the race was behind him!
Olivia and Keira having fun while we waited along the bike route. Ed coming around the bend to finish up the run ... the last leg of the triathlon.

Getting a congratulatory hug from mom.

Talking about the race.

My friend (and BYU alumn) Amy finished in 1 hour 30 minutes. She was happy to see Dad in his BYU blue.

Ed collects his medal

Not bad for his first attempt. Now he's caught the bug and is anxious to plan for the next event.

Great job Ed!!!!! We're proud of you!!!!! Thanks everyone who gave up your Saturday morning to come out to cheer him on.

For Denice

2009-09-13T22:03:00.002-06:00

Thinking of you today Den ... you're always in our hearts.

The turning point in the process of growing up is when you discover the core of strength within you that survives all hurt. ~ Max Lerner, The Unfinished Country

The robbed that smiles, steals something from the thief. ~ Williams Shakespeare, Othello

If one dream should fall and break into a thousand pieces, never be afraid to pick one of those pieces up and begin again. ~ Flavia Weedn

Birthday Party for Grandma Dykes

2009-09-13T20:44:00.005-06:00

I got an earful from Melinda last weekend when I failed to bring my camera to the family party so she didn't get to see any photos from the get-together! Determined not to let her down again, the camera was out and I got lots of fun shots at the 88th birthday party for Grandma Dykes that was held this evening. Grandma got quite emotional when we all sang to her. Cassie made her a beautiful book with wonderful photos from different times in Grandma's life accompanied by heartfelt words. It was very touching. The kids had a blast playing with cousins and the weather couldn't have been more perfect.

Megan and Cody enjoy a private moment with baby Senya still incubating away (give mama a few more weeks little girl!)

Asher was thrilled to play in the sand with the big kids.

I asked Keira for a smile and this is what I got ... googly eyes and a smirk. She looks so much like Trent!

I paid a dollar to get this photo. Keira tried to run away when we told her I was going to take a family picture. I got her to come back when I promised to give her "moneys" for her bank. It was worth every penny - this is a stinkin' cute picture!

Managed to get one more photo out of her when I reminded her of the dollar in her pocket.

Sleepy little mister was so sweet tonight. I had so much fun with him.

Megan and Papa Ray.

Grandma with some of her kids. These Dykes folks are not easy to get a photo of.

We can always count on Uncle Paul to liven up the photos! I didn't tell the kids that Cassie and Paul were coming to Salt Lake so the minute Olivia saw them pull in to the parking lot, she flew off the playground to go hug her beloved Paul.

Sweet girls with balloons.

Me and my girls with Grandma.

Me with Grandma Max.

Some of the sisters with Grandma. I was so happy that Michelle and Cassie were both there - they had a long drive back to Salt Lake after their vacation to Cannon Beach last week.

This was too funny. As we were preparing to leave, I told Harrison to give loves goodbye. Aunt Deb modeled his glasses - they look pretty good on her!

It's not nice to give one Aunt loves and not the others. Harrison rolled his eyes and said "It's like pinball and all of the Aunts are kissing me!" Cass was laughing so hard!

Aunt Michelle needed a turn. I love this photo - her expression looking at Har-bear is very sweet.

He pretends to not like it but deep down, I know he LOVES it!

Back To Middle School

2009-08-30T22:29:00.002-06:00

My 8th Grader! Maddie and NikkiMaddie returned home from her trip the day before school started. She is excited for her theatre and French language classes. She is also on the stage crew so she is looking forward to running the sound board and missing class for assemblies!

How I Spent My Summer Vacation ...

2009-08-30T22:14:00.002-06:00

So Maddie turned 13 in May and I have said several times that I needed to redecorate her bedroom to something more age appropriate. The girls swapped bedrooms in late spring so Maddie had the pastel striped bedroom and bunny hutch dresser. She has wanted a Paris themed bedroom and wanted purple. She left town for her trip and I started my quest to create a gorgeous, teen bedroom with little budget but cheap labor. I found bedding and a headboard at outlet stores, the vanity desk and chair at a discount retailer, and accessories at IKEA. I painted for 3 days ... covered the sky ceiling, sanded the stripes, painted the walls a lovely purple and taupe gray and repainted the dresser. New hardware went on the dresser, Ed replaced the ceiling fixture with the chandelier and I found the perfect finishing piece with the blossom pillow for the bed. The completion came so down to the wire, Ed drove to the airport to pick up Maddie while I stayed home to finish putting her bed up and getting everything in place. She was surprised and loves it. It really is a pretty room. I'm hoping it will inspire her to keep it clean. Only problem now is the other two kids are asking when I am going to re-do their bedrooms!

