Garrett is 23!!!

We had so much fun last night celebrating Garrett's 23rd birthday! Is he really 23? WOW! It's amazing to think that! Garrett, Tiffany (and Gabe of course), Kimi and Matt, Tanner and Celeste, Kailee all went with us to Wingers for Garrett's birthday dinner. It is just so much fun hanging out with my big kids. It's amazing to watch them together, laughing and enjoying being together. It's amazing to watch as they have grown, watch the adults they are becoming, to interact with them as adults.

So much has changed in the last year for Garrett. A beautiful wife, and a beautiful baby boy, getting ready to go off to another state to go to school.... he has so much to look forward to! And I will sit back and enjoy watching him become the amazing man I see inside of him! I can't believe that 23 years ago I held my firstborn... and dreamed of the life ahead of us. And now here he is, living his own life with a family of his own. It's crazy how quickly life moves on... and yet it is so exciting!

Happy Birthday son... I hope that this year brings wonderful things for you and your beautiful family..... I hope as you work hard, all of your dreams come true. Know that your dad and I will always be here for you, standing behind you, cheering you on! It is such a blessing to be your mom and to sit back and watch your life become what you always wanted it to be!

YAY Garrett!!!

Garrett received his acceptance letter today for school in Montana to be a mining engineer! CONGRATULATIONS!!! What an exciting time. He loves mining and getting his engineering degree will be absolutely wonderful! We are really happy for them! Except for one thing.... GABE!!! Now how is this going to work??? Are they going to come visit Gabe often or what??? :) Okay, the problem would be me... not liking that I will be away from Gabe! Thankfully he has a grandpa that won't stand not seeing him often so it looks like we will have a new destination for vacations... Montana!!! I am thrilled that they will be doing this... sad that I won't have my sweet Gabe right here to squeeze anytime I want! But go Garrett!!! Congratulations!!!

Another trip to the mine...

Caitlyn was back in town to go to the Bridal Fair and we had decided that after we would go out to the mine since she hasn't been underground either. Shalum and Candice decided to go too so that Candice could see where Shalum worked too. Shalum works for a contractor at the mine. My dad was working too so it was fun to have him drive Shalum and Candice around while Tanner, Jace, Caitlyn and I went with Thayne. It's always amazing to see the mine and the changes that occur everytime I go out, and it's fun to see somebody see it, and experience it for the first time. The mine is growing and more gold is being found and that is a good thing all the way around... the more gold, the longer the mine life, and that means work!!! Jace and Caitlyn... ready to go underground??? Or is this their new engagement picture???

It took two people to put Candice together for her trip underground!

Jace ready to go....

Helping Caitlyn get ready to go....

Shalum and Candice....

Caitlyn, Jace, Shalum, Candice and Tanner waiting for the cage to take us about 1750 ft underground....

The shop... it's huge. Thayne says as big and fancy as it is, people still complain... sheesh! =)

Just to put into perspective how huge the trucks are that they run underground.... Thayne walking next to one of the haul trucks!

Checking out the shop....

More of the shop...

Checking out the refuge chambers... grateful they are there but would sure hate to have to be locked inside! Shalum told Caitlyn and Candice not to worry, there was even a place to use the bathroom in there.... that wasn't a plus to them!

CAITLYN.....

My dad! It was fun hanging out with him underground. He is such a good man and I love him so much. He told me he was getting old. I told him I thought the perfect world would be that we all got to stop aging at a certain age so we could enjoy our kids growing up but so we didn't have to get old and tired! I love him and am so grateful for all that he has taught and given me and my family. He has worked hard, harder than almost any man I know to provide for our family. His glory days were really glorious but he is still amazing!!!

My dad and baby brother!

Jace in the back of the kabota!

Checking out where they are making the contractors shop...

Dad, Shalum and Candice leading the way....

Jace... why the pose??? :)

Shalum was trying to see if his guys were getting ready to blast... sadly we missed both that happened that day!

I want to point out the sweat on their faces in these picture... can I say it was hotter than you know where at this particular place in the mine! Notice the coats also? That's because other places in the mine are down right frigid. I guess you could say that being underground could give you a glimpe of what hell could be like... frigid to those that like the heat, and hotter than heck to those that like it cool!!! =)

Dad and Tanner....

Where the dynomite is stored... I always laugh because there is a sign saying "Explosives... no smoking allowed!" Because well you know... people have to be told??? They are high tech though, and have cameras watching and not everybody is allowed into the area. There is a big steel gate to keep the explosives safely away from the crazies... I mean IF there were crazies working underground which I am sure there are NOT! :)

Waiting for the cage to go back up... we had a fun time and now it's time to go home...

