SIXTEEN!

Cory is finally 16 and having a ball. All Cory wanted for his birthday was Kurt Bestor tickets. Cory & I went to Salt Lake to see the concert and had a lot of fun. The concert was fabulous.

This year with a little prodding Cory agreed to have a birthday party and I actually think he had a good time. He hasn't had a birthday party since he was 10. Turning 16 is a big deal, Cory's made some great friends here and I thought he should have a little fun.

Another milestone, Cory finished his driving hours at school and got his license. Cory was a little hesitant, I had to almost drag him to the DMV. It's been hard driving these past 6 months with a mother who loves to overreact. I'll never forget the gigantic smile on his face as he returned from the road test to let me know he had passed. As I added the sweet child to our car insurance I began to wonder why I took him to get his license in the first place. Not cheap, even with a good student discount.

I'm so proud of Cory, he really is a good kid, I lucked out in the teenager department. Now I've just got to talk him into the dating thing. Those darn girls make him a little nervous for some reason, it's not easy being shy.

Love you Cory!

Halloween

At least they still enjoy carving their pumpkinsCory got a watermelon from my sister's garden and decided to carve it. I think it turned out rather cute.Jackson's pumpkin, first year with no help whatsoever. Chelsea's pumpkin. Jackson said it looked like Monsters, Inc. I agree.

This holiday used to be one of my kids most favorite, and probably mine as well. Trick or Treating has pretty much come to an end for my kids, and costumes are becoming a little more difficult. I always thought life would be so simple as the kids got older. Now I just find myself longing for the way things used to be.

Cory was going to have a little get together until all of his guys friends bowed out and he was left with 4 girls planning to attend. Most teenage boys would have been all over that, but he decided it would be a little weird, so Cory and I stayed home and watched scary movies together.

Chelsea went to a friends party until the host left to find other friends. I picked Chelsea and a friend up around 9 and brought them home. Why does 8th grade have to be such a pain?

Jackson played empire earth on the computer until Chelsea came home and then they watched Charlie brown dvd's which is always a holiday favorite.

Next year we will have to make sure we have the money to get to St. George for Thriller at Tuacahn. Before you know it I'll be wanting to leave home for Christmas as well.

Cory the Photographer

Thought I had a junky camera. Come to find out I just don't know how to take a picture. Cory took a little class in scouts on photography and now I learn that he is quite the photographer. It could be just that I am his mother and like mothers I think everything he does is wonderful, or it could be that he has an artistic eye for photography. I like to believe that it is the latter of the two. Here are a few photos he took of grandpa Davis' garden and back yard.

Pay It Forward

The first five people to respond to this post will receive something made by me to you. My choice. Made especially for you. Of course there are some restrictions and limitations:
1. I make no guarantees you will like what I make.
2.What I create will be just for you.
3. It will be done sometime this year.
4. You have no clue what it will be. It may be a story. It may be an article on how to properly clean your face before a masque. I may draw or paint something (I pity the fool who receives that...) I may bake something and mail it to you....who knows?...not you, that's for sure!
5. I reserve the right to do something extremely strange. The catch is you must post this on your blog and offer the same to the first five people who post it on their blog.The first five people to do so and leave a comment letting me know they did will receive a FAB-U-LOUS homemade gift from me!! Oh, and be sure to post a picture of what you win when you get it.

Oh How The Years Go By!

Arden and I were married 16 years ago, October 10th. Today is the 16th anniversary of our reception, so I guess I'm not too late to say Happy Anniversary to my honey bunches of oats.

Last week for our anniversary we ended up taking our kids to Lagoon for Frightmares. Maybe not the most romantic night, but we did have a lot of fun. Tomorrow, we've planned a date night for dinner, it is kind of sad how your love life has to take a back seat as your family grows.

I remember our wedding day, it was such a beautiful autumn day. It was so sunny, we could hardly keep our eyes open for pictures. Arden picked me up very early that morning to drive to the Manti Temple, you would think we would have gabbed the whole way from Salt Lake but all I can remember is that I slept the whole way. Arden has found this to be my choice way of traveling ever since, dead asleep.

The temple was so amazing, we were sealed in the Persian room, very beautiful. I cried through most of that. Arden has also found that I cry way too much, you learn a lot about your spouse on your wedding day that you may not have previously known.

After the temple ceremony we had pictures with the fam and moved on to our wedding breakfast at the Country Village Inn, or something like that. It was yummy! We then took off for our honeymoon that lasted one whole night because I had to be back to Salt Lake to start my new job with UPS that following Monday. We stayed at some scary Holiday Inn in Cedar City, not the best of memories. Luckily after our wedding reception the following Friday my sister, Debbie, got us a fabulous room at the Grand America, that was wonderful. LOVED IT!

