Prom Night!

Jordan and Nicole Foster

Yes, he's quite smitten with her!

Jordan and Jordan

aka Harry Potter and Ron Weasely

& Ferris Bueller and Cameron

Saturday was a big day for Jordan. He has been looking forward to (and saving for) prom for a long time! He's so grown up!!!! Last year I went with him to pick out his tux, helped him ask his date, pick out her corsage, etc. Mom's not needed much anymore. He did all that with a buddy this time. His group consisted of 16 friends! Friday night they all went to the Drive-in together. Then he got up early Saturday morning to get ready for their day date (funny, how he can get up on time, all by himself when he's going on a date, but not when it's time for school or church). I guess kids now have to go out Friday night, Saturday morning, and then do the dance Saturday night. What happened to dinner and the dance like when I was in high school? I guess those are ancient customs. He packed a lunch for him and his date. Yes, I said he made them a lunch! This kid doesn't even heat up a slice of pizza by himself if he's hungry. They spent several hours playing flag football and having their picnic lunch. The plan was to go out on the football field, but since Utah doesn't believe in warm weather this year, they ended up playing in the gym! All of the boys are on the football team so I think that the girls were big sports willing to play football with them. I think I would prefer to be chased by a grizzly bear than have any one of those boys coming after me! Then when the girls went to get their hair and nails done, the guys hung out and played video games. They all got ready together so I didn't even get to be there for that! But thank goodness Jordan brought Nicole over before they headed out to dinner so I was able to sneak in these few pictures. Actually, I took 43 of them! It was so fun I couldn't stop and the girls were having such a blast. It was so nice to see Jordan be such a gentlemen and so genuinely happy!

Isn't this the worst part of prom?

Jordan, Nicole, her best friend, Catalina, and Jordan's best friend Jordan Dew.

BFF! They are both truly beautiful inside and out!Aren't these the best? Why didn't I think of that when I went to prom. Heels ruin the night. Smart girls!

There are too many good looks in this picture!

Quarterback to Receiver!

Can you tell that both of these girls are dancers?

Have a great time!

These are just some of my favorite pictures. I couldn't download them all! They went to Bucca de Beppos in Salt Lake for dinner and then Prom was held at the Union Pacific station at the Gateway. I'm just so thankful that he has such a great group of friends, most of whom he's known since 6th grade. I'll post their group prom picture when he gets it back. Didn't Brendan just pick me up for Prom not long ago? Oh ya, that was 23 years ago!!!!! I'm not ready to be so old and have my kids grow up. Jordan took a long 3 hour nap on Sunday to make up for the long, busy, fun filled weekend.

Almost there!

Jake received his last three required merit badges toward his Eagle rank this week at the Court of Honor. He's been done with his project and his paperwork for several months now and has 5 weeks left to wait for his 6 month term as a Life Scout. Then he can finally go before the Eagle Board of Review and be done!!!! It looks like he'll be able to earn it one month before he turns 14. What a great accomplishment that will be!

I just have to share a very special experience that he had this past week. You may not know, but Jake really struggles with school. He has a 3.8 GPA but he has to work his little butt off every single day and goes in early, stays afterschool, does extra credit...well you get the idea. By the way, this is the kid who never cared about school in elementary. I don't ever have to remind him to do his work or push him to go the extra mile. He is such a conscientious student, but it's not easy for him. Frustrating for us to watch, especially since Jordan and Allison pull off straight A's without much effort. He has had an especially hard time in math and English. Well, the other day we told all the kids to go to their rooms and finish their homework before we watched a TV show. After about ½ an hour, Jordan and Allison were done, but not Jake. Then we heard the shower turn on and thought it was weird that Jake would be taking a shower at 7:00 instead of coming downstairs. Anyway, the next day he told me that he tried and tried to do his math, but he just didn’t understand any of it at all (he is very independent and doesn't like to get help from us as it frustrates and confuses him more sometimes.) Besides, when it comes to math I don't remember anything past the first few chapters of pre-algebra! He decided to get in the shower to relax his frustrated brain and said a prayer and asked Heavenly Father to please help him get it. When he was done, he sat back down at his desk and looked at his book. He said that everything started to make sense all of the sudden and he understood the assignment. He did 50 problems in less than an hour and got 100% on it the next day! Is that amazing or what? He also had to write a paper yesterday for English and I knew I would have to sit down with him and go over it and help him change most of it because he lacks a lot of basic grammar skills. But to my great surprise, it was an excellent paper. Definitely the best one that he’s ever written (not content wise, but grammatically correct.) I didn't have to help him change one thing! I told him that his prayer had continued to work because he wrote such a great paper and it looks like something has clicked in his brain. He said, “Ya, and in history my brain has clicked there and burst into flames because it’s so easy now and I love that class!” School is so important to him and with Heavenly Father's help, he has been able to have his strongest, righteous desires of his heart come true! Jake has always been a great example to our whole family and I'm thankful for this testimony building experience about prayer. We are so blessed.

