I need Bert (Dick Van Dyke)!

In an effort to save money.

It made me wonder.

Have my kids ever seen Mary Poppins?

Confidence! It's Freaky Friday

How is it that we instill confidence in our children? Are they born with it? Do we as parents create it, or encourage it? Why do some kids take everything other kids say to them, to heart, and let it hurt their self image? Why do some kids not care what others think or say? Are we fighting an up hill battle, while we as moms are trying our best to make our kids feel good about themselves, but meanwhile the siblings and others are sabotaging our efforts? I think about this ALL the time. I was so shy and insecure as a child, and DON'T want my kids to EVER feel that way! Is it part of the growing process? Does it make us who we are? Maybe confidence is a gift. Some of us are given that gift, while others have to work for it. I may never know!

Each morning as the kids are running out the door to school, in an effort to help them, I say-

Bye, I LOVE YOU, have a great day, do your best, be brave, be smart, remember your beautiful, make good choices, choose good friends, and BE HAPPY!

Sometimes I even say it to Alyssa when she is having a rough day, because I know it always makes her smile!

Sometimes I wonder if the others ever think about what I am saying, or maybe they are just thinking, hurry up and say what you always say, so we can go! I may never know!

Maybe they all have enough confidence - because this is how they looked for school today. It is school spirit week, and today was Freaky Friday!

2009 YEAR in REVIEW

JANUARY

2009 began on January 1st at 7:30 am when we headed up the canyon to ski at our favorite ski resort in Utah, ALTA! The snow was in abundance and the lines were short! Perfect ski day! Later in the month the 4 kids earned their third belt in karate.

FEBRUARY

Every year for Justin's birthday we take a trip to Utah to go snow skiing! We love it! It is so much fun to do things that the whole family can do together!

MARCH

Tanner was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints! That night after the baptism I was laying down talking to Tanner and he told me "mom, I use to feel dirty inside, but now that I am baptized I don't feel that way anymore, I feel clean." I thought, how sad that he felt that way, he hasn't really ever done anything that wrong. Then he says to me "well, I think it is because I use to eat sand when I was 7."

Tanner and his friend Jacob were baptized the same day

APRIL

We had our first 2009 Family Home Evening at Lake Pleasant. Some Monday nights there would be 6 boats full of people from our ward! Great memories!

MAY

A month of celebrating! I turned 40! We have been married for 18 years! We have lived in "The House of Remodel" for 10 years! Alyssa graduated from 8th grade!

Our house before it became "The House of Remodel" 1999

Our house now! 2009

8th Grade promotion dance in our backyard

40th birthday in Las Vegas. We went and saw LOVE with our friends Scott and Linda Copp

Napa Valley, CA

JUNE

Alyssa spent her first week away from anyone she knew, when she attended Especially for Youth at BYU. She had a great time and loved it! We shopped, shopped, and shopped for food, for both our trip to Lake Powell and Girls Camp! It takes a lot of trips, and car loads of food to feed 300 people for 4 days! We headed up to girls camp on June 29th.

JULY

Started out CRAZY and ended GREAT! Justin and I cooked for girls camp, which was a great experience, minus a small mishap the last 30 min. of camp! We spent the second and fourth week at Lake Powell with great friends and family! And between the 2 lake trips we hosted a going away party for our friends the Belnap's who are now serving a mission in Spain.

AUGUST

I conquered my great fear of breathing underwater, when the girls and I became certified SCUBA divers! School started, and we now have a daughter in High School!

SEPTEMBER

I decided to learn a new skill! I LOVE cupcakes, so I have started learning how to make yummy cupcakes. I would like to practice more, but I have found that I eat too many of them myself! Not a good idea when you are 40! Justin flew to Utah for the weekend and paced a friend of his in the Wasach 100 mile endurance race.

OCTOBER

Finally, a little bit cooler weather! 3 cross country meets, a quick trip to Yuma to see and visit with extended family, Rhino rides to Circle K for Icee's, The Marshall Ranch Family Fun Fest, and Halloween!

Alyssa with my cousin's daughter Hayley. It is crazy how much they look alike, especially when Alyssa isn't wearing blue contacts. They both have brown eyes, same skin color, same height, same teeth, same hair color, and they are the same age!

NOVEMBER

We thought about and remembered all of the things we are grateful for. Our home, our family, the gospel of Jesus Christ in our life, our business, the freedom we enjoy, our health, and so much more!

DECEMBER

The last month of 2009 brought the usual excitement of the Christmas season, and of course the BIGGEST party we have ever thrown! HAPPY NEW YEAR 2010!

Earlier as I thought about the past year, my first thought was it has been a difficult year. But, as I have reflected today on what has happened each month in our life this past year, I can truly see we have been greatly blessed. Our children are healthy, our business is still in business, we have a home to live in, we have faith, we have hope, and we have love! What more do you need?