Pinewood Derby

Ryan participated in his first Pinewood Derby this past Saturday. We weren't sure Ryan was concerned about whether he was going to win when he picked a Humvee for his design. In fact Duane was sure that it would get last place. So much for confidence in your son! Duane cut out the car and Ryan put the wheels on and painted it. We were pretty booked this past Saturday with two football games to attend, so we had to drop the car off. Unfortunately we were not able to see Ryan's car race with the rest of the Wolves, but were pleasantly surprised when his den leader handed us a third place ribbon. Ryan's car placed third of all the Wolves, which is about 20. He now gets to participate in the International Pinewood Derby in March against the Japanese Cub Scouts. Ryan is very excited and convinced that he will beat out some of his Japanese competitors.

Ryan with his car and third place ribbon.

I apologize for the bad photo. They were just releasing the cars and I didn't have it on the right setting. We were able to watch Ryan's car race against the other winners for the big trophy. Duane and I were laughing so hard because his car did come in last place for every race. I know it's not very nice, but Duane predicted it and poor Ryan just watched as it was raced over and over again. Don't worry, he didn't see us laughing. Ryan, being the good sport he is (if you know him, then you know he always has to win), had a very positive attitude and kept saying that he still had the Japanese to race against. Way to be optimistic, Ryan! As you can see, Ryan's was not as "souped" up as the rest of them and he has already thought about what next year's car will be, a Wii remote design. I really don't know where he comes up with these ideas.

They handed out individual certificates for the boys and their cars. Ryan got the slickest car award.

Another Football Season

I am a little late posting this, but football season started a few weeks ago which means my schedule just tripled with obligations. With four practices and two games each week on top of everything else, I'm just a little behind. Miranda and Ryan are enjoying the season and that is why I do what I do. Ryan loves football so much that he waits every year for the season to begin. He is in his third year and loves to play defense, pulling flags and chasing whoever has the ball. Miranda is in her fourth season of cheering and loves it. She definitely has the voice for it! Duane and I enjoy going to their games and watching them.

Ryan is #25 on the Seahawks.

Miranda loves that her size makes it so she can be a flyer and do stunts.

Baby Countdown

So, I've added the baby countdown to the blog not because I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of this child. I am perfectly happy to be pregnant for an additional 6 months because I know they are much easier to care for inside than out. Hopefully this ticker will help me remember how far along I am and how much time is left. It's been a struggle to keep track of how many weeks I am with the craziness of life and I'm hoping this will help me, so the date doesn't sneak up on me and I can be somewhat prepared.

Christmas with the Jones-Foote Family

After 11 years of marriage we celebrated Christmas with Duane's family in St. George, UT. Christmas Eve started with a visit from Santa and he brought all of the kids new pjs. I thought he should have gotten pink pjs with bunny ears since we are often told that he looks like the little boy from The Christmas Story. Our goal is to convince him to dress up next Halloween as the boy complete with the bunny suit and Red Rider BB gun in hand. Stay tuned to our blog come October to see if we were successful. After the kids changed into their new pjs, we feasted on a variety of soups before trying to settle all of the kids down for the night.

The kids were up early Christmas morning excited to see what Santa had brought them. Santa did not disappoint Miranda or Olivia, but Ryan did not get the DS he wanted. Even though I told him Santa would not be bringing him one because we didn't want him to have one, he was still convinced that Santa would come through. Referencing the movie again, he didn't look very excited as he opened his gifts, the only difference is there was no DS hidden in the corner to bring out as the last gift. We'll see if his faith in Santa has been shaken.

Duane and his brothers all received these sweatshirts from their Mom. They also got a cool personalized grilling platter to showcase their grilling masterpieces.

Spending Time with the Colemans

After the wedding activities were over, we were able to spend time with my side of the family. We had our own little Christmas where we opened gifts from each other, spent time with extended family and even took a trip to Temple Square. Our time together was short, but definitely filled with memories.

My Dad was given this video by a man and he thought it would be perfect for Duane and wrapped it up for him to open. Hmmm, is that Duane on the front?

While my Dad, cousin and I watched the BYU-Arizona game (we won't talk about the outcome), my Mom and sisters took the kids to view the lights and activities at Thanksgiving Point. They were very excited to see real reindeer and look at all the Christmas lights.

Our trip to Temple Square brought me back to the morning when Duane and I were married, with the cold temperatures and all of the Christmas lights. It was beautifully decorated for the holidays.

What Brought Us to Utah

Both of our families had special events that brought us to Utah for the holidays. Duane's brother Doug commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Army, branching Aviation. We were glad to be there for this event and are proud of his accomplishments. A congrats also goes out to Doug's wife Katie who also graduated.



The other event that brought us to Utah was the wedding of my sister Jennifer. She and her now husband Mitch were sealed in the Provo Temple on our 11th wedding anniversary. They are so happy together and I was glad that we were able to attend.


Miranda and Olivia had a great time dancing the night away at the wedding reception. While Miranda enjoyed dancing with a partner, Olivia preferred to go solo.

Fun in the Snow

We were so excited to arrive in Utah to snow!! Living on a tropical island definitely has its advantages, but after almost three years I have been missing the seasons. I was ready for a cold Christmas and I wasn't disappointed. My brother-in-law and sister-in-law were kind enough to outfit the kids in the gear they would need for the snow to keep them warm and dry. The kids had a lot of fun playing in the snow. Ryan would have played all day in the snow if we would not have forced him to come in and warm up. Who knows, maybe our next assignment will include a winter with a little snow?

Piano Recital

Miranda and Ryan had their Christmas recital just before we left on our trip. They worked very hard to memorize their pieces for the event and I am so proud of them for the work that they did and their performance. They both did a great job.

Ryan knew exactly what piece he wanted to play when he found out the it needed to be a classical piece. He chose Beethoven's 5th and was so excited about playing it that after the recital he asked when the next recital would be because he wanted to start learning a new piece. He played his piece every chance he got and it made practicing a lot easier.


Miranda also did a great job on her piece even though she only had three days to memorize the last two lines of Tchaikovsky's Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. After a lot of hard work she managed to get the piece memorized.

Olivia was convinced that the piano teacher was going to call her up for her turn to play the piano, so in order to make her happy I took a picture of her at the piano.

December Happenings

I apologize for the lapse in entries, but between school, the holidays and getting ready for our trip stateside updating the blog was the lowest of priorities. I will now attempt to catch you up on what we were up to in December.

Both Miranda and Ryan marched in the annual Tinsel Town parade with their scout troops. Duane marched with Ryan while Olivia and I watched from the sidelines.

Here are the kids posing with Santa at the Battalion's Family Christmas party. The kids enjoyed playing games and making crafts.

This picture is a little old, but it is of Olivia before her first ballet class. She loves to go and begs to go everyday.