In the presence of an angel

I had such a great day today. Heidi and I went up to Primary Children's and we got to visit with Michele and Gracie! Anyone that knows me knows that I don't drive to Salt Lake, but I took this giant step and terrifying trip because I love them so much! I only got us a little lost on the way. We met Michele at the front entrance and took her out to lunch at Paradise Bakery. It was so good to see her and to chat about everything! She has been through so much this last month and she is holding up remarkably well. It was so great to give her an outlet to vent a little bit, but most of all it was great to reconnect with her and just be "us." After lunch we went back to the hospital and we got to be with Gracie for a little while. She looks even cuter in person than in pictures on their blog. I think it's because in person, you can really feel her special little spirit and that makes her even more precious. She is just the tiniest little thing! I had seen her when she was just a week old, but I forgot how tiny she is. She slept the whole time we were there. I got to just stand there and rub her little foot the whole time. She is doing much better, but she still has a long way to go. They are starting to trial her off the ventilator which will be a huge relief to get out. Hopefully she can get off it in a week or so. She has had a setback with her feedings and has to go on fat free formula for a while. So for now they are just hoping to get her swelling down, the fluid drained from behind her lungs, and the ventilator out of her. She has been through more medical procedures in one month of life than most people will ever have to face. She looks good though and we just hope that she will get to come home soon. It was so hard to leave, but we had to get back to our kids coming home from school. We could have stayed there all day! If only to keep Michele company. I really look forward to holding her one day and helping Michele with her this summer. Gracie is one little angel!

Busch Gardens April 18th

It wouldn't be a fun Smith Family Vacation without rollercoaster rides. We spent our last day at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg. It had fantastic rollercoasters. Our favorite one was "The Griffon" which we videotaped so we would always remember how crazy we were to go on it. The Darkastle was a very different haunted house which was done in 3-D and way fun. We had the most amazingly huge funnel cakes...I'm sad I didn't think to take a picture of them. It's so fun now that all three kids are tall enough for all the big rides. Another long day of walking. But this time we were able to get back to our hotel early enough to go soak in the hot tub! It wasn't a very relaxing trip, but boy did we have fun!!! We got home early Saturday afternoon and have taken the whole weekend off to relax and get ready for life on Monday.

