october 2013

 October was, lets see how much stuff we can squeeze into one month and not go crazy.......

so lets start with our newest teenager in da house! Alyssa turned 13. yup, she's a teen, and this makes me sad! More soccer for Hayden and Alyssa, except Alyssa's tourney was in Vail...and the first snow of the season hit on our way up! It was complete nonsense trying to get up to the mountains that friday. Jack-knifed semi's and accidents closed I-70 in a couple different places. people sat at the tunnel and they closed vail pass until 1:30 in the morning. Luckily I'm a  native, and we took loveland pass over the tunnel, and headed to mom and dads to hunker down, and wait till the morning to join the soccer team. the snow did make the fall colors even more beautiful though! My mom, me and Alyssa went to Time Out for Women/Girls, with friends and loved being uplifted and edified. I even got to hang with Michael Mclean, and Brad Wilcox. We stayed in the Ritz, and they had a huge tub, and ate at Sam's #3.....delish! 

 My besties b-day, Tina DEAN,  is the same day as Tarsen's Sept. 30th. For her Bday her hubby surprised her with a trip to the BroAdmoore in Colorado Springs, to enjoy a night and two days of tennis. Of course my present to her was going with her....WIN WIN! We LOVED it. Seriously loved every second. It was so so pretty, the cottage we stayed in was ahhhmazing, the grounds were beautiful, and tennis was THE BOMB! I'm so lucky to have a great friend who loves to be active, and a hubby who will let me escape for a weekend (especially when it's halloween weekend).

Hayden's school went to berry patch farms for a field trip, and he got to take a pumpkin home. Of course we carved our pumpkins, and went to the school halloween party. I dressed up like flo (the insurance lady), hayden was a ghost, alyssa a robber, syndey a vampire, and tarsen failed, and put a dinosaur costume on his head. Everyone except hayden went with friends to trick or treat, while brian took hayden out to fill his bucket full of candy.  I would say we had a pretty good October!

september

September was full of Hayden and Alyssa playing soccer. Brian and I got to go back east to celebrate with his family, for a temple wedding. Caitlin and Lyle got married in the Washington D.C. temple and it was awesome. While Grandma and Grandpa Dickeson shuttled our kiddos around. It was a whirlwind of activities, going from one house to the next and back again. But I LOVE spending time with his family, and am so thankful to my parents, so that we could go enjoy that time with his family.  We had a huge group of his family come out and celebrate his Aunt Peggy's life. It was good to see everyone, and remember an amazing woman! When we got home Tarsen turned sixteen! sixteen, no drivers license yet, has to finish his hours and get started on his eagle project. And of course more soccer. 

August 2013

Wait, what.....It's august already? where did the summer go? It was spent mostly swimming! We love where we moved! Anywhoo, august.....Back to school time. Tarsen is a sophmore, alyssa in the 7th grade, Sydney the 6th, and my last little kindie....(only half day) I ran my first 5k with one of my best friends, (thanks for coming with me Tina D) and other friends. It was a blast! Thanks Neon Splash Dash, so doing it again!! One of my childhood best friends, decided to go through the temple!!! It was AWESOME, and I am so so so proud of you Tricia! The YW of our ward took the girls up to Summit county to ride the bike trail from vail down to frisco. I helped set up a place for them to stay...Thanks cookies! We had a little fun with some TP and the girls made up their own fun.... And alyssa got braces! Now we enter the craziness of birthdays and holidays.....

July

July....summer is in full swing. For the fourth we went up to help Grandma and Grandpa work on some projects around the house, stairs, rain gutters, and filling a huge hole!! We got the reward of enjoying the fireworks up in summit county. Frisco Fireworks, can't be beat! Family comes out and we get to spend a fun Girls day with Aunt Debbie and Kylie, shopping getting our toes done, and dinner. While Tarsen and Dad come back from High adventure scout camp. Silly Boys!

June 2013

June.......the beginning of summer, lazy do nothing days. YAY! June was full of end of the school year stuff, like field day. Sydney finally got to have her birthday during school. Um.... as a elementary kiddo, you look forward to that, and bringing in goodies for classmates.  Alyssa Soccer team won another soccer tourney! GO GIRLS!  While swimming with friends, hayden got his first bee sting. Poor guy. I met one of my favoritest girls, Illy for dinner and fro yo! And playing Tennis almost everyday with Tina DEAN, my twinny, and loved it! The ELMO's: Everyone of my children gets an Elmo for their first birthday, but they are not so in love with them anymore....So I was going to get rid of them, of course I needed a pic with everyone and their elmo first! Oh, and our Garden, in our backyard that's done. Woo Hoo!

 We enjoyed days at the reservoir with friends, kayaking, making sand castles out of found treasures, tubing, and eating chips with a fork....Hitting the driving range, sending Tarsen off to Philmont scout camp for 2 weeks, and Alyssa off to Girls camp, for her first time, for one week. They were both gone the same weeks, and we truly missed them. We found a shaved ice place (my happy place) and frequented it regularly!!! maybe too much! Celebrated our wonderful dad, and helped grandma paint wood for her basement makeover. It's been busy and it's only June....... we love it all though!

april/may

End of April, celebrated my bday with family and friends and tennis. Sydney and I did a 5k walk for babies. Hayden graduated from preschool, so sad we have to leave those amazing teacher at LOTH!

