Whew!

After a year's worth of 3 tumbling classes and a dance class at Lightbox, we ended with a bang. Emily & Alicia decided to skip the tumbling review but when I suggested to Tommy that we skip it tears came to his eyes & he said, "What?! You mean I worked all year for nothin'?! nothin'?!" So I decided to let him have his moment. Unlike his sisters, he loves to tumble for all to see. Emily performed with her show team. She also loves to perform but in dance mode. It was a long night with Tommy starting at 5:30 and Emily being in the finale at 9:00 but anything for the kids, right?
Alicia surprised me this year when she told me she was going to try out for student council. She brought home the form, filled it out, wrote her essay and entered all on her own. When it came time for interviews she had a change of heart and dragged her feet to the school with the bribe of her Grandma in her pocket. She relaxed when she saw the cinnamon rolls the participants got.:) It was really tough competition with 30 girls and 5 boys trying for 12 spots. We are so proud of her and know she will do a wonderful job for the school. She always gives her best and is the most self-motivated person I know.

Father's Day Sharing Time

I know Father's Day isn't until this coming week but since our classes have sharing time this week we decided to do a fun Father's Day sharing time yesterday. I am not an artist so I relied on the wonderful Wii to help me with my faces I drew on these paper bags. I had 7 dads come into both sharing times w/ robes and these faces on. The kids then drew questions out of a bag to ask the dads. They were questions like, "Where did you grow up?" "How many kids do you have?" What's your favorite food?" "What color of hair do you have?"....you get the idea. It was hilarious. The dads disguised their voices and were a hoot. I didn't let the kids guess until the questions were all asked. Then we went from Dad #1 to Dad#7 and let the kids guess.

I had Eric help with both sharing times. When it came time to ask who Dad #5 was, Benny ran over to his teacher and whispered in her ear, "It's Erwic." She laughed he called his dad by his first name. So I called on Benny to say who it was. Adam wasn't really paying attention to Benny because his eyes were fixed on the paper bags. When Eric took his bag off Adam squealed. He started clapping and his eyes started watering. I thought he was going to hyper venilate. It was so sweet. You would think Adam hadn't seen Eric for months. I even got teary eyed watching the reaction.

Another cute moment was when no one could guess who dad #6 was (it was his first day in our ward). His 8 year old son was not really paying attention probably figuring he didn't know any of the dads anyway. Of course none of the other kids knew who it was so I started giving hints. Pretty soon it became apparent it was the new kids dad and he just beamed. It was fun to see his surprise. It was a great day!

Remembering Tom

This past weekend was Tommy's 31st birthday, May 16. I have been thinking a lot about him lately and so I thought I would write down my last couple of memories of him and about that horrible day fourteen years ago when I got the call from my poor Dad who was trying to notify everyone.

I remember driving around with Tommy with his learners permit. I will always remember going around the bend up in North Logan. We started out on the right side of the road but as we went around the bend we ended up on the wrong side. I didn't even realize it until an old white truck started coming down the road straight at us. I made him pull over in a church parking lot so I could breath before I had him drive us back to Smithfield.

The Monday before he passed away Eric & I drove him and his friend down to Lagoon where we met Mom, Dad, Ryan, and Mike. (there could have been more there but I don't remember) I was expecting Emily at the time. I was six months along. On the way down, Tom was giving me suggestions of what to name our little baby girl. He was set on Shania (Twang) or Faith (Hill). I just kept telling him there was no possible way.

(about 3 months later Emily Faith was born)

We had a great day at Lagoon. Tom and his friend were hardly seen but I do remember watching them ride the Sky Coaster. We waited for them in the parking lot while they said their good-byes to a couple of girls they had met during the day. We had a great time teasing them all the way home. That was the last time I saw Tommy, when we dropped him off at his car at the Shopko parking lot.

That Saturday, Eric & I spent the day with our friends, Wade & Kristin, up Logan Canyon having a cookout. On our way down we decided we would all just head to the movies. Just as we were coming out of the canyon my nose started bleeding very heavily. Since we just lived right there at the USU trailer court we decided to go home so I could clean up. I had just barely walked into the door when the phone rang. It was then that I received the worst call of my life. My Dad was on the other end. He told me to sit down. I'm sure he was concerned about the baby. He told me that there had been an accident and Tommy had been killed. I remember grabbing the bar and just saying over and over, "Oh no, Oh no". That moment has never left me. I remember it often when I think of this time of my life. We took our friends home and headed straight to Smithfield to be with my parents.