Washington DC April 17th

We got up at 5:00 (eastern time!) to go to Washington DC for the day. It was a 2 hour drive then we got on the metro and rode it in for 1/2 an hour into the city. We headed straight to the Holocaust museum because we had tried to get tickets to go in for days but it was sold out. We learned that you could stand in line and try to get in that way so we gave it a shot. Totally worth it! We stood in this huge line for about an hour, but got in with no problem. It was packed with information and incredible displays. Allison had never known much about the Holocaust so it was all new to her. I could tell that Jake was really moved by it. Jordan spent much of 9th grade learning about it so it was very interesting for him too. We could have spent an entire day there, but since we only had one day for DC on this trip we had to hurry through it. Our next stop was the White house. We couldn't get a tour because you need to get security clearance 6 months in advance, but we decided to go look at it anyway. It was a lot smaller than we imagined and was surrounded by buildings which we also hadn't pictured. Then it was on to the Spy museum. Another great one that we could have spent an entire day viewing. We paid extra to do the Spy adventure where we got assigned a case and went through different exercises and rooms to try to solve it. It was like being on "24" and the kids have never had more fun. Jordan was the best spy of us all. Then we tried to go to the National Archives, but the line to see the Declaration of Independance and the Contstitution was around the block and so we decided to move on. We had lunch at the Museum of Natural History and went around trying to find all the displays that were in "Night at the Museum," one of our favorite movies. We then went on to the Bureau of Engraving where we saw them printing millions of dollars right in front of our eyes. I love seeing "factories." We weren't done yet. Then we went across the Potomac River to see the Jefferson Memorial and back around the other side to the Lincoln memorial. Both were amazing and grand! We then had to trudge up hill about 6 blocks to catch the metro. Our feet and legs were hurting so bad. We walked at least 10 miles plus all the time walking inside each museums too! There is so much to see. There are 4 or 5 places that we still want to visit so we will plan another trip back east in the next few years.

Yorktown April 16th

The next day we spent at Yorktown. It's a beautiful little town right on the river with lot's of quaint colonial homes, shops, and restaurants. We toured the Yorktown Victory center which again had movies, a museum, and a colony depicting the last battle of the Revolutionary war. We had the cutest tour guide, Anastasia (a U.S. History major from Russia) that had the cutest accent and made our tour of the battlefield really interesting and fun. We loved the demonstration of them firing a cannon. We also loved the demo at the medical tent where we learned about how they would amputate limbs, remove bullets, and about all the early medical instruments. We finished the day with ice cream and Ben and Jerry's and did the 8 mile driving tour of the battlefield itself. We learned so much and had a blast!

Jamestown April 15th

Our main purpose for this trip was to learn about US History which we all really love. Our first full day we spent at Jamestown Settlement. It was the first place that our forefathers settled in this new land. We saw several movies depicting their early life here and went through a great museum there. The outside "colony" was really fun as we got to see how they lived (and died). We also got to go on three ships which were replicas of the ones they sailed from England. One of them was actually sailed to Jamestown from England in 1985 to bring it to this site for permanent display. I don't know how anybody could travel under those conditions across the Atlantic for 4 to 5 months! It sure made us grateful to the founders of this country. That night we went on a nighttime "Ghost tour" around the colonial town of Williamsburg. We walked the streets while our guide walked with a lantern and told us true "ghost" stories that have happened there. It wasn't too scary, but it was fun and our guide was really funny too.

Spring Break

Our trip started out a day late thanks to the problems with American Airlines that made Delta flights get overbooked. Since we were flying on standby tickets all of the Saturday and Sunday flights were full. We ended up catching a flight Monday at 12:35 a.m.! We flew all night to New York and then on to Richmond Virginia. The first flight out of New York was full so we had to wait 2 1/2 hours for the next one. We walked around the JFK airport and got bagels for breakfast and donuts for dessert. Not a very nice (or clean) airport I might add. We were glad to leave and head on to Richmond. Allison was so excited to ride on a smaller plane that you had to get on and off using stairs, just like you see on TV and in the movies!

On Gracie Watch

This is where I found Jake and Allison (and myself ) all weekend...checking the Gledhill's blog for an update on our new favorite baby...Gracie. They must have read and re read the whole thing 4 or 5 times each! Gracie was taken off all life support on Friday and wasn't expected to make it. No one at PCMC's PICU has ever made it off successfully after being on the ECMO machine for 10 days and being as critical as she was. The doctors and nurses are truly amazed. We all witnessed a miracle straight from heaven this past weekend. Not only did she make it, but she turned a corner yesterday and is tolerating getting off much of her medication. Her lungs are still a little bit of a concern, but she is one little fighter! Jake said that he feels like Gracie is his own little sister because he just loves her so much. We look forward to her continued recovery so that we can all go visit her soon. We grew so much closer as a family this week as we prayed so hard for her and took turns being on Gracie watch.

