Happy 11th Birthday Beau

I can't believe Beau is 11 and in just one year he will be 12.....aaaahhhhhh! I'm not old enough to have a 12 year old....almost a teen. Beau is amazing! He always try his hardest at everything he does! He helps me and is such a good brother and friend! Family birthday dinner-Golden Corral, family party-cake & ice cream at our house, friend party-swimming at the Lehi Legacy Pool.

Favorite Color- Red
Favortie Food- Pizza
Favorite Team- Green Bay
Favorite Sport- Football
Favorite Subject- Math
Best Friends- Tyler, Evan, Wyatt
Favorite TV Show- Animal Planet Shows
What do you want to be when you grow up- Sports Star
Favorite Game- Football
Favorite Music- Toby Keith

Oregon

Depoe Bay.....WHALE WATCHING and so much more!


OREGON is coastal and very green. It stays that way by raining all the time. We had 2 beautiful sunny days while were there and this wasn't one of them. I've always loved the BEACH and the OCEAN....it's so much fun to share that love with the boys! Rain or shine...the beach is always FUN!

TOES and TIDE POOLS....I always take pictures of my feet/toes on vacation...my niece got me started. I always have my toes painted...it's my thing and I have a wonderful friend that does an amazing job at keeping them cute. Now onto the tide pools...just down from the Yaquina Head Lighthouse....they have AMAZING tide pools with hundreds of SEA STARS and ANEMONES....Bransen loved to touch them! It's a nice area to see SEALS close up. We spent a few hours just hanging out.

YAQUINA HEAD LIGHTHOUSE.....is awesome! This was a first for all of us. I have some issues with HEIGHTS....it took all I had to climb all the stairs to the top.....but I wouldn't have missed it for the WORLD! When we started heading DOWN, I saw a chance for a great picture...and took it. Yes, I had to look down....but I did it!

7 years ago, when we purchased the WORLDMARK timeshare...we had 3 resorts that were at the TOP of our list...this was the last one. It sits on a rocky cliff over looking the OCEAN. The boys were just standing down on the grass from our room. In case you were wondering #1 Cabo and #2 Maui. Now I need to find the next 3...we can't wait to visit.

A beautiful SUNNY day to visit the OREGON COAST AQUARIUM....the best thing about the aquarium...lots of stuff to see and lots of room to see it. It's APRIL and there's not a lot of people there...so nice. This is the FAMILY photo for my picture frame...no matter where we VACATION, I buy a cute picture FRAME to set on my kitchen counter.

By George...I think I've got it!

I finally learned how to adjust the text around the pictures....Yeah, I didn't know how before.

January & February 2011

Well that was fast.....I swear, I blinked and it was all over.

January 3, T and I celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary. I've always thought it was a sucky day to have an anniversary....Christmas is over and you're usually broke...the kids are just going back to school...and if you want to travel, it would include New Years Eve and day. We did pick the day...kinda...that's when T had leave, so that's the day we picked. This year...I thought of it differently...every year is a new beginning and I get to start mine off with the reminder of the best choice, I've ever made!

February 5 is also a special date for us. It was our 15th anniversary for our 1st date. Every year we try and go back to La Dolce Vita, in Provo to eat dinner and remember that fateful day. There is no doubt that it was fate.....it's called our bet date. Most of you know the story. Sitting there 15 years later was crazy! Where did the time go?! If you told 15 years ago...that this would be my life...I wouldn't have believed you. Here's to another amazing 15 years!


Beau- Has been struggling with his school work. This hard for a mom....not knowing what to do! I think we got it figured out and he has been doing much better. He loves scouts! He has earned his Webelos badge and will be getting his 20 badge and his Arrow of Light, at the next a-o-l ceremony in May. The funniest thing Beau did in January & February was the polar plunge. T and Beau jumped into the icy waters of Utah Lake to raise money for the special olympics.

Bransen- Has also been having a melt down about school. One day he just cried and let it all out. He's done much better since. In Jan. he got student of the month for being a friend to everyone. Two of his funnies for the month...He said, "Dad, can you spot me a twenty?" One day we were talking about day and night and how that all worked. I said, "The earth spins." He said, "That's why I'm so dizzy all the time!" Oh how I love his funnies.

