It's been a while . .

Well hi everyone! It's been a while (Since before Thanksgiving!). Well, Thanksgiving and Christmas were really wonderful. Everyone but Bret's little family were here. They were with Bret's Dad 'cuz he had nobody to spend Thanksgiving with. I loved decorating and getting ready for Christmas. Christmas Eve was really great. Our friend Will Wise was here as well. So were the Sharps, Cait, the boys, Jasmine. Bridger wanted to give a Christmas Home Evening which was absolutely beautiful. Most of us were crying. I was so glad to have Will be there where he would feel the Spirit of love from our Savior. Christmas morning was really great. Bret's family was here with the little Kannon. It was the Anderson's year to be with Travis' family. We had our Christmas breakfast and opened presents and played and played with our little guy. Since then I've only been up to Ogden twice to babysit but I'm going up THIS Friday to babysit again . . YAY! My calling has kept me busy . . there is always someone to visit or a little fire to put out. I had the opportunity to give a talk, a lesson and a talk all one week after the other. First in Sacrament meeting (the Anderson's spoke in their ward that same week) on Gifts of the spirit. The next week I taught the RS lesson on Charity in our everyday lives and the week after that I spoke at stake conference Saturday night adult meeting. I spoke on our responsibility for the welfare of our neighbors. I was glad to have most of the family there to support me at everything. Putting Christmas away is a huge job and sorta sad, not as fun as putting everything up. We've been busy with Brigham's history fair as well. He did a wonderful job and got a 98% from his teacher. He has been so sweet and obedient, even when he doesn't like to do some stuff I ask him. I enjoy seeing Bridger on the weekends and texting during the week. He had a wonderful Fall semester. Already filling out his paper work for his mission! Dad continues to be gone all week. He was here the week he had his surgery for his umbilical hernia but seems to have recovered and went right back to work the next week. We're making plans for Jasmine's wedding. No reception. Just a nice cozy luncheon three days after the wedding for family and a few close friends. She has been really sweet and a joy to have around. I love it when Sess comes to stay when Chance is out of town or at work. She keeps me laughing and is a great help and support. I miss my Cait but we have catch up phone calls. She seems to be really happy and despite some difficulties, she is taking it all in stride and with a great attitude. She is really busy with her 4 a.m. job and busy classes. We finally got to see the Anderson's on Sunday for supper and catch up on their lives. Travis has applied to grad school and they are waiting on that to make further decisions. Lacee is doing awesome teaching and over knowledge bowl. She is going to Mexico for spring break to build houses . . . WOW. Our ward began doing a dancercize class this morning. It meets 6 a.m., MWF. Boy did I feel like an uncoordinated idiot. I'm a very slow learner but once I learn it, it's in there for good. 6 a.m. is a little tough for me but it's worth it if I can lose some weight or get toned and healthy. I've been having my green drink for breakfast every other day. It's made with kale, spinach, celery, cucumber, parsley and then some papaya juice and pineapple juice. Good thing I don't have any sense of taste, huh? It's really healthy. I'm pretty healthy, as usual, and am grateful. The typing gets really old and it takes me so long to get it done since I'm often having to pop up and down to go and do a visit or a meeting or something. But I'm grateful to have that job and the skill to do it. Sess put up some burgundy curtains in my living room. It's about time I got it done. Got to go to Las Vegas with Jasmine to pick up her car. It's really beautiful. Great, amazing deal! Daddy and I are thinking of taking an autumn trip this year to the Northeast and visit historical sites and church sites as well as see the beautiful colors. We're thinking of Massachusettes, New York, Maine. Mamita comes back for her checks next month. I pray for each of you every morning and night and you are always in my thoughts. I'm always here for my babies so don't ever hesitate to call or text me. I love you all.

P.S.

Lacee and
Travis, love reading your blog. Congrats on your new calling, Travis. Lacee, do they still have you as historian?

Ode to being a Mom . .

