Widdison Warbler

Happy Birthday Brookie!

2010-09-05T09:37:00.000-07:00

9/04/90 - Brooke Annamarie was born at 5:53 am. I was put on bedrest at 17 weeks with her. I lived in Flagstaff and was air-evaced to Good Sam hospital for pre-term labor on June 26, 1990. One of the hottest days ever recorded in Phx...122 degrees! The airplane door opened and they pulled the gurney out and I remember the heat was so intense I felt like I couldn't breathe! My grandparents lived in Cave Creek, so once I was stable I was released in their care and lived with them for 2 months until I was far enough along to go back up to Flagstaff. My grandpa drove me once a week to Good Sam for a checkup and ultrasound. At 36 weeks my mom came and drove me back to Flagstaff.

At 38 weeks, Monday September 3rd, Labor Day, I remember we had a great barbecue and then went to the mall to walk around and induce labor. Later that day I was feeling contractions but nothing really painful. I called the Dr. and my dad went to play basketball. My mom kept saying "you better not go. What if she's in labor" and he kept saying that I wasn't and that the baby wasn't coming and I was fine. The Dr. said to head to the hospital...I was in labor and admitted! The whole family came down. My poor brothers and sisters waited a long time and nothing happened. I labored all night, pushed for 2 hours, and she was finally born at 5:53 in the morning. My parents were so good and right there with me. My dad would wipe my forehead and my mom would fan me. That was the only thing that kept me from getting sick! She was 7 lbs 10 oz and had a head of black curly hair. The nurses loved playing with it and she had a new style every time they brought her to me!

She was spoiled rotten from my brothers and sisters. Her feet never touched the ground! All she had to do when they picked her up was point her finger and they would follow it until they figured out what she wanted! HA

Life was never boring with Brooke. She tested us to the limit every time. Always pushed as far as she could. She is smart, outgoing, LOUD, funny, beautiful, a great mom, helpful dughter, loving sister when she wants to be (HA), creative, great sewer, talented, and a good person. I love that you always put Mark's toys together and help him with his Legos. I'm so proud of you and the woman you've become. So proud that you did well in school and now have a wonderul job that you love! I love you Brooke. I can't believe you are now 20 years old, a wife and a mommy!

2010-08-24T20:00:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day of practice! When I signed Mark up this year I made sure he was not on the same team as last year. Mark was great as wide receiver,made many touchdowns and was one of the fastest ones. Towards the end of the season he got "bored" and goofed off a few times which made his coach mad. So for the last 2-3 games the coach played him very little. Also, the coach and his assistant played their sons the entire game. He put them both offense and defense. They were 6 years old, let them all play! This year I signed him up and let the chips fall where they may. Imagine my surprise when I got an e-mail from a guy in our ward who was the coach! And his assistant is also in our ward. And the practices are at the park in our neighborhood right across the street from our house! WooHoo

His team is the Arizona Cardinals. The coach wants them all to have nick names, so Mark chose "Crusher"!

I really hope Mark can be more focused this year. He has great speed, but can get distracted easily. I find that funny because he can sit and play Legos and build just about anything for hours. But when it comes to football he can get side tracked! Coach had them do sprints and looks like he's still pretty fast. Need to get him his cleats so he can have better traction. Here's to a good football season. I LOVE IT!

Stay off the roads!

2010-08-24T19:32:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I took Kendall to get her license. She was nervous as heck! Since she's getting Tony's jeep she took the test in that. There's no way I was having her take her test in the Excursion! She got up to the 3 point turn, and had to do it twice! HA She hit the cone! The lady told her to pull to the side and someone would be with her for the driving part of the test. Well, Kendall must have been too close to the curb, because when she put it in drive, she popped the curb! Lady looked at her and said "You popped the curb, that's an automatic fail" Geez, who doesn't do that once in a while! Kendall was fine though, she was still smiling and didn't let it get her down. I was happy becuase it gave her 2 more weeks to practice driving which she needed!

Last Monday Kendall had an appointment with the Orthodontist in my mom's dental office. He gave us a greate discount because my mom works there! She got her braces put on, then we headed straight to the DMV to get her license. It was great because kids were in school and there was NO line! She didn't have to re-do the 3 point turn, so the lady got in and off they went. It was a very short drive. I was prepared to wait when I saw the jeep come back into the parking lot and my heart sank. I thought for sure she failed again. I went out to the car, and there she was with a big smile on her face!!! SHE DID IT! She went to bed that night in so much pain because her teeth started to hurt.

The next morning I was fully prepared for her to ask to stay home...nope, as in much pain as she was in she wanted to DRIVE to school! HAHA The excitement of driving overpowered the pain of her teeth. I took her Jamba Juice for lunch since she couldn't eat anything. She went to cheer that night and one of the flyers came down wrong and scraped her face...which cut up her cheek on the inside from the braces. The next morning she did stay home because she hurt so bad. We pumped her full of Tylenol and Ibuprofine for about 4 days. I think her first meal where she could chew was on Friday. I've never had braces, so I couldn't empathize, but I knew her teeth would hurt and felt so bad for her. Funny, she's the only person I know who was excited to get braces. Can't wait to see the end result. Love you Kendall, I'm so proud of you!

Baseboards

2010-08-19T15:35:00.000-07:00

So we bought this house as a foreclosure, pulled out all the carpet, picked new cartpet, got the whole inside painted, and picked out beautfiul Travertine tile. Tony spent hours putting the tile in. He would come here after work and lay tile until almost midnigt! After all the stuff we did to this house, we ran out of money for baseboards. Then Tony left for Afghanistan almost a year later. He kept saying that he would do it until finally, almost 3 years later we decided to have my brother do it.

Sherman and I went to Lowe's to pick out baseboards and corners. I'm sure I wasn't much help because I just kept saying "I don't know, what do you think?" Until I finally told him to just pick what he liked. He has good taste anyway and I totally trust his judgement. He builds the most beautiful things, has an eye for good decorating, and can do just about anything. Not to mention he's a Highway Patrolman. We decided on the 5" baseboards and I am so glad we did. He came the first day and got a lot done. He came the next day pulled out the old baseboards in the bathroom and finished. All that needed to be done was painting. He did that pretty quickly too!

Here are some before and after picutres. I don't know why we didn't do this 3 years ago, but I sure love the way it finishes the house and makes Tony's tile work pop! Thanks Sherman, I really appreciate your hard work and time! Love you!

Shout-out to Tony

2010-08-16T21:05:00.000-07:00

I just had to blog about my wonderful husband. The Lord really blessed me when he sent Tony my way. Every year before school starts Tony gives the kids a Father's blessing to help them throughout the school year. Since Tony is in Afghanistan, I asked my dad if he would do it. We told Tony what time so we could skype him in. So on Sunday night we went over to my parents, my dad changed into his Sunday clothes and we called Tony on skype. His picture pulled up and there he was sitting on his bed rocking back and forth waiting for us in his white shirt and tie! He totally dressed for the occasion! My eyes teared up, he is such an awesome guy! I love that he showed everyone how important it was that he was there and dresed up even though he was far away. It also shows how much he is trying to be a part of things as much as he can.

For our anniversary, he made a sweet post on FaceBook "Nineteen years of bliss have passed and now we start our 20th year of marriage together. My wife is the best All others marvel at my good fortune, and despair.... For alas, that which is mine is beyond their grasp. I LOVE YOU, GORGEOUS" That just melted my heart! He is truly a great person. He always puts me and my needs above his. I just thank my Heavenly Father all the time for sending him to me when I needed him. The Lord sent him to me at the right time. We are very opposite, but compliment eachother well. I'm moody and I can get depressed. But he is always up beat, glass is half full, life is good, let it roll off your back, don't stress, we'll be fine kind of guy. He makes me smile and laugh daily. And I truly mean daily! That is the main reason I fell in love with him...he makes me laugh. I used to say it was like living with a Hallmark card! Thank you Tony for being the person you are. I love you so much!

Happy Anniversary

2010-08-13T19:27:00.001-07:00

On August 10th, we celebrated 19 years of marriage! WOW! I've been married almost half my life!!

Tony is still in Afghanistan so we were unable to celebrate together. I didn't know what to send him since he doesn't need or want anything over there. So I created a book for him from Snapfish. I titled it "Our Family Vacations" and created a sort of scrap book of all the vacations we've been on when he comes home from Afghanistan. I thought it might have been cheesy, but he of course said he loved it! He received it while at work and started looking through it, but had to put it away because he started to tear up! Such a sentimental dude, I love him!

I woke up to an e-mail from him which was titled "Anniversary" and he included 3 songs to start playing which reminded him of me/us. The first one was "Love helps those" by Paul Overstreet. That was actually going to be our wedding song because of the last verse. He also included 2 other songs that we never really listened to, but now have new meaning to him from being gone. So sweet!

Then Brooke and Ava walked in the door and there was a bag from Coach, with a box tied with a bow from Coach and inside was a dust bag with my beautiful bling-cher-here I come- purse!!! Tony, you rock! I absolutely love this purse! He had been plotting with Brooke to get me this and she bought it for him. Actually she called around and there was only 1 left in all of AZ, and it was at the Chandler mall. Brooke went and talked them into holding it for 3 days until Tony could get the money to her without me knowing. They will only hold it for 2, but when Brooke told them it was for my anniversary and that Tony was in Afghanistan...the lady held it for her! At one point she called Brooke because another lady came in and she knew they had the purse because she had another store call. When the lady told her it was being held...she offered $500!!! Wow! these purses have been flying out the doors! Then later that day I received the most beautiful bouquet of flowers! Tony done good this year, and he wasn't even here! HAHA

Thank you for marrying me 19 years ago babbuh! Thank you for wanting me and loving me and putting up with me. I am so grateful for all that you do, and how you always put me first. I am so grateful for the sacrifice you are making for our family by working over in Afghanistan. Yes, the money is good, but we miss you terribly. I love you so much it hurts...more than the day we married!

Vegas Baby - 40th birthday

2010-06-05T20:04:00.000-07:00

***Disclaimer: No I am not a natural blonde! As you can see my family is all brunette, but I was blonde as a kid and had highlights first put in my hair at 13, thanks to my Aunt Michelle. I haven't stopped coloring my hair since. Now it masks the grey!

As per my previous entry, Tony gave me 4 tickets to see Cher in Vegas for my birthday. So the week before we left, my mom, sisters and I all got pedicures so we could have pretty toes for Cher!

I got off early on Friday, loaded the car and headed to my mom's house. I pulled up honking excited to go and as I got my luggage out to put in my mom's car the garage shut! What the heck? So I walked in the front door and there was my mom and sisters in CHER shirts!!!! My sister made them for all of us and mine had "birthday girl" on the back! AWESOME surprise! Thanks Sarah, I totaly loved it! We got in my mom's car and headed out of town! We went through Laughlin to avoid the damn which has high traffic due to the holiday and the new bridge isn't completed yet. Cher was blaring and we were all singing. Funny when the older songs came on and there's my mom at the wheel singing her heart out and the rest of us just sitting there!

We pulled into the Golden Nugget and checked in. Wow, that place is nice! The rooms are beautiful and the pool rocks! There's a shark tank in the middle of the pool and the water slide goes through it! We changed and headed to Fremont street. All the times I've been there I've never gone to Fremont street. That was cool with all the vendors, painters, sculptors, "dancers" and "ladies of the night"! HA It was the Summer of 70's and the ceiling was showing KISS. Sure wish it was the Summer of 80's! We decided to get food and headed to a great little grill that was open late. We saw some young girl picking up an old, ugly biker dude...she succeeded and a drunk lady sitting behind Sarah. She could hardly sit in her chair! We headed to bed to rest for our big day.

