Provo River Trail

Pictures from last fall..... this is one of our favorite fall places! We had some warm fall days and the leaves were exceptionally bright and colorful this year.

TylerKates 3rd Birthday

Tyler Kates 3rd Birthday!!! She is a little sweetheart.... she loves everything that is pink, and cute and princessy!! She loves to color and dance and twirl in her tutu! She loves teddy bears and cupcakes and strawberries! She loves her dollies and sitting on the window ledge to watch for "daddy"! She loves "reading" books and being with her big sister all the time! She loves baking cookies..... especially snickerdoodles... she likes to roll them around in the cinnamon and sugar. She is a little dolly!!

Bretty's Baptism

I know its almost 6 months later, and I am finally getting these pictures up. Time flies by. I have a lot of catching up to do!! What a neat day! The kids sang the primary song, "I Know the Savior Loves Me" all weekend. It was really cute. Bretty sang it in the car, all the way going to and from his baptism at the stake center.
It was great to have family here with us, and we also got a visit from Grandma and Grandpa Yates the few days before. They took us out to the big red barn for ice cream cones, a hayride, and for picking out pumkins. The next day (Sunday) was TylerKates birthday. Bretty was happy that they got to share the special weekend together. It turned out really nice.

Summer 2010

Wow!! I had no idea that it had been so long since I had posted here! Where has the time all gone. I can't believe another summer has come and gone..... and we are back in school. What a busy summer it was. We had the girls here again for the summer and got to have Sterling stay a week as well before he took off for boys camp..... it was suppose to be a day, but then it turned to two and three..... and before long a week had passed and it didn't seem long enough. We really enjoyed getting to know him better. The kids all call him "Uncle Sterl!" We found that he has got a great sense of humor and I loved playing football with him up at the canyon, going to 5 cent lemonade stands, getting pizza, making smores, and helping him pick out a sweatshirt from the BYU bookstore! I never laughed so hard as the week that he was around.
As to the rest of the summer, Celeste worked in the office as a receptionist/office assistant/MedicalAssistant in training!! She did a great job! She got to give her first shots, take blood pressures and vitals, and lots of other "cool" stuff. Her favorite item at our house was the "car keys" !! :) Late night talks (those are a summer tradition), going to get our hair done together, swimming, St. George, and going to the gym. And you can't forget the MTC!! That was so funny!! I am so impressed with her desire to go on a mission! She will be a great missionary one day!! Let's see .... what else.... so much I am missing! Every year we make a list of a 100 things that we are going to do during the summer, and we usually come pretty close to getting them all in. Dance parties, midnight walks, ..... I think about the only one we missed was going to sample all the snow cone flavors. How did we miss that?
Celina is getting so grown up!! I can't believe it. She was only 11 the first summer she came and now is 13 going on 14!!! She loves all the girly things, ..... painting nails, shopping at the mall, boys (oops... did I really say that??? :) Ha ha) And she is continuing to work on her goal of reading 1000 books that she started last year. The funny thing is she read Undaunted (A series of 7 books that is compiled into one) in about 3 days.... and I kept telling her she needed to count it for 7 books, but she insisted that since it was all in the same cover that it only counted for one. Then she moved onto the Work and the Glory.
All the family was there for my marathon. What a neat experience. Alec and Sterling even helped me on some of my practice runs.... riding a bike and handing me water and gu packets. Alec went back and decided to give running a try and made the VARSITY cross country team!!!! (As a sophomore!!! :) Unbelievable.) He has a natural talent for running. We attended his first track meet this past weekend. He did great!! He has got such a great group of friends on the cross country team, and I am so excited for this upcoming year for him. It will be one of his best I think. He is already counting down the days until he turns 16 and enters the world of dating!!
Sami just turned 10!!! I can't believe we are onto double digits!! She is my true helper! She is my righthand gal, and I don't know what I would do without her. She and TylerKate have their own rooms, but insist on sleeping in the twin size bed together each night! :) We found out that Sami is quite the baker. One night I called home to talk to Bret on my way home from the grocery store, and she announced that she was making Peanut Butter Sandwhich Creams!! (She was still 9) I asked, "Where is dad?" She says "Oh, he is in the shower, but I already got the meat out for dinner, and am just finishing up these cookies" I expected somewhat of a disaster coming home, but what I found were the most delicious peanut butter cookies I have had. I think we all ate about half a dozen a piece. Since then she has tried out all sorts of recipes, and I am learning that when she says "mom, I can do it on my own" .... she really can. She is such a sweetheart.
Bretty-Booper!!! I still cannot believe that he just turned eight and will get baptized near the end of the month. He was surrounded by girls all summer and such a good sport about it! He has gotten really good at building all sorts of contraptions out of legos and such. He continues to love art, and although he does not have a passion for reading, he is getting much better at it, and finding out that there are cool "guy" books to read like "king arthur" and "treasure island". Mostly he just likes to play with his best friend Bradley! Oh, and I can't forget "Pirate Island Pizza!!" That was a highlight for all of us this summer, that we did for Bretty's birthday. Celeste won 1400 tickets in a single try.... and then gave them all to Bretty since it was his birthday!!! How sweet! He used them to buy prizes for everyone. I told her that her lucky win was "genetic" just the same as Bret inherited "genetic ability to find front row parking... EVERYTIME!!"
Tanner..... wow!!! If I could have even a tenth your energy I would get so much more done!!! Always on the go!!! He loves to tell stories and play pretend robots, monsters, dragons, and anything else boyish. He also loves to do anything his big brother can do! He still makes us all laugh at dinner time. I don't know how he does it.... but he just comes up with the funniest things. He really missed "uncle sterl" and still talks about him a lot!! We found out that he is a little fish this summer. His favorite is swimming underwater!
TylerKate..... little dolly! Cute and mischievious all wrapped up in one. She likes to have her nails painted and pretty bows in her hair. She likes my little ponies and dancing in her princess ballerina costume.... and then all of a sudden she is tackling one of the boys and really giving them a run for their money. This is especially funny when she tackles Bretty because he is twice her size!! She even tries to tackle daddy. He is, and I think always will be her favorite!! No matter what she is doing, or where she is, when daddy walks in she senses it, and goes yelling through the house..... "daddy!! daddy!!".... jumps into his arms and wants nothing to do with me for the next hour!! Ha ha!! :)
Well,, pictures will come soon. I have got oodles of them from the summer... Hopefully in the next few days!!
It has been a great summer, and I look forward to the school year, although we are always sad to see the cousins go. It feels much quieter around, but I have never been the type to like it too quiet... :) I think it will be a great year for eveyone though, and I am excited to see all that this school year brings!!

