Ryan's Farewell

Ryan got his mission call to the Georgia Atlanta mission, and left for the MTC on June 20, 2012. It's been an interesting period of time as he has prepared to get ready to go.

Shopping with a rather OCD child can take a long time. It can cost a lot of money...to find the right suit, shirts, and shoes that feel right! He is a little, okay probably a lot nervous about the whole thing, but I think he will do great!

I made a You Tube Video, and I can't get it to link into the blog, but you can view it from here. These are of friends and family at his farewell.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4YdQarNMXQ

I am starting a blog for his mission. The link is www.calledtoserveinatlanta.blogspot.com

Lauren and Ryan in the car on the way to the MTC

She said she is keeping it on her phone until he gets home...that will work as long as she doesn't get her picture taken with Justin Beiber!

It was a great year...hopefully many more to come!

Its wonderful how life evolves. Even though there have been many times I would have liked to make time stand still, it has kept marching forward. I find it doesn't do anyone any good to long for the past, or try to stop time from moving forward. I find that we have to decide each day what we will do to make the next days better, and take time in our days to enjoy the moments we are living and experiencing.
I feel a little sentimental and "old" because I see my children growing up. It seems like such a short time ago I spent almost every waking...and some of the moments I needed to be sleeping, caring for them...loving them, teaching them, policing them, directing them, nurturing them and making sure they were safe, healthy and progressing. Now I find myself with great memories, some regrets, and marveling at who they are becoming.
It is a payday for me to spend Sunday evenings with my family. It seems that is the day we all find time to spend a few moments together. There are other times too, any time I get a few minutes in their busy lives is wonderful! Can't move on to 2012 without remembering some of the great things from 2011...I wasn't a very good poster! I resolve to do better...but here is are some of the important things from 2011.

Cameron's Nursing School Graduation May 2011

• Cameron graduated from SLCC with a RN degree! Lots of years of studying and working hard to finally reach this goal…..and for an encore, he passed his NCLEX exam and is trying to find a nursing job. Not quite the shortage of nurses that there was when he started studying nursing. Never fear Cam, the job market in nursing ebbs and flows with the economy, I have faith it will turn around! For now he is focusing on his job at the Apple Store at Gateway Mall in downtown SLC. He has been given some promotions and really loves what he is doing there.

Ryan on a "Swamp Tour" in Louisiana

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Ryan's High School Graduation...1 month after he graduated from Salt Lake Community College...kind of funny....

Ryan and his friends in Oceanside for his Graduation trip

• Ryan Graduated from High School and Salt Lake Community College with high honors! He starts BYU in the fall. received a scholarship sponsored by Coca Cola and went to New Orleans, LA to receive it. Greg and I accompanied him and it was an awesome trip! Great food, jazz music, warm weather when we were freezing in Utah…it was a true adventure.

Greg and Karine--Hawaiian Cruise February 2011

• Greg and I went on a fantastic cruise to Hawaii. We went with Karine's parents and some other friends...a neighbor organized the cruise, and many people from the neighborhood went. What a way to spend 10 days in February! Wish we were there now. Whenever it is cold here I have warm relaxing thoughts of Hawaii!

Matt and Sharlene's Sealing in the Salt Lake Temple July 1, 2011

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  Matt and Sharlene were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple in July--so happy for them and their cute little family.
  
  
  Juliette Kay Romero born Oct 11, 2011

• Juliette Kay Romero was born in October! We think she is absolutely perfect! We adore her! Matt and Sharlene are such wonderful parents!

Taylor with Juliette...the whole family can't get enough of her!

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Cam and Lindsey's dog Bruce...

• We had a great Christmas. Cam and Lindsey have moved into the basement for a while. Cam's graduation gift was a dog, a puggle, they named, Bruce. He is the most photogenic dog I have ever seen. He has found his way into our hearts and loves romping with Milo and Rocky. They are saving for a house and seeing what job opportunities are best for them right now. It was nice to have them around for the holidays...I think Taylor has enjoyed having his brother back home too!

March Madness!!!

Ryan 10 year old baseball
Taylor in Little League All-stars
Matt and Taylor at Great America in California
Taylor his Senior year Taylorsville Tennis team
Lauren playing Soccer
So for the most part, with a house full of boys, sports has been part of our life. I have always loved sports...as a spectator, never very good at any of them. A huge part of my time as a mother has been spent cheering on the boys and their sports. They have done Karate,Football, Baseball, Basketball, and Soccer. Lauren played soccer for awhile and loved it. Lauren was a babe in arms as we toted her to baseball games at all times of the day and night. Poor thing. Many a nap was had in the stroller, bundled up to keep warm. She was yelling plays to the players by the time she could talk, and had the snack bar routine down pat!