Maddie's Big Adventure

2009-08-30T21:41:00.008-06:00

As some of you know, Maddie recently returned from a 10 day trip to visit her Aunt Melinda in Washington, D.C. Maddie has been saving money for 2 years to buy a plane ticket. This was her first experience flying alone and going on an adventure all by herself. Her plans for the trip were as varied as the moods are for a 13 year-old. By priority, she wanted to visit the Holocaust Museum, the Smithsonian, Carlo's Bake Shop (from the television show Cake Boss), and F.A.O. Schwartz (for the big piano).

I wanted Maddie to write the journaling for this blog post but she was tired and succinct. "It was hot, humid, and a lot of fun." As you can see, a lot of the enjoyment came with food. They cooked lobster tails and indulged in junk food. Maddie was so excited to call me the day they had french fries and pudding for lunch. She over-indulged on the bake shop goodies and called me crying when she had an upset stomach.

Maddie happened to arrive while Trent and Natalie were in D.C. for the Subway convention so she got to spend an afternoon with them. She and Keira had a fabulous time together. I love the photo of them reading the paper. Melinda let Maddie raid her closet and model in her Italian shoes. Melinda was a spectacular host and tour guide. Maddie loved the trip and it was a wonderful experience for her to see historic sites, wander through the MOMA, see the painting Starry Starry Night, take a boat ride in Central Park, text message her mom as she traveled through the Lincoln Tunnel, etc. It was a trip that I'm sure she'll never forget. Thanks Melinda!

11th Birthday Celebration Dinner

2009-08-25T23:24:00.004-06:00

No birthday is complete without a celebratory dinner. Olivia wanted a place with a festive birthday dessert so we stopped at Red Robin on our way home from the zoo. Our waiter did not disappoint ... Maddie told her she'd get a hot fudge sundae. Instead, Olivia was treated to the dessert of her dreams! It's as big as her head!She destroyed it! She did eventually realize that she couldn't eat all of it by herself so she allowed Mom and Dad to try a couple of bites. A sweet celebration for a very sweet girl. Happy birthday Livi!

Birthday Trip to Hogle Zoo

2009-08-25T23:23:00.000-06:00

Olivia wanted to visit Hogle Zoo for her birthday. The weather couldn't have been more perfect - mid 80s and our late arrival time meant we avoided the crowds that we typically deal with at the zoo. The animals were active and we got to see the new arrivals to the zoo. Olivia loved the baby giraffe and snow leopard. We went to the zoo for Olivia's first birthday so it was fun to revisit 10 years later. She didn't scream for us to let her climb in with the bears this time!

Happy 11th Birthday Olivia!

2009-08-25T22:27:00.003-06:00

Olivia turned 11 years old today. She woke up this morning to a new mountain bike ... no more borrowing Maddie's bike!

The jewelry box that she wanted! A bike lock to keep the new bike safe when she rides it to school.A snow globe to add to her collection. Maddie bought this at the Smithsonian.Liv and MarleeOlivia also got school clothes from Grandpa and Grandma, fancy chopsticks from Aunt Melinda, and a giftcard to Target from Keira. As a special surprise, Marlee and Kaitlin stopped by tonight and gave Olivia two shirts from Aeropostale that will be darling on her.

Happy birthday Olivia! You are such a sweet and loving daughter and sister. You are smart, funny and adventurous. I love being your mom and marvel at the spunky girl who used to be so quiet and shy. You are kind and thoughtful, which will serve you well in life. You are strong willed and strong in spirit which will help you through the rough times. Continue to explore your love of nature and trying new things. Have a wonderful year and enjoy being a 6th grader! You are an amazing daughter, trusted friend, loyal sister and loving cousin. You are many things to many people, but mostly you are loved. Happy birthday sweetheart!

