Oh How The Years Go By!

Arden and I were married 16 years ago, October 10th. Today is the 16th anniversary of our reception, so I guess I'm not too late to say Happy Anniversary to my honey bunches of oats.

Last week for our anniversary we ended up taking our kids to Lagoon for Frightmares. Maybe not the most romantic night, but we did have a lot of fun. Tomorrow, we've planned a date night for dinner, it is kind of sad how your love life has to take a back seat as your family grows.

I remember our wedding day, it was such a beautiful autumn day. It was so sunny, we could hardly keep our eyes open for pictures. Arden picked me up very early that morning to drive to the Manti Temple, you would think we would have gabbed the whole way from Salt Lake but all I can remember is that I slept the whole way. Arden has found this to be my choice way of traveling ever since, dead asleep.

The temple was so amazing, we were sealed in the Persian room, very beautiful. I cried through most of that. Arden has also found that I cry way too much, you learn a lot about your spouse on your wedding day that you may not have previously known.

After the temple ceremony we had pictures with the fam and moved on to our wedding breakfast at the Country Village Inn, or something like that. It was yummy! We then took off for our honeymoon that lasted one whole night because I had to be back to Salt Lake to start my new job with UPS that following Monday. We stayed at some scary Holiday Inn in Cedar City, not the best of memories. Luckily after our wedding reception the following Friday my sister, Debbie, got us a fabulous room at the Grand America, that was wonderful. LOVED IT!

I miss the days of being a newlywed and starting our life together, the only thing that mattered was spending all of my time with Arden. I don't feel like we get enough alone time together anymore, but I will always have fond memories of the time we did have alone while it lasted. Here's to many more wonderful years. Love you Ardee!

It's Official, She's a Teenager!

Happy Birthday to our dear sweet Chelsea, whom we love and adore more than words can say. I can't believe how fast the last 13 years have gone. I swear she was just a baby the other day.

When I was pregnant with Chelsea, I was just sure that I was having another boy. My Grandmother Davis was in failing health at the time and kept insisting it was a girl. She also insisted that she would not die before I gave birth, she just loved the great-grandkids. One day as I sat with Grandma, I told her that if she was just waiting around for the baby to come then she should go, that way she could spend time with the baby before it came to earth. October 3, 1995 my Grandma died, that very day I was scheduled for an ultrasound. When my sister, Janet, and I went in for the ultra sound I just cried and cried because they confirmed that it was indeed a girl, and I knew my Grandma was with her. I have often felt my Grandma's spirit with Chelsea.

What a fun baby, bright red hair, and super happy. We used to call her our baby orangutan. She looked just like a baby orangutan, she had hair on her ears and back, which has mostly gone by now, hee hee. She has attracted such attention for that hair too. When she was an infant, oh how the people would stop when we would go out in public. We would get the funniest comments like, "Oh I love her hair, is that natural?" I would have loved to ask them what kind of idiot perms or dyes an infants hair? What did they mean by asking such a silly question. Another of my favorites was a woman who stopped us in a department store one day when Chelsea was 2 or 3. She said "Do you know how much I pay to TRY and get my hair that color?" She was quite jealous.

I often tell her how proud I am to be her Mom. I'm so glad that I don't have to worry about her and the choices that she makes. Chelsea is always willing to help around the house, and keeps her brothers in line. Her outlook on life is so positive and she rarely complains. I don't know how I became so lucky to be her Mom. I thank the heavens above that she was sent to me. Heavenly Father knew that I needed her in my life.

I love you Chels!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ARDEE PARDEE!

Yesterday Arden turned the big 41, which is much worse than the big 40. Well, I don't know if it is actually worse, but he is definitely one year older.

We spent the weekend in Salt Lake and Park City. My dear sister, Dayna, watched the kids so that we could run around and have fun.

The highlight of the weekend was stopping in the Candy Shoppe in Park City and buying caramel apples. Those apples were heaven on a stick. Nothing says fall like caramel apples.

Saturday night we went to see Ghost Town with my sister and her husband, I laughed until I cried. That show is hilarious, or maybe I was just very tired.

Near midnight we decided to pack it home, as we drove the clock turned midnight the kids and I screamed HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I don't think he was very impressed, but he loves us anyway.

Arden is such a good man, a very hard worker, and a great father and husband.