Saturday morning started with room service and chocolate covered strawberries with a birthday wish for me. The food was wonderful and we shared it all. We headed to the strip and parked at Treasure Island. We all stopped at the TI Bling store and started trying on jewelry. My mom started talking to the owner and it turns out he lives in Scottsdale and travels to Vegas to run the store. He was cool. And the jewelry was fun! We went to the Wynn. That's one of the hotels I've never been to before. Just gorgeous inside. We went to the Venetian and walked the canal shops. I started to get sick and shakey so I got an awesome rubin sandwich from a deli and my mom and sisters got frozen yogurt. I don't know how they do it but they ate that a lot on this trip...as their meal! I have to have substance. We walked along heading to Paris and stopped at Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville so I could get Tony a gift. Found my mom and sisters lounging in the coolest chairs. It was so hot I was sweating, or least it was hot to me. I couldn't seem to cool off. We got to Paris and stopped at every crepe and pastry shop in there! They ooed and ahhed and I sat and fanned myself! We crossed over and went through the Forum shops in Ceasar's palace to head back to the car. We found the coolest store. I forgot the name but my sister called it build-a-bear for women. You have shoes made especially for you and you can watch them in the front window being made. You pick a heel/sole. Then a strap from the wall, and then a buckle. It was pretty cool. I would say they start at about $100 and go up. We went through the Mirage took the tram to TI and got in the car to head back and get ready. Once we got to our hotel we decided to eat dinner first at the buffet. It was seafood night, my poor mom, but she was able to get good prime rib. All you can eat crab legs baby!

We headed back to the room and got side tracked with all the bling shoes and shirts in one of the stores. So we all went around the store trying on shoe after shoe after shoe. I started to feel sick so I headed back to the room. When they got back I was still in the bathroom! I started working on getting ready with a queasiness in my stomach. I didn't know how I was going to make it through the show. MY weekend, MY night, MY show and here I was SICK! I was frustrated and made and angry! We decide to take a taxi and it was all I could do from getting sick in the cab. He dropped us off and I headed straight to the bathroom while my mom and sisters headed to the show. Once I was able to get going I headed to the Coliseum. I started walking in and saw all of her costumes in glass cases and went for my camera and couldn't fnd it! Panic! I started sweating, hyperventilating, stomach was upset again and the tears came. I quickly texted my sister that I couldn't find my camera and headed in. I gave my ticket to a lady and with tears in my eyes she showed me my seat. I was trying so hard to hold them back! I got there and my family wasn't there! I was alone! I was scared! I was mad! I was sick! I was CRYING! I got a text from Megan asking where I was and told her I was seated. Apparently they were waiting out front for me and I didn't even see them! They were so sweet - they were trying to see if we could go to a later show since I was so sick! Once they got my text they came in, my mom hugged me and the tears came! Are you kidding me? MY NIGHT and I'm sick from being sick and sick because I can't find my camera. Either I left it in the taxi or in the bathroom stall. I kept re-playing the whole ride here and everything after in my head. Did I or did I not have the camera with me? Was it in the hotel? Once the show started I tried to calm down and enjoy it. As my mom said for the next 90 minutes enjoy the show and not think about it. So I did. I only had to excuse myself once! YEAH ME! The poor guy next to me, I kept trying to get him to dance and clap and sing. He was very accomodating! Cher rocked! Her costumes rocked! She had just turned 64! The seats were amazing, Tony and my mom did a great job. I got goose bumps at one point thinking what a great surprise this was from Tony and that I was actually there seeing Cher!

After the show we took pictures and went to the shop. I got an awesome t-shirt and we all got matching key rings that we put on our purses. I can't describe what it was like to be there. I texted a big thank you to Tony and he called us. We all yelled "All hail Tony" as per his wishes! HAHA He couldn't stop laughing and telling me how excited he was for me. He was genuinely happy that I could be there, I love how much he loves me!

We then headed to see the fountains at Bellagio. I sat on the wall back by the street because my feet and back were hurting. They were gorgeous as always and the last one we saw was "Time to say goodbye" by Andrea Bocelli...the song my grandma requested to play at her funeral, and it was! I got off the wall and found a cockroach crawling up my thigh!!!! I hopped down and had the shivers the rest of the night, checking my hair, my purse, my back...grossed me out! We saw the atrium inside the Bellagio, that is always a sight to see. Everything made out of live planst and flowers. There was a store in there with the world's largest chocolate fountain coming out of the ceiling going down through the floor. We found a monorail/tram that took us down to the Monte Carlo. My mom has been talking about the Cupcakery since beore we left. So we knew we had to get her there. She LOVES cake and cupcakes so this was the place for her. Wouldn't you know it, we got there and it was closed! So sorry mom! We decided to head back to the room. Every hotel we went to had a huge line for taxis. So we decided to just hang out at Ceasar's and wait in line...for 45 mintues! But it was so fun to people watch. The clothes some of the girls were wearing...no need to elaborate there! There was one guy sitting by a fountain drunk as ever and trying to sleep. He kept falling way over and we thought he'd fall in the water! It was great entertainment! We got back to the room about 1:45 and fell into bed! What a great night!

And the best part...I walked in the room and there was my camera on the floor! Thank you for small blessings!

After 6 hours of sleep I was woken up by a phone call from Brooke asking about Mark's church clothes! C'mon, seriously? Why would you call me at 8 on my vacation? Then a text from Tony "bomb went off outside the front gates, but everyone is accounted for" Then another text from Kendall, "Morning mommy"! UGH Cell phones are a necessary evil! I couldn't get back to sleep so I decided to just get up and get ready. I was tired and dragging! I could already feel the headache. There was no Dr. Pepper at all in the whole of Vegas! Mr. Pibb does not cut it! I needed something to drink! We got downstairs, got fruit and a croissant from Starbucks and got in the car. Luckily we weren't out of the parking garage yet when Megan and I realized we didn't have our pillows! AAAHHHH I have a foam pillow I take everywhere, those are the best pillows ever, and pricey. I wasn't about to leave it.

Pillows in hand, we got back in the car and headed to the World of M&M's. On our way Sarah stuck her head out the sunroof and yelled "happy birthday Amy", and some guy yelled back "AMY"!! haha I've been to the M&M store many times and it never gets old...except for the $12.99/lb price! But it's fun to get everyone their favorite colors. We headed to the coke factory. Not what it used to be. Years ago you could ride the elevator in the huge coke bottle and walk into memorabilia, old sets, posters, watch old commercials, see how coke was started and try every coke you wanted from around the world. It was a lot of fun. Now the top section is closed and you only see the 2 floors of the store. I got Kendall a 6 pack of coke in the old fashioned glass bottles. We headed out of town, ate at In-N-Out and got home about 7:00. It was an awesome trip! I loved being with my mom and sisters, more than I anticipated. I really got to know my sisters better and it was fun all of us just being "people" instead of mothers and wives. Thanks so much Tony for the most wonderful surprise. Thanks mom for taking care of the rest, it was a blast being with you guys!

Calgon...

2010-06-01T19:56:00.000-07:00

OK, summer has just begun and I'm ready to pull my hair out! Mark did lots of cleaning today, so I promised him when I got done working I would take him to the store to pick a toy, and a toy to him is a Lego. We picked up Ava from the sitter, stopped by Sonic for a drink because it's so hot, and headed to Walmart. We got there and headed straight to the toy dept. We spent 20 minutes there waiting on him to pick something. He didn't think $20 was enough and he kept whining about wanting the more expensive Lego's. I showed him everything he could get. 1 of these, 2 of these, or 1 of these and 1 of these. Every combination immaginable for around $23. He couldn't make up his mind. I tried to help to help and he didn't like anything I picked out. So I told him we're leaving, headed to the dog/cat section, picked up conditioner and shampoo all the while he's crying that he wants to go back and pick something. I told him no, that he lost the chance and we're leaving. (usually I give in and let him go back, not this time) You know those people who walk around the store with their annoying screaming kid and you just look at them and shake your head? That was me!

On the way to the checkout he was screaming how mean I was, wouldn't keep up with me and made me fuming embarrassed! I got to the checkout and got Ava some gold fishes...he cried that of course I would buy Ava something but not him. I explained that she is being a good girl. I'm trying to pay and be nice to the cashier with my son off to the side screaming! I pushed the cart to leave and he stands there! I tried so hard not to smile and laugh, because I didn't know what else to do! He wouldn't come, so I grabbed his arm and there we were walking out of Walmart with Ava in the cart, me pushing with one hand and dragging Mark with the other with him tugging at my fingers and screaming at me! EVERYONE was looking at us! We get to the car and he gets in the very back of the Excursion and screams "You are so mean". So of course Ava wants to get in the very back too. I start the car, load the bags, get in and ask Mark to buckle Ava. He sits there and says NO. I yell back at him and tell him he better buckle her up. He screams "I'm not your maid, I'm not your butler, I'm not doing anything for you!" Wow, after 2 minutes of us going back and forth he finally buckles her in and yells "You are horrible, horrible, horrible." I kept trying to get a picture of him with my phone but he kept ducking! We got home and he ran upstairs crying and slammed his door. It was about dinner time so I tried to get him to eat. Mark has to eat or he gets...well, like this! I'm not sure what's wrong with him, but he's so out of control when he's hungry. While Ava and I were eating I hear "I hate you" from upstairs and then the door slamming. About an hour later he came out and was whining to me that he was hungry but he wasn't going to eat. Like that's going to hurt me, but whatever! He was going on a hunger strike I guess. But he finally went down stairs and ate. What a difference, he was a whole other kid! I received a hug and an apology from him!

After that I took him to his Karate class...he actually listened! He did all the moves the way he was supposed to, he executed each move perfectly, didn't mess around or talk out of turn, or whine! AAAAAHHHHHHH Summer...can't wait!

Holy crap I'm 40!!!????

2010-05-23T19:47:00.000-07:00

Take a deep breath, stay calm, be strong...Screw that, I just turned 40! Who the hell said 40 is the new 30? Wrong! I started my birthday off at 3:30 in the morning on May 7th. Kendall got in from watching the midnight showing of Iron Man, which woke me up. I went to the bathroom, talked to her about the show and when I got back to bed Tony handed me an envelope. I was confused. I opened it up and found 4 pieces of paper folded. I opened one and saw Cher...it took a few seconds to register, probably because I'm now old, or the fact that it is 3:30 in the morning. Then I realized - I'M GOING TO CHER IN LAS VEGAS!!!!!

Now let me back up some. About two months ago I decided I wanted to do something really cool for my birthday since Tony wouldn't be here. I thought about Las Vegas and I knew my mom loved Vegas as much as I did, so I talked it over with her. Then we decided to invite my sisters, Megan and Sarah. Celine Dion is no longer performing there and The Lion King was not showing the night we would be there. Then it shone like a beacon of light...CHER!!!! My sister Sarah and I got so excited! So we checked out prices, show dates, hotels etc. This went on for about a month. I wanted to buy the tickets already but my mom said..nobody can really go we'll do something else. I was pretty bummed. Then I thought of meeting my friend for a cruise out of Miami. That didn't work out either. Then my grandma got really sick and all plans were put on hold. My mom had so much to worry about, that we cancelled the trip and started planning a funeral instead. Once grandma was put in hospice, the funeral was planned for May 8th, the day before Mother's day. Grandma did pass on April 24th (I'll blog about that later) and plans went into motion. Tony called and said that he could possibly get leave to come home for the funeral! Oh happy day! Long story short, he did come and it was great to have him home!

During all of the excitement of Tony coming home and the funeral arrangements, any thoughts of anything big for my 4oth birthday went out the window. That was until 3:30 a.m. May 7th! Apparently Tony called my mom a while ago and asked what needed to be done to get me to Cher. He told her he would pay for the tickets...all 4 of them! And these are the primo seats! So everyone knew but me and it was an awesome surprise! Thank you so much Tony! As you may guess I was so excited and surprised I couldn't get back to sleep. So we put in Sherlock Holmes and ate ice cream!

I went to my chiropractor appointment in the morning then we headed to Cave Creek with a truck full of tables and chairs to set up at my grandma's house for the funeral luncheon. We helped my aunt set up and decorate, then we went to Macaroni Grill for my birthday lunch! Love that Chicken Scallopini. We got home, got the kids and headed to the movies with 20 other family members to see Iron Man 2. It really was a great day. I loved every minute of it!