Back To School (already!)

2009-07-27T23:35:00.003-06:00

Where has the time gone? My sweet little Livi who had a death grip around my leg when it was her first day of kindergarten is now a mature 6th grader who jumped out of the car and took off for class without even glancing behind her for one last goodbye. Today was the first day of school for Olivia and Harrison. Harrison said his first day of the 3rd grade was good. He's a boy - I was a lucky to get a one word response and not just a shrug of the shoulders!

Olivia was pretty irritated with the whole picture posing thing - she just wanted to get to school!

Ed's 40th Birthday Trip

2009-07-27T22:33:00.004-06:00

Ed and I just spent a wonderful weekend in the beautiful city of San Francisco to celebrate his 40th birthday. Ed had never been there before so we enjoyed 3 1/2 days of exploring the city, visiting different landmarks and indulging in fabulous food. We arrived Thursday in the late morning with the only hiccup being our late departure out of Salt Lake due to fog in San Francisco. We stayed at the InterContinental San Francisco hotel and had a beautiful room with a view of the bay and the north end of the city. They were able to get us an early check-in so we dropped our bags and proceeded to walk 6 miles - first stop, Nob Hill and Grace Cathedral ... my favorite place in the city

Friday was a cold and foggy day. We had a wonderful breakfast at a local cafe and then our adventure began ... taking city transit to the Golden Gate Bridge. After determining we really were in the right place to catch the bus and finding out after 45 minutes of waiting that there were 4 different routes that would get us where we needed to go ... and seeing Sharon Stone's ex-husband walk out of the San Fran Chronicle building and me almost losing my fabulous breakfast on the sidewalk after getting up close and personal with crazy rat lady (think crazy cat lady only with rodents - sharing her drink with them - and I really don't do rodents) and figuring out where to stand near the bus stop so we could flag down the approaching bus (they don't stop unless you jump in front of them) without standing where the urine odor was most oppressive - after all of that, it was a pleasure to climb on to a rather nice bus and ride to the bridge! Despite the temperature barely creeping past 60 and the wind, we were intrepid and set off to walk across the bridge.

Along with all of these other people and hundreds of bicyclists who were rather irritated by all of the pedestrians.

We made it to the other side, enjoyed a potty break, picture break and then buttoned up to walk back across only this time walking in to the wind! Brrrr! I did find it rather refreshing though, seeing that I felt COLD at the end of July! Especially considering it was over 100 degrees at home right at that moment!After our bridge adventure, it was off to the wharf - via cable car. This required venturing in to the heart of Union Square and getting yelled at by a homeless vet because we wouldn't tip him for telling us where a Wells Fargo was. Not that we'd asked him. Not that he told us any correct information either. The pan handling was much more aggressive than I'd ever seen it there in the past. Symptom of the current economy? It was fun to see the old school style to turn the cars around - wooden rotating platform.

Ed's first cable car ride

The view up the hill. We had a great dinner at the wharf but that was all that we did there. It was so cold and windy, we raced back to the cable car line and danced around to the melodies of a street musician to keep warm while we waited our turn. We were the fortunate two who got to stand at the back of the car going back to Union Square and enjoyed a lively conversation with the rear cable car operator.

Saturday was another full day. We took the cable car to North Beach and walked to Washington Park, then on to Coit Tower.

They aren't kidding about the stairs.

Lots and lots of stairsThe gorgeous panoramic views from the top of the tower make the hike up the hill well worth it!

The sun was out and it was a beautiful day. Golden Gate Bridge was nearly obscured by fog but we had clear views of everything else.We stopped at a small Italian cafe for lunch - a tiny, family owned place where we were the only customers who spoke English. Amazing food. Then it was more walking through Little Italy and we worked our way to Lombard Street. We'd seen it from the top during cable car rides but you have to see it from the bottom to truly appreciate it. Of course, the approach from the bottom means you have to hike to get there. I earned every blister on my heels!