Well, since Dad has been gone, my days are filled with typing and a thousand tasks in between so I'm popping up and down here and hour and there an hour and gone for 2 and here for 20 minutes. See, though I have typing, I'm still the Mom. Brigham needs my attention and help, Sess and Dani need me as both have been ill and Bret is gone to Virginia so I've made a few trips there last week and today will again go but she has strep and so is feeling really horrible with no relief. Jasmine is thinking . . thinking . . . thinking about wedding possibilities but busy with work and school and hardly gets to see her fiance . . . she is very happy . . I've never seen her so happy. She and Hector are so in love and for Jasmine, wow, that's really saying something. She is at such peace and they are so comfortable and made for each other. It makes me happy. Relief society continues to move along . . . sick ladies, moving ladies, new ladies, completely re-did the visiting teaching thing. Jasmine is on the relief society committee and it was so great to be there with her at our last meeting. Brigham has had huge big events and things due and tests. He was so amazing in the play and absolutely loved it, loved it, loved it, loved it!! I think he might have found another niche in life! He said it made him gain confidence. I was so proud. Jasmine was absolutely darling . . as she always is when she dances . . . it will always be part of her! History fair is beginning for Brigham and he continues to memorize poems for class, been doing great on his PE tests. I'm very proud of him as he has really taken off on being so together and organized. He had nothing to do one day and began workng on merit badges on his own. He completed three during PowWow last week, had the play and tons of homework. I love spending time with him . . me and my little guy we do a lot together. He has just astounded me with his motivation and use of his time and organization. He is such a smart little guy! Sess has got Mono and trying to get over that. Dr. Clayton staff is not working until
Thanksgiving so when Chance goes to work she comes and spends the day there. Can hardly wait for Cait to get home and . . I think Lacee is okay. Are you okay, Lacee?

Kannon is crawling all over and taken a few steps. Cute as ever! Plays peek-a-boo and when you ask him where his tongue is, he sticks it out!

Love you all . . that's it in a nutshell . .

Mama

Mom's Minutes

Yay, it's my turn! Wow, where to begin. Hmmmm . . been doing the typing this week. Not too horrible in and of itself but with everything else: being a Mom and being there when I'm needed is my main priority. Glad that I'm needed a lot. RS has been pulling at me a lot with visiting widows this week and then Arva Jones was hospitalized and I've gone to see her the past two days and the first day she looked like it was over. Today she was awake and gave me a real tight hug and was able to say 'i love you'. I just wanted to cry, I was so relieved to see her like that. I don't think I slept the whole night worrying for her. Still not out of the woods but she looked so much better. She has a blockage in her intestines. She is too old for surgery. I also have food orders due this week. I've done one and I've got two more to do. I saw one widow yesterday, one today and then I see Betty Ericksen tomorrow. I love working in the relief society. It has been wonderful to learn from all the sisters. I have such a deep love for them. Brigham was called to give a talk on Oct 25 on Love at Home. He could use some ideas, especially a funny story. Still trying to work on the Visiting teaching routes. We got all of sessely's temple clothes today, I tried on the bride's mother's dress. Sess helped by picking everything in the garden since a freeze is predicted tonight. The wedding is stressing in that some of the fine details are not quite settled in my head yet. We'll go to St. George for Sess's endowments on Friday so will be gone most of the day. Jasmine still doesn't have her car back. I got to see my Kannon on Monday and will try to go next Monday . . depending on how much I still have left to do. Dad will be home next week . . YAY!!! Had such a wonderful time on the Heber Creeper this past weekend. Mostly being together with all my kids minus my Cait and seeing the fall colors at their best. They were brilliant! I wish we could get together more often . . . I love it. I don't think Bret and Danielle saw much of the little porkchop! Weeks when Dad are gone always turn out to be more stressful. Looking forward to conference weekend for encouragement and words of guidance and wisdom perfect and up to the minute to guide us through the world as it is right now. I love my Heavenly Father and my Lord. They change hearts, when I can't change my own and love us so completely regardless of where we are. I know this with all my heart and it is the greatest joy and peace we can have as the world offers only temporary joys at best. I'm so glad to know we have a prophet today and we get to hear him in just a few days. I love you all my ducklings and my sweet husband.

Update

Hey everyone, so hardly anybody is updating this blog site so . . I'll try to catch eveyrone up on everyone else. sigh.

