My Better Half

Tomorrow, August 27, 2011,  I will have been married to my high school sweetheart for 17 years.  Joe and I have now been together for 21 years.  Over half of our lives.

I met Joe at a back-to-school party on August 25, 1990.  I still have the invite....

After talking the night away at the party, Joe wrote my phone number on his hand and promised to call.  Three days later he did.  We dated all through our senior year, and even though we went to different high schools we made it work.  We went to his Homecoming and Valentine's dances. We went to my Senior Prom.

We continued to date through college, and on Christmas of 1993 Joe proposed to me.  We set the date for August 27, 1994 because it would be 4 years and 2 days from the day we met.

In Christ United Methodist Church, at 3:30 p.m., we exchanged our vows in front of our closest family and friends.  It was beautiful.  It was perfect.

Our reception was held at Seven Oaks.  We danced, ate, and drank the night away.  It was a wonderful party!

I can't imagine what my life would be like without Joe.  I adore him.  He is my rock and my voice of reason.  I love the way I catch him watching me, his smile making his nose wrinkle and his eyes sparkle.  I love the way he answers his phone when he knows it's me with a "Hi Beautiful!".  I love the way he pampers me when I am sick.  I love that he knows when I need some down time, shooing me out the door, promising to do the dishes and put the kids to bed.  I love that he never, ever seems to complain about anything.  I love that he trusts and respects me.  He is an amazing husband and father, and I am so proud of how hard he works for our little family!

So, Happy 17th Anniversary Joe!  Here's to many, many more happy years together!

I love you.

Rose

When we moved into our new house seven years ago, I knew that I wanted a Weeping Cherry tree in my front yard.  After a trip to our local nursery, we brought one home.  It was scrawny with few leaves, but my daughters, ages 4 and 1, thought it was beautiful and promptly named it Rose.

When my oldest started kindergarten a year later, we had her stand under Rose to get her first-day-of-school picture.

See the tiny tree trunk behind her?

So a tradition was born.  Every year on the first day of school we have both of our girls stand under Rose for a picture.  Rose has gotten big and so have my kids!

 
I think that if we ever move, I will have to dig Rose up and take her with us!

Eight

Katie, my baby girl, turned eight today.

She is spunky and loving and always has a smile for everyone.

She LOVES  school, and cried when she finished 2nd grade.  She is my extremely tenderhearted kid!

Katie has grown so much over the last few years.  She has gone from a shy little girl, who didn't want to leave my side, to a social butterfly.  Katie makes new friends wherever she goes, and would never dream of leaving anybody out.

Her daddy and I are so proud of the young lady she has become!  

Happy Birthday Katie!  You are loved more than you know!

Saying Goodbye....

Today I am helping my best friend and her family pack up a moving truck.  They are leaving the dry heat for a much cooler and wetter Seattle.  Instead of several houses away, she will now be several states away, and that makes me sad. :(

I will miss our early morning walks and our traditional Saturday Starbucks girl time.  Thank goodness for email, facebook, and my webcam!  I will be counting the days until she and her family return for a visit in October.

So, Barbara, I want to let you know how much I adore our friendship and how much I will miss you.  You have been my support and inspiration over the last several years, and I will miss being able to walk up the street when I need to see you.  I am afraid that today is going to go way too fast, and that I will be saying goodbye well before I am ready, but I am comforted by the fact that I am not losing my friend, I am just losing you as my next door neighbor.  I am just thankful that you are moving to a state that is within driving distance....I love you, but you know how I am about airplanes!  Safe travels my friend, and enjoy your new adventure in Seattle!  And, Paul, just let Barbara open the phone bill from now on.... ;)

Two of my favorite girlies!

  

Mom

Mom.....

This title has a lot of meaning for me.  Comfort, support, security, beauty, strength, and most of all, unconditional love.

When I was little, a mom is all I wanted to be.

I was (and still am) a mommy's girl.  My mom was the one to patch me up when I fell, to wipe my tears when I was sad, and to make me a bed on the couch, bring me banana pudding, and to trade General Hospital for Mr. Rogers when I was sick.  She was at all of my Halloween parades at school and shuffled me between ice skating, gymnastics, piano, and ballet.  She helped me through my awkward stages and still loved me when I failed.

So, as a young girl, I couldn't imagine doing anything else than being a mother.  I wanted to be able to give kids of my own the gifts my mom gave me. 
In April 2000 my wish came true with the birth of my first daughter, Anna.  And then again in July 2003 when Katie decided to join the family.  My mom was there for the birth of both of my girls and then for several days after.  She was not there to take over, but to help me learn.  I felt like motherhood came pretty easy for me, but I had a great role model.  Now I am the one comforting, fixing, drying eyes and nursing fevers.  I am the one cheering my girls on, and going to their Halloween parades.  And now I get to watch my mom enjoy being a grandmother and loving my daughters as much as she has always loved me.  
Thank you mom.


Happy Mother's Day to you, mom.  I love you more than words can say.


And, to all of my family and friends who are mommies, Happy Mother's Day to you.  This is a day, not only for your kids to celebrate what a great mom you are, but for you to celebrate the miracles that are your children.

Family

We spent the long Easter weekend down in Hurricane Utah with some of Joe's family, celebrating birthdays, Easter, and just being together.  

Anna and my nephews, Andrew and Sam, celebrating all of their b-days

The kids made this for grandma for her 67th b-day.  If you can't tell, it is all made of legos!

The weather was absolutely gorgeous, so we spent most of the time outdoors.

At the St. George Arts Festival.....

Joe and his sister, Wendy

Sam and Katie playing in the water

Digging into some fresh kettle corn

Climbing on big rocks.....

Anna with her cousins

Suspended....

The top of the world

Having egg hunts.....

I adore my in-laws.

I am very lucky to have such wonderful family on both sides, and it is weekends like this one that make me appreciate the time we spend together even more.

Both of my daughters have a huge obsession.....

 

It is taking over my coffee table...

It is taking over my kitchen counters...

My floor....

My couch.....

 My windowsills.....

Everywhere I look there is a dog or a cat or a hamster....one of these animals with their big eyes, looking at me as if to say, "We are taking over your house. Ha ha ha!".

I love my girls.

My girls love their LPS.

At some point I am not sure that there will be room in this house for all of us.