I can't help it... I always laugh at the signs on the cage... No horseplay allowed! I just can't imagine any of the miners I know actually 'horseplaying' around the cage... well, okay, maybe the sign is necessary!!! :)

And.... finally.... these pictures are approved to post by my sweet husband who gave me permission! He had to check them out for me! :)

Look at this smile...

Look at this gorgeous smile! He is getting so big! I love his smile and I love being his grandma!

Basketball

The PAL basketball season is quickly coming to an end and Willie has had a blast playing. He has done well and he is learning a bunch and he looks forward to many years of playing! :) Good job Willie!!!

Kinzee the cheerleader...

Kinzee had a great time cheerleading this year. She got to be c0-captain and she loved it. Way to go Kinzee.... Goooooooooooo Hornets!!!

Let's talk about.... me! :)

Well... not really, but I did mean to blog about my birthday with my big kids and it was the most amazing weekend and I had the best time spending it with my family. Saturday night we went out to dinner with the older kids and I can't get over how amazing it is to have a 'grown up' relationship with them. We all went out to eat and had the best time laughing and talking and enjoying being together. I love seeing the kids interact as adults, to see that they really like each other and enjoy being together, hanging out! It's so exciting seeing how life is changing... seeing Kimi meet the one that she wants to spend forever with. Knowing that we will have more weddings, more very exciting times for our family. The greatest thing ever is watching my kids grow and become the amazing human beings I always dreamed they would be. I hear them laugh with each other, and I can't help but smile. I hear them all downstairs playing Wii, while I am snuggled with Gabe and I can't help but think that for moments in time, all is right with the world. I love how Tiffany and Caitlyn are just part of our family now... and since meeting Matt, he fits right in and he is welcomed into the family like he has always been here.... we have so many blessings. There will always be hard times thrown in to make us appreciate when it is good, but I am so grateful to be the mom of this family... they are all amazing. And this year they made my birthday one to be remembered for a very long time!!! Thanks... I love you all!


I was going through pictures and found this picture of my grandma holding me as a newborn. There are times that I miss her so much it hurts. Sometimes when I get pictures taken of my kids I forget that she is gone and I don't need to send her one. She told me one time that she felt like Heavenly Father sent me for her, to make up for my granpa dying. She said she wasn't supposed to rock me to sleep but she would babysit me and we would rock for hours. She would read me nursery rhymes until I had them memorized and then she told my parents I knew how to read, and I 'read' them the book of nursery rhymes, even knowing when to turn the pages. I miss her so much and wish that she was still here for all of my kids to know her!
Me.... at 9 months old!

My dad

101st Airborne... Screaming Eagles.... oh the army stories he would tell!!!

It's my dad's birthday today... and I have thought so much about him today, and all that he means to me and all that he has taught me and I guess I am feeling a little sentimental and am slightly amazed at how quickly life seems to fly by. I was thinking the other day how much I love watching my kids grow up, but at the same time hate seeing time go by so quickly for the rest of us. I know... it's not realistic to think that I could have my family and watch them grow, but keep time standing still for the rest of us, but it would be really cool if I could! I hate to see the health issues he deals with now, and to see some struggles in ways that I could never imagined. And yet, the memory of all he has given me will be forever a huge part of me, and will always be tucked away in my heart!

My dad was my hero... he was what I thought all men should be. He was my friend. I loved just being with him, hearing his stories, laughing at his silly tales. I loved hearing how he wanted to be a rodeo clown. I especially loved hearing him tell me stories of his dad. It seemed pretty apparent to me that he inherited my grandpa's sense of humor and I felt like I knew my grandpa, even though he died before I was born.

I remember listening to him and some friends playing guitar. I loved to hear him sing. His voice would soothe me while we were driving. Often we would be moving to yet another town, another state, even another country, and yet I would fall asleep to the sound of his voice... there are some songs that I can never listen to without hearing my dad's voice in my head. There are songs that my kids love now... all because my dad used to sing them to me!

So much of who I am is wrapped up in who he made me believe I was... He was my cheerleader, often my coach, even if there was another coach there... he had a way of making us believe that as a team we could do anything and we listened to him... I remember the first time I played basketball, in 4th, 5th and 6th grade. My friends talked me into it, but they were on the gold team and I got picked for the green team. I wasn't happy, I had never played before and wanted to be with my friends. I was the only girl on the team and my dad let me know that I could play, and would play against the boys and I would make myself be known! :) I don't remember him ever missing a game. I was the only girl on my team, but I started. One game was really tough, and the kid that I was supposed to defend was mean... really mean! He pushed me around and finally, my dad told me that I would not be pushed around again. He told me to get out there and make that boy hurt!!!! By half time that big ole' boy wasn't so tough and he was overheard telling his daddy that I was like a mean dog out there! That made my dad's chest puff up with pride and for years he called me "Mean Dog Stone".... but I knew that I could stand up for myself and nobody, especially not some bully boy was going to push me around! He cheered for me at more games, watched more track meets, more volleyball games, more soccer... but it always felt better knowing he was there!

