Circus

I have been terrible about posting on my blog.  I have a pretty good stack of pictures that need to be posted.  I will try and get caught up.

A few months ago we went to the circus with my family.  The kids loved it.  I haven't been to a circus in years and I have to say it was a lot of fun.  Grant's favorite part was the motorcycles that ran drove around the big metal ball.  It was loud, but pretty cool.  I don't think anyone could pay me enough to ride a motorcycle in a ball with 5 other motorcycles.

The kids walked down to the floor before the show started.  They were able to see some of the animals up close.  The elephants were pretty cool!

We were sitting in the back and so the kids could see better if they stood up.  Kyle was the favorite lap to stand on.  

2010: A Fair Performance

I know it is almost the end of January and while everyone else's New Year Resolutions are almost forgotten I am just getting started.  (I don't know which is better.)

My first goal for 2010 were to start some family history work.  I did get an account on the family history website.  I did index a few names, actually a couple hundred names.  And that is where it stops.  I really tried to get some of my own history done, but my family members weren't very helpful.  I will continue to index for now.

Holding FHE every night has been a joke.  I have read the Book of Mormon with Grant a few times.  I do try to talk about the principles of the gospel when ever I get a chance.  The FHE thing is hard right now because I can't even get Kyle to come to church more than once every three months.  It is super hard to implement spiritual things at home with no support.  I will keep trying.

I have tried to share my testimony more often.  I have a neighbor I have become pretty good friends with.  I  finally mustered the courage to ask her to church.  She hasn't come yet, but I have invited her a lot.

I ran a 10K this year!  The Peach Days 10K was a beast.  I did pretty good.  I ran it in exactly 60 minutes.  I was super excited.  The whole last 2 miles are up hill.  I was pretty proud of myself for accomplishing such a big goal.

The last goal I had was to get a website up and running.  Well, there is a website.  It is up and running.  It just sucks.  I don't like how it turned out.  I don't find it very functional.  I don't know what to do with it now except quit.  I hate to quit because I put a lot of time and effort into the thing.  I just think it is awful.

Now,  I haven't been sure what I want to do this year, which is why I haven't posted my goals up for the year.  Our lives are up in the air right now.   The future at ATK is still uncertain.  Kyle has looked for jobs in Colorado, Idaho, and Utah.  It is still possible we could move to Idaho, but nothing is for sure yet.   I have thought about changing my job, but I am not exactly sure what I want to do if I did change.  I would like to do a little traveling this year, but again Kyle's job is really uncertain right now and so we are not sure if we should spend a lot of money traveling.


I can make a few personal goals that will be attainable no matter what happens.

My goals for 2011
1. I would like to read the Book of Mormon again.  Cover to cover.
2. Continue to work out 3 times a week.
3. Clean out my Slumber Party stock.  I hope to make money off of at least some of it.

A Couple of Keepers

Kyle's uncle passed away right after Thanksgiving.  I really don't like people passing away between the holidays.  It can really put a damper on things.   It is so hard to be happy for the holidays when the people you love are missing.  I think it just isn't right.  This next statement is going to sound a little hypocritical, but I really enjoy funeral services.  Now I don't like the reason we are there or the heartbreak and sorrow that is felt.  I am not the morbid.  I do like the spirit of peace that is often at funerals.  It reminds me how small and insignificant this life is compared to eternity.  I am reminded at how lucky we are to believe in heaven.  I know we will get to see our lost friends and family again.  I like that reminder.  It really shoots my life back into perspective. (Maybe that is why it is ok for people to pass away during the holiday season.)

On a lighter note...
I took some pictures at the funeral services.  As I was editing them I found some real keepers.  I thought I would share.  ENJOY!

Great Grandpa Al.  (I always seem to get really good pictures of him at funerals.)

Kyle, Grant, and Lee (Grant is "cheesing" for the camera)

This really doesn't need any type of caption.  It is just cute.  I took this at the graveside service.

This is a question for anyone who has ever taken pictures for a funeral before.  I sort of feel like taking pictures at a funeral is a little irreverent.  I feel it would be like clapping during sacrament meeting. Does anyone else feel the same way?

Christmas

I absolutely have to get these pictures up before January 25!  It will not take me a month to get these pictures up.  At our house Christmas is a 3 day extravaganza!  It starts on Christmas Eve.

Christmas Eve we spend the day with Art and Irene, Grant's great grandma and grandpa.  We eat dinner and open a few gifts.  Art and Irene haven't been able to go shopping the last few years so the adults get money, not complaining, except Kyle usually spends mine.  Oh well.  Grant spent most of the time on the floor playing with his cars.

Irene got him a really nice suit for church (better pictures are below).  You can tell how excited he was about it.

Grant helping Art open a present.  Grant is a very good helper.  If you aren't fast enough he will take the initiative to help you out.

Christmas Day starts at our house.  I didn't take any pictures because we had the video camera out.  We then head down to Cindy's in the afternoon.  This year was very nice because we got to talk to Chris.  He is on his mission in Bolivia.  

Opening presents at lightening speed.

It was so relaxing to just spend the rest of the day at Cindy's.  Grant's favorite gifts were two puzzles.  He really didn't want to open anything else.  He just wanted to go to his puzzles.  

The day after Christmas or "Boxing Day", whichever you prefer, is spent at my parents.  Since it fell on a Sunday we joined my family at church.  This is Grant in his nice suit.  Evy was wearing a beautiful snowflake dress.  We thought they looked so cute together.  Such silly cousins.

