Miracle of the Moment

Before I forget

2011-02-19T19:21:00.000-08:00

I had to get this down before I forget it...

Tyson has been particularly naughty today. Getting into ALL things he shouldn't. He has also been 'pestering' Ryan while he is TRYING to play his Legos. So, Ryan comes to find me in the kitchen.
He says:
"MOM! We have two choices. We can either keep him locked up, or sell him to gypsies! What are gypsies anyways, Mom?"

I still haven't stopped laughing. Seriously people...where did he hear about gypsies?

Man that kids cracks me up.... EVERY SINGLE DAY!!

Tyson Video (another one)

2011-01-22T00:18:00.000-08:00

Tyson Videos

2011-01-22T00:06:00.000-08:00

BAD, BAD BLOGGER!!

2009-08-06T22:04:00.000-07:00

I know. I know. I'm a slacker with the whole "updating the blog" thing. What can I say...nothing. No excuses. Here's some pictures from my cell phone of Tyson. He turned 3 months old last week and is getting to be soooo fun.

This is when he had his blood drawn because he was so dehydrated. Poor guy! He had two ear infections...poor mommy!! :)

Posing with Ryan's dog! (check out that AWESOME black eye-Kaylie dropped the bottle and it clunked him on the eye. Not sure who cried harder....

He loves to lay on his back.

COOL DUDE!! (he's actually asleep)

More Pictures

2009-05-13T09:43:00.000-07:00

Just thought I would post some pictures of Tyson. We are having tons of fun with him, despite the crazy sleep schedule for Mom.

Meeting the family at the hospital

He does a lot of sleeping:

He loves his swing:

He absolutely LOVES his baths; until I take him out of the water.

Just playing around with the camera...

And this is today at 2 weeks old. Time flies!

Tyson Joseph Ninalga

2009-05-04T20:37:00.000-07:00

April 29, 2009

6 lbs 12 oz

19 1/2 inches

5:16 pm

Birthday Wishes for Emma

2009-03-05T21:23:00.000-08:00

Here's a late birthday wish for Emma. Emma turned 9 last Sunday, March 1st. I honestly can't believe how fast time has gone. It sounds cliche, but it really seems just like yesterday when we were bringing her home from the hospital. We love having Emma in our family and she adds just the right "spunk" to make us whole. She is a wonderful sister to Kaylie and Ryan, which makes my job as Mom that much easier. Happy Birthday, Emma! We love you!

She has gotten some cute gifts and the celebrations just keep on coming. We will be having another party for her this Sunday with the BIG family. She is sooo excited for it.

He's Been Cracking Me Up Lately

2009-01-09T20:36:00.000-08:00

I just had to share a few of the funny things Ryan has said recently. They might not be funny to others, but as his mom, they really crack me up. I really want to be in his head just for a little while sometimes.

Ryan: Mom, what day is it?
Me: Thursday.
Ryan: Oh, good! Can we go to WalMart?
Me: I guess so, Buddy, but why do we need to go to WalMart?
Ryan: Well, it's Thursday. We need to get me something for Thursday.
(Like duh, Mom?!)
Damon says he is learning WAY too much from me.

Another one:
I told Ryan to get his shoes on because we needed to go to Target and Costco. (I didn't tell him we were stopping at a friend's house to pick up some stuff.) I pull out of the driveway and start heading to the friend's house (opposite way of Target).
Ryan: Target is the other way, Mom, why are you going this way?
Me: We have to stop at Annette's house and get some stuff first.
Ryan: That is the most ridiculous thing I have EVER heard, Mom!!

I mean seriously people, where does he come up with these things?

Okay, just one more.

Our neighbor needed to borrow a carseat so we were walking across the street with it.
Ryan: Mom, what are they doing with this carseat?
Me: They just need to borrow it for awhile.
Ryan: Oh, okay. But are they going to borrow our Baby Tyson?
Me: No, Bud. They won't borrow our baby.
Ryan: Good. I don't want anyone to borrow our new baby. I want to borrow him myself!

Alright. Have you had enough? I just had to write these down before I forget them. Thanks for indulging!

Christmas

2008-12-30T18:32:00.000-08:00

We had a WONDERFUL Christmas. It really is nice just to spend time with family. We had a Christmas Eve dinner at our house and the kids got to open their jammies. Ryan fell asleep around 9:30 (so did I), and Damon and the girls played games until about 11:00. I was SHOCKED to find the girls actually ASLEEP at 12:30 a.m. They usually talk and giggle for hours with excitement.
Here they are in the new PJs

We told the kids they could get up at 6:00, but not any earlier. I got a text from Kaylie at 6:01 asking if they could come up. LOL They came and woke up Ryan, who was SOOOOO excited to see that Santa had come. They all had fun seeing what Santa brought them, and opening their presents.

Kaylie LOVED the Twilight stuff and keyboard she got.

Emma enjoyed all her clothes, toys, new games for her DS, and American Girl clothes.

Ryan was ecstatic to get some new Transformers and a Leapster.

Then came my surprise to everybody. I had wrapped a stocking embroidered with the name Tyson filled with baby boy stuff. They opened it up and were STUNNED!! The girls had no idea I was even pregnant, and Damon thought we were expecting a girl, so it was fun for everyone to get a surprise!

Happy Birthday, Ryan!!

2008-12-15T14:35:00.001-08:00

Wow!! I can hardly believe he is already 5 years old. It really does seem like yesterday that I was holding him for the first time. Ryan truly is a joy to be around. He always says the sweetest, funniest things. He is quite witty! This morning I went in his room as he was waking up, and said "Good morning, Buddy! Happy Birthday!!" He replies, "What?! You mean I'm 5 now?" Our family is blessed to have him in it.

Happy Birthday, Buddy!

We went and got his pictures done this morning. Here is one of them.

Our Halloween

2008-11-12T08:22:00.000-08:00

We had a fun Halloween. The girls were out of school for a "Teacher Work Day" so we had some fun around the house during the day and then headed over to Paul and Stefanie's trunk-or-treat. The kids really enjoyed how great the weather was. I don't remember the last time they didn't even need a jacket for trick-or-treating. After the trunk-or-treat they went around a couple of neighborhoods for some more candy and then we headed back home. Nothing too spectacular, just nice, calm, and 'quiet' (as quiet as Halloween can get, I guess).