Lacee almost died with Western Nile Virus. At least Bridger and I, after extensive reading, have concluded this. What we are pretty sure of is that it was NOT sinusitis. However, I did read that sinusitis is a common misdiagnosis of WNV. She is luckily recuperating pretty well. Fortunately, but it is going a little slow. Travis has been at her side and taking very good care of her.

Jasmine is now at home. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh says MaMa.

Sess is getting great grades in Rexburg and is engaged . . . hmmmmmmmmmm says MaMa.

Brigham is currently camping for a week at Maple Dell . . . . I miss my youngest duckling says MaMa.

Kannon is the little man of the house and taking care of his Mommy, Danielle while Bret is working in Cedar City. I get to go up on Thursday, nanana nanana, says MaMa.

Caitlyn cut her hair and reminds me of when she was about 10 years old and had it in the little under cut. Excited to go back to Rexburg in September. Working hard, made up all kinds of lists and helps for Bridger when he began working he wouldn't have to struggle the way she did! Isn't she amazing?

Bridger, getting ordained an Elder this Sunday!! that boy is on fire! Excited to go to BYU and works where Cait. Keeping our lawns looking pretty. The perfect big brother to Brigham, takes him with him wherever he goes and walk up to lunch together at Westmore cafeteria.

Dad and all of us, I'm sure, are praying harder than ever that his job at BYU will continue. We appreciate all of your thoughts and prayers. We can feel the strength of everybody's concern.

Me, Oh, I'm learning to do sprouting and sourdough bread. I bring roses in regularly to put in vases around the house and have taken irises and peonies for the relief society table. The vegetable garden is doing well, too. Life is coming way too fast with so many changes, emotionally and otherwise, that I wish I could just stop everything for a few days so I could take a breather and catch up with everything that's coming at me. But it just keeps on coming . . . sigh.

I wonder how long it will take somebody to see that I've even posted. I don't think anybody is looking at this site anymore.

But I love you all anyway, MaMa

Our Stewart Falls Adventure

So, yeah Brigham and I went up to Stewart Falls today . . .well about 4/5 of the way. everything was going well, we were going along the shady path, listening to our MP3 players and it was dry one second and pouring rain and HAILING the next. We quickly put on our ponchos but were sopped to the skin. I insisted we continue on a ways since we could pretty much hear the falls and had seen it through the trees. We said a little prayer and we (brigham, reluctantly so) continued. He was worried about lightening and we had heard nothing up until that point but I told him the first rumbling I heard we would turn around. Pretty soon, we heard one rumbling and never heard another, nevertheless, I had promised. So we turned around. My knee gave me a lot of trouble on the way downhill it was okay going up and level but when going downhill, yikes, it was horrible. We sang hymns and the Lord helped me the rest of the way. It was a fun hike. With a walking stick and a little knee brace I would like to go on a hike a week with whomever is available. I can only do short 1-2 mile ones but Brigham and I will for sure be going. Trying to get a family hike organized for this summer! Hope I hear from everyone SOON! MaMa

