Our Journey Through Life

The worst bloggers ever!

2011-03-21T13:56:00.002-05:00

Yes I know we never post on here. Matt said he was going to take over and then didn't. I think of things that I should post all the time and never do. I wish that somehow I had more motivation so that I could document the wonderful things that are happening in our lives. I am going to try harder. I know there are so many things that I will forget so I need to write, even just to record our lives whether anyone reads this or not. Quick update and then I have to go do more packing. We are moving to Las Vegas in 8 days. I cannot wait to be closer to family but there are always hard things when moving. The girls will have to be pulled out of school and leave the teachers and friends that they love. We have not found a house yet in Vegas so we will be homeless for a little while. If I have learned anything, it's that I have almost no control over our military lives but somehow it always works out as I am sure this will too. Caleb turned 1 and is walking all over the place. To him this means that he gets to play with the big kids outside and such. He LOVES playing with his sisters and thankfully they are very patient with him too. They enjoy teaching him things and taking him everywhere with them. We are going to be sad to say goodbye to good friends and especially to our ward here. We have had many adventures in the south and can't wait to have more in Nevada. After things settle down and we find a house, I promise to update everyone and also post some new pictures of the kids. So here is at least a quick update so that you know we are at least alive ;-)

Dear Family and Friends,

2010-12-20T12:27:00.003-06:00

Dear Family and Friends,

The past few years have been a crazy, yet exciting time for our family. In 2009, Matt was commissioned as an officer in the Air Force and we officially joined the active duty military. That means we spent four months apart and were then quickly moved to Meridian, Mississippi. Moving to the south was quite a culture shock; however it has been a fascinating and rewarding experience.

When we first arrived we couldn’t understand most people and they were using phrases we had never heard before. We were not prepared for the heat, humidity and giant, man-eating bugs that live here. But we were also overwhelmed at the beauty of the landscape and the hospitality of the people. It seems like everything slows down a bit when you cross the border into Mississippi and we have yet to get stuck in traffic. We’ve had experiences good and bad; but we have found friends for life.

After having lived here a few months, we found out that we were expecting a new addition to our family. That news was quickly followed by Matt leaving for another four months for MORE training; leaving Brittany a pregnant single mother in a strange land. But thanks to friends and ward members she was able to get through it without losing her mind… mostly. But that’s a whole ‘nother story.

In 2010, Matt returned and we officially joined the mini-van club. We welcomed our new baby boy, Caleb Matthew, to our family on March 4th. Even though he was 8 lbs 9 oz, he was 3 weeks early and his little lungs weren’t quite ready for the outside world. He had to spend a week in the NICU, in which time we experienced many little miracles and are so grateful for all of the prayers offered in our behalf. We are happy to say that he recovered well and he is the joy of our lives. He has the best big sisters a little guy could ask for and will forever be spoiled by them.

Elleigh is our amazing little dancer and continues to become quite a performer. She entered 2nd grade and now has the true toothless smile characteristic of that age. She has a wonderful teacher, great friends and loves going to school each day. She was placed in both the Intellectually Gifted and Artistically Gifted programs at her school and loves the new and inventive projects they get to do. Currently she has a dream of becoming Taylor Swift and has asked us if we can find a rock star school to attend. As a back-up plan, she would also like to be a veterinarian. She is a little spitfire and life would be boring without her.

Sophie is also becoming quite a beautiful dancer & is officially in kindergarten this year. In Mississippi, kindergarten is full day which was hard for Brittany to get used to. Her wonderful teacher said she would like to clone her and have a classroom full of Sophies, because, in Sophie’s words, she would like to “obey all of the rules of the world.” Sophie continues to dream of becoming a mermaid when she grows up and can’t understand why Jesus just won’t make it happen. Sophie is our heart and is always ready to give hugs and cuddle, as long as she can have her teddy bear with her.

Matt is almost done with training and will soon be a rated Airfield Operations Officer; despite having to suspend training for several months to resolve a medical condition. Training has resumed and we were selected to move to Nellis AFB, Las Vegas, NV in the spring. We are very excited to be closer to home, dry air and civilization.

With Love,
Matt, Brittany, Elleigh, Sophie, Caleb

Not-so-hostile Takeover

2010-10-26T00:48:00.002-05:00

I have decided to hi-jack this blog. My wife typically does all of the blogging, but in the self-serving interest of writing things that nobody else cares about, I'm giving it a shot. So I apologize in advance to all of you who follow (or whatever the appropriate blog-term is) this blog, as I'm sure that most of what I write will be uninteresting and useless to you. That IS what I do best.

Here's a brief synopsis of the events over the past 6 months:

E-bug started 2nd grade this past August. She is a little genius and was accepted into both the Intellectually Gifted (IG) and Artistically Gifted (AG) programs at her school. I am proud to say that she not only passed the tests, but she blew them out of the water with scores of 97% and 93%. Unfortunately, we could only choose one of the programs so she is doing the IG. She absolutely loves it; as do her parents. She has become a true 2nd grader with the eternal rite of passage of losing her 2 front teeth.

S-bub is now in kindergarten (sniff, sniff). She absolutely loves school and she adores her teacher. Her class has a color system to determine daily behavior (green=good, blue=less good, red=bad, etc) for which she gets a green dot EVERY day. My little S-bub is so determined to follow all of the rules that she often lets her teacher know who is talking out of turn. I may be biased, but I'm pretty sure she is a genius-level artist. She is so creative... and funny. She cracks us up every day. The other day I made a joke about selling our kids and my little comedian says, "nooooooo... but you can just sell Elleigh".

Little-C is growing like a weed. All he really does is eat and sleep. For the few hours of the day that he is awake, he is the happiest most playful baby around; as long as he's being held by his parents or sisters. He's starting to scoot across the floor, which means we need to go buy a baby corral or some sort of harness to keep him from destroying our house. He has the most infectious laugh that pulls you in, and then when you're not looking... he'll drool all over your face. A couple of weeks ago he and I were wresting on my bed. I picked him up over my head and growled at him. With precision timing and drop-dead accuracy, he spit-up right into my mouth. As I rolled over to spit out the previously consumed formula and applesauce, I passed little-C to my "sympathetic" wife as she struggled to catch her breath from laughing. If any of you are wondering but have never had the pleasure of this experience... it tastes exactly how you would imagine. After I had finished brushing my teeth for the 16th time and drank 1/2 gallon of mouthwash, I promptly grounded little-C for the remainder of his adolescence. But then he smiled at me with his two protruding bottom teeth and I caved. I guess I'll just have to slowly extract my revenge from him over the next 20 or so years... or not.

New Pictures of Caleb

2010-04-07T21:12:00.002-05:00

Caleb Matthew Francom

2010-03-16T15:59:00.007-05:00

Halloween 2009

2009-11-02T20:04:00.005-06:00

This year the girls didn't get to choose what they were for Halloween. We had paid for dance costumes that they never used because we left Utah earlier than planned. So Sophie had a brand new "Jasmine" costume and Elleigh had a really cute cowgirl costume. Luckily they really liked the costumes and so they didn't put up much of a fight. They looked absolutely adorable! We had a week worth of Halloween parties at dance and school and at a friends house Friday night. Then trick or treating on the Navy base where we live. People were so creative when passing out candy. Some people even created their own little haunted house in their car ports. It was really fun and so many people were out enjoying the night. And I must say it was nice to have 70 degree weather to trick or treat in. Quite a change from what we are used to.

Here is Elleigh and Sophie at their dance Halloween party.

The girls with our cute neighbor kids.

It's A Boy!!!

2009-10-31T21:20:00.003-05:00

We are so excited to announce that we are expecting our 3rd baby in March!!! It will also be our first BOY!! We are so excited! The girls are thrilled to be getting a baby brother and Matt couldn't be more happy to have a son on the way. We are both still trying to wrap our heads around having a little boy in our house that has been full of little princesses up until this point.

Elleigh in The Wizard of Oz

2009-10-29T14:28:00.003-05:00

Elleigh had the opportunity to be a munchkin in the Meridian Community College's production of THE WIZARD OF OZ. It was such a fun experience! I still can't believe how much work it is to be the parent of a little performer. A big thanks to my mom for things she did my whole life that I didn't understand until now. Elleigh loved every second of it. She would get tired some nights when we had to be there every night for 3 weeks in a row but when it was all over she was really sad. She was a little star up there with the best facial expressions. She did such a great job!! Sophie was her biggest supporter and knew all the dance moves too after coming to all the rehearsals with us. She can't wait until she gets to be in a play!

Elleigh as a munchkin.

Elleigh and Sophie as a part of the set.

The girls with the Wicked Witch of the West.

Elleigh on stage.

The girls with the leads in the play.

Elleigh

2009-09-30T22:13:00.005-05:00

Elleigh is my 6 year old queen of the world. She has so much confidence and attitude. Her enthusiasm is infectious and she can talk anyone into just about anything. She feels things deeply. She loves her family and friends with a passion and can be heartbroken by the slightest wrong to or from these people. She can be my biggest helper and is the first person to try and make you feel better. She is a caretaker at heart. Thank goodness Sophie is patient and lets Elleigh "mother" her quite a bit.

Elleigh loves individual attention from us. Matt and I decided to take the girls on individual dates one weekend and Elleigh was beyond excited to have one on one time with us. I wonder if she remembers what it was like before little sister was born and she had all the attention.
Another time, she went to the store with daddy all by herself. As they were walking out, holding hands, she turned and said, "well this is romantic." We laughed about that one for awhile.

She loves to write and illustrate her own stories. They are all very creative and she really spends a lot of time making them a nice piece of work. Then she loves to read it to everyone in the family over and over again. Her best audience member is her sister Sophie who is very attentive when her big sister wants to read anything to her. Her latest story, and one of my favorites, is called "The Cat and Dog Hate Each Other."

Elleigh likes to make up games for her and her sister or friends to play. They are very creative and she is very specific about how they must be played and will give constant instruction throughout. She is always the one to take charge and be the leader of the group. Sometimes this can be the cause of disciplinary action from her mother because it can turn into extreme bossiness. Most of the time it is just a good characteristic to have and everyone enjoys the ideas she comes up with. She can really create a fun atmosphere.

Elleigh likes to feed people and make sure they are taken care of. If anyone isn't feeling well she will find them something to eat or drink and usually get them a wet wash cloth for their forehead. She will stroke your arm and love on you so that you can feel better. I love this about her.

She is very good at coming up with "excuses" as to why something was not her fault. This might sound like a negative thing and sometimes it is but usually it is amazing what this little girl can come up with! The other day she was upset at me because she had ended up in her room after a tiff with her friend and she explained to me that I just don't understand a kid's life and this is why she was in trouble. She felt the need to enlighten me on what had really occurred. Apparently the fight that I heard her start was all a misunderstanding that adults wouldn't get. I love it! I have a 16 year old already.

Elleigh makes friends with everyone! She is the first person to walk up to the other children and introduce herself and her sister. They are immediately best friends. Her friends at school are very important to her and one of my favorite things is to hear all the goings on in her 1st grade world. Who her boyfriend is this week and why (currently it's Eli.) Who said what to her today that made her happy or sad and who she helped today. She also loves to please her teachers and will report to me what they said to her every day.

