Blog, what blog?

When I wanted my sister, Michelle, to see our dog she told me to post pictures on my blog. I forgot I even had one!

Here's a few highlights of what we have been up to the last year...

A few significant birthdays:

Lindsay turned 8 last January but waited until March to be baptized because Austin turned 16 in March and got to baptize her. It was a beautiful day!

For Ausitn, with 16 also came dating and driving. I am nervous everytime he drives away and dating makes me a little nervous too but I try to be reasonable!

Arianne turned 14 that brought church dances and high school. She was nervous to start HS but was pleasantly surprised at how much she loves it. She played soccer on the JV team this fall and is in the middle of basketball now.

Darrell turned the big 4-0! Yikes that man is getting old! He just gets better with age, it's not fair.

Then there's me... 21 again.

That's my story and I'm stickin' to it!

We took a great vacation to Utah this summer.

Darrell's brother Carl and his family live right near Park City so we spent some time there (GORGEOUS!). We had a great time with them and their cute kids! We hit a couple of water parks, temple square, Austin got to tour BYU, Lagoon, spend time with cousins, Darrell and I got to do a session at the Salt Lake temple (It was unbelievable! I can check that off my bucket list!), visit Darrell's grandma...

It was a great trip and we'd love to do it again. Usually, our vacations are relaxing with lots of laying by a pool and sleeping in. This was definitely not that kind of trip but it was a lot of fun.

Maybe I can try this again before next year, we'll see!

Our kids dream come true!

This is Baxter.

Our kids, especially Austin, have been begging for a dog for years. We have always answered with a firm, "NO!". Then a year or so ago, we thought we might have to move. As a peace offering to the kids, we told them that if we had to move, we would get them a dog. Well, we didn't end up having to go, but the dang kids wouldn't let the dog thing go and hounded us harder than ever! I was softening, Darrell was holding strong. Secretly, my wish was to find a dog at a shelter, but I never dreamed that the perfect dog for us could be at a shelter... it had to be good with kids, patient with Lindsay, no shedding, little and cute... the list was long.

Long story short... My friend is the animal control person for Chehalis and told me about Baxter. She had picked him up and taken him to the shelter. He had a sweater on, a short haircut, he was clean... We were sure someone would call about him but a week later, no one had called. I talked Darrell into taking a little visit to see him. It was love at first sight! (for me, not Darrell). Austin was with us but the girls weren't. We told Arianne that afternoon but surprised Lindsay a couple of days later when we went to pick him up.

We are all shocked that our family has a dog! However, we love him so much!

He plays fetch (over and over and over and over) He stands on his back feet and claps his paws when he wants to be picked up, he finds his ball and drops it at your feet when he wants to play fetch (which, did I mention he likes to play OVER and OVER!?) When you ignore him, he takes a little squeaker toy and pushes it against your leg to squeak it. He's the cutest dog in the world!

I am so in love! I thought we got him for the kids, but nope... he's all mine!

Happy Veteran's Day

to all those who have and are currently serving in the United States military!

Last year I blogged about my 2 favorite veteran's, my dad and my brother Scott. They both served in the U.S. Army.

Tonight, Darrell and I took the kids out for pizza. We were having a nice time visiting and the conversation went to the Veteran's Day assembly at the school yesterday. I said that my favorite part is when the band plays the medley of the Armed Forces and the veteran's stand when their branches song plays. At that point we decided we would go to the Veteran's Day Program at the church. We hadn't planned on going but I'm so glad we did. It was a very touching program. They had 2 singers performing songs like:

The National Anthem (of course)

America the Beautiful

God Bless America

The Battle Hymn of the Republic

God Bless the USA

They had beautiful voices! When the young man sang God Bless the USA it brought back a distinct memory for me: 1991~I was living in Connecticut and my brother was stationed in Iraq. I had gone with some friends to West Point Military Academy to a football game. During half time the cadet choir sang God Bless the USA and I cried as I thought of my brother in Iraq.

Again, tonight the songs were played for each of the branches of the military. The Veteran's each went forward to receive a gift of thanks for their service.

I am thankful for the freedom I enjoy as a citizen of this great nation and I'm thankful for those who have served and fought to ensure that our freedom continues!

GOD BLESS AMERICA!

Happy Birthday!!!! to my beautiful, little sister, Cheree!

Last week, we were out for lunch at Applebee's discussing just how lucky we are to be able to "lunch together" often.

I am so lucky to have a great sister just a few houses away!

Pop over to her blog and wish her a happy birthday!

http://www.lulayfamily.blogspot.com

October 20, 2009 makes her.... 29 (again) this year, just ask Ethan.