Blankets for Haiti

After watching coverage on the news about the children in Haiti, my children have been touched. They wanted to do something a little more personal that would not only provide a necessity but a comfort. They have each loved their own fleece blankets that they have been given over the years. They still go with us on car trips to grandmas.... and is still common to see them snuggling up with one, on a day when they are feeling a little down about things. So that is how it started.... blankets and bears for Haiti.

The kids were off drawing posters with all sorts of bright colors that reminded them of the Haiti country. They posted the signs up at school, and I helped them to make flyers which they took to school and passed out. The school has happily and eagerly joined into the involvement. The materials are being collected and we will begin putting our first batch of them together on Monday.


There is something about a homemade blanket that brings comfort. I also realize that this experience will be a tangible memory for our children. They will be able to see at a young age, that even as children they can make a difference in the world.

A friend from the school sent me this youtube clip.... which helped me to realize this was a dream that is possible.

This is a clip of a group of people who came together with a dream like my own to make a difference, and the evidence is visible on the children's face. When you see them recieve these blankets, the joy and wonder of it is written all over their face.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oUYcY51NcU


In this life we are taught to follow our dreams. And so here I am, guided by faith, that these blankets will be able to find a way into the hands of the Haiti children. That through this, they will feel the love we have for them, and that in some measure it will bring, peace, joy, comfort, and some amount of healing.

.......... Continued
All in all it went well. We were able to gather enough material to put together nearly 200 blankets, and were able to send about a hundred additional blankets that had already been put together and donated. Also donated were toys and bags, and stuffed animals and many other items that will be of help. We found a great company up in SLC that was willing to get them sent to Haiti for us! And a nurse going down took some blankets as well. She used them to wrap babies in at the hospital she was working at. She sent us pictures via email. Priceless memory.

NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS....

I love the NEW YEAR!!! I love looking back and reflecting on the old year..... the good memories..... , the trials,...... the growing moments,..... obstacles overcome....., and everything in between! It is amazing to realize that we are yet at the beginning of another new year....
Each New Year reminds me of a field of fresh fallen snow..... no footprints in it yet..... just waiting to for us to put our mark on it!

I am excited for what 2010 will bring!
I am ready and excited to renew current goals, and make new ones as well. Each season of life brings both its complexities and its wonders. I take it all and love it, because one does not come without the other.

Christmas Fun

The kids loved their Christmas Jammies! Sami got baking stuff for Christmas and has had a lot of fun trying out her new things! She makes GREAT cupcakes!!

Lil' Mommy

Tyler loves to be lil' mommy! She loves to take care of her dollies, bake in her kitchen, check the mail, and take care of her little house. What a sweet mommy!

HALLOWEEN!!

Who wants to take pictures, when there's trick or treating to be done?
This is as spooky as we come. Its hard to see from the picture, but the lid of sami's looks like a tulip, there is glitter all over the outside of the pumkin, and a pink glow in the dark necklace, and small crown on top. (its a PRINCESS PUMKIN!!), Tanner, wanted one with a "scary mouth"

All lit up and our "dog" to stand watch.... they turned out pretty good.

We had a lot of fun with our pumkins this year......

which are now happily in our freezer after having been cut and baked the next day...

ready for homemade pumpkin bisque, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin pie.......... etc. :)

TylerKate---- winkle winkle, lidder star!!

Winkle, winkle lidder starrrrrrrrr!!!!

How I wuunnder what you arrrrrreee?

Up a bubba world so high!

Like a diamond in daaa sky!

Winkle-winkle lidder STAR!!!

How I wunder what you ARE!!

"Bonk!"

She keeps me going, and is so lively and full of energy and cute all at the same time.

I have really enjoyed having some one on one time with her a couple of days a week while Tanner is at preschool.

This morning she was singing Twinkle twinkle little star at the TOP of her lungs, in a very serious manner (imagine someone singing it like it was the pinnacle of their opera!!)

I wish I knew how to transfer video here, but I don't so pictures will have to do. She also has her own "words" and way of singing it.... that make it so funny!!

HAWAI'I

The Christus at the visitor center at the Hawai'i Temple
The boys loved hanging out together and exploring.

Dad was 'crowned' after his brave attempts on stage to start a fire with sticks, dance, and practice some of the Samoan phrases.

Family photo at Waimea.... beautiful area

Snowcones! REAL Hawaiin Shaved Ice!! :)

Sunset..... our favorite time of day

Surfin' at Wakiki

We loved it!!

The kids were up at 4:30 am!! Cute

Even TylerKate realllly wanted to surf!!

We had such a good time. Made lots of memories and took tons of pictures. (I have posted just a few here.... haha!) Something we will always remember!

Jet-Lag

I didn't ever think of toddlers having jet-lag..... they can just sleep when they want on the trip, and pretty much kept to their usual Utah schedule in Hawaii...... yes this meant that they were often up at 4 or 5 am..... ha ha ha.... so I just assumed they would be back to their normal schedule returning home. Yesterday was Tyler's birthday.... #2. I think between the trip, and her birthday..... it all hit her today. She was ready for nap at 8:30 am and is still sleeping at nearly 2:30.... I keep going to check on her, but I think it has finally all caught up with her!!
I need to still post about Hawaii..... but my computer is having trouble loading pictures... so I am not sure when I will get to that yet.... but hopefully soon! As for Bret and I.... we are still trying to adjust back to our schedule!!

San Diego 10 Year Anniversary

10th ANNIVERSARY!!!

Wow! I can't believe how fast the time has gone by. Bret took us on a surprise trip to San Diego to celebrate our 10 years together. It was AMAZING!! Warm sandy beaches, palm trees, and lots of time to relax. It has been a great 10 years...... I look back at all that has taken place.... 4 kids, residency, a new business, trials that have helped us to grow, and lots of memories. I look forward to what the next 10 years will bring!!