2009-We are Family

The adults trying to rock out-Amy played guitar like a rock star, I think Ty and Zanna were singing and Scarlett was taking a turn on the drums.

Ames and Sammy sitting at the kitchen table. Oh yeah, of course Buzz was there too!

Miss and I on New Year's Eve. Miss is rockin the "Hair-do!"

Scarlett has an amazing voice, Zanna already plays the hardest parts on drums and Ty working the guitar!

Mark and Lacey...what can I say? Great minds think alike! They were inseparable.

Taylor and Matt, too cool at 12 and 13. They are well on their way to teenager hood.

Well it's 2009. To catch up...we had the cousins for the holidays. We spent the new year rockin out on the rock band. We could start a family band ala "The Partridge Family" I'm sure. I have found that my children are extremely gifted in the music area...chips off the old block. (The old block being Scott, not me) I, on the other hand, stink. And that is putting it mildly. Back to Scott though, when I say "Old Block", I don't mean that really, though he is turning 4-0 this week. I feel bad that I haven't updated in so long, but as they say, no news is good news! We were extremely busy and happy over the holidays and I was so sad to see the cousins go. I wish they lived closer. We missed Dan and Jess, but hopefully (fingers crossed) will get to see them this week. They have a new member of their family. And baby makes three! Can't wait to see my new little nephew. Family is a blessing, I don't tell mine often enough how much I love them. I have an amazing family. Though they can be crazy at times...I won't hold it against them, if they don't hold it against me! We got to spend alot of time hanging out with my brother Paul and his wife Scarlett too, I love them so much! It was fun to be with them. It is extremely hard to let Amy go back to Utah. I miss her when she's gone. The month of January is already flying by!

Remember, Cherish, Love and Share

Remembering Christmases past is part of what makes Christmas Special. I love to see the love and joy on Carter and Lacey's faces!
Cherishing the special moments that are often too rare.
Loving your Dad so much you can't be next to him, you have to be on him!
Sharing you happiness and love with others. Remember the past, cherish and love now and share your love with others!

Fa La La

Tis the season to be jolly and joyful. I am so thankful for the Christmas season because it means I get to spend time with my family and friends. We get to see family that comes from far away (like Washington and Utah) and we also get to welcome a new member into our family (From Arizona) The air is filled with candles and Christmas trees. Ornaments and Christmas lights galore. Enjoy the moments...that's my mantra this season.

Give Thanks

Giving thanks has never been a gift of mine. I don't say it often enough and I am sure that the people in my life wish I would say thanks more often. So thanks to my Family and Friends, for being wonderful supportive people that make my life sweeter and enriched for having you in it. Since I have so few pics from Thanksgiving, I will attempt to take many more for Christmas. But let me point out a few shining stars in my life and I am taking this opportunity to give thanks. Thanks to Licorice for chewing up everything he can get his mouth on.
Thanks to Zanna and Aubrey for giving me the opportunity to see Twilight again.
Thanks to Carter and Tyler for reminding me that exploring is fun especially with Grandpa's handy mole-vision flashlights!

Twilight Moves

Zanna and I ventured to see Twilight at the midnight showing this week. Well, not actually together, but in the same theater. She went with her friends and I went with mine, but we both came home together. Something I discovered since this venture, I am getting old. Seriously, seeing a movie at midnight and then being required to take care of children the next day is just cruel. Of course no one got up when I asked them too, I still had to make breakfast and lunches and do a homework check. But looking at the pictures of Zanna, so happy and young, I think I can understand why I wanted a little piece of that. Just for one night.

Fall into hope

Scott and I on my Birthday
My birthday party was a huge success. My family is always so generous with the gifts. Carter especially liked bestowing the tissue paper to my head.

It is with deepest regret that I allow Halloween to pass, but now it's on to the rest of the Holiday Season. Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas seem to mash together at the end of the year. I posted the pic of Scott and I to remind me how it all started. With hope for the future and our lives together. We passed our 17 year anniversay in August and four children later, I still have hope for the future, because my children are the future. My children continue to surprize and amaze me with their gifts and talents. I laugh and cry sometimes in the same day from the events that occur in our home. But I believe that they are already better people than I am and I have hope that they will continue to grow.

Zombies and Ghouls

Scott was a Ghostbuster-Venkman to be exact.
Zanna posing with me. My Halloween costume was a Twilight t-shirt. It said "Bite me". (I thought it was funny)
Carter and Lace with their Halloween take.
Here are the ghouls and zombies that invaded our house on Halloween.
The cutest little Ladybug around, Livvy Lou!

Miss Zanna as Alice in Wonderland.

FYI, as you can see the costume choices were random and not without a little irony. I gave in a little on my sweet Lacey because it was either this, or a ninja.
So Halloween this year is as follows:
Alice in Wonderland-Zanna
Victorian Gentleman-Taylor
Gothic School Girl-Lacey
Knight in Shining Armor-Carter
Halloween is past...sniff, sniff. I had a blast at our annual trunk or treat with the family on Tuesday and double the fun because Halloween fell on a Friday! Our good friends Ang and Livvy (Olivia) went trick or treating with us and then Kari and Jamie stopped by later to play "zombies on the lawn" for the trick or treating stragglers that came after nine. It was a great night and I had an absolute blast and I ate way too much candy. Sadly, my older kids totally ditched us in favor of their friends, after mandatory pictures :) I know I shouldn't be bummed that they prefer friends over us, but I am in denial that they are growing up. Next year I am hosting the party so they want to stay home. Hmm...now if I could just move into a bigger house by then!