Celebrating 25 years...

...with BRHS. Wow!! It's hard to believe how fast the years keep rolling by. I remember going to Jeff's 10-year High School reunion with him and now we are already at 25. Seems almost too hard to believe. Jeff and his best friend, Mark. The C and the O from Z-A-C-O. It was so good to see the 2 of them reunited again. These 2 have been through alot together and Jeff could NOT have asked for a better best friend!

Mark and his wife, Teri.

Mark, Brett, and Jeff. (Fellow football players)

Lana, Kirk, Mark, & Jeff

Kirk, Mark, and Jeff. Just had to include this shot of Mark.

I sure am glad I was able to enjoy this day with him!

Daddy Daughter Campout

This is Maddy enjoying the Daddy Daughter campout.
This is our friend, Berlyn Clark. She is younger than Maddy but their family are dear friends of ours.

And that is Berlyn with her Dad, Stan. Is that the cutest picture? Berlyn is usually very shy but when she smiles, it is the cutest thing ever!

And this is Maddy with her Daddy. She loved this swing and loved spending time with her Dad. They went up with Stan and Berlyn and stayed in their trailer. They stayed overnight and had a great time. I am so grateful to be part of a church that sponsors such great events, that leave us with lasting memories.

"Cruise-in"

Jeff's newly-restored 1966 Chevelle Super Sport...heading to it's first car show.

Love those wheels!

Red Hot!!

Quite a ride...

Jeff: With his car that he has had since he was 16 years old. Back then, it was white with a red stripe down the middle but after 20 years, Jeff has finally got it fully restored to original color.

Jeff, Maddy, & Jake. (Josh had to work) This picture was taken in line waiting for the Awards Ceremony. Jeff's car was one of about 40 cars (out of 1000) to be chosen for an award. I thought that was so cool! He has literally poured his heart and soul into this car and it is finally paying off. The only unfortunate part was that we had to drive his newly, meticulously polished car through a dusty arena and it made a mess! I think Jeff was a little heartsick when he saw how dirty it got but he was able to clean it up. The only other downside of the day was that Josh couldn't be with us. The boys have spent a ton of hours helping Jeff on his car. I just wish he would have been able to enjoy it with us. Other than that, the weather was nice, in the low 80's, and we enjoyed celebrating the holiday in style.

Here we are at the car show. I was surprised to see that Maddy actually enjoyed herself. Surprisingly, cars aren't her thing. But she had fun seeing all the cute dogs walking around and also taking pictures of all her favorite cars with her cute, pink camera. Jake, of course, loved every minute of it. He loves cars and there were some beauties!

We had to get a picture of Maddy by this cute, old truck.

And of course I had to get a picture of the Coca-Cola car. It would have been better if it said Diet Coke but I liked it, nonetheless.

Jake loved Tonka trucks when he was little so I had to get his picture taken by this monster of a truck.

And of course, we couldn't miss a shot with Bumblebee from the Transformers movies. Jake loves Bumblebee and Transformers and loves the new Camaros. This car was awesome! It even had the Transformers logo imprinted in the leather. So cool!

And here I hopped out of the car during a break on the parade route to get a quick picture. After the car show, they always have a parade of the classic cars down Main Street. It's alot of fun to see all the gorgeous cars and it was amazing to see how many people came out to support the event.

Waiting to get on Main Street...

View from inside the car...

Proud to be American!!!

That's all folks. What a great way to celebrate one of the many freedoms we enjoy. God bless America!

Sunbeams = Sunlight

Well I wasn't planning an entry for today but I just had to document my gratitude for a happy day. Jeff and I have been the Sunbeams teachers in our church for about 7 months. Although it is a calling with its challenges and you sometimes don't feel like you fit in, it is also a wonderful one! I feel so blessed to get to soak in these special little spirits. Their innocence and precious, little smiles are enough to melt anyone's hearts. I love watching their concentration as they are listening or learning something new, and watching their eyes light up when they see you. It truly makes my day! I don't take the time to appreciate it to this extent every week. Sometimes I just think of how tired I am and how I don't know if we're making a difference at all. Sometimes I wonder if it even matters if we are there or not because I'm not sure they are hearing anything I say. But then I get a hug from one of them or they beg to sit on my lap during Sharing Time or they tell me that they love me...and it makes it all worth it.

