Saying goodbye to 2008... what a great year!

A friend of mine did this on her blog and I thought it was a great idea... so I am coping!!!

When looking back on the year 2008.... we relized that we have been so blessed. The joys that this years has brought are great.

Here are some of the highlights of 2008

*Our first family trip to Disneyland. The joy that place brings to a child. We decided to make it a yearly trip. So we are excited to be going back soon.

*Cameron started a new job and has really loved it. It was a great move for our family.

*We had three new additions to our extended family members. We are looking forward to another one is March.

*Courtney started Junior High School this year.

*Derek made the big leap from Kindergarten to 1st grade.

*I put my mind to a goal and saw success in the weightloss area. I still have more hard work to put in, in that area... and you will see a big change by April.

*I ran in the Susan G Komen Race For A Cure and had a great time!

*Courtney turned 12 years old and was able to go into the YW's program in our church.

*We enjoyed the yard that Cameron put in for us. We have really enjoyed our firepit and the memories we have created and will continue to create for years to come.

*Derek started Karate and did really will with advancements!

*I stared a Bunco group and have been having a great time once a month with others girls. It has been a blast!

*I was introduced to a really small series called "Twilight" It was something I really enjoyed and have had great conversations with friends about. I was also able to go to the midnight showing of the movie! What a blast.

*Cameron was able to experience Idaho Falls ID 4th of July fireworks!! I finally understands my love for the 4th of July with my family. I think his whole family is making up trip up next year to see what we have been talking about!

*Courtney got braces on

*Derek turn 7 this year and is growing so fast... I cant keep pants on that keep pants on that kid that arent too short!

*Through the joys of the internet Cameron and I have been reconnected with several old friends of ours. It has been fun getting together and remembering the "good old days"

*Camerons sisters family was able to make the trip over from GA to share thanksgiving with us.