Elleigh is a very talented dancer. We moved to Mississippi and found a dance studio we liked but we had missed auditions for the upcoming year. They told me that they would put her on something called pre-company and see how she did. Within a few lessons they pulled me aside and told me how talented she was and that they wanted to put her up on a 6-7 year old team. They said how well she listened and picked up so quickly and how flexible she is. They made her feel very important and I was very proud. She is so poised for a 6 year old and takes it very seriously. It will be fun to see what she does with it. She loves to make up her own dances as well as practice the ones she is learning in class. She also loves to come home and teach them to Sophie.

Elleigh loves to pray. She says the most descriptive prayers I have ever heard. The whole thing is like a performance with the way she uses her voice to emphasize things. It can be hard not to laugh sometimes but it is always a beautiful thing to hear her talk to her Heavenly Father. My favorite thing she is asking for a lot lately is to please bless that no bugs get in here (a serious Mississippi problem) and that no bandits get in our house. I am not sure where she got the word bandit but I love it. She then thanks Him for her family with such a loving tone that it can bring me to tears. Sometimes she will even reach out and touch that person as she mentions their name in the prayer. It is the sweetest thing. Her prayers are so innocent and lovely and I know her Heavenly Father loves her and her sweet prayers dearly.

Elleigh you are my first born and you have changed my life forever. I love your spirit and what you bring to our family. What would we do without our Elleigh bug?

Sophie

2009-09-30T21:28:00.005-05:00

Sophie is my heart. She is the crack up of my life and a gift to me. She is a delight every day and I am lucky to be able to squeeze her little body on a daily basis. She turned 4 this June and it happened too fast. She says she just doesn't know how to stop growing so I guess it will have to continue. There are many times that I just wish I could freeze her and keep her just this way. Alas, she grows into a distinguished little girl more and more every day.
This post is mostly for me to record some of the fun things she is doing at this point in her life and share them with you.

Sophie would like more than anything to be a mermaid. I have caught her saying a prayer to Heavenly Father, asking that he please make her a mermaid and her family so that we can stay together and live in the water but her dad will have to be a merman instead of a mermaid. She told me that she has asked Jesus too but that he just hasn't changed her yet. It is very hard to explain to a 4 year old that she isn't going to be turned into a mermaid because Heavenly Father wants her to be a Sophie. I think she is still holding out hope.

She has also invented something called a "ghost hug." This is where you hug yourself but you are sending it to someone you love like blowing them a kiss. She will blow me a kiss and then squeeze herself and say ghost hug! I am not sure where the name came from but I love it.

Sophie made up a club and came up with rules for her club. You have to wear a dress with high heels and make up. Those are the only rules. The club's activities consist of dancing around in these outfits and posing. It is a lot of fun and I am proud to say I am a member. It won't be long before mom's aren't invited anymore. Hopefully not anytime soon.

She is obsessed with jumping out at us and screaming "Boo!" This is usually followed by her laughing and saying, "Got ya!" It can be pretty funny most of the time but sometimes she is really sneaky and it really scares the crap out of me and Elleigh. Now anyone who knows me well will know that being startled is not one of my favorite activities. Elleigh is like me in this way. Matt doesn't startle easily. I remember a time a few years ago when my sister Carly scared me so bad I ended up in fetal position crying. Yeah I should probably be on pills. It's pretty funny now.

This little girl LOVES baths. She would spend hours in there if I let her. She loves to take toys in there and sing and "swim." If you want a giggle you can listen to her outside the door. She musn't know you are listening or she stops. You will usually here the most beautiful version of the Little Mermaid song ever sung. The voices she gives to her toys is also quite entertaining.

Sophie would change outfits 15 times a day if I let her. She comes up with the most interesting combinations but the best part is the way she presents herself after. You have to close your eyes and then she will reveal her latest creation. Then she will prance in front of you with the most dainty hands you've ever seen. This girl already knows how to strut and strike a pose. It's all too beautiful.

Sophie is not afraid to give kisses to her family. Much to the chagrin of her older sister who is not as fond of kissing and so of course this means that she tries even harder. Very rarely does she pass by you without a kiss and huggy (as she calls it). Matt made up the rule that every time she comes and asks him for anything, the payment is a kiss and hug. I hope she never changes this.

I love you my little princess angel. Your dad and I would be lost without you.

4th of July - Yes I Am Not Caught Up

2009-09-17T17:52:00.004-05:00

So we spent the 4th of July back in Mississippi where we will be living for about 2 1/2 years. It was a little sad to not be at our family BBQ's and with friends but we found some really fun activities to go to. Our bishop and his family invited us to their house for a BBQ as well as some other people from the ward. It was really fun with great food! We then went down to a place called Bonita Lakes. They have music, booths and fireworks. It was a lot of fun in a beautiful area. It was disgustingly hot but that is to be expected in Mississippi in July. Happy Birthday America!
Oh and thanks for the dresses Grandma! They were perfect for this occasion!

Oh Sophie

2009-09-10T22:01:00.003-05:00

If you have seen the movie Madagascar 2 then you know that she is mimicking Alex the Lion. She is a crack up.

More from Alabama

2009-09-10T17:10:00.003-05:00

We were able to do some cool things in Montgomery. There is a lot to see there and we had a lot of friends to enjoy it with. I miss them all! Matt had a good time with all the training they did. All around ASBC was a good time.

Alabama and more new friends

2009-09-10T16:01:00.003-05:00

Ryan and Lucy Claussen. They have 2 beautiful daughters.

Crystal and Roland LaFrance (with Lucy in the background)

Joemaira and Mario Sauceda. They also have 2 beautiful daughters. (and Lucy)

Stephanie and Mike Chambers. They also have 2 beautiful girls. (No Lucy)

We got to go with Matt while he went to more Officer training at Maxwell AFB in Montgomery, AL. I was glad we didn't have to be separated again for that 6 weeks but it was interesting to live in a small hotel room on the base for 6 weeks. However, we made some great friends for life that made it so fun.

First days in Mississippi then on to Alabama

2009-09-10T14:10:00.003-05:00

In Alabama, we went to a children's convention and the girls got to jump on big blow up toys and listen to music, make crafts and play games. Here is their face painting.

Elleigh got bored at one point on our drive out to Mississippi (that we did in 2 days because we are crazy!) The girls were amazing the whole trip. They didn't even complain.....not once! It was divine intervention. Sophie was known to say that this was the best trip of her life......so funny. I guess we don't need to take them to Disneyland anymore. Just an unbearable drive across the country. So anyway, I couldn't get too mad at Elleigh when she did this to her hand because they had been so well behaved the whole time.

This little guy was at our doorstep every night in Mississippi in temporary lodging. He hopped into our room one night and so we took a picture. It has been fun to see all the new animal life that we don't see much of at home. We also have seen turtles, foxes, possums, armadillos, cranes and more. Very interesting.

New friends in Mississippi. These are some friends we met at church. They have a really nice neighborhood pool and were nice enough to invite us over. Soooo much fun. Thanks Mathesons!

The Exodus

2009-08-05T15:06:00.003-05:00

So as many of you know we have moved to Mississippi. Matt went through Officer Training School (OTS) and is now a 2LT in the Air Force. As I have mentioned before, I am very proud of what he is doing and I am excited for the adventures military life has in store for us.
Matt was supposed to report to his duty station in Meridian, MS on April 24th. I thought that I would be able to stay home with some of our belongings and let the girls finish out the school year and their dance programs. Well what we didn't know was that the military will only pay for you to move once. For some reason, they don't like moving the military member and some of our stuff and then moving the family and the rest of our stuff at a later time. This makes sense to me now but our plan was never to pull the girls out of school and dance and have them miss out on that.
So we had to decide in 1 day to either go with Matt now and drive out to Mississippi or pay for plane tickets later and for some of our stuff to be moved ourselves. That wasn't possible for us. So instead we quickly packed what we needed for the trip and left the rest for the Military to move for us. We didn't have time for goodbyes to all of our family and friends and the girls would now have to be pulled out of school early and miss out on their dance recitals. I was very sad about this but after being away from my husband and their daddy for 4 months, we liked the idea of staying together. It was an unbearable thought to part for another 6 weeks so we were happy to go together. However, this caused much heartache for our family and friends as we were not able to spend much time together and we didn't even get to say goodbye to some. I hope in the long run it was the right decision to keep our family together and have the girls miss those few weeks of activities.
We already had a family party with the Francom's scheduled since they hadn't seen Matt for 4 months so we decided to also turn it into a Birthday Party for Elleigh. Her Birthday would have taken place right after Matt left again and I was glad we didn't have to deal with that seperation. It meant that she wouldn't have a party with her friends however. But that is a different post.
So here are all the pictures from when we left and her party.

The Exodus

2009-08-05T13:55:00.006-05:00

Us with Mindy and Brandon on our last night in Utah.

Saying good bye to Matt's mom Dee Ann.

Almost all of the grandkids on Matt's side of the family.

Elleigh getting her birthday scooter.

Lots of fun presents!

Her favorite show High School Musical!

Yay presents!

Look at that cake!

Happy Birthday 6 year old!

Ooh pretty!

Most of the Francom Clan!

Playing with the pet farrots and cousin Zoe.

Cousin Bailey has the coolest dress up clothes!

Yes, It's Been Awhile!

2009-07-14T20:24:00.000-05:00

So many things have happened, I don't even know where to start! I don't know what happened to me in January. Matt left for almost 4 months and apparently by ability to blog about our lives went with him. I like to blog because I feel like I am recording our lives. At least in some small way. It may not be an elaborate scrapbooking way or beautiful written journal way but at least something is getting done. I have completely dropped the ball!! Now that we have moved and lived in two different states in two months, the blogging pressure is back. Hopefully it will be a way for people to check in once in awhile and not forget us while we are away.......
Now where to start?

First, I must post the cutest video of our little Diva Singer Sophie who turns 4 this week.

Munkin

2009-07-13T16:39:00.003-05:00

My girls love my mom's dog. He has been such a funny little thing. He is very protective and that causes him to be a little stink sometimes with visitors. He also doesn't like men very much. Since my mom adopted him we are not sure why but we love him no matter what. He was unsure about children for awhile too. We were worried when I moved in with my mom while Matt was gone with the Air Force that it would be hard for Munkin with the girls. He absolutely adores them. He is so funny. They love him and miss him so much now that we have moved. Here is a few pictures of the infamous Munkin.

Sophie

2009-07-13T16:22:00.003-05:00

She loves to dress up.....as most little girls do. Sophie, however, feels like she needs to change clothes at least 15 times a day. Sometimes I don't know how she does it so fast! She will be in a dance outfit one moment and a princess ballroom gown another. Here is just one example of her idea of a beautiful outfit. Oh and if she asks you how she looks you must say beautiful or gorgeous...she does not like when you say cute. It's not enough for her. So funny!

Oliver's Blessing

2009-04-19T18:12:00.000-05:00

Aunt Karen and My Mom

So glad to have Daddy back!

Aunt Carly and Oliver.....she has the magic touch!

Elleigh, Aunt Brittany with Oliver, Sophie

My Aunt Karen (my dad's sister), Me, Elleigh, Carly and Sophie Sue

2009-04-18T18:52:00.000-05:00

So happy to be back together after almost 4 months!

My mom took this picture.....she thinks she is funny

Me and my sisters, Chelsea and Carly

Easter 2009

2009-04-17T17:40:00.000-05:00

Easter Dresses!

