Our world of *F*O*O*T*B*A*L*L*!

We are immersed in football and I LOVE IT! (The only grumbling you'll hear from me is when it starts getting cold/wet/snowy.) Cole is starting on the Sophomore team and dressing on the Varsity team, which means games on Thursday and Friday nights. He is #29 and plays Running Back. He has done really well in the 3 games so far, scoring 2 touchdowns. CHHS Sophomores have won 2 lost 1. He hasn't played Varsity yet but has dressed and Varsity is 3-1 now and looking good. Kai is #38 - playing Running Back (offense), Outside Linebacker (defense) and Special Teams for his Little League team - and they just won their first game today against Riverton! Kai has scored 2 touchdowns and 1 extra point with the extra point and 72 yard touchdown today! Woo hoo! It was a great game and our boys looked REALLY GREAT! And, of course, our favorite college team - BYU - is 3 - 0 and we are really excited for this football season. We can't wait until Kai is playing HS football so we can get season tickets to the BYU games! So, here are some photos of our football events over the last little while.

Cole's Sophomore photo:

This is Cole's photo in the '08 CHHS Football Program. I can't believe that's my boy...he's so grown up! This is also from this years football program, although this is Cole playing last year as a Freshman.

Kai ready to go! I asked him if he could have a song playing from the loud speakers during his game, which song would it be? He said it is a tie between "Everlong" or "Long Road To Ruin" both by the Foo Fighters. So, as your viewing these photos, you can click on the songs on the playlist and have the full experience! (Cole's, of course, would be AC/DC's "Thunderstruck")
Kai in action!

This is my (Kai) first time doing this blog thing and I just wanted to try it out.

Cole's Long Jump

Cole's long jump length was 19' 9". Pretty awesome.

Kai's track meet yesterday at Riverton High School. His 4x100 relay team took 2nd only to a group of high schoolers, they did really well! Isn't he handsome?! I was SO HOT yesterday, we thought we would melt!

Mom hanging out in my office, giving me the updates from the Senior Center!

I can't believe it's been almost 4 months since I last added a blog. (Sounds like a journal entry!) But it's ok, things have kept me busy, a good busy. Among many other things, Real Estate has picked up, the boys went from track (Cole) and basketball (Kai) to football (Cole) and track (Kai). Speaking of sports, Cole ran track for Copper Hills HS as a Freshman and he lettered! We are so thrilled! He had a great time and really did well. He took 5th place at one of the Regional meets for Long Jump, (I can't remember how far he jumped) and his fastest time in the 100m is 11.87. And he has now started summer football and is LOVING every minute of it, including 7:00 am practices every other day! Kai's basketball team didn't win many games, but the guys sure had a ball (hee hee, love the pun!). He was able to play again with his 3 really good friends; Daniel, Braden and Nate, so I think no matter what they do together, they have a good time. He is quite the basketball player too. He is so fast across the court and is an awesome rebounder. I have to confess that watching basketball in the past had been almost painful for me, but I began to enjoy it this winter with Kai's first group of games, and even caught a few quarters of some Jazz games and enjoyed them. I think the key is really understanding the game and what is going on, then it's easier to enjoy. Kai is doing really well in track too, and with his long legs and speed, I think he'll be a great sprinter. I've realized that my mellow, easy going boy can have an agressive and competitive side too and its fun to see the different sides of him.

I realized today after browsing through several friends' blogs that I'm not a blogger. I don't say anything really whitty or profound, I don't have a long list of favorite sites to share or anything catch-y or trendy, which are really fun to explore on other people's sites. It's all about simple - for me. My big revelation several years ago...simple. I was struggling through monthly scrapbooking workshops (by struggling I mean, emotionally I was losing interest, financially, my customers were barely making the minimums and the number of attendees were fewer every month, and I always felt that it took too much time to prepare and time away from my family). Shortly after this epiphany, I was called as RS President and realized that I couldn't keep it up and it was time to close the chapter. Around the time this happened I was working on a two-page layout for my scrapbooks and my family was waiting in the other room for me to go do something fun as a family. I kept them waiting forever and by the time I was finished, I realized that I just took away from an opportunity to create NEW memories, by scrapbooking old ones. It didn't make sense and that was when I decided that it was time to simplify. I quit scrapbooking all together! I sold ALL my rubberstamps and scrapbooking supplies (over 13 years worth!) and that was it. I haven't even looked back. In fact, I saved 2 colors of cardstock thinking that I might need to use them and it's been 3 years and I haven't even touched them. I've enjoyed simplifying my life. That doesn't mean that I'm not crazy busy sometimes or that I'm not stressed, but it's different now. Now that's about as wordy as you'll see me on this blog, I think. So if you are looking for whitty, trendy, poetic, life changing words to live by; this isn't the place. But if you are looking to catch up with us and what we are doing and what makes us happy, then enjoy. Especially our family. We love you and without you we wouldn't be as happy! Here are photos from recent "happiness-es" (hee hee, I just made that up!) that we can share...

My 3 favorite guys...at the Salt Lake Bees baseball game on Saturday night.

The San Diego Temple, isn't it beautiful? It's my favorite. I just bought a picture for our family room that is done in black and white and sepia with a beautiful black frame. It's gorgeous. I wish it had been built when Scott and I got married, we would have chosen it to be married in. The LA Temple is beautiful too and will always hold a special place for us.

This is our new beachfront home investment property......not really! Hee hee...I wish! These are some photos that I fell in love with...(things I dream of...)

Wouldn't this be an AMAZING vacation spot?! How romantic!