Long Time, No Blog

2008-10-28T16:06:00.000-07:00

I know. I know. I'm a blog-slacker. I'm not sure where to find the time for everything, so the blog had to take a backseat. I won't bother trying to catch up on what has happened, so I'll just start fresh.

This past weekend I was able to head up to Bear Lake for some much needed scrapbooking time. :) I went with my mom, sister, aunt, cousins, and BFF, Kris (which I also consider a sister). I took Ryan so he could play with Alex. It is always so fun to see those two together. And equally just as sad to see them say goodbye. Luckily this time Ryan was still asleep when Alex left. I got lots of stuff done and even fit in a nap. Here's a picture of my mom and dad's new place in Bear Lake where we stayed. The Red Rooster:

In other news...we got our Twilight tickets!! We are all set for the midnight showing of Twilight. I can hardly wait. I think maybe I'll read the book again to pass the time. LOL I stole this pic from Kris's blog...thanks!

That's all for now. I will TRY and keep things caught up. Also, thanks to Kaylie for fixing my playlist. She finally just made a playlist of her own that she can listen to while she is on the computer.

Our trip to Rexburg

2008-09-07T22:21:00.000-07:00

The kids and I went to Rexburg in the middle of August to have some fun. And boy did we have fun! Our week was jammed packed with excitement.

We met Leslie and the kids in Idaho Falls to do some shopping and lunch at The Great Wall. (yummy)

The little kids wanted to do this fake "build-a-bear" at the hobby store where Adam got his TOTALLY AWESOME remote control car. The animals were pretty lame, but the kids loved it.

The next day we spent at Twin Bridges. Emma was pretty quick to take the plunge...

...quite a few times, in fact. Go Emma!!

Ryan hung pretty close to the big kids. No bridge jumping for him.

He loved playing with the boys in the fast current of the river.

Adam and Chelsea taking a breather.

Ryan was the perfect size to fit in the holes in the rock. He said it was his bathtub.

After bridge jumping, we went to dinner at Big Judd's.

Chelsea and Emma enjoyed decorating their fry sauce.

Dig in!! Huge, huh?!

Oh yeah...and Leslie made me help her paint her dining room. UGH!! I think she forgot that--Andrea doesn't paint!! Turned out nice, though.

Maren and Emma had a fun week of playing together. They enjoyed lots of Disney Channel, and playing house with their babies. Cute cousins!

John took us to get popcorn quite a few times at his office. While we were waiting for the popcorn to pop, he let me take a few tractors out for a spin.

The Rexburg temple on our way to get popcorn. A little blurry picture, but such a beautiful temple.

This one was my favorite, the Gator. (I'm pretty sure because it was the easiest to maneuver.)

That's right...hang on, John! I practically jumped the curb...LOL.

This one was fun, too. A little slower than the gator.

And this was the big one I drove. I had a little trouble driving this one. John said it was because I was in 21st gear instead of 1st. Go figure!!

Next time I visit maybe I'll try something bigger!!! Thanks guys for such a fun week. We all had a blast!

Jepsen Family Party

2008-09-07T22:00:00.000-07:00

After Oneida we camped in Uncle Garland's property to get ready for the Jepsen Reunion. We roasted hot dogs and s'mores and had lots of fun. The next day, August 2nd, was the reunion and we got to see all our extended family. Here are a few pictures.

Ryan roasting his hotdog.

Enjoying lunch.

Kaylie, Chelsea, and Lyndsey performing their hula dance.

Grandpa and Uncle Paul working the waterslide.

Emma at the bottom of the waterslide. :)

Kaylie reading "Breaking Dawn". It was released at midnight.

Tough-guy Adam, taking good care of Breanna.

We had a fun vacation and it was great to see all the aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Oneida

2008-09-06T22:17:00.000-07:00

We were able to make it to Oneida Reservoir this year...NO FIRES, YEA!!! It was a little windy, but still so much fun. The four little girls were putting on a show for everyone. I love the picture of them taking a bow.

Ryan's Stitches

2008-09-06T22:06:00.000-07:00

Well, we made it 4 1/2 years before any of the kids needed stitches. Pretty good, I'd say. Ryan fell and hit his head (ear) on the toy box. We went to the Urgent Care and the doctor flipped his ear inside-out and out popped some cartilage. ew!! So, Ryan got to have 6 small stitches. For being such a brave boy, he got to go to Build-a-Bear with his cousin, Brandon. They had tons of fun choosing their animals and clothes. Grandma took us all out for ice cream afterwards.

Here are some pictures:

Trip to Bear Lake

2008-09-06T19:46:00.000-07:00

We had a super fun vacation with our entire family. We went to Bear Lake from July 6-10. It was fun to get away and enjoy each other and the great water. Bear Lake is always a fun place to go. (Except the shopping is limited to a meezly 5 stores. No worries though, I made it to all 5!)

Grandma gave all the grandkids a shirt to decorate however they wanted...most enlisted the help of Aunt Stefanie. :)

We spent all our day boating on the lake. Tons of fun...and tons of sun!!

The kids loved playing on the beach. Here's acute shot of Emma and Cassey.

The boys coloring another project from Grandma. So cute!

The girls loved having their hair done everyday.

Juanito Bonito...from The Pickleville Playhouse. Always a favorite.

Emma and Cassey after the play.

On our way to get shakes, the little girls were so cute looking at the program from the play.

Ryan and Cassey enjoying a rousing game of Sorry.

Our 4th of July

2008-09-06T19:29:00.000-07:00

Our 4th of July was filled with fun. We started our day with a WONDERFUL breakfast with my parents and some of the neighbors. YUMMY!! We spent the day just hangin' out, and then we met up with the Pauls, the Becks, the Tims (-Brit), and Grandma and Grandpa at Layton Park for a picnic, games, and some awesome fireworks.

Before breakfast:

Chelsea and Kaylie (Chelsea came to stay with us for a week)

Chelsea's AWESOME hair-do

Breanna being cute

Brandon, Ryan, and Elyssa using Uncle Tim as a toy (What a good sport)

FYI

2008-08-19T01:26:00.000-07:00

Kaylie has apparently been "adjusting" my playlist to her liking. As you can see, she has her favorites. LOL She knows EVERY word to EVERY song that comes on the radio. No kidding! All she has to do is listen to a song once and she knows the words. Amazing!

Our Summer...so far...In Pictures

2008-07-15T15:16:00.000-07:00

Summer has been super busy, but loaded with fun! Here are some pictures of what we've been up to.