Enough Already!!!

C'mon! It's April 7th...and this is what we woke up to today! What about the spring flowers and flowering trees? Will winter ever end?

The Season's not over...

Brendan and the kids made tons of great memories on the slopes this past ski season. Seeing how we woke up to another snow storm just yesterday, I don't think the season is quite over yet. Allison had gone only once before this year and the boys had been around 3 times, but all improved dramatically this year. Brendan's knee has been feeling so good and he took them up by himself 6 or 7 times this past season. (I just can't seem to get excited about freezing to death and flying out of control down a mountain.) Their favorite place to ski is at Deer Valley, but Alta is good too considering they have free skiing on Saturdays after 3 p.m. Jordan joined the ski/snowboard club at school but was so busy with basketball and work that he wasn't able to really participate in their activities very much. It was also fun for them to go with Ed and Maria and their kids a few times. Maybe next year I'll get brave and give it a try...don't hold your breath though. Below is a video of Allison at the beginning of the season earlier this year.

Prayers for Gracie

Our good friends (and former neighbors), Tom and Michele Gledhill, had a beautiful little girl on the 20th of March named Gracie. She was born with a severe defect on the left side of her heart. She had sugery at only 4 days to make the right side do all the work. This is the 1st of 3 surgeries required to fix the problem. She has had some major setbacks since her surgery and is currently on a heart/lung bypass machine. They have tried to trial her off the machine several times and her little heart just hasn't been strong enough yet. They are going to try it one last time on Wednesday or Thursday. If you read this, please remember sweet Gracie, and her family, in your prayers. She is such a beautiful angel that has touched our lives, and that has changed the lives of hundreds already. For more information you can check out their blog linked on the left side of mine titled "Gledhill family."

1st YW General Conference

We got tickets to go to the Conference Center for the Young Women's General Conference Saturday night. What a blessing that was considering it was Allison's first time. We rode Trax to downtown 1. for the experience, 2. we knew parking would be crazy, 3. mainly because Mom is a wimp driving to SLC in traffic! We got seats in the terrace (2nd balcony) which gave us a great view of the choir! Allison said her favorite part was at the beginning when everyone was getting seated and it was loud with lots of talking and then it instantly became silent as President Monson walked in. She was looking forward to hearing him talk in person, but President Eyring spoke instead. It was a wonderful meeting in which we both felt the spirit. We had a long, hot ride back on Trax. We stopped by Paradise cafe and each got a bowl of their amazing tomato soup and a roll. Then we shared a huge cream cheese brownie and ordered a few cookies to take home. It was a great night with just the two of us!

Six Kids?

We had my brothers three little ones for 4 days this past week while they enjoyed some time away in St. George. It was so much fun to have little ones in the house again. Taya and Ian were left home with me on Friday while everyone else went to school. They were such enthusiastic little helpers with doing the breakfast dishes, laundry, grocery shopping, etc. I forgot what it was like to have little kids that still "like" helping around the house. We made it a big game and really had a great morning! Samples at Costco were especialy fun. Saturday Noah had his first soccer game, but it was windy and freezing so we didn't make it a family event. Brendan and Jake went to cheer him on and it ended up being a tied game 4-4. We spent the weekend playing with legos, eating, watching movies, eating, coloring, playing outside, staying up late, and eating. Not that these little ones are big eaters by any means, but it seems like we were always sitting on the kitchen counter eating SOMETHING! We watched "Dennis the Menace" with popcorn Friday night. The plan was to stay up till midnight and then have a huge sleepover together in the family room. We made it to 9:30 and then everyone, but Taya, decided that it was bedtime and sleeping in comfortable beds sounded much better. What party poopers we all are! Brendan was the best! He had them all on Saturday evening while Allison and I went to her first Young Women's general conference. He had them laughing all night long! Sunday morning was a little crazy with church at 9:00, but we made it with 10 minutes to spare and took this cute picture of "my six kids" on our way out the door. Well, cute except for maybe Jordan. He said that he doesn't smile so early in the morning! I was able to manage them all ok and know that I could handle having them all, but I felt that I was constantly torn from one to another and because I am such a helicopter mom, I felt bad not being 100% there for each one of them. I guess that is why Heavenly Father only sent me 3. Noah, Taya, and Ian are such little angels and we're so lucky to have them in our family.