Sunday morning, the sun was out, the temperature was absolutely perfect, and it was time for us to go home. We snuck in one more walk to South Park and enjoyed brunch in a quaint French bistro. We were both feeling more homesick than we'd realized when we both melted at the sight of a Westie tied to the fence outside the bistro. The San Fran marathon was Sunday morning so we weren't able to make our originally planned trip to Golden Gate park because that part of the city was closed off for the runners but we were able to see a lot of the city in the short time that we were there. We had managed to go our entire trip without seeing any of the stereo-typical residents that come to mind when singing YMCA, until our shuttle trip back to the airport. Suddenly, there on the street corner near the Mission district, full black leather regalia, guy after guy like they'd just gotten out of a meeting. It was the perfect send off!

The Rose Garden

2009-07-03T23:56:00.004-06:00

We were only able to take a few photos in the Rose Garden because there was a wedding ceremony and a professional photo shoot taking place as we were there so we were trying to stay out of the way as much as possible! Here is my beautiful Olivia Rose in the rose gardens.

Back to Manito Park

2009-07-03T23:18:00.005-06:00

Denice and Noah wanted Mom and Dad to see Manito Park so we spent Thursday afternoon having fun. We stopped at the dental office where Denice works so she could show off Asher and Eisley. Then we stopped for a quick headshaving (pics of Harrison from Wednesday to Thursday will explain that) and picked up lunch at Subway. From there, we wound our way to Manito Park and spent a fabulous afternoon enjoying a picnic lunch and wandering through the gardens. I so wish there was a place like that near home. The towering trees, shaded lawn, gorgeous gardens, park cafe ... it is heavenly. I envy all of the homeowners who live along the park. If I ever move to Spokane, I know the neighborhood I'd be drawn to!

Little Eisley wearing lavender for the first time and she looks darling. Asher and Olivia do some exploring

Grandma admires little Eisley Harper

Asher didn't like seeing his Grandma holding a baby

What a coincidence ... the bench where we were eating lunch had a carving that said K heart R

Ash enjoyed a walk around the park pathway with Aunt Tamera

Park pics

2009-07-03T22:56:00.001-06:00

Wednesday afternoon at the local park -

Funny Ash Ash

2009-07-03T22:31:00.003-06:00

Asher was so happy to be out of the car by the time they arrived in Spokane. He was thrilled to see his cousins and even happier to see a keyboard and mouse that he could play with. Once we were back at the hotel, we took Asher to our room so Megan, Mom and Dad could get settled in their room without little man underfoot. Meg was concerned about his safety so the kids created a pillow fort for little mister, which he found to be hilarious fun.

I think he's going to be an orthodontist when he grows up.Tuckered out after a long day on the road, Megan and Asher snuggled up poolside after we had a spaghetti dinner.

Grandpa and Grandma Meet Eisley

2009-07-03T12:43:00.002-06:00

Hello Gorgeous!

I got all of the initial greeting photos on Denice's camera but here are a couple of shots of mom and dad with Eisley the day they arrived in Spokane.

How To Distract Children

2009-07-01T20:18:00.004-06:00

JUST ADD WATER!

We were waiting for Mom and Dad to arrive in Spokane with Megan and Asher. We weren't sure when they would arrive so we tried to stay close so we'd be here for them to see Eisley as soon as they got to town. We walked from Denice and Noah's to their favorite local coffee spot called The Shop. It's a cool, hip local that used to be an auto repair shop so it has the big garage doors and industrial interior. I had a delicious Irish Cream iced latte. We then walked over the the Perry Street cafe and had a yummy lunch. The cafe owners were darling and ooh'd and aah'd over the baby. The owner washed her hands and held the baby while we ate! On the walk back to the house, we stopped at a park and the kids spied the splash pad. They were drenched! They let the sun dry them a bit and then we stripped them down back at the house while everything went straight to the dryer. It was fun to see them having such a good time. Harrison will be getting a new pair of shoes tomorrow - his didn't really survive the drenching.

Manito Park

2009-07-01T18:58:00.005-06:00

Denice and Noah took us to see Manito Park Tuesday afternoon because I have always loved her photos of the area. It was nice to walk around and stretch our legs after being in the car all morning. We didn't get photos in the Rose Garden but we'll go back this week so there will be more photos to come. These are all photos taken in the Japanese garden.

