the one about the New Year

Happy New Year!!!
I know, I know. I haven’t been very good about blogging lately. I don’t know what it is, but my life just hasn’t slowed down. I keep thinking that it will any day now, but it’s just not. Anyway, blogging is truly one of my favorite things in the world so I am trying so hard not to get too far behind in my blogging world.
I don’t really have any good reasons, but I am excited to start a new year. 2008 was a good year for us. I was so excited for 2008 to start, because 2007 was so rough. Mike passed away, Brett had his motorcycle accident and I lost my wedding ring. So 2008 came and now it is gone. I know this might seem weird, but I have always welcomed change. I love to experience new things and I don’t really freak out when big changes come my way. I look forward to the future and anxiously await new things. I am not really big on “resolutions,” so I don’t generally set them. Of course I have the standard ones… Lose weight, get healthy, be more organized, blah blah blah. But instead of worrying about what I will and will not do in 2009, I would like to reflect on 2008.
Here are just a few things that happened in our little world last year.
Quayd started indoor soccer, and later started AYSO soccer. He found a new love for this sport and really has no desire to try any others.
We got TONS of snow in 2008. It was the longest winter in the whole world!!
I joined the working world again. I hadn’t worked since before Quayd was born, so it was a huge lifestyle change for all of us. It has been good though. I substitute taught for awhile, worked in lunch lady land and now I am at the Holiday Inn Express. In fact, I remember mentioning a few months ago about a possible promotion. I got it by the way. I am the Front Office Manager. It has brought many new responsibilities, but I am loving it. Schedule is still good. I am home before Quayd gets off the bus.
We had major construction in our front yard this summer. They filled in our ditch and we got a sidewalk, grass and our own driveway.
I got a new bike!!!
Brett took and passed the EMT class. YEAH Brett!
I got my very first iPod. I have since upgraded from an iPod shuffle to and iPod touch.
I went to the Panic at the Disco concert in SLC.
Quayd rode his 4-Wheeler ALL SUMMER!!!!!
My friend Janice moved clear across the country to Kentucky. L
We took a weeklong vacation to Lagoon. We took our camp trailer and Brayden and had a blast!!
We all loved watching the 2008 Olympics.
Quayd started first grade.
My Great-Grandma Karren passed away.
Quayd turned 6!!!!
Brett and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary.
Brett spent 10 days in Washington DC.
I turned 30!
Ga got super sick and spent weeks in the hospital. It took quite a toll on all of us, especially her, but I am glad to say she is doing much better now.
Brett’s brother Brandon and his wife Brynn had a new baby, Brycen. And he is SO cute!!!!
Itty Bitty Kitty. Nuff said.
So that is kind of our year in a nut shell. We are excited to see what 2008 brings our way. Thank you for reading my blog. I promise that in 2009 I will try to be better about keeping everything current. But that is not a resolution!!!!

the one about Brett's trip

So Brett finally made it home (a week ago.... sorry. I have been busy). Anyway, he and his buddy Todd were chosen to go to the National Fire Academy. It was a pretty big honor to be selected to go and they were super excited about it. The school part of it was 6 days, but they added a few days for sight seeing. They were supposed to be home last Sunday, but their flight was changed and they were not aware of it, so they missed it. They couldn't get another flight until the next day, so it was Monday night before they got home. I don't want to tell all about it because I will surely get details confused, so I just want to post a few pictures. If I can get Brett to sit down for a second and write all about it, I will post it. Because it was super interesting and cool. They went to a lot of the civil war battle fields and did the Washington D.C. thing. I teased him that he got to go with his BOY FRIEND on a big NERD tour. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE America and our awesome history, I just know I would have gotten very bored with all of that stuff. Especially the civil war stuff. Sorry. I don't love history. Don't judge me. Anyway, one of MY favorite parts of his trip was the memorial at the Pentagon. It had only been dedicated for a few days when they got there.
There were one of these bench-looking things for each person who was killed at the Pentagon on 9/11. the ones facing one direction were for the victims on the plane and the others for the victims killed in the Pentagon at the time of the attack. Kinda cool.

Their school was really cool too. They had this awesome memorial in remembrance of 9/11. It's HUGE!
The Fallen Firefighter Memorial
This is at the graduation ceremony. Doesn't Brett look so handsome?
They had a good time and I am glad Brett got to go. I am super proud of him and for all of his dedication to the Fire Department. He is so smart and I know he takes this stuff very serious. Good job Brett!!!! I am so proud of you!

Here are just a few more pictures of some fun stuff they did while on their NERD tour.


WHAT?!?!?! HOOTERS?!?!? I am sure they only went there for the amazing hot wings. ;)