Random...

Here's my nephew, Elder Allen and his first door (tracting) in the Ukraine, Kiev mission! He's such a great young man and we are so proud of him! This photo brings back many memories for me, too! That first door is so scary!

This is David Archuleta's house. I HAD to drive by! This was just after his visit to Utah and they had bows and ribbons like the ones in front of his house lining the neighborhood. The banner across the front porch reads "Congratulations David Archuleta"! We are "American Idol" fans and especially this year. He was one of our favorites from the auditions and knew he would do well.

We just finished a large group meeting with the special speaker, President Monson! He was so cute, when he was leaving he waved and looked up and it was as if he saw each one of us individually. Here I am with Tammy and her friend Sheila. Women's Conference is SO MUCH FUN! I don't think this angle was very good, we look like we're from Munchkin Land!

Shelly and I also at WC.

Paula and Carl came up for Easter Weekend which happened to be their anniversary weekend, so we took them to Temple Square. They wanted a few photos in front of the SL Temple, where they were married.

The "Fuzzins" aka The Turners came to stay with us this winter and took the boys skiing. They LOVED it! Isn't it funny, our friends from San Diego take the boys from the snow skiing for the first time! LOL! Here's me, Mellie and Chambler (Melinda, Chandler).

On one of our many trips to San Diego

With the Carliles at Temple Square Dec. 2006

Scott took this one of me with my phone. I actually like it, I had just had my hair colored.

Scott's self portrait!

San Diego - Lauren

Here's a photo of me in Coronado, California for a Real Estate seminar. Scott and I took several pictures from our phones during the seminar, but for some reason, can't find them. So, this is it.

No news is good news!

It's official, Bugsy is NOT having puppies. And I'm relieved. If everything went as scheduled, she would have had her puppies on oraround Feb. 14, Valentines Day or the 16th which was our anniversary, (or otherwise known this year as the time Scott was in the hospital). Had she have had her puppies during that time, I think I would have had a nervous breakdown. No, really. So, we have no news, no puppies...which is GOOD news. For now.

The snow is melting (YEAH!) and it has been warm and beautiful the last 2 days, at about 50° or so. I'm getting spring fever and feeling the itch to get to the BEACH! We are hoping to go in early summer, after school ends and before football camps start. The "fuzzins" (The Turners from Oceanside, CA) are coming to visit in a few weeks to ski and snowboard and we are thrilled that they are coming. We can hardly wait, we are all counting the days! The boys are so excited to go skiing (and by boys, I mean Scott, too LOL!). I wish I was, Melinda begged me to go with them so we'll have to see. I ALWAYS have fun when Melinda is around, so no doubt it would be FUN but I've not skiied since the ONE time just after graduation (about 26 years ago) so I'm not looking forward to being cold and wet. Although, the lodge sounds appealing...hum.

Kai is finished with his season of basketball. The team had a BLAST together and won 2 games, of which they are very proud. The boys played better as each week went on. After their last game, our Young Men had a Stake basketball tournament. Our boys played 3 games, won the first 2 and are qualified for the Region tourmament, which I think is next week. They were awesome! Cole really enjoyed it and would like to play more...he was with Monte though, so whatever he does with Monte, he enjoys. The same with Kai and his buddies, Braden, Nate, and Daniel. They are quite the foursome. Cole had his High School Orientation/Registration last week. I can't believe that we are there already. It just seems like yesterday when he was just starting school. Wow! It brought back alot of memories and feelings - the enthusiasm of friends at school and starting a new year - I think I'm as excited for him to start HS as he is! He started running track for CHHS this week. He says its tough but knows it's good practice for football. He has always enjoyed running track, but I think this season of high school track will be a different level for him and will make him stretch. He's competitive, works hard and can push himself and it will be interesting to see what happens. He and Kai had to quit taking piano lessons. There's just not enough time in a day. Cole is working on getting his last two (?) merit badges done so he can work on his Eagle project and get his Eagle. He won't get his license until he gets his Eagle, so he's really motivated!

Mom (Grandma Jo) has spent the last 3 days at the Senior Center. She is having a ball! She spent all day there yesterday - until about 8:30pm. They had a Mardi Gras and she came home with a "tiara" on her head saying how much fun she had. I wish I would have taken a picture, it was a hoot! It's good for her to be with her friends and have something to do.

Scott went back to work on Monday. He feels really good, he just has some discomfort at the incisions on the inside. He shot a few baskets with the boys the other day, I'm thinking he may have done something then, but overall, he's good.

I'm going to try to post some photos soon so keep watching...

One Romantic Valentines Day/Anniversary

Well, I thought I'd let you in on a little secret. For you youngsters, this is NOT how to get the girls. For you old guys you can feel the pain. Lauren and I celebrated our 17th anniversary in the hospital. Wednesday night (the day before valentines day) I went into the hospital with stomache/chest pain and on thursday I had my Gallbladder removed (Laproscopic cholecystectomy), and on friday followed up with another procedure called ERCP to remove the remaining gall stones. I was finally released saturday at around 4pm. To top it off, I also had Pancreatitis (am I one romantic devil or what). I am so greatful for a wife that takes care of me and loves me and Boys that make me proud. They have been so patient with me, and of course as soon as I recover I will make it up to Lauren. She deserves something special for putting up with me for 17 years.

Charlie the Unicorn

The best vid ever, check it out

coolio

sweet-o i finally figured out how to post new blogs, so keep checking on the blog, when my mom is out, ill probably add things. fresh baby.