Another thing that makes it special is the opportunity of watching my husband teach these little ones. My love for him grows every time because I see him let down his guard and I watch their little spirits go to work on his heart. I can't help but feel my heart grow on those days. He doesnt think he is good at this calling but I think he's perfect. He always brings special props and experiments to teach his lessons and those kids eat it up. I am so thankful that if only for today, I was able to sit back and bask in the glory of these perfect little beings. They, and Jeff, brought such a peace to my day. We have such a wise Heavenly Father that thought to send these angels to earth so innocent and fresh so that we fall in love with them from the very beginning. I know it has worked on me.

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to all the wonderful Fathers in my life!



I am so thankful for the men in my life and for all the things they do for me. The 2 most important are, of course, my own Dad and the Father of my children.

I will start with my own Father. The I have always considered myself being close to my Dad. That feeling has only continued and become even deeper since my Mom passed away. I consider my Dad not only my Dad but also one of my best friends. He has helped me overcome things in the past several years that no one else could help me with. He has spent late nights talking with me, researching things with me, and wiping away my tears during bad times. I can't think about my Dad without tears coming to my eyes because he has shown my what it feels like to be loved unconditionally. I have certainly not been the perfect daughter and have brought my share of stress to his life. But he continues to understand me, not judge me, and love me anyway. He has helped me to understand that I am truly a daughter of God and that I am stronger than I think I am. I am so grateful to him for helping me to believe in myself, for always believing in me, and loving me no matter what. I am also forever grateful for the Priesthood that he holds and the role it has played in my family and my life. I have always felt His protection through my Father. Thanks for all you do, Dad!


Then there is my Father-in-law. I am glad that I have been around for the last 20 years to watch this man grow. Because Jeff is the oldest, we have got to watch his parents raise their younger children. It has been fun to see him grow as a Father and be an example to us in many ways. He has taught his children to work hard. He has taught them the joy they can find in that work. He has been a great example of service and church work over the last several years. And most importantly, he has taught me to love your children through good times, and even more so, through bad. It has been fun to see him grow, in his love for his children and his love for his church. I am so proud of his efforts and his quiet example of love and parenting. Thanks, Ted!


And last but of course, not least, there is Jeff, the Father of my children. It has been so rewarding for me to watch Jeff grow as a Father over the years. Nothing can melt my heart faster than watching him with one of our newborn babies. Jeff loves the cute sounds and fun things that newborns and toddlers do. I always enjoyed watching the sparkle in his eye when he saw them. It was especially neat to see him with a daughter. Although he said he never wanted girls (because he was petrified of them), that all changed the second, and I mean literally "the second" Madelyn was born. She had him wrapped around her little finger from that moment and still does to this day. She softened him and filled him with warmth. I am so happy for the joy he has found in Fatherhood and for the efforts he makes. I know that the role of a Dad is so important and vital in a family and am so proud of the good things he does for his kids. I love you, honey!

Happy Birthday, Jeff!

This is my husband...

And this is why I love him...

See his eyes peeking through?

This guy knows how to make me laugh! This is the pose I got when I asked him for his birthday picture by his new compressor.

Since the first time I met him (over 20 years ago), I have loved him. He was everything that I was not - confident, funny, mischevious, unpredictable, and true to himself. (To this day, it is still hard to figure him out and know when he is serious or joking.) His personality immediately drew me in. He was different from anyone I had ever met. He knew what he wanted and always worked hard to get it. When I was with him, I couldn't help but have fun. His sense of adventure is contagious! He is the life of the party and can be so much fun to be around. He also has the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen. When I look in them, I see so much. I see a lifetime (or at least 20 years) of memories. I have watched Jeff grow throughout the years. I have laughed with him, cried with him, argued with him, played with him, and raised 3 beautiful children with him. We have certainly had our share of difficult trials over the years but through it all, he can still bring a smile to my face. So today I say, "Happy Birthday, Honey" and "I love you!" Keep the smiles coming! :)