Well, it's been over a month since I've written. May was a very busy month. There were 6th grade year end activities to plan and do, a water party where I was in charge of games . . attending Nova graduation where Brigham graduated and read his speech . . . there was the usual around the house getting our garden going . . the spinach has already come and gone and we were able to enjoy some tasty tender leaves. The broccoli is beginning to do it's thing and I hope it gets to before the hot weather makes it bolt! I've got one pumpkin plant and one zucchini (yum!). We have 9 broccoli, 4 cabbage about 8 pepper, 8 tomatoes, raspberries, italian herbs for Christmas gifts, corn, green onions, two cantaloupe and one watermelon and 6 cucumber hills. Jasmine has been coming over every day to do weeding and it looks so nice. My flowers are beginning to bloom in the flower garden and I actually took a ton of irises to relief society a week ago. I'll take the peonies next as they will be blooming shortly. I think I finally got some lily of the valley (Danielle's birth flower) to come up, Jasmine's will be blooming soon, as will be Sessely's and Bridgers and mine and Lacee's. I also planted some gladiolus bulbs for Brigham! I just need to get some in for Caitlyn. Bridger had his grand graduation and we were so proud of him. He had so many cords that Sess called him curtain! We had a great celebration supper at Sizzlers in Provo where we ran into the VanDeBoss family (hope I spelled that right). We put up a poster on the front of the house. Brigham received recognition for his academic excellence as wel as being voted smartest student by his class. Relief society has been feast or famine. I've got to go up a few times to visit my little pork chop as well which really makes my week! Sess came down for a visit and we got to spend some time together and talk and laugh and enjoy her usual shananigans. She will be back in 11 days for her birthday. We are probably looking at an early October wedding so get your calendars set. Either Oct 8 or Oct 9. We would love to have you all there. Not official yet but we'll let you know. I'm making my list for Chance's visit. Last Sunday was a blast as we had 13 people here for supper. We actually made it fit! We had so much fun with everyone and the Kannon-ball. Cait continues to stay busy with work and Bridger is training for cashier. Bret had a really horrible flu this week but seems to be snapping out of it. I got to watch Kannon on Saturday because poor Bret was feeling so horrid and was obviously contagious. I'll let you kids tell more specifics about what is going on in your lives. All of you are doing good things and bring a smile to my face as I see you grow into really wonderful people. Let's all write monthly! I love you all.

Mom's Update 4-22-09

Well, let's see. So glad dad is back in town so I have a life again and not typing all the day long. I had a lot of energy on Monday and baked bread and made foil dinners, did laundry. Tuesday I went to Walmart to get some supplies for Brigham's castle and pick up a few other items. Bought broccoli plants and herbs and a couple of flowers. I decided that I would grow a ton of oregano, thyme and basil and dry my own Italian Season to give away at Christmas. I always make my own anyway from what I grow but I thought that would be an easy Christmas gift. It's been in the 80s and soooooo warm, so incredible we had 9" of snow about one week ago! It will be in the 50-60s this weekend with rain! Nevertheless, Dad and I are going to putter around and put fertilize the vegetable beds and get them ready for planting; Cait is weeding my flower garden (she needs $$) though she just got hired on at Bath and Body! I've already planted my spinach and green onions. I'll plant more herbs as well. I ordered some flowers to plant several months ago and they are due to arrive soon. I need to prune my raspberries and get them ready to go. My peach trees are bloomin! I need to put a teacher appreciation book together for Brigham's teacher and also decorate her door which will now just be a poster board we make and put up. Soooooooooooooooo much easier but I still need a theme or creative angle for it. I go to the cannery this Friday . . if Dad isn't swamped, he'll go for me. Brigham's castle is due on Friday and tomorrow morning he will have an audition at the jr high for percussion. She just wants to see how good a pianist he is and how well he reads music. He's really stressed about it. I heard from Danielle today and she and Bret and baby boo will most likely make it down for Bridger's graduation . . this is such a huge sacrifice to come all the way, get off early from work, pack for a baby (that is a feat) and Lacee and Travis are taking off work, w/o pay to be there too. Jasmine sends her rgrets as she will be in Washington D.C. as a maid of honor. The bride's family paid for her ticket! Sess will try to make it down for that as well. I do miss my Sess, she was always my little shadow. I finally put away all the Easter stuff. Well my family, talk to you again soon!

My week . .

Well, hmmmmmmm . . let's see.
Last week was a bit more calm than the week before. I went to the doctor and am now OFF my Advair and in spite of the fact that I've been off my steroid for the past month I still have my sense of smell and taste!! What a tender mercy!! Usually by now it's gone away again. I've started some flower starts in the house to plant in late April or early May. I pruned my rose bushes. We have been babysitting MuShu while the Andersons are away on vacation. I had a few meetings, went visiting teaching and on Tuesday I spent 6 hours in Ogden with my Kannon-boy. No noise, no TV, just him and me. Sess left for Elko with Chance, Brigham was sick a few days and missed a day of school. I went to the cannery on Friday. This week: Dad is gone out of town, Jasmine has no car and I'm going to a workshop in Salt Lake on tomorrow by the general relief society board for relief society presidencies. I will also be typing . . .

That's all folks!