Meeting Eisley Giddings

2009-07-01T18:39:00.003-06:00

We arrived in Spokane Tuesday afternoon and went straight to Denice and Noah's house. They had gone to the grocery store so we waited patiently and were rewarded with the most beautiful baby girl. Eisley is a perfect baby with lovely skin and gorgeous hair.

Olivia had to bring Little Piggie, her gift at birth from Aunt Denice, to meet Aunt Denice's little girl. We brought a new Little Piggie for Eisley to have and love.

Summer Storms and Double Rainbows

2009-06-26T21:24:00.002-06:00

Our strange summer weather continues. A storm brought heavy rainfall this evening, followed by an amazing double rainbow that spanned the valley. The light was almost eerie and the photos in no way do it justice. The rainbow had moments of vivid brilliance and then disappeared as the sunlight faded and clouds covered the sky.

Michael Jackson Dies at Age 50

2009-06-25T20:44:00.004-06:00

Unexpected news this afternoon that music legend Michael Jackson has died at the age of 50 after going in to cardiac arrest. His conflicting legacy makes me feel sad. I LOVED Michael Jackson - I remember listening to Off The Wall and being blown away by his talent. It wasn't the vapid disco melodies that caught my ear but his vocal prowess. Then came Thriller and thus began the King of Pop! My sisters can attest to my obsession. My basement bedroom walls had been our canvas of graffiti on drywall - it was soon covered floor to ceiling with Michael posters and magazine pages. Eventually, even the ceiling was papered. I had the pictures, pins, jacket, albums, etc. I remember watching him perform Billie Jean on a televised tribute to Berry Gordy and doing the moonwalk for the first time. I was at Kim Uriarti's house and couldn't believe what I had just seen.

Sadly, his musical, performing and business brilliance were overshadowed in later years by his difficulties; legal, financial and self-image issues. My children have no concept of Michael Jackson as anything other than a punchline. During his child molestation trial, Maddie said his mug shot was freaky and I remember telling her what an extraordinary talent he had been and what an amazing performer he was. I can't help but feel he was a child who never got to be a child who became a man who didn't know how to be a man. He was iconic, he was odd, he was reclusive. It's heartbreaking to know that he will be remembered as much for his tabloid tales as he will for changing the face of music. Artistically, he rocked my world. May he rest in peace.

Celebrating Fathers

2009-06-22T00:23:00.005-06:00

Happy Father's Day! Ed enjoyed a relaxing day at home. He was treated to a nice brunch and then watched golf. We went to visit my dad in the early evening. Megan and Cody just found out they are having a baby girl so it was fun to see them and hear about the ultrasound.

Keira didn't get her full nap today but she perked up here and there. She was happy to see her cousins.Little Mister was so funny - he was jabbering away at me like he knew exactly what he was telling me. I love the expression on his face.

Ed and Livi

Ed and Harry

Ed and Maddie

Me with my Dad who still pulls me on to his knee!

Cute dad Trent with Natalie and Keira

I love my dad for the man he is and example that he always set. I was blessed with a father who loved the mother of his children. He is the kindest and most giving person I have ever known.

My beloved husband and father of my children. He works every day to set a fine example for our children to aspire to.

Lunch With Friends

2009-06-22T00:08:00.003-06:00

Kristi and Dave Sewell invited some of the old gang over for lunch yesterday. Eric Taylor, master of the grill and smoker, has been harangued by me for months to make brisket so he prepared his 24 hour smoked brisket and specialty Yum sauce for the event. Brooke was in town from Seattle with her family so it was a relaxing afternoon of visiting with friends and eating some truly fabulous food.
L-R: Eric, Kristi, Me, DaveMe, Kristi, Brooke, AleishaMaddie was thrilled to find a perfect pair of cherries, complete with leaf attached.Eric models his Yum sauce for me. Ed had to work but sent me with explicit instructions to come home with brisket for him. That was his Father's Day gift request!This is the house next to Dave and Kristi's. I don't know what it is about it but I have always loved it. It has great curb appeal and a stunning backyard. It looks like my ideal family home that I envisioned when I was very young.

Weekend in Dallas

2009-06-21T23:18:00.005-06:00

It was time for the annual Girl's Weekend and this year we all met up in Dallas, TX. It's always a treat to see my on-line friends and to explore a new destination. We all stayed at Paula's house and had a wonderful time.