Little Princesses! No I don't pose them like this....it comes naturally to them.

Easter with Grandma Read.

Elleigh Easter Morning!

Sophie Easter Morning!!

2009-04-16T19:08:00.002-05:00

Matt's Air Force Officer Graduation

2009-04-13T19:37:00.000-05:00

Matt saluting his flight commander.

Being sworn in as an Officer in the Air Force.

The graduation parade. Matt is the one with the white strap over his shoulder on the side. The tall one in the front. The strap held a sword. He got to wear this because he was one of the leaders. I was very proud. It was an emotional day for me. I just wish my Grandpa and Matt's Dad could have been there to see it.

Us at the formal dinner they had for us.

2009-04-12T20:01:00.000-05:00

Us at Maxwell, Air Force Base in Alabama at Matt's Officer Graduation.

Matt is the tall one in the middle with the sword. It was pretty cool!

Matt is front middle.

The girls in the stands at the parade.

This WWII Vet was in the stands sitting behind us. He was talking to Matt about his accomplishments and was there to see his grandson graduate. He reminded me of my Grandpa.

Matt and Captain Packard, Matt's Flight Commander.

Matt with a good friend Matt Lowe.

Matt his roommate at OTS, Darin Flynn.

Matt with some of his Flight.

Us at Matt's Commissioning Ceremony.

Pinning on Matt's Bars. These are his new rank on his uniform.

Everyone got to have family members come up and pin on there new officer bars. It was very special and the girls felt important.

A Day At "Carly's Castle" Park

2009-04-05T17:10:00.002-05:00

This was just a fun day over Conference Weekend. Only a few more days until we get to go see Daddy in Alabama!!

St. Patrick's Day

2009-03-17T16:40:00.002-05:00

Mesquite!

2009-03-15T16:55:00.001-05:00

Elleigh and Sophie posing in front of the Casa Blanca hotel in Mesquite.

My mom and I went on a trip with the girls to see my Great Aunt Joan and my Uncle John. They live in Mesquite and it is always fun to go see them and stay in the fun hotels down there. Elleigh and Sophie thought that it was the greatest trip ever! They are very positive about things. We had a wonderful time. They are really neat people. I am very fortunate to know them and be related to them. They are pretty special.

2009-03-14T19:00:00.003-05:00

Uncle John, Sophie, Aunt Joan, Elleigh

One night, Sophie slept through dinner. We tried everything to wake her up. So when she finally did wake up she was hungry. We decided that we didn't want to go back out to get her something and so we ordered her room service. It was so fancy! She felt really special! So here are pictures of her first room service! What a little princess!

In Aunt Joan's backyard

Sophie's Hospital Visit

2009-03-05T15:26:00.000-06:00

Anyone who has to spend any amount of time without their spouse will probably relate to this. The world seems to fall apart when they are gone. The strangest things will happen that would not occur if they were here. Some things I have experienced while Matt is gone: a bizarre mice invasion of my home, cars being towed without any cause and then returned to me after some help of my neighbors, my children getting so sick that they are asking for priesthood blessings, relatives dying, and the list goes on.
In this case, I had a very sick little Sophie who was struggling to breathe. She has had respiratory problems since she was a baby. When everyone else just has a cold, Sophie will get it and it will turn to croop or something awful. While Matt was gone, she got a cold and one night she was having a really hard time breathing. She was having a hard time sleeping and so was I because I was so worried about her. We had tried all the regular things, medicine, a humidifier, a steamy shower, and taking her outside wrapped up to help open her airways. By 1am she was only getting worse and I knew we wouldn't make it through the night. Luckily we were living with my mom so I was able to leave Elleigh asleep while I went to the emergency room with Sophie.
I thought that this would be a misearable experience because we were both so tired and I knew they would probably have to do breathing treatments on her. I thought that she would be crying and a mess because she was so tired and sick. But my little Sophie continues to suprise me with her patience and ability to handle situations. She was an absolute angel. She did everything the doctors and nurses told her too. Their were some other little children in the emergency room for the same thing and they were having a really hard time. Not my Sophie. She actually thought it was fun! She quickly became a favorite with the nurses. They couldn't believe how good she was and so they brought her a whole cup of suckers instead of just one. She was so funny. The mask they gave her had a strap that went around her head. I put it on her and told her she had to keep it on. Later the nurses came by to check on her and said that they couldn't believe that she had kept it on because it was so uncomfortable. They told me that she could just hold it up to her face and it would do the same thing. She is so obedient. We both came home and crashed but at least she could breathe. I am so grateful for the people who helped her and for my mom who was there for me during my separation from Matty. Sophie just kills me. It seems like only she could handle that situation in that way. Love you Sophie.

A Walk To The Temple

2009-03-02T19:26:00.000-06:00

We had the privilege of living right down the hill from the Mount Timpanogous Temple at my mom's house. We had a really nice sunny day in March that felt like a walking day. The girls and I decided to take Munkin (my mom's dog) out for a walk. We walked all around the Temple grounds and talked all about how mommy and daddy were married there and what it means for us as a family. We talked about how we are sealed together for eternity and that we can be together forever as a family. It was a really fun teaching moment for me and the girls. Their dad was still gone and had been since January and so I think it was meaningful for them. At the time, I took for granted that we could walk to a temple. We could drive to at least 6 within an hour. Now that I am hours away from a temple, I am even more grateful for them and for the temples that are being built every year so that more members of the church can have a temple close to them.

Just Some Funny Pictures

2009-03-01T14:36:00.000-06:00

Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T20:58:00.000-06:00

Valentine's Day:

This was a fun day for Elleigh at school and I got to come and help with her Valentines party at school! It turned out to be a very enlightening experience. I learned from another mom that Elleigh and her son were engaged and that she had many love notes from my daughter saved at her house. Her cute son told her that he knows that the daddy is usually taller than the mommy but this time the mommy was going to be taller (since Elleigh is a head taller than him) but he thinks it's ok. This little Taylor is a very cute boy so Elleigh does have good taste. And it's probably good that she isn't bothered by the social stigma where men "need" to be taller. It was hilarious!!
All around a good day but my heart was a little heavy to be without my husband. We don't really make a huge deal about Valentine's Day but we are always together and we do something simple that means a lot. So to have him gone was very hard. There were quite a few tears shed that night. I am glad that it's over.

Sophie and Her Teddy

2009-02-01T19:04:00.000-06:00

The infamous teddy. Matt says that I am too soft when it comes to this thing but I love that she is so attached to it! Her Aunt Carly gave her this teddy and she can take it with her to college if she wants! I am catching everyone up on what has gone on over the last 6 months since I stopped posting while Matt was at Officer Training School for 4 months and then we moved to Mississippi. So watch out for all the random posts! This is also for me and my idea of record keeping.

New Family Pictures!

2009-01-24T23:43:00.005-06:00

Yes I know that this post is huge but how do you choose? There are still many more to choose from! We had these done right before Matt left. They turned out fabulous!! If anyone is considering getting pictures done, you need to check out TMP She is amazing! Tiffany is a friend of mine and she had so many great ideas. She also put up with me for 3 hours trying to choose my favorites out of all the good pictures she had. We did talk a little I guess : ) Tiffany you are incredible! Thank you for giving us some wonderful memories!

2009-01-22T21:05:00.002-06:00

OBAMA:
"My fellow citizens:
I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.
Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because we the people have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebears, and true to our founding documents.
So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.
That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.
These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land — a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.
Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America — they will be met.
On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.
On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.
We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.
In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted — for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things — some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.
For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.
For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.
For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.
Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.
This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions — that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.
For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act — not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. All this we will do.
Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions — who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.
What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them — that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works — whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. Those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account — to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day — because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.
Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control — and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart — not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.
As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our founding fathers ... our found fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all the other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.
Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.
We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort — even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.
For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus — and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.
To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West — know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.
To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to the suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.
As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment — a moment that will define a generation — it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.
For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.
Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends — hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism — these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.
This is the price and the promise of citizenship.
This is the source of our confidence — the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.
This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed — why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent Mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.
So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:
"Let it be told to the future world ... that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet (it)."
America, in the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.
Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America."

Well It's Finally Here......

2009-01-09T14:49:00.004-06:00

Matt's flight at Lackland AFB Texas in 2005

Matt at graduation 2005

Matt and Elleigh (2yrs) when we finally got to see him!
2005

Well it is finally time for Matt to leave and start Officer Training School with the Air Force. It kind of crept up on me so I am not sure I am ready...... but ready or not he leaves this Monday the 12th. I have moments where I just want him to go and get it over with because the anticipation is killing me. Then I have moments when I want him to call the whole thing off! As if that would work. I guess I am just going to be in survival mode for the next five months. We have decided that it is a good thing that after 8 1/2 years of marriage, we still want to be together rather than apart. The sad thing is that we got married so that we could be TOGETHER! This time away will be hard but maybe we will be even stronger for it. I am worried about the girls. Last time that he left for this amount of time, Elleigh was 2 and Sophie was 6 weeks old. They were not as aware of the separation like they will be this time. The good thing about Matt as a dad is that he is really involved in their lives. He doesn't just come home from work and ignore them. He truly wants to spend as much time as he can with them and helps me so much.....especially when I have been working. The girls are very attached to their daddy and he to them. This will be much harder emotionally than last time. I just pray that I can be the strength they need right now.
As I think about Matt leaving, I am of course feeling many things. Scared, sad and very very anxious.......but most of all proud. I am so proud of him and what he is doing. I love telling people that he is going to be an Officer in the Air Force. I love this country and I am so grateful for our freedom. People really do take this country for granted and I feel so strongly that we need to do what we can to deserve this freedom. I am not saying that I agree with war...any war...in fact families in the military are the last ones who want wars. We are the ones with our husbands and wives deployed. However, I do believe that what Matt will be doing is a good thing and that he will enjoy what he does. It is going to offer us a lot of opportunities and benefits.
I just have to focus on the positive of it all and realize that if we can just get through this initial separation, then we will be moving on to great things. My heart just hurts right now thinking of him leaving. It's funny that you can feel a physical pain from love of a person. He is the love of my life and I have been blessed every day since I married him. Good luck to my sweetheart! He will be amazing like he always is.

Christmas Card 2008

2008-12-23T18:18:00.004-06:00

Merry Christmas From the Francoms!

This is what Sophie's pre-school did as a parent gift this year and I just had to show it off! It looks like a professional greeting card! They told us to dress them up cute in Christmas colors with their hair all done but they didn't tell us why. I was so surprised and I absolutely love this idea!
Since we had a lot going on and I wasn't able to put together a card for anyone this year, I thought I would use this. Of course it doesn't have any of the other members of our family so I will also post some pictures below. I also promise to catch up on my posting during the Christmas break.

We love you all and Merry Christmas!!

Check out my sister's new business!

2008-10-22T18:41:00.003-05:00

Allegro Wear

Yes I know that I work at a dance place that has its own dance store too but my sister has nothing to do with the studio and has been wanting her own business for years. It is a great idea! Maybe they could just refer each other. Don't worry CS people....I always tell my students to get their items from Dance Gear.

Click the link above to go to her blog or you can go to allegrowear.com

At least this post isn't depressing! Hopefully we are done with that stuff for awhile!!

