Merry Christmas!!!

Christmas morning we woke up to about 2 feet of snow!!! And it is still snowing today !! We had a great Christmas and hope everyone else did too!!!

We were planning on going to a movie before we took Austin home yesterday but the snow had different ideas!! We dug snow for two hours and when I say we I mean Travis and Austin!!!

This Christmas Holiday was great! The first family party was with Travis's family and it was great fun. Santa was there to hear all the fun stuff they wanted. Savannah sat on his lap with her eyes rolling she asked him for a few things. This is so sad I hate that she is growing up! But I am glad we have had a lot of fun Santa stories!!

The next party was the traditional the wagon-horse ride through the lights at Thanksgiving Point!! This year was a lot of fun usually my dad rents the wagon and they charge him per person. This year they just charged one flat price for the whole wagon. So we got to invite some of our friends with us!!

We then spent Christmas eve at Travis's parents. We played games, shared stories, and baked cookies for Santa!!

Feeling More Like Christmas!!

It has snowed for the last 24 hrs and it is still not stopping!!! It isn't a very heavy snow but it has but a good 5 inches down. It makes it feel more like Christmas to me!! I think if it is going so flippin cold we might as well have snow. It makes it look prettier too!! Last night as soon as we got home from showing Grandma & Grandpa Martin Savannah's Cheer award she hurried and changed clothes. So she could help Travis shovel the snow!! She was so excited. I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season!!

Cheer, Cheer, & More Cheer !!

I don't mean Christmas Cheer either!!! We had a weekend full of Competition Cheer! Savannah and her team competed on Saturday and they took 2nd!! Then she competeted on Monday doing her solo and she got 3rd!! It was a great time! Saturday Travis wasn't able to make it so I didn't get many photos, but I did video it. He was able to go on Monday so we got video and photos of that one! Monday Savannah had a friend there from her last school. They hung out and played all day. I got to hang out with her mom Mandy. Mandy and I became friends while I worked at the school for the short 5 months that I was there. That was nice cause Travis didn't wait for awards. So I wasn't there all by myself!! I am still new to the video stuff but I am going to attempt to post the videos. Until then here is some of the photos!

Savannah's Back To School !

For a long two weeks and two days!! Because of the Christmas break she isn't back for very long!

So her first day at her new school was "AMAZING"
"she is friends with more than half of the girls." She only remembered one of there names but hey why do you need to know there names to be friends right?
Her teacher is really nice, what I got from first impression!
She had to call Grandma to tell her all about it and of course her dad!
We were driving home from cheer and she asked me if I missed her and I said " of course I did!"
She just gave a little laugh and said "huh I only felt like I was gone a hour!"
Wow no sympathy from my kid!!
I am so glad she is a trooper.
The maybe 10 min drive round trip did not suck at all! Neither did getting her up at 7:50a.m. and getting there 10 min early. So I think I can get used to this !

Our busy weekend!

On Friday Savannah and I went to my mom's and set up her snowman, or should I say snow giant!! It is over 12 feet tall, Savannah thought it was so awesome and she kept telling everyone about it and that is was 12 feet tall! Later that day Savannah had her first cheer performance of the season, this is one was a parents performance basically just a a glorified dress rehearsal for the competitions coming this weekend and next Monday!! She did awesome! She was invited to do a solo again this year so we are so proud of her!! And of course as I am getting everything ready I could not find any batteries for my camera. I will take plenty this Saturday though!!

Saturday Travis and I had some training to go to and a Christmas party.
Travis and I had a great day. We also won a xbox 360 from the Christmas party so that was great!!
We topped the night off with a little WII bowling and of course I won!! \

Sunday Savannah was ready to cook, so we all went to the store and got stuff to make brownies and cookies. So Travis and Savannah baked the goodies while I cooked steak for dinner. It all turned out great and we ate way to much!! It was a great weekend.

I am being a "Girl" today!!

