Tyler's Birthday

Today is Tyler's birthday - 25 years old - a 1/4 of a century - and our youngest son.  I wanted to let him know (and those who read my little blog) how much I love this son of mine.  I realize that he isn't the cute little guy that use to cause a little lot havoc and then smile that gorgeous smile with the twinkle in his eye. 

He isn't a teenager playing games with friends and again...having WAY too much fun.  He still has a smile that makes everyone laugh, the twinkle in his eye, and a love for all the good in life. 

But in this past year, Tyler has become a proud and doting father.  He is already a loving husband, a hard worker, a wonderful provider, and a strength to his family. He is always able to make us laugh, share his love, and make those around him feel good. 

As your kids are growing up, struggling to find their place, and becoming the person our Father intended them to become, we can only pray they reach their divine potential.  We are so blessed to have this young man as our son. I count him as one of my best blessings.  I hope he knows how much I love him and his darling family!!

Happy Birthday Tyler!!!

Jade

Jacque was able to capture a few pictures of Jade a few days ago as she nibbled on a cracker.  We love the "faces of Jade".  She is so expressionable and full of personality.  She even has a few tongue tricks that keep us laughing.

Few things make us more happy than having Jade over to "entertain" us.  Tyler and Jenny stopped over Sunday evening to visit Grandpa who had to miss Sunday dinner to prepare for an upcoming trial.  Jade had just taken an impromptu bath due to.....well, let's just say.....she had an accident.  The following video shows how much fun we can have with this darling grand-daughter of ours.

Aly-ism's

I had no idea that my daughter was a stand-up comedian.  We have been able to chat with her a few times, and her e-mails are full of her witty remarks, comparisons, and over-all good humor....even when things aren't so good.  So....  I've decided to share her one-line zingers when they come along so that I will have them recorded and when I need a happy thought....I will have these to laugh about.

Aly-ism #1 - In one of her first e-mails, she was telling us all about the sites and everything she was experiencing on her "vacation" before school started.  My favorite line? 
"I've been taking pictures like a Chinese man at Disneyland"

Aly-isms #2 - Today, I was able to chat with her for a bit.  She is a little under the weather as her body adjusts to the food.  The food......  not what she expected.  Her comparison??
"I was expecting Gecko heaven and instead, got Seranos gone bad."

Hopefully she can adjust.  They are close to meeting their families...what an experience!!

Saying Good-bye is Hard

The time has finally come.  We have known about this for over a year.  Aly has planned her school and social life around this event.  But the time to say good-bye came a bit fast for this mom.  For the last two weeks, Aly and I have been thru every to-do list, cleaned out her closet, cleaned out the school supplies area, bought a laptop (with the help of her brother, Aaron), bought a pocketknife and practiced flipping it out and closing it without any mishaps, and finally...said good-bye to all her friends and family.  Aly is going to Tehuacan, Mexico (pronounced tay-WA-cahn) to teach English and have the experience of a lifetime.  For the first week, she is touring such places as the Palenque Ruins, boating down the Usumacinta River to some more ruins and frolicking in some massive waterfalls.  She will see both the Villahermosa Mexico Temple and the Tuxtla Guttierrez Mexico Temple, and I'm sure many other wonderful things.

Our family went to dinner for her last FHE.  (See previous post).  We had a wonderful time at Outback Steakhouse.  Brad, myself, Aaron, Savannah, Tyler, Jenny, Jade, Jacque, and our photographer for the evening - Amber - all enjoyed ourselves.

Wednesday evening we had a Mexican Farewell Party.  Aly had invited everyone thru FaceBook....where else could you get the word out so quickly.  We also let our family know about it.  She told me "maybe 10 people will show".  I planned for a few more and was very glad I did.  From 7:30 p.m. to midnight, we had family and friends come over and express their love for Aly.  We had a blast.  She had a blast....but saying good-bye was STILL hard! Sorry we didn't get pictures of everyone who came and expressed their support and love to Aly.

with cousin Leah, friends Coe, Britney, and Dani

Cousins Chantz and 1/2 of Clay...and another un-named friend!