The Obituary

2008-10-01T14:00:00.005-05:00

Dave Francom
Here is the obituary for Matt's dad. Just click on his name. Some of you have asked me for more information. If there is anything else you need to know you can call me or email me. Thank you to everyone that has sent us your love. It has been greatly appreciated by Matt and I.

Losing A Loved One

2008-09-29T01:31:00.005-05:00

On Saturday we were able to attend the funeral of Jackson Rich who is my friends little boy that passed away this week. It was heartbreaking and wonderful at the same time. The spirit was overwhelming, the music beautiful and the talks inspirational. It was my priviledge to be there and share in that little boys life with his family. I can't imagine how hard the road is ahead for them but they will have at least one little angle cheering them on and holding them up when they need it. I pray that they will be given strength in the coming days and years.
That night we were feeling emotionally drained and were just staying home to enjoy our little family and each other when we got a phone call. Matt's mom called my phone because he had left his upstairs and hadn't heard it ringing. She asked if he was with me and I knew by her voice that things were not good. Now Matt's dad has frequented the hospital over the years for different heart problems, diabetes and more but I could tell that this time was different. She told him to get to the hospital as soon as he could but no more. He raced out the door and I just knew it was bad. I called my mom and started to get the girl's things together when Matt called me. He was really upset and said that his dad was gone. I couldn't believe it! I told him I would be right there while trying to control my emotions so that the girls would be ok. I don't think it has ever taken me so long to get to my mom's and then get to the hospital. When I got there, everyone was very upset. Apparently Matt's mom and dad had been at the District movie theater just off bangeter when he said he couldn't breathe very well. They stopped the movie and called an ambulance. By the time Matt's mom followed them and got into the hospital, he was talking pleasantly to the nurse and so she wasn't too alarmed. They had been through this many times before. Well soon after that he was being taken to a different room and they were hooking him up to a respirator and he passed away really suddenly. There was nothing to do. It was just quik and painless. The hard part was that no one was there with her. She didn't have time to call any of us nor did she think it was serious. He had a blood clot travel to his lungs and cause 10 times the pressure on his heart. He has survived 4 blood clots before but this one just took him. Luckily most of her children were able to get to the hospital quickly. It was just very shocking to all of us. He has had health problems but we never expected for him to go so fast. It is better than him suffering however. We are so thankful to the hospital staff at Jordan Valley Hospital and for all that they did for us. We were up until about 5am that night and have had a rough day again today trying to get through some of the business aspect of it all. It has brought us all together and I am grateful for that. I don't think that I have had a worse week in a long time....well at least since my grandpa and my dad passing. But this sweet little baby and then Matt's dad....I am drained. And yet I am so grateful too. I am so blessed and these things really remind you of what is important. I love my husband and his family so much and I am glad that we can all come together to celebrate their father's life. He was an amazing man and I know that he is in a much better place. The funeral is on Friday at 11am. I will post more when I have a bit more time.

Prayers

2008-09-24T13:02:00.004-05:00

On a day like today everything gets shoved back into perspective. I found out today that I friend of mine lost their little boy yesterday. He was 16 months old. I am just sick about it. How do you handle something like that. My heart is breaking for them and their family. I can't think of anything else to do but pray for them.

Also, my sister is having her first baby today. He is 6 weeks early and so we are hoping that the delivery will go smoothly. Again, all I can do is pray.

I know that there are many of you out there that have amazing faith and a close relationship to Heavenly Father. If you could remember these people that are dear to me in your prayers I know it will help.

Thank you and may we all hold each other closer today.

The Date Has Been Set

2008-09-14T17:27:00.005-05:00

I am not really sure how I feel about it yet. It means a lot of different things for me and our family. Matt will be leaving for Officer Training School on January 13, 2009. That date seems really soon all of the sudden. After he leaves, I will still be here by myself for a while. Probably at least 4 months if not longer. I am so proud of him and for his willingness to serve this country. Also, getting his commission as an officer is huge. All of it will be an adventure I am sure.

I just feel sick more than anything else. Sometimes great things are scary at first. I am just not as strong as I would like other people to think I am or as I would like to tell myself I am.

All I can do is pray.

My Girls and Their New Events!

2008-09-07T16:32:00.013-05:00

Yes I know that I am really late in posting first day of school pictures but it has been crazy! I got them back to school, they started back in dance and singing lessons, I started teaching at the studio again and so I am just now catching up!
Here are some pictures of Elleigh on her first day! Wow the emotions were strong on this day! She loved every second of it! She loved the playground and her teacher and she loved talking to all the new friends! She couldn't stop talking about the reading castle in her classroom! I handled it all ok and didn't cry or anything. It just felt like my heart was going to explode out of my chest as I watched her walk up with confidence and head into a new experience. What a huge milestone this is for us both. I am so proud of that bright, beautiful little girl.

Here are some pictures of her at the school with her best friend Alyssa. They are in the same class. I am glad that they could share their first day together.

So I took these pictures of Elleigh on her second week of kindergarten. We were a little early so she was playing on the playground by herself for a few minutes while we waited for the rest of the kids to come. She was really excited when a few kids showed up and so she kept going over to them and inviting them to come play with her. After awhile, there was quite a few kids there but Elleigh noticed a little girl sitting on the edge of the playground not playing. The little girl looked a little down. Well Elleigh can't have that! She went over to her and talked to her for a minute and convinced her to come play. She took her by the hand and led her over to play. I was very impressed with my little five year old and how perceptive she can be. I wasn't fast enough to get pictures of the whole scene....but I did get a few.

Sophie has been waiting for a long time to start school. She has come along for two years now watching Elleigh go into Mrs. Honey's class and now it is finally her turn! She practically lived at the school last year as well because mom was teaching and Elleigh attending. But now she knew that it was her turn and that she wasn't just there for the ride! She squealed in the car when I asked her if she was excited to go in to her school! I had a much harder time dropping her off than I did Elleigh. Maybe it's because she is the baby and I can't believe that my little one who has come everywhere with me like an additional appendage for the last three years has her own little schedule and things to do! I had a moment where I kind of freaked out in the car all by myself. I had dropped them both off at school and then I went to get gas and I was all alone! I sent Matt a text because I couldn't believe it! It was actually really hard at first. I am sure that I will learn to enjoy it but, as most of you know, Sophie is an absolute joy to be around and I really missed her while she was gone. Of course, when I picked her up she was beaming with excitement! She wanted to tell me all about pre school and how they had done puzzles and games and sang songs and danced and colored pictures! She even said the boys were nice! She was very surprised by that I guess. So funny.... A good but very hard day for a mom!

What a beautiful little school girl!!

I love having girls and the things that come with it. As they start their school careers and grow and learn through this life, I hope that we can share it together. I continue to pray that I can be the mom they need. I hope that they will know that I am trying to teach them what is best because I love them and I want them to be good people like I know they are. I want to guide them in the right direction while enjoying the ups and downs of it all. I am blessed to be the mother of these two little spirits and I hope that we can all enjoy the upcoming years.

To my girls:

I love to watch you grow....

I love to see you on stage...twirling like a ballerina.....

I love to see you go to school.....

I will enjoy watching you eat a thousand ice creams....

I love to hear you squealing...

I love to see you play with friends...

I think it's fun when you to invite your friends over....

I can't wait for you beg me to take you shopping....

I love to buy you pretty dresses...

Ribbons for your hair....

I am nervous and excited for you to have boyfriends...and I will be there to mend your broken heart....

I won't believe it when it is time to go to your wedding and I will weep that you look so beautiful...

I will love it when you have children....

I will always love to see you smile....

I will always be energized by your laugh...

I will never take for granted watching you sleep, dreaming sweet dreams....

I always want to see you healthy....

I love to watch you learn all sorts of wonderful things...

I will continue to kiss and cuddle you a thousand times over....

I will always love to hear the sweet sound of your voice......

I will always be grateful for you and I love you more than you know......

Just Some Last Moments of Summer

2008-08-27T02:58:00.009-05:00

Sophie was done swimming and definitely done posing for pictures!

This is my pouting baby because we wanted to dry off in the sun for a minute and she wanted to leave. I would give anything to hear what is going on in that little head sometimes.....even if she is having terrible thoughts about her mother that won't give in to her whining.

Here is a little happier girl with her sister watching fire works with plenty of oooh's and aaaah's.

Here is us at the fireworks and it shows how terrible we are at taking pictures of ourselves. These really are the best ones we got before Matt would not humor me anymore and pose for pictures.....hmm reminds me of what I went through on our wedding day.

This is Elleigh at her best friend Alyssa's birthday party! They had so much fun and what a great picture of them together!

This is Sophie with her best friend Tori at her birthday party (same day, double parties.) They look so cute together! Tori was giving me that beautiful toothless smile.....I love it!

Aaaah summer days. I will post first day of school pictures soon.

Dancing Girls!

2008-08-19T15:30:00.002-05:00

Elleigh doing her splits! She worked really hard and made a company dance team this year! I am pretty impressed that she can do some of this stuff already! What happened to my flexibility!!

Serious business! Lot's of concentration! Got it!

I am cute! Here is my pose!

A little bit of ballet!

Citrine Performance this Sunday!

2008-08-13T15:12:00.002-05:00

So my fun Celtic Choir is performing at the Lehi Concert in the Park Series this Sunday the 17th at 7pm. It is held at Wines Park in Lehi.
500 North Center St.Lehi, Utah 84043
It's the park that is kind of by the Legacy Center.

Since this is probably the closest performance to most of my friends and family I wanted to let you know about this one so that you could come!!
I think you can bring chairs or blankets or whatever! We are doing a lot of fun Celtic music as well as some modern stuff too!

So come if you can and enjoy one more fun summer activity before all the crazy fall/school stuff starts!

Happy Anniversary!

2008-08-01T20:14:00.000-05:00

Well we made it 8 years!! I can't believe how long we have been married and yet it's hard to remember what life was like without Matty. We also have a hard time remembering what it felt like before kids! Probably more relaxing and we probably got more sleep but life doesn't seem so great without them in it. No matter how chaotic it gets.
Matt and I have made a wonderful life together and added two of the most beautiful wonderful little girls to our family! I am very proud of our marriage because it does take work but we are very happy together and we would rather be with each other than any where else. He makes me laugh and I make him laugh....usually unintentionally. He is the best dad to my children! They love him and squeal "Daddy!" whenever he comes home. He would do anything for them and for me and we all know it. He is a great provider. He works so hard and always has. He finished school while supporting two children. He does whatever he can to keep us afloat and continues to better himself so that he will grow in his career.
He loves our country and I am so proud of his service in the Air Force. He impresses everyone around him with his abilities and work ethic. He reminds me how good our life is when I get down and don't sweat the small stuff. He is motivated and always picks himself up when things have gotten him down. I love him for how he loves me. He tells the girls that he loves their mother so much and that means the world to me and to them. We have the priesthood in our home because of him and I am so grateful for that. It has not always been a blessing in my life and I love him for giving us that gift.
We have a great relationship and I am happier with him now than ever before. This is how it should be and I am glad that things are always improving with us. Happy Anniversary Matty and I love you more than ever!!

More Wedding Pictures

2008-07-31T22:29:00.000-05:00

I know I put a lot on here but our wedding was not photographed with a digital camera and I don't have a CD of all our pictures. So this helped me to get them all onto the computer so that I can do some of the things I have always wanted to with them.
This is just really fun for me to go through all of these again!