So after Savannah being home for 4 weeks, she started her new school today! After meeting her new teacher and getting her settled, I went out to my truck and shed a few tears. This morning she came to and said " Mom I am really scared" I said " it is okay by the time first recess is over you will have friends and you won't be scared anymore, just keep a smile on your face and you will do great" she turned around with a smile on her face and said " I can do this!" I could see how nervous she was and it broke my heart but I know she is tough and my day will be a lot longer than hers!

I was reading every ones blogs this morning and clicked on the one I have for my Grandma, and tears just started flowing, they have been building up the last couple of days. It all started because I made pancakes for dinner the other night and had choke cherry syrup on them!! My grandma made the best choke cherry syrup ever! It all ways reminds of the first family reunion Travis went to and she offered him some and he just turned and gave the look " oh how gross" but of course he couldn't tell her no. So he let her pour some on his pancakes. The first bite, before even swallowing he turned with a smile on his face, and said "oh my gosh this is the best syrup I have ever had". The next night was the auction and she had made some syrup and of course Travis had to buy it! I think it was just a little pint jar and he paid $15.00 for it! With the holidays coming everything starts to remind me of her. And of course typing this all up brings tears to my eyes so I am having a "Girl" moment!!

Thanksgiving

This year we stayed home for Thanksgiving. The last two years we have went to California. We went to my parents first, it was nice our cousin Emily joined our insanity!!! We did miss Tom, who is serving our country!! The rest of our immediate family was there. We then went to my in-laws. All of our immediate family was there for that. We enjoyed eating way to much and playing games. It was a great day! I am so thankful for all of our family we love them all, no matter how crazy they all are!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope everyone has a fun and safe Thanksgiving!!

Recipes I will be making this week!!

Pictures are in reverse of the recipes
The first one is good ole' banana bread.
INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 1/3 cups mashed overripe bananas




DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.


The second one Pumpkin Cheesecake
Crust:

1 cup (100 grams) graham cracker crumbs

1/2 cups (50 grams) finely ground ginger cookies, homemade or store bought

1 tablespoon (15 grams) granulated white sugar

4 - 5 tablespoons (56 - 60 grams) unsalted butter, melted

Cheesecake:

2/3 cup (145 grams) light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 pound (454 grams) cream cheese, room temperature

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup pure pumpkin puree (canned or homemade)

Topping:

1 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated white sugar


The third one is Sweet Potato Casserole
INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
5 large sweet potatoes, peeled and quartered
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cups pecans
1 cup flaked coconut

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a medium baking dish.
Boil the sweet potatoes in a large saucepan approximately 10 minutes, or until tender.
In a large bowl, mix together the sweet potatoes, brown sugar, milk, butter and flour. Transfer the mixture to the baking dish. Sprinkle with pecans and coconut.
Bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven.

WOW!! This made me laugh!!

Yesterday was Savannah's last day at her old school! I called her new school to make sure I had everything they needed. They tell me that since it is after 2 p.m. she has to wait till Wednesday to be registered. So I thought okay that will be kind of nice to have a day off before she starts her new school!!

SILLY me I went in this morning to register her before 2 and she is on track c and they are off for FOUR weeks. Ya she'll have a day off or 30!! So now her first day will be Dec.8

Oh Are You Serious!!!

Travis and I took Austin driving yesterday??!! I am so glad we left Savannah home!!lol
Holy Crow how truly and unbelievable scary was that!! He almost side swiped a van! Almost ran a stopped sign, he did stop in the middle of the intersection so that counts as a almost right?!!
I am now a firm believer that these kids need to be older until they can drive, it is sooo SCARY.
All in all it made us laugh so hard. I will say this though he needs way more practice!!!
It is also scary that he is turning 16, just yesterday he was 3 and all he wanted was his "taste the rainbow" (skittles) and t.v. Now he wants a car and girls!! Wow how time flies!!