Sisters Jenny and Savannah and almost sister Nicki

laptop guru - Aaron

Grammy giving a good hug!

Even in her PJ's - Jade is the cutest thing around!

This party NEVER ended!

With her YW's leader - Kelly Schaub - and friend Tara

Close friend Britney

Thursday morning, bright and early, we - Jacque, myself, Britney, and Justin - headed to the airport with Aly and her luggage, which was basically her life for the next 4 1/2 months.  Aly had condensed her famous, stylish wardrobe into one large suitcase.....and limited herself to 1 pair of heels...for the whole trip!!!  The below picture showed how many shoes she WANTED to take...we ended up taking 3 of those pairs!  For those who know Aly...THAT was a sacrifice.  I was impressed that we got all her clothes into one bag.  What was in the other bag?  The 2nd large suitcase was filled with school supplies the teachers were asked to bring.  The carry-on held her belongings that she would need while "touring" the first week she arrived.  One measly little carry-on...for a whole week.  We are talking basics.  We did it and had a few pounds to spare!  Of course, she had a back-pack with her lap-top and a few more necessary items of importance!

It was a VERY quiet ride back home after leaving her at the security gates.  No one wanted to say much....tears quite close to the surface. 

 I wish I would have taken a picture of all the love notes everyone sent.  She was touched and couldn't wait to open "just one".  She has the best family and friends!!

A Lesson in Obedience

A while back, our Stake President asked if each family would go out to the future temple site in Gilbert and take a family picture wearing white shirts.  As Aly's trip to Mexico loomed closer and closer, I realized that we were running out of time.  So, the Monday before she left, August 9th, we asked our family to gather at the temple site for a picture.

Yes, it was hot.

Yes, we had to look into that great glorious sun.

And Yes...it was a quick "family shoot". 

The funny thing is, when the letter was read in church - Brad, Aaron, and Savannah were not there to hear this request from our leaders.  So they wondered "why"....we all did.  I'm sure it is for posterity and such...but my simple answer was "obedience"...."We were asked to".  And I also realized that no matter what age your kids are....they still ask.... "WHY??"

Fashion Show Tradition

The best part of a new school year is our annual School Fashion Show.  The cousins plan their "first day" outfits...sometimes weeks in advance...sometimes within hours of the anticipated event.  This year was our most successful show.  After all....we had "professional" announcers courtesy of Aaron, Savannah and Stephanie with microphones and hip music.  They read from a cue card.  These cue cards are cleverly crafted and written by Jacque and Chelsey.  We had such a variety of school years represented this year.  Kindergarten....elementary....Jr. high.......high school....college.  All ages.  This is one of those events that we all remember and laugh at the memories.  Here are some of our best models posing in their best attire....youngest to oldest.

Dailynd - Kindergarten

Chloe - 1st grade

Cami - 3rd grade

Ashley - 5th grade

Carlee - 5th grade

Faye - 7th grade - Jr. High

Clay - 9th grade - Freshman

Lincoln - 10th grade - Sophomore

Cassie - 11th grade - Jr.

Chantz - ASU - Freshman

Aly - Mexico

From Cue Card:

VIVA la MEXICO No school for this one. Instead, she is teaching down in the country of Mexico.

Chelsey - ASU - Jr.

Jacque - ASU - SENIOR

From Cue Card:

Can you say SENIORITY??

Jacque is once again rockin the ASU nursing uniform of maroon and white scrubs. But this year, she's got the upgrades!! Look at her brand new name badge and stethoscope! She's ALMOST official!! One year left Jacque!! You can do it!!

Tyler - MCC

From Cue Card:

New daddy on the loose!! Jade is sending her dad off to school this year in a fabulous pair of dark jeans, a quicksilver t-shirt and a goofy happy smile from ear to ear. Don't forget his stylish yet comfy flip flops.   GO DADDY GO!!