Surgery

2008-07-29T20:03:00.002-05:00

Well as some of you know I had my tonsils out two weeks ago today. What an awful surgery that was! I guess I forget that I am old now and that I won't recover as quickly as the little kids who get their tonsils out. Not that it is a walk in the park for anybody but I didn't expect to be down in bed for a week and a half!! That is really hard to do when you have little kids. So a huge thank you to my mom and my husband for taking care of me and them! I don't know what I would do without you guys! I am grateful for normal food and for pain medication and for cough drops and cold drinks. I am still a little swollen but we are almost in the clear! I am so glad to be back in the land of the living!!

Memories!

2008-07-14T18:58:00.001-05:00

Memory Lane...I got this from a friend's blog. I thought it would be fun! I hope you will play along. Here are the directions:

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses.

Riding Bikes!!!

2008-07-05T16:41:00.003-05:00

Well Sophie got a new bike and helmet and pads for her birthday and she couldn't wait to try it out!! We took the girls out riding and it was hard to contain my laughter every time I looked at Sophie all dressed up in her gear! She is a crack up!! She did really well on her big girl bike and rode for quite a while before deciding that watching Elleigh was more fun!! Elleigh was such a great big sister and helped out our new little rider so much!! Much different than her 3-wheeler!!!

The Rodeo!!

2008-07-05T16:12:00.003-05:00

Oh how I love a small town rodeo!! We live in Lehi so Lehi Round up was our rodeo of choice this year!! The Strawberry Days rodeo in Pleasant Grove is also a favorite!! These types of things bring back memories of my Grandpa who made summers great by teaching me to love these things and get involved!! I miss him on these days.
The girls had been so excited for the rodeo and to watch the cowboys and cowgirls! Elleigh had seen a pink cowgirl hat at Thanksgiving Point Farms and wanted it really bad. We buy her a lot of stuff...all the time....and so we decided that she could earn money if she wanted the hat. So she stepped up to the challenge and did tons of extra chores to buy the hat herself!! Well the rodeo was coming up and so we helped Sophie do some chores too so that she earned one too. We went to Ream's in Lehi to buy the tickets and they had the same hats for cheaper!! Elleigh was so excited and proud of herself that she had earned the money herself!! She was beaming when she bought it!!
So off to the Saturday night rodeo!! We got there a little early and the Rodeo Miss Utah was taking a few kids on rides around the arena!! The girls were dying to go for a ride so we handed them over the fence to her! Of course I forgot the camera.....but it was the cutest thing to see them riding this gorgeous blond horse with the queen all dressed up and them in their pink cowgirl hats!! They didn't even get scared with a stranger and big horse!! They just thought they were pretty cool!! The rest of the rodeo was a blast!! The girls loved the bulls the best. Me too! I love summer on days like this!!

Jen Parker Dalton

2008-06-30T19:00:00.002-05:00

I am calling out to the universe for my long lost room mate from college. Jennifer Parker Dalton went to Brigham Young University around 1997-2000. She lived at Branbury appartments with me from 1998-99. I have lost contact with her since we both got married and I am really sad about it. She was an amazing friend and I want to find her!! She is originally from Yorbalinda California and her husbands name is Justin Dalton. I think that she is still in California but I have no idea.
If anyone knows her and knows how to get in touch with her leave a comment or email me! Maybe she will even see this! Who knows! In finding her I hope I also find our other room mates Janae and I am also looking for Emily Day Jeppeson.
Calling out to the universe for Jen Parker Dalton!!!!

When Your Body Turns On You

2008-06-24T21:22:00.004-05:00

So crazy things have happened with my health in the last few years. I didn't realize how much I took for granted until things started to shut down. It started with extreme fatigue but that seemed semi-normal to me since I have little children and I work a lot. I thought this is just how you feel when you get a little older and have strain on your body from children. Other moms can agree I am sure!
But then I started having inexplicable weight gain and really bad headaches every time I woke up. My mom was helping me watch my girls while I worked and she told me that she wouldn't help me unless I went in to see the doctor. I guess other people could see how different things were with me and that something was really wrong.
So I went in to see an internist and see if we could figure things out. (If anyone needs a good doctor that will spend a lot of time talking with you let me know...great guy!)
So after I saw him and discussed my symptoms he ordered a bunch of tests and I found out that I have sleep apnea, 9 cysts on my thyroid causing me to have no thyroid function at all and that my tonsils were huge and needed to come out as well. Wow! Who knew that there was actually and explanation for all my problems!
So I found that out a few months ago and now I have surgery scheduled to have my tonsils out and adenoids. Hopefully that helps me with the breathing at night too. I mean I would love to sleep with a C-Pap machine every night and look like an old man or an alien.....but I am not sure how sexy that is to my husband!
The thyroid problem has turned out to be quite another problem. Before this I didn't know that you could live without a thyroid but apparently you can....you just have to be on hormone replacement for the rest of your life!!! If I were 70 then I might feel better about this but at 29 it is kind of hard for me. I guess I should be grateful that there is medicine out there that can help me and that it is not too expensive. After talking a lot with the doctor and deciding that they couldn't remove the cysts and get any thyroid function back at all then we might just remove the thyroid. Then he told me about another option where you can just drink radioactive iodine and kill your thyroid so that it doesn't turn toxic on your body! Hmmm Does that really sound safe to anyone else? At first it really freaked me out but the more I have talked to him and the more I have read about it I think it might be the better option. But then I will just have a dead thyroid in my body. That is a little weird to me but I don't want it to cause me any more problems either.
Matt thinks that I need to just start all over and get a super bionic body or become half machine or something like that. With two foot surgeries to do as well that involve huge recovery time.....I tend to agree with him!
The doctor told me that I need to get this all fixed before I can have any more children or it will really shut me down more than it already has. I am grateful that they can fix this but it is hard for me that I have a lot to do before I can have more children!
Pregnancy is also a time when your body turns on you! I am watching my poor sister right now being so nauseous and it brings back horrible memories. Sophie was worth every second of it but I remember when the nausea was so bad that I couldn't even keep down water! All the being hooked up to an IV 4 times a week just so that I could keep from getting severely dehydrated and the doctor finally putting me on the same nausea pill that they give Chemo patients so that I could get through.....all while trying to teach and not throw up in front of the kids and take care of my one and a half year old! Maybe I can just focus on that for awhile until we can add more little people to our family!
I am grateful for all that I have. I just needed to vent a little about all of my upcoming surgeries/toxic drinks that I get to go through.
It sure is nice when your body works the way that it is supposed to. And how much we take it for granted until it turns on you! I know that there are many out there who are suffering with things much worse than me and to those I wish you the best and may we all not take our health for granted!

More Birthday Pictures!

2008-06-24T20:42:00.002-05:00

Sophie's Birthday!

2008-06-20T21:30:00.003-05:00

My baby is 3! How did that happen! She is so grown up all of the sudden! She explains herself so well all the time and stands up to her big sister when Elleigh is trying to get her to do stuff she doesn't want to. She asked me if she could have her birthday party at Chuck E Cheese much to my chagrin. I usually do home parties when they are this little but I am just working to much right now and so I am happy to leave all the planning and clean up to someone else. But Chuck E Cheese?! Oh well that's what she wanted. I have to admit, when we got to the Orem one, it was much cleaner than I remembered and they didn't even have any broken toys like at the Sandy one. It was so nice and clean and air conditioned!! She had so much fun and you could tell that she felt important when they announced her name over the intercom because it was her birthday! She asked me if they had said Sophie and I said yes and she squealed! It was really cute! We had a lot of family and friends come and it turned out to be a lot of fun!
Sophie has been so fun to have in our family! She is a blessing for sure! She is very patient and calm most of the time. She also has this really endearing sense of humor! Which is funny for a girl that small. But she really is funny. She has great comedic timing! She is also my little cuddle bug (which I love so much!) She assures Matt and I that she is still our little baby and that even when she gets bigger that she will let us carry her around. Love it! I am so blessed to be this little girls mother and I hope that she has any idea how much her dad and I love her!

Modern Conveniences!

2008-06-18T18:09:00.002-05:00

Oh how I love my fridge and the ice maker it contains! Last week we found that everything in our fridge was getting progressively warmer and we didn't know why! The lights were still working and it seemed that the fridge was still kicking on but by the end of the day things were still not getting any colder. So we tried everything we knew how to do and nothing improved. Luckily Matt got a little fridge from his dad's work that we could use to store the little stuff in until we could figure out the problem. Matt cleaned the compressor and the fridge was working again......well for a few hours anyway. Finally we decided that it was time to break down and call some help. We got a service technician scheduled but it was going to take them a WEEK to come out!! Have you guys tried to live without a fridge and ice for a week lately?! Oh how attached I am to my wonderful modern appliances that make life a bit easier. They finally came today and the defroster was the problem. So $100 dollars later we now have a working fridge! We should be able to use it again in 24 hours! I am so glad that we were able to fix it easily....but wow, how truly dependent I am on these types of things. Also, my straightner has died on me after being in my luggage on the plane. Oh whoa is me! I love my straightner and I miss it terribly.

Father's Day

2008-06-18T16:46:00.012-05:00

So Father's Day has become and interesting holiday for me. Having lost my dad almost four years ago, it makes it a little hard to celebrate. My Grandpa Read has always been a huge presence in my life and when my dad passed away I still had a great father figure in Grandpa. Then he passed away two years ago. I hope that this doesn't turn into a sad post for people. I really just want to share my feelings right now....mostly for my own sake. I miss my dad on this holiday and I also miss my grandpa. I miss the presence of a man who will just fix it for me and tell me that it is all ok. Sometimes I really don't feel strong enough to be the adult and handle all of life's challenges. I am so grateful to have my mom and my in laws and the other people around me that support and love me. I am blessed with a lot of friends and wonderful family. It is still hard to fill the whole that these two men have left behind.

My Grandpa is my hero and I with forever be grateful for him and the mark that he has left on my life. I am glad that I had the relationship that I did with him. I was lucky enough to live 3 houses from him my whole life and there was rarely a day that went by without a visit to or from grandpa. He also had a deep love for all of his family. He wanted us all to be happy and taken care of and he worked very hard to try to help us all out in any way he could. There have been many times in our family's life when we were helped out and grandpa was behind it. He was a very hard worker and he always tried to help out the little man. I can't tell you how many people still tell me that the only reason why they were able to afford an engagement ring or watch for their husband was because my grandpa helped them out through his jewelry store. I hope that I grow up to be like him in this way. He had some roughness to him that was actually very endearing to most people. I still laugh a lot at the stories I hear and remember. He was quite a character for sure! I miss all of these things and many more that are too long to write. Thank you for your life and for the influence it has had on mine grandpa!

Things I miss today:
I miss my dad's humor and the way he could make a ride in the car fun. I miss his love for music and the random phone calls I used to get about a new song or band that he had discovered that I must listen too. He loved how I would get excited with him about things like that. I also miss his huge head sticking out above any crowd. He was 6'7'' and very easy to find in a crowd, especially with his dark hair. I also miss one of my biggest fans. It didn't seem to matter what I did, he was at the performance, usually standing in the back and cheering the loudest. I miss the big hugs he would give and the reassurance it gave me to sleep at night. I miss the ability to call him no matter what time and he would drop everything and run to the rescue. I miss how he would have loved my children and the joy he would have found in them. He would have got a kick out of everything they are doing and would have loved that Elleigh knows who the Beatles are at age 5. He would have loved Sophie's little sense of humor. I just miss my big friendly dad on this holiday and I really hope that he has found peace.