A few of my favorite memories of Arden:

Arden as a teenager wearing short levi brand cut off shorts with the pockets hanging lower than the fringe. (SUPER HOT!)???

Arden wearing his crazy hawaiian shirt (also as a teenager), riding his unicycle all over the neighborhood. Very talented.

In the summer Arden would come to our home at 6AM on Saturdays, and sit on our porch to wait for my dad. Arden worked with him on the Stake Farm cutting hay.

When I was 13, Arden helped his mom with her calling as the Y.W. basketball coach. I would always make sure I looked good at basketball practice because I had a massive crush on him(along with most every other girl on the team).

At age 14 writing Arden on his mission. I wrote him often and sent packages, I felt so grown up to be writing to a missionary. Completely innocent I assure you. When he would finally write me back I would take the letter to school and show it all the girls in gym class.

When Arden came home I was 16, he called me over to watch church videos at his brothers condo. I thought it was a date. I think he was just trying to be nice because I wrote him so often.

Our real first date July 2, 1991, one month after I graduated from high school, we went to see Robin Hood with Kevin Costner, Arden gave me a t-shirt from Sports Mall Metro where he was working. (He only asked me out because I wouldn't leave the poor guy alone).

Our first dance date at the Institute of Religion. He was mortified that I was picking him up at 8pm, he thought he would be home by that time. He was also mad that the tie I got him was wider than 4 fingers at the end (but it matched my scarey pioneer dress so well).

Watching Arden make our first kitchen table when we were engaged to be married. It was so romantic, no seriously it was.

Our wedding day, October 10, 1992. It was the most beautiful fall day I can ever remember in my life. Oh, we were so in love!

Well I could go on and on, I am truly grateful for my life with Arden. I hope he enjoyed his birthday weekend as much I did. I love you Arden!

First Day of School

Well it happened, the kids are now in school and I'm slow at posting. The kids started their first day of school August 19th. I don't know where the summer went. I don't feel like we hardly had a break. Didn't do a whole lot this summer.

Regarding the pictures, I can't take a decent photo to save my life. I will never buy a camera with a strange battery again for as long as I live. I need suggestions for a nice camera in the $200-$350 range, I am saving. I ended up borrowing Cory's camera he was given for yearbook staff, but it is not much better than my own. Anywho I will still post a few photos.

Cory is now a big High Schooler. The first day was a little rough. He came home saying that their gym teacher did nothing but swear at them the whole hour. Why the teacher is allowed to cuss when kids can be punished is strange to me. I guess if you lived in the sticks it might make a little more sense. It must be an intimidation tactic, it seems very scary, especially if you aren't a jock. I guess class has been a little better since then and he seems to really be enjoying school.

Cory is the 9th grade secretary this year. The 2nd day of school they had a big assembly and the class officers had to get on stage, sing their name and office in different styles and then do a dance move off of the stage. Okay, any of you that know Cory well might have considered this an impossibility for him. I guess quite a few of the officers wouldn't sing at all and just gave their name, but not Cory really stepped up to the plate. When he was told he had to sing in country style, he got on the stage sang in some twangy voice and then did a strange little backwards skippy dance off the stage. I was laughing my guts out when he showed me the dance. The funnest part for him I think were all the girls that said HI to him in the hall afterwards, and told him that he did a good job.

I am so proud of him. He is really fighting his shyness and trying to get involved. As I mentioned earlier he is on the yearbook staff and really loving it. They got to take a trip to St. George last week for a seminar on the software they are using for the yearbook. He had a lot of fun. He is growing up into such a fine young man. I just love him to death.

Chelsea is now a 7th grader in the middle school. It's heaven to not be the youngest grade at school this year, that's never fun. She has a lovely locker that pops open every time another person around her closes theirs, but she takes it all in stride. She is an awesome student, always very responsible, comes straight home and gets her homework done.

Chelsea is very outgoing and nice to everyone. She's had to watch how friendly she is at times. One of her girlfriends thought she was being a little to friendly with the boy she liked first. Chelsea is not a boyfriend stealer, believe me, she just gets along well with boys. Go figure.

Having new braces for school was exciting. Getting those teeth nice and straight is top priority. Braces are quite the fashion statement as well, if you weren't already aware. I guess I always wanted braces when I was young too, oh well I'm stuck with these horse teeth now. I'm not brave enough to get braces as an adult. I don't have the pain tolerance for them either.