This and That

2010-05-23T18:29:00.001-07:00

It's been so long that I have these random pictures to post. Some are from Kendall's Cheer banquet, Brooke in her cute little uniform for school (dental assisting) and some from when we went to Cabella's with my parents. Kendall also put on a performance at the San Tan mall. I love the one of my dad and Tony checking out the scopes at Cabella's. Also the one where the cousins put Ava in the net and were walking around with her. It was pretty funny, she was laughing, but I kept worrying the net would rip.

Purple Thunder National Championships

2010-05-23T17:22:00.000-07:00

April 8th my mom and dad, me, Kendall, her friend Sylviah and Mark all headed to Anaheim for the National Cheer competition. This is what the whole year has been leading up to! So much fun! We left Thursday night so we could have all day Friday at Disneyland. Aunt Phylis (my dad's sister) met us and spent the day with us. She's a lot of fun! Kendall and her friend took off on their own. We had lunch at the Big Thunder Ranch barbecue. Very good if you want something different, but is also expensive. This is when I started pooping out! We got to bed about 1:00 and got up at 6:00. Hard to do Disneyland on 5 hours of sleep! My parents drug me to see Aladdin...wow, it was awesome! I think it is now gone, can't wait to see what they come up with next, but that was a great show! I usually hate watching shows because it takes time away from rides. But this was good, and I fell a sleep a few times. Late that night my dad dropped the girls off at the hotel with the rest of the cheerleaders once their bus arrived, then we met up with my cousin Kadi and her 7 kids and my grandma. We hung out at the Lego store, then my parents took us all to the candy store and bought all the kids candy! UGH THey had so much fun! The littlest one, Ella, kept dragging my dad by the hand to the little girl store to look at things. She was so cute!

Saturday my mom and I headed back to Disneyland alone! That was so much fun! My dad and Mark went to my grandma's to help her around the house. My mom and I spent quite a bit of time at Innoventions, going on rides we wanted to go on and eating for the firs time at the Plaza Inn and had a great tasting lunch. I bought an awesome picture and picked it up on our way out about 4:00. Took it to the hotel and started walking to the convention center for Kendall's competition. My dad, grandma and Aunt met us there. While my mom and I were walking we ran into Kendall's team also heading to the competition. We walked into the entrance and there was a sea of glitter, and ponytails, and make up and bows, and costumes! You could feel the energy. There was also a dance competition going on. We watched Kendall's performance and then headed to Northwoods Inn for dinner. My mom has been raving about this place for weeks now. Apparently she and my dad came here for their prom many years ago! ha Ok, to say the food was good would be a complete understatement. The bread with the whipped garlic butter was to die for! Both of the salads were so good I filled up on them. Then the food came and it was so good I couldn't stop eating it! I would suggest this place to everyone, but beware it is pricey! After our yummy dinner we all headed back to Disneyland! It was so much fun! Kendall and Mark went on a few rides while the rest of us sat on a patio and watched the fireworks. We dropped Kendall back off at her hotel and headed to ours for much needed rest!

The next morning we got up and headed home. It was so nice to sleep in. Kendall had another performance but they were going to be late so I had Kendall ride the bus home with the team. She got in about 12:30 am. This was really a great weekend! Vacation with my parents is a lot of fun! I hope my kids want to vacation with me when they are older. By the way...Kendall took 3rd! Go Purple Thunder!

Time with Tony

2010-04-18T20:41:00.000-07:00

Wow, can't believe I let this much time go by without posting our vacation time with Tony.

So here it is all rolled into one. Tony, Kendall, Mark and me went to California and didn't do Disneyland. That NEVER happens. But we wanted to see other things. We went to Universal Studios and got year passes. It was the same price, but we can now go back as often as we want until the end of the year. The last time we were there was 2001, and that was just about right. Once every 10 years is good!~ haha But we had a lot of fun. Mark absolutely loved T23D (Terminator 2 - 3D).

I have to say it was a race between Taco Bell's. Tony needed to have his Baja Blast Mtn. Dew sold only in Taco Bell. He's addicted!

The next day we went to Griffith Observatory. It is gorgeous! The houses on the drive up were gorgeous! I took a picture of this tunnel because it looked like the exact same tunnel in Back to the Future. I bet it was used in the movie. After that we went to Hollywood Blvd and walked around. Found my favorite spot...the Louis Vuitton store! We also went to Grauman's Chines Theater and saw the hand and foot prints. Pretty cool to see the really old ones. Kendall found her favorite, Marilyn Monroe. We stopped at Mcdonald's for some quick fries and soda. Place was packed and kids trying to sell stuff in there. We left and when we got to the street corner I turned around and realized Tony looked different. NO BACK PACK! After a quick expletive we ran back and there it was...still on the chair where we left it! Everything was in there: wallet, camera, cards, $500 cash...we were truly blessed. With as many people as were in there, I was sure it was gone. We got back to my Grandma's and my cousin Hannah and her husband and baby came to say "HI" and have dinner. It was so fun. Then we went to Krispy Kreme....we stood in line for probably half an hour. It was crazy.

The next day we went to Ports 'O Call and the beach. This time my Aunt Phyllis came with us. I've been wanting to go to Ports 'O Call and check everything out. I haven't been there since I was 12. It sure looks different from an adult perspective! My aunt and I loved it but the rest of my family didn't. I loved the smell of the ocean, the seafood, walking around seeing all the fish, crab, lobster, shrimp and squid you can buy. Then you take it to this counter and they cook it all up for you with whatever flavor you want and slop it on this huge pan. I bought 1 crab leg for Kendall and it was $21!!! Way more than back home! We then walked around the shops and saw all the cool stuff. After a few hours we drove down Pacific Coast Highway and went to the Santa Monica Pier. It was so cool listening to my Aunt talk about the days when she and my dad and their siblings grew up there. They would walk to the beach all the time. My dad and his brother had a surf board they would attach to the top of my grandma's car. They'd be gone until dinner! It would be cool to know my dad then! That night we went to a Thai restaurant owned by my grandma and aunt's friends. The food was to die for and we got it plus dessert for free! Needless to say we left a very hefty trip. It was a wonderful vacation. I loved staying at my grandma's house with my aunt. I remember when we were little we would come to that same house as little kids and head to Disneyland. It brought back so many memories. Especially the snails they used to have! YUCK They're gone now, but they used to be everywhere! It was fun to go back with my own kids and create memories at their great-grandm'as house!

On the way home we stopped off at the outlet mall. We stopped in the Jimmy Choo store. All I can say is "Holy Crap"! Does a shoe really need to cost $600???? Really?

The gang's all here - minus one

2010-03-25T17:59:00.000-07:00

Sunday after Tony got home, we had a big family dinner at my parent's to celebrate Tony and Tyler's homecoming. The only one we were missing was Ben and his family who moved to Texas. We had a lot of fun. My sister-in-law and my daugther, both have dogs that are their accesories! So they now come when we all get together. Whatever! ha ha My brother had no problem stepping into his roll as the "BIG" uncle showing the kids how to run around in the rain with their shirts off...nevermind how cold it was outside! We had a great time and of course wonderful food as always!

The zoo/Tony home

2010-03-25T17:43:00.001-07:00

Brooke, Ava and I all went to the zoo with Mark's 1st grade class it was so much fun! Ava had a blast running around with the kids thinking she was the same size as them. I guess it was such a great day because Tony came home from Afghanistan that night and there was excitement and anticipation in the air. My brother Tyler also came back to visit. He and his family moved to Virginia last year because he joined the Navy. He came back for a few days before he left for a 9 month deployment. So we had dinner with him and then left to get Tony from the airport. Tony bought Mark the Lego he's been begging for and lots of chocolate from London for me! Not the burberry scarf I was asking for...but that's OK, next time! HA He sent Kendall rubys and emeralds about a month ago, but they have not arrived. We're thinking they might have gotten stolen in the mail. Losers! One of the first things Tony did was go straight to his gun safe to look at and touch all his toys! Brooke came over to help them put Mark's Lego together. It was huge!

Ride Makerz

2010-02-27T19:45:00.000-08:00

My twin nephews had their birthday party at Ride Makerz. We first learned of this store in Downtown Diseney. We walked through there and was totally amazed at this store. First you get to pick your car, then tires, stickers and accessories. This place is fully loaded...wheels, treadz, chassiz, exhaust pipes, spoilers, lights, sounds, even remote control. You build it from the body on up. They had a blast! Now there is a store right here in Arizona, but all the way in Glendale, across from Cabellas!

Makutu's Island

2010-02-16T19:48:00.001-08:00

Mark had a birthday party to go to at Makutu's Island. So I decided to take Ava with me because I knew she'd have a blast. Tony and I loved this place when it was first Club Disney. Then for some reason, they closed all the Club Disney's and this one was turned into Makutu's Island. Mostly the same thing...but there's nothing like Disney! Ava had a blast. I lost her a few times in there. that place is huge! She has no fear and ran everywhere! I caught her climbing on things that she could have fallen off of. Everything is padded, but she still could have fallen and hurt herself. She had a great time! I'm glad I took her, I loved having her. She would put her hand out and say "be right back" and head up to the top to slide down the tree slide. So cute, I just love that girl. Mark had a great time with all his friends. He put peppers on his pizza and realized he put too much on when it started to burn his mouth! HA HA I guess Chuck-E-Cheese doesn't cut it anymore because he wants his party there this year!

AZ Allstars!

2010-01-31T11:26:00.001-08:00

AZ Allstars Purple Thunder - you rock! Saturday was a very long day! Kendall had to be at the gym by 8:30 a.m., then we had to meet a Cricket Pavilion by 11:00 for cheer competition. COA Cheerleaders Of America! Cricket Pavilion is outside and it was COLD. The food was so expensive I couldn't believe it, and it was horrible! But being there with all the teams was so exciting and fun. Brooke and Jack came to support Kendall, and that meant a lot to her! Kendall's team took 1st in their division and 1st for National Grand Champions! They had the highest scores in level 2! They each recieved a medal, and the team received a trophy and plaque. This is so exciting for her coach Brandis, because this gym is so new. It's only been open for about a year and to take 1st your 1st year...now that's an accomplishment. We all met at Peter Piper Pizza after. Then I had to drive all the way out to Johnson Ranch in Queen Creek because Mark spent the night at my sister's house. Thanks so much Sarah, it really helped NOT having Mark there! I finally got home around 5:00. I had a wedding to go to in Scottsdale that started at 6:00 but ended up not going because I was so exhuasted. Sorry Troy! Such a great day and very exciting! I totally love being in the middle of this because cheerleading is something I loved in H.S. I would love to have been able to do competitive cheerleading, but we didn't have it way back then! HA Great job Kendall, I'm so proud of you!

Tony

2010-01-26T20:16:00.000-08:00

about died when I opened my e-mail from Tony and saw this! What is he thinking? He said he gets compliments on it...but I think it makes him look MUCH older. He has such a beautiful face, pretty blue eyes and a wonderful smile...don't ruin it by that ugly facial hair! OK, the sideburns aren't too bad. As long as it's gone when he gets home, he can do what he wants. But he does look much thinner. Probably lost about 75 now. So proud of him! I love you babe and can't wait to see you in March!

Happy Sweet 16!!!

2010-01-24T16:47:00.001-08:00

Kendall Michelle turned 16 on January 21st. She was born 4 weeks early and was still 7 lb 4 oz! She was the biggest premie in the NICU! She came into this world with a rough start. Her lungs weren't developed, she had pneumonia infection and really bad jaundice. She was in the NICU for 10 days. She had tubes to help her breath, IV's, and a "hood" for oxygen over her head. I remember getting up and going to the hospital to feed her every 2-3 hours. I would stay as late as I could before going home exhausted to bed, just to wake up and do it all over again. It was horrible to leave the hospital without my baby. Now this baby has grown into a normal, healthy, beautiful teenager!