I am sure there is many many more... and we are so lucky to have each other and to call each other family. We are looking forward to 2009 and what it has in store of us. It is always nice to start new and fresh...

~~~Good luck to you all on your new start to 2009~~~

Christmas 2008

We had a great Christmas this year. I am shocked at really how fast time goes. It seems like just yesterday I took my Christmas tree down last year and now I am getting ready to take it down for 2008. Here are the kids on Christmas Eve, with their new P.J.'s!!!

They were so excited this year.

Here is a picture of Derek holding up his new Tony Hawk Skateboard that Santa left him. He was so excited for this... if you notice that on the back it has flames... boy Santa was a hit with those flames!!! Here is his new helmet for his skateboard. If he is anything like Dad... he will get great use out of that!!!

Here is Courtney with her Rollerblades and a helmet to match. She has wanted rollerblades for awhile now. Too bad for so much snow outside already... she will have to wait until spring to get those wheels a movin

She also got this outfit from Grandma and wanted to show her how cute it was. She looks so mature in that outfit and also so TALL.... Does anyone know a way to keep your kids for growing up too fast!!!

Here is a picture of one of Cameron's presents...He loves the expensive sunglasses. Me on the other hand like the sunglasses that are $20 at Target... I lose them, or scratch them, or break them to often to justify paying for the good pair. Cameron on the other hand does really good with sunglasses! Cameron had to help build a shop for his work this fall. He will finally have a place to call his office instead of our family room... well while building the shop he old pair of glasses met the side of the wall and busted! Santa knew what Cameron wanted before we went to Disneyland.

Now I don't have a picture of my Christmas present but I am typing on it right now. I asked Santa for a laptop this year. I have really gotten into the digital scrap booking this year and wanted a laptop so it would be more versatile. I am loving it already! I also got a new scrap booking program and have already done several pages!!! I am looking forward to the overnight scrapbook get-together!!!

After Christmas morning we braved the storm and the roads and headed up to Idaho to share the rest of the holiday with my family. It was a lot of fun to see everyone. The highlight of the trip had to have been the Hypnotist show that was playing at the local theatre. My brother in law was called up to the stage and he was the WHOLE SHOW. I have never laughed so hard in my life. He was so far under. I will never hear the song Pink Panther the same again. He was told that he was a secret agent and when he heard that song he had to go out into the audience and find the spies. We were all spies. He was afraid to stomp on the cockroaches... and he was the 2nd runner up for the Dancing with the Stars! Thanks Bryant for a laugh that I have a needed!!!

I also love this time if year to focus on what is really important in life. My savior Jesus Christ and his atoning sacrifice for me! The testimony that I have is my greatest treasure!

We had a great Christmas, we are excited for New Years Eve and looking forward to

2009

Christmas Eve Ginger Bread house...

We invited some friends over for Christmas Eve to build Gingerbread houses. This was the first year that we did this. It was a lot of fun. Derek really got into it... How many ADULTS does it take to put a Gingerbread house together...

4... but we got it, FINALLY!!!

Our friends made theirs from scratch so it was a little harder to put together than the kit that we bought!

If any of you are wondering if Derek is a daddy's little boy... look at the pose!!!

Finished product!!!

Derek was excited to show dad that he made a "Paver patio" out in the front of the house

Courtney's 7th Grade Christmas Concert!!

Courtney had her very first band concert last night!

She did AWESOME.

She started to play the flute this past summer. She went to camp for a couple of weeks and had a great time.

When she told us about her concert I chuckled inside... I was curious on how it was going to sound being the first year for them all. I am very pleasantly surprised...

I can't believe how big she is getting.

She is so pretty!

Here is a picture with dad and Derek. Cameron looks mad... that guy needs to smile in pictures!!!

You would think he was in pure pain!! Derek on the other hand doesnt have an issue with smiling!
Here is a video of one of her songs. You can see the relief on her face when she is done. She is so cute!!!

The Biggest Loser....FINALE

One of my most favorite shows on TV is

It is really motivating and it is just a great show. This year I was a little dissappointed in the game playing rather than the reason why all the people were all there... and that is to lose weight. I have to admit there were better seasons, be even with this one I get so excited to see the changes that these people go through both physical, mental and emotional.

Michelle won this season...Here is her beginning photos...

And here is what she looked like tonight... She lost a total of 110lbs. I was excited to see that she won. She was the one I was routing for...

So what does this mean.... I have really haven't done much with the whole weight loss the past month. I have wanted to enjoy this holidays and not feel guilty for having fun this season.... BUT that means that as soon as I give Cameron that New Years Kiss... it is on AGAIN. Why do I always end up here! I did so well last year... I lost a lot of the weight that I wanted to lose, but there is a little more. So I am making a goal and I will hit that goal this year. I think I may even post a beginning photos... AWWWWW. At the beginning of 2009 I will do a post stating the goals that I want to achieve this coming year... so stay tune to that! I am sure you are all excited.