I miss the days of being a newlywed and starting our life together, the only thing that mattered was spending all of my time with Arden. I don't feel like we get enough alone time together anymore, but I will always have fond memories of the time we did have alone while it lasted. Here's to many more wonderful years. Love you Ardee!

It's Official, She's a Teenager!

Happy Birthday to our dear sweet Chelsea, whom we love and adore more than words can say. I can't believe how fast the last 13 years have gone. I swear she was just a baby the other day.

When I was pregnant with Chelsea, I was just sure that I was having another boy. My Grandmother Davis was in failing health at the time and kept insisting it was a girl. She also insisted that she would not die before I gave birth, she just loved the great-grandkids. One day as I sat with Grandma, I told her that if she was just waiting around for the baby to come then she should go, that way she could spend time with the baby before it came to earth. October 3, 1995 my Grandma died, that very day I was scheduled for an ultrasound. When my sister, Janet, and I went in for the ultra sound I just cried and cried because they confirmed that it was indeed a girl, and I knew my Grandma was with her. I have often felt my Grandma's spirit with Chelsea.

What a fun baby, bright red hair, and super happy. We used to call her our baby orangutan. She looked just like a baby orangutan, she had hair on her ears and back, which has mostly gone by now, hee hee. She has attracted such attention for that hair too. When she was an infant, oh how the people would stop when we would go out in public. We would get the funniest comments like, "Oh I love her hair, is that natural?" I would have loved to ask them what kind of idiot perms or dyes an infants hair? What did they mean by asking such a silly question. Another of my favorites was a woman who stopped us in a department store one day when Chelsea was 2 or 3. She said "Do you know how much I pay to TRY and get my hair that color?" She was quite jealous.

I often tell her how proud I am to be her Mom. I'm so glad that I don't have to worry about her and the choices that she makes. Chelsea is always willing to help around the house, and keeps her brothers in line. Her outlook on life is so positive and she rarely complains. I don't know how I became so lucky to be her Mom. I thank the heavens above that she was sent to me. Heavenly Father knew that I needed her in my life.

I love you Chels!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ARDEE PARDEE!

Yesterday Arden turned the big 41, which is much worse than the big 40. Well, I don't know if it is actually worse, but he is definitely one year older.

We spent the weekend in Salt Lake and Park City. My dear sister, Dayna, watched the kids so that we could run around and have fun.

The highlight of the weekend was stopping in the Candy Shoppe in Park City and buying caramel apples. Those apples were heaven on a stick. Nothing says fall like caramel apples.

Saturday night we went to see Ghost Town with my sister and her husband, I laughed until I cried. That show is hilarious, or maybe I was just very tired.

Near midnight we decided to pack it home, as we drove the clock turned midnight the kids and I screamed HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I don't think he was very impressed, but he loves us anyway.

Arden is such a good man, a very hard worker, and a great father and husband.

A few of my favorite memories of Arden:

Arden as a teenager wearing short levi brand cut off shorts with the pockets hanging lower than the fringe. (SUPER HOT!)???

Arden wearing his crazy hawaiian shirt (also as a teenager), riding his unicycle all over the neighborhood. Very talented.

In the summer Arden would come to our home at 6AM on Saturdays, and sit on our porch to wait for my dad. Arden worked with him on the Stake Farm cutting hay.

When I was 13, Arden helped his mom with her calling as the Y.W. basketball coach. I would always make sure I looked good at basketball practice because I had a massive crush on him(along with most every other girl on the team).

At age 14 writing Arden on his mission. I wrote him often and sent packages, I felt so grown up to be writing to a missionary. Completely innocent I assure you. When he would finally write me back I would take the letter to school and show it all the girls in gym class.

When Arden came home I was 16, he called me over to watch church videos at his brothers condo. I thought it was a date. I think he was just trying to be nice because I wrote him so often.

Our real first date July 2, 1991, one month after I graduated from high school, we went to see Robin Hood with Kevin Costner, Arden gave me a t-shirt from Sports Mall Metro where he was working. (He only asked me out because I wouldn't leave the poor guy alone).

Our first dance date at the Institute of Religion. He was mortified that I was picking him up at 8pm, he thought he would be home by that time. He was also mad that the tie I got him was wider than 4 fingers at the end (but it matched my scarey pioneer dress so well).

Watching Arden make our first kitchen table when we were engaged to be married. It was so romantic, no seriously it was.

Our wedding day, October 10, 1992. It was the most beautiful fall day I can ever remember in my life. Oh, we were so in love!

Well I could go on and on, I am truly grateful for my life with Arden. I hope he enjoyed his birthday weekend as much I did. I love you Arden!