I took Kendall to get her permit on Tuesday, and we got there too late, so she couldn't do it. We went the next day, she didn't pass. I took her the next day on her birthday and she passed! YEAH Kendall should have gotten her permit back in August, but she had no desire and never studied. So I finally had to get on her about it because with Tony gone, I could really use an other driver! ha

We had Kendall's party this weekend and it was a blast! We had 20 kids here and the Game Truck for 2 hours! That was the best thing ever, it kept all of those kids entertained. The Game Truck is a semi trailer that comes and parks in front of your house, and inside there are 4 flatscreen TV's, any game console you can think of and any game to go with it! 4 people per TV can play. One of the best inventions! And since it was so rainy, the kids had something to do that was inside. Mark was so upset when we made him come in. He wanted to play Lego Star Wars and be with the kids. My dad is so awesome, he took mark and bought him Lego Star Wars Wii so he could play in the house while the kids were out in the truck. Love you dad! After the truck left, we had pizza and cake. The kids danced, one played the piano, there was a cake fight and lots of fun. It really was an awesome party.

My parents stayed with me the whole time and helped by picking up all the food and just being here so I wasn't outnumbered 21 kids to 1! My dad grilled each kid that came to the door: What's your name? Are you tellin' me or askin' me? You don't smoke, drink, do drugs or cuss do you? Welcome to the party, the kids are all in the Game Truck! ha ha You could see the relief in their face once he smiled at them! HA

On Saturday I let Kendall drive around while we ran errands and looked for jobs. There's no way I was letting her drive the beast (Excursion) becuase it's way too big for her. So I made her drive the jeep, which is going to be hers anyway. Sorry Kendally, but you are a very scary driver! HA HA HA

She was so nervous and scared that it made it worse. She was stiff and her hands were clenched tight. She was so stressed. Hopefully she'll loosen up and get better. Love you Kendall! So glad you were born into our family. You are such a fun girl and you make me laugh all the time like your dad does! You have a great talent that way. Proud of you and your competitive cheer accomplishments.

The wedding!

2009-12-29T19:28:00.000-08:00

Brooke married Jack Akins on Saturday Nov. 28th, 2009. We were supposed to start setting up at 8:00 but received an e-mail we couldn't get in until 9:00 because the floors needed to be waxed. That put us behind an hour. We got to the venue and nothing was ready for us. Long story short, the wedding started at 4:00 and I didn't get back there until 3:30. I missed helping Brooke get dessed and everything. My mom was late and we had to hold the wedding for a few minutes for her. Anyhow, Tony said Brooke was shaking so badly, he had to hold her up. The look on Jack's face we all thought he was going to be sick! So funny! Wedding went well and MUCH faster than expected, we had waaaaay too much time in between and the reception didn't start until 7:00. I should have started it at 6:00, but you live and learn. My wonderful parents paid for food up in the bridal suite for everyone to eat in between. My brother took awesome pictures...thank you Ben! My mom and sister helped set up the food tables...thanks Mom and Sarah! The place looked awesome, the decorations were just gorgeous...thanks Becky and her friend Tammy! Seriously, I couldn't have done it without your help!

Dancing was fun, but the poor DJ kept getting told the music was too loud....guess that means your old! ha I want to apologize to everyone about the garter! The DJ knew we were all LDS, that all of my nieces and nephews were there, but he still chose to have Jack pull the garter off with his teeth. Brooke was so embarrassed...I was ticked off... and Tony was so shocked that it was over before he realized what was happening. Nobody knew what to do!

Brooke looked just like a princess! When we found the dress it was just like that dumb show "Say yes to the dress"! Seriously, she came out in the dress and the tears just came! And once we found out the price...we were jumping for joy! There were NO alterations needed except for the bustle. It was as if it was made for her, just gorgeous! Her colors were beautiful too: black, silver and red. The whole thing was beautiful, I loved it. Thanks to everyone who helped to make it a special day!

Christmas Day

2009-12-25T20:23:00.000-08:00

Mark woke up at 4:00 to go to the bathroom and wanted to get up. I had to convince him it was still night time because it was dark out! We went back to bed and was woken up by a phone call from Afghanistan by 7:30! Wow, the kids actually slept in? That never happens! So Tony stayed on the phone while the kids opened their gifts. The tree seemed so bare this year because we didn't have Brooke or Ava's gifts. With only two kids, there wasn't a whole lot to wrap, plus the gifts they wanted were more expensive and we had just gotten back from Disneyland.

I said to Mark "I can't believe dad had to wake us up to open presents" and he said "I like that he woke us up for Christmas"! so cute!

Kendall was excited about her new Ipod dock, the clothes, chanel earrings, and boots. Mark loved his bike, Indiana Jones temple of the crystal skull lego set, Toy Story Mania Wii, hunting game, and his favorite was the 4 CD set of the Indiana Jones movies! ha ha

My parents go to each of the kids' houses Christmas day to see what all the grandkids get. So they came here, then we napped, played with toys/games, got ready and went to Brooke's house. Mark played the Batman game on their new Playstation. And Jack actually cleaned the kitchen! He's a keeper. Then we met my parents and my sister and her family at the theater. We saw Avatar in 3D. Holy Cow. I have no words to describe that movie! I know that Mark has a small bladder, so I purposely only got water to drink...he still had to pee 3 times! and at the very end too! AAAHHHHHH

After the movie we went to my parents and had dinner, played games, had dessert, played more

games and left. It was a pretty good day. Tony called tonight and it was good to talk to him. I wish he was here to help put all the decorations away! I love my Christmas decorations, and I love having the house decorated. We ended the day with watching Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom! Tomorrow is shopping, shopping, shopping!

Christmas Eve

2009-12-25T07:31:00.000-08:00

Me and my grandkids

4 of us 6 siblings

Christmas Eve was the normal chaos! First, Brooke and her family came over to our house to open their presents from us, then we headed to my parent's house. We had TONS of food as always. Then my mom did the annual Luke II but usually she plays it with the music "Breath of Heaven" by Amy Grant. This year she played the movie alone and it didn't have quite the same effect. Then my mom had each kid pull something out of the bag like the evergreen tree, red bulb, wreath, angel, etc and talked about each item. Then we went in the other room to do gifts. Opening presents from my parents is crazy! The kids are all over, screaming, excited and the parents are just as excited! Adults did the white elephant gift game, then we ate dinner...and then Santa came and handed out awesome gifts! We finally left at 10:30 which means we were there for 6.5 hours! ha ha ha

My poor sister-in-law Shani got to the house late because she was feeding baby Journey. She's finally eating and putting on weight! Thank you for small miracles! Shani was so emotional it broke my heart and brought back memories. I know exactly what it's like to leave a new born in the hospital. Kendall was in the NICU for 10 days after she was born and I hated leaving the hospital without her in my arms. I spent every waking hour I could up there feeding her. I would stay the latest I could, go home, fall asleep from exhaustion, then wake up and do it all over again. Now she is almost 16 and healthy as can be! Journey will be too!

Merry Christmas!

Journey Isabella

2009-12-21T21:25:00.000-08:00

My baby neice was born in the early morning hours today. My sister-in-law had a difficult pregnancy. The amniotic fluid was not stable. It fluctuated way too much, and the baby stopped growing. At 38 weeks they decided it was safe to take her. Induction began last night and went much faster than expected. Nothing was ready! She came out a whopping 3 lbs 13 oz and 16 inches long! She's fine, fully developed, but she can't suck and can't keep food down without gagging. She can't go home until she learns to eat and puts on weight. What a miracle! We love you Journey and will miss watching you grow up...(my brother has a new job in Texas and they will be moving as soon as Journey is able to make the journey).

Temple lights

2009-12-15T20:55:00.000-08:00

Tonight we went to Brooke's house and she made dinner for us. After dinner we went to Circle K for hot cocoa and went to the temple lights. I've been going there for years and still doesn't get old! This time we took my grandma and my Aunt Michelle. Last time they were there was 20 years ago. It was fun. Jack bought Mark these cool sunglasses on their honeymoon and Mark insisted on wearing them! We were walking around and we hear this little voice say "green"...we turn and there's Ava pointing to the green lights. Brooke's been teaching her the colors. Way cute! We took a 5 generation picture. Each generation had a girl as the oldest child...very cool! There is also a picture of my mom and Aunt trying to get my grandma down the stairs in her wheelchair! We saw the Nativities. There were many different nativites from around the world made out of many different things! It was awesome to see. Wish Tony could have been there with us...hopefully next year!

Goodbye Tony!

2009-12-13T19:33:00.000-08:00

Last Thursday we had a family Christmas with Tony. I pulled out the nice Christmas dishes, we had an awesome turkey dinner, and we opened a few Christmas presents. Everyone received their traditional pajamas and then something else. We will still have Christmas with all the gifts, but we wanted to have some type of celebration with Tony.

Tony left Friday night. He ran around doing all the last minute errands and making sure everything was good to go for me. At one point he came upstairs and I could see the tears coming. I always hate this part. I stay here and life goes on, but he goes off to a foreign land, in a war zone and misses everything. It also takes him 4-5 days just to get back. We drove him to the airport and that's when the rest of us lost it. There we were, all 4 of us bawling in the airport! I have to say it was much easier this time than the last two times he left. It's hard to not have your spouse, the love of your life, your best friend. Someone to fix things, or take care of the cars, or the toilets! It was so nice to have him here to help get Kendall to cheer or school, or run to the store. I don't think people undestand how hard it is until you go through it. It's hard to explain the loneliness that I feel. I miss him terribly and can't wait for the day he comes home for good!

Disneyland!

2009-12-13T15:19:00.000-08:00

On Saturday Dec. 5th Kendall had a cheer competition downtown Phoenix, and we couldn't leave for Disneyland until after the awards. This thing went all day long! We also had Ava with us and that was a nightmare. Brooke and Jack wanted to go to Disneyland with us one day, so they stayed in California after their honeymoon. They went on a cruise. So we had to bring Ava with us to California. Kendall's team, AZ Allstars, took 2nd in their division. WooHoo! We finally headed out of town by 5:00 pm. We got to the hotel around 11:30 pm and we were all exhausted! Our hotel had a hot complimentary breakfast and it was awesome. So after breakfast, we headed to Disneyland! It was awesome to walk in and see the huge Christmas tree and see all the decorations down mainstreet. My two favorite things together....Disneyland and Christmas. What could be better? Our plan of action was to hit Peter Pan first since that seems to be one of the longest lines. After that it was to Adventureland for Pirates, Haunted Mansion, Splash Mountain and Winnie the Pooh. Kendall and her friend took off and we hardly saw them all day. My grandma and Aunt have passes so they go every Sunday and walk round. They met up with us and we hung out for about 3 hours. We took Ava to ToonTown while everyone else went on rides. It was fun having a little one and seeing her get excited. The park closed at midnight but we couldn't make it. We had to drag Kendall and her friend out of there by 10:00. Even Tony fell asleep on one of the benches waiting for them.

Monday was MISERABLE. I've been going to Disneyland for over 30 years, sometimes twice year and have not once been when it rained! It poured all day long, and talking to my mom there was a major storm back home too! We bought ponchos and umbrellas. And we spent alot of money on hot cocoa! Didn't work, it was cold and wet. We walked on all of the rides, but it was bad. We also saw a couple from our ward on Tower of Terror! Mark gained his love for roller coasters on this trip. He went on Space Mountain and California Screamin' twice! Tony got sick from the rollercoasters so he and Mark left for the hotel around 3:00. Mark's pants were wet from the knees down and his shoes were soaked. So Tony went back and put them in the dryer. I went back to Disneyland and looked in the shops. Since I was alone I was able to see more than we usually do. It was quite fun. I met up with Kendall and her friend and we went on rides. They did Splash Mountain and there was no way I was going on that to get more wet so I went on Haunted Mansion alone!!! That's something I would never have done before. About 4:30 the wind kicked up and by this time the rain had stopped. But the wind made it more cold than the rain all day! I had to talk the girls into leaving early again because although I had my heavy winter coat on, I was still shivering.

