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 four-wheeling

So this is how we have spent our afternoon, trying to make the most of our ugly front yard during all of this road construction.

We fired up Quayd's four-wheeler and he has been riding it all day. Brayden and Brennen had to get in on the fun too! They got on their Dad's big four-wheeler and everyone took turns.


No fights!! Amazing.

Once that started to get old, Brett made a jump, but so far, Quayd is the only one brave enough to try it.

the one about Ga

Not much excitement around here today. But that is a good thing. I slept in and went to Curves around 10:00 am. (Nice change from 6:00 am) Then when I got home I went to check on my sweet grandma and next door neighbor. She just got home from SLC last night after having back surgery. She is doing well. She is in quite a bit of pain, but all in all, doing well. She has struggled with lower back problems for so long, so I hope this will help her out. Infact, she will make a great blog topic today.

My Grandma Doris has been one of my closest friends for as long as I can remember. My brother was the first grandchild, and he started calleg her Ga. He is 34 now, and the name has stuck. Everyone calls her Ga. Several years ago, she commented that she would walk through the grocery store and from every direction people would be saying, "Hi Ga!" Brayden started calling her Da a little bit, so now the little boys call her that sometimes. Ga wasn't really the bake cookies kind of grandma, but she is the most nurturing grandma ever. She makes us all feel so loved and special. I remember her always scratching my back and I see her doing the same for her great-grandsons. My brother and I have one cousin, Brooke, and we are the only grandkids. I am the baby, and I am the most loved. (But I am sure she tells the other 2 that they are the most loved too, so that is probably not true.) Ga worked forever as the county historian and she has some huge accomplishments under her belt. One being, she is the author of many history books. Everyone around here knows and loves her. I could go on and on about how great everyone else thinks she is, but this is my blog. So I will tell why I think she is great. I love to help her out. She helps me all of the time so I love being able to pay her back. Today, I went over and helped wash her hair and get her dressed. Then I changed the bandage on her back. We all knew that my sweet grandpa, Pop, would probably pass out if he had to see it, so I gladly stepped in! It is a pretty small incision so dangit, there wasn't even any good stuff. Then she said she was hungry and some soup sounded good. I made soup for dinner the other night and had some leftover, so I brought her a bowl. She was in too much pain to really sit up, so I told her to relax and I fed her in bed. I loved it! We just sat and talked and laughed at how much of the soup didn't make it into her mouth. I hope I can continue to do those things for her for many years to come. I just love her so much. For a few years while I was in Jr. High and High School I lived with her and Pop. I treasure that time. We had lots of fun. She taught me how to paint, sew and opened up my love for art and crafts. She is so creative and talented and I am grateful that a little bit rubbed off on me. For years and years, we would go to a local mexican restraunt every Saturday and order the "special burrito." Then we would go to town and get groceries and stuff. It is harder for her to get around now, so we don't get to do that as often, but I love it when we do. I usually help her get all of her Chirstmas shopping done and sometimes we even venture out to the city. I took her to her first Jazz game, and we have been to plays, musicals, quilt shows, art shows, movies, concerts, about every craft or fabric store on this side of the Mississippi, DisneyLand, Phoenix, Las Vegas and tons of places in between. She has helped me through some rough times, and has been there to celebrate my good times. I am very proud to be her grandaughter. I hope she is proud of me too.


I also want to mention today that Brett took Quayd and Brennen four-wheeler riding this afternoon. He snapped some great pictures that I would love to share. They went to some of Brett's uncle's farm property. Later, Brandon, Danette and Brayden came and rode the big four-wheeler for awhile. The little boys were hilarious. They laughed, screamed, and squeeled the whole time. They were so cute! They had a blast. Sometimes little boys just need to be little boys!