Today I am so grateful for my husband and the wonderful father that he is. He takes care of me and is such a wonderful person for my girls to trust in. I am grateful that I have been given him to share this life with.

I am also grateful for my Heavenly Father. I always have the support and love I need from him and I know that I am not alone.

More Pictures of Disneyland and the Beach!

2008-06-16T22:30:00.002-05:00

Disneyland!

2008-06-16T22:15:00.002-05:00

So I have this crazy awesome mother who decided that she needed to get away after she was done with school and so she called us and asked if we wanted to go to Disneyland!! So the girls and I were the only ones out of the kids that could go and so we planned a last minute trip!! With only a few hiccups we were able to plan the trip and get a good hotel right by Disneyland and a flight and everything. The girls could hardly contain their excitement and I must say I was almost as bad. We also planned to go to the princess lunch which is a must if you have little girls!! It was my favorite part of the whole trip. We also rode all of the little kid rides that I haven't been on since I was little. That was a lot of fun!! We also saw the Aladdin show in the California park. It was such a good show! Very well put together and the girls thought it was the best show ever! You also must take the time to see that show if you go. We rode the new Finding Nemo ride. Besides a little claustrophobia it was a lot of fun! The girls also loved the electric parade!! My mom and I were absolutely exhausted after the trip because we got just as excited as the girls about everything if not more! My mom also decided that the girls must see the ocean since they hadn't before so we got a car for a few hours and went to the nearest beach...I think it was Huntington. It was so nice! The beach was really clean and not very crowded! The girls thought it was awesome! They picked up shells and ran in the water and watched the surfers! It was so much fun to watch them see all of these things for the first time! Childhood is a wonderful thing and it is a beautiful thing to witness. I am so grateful to my mom for thinking of this and for taking us! She is amazing and she sure knows how to show her granddaughters a good time! They are still talking about it to everyone. Their little faces are still lighting up about the whole thing! Thanks for the magic mom!

Summer Fun!

2008-06-02T14:19:00.003-05:00

We are so excited to have the summer weather finally! I am actually glad that it hasn't jumped from freezing to Hot this year. We have had some nice weather. So Saturday Matt mowed the lawn and was turning on some water and he decided to put it under the tramp and let the girls jump in their swimming suits. They thought it was the funnest thing ever! Elleigh kept yelling that over and over again. "This is the funnest thing ever!" So I had to take pictures of their first real time out in the sun this year!!

Elleigh Graduated from Pre School!

2008-06-02T14:00:00.010-05:00

Elleigh's school had a really fun graduation program last Friday! It was a lot of fun and a little emotional! She has been going there since she was three and has become really close with her teachers! I have subbed a lot and got to know them all really well too and so it made it hard to day goodbye. Of course Sophie is excited to start in the fall and be in her own class instead of being drug a long with mom.

Here is Elleigh during the Karate demonstration. They "meditate" before they do each routine so that they can clear there minds....it is hilarious!

Elleigh the big graduate!!

Elleigh and her teacher Miss Honey (yes that is her real first name). She has been so great to Elleigh! Elleigh has learned so much and is really going to miss her!

Elleigh and Miss Jilane. She is the owner and one of Elleigh's teachers.

Elleigh with Miss Caressa her dance and singing teacher for the pre school.

Elleigh with Miss April an assistant teacher. She was lots of fun and played with the kids so cute.

Some of Elleigh's friends from school.

The Dance Recital!

2008-06-02T13:33:00.003-05:00

So here are the delayed picture of Elleigh and Sophie's dance recital a few Saturdays ago. Elleigh was in two numbers and Sophie did her dance too. Some of you know that I teach a toddler dance class as well as vocal classes at Center Stage in Orem. It is a lot of fun and I have enjoyed teaching both Elleigh and Sophie when they were two years old. The performances are always the reward because they do the funniest things on stage. I love those little kids!!
I was also very proud of Elleigh this year! She loves to perform and when the time comes she gets soooo excited to get on stage! I am glad that she isn't afraid.
Her pre school did a dance to "Amazing Mazie" from Seusical the Musical. She was front and center the whole time. I thanked her teacher after for having her in the front so much and she told me that she had to because a lot of the other kids follow her and she knows it really well. She also does great facials and is fun to watch!
What a little star!!
The other dance was with Miss Kim's class and it was called "Fuss"
It was about throwing a fit! The choreography was really cute and made me laugh. I cried the first time I watched her do it because she is very precise and performs so cute! Lots of smiles and big eyes! I just couldn't believe how well my little baby did! I really don't know how she got to be so grown up but she sure does a good job up there! I am a huge spaz about these things I know. But I loved it so much growing up and it is fun to see how much she enjoys it too!!

Sophie before she went on stage.

Elleigh in "Amazing Mazie"

Elleigh in "Fuss"

Performance time for Me!

2008-06-02T13:11:00.002-05:00

So I guess it's my turn to perform and have some fun! This Celtic group that I am in is performing at the Highland Games (Scottish Festival) at Thanksgiving Point on June 14th at 2pm. Some of my family is already involved in the festival so I am just letting them know when we are going to be there! If anyone else is bored and wants something fun to do you should all come!! Here is some more info:

SCOTTISH FESTIVAL & HIGHLAND GAMES

When
June 13-14
Friday: 5 pm – 10 pm
Saturday: 9 am – 10 pm

Where
Electric Park

Admission
Friday Night: $7.00 Adults & Children
Saturday: $10.00 Adults & Children
Both days: $16.00 Adults & Children
Saturday Night Concert Only: $5.00 Each
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Summary -
Scot or not, all are welcome at the 34th Annual Utah Scottish Festival & Highland Games, June 13-14, at Thanksgiving Point. Join 12,000 of our closest friends at this increasingly popular event for Scottish dancing and Highland athletics. More than 40 clan tents, 5 fabulous musical groups, ethnic food, vendors, 9 pipe bands, tattos, kid's games, and much more all set amid Utah's own Highlands.

Hear cannon fire signal the Tattoo’s beginning and see an ancient tradition when the Chieftain calls for the clans to gather by torchlight. Fireworks conclude Friday night. Saturday, see athletic events at the U.S. National Highland Athletic Championship. See cultural displays, Highland dance, kilt making, and weaving demonstrations.

Elleigh was tagged!

2008-05-30T15:57:00.003-05:00

All About My Mommy: (These are Elleigh's answers)

1. What is something mom always says to you? "I love you!"
2. What makes mom happy? "Like cleaning up the house."
3. What makes mom sad? "Not cleaning up the house."
4. How does mom make you laugh? "By telling funny things like when you ate Carly's sandwich. "
5. What was mom like as a child? "You had some of Grandpa's jewelry because he had lots of it."
6. How old is your mom? "29"
7. How tall is your mom? "Uh good question...90 pounds I think."
8. What is her favorite thing to do? "Stay at home."
9. What does your mom do when you're not around? "Let Sophie have a nap and clean up the house."
10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for? "Cause you're a teacher and you help people dance and do vocal lessons."
11. What is your mom really good at? "You're good at singing."
12. What is your mom not very good at? "Unscrewing stuff"
13. What does your mom do for her job? "Make money."
14. What is your mom's favorite food? "You like different kinds of chicken like at Panda Bears."
15. What makes you proud of your mom? "Making lots of money."
16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be? "Like Jasmin or something."
17. What do you and your mom do together? "Go to the park and have some fun together."
18. How are you and your mom the same? "We both have strawberry hair."
19. How are you and your mom different? "You are big and I am little."
20. How do you know your mom loves you? "Cause you say that everyday!"

Sophie wanted to answer too!

2008-05-30T15:43:00.004-05:00

All About My Mommy: (These are Sophie's answers)

1. What is something mom always says to you? "Um... I can't tell you"
2. What makes mom happy? "Me!"
3. What makes mom sad? "Um Daddy...No I can't tell you because I don't know who makes you sad." (I am sure she means when daddy is away. Not when he is here.)
4. How does mom make you laugh? "Um... I got to think about it for awhile."
5. What was mom like as a child? "You were like me and I was a mama like you"
6. How old is your mom? "5...yeah just like Elleigh"
7. How tall is your mom? "This taller! (with her hand shot up in the air)"
8. What is her favorite thing to do? "Play with games"
9. What does your mom do when you're not around? "Be mad....cause I am not there with you."
10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for? "Makeup"
11. What is your mom really good at? "Pigs" (Maybe pigging out!)
12. What is your mom not very good at? "No Pigs...uh uh...no pigs"
13. What does your mom do for her job? "Teach me dance and computers."
14. What is your mom's favorite food? "Jelly"
15. What makes you proud of your mom? "Um... you!"
16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be? "I will be Ruby but not Max." (Anyone who has Noggin will know the Max and Ruby show)
17. What do you and your mom do together? "I want to say that we read stories!"
18. How are you and your mom the same? "We like lipstick"
19. How are you and your mom different? "You are a mommy!"
20. How do you know your mom loves you? "You just tell me all the time!!"

The Host

2008-05-28T20:49:00.004-05:00

So Matt is always telling me that I don't post enough because he likes to get on here and read about us since we have crazy schedules right now. So I was excited to have the next two weeks off teaching during the day so that I could organize the pictures and create some posts and all that....however, I was also excited to dive into my book I had been saving to read when I had more time. It has completely taken over my life! I have to convince myself to close the book because it is 3:30 in the morning!! I also have to set goals for myself during the day so that my children actually get dressed and hair done as well as me. My goal today was to get my car all cleaned out from the crazy weeks we have had and all the clothing and old food that resulted. As well as enough toys to fill a toy box I am sure....thank you Elleigh and Sophie! It was all I could do this morning to start on that instead of the book! It is so funny that a good book can take over your life and call to you from across the room when you are trying to focus on other things!! So to my husband....I am sorry that I have been a little preoccupied the last few days and I hope that I can finish soon! I am at work right now wondering when I can read again!! More posts will come soon hopefully!!

Cutest Chef Ever!

2008-05-21T22:27:00.000-05:00

Dance Pictures

2008-05-20T18:55:00.002-05:00

So the girls had their big dance recital last Saturday and I will be posting more on that soon but I first had to send everyone this link. You must go and see this photographer was at the concert taking action photos of the dancers and he got a great one of Sophie that he made his Banner picture at the top!! It is to die for! There is one of Elleigh but it isn't quite as centered on her. It is under the Matinee performance #15. She is on the left!! Go check it out!

http://www.khoggie.blogspot.com/

Sophie's Future Love (and more birthday pictures)!

2008-05-06T22:57:00.002-05:00

Sophie informed me that she is not going to marry Jesus anymore but now it is going to be Chase! Our friends little boy and Sophie have always hit it off. Chase told his mom a while back the Sophie was "hot" I think that we are in trouble with these two.....who knows but they sure are cute! We would be great in laws guys! We just laughed at their little conversations that night! Cutest kids alive! And here are some more pictures from the party!

My little girl is 5!!