Young Women's at last!

Allison is now 12!How can my baby girl be so old? I miss her little self dancing and being silly around the house. But I am thankful that she isn't as grown up as many of her friends. She still likes to cuddle, likes me to do her hair, and on quiet Saturday mornings can be found watching cartoons while holding her one of many baby dolls. She has gotten a little "hormonal" this last little while and I'm not sure if I can handle the full blown stuff that is coming our way.

She wanted to invite a ton of friends over for her birthday which was a lot of fun (and loud). Nothing planned worked out because they have their own ideas of fun and games, but it was a blast watching them. We were all excited that she picked Cafe Rio for her family birthday dinner!Allison was very ready to graduate from Primary, but very nervous for Young Women. She is the oldest in our ward for her grade so that meant leaving all of her friends behind and taking a giant leap all by herself. The Beehive class was so awesome to come over on her birthday and brought over a candy bar poster to welcome her. They came by to pick her up for their next activity and made an extra effort to make sure she was surrounded by new friends in YW opening exercises on Sunday.

Saying good-bye

Today we said good-bye to my mom and dad for 18 months. We were a little spoiled in that they went into the MTC 2 weeks ago, but they got to come sleep at home each night and say good-night. But tonight Brendan and I drove them to Salt Lake where they are staying in a hotel for a few days as they complete their training at the Church offices and then they catch their plane to Colombia early Saturday morning. Tonight they came back from the MTC and we had a nice family dinner. Ed's family was here too for a few hours. I made soup and rolls. We took a few photos with all the grandkids, then we loaded the car with LOTS of luggage, and then Allison played, "God Be With You Till We Meet Again," which she just learned to play by herself from the hymnbook. It was not easy to keep our composure during the song. We had a family prayer and then the kids said a tearful goodbye and had to go to bed since it was almost 10. Brendan and I drove them to their hotel in Salt Lake and helped them get situated. It was so hard to let go of our last hug for 18 months. We looked up from the parking lot as we drove away and saw them waving from their hotel room several floors up. I'm so thankful that they are in good health and have such a desire to serve this mission. They are going to be working in Bogota Colombia to help establish the Perpetual Education Fund that President Hinckly started a few years ago. It won't be a typical proselyting mission, but a perfect one for them. They will also be helping teach institute which will be nerve wracking for my mom, but my dad will coach her through it like he does everything else. He's such a people person and I know so much good is going to happen through them being there. They will miss a lot while they are gone, specifically Noah's baptism and Jordan's high school graduation (hopefully no births), but they felt an urgency to leave so they could be home to say good-bye to Jordan a few months before he leaves on his mission. We are all going to miss them, but I'm so thankful for their example to all of us. I love them so very much. What a blessing and privilege to be their daughter.