Tuesday was clear skies, but still cold. I realized that as much as I love Disney...3 days was a bit much. We'd been on everything twice or more. It kind of got old - did I really just say that? Because we had more time we did things we normally didn't do like the Tiki Room, Muppet 3D and some of the slower rides. We ended up shutting the park down that night. Not many people in the parks that day so we never had to wait more than 20 minutes. And the tram area wasn't packed like usual.

My grandma got us these awesome 4-day tickets from Costco in Ca. We used 3 of the days so we'll use the last day in March over Spring Break. WooHoo And these were cheaper than buying 3-day park hoppers from Disneyland! We had a great time and it was fun to be with Tony. Mark loved having his dad and so I went solo on many of the rides because he wanted his dad with him. I'm glad we had that time together as a family, and we have so many wonderful memories.

Black Friday

2009-12-03T21:57:00.001-08:00

Tony and I got up at 3:30 a.m. and headed straight to Old Navy for our traditional Cristmas pajamas for everyone. The line was wrapped around the store and back at the front door. We got in line at the very back and I stood there for 1 hour. Seriously, was it worth it? I'm not sure, I did get some good deals, but come on...While I was in line there, Tony left to head to Walmart to pick something up for Brooke. It was in the electronics department and luckily the line wasn't very long, but he did end up getting the "gift" before they were sold out! I left Old Navy and headed to Wallyworld...that place was CRAZY! I'm glad we didn't need anything from there. However; our bank, Desert Schools was open. Can you believe that? They were open early for Black Friday. I guess it was a smart move because people have problems, or need to transfer money, or their card isn't working, or something like that. Never thought of that, but I would be grateful if I had an issue and they were open! Next was Target, then Staples, then Ulta, then Sam's Club, Chick-fil-a and then home for a quick nap to rejuvinate to go out again. Later that day, Mark and I ran to JC Penney. Here we are the day before the wedding and Mark still didn't have any clothes. I got him a new shirt, pants, underwear, socks, tie and shoes. And because it was Black Friday, we got everything on sale! WooHoo Later I picked up Kendall and took her to DSW for shoes for the wedding. She needed red since all girls were wearing red. We found the perfect ones and only had to go to one store! Victorious! The rest of the night was loading the Jeep and Excursion with all the wedding stuff so all we had to do the next morning was get to the venue and decorate! We hit the bed exhausted, what a busy day!

Thanksgiving

2009-12-03T21:42:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving meant more to us this year since we had Tony home! He has seen first hand what the military men and women go through, the sacrifices they make, and the time they spend away from their families. We must all give thanks to those who help to keep us free! We had a great time of all day eating, watching the game, shooting off rockets, and spending time talking. The food was excellent, and there was tons of it. My mom cooked pies the night before, and cooked all morning up until it was time to eat turkey! Tony and I cooked one turkey and Tony of course made his awesome gravey. Jack cooked the other turkey in a smoker with awesome wood chips and a wonderful rub. The traditional rockets were a hit not only with the family but with the neighbor kids on the street. They know what's happening once they see my dad out there with the air compressor and rocket launcher. There were 3 newspapers spread out all over the house with the Black Friday ads, with everyone making their list of places to go and things to get. We got home about 9:00 so we could get everyone in bed so we could get up at 3:30 the next morning for Black Friday! I love Thanksgiving!!!

Welcome Home Tony!

2009-12-03T21:31:00.000-08:00

Tony's plane got in Monday night around 7:00 and he didn't get off the plane, to his luggage, and through customs until 7:45! Wow, did he look skinny! Mark and Ava were so excited to see him! We headed straight to Macayo's, his favorite place, where our good friends the Hansens and my brother Sherman were waiting for us. It was a great reunion with great food, great family, and great friends!

Brooke's bridal shower

2009-12-03T21:17:00.000-08:00

My mom and Debbie haven't changed a bit. They look the same after all these years!

Brooke's friend Nichole Letner and her mom, Debbie, gave Brooke her bridal shower. It was beautiful! My parents have known Nichole's parents for 30 years! Debbie and I were pregnant at the same time. So the girls played whenever we had family get-togethers. The food was delicious and the friends were great. She received some really great stuff too! Thanks Nikki and Deb!

Kendall

2009-11-18T20:41:00.001-08:00

Kendall has been in a dance class at school for the last 2 years and she absolutely loves it. They perform twice a year and this was the first performance this year. They looked awesome in green as they danced to "Aint nothin' wrong with that". Kendall can really move, she's really grown into a beautiful girl with a fun perosnality. She's just like her dad, she's a funny girl. They both make me laugh! Great job Kendall!

Gingerbread house

2009-11-18T20:33:00.000-08:00

Every year Brooke and Mark put together the Gingerbread house. Sort of their thing they do! This year, since Jack and Sarina are now part of our family, meant more hands! It's fun having Jack and Sarina. I love that they come over so much and hang out at the house. It gets lonely without Tony, so it's nice to have other people to cook for or hang out with. Weird to think that I'll have a son-in-law in 10 days...and he's on ly 10 years younger than me! WOW The holidays are going to be fun. Tony will only be here for Thanksgiving, but hopefully Christmas will be great with the new additions to our family. I love having family around!

1st, 2nd and 3rd!!!

2009-11-14T17:13:00.000-08:00

This was a looooong day that started at 6:30 a.m. Kendall, Brooke and my mother-in-law entered the Make it Yourself With Wool contest this year. Both girls spent a few weeks with their gandma making outfits out of 100% wool for the contest. Today was the day and they had to be there at 9:00 this morning. The rest of us showed up about 11:30 and they were already running behind. Finally the fashion show started and then we ate about 1:00. After lunch the awards were given. Kendall took 2nd in the junior division, and she won gingher scissors, wool fabric and $50. Brooke took 1st in the senior division and won $225, airfare to nationals and wool fabric. Nationals are in Nashville Tennessee this year. What an exciting day!!!!

Next up - cheer competition! Kendall also had to perform with her cheer group AZ AllStars. She had to leave the MIYWW contest before lunch to make it to the competition on time. Thanks to my mom who took her for me!!!! Her team took 3rd, but their stunt group fell and they couldn't recover. That's ok, it was a very busy and successful day! Love you girls! And thanks to my mother-in-law who taught my girls a skill that they will be happy to have and for an experience they will never forget!!

What the??????

2009-11-12T20:44:00.000-08:00

So, Monday morning I woke up and the tops of my arms itched. I didn't think anything of it as I've woken up before with a bug bite or two. As the day wore one more parts of me started to itch and the hives appeared. I used almost the whole tube of Cortizone! Tuesday I woke up not only with hives, but with welts! My arms and legs itched so much and the bumps felt like I had bruises. Took Benadryl every4 hours on the dot, I could tell when it wore off! Wednesday I woke up and more welts had appeared. My elbows, knees and ankles hurt, and all of them swollen. It hurt to sit, stand, put my elbows on the table, climb on the bed or even walk! I called the doctor and the only available appointment was at 7:00 p.m. I had no idea they had evening appointments...but I was going to take it! I walked in and he said "Yep, hives". No idea what caused it. I thought maybe the new diet pills I was taking, but he said he saw a few people in the last weeks with the same thing. So my guess is the stress! There is the wool contest and the cheer competition this weekend, my hair and the bridal shower next weekend, Tony coming home 3 days later, then Thanksgiving and then the wedding. No wonder I'm having a hard time sleeping! Has anyone else been this stressed over a wedding? Anyhow, today is Thursday, and I woke up a new person! Had a great night sleep thanks to the Atarax! Most of the swelling has gone down thanks to the Predinisone! I am very grateful it did not get into my throat and give me breathing problems. I'm also grateful it didn't hit my face! I need to look good for when Tony comes home!

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-01T08:33:00.000-08:00

Today was a busy day! Kendall had to be at the gym at 6:00 a.m. for a competition, Mark had a football game and we had aftergame snacks, we had shopping to do, we had a meeting at 3:00 at the wedding venue to go over last minute details, and then off to trick-or-treating at my sister's house in Queen Creek. Loooong day, but tons of fun. My brother-in-law stayed behind to give out candy with his firepit. After we were done, the kids went inside to dump their candy and the adults stayed outside and roasted marshmallows. Two of my nephews took off by themselves and came back with 13 1/2 pounds of combined cand, tyring to beat their record from last year...which they did!

Happy Birthday Ava!

2009-11-01T07:39:00.000-08:00

My sweet Ava girl was born on October 31, 2007, to my other sweet girl, Brooke. Tony kept telling Brooke she was going to have a Halloween baby, but Brooke didn't believe him. She did! It was so fun. The nurses just loved on her and put orange bows in her hair. This little girl is so wonderful and has the cutest voice! She just jabbers and jabbers like she knows what she's talking about. Says "OH, no!" to anything broken, fallen or hurt. I took her to the grocery store and picked up these large cupcakes for her birthday. She went around the store "two, two, two" But in this cute little drawn out twoooooo. Had to be there. I love that she loves us so much. Half of the time she wants me over her mom. She'll cling to me and say "bye mom, bye da-da"! If I'm on the computer and uncover the camera she gets right on my lap, touches the screen and says "Hi Papa"! She goes crazy when we have webcam videos with Tony. But the person she loves the most is Mark. She goes crazy when she sees him and gets sad if she runs in the house and he's not there. I'm grateful she's in our family, she has brought so much joy to our lives. We love you Ava Marie!

AZ AllStars

2009-11-01T07:25:00.001-08:00

October 31 started out early! Kendall had a semi-competition today and I had to take her and her friend to the gym at 5:45! The competition started at 8:00 so once I got home I started getting ready. Then I had to get Mark and his snacks to my parent's house so they could take him to the football game. We had the aftergame snacks. (Thanks for your help Mom and Dad) So, I got to the gym and waited...and waited...and waited. It started an hour late! Anyhow, the girls did awesome. They don't have their outfits yet, but they still looked great! Kendall goes to the Queen Creek gym which is brand new. So most of the girls haven't competed before. The judges went from group to group letting them know their strengths and weaknesses. Kendall's group needs better tumbling, but they were sharp and clean in their movements. So exciting, I can't wait for a real competition! Great job Kendall, I love you!

Goodbye Ben

2009-10-29T20:36:00.000-07:00

Tonight was our ward's Trunk-r-treat and a fairwell dinner for my brother Ben. Brooke and Jack took the kids to the Trunk-r-treat while I went to dinner with my parents and siblings. My brother was offered an awesome job in TEXAS! His wife is on bedrest with baby #4 right now, so she and the kids will stay here until the baby is born. A little girl named Journey Isabelle. How cute is that?! Anyhow, he will fly home when he can and we'll help take care of them in between. He is the one who took the engagement pictures, so of course he will come back for the wedding. He is our photographer. Dang, we are going to be so sad when they leave. They lived in Hawaii for 4 years and California for a few years before that. They've only been here in AZ with our family for a few years so they will be greatly missed! I love my brother Ben. He is studly good looking and so funny! My daughter Kendall always says he should be a model! ha ha So we took pictures and had a good night.

2009-10-25T22:25:00.001-07:00

Jack, Brooke and Ava came over for Sunday dinner. Chicken, corn on the cobb and pasta salad. Once we were done we made caramel apples again. I never really tried them before, but Brooke made some awesome ones last year and now I'm addicted! We then carved pumpkins. Oh My gosh! Never again! Tony usually does that. I hate the scraping, I hate poking all the little holes and I hate carving. But I did it and it took forever! Jack created, his own template...it's awesome! NOBAMA Totally awesome! Lots of fun and family time. I love that they come over and hang out! Tony also called and we did a web cam call. He looks so good, and skinny! He's lost 70 punds so far and I can't wait to see him! Ava loved seeing Papa on the video it was so cute! He comes home in 29 days! WooHoo

Saturday football

2009-10-25T22:07:00.001-07:00

Football again, but I love it. We played a really hard team and they were tackling a lot! The ref seemed to cater to them. They did have a few great players, but still. Turns out the other coach is the league president. Nice! I guess there are perks to that, but you'd think his team would still have to play fair!