The end of T-Ball. Just in time for the HOT weather to hit! Ryan was very proud of his medal.

LOTS of swimming at the Country Club!

Breanna at the pool! (So sweet!)

LOTS and LOTS and LOTS of boating! Our favorite!!

And a couple of videos to end with. Ryan jumping off the diving board, and Elyssa showing off her new found bravery! :)

Bear Lake pictures are coming soon! Stay tuned!!

Breaking Dawn--Quote of the Day

2008-07-13T20:15:00.000-07:00

Here is the link for the Breaking Dawn Quote of the Day. Just in case you need something to look forward to for the next 19 days. LOL

http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/bd_quotes.html

And here's the new cover of Entertainment Weekly. (Not my favorite.)

A Shout-Out to the OLD-FOGEY!!

2008-06-16T22:32:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure how often Kris reads my blog, but we'll see how long it takes her. hehe. JK, K!!
Kris' birthday was June 9th, and she turned the big 4-0!!! She's quite 'peppy' for 40, don't ya think?
I just wanted to send her a shout-out and tell her HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! She said I couldn't give her a surprise party or do anything black; so I added some lime green and crossed my fingers. Turns out she was totally fine with it. Her "real" present still hasn't come in the mail yet, so we can still celebrate until it gets here. She was a good sport about her birthday and the black (and lime green) balloons, too. Here's to you, Kris. Thanks for putting up with me and for being such an AWESOME BFF. Couldn't ask for better!! And don't forget...40 is the new 31!!

Here's the pill case I found for her...PERFECT!!

I love this Commercial

2008-06-15T15:20:00.001-07:00

I'm a little addicted to You Tube(as you can see). Don't forget to pause my music on the bottom.

I Dare You not to Laugh

2008-06-15T15:18:00.001-07:00

Potty Training

2008-06-14T13:59:00.000-07:00

After Breanna's blessing, we brought Brandon (nephew) home with us for a few days to get him potty trained. I have to say it was quite a bit of fun. A lot of work, but tons of fun. Ryan enjoyed being a good example, and Brandon did VERY well. Here are some pictures:

Eating breakfast...checkout his enterouge of toys.

Showing off his big-boy underwear!! Just a cute picture.
Going potty...and playing with a tiger.

Memorial Day/Dad's BDay

2008-06-12T10:53:00.000-07:00

This Memorial Day was the 1st one in 8 years that we didn't spend it boating somewhere. We went to my parents for a (cold) BBQ and my dad's Birthday party. It was fun, but we were all a little mopey that we weren't ON the water, just IN the water (rain).

I think this is how we were for like 6 hours....talking.

Still talking.

Dad opening his presents.

Dad blowing out birthday candles. (yummy cake)

Brandon, Elyssa, and Ryan playing with Grandpa's birthday presents.

Sweet Baby Breanna

Brandon and Ryan playing downstairs

(not sure why Brandon isn't wearing any pants.)

Trip to Malad

2008-06-12T10:39:00.000-07:00

I got the chance to go back up to Malad for a fun scrapbooking weekend with some friends. It is always fun to get away and be with no kids. Kris and I made 200 wedding announcements the first day and then got to put together some kits we've accumulated. We watched a couple movies, ate yummy food, jumped on the tramp, played with the ponies, and chatted with friends. Oh yeah, and we toured the great city of Malad, ID. (It took like 1/2 an hour.) Those pics are on her camera though. Good times! Here are a few pics from the fun weekend.

This pony kept licking Kris.

Yes, that's me doing a toe touch!

Playing on the swings.

Playing "crack the egg".

I TOTALLY won!

Ryan being Ryan

2008-06-12T10:21:00.000-07:00

Chelsea and Lyndsey came to stay with me for a few days and they called me outside to see what Ryan could do. YIKES!! He kept doing it over and over and over again. The kid has NO fear whatsoever.

Still Excited!

2008-06-01T18:49:00.000-07:00

So, I'm even more excited for Breaking Dawn to come out. (4th book of the Twilight series for those of you living under a rock.) I read the 1st chapter in the new edition of Eclipse and that just added to my excitement. Here is what the cover will look like:

I was thinking that I really should read some other books. Odds are pretty good that I would enjoy them as well. I'll just wait until after August 2nd to find out though. LOL

T-Ball (warning: lots of pictures)

2008-05-26T17:59:00.001-07:00

I finally got Ryan's t-ball pictures downloaded from my camera and had to share some of them. I'm pretty sure that 4-year-old t-ball is strictly for the adult's entertainment. It is a blast to go and watch them all play. They were most excited about their shirts and hats. For his first game I had to meet Damon and Ryan at the field, so Damon was in charge of getting him ready. (Note to self: always get Ryan ready for games yourself.) He showed up (10 minutes late) and Ryan was wearing CROCS!! Hello?? Crocs? Good thing Ryan is coordinated and knows how to run well in them. LOL

It was so funny to see all the dads out on the field with their kids. I'm pretty sure there were equal number of parents as there were kids. Hilarious!!

Ryan loves to go to his games and it is so fun to see how much he enjoys it.

The hat is a little big...notice the ears! This is how he likes to wear it. :)

Check out all the parents! Oh yeah, and check out how big the other player is compared to Ryan. Sheesh!!

Ryan thought he needed to keep his foot on the base the whole time.

Making it to Home Base. (even in Crocs)

Big helmet, big shirt, big spirit!! I love this kid! (check out the Crocs)

The team in the dugout.

Ryan and his dad giving him some pointers.

Running to get the ball.

At home...After the game

Touching Them All-a good video

2008-05-25T09:50:00.000-07:00

Remember to pause my playlist on the bottom before you watch.

We made it!!

2008-05-23T18:40:00.000-07:00

We've finally reached the last day of school. The girls had a great year and are ready for summer. They have BIG plans for the coming months, so I hope I don't hear the "B" word for at least a week. (You know...B-O-R-E-D) We are getting ready for a big movie marathon tonight in celebration. Earlier I heard them talking about asking Dad to set up the tent outside, but that they weren't going to tell Mom. Don't they know moms can hear ANYTHING from ANYWHERE?! Silly kids.

I finally watched.....