Passing of a prophet

Last Sunday night after all of my parents friends had left and after my mom and dad were set apart as missionaires, I was downstairs helping my dad with something on their computer when I heard Brendan scream, "OH NO!" It's not like him to do that so I immediately got up to see what happened. He ran downstairs and told us that he was watching TV and it was just announced that President Hinckley passed away. Tears rushed to the surface as we all sat down to absorb the news. Of course this was inevitable as he was 97 years old, but it was a day we all dreaded for a long time. Not President Hinckley. I love him so very much and had adopted him in my heart as my grandpa since I don't remember my own. His genuine love for all of us deeply touched me. I loved his humor and his "normalcy." He was so knowledgeable about the things and problems of today. He said things without any sugar coating, but in a way that made me want to obey and do it, just because he said it. His life was so full of good works. He built almost 100 temples during his presidency. He also built the conference center. He tuned the way the church was viewed by the world by being simple in his words and meeting with the press on many national interviews. He was a sweetheart. He was an amazing example. He was kind. He was faithful. His love and service was never-ending. He was good. He was a hardworker and always optimistic. He was a great leader. He was our beloved prophet - a man of God. His memory and words and teachings will forever be a huge part of my life. His request for all of us to read The Book of Mormon a few years ago changed my life. Before the night was over, both Jordan and Jake had received several text messages on their phones from friends suggesting they all wear white shirts and ties to school the next day to honor his memory. Only in Utah...it was so neat to see them all the next day. Love these kids!
Yesterday morning (Feb.1) was a no school day. Brendan and Ed were going to take the kids skiing. But 1st...Brendan wasn't able to get the day off work, 2nd...Ian spent all night throwing up, so Ed's family was out, 3rd...We woke up to yet another huge snowstorm. Jake was so sad. Since skiing was out, we all went back to bed and slept in a bit. It felt great! As the morning wore on, I kept feeling that we should go to Salt Lake and pay our respects to President Hinckley. His viewing was from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. I knew the crowds and lines would be huge, but felt like we needed to go. Jordan had to work, but I asked Jake and Allison if they wanted to go. Allison immediately said yes. Jake said that he had always wanted to see Pres. Hinckley. He knew that was his one and only opportunity. We quickly changed and grabbed a peanut butter sandwich and walked out the door right about 1:00. Brendan was able to get off work a few hours early and we all met at the Sandy Trax station. We got there just in time to park and literally run across the parking lot to make the train. We were all so excited, yet a little saddened to have the oppportunity to go to President Hinckley's viewing as a family (minus Jordan). We walked the two blocks to the conference center and arrived shortly after 3 pm. We got in the back of a ridiculously long line which was thankfully moving rather quickly. Only to be told 15 minutes later that we had to get in a longer, slower moving line becuse I had a purse and had to get it through security. It was about 25 degrees outside and we stood in the cold for just about an hour exactly. We finally made it in and were led to warm comfortable seats! There we waited and sat with thousands upon thousands of people as the ushers escorted section by section, row by row, to the viewing of his casket. We waited in our seats for 3 1/2 hours! We saw a video of President Hinckley's 95th birthday celebration - twice. Jake and I loved watching as the workers arranged hundreds of plants and flowers for tomorrows funeral. The podium was transformed before our eyes. It was finally our turn! We went up 3 flights of escalators to the Hall of the Prophets. As we approached the room where he was, I squeezed Jake's hand and he whispered, "I can feel the spirit so strong already." That alone was worth the wait and the cold. The smell of fresh fowers permiated the air. The line was split in two and we walked on either side of President Hinckley's casket. Tears filled my eyes and the words "thank you" rang out over and over in my mind.His small, fragile body looked hardly the same as the man who had lead our church for the past 12 years. I noticed that he was wearing his trademark black stoned wedding ring. We had to move quickly through, but all of us agreed that those few seconds of being able to be so near to our beloved prophet and feel of the spirit was worth our 6 hour journey. I was so thankful that we went. I was so thankful that Jake and Allison had this experience. It is one that we will never forget - ever!

It was almost 8:00 pm when we boarded the trax train to come home. We were starving! Jake suggested we go to Chuck-a-rama in Sandy since it's all you can eat. He was talking about all the things he wanted to get before we even got there. We talked about President Hinckley and other past prophets over dinner and had such a great time together.

I loved and will always love President Gordon B. Hinckley! It has been said that Joseph Smith has done more for the salvation of man, save Jesus Christ. I agree, but I have to add that I believe President Hinckley is a close 3rd. What a legacy he left us all.