Dena - CGCC

From Cue Card:

It's back to school for this stylish mother and new-grammy. Dark Capris and a colorful blouse look HOT HOT HOT with her lace trimmed cami and sparkly-fun flip flops. Her pearl necklace is so fashionable double stranded  Go get 'em Dena!

 Afterwards, we dance and sing and make the best of memories.  This tradition is a keeper!!

Summer is Over???

Really?  Did I accomplish ANYthing??  This summer I made some goals.  I made some weekly steps.  With school starting right around the corner, I look at my lists......and realize that I DID accomplish some things...and could have accomplished more.  Isn't that always the case??  Our family has stayed busy with lots of fun activities thru-out the rest of the "summer"....or the 2 months we don't have school.

Aly went to YW's Girls' Camp as a leader this year.  It was a different experience, as some of the girls still considered her as "one of them".  I think it was a good learning experience for Aly.  She loves the girls in our ward!

Aly also was able to take a quick trip to California with a friend from our old ward, Kari Sue LeSueur.  They traveled over to Oceanside and enjoyed a few days in the sun, shopped and relaxed with new friends.

(with friend Kari Sue, Trellany, and Olivia)

Jacque also took a quick trip with her friends to Payson.  They enjoyed some wonderful weather and had fun coming home in 3rd gear....the transmission of the car went KERPLUNK!!  42 mph (this caused Jacque severe stress), hazard lights on, and 3 1/2 hours later...they were home....fun times for all!!

(with her friend, Darlene)

At the end of July, we welcomed home Elder Kade Karges, who served an honorable mission in London, England.  It was fun to share with his family this happy day!

I think one of the most important lessons I learned this summer was that my Heavenly Father is still by my side....He is still granting me tender mercies....and He is always answering our prayers.  Around the middle of July, we always head back to Houston for the good ol' check-up.....our "lease on life" at MD Anderson Cancer Clinic.  For about 3 weeks, I had been suffering from some intermittent back pain....coming and going....but causing our family some serious concern.  For 3 weeks, I prayed and pleaded with my Heavenly Father to grant me good health.  As my prayers slowly turned to faith...and pleading now, for enough faith and strength to face "whatever challenge" was placed in my life, I could feel a change in my attitude....a growth in my own faith.  I had the opportunity to talk to my beautiful daughters about faith....encouraging them to allow our Father to teach us what we needed so that we would be worthy of His blessings.  (They were having a difficult time with some of my comments..such as "I'm excited to see what the Lord has in store for me!)
As we prepared for our trip, we experienced another tender mercy.  Brad found an article in Time Magazine, announcing their top 100 most influential people for the year 2010.  Guess who is on the list of influential "thinkers"?  Yep....my doctor from MD Anderson, Dr. Larry Kwak.  So, IF my cancer was to reoccur, I would be in the best of hands.  That gave us a little more comfort......a little that is!
The trip was a little more emotional this time.  But I was OK with whatever the results produced.  As Dr. Kwak came into the office and said:  "Your tests are clear.  You are clean and still in remission"....I almost cried right there on the spot.  I couldn't wait to get on my knees and thank my Heavenly Father for another tender mercy...another miracle in my life.  I don't know why I am so blessed.  I don't know why some prayers for healing are answered and some are not.  I only know that I need to use the time I've been so blessed with wisely.  I need to live my life in a way that would please my Heavenly Father.  I call this period in my life a "de-cluttering".  What is really important?  This is good for me....maybe  I just need to be reminded how precious life really is and enjoy....love....and cherish every moment.

Oh, Say Can You See....

This year, our Nation's celebration landed on Sunday.  We had a flag raising ceremony before the Church service started.  As I watched the flag being raised and as we sung our national anthem, the words of this song resonated within my heart:
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,
O’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof thru the night that our flag was still there.
Oh say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
Afterwards, Brad gave a thought and talked about Captain Moroni as he made the Title of Liberty - reminding the Nephites to defend their religion, freedom and peace.  I felt so blessed at that moment to have the freedom to worship as I want and to belong to God's church.  It was a great way to celebrate the 4th of July!!