2008-05-20T15:18:00.000-07:00

I thought this movie was sooo funny! Tons of witty one-liners that I need to use. (I need to watch it a few more times.) I thought Ellen Page was the perfect part for "Juno." She is a great actress and pulled off the part perfectly, "Honest to Blog!" (One of the one-liners.) Her boyfriend, Bleeker, couldn't have been more perfect either. Allison Janney cracked me up as her role of Juno's stepmom. Great casting in this movie. The soundtrack for the movie is in a category all its own, too. I put a few of the songs on my playlist. Not usually what I listen to, but perfect for this movie. Click here for anything you ever wanted to know (or see or hear) about Juno.

Allison Janney

Juno and Bleeker

Real Live People

I can hardly wait!!

2008-05-20T15:11:00.000-07:00

No explanation necessary

2008-05-05T07:15:00.001-07:00

Getting Ready for T-ball

2008-05-01T13:45:00.000-07:00

Ryan is so excited for t-ball. We decided to sign him up with the city league and he has been antsy to play ever since. He asks everyday if it's time to go to his game yet. He goes next Monday to meet his team and get his shirt and hat and stuff. I don't have the heart to tell him he won't be playing an actual game. I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. LOL
We went and got Ryan some t-ball stuff to help him practice. We got a tee, bat, bucket of balls, mit, and HE insisted that we get him a helmet. (Probably a good idea considering the kid has no fear!) I just had to share these pictures of him trying out his new stuff. He LOVES it and wants to play everyday. Kris was over and taught him everything she knows, 'cuz his mother doesn't know anything.

Good stance, Kris!

See...he does what he's told!

Ready for an outfielder.

The helmet is NOT one size fits all. :)

It's May!!

2008-05-01T13:35:00.001-07:00

We finally made it to May. It's a bit confusing here in Utah though. Here is what it should look like:

And here is what it ACTUALLY looks like:(we even got some snow)

Hopefully it will warm up in the next few days so we can go outside and enjoy the sunshine.
Happy May everyone!!

My cute neice....Elyssa

2008-04-24T08:32:00.001-07:00

I just had to post this picture of my cute neice, Elyssa. She is growing her hair out to be just like Rapunzel. In this picture she was holding Breanna and her hair was getting in the way, so Stefanie put her hair in these pigtails. She is such a ham! She says the funniest things and her vocabulary is so grown up. I love to have conversations with her because you never know what she's going to say.

Example:

We were tending Elyssa tonight and she wanted to take her shoes off in the church parking lot. I told her she needed to keep them on so she didn't step on a rock. She said, "Oh, yeah! Good idea. I don't want to have a tetanus shot. That would NOT be fun!."

She's such a cutie.

August Rush--A Good Movie

2008-04-24T08:16:00.000-07:00

Just as good as I had hoped. Beautifully written and acted; every scene is memorable. One very interesting element was how they blended the two musical styles of the main character of August's parents in a number of scenes. It would flash between her playing Bach on the cello and him playing Irish rock music on the guitar. It really supported the message of the whole movie; that music is the connection between all human beings.

Sick...Again!!

2008-04-21T21:43:00.000-07:00

So this is my house today.

Kaylie woke up for school and started right off saying that her stomach was hurting. This is pretty normal, so I tell her to eat some breakfast and she should feel better. Then she tells me she's going to throw up. I think that she must not really want to go to school today; that she must have a test or something. :) Well, I take her to school and then come home to get Emma ready for school, who also tells me her stomach hurts.

Emma leaves for the bus at 8:15.

The phone rings at 8:40. It was the Jr. High secretary saying that Kaylie had thrown up in her 1st period class. I hurry to the school to pick her up and she is in the chair in the office waiting, white as a ghost. She says to me, "I told you I was sick."

Good mom, I know!

Ten minutes after we get home, the phone rings again. It was the elementary school secretary calling this time saying that Emma is sick at school. I go and pick her up, and the second she saw me she burst into tears. (I think that's a mom/daughter thing...it still happens with my mom.)

So, we've had the pukes at our house today. I am happy to report they both held down their dinner, so far anyway. When I was tucking Emma into bed, she conveniently mentioned that her stomach still felt a "little" sick and that she might not be well enough to make it to school tomorrow. Such a smart girl!

Night Owl

2008-04-21T21:30:00.000-07:00

Ryan has always been a night owl. (I think he gets that from me.) I do most of my computer "stuff" after the girls go to bed and Ryan enjoys hanging out by me. And when I say "by", I mean RIGHT by me. In fact, right behind me...between the chair and my back. He likes to watch what I am doing and always adds in his own opinion. Well, a couple of nights ago he got a little too comfy back there and drifted off into dreamland. I felt him all of a sudden get super heavy and I knew he was out! It's not a great picture, but you can get the idea.

What were we thinking?

2008-04-19T19:30:00.000-07:00

So Kris and I thought it would be fun to work at the Scrapbook USA Expo and earn some extra money to spend there. We went a little early and shopped and then it was off to the Scrapworks booth to start our 12 hour shift. It started out pretty fun: talking to lots of "crazy" scrapbookers, stocking some shelves, and handing out bags. Then we went and worked the cash registers--from 2:00 p.m.-12:00 a.m.! Yes...that's MIDNIGHT!! No stopping! Which really turned into 1:00 a.m. with cleaning up and everything. Stefanie did go and get us some food that we had to hurry and scarf down. Thanks Stef!
Our feet and backs were hurting so bad it was hard to stand up straight. We barely made it to the car. My toe (from surgery) was so swolen it wouldn't fit into my one and only pair of shoes that fit. These:

We got home around 2:30 a.m. and fell fast asleep (quickly). Then back up at 8:00 to head back to the expo for our fun classes. We had fun today! We took two good classes and got some killer deals that we of course couldn't pass up. LOL

It was fun to be in the atmosphere of all the fun, but it is even funner to be home and relaxing.

I almost forgot to share the best part of the day (besides the wonderful company of my BFF Kris) LUNCH!! We went here:

We shared king and snow crab legs and each thoroughly enjoyed a margarita, with lots of salt. YUM!! We will definitely be going there again.

Overall, a fun weekend!

New pics of Breanna

2008-04-11T21:13:00.002-07:00

Here are a few pictures of Breanna. It was Brittany's birthday and Leslie was down from Rexburg for the weekend. Good times!

Fun Test

2008-04-11T21:10:00.001-07:00

82 words

Speed test

Our Easter Celebration

2008-03-25T18:51:00.001-07:00

We had a fun Easter this year. The kids loved coloring Easter eggs. (As usual!) On Easter morning the kids slept in until 9:30 a.m. Damon and I were both shocked. The Easter Bunny hid the kids' baskets as well as ALL the eggs. They had a good time searching for all their "goods". Here are some pics from our day!