Mom and Dad's mission farewell

We spent last weekend cleaning and re-arranging our house in preparation for my mom and dad's farewell brunch/open house. I did their invitations and we sent out over 50, not including their current ward members so we were expecting a large crowd. We stayed up late last Saturday making egg casseroles and all the final little details. Their farewell was at 9 a.m. the next morning. My mom asked me to be in charge of giving headphones to all the non-spanish speaking guests. I was so touched by my parents' testimonies and their excitement to serve. My mom paid a beautiful tribute to my grandma and said that she was serving this mission to say thank-you to our Heavenly Father for her many blessings and for all the mercies that He showed to Teta during her last few months. They had been planning to go a few years back, right when Teta got sick so it was a blessing that they were still here for that and postponed putting their papers in. My dad's tender emotions touched us all and I just know how great he'll be in helping and serving. Our house was filled to capacity and beyond with all of their friends and past ward members that came to support them. I'm so glad that we had enough food. They have had so much fun this past week at the MTC. They loved being with all the Elders and being a part of the MTC family. They have been able to come home each evening afer dinner so it's been nice to not have to say good-bye for good yet. Last night was especially fun because it was my mom's birthday. I made her a pumpking/cream cheese roll. I had prayed for weeks to know what to get her. She can't take more "stuff" with her and already has all that she needs. The night before her birthday I had the thought to buy her a locket that she could wear while on her mission and put Teta's picture in it. I found the perfect one at Kohl's with Teta's birthstone on the outside. I was so grateful fo that inspiration.

The latest, not necessarily the greatest

Jordan had his first car accident on New Year's eve. Thankfully it was a minor literal "fender bender" and no one got hurt and there were no other cars involved. He had a fight with a tree and lost. It came about as a result of trying to slide in the snow (like his Dad always does) with a front wheel drive car. Thank goodness it was a tiny tree in our neighborhood (the tree is fine too) and that he didn't hurt anyone or anyone else's car. Hopefully being grounded from driving with friends or driving on dates until he earns enough to pay for the damage will teach him to be a little more careful. The parts were only $100, but the paint job and labor was $250.00. Brendan and I ended up helping him with half of the paint job/labor ($125). He had gone to an early movie with his new girlfriend, Nicole Foster (really cute, sweet girl whom we love) and was coming back with her to spend the evening to celebrate New Years Eve at our house. It's all good now. Jordan is doing really great...We had to make a teacher change in his English class (long story), but he was able to get back up on the honor roll this past term while playing basketball and working two jobs! He works three days a week (about 8-10) hours at the carwash still and he is also refereeing basketball on Wed. nights and for about 6 hours on Saturday mornings! He took the ACT for the first time and just go the results back -- 22 with a 3.9 GPA. Not that great considering you need a 29 and a 4.0 for a BYU scholarship. He still has 2 or 3 more tries before college applications are due so better luck next time. He's busy, but staying out of trouble and really enjoying his weekends with his friends!

Jake is just awesome! He is such a hard worker at school, but has really struggled with test taking in some of his core classes this past semester. We checked into getting him help at Sylvan Learning Center, but it costs more than tuition at BYU!!! No kidding. Anyway, we had good discussions with him and his teachers and have some things in place that will hopefully help him do better. He's certainly trying his best which is all we can really ask of him. He is just about done with his last merit badges and has just started on his Eagle. He is going to be collecting new and gently used pajamas and books for the Women's and Children's crisis center in Orem. His goal is to get it all done before he turns 14. Jake is absolutely LOVING skiing. He saved up to buy a ski helmet and he got a new ski coat and goggles for Chrismtas so he's all set. He's planned to go night skiing this week alone with a good friend (which has me worried sick) but they are good boys and Brendan assures me that they will be fine.

Allison is really growing up. Her wardrobe has really switched gears recently and she looks like a young lady. She's also growing like a weed! She can't wear makeup yet (all of her friends do), but she wears colored lip gloss every day. She has decided to grow her bangs back out again. She is so nervous to go into Young Women's next month mainly because she is the oldest in her group of friends and will be in there for a few months without them. We get to go to New Beginnings next week. I'm so excited for this stage in her life (mainly because it was one of the best times of my life and I'm so hoping it will be for her too.)

8th Grade football

Need I say more...Jake had a great football season as is obvious from these photos. It was great that Brendan was able to coach them again this year. Jake played both offense and defense as right outside linebacker, running back, kick return team, back up quarterback and all other positions that Brendan let him. Jake is such a hard worker and it really paid off this year. He ended up with a winning season and will have these memories with his friends and with his dad forever.