Brooke and Jack showed up late. Brooke apparently thought Mark was on the Cardinals team. I had to remind her Mark is on the blue team...Broncos! So we all wen to lunch at In-N-Out Burger. We had a great time. Kendall chose to stay at her friend's house otherwise I would have pictures of her too. Guess we're not good enough! Unless she wants something! ha ha

Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-25T21:56:00.001-07:00

So Brooke and Jack found this cute/small pumpkin patch and we all went on Friday night. It was actually a lot of fun! Ava was in a bad mood...what's new, and cried for the 1st half hour. People were staring at her. Nothing calmed her, not even the bounce house! We thought she'd want to ride the train with Mark...she threw herself down. We took a walk over to the animals and I showed her the baby chicks and she FINALLY stopped crying. Halleluia! However: she wanted to be held by nobody but me from there on out...so my back hurt by the end of the night! Brooke, Jack and Mark went into the corn maze. That thing was bigger than I expected! They all came back out about 10 - 15 minuts later. Mark got lost and some people thought it was scary. So Jack and Mark rode the bikes. We walked arouind the pumpkin area after that, took pictures and picked out a pumpkin. Best kettle corn ever! Oh, and Jack introduced Cactus Cooler to me and Mark. YUM!

Saturday football

2009-10-10T19:33:00.001-07:00

Weird, my Saturdays now revolve around football games. I love it. Didn't know if I would, but I do! Mark scored a touchdown again...WooHoo! He's so fast! My parents, my sister and my nephews all showed up for his game. It was awesome to have them there to cheer him on. He loved it! Thanks everyone for coming to the game.

During Mark's football games it's 10:00 pm in Afghanistan for Tony. So he keeps his cell phone by him so I can text him how Mark is doing and when he gets a touchdown. He's such a proud dad, and hates not being able to be here for it.

Afterwards, we ate lunch and then my mom, my sister Sarah and I all went to get pedicures. It was so fun. The stone massage felt wonderful and it was relaxing after the intense game! Can you guess which one is mine??? ha ha ha I'm all about the "bling". Thanks mom, we had a great time.

I love my family and I'm grateful for them. Miss my honey, but he'll be home in 44 days. Can't wait to hold him again!

Caramel apples and FHE

2009-09-29T20:59:00.001-07:00

Brooke and Ava came over tonight for dinner. We had Green Chile chicken and made caramel apples. Some plain, some with peanuts and some with caramel/white chocolate/cinnamon and sugar. It was a lot of fun. The lesson was on "Why we should have children". It was a pretty good one too. My friend Britt told me about this awesome book from the LDS Bookstore called WHY?: Powerful Answers and Practical Reasons for Living LDS Standards. I just love this book and recommend everyone go get it.

We tried to talk to Tony via web cam but the internet over there was too slow, so we couldn't. Poor Ava was so excited to talk to Papa!

My dad is speaking at the Gilbert Town meeting tonight regarding why we should have a Temple here in Gilbert. He's 1 of about 10 people invited to speak. He wasn't allotted very much time, but it was awesome anyway. I hope it goes our way and that we are able to have the Temple here. How wonderful it would be to have one less than 2 miles from my home! If it's meant to be, nothing can stop the Lord's work!

Workin' hard...or hardly workin'?

2009-09-26T19:51:00.000-07:00

Today was a long and busy day! We started off by going to Mark's game. He did awesome again, scored the first touchdown and ran his little heart out today. He even played both offense and defense. Good job Mark!

Kendall went to a youth fireside which I'm proud of her for. She spent the night at a friend's house and I woke her up early because I forgot about it. Thanks Kendall for not giving me attitude about it! She went to the Homecoming game last night (which we won) with blue hand prints all over her legs, arms and face. Well, it wouldn't come off in the shower, so she went to the fireside in a dress with blue handprints all over her legs arms, and face! ha

My awesome dad came over to mow the lawn. He has been such a big help while Tony has been gone. I appreciate all that he does for me from fixing the vacuum, to helping me with the Excursion and being the father figure when needed. I love you dad!

Brooke and Jack came over. They gave us their old lighting for the dining room and put up blinds for the sliding glass door. Thanks Jack, you rock!

The kids helped clean the house. Kendall showed me that she can multi-task...she can text while vacuuming the stairs at the same time! Wow! We ended the day with Mark going to his cousins football game and Kendall invited some friends over to watch a scary movie! I hate those things! Even listening to them gives me the chills! Well, it was a very productive day and I'm ready to get in bed and read my book.

The wedding dress

2009-09-25T22:23:00.000-07:00

I picked up Brooke's weddig dress from the store today and stopped by my mom's so my dad and sister could see it. My dad remembered that he had 3 wedding dresses in storage...1 was my sister Megan's, one was my sister Sarah's, and the last was my sister-in-law Sonia's. So we pulled them all out and started playing dress up. Megan was able to fit into one of the dresses and I put her veil on. We had a lot of fun reminiscing. I really loved my wedding dress, which is in my closet turning yellow! ha ha I also love Brooke's dress. She picked a beautiful one that's just right for her. She looks like a litte princess. Amazing what we'll spend on a wedding dress and veil, etc... Fun times!

I had to add one more photo....my mom! She was playing dress up too! ha ha She didn't get to have a normal wedding or wedding dress, but we all thank her for giving us the wedding of our dreams and the dress each of us absolutley loves! Love you MOM

Saturday Football

2009-09-19T12:31:00.000-07:00

Mark scored the 1st touchdown of the game...WooHoo. Sadly, that enthusiasm was not meant to be...he peetered out by half time. I guess he'll be in bed by 8:30 on Friday nights from now on. He got to bed about 10:00 last night after his party and he even complained about a stomach ache. Poor dude, just couldn't give it his all. He even sat down on the field after one of the plays. But he did an awesome job and ran as fast as he could. He has such great talent, I hope he doesn't waste it as he gets older. I need to motivate him and get him to give 1oo%. Tony called from Afghanistan and was able to give him some support. He wishes so badly that he can be there to watch. There's always next year babe! Right now you are where you're supposed to be, and what you're doing is supporting us as a family. We love you!

Happy Birthday Mark

2009-09-19T11:46:00.001-07:00

Thought I'd have Mark's party at Chuck E. Cheese again and keep the mess there and not at my house. Wow, that was more expensive than I remember! We went through 5 pizzas and 500 tokens! Holy cow, those kids were done in 15 minutes! I think boys are louder, rougher and more rambunctious than girls! Mark got on the stage and was punching Chucky! He got put in time out and bawled for then next hour! I let him get up and go play, but he kept crying saying "I just want to be happy" and "I miss daddy!" He even went around looking for his friends bawling. It was awful. Way too much stimulation for him. He's one of those kids that can have a meltdown when he's over stimulated and that's exactly what happened. He was opening his presents, kids on either side screaming, excitement, soda, loud music and long day just got to be too much. Seriously, only my son would cry at his own party! Wish you were there Tony, but Brooke stepped in and was very helpful! Thanks friends and family for coming! Love you all!

Mark Anthony Widdison - 7

2009-09-16T21:45:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Mark! My little handsome dude! We are so excited you came to our family!

I had to beg Tony to have another baby, but he thanks me all the time now! ha Brooke and Kendall were 12 and 8, so it was like starting over again...AND he had 2 extra mommies! I found out New Years day we were expecting, and on April Fool's day we found out we were having a boy! We were both shocked, we started crying right there in the room. It was a great day! So people thought we were joking when we called to tell them what we were having. I was put on bedrest at 19 weeks and my body went downhill from there. I was on bedrest in Flagstaff with the girls, and I put on 50 pounds, but it came right off. We were living in Mesa this time and I was pregnant during the summer. I don't know what happened but I gained 74 pounds!!!! I must have eaten more, I drank tons of water due to the summer heat, had way too much water retention, and I was also in my 30's....and people wonder why I still haven't lost my baby weight! Towards the end I couldn't walk, it felt like my skin was going to tear. I was so bloated and gross. I also felt like this one was going to be bigger. The girls were a little over 7 pounds. My baby boy came into this world at a whopping 10 pounds 4 oz! That's right everyone...No wonder I felt like I couldn't breathe!

I started contractions around 1 in the morning and was sick for like an hour. Once they became more than I could bear, I woke Tony and we called my dad. He came to stay with the girls and we headed to the hospital around 4:30 a.m. I was dilated to 4 almost 5 and went to the delivery room. My mom came and we all made bets as to how big he was. I finally started to push around 6:00. I don't remember much from there. I do remember the doctor yelling for more nurses and at one point I opened my eyes to see a nurse stradeling my chest pushing on my stomach to get him out. He was stuck, or rather his shoulders were stuck. I felt like I was going to be torn apart. He finally came and his poor body was bruised. They put him on that scale and we all about died! 10 pounds 4 oz...I would never have guessed!

It's been so fun having Mark. He makes us all laugh, he's totally made me feel young. He calls himself the man of the house since Tony's been gone; he carries things around the store, unloads the car, and wants to help out. He's very sensitive and tends to get his feelings hurt. He loves to sing and dance and play football. He asks me if he can go on America's Got Talent! ha ha He gets emotional sometimes since Tony's gone. He usually does pretty well, then out of the blue he'll cry or get upset. He loves Ava so much, he calls her his little sister...one day he'll understand that he's actually her uncle! I love this boy so much!

Labor Day Weekend

2009-09-07T20:39:00.000-07:00

Tony's mom entered Brooke and Kendall into the Make it Yourself With Wool contest. Each girl made an outfit out of wool. They both spent a few weeks in Flagstaff sewing. Kendall's dress needed a few more things done to it, and since we are busy every Saturday until the contest, this was the only weekend we could go. We left Gilbert at 100 degrees, and hit Flagstaff at 60 degrees! Saturday Kendall was sewing, and by the picture above, you can tell how much she likes it! Mark picked tomatos right off the vine with his grandpa. Dad took Valerie and Mark to the fair, and I visited with a good friend. It rained on Saturday and we didn't bring very warm clothes. It felt so nice, and I didn't even sweat! ha ha Saturday night Tony's mom helped Mark make cookies. He did the measuring, pouring, mixing, and baking. He had a great time. I'm grateful my mother-in-law teaches my kids things that I don't know how to do!

It was good to see everyone at church. Tony's mom made a GREAT meal afterwards, and we left Flagstaff by 2:00. I got to my sister's house in Queen Creek by 5:30. She had a party for all the September birthdays. There are 7 in our family...Alot more happened in December than just Christmas! ha ha ha

I was so proud of myself for making this trip alone. I got tired on the way back but did pretty well on the way up, even though it was at night. Usually Tony drives and I take a nap. But the cooler weather was so nice. Wish Tony could have been with us, but he called and is doing well. We are grateful for the work he is doing for our family. I love you Tony!

Happy Birthday Brooke - 19 years old!

2009-09-04T09:02:00.000-07:00

Well, life with you started out crazy. We lived in Flagstaff and I was put on bedrest at 17 weeks. I was eventually flown down to Phx. and stayed in Good Sam hospital for a while and put on Magnesium. YUCK. I was unable to go back home due to the altitude so I stayed with my grandparents until it was safe to go home. I spent several months with them and waded in the pool with my big belly! I got back home and went 2 more weeks. On Labor Day my parents took me to the mall to walk around and jump start labor...nothing. Later that night my dad decided to go play basketball. Mom told him not to just in case and he kept insisting I would not go into labor...well...I did! I went to the hospital around 8:30 or 9:00 and had you the next morning at 5:53. I pushed for 2 hours, your poor little head was stuck. You had a huge bump on it. Thank goodness for all that black hair to cover it.

You've been going non stop ever since. You were a loud baby, very curious, could not sit still, but made everyone smile. You were spoiled rotten being the first grandchild and having all those aunts and uncles to give you whatever you wanted! You've grown into a beautiful young woman and a wonderful mom. You have a great personality, people like you and you're fun. You have many great talents. You can even make a baby wipe holder bling like no other! It's been a very rocky road, but I'm grateful for the relationship we have now and the person you've become. I love you~ Happy Birthday!!!

Great food! Great friends!