Evy with all of her new toys and completely crashed after the excitement died down.

Grant playing with his cars mat and cars.  I love the bum in the air.  So cute.

There you have it.  Our Christmas in a nutshell.  We hope you holiday was as fun as ours.

The Zippy Decade

Who knows what they will call this decade, but I can't believe everything that has happened!  (I will do the last year in another post.)

2000:
I graduated from High School.
I was able to tour Europe with my mom and Grandma.  One of the sweetest vacations of my entire life.
The beginning of a long road of college education as a freshman at USU.  The biggest accomplishment being I survived ComdDe 2500 with Vicki Simonsmeier- the lady from h-e- double hockey stick.

2001
I moved in with 5 girls at the beginning of the school year.  It was a real personal and spiritual challenge living with 3 of them.  I really grew up a lot.
After a few months of looking I couldn't find a job anywhere in Logan and started a 3 year career at Convergys.


2002
I wished my dear sweet boyfriend the best of luck on his mission.
I witnessed the Winter Olympic Games in our own back yard.
I moved in with my dear friends Jill and Leslie

2003
I graduated with my Bachelor's Degree in Communication Disorders.
I somehow managed to survive and entire summer living in Ogden and driving to Logan for work by 5 AM.  So, yes I left Ogden at about 345 AM.
I decided it wasn't worth driving to Logan every day all summer so I found a summer apartment and had a great time.
Started graduate school.
I welcomed my dear missionary home.

2004
I went through the temple for myself on March 17.  It was one of the most memorable days of my life.
Kyle and I were married on May 20.
I got my first real job at the school district.  I worked at Lomond View Elementary doing speech language therapy.  I loved it there.
I completed my course work for my Master's Degree in Speech Language Pathology.

2005
We bought our Chevy Tahoe together.
We got our first cell phones.
Graduated with my Master's Degree with 12 other girls and 1 boy.  The 14 of us were the best of friends.  I still keep in touch with most of them.

2006
We bought our 1998 Toyota Camry after the head gasket blew in our old one.
We went on our first cruise.  It was wonderful.  I can't wait to go again.
We visited Lee, Kyle's brother, on his mission in Puerto Rico.
I got a new job in Logan working for Early Intervention through USU.
Erin, my sister, married Isaac in the Salt Lake Temple.

2007
Vacationed in Las Vegas for a week with Kyle's best friend and his wife.  It was a blast.
Kyle graduated with his Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering.
Kyle gets his first job with ATK Launch Systems.
We bought our first home together.
Found out we were pregnant with a baby boy.
My brother, Trace, married Sierra in the Salt Lake Temple.

2008
Our baby boy was born on February 24.
I some how managed working full time and having a brand new baby.
Kyle started his Master's Degree program with the University of Utah.
Grant, my father in law, passed away suddenly on December 8.

2009
We went to San Diego as a family.
Chris, Kyle's younger brother, graduated from High School.
Our baby turned 18 months and can go to nursery.

2010
We bought our new Dodge Ram Mega Cab truck.
Kyle graduated from the University of Utah with a Master's Degree in Mechanical Engineering.
We went on a weekend get away to Park City for the weekend.

I can't believe everything that has happened in the last 10 years.  I have graduated 3 times, moved 9 times, got married, had a baby, bought one house and 3 cars, laughed so hard I cried, cried so hard I laughed, and most of all loved almost every single minute of it.  I am looking forward to the next 10 years.  Bring it on!

Happy Christmas Eve's Eve

Grant loves sports! Any sport with a ball.  He loves rugby, football, baseball, soccer, golf, basketball, and BOWLING!

Pay particular attention to the next 4 photos.  It is Grant's "bowling for a strike" dance.

We love bowling.  We are actually considering buying our own shoes.  For how much our family has already gone and most likely will be going it might just be worth it!

Christmas Party

Its not the holidays without at least one Christmas party.  My mom hosted the family party at her house this year.  We are getting so many little nieces and nephews we decided to plan some kid activities.  Each kid made a jingle bell bracelet to sing Jingle Bells.  We also had the kids frost a gingerbread cookie.

Henry frosting his cookies. No such thing as too much frosting.

Check out those hot blue lips!

It takes great concentration to put globs of frosting on a cookie.

Check out this girl's tongue action.

It doesn't stop!

I don't know anyone who can lick the bottom of their chin.

Cookies are sure yummy!

My sweet niece loves to strip naked.  She is notoriously striping multiple times a day and always before mom and dad take her any where.  She of course striped at the Christmas party.  She was running around and found a Santa Hat.  Oh Boy!  That really got it going.  She started dancing and singing, "naked Santa, naked Santa, naked Santa."  It was probably the funniest thing I have ever seen.  The sad part was she did it more than once.  When there are lots of people to reinforce behavior...well just looks what happens. 

The cutest naked Santa I have ever seen!

White Trash Santa

We had a hard time this year catching up with Santa Claus.  The lines were too long, I was forced to buy pictures, or we would just flat out miss him all together.  So, just 3 days before Christmas we found Santa at the Arby's on 12th street in Ogden.  He was a really nice Santa, very patient, and willing to pose for lots of pictures.  Besides the real beard and the red suit I am not so sure how legit this Santa was.  He was missing 3 front teeth and was wearing DC shoes (you can kind of see them in the bottom photo).  Grant was just as skeptical about Santa as I was.  Oh well!