Birthday season is over!! Pics coming soon! Now on to Thanksgiving and Christmas!

Halloween

Clarissa and Wesley had a great time, tonight. They checked each house to gauge the scariness. We skipped all the really scary houses, the sort of scary house they braved together, holding hands. At one of our stops, Wesley wanted to stay and watch the football game. The teens had a great evening as well. I finished tying most of Clarissa's quilt.

Now that October is here!

Taylor finished Basic Training and is glad to be moving on to AIT. We (my Mom, Clarissa, Wesley and I) attended BT graduation. Some highlights: Visiting Uncle Pete & Aunt Michelle; Visiting Uncle Steven, Aunt Melane & Kids; Watching Taylor hug his little brother!; Swimming with PVT Loder and the kids; Watching PVT Loder graduate; Wesley sneaking through the crowd and slowly (while he thought no one was looking) get closer and closer to Taylor who was on the front row in formation (I caught up to Wesley as he stood right behind the formation leaders);Fort Sill museum; Geronimo's grave. It was sad to leave my baby boy even if his is 19. Knowing that it is the beginning of his own grand adventure.

Quick Family Update

Kiersta lost her job at overstock.com, then her unemployment, so they moved in here while they regroup. Actually Kiersta (22), Nick and the Maximus (the sweet 3 month old) moved into Taylor's room shortly after he left for Basic Training in Oklahoma. Esperanza (3) and Alexandrea (1) moved in to Clarissa's room. Taylor (19) is doing well at Basic and can't wait to get home, I know he loves and misses us but don't be fooled he is missing Brandy R.! Martina (17) has alot to do this year and has started having migraines so we are off to a specialist. Kielee (15) is going to school at Cyprus this year, so far so good! Faith (14) is having a great time at Matheson Jr. High and the Granite technical institute, she is taking bio-ag and pre-engineering. Carter (13 on Friday) is enjoying life at Alianza Academy, uniforms are great, science and math are even better. Gabrielle (12) is also attending Alianza, she loves it, too. I think they like the idea of very little homework, and so do I. Clarissa (4) is the only one of her friends not starting kindergarten, so we are taking ballet. Wesley (2) slows everything down, he is never in a hurry and he has plenty of time to get where he wants to go. I find myself walking with him and wondering why I was hurrying in the first place. Ryan is working hard and playing a little, he enjoys his job! I am helping with West Bench Photography and love that I am learning lots of things.

The End of a Grand Adventure!

It all started Feb. 22, 2009 when Ryan was sworn in as a member of the Utah National Guard and end May 5, 2011. It was a long adventure with great joy and sadness on both sides along the way! We missed him so much during Basic Training and AIT am thankful for the opportunity I had to grow and learn...I will be glad to have my husband back! I love co-parenting much better! I am thankful for the example Ryan set! He worked hard and ended with a 4.o his last semester. He graduated with honors while helping to raise a family, attending his guard obligation and working, the first semester he working 40 hours and took 18 credits!

I was sick last Sunday and only attended the first half of stake conference. I leaned over to Clarissa and ask her to get her stuff together so we could leave. She said, " I do not want to go it is nice here." She ask a friend who was sitting at the end of the row to bring her home. She agreed and I left her with her sisters, who rode their bikes to stake conference. Tuesday I attend the temple with my honey and as I sat there the words of Clarissa came to my mind, "It is nice here!" She is an exceptional child and loves church. She has a wealth of gospel knowledge for a four year old. When she was blessed as an infant she was told she would be a light to her family and that she is! Her Sunday services start with sacrament meeting and nothing else is acceptable. We have only made the mistake of skipping sacrament meeting twice...She reacts badly and doesn't talk to me for an hour or so, she won't go to primary happily (which she does every other week).

I am working on girls camp periodically and it is coming together quite nicely. I am currently helping to put the finishing touches on the girls camp fundraiser! Then I will know what our budget is and can plan from there. I am very excited to plan the rest with girls camp with the YCL's!

I attended a fun fill adult family dinner! It is alway fun to hang out with the family.

My grandmother did not sleep well at night and I remember staying at her house and waking up in the night to the sound of dishes being washed and the vacuum on. My mother refused to get out of bed even when she can't sleep for fear of being like her mother. I am having a similar sleeping problems...I am refusing to get out of bed, also! Not that I don't want to be like my mother but because Clarissa is a night owl and Wesley is an early riser. I am afraid that if i get up I will lose more sleep than if I stay in bed and attempt to go back to sleep. You see my grandmother slept on and off during the day and I lack that priveledge. Not only does Clarissa not nap. But I tend my granddaughters ages 2 and 10 monthes. You might think that they nap....Esperanza does on occasion but Alexandrea, 10 months, takes two 20min power naps a day. I am getting to know alot about the moonlight in my room!

Attend the memorial service of a family friend today. It was nice to see them and reflect on a great man. It was nice to drive through miles of nothing and see places I haven't been in many years that are still familiar. I have a love of the Nevada desert, the creature that live there, and the great people who call it home. It is always hard for me to leave the wide open spaces, the sagebrush, the scenes and landmarks of my childhood.