We spent Friday, June 12 in downtown Dallas. We braved the 100 degree temperature and 95% humidity as we did a walking tour of the Kennedy memorial sites. It was oddly emotional to see locations that I have seen in photographs and grainy film since I was young. I could feel the hair on my arms stand up when I saw the painted X in the road to mark the location of the first and second shot hitting President Kennedy.

I would have liked to have seen the Kennedy memorial at night - it's lit from within so it gives the appearance of an open tomb floating above the ground.

We finished the day in Dallas with lunch and then shopping in Wild Bill's. I did end up coming home with a hat.

Dinner Friday night in downtown Grapevine. Grapevine Main Street has several restored buildings to maintain the small town feel. It was charming and I found myself feeling like I had been transported in to downtown Mayberry.

Saturday afternoon was spent swimming. Paula has a friend with a very nice backyard pool and she was kind enough to turn over her house for the 12 of us to use. Paula wanted us to experience some country fun so we went to Billy Bob's for our last night in town. Here I am with Lane before we left for the evening.

Having fun with Deana while waiting for dinner.

The dancefloor has a mirror tiled saddle in place of a disco ball.

Saying goodbye is always the hardest part.

Extreme Weather

2009-06-09T18:24:00.005-06:00

The past couple of months have been unusually wet and cool. We have had rain off and on all week but this afternoon, a band of showers came over the Oquirrh Mountains and pounded Herriman. It was a gorgeous, sunny afternoon that suddenly turned dark as the sound of thunder crashed loudly. Harrison was playing out front with the neighbor boys as the skies opened and torrential rain began to fall. Within seconds, hail was pounding the rooftop and windows. The neighbor across the street called to tell me the boys had run in to her house to get out of the rain but Harrison was nervous because "My mom told me to play outside!" He is so good about minding his mama! Olivia and I were home to enjoy the spectacular scene created by Mother Nature. June 9 and it looks like there is snow on the rooftops and lawns.

Hail piled up along the edge of the garage doorLooking over at the neighbor's yardThe back patio under a couple of inches of waterThe deck covered with hailThe back corner - the spillover was coming so quickly from both directions, water was surging up about a foot high where the two streets meet. Thank heaven for good drainage systems.Hail on my roofHail along the front walkwayWater puddling in my front flower beds - the geraniums in the pot are now completely bare ... all of the blossoms were blown away.

Olivia's D.A.R.E. Graduation

2009-06-09T17:50:00.004-06:00

Officer West and Olivia after she received her certificate. I worked from home today so I could attend the ceremony.

Olivia, Officer West and Brighton.

Olivia's 5th grade class had their graduation from the D.A.R.E. program this morning. They have been working with Officer West all year to learn about drug abuse resistance. Great job Olivia!

Maddie's 13th Birthday Party

2009-06-09T17:40:00.002-06:00

Maddie invited friends over for her 13th birthday celebration last Saturday. She decided to play Princess for a day. They had fun with a pinata and then we made "Princess Diaries" - letting them each personalize a notebook with decorative paper before they ate pizza and watched the "Princess Diaries" movie. Then it was cake and ice cream before the girls went home.

Aunt Deb was a special invitee - she gave Maddie a gift certificate to the Coffee Garden ... one of their special aunt/niece get-aways. Maddie likes their vanilla steamers.

First blooms of summer

2009-06-02T20:25:00.005-06:00

I grew up with two grandmothers who gardened. They had very different styles. Grandma Evans had a very manicured, structured garden. I loved her rose bushes and bench under the tree. Grandma Dykes had a very organic, almost bohemian style garden with gorgeous irises, columbines, coral bells, etc. I approached my yard with the memory and love of both gardens, melding the two styles together. I love pulling up to our house after a long day of work and seeing blooms that remind me of each. The roses are now blooming, my day lilies are sunny and the columbine has gone absolutely crazy. I always think that the spring bulbs are my favorite until I see the summer garden in full display. It makes every back breaking hour spent weeding and tending worth the effort.

Family Dinner Photos

2009-05-31T22:05:00.004-06:00

Melinda sent a menu suggestion all the way from Washington D.C. ... grilled pineapple. Derek is having fun with his new smoker/grill and prepared some fabulous pineapple and brisket. Divine.

