The Waiting Game....

The dentist and doctor appointments are done. The paperwork is finished and submitted to the bishop. The waiting game has begun!

Bryce completed his mission papers last night. I was surprised on how easy the paperwork was to complete and submit. It is all done electronically. Once Bryce is interviewed by the stake president, his papers will then be submitted to Salt Lake. After Bryce's mission papers are received, the bishop will be able to track when his mission call was issued and when it was mailed. Modern technology...what a blessing!

I can't say enough about how proud I am of Bryce and his decision to serve a mission. Life at our crazy little house will certainly not be the same with out him! But we know that where ever he goes, he will make a definite impact.

Love you pal!

p.s. Anyone interested in purchasing a super awesome van! The "Chick Magnet" will be up for sale once we know dates, etc.

Life Happens!

Life Happens! Things come up and others get pushed aside....updating my blog is one of those things that has been pushed aside. Being a single mom with three teenagers, sometimes I don't know if I am coming or going!

I thought that I would share snippets of our family Christmas letter that we mail out every year. This way it will give everyone an update on each of us. Here it goes:

Bryce is now 18 and he enjoyed his first quarter at Weber State. He was a member of the first graduating class from Syracuse High School. He is still an avid sports fan - especially Syracuse Titan Football, BYU sports, and the Utah Jazz. Bryce is currently working with his uncle doing demolition work and working at the Syracuse Theatre to save money for his mission.

Jacob turned 16 in December and just this past week, he obtained his "official" drivers license. He and I thought we did pretty good only having to wait one hour and 30 minutes at the DMV. He did an awesome job by missing zero on the actual driving test. Jacob is a member of the Syracuse High Football team, where he played on the sophomore team. Most of Jake's year included weightlifting, football camps, and many, many football practices. Since starting football, we have figured that Jake has grown at least a foot and gained about 50 pounds!

Mariah also had a birthday (her 13th) in December! She is attending Syracuse Junior High and loves life as a 7th grader! She is a member of the Spirit Club with hopes of becoming a cheer-leader. She is such a social butterfly and loves to do many, many activities with her friends. She loves her new gymnastic class and is close to getting her "tuck" all by herself.

As you can tell, there is never a dull moment at our house! I've basically decided my job is just to maintain some sort of sanity amid the chaos of life with three teenagers, two of which drive! I am still working full-time at Ed Kenley Ford, teaching Sunbeams, supporting Syracuse Titan Football (two games each week during the season) and just enjoying life!

Family Pictures - 2009

Mariah and Her Braces

I have known for a while that Mariah would need to have braces. And just recently we have been given the green light from the dentist that it was time to begin. We went last Tuesday to Coleman Orthodontics for a consultation and she got four spacers put in at that time.

She has been so, so excited to get her braces on. Yesterday was the big day. I am surprised that she let me take pictures. The boys, Bryce and Jacob, never would let me. So, we have pictures from before, during, and after (although they show up backwards in this post!). She was very brave and patient throughout the process. She had our really cute friend, Kelli, as her hygenist. I think that really helped Mariah to relax. Kelli explained everything that she was going to do, what instrument she was using, and just talking to Mariah.

Mariah will need to have her braces on for almost two years. It was fun to watch her decide what color of bands she would use. It became the question of the day, "What color of bands should I get?" and then she would run through different color combinations.

So for the next few years, we will see various colors in Mariah's mouth when she smiles her cute little smile!

Syracuse vs. Clearfield

With each passing game, Jake is being given the chance to play more and more. I am so glad that he is given the opportunity to prove himself on the field. He has worked so hard at practice and at home. He loves the game of football! He played offense as a wide receiver when the Titans played Clearfield. The Titans won 52 - 0.

Syracuse Titans vs Fremont Silverwolves

These pictures are of Jacob playing defensive line for the Syracuse Titans. The funny thing about this is that he has never practiced with the defensive line! He usually practices with the wide receivers and cornerbacks.

The game wasn't going so well, so Coach Anderson (a friend of Bryce's) came up to Jake and said "BB, go and play like your brother." BB was Bryce's nickname when he played for the Titans. It was fun to see Jake get a chance to play. He played on the line next to his cousin, Tyler.

Let's hope the next game has a better outcome! Go Titans

First Day of School!!

It was a very big day at my house. Each of the kids set off this morning on new adventures!! Bryce attended his first day of college, Jacob - his first day of high school, and Mariah - her first day of junior high! It is hard to believe that the kids have grown that much! I can remember each of them as tiny, tiny babies. This is such a fun and busy time in all their lives and I am so proud of each one of them!

Now once I get home from work, it will be a mad dash to the store to get all the school supplies that are always needed: binders, colored pencils, etc. I have been trying to pick up a few things here and there, so our visit to the store should be fairly painless. Which is good, because I have a wonderful summer cold and really don't want to fight the crowds.

As always, Bryce and Jacob really didn't want their pictures taken. But I got them to stand for a few pictures anyway. No problems with Mariah, she loves the camera.

Good luck to you all on an awesome school year!