Breanna Auger

2008-03-19T16:32:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to say congratulations to my brother Tim, and his wife, Brittany. Their baby girl, Breanna, was born EARLY this morning at 12:17 a.m. weighing in at 7 lbs. and 3 oz. and 21" long. I got to go down and see her this afternoon. She is so sweet, and a little stubborn because she wouldn't eat. I took a TON of pictures of her so I just had to share a few of them. Congratulations to their cute family!! Brandon will be a HUGE help, I'm sure. I love the pictures of Brandon with his "Buzz Lightyear" face. Classic!

Happy St. Patty's Day

2008-03-17T20:16:00.000-07:00

"When I Grow up Big"

2008-03-10T08:15:00.000-07:00

Ryan: "Dad, when I grow up I want to be a dad."

Damon: "Really? That's great, son!"

Ryan: "Well, when I grow up little, I want to be a Dad. But when I grow up big, I want to be a Transformer."

Damon: "OK. A Transformer, then."

:

So Sick!!

2008-03-09T16:59:00.000-07:00

Ryan and I have been so sick the past few days. In place of church, we spent the afternoon (almost 3 hours) at the doctor's office. I have influenza and this crazy rash that has moved down into my face. Good thing I didn't go to church. People would have had lots to talk about. I kind of look like this...

...and I'm not even kidding. My glasses wouldn't even go on my face when I woke up this morning. Damon asked, "What's wrong with your face, honey?" Gosh, thanks, Dear. I love you, too.

Anyway, Ryan has influenza, croop, allergies, and asthma. His fever has gone up to 105. So scary! I feel so bad for him. He has no voice any more and just talks in a little squeak. The girls are giving him TONS of attention, which I know he likes, and are playing whatever he wants to play.

He is being a good sport and we now have some nice cough medicine that the good doctor gave us, so hopefully we will ALL be sleeping through the night. Wish us luck!!

Tagged by Kris

2008-03-08T12:25:00.000-08:00

Kris-you should know I don't like to play tag!! JK Here it goes:

20 YEARS AGO:
Let's see, 1988. I was 11 years old. 5th or 6th grade. Living in Layton. Sarah Jane Adams Elementary school. Best friend was Adreann Bluff. Don't really remember anything else. I did have twin Cabbage Patch Kids. (I was soooo cool!)

10 YEARS AGO:
1998. Kaylie turned 3. We bought our 1st house, in Roy. (We're still here.) Damon and I were both going up to Weber State. Damon worked for AOL. And also, and most importantly, 1998 is the year I met Kris. The bestest friend in the WHOLE world. EVER!! My life is complete with her in it. (Did I get that right, Kris?)

5 YEARS AGO:
In 2003 I was pregnant with Ryan. This was an AWFUL pregnancy. I started having gallbladder attacks when I was 3 months along and continued to have them throughout the rest of the pregnancy. 4 days after I delivered Ryan, they took my gallbladder out. Really...it was the longest 9 months of my life. This was also the time my sister went through her divorce. (Another time I would rather not re-live.)

3 YEARS AGO:
In 2005, Emma started kindergarten. She thoroughly enjoyed school. (Still does, actually.) We found out that Ryan couldn't hear very well and started speech and regular visits to the ENT. He's perfect now.

LAST YEAR:
Again, another year I wouldn't like to redo. I broke my foot in June and spent the ENTIRE summer in a cast/boot and on crutches. Even Bear Lake was a bust. I really think this is the lowest I've ever been. It was a very humbling experience though. I had a lot of people around to help out and bring food for my family and also take the kids where they needed to be. (I couldn't even drive.) UGH!

YESTERDAY:
I'm getting over the flu so I just took it easy around the house. I could tell Ryan was getting sick, which means less sleep is to come. Then I picked Kaylie up from school and took her to the eye doctor for a check-up. She wanted to try contacts, so when we were all done they gave her a lesson on how to put them in and out. Well, we left the office at 6:30. (Our appt was at 3:00) Needless to say, she had a little trouble getting them in. BUT, she had even more trouble getting them out.

TODAY:
Yea Kaylie!! It only took Kaylie 10 minutes to get her contacts in today. (With a little help from Mom.) Wish us luck on getting them out. Any suggestions would be appreciated. We made a quick trip to WalMart for Kaylie a new scooter and later on I am going to lunch with my mom, Chelsea, and Walton-girl cousins to one of my favorite restaurants, The Macaroni Grill. I recommend the Penne Roustica. YUM-O.

TOMORROW:
Tomorrow is Ward Conference so the choir is going to sing. My voice is so low now, I could sing with the tenor or even the basses. Not sure if I will be singing or not. In fact, I think Ryan will be sick tomorrow so I might not even be able to go at all.

THIS MONTH:
Kris is going to plan my flower garden bed in the front yard. Hopefully the weather will continue to warm up so I can keep my promise to the kids and take them to the park. Also, I will be watching for my tax return. Brittany will have her baby any day. I will have surgery on my toe on the 20th. (Just a simple chiseling away of the bone. No worries.) LOL

THIS YEAR:
Kaylie will survive Jr. High. We will go to Bear Lake and enjoy the BEAUTIFUL water, and hopefully I won't be on crutches this time. We will do a lot of swimming and boating this summer and then start back to school in the fall; an event I look forward to every year.

Thanks again for the tag, Kris. I am going to tag, Natalie, Kristi, and Brittany. (Unless you're giving birth, which I hope you are.)

Ryan and Alex

2008-03-07T11:51:00.001-08:00

Ryan's best friend is his cousin Alex. They have always been inseperable. He LOVES when Alex comes to visit. I just had to post a few pics of them so Ryan could look at them. He knows how to click to our blog, so I thought this would be fun for him to see. (Kids are so smart these days.)

Birthday Dinner

Sleepover

Ryan's Birthday

Emma's BDay Party

2008-03-07T11:43:00.000-08:00

Last Friday we had Emma's birthday party combined with Alex's. It is always fun to have Leslie's family down. Emma got some fun stuff. She got some spring clothes and is just itching to wear them. I wish it would warm up a bit. I think her favorite thing (aside from the exciting scriptures from her parents), is her 'John Deere' hoodie. She wears it EVERYWHERE!! Even to bed.

