On Guard Ocean!

As we are getting ready to take