So thankful!

I am thankful for so much; too many things to list. I am especially grateful for the people or things in my life that remind me and testify to me, that there is a God who loves us and watches over us.

I am thankful for still moments with Evan. Moments, when there is no frustration, no tears, no anger,... when I can see the pure light in Evan's eyes.



He truly is an angel living among us. He is a constant challenge, but the blessings from having this little guy in our lives never cease to amaze me.

A New Addition

No, it's not another baby... We recently decided to take the plunge and get a dog for the family. I did a lot of research on different breeds, and narrowed it down to a few different choices. After consulting with a few friends and, of course Marty, we decided on a Boxer. Boxers are specifically known for being especially good with children and so far, so good...

Her name is "Luna". She has put up with a lot from these kids (especially from Ben and Evan), but she takes it well.

It is A LOT of work taking on a puppy. It is almost like taking on another child (almost), but I think she is going to be great for our family and most importantly a great companion to the kids.

Vanessa absolutely adores her and Evan is very intrigued...


and if she continues to make progress on potty-training, then Marty and I will like her, too. :)

Halloween 2009

We had a good Halloween this year. This was the first time we had been in Utah for Halloween since 2002. Vanessa had a great time being able to go trick-or-treating with almost all of her cousins. We took Ben and Evan too, but it got a bit cold for them after a while.

I thought Vanessa was a leopard, but apparently I had it all wrong. She informed me that she was really a "jaguar".

And Ben was a skeleton...

who was a little intimidated by his cousin who was also a skeleton.

Everybody had a great time.

Enjoying all the fall we can

We decided to take a quick trip up Payson Canyon yesterday to see if we could catch a glimpse of what was left of fall in the mountains. We missed it at Maple lake, but it was beautiful just below there. I tried to snap a few photos, but Evan and Ben were having a bit of an "off" day, so most of them ended up being of Vanessa, but that's ok, we just love that beautiful face of hers!

St. George Marathon

Well, I did it. I finally completed my first marathon. It took me almost 5 hours, but I finished. It was VERY challenging both physically and mentally, but is was an amazing experience, and I am so glad I was able to do it. I would like to do more in the future, but will probably not think about it for at least another year or two. Training not only takes a toll on me, but on the family as well. I would, however, love to do another half marathon or two in the upcoming year. We'll see...

Here I am (at 4am), just about to board the bus that would take me up to the starting line.

In the end, Marty actually missed me crossing the finish line (long story behind that). But, here I am again after finishing the race.

It really was an AMAZING experience that I will never forget.

Vanessa's Grandparents Program

Yesterday Vanessa had a Grandparents program at school. It was sooo cute! Her Nana (Marty's Mom) was able to attend, but of course my parents couldn't make it (since they are in Ohio). I thought I would post a short video for them of her doing one of her songs and anyone else who would like to view it. Vanessa is the one on the top row in the green shirt between the two boys.

I love fall!

I love fall! It is such an amazing time of year. The weather, the leaves, football, and Halloween; I love it all (well, sometimes I love football :). We decided to take a drive up the Alpine loop this past Sunday. It was so incredibly beautiful! We can't really get out and hike around or anything, but what we could see just from the car, made the drive well worth it, even if we did get a flat tire at the very top of the loop. Luckily, Marty fixed it quickly and the boys were pretty good while we waited.


For some reason, I can't seem to get any of the scenery pictures I took to upload. I guess I still have a lot to learn when it comes to taking pictures, blogs, posting,...etc. Maybe I will try again later. Oh well, you can kind of make out how beautiful it was if you just look past our faces. ;)

Our House

I know I haven't been the best blogger, but I hope to do a little bit better in the upcoming months. I hope to update my entire blog very soon. Once we get moved (again), and settled, I hope to post a little more often than I have these last few months. Anyway,...our house is coming along..., and we are very excited. I have a few pictures to show the progress that his been made in the last month.





I have to admit we have done a ridiculous amount of "drive-bys". I think the construction workers probably recognize our car. It has been fun to see the continued progress on our new home. We hope to be in by mid August.