One of our family's favorite places is this beautiful mountain.  With Brad's leg in its "delicate" condition, we opted to take the MDX up the mountain.  Brad rode in the back seat so he could keep his leg elevated.  Aly drove up the mountain and Jacque drove down.  Yes, I know...we are VERY brave and adventurous souls, me and Brad!

We headed up on Thursday to catch a few hours before the rest of the family arrived.  It's a little more peaceful and we sure enjoy that first night as a family.  We had a few guests with us, but that made it more fun and as the slogan goes.... "Always welcome!"  Our first project was to fix a broken water hose that had depleted our water supply.  With strict orders to "take it easy" and "no sharp objects", Brad tried very hard to supervise Aly and keep his part at a minimum.  She dug the hole, (yes, the spoon was involved!)  hacked the piped, applied glue and all sorts of dirty plumber's duties.  After a few hours, they had the piped fixed and we were ready to go.

Next morning was beautiful and the cousins had a great time on the bikes, playing games and just relaxing.  As the family arrived, we sure enjoyed their company and looked forward to everyone being together.

Saturday was the big dinner and it was a smaller crowd this time.  The weather was wonderful and no one had to endure the dreaded rainy weather all night.  Not that we don't like the rain.  It's just that out in "tent city", those brave individuals have to endure quite a lot!

Sunday meetings are always the best.  I don't think anyone could ever deny that our Heavenly Father blesses that special place.  We always have the sacred opportunity to take the sacrament and have our testimonies strengthened as we listen to those family members and friends bear such sweet and strong testimonies of our Savior's love, His tender mercies, and the blessings we all enjoy.

Monday, most everyone headed down...back into the heat.  Watching the temperature guide in the car is always the game as we head back down into "THE valley" before we head into our valley.
One of our family's favorite things to do is talk about all the wonderful things that we saw, we did, and felt up on Mt. Graham.  Usually, we can talk the whole trip. Here are some of our favorite memories:

Watching all the kids play "Dead or Alive" or "Ultimate Frisbee".  This game appeals to all ages and all ages want to play.  SOME end up with nasty bruises or achy body parts from acting like the younger kids....but we won't name anyone particular!

(Pay close attention to those who are "watching" and those who are playing!!)

A new family tradition is to cook the Friday dinner for all those who are traveling up on Friday.  Since our family (and company) enjoyed the day to ourselves, we also cooked up a wonderful stew for everyone on the road.  With so many helpers (and no, they did NOT eat it raw!), the preparing went fast and all enjoyed a hot meal as they came to the cabin.

Preparing for the meal is a FAMILY affair!  Everyone helps.  From putting up tables, to cooking hamburgers, to sorting the beans, to peeling onions, to "tasting" the goodies, to cleaning after everyone has stuffed themselves silly, to kicking certain individuals OUT of the kitchen and claiming the dishwasher spot.  Again....a FAMILY effort!!

(My favorite picture!!)

Sunday brings such wonderful memories as well.  It goes without saying that the meetings are the mountains are special each time they are held.  Hearts are touched, feelings expressed and faith is strengthened.  It doesn't get much better than that.

Of course, up at Columbine, the Sabbath is only a 1/2 day. Some un-written rule I've never quite understood but gladly accepted. Meals, games and good conversation create an afternoon that everyone enjoys.

(We have way too many pictures of this cutie-patootie!)

Monday is the day we all say good-by.  Good-by to a relaxing, very minimal techno, very cool vacation.  We take a last bike ride, pack up and clean up.  Everyone helps!  This year Jeff turned 19!  He is leaving shortly for the Dominican Republic.  We sang to him 3 times, since the next two birthdays will be celebrated in another country!  Best of all, we enjoy reliving our memories all the way back home....to a long, cool shower!!