Growing Up...

Wyatt's Drawings...

Ashlyn was babysitting Wyatt tonight as I helped prepare for a friend's 40th birthday surprise.  I stopped home for a second to drop off Kenna and Colt and Ashlyn ran out to show me the cutest pictures that Wyatt had drawn. Lately he loves to color and draw because Mrs. Adams has shown him the 'right way to do it.'  Ash showed me the ones she took with her camera and then I saw the one below and she told me the cutest thing ever.  She said that when Wyatt was finished with his drawing he told her, "Mom's going to see this picture and think an artist came into our house and drew it...she's not going to believe it was me!"  Isn't that the cutest thing ever!!  This drawing is of him with his faux hawk and Ashlyn, apparently she has 4 legs and really big lips.  Oh, we all love this boy...I could eat him up!  He makes us all smile.

The last few nights Wyatt and Colt have slept in the girls' room and that makes Kenna the happiest person on earth, Ashlyn's not so happy about it because she loves her sleep, but she puts up with it.  Kenna is just the opposite, she would give up sleep or anything else just to have Wyatt snuggle with her.  She has been in heaven the last few nights because Wyatt will snuggle and sleep with her all night long...also, the last two days Wyatt has riden his bike over to Kenna's bus stop and blows kisses to her and yells out "I love you, Kenna!"  She loves this!! 

A Cook's Prayer...AK 2011

Garrett told me of one experience that happened in Alaska that he is always remember and that is close to his heart.  He mentioned that everyone in their group, all twelve of them, would come back to the mess hall tent for every meal together. After their first meal together G noticed that a prayer wasn't said, so the next time they ate together he asked if it would be alright if he offered the prayer and then just assign the prayers each day, everyone was great with that.

As the week went on, G noticed that their cook would always stay in and join them for prayer. Garrett talked with him through out the week and he told G that this touched him and even though he hadn't been to church in a long time, (at one point he was married to a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) when he got home, he was going to start going back to church. For their last meal together, Garrett asked their cook if he would offer the prayer and he said yes...G said his prayer was beautiful. What an amazing experience and what a great missionary moment..something the primary children have been invited to seek after every day and Garrett made it happen far, far away fly fishing in Alaska

Falling Asleep to U2...

When the kids were little, dad would always sing the kids to sleep by singing and humming the MLK ballad by U2.  U2 is Garrett's all-time favorite group and this song is the perfect lullaby.  He began singing this to Kenna when she was just a newborn and it's stuck ever since...the girls have memories of this and recently they added that song to their playlists and every night they fall asleep to their daddy's favorite lullaby, played over and over and over. 

Ashlyn's Testimony...

The other day while going through papers in the office, I came across a blue folded up paper and opened it to see what it was before I threw it out.  I began reading and was immediately overcome with the spirit.  Ashlyn is growing up and so is her testimony and depth of understanding in the Gospel and I'm so proud of her. 

Monday night was her night to prepare our lesson for family home evening.  Mondays are busy around here...she dances from 4-6, Colt's at football from 5-6:30 and Kenna's at a volleyball game or soccer training until 6:00, so everyone gets home about the same time, we eat dinner together and then Ash began preparing her lesson. 

As I cleared the dinner table, I watched as she sat on the floor in the family room with Preach My Gospel, her scriptures, The Friend and The New Era all beside her.  I admired her for her diligence and dedication because we could hear dad and the kids outside playing volleyball, laughing and screaming and having a great time and even with all that going on, she continued to prepare her lesson. 

We all gathered together and Ashlyn began teaching us...she taught about Christlike attributes from Preach My Gospel.  She bore testimony that we need to ask our Heavenly Father for help in developing Christlike attributes in our our lives and that only with His help, can we have these Christlike attributes of Faith, Hope, Charity and Love, Virtue, Knowledge, Patience, Humility, Diligence and Obedience come to us.  Then she chose to focus on diligence and she taught that only with our Heavenly Father's help can we be diligent in overcoming some things in our lives that may be hard for us.  I listened with small tears in my eyes as our 11 year-old daughter taught the family.  She knows about diligence...this last month she has been determined to not bite her nails anymore and I know she's sought help from her Heavenly Father to do this and she's accomplishing this goal. 