ME~in pictures

2008-03-05T12:07:00.000-08:00

I saw this on Kris' blog and thought it looked fun. Go ahead and read mine, then do yours on your blog. You can only use images from Google, so don't use any of your own pictures. I'll be stalking your blogs to see your pictures. Have fun!!

Favorite animal - (the cartoon kind) :)

Favorite Objects (kind of an addiction I have)

My Job

Place I want to Travel

My Name

Favorite Color

Town I live in (Roy, UT)

Favorite Song ("Ready, Set, Don't Go"--such a cute song)

Favorite Dessert (anything lemon)

Bad Habit

Favorite Food

Pet's Name

Favorite Author

Emma's Baptism Day

2008-03-03T11:35:00.000-08:00

Saturday, March 1st, was Emma's birthday AND her baptism day. We had such a nice day. The baptism wasn't until 4:00 pm and so Emma was anxious all day. We had lots of love and support from loved ones. After the baptism we stayed at the church and had a dinner. The food was wonderful. Many thanks to those that helped make Emma's day so special. She received many gifts that she will treasure for a long time.

Emma and Dad

Cassey, Emma, and Maren

Yummy Dinner

Friends and Family

Getting Excited

2008-02-28T17:04:00.000-08:00

Emma is getting so excited for Saturday. Not only is it her birthday, but she gets to be baptized. She said to me last night that she wanted to skip Thursday and Friday and go straight to Saturday. It is so fun to watch her get so excited. We went and got her scriptures yesterday. She chose burgundy ones. They look so pretty with her name on the front. She also chose a cute scripture bag and already has it packed for Sunday. So fun! I can't believe she's 8 already! Time flies!!!

Funny Scripture Study

2008-02-28T16:57:00.000-08:00

So I just had to write this story down before I forget it. The other night we were having scripture study and I accidentally handed Emma Damon's Book of Mormon (Spanish) and she said, "Um, I think I might have some trouble understanding this one." And then she handed it to Damon. We finished our scripture reading and Ryan took Damon's Book of Mormon and started looking through it. After a couple of minutes he got to the pictures in the back and said, "Don't worry Dad, the pictures are in English!" We all just started laughing. Where did he come up with that? Kids say the darndest things, don't they?

The Cullen Family

2008-02-25T18:54:00.000-08:00

Anyone else getting excited for the Twilight movie? I know it's a long time away, but it's still fun to follow all the casting on Stephenie Meyer's website. http://stepheniemeyer.com/ Here is a picture of the cast playing all of the Cullen family. Left to right...Jasper, Rosalie, Esme, Edward, Carlisle, Alice, and Emmett.

Fun "Meez"

2008-02-15T10:45:00.001-08:00

I found this online and thought it was fun to do. A bit addicting, but still fun.

School Valentines

2008-02-15T09:26:00.001-08:00

The kids always have a ball making and receiving their valentines from friends at school. This was Ryan's first year to make school valentines, and it was Kaylie's first year NOT to. (Bitter sweet for mom.) Ryan and Emma both made their bags at school this year, so that was good for mom to hear, also.

Ryan working hard on his valentines.

Posing with his treats from school.

Ryan's bag

Emma's bag

Emma's treats from school.

Our Valentine's Day

2008-02-15T09:00:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Valentine's Day together as a family. We stayed home and enjoyed a fun dinner and then puzzles and games. Every one loved their valentine gifts and enjoyed spending the evening together. For dinner, we had spaghetti, salad, garlic bread, red juice, and then pink ice cream and sugar cookies for dessert. Grandma gave the kids puzzle valentines that they had to put together to read. So fun! We want to wish all of you a Happy Valentine's Day.

Emma and Dad

Our fun place setting.

Ryan enjoying his spaghetti. He had 4 helpings!!

Kaylie and Dad

Our fun pink ice cream. (surprisingly yummy)

"Mission Complete"

2008-02-11T20:47:00.001-08:00

We're finally done collecting all the Thomas Lego trains. This has been a little addicting for me. I mean, who would want to only have part of a collection? After much hunting at stores and on Ebay, we've got them all. Damon was none too thrilled to see my $42.99 pay pal purchase. LOL But after I explained myself, I think he took it considerably well. :) (love you, honey) I did find some killer deals on clearance at Walmart. Once again, it pays to shop often! (I try to tell him that, by first explaining how much I saved.) It is so fun to watch Ryan play. He is so animated when he is the "voice" of all the different trains. He is anxiously awaiting the next release of new trains. (As am I.)

So Thoughtful!

2008-02-11T20:39:00.000-08:00

I don't think I mentioned it, but the day after my birthday, my car was broken into and my purse was stolen. I ran into gymnastics to pick up Emma (only about 5-10 minutes) and when I came out, I found my van with a broken window and no purse. ANYWAY...I didn't really take it very well with the whole "need a new engine" thing. I think it was just the last straw for me. Well, the next day, I went to lunch with my mom and Stefanie (and Elyssa and Ryan) for a birthday lunch and Stefanie gave me the cutest gift. All the little things to put in a new purse. So thanks Stefanie...for bringing a bit of joy in my not so joyful time.

Rome, huh?

2008-02-08T21:57:00.000-08:00

You Belong in Rome

You're a big city soul with a small town heart

Which is why you're attracted to the romance of Rome

Strolling down picture perfect streets, cappuccino in hand

And gorgeous Italian people - could life get any better?

What City Do You Belong In?

Excited for Tonight

2008-01-31T09:27:00.000-08:00

Any LOST fans out there? I can hardly wait for the new episode of Lost tonight. The "catch up" episode last night was fun to watch and get ready for tonight's two hour episode. Even Damon was getting into it. I bet he'll even watch it with me tonight. :)

Some Favorite Pictures

2008-01-27T20:57:00.001-08:00

I think these pictures show the spirit that these two carried with them all the time. I'm so happy they got to be reunited.

I grew to LOVE both President and Sister Hinckley after reading this book many years ago. I learned so much about each of them as parents to their children and spouses to each other. I recommend this book to anyone who hasn't read it, or needs a little uplifting in their life.

