Thankful

Well I would be remiss if I didnt express my thanks this wonderful time of year for all my blessings. This Thanksgiving brought a special spirit to our family. We spent it alone out here in IL, and had a nice dinner with just us 7. While we miss our families dearly, there is something about spending a holiday like this alone as a family. We felt this feeling while we were in CT, and it truly brought us closer as a family. One of the things I am most grateful at this time, is the closeness us as a family have become over the last 6 years or so. Ever since we left AZ to go to school, there has been a closeness and bonding for our family, that I hope and pray will continue to strengthen and grow. Our children are becoming best friends with each other, something that brings tears of joy to me. We have been so blessed with a beautiful home, a wonderful job that Troy has, healthy good kids, who are such examples to others and to Troy and I, a wonderful family unit that gives us love and support through our trials, great friends who make life fun, the gospel of Jesus Christ to give our lives direction and purpose, a Savior who has given us the most priceless gift of Eternal Life. I could continue on and on, and I feel so blessed to be given so much. Our family got to make and partake of a wonderful turkey dinner, even though we have no kitchen sink, actually not much of a kitchen except for a stove and oven, which had a balance beam of a board going across the newly laid tile in our kitchen...talk about fun carrying a 20 lb turkey across the beam!! Memories! I am grateful for the job that Troy has to be able to remodel our kitchen! Our family was able to sit down together and enjoy a wonderful dinner, and continue our tradition of going around the table saying things we are thankful for. Our children are so great to truly be grateful for things in their lives. Afterward, we were able to go to some friends house for pie and games. What a great time we had! We got home that night about 9 pm, and after a couple of hours of preparation and planning, Troy and I got to bed around 11, only to get up at 2:45 am! We headed off to Marion to get to JC Penney's at 4! We faced the crazy crowds, in our annual Black Friday tradition! We were so excited to get our hands on everything we hoped to, and then some! I love this wonderful time of year that we get to focus on giving to others, and spend wonderful time as a family. I love my husband so much, and his amazing quest for adventure, who loves to shop and give, give, give! He is such an example to me. We have had a blast this year already, and it just started! We enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving and are looking forward to a wonderful Christmas!!

New Moon!

Ok, so I just have to post that I saw New moon two times this weekend...Yes I went to the midnight showing with my friends! We have a tradition now! We are crazy, and got home at almost 4 am...and had to get up at 7 for school! Thank goodness there was no seminary that day! It was worth it though! Then I took Brooke to see it on Sat. It was soooo good! I think it was WAY better than Twilight..and I still love Twilight! I must admit now though, I might be Team Switzerland!! Yikes! Cant wait to see it again, just dont tell Troy!

Happy 17th Anniversary Troy!

Man, I cannot believe how fast the time flies! 17 years ago (yesterday), that wonderful man of mine took me to the Mesa Arizona Temple to be married for time and all eternity. What a blessing he has been in my life. I am so grateful for his willingness to spend his life with me. We have had our shares of hard times, but mostly we have had 17 wonderful years together. I watched our wedding video to remind me of how young and SKINNY we both were...man its crazy! I love everyone's hair back in 1992!! Troy was so awesome to take me out to a musical in St. Louis called, "In the Heights", after which we got to dine at PF Changs...one of our favorites. We had a wonderful evening together. I am so grateful for a great husband and father of our children, who continues to love me, even through my many imperfections! Thank you Troy for being the best and most amazing husband I could have ever dreamed of. I love you!!

Happy Halloween 2009

Here are the kids after they carved their pumpkins. Disnee of course ditched the pictures...they are being silly!! They all did a cute job! Troy and I were stressed out beyond belief after of course (I hate Halloween and the stress involved in it all!!!! Its too much for me!! haha) Here are the cool pumpkins in the dark!! Just before Jalan stood up in the dark and smashed the heck out of his back on the pool table...so it ended the party!!