So now our boys aren't involved in sports, and Lauren would love to do soccer again, but we haven't signed her up....we spend our time cheering for the Jazz and BYU! It is the season of college basketball playoffs, and BYU is still in the tournament. Hopefully this post won't jinx them! Hopefully they make it to the "Sweet 16". Jimmer Fredette is all the rage, and seems unstoppable. GO CouGARS!

Entering the Grandma Era

Just before we left on a spectacular vacation to Hawaii, (to be blogged in another post), Matt and Sharlene came over to our house to announce the future arrival of our first grandchild! I've been waiting to post about it until she had been to the doctor and was ready to make the announcement to everyone, but now it is official!
Greg decided we should call him/her Rango, until we know what sex the baby is and Matt and Shar decide on a name. I think it has a cute ring to it, and it will motivate his/her parents to decide on a better name! Rango is a lizard from a new animated movie we saw last weekend. He is a funny little character, and lets face it, fetal babies really do look a bit like lizards!
Congratulations to Matt and Sharlene. The due date is October 14, 2011.

Family Movie Night

So while Greg snores away in the other room and I can't fall asleep...because I have a problem with sleeping when I am suppose to be sleeping...I thought I'd make a new post.

We decided a few weeks ago to start having a Family Movie Night. We have to plan times to get together with our family because we are all so busy, and we thought it would be fun to visit in each others homes. Our first movie night was last night....and it didn't disappoint!

Cam and Lindsey hosted it, and we watched Mega Mind. Not many of us had seen it before, and it was a hit! So cute, funny and entertaining. This movie critic will just say I stayed awake for the entire movie, and that is enough said! Clever, funny, witty and perfect for a family movie night!

Lindsey wowed us with Cafe Rio pork and the fixin's. Adding the recipe from our family recipe blog (ourtastybites.blogspot.com) for anyone who wants to try it out...YUMMY

Cafe Rio Pork Salads

Recipes from: Caryn Waterman

Cafe Rio Barbacoa Pork

2 Cups Pace Salsa

1 Cup Dark Brown Sugar

1 Can Coke or Dr. Pepper

1 3lb. Pork Tenderloin or Center-Cut Pork Loin

Cut the pot into large chunks and place in a crock pot. Fill it half way up with water. Cook on low for 5-7 hours. Drain off the water. Shred the port and remove any excess fat. Put salsa, soda, and brown sugar in a blender and mix well. Pour over the shredded port and cook in the crock pot for 3 more hours on low.

Creamy Tomatillo Dressing

1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix

1 Cup Mayonaise

4 tbs. Green Salsa Verde

1-2 Cloves of Garlic

3/4-1 Cup Chopped Cilantro

1 tsp. Lime Juice

1/2-1 Small Jalepeno, seeds removed.

Blend everything together in a blender. Add a little milk if the dressing is too thick.



Black Beans

2- 16 oz. Cans Black Bean

1/2 Cup Chopped Onion

2 Cloves of Garlic

1/2 tsp. Cayenne Pepper

Salt and Pepper to taste

Juice from 1/2 a Lime

In a medium sauce pan, combine beans, onions and garlic. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low. Season the beans with cayenne and salt. Add pepper if needed. Simmer for 15 minutes, add lime juice, and serve.

Cafe Rio Rice

4 tsp. Chicken Bouillon

4 tsp. Chopped Garlic

1/2 Bunch Chopped Cilantro

1 tsp. Cumin

1 Can Green Chilies

3/4 tsp. Salt

1 tbs. Butter

1/2 of a Chopped Onion

Blend ingredients together in a blender, then put in a pan on the stove. Add 3 cups of water and bring to a boil. Add 3 cups of MINUTE rice and simmer for 30 minutes.

Thanks Cam and Lindsey for a fun night! I look forward to next month!

Christmas and a New Year 2011!

Christmas was great for many reasons. I love the holiday season, although I do get stressed out about getting everything done. This year I did pretty good. No last minute wrapping on Christmas Eve, Cards sent out BEFORE Christmas, neighbor gift delivered on time....But I think the best part of this Christmas was the time I spent with my family. I saw more of my older boys and their wives, than I have in a long time. I miss them. I miss seeing them everyday, so it was fun to see them a little more. I know they are busy, so I really treasure the times we spend together. I love Sunday dinners and getting together for even a short time during the week. During the holidays it was like lots of Sunday dinners closer together. It was great! It was also fun to see my darling nieces and nephews and my brothers and sisters. I have a spectacular extended family who I love very much.