I was the only married sibling that lived close by (John, Mike & Ryan lived at home). But it was just hours before everyone started rolling in. Robin and her family drove all night from Colorado. Dusty & Amee came from St. George. Sandee was coming in from Washington D.C. (Rob came in later). Robin & I were so excited to see Jessica who we hadn't seen since Christmas. But as soon as we saw Sandee we all just broke down right there in the airport.

I believe we all cried for each other, especially for my parents, the little boys, & Jim who was enduring this loss without family as he was in the mission field. Tommy's death will always be a memory of mixed emotions. I am so grateful for my knowledge of the Plan of Salvation and to know without a doubt I will see him again and give him the biggest hug I can. I miss him but especially when we all get together. His presence is surely missed but I feel him near me at times and for that I am so grateful.

An Amazing Woman!

Vickie has been my best friend for almost 25 years. This winter she was diagnosed with breast cancer. It has been one of the hardest times of my life knowing the pain and suffering she is enduring. Anyone that knows Vickie knows that she does everything with humor and determination. She is a rock to all those that love her during her time of trial.

With still one chemo treatment to go, Vickie decided to show us all what she is made of by participating in the Race for the Cure in Salt Lake City. Just five days after a chemo treatment she thought she could at least do the mile walk. But since the markings weren't clear we walked almost 2 1/2 miles. She even had energy towards the end to jog to the finish.
Vickie looked beautiful. I noticed a Fox News lady following us during the race. At the finish line there she was just waiting to grab Vickie. Vickie is a natural when it comes to interviewing. Vickie brought tears to my eyes as she told the news lady the reason she decided to join the race. Vickie said, "I'm still going through chemotherapy so I wanted to come out and just experience this and to see for myself that I'm not the only person that is experiencing this." I watched later that night on the news with pride. How was I blessed with such an amazing friend?

The weekend before the race she changed her Friday chemo to Monday so she could attend Womens Conference. She has always been someone that I have looked up to. She can make me laugh at the drop of a dime. We have a friendship that is enduring and will last forever. I love her so much!
Here's to you Vickie! You Rock!

Chain Letter Contributors

This is for all you chain-letter addicts. I found this hilarious because I have been sent so many of these proven FALSE chain-letters.

http://www.rd.com/your-america-inspiring-people-and-stories/rumor-detectives-true-story-or-online-hoax/article122216-1.html
Scroll down half the page to get to the different hoaxes.
Please take the time to read if you are one of those you can't spot a hoax. I really like the one about the "back-window" robbers b/c I actually fell for that one. And I have always heard about the "flashing lights" gang sign one that was created years ago and I believed it too. But I never pass them on because I never know if they are true or not.

A Night at the Movies

It has been one of those weeks.

Sick kids,

running to the orthodontist day after day for loose wires,

and doctor appointments.

But the worst of it was my husband working 6 days straight and then "deathly" sick on his only day off.

Last night, after having the doctor call in a prescription, I headed to Layton to the closest 24 hour pharmacy. I was enraged to find out the prescription wouldn't be done for 1-2 hours! I told them forget it because I was not coming all the way back and drove away. As I drove down the street I spotted the movie theatre and thought to myself,

"I deserve a night at the movies".

I headed back to the pharmacy with my head hung low and told them to go ahead and fill the prescription.

I have never been to the movies by myself. I must say, it was empowering. I can't say much for the movie. It was very disturbing and I left very paranoid about my surroundings. Heck, a lone woman leaving the theatre at 11:00 at night after watching "Taken" is very scary.

I heard once that women should go to the movies by themselves once in awhile and I never understood why.

Now I do.

Too Independent?

Where has the time gone? Can you believe these two little guys just made their own microwave popcorn? I was in my room preparing for my diet class. I went downstairs to change the laundry and noticed there was popcorn on the floor. I went to the twins room where they were playing to find a big bowl of popcorn in the middle of their room. I asked who made it and they both said,

"not me!"

I asked again and Benny said,

"it was Emily"(who is in school at this moment).

So I said,

"Who is smart enough to make their own popcorn?"

Their little faces lit up and yelled,

"We did, we did it all alone!"

Yesterday was their first day of Primary and they handled it better than I could have hoped for. I just can't believe they are almost 4!