Changing Schools

So after many thoughts and sleepless nights. Travis and I have come to the reasoning of changing Savannah's school. We talked with her about it today. We will be going to her new school tomorrow to check it out she is such a trooper she was excited and willing to change! We are hoping that this change will bring her some new friendships, and some sense of belonging in our new neighborhood. I am going to miss the curriculum(not the 35 min drive one way):), but I have heard great things on Jordan School district. Ahhh changes, all in all I feel good about this change for my daughter. I do have to admit this is one of the hard things on being a mom. Changing my daughters life is up to me. I feel that with a positive attitude, and great support from her dad and I this will be a positive change for my girl!! All this I love my nanagirl with all my heart, and am thankful for her every day and every minute of my life. Oh the many joys of parenting, roller coaster ride, we just have to remember it is all fun!!!
I love you Travis, and I love you Savannah!!

November 6

Travis Jr. has decided that he is ready to go back to Vegas. He will be leaving in the next few days. We wish him the best in everything he does!

The Fun Is Now Over!!

How sad I boxed up all of my Halloween today. I am getting ready to put it in the basement for another year!!

I just have to comment on what a true Monday today was!! I was downstairs making Savannah breakfast and she comes in and I go to brush her hair. I notice that something just doesn't look right. So I look a little closer and she has her shirt inside out. Not a big deal right kids do it all the time. Well on Mondays she has to where a white button down shirt and a cross tie. So I do not know how she buttoned up her shirt and put her cross tie on with out noticing. That made me laugh and I wish I would have taken a picture it looked hillarious!!

Haloween Party Pics!

Adult Halloween Party!!

This year we had the Halloween and Ty & Jens. It was great fun!! Travis's band played and we danced the night away!! We so missed Shay and Jas. We all mentioned how much we miss them and wish they would come back!!

All in all it was great night good food, great music, and good friends!! Can't wait to do it all again next year!

Cheer Halloween Party!!

Thursday Savannah had her Cheer party!! The cutest one in the group is little Hannah she is the one in the banana suit cause she is "HANNAH BANANA!! They did all the fun games dance freeze, musical dots, and the participating Halloween story!! All in all great fun!!

Oh I Love Halloween !!

Halloween was a little different this year this neighborhood doesn't get into the spirit of things like are last one. But that won't stop the Johnson's from scaring the *!*#**$ out of the trick-or-treaters!! AHHH another successful year!!! Happy Halloween to everyone!!! This year as one of our tricks we have little candy butler and we put gelatin (with no sugar) in his bowl with candy wrappers. The kids would stick there hand in and squeal!!

Savannah went trick-or-treating with Dad, not to long he had to get back to listening to the kids scream!! I think there is something wrong with that guy!! So overall 4 Halloween parties later and a good night out trick-or-treating, Halloween is completed for Savannah!!
As for Travis and I we have one more night for the ADULT Halloween party. So I get to leave my Halloween blog page up one more day!!

Poor Dog!!

So I just got done reading my sister LuRae's blog and it had a picture of her little Sadie dog dressed up. So I thought since my Jetta dog is Sadie's sister I couldn't leave her out of the dress up fun!! I was nice enough to put her in a leather biker jacket instead of a Ballernia like her doggy sister!!

Dance Class Halloween Party!

The fun of Halloween has started!! Savannah had her Halloween party with dance yesterday. It makes me a little sad, last year there were a few princesses left. Savannah not being one of them! This year in her dance class there were no princesses. The first 6 Halloweens Savannah was a princess. The first couple years of dance everyone was a princess!! Ohhh my little princess is growing up!

Little Things!!

My wonderful husband brought me home flowers!! I know it is a little thing, but Travis does not do this very often. Actually I think this is the first time he has brought me flowers in 5 years!! He usually buy plants to plant in our yard. Which I love just as much. Sometimes in life I guess you need something little to remember all the little things in life you all ready have!! Thank You Travis I Love You!!

Easy,Halloween Treats!!

The eyeballs picture is cupcakes I could not find one of the brownies but it is the same idea!