2008-05-06T22:23:00.004-05:00

As you can see Elleigh had the time of her life at her birthday party!! She insisted on having curly hair for her party so dad brought her to me at work the night before so that I could put curlers in her hair for her party since I wouldn't be home until after she was in bed. She looked so cute and you could tell that she felt special. Her party was at Kangaroo Zoo and they have these party rooms with this special chair in the front for the birthday girl. She loved it! She had a lot of fun with her friends and family. They basically ran and jumped for 2 hours and then we did presents and cake and pizza and stuff. They were all very work out by the end of the night but in a good way.
I was so happy for Elleigh since she has been looking forward to this day for a long time....but for some reason my heart actually hurts thinking about the fact that my little girl is 5! I really don't know how that happened. I feel many different emotions about it. I don't really remember life without her and yet I don't know how she could be 5 already! Have I documented everything enough? Have I written down her hilarious statements? Does she have any idea how much we love her and how life would be meaningless without her and little Sophie? Will she ever know how some one so little could impact so many lives in so many ways?
I really have so much to say about this little joy in my life. I just hope that she wants me in her life forever.
She told me after the party that it was the best day of her life and that I was the best mom ever! Great comment I must say!
Thank you to all of you that came and made this little girl feel important and for all your love and support to all of us since she was born! The world really is a better place because this little bouncing beauty is in it!

Wow! What a difference a Weekend Can Make!

2008-04-22T20:32:00.004-05:00

Ok so my last post was a little depressing and I got a lot of phone calls about it. Which I appreciate it more than you will ever know! However, things have taken an interesting turn! On Friday last, Matt called me out of now where saying that he got a raise at his job! It seriously came out of nowhere and it is going to help take some of the pressure off! It was not the promotion he had been hoping for but the company is struggling a little right now and it was what they could do for now and there may be more to come! This was an unbelievable surprise and I cried a lot out of gratitude that day. It doesn't really take us out of situation but it does help. Sooooo then I had a performance this weekend in St. George with this Celtic Choir called Citrine that I am in. It was a lot of fun and a good girls trip with late night talks and fun girly movies! Also, the performance went really well and people went nuts and wanted to buy our CD's and stuff! If we had our CD's yet that would have been great! We will have to get on that.
Anyway, so then I get a text early Sunday morning from Matt that says "Call me!" So since it was Sunday, I wasn't sure what to expect! So I call and he tells me that he has been accepted to the Officer program with the Airforce! I have no idea why they chose to call him on a Sunday but this was huge news!!! He was so excited and I was to but it made me want to throw up. He has no more information than this....just that he is accepted and they will give him more information in the next week. He will have to go to Officer Training School for 12 weeks and then Tech School after that. Unfortunately, we don't get to go with him to OTS. This is that hard part. However, if we can get through that then we can really move on to some good things and a better career! I was sad that I was in St. George and I couldn't scream and jump up and down with him but it was a great thing to come home to! It feels really nice to be accepted!!
So for now this doesn't really change anything. We don't have any idea when he will leave or where we will go after he is done but it gives us something to look forward to and a real path that we are excited about. There are so many benefits to being an officer like officer housing and no house payment (yeah yeah yeah) and food allowance and full health insurance with no copay and life insurance and lots and lots of other benefits! I am sure that we will find it worth it. Moving will be hard but I am also excited to experience new places and the experiences that will come with it!
So I will keep you all updated on when he goes and when I will be a single mother for awhile. We are still dealing with the here and now but it changes everything to know that finally some of the work has paid off!!!!
I love you all!

Jobs Anyone or Babysitting?

2008-04-16T22:13:00.003-05:00

So life has handed us a lot of interesting cards in the last few years. Unexpected deaths, sudden changes in career paths, disappointment in many forms.... all surrounded by a really happy marriage and wonderful little girls to make it all ok. However, things are hard for me as I am not able to stay home with my children as much as I would like. With my two degrees, you would think this wouldn't be a problem but if I were to go back to teaching full time then I would pay more for day care then I would be making. It just isn't cost efficient. Also, the commitment is hard for that. As any teacher would tell you, it is really hard to find a sub and any time your kids are sick or anything goes on, it is almost impossible to get out of work. It is hard for me to commit to that again with little kids at home. So what do I do? I work a lot of small teaching jobs and use my other degree - music and dance - to help out and I can usually take the girls with me. Then work part time at night at Prosper so that Matt can take the girls. Well that has recently changed because he has had to help out at his dad's business so that they can stay afloat while his dad is focusing on his health. So now we are looking for babysitters at night as well. I am considering taking on more hours at my night job to help compensate as well but that would mean that I need someone to watch my kids even more. Like from 2 or 3 in the afternoon until 5:30 until Matt can come and pick them up and take them to another babysitter or until about 9pm when Matt could come and pick them up to take them home to bed. What a crazy life it is right now for us! The only reason why I talk about this at all is because I have learned that I am surrounded by very creative and intelligent people who often have wonderful solutions or at least very encouraging words that keep me going for a little bit longer. The more I talk things out with my friends and family, the more I see a pathway. So if anyone has a wonderful epiphany while reading this please let me know. There are a lot of things that could happen that might change our lovely situation but it is always a waiting game. The Airforce might actually step up and offer Matt the position he deserves and has earned, He might find a better civilian job in his job search, I might get a flood of new vocal students and be able to drop the night job, who knows....anything would be a nice change. Heaven knows we are ready for one. Sorry to vent and pour my heart out to all of you but I am feeling like that is what this blog is for sometimes. I really thought that both of us finishing college and doing exactly what we were supposed to do would put us in a different position at 29. But the more I talk to people, the more I realize how many of our lives have taken many turns along the path. I am glad I am not alone.

Elleigh, Elleigh, Elleigh

2008-04-16T20:29:00.002-05:00

She is so funny to me. All children come up with the funniest things but I have to share some of Elleigh's latest ones. Whenever she meets a new friend, at the park or at "the inside park" as she calls Carl's Jr. or McDonald's, instead of saying that she made a new friend, she says that she made up a new friend. I could fix her small error but it makes me smile ever time I think about it. I am not ready for it to change.
She has also been obsessed with her birthday lately since it is in a few weeks. She wants to know who can come and what they will be wearing. She is also constantly trying to feed everyone that comes to our house and she loves to "cook" Sophie dinner all of the time. So she is very worried about what people will be eating at her party and if she will have enough food.

(Little side story about my little chef: At Christmas time we were going to see Santa at the Festival of Trees. She was so excited and was telling me every hour what she was going to say to Santa. She would also ask me over and over how it was going to work. Where would Santa be sitting? How does he know that we want to talk to him? Is he wearing a red suit? All sorts of things. So a few minutes before we were leaving I asked Elleigh what she had in her hands. She had a plastic grocery sack full of things. She showed me that she had put together a lunch for Santa so that he wouldn't go hungry. She had put a piece of bread, a handful of marshmallows, a hand full of raisins, a little pack of fruit snacks and a small orange. She said to me with all of the concern she could muster that she didn't want Santa to go hungry because he would be waiting all day to see all of the kids and he wouldn't have time to eat. I just couldn't tell her that Santa wouldn't want her snack so I let her bring it. When we got there at reached the beginning of the line, I explained to one of the elves the lunch situation. He thought it was sooo cute. He told Santa about it and the cute man couldn't have been cuter! Santa took the lunch from her and expressed his extreme gratitude for her thoughtfulness. He told her that she was the first child all day to think of him in that way. You should have seen her beam at that! When they were taking the picture of Santa and the girls, the elf took the sack from Santa's hand so that it wouldn't be in the picture but Santa told him to make sure that he didn't lose it because he was looking forward to eating it later. Which of course made Elleigh beam all over again! Anyway, sorry about the Christmas story in April but I didn't have a blog at Christmas time)

So Elleigh is always worried about people being hungry....I promise I feed her often. I don't know where the worry comes from. I promised her that everyone would be fed. So lately when I ask her what she wants for her birthday, after makeup she has informed me today that she wants a 5 year old husband. She wants me to give him a ring so that he can ask her to marry him. When I told her she couldn't get married at 5 years old, she came back with, "Yes I can mom, I am old enough now!" and there was no changing her mind! She just wants someone her size to go to the ball with and dance any time she wants. She doesn't understand why this is such a hard request and was a little frustrated when I was laughing. Most of the time I can keep a straight face at the time only to laugh really hard with Matt later but this one was too much.

I Stole This From Sarah - Love It!!

2008-04-16T20:24:00.001-05:00

So there's this job, it's supposed to be one of the most sought-after positions in the nation. I looked into it. Here are the details: You go to an orientation for the company. You meet with the directors and they tell you the basics. How many days you work, what effect the job has on your daily life, the demands of the position, etc. They do not mention pay (compensation) at this time.

The most interesting aspect of this job is they have a computer program where you can create your own manager. Once you create your manager, you have no say in how that manager fits with your personality. It can be difficult considering this manager, even if you stand your ground, almost always wins control. You are stuck with this person (or people, depending on how many managers you request) forever and there is no option to change once one is assigned. This job is demanding, and a GOOD day with your new manager consists of 5,000 more tasks than you ever had with previous managers! Job compensation is still not discussed at this time.

After you have agreed to most details, you are then asked to go through a company initiation process. Not all have to do the initiation, but 95% of incoming employees do. This is rigorous, and something that this company is known for! Access to their hiring systems reveal the truth about this process. A new employee is to lay down on her back on a padded table. She is tied with hand and foot restraints. A weight is lowered from the ceiling and gently placed directly on her hip and pelvic area. The weight starts out at 5lbs. Throughout the initiation, more weight is added, until the harness above the pelvis weighs 30lbs. When the process comes to an end is when the initiation takes a painful turn. The weight harness is finally lifted off the pelvic area and then lowered several times in rapid succession until the employee can hardly stand or walk. Welcome to the company! You are given your job task directly after the initiation and expected to perform well.

After you are hired and you meet your manager, you begin to realize that the directors glazed over a lot of details in the orientation! The actual demands of the job are as follows:

7 day work weeks.
3 days off per year maximum (days may NOT be taken off in succession, but are a cumulative of hours and minutes taken for oneself. Many times the job is too demanding to take even 1 day off. Spouses may or may not be understanding of your need for time off).
The job is physically demanding, even after the initiation.
More initiation sessions may be required, some planned, some a total surprise.
You will wear the scars of this job your entire life which include but are not limited to, weight gain, bad skin, saggy boobs, brain malfunction, emotional strain, some psychotic behavior, laughter at all things morose, longing for more, constantly being needed for something and an eternal case of cabin fever.
This job is met by the public with several different reactions including but not limited to, disdain, admiration, jealousy, fascination, pity, disgust, annoyance, judgement and intolerance.

Pay will either be handed out in undetermined and unannounced increments, or in many scenarios, may not be determined until the end of your tenure (up to 60 years later).

Elleigh the dance teacher!

2008-04-15T22:55:00.002-05:00

Elleigh the dance teacher. Elleigh has been coming with me to teach the two year old toddler dance classes since October. Well I had laryngitis a few weeks ago and was unable to find a sub for these classes so I went anyway but I was not feeling well at all! The parents were talking to me about upcoming pictures and other events and so I was going to start class a little late because of it. But Elleigh decided to step in and save the day. She had me turn on some music while I finished talking to the parents and then she took control! She got all the girls lined up and stretched them all out almost exactly how I do every week! The girls were so attentive to her! It was hilarious! I came in and took some pictures of the whole thing. Sophie had a little trouble at the end and I had to include that picture cause it was so funny! Elleigh will make a great teacher one day!!