I had to share this photo because I didn't notice at the time that I took it but HOLY SMOKE! Cody is getting old!

Maddie is excited to FINALLY get her birthday presents! She received some perfume and cash from Grandma and Grandpa. She is saving money for her trip this summer to see Aunt Melinda in D.C.

Perfect gift from Aunt Megan!

We are redecorating Maddie's bedroom to make it age appropriate for a 13 year-old. She has wanted a Parisienne themed room for a couple of years. Grandpa and Grandma gave her these prints for Christmas so we bought frames for them. Special thanks to Aunt Debbie for ruining her manicure to get the prints in the frames for me!

I Can't Get Enough

2009-05-31T21:31:00.003-06:00

I adore this little guy. Asher had so much fun outside while at our house this evening. He was gentle with the flowers on the deck and had fun down on the lawn with his mom and dad. Mister rockin' the faux hawk
My favorite pic of the bunch. I love that face!Asher practices one of his new words on the group, awaiting the reaction!

Snort snorting with his cousin Maddie

Olivia's States Parade

2009-05-30T16:56:00.002-06:00

The 5th grade curriculum covers U.S. History. Students have to memorize the Presidents in order, states by location and state capitols, the Preamble, etc. Each student selects a state to research and they have to complete several assignments about the state history, agriculture, economy, etc. Olivia chose the state of Vermont. At the end of the school year, the 5th grade puts on a program to show the parents all that they have learned. They started off Friday morning with a parade. Each child had to create a "float" for their chosen state and they circled around the building while all of the other students sat and cheered for them. The program following the parade included several songs and spoken parts. Olivia did a great job and didn't even hesitate when it was her turn at the microphone!

I should have gotten a close-up of her diorama at the front of the float. She made different animals using pipe cleaners and they are adorable. Her float also included some Maple Syrup, Ben and Jerry's, Vermont Teddy Bear Factory, green mountains, the Vermont state flag and vintage wooden skis. Lucky mom got to stay up until 2 in the morning assembling everything!

Olivia with her two best girl friends ... Riley and Brighton. My little spunky girl is back to being one of the most petite girls in her grade. She complains about being the shortest but I remind her that great things come in small packages.

Happy 13th Birthday Maddie!

2009-05-30T16:34:00.004-06:00

The day has finally arrived ... Maddie is officially a teenager. Granted, she has been acting like a teenager for several years, so her actual age now matches her attitude! Her friends left her a special birthday message in the driveway Wednesday evening along with a gift at the door - a necklace that she has been wanting.

Thursday morning, Maddie opened her gift from us before she left for school.

Her new cell phone! She's the happiest girl in the world.

Happy 13th Birthday to our beautiful, intelligent, outspoken, loving daughter. You are much loved by friends and family. While the teen years are not always the easiest to navigate, you are confident and caring, challenging and strong. Never lose sight of who you are and never forget who is here for you when you need help along the way.

Keira's New House

2009-05-30T16:22:00.004-06:00

We stopped to see Trent and Natalie's new house last Sunday afternoon. Keira was thrilled to have cousins there and gave us a tour of the new place. The kids loved the basketball game in the movie room. It was the first time that I have seen Harrison shoot hoops since he was a toddler with his little plastic standard. The sun was very bright but the kids were good sports and tried to pose for us.

Harrison's Wax Museum

2009-05-23T09:58:00.002-06:00

The second grade had a special "book report" project this month. Each child had to read up on a famous person and create a fact poster. Yesterday they did a "wax museum" exhibit where they posed as their chosen person. Harrison had a difficult time choosing who he wanted to do his report on, exasperating his mother who didn't want it left until the last minute. I called Harrison Tuesday afternoon after school and said, "Buddy, you need to choose what you are going to do." He said "Oh, I told Miss Taylor who I am going to do today."
Huh?!
"I told her I'm going to be Jack Johnson."
~insert sigh of relief here~
Perfect! No elaborate costume to come up with. No homework for mom to do!