For the first time in his life, Jackson finally got to return to the same school for another year. That's what happens when your family moves as often as we happen to. He could have attended the same school twice in North Salt Lake, but when he entered second grade I was able to get the kids into a charter school.

He really enjoys 4th grade. It was fun for him to have a few friends and kids that he recognized. I love his teacher, very organized and helpful. This is also Jackson's first male teacher. I think it is going to be a great year.

I'm very proud of all my kiddies. They are all great kids. It's different having a child in elementary, middle, and high school, that's a first as well. They are all becoming quite grown up and independant. I wanted to at least drive Jack to school, but he wanted to take the bus. He claims it was to save gas. Such a concsiencious child, well I keep telling myself that. It's impossible that his Mom might be embarrasing, right? This is the first year since Cory started Kindergarten that I didn't cry. Maybe sending them all on the bus was a good idea, then I don't have to see their frightened little faces as they try to find their classes.

It was hard to send them back, they keep me company at home when I'm not working. I wish we could have done more this summer too, but as my Mom always said "NO MON, NO FUN"! We have really enjoyed living here, and it's been fun for the kids. The poverty thing will pass eventually.

Yes, kids still do use their imaginations

Since Cory was just a little boy he has always loved Annabella. He loves it for many reasons but mainly because there is, and has always been, an abundance of bricks, rocks, dirt, wood, or just about anything you might need to make something fun. He has always loved to build and create things indoors and out. Lincoln logs, Knex, Tinker Toys, and Bionicles have been a constant fascination of his.

I have found Annabella to be a place where a child's imagination can come alive. I believe this is why my Dad is such a brilliant man, he grew up here. He helped his Dad with just about everything, followed him around and learned just about everything there is to know. When he was young he would take things apart just to see how they worked, and then he'd put it back together. Cory reminds me a lot of my Dad, not just his looks and build but his shy little personality.

When Cory was about 7 or 8 he built a fantastic little brick house. If you look closely you can see Jackson sitting inside. That is a little frightening, I know, but the picture is priceless. I love the huge grin on Jackson's face. This little house needed to be condemned, but it was so cute.

The latest fun thing for the kids to play with is the huge pile of rocks in the back yard. The rocks came from the original foundation of the house we now live in. My Dad put in a new foundation and basically rebuilt the entire house over the period of 4-5 years starting in about 1999.(My dates could be off, I'm sure I'll hear about it.) The original foundation and home were built by my Great Grandfather in 1905. So the rocks have some history and my Dad left them in a pile in the back yard. The kids all love to build little homes, garages, tunnels, etc with the rocks. When we moved in a year ago the kids pulled out the chevron car collection, that Cory has cherished since his early years, and have parked them in and around the rocks. They are constantly updating their towns and naming new businesses. I've heard them coming in the house at night talking about their new store, or school. I think it is fun.

My neighbor and I were talking at the fence a few weeks ago when we were weeding the garden. He said he felt bad for all the little kids that don't have a pile of rocks to play with, and that he had really enjoyed watching the kids.

Basically, I guess I'm saying that kids do still have imaginations. Do my kids like video games? Of course, but they enjoy just as much, if not more, the fun in their own back yard. I especially enjoy the fact that my teenagers can still have fun together playing like kids, and I'm in no hurry for them to grow out of that.

Tagged by Julie
I think that everyone needs to feel loved,
so I am doing this tag. Here are the rules:
1. As a comment on my blog, leave a memory that you and I have together. It doesn't matter of you know me a little or a lot, anything you remember. If we are only blogging friends, write about a post that is most memorable. If you don't have a blog, or don't know how to sign in, please comment as anonymous.
2. Next, repost these instructions on your blog, and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll be sure to write one about you, either on your blog or in my comment box.
3. If the memory happens to involve my husband, please include him.
4.If you can't say something nice, don't say nothin' at all. :)
OK, let's see what you've got.

Chelsea's new braces

Does this look comfortable to anyone?

Chelsea's name on the Orthodontists"New Faces in Braces" board. Anyone looking for an awesome Orthodontist? Dr. Douglas Anderson is his name, we really do love him and his staff.

Cory & Chelsea in braces. Cory would be nearly done if he could remember to always wear his dang bands. (My children have a serious problem keeping their eyes open for pictures)

All Done, Yea! She is only smiling because the impending pain has yet to arrive.