2009-08-16T19:35:00.001-07:00

I've known Steve Yazzi for 18 years. Our friendship started back in Flagstaff. We used to hang out and I joke with him about the car he used to drive, or the "tail" he used to have, or the stone washed jean jacket he wore. I'm sure he could go on and on about my "big" hair! ha ha We went to their house for Navajo Tacos for dinner tonight. Wow! His wife is a great cook. Not only that, she makes the dough from scratch, with her hands, with a recipe from one of Steve's grandmas. It was awesome. We had a great time together and our kids had fun. Kendall and his son Kevin go to the same school. They hang out occasionally and go to the movies with a big group. We tease them about being in an arranged marriage! ha ha I love having lifelong friends like this. It doesn't matter how many years pass between seeing eachother, it's like we've always been together. Tony, you were missed! Therefore; we took these pictures for you! Use your imagination! Thanks Yazzis, we love you!

Football

2009-08-15T18:56:00.000-07:00

Well, this is Mark's first year playing football. I was so worried about him. He hated T-ball. Pouted, threw his glove, whined. Having his dad as the coach may have had something to do with it! ha So his friend's mom told me about their group that does some type of sport every year. They've done soccer, t-ball, and now football. They had an extra space so Mark was able to get on. They were all so wondrful and made us feel so welcome! The surprising part is that Mark was actually good!! He knew how to throw a football! Totally impressed. Tony called during practice and I could tell in his voice that he was upset he couldnt be there. So Tony, this blog is for you! Well done Mark!!!!

Ava

2009-08-15T18:49:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of my...dare I say it...grandbaby??? ha ha I just love this girl so much! Brooke does her hair so cute! I used to do Brooke and Kendall's hair all the time and they claim to have hated it. Glad to see the torture continues on to the next generation! ha ha Here is also a picture of Ava in "time out". She was pitching a fit! Brooke made her sit in the corner and face the wall. It broke my heart, so Mor Mor came to the rescue! Undermining her mother like my mom did to me! ha ha ha

AZ All Stars

2009-08-15T18:46:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures of Kendall at practice. She's a base with her two other good friends, Sylvia and Danielle. A good flyer, is only as good as her base! ha ha Love you Kendall and so proud of you!

1st day of school

2009-08-10T19:33:00.000-07:00

Today Mark started 1st grade (SNIFF) and Kendall started her Sophomore year! The house was QUIET! I did not get interrupted every 5 minutes. I did not have to clean up after anyone. I got to eat lunch in peace. I got to go to the bathroom without someone yelling for me. It was a glorious day! Kendall likes her schedule and has 2nd lunch with all her friends....Because we all know how important that is. You don't want to be that dork that has nobody to eat with. haha Mark's bus leaves 15 minutes earlier this year and he gets home 20 minutes later than last year! School gets out at 3:50, last year the bus brought him back by 4:05...this year he doesn't get back until 4:25!! That's the whole stinkin' day gone! He got off the bus sweaty because of course there's no A/C. He was hungry so that made him cranky. He wanted to play with someone but I sais "NO" because it was already 4:30! This year is going to kill me!

Happy Anniversary!

2009-08-08T18:43:00.000-07:00

On Monday, August 10th, it will be our 18th wedding anniversary. Holy Cow! Am I really that old? Have we really been married that long? Just seems not too long ago I was planning our wedding! Now I'm planning Brooke's! Time has changed us, we are more wrinkled, bigger around the middle, more gray hair and more in love! I love you Tony, I love you more than the day I married you! Thank you for marrying me. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for your sacrifice at this time for our family. Happy Anniversary!

Lake Powell

2009-07-23T22:50:00.001-07:00

Tony's brother and mutual friends meet up at Lake Powell every year. We were unable to make it the last 2 years. But this year, Tony's vacation ended up being at the same time. So we spent 4 days in Lake Powell. Kendall brought a friend, and Mark had quite a few boys his age to hang out with. We stayed at the Mariott...the lobby is deceiving. Looks very nice and swanky...the rooms are like the Motel 6. Nothing special. The beds were very uncomfortable. Oh and get this...they decided to repave the parking lot while we were there, during peak season! Who the heck does that? Anyhow, Tony's brother has jet skis so the girls spent a lot of time on those. Thanks Hal! Everyone was generous with their boats so we were able to go for rides and cliff jumping. Kendall was begging all day to go cliff jumping, once she got there she hugged the side! Her friend jumped and so did her much younger cousin! ha ha Not only that, so did her 6 year old brother! Go Mark! (did not get a picture of that). This year was not as much fun as the last time. If we had our friends there, it would have been better. Sitting all day on the beach having nobody to talk to got old quick! Tony and his brother got to hang out and that was a good thing. Let's just say it wasn't the best vacation for me. Although just hanging out with Tony was good enough for me! On the last day the guys went golfing and Tony lost his wallet. So he and his brother drove back around the course looking for it. Fortunately the girl who cleaed out the golf bag found it! Whew! Despite putting on SPF 50 and having our own pop-up canopy, we still got pretty burned. But the kids had fun and that's what it's all about!

Vegas Baby!

2009-07-18T10:48:00.001-07:00

OK, so about a month before Tony got home, I received an e-mail from Luxor in Las Vegas offering rooms at $42. I e-mailed Tony and we decided to do it! We LOVE Vegas. Then I thought Mark would have a really hard time if Tony and I left 2 days after he got home...so we decided to take Mark. Kendall stayed at a friends, and she had Cheer she couldn't miss. We stayed there a few years back and were not impressed. This time however; we were pleasantly surprised. The room was really nice. The first night we went to the Tournament of Kings and had a great dinner. Mark was 2 last time we went, so he really enjoyed it this time. The next day we went to the awesome buffet, Shark reef, Forum shops (we lost Mark), the swimming pool, and then to Cirque du Soleil. It was a great day. That night we walked along the strip and through the Bellagio and I tried on a $42,000 ring from Tiffany! OMG! I didn't know how much it was until it was on my finger, and then I about had a panic attack! The guy was very calm and said "You never know what will happen in Vegas"! We saw the beautiful atrium in Vegas decorated in a summer/floral theme. The next day we went to the M&M store. We were walking through to see a movie when the lights all came on and were told to exit the building. So there we all were leaving through the emergency Exits. Have no idea what happened. So we walked down the strip to find something to eat and decided to go back to the car and find somewhere to eat on our way out of town...but then the building opened back up. So we went back in, bought $70 worth of M&M's and watched the movie. $12.95 a pound! Holy Cow! After that we headed out of town, ate at Baja Fresh and left. Tony decided to not go over the dam since it took us so long on the way there. He decided to go through Laughlin, and at some point we took a wrong turn and ended up in Needles, CA!!!!! We finally got to town about 6:00 and met my cousin Danny and his family for dinner. It was a great trip! I loved being with my boys and enjoying our time together!

Tony's home!

2009-07-18T10:23:00.001-07:00

It took him 5 days to get home, but he made it. Ava ran right up to him with a look of recognition on her face, but stopped just a few feet away from him. Then she ran up to him saying "Papa"! For the last 4 months she's been seeing him on the webcam, so I think she was confused seeing him in person. Mark was so excited to see his dad! He would NOT stop talking! Tony lost 40 pounds, so we left the airport and went to one of our favorite places to eat...Macayo's, and then to the mall to buy him new clothes! He looks awesome! And the muscles he now has...WooHoo!

Tony mowed the lawn which he loves to do. He enjoys working in the yard and so he had Ava on his shoulders like he usually did. It was cute! Ava runs around the house yelling "Papa" all the time. She used to run in the house looking for Mark, now she looks for Tony. She just loves him it's so cute. Mark has really missed his dad. The first thing they did was put the AT-TE walker together. Ava gets possessive and jealous if Mark hugs his dad or anything.

4th of July we had Sara's family over, minus Sarah who was at Girl's Camp, and my dad. We had barbecue and homemade icecream. Glad to have you home honey!

Random photos

2009-06-28T19:57:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos from the other day. Brooke and Jack...people keep asking what he looks like and here he is. A good shot of Ben talking to grandma. Ava really loves her Uncle Mark! Kids playing in the sprinklers. The cousins all had their clothes on...except for Ava! Too cute!

Goodbye Tyler and Dina

2009-06-28T19:51:00.001-07:00

My baby brother Tyler just got out of Navy bootcamp. Grandma loves a man in uniform! Came home for 4 days, packed up his family and is headed to Norfolk Va., where he'll be stationed. My mom is helping them drive...4 days! Talked to her about half an hour ago and they were just hitting Albuquerque NM! It's going to be a long trip! ha Good luck Tyler and Dina, we will miss you. And Mark will really miss TJ.

Megan is 30

2009-06-27T15:06:00.000-07:00

Last night was a surprise party for my baby sister who turned 30! Holy Crap, I'm old! As if the death of Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett didn'tmake me feel old, now my sister is 30! We took these pictures of my sisters and my mom. Yes they are my biological family. They started singing "One of these doesn't belong"...remember that song from Sesame Street? ha ha Yes, I'm the odd ball with the blonde hair. I had blonde hair as a little girl, then started coloring it at 13, and I haven't stopped since. I did go one year with my natural color...didn't look good. The only thing we have in common is the Cobb smile! Look at those teeth! Anyhow, Happy birthday Megan! Love ya lots!

I'm a big kid now!

2009-06-02T21:14:00.001-07:00

OK, Tony's always had this fear of water and kids. In our Mesa house we had a beautiful fountain...once Mark was born Tony drained it! When we moved, he wouldn't look at a single house that had a pool. Since we've never had a pool Mark never really learned how to swim, except for what little swimming he's done at Big Surf and Sunsplash. So when we go to his cousins' house, they all jump in like fish and he's got the dumb floaties! So finally, someone in our ward teaches swimming and Mark started this week. Funny thing is...he knows how to swim! I think he was always too afraid! YEAH! No more stupid floaties! I love you Mark, daddy is so proud of you! Ava is taking swimming lessons too. I'll have to post pictures of her next.

My new nanny

2009-06-02T20:47:00.000-07:00

OK, summer has been here for two weeks and I have been the worst mother ever! I hate summers. I never know what to do with my kids and with Brooke no longer living here...I really have nothing to do. I could usually rely on her to drive them places, Sunsplash, Mcdonald's, friends, etc. I work at home so I can't do much for them during the day. I get off at 3 so it's not too bad, but Mark has done nothing but play Lego Star Wars Wii! I've never seen him so involved in anything like this before. He stands in front of the TV jumping, making noises, cheering...so cute! I've been lazy and let him play when I needed him to be occuppied. To be honest, one time I looked at the clock and realized he'd been playing for 4 hours!!!! OK you fun, creative mom's...what do you do with your kids? Any suggestions would be totally welcomed!

High maintenance

2009-06-02T17:07:00.000-07:00

3 years ago June I bought the car I've always wanted. Ford diesel Excursion 4x4! It has over 120,000 miles on it right now, and with a diesel engine, that's not too bad. I love this truck, and they don't make them anymore which makes me like it even more! Anyhow, we had to put $4000 into it within the last 2 weeks! $500 on new brakes 2 weeks ago...which Tony usually does for us, but it also needed new rotors. So with Tony gone, we have to pay to have it done. Then there are the $1140 tires I put on it last week. Totally needed, yet totally would have loved to do something else with that money. Then, my dad took it up to girls camp for towing a trailer and hauling girls. It's a diesel, should have no problem what-so-ever pulling that trailer...wrong! The fuel pump went out, and 3 fuel injectors! Luckily I have towing through my insurance. I love my agent, we have become good friends just in the last 6 months I've been a customer! She called a towing company and had them tow the Excursion to the nearest Ford dealership in Showlow. My dad calls from girls camp "Are you smiling? Feeling good?" I'm thinking, wow, it must be good news, something small and easy to fix...So not funny dad! $2300! All I can say is I am totally grateful for Tony's job in Afghanistan. He may be a world away, but we have a great income and we're able to take care of the things that come up unexpectedly. Thanks Tony for your sacrifice. I can't wait to see you in 4 weeks!