It's funny how that works.

(Don't ask Kyler~That kid is brutally honest)

When we were young (well, ahem... younger than we are now) I would tease her sometimes. Hard to believe, I know. But she was a little scardey cat! I would lay in bed at night and scratch the wall a little, "Cheree, what was that?". The poor girl would get so freaked out!

I also told her that we found her at Kmart. Not in front, or inside, but back behind... where they put... well, it doesn't matter what they put back there....

Come to think of fit, sometimes, I wasn't very nice!

So Cheree... I've said it before and I'll say it again...

I'M SORRY! and I love you!!!!!

Wanna go to lunch so I can make up for it?!

Just in case you're wondering....

The "Soccer Bible" is sporting a pretty "W" in the top corner of a new page.

The score was 8-6.

I would love to give you a play by play, like the fact that the other team scared me and scored 2 goals in the first 5 minutes (YIKES), and that Lindsay scored a goal with her left foot into the top corner of the net and went on to score 3 more goals, or that it was tied 5-5 at half time.... but if I give you play by play it makes me kinda like the basketball dads... So, I can't do that.

The high school Jazz Band played tonight and sounded awesome.

I especially loved a certain trumpet solo.

First of all, Darrell is home so all is right with the world. He came home Friday afternoon and we went to the Portland Temple Friday night. I love to go to the temple! I love that the second I walk in the doors it feels like all of the stress life throws at me waits patiently on the outside.

(I wish it gave up completely and went away for good but no such luck.)

Now for the real post...

I have a problem

(please, I know... I have many but work with me here. Let's just focus on this one.)

Here's the situation: I have been coaching soccer for 9 years. I love it! Sometimes, I get a little too involved and a little too competitive. It is a weakness. This year I am coaching Lindsay's team. Lindsay is 7 so, we are a U-8 team. All of the girls are 6 or 7 years old. I've coached them since they started soccer at age 4. (give or take a couple of girls.)

In U-6 and U-8 we don't "really" keep score. Me? I ALWAYS keep score. The girls on my team will ask me during the game what the score is and I always say "we don't keep score". They just laugh and take the "Bible" out of my hands to check the tally marks of "us" and "them". I have a little book that I call my "Soccer Bible". In it, I keep my game line-up for each game and the score. In the top left corner of each games page is a "W" or an "L". This year, every game page has a "W" except for one. We lost our first game. We play that team again tomorrow. It is a crime punishable in 50 states to think about a U-8 game as much as I have thought of this one. In Chehalis, most club teams practice very little, if at all, once games start. My team practices every week. I have so much fun with them and love to see them using the stuff we've practiced in their games. Last week one of the moms said "Do we really need to keep having practice? We win every game." I had to refresh her memory of the first game and bring to her attention that we play that team again.

Today after church, Lindsay told Darrell "We play the blue team tomorrow. We're going to beat them this time".

Now, Let me take you with me to visit a recent event (yesterday)....

I was at Arianne's basketball game in Olympia and I somehow ended up sitting by the parents of the other team. These dads were CRAZED! I have never seen such boisterous fathers. They were even calling the plays from the bleachers! It was a hoot! Our team got called on an offensive foul and judging by the reaction of these guys you would have thought we had achieved World Peace and the National Debt was eliminated! They jumped out of their seats to Whoop and Holler with such enthusiasm.

(They were never hateful or degrading so we won't be seeing them on the 5 O'Clock news)

After a good chuckle, I thought, "Wow, these guys need to get a life!"

Which is exactly the advice needed for someone I know personally...

I'm lonely....

I'm so lonely!

I've always been happy that Darrell doesn't travel for work.

Last week, he came home and said that he might need to go to Sacramento, CA this week.

Well, "might" turned into "gone"!

I HATE when he's gone.

Aside from me missing him, he's the pick up parent in the evening!

He picks up Austin and Arianne after their sports while I'm at Lindsay's games.

He also drives Austin to Seminary at 6 AM!!! Guess who's stuck with THAT duty this week?

Tonight I told Austin he could take the morning off tomorrow and just go to school at normal time. (Secretly, I was being selfish and trying to get a little extra sleep, but I tried to come off as the cool parent and letting him slack... He TOTALLY called me out on it! Guess who's getting up early AGAIN tomorrow?!)

At night, after the kids are in bed, no one is here to flip channels, or to watch that fishing show that I HATE on the Discovery Channel.

(ok, I don't miss that part)

The worst is when I get in bed and there is no one there to warm my feet up.

(that isn't completely the worst part but it's the beginning ;))

He's the greatest and I miss Him!

I'm just plain LONELY tonight!