I looked around the room as Ashlyn testified of Jesus Christ...Colt was so concentrated on her, Kenna was watching in awe, Wyatt was quiet and reverent, which never happens, dad was all smiles and I even saw a tear in dad's eyes, too.  The spirit was in abundance tonight in our home and I'm so thankful!  Then we knelt for family prayer...and after prayer, all was back to normal and the boys began to wrestle.  Life is good!

LJH Volleyball 2011...

Kenna made the volleyball team again this year and is  also JV captain.  She's playing the whole JV game and is definitely a leader on the JV team.  This summer she trained with coach Mudrow and his girls and also participated in a 2-day clinic at the Sportsplex.  Her serves are over the net almost every time, she's understanding the positions better and she's more confident on the court. 

Their first game last week was a nail-biter.  She served early on in the game and won her team six points, then at 22-22 it was again her turn to serve.  She went through her serving ritual and hit it over with the other team not hitting it back...she was stoked and the score was then 23-22.  She knew she had to make this one or the other team could come back.  She smacked the ball and the other team let it go, thinking it was out, but the line ref called it 'in' and Legacy won...it was awesome and she was thrilled!  Way to go, Kenna!

Thanks Colt!

While planning out our week, I had a conflict of how I was going to get Colt to football one night and still get Kenna to her soccer tournament in West Jordan that went from a 10:00 game to a 6:00 game.   So I called my good friend, Diane, to see if Colt could spent the whole day with Kobe.  The Talbots are always so good to us and always so willing to help with anything...they had a family day planned and Diane wouldn't have it any other way than to let Colt join them...they are always like this and are so willing to let Colt tag along and be their 4th kid.   I dropped him off early and Kenna, Wyatt and I were on our way...I didn't worry about him one bit that day and just knew he was having the time of his life with Kobe.  First, they worked in the yard, then hit Swan Lakes for 9 holes, then off to Lagoon for a few hours, then back to the house to get ready for football.  Colt is lucky to have such great friends who have great parents that help us out so much...we truly are blessed to live where we do because I know I could call on any of our neighbors (and I do) and I could receive the help I need...as I type this, my eyes are filling with tears because I am overcome with the knowledge that this is true...11 years ago we knew we were meant to build in this neighborhood and we have truly been blessed since then!

Anyway, later that night G told me that President Talbot was pretty impressed with Colt's ease in giving thanks for anything and everything that was given to him or done for him that day...that meant the world to me.  I hope that as he grows up, he is always thankful and that he can express it so easily.  What a treasure he is!

Mighty Mites Football Jamboree...

This year, Colt's playing on coach Rusch's Mighty Mites team and loving it!  It's not what we expected...after last season, coach Hamblin and coach Burke promised to keep the team together, as best he could, but things didn't work out that way...it's a new year, a new team and new coaches, but it's going to be a great change. 

After the first night of football try-outs coach Burke sought out Colt and told him to slow it down a bit and make a few fumbles otherwise they were worried he was going to be snagged by coach Rusch.  Later that night Colt told dad and me what coach Burke had said to him and that he felt torn.  We asked him to pray about it and that we would be prayerful, too.  I know Colt and he always wants to do his best, no matter what it is...we've taught the kids that we do our best and Heavenly Father will do the rest, and Colt just knew, even after coach Burke talked to him, that if he did his best than it would all work out the way it should.  The next night before try-outs, began coach Burke found me and told me the same thing, that Colt was a rock star out there and other coaches were vying for him and they were probably not going to be able to keep him on their team and that he needed to really work on missing catches and tripping that night.  I was sad because I love the friends he has on that team but I think it was that I loved the moms on that team more.  I relied on them so much last year to help me get Colt to and from practice because of our crazy schedule of soccer, volleyball, and for these 3 months of football and I knew it would be a repeat of last year.

Thursday night the draft took place and coach Rusch chose Colt early on in the pick...I was sad at first but Colt was not phased one bit.  It's as if he knew it was coming.  He immediately saw that he was with Dylan, Logan and Wyatt and was as happy as could be.  My attitude changed and I quickly felt this was where he needed to be and it's been great.  Coach Burke called that night to make sure Colt was ok and to tell me how much they are going to miss him on their team and that they will get him back next year, but he especially wanted me to know how proud he was of Colt and how much he respected Colt for doing his best at all times no matter the outcome. He knew that no matter what anyone said, Colt was going to give it his all and that meant a lot to him...that call meant a lot to me. 

