Football 2013

 It's that wonderful time of year again!!

Watching this kid play football is definitely one our family's highlights of FALL!

We give Coleman a hard time about having to "look" his best...

  but, he definitely backs it up by "Playing" his best!!

Football players are very dedicated people...

 great job on being one of them Coleman!!

WE LOVE YOU!!

GO SKYHAWKS!!

Reed's Senior Homecoming

Here is Reed all cleaned up for his Senior Homecoming!!

 It's hard to believe we are already to this point in his life!

He has been a delight to raise and continues to brighten our days with his awesome personality!
He can keep us all in good spirits!!  

I don't like how fast time seems to be going these days! 

I know my days of a "full nest" are quickly coming to a close...so believe me...I am doing my best to enjoy every minute with these kids!

Even if that means stalking them at their "official" picture site...to get one of my own!! 

Reed's date was, Courtney DeGraw, a good friend since Junior High...and from the "limited" male report I got...it sounds like the night was a good time for all!!

Mission Call!!

Well...this came today!

A phone call from the post office around 6:45am, then a phone call to Grandpa & Grandma, and only about an hours wait and she was opening her FUTURE'S FATE!  

It was a good one!! 

We are so excited for Kaycee!!

This is going to be a great place for her to serve!!

November does seem like a long time away...

but we'll keep her as long as we can!

A Trip to the MidWest: Nauvoo

Sometimes the best memories in life come so unexpected and unplanned!

Our family trip to the Midwest this summer was just that!

We knew Coleman's baseball team would be playing a tournament in Omaha Nebraska during June, but we hadn't planned on everyone going and extending the trip to include Nauvoo and Carthage.

Lucky for us...plans changed!!

After a long, and very eventful ride...our family finally made it to NAUVOO!!

We definitely felt like modern pioneers...having our own (car) trials along the way...but it just made us appreciate even more, the blessings we have living with the conveniences of today!

Our (short) time in Nauvoo was wonderful!
It truly felt like a day of heaven on earth!!
Everyone enjoyed the beautiful spirit that is there.

The burial grounds is one of the most sacred places I have ever been.  I felt so blessed to be there with my family!

I am pretty sure Carthage went down as the highlight for each or our children.  I am grateful they were able to see first hand where our Prophet had been.  I hope this strengthened their testimony of the good man that he was...and the important role he played in their lives.

So grateful for the memories we made here!

A New (to me) Clothesline!!

As much as I love Coleman...and Football...I am so ready to see something different pop up on my blog page!!  Not only is it a very OLD post...it is also a reminder of something else I am SLACKING on!!! 
I don't need that!  I need Happy!!

So I decided to jump right ahead to what I did TODAY!!  

Hung my very first items on my own CLOTHESLINE!!! 

YES!!!

I have always wanted to have one! Thanks to my attentive and hard working husband this was able to happen for a bargain!!  Not far from our house an old house was recently torn down for the possibility of new apartments/condos.  The old clothesline was the only thing left standing.  We happen to know the new owners of the property and Jug asked if he could buy the poles from him.  He laughed and told him to PLEASE go take them!  Which he did...after a lot of digging, and hammering off of the old cement (these babies had a STRONG foundation!) they were secured with.

After a quick $4 spray paint job and a couple of new holes...we are in business!!

I am surprised at the sense of satisfaction this brings me!

I think it must be a combination of things.  

#1. The re-purposing and new life it brings to something that was obviously once needed and appreciated.

#2.  The representation of a slower, simpler life...and hope for incorporation of that.

#3.  The fact that my "line dry" clothes will actually have a place to line dry!

and

#4. That it is shiny RED!!

I'm not sure...I just know it makes me so happy to look out my bedroom window and see it!

I also know it makes me happy I had something to easily post and motivate me to update this blog!  Here's to hoping I can "bring new life" to all of the other areas in my life that need some perking up!

8th Grade Football

 Another season of Football has come and gone for Coleman!

 As usual, there was lots of LEARNING that went on with this game.

It's a good thing!

Coleman worked hard.  His team worked hard. His coaches worked hard.
Mom drove to HUNDREDS of practices.

There are highlights and lowlights in every practice and every game.

Good life lessons to learn! 

This game ending score was definitely the highlight of the season...

it sent their "underdog" team to the SUPERBOWL!!!

 Sadly, the superbowl didn't end in their favor...which was no surprise!

But we we were still glad to be there!

 Good Work Coleman!!

You are # 1 to US!!!

WE LOVE YOU!!!

October General Conference

Here's what the boys love about General Conference!

Here's what I loved about General Conference:

*The Historic Announcement about the New Mission Age!!!

and

*President Uchtdorf's Talk

http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/10/of-regrets-and-resolutions?lang=eng

My testimony was strengthened on the emphasis that the Lord is "Hastening His Work".  

I am excited to have my family be a part of it, and hope I can enjoy every minute we have on this mortal journey together!!  

General Conference really is THE BEST!!

ACL Repair Round 2

Here is Kaycee...the all smiles veteran...getting ready for her second ACL surgery!
We laugh at this...because there was a rookie girl getting her first that was anything but smiles!!
It was a crazy night at the ER so it didn't take much to humor us...or the nurses!!

Here's the good work...we liked that they had Kaycee write YES on the knee that needed the repair!

Would've hated to have them scar up the other one!! 

Kind of like De Ja Vu....

Even the candy poster from sweet Kathy and Cal!!

SHHS Homecoming 2012

It's that time of year again...HOMECOMING!

This year Kaycee got asked by one of Reed's best friends, Brad. 

So we were able to convince Reed that it would be a great date for him to join in on!!

 

I think being able to Drive Pop's Truck was also another convincing factor!

Here the cute couples are!!

Brad & Kaycee, Reed & Ashley

The Handsome Guys....

and the Gorgeous Gals!!

The whole big Group!!!

Good times for everyone!!!