Mama

CAITLYN**CAITLYN**CAITLYN**CAITLYN**CAIT**

Cait, I would like to thank you for all the work and special effects you've done on our family blog page. I love the choices to check at the end of each post and how you made the slide show bigger. You ARE AWESOME!! Good luck on finals!!

Love you, love you, love you . .

Mama

P.S.

So great to read about Lacee and Travis in FLORIDA. What a fun week for them. I hope she's taking tons of pictures. We are babysitting MuShu!

MY minutes . . .

So . . . Last week was a whirl . . . Mamita and Art were here. I went to Salt Lake on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. Actually in addition, we continued onto Ogden to see KannonBall on Tuesday and Friday. Mamita went home on Saturday so I guess that counts as another trip. Brigham went to the Space Center this past Monday and had an absolute blast. He will have to write a blog when he is feeling better with more details. Yup, he has had a tummy ache since Tuesday and feeling a little down. You heard from Bridger . . .tonight we go up to Cottonwood High School to hear the results of the State Sterling Scholars. Count another trip to Salt Lake. Yesterday I went visiting teaching . . .then I finished another baby quilt at Bonnie's and then took off to see Kannon. I got there about 3 and stayed until 9:30. Danielle had to work at 4. Bret didn't get home until almost 7. I had so much fun with him just being a MAMIE. He took naps in my arms and I didn't even have the desire to watch TV . . I sang to him and watched him sleep. His smile just lights up my life! I got home just before 11 p.m. Today I get to take Sis. Merino to her doctor appointment. Then tonight the Salt Lake trip. Tomorrow I have a stake welfare meeting and I get to go to the cannery to make and purchase spaghetti sauce for our food storage. I also need to find another counselor by April 1. Jasmine has had an upper respiratory illness since November and yesterday I took her to the doc and we found out she has ADULT RSV!!!!!! When we walked in, Sess was sitting at the front desk thinking she was all that, trying to look all important . . . OMG. I told Jasmine, the receptionist here is so RUDE! LOL!! So, Jasmine has been wheezing and the doc put her on prednisone which works really well (I remember how great it was when I had asthmatic bronchitis a year ago) and an antibiotic. Hopefully she will take good care of herself and be more protective for the REST OF HER LIFE since she now has permanent scarring on her lungs. That's what happens when you get RSV. It's a life sentence. She will be susceptible to chest colds and pneumonia from now on folks! So that wasn't the best news but at least we know why she's been so ill. Dad continues to stay up until about 2 a.m. and gets up about 6. Honestly, he is going to drop dead one day. WE must join me in praying for him every night and day. Otherwise we are doing really well and still feel so blessed to have a job at BYU. I trimmed my roses and planted flowers in my pots on the porch. I love you all!! MoMmA

Mom's Minutes

Well, as Sess has told you, she has a new little friend. Also as Sess told you, we got to see the Kannon yesterday. He is a whopping 17.65 lbs. He is very bright and very social. Bridger has returned from Washington, D.C. I went up to the airport at 11:54 to pick him up last night with two friends. He had a great time. Pyper the Piddler keeps doing it. I cut some pussy willow to bring inside to remind us all that spring is really around the corner. Cremise is better now and Syree won't let me pay her so I'm taking dinner over tonight. Brigham is enjoying a John Bytheway book I got for him at the library and a tape by Jack Marshall for youth. They make him laugh. Thanks for writing, Jasmine. We know things are tough for you right now with so much coming at you. Lacee, how are you feeling?? She is coming down with a bad cold . . again! Danielle cut and colored her hair, that block thing women are doing. She is happy with it. Mamita comes next week and will be here from Monday to Saturday with Uncle Art. I can still smell and taste!