Christmas used to be exciting for me because of the excitement the kids had for the gifts they would get. The skateboards, the game systems, the vacations, the gadgets....etc. Now everyone pretty much knows what they are getting and the excitement level is much less. I think I need some grandchildren to bring the excitement back to Christmas! I'll be patient though..no pressure. I enjoyed this Christmas seeing the kids be excited for the gifts they were giving. They were all generous and thoughtful and made sure Greg and I knew we are loved, not necessarily by the gifts, but the kind words and actions.

Each New Year we have a family "toast". It is a time of reflection over the last year and looking forward to the New Year. Some of the family actually kept their resolutions from last year! Way to go!!! Greg dropped some pounds, Ryan went a year without fast food, I am more technical...can't you tell :) I can now put my own music on my I-pod, and I keep plugging along with this blog. Before our toast Greg shared with us some counsel from Elder Jeffery Holland.
I thought I'd add some tidbits of his advise for the New Year.

• As a new year begins and we try to benefit from a proper view of what has gone before, I plead with you not to dwell on days now gone nor to yearn vainly for yesterdays, however good those yesterdays may have been. The past is to be learned from but not lived in....when we have learned what we need to learn and have brought with us the best that we have experienced, then we look ahead and remember that faith is always pointed toward the future. Faith always has to do with blessings and truths and events that will yet be efficacious in our lives.
• There is something in many of us that particularly fails to forgive and forget earlier mistakes in life--either our mistakes or the mistakes of others. It is not good. It is not Christian. It stands in terrible opposition to the grandeur and majesty of the Atonement of Christ. To be tied to earlier mistakes is the worst kind of wallowing in the past from which we are called to cease and desist.
• God doesn't care nearly as much about where you have been as He does about where you are and, with His help, where you are willing to go. This is an important matter to consider at the start of a new year--and every day ought to be the start of a new year and a new life. Such is the wonder of faith, repentance, and the miracle of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
• The poet Robert Browning wrote: Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be....
• Keep your eyes on your dreams, however distant and far away. Live to see the miracles of repentance and forgiveness, of trust and divine love that will transform your life today, tomorrow and forever. That is a New Year;s resolution I ask you to keep!

The entire article can be found in the January 2010 Ensign

As a family we made our own resolutions. They were heart felt and it was a warm fuzzy time for me. I need that sometimes as a mom!

Best wishes for a Spectacular New Year to everyone!

Twenty-five Years...I love you more than ever before!

Night of our "first date" a drive up Provo Canyon Spring 1983
Look at us NOW! Not just the two of us anymore! October 2010

When I think back over twenty five years I think about all the things I never really knew would come into my life as a young twenty-year old girl, getting married, and dreaming about the future. There are things you don't even know to dream about. There were things that others had advised me about as being important for a happy future, and some things I knew in my heart were important. There were numerous other things that I would say I didn't even know to wish for, that for some remarkable reason I was blessed with by marrying Greg. Our anniversary was June 20, 2010, and in the fashion of most of my posts, this is late, but better late than forgotten or not recorded. Here are some of the things that I love about Greg...these are the things I knew from the start.

• He is kind. Greg is kind to everyone he meets. He genuinely cares about people.
  
• Greg is a hard worker. When we got married he was a grunt worker at "Swings and Things". That didn't bother me. I knew that better things would come along. Greg has always had a good job. He works hard, he is honest and gives every job he does his seal of excellence.
• Greg is a worthy Priesthood holder. He honors his Priesthood, and it blesses our home. My dad was never one to give lots of dating advise, but the one thing that stuck with me over the years was, "Marry someone whose mother doesn't have to wake them up to go to Priesthood meeting." I saw that attribute in Greg, and I respect him for his faithfulness.
• Greg's parents have both passed away, but I can truly say that he is a devoted and loving son. He is still a wonderful son to my parents, he was a loving grandson to my grandmother. There is a lot of pressure being an only child. Greg served, loved and respected his parents, even when there was a tremendous burden associated with caring for them. He was always able to weigh our his parents needs, and his own families needs and balance them remarkably.
• Greg is funny. He has a great sense of humor. Sometimes I probably am not fun enough. He likes to joke and tease and laugh. Who wouldn't love to be around someone like that!
• Greg is honest. He always considers what would be fair for everyone involved.
• Greg is handsome. He makes my heart skip a beat when I see him in a crowd, when I hear his voice I feel peaceful, when I see him smile I know true happiness. As the years go on he gets more and more conscious of his aging body. When I look at him, I don't notice that he is any older, he just looks like Greg...he still makes me smile, he makes my soul happy and I can't imagine anyone or anything could be more beautiful for me.