Harrison helped choose photos for his poster and told me which facts he wanted to include. He liked the fact that Jack's professional surfing career ended after a spill that required nearly 150 stitches ... I think Harrison felt like a kindred spirit since he had to get stitches following the dog attack incident. Harrison helped to write a 30 second blurb about Jack Johnson that he had to recite when a museum visitor pushed his "yellow button" on his shirt.

The wax museum was fun ... there were several Tony Hawks, Amelia Earharts, etc. but only ONE Jack Johnson!

S'mores!

2009-05-18T20:07:00.006-06:00

What could be better after a long afternoon of socializing, eating and playing? After spending Sunday afternoon at the Nelson house for a Olympus High School reunion barbecue, everyone else had left and it was just the "cousins" gathering around the fire pit. After some "persistent" prodding from my kids, I drove home to get the fixings for s'mores and the kids were thrilled. It was the perfect ending to a fabulous day.

"Cousins at heart" Thatcher, Dakota, Maddie, Sawyer, Harrison, Dallas and Olivia

Tami says "Yum!"

I was happy to see it's not just my children who love to play with fire!

Don't you just want to smooch these cheeks?!

Harrison has had plenty of chocolate at this point!

Mother's Day 2009

2009-05-16T09:35:00.002-06:00

I know that I am immensely blessed to be a mother. Having grown up not knowing if I'd ever be physically able to have children, I know that these three are indeed my miracles. I never doubted that I would be a mother one way or another, but they are the children that I was meant to have. Ed needed children that he recognized himself in. I love their spirited and curious nature. I had a wonderful Mother's Day, beginning with a fabulous breakfast that Ed cooked up all by himself. I was treated to pancakes, turkey bacon, strawberries, blueberry scones, orange juice and coffee. Oh ... and CRAB LEGS! My Mother's Day gift ... flowers for the yard and new sheets for my bed. Sweet!
We are focusing most of our attention on the yard right now so we spent the afternoon at a local Garden Center and bought some more plants and supplies for the beds. We went to see my mom and ate lunch at their house. Aunt Deb had taken Maddie for a fun weekend sleepover so they met us there and Deb took some family photos for me.

It's a challenge to get a photo of Harrison sometimes. If he is tired of posing, he starts doing his fake smile/crazy eye thing. Taking a break to ham it up with Deb was just what he needed!

Not quite the family photo that I wanted ... you can see what I mean about Harrison!

The best photo is the new one at the top of the blog. Eventually, we will find a time to schedule a real family photo session. No fake smiles or crazy eyes allowed.

Clay's 40th Birthday Fiesta

2009-05-16T09:07:00.004-06:00

It's the year of turning 40 for Ed and several of his friends. We went to a 40th birthday Fiesta for our friend Clay Williams. Ed went to school with Clay and they worked at the Training Table Restaurants together for years. Clay's lovely wife Ashley always goes all out for entertaining and this party was no exception. There was good food and drinks, a pinata for the kids and 3 different desserts. It was a fabulous way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Olivia kept stealing the birthday sombrero from Clay. Truthfully, I don't think he was too put out. He said it looked better on her!

Maddie and her daddy look so much alike.

Awwww, sweet sisters. At least they were sweet long enough to take a photo.

True story ... the pinata was killed after the first 5 of 6 kids took some good swings. Not wanting to be left out of the fun, the girls talked the adults into rigging it back up and swatted at the empty carcass. Being my children with ample pinata experience, they also knew exactly what to do with all of the severed parts. (see below)

Yes Mother, they did want to bring all of the broken pinata parts home with us. No, they did not. We managed to spirit those "treasures" into the garbage can before we got in the car!

I Should Also Mention ...

2009-05-02T22:16:00.003-06:00

Huge kudos to my brother Trent (right) because he had graciously and generously donated food from Subway for Susan J. Komen Race for the Cure volunteers. So many people donate time and services behind the scenes without recognition or reward. When I asked Trent if he and his business partner would be willing to help us a little and point us toward other franchise owners, he was so gracious and donated exactly what we needed for the volunteers to have food while they prepare everything for the race next weekend. I got so many thank-you's today at the luncheon when people found out it was my brother so THANK YOU Trent! I love you not only for what you bring to my life and our family but for all of the good that you do for the community, much of which we rarely hear about. You are an AMAZING person and I am so proud of the man that you have become.