I want to play too...

My daughter Aubree did a cute post on a photo tag. When I followed the instructions myself, I found a picture of my greatest treasures, so I decided to play along too. This was taken last August at Amber's wedding reception. I love these girls with all my heart and I am so proud of each one of them. That's my story.


Now it's anyone else's turn who would like to play too:

1.Go to your documents/pictures

2. Go to your 6th file

3. Go to your 6th picture

4. Post it, and blog about it

5. Tag 6 people to do the same

6. Name your picture

I hope you find a treasure as well.

...And Happy Birthday Sis

Girl's trips are fun. I admit, it's great sometimes to leave the men at home, and go on an adventure with females only. Last fall, I had the opportunity to do just that when my sister Michelle and I took a road trip to Canada to bring our mother back from helping her mother get settled into an assisted living home. We left early in the morning and drove all day, stopping only for gas and a lunch break in Montana. I can't believe how quickly the time flew as we drove along the open highway, talking and laughing and remembering. Michelle drove the entire way and I just put my feet up on the dash and enjoyed the ride...

We got to Taber in time for dinner-or supper as they refer to it up there. While there, we visited with Grandma, helped get her things sold, saw extended family and took a day trip to the towns where our dad was born and raised. It was great to reconnect and reminesce. I found out that my mother and sister are REALLY FUNNY. We laughed so hard our sides hurt. Then, we took the trip home in 2 days, stopping for the night in Dillon, then visiting my 2 daughers in Logan on the way back. I would recommend a girl trip like this for every female. I think we need to do this more often.

Here are some photos from our long weekend adventure...
We stopped at the museum in Raymond, where our dad grew up and found him in the Sports Hall of Fame. His team took first in the provincials. It was so fun to look at the memorabilia.

Here is a picture of one of dad's teams. He is the second from the right on the back row. I am really proud of him. He was a great basketball player and an excellent athlete for most of his life.

We also went downtown to the coffee shop where our Grandpa Hirsche would walk to meet with his buddies every morning. It had just been closed down, so this will probably not exist on our next trip.

We stopped in Lethbridge to see our aunt and visited some sites we remembered as children, such as this railroad bridge over the coulee.

The highlight of this trip for me was being able to spend time with my sweet little Grandma Bullock. She is now 96 years old. She has a lovely room at an assisted living center. We ate lunch with her there and enjoyed her sense of humor and memories. She is amazing. She still dresses up every day--heels and stockings--and enjoys her friendships and activities at her new home. I am very proud of her and love her to pieces.

This is Mom and Michelle in Lethbridge.

As for the title of this post, today is my baby sister's 34th birthday and I just wanted to tell her that I love her very much and hope that she has a wonderful day. We need to hit the road again soon , Sis!

A shout for my sweet second born

This is a very late post. I meant to do it as soon as I returned from St. Louis, but I have to admit, I am not good with the computer and could not figure out how to scan and upload the baby picture, so my happy birthday post for my dear daughter Amber is almost a month late.

I apologize for this, especially to Amber. However, I wanted her to know that I think she is an incredible person and I am so proud of her. This is how she came into this world...A week late, adorable, with big blue eyes, not much hair and beautiful, deep dimples. She worked hard to keep up with her older sister and had earned the nick-name of "Stinkerbell" by the time she was 2 and a half. Loving, determined, considerate and stubborn could be used to describe Amber as a child. She was a joy to everyone around her, happy, helpful and smart.

She has grown into a beautiful, smart, kind, talented young woman who has accomplished her goals of education, marriage and motherhood (soon). I'm sorry that I was unable to spend your birthday with you. Thank you for 23 wonderful years, Amber. I am so proud that you are my daughter. I love you.

Happy Birthday to my Firstborn

It has been 24 years since I became a mother. I want to wish my firstborn daughter, Aubree a very happy birthday. You never forget the details of the births of your children. They stay with you all of your life. It is such an incredible experience. Aubree was a beautiful, strong healthy baby girl. She was very smart and determined and it was so much fun watching her grow and develop. This is a shot of her on her blessing day. I love the way her little lips are scrunched up like she is trying to decide to let you in on a secret.

Her strong natured determination and intelligence has taken her a long way in her short 24 years and I would just like to tell her how much I love her and how proud I am of her for the person that she has become and the wonderful things she has accomplished in her life. I am very happy for all of the good things that she has going for her. She is a beautiful person.

I love this picture of her as a bride. The look on her face is so typical of her.