Here are some of the things that were bonuses, that I had not realized I would get as part of the package when I married Greg.

• He is a terrific father. I have to say, I wondered how he would do at Fatherhood. I knew he was a great person, and loving and kind...but would be even like babies--he was an only child after all. Wow--glad I never really concerned myself with worrying about that one. Greg was a natural. He loved, cuddled and nurtured probably better than I did at times. He will be a terrific grandpa someday. I can hardly wait to watch him!
• Greg is creative. If anyone in the family needs a great idea for a poster, a slogan, a logo or a story, Greg is the man for the job. He is creative in his work as well. When he was in sales, he always found a way to close the sale by being creative. He has re-invented himself and his skill set over and over again to stay on top of the game.
  
• Greg loves to travel. How lucky am I? Okay, this is one of the things I really did worry about. Before we were married Greg had not traveled much at all. He was afraid of flying. He'd had a harrowing experience over the ocean coming home from Taiwan, on his mission, that had made him fearful. I had hopes and dreams of seeing all I could. Little did I know he would overcome the fear of flying, and become a million-miles frequent flier! We have traveled to Europe, Asia, South America and all over the US. He values vacations...and so do I.
• Greg loves pets. For a guy who's mom wasn't patient with animals in the house, he has forged new territory! He has encouraged pets. We've had cats, dogs, fish, gerbils, lizards, turtles, birds, a sugar glider....I probably am forgetting something....but he loves all creatures and have made it fun to be a pet owner.
  
• Greg likes to shop. He may disagree because he doesn't want everyone to know that he shops. He shops stores, on-line, catalogs....he knows how to find a good deal, and he loves to find good deals. He studies out the choices, smells the shampoo, reads the consumer reports and reviews...then looks for the best price. I love him for that!
• Greg is a gadget guy. I put this on my list of bonuses, because other that being a little pricey at times, it is fun to be up to date with cool gadgets. He is mostly an electronics gadget guy, but he has some pretty good collections of camping gadgets, knives, and tools too. I learn new and exciting things that he has found. We once had a spider vacuum, which came in handy when he was at work and a spider needed to be destroyed. He had one of the first brick cell phones....oh those were the days. He's up to date on new televisions, computers and mp3 players. Maybe all guys like gadgets...but he's the guy I know best and I love it!
• Greg gives thoughtful, wonderful gifts. He has never missed a birthday or holiday. He chooses the perfect things for whoever he is giving to. This may go along with the last item of being a gadget guy, or the one before of liking to shop...whatever it is, he makes the holidays great. He does the shopping, I do the decorations! He lets me shop a little, but he does such a good job...I say...go for it! He's camped out in front of Best Buy, waited in a huge line in front of Walmart for a Fruby...only to be disappointed. He knows how to "snipe" bids on e-bay...YEAH... and he always finds the best, perfect gifts. Who would have known Owl poop was so interesting?, or that Creepy Crawlers or Lego's were just right that year...Greg did.
• Greg always wanted a daughter, so he could have a Daddy's girl. I had now idea that we'd get one. I knew he could be rough and tumble with the boys. Watch the super hero movies until the tapes wore out, but I didn't know he'd sit through the "Nutcracker", or be truly interested in how the first Make-up session at the Mac Counter went. He adores his daughter, and she him.
  
• Greg is my best friend. That is something Greg always encourages the kids to keep at the top of their list of important things in finding a spouse. He definitely is mine. He is the first one I want to tell exciting things to, the one I want to be with when I get to do something fun, and for sure the one whose arms I want holding me when I am sad. He can tell me the truth even if it isn't what I wanted to hear because I know he is telling me to be helpful, not hurtful.
• Greg has taught me to listen first to understand. He is a great listener. I want to be more like him...I think I am becoming more like him.
• Greg is a cheerleader. Never saw it coming! He boosts me up...motivates...and makes sure I finish what I start, do the best I can with all the support he can muster. He has stood by me through years of school, interviewing for jobs, organizing committees, church callings, motherhood....if there is anyone I wouldn't want to disappoint, it would be Greg.

Well honey...I could go on and on, but the Ambien I took to help me sleep is kicking in..I will post this with a big thanks for a great 25 years. XOXOXO