I always knew when I got married that I could never settle for somebody that didn't love me completely, honor me and... most importantly date me! My parents always, always went out on dates. We were okay with that, we loved it in fact. There is nothing more important to a child, I think, than knowing that their parents love each other. At least it meant a whole lot to me, and I loved seeing them continue to date, even when they teased us that they went to the dump to see the bears.....

Because of that, Thayne and I have always dated and I know that it is one of the many things that have kept our relationship strong! I see now how our kids love to send us off on our dates and how they love seeing us hug, or kiss or laugh with each other... it does matter and I learned it from their example!

They showed that even when there are hard times... it's worth making things better! They still hold hands and that makes me happy!

I think one of the things I remember most growing up was how 'safe' I felt with my dad.... he was always playing jokes, like holding us over water or something, teasing that he was going to throw us in. Only I felt nothing but absolute trust in his ability to keep me safe. He is a practical joker. Always has been. He has always made me laugh. When I was about 18 months old, he taught me how to 'flip the bird'.... I know... shame on him! But he always found a way to get a laugh. There was a friend of his that used to pick him up for work. I used to sit up in the window and wave good bye to my daddy... well, this friend always teased that I was his little girl friend and my dad, being my dad thought it would be hilarious to teach me how to flip the bird... then one morning he told me when this guy waved at me to 'flip him the bird'.... so I did! I can just hear my dad laughing hysterically as he tells the story of how this man turned as red as his hair. I'm sure he worked hard to get my dad back, but I doubt he ever really managed to pull one over on my dad like he did on him!!

I love how my dad loves his family. I love being his daughter... my friends loved him in high school. He was a man who would tell us that we had to have family prayer before I went out, and invited them all to stay... and they did. And then would turn around when I asked to borrow the car and make me get on my knees and beg him, in front of my friends, and everyone in the gym for that matter, telling him that he was the most handsome, wonderful, friendly, funny.... well you get the picture... dad in the whole world! He really is!!! He would sometimes act like he was mad, but I could always tell if the side of his lip twitched so when my friends thought I was in deep trouble for something, I would push my luck and harass him back. They would always ask me how I dared do that. I knew the secret... if his lip is twitching, he is just giving me a hard time! This is the man who used to take me to the 'bar' to play pool... set me up with a shot glass full of sprite and he would play pool waiting for mom to get off work. Most dad's want boys first... but my mom told me he wanted a daughter. I always felt lucky growing up to have a dad who loved to work and provide for his family... he was good at his job. And he taught me values that have stayed with me and made me the person I am today!

It just never mattered what life was throwing at us... he made it fun!

His testimony of the Savior and of the power of the priesthood has stayed with me... he taught me that I would never be happy without a man who would honor the same things... I remember when I was in 9th grade, our house was small and my parents room barely had enough room for their bed and dresser. I had to get up early for early morning seminary and often, I would get up and there would be my dad, on his knees saying his prayers in the morning before he went to work. There was never a stronger man than one that is willing to get on his knees and ask the Lord to help him, and to help his family. That touched me more than I could ever put into words. He taught me that men can be strong, they can work hard and accomplish great things... but if they are not willing to get on their knees and pray for their family, they can never be a GREAT man! I am grateful for the things he taught Thayne when we were first married. Thayne has told me more than once how grateful he is for my dad teaching him so much, how to honor and use the Priesthood honorably, and even for getting him into mining! I wonder if we can ever understand the importance of our actions, of being willing to always serve others, and be willing to lift others up. I watched my dad while I was growing up truly serve other people. It was a wonderful gift that he gave me!

One day my mom called me. She and my dad were truck driving and she was crying and told me that they heard a song and she couldn't stop crying thinking of me, and my dad. The song, "I Loved Her First" by Heartland.... She said that it was the song that fit perfectly how my dad felt about me... how he had always been my number one, and he loved me first. Everytime I hear that song I cry... because I know that my dad still feels like that... like he should still be my number one, but he knows that that is Thayne's place now.

He will always be my hero. I will always cherish the memories of him, of his sense of humor, of his stories, of the fun that we had as a family. I will always cherish the things he taught me about what matters most. He teases, he jokes, he harasses and he even bugs... but he taught me what it meant to be loved first, to be cherished and protected, and for that I am so grateful. I love seeing how my girls love him now... I know it tickles him to have them act like he is the most wonderful man. Happy Birthday dad!!! You are the best!!!

I Loved Her First

Chorus...

But I loved her first and I held her first

And a place in my heart will always be hers

From the first breath she breathed

When she smiled up at me

I knew the love of a father runs deep

And I prayed that she's find you some day

But it's still hard to give her away

I loved her first

Thanks dad for loving me first....