Brain Cupcakes

1 batch of cupcakes (red velvet cake is fun)

Frosting: ½ cup of shortening, ½ cup butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 4 cups of powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk

Color the frosting gray with a little bit of black food coloring or use red, green and blue until you reach the desired color. Frost each cup cake with the gray frosting.

Using a round tip in your pastry bag (or cut a hole in the end of a sandwich bag) divide the cupcake in half and squiggle down each side to look like brains.

Cookie Ghosts and Mummies

1 package of Nutter butter cookies
1 package of white chocolate chips melted in the microwave 30 seconds at a time until smooth
Candy sugar eyes, small chocolate chips for eyes, or black icing for eyes

Dip the cookies into the melted chocolate and then place on parchment paper to set. Place the eyes while the chocolate is still wet. If you want to make a mummy, take white frosting and a thick line tip and do criss -crosses over the cookie until it looks like a mummy.

Brownie Eye Balls

1 pan of brownies baked soft
1 package each of red, green, blue and black color gel
½ package of white chocolate chips melted (for directions see above)

Take pieces of brownie and roll it in to a ball, dip it in melted white chocolate and place it on parchment to set. Then take the gel icing and put a round circle of blue or green in the middle of the eyeball. Place a black circle in the middle of the colored circle and then with the red gel draw blood shot veins.

Kitty Litter Brownies

1 new kitty litter box
1 new kitty litter scoop
1 pan of brownies baked soft
2 boxes of grape nut cereal

Place the cereal into the kitty litter box. Take chunks of brownie and mold into desired shapes. Roll the brownies around in the cereal until it looks appropriate. Serve with the kitty litter scoop! Trust me this is some funny “crap”!

Moving!!!

Ha ha no we did not move again!! PHEW!! My in-laws did and being the perfect kids that we are went and helped yesterday! Travis and I made a pack and signed in blood hehe, that the next time we move, we will pay to have it done for us! So moving is bad enough they bought Travis's sisters house, but my sister-in-law has not moved out. They are still looking for that just right house. While we were out in Payson helping move, we went and looked at a couple of houses with them. It was funny to see the faces when we all unloaded to see the houses there was 12 of us!! It was good fun for me I love looking at houses as long as I am not the one buying! Overall great fun!!

Which Sports Car Are You?

I'm a Chevrolet Corvette!

You're a classic - powerful, athletic, and competitive. You're all about winning the race and getting the job done. While you have a practical everyday side, you get wild when anyone pushes your pedal. You hate to lose, but you hardly ever do.

Take the http://www.tomorrowland.us/sportscar">Which Sports Car Are You? quiz.

I needed a smile today!!

Thinking of my beautiful, hand full of a daughter, to help me get through the day today, I started thinking of her funny sayings.

The one that always stands out in my mind, one day she was being quite the little pill and Travis yelled at her and said "dang it kid why can't you just be good!!" she looked up at him with her beautiful blue eyes and smiled and said " daddy sometimes I justdon't like to be good!" Ya the both of us lost it and started laughing!

Another day that Savannah was being her "perfect" little self she started arguing with me and I told her she needed to stop. I warned her a couple of times but she just kept going. So I finally told her if she didn't chill out I would call her cheer coach and tell her that Savannah would be done with cheer. Just as I was finishing talking Savannah froze and looked at me and said "mom you couldn't do that to me, cheer is my life!' I did hold in my laughter on this one but inside I was laughing so hard. For a couple of reasons for one she is only 8, and another I can not believe that my daughters "life' is cheer. Boy does life like to play fun little jokes with you!!

I know I have mentioned this one in another entry but is shows how Savannah is a combination of every thing. We were eating dinner and she was smacking her lips and just not having any manners at all!! I said to her "Savannah you need to act like a girl." She says, " but momma I am a tom boy" again with her ever strong attitude of DUH!!

