2015 Highlights

January

We made a trip to Saint George and found our new home, or at least we pretended to.  It was sure a great trip and we can always dream about this house.

February

This month wouldn't be complete without a Valentine's Day box.  This year Brian helped Bryson make one to look like a scooter.  He was thrilled!

March

Junior Prom comes around each year in March.  This year McKenzi went with Conner Caldwell while Jordan took Kennady Jensen.  They all looked so nice and had so much fun.

April

April was full of soccer games for us.  Sheridan and Bryson played and they both loved it.

May

Holy cow what a crazy month!  Jordan graduated from high school.  I can't believe he is that old.  Sheridan graduated from middle school also.  So it was busy and fun but also kind of sad.  Jordan also had the best baseball practice ever.  They practiced sliding in the rain.

June

Bryson had a blast at Science camp this year with his cousins Shayden and Dalton.

July

July was a hard month.  We had to say goodbye to Jordan as he become Elder Sorensen and went to serve the people in the Arkansas Bentonville mission.

August

It's time to go back to school.  Poor Bryson is having to deal with his sister without Jordan this year.

September

Oh my heck this month was so fun.  My dad finally drew out on the big bull hunt.  Everyone had to come down to help him hunt this year.  It was really enjoyable.  Dad was so excited!

October

My mom, my girls, and I went to Witchapalooza this year.  It was the first time we went without dressing up so it was a little different.  However, Kenzi and Sheridan got to cackle with the witches and just had a great time.

November

I got to go to Time Out for Women this year with Stacy, Rayanna, Jorga, and Glenna D.  It was fabulous.  If you have never gone you should definitely make an effort to go.

December

Sheridan got her learners permit this month.  Yes it was a little scary the first time she drove.  Luckily we have the whole year to work on those skills.  Although I didn't post a picture of it talking to Jordan was the best Christmas present ever.

All in all it was a pretty dang good year.  Hopefully 2016 will be just as fabulous!

Fun in the Mail

Today was actually a fun day to go to the post office.  I got a dang cute letter from my sister.  It just made me smile.  If that's how Jordan feels when he gets our crazy, fun envelopes then it is totally worth the time and effort.  I also got two letters from Jordan today.  One of them had been delayed in the mail for a few weeks.  It was a great trip to the post office.  Now if only they were all the fun.

More Mail

I have been really bad about posting lately.  I just have been crazy busy.  However, I really have been still send my son letters.  Here's one from last week.  Just a silly little picture.

Halloween Dinner

This year I decided that I wanted to do a fun Halloween dinner for my family since they are getting old enough that they don't do much trick or treating.  It was really a lot of fun.  I think this will be an annual thing we do.

We had mummy pizza.  

Jello worms.  Once you got past the look and the texture, they weren't too bad.  Not sure I will make them again though.  Too much work!

Graveyard salad.  Sheridan actually made this.

Witch winger cookies.

My Kitchen Table

So I decided to do something that I have never done before.  I bought this used table from my cousin and took it home to refurbish.  This isn't a great picture but it shows what it looked like when I got it home.  Notice the worn corner of the table.

I got out my sander and I sanded, and sanded, and sanded.  Then I sanded some more.  It took a lot longer to sand off the finish than I though it would.  I used three different grains of sand paper until it was down to just the raw wood.

Notice the difference between the two table shots.  That's all done with using a different grade of sandpaper.  I thought it was pretty cool but then again this was a fist time doing it for me.

And here is the final out come.  I love it!!  I stained the top ebony and used chalk paint on the chairs.  But I definitely need to paint my kitchen now!  Oh well that will be a project for a different day.

Weekly Mail

This week was hard to send a letter.  My son was a stinker to me during our weekly email and I was a little upset.  I debated about whether to send a letter or not.  Then I decided that even if he wasn't the nicest, it's still got to be hard to be away from everyone you love.  So yes I sent him a letter.

Scripture Study

I have read the Book of Mormon a few times but I wanted to do something different. In 2 Nephi 32:3 is reads:

"Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do."

Anyway that made me ponder about feasting on the words of Christ and exactly how I should do that.  I was looking for a way to study the scriptures a little differently and I came across the Red Headed Hostess and she had this idea for studying.  So I made up my own paper following her idea and thought there is no way that I can fill this entire page up with thoughts from one chapter.  Guess what?  I was wrong.  In looking for these different things, I understood the scripture so much more.  I felt like I was truly feasting upon the words.  

Rough Week

It's so hard when your missionary is having a bad week.  This week on top of just not having anyone interested in hearing discussion, my son also didn't get any mail.  Now of course I have written to him each week but for some reason it didn't come.  My heart has been breaking for him.  Can you imagine being somewhere completely away from your loved ones?  Then imagine that the only way you hear from them is through letters and weekly emails.  He knows that we love him but he needs that extra encouragement.  So here is the mail that he will get from me this week.  Hopefully it will bring a smile to his face and some joy to his heart.

Volleyball

 Sheridan is playing volleyball this year.  It has been so good for her.  There is something special about being part of team.  They suddenly become best of friends and support each other.  She hasn't had a lot of that before and it is so much fun for me to watch.

We especially like her silly jumps when she serves.  Not very many girls can jump like that and still get the ball over the net.  Sure do love this girl!!  And yes she gets her coordination from me and he athletic skills from her dad.

Letters

Well here is our newest mail ready to be mailed.  My younger kids love it and it makes them excited to write.  So they choose whatever envelope catches their eye and they send one to their brother, too.  Who know this mail art could be new crave.  At least for my family

Family Time

Over Labor Day weekend we got to go camping at the cabin. Of course there is always work to do there but all in all it's a lot of fun.  Brian and Jon put up siding on the gables and it looks awesome!

Aren't I lucky to be married to such a great guy?  I love you Brian!! You are truly my rock!!

The kids always love riding in the back of the truck.  This time we had too many kids to fit in one truck so we took two.  They all had a blast!

This is all the kids that went this weekend standing on an old truck that you can't really see.  Cousins are the greatest!  They are all best friends.

We spent Saturday playing games and having fun outside.  Here is a Yahtzee game that is way fun to play with a group.

What's a camping trip without a food?  Bryson prefers brownies but we ate like Kings this weekend.  Do you ever wonder why you eat so well while camping but not at home?

My dad is so amazing!  I love him to pieces.  Here he is eating his lunch.  He cracks us up because we were all out on the porch eating but he was too cold so he went inside with his heavy coat, put on a blanket and gloves to warm him up.  

Last the best of all?  These cousins are just crazy!  They were cold also so they all climbed into my bed.  Good thing they all like each other. Here's to your happy camping time with your family!

No Life

Oh my heck I laughed so hard yesterday when I got my weekly email from my son.  This is what he wrote, "i really like the pictures on the letters. it makes my companion think you have no life ;)"

How funny is that?  Anyway since I have no life, here is another fun envelope ready to be sent.  

Another fun thing about these letters is that my sister sent me a picture of an envelope that she decorated.  I love it!  I especially love that she would share it with me.  Thanks Kara!

New Glasses

This boy of mine is so funny!  We usually get glasses during the summer but this year was a little crazy getting my older son off on his mission.  Anyway we didn't have our exams until after school started this year.  Well this little guy got it in his head that since he was getting new glasses his old ones weren't any good.  He went to school for almost a week practically blind waiting for his new glasses.  Funny kid!  He sure thought he was cool for that week, however when his new glasses came he was thrilled to be able to see again.  Imagine that!!

Service

My son is in the mission field.  This week he sent me a few pictures to show what's been going on in his life.  This week has been full of service.  Show below are a few pictures of before and after their project this week.

He said it took them a long time.  I bet it did!  Right before he left on his mission we had some flooding here in our home town.  My husband is in the fire department so he got to go help.  They needed more volunteers so I went and I kind of drug Jordan along with me.  He wasn't too thrilled to be going.  I ended up leaving a little early to go home and take care of my younger kids.  Jordan decided that he wanted to stay and finish helping.  We joked that it was preparing him for his mission.  Little did we know that is what he would mostly do in his first area.  He learned the benefits of service at home and is reaping the rewards in the mission field.

Mail

There are many things that bring absolutely joy to my heart.  Mail to and from my missionary son are some of them.  We just love to make our letters to him have personality in them.  I hope it makes it a little more fun for him.  Honestly though, the letters I get back from him are priceless.  Each time I get one I am so excited!  Sure enough I cry as I read each of them but I love them.  The hardest thing for me with him being gone is that I don't get our nightly talks.  He use to come into our room each night as he got home from whatever activity he was involved in.  We would talk about all kinds of stuff.  I miss that part terribly so these letters help fill that hole.

Flourball

Today I finally received some pictures of my son from his mission.  A group of missionaries got together on their p-day to play a game of Flourball.  I guess they go to an old abandoned water park with a bunch of pantyhose filled with flour that are tied off at the end.  Then you basically play capture the flag using the pantyhose balls to hit the other team instead of tagging them.  Obviously they had a great time!