GREAT COUPLE OF DAYS

On Friday, Sess and Bonnie and I left for Rexburg. We dropped Bonnie off at Julie's and then we went and found our Cait, had lunch and then went to our motel room. She got her hair cut so it just brushes her shoulders. I couldn't tell at first, I thought it was just behind her back but then I she brushed it forward. I've not seen it this short since she was a little girl but it looks really cute on her. Different but really cute. We watched movies and SUPERNATURAL until about 3 a.m. Poor Cait still got up and went to work by 4 a.m., came back and went to bed. It was so fun not to HAVE TO do anything, except Cait who still had to go to work. We got up after 9 and got ready to check out at 11. Then we walked all around campus. Caitlyn showed us the Spori (I don't know if I spelled that right) building. It's the art building and we went inside several art studio classrooms and saw some amazing art work by students. It's Cait's building since her major, photography, is in the Art department. Too soon, it was time to leave and it was sad to say our good-byes. We got Bonnie and started for home. We got to stop and see our Kannon ball baby who looks like a chubby round cannon ball! He is so cute. His calves, feet, chubby hands and fingers! He was all smiles and just kept smiling and smiling. He is such a happy boy. Really, really bright, too. He is trying to reach out and touch things and he is chattering a whole lot. I hope we will get to see him on March 10 when he comes down for his Dr. appointment. Sahara was still there and was just beside herself to see us! I'll probably take Mamita and Art up there one day to see him while she is down visiting the third week of March. They will be here from Monday to Saturday. Dad just told me that he WILL NOT be gone the month of March as previously thought for a job in Idaho, that will be in April due to Lane breaking 4 ribs in a fall a couple of weeks ago. So maybe Sess and I can go up one day when Danielle is off and visit him in March. A Wednesday or a Friday.

We had a really wonderful experience at the Draper temple that same evening. Actually Sess and I got home about 7 and we left at about 7:40 to go up. It was so beautiful to see the temple at night and the tour was just wonderful. Danielle had wanted to go but we had gotten a very late hour for Kannon and he would have been miserable the whole time. That is his nursing marathon time and he's been going to bed at night earlier and earlier. The whole thing lasted about 1-1/2 hours. It was great for most of us to be there, however. The open hourse is coming up later in March and I hope we can all go to that through our own stakes and wards.

So, it was a great very full weekend and we got to see our Cait and our Kannon and Danielle; even Lacee and Travis. We get to babysit Mushu while the Andersons go to Florida this month. Our Cremise seems very under the weather. She ate a good breakfast yesterday and then killed a bird and ate it and seems to be listless and not eating since. I will talk to Syree Richards (my vet tech neighbor) and ask her opinion. I may have to take her in for a looksee. She just lays there and sleeps. She seems a bit warm, but I'm not sure. Don't worry Lacee, we'll solve this before Mushu comes over.

Sessely is definitely going up to BYUI this spring and is very excited about it. She can give details.

Love you all . . . .Mama

My Thursday . .

So . . . Sess slept in my bed last night. Poor Dad slept on the couch but we needed to keep an eye on her. She was down a lot today but seems to be tolerating the pain since most narcotics don't seem to work for her. She even had two visitors today. I grabbed some sale items at Smiths and Albertsons. I homeschooled Brigham, made chicken enchiladas for supper. Brigham and I registered him for his classes for 7th grade at Lakeridge. Just before 6, Bridger and I had a meeting at Mtn. View to sign papers for his tour which is coming up week after next. Then I raced to Carol Wolfert's house for literacy meeting. We read the book, BROKEN THINGS TO MEND by Jeffrey R. Holland. Then straightway Bonnie and I went to a 80th birthday party held in a conference room in the mall for Joy Viewheg. I made some mashed potatoes for Sess . . first real food she's had. I tucked her back in her room and gave her a pain pill. I will now put Brigham to bed.

For those of you that didn't know, I've been taking my steroid for about a month now and I CAN SMELL AND TASTE!! However, there have been some really weird side-effects so I'm tapering off now. Pray when I come completely off, I'll still have my sense of taste/smell. Usually it goes away after I stop the steroid.

DON'TFORGETEVERYONE: ('cept Cait :( We have our tickets for the Draper Temple Open House . . . Saturday, Feb 28 . .not this Sat but next at 8:40 p.m. It's supposed to be really wonderful. I want to hear from Danielle, Jasmine and Lacee!

I'm tired. Mama

Valentune

Daddy bought me a Valentune this year. The MV chamber choir went
around singing to people that had purchased a valentune. Here
Bridger's group showed up while I was doing Brigham's class party at
Westmore. I thought my face would break, I was smiling the whole
time!!

--Mommy