So, last week, Colt's new team played in the Jamboree, which lets teams come together  before the season starts to play short scrimmages against a few different teams just to give them an idea of how they might stack up during the season.

Colt's team won both games, the coaches were ecstatic and felt they were up to the competition ahead of them...until our first game against Plain City and we were whooped!! We've since come back stronger and with some changes the coaches made to the offensive and defensive line the boys claimed victory over Ogden 38-6 today. It was a well deserved win. Colt had some awesome tackles.  It's so great to see him reading the guys he is up against and knowing where to play as corner back...he is one tough and fast dude and he can pull guys down that are double his size. I'm so glad he loves football because it definitely takes a love of the game to train everyday after school in 100 degree heat.  

Colt doesn't ask for much, so the other day when he asked for some padded underarmor, I was happy to get him what he wanted.  When I brought it home he was thrilled and couldn't wait to try it out at practice that day.  After practice he kept thanking me for getting his new underarmor and saying how the pads against his hips and ribs helped so much because when he's tackling and has to lower his shoulder into the other guy his own elbow digs into his side...the price I paid for that expensive underarmor was all worth it!!

My Sweet Dad...

A few months ago my dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer.  Late one night Whitney texted me... "Hey, are you up?"  It seemed out of the blue and I remember immediately feeling that something wasn't right.  Whitney has been through so many trials that my mind quickly goes to something being wrong.  As fast as my fingers could text I said I was there and asked what's wrong??  She asked "Have you talked to dad?"  No!!  I hadn't and now I was panicked, so I quickly texted "No...what's wrong??"  This is when talking on the phone to her would come in handy...it's hard to read emotions in texts or sometimes the wrong emotions are read in texts.  I waited anxiously on the edge of my bed for her reply.  Garrett was out of town and I couldn't reach, him so I sat on my bed and cried not knowing what I was going to read...she texted back that dad had been diagnosed with prostate cancer.  I don't think I finished reading the text before I was dialing my parents home phone.  I talked to mom and she reassured me that the doctors were on top of it and it's just the beginning phases and lots of men go through this and all would be well.  I remember hanging up the phone and just sobbing. 

My dad is the strongest, bravest, toughest, most tender, hardest working dad I know and he can't be sick...he's invincible, really he can do anything and he will outlive me because I don't think I could face that, ever! Maybe that's selfish, and I know Heavenly Father has a plan for each of us and I know when that time comes for him I will see him again, just as I will see baby William, but it's still something I don't ever want to think about.  Just the other night our good friend's mom passed away and it's been different this week to think that we are entering that stage that our friend's parents are getting weaker and passing on.

After thinking about his options with prostate cancer my dad decided to have the surgery and I was happy to hear that.  He went in for surgery on Monday, my mom's first day of being back to in the classroom, so luckily Whitney could spend the day with dad and be there with him...that was sure comforting to me.  She kept me updated on all she heard and let me know when he came out.  He was groggy, sleepy and pail but the surgery went well.  Tuesday morning, Wyatt and I went down to see dad before Wyatt needed to be back for kindergarten.  All dad wanted was a Papa John's pizza but he wouldn't be allowed to eat for a while.  He was in good spirits and looking forward to just lying in the hospital bed all week and watching movies and relaxing.  Just the week before my mom had been at the Home Show and saw a home with red brick and blue paint and fell in love with it, so she pitched the idea to my dad and he loved it and so they began the huge project of painting their home a beautiful blue color and redoing all new wood window trimmings in a beige color...it looks so updated and fresh.  It's beautiful, but my dad worked his tail off and even took a few spills off the ladder, so he's in much need of rest.  See, I told you he's a hard worker...but he will do anything to make mom happy!

By Wednesday afternoon dad was having a lot of pain in his neck and shoulder area.  The doctors thought maybe he had slept wrong the night before, so they gave him a powerful muscle relaxant which knocked him out and made it so he couldn't even focus his eyes.  Mom was pretty worried and scared.  The next day the doctors determined that maybe a bubble of air got into his body from where the anesthesia was given for the surgery and that bubble of air was just trying to make it's way out of his body...our neighbor Jared had something similar after his apendix was removed and he said it was more painful than the surgery.  It's now Sunday and dad's home and feeling better.  He's looking forward to really resting this week at home without nurses coming in every 10 minutes to bug him!!  

