Thankful for......

I love this time of year with the holidays upon us. But before the hustle and bustle begins I wanted to take a minute and reflect on some of the things I am thankful for. I could never possibly list them all but here goes a few:

1. Ryan- I heard it said once that some blessings are so great you have to count them twice. That would be how I feel about my awesome husband. He always makes my day a little brighter and loves me know matter what. I am thankful for the time we get to spend together and for the great father he is to our children.

2. My Children- I am thankful for Shalece and her incredible writing talent and her independence. I am thankful for Shaelyn and her compassion and love for others. I am thankful for Broc for his kind heart and his explosive energy. I am thankful for Britnee with her quick wit and ability to keep us entertained all the time. I am thankful for all of the little things my children do: hugs, kisses, chores(without asking), notes, laundry,long talks at night, etc. I am also thankful for all of the sports and other activities they participate in. Although it may make my life extremely busy I am thankful that we always have something fun to do and I love watching them.



3. My Home- I am thankful for my beautiful, warm home where my family all comes together at the end of the day. A big thanks to Ryan for making it a reality and working so hard for it. I am thankful for the great neighborhood we live in and that we can live so close to family and friends. I am thankful that after all these years we can still call Lehi home.

4. My Friends- I am thankful for great friends to laugh with, cry with and help me raise my kids. I have the best friends in the world. I am thankful that I can call them at any time and they will help me with whatever I need. I am thankful that they will listen and give me a new perspective on whatever my trial of the day is. I am thankful that they will support me and encourage me in all I do. (even when I do something as crazy as bootcamp)

5. Parents- I have truly been blessed with great parents who not only raised me well but are a continual example to me and are always there for me and my family. My mom has always been one of my best friends and one of the sweetest people I know. My dad has such a good heart and is always willing to help me out. If it wasn't for his awesome carpentry skills it would have taken us much longer to build our house. I am thankful for the good grandparents they are to my children.

6. Siblings - I am thankful for my brothers and sisters. Bryce, Janet, Michele, Troy & Jodi. also for the great people they married (Brandi,Michael, Wyatt & Mike) and all of their cute children. We really had a lot of fun growing up despite the occassional fight (ok during the teenage years it might have seemed more often than just occassional). But we have become such good friends and I know I can count on them for anything. I truly enjoy the times we get to spend together and wish we had more of them.

7. Ryan's Family- It is hard to call them In-laws because that sounds so formal and really we're just family. I am thankful to Kathleen for the way she raised Ryan and for being such a good grandma. I am also thankful for the whole gang: Shad & Careen, Mark & Teresa, Jennie & Mike, Amy & Ryan and last but definetely not least Creed & Emily.(Oh and of course all of the nieces and nephews- life wouldn't be complete without all of you)

8. Freedom - I am very thankful to live in a free country and enjoy all of the freedoms that I have. I am thankful for brave men and women who protect those freedoms every day with honor and great love for this country. I am thankful to have brothers who are dedicated to the cause of freedom.

9. Temples - I am thankful that there are so many temples close to where I live. I am thankful for the peace that I find whenever I am there. I am especially thankful for the sealing power that is there that binds my family together forever!!!!!

10. Mountains - I am thankful for the tall mountains that surround me and for the safety they provide. I am thankful for the beautiful green in the summer and snow capped ridges in the winter.

HUSBAND TAG !!!

I've been tagged twice for the husband tag so here goes!!!

1. Where did you meet your husband? We were in the same ward growing up but it wasn't until I went to high school that we really noticed each other. Our first "together moment" was a combined YM/YW activity to a haunted house.

2.How long did you date before you got married? 6 years (ok 2 of them he was on a mission but we really got to know each other through letters)

3. How long have you been married? 19 years 3 months and 9 days

4. What does he do that surprises you? He still makes me laugh every single day.

5. What is your favorite feature of his? His Eyes & Smile

6. What is his best quality? He would do anything for anybody. He always puts me first and tries every day to make life better for me and the kids.

7. Does he have a nickname for you? Yes

8. What is his favortie food? Outback Steak and mashed potatos

9. What is his favorite sport? Baseball (but he also loves basketball & BYU Football)

10. When and where did you first kiss? It's been so long we kind of disagree on this one but since I am telling you the story I say Halloween Night while we were at the High School. (We were suppose to watch a scary movie but they never did get it to work- so we did what everyone did in Lehi back then and went cruisin' with friends)

11. What is your favorite thing to do as a couple? We just love to hang out together! Mostly dinner and a movie - sometimes we go out or sometimes we meet on the couch for an episode of the office or some other movie when the kids are all asleep. (who am I kidding my kids don't sleep, well at least when they are suppose to be in bed)

12. Do you have any children? Four

13. Does he have any hidden talents? Oh yes, many but if I share them with you now they will no longer be hidden.

14. How old is he? 41

15. Who said I love you first? He did, of course!!!

16. What is his favorite music? ROCK (KISS, AC/DC, Motley Crue) But he likes all kinds of music- He is at the Pink Floyd concert tonight.