Brevan- Loves his all girl school...yes he goes to school with 7 girls. He was so mad in Jan. when I started taking down all the Christmas stuff. He wanted me to leave it up. One night I let him lay in my bed to watch tv and he fell asleep in my arms...it was perfect! He drew me a picture..looks like a #10 and he mastered all of his numbers...bouncy ball 0, 1 finger 1, candy cane 2, fishy lips 3, all sticks 4, racing chair 5, push wheel 6, hockey-stick 7, snowman 8 and lollipop 9. Funny kid took a nap in the bathtub with his pillow and blanket.

Books

I love love love to read! I read most of Mary Higgins Clark's book about 11 years ago. It seems like I find one author and just go through all of their books. When I have time that is. For a long time I didn't read because I was busy with the kids. It took me a lot to realize I was losing myself....there wasn't much I did for myself. So I started reading again....forgoing sleep so I could have quiet reading time. These were the first books I read after that.....

Amazing....JK Rowling's Harry Potter....I read the last one first and had to back track so it all made sense. I love her story...it could be a good book.

Twilight Saga....I love Stephanie Meyers....who doesn't. I didn't start reading the books until after Breaking Dawn was released....if I would have been waiting for each book, it would have made me insane! I'm waiting for her to break off from the Twilight Saga and write something new. I think she might wait until after the last movie is out. I'll be waiting...

Now to my favorite....I knew I loved Nicholas Sparks when I watched the movies Message in a Bottle, The Notebook, and A walk to Remember. Those were followed this last year by Nights at Rodanthe, Dear John and The Last Song. I still haven't read any of those books...I'm saving them for last. I've been told that they're different from the movies and that ok. I made a list of his books other than the ones that have been made into movies....and I started reading. So far my favorite has been Lucky One. I'm a sucker for love stories...thanks to Nicholas Sparks.

2010

I can't believe there are only 2 days left of 2010. The year has flown by.

It's been a year for medical issues for both Tobias and I....thank goodness they seem to be all gone for now. We got new callings at church, that we love! Young Women's for me and more scouts and teaching for Tobias. This year and late last year brought a lot of changes for my family. My wonderful Grandma was moved into an assisted living center, her house on Geneva Rd. that I spent almost everyday of my childhood visiting them at and every holiday...was sold. I know it's just a house.....a house. But much like my childhood house that was sold 14 years ago....it was my house...The House that Built Me. If you have never heard the song or watched the video by Miranda Lambert, I will leave you a link at the bottom so you can. The things the guy that bought the house will never know. It makes me sad. But I do know, there's nothing more constant than change.

The boys have been healthy and growing like weeds. The boys started pre-school, kindergarten and 5th grade. We've had so much fun together....movie days and nights, swimming, bowling, Tuacahn, parties, camping, hiking, sledding and so much more.

This year was a pretty good year for business...new customers. This is great because we don't advertise at all. So this is all word of mouth. Tobias works so hard and doesn't do it to make a living....he does it to help people.

This year also brought us some sadness. Tobias's best friend John passed away. John was an 88 year old EXPOW from WWII. This is very long story in it's self. I've tried to blog about it a couple of times and eventually I'm sure I'll make it through it. John wasn't just a friend, he was a best friend, father, brother and so much more to Tobias. They saw each other everyday at the hospital and anytime John needed anything Tobias was the first person he called. He called Tobias one of his sons. Tobias loved him and looked up to him. T and I have been through some hard things but this is the first time that I'd ever seen him weep. It breaks my heart to think of it. Look forward to my tear filled post about John.

All in all, 2010 was another year of love, laughter, joy, pain, sadness and most of all blessing. We made it through.

It won't let me post the link. Go to cmt.com Miranda Lambert House that Built Me.

Christmas

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Brevan got his Panda Pillow Pet...he has been wanting one for months and months. He also got a Thomas Train Set....when he open it he said, "Just what I wanted!" Beau and Bransen got DS's with games, 3 sets of Harry Potter legos and some new games for the wii. We had a wonderful Christmas with family and friends!