A Love Letter to Colt...

Going through Colt's backpack tonight after football I found a note and quickly read it and then asked Colt if he knew what it was.  He said "I don't know, but I have 3 other notes in my desk at school."  This the cutest little note, it reads:  Dear Colter,  I really like you and I was wondering if you would like to hang out at recess.  Do you want to be my boyfriend. from:?

Ohhhh, I love this boy.  I showed it to dad and he smiled and said "Way to go, Colt!"

Welcome Home, Dad...

Dad got home from Alaska while we were at church.  The kids we sooo excited to see dad...it made me laugh that every morning the boys would ask "Is it Sunday?"  They missed him terribly.  Late Saturday night we made this sweet sign welcoming daddy back home...he loved it!

Alaska 2011...

Another successful Alaska trip for Garrett, Greg, Brett and Taylor and the rest of the gang. Colt is counting down the years until he's able to join in with his dad...only 6 more to go!

This trip to Alaska was different for Garrett than his trips in years past because this time after spending a few days in Soldotna they then took a smaller water plane to a remote part of Alaska and stayed there for the week, in walled tents and then flew out on Saturday back to Soldatna.  Garrett loved it!!  But how could he not, he was fishing from sun-up until sun-down until the last two days when it poured all day long, fishing with his own flies he has diligently tied over the past few months and fishing with his best friend, best cousin and favorite cousins son.  Garrett was nicknamed 'Orvis' by all the guys in the group because of his fancy Orvis gear.

He brought home 50 lbs of beautiful, fresh salmon that now fills our freezer and our tummies...luckily all of our kids love salmon!  I love this guy!  I love that he is passionate about fishing and about life.

First Day of School 2011

The first day of school for Ash and Colt came and went without any pictures because the weekend before was a busy one with Kenna's soccer tournaments and Colt's football jamboree, and me forgetting to recharge my camera and not realizing it until the kids were ready to take off on their bikes...they couldn't wait 5 minutes for it to recharge so no pics!  But Wyatt's first day was a week later and my camera was ready to go.  Wyatt couldn't wait...we rode our bikes to school with Kaden and Andreya and got there a little early so the boys could play on the playground. 

Wyatt will ride home from school with Ashlyn and Colt every day until it gets too cold, but today and for the next few weeks I'm going to go over and meet them.  Riding home with them today, I noticed Wyatt was grinning from ear to ear and at one point said "Mom, today was the best day ever!  I love my school!"  A tear came to my eye and I grinned from ear to ear...I love this boy with all my heart!   Wyatt's going to have a great year...he has so many buddies in his class...Kaden, Sam, Curtis, Olivia, Amberly and a new little friend named Breckyn...he is one lucky kid!

 

Chasing Dragonflys...

Just this morning, after watching McKenna leave for the bus and Ash and Colt ride off on their bikes to school, I sat on the front porch watching Wyatt ride his bike in the cul-de-sac.  That's all he wants to do every hour of every day and I love it.  A few years ago, after hearing a talk by Elder Bednar, entitled "Watching with all Perseverance", I felt a strong impression to always be where my children are and always be watchful, especially with Wyatt, especially outside.  I've reread this talk and nowhere in it does it say anything about watching over your children, but that's the impression I received the first time I heard it, so I'm going with it. 

Wyatt's always asking if we can go on a bike ride and I love to oblige, probably because I love my new beach cruiser bike!! Just the other day as we were riding around the neighborhood, he turned to me and said "Mom, I love your beach cruiser...you look sweet on it!"  I love my little mister! 

 

Well, after a few minutes of riding, Wyatt got off his bike and began chasing something in the air...I asked what he was doing and he said "Mom, I'm chasing dragonfly's and I've almost got it!!"  Right then my heart broke, I watched him and suddenly pictured him at Colt's age and how this innocence and curiosity will be gone in a few years.  I watched him with a heavy heart, but smiled at the pure joy he had in chasing a simple dragonfly....it's hard to let my baby grow up, but he's doing it no matter how much I try to stop it.  I've enjoyed these years with my kids being little, I feel I've cherished every moment and I've always said I want no regrets, and I really don't have any, but now I'm at a different time with all of them in school and I really don't think I like this at all.  I've realized that while they are gone to school, I need to be diligent with my time and make sure I use it wisely in preparing dinners, doing laundry and running errands so that when they come home from school I'm all theirs...I love being a mom.  We have amazing children!!

