Branden.....

So as some of you may know we don't always post just happy things on our blogs. This is one of those type of posts. For those of you that don't know Branden ran away on Thurs. For some reason that I don't know yet he and his girlfriend ran away. They ended up at a friend of her dad's in Kingman, AZ. After talking to friends, working with the police, and her mother finally being able to get in her phone, we figured out where they were and made contact with the people they were with. They were safe and not running anymore. So Friday we went down with the intention of bringing Branden home. After a long drive to Hoover Dam he told me he wasn't ready to come home and wanted to stay for another three days. It was the hardest thing I ever did letting him stay but after talking to the lady that brought them to the dam I knew it was the best thing. Thank goodness for prayers that help us to know what to do. I know that I've been supported by great friends and all their prayers. The good news is that I'm picking him up tomorrow and he's coming home. I'm sure there will be a long road ahead of us with building back the trust that was lost but with love, understanding and the help of the Lord and lots of prayers it will all get better. Thank you all for your continued prayers and thoughts. It means so much to me and Branden even though he has no idea how many people out there care about him or how much. Please continue to pray.

Please tell me it will end......

I have about had it with winter and snow.....I HATE IT!!! Someone told me today that spring was only like 4 weeks away....I can't wait that long!!! I'm tired of wind, snow, slush, ice, slipping on ice, all of it!!!! I can't take it anymore!!!! Help I'm going into winter wonderland overload!!! Make it stop so I can get off the ride....LOL!!!

But seriously I am very much looking forward to spring. To wearing flip flops and capris, no jackets, and my house not being a refrigerator in the morning. And most of all not having to scrape windows or brush off the car. So if anyone has any ideas on how to make spring get her faster just let me know.

This is for Sherrie......

OK so Sherrie leaves me comments on my Facebook page letting me know when I'm getting way, way, WAY behind on my blogging. OK, OK so she's right.....LOL!! Good thing I have her around to get me in gear on here. It's not that I don't mean to blog I just spend too much time on that darn Facebook. Let me explain my addiction to Facebook.

With Facebook I've been able to reconnect to over 50 of my friends from high school, make new friends, and keep in contact with friends I have now. I can also keep tabs on my kids and their friends and what is going on in their lives. (Not that I don't do that anyway but it's fun to have their friends say HI to me). So that's where I've been spending a lot of my time....I know I need to learn how to spread my time between Facebook and blogging.....and I'm trying. Thanks to Sherrie I'm now updating...so this one's for her.

So you may ask what I've been up to lately? Well I survived drill team season. The Talons took 2nd in Region and 4th in State. We also were awarded the "Best Sportsmanship" at State. Quite an honor considering it is voted on by their peers. That was an exciting award to get. I've also been extremely busy teaching. Starting a new school is no easy task and some days I don't know if I'm up to it but I keep plugging away. With 7 new students in my class at the start of this last term its been a lot but I love it. Also Jacob moved up into my class a couple weeks ago and is doing great. He's keeping up with the other kids and also showing some of them up with how hard he works in class. I wasn't sure if I would like having my own child in my class but he's awesome. He's making friends and the kids love him.

Of course I still have the usual taxi run in the evenings too with Talise in gymnastics and Kaitlyn performing at basketball games for Talons. And you know as difficult as it is sometimes I wouldn't trade it for the world. They grow up way too fast and I don't want to miss a minute of it. Good thing that Branden has his license though for those nights that are close to impossible. He's such an awesome help to me and such a wonderful young man.

Now you know where I've been and what I've been doing. I will try to do better but I can't promise anything....dang life!!! So till the next time Sherrie bugs me...no I'm kidding...till next time....TTFN!!

CVHS Christmas Concert

On Thurs. the 18th was the annual CVHS Christmas concert. This concert is amazing in the fact that they involve all the different music auxiliaries in one concert. For the final number they have all 5 choirs, band and orchestra on the stage. It is truly an experience that stays with you. These students do an amazing job and I'm proud to say that my two oldest are very involved in the music department. Branden is in two choirs, Volume Men and A'Capella and Kaitlyn is in Orchestra and Girls Glee. They both love it, and how can you not when you have a great teacher like Mrs. Tawa? She makes it so enjoyable and really instills a love for music and singing in all of her students. In fact Branden has been chosen to be part of the Honor Choir that will be going up to Salt Lake and performing at Abravanel Hall. He also plays guitar and is teaching himself piano, but has recently asked me for some help with that one. He has an awesome ear that I wish I had. And speaking of musical kids Talise is learning to play the cello and is grasping it very well and Jacob looks like he'll be a piano player and then a percussionist. I'm am so lucky to have 4 children that have been blessed with musical talent and do whatever I can to help them develop their talents.

As always here are some pictures to enjoy....

Homemade soup and sugar cookies.....

So the other night my younger kids, Talise and Jacob, and I went to Susie's house for soup and to make cookies. Branden of course is too cool to go to one of my friends' house for something so trivial and Kaitlyn was cleaning her room so she could go to Taylor's house for a week. (If you have ever seen Kaitlyn's room you'd understand why it was such an undertaking). Anyway....Susie made homemade Minestrone which was de-lish and then we (Me, my kids, Susie and her kids) made sugar cookies. It was fun to watch the kids cut out and decorate cookies. The best part was listening to them try to sing karaoke. I don't think we'll be making any record contracts anytime soon. Here's the proof of our cookie fun.....


































And for my personal favorite....the one I call "Two Reindeer and the Moon". Doesn't it look like that? All framed on the cookie sheet? You be the judge....

Sledding!!!!

OK so my kids had been bugging me since the first snowflake fell to take them sledding. You have to understand I have nothing against sledding, and actually love to watch them and sometimes participate myself when the mood strikes. But I like to do it on a sunny day with no wind. Remember where I live?? The no wind thing doesn't happen very often, but on Saturday we had all those conditions so we went. We went with Sandi Bettridge and her kids Brayden, Megyn, and Kyler. It was a lot of fun. The kids had a blast and didn't want to go home even after the sun went down and the temperature dropped immensely. Thank goodness for hot chocolate and a warm car....LOL!! Here are some pics...enjoy!

The things that keep me busy....

So I've had people asking me what's been keeping me busy lately....well besides work there are the activities of my kids. Two of the biggest are Talons for Kaitlyn and gymnastics for Talise.

Kaitlyn recently had two drill team competitions. One in Delta and this past weekend in Sandy. They are a lot of fun but my bum sure gets tired from sitting. I don't have any pictures of the competitions but here are some of my favorite of Kaitlyn and her friends.





















Kaitlyn has a lot of fun and really enjoys being with her friends on Talons. Her next competition is the first weekend of January in Richfield. I'll try to get some more pictures then of their amazing prop routine.

I haven't been able to get any pictures of Talise doing gymnastics but here are a few from her team Christmas party.



















And so now you all know what keeps me busy and why between kids and work I haven't been able to do anything for the holidays....maybe when school gets out this week I'll have some time.....NOT!! Oh well I can dream can't I?