The other day Savannah won a inflatable chair. She asked the boys (Travis Jr. 18 and Austin 16) for help blowing it up. They agreed so I went on doing some chores around the house. A few minutes later she came to me and said "mom the boys are so dumb!" I said " oh Savannah please don't talk like that." She said " but mom I asked the boys to help me blow up my chair and they are using there nouths and not the little blower that I all ready got out!" Ya I laughed really hard and said " well maybe they like doing it that way better" She said " well it will take forever!'"

This one always makes me laugh and she is quite aware of it so she does it often. Whenever Travis and I kiss or hug or anything mushy like that she makes a disgusted sound and says "oh could you two please get a room!"

Another one and then I will stop for today! We were in the truck and a song came on the radio, I turned it up and started obnoxiously singing to it and she looked and me with this look, and said "mom you are so weird!'" I said " I am, are you sure?" Savannah "oh yes I am so sure, but that is okay mom weird is fun!"

What A FANTASTIC Day !!

First gas is $2.99 a gallon, second ya I don't think there was really anything else I was just excited to see gas at $2.99 after this summer of having $4 plus a gallon gas !!

I do get to go out to lunch with Kathy today, that is always fun! Travis is in sunny St.George so I am jealous of that. During the summer I always tell myself that the winter is not that bad, and then it gets here and I wish I wasn't!! I would much rather be hot then cold!! The sad thing is it hasn't even got bad yet!! I am glad the holidays and cheer competitions keep me busy so I don't have to think to much about the cold!!

Day By Day!!

l'/

Expecting life to treat you well because you are a good person is like expecting an angry bull not to charge because you are a vegetarian.-- Shari R. Barr

All of the animals except for man know that the principle business of life is to enjoy it.-- Samuel Butler


There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle. -- Albert Einstein


Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyways. -- Anonymous
HAHA Love this one it made me laugh!!

These are some quotes on life that make me think and make me laugh!!

Happy Birthday LuRae!!

Ha Ha you will always be older!! There is some benefits of being the youngest!! Hope you have a great birthday filled with great chick flicks and fattening foods!

You Just Gotta Love Kids!!

Tonight on our way home from Savannah's cheer class we were listening to the Moulin Rouge soundtrack. She says to me "momma you should play this song for papa when he comes home tonight" I said " oh ya why would I play this song for him?"
Savannah: " oh because it his birthday and so you can dance in your room alone tonight" (with the attitude of DUH.) then she said " I think you guys dance in your room a lot that's why you lock the door, right!" I just let it end there but I was giggling inside!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! MY LOVE!!!

October 14, What a great day!! I get to celebrate my best friends birthday ! I think back of our years together and this is the 13th birthday of Travis' we have celebrated together. I think of our vows together and we have been through it all, and honestly on our second go round! I don't know where to start to honor my husband on his day, he is it all a great friend, lover, husband, father, provider, he is my strength!!
On a perfect day what would Travis do!! Well this time of the year, he would wake up at around 5 a.m. get dressed in camo clothes and head out the door. The night before he probably stayed up till midnight or later getting ready! General would be first out the door cause there is no way he would be left behind, Travis and Austin would follow right after General, and then Savannah would drag her feet but would make it to the truck very slowly. Then they would head off to Strawberry ( if it was an absolute perfect day they would all ready be in Flaming Gorge) with the boat in tow. The day would start off duck hunting, and then they would finish off the morning fishing. Depending on the weather we would either cook fish for lunch on the boat, or head home and cook it there when we got home. Travis would clean up after he got home and then take a nap!! Wake up a little later to have some steak and fish, and if I could convince him that he didn't have to be on a diet on his birthday we would have some chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream!!
What will Travis do this year on his birthday?!! Well start off the day slowly getting out of bed no need to hurry he is not going fishing or hunting today. Then Savannah and him will get out the door so she won't be late for school. He will get to work and plan the rest of his schedule. For lunch I will run down there and try to squeeze in a lunch with him (planning on Tucanos) then after that he will finish his appointments for the day. Then he will go to Austin's football game, stay for father and son pictures, and dinner. Then he would come home and maybe have a cupcake, to make Savannah happy! All though this day does not fit the "perfect day" Travis wouldn't have it any other way. He loves his family and friends!!
Again Happy Birthday To My Love!!