January 27, 2008

2008-01-27T20:34:00.000-08:00

I spent my birthday doing exactly what I do every other Sunday. Church, primary, kids, dinner, etc. Then Kaylie had YW New Beginnings. (We got to hear a wonderful story from a speaker I knew in high school...small world.) As soon as we got home we heard the news that President Hinckley had passed away. What a great man! A giant in so many ways. It is sad to think he won't be speaking to us in conference again, but it is such a comfort to know that he is with his sweet wife again. He was such a wonderful servant to our Heavenly Father on this earth. What an example we have to follow. I marvel at all he brought to this gospel. The church has been blessed to have had him as President for so long. I will always remember my birthday for this.

Emma's New Locks

2008-01-24T23:19:00.001-08:00

Well, she finally did it. Emma has been asking for a year if she could get her hair cut. I gave in and took her to get it chopped off. She got about 12" cut off. She is loving her new hair, and can't get enough glances at herself. I think it makes her look really different. Older. UGH! Like that's not coming fast enough. I am really glad that she is happy with it. We will be sending it off to Locks of Love to hopefully benefit someone else.

Thomas Legos

2008-01-23T09:47:00.000-08:00

Ryan has been loving the Thomas and Friends Legos. They keep him busy for hours. In fact, we've been playing them this morning for quite awhile now. He is making me be Sir Topham Hat, the conductor, the freight cars, and Cranky the crane. Go figure! He gets to be all the trains. He is really enjoying the fact that he can put them together himself. (and so am I.) We're still trying to find the Thomas train, but so far no luck.

One of those layouts

2008-01-16T14:06:00.000-08:00

You know those layouts that you just love to look at...no matter how long it's been since you've done them? This is one of those layouts. I love that the paper and the pictures were "made" for each other and it wasn't even planned. And even though it is Halloween pictures of Emma from 2005, I couldn't really picture them on an orange and spooky layout. So, this worked for me. And thanks to Kris for such an awesome layout. (I know it's a crumby picture, sorry.)

Emma's Fieldtrips

2008-01-16T06:49:00.000-08:00

Emma got to go on TWO fieldtrips in one day yesterday. The 2nd grade got to go to the Standard Examiner to see the process of making a newspaper. (She was not impressed with this one..."I already know the primary colors, Mom.") Then it was off to the Ogden Nature Center, in full winter gear, to check out the "Animal Autographs". I think they all enjoyed this one a little bit more. It is so fun to hear her talk about her classmates and things that they all do. She sure is getting big.

10 things to do with $1000

2008-01-15T13:57:00.000-08:00

10. New couch
9. Paint my house.
8. Sprinkling system.
7. New cement pad in backyard.
6. New fence in yard.
5. New deck.
4. New front door.
3. Tile downstairs.
2. New carpet.
1. REPAIR THE VAN!!!

Can you believe it? I can think of soooo many other things I would rather do with $1000 than dump it into the van, but you have to do what you have to do, right? Guess it's cheaper than buying a new vehicle. (Although that is what the kids would like to do.)

U of U Gymnastics

2008-01-14T20:08:00.001-08:00

Last weekend, Damon took the kids to see the open "meet and greet" of the U of U gymnists. They LOVED it. The each got a poster of all the gymnists and then got to meet and receive each of their autographs. They talk about it all the time. I think they were very impressed. And many thanks to Dad who always takes them to fun places and gives me some "ME" time.

Congratulations Kaylie!

2008-01-14T19:52:00.000-08:00

Kaylie (and Mom) had to do the science fair for Jr. High this year. She chose to do it on "Do colored candles melt faster than white candles?" She found out last week that she made it on to the district level. We are very proud of her and how well she is doing in school. She is talented in so many things, it is fun to see her grow into such an amazing young lady. Go Kaylie! (I forgot to take pictures of the finished science project board, so these are a couple of pics of just the candles. I will take some of the board whenever she gets it back.)

Ryan at 1

2008-01-14T19:44:00.000-08:00

I know I already posted Ryan's new photos, but I was going through some pictures and found this one when he had just turned ONE!! I can't even believe the time has gone so quickly. Now I drop him off at school and he tells me to "be happy because you get to come and pick me up!" What a kid! We have his check-up tomorrow morning with Dr. Merkley, which he is excited about, so I will post more on how that goes...hopefully tomorrow.

Ryan's 4-year-old Pictures

2008-01-12T21:47:00.000-08:00

We went to Kiddie Kandids a couple of weeks ago for Ryan's 4-year-old pictures. I was a little apprehensive to go because Ryan has never cooperated in the photo shoots, but I bit the bullet and went. We got there at 11:00 and walked out with pictures in hand at 11:30. He was perfect! Couldn't have been better. I think they turned out really cute and, more importantly, so did he.

Our New Years Celebration

2008-01-10T07:45:00.001-08:00

We spent New Year's Eve with our ENTIRE family. Leslie and family came down from Rexburg and we all went to a hotel in Layton. We had tons of food, Disney Channel, Xbox, food, games, swimming, and food. It was fun to spend time all together. They kept opening the doors to the outside in the swimming pool and laying in the snow, then the pool room filled up with fog. Visibility was...none.

Fun in the pool!!

What a fish!

Nice legs!! (Landon, Chelsea, Jeremy, & Adam)

Foggy Swimming Pool

Disney Channel

Ryan (waiting for midnight)

Ryan...New Year's Day

Ryan's New Addiction

2008-01-09T19:58:00.001-08:00

Ryan is ADDICTED to this movie. We rented it when it first came out on DVD, and then Target had it on sale a few weeks ago and Ryan kept saying..."Mom, we need to buy that Stick It movie for me and Emma." He wants to watch it all the time, and even has some lines memorized. When he plays with his action figures he has them named after the characters in the movie. It cracks me up how much he likes it. The only reason I've come up with is because he really LOVES his tumbling class. (I'm hoping it's not the girls in their leotards, not yet anyway...LOL) He is always practicing the "buttahara" (sp).

Christmas Luncheon

2008-01-09T18:59:00.000-08:00

Every December my mom takes all the girls out to lunch at the country club. It is something that the little girls look forward to all year (the big girls too for that matter). We all had a good time and Grandma gave all the girls a picture with the meaning of their name, and their very own bottle of lotion. Lunch was so yummy, and the "Sinful 7-layer" dessert was delicious. Can't wait to do it again next year. I'm thinking we should make this a bi-annual event. (hint hint Mom) :)

Maren and Emma

Cassey and Elyssa

Cassey, Maren, Emma, and Elyssa

Lyndsey, Chelsea, and Kaylie

Wise Guys

2008-01-09T15:34:00.001-08:00

I just had to share this picture of the wise guys, I mean wisemen, in the nativity we did. My brothers are definitely goofy! I think maybe Tim was supposed to be Joseph, but still......way goofy!