May,  Got to celebrate Mothers day with Sydney in her classroom, they made a beautiful gift for their moms, and got spoiled for mothers day. Again, alyssa and soccer, but also volleyball with the middle school. Took pics of my Friend Eloisa's daughters quinceanera, and she again cheered me up when I was blah! Said Happy Baby to a dear friend Kami. Celebrated hubbies bday, and anniversary, and watched Sydney and her friends in a play about colorado history through their school. 

April

April was awesome!! For my 40th birthday my hubby sent me to San Diego with my Bestest ever Friend, Michelleeeeeeeeee! We walked on the beach, we ate yummy food, we visited the temple, Michelle lost her phone in the ocean :-O. Ate delicious sea food, got great pics of cool algae and sunsets, and got to play racquetball!!!!!!!! Thanks to my childhood friend Sharon for being our shuttle driver. 

 AND I went to visit my NEPHEW, who is on his mission there..shhhhh. Him so cute!

but I had to come home to be apart of all the other exciting things happening this month. Tarsen got his drivers permit....WHAT....ya! Of course alyssa played soccer, as did Hayden. Spring break was full of swinging, and snowboarding, and driving,  and nerff gun fights. 

March 2013

It's almost been a year since I updated this blog. Valentines day of 2013. It's almost February 2014. So in an attempt to update, collages! For march we painted alyssa room. Sydney played volleyball. We played in the snow, and went night sledding. Tried to catch a sneaky lepreuchan, Alyssa played soccer and her team won a tourney. Sydney got a black eye when her scooter biffed, and her head hit the pavement. Hayden got to be star student at LOTH preschool. We dressed in our easter best. Alyssa played volleyball too, and her team won a tourney there as well. And my amazing friend Eloisa took me to a hockey game to help snap me out of my "feeling sorry for myself phase", that was going on a little too long! March was fun!  

March Madness

 ahhh, Singles awareness day, I have no one to love me day, spend as much money on me as you can to show me you love me day.....aka:

 VALENTINES DAY.

hmmmm, sounds like I'm not a fan of this love day huh....nope, never have been. 

I hate that society has made a "designated day" that you have to show someone you love them. I would rather shower the people I love with random gifts throughout the year to show them I love them, then have to be told I have to do it on one certain day. I think one of my love languages is Gifts.

But I do valentines day, because I have kids, who have school activities. And I don't want them to be left sitting in their chair with nothing to give to their classmates, because their mom doesn't like this holiday. So I do it, because I love them! I also do it throughout the year. I always tell my hubby, you better not get me flowers. I don't want overpriced flowers that last for a week, and then die. Give them to me randomly any other time of the year, to show your love for me. I also am not a fan of store bought valentines. If I'm going to show you I love you, I'm going to put some effort into it. So we always make our own valentines and put our love into them!  

*steps off anti~valentines soap box to bring you....

Valentines day in pictures

Getting our treats ready for the special day. Hayden helping me make the teachers valentines, and treat bags, and suckers for sydney's valentines.

 Working on our valentines: Hayden's "happy valentines day love bug". Sydneys, "I'm a sucker for you, happy valentines day".  Alyssa's, "I mustache you a question, will you be my valentine?" 

 (Alyssa's was a chocolate sucker to look like a mustache.) 

 Class parties. making a monster valentine box, teacher gifts, goodies....a big blue bunny, wait I thought that was easter......

For the teachers, we gave them a mug filled with tea, oreo cake balls, and chocolate dipped gummy bears

With writing on it that said "I love my "TEA"cher.

After the fun class parties, I had fun hanging out with my little 5 year old valentine. Then during nap time got the mailboxes filled for the kiddos. 

Made a little "I love you smore and smore" bag with cute heart marshmellows. Gave them nasty heart peeps, a movie, lip whistles, and some other yummies. I  do love to show them that I love them!

For dinner I made chicken cordon blue  for the hubby with cute jello hearts and heart ice cubes for our drinks. 

During the weekend, My valentine took me out for some yumminess  at  Jim and Nick BBQ

 So even though I'm not a fan of the day called valentines day, I do still LOVE my valentines!

but I do love to show those I love that I love them all year round.

Happy Heart day!

randomness

More beautiful photos from God's hand to my eye

Met Teri for lunch at the best place ever....mmmmm nom nom nom

 then we thought it was warm enough to go to a park....not so much, but let the boys play and got creeped by Hayden.

 Hayden was a little tired.....fell asleep on the way home!

Registered this little cutie for Kindergarten. Surreal......he's my last one. I'm pretty sure I'll be crying a little in August. At least it's only half day, so I still get him for a little bit.

 Driving with this kid.......Oi, where does the time go? another reason to cry! But If he would ever finish his driving course and get his permit, this would be a daily thing.....

 and him makin a hat out of a 12 pack box.....cracks me up!

I love the randomness of my life.

God's artwork

Now on to February:

One blessing about getting up so early to drive to seminary are the sunrises.......or picking kids up from their sports in the evening, the sunsets.

Or going on walks when it looks warm, but in fact it's windy and freezing........

 But we live in such a beautiful place, which almost every night or morning we get to see God's beautiful work. I always feel so much love when I get to enjoy either one of these masterpieces!