Sophie the Rock Star!

2008-04-15T22:43:00.002-05:00

Sophie loves to play her new guitar and act like a rock star! She has recently watched mom and dad play rock band at Aunt Carly's house and she has got the bug for sure! She makes me laugh all the time and I am sure that she will be a star one day!

2008-03-28T16:16:00.002-05:00

Easter was a lot of fun this year and what a beautiful day! The weather was perfect and the girls had a lot of fun getting all dressed up and going to church! Elleigh is loving that mom is in primary with her now. I have recently been called as the primary chorister. Lots of fun! After church we were able to go to Aunt Elise's house and see all the cousins and family. My girls are the only ones that are easter egg hunting age that live in the state. A little boring but they made out like bandits! Love Sophie's glasses!

Beauty is painful

2008-03-28T16:03:00.003-05:00

Getting ready for Easter! Elleigh thought it was really funny that she could put the towel on her head like mommy does! She has also decided that curly hair is better right now than straight so she is obsessed with curlers. Of course she has hair like her mom that won't curl with anything else but the old 80's sponge curlers. I must say that both of the girls are very good at keeping their curlers in at night and they don't even wake up a lot. They know that beauty is painful sometimes! However, curlers all night equal incredibly bouncy Shirley Temple hair. It doesn't seem to calm down until late that night after everything is over. Oh well. They looked perfect right before bed Sunday night! We also spent all Saturday night painting nails just the right color of pink to match our dresses! Lots of good girl fun with my beautiful daughters!

GIRLS IN MY CIRCLE

2008-03-18T22:47:00.001-05:00

When I was little,
I used to believe in the concept of one best friend,
and then I started to become a woman.
And then I found out that if you allow your heart to open up,
God would show you the best in many friends.

One friend is needed when you’re going through things with your man.
Another friend is needed when you’re going through things with your mom.
Another will sit beside you in the bleachers as you delight in your children and their activities.
Another when you want to shop, share, heal, hurt, joke, or just be.
One friend will say, ‘Let’s cry together,’
Another, ‘Let’s walk away together.’

One friend will meet your spiritual need,
another your shoe fetish,
another your love for movies,
another will be with you in your season of confusion,
another will be your clarifier,
another the wind beneath your wings.

But whatever their assignment in your life,
on whatever the occasion,
on whatever the day,
or wherever you need them to meet you with their gym shoes on and hair pulled back,
or to hold you back from making a complete fool of yourself …
those are your best friends.

It may all be wrapped up in one woman,
but for many, it’s wrapped up in several..
one from 7th grade,
one from high school,
several from the college years,
a couple from old jobs,
on some days your mother,
on some days your neighbor,
on others, your sisters,
and on some days, your daughters.

I've Been Tagged

2008-03-08T21:29:00.003-06:00

10 YEARS AGO: I was getting my music degree and waiting for Matt to come home and not dating anyone else and being completely serious and not a crazy 19 year old. I was also in Romania with a performing group this month if we are being specific.

5 THINGS ON MY TO DO LIST: Laundry (the never ending chore, Kami I agree), figure out how to get more time with my family, also find more time to exercise. I need one more day in the week where no one can schedule me for anything. You think I could petition the prophet for another Saturday? He could talk to the big man and do something about that right? I also need to unpack more stuff in the house and read my scriptures more.

5 SNACKS I ENJOY: Kettle corn, mini eggs (right now), Dr. Pepper, carrots and ranch, and nuts.

3 Bad Habits: Wow! I have too many! I bite my nails and not just normal but really really bad. They look like I have a disease. Gross! Dr. Pepper. I am trying to slow down with that one. Chocolate. I am not sure that this one can be helped.

5 PLACES I'VE LIVED: American Fork, Utah. Lehi, Utah. Pleasant Grove, Utah. Saratoga Springs, Utah. Lehi, Utah again. Some of these places have repeated themselves a lot lately. Long story.

WHAT I WOULD DO IF I SUDDENLY BECAME A BILLIONAIRE: Pay my tithing first of all (thanks Kami). Pay off everything like house and cars but then I would have to buy new cars because mine is so awesome! Although I am grateful for it! Then I would buy my husband a motorcycle and his own plane and all the flight hours he wanted so that he could realize his dream. Then I would make sure my kids were taken care of for life and anyone else in my family who needs it. Then I would open a performing arts school that offered all of the things I loved and I would charge very little, if anything, and give out a lot of scholarships to kids who couldn't normally afford lessons.

5 JOBS I'VE HAD: Wendy's for a year (yes everyone have their laugh), The Juice Press (like Zuka juice or Jamba) Then I have taught dance and singing lessons for 11 years now. Applebee's, The Buckle, Dance Academy, Clayton Productions, Musical Arts teacher at Whittier Elementary in Downtown Salt Lake and music teacher at Westfield Elementary in Alpine. Prosper in Draper and then in Provo (currently). And recently I am teaching private voice lessons, group voice lessons and toddler dance classes at Center Stage in Orem!

5 THINGS YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT ME: Hmmm....I am a pretty open book so I am not sure what people wouldn't know. I like alone time more and more the older I get. It doesn't come very often but I do love the peace I get from it and then I feel like coming back to the madness and I am rejuvenated.
I secretly want to play the bongo drums. Not the little ones either but big ones in a sexy red dress (don't ask).
I find true happiness in singing (bet you guys didn't know that one). It makes me feel like I am alive and like their is a lot of beauty in the world.
I don't like cheese. Some times I can tolerate it on certain things but mostly I can do without. I am not talking about good quality cheese but mostly orange American cheese that people seem to love so much....cheddar you can go far far away!
If I could have my way we would move to a small small town somewhere, probably in Wyoming and live on a ranch with horses and dogs and lives miles from everything and enjoy the quiet. Then we could just use Matt's plane to get back to civilization when we felt like it because the only was we could move there anyway is if we were billionaires and could afford the land!!

Now I tag...Chelsea Grubbs, Sarah Smylie, Carlie, Shantiell Mendenhall, Danielle Hayles and Jenni Royster!

Many Faces of Sophie

2008-03-07T14:10:00.002-06:00

I have a certain middle sister that thinks she was jipped in life (typical middle child stuff) So I am proving to her that I take a TON of pictures of Sophie the second child. I won't go into what each child feels no matter what order they are in. Let's just say that we all see what we want to see and our perspectives on things are maybe very different from reality. Now that I am the mom, I feel very different than i used to about the order of things. I just hope that my children will come and visit when they are grown and not run for their lives!

Fun with the Camera

2008-03-07T13:48:00.002-06:00

Benefit Concert

2008-02-25T14:45:00.002-06:00

I thought that some of you might want to check out this benefit concert on Friday. A group that I am in (called the Anne-Marie Hildebrandt group until we choose a name) is performing in it with some big names like Peter Breinholt! It should be a lot of fun and it is to help out this family that needs a new home so their boys can get healthy!

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695255816,00.html

Valentines Day!

2008-02-15T16:43:00.001-06:00

I just have to share with you all how wonderful my husband is. I was having one of those "drowning" weeks where I was having a hard time keeping up with my schedule with all my jobs and my girls. And we had no luck with a baby sitter for Valentine's Day. So I came home to this on Valentines day! He cooked everything and had the girls in bed already. I could never ask for a better present. The girls also "bought" me the roses! Elleigh did get out of bed when I got home and told Matt that she had an important thing for me. Daddy told her no that she needed to get in bed because they had already said Happy Valentine's and gave me the roses and then got back onto bed. Elleigh looked at him with the most desperate look like he was ruining her well thought out plans. So he let her go to me. She came and put one of her hair bows in my hair so that I would look beautiful for Daddy for Valentine's Day! I love my little family!

Snow Day!

2008-02-15T16:28:00.000-06:00

We had a lot of fun playing in the snow when it was December! Who knew that it would NEVER STOP SNOWING!!! I know we need the water.....or something but I could sure use some sunshine! Anyway, the snowman is a little evil looking but the girls were really proud of it!

Sophie, Sophie

2008-02-05T23:09:00.000-06:00

Oh man that little Sophie! She is classic! I had to share her latest comments to me. She was lying in bed with me and said, "Mommy, you have a pretty ring!" I replied, "Thanks Darling!" Sophie, "Are you married?" Me, "Yep to daddy that's why he gave me this ring!" "Who are you going to marry Sophie?" Sophie, "Umm, Jesus!"
Wow what do you say to that! Elleigh just made up her own boyfriend/fiance. Some of you may not have been familiar with her boyfriend porridge. He lived at the High School and had pink hair. He was also a decorator for a living! That was really creative. However, his life came to a tragic end in a bears mouth. Very funny! But Sophie....she is just shooting much higher! We laughed really hard about that one!

Hinkley Challenge

2008-02-04T14:16:00.001-06:00

I have decided to accept the Hinkley Challenge to read the Book Of Mormon in 97 days to honor President Hinkley. Someone came up with this wonderful idea and created a website to mark your progress. After watching the funeral, I was filled with so much love for him and feeling his loss greatly. I know how happy he must be to be reunited with his wife and other family who went before him. I will really miss his personality and love. If you want to join the challenge, go to www.hinkleychallenge.com

The Prophet

2008-01-30T23:29:00.000-06:00

I just had to mention the death of a great man, The Prophet, Gordon B. Hinkley. His loss is bitter/sweet since we know that he truly was welcomed with "Well done though good and faithful servant." I only hope to have some of his qualities when I meet my maker and he will accept me for who I am. This man has been the prophet since I was in high school and has had an enormous impact on my life. I am sure that many, many people can say that! My prayers are with his family. What a wonderful life lived and what wonderful things he saw in his lifetime of 97 years. Going on 98! Thank you for your service President Hinkley!

Halloween Cont.

2008-01-30T15:01:00.001-06:00

Don't know what I did on the last post but it messed something up. So here is the picture that is covered.

Halloween!

2008-01-30T14:51:00.000-06:00

It is a bit late but I am not sure any of you saw my girls in their costumes! These are my neighbors costumes and they are beautiful! I am so glad she let us borrow them! They had so much fun! Notice with Sophie, mom bought her a new lamb to go with her costume. But the smile appears when she is holding her own raggedy teddy! She is so attached to that old thing. Thank you Aunt Carly (my sister) for being the teddy bear aunt! She has chosen both of my girls favorite teddys.

The girls!

2008-01-30T14:34:00.000-06:00

OH my girls! What character they have! They are so full of life and are the joy of mine. Here are some pictures as we tired to love the last few days of fall at the park in October. I am so glad that they have each other and the they enjoy playing together so much! They have a hard time when they are apart. It is a mother's wish that this continues....we shall see. Aunt Chelsea (my sister) and Uncle Tim took the girls on an outing to the aquarium and bought them some new gloves and hats while having lunch at the mall. The girls didn't stop talking about it for weeks! They are posing here with their new attire!!

Finally getting on board!

2008-01-30T14:25:00.000-06:00

I have finally decided to join the blogging world! I enjoy reading other people's so much that I thought I better get going myself. This seems like a good way to keep a journal too! You people are geniuses! Well I hope that I can be as entertaining as some of you are and one day I hope to be a writer like Sarah Smylie is. I love your blog Sarah!