So any of you that want to jump on the weightloss wagon with me.. let me know! There are a few of you that I know I have talked too and have walked with... LETS GET IT DONE!!!

A blast from the past...

I recently got back in contact with my best friend back about 20 years ago. She lived right up the street from me in Albuquerque, NM. We had so much fun when we were younger. We have been emailing back and forth for the past week doing the whole remember when's. With that came out the old scrapbooks. I haven't looked at those for years. It is sad, the older I get the more I foget. Shiloh remembers things that I don't and I remember things that she doesn't.

Oh the good old days....

This is a picture of my surprise 16th birthday party that my mom had all planned. I don't remember how I found out about it... but I had to do the whole pretend I was surprised when it all happened. In the picture is Me with my awesome perm... my friend Shiloh, my friend Cheri and Amy.

Here I am opening my presents. I always hated the attention on my. I am that way to this day. I sure miss that house in Albuquerque. I was sitting on this rock fireplace. It had a whole rock bench... I remember when I would watch Miss America, I would walk up and down that bench waving at my family pretending I was just crowned Miss America. Look at the TV... I remember thinking that was a huge TV... and the big brick of a VCR.

This picture is with my most favorite YW's advisor. She was amazing. I loved that lady so much. When I think back at the people that influenced my life... Julie was at the top of the list. My good friend Cheri, and here is a better picture of that awesome perm. I remember when I got that perm. I stayed home from school for a week because I looked like Annie. I cried myself to sleep for several nights.

OK here is a picture of some of the boys that I hung out with. I really liked the boy in the blue shirt. We dated a little bit after he turned 16. Oh dating as a 16 year old. Would never do that again. Well here is another big laugh for you all... here is a picture of my very first school dance. We dated for awhile, then a couple of days before the dance we broke up... but we went anyway. I had my dress and he had rented his tux... LOOK AT THE DRESS... that screams 1989, I cant leave out the hair.. SWEET!

OK... that was a lot of fun to go down memory lane. I should make this a TAG and tag people to open up their scrapbooks to when they were 16 and scan in the pictures. We all would love to see where you all were back in the day. My friend Shiloh said she is going to send over a few more pictures... so I will add to this post when I get them... so stay tuned!!!

Cameron is a little jealous that I posted this picture... Should he be....come on!

SO I TAG....AMY W, JENN, JUDI, CHRIS R, MELISSA B... any anyone else who wants to do it!!!

How the Grinch stole Christmas...1st grade style

We went to Derek's 1st Grade Christmas program tonight and it was hilarious. They did How the Grinch Stole Christmas. He was pretty excited at first but by the end of the program he was about done..This is when he finally saw us in the crowd... he wasn't excited or anything!!

We are so proud of this little guy! I am excited to see all the other programs the he will do in the future.

December is going to be busy for us as a family. Courtney has her first band concert next thursday... So you will be seeing another post

The video below is a little bit of what I recorded. He is just hilarious. I guess I am a proud mom.

4 Wonderfull Years....

December 4, 2004

Thursday was mine and Cameron's 4 year anniversary. We started the night off with going to Courtney's parent teacher conference. She is doing pretty good in school. There are a couple of classes that she needs to work on but she is in 7th grade and adjusting to the 7 different classes. Her teachers that we talked too said that the things that she is struggling with are typical for that age. Then off to dinner... (on our Honeymoon we stayed up in Ogden canyon at the Alaskin Inn. It was so beautiful up there and one of the places we ate was at Mimi's Cafe) Well thursday night we went back to Mimi's Cafe. It was fun to remember the things we were doing 4 years ago. Then this weekend we got the chance to go stay up Big Cottonwood Canyon at

"The Brighton Chalets"It was really pretty up there. It was right at Brighton Ski Resort. We chose to stay in

The Chalet...

It sleeps eight so it was a lot bigger than what we needed but it was really nice. It was fun to be up in the mountains and to enjoy the outside and it brought the feeling of Christmas because of the snow.

The view from the upstairs...It was so gorgeous up there. We are so lucky to be able to live so close to such beauty.

I want to thank Cameron for 4 wonderful years. He is an amazing husband and a wonderful father. I am looking forward to the next 4 years and many more to come.

Thank you Dr. Y for this wonderful weekend!

Sierra Nicole arrives....

We are all so excited. Cameron's sister Stacey and her husband Juan had their first baby last night. There was a little struggle to get her here... but she finally made it.She is a gorgeous baby! We all knew before she was born that she would be. With Stacey's hair and pale skin with Juan's dark features... how could she not be.

We missed Courtney... with growing up comes responsiblity. She had to go to YW tonight. Derek was so excited! First thing he wanted to do was hold her!Second thing Derek wanted to do was take pictures... I must say he did a great job with this one!

This picture makes me laugh... Cameron just sitting back relaxing but it totally looks like I photoshopped the chair out from under him. He really is sitting on a chair!

Derek, mom and Sierra~ Stacey had a long and hard night! I asked her if it was OK if I posted pictures of Sierra on my blog before she does on hers and she said it was ok...

(Juan was just as tired... he went home to try and sleep before this little Christmas present arrives in a few days)

Stacey... you are going to be an amazing mom!