Class of 2009

2009-05-27T22:26:00.000-07:00

Brooke did it! She graduated! She did Online H.S. for the last 2 years. During that time, she had Ava and worked on school. The graduation ceremony was at the Tempe Center for the Arts. I don't think they'll have it there again...there was NO seating! The ceremony started late! The grads were supposed to sit down below, but they needed all the seating, they changed everything and put the grads up on stage. Turns out, the number of graduates doubled within the last 30 days! Once it got underway, it was short and sweet! Ava was not behaving so my dad took her and Mark outside. I felt so bad, but it was good that I got to see her graduate! Thanks so much dad!

Afterward we had a party at the house with lots of family and wonderful friends. We also got to see Tony open his birthday presents on the WebCam! He got to see everyone, and everyone got to see him. It was awesome It was the 26th for us, but since he is 11 1/2 hours ahead, it was his birthday morning. So we were able to sing to him. Thanks everyone for supporting Brooke and being a part of her life. Time has flown by and I have no idea where the little girl with the blonde curly hair went! I love you Brooke!

Memorial Day

2009-05-27T22:09:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day was a busy one for me. Got up and got ready early, out the door by 9:00, hit the stores I needed and was back by noon to go to my brother's for a party. The kids lined up to be thrown in by grandpa! Thanks Sherman and Sonia for letting us hang out at your house! The entrance to their neighborhood was full of flags, they also lined the streets. It was awesome! Got home and got the house ready for in-laws and Brooke's graduation party. Turned Brooke's old room into a nice guest room. I have become pretty self sufficent with Tony gone. Using drills, painting, sanding, hammering, moving furniture, unclogging drains, fixing vaccuums...but I will always need my honey!

Thanks to all our men and women serving our country and to the ones who have gone before. Thanks to my dad who had a military career and spent a year in Afghanistan. Thanks to my honey who is also in Afghanistan, but on a civilian contract. He's on an FOB (Forward Operating Base), close to the Packistan border. When there's trouble, he sees the military take action! When there was a short supply of blood, he saw everyone line up. The camaraderie is awesome! He's seeing first hand what it means to serve our country, even though he's not in the military. I love you honey, thank you for your sacrifice, we pray for your safety and love you tons!

Az All-Stars

2009-05-19T22:20:00.000-07:00

So much bad has happened since my last posting, and I'm tired of dwelling on it. I can't change it, I can only move on. So I thought I would put some good stuff on here. Kendall made the Arizona All Starts Cheer squad! YEAH KENDALL! I finally have a daugther to follow in my footsteps. Mama's so proud! ha ha She was so nervous, couldn't eat, and couldn't sleep. But she made it. I'm so proud of you Kendall, great job girl! Can't wait to be on the sidelines cheering you on!

Happy Birthday to me!!!!

2009-05-07T21:27:00.000-07:00

Well, it would have been a pretty lonely birthday if it wasn't for my parents. Tony sent beautiful roses, Brooke had to work and Kendall had cheer tryouts. So it was just me, Mark, Ava and my parents. We went to Olive Garden for dinner, and then home for cake. They did, of course, get my Mcdonald's birthday cake. YEAH My mom has been getting me that delicious cake for over 25 years. We can't figure out what started it, but I've gotten one every year. Thanks mom and dad for thinking of me! I also received a beautiful turquoise shirt/sweater from my mother-in-law. My favorite color! It was weird to not have Tony here, but he's far away working hard for the family. And I truly appreciate the sacrifice he has made for us. He will miss many birthdays and holidays, but the sacrifice will be worth it. I love you Tony and thank you for marrying me! Yah me, I'm 29 AGAIN!!!!

Brooke's graduation photos

2009-05-06T17:08:00.000-07:00

My brother Ben took these photos of Brooke for her graduation announcments. He did a pretty dang good job. I can't beleive she's graduating...the time has just flown by! I remember my graduation clearly. It was so exciting and I thought I was ready to conquer the world! Little did I know how dumb I really was! ha ha Thank goodness I went to college to gain smarts! ha You've come a long way Brooke! We love you and love Ava.

Chick Cruise 2009

2009-04-26T15:13:00.000-07:00

Wow! I can't begin to explain the experience I had on this cruise. 14 women on a cruise to Key West and Grand Cayman! We all met up on the boat Monday with our matching t-shirts. We were known for those shirts the rest of the cruise! Tuesday was spent on Key West. Most of the women went Kayaking, 3 other ladies and I went SHOPPING!!!! I love Key West, this is one of my favorite places...next to Disneyland of course! Ate at Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville, shopped, ate key lime pie on a stick dipped in chocolate, shopped, and shopped. Found awesome deals! Formal night on the boat followed by the best comedian ever!

On Grand Cayman Jen and I swam with the Dolphins and went to the turtle farm. Awesome! We bought a video of the dolphins, got our friends together to watch it...no video. Disk was blank. So we were down at guest relations many times trying to get this resolved. We hope to receive 2 new videos but we'll see if they even send us the right video.

Waitiers were great! Loved Kristjan and Frolin. Frolin is a 27 year old from Romania and he had us rolling! Other diners were making comments about how much fun we were having! Some guy told us we were cut off from drinking. When we told him we didn't drink he told us to "say no to drugs"! ha ha They had a wonderful brunch and I tried Sushi for the first time. Not a big fan. We had at least 2 of everything...appetizers, sides, entree's desserts! YUM They had the best coconut sorbet, and we ate pizza almost every night about 10:00! Diet starts.....NOW! One of our friends couldn't make it so she made a paper doll of herself and we took pictures of her wherever we could! ha ha

Thanks Britt for organizing it! I loved getting to know all the girls better and I really enjoyed having the "me" time. I woke up wishing I had a wonderful buffet to go to! ha ha LOVE YOU ALL!

I'm in hell

2009-04-18T07:33:00.000-07:00

Anyone... please help! Do not be deceived by the cuteness of this dog!!! We had new neighbors move into the rental next to us and they seemed like really nice people. However; their dog is Satan's pet! I think it's an outside dog. This dog woke me up out of a deep sleep at midnight!!! Then, because our dogs heard it, they ran around the house barking like crazy! This dog runs along the side of their yard that is right under our window! I finally fell asleep at 1:00 am and was again woken up by this dog at 6:00 am. I've been up ever since. I have so much anger and I'm sick to my stomach I don't know what to do. Any advice? Anybody dealt with something like this? We have two dogs that bark also, but they are in the house from 10:00 pm until around 8:00 am. If I hear them outside barking like crazy, I bring them in. I don't want them annoying people. Please help me, I need to know what to do. And to top it all off, Tony's not here to helpl me!

Chick Cruise 2009

2009-04-14T20:11:00.000-07:00

This Sunday, 4/19, I am leaving for Miami, for a cruise on the Celebrity Cruise line to Key West and Grand Cayman! WOO HOO!!!!! I'm going with 13 other girls. This is our logo which will be going on our t-shirts. I am the one in the red. Although you can't see it, I have a disney necklace on. I can not wait to get out of here and just relax and think only of myself. Of course being the person I am, I will be stressing about the kids, hoping Mark packed his snack so he doesn't starve at school, hoping the kids get to school on time and that Kendall gets Mark from the bus. AAAHHHHHHH The ship will never be the same after all of us! Ok ladies, let the fun begin!

Happy Ester!

2009-04-14T12:44:00.001-07:00

I have been unable to down load pictures for a while now...but it's been fixed. I know Easter is over, but I am blogging for Tony's benefit so he can see what we've been doing. He sent beautiful tulips to the family for Easter since he couldn't be here. Mark has been so cute. Out of the blue he said "Mom I miss daddy. I just really miss him! I feel like I'm gonna cry, but it's in my throat." He was also very worried the Easter bunny wouldn't make it to Afghanistan. Actually it didn't....Tony has not yet received his package I sent over 2 weeks ago. But he did receive the other package mailed after that. Go figure! Doing Easter alone was not fun. I really missed having Tony here. We love you Tony and are grateful for the sacrifice you are making for your family!

Love my honey

2009-04-14T12:00:00.000-07:00

I love my honey! As you know, he's in Afghanistan doing computer "stuff". He has our computers set up so that he can log in from anywhere and work on them, shut them down, check things out, or even spy on the kids! ha . Anyhow, this morning I logged into the computer and found a huge note from him....so cute! I love the little things like that!

Flowers from my love

2009-03-24T21:58:00.000-07:00

Kendall walked in the door and told me I had gotten flowers. Seriously? There was that green box from Proflowers with my name on it! Oh the excitement! 2 dozen beautiful red roses with a note that brought tears to my eyes! Thank you so much Tony. It's awesome that you can still send me flowers from Afghanistan! I love you!

Aaaaahhhhhh Spring Break!

2009-03-19T20:24:00.001-07:00

I only enjoy Spring Break if we have a vacation planned and stuff to do. But this year, I only took 2 afternoons off and it wasn't enough for the kids. Tuesday I tried to take them to Amazing Jakes...joke! The line was out the door! So we headed to GameWorks at the Mills mall (not my favorite mall). I haven't been there since Mark was a year old and it's changed a lot. There weren't that many people there so the kids were able to do whatever they wanted. It turned out to be more fun than expected. We then went to a heated swimming pool for the evening, that was fun.

On Wednesday Kendall babysat and we went to the zoo. I took Mark, his cousin Dylan, and Ava. They had a blast, though I must say it was a VERY hot day, into the 90's! The boys had the most fun digging for worms in the petting area. Who'da thunk? Pay money to get into the zoo and they want to dig for worms! ha Snow cones were a must, as well as running around in the kid's splash area. After the hot day, we went to the swimming pool again. Kendall brought a friend and they checked out all the life guards. "SIGH" I remember those days!

Yard work

2009-03-12T22:25:00.000-07:00

My dad came over last Saturday to help us with the lawn mower. Tony always takes care of the yard, but since he is gone we had to get it done. The only thing is...we couldn't get the lawn mower started. It's old, but works. Tony tried to give us directions and everything, but it didn't work. So my dad came over and he started it. We did lots of yard work that day, had Mark help with dog poop (he kept gagging), Kendall helped pick up trash and weeds. It was a good day. Dad helped out so much. You don't realize how much your husband does until he is gone and you have to do it. Like taking out the trash, making sure there is enough dog food, yard, weeds, toilets and showers... However; the grass could not get finished because the yard was swamped. Found out the hose was left on all day (can't wait for that bill). So we turned the sprinkler system off for a few days to let the ground dry. A few days ago Brooke called a friend for help (Thanks Derek) and he got the mower started for us. YAH!!! So the yard looks nice again. Not as great as when Tony does it, but it still looks good! Thanks so much for your help dad, you did more than was needed, but it was also very much appreicated!!! I love you tons!

Happy Birthday

2009-03-03T18:36:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was my grandma's 82nd birthday. I'm amazed when I think of all the things she's seen in her lifetime She was a beautiful German woman who crossed the ocean on beautiful ships, dressed to go to dinner, dressed up to go to market (grocery shopping), wore red lipstick and had beautiful blonde hair. She is a lady with lots of class! I love you grandma!

New curtains

2009-02-26T22:02:00.000-08:00

Thanks to my husband and daugther who put them up for me!

My mother-in-law who made them

I found this wonderful fabric last summer and thought it would be awesome to have curtains made out of it. I showed my mother-in-law (seamstress extraordinaire) and she happend to like it too. She said she would make the curtains for me for Christmas. Well, not just curtains, but floor to ceiling curtains! How she did it, I don't know! The fabric is so heavy I'm amazed she could do it. I love it, they give the room a whole new look! My brother says it looks like a castle. Awesome job mom, thanks so much!

Goodbye Tony

2009-02-26T21:53:00.000-08:00

Cousin Pam
BFF Sammy

Sorry guys, not quite GQ!

Thanks to everyone who came to say goodbye to Tony! We truly appreciate the love and support you've given us during this hard time. And thanks to a wonderful friend who brought flowers. I appreciate your kindness and will be calling you often! ha Tony will be greatly missed! But we look forward to our first vacation together. We love you Tony!