For our ward trunk or treat, we got all dressed up and were excited to go this year. Troy was on call and had to miss it:(

Macee was a "Pretty" witch this year. she debated over and ugly and pretty witch...and finally decided on the pretty one...isnt she pretty!! Jalan was two things this year, but for the trunk or treat, he dressed as a football player..and later on Halloween he was Batman??? he couldnt decide so just grabbed something!

Britton is our football freak lately, watching it on tv or playing it in video games at all times!! So he decided to go as a football player, too bad they didnt have any helmets or pads! They got to wear their own uniforms from football this year though!

Brooke dressed up as a ??? Some kind of fairy, insect something..she was pretty though! Disnee did pretty much the same...she was the same thing as last year! still pretty though...

All the kids

Macee's school has a Halloween parade every year. They have all the kindergarteners dress up in their costumes, and walk around the block in a parade! It was cold and kind of weird...but the kids liked it! People around town were stopping to watch. Here's sis with her class. After lunch they had their Halloween party. I went to help Mrs. England. Macee was happy! Here is Macee with her best friend, Caleb :)

CHS Cheer 2009

So the girls got their cheer pictures back...here they are! This is their squad and leader. Unfortunately, Lifetouch, for the second year in a row...has sent us blurry cheer pictures! Disnee's individual pic is totally blurry. I called and they cant do anything but give me a refund...well thats nice, but she's just out of luck for a cute pic! I will take some pics of the girls with my camera I guess. Anyway, here she is...cutie!!

And here is Brooke's-well, Kalee!! Hers turned out really cute!! What a doll she is...such a peppy girl! I Love my girls!!

The day has finally come.....

Well, the day has finally come for Troy....to get to to get his son's first wrestling shoes all ready for him to use!! Troy recently found out there was a wrestling club here in Centralia, and was thrilled of course! So he signed up the boys, and they have been almost as excited as Troy. They have just begun practices, and are learning quickly. The other day at practice, the coach brought a bunch of shoes for the boys to use. So Britton got some and dad got to polish and clean them up for him. Jalan had to miss practice that day, but they didnt have any his size...so if they cant find any, we will buy him some new ones. So Britton and dad worked to get them looking spankin new! And of course Macee had to get in on the picture taking!

Britton and his new shoes ready for some Centralia Rebel Riders!!!

Jalan's meet

On Saturday Jalan had another cross country meet in Salem. He was excited to run in the JV run. He has been running in the "open" race, which is all the boys who want to run that didnt make varisty or jv top runners from their school. But Jalan had beat out a few other boys and got a spot on the Jv team. He has been finishing 5th from his team. Jalan started out the race with 147 boys, and was tripped and fell down. He was in second to last place-in front of another boy who tripped as well. He got up and we were afraid he was pretty much out of the race. This course was very tough, with lots of hills and valleys. We watched him pass halfway and he was going pretty good, but looked tired. We were worried. The kids and I went to the finish line to see him cross it, and Troy stayed behind to yell for him at the tough last hill. Troy says that as Jalan came up the hill, he started yelling for jalan to keep going and he gave him a fist pump, and said he could see Jalan's face and it gave him a boost. It brought tears to his daddys eyes to see his face with such a strong will. Here is Jalan almost to finish.

Jalan finished strong and got 39th place out of 147 runners. We were SOOO proud of him and his determination to finish strong and even got a trophy! This was his first trophy this year for cross country. He has several ribbons but was thrilled to receive a trophy. After Troy made his way back to us at the finish and saw Jalan with his trophy, he had another opportunity to hide his eyes as his emotions took over. It was such a warming experience to see the love of a father to his son. Wow I cant imagine how much better this will continue to get as he gets older and continues in his achievements!! We had such a great start to our Saturday and we were all so thrilled to been able to watch jalan do so good and shared that as a family-minus Disnee who was too lazy on a saturday to get up and leave the house at 8:20 AM. CAn you see how tired Jalan looks in the picture!! We love this boy!!