Happy 24th Birthday Aubree. I am so glad to have you as a daughter. You are a wonderful mother, wife, nurse, sister and friend as well. Do something that makes you happy today.

In 24 years, this is the first birthday that I haven't been able to spend with you and I wish we were together. Love you!

I've been tagged...

I'm not really sure how to play this, because I don't know many bloggers, but here's for Aubree...

8 TV shows I like to watch:

-Grey's Anatomy
-House
-Worst Week (it's new, but I laughed my head off)
-News
-Y&R
-American Idol
-Can that be enough?

8 favorite restaurants:

-Costa Vida
-Red Lobster
-Olive Garden
-Appleby's
-Pizza Factory
-Tepanyaki
-Market Street Broiler
-The Roof

8 things that happened yesterday:

-I went to church
-I made dinner for my family
-I made a meeting agenda
-I went to a YSA activity planning meeting
-I sat out on the porch and enjoyed the evening
- I ate dessert with my daughters
-I saw Jessica Elsey and gave her a hug
- I finally turned in my YSA report to the Bishop

8 things I'm looking forward to:

-An end to the housing financial crisis
-Going to St. Louis
-Birth of my next grandson
-Amber and Trace having a family
-My next dinner with high school girlfriends
-Thanksgiving-when my family will be reunited
-The next visit from any of my daughters
-Bunco

8 things on my wish list:

-Continued health for me and my family
-Lots of beautiful grandbabies that live nearby
-Cabo at Christmas
-That my husband wasn't so stressed out
-That I would LOVE to exercise
-To be out of debt
-Help with pruning bushes
-World Peace

I don't know any one to tag...

If you would like to play, please leave your blogspot address and consider yourself tagged. :)

Why I went AWOL

I haven't posted much this year, but I have done a lot of things. I am trying to play "catch-up" and show what I have been up to..in March, Cami and I went with Megan's cheer squad to southern California to cheer nationals. Megan and her squad had worked so hard all year to prepare for this event. It was held at the Anaheim Convention Center. We got to enjoy ourselves at several of the fun places nearby while we were there also. This is one ride at Knotts Berry Farm. I am not much of a height fan, but I was determined to keep up with these girls, so I buckled up my seatbelt and closed my eyes on this one: I have never seen such a vertical climb or drop on a roller coaster and I nearly swallowed my lungs, but I made it!

The girls were thrilled to make it to the final competition and even MORE THRILLED when they walked away with a NATIONAL title!! I have never heard so much screaming and seen so much jumping around and hugging in my life. I was very thrilled for them and proud of what they had accomplished.

It was really nice to have Cami join us also as it was one of the last trips that she would be able to take with Megs before she left for college. Here they are at one of the parks we visited. Cami was adopted as a little sister by many of the cheerleaders and she loved it.

This is Megan right after winning the competition. These girls couldn't wipe the smiles off of their face for the next week! It was a fabulous way to end the trip.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...

I know that it has been quite some time since I have posted here, but I have been pretty busy. I will share my adventures over the next few postings, but let me just say it has been a whirlwind summer. I have experienced things and places that I never thought that I would be able to experience. Some things have been absolutely wonderful and beautiful, and some have been very difficult.
This is a picture of one of the more difficult times. This is Aubree and little Thomas saying goodbye as they left for St. Louis where Michael is attending WashU Law School. I miss them terribly, but know that it is in the best interest of their little family to do this, so I will be supportive and tough. :) They are expecting another sweet little son in January so I look forward to being able to go out to SL to help them. This is a picture of one of the wonderful things that I have experienced this summer...going to the temple with Amber. That was a little slice of Heaven...a parental payback worth more than I can express.

Other events of the summer were going to Europe with Megan for 18 days. I will post pictures of that at another time. Also for later are some of Amber's wedding to Trace as well as their move to Logan and Megan's move to college. My emotions have been on over-drive for the past few months...extreme happiness and sadness within days (sometimes hours) of each other as the dynamics of my family have changed so dramatically.

I am very excited for my children and the new adventures they are beginning in their lives. They are all doing well in their adjustments and I am proud of all of them. They are all doing good things.

So now I am left at home with Cami and Kevin on a journey to discover who I am now that my time is not so occupied by my children. I need to decide what to do "when I grow up" and how to spend the time that I find myself with. This has come much earlier than I ever expected.

If anyone out there has been at this point in their life as well, please send comments or suggestions.