Soooo SCARY!!!!

You all know that October brings Halloween and Halloween brings scary things, Right!!! I just wanted to share our scariness with everyone, Austin is the finishing courses of drivers ed. I think this will be our scariest Halloween EVER!! Ha ha we love Austin and our very proud of him. He turns 16 in 4 weeks!!

We Are Ready!!!

Let It Snow!!! Let It Snow!!! Yep that's right we have snow Yeah!! Travis and I try not to procrastinate but sometimes it happens. But not this year we are Ready. We have winterized and cleaned the garage, and got the snow blower running. This will be our first year not in the valley, we are now on the mountain benches, so what does that mean, MORE SNOW!!

Halloween!!!

Halloween Time At The Johnson's!!!!
Some say we are Crazy! Some say we are just down right mean!! Some Say Oh My *@#!!!
WE SAY THIS IS THE BEST!!!
Halloween at the Johnson's is the better than Christmas, this is Travis' favorite time of the year! We decorate are yard, and have so many crazy things, that scream, jump up, and fall down. We started this a few years ago and have a blast doing it. In our old neighborhood everybody had something going on, it was great. We started giving out full size candy bars to the kids that could make it all the way to the front door!! I wouldn't let Travis scare the little ones and I usually give them a great big handfull of candy or if they were just too cute I would give them a full size candy bar. Travis is so excited this year to be in our new home were the kids have no idea what Halloween at the Johnson's is like. The past couple of years my parents have come over, to enjoy our insanity with us!! We love it we laugh so hard this year Travis wants to set up the video camera, we will see about that! So of course pictures will follow, we have to set up little by little so nobody really knows what is going on!!

Cheer Season Again

So I had to comment about Savannah's cheer. Some days I still can't believe my daughter is a cheerleader. So it is getting close to competition time and Savannah was invited to do a solo again this year!! Yeah Savannah. So she got a new coach this year and she has not been very efficient I guess you could say so I fired her as Savannah's solo coach. I did this and then told Savannah, I thought it was quite funny she told me "I am not okay with this!" Well I then had to tell her why and go into more detail. Now we have Morgan as her solo coach and now we are back on track and so excited for the first cheer competition, and no there was no sarcasm in that at all!!

Mamma Mia!!

Savannah has early out Fridays from school so today we went and saw Mamma Mia!! How fun that was I am ready to go see it again. It is a good thing there was not a lot of people there. Savannah and I sang along the whole movie.

Cooking Class

Last night my mom and two of my sisters LuRae and Cyndee went to the Taste Of Homes cooking class at Thanksgiving Point. They had a lot of give aways but I guess they figured we had every thing we needed and none of us won anything!! One of the recipes they did was the lava cakes or as my family knows them the chocolate molten cakes . Those are Savannah's favorites, so we will be attempting to make those. Savannah loves to cook one of her favorite shows is the Rachel Ray show on Food Network!! That is one of the things that was repeated a lot about my grandma that she was a great cook. So hopefully that is one thing we can keep going in our family!!
Thanks Mom for taking us!!

Collective Soul

Last night we got to go the Collective Soul concert out in Wendover, NV. It was so awesome the concert hall we went to is not very big so the sound was perfect. It was a great night. Then we went and gambled we didn't win much we stayed about even. Overall it was a great overnight trip. And it was a much needed quick little get away with my love Travis and three other couples!!

WHEW!!!

So I was reading a book the other night that peoples greatest fear is speaking in public. This is pretty much known to all but after that it said that they are more afraid of speaking in public then they are of dying. Well Saturday morning I had the opportunity to speak at a seminar with over 150 people there. The seminar was for the financial management business Travis and I have started. It was really pleased with us as a couple you have a number one category to be able to speak. I thought it was going to be for all the work Travis had done. We had a number one trophy presented to us and a number three trophy, and then we also one two gift certificates for being in the top ten of two other categories!! But much to my surprise I was invited to speak because I had won the Partnership award! My presentation I felt it went pretty good, there were a few things I wish I could of changed but isn't that life. So know as I conquered one of the greatest fears of most people I figure I can do pretty much anything right!! I am so excited that our life is going so well. But I figure that is one of rewards for working so hard!!

Sept. 5, 2008

I was very fortunate to be able to go to grandma's funeral on Friday. It was a wonderful service. I drove down by myself and after just a few minutes of being there I was very glad I was alone I got cry and feel how I wanted instead of being told it is okay and mommy what is wrong why are you crying. There was a lot of emotions, and I was very glad I had the opportunity of being there. I get to thank my wonderful husband for making that possible.

A Very Sad, But Beautiful Day!!

To Start this off I need to keep it short because I haven't been able to control my tears.

My beautiful, beautiful Grandma passed away September 1 2008. She was 79. She is a very wonderful person and I am honored to pay a little tribute to her. I will be setting a blog in her memory, I will try to work on it this evening before I head to Idaho. But my emotions my say otherwise.

So to end this entry, I would like to say that I love you grandma, and so very glad that I have so many wonderful memories with you !! I am so glad you are enjoying your second life.
Savannah told me that she is probably playing the piano and singing a pretty song. That is all my tears will allow for now.

Mr. Spider

We have had Mr. Spider staying at our house for almost a month now and he has been very nice to stay out of my way. Travis Jr. and Savannah have been feeding him and watching him take care of his food. He has actually been really fun, until he decided to get a little to comfortable. He now has his web over the corner of my front door. So as mean as I am told the kids he has to move. Savannah was not happy so I told her I would take a picture of him and write a little story on him!! If you told me 10 years ago that I would be writing about a spider I would have laughed. But here I am :) I have taken some pictures but Savannah says I need to take some of him at night time so I will post them later after I have taken his picture at night time!!

Changes

The last couple of months our family has had a LOT of changes. As I have started to do the blogging thing it has helped me realize what I have. So here are my thoughts on changes. Changes are wonderful they bring a family closer together. They make you realize what you have, what is important, and what you really want. So what have these changes done for me? They have done just that!! They have brought my husband and I closer together again and more. Which I didn't think was possible. It has made me realize that financial freedom is not necessary but it is a goal I personally want to achieve for my family. And one of the main things is what I all ready have, my wonderful best friend and my husband Travis, my beautiful daughter that makes me laugh, cry, and extremely proud. Austin and Travis the boys to teach them young through all the lessons Travis and I have been through. And again realizing that some of the best lessons learned are through trial and error. Being a parent that is one of the hardest things to sit back and watch. One of our mentors said to us once that he wished he could but his head on our body so we could learn what he had all ready with out going through the hard times!! Boy is that the truth. The kids have also taught us great patience. And then my sister LuRae who will listen at any time little or big, to anything I need to share. She also is one of my best friends and it has been great to have her there with me as we start this business as financial advisers. I am kind of excited to have school start this year because will be working together. When we are to lunch and the guys ask what we are doing we can officially say "working". And we will get paid to hang out together now that is Sweet!!
So changes like them or not they happen some are little and don't take great affect on our lives, while others are big and meaningful. When this all started Travis would ask me what I thought about him changing careers and I would always tell him that " I trust you, you are a very smart and successful person in what every do, so do whatever it is that makes you the happiest and you will succeed!"
Again this little entry was more for me to clear my head and write down my ever changing life events. It helps me put my life into perspective, and too truly realize what I have in life. So a big thank you to my "little family" and my sister LuRae!!!

Savannah's pictures '07

Last summer we had some portraits of Savannah it was so hard to decide I think they took over 75 pics. I and I limited down to 10!!

She was 7 in these pictures. I am so proud to be the mom of this beautiful girl!! I Love you "nana'