Colt's Missionary Moment...

The sister missionaries in our area have encouraged the primary presidents in our stake to invite the kids in their ward to have missionary moments and the children in our ward are taking it to heart and having and seeking out and creating missionary moments and it's miraculous to see. 

Every week, a member of the presidency asks the children in primary 'who would like to have a missionary experience this week' and almost every hand goes up, then they choose one from jr and one from sr primary and ask the rest of us in primary to pray for that child all week long that they will have the courage to be a missionary and have a missionary moment.  I love it!  I love being in primary and witnessing these young children get up and talk about the way they served someone who isn't a member of our Church or went out of their way to invite a friend to Church with them...it's tough to be a missionary, but these young children are leading the way. 

Last Sunday, Colt volunteered to have  a missionary moment.  With Garrett being in Alaska all week, I knew I needed to step up my game.  The kids and I talked about it around the dinner table on Sunday and I asked him to pray about it and told him the rest of us would begin praying for him, too.  Monday night the kids and I had family home evening together.  For family home evening I read all the stories in The Friend and a few in The New Era magazines...we talked about each of the stories and I cried...cute Wyatt would come over by me every time I would cry and pat my shoulder and just look at me like he was so concerned (he does this everytime I read The Friend...the other kids are just used to me crying through the stories, but Wyatt is still so concerned).  We began talking about Colt's missionary moment and I asked the kids if there was anyone around here that Colt could talk to about the Church or anyone he could share his testimony with.  I had the impression to ask the kids how they felt as we read from The Friend and The New Era...they all said they had felt the spirit.  I asked Colt is he had a friend who would enjoy the magazines like we enjoy them and maybe if they read them they could feel the spirit, too.  Colt liked that idea and immediately though of a good friend he could share them with. 

I asked him to pray about that and if he felt that's what he wanted to do, I would go to the distribution center and buy his friend their own copies of The Friend and The New Era and that we could also make our favorite brownies for their family, too.  Colt loved that!! I prayed that it would be a good experience...it shouldn't be hard to share something that we value and love so deeply, but it is.  What if they are offended?? What if they never talk to us again?? What if...?  It takes courage to be a missionary, but I felt the Lord would bless Colter for doing this.  A few days later Colt said he was ready...Colt and I made the perfect brownies and grabbed the magazines and rode our bikes over to their house.  Colt's friend answered the door and Colt said "You're one of my best friends and these are some of my families favorite brownies and favorite magazines and I wanted you to have them."  His friend smiled his huge smile and said "Thanks Colter, you're a great friend, too!"  On our bike ride back home I asked Colt how he was feeling...he just smiled at me and said "Mom, I feel really good."  I sure love my missionary!

p.s. a few days later, I ran into Colt's friend's dad.  We began talking and I mentioned how much I think of his son.  He thanked me for the magazines Colter brought over to them.  He said they had read both magazines and that his kids loved them.  He told me how he grew up as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but had fallen away and he was glad Colt could share those with his family.  Wow...I couldn't wait to share that with Colt!

Bishops Chat...

Every 5th Sunday Garrett invites all the youth over to our house for a little 'Bishops Chat'.  While I was downstairs taking this picture, G was upstairs pouring over his scriptures for inspiration as to what these youth need to know right now...he works hard in all he does and being bishop of the Maplewood Ward is no exception!

G's Guiding Trips of Summer 2011...

Garrett became an Orvis Endorsed Fly Fishing guide for Falcon's Ledge early on in the summer and has quite a few trips out with clients.  He loves to be on any river in the world and he's loving this new adventure.  He's meeting people from all over the United States and he's making connections that will be invaluable as he continues in his fly fishing quests.  Here is a peek into his guided trips this summer...since he's guiding more, he doesn't have as much time to fish, but he does have time to sneak off after dropping off the clients and fly fish late into the night...here he is rowing on the Green River

 

 

 

A father and his sons fly fishing for the weekend...

Girls Only Fly Fishing Weekend at Falcon's Ledge...

Another Father and Son trip...

Husband and wife...

Guiding Orvis Store Managers...