Santa was good to us!

2008-01-09T15:27:00.000-08:00

Santa was good to all of us. Kaylie's favorite was her blue iPod with iDog and clothes, Emma's favorite was her doll and clothes, and Ryan's favorite was, well, everything. He got a digital camera and is NOT a good picture taker, but that doesn't stop him. LOL He really loves his train track and car stuff.
Ryan's Haul

Kaylie's Haul

Emma's Haul

Christmas

2008-01-09T15:12:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful relaxed Christmas. We always have a Christmas Eve dinner at our house with our parents. We had a delicious dinner and then the kids couldn't wait any longer to open their PJs.
Christmas Eve Dinner

New Jammies

Slippers/Socks

The kids were anxious to go to bed, around 10:30. When I checked in on them at 2:00 a.m., they were STILL awake. STINKERS!! They came upstairs and woke us up at 6:00 ready to see what Santa brought. How fun! I just love the excitement that comes with kids and Christmas morning. They were just beaming.
Ready to see what Santa brought

Treat for Santa and ALL of the reindeer

Fun with the Johnson's

2008-01-09T15:06:00.000-08:00

Leslie, John, and her kids came down from Rexburg in the middle of December and we were excited to do some fun things with them. Friday, we went to the Voicemale concert up at Weber State. They are always so entertaining...Kaylie and Chelsea were almost as fun to watch. We ate pizza at The Pie and shakes afterward. Then Saturday we went out to dinner at El Matador in Bountiful and then to Temple Square to see the lights and watch the Joseph Smith movie. It is so much fun to spend time with them, especially since we don't see them as often as we'd like.

Ryan and Alex

At Temple Square

Ryan's Birthday

2008-01-09T14:53:00.000-08:00

I'm a bit late on this one, but we celebrated Ryan's 4th birthday almost a month ago now. Better late than never, right? Well, we had our family over and after the party, we acted out the nativity while Grandpa read the scripture story. It was so fun. Ryan was a donkey, and Brandon was a camel. Ryan went around saying "mooo" and Brandon went around say "Hee Haw". So funny!
We had a fun party, but I cannot believe that Ryan is already 4 years old. It really does seem like just yesterday that we were bringing him home from the hospital. He has moved up to the CTR 5 class and is no longer the youngest in primary. (Though I think he might still be the smallest.)
Ryan Opening Presents

Ryan's Cake

Cute Donkey and Camel

Thanksgiving and Decorating

2007-11-25T08:27:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. My parents and Damon's dad came over and we had a nice relaxing (if cooking all day can be relaxing) Thanksgiving. My parents brought Ryan a train for under the Christmas tree and he honestly spent ALL day watching that train go around and around. He never lost interest. Here are a few pictures of our day.

Friday, after my annual Black Friday shopping with Kris, I begged the kids to let me take a nap for a couple hours and then they wanted to decorate for Christmas. They always LOVE doing this so I was happy to do it. (Although it is more work for me to have helpers LOL). They had a fun time reminiscing about all the decorations and ornaments. It's fun to listen to them talk to each other about their own memories. Damon even put the lights up outside, yea!!

Catch up

2007-11-10T13:41:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been a while since I posted, so I will try to catch up. Halloween was fun and busy. The kids had TONS of fun and got WAY too much candy. Kaylie went with some friends trick-or-treating and had a fun time as well.

Also, our trees are losing their leaves now and the kids are loving it. The other evening the kids called me outside. So I went out and there was a message raked in the leaves. So cute! Then, Dad raked ALL the leaves to the bottom of the slide and they all played outside until after dark. They had a blast and if was fun to capture that moment.

Halloween Party

2007-10-24T07:19:00.000-07:00

Kaylie had a Halloween Party for her friends. She planned the whole thing, made the invitations, organized the games/prizes, decorated, and everything. It turned out super cute and it was really fun to see her so excited to be in charge of something so important to her. Here is a picture of her dressed up as a witch. Ryan did not like her costume...especially the makeup.

Fall is my FAVORITE!!

2007-10-19T14:02:00.000-07:00

I can't help but be in amazement of the beautiful things that fall brings. All the colors, crunchy leaves, pumpkins, cool nights, and frosty mornings. It's fun to watch the kids enjoy this time of year, too. They love to play outside and they are so excited for all our trees to lose their leaves. I came across these pictures from last year and they just bring back such fun memories. Ryan was watching the leaves fall and the girls were having a fabulous time on the trampoline (piled high with leaves.) Fall is definitely my favorite!

Ryan

2007-10-12T10:41:00.000-07:00

Ryan is 3 years old and started preschool. His teacher says that his is very well-behaved and gets along with all the other kids. That's always a good thing to hear. Is FULL of energy. In fact, he never stops moving.....NEVER! (He gets this from his dad.) :) He loves his Thomas trains and his cars and always has at least one of them with him. He is a super sweet boy and loves to talk. He says some of the funniest things. HIs new favorite words include: "actually", "especially", and "freaking". You've got to be careful around those 3-year-olds. LOL

Emma

2007-10-12T10:37:00.001-07:00

Emma is 7 years old and in the 2nd grade. She is a good student and has a lot of friends. She absolutely LOVES her gymnastics class. She goes twice a week, but would love to go everyday. She was very proud of herself the other day when she finally got her roundoff-2 in class. She's been working on it for months. She is a good sister and friend to both Ryan and Kaylie. She is looking forward to her baptism in March.

Kaylie

2007-10-12T10:32:00.000-07:00

Kaylie just turned 12 and started Junior High and also the Young Women program in church. (This was quite a big leap.....for mom!) She loves to sing, write, draw, play piano, and act. She just tried out for the solo in her school's choir concert and GOT IT! We are so proud of her many accomplishments. She is a wonderful big sister to Emma and Ryan helps me out a TON at home. What a good babysitter.

Here we go!

2007-10-12T10:26:00.000-07:00

Well, here goes nothing. I've decided to jump on the band wagon and start blogging. It seems pretty easy, so I will do my best to keep it up to date. I will start by introducing the family. Damon is a wonderful husband and father. He is always doing fun stuff with the kids that make them feel important. He is good at making fun memories that I know they will carry with them throughout their life. He loves ALL sports, but I think his favorite is skiing. (snow and water!)