Fall 2011 Updates...yeah, it's been a year!

I am inspired by many people....my sister-in-law Kinsey is the one who constantly inspires me to update my blog! She posts pictures of all the fun and cute activities my niece and nephews are doing...and dang it...I just got the bug to blog!!

So...as you can see from the picture, Jenna lost her first tooth! She pulled it out herself! I came home from work and she told me, "I took a bite of an apple and my loose tooth was hurting, so I did what the lady at the dentist told me to do...I twisted and turned it and it fell out!"

What a cutie! My kids definitely didn't inherit my squeamish-ness! In this picture I can't decide if Jenna looks more like me (in her face) or her grandma Pratt, which we have always thought she favors! I love this little girl! I can't believe my "baby" is six and in first grade!

Other updates...Joshua has been up at the University of Utah and has been really having a good time. He's met some great kids at the Institute and is all done submitting his part of his missionary papers. Now our Bishop does his part and then the Stake President will meet with Josh and submit everything to church HQ. The Stake Pres. said he could get his call within a week and a half! We are excited for this new adventure in Joshua's life...and ours as well. Although I for one, am sad to think my boy will be gone for 2 years...but I'll think about that later (I know...so Scarlett O'Hara...but really maybe she was onto something ha ha).

This is the picture Joshua submitted w/ his mission papers!

The other kids are busy with school and sports and such. Jonah is a sophomore at Westlake this year. He wanted to do the swim team, but we missed it. As a firm believer in him doing SOMETHING...I think I convinced him to take guitar lessons. He inherited an electric bass from his uncle, and I think he's pretty interested. He is old enough to get his permit and is working on that. He has been a big help to me since Joshua is living up at the "U". I've really been impressed at how he has "stepped up" and taken on that role of "oldest".

Jeremy played 8th grade football...and he hated it. Being a girl and not ever having played FB before, Alan informed me that at this age it gets really competitive and the coaches are not at all 'warm and fuzzy!' After going to a few games and observing this for myself, (the coach actually got kicked out of one game for being such a jerk to the referees) I have to agree. Jeremy was quite miserable and ended up missing the last couple of games. He is looking forward to playing basketball as that is what he really loves. I am not at all disappointed he doesn't like football...he's always been my big teddy bear boy, and I'm glad he doesn't have that violent, 'I'll kill you' type attitude that I guess you need to play football.

The girls have been busy playing soccer this fall. Joely played for the 2nd year and Jenna played for the first year. They were so cute. They really love to run and Joely especially loves soccer. Jenna...not so much. She got tired, but she did score a goal! Her coach put her right in front of the goal and everyone on her team had the job of getting the ball to Jenna. It was pretty awesome!

Now for me....I started working part time in the afternoons the end of June as a court clerk in the Justice court in Saratoga Springs. I really like it. Its pretty decent pay and its 10 min from home. Down side is that I'm not here when the kids get home from school...but that's OK b/c my mom is moving in with us!!

I'm actually flying down to Dallas this Friday and I'm driving back with her! We are so excited! It's been a long road getting her here, but we couldn't be more excited!

Look for another post hopefully in a few weeks...about Joshua's mission call!

Love to you all! Have a great Halloween!

Way to go Joshua!!

Just a bit of wonderful news...Joshua earned his Eagle Scout award! He did an amazing job! We are so proud of him. He built by hand a wooden puppet theatre and a beautiful wood storage box (for the puppets) for our local Eagle Mountain library. They had recently built a new addition to the library and the librarian suggested the project to Joshua. He worked really hard. Way to go Joshua!! He will have his Court of Honor in June when Grandma Colleen and Uncle Dave both fly in for his high school graduation. That way, he'll have an uncle in the "eagle's nest". What a kid!

Some new pictures

So, I live in this totally amazing neighborhood where within a 2 block radius I can get professional pictures taken, my hair done, my nails done and a massage!!! Not to mention the ladies who cook and sew like professionals too! It's very humbling to live around such talent!! So, I decided to take advantage of this...and forego the ever-boring standard school pictures (the ones with the same old blue/grey background we had as kids 25 years ago) and have my very talented friend Mikki take my kids' pictures. I'm sure you'll agree that they turned out a 100 times better than the canned school shots and the kids didn't have to say "pickles"!!

Probably my favorite of Joshua...because he looks so handsome and you see the mountains too!

So GQ right?

I love this one too!

We finally got a genuine smile out of him!!

Josie is in 3rd grade this year!!

Joely is in 1st grade- love the toothless grin!

My little baby girl Jenna....not so much anymore...she's in Kindergarten!

Yes...Jonah is smiling!!! He is so cute! My big freshman!

My Jeremy -the big 7th grader!! Can you tell he didn't want his picture taken?

The closest we came to getting him to smile! He is so handsome!!

So thankful.....an attitude of gratitude!

I know its been soooooo long since I blogged, so forgive me please!! (Not that anyone besides maybe my sister Wendy reads my blog anymore....I don't blame anyone for giving up on me!!0

So, its been a while. Updates are due. First off- everyone is doing really well. We are happy and healthy...what more could we ask for? (More money, but that goes without saying, right?)
Just kidding. We are truly blessed.

The kids just keep growing like weeds...literally they are all shooting up past me! The boys have officially "outgrown" their mother (although I tell them being 5'3 3/4" isn't tall!!) The girls are getting so grown-up too. They are all in school now (Jenna started Kindergarten this year) and for the most part, they really love it. Jenna for sure tells me everyday how much she LOVES school!!!

Alan and I just celebrated our 18th anniversary. Hard to believe we've been married for as long as we lived at home with our parents and siblings. He is awesome and I am so lucky to have him as my spouse!!!