17. What do you admire most about him? His commitment to things that are important to him (church, family, friends & work) He has a great perspective on what really matters and he is the most incredible husband & father.

18. What is his favorite color? BLUE

19. Will he read this? Of course

20. Who will I tag next? Janet, Michele, Jodi

The other side of Britnee.....

All of you who know my Britnee know what a sweetheart she is. So imagine how surprised I was when I came home from the store last week to find this in her room.



This is the closet in her room. What you can't tell from this picture is that she has Shaelyn locked up inside. She did a good job, Shae really did try to get out. I think she wrapped 20 belts, scarves, and ribbons around the door knobs along with the pile of stuff. She did however put a note in the pink basket that says "Shaelyn is inside". She was really proud of herself (you can tell by the smile). After I rescued Shae I asked how Britnee got her in the closet. She was just choosing what to wear for the day when Britnee shut the door and then she decided just to get dressed in there. Britnee was fast because by the time she was dressed and Shae tried to get out it was too late. With Britnee at our house life is NEVER BORING!!!

{The Wedding}

Last week my friends daughter Tara got married. I've known her since she was 4 so it is hard to believe that she could possibly be getting married. It was a great week at the Mount Timpanogos temple on Tues. when she took out her endowments and then at the Logan Temple on Thurs. where they were married. Tara is such a beautiful girl and I just wish her & Jason all the happiness in the world.

Tara & Jason


Demi & Britnee



Lece & Tara

Katie, Hailee & Shae



Here are some pictures of my kids on the ride there. I guess it was a little too early for them. But if you ask Broc he never fell asleep, he must have been just closing his eyes. (what do you think?)

Labor Day in October and the Super Bowl in November

Last Saturday- October 25th Broc's Tiger team finished up their baseball season by playing in the championship games for the Labor Day Tournament. You may remember that Labor Day was a rainy day and so they canceled the games until October 25th. We started off that day with a playoff football game (which Broc's team won) and then headed to Salem for baseball. I just love all the boys on Broc's team!!! They are so much fun to watch and just really good kids. (the parents are GREAT TOO!!) We have made such good friends that really there is no place I'd rather hang out than at the ball park. The Tigers won the 1st game 10-4 against the Orem Tigers and then in the championship game they won the Cedar Crush 10-8. It was a really good game. The boys made some awesome plays and ended off the season with another win. Way to go Tigers!!!!






I love this picture because it captures the look on Broc's face right after he struck out the last batter of the game.


That same night of the tournament Mark & Teresa had a Halloween Party. We were only able to go for a little while but Ryan came up with a great costume. "The Winningest Tiger Coach" (it's only really funny when you know that Creed & Mark were there. They both coach a Tiger Team too.--- Sorry Creed but you have to admit that it was funny!!!!!)



Saturday November 1st Broc's football team played in the 5th grade Super Bowl. It was at P.G. High School. It was a really big deal. They had announcers and all. This was Broc's 1st year of football and he really loved it!!!! Thanks to all the coaches especially Jason & Stan who made this such a great experience for Broc. We played a Lone Peak team for the championship. Apparently they had won it the last 3 years in a row. Well our Lehi team came to play and they played hard. I was so proud of all the boys -- they really put their whole heart in to it. It was a great game!! We ended up down 12-21 but we put up a good fight. Watch out next year Lone Peak --- we will be back.


The Celebration after our 1st touchdown. Matthew ran it 80 yards for a touchdown-It was Awesome!!!

Broc on defense- Great Tackle!!!

Broc & his baseball buddies. (Broc, Matthew, Mick, Braedon, & Colby) This was the 1st year for all of them but Matthew. Congratulations Pioneer for a great season.

Broc & his friend John Raas. He is one awesome football player- he can run over anyone. Broc had fun getting to know him this year.

Welcome Home!!!!

Welcome Home Mom & Dad



Last Week was a great week. So many exciting things happened and it all started with my parents coming home off of their mission. They have spent the last 18 months in Little Rock, Arkansas serving a CES (Church Education System) mission. We like to tease them that they have been playing for the last 1 1/2 years because we heard about all the parties and activities that they were involved with and it sounded like a lot of fun. Seriously though I know they made a difference in a lot of people's life and were great missionaries. I am grateful for their example and their commitment to the gospel. I know we were all blessed by your valiant service to the Lord. We love you both and are so excited to have you HOME!!!!!





Britnee made sure that there was a sign for the house and she personalized it by putting the cutest little notes on it. Thanks Britnee!!!!