Fall is in the Air

I love to experience ALL the seasons. Each season brings with it all it's exuberant splendor.
Fall is here!! Some of my favorite things about fall are....

(picture by Mark Jarvis)

Orange, Yellow's, Mountains.
Fall even has a musty clean smell in the air! It sure is Beautiful!


The Hot Chocolate machine has been pulled out & getting good use all ready.

Delicious!

Football has become a new favorite activity to add to my list this year!
The boys are all so great!!

Mouth watering caramel apples! The left over caramel goes on popcorn!!

Ah... Halloween..... it is one of my favorite holidays!

(picture by Niel Oscarson)

Time to pull out the warm sweaters, stylish jackets, long sleeved shirts..... a
nd my cool 10 year old black boots! Along with my favorite boots come my long, comfy, green polk-a-dot socks (I think it is time for some new socks).

I love Fall!

What are some of your favorite things about Fall?

I am feeling a little..... BROWN!

Having an incredible hair dresser makes life simple and easy. Plus, Brooke knows just the right things to do. I think I like it!!!

What do you think?

Our son Conner.... M.V.P.

Guess who won M.V.P. at their last football game? You guessed it.... Conner did!

Every Wednesday night Conner's coaches pick one person from the last Saturday game for the M.V.P. award. For the past 5 Wednesdays Conner has come home empty handed and broken hearted..... even grumpy. I had to sit him down and explain to him that Lineman rarely get M.P.V. awards. I also told him that Lineman probably have the most important position, but since they don't handle the ball, they are often overlooked. Conner was determined to change those statistics.

I walked in the door Wednesday night and the first words out of his mouth were.... "M-O-M! Guess what?" (with a nah-nah-nah attitude). "Guess who won M.V.P.? That's right!!! You were WRONG!"

Now, don't get me wrong, I don't like to be wrong..... but this is one time I was actually smiling!! I am so proud of him!!!!!

If you are interested, you can read all about his game on his blog!

Gone Green

Our family has hopped on board the healthy bus. Have you every heard of Green Smoothies? Well, let me tell you... they are delicious! Niel makes his very own homemade smoothie every morning.
The boys and I use Garden Greens Essential Greens mix. We add a banana and some low-fat yogurt to make it taste just a little better!

Niel's smoothie consist of Kale, Spinich, apples, bananas, and water! Yum!

Do you see these happy faces? They love their morning smoothies!!!! Do you also see their big muscles? I think the greens are helping them grow up big and strong!

It is our secret recipe to a long, healthy life!!!

A Saturday at our house!

Our lives are always so very busy!!! I thought I would give you a play by play of one of our days!

6:45 - Time to get up! Got to get going for the day!


7:30 - Niel heads out with Garrett to get him to his football practice before the game.


8:15 - Me, Conner, Stockton, Megan, Zander and Jerin all jump in the car to head over to Grandma Dean's house. Grandma Dean is going to get Stockton to practice for us because we are all ready busy with Garrett and Conner's games.

9:00 - Arrive at Garrett's football game! Yeah... another blowout. 24/0!


10:30 - Niel heads off with Conner to get him to his practice.

10:45 - Megan and I head off to her house in Provo. She has a Primary Program practice to attend!

11:45 - Arrive at Grandma Deans house to stop for a quick lunch!

12:00 - Conner's football games starts. Niel and Jerin are at Conner's games for support. They even got to play on the BIG new field!! Conner's team has a blow-out 27/0!


12:10 - Stockton's game gets a late start. Me, Zander, Garrett, Grandma and Brynlee are all there to cheer Stockton on. They barely win.... 14/13! Talk about a close call.

1:45 - Head home FAST! We need to get ready for Stockton's birthday party! Grandma Dean takes Zander and Garrett with her to help us out. Grandma Dean takes them to Kanagroo Zoo!! Thanks Mom!

2:30 - Birthday party time!!! All the guest arrive.




2:45 - We load up the kids and head to Boondocks!


3:05 - Arrive at Boondocks and attempt to play! The rain gets in a way a lot. The race track keeps shutting down. So we golf. Then we wait in line again only to have the track shut down a few more times.
5:00 - I leave Niel with all the kids (brave man), and I head to get pizza and drinks.

5:30 - Get back to Boondocks. Eat pizza! Play Games!!

6:00 - Gather all the kids together and head back home.

6:30 - Drop off each kid at their homes.

7:00 - Head over to Grandma's house to pick up Zander and Garrett.... they want to stay abd live with Grandma & Grandpa forever!!!

8:00 - Get back home. Have the kids get ready for bed.

8:30 - Put Zander and Garrett to bed. Make sure Conner, Jerin, and Stockton are settled with a movie.

9:00 - Finally.... some quiet time. Niel and I are exhausted!!! As we veg on the couch, watching some TV, we are just happy we made it through the day with little conflict! Plus, it was a great day!!! We are tired, but we are happy!

What a great life!!!!!

The Big Yellow Slide

Niel and I headed out to SLC for our grand adventure at the Utah State Fair! There are so many things to look at. There are people of all different types, an assortment of booths with just about anything imaginable, and all the junk food you could possible imagine. But my favorite thing to do at the fair is ride the big yellow slide. Wheeeeee!

Here we are at the top....

.....and down we raced!!!! Yes, I am the proud Big Yellow Slide winner!!!

Saturday Fun!

Saturday we get to do the most fun thing..... FOOTBALL!!! Conner, Stockton, and Garrett are all participating in Lone Peak football this year. Can I just say, it is soooo much fun! Seriously, I look forward to watching these games all week. The boys are very dedicated to the sport and spend a lot of time during the week preparing. Each of them has football practice 2 hours a day, 3 days a week. Plus, on game day, they spend an hour before the game getting ramped up. I am so proud of all the word work they are putting into this sport. They are each doing really well this year. Both Conner and Stockton's teams are undefeated 4/0. Garrett's team had a little tough start at the beginning, but they have been going well the past two weeks. They are 2/2!! Each of the boys have their own blogs and are in the process of updating them weekly with their football success.

Go Lone Peak Knights!

My Jewelry Box

For my birthday this past January Stockton gave me a jewelry box. This was a very special homemade gift for several reasons. First off, as most mothers, I love the handmade projects my children make for me. Stockton spent a lot of time preparing this cardboard artistic project. All the glue, tape, markers and construction paper were placed perfectly to make such a priceless piece of art. There is even a top for it. There are two trays... one for my "neklisis" and the other side for my "erering's"!
The second part of this special gift was the fact that I had been asking and looking for a jewelry box for about 2 years. When ever we would go to a new store I would stop at the jewelry counter to glance at the boxes. I could never find one that had everything I wanted or one that was in my price range. The fact Stockton remembered I wanted one so badly.... and the fact he created one to meet my needs, made the gift even that much more special to me.
I have cared and loved this handmade perfect gift for nearly 9 months. Unfortunately the construction paper has been worn to the bone. Water splats are decorating the outside of the box and it is withering away quickly. I decided to go out and purchase a wooden box to place my jewelry in. Mostly because I wanted to savor Stockton's gift before it got ruined far beyond salvaging.
My new box will never hold quit the same meaning. I will keep Stockton's handmade present in a safe place and in my heart forever!!

Lagoon

Most of the family got to go to Lagoon twice this summer. We had a blast both times.

The first time we went with Grandma Dean, Aunt Ang, Arianna and Alayna. What a special treat to have them in town. The day was hot and crowded, but all the thrilling rides were exciting. Stockton tried The Wicked for the first time. He was scared at first but loved it. Another event to remember was Zander's temper tantrum in Pioneer Village. Ok, so maybe I want to forget that one. I think that was the worst temper tantrum he has ever had in public. All because he didn't want to share an ice cream cone with me. Kids! Jerin also got to come with us. Conner and Jerin went on the Tidal Wave 11 times in a row (Crazy)! Arianna went on it once and I doubt we will see her on that ride again, at least not for a while. haha!

The second time we went was with Niel's work. It rained a lot that day but cleared up in mid afternoon. The park was nearly empty and the weather was just perfect with a nice breeze blowing all day. Zander found a new best friend, Gordan!

Once again I took too many pictures. Oh, but so many great memories!!

Stockton's Baptism

Stockton took the big step.... be got baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It sure was a special day. So many friends and family come to support him. I appreciate you all for the support and love you offer to our family! We are very blessed to have incredible examples in our lives!

Stockton wrote some of his thoughts about his baptism. Check out his blog if you would like to read them.

Happy Birthday Grandma J

It is hard to find the words to express the essence of this incredible woman! I believe most of you who know me also know Joyce. I believe you would each agree with me that she is someone pretty special. She is very thoughtful and sincere! She is accepting and makes me feel comfortable! The first time I meet her was on New Years Eve, 2004. She welcomed Zander and I into her cabin and treated us just like we had known each other for ages!! As a grandma she is perfect in every way. The kids look forward to spending time with Grandma J. She goes out of her way to make sure we are all happy. She even has a magic table!! I always know I can count on her to help out.... with anything! She takes the kids to school, supports each of her grandkids with their various interests, and is the best cook on this planet. You will even see her sledding down a steep, snowy hill in the winter or getting in her swim suit and boogie board with rest of us. I just love to have her with us because she makes everything so much fun!! She is also a great friend. She listens, laughs, cries, and comforts. She inspires me to want to be a good person. I often find myself saying, "I want to be like Joyce when I grow up!" She is beautiful and full of life! She is just one of those people who will forever leave her footprints in my life. I love her!

Happy Birthday Grandma J! Thank you for everything!!!

Timpanogos Cave

Grandma and Grandpa Dean took us on hike.  Now, this wasn't just any hike, it was a hike up Timpanogos Cave.

The boys were all great hikers!  The trail is 1.5 miles with most of it uphill.  I was very impressed with their hiking abilities!

Inside the cave was amazing!  It is incredible anyone even found the cave.  We learned a lot of intriguing information.

Conner wanted to know if he could just live there...haha!!   It definitely was a great day!!

Happy Birthday Stocky

Stocks,

Happy Birthday kiddo! What a happy blessing you are to our family. I feel you have so many incredible personality traits that I wish I had in my life. You are so laid back!! You don't stress about too many things.... you just enjoy life, regardless of what obstacles come your way. You are tons of fun to be around. Your smile is contagious, your laugh fills up a room, and people enjoy being in your presence. You have the most sweet little spirit. You think of others more often then yourself. You put others needs ahead of your own. I remember this past year you were working so hard to earn money. There was a pretty big toy you had your eye on, and I was for sure all the money you were saving was for that. Once you had earned enough, we headed to the store. You surprised me when you told me you had been saving your money to buy your brother a birthday present. Or that one time when you got up early just to make your friend a birthday card.... and I know how much you like to sleep-in. You are constantly thinking of others. I am so happy to see thoughtfulness in your character.
One of my favorite sayings you say often is, "This is the best day of my life!" You say it so often, but I love it each time you say it! You are willing to try all things! I have really enjoyed watching you develop so many great talents. I know Heavenly Father is happy too!

I love you Stocks! You are true blessing in my life!!!

Love,

Mom

School is back in session

The kids are excited to be back in school. Conner is in 5th grade (I am getting old)! Stockton is heading into 3rd grade. Garrett is in 1st grade. And Zander is in pre-school! They were all filled with enthusiasm as they headed off for another great year!

Vegas Babe!

We decided to have one more weekend of fun before it was time to go back to school. What better place to spend a few days then Vegas. My parents have a fun time share they shared with us. We had a great time! Niel, Conner, Dad, and me all went to the late showing of Beatles Love. It was fantastic!

"I would hate to be the one to pay the electric bill in this city"

Zander was scared to death to go into any water he couldn't stand up-right in. Grandpa coaxed him out into the water. Zander didn't stay out in the deep part too long.

The boys commented that their favorite site was watching the dancing waters in front of The Belagio. I was pretty excited about that too because it didn't cost up a dime.

This is one of my favorite attractions to see..... the chocolate fountain. YUM!

Can you believe gas is cheaper in Vegas? I filled the car up in Utah at $4.03 and I thought that was a good deal. I was shocked to see it less.... and in Vegas of all places.

Thanks Grandma and Grandpa Dean for taking us down for a fun, fast trip! We had a blast!!

Happy Birthday Conner!

Conner,

My, oh my! It can't be possible that I am the mother of an 11 year old! Where as the time gone?

I have watched you grow up year after year. I have seen this little person growing up to be a young man. I have seen your personality blossom. I smile as I see the person you have become thus far and you continually beam with greatness as you continue grooming who you will become. You are so kind and thoughtful. I see you making friends where ever you go.... never shy, but anxious to speak with anyone who walks along your path. People love feeling important and you know just how to make others feel special. I know I can count on you for anything.... and I do mean anything. I do not second guess if you will do it.... I know you will. I appreciate the love you have for your family and especially the concern you have for your brothers and Megan. All your brothers look up to you.... and what a great example you are to them! I love your excitement for life! You are happy! I love to be with you, as well as does others. I love your determination. You know you can do anything, even though you want to be perfect in everything you try, you still keep at it. Your ability in basketball and football have been incredible this past year. Keep that drive you have!! And your work as a student.... straight A's!! Way to go!!!! Oh... and STOP GROWING! If you are taller then me next year.... I don't know what I am going to do!

I love you Conner! Thank you for making my life so full..... so full of so much!!!

Love,

Mom

Can we go back?

Wow, it has taken me month to post my pictures and tell about our trip to Hawaii. I hope you have enjoyed this month of reminiscing as much as I have! In reality, I could probably post on this vacation topic for a year, and even have enough pictures to go along with my story. But alas, life must go on.

This was the beautiful home we stayed in. Several people have asked for information on the place. The place was called Menehune Hale. It was a perfect place and I would highly recommend it!

This is the view of the ocean looking out from the kitchen! Incredible!!!

The last day we flew back to Oahu and spent most of the day at Turtle Bay!

Goodbye Kauai! What a breathtaking and unforgettable experience! Thank you Grandma and Grandpa J for taking us! We had the time of our lives!!!!!

Kayaking & Zip Lining all in the same Day!

We loaded up in a big army truck and headed to fun filled day kayaking and zip lining!

They dropped us off to do a little bit of hiking!!

We each got to paddle a kayak down a small stream. Zander told me we should keep our eyes out for alligators.

What a silly looking bunch of people!

Everyone liked our guides. Conner asked Drew a million and one questions.

It was an incredible ride on the zip line!!

"Look at me! No Hands!!"

Cliff Jumping

Yep... it is yet another video from me!

A lot of people have asked me if I was really in Hawaii since I haven't posted many pictures of myself. I guess that is what happens when I am the ones taking the pictures. Anyhow.... Megan did an excellent filming job. I even tried out the rope swing!

We all did a little jumping.... even Zander!!