I was impressed this last conference with the many references to gratitude. Its true that I often focus on the negative and what's going wrong instead of paying a little more attention to what is going right and all the blessings in my daily life. So this is my small tribute to all the blessings I have been given.

First, I have to give much thanks for my wonderful family. My husband, my kiddos, my mom and my brother and sisters. This summer I also had the wonderful blessing of reconnecting with many members of my extended family at a family reunion up here in Utah; aunts, uncles, cousins, new cousins (the children of my cousins), their spouses- some I had never met. What a blessing it is to have such a large and wonderful extended family. My family is AWESOME!

Second, I am so grateful to have the gospel in my life. Although last Sunday we had FOUR baby blessings and not enough room in our chapel to hold everyone (it was very loud and crowded and put me in a very bad mood) I need to look at it as a positive instead of a negative. I love living in Utah where we are so close to church headquarters and so close to so many temples. What a blessing it is to be surrounded by so many GOOD members of the church- in my neighborhood, in our schools, in our community. This is truly a blessing of the restored gospel. Its not only something particular to Utah- but in Eagle Mountain where the LDS population is about 95%- its a huge blessing. Also, I have a neighbor who recently moved here from Florida and is taking the discussions and investigating the church. What a blessing to be in such a densely populated LDS area and still have the opportunity to help someone investigate and discover the truthfulness of the gospel.

Last, I am so grateful for all the material blessings I have been given-not to sound trite or superficial..but I really am grateful for having good vehicles to drive, a comfortable home to live in and good food to eat. Sometimes I get caught up in always wanting more, or newer...but I am truly grateful to just have what I have. Someone once said..."Happiness isn't getting what you want, but wanting what you've got." (Seriously I think thats a song lyric from Sheryl Crow!!!) But its true. And I'm grateful for that!

Hope this fall finds you happy and healthy and grateful for the blessings you have in your life.

It's great to be 8!

Josie will be turning 8 on Friday Jan. 29th and so in anticipation of the "big baptism day" we teamed up with some friends and met with a photographer and the new Oquirrh Mountain Temple in South Jordan. It was freezing cold, and Josie is seriously lacking in the "meat" department...so needless to say, she was shivering quite violently and her lips were a pretty shade of violet! But, it was great fun to have her in a beautiful white dress sitting/standing on the temple grounds. I told her that someday she could even come back to this same temple in another white dress and get married! She wasn't so excited about that idea, simply because boys are still "gross" but hopefully the seed was planted and it will be a goal of hers for the future! She is such a blessing to our family, and I am so lucky to be her mom! And of course, I told her that many people pay big bucks for highlights in their hair that are naturally hers. What a sweet little angel..and I still can't believe she's already 8 years old. It seems like yesterday Alan and I were blessed with the first little girl in our family. It was another snowy and cold day when she came into the world....in Colorado Springs....love you Josie!

A New Year...can you believe its 2010??

I can't believe its 2010!! Wow...its truly amazing to me how fast time flies!! Joshua celebrated his 17th birthday....on Jan. 2nd...and Josie is getting ready to celebrate her 8th birthday and get baptized! Grandma Colleen called us today and excited us all with her news that she'll be coming for a short visit the first week in Feb., and to see Josie get baptized. The kids are all excited...they haven't seen Grandma Colleen since last April..too long! Anyhoo...wishing you all a happy and prosperous New Year! Hope you are sucessful in achieving your goals for the year...I need all the luck I can get to achieve mine (they are always daunting..yet for some reason, I feel confident that this is THE year I'll finally be able to achieve them!! yeah, I know...keep dreaming!) I'll post some new pics soon....as one of those daunting goals is to finally organize all my pictures!!!

Merry Christmas to all!

We had some new family pictures taken in October...so I thought since its been a LONG time since I've posted something on our blog, that I would put a picture on for all to see (all those who haven't given up on me ever blogging again!) The kids are getting so big and so handsome/gorgeous!!! Joshua will be turning 17 in about 2 1/2 weeks..can't believe it. He's doing really good in school, driving, dating a teeny bit (hey, I'm not complaining about that!) and he's a great kid. Jonah is 13 going on 17- at least he wishes...he's in 8th grade...and life is pretty smooth...great kid, very funny and great with his siblings when they aren't fighting!! Jeremy is in 6th grade...11 turning 12...soon all three of the boys will be priesthood holders and blessing and/or passing the sacrament...so cool. Jeremy is the funniest kid...he always has some funny word to say, or some sarcastic remark...he's a cool kid. The girls are so precious...Josie is turning 8 in January and getting baptized. I'm trying to convince her to pierce her ears, but her dad is throwing a fit about it..so we'll see who wins the battle. She's a great little reader and is doing well in 2nd grade. Joely is enjoying her Kindergarten year...she's a little bored b/c a lot of what they do she already knows. She is so busy...constantly going, going, going! Jenna Grace is no baby in our house...I can finally say she is potty trained (only took us til age 4....whew!) and she is so much fun. She goes to preschool with me, is learning to read really well and is busy just like her sisters and brothers. She is a gem...we all spoil her rotten!

I love this time of year....but I miss being close to my family. I've enjoyed sending out Christmas cards this year, and doing a couple of cookie exchanges and a secret santa. The time goes by so quickly, there isn't enough time to do everything I want to do, so I try to pick the things I REALLY want to do, and then try to find time to squeeze it in. Life has been good to us...we have been so blessed...we have our family, our friends, our health and the gospel of Jesus Christ...like my other friend posted on her blog....what more could we ask for??? Hope this post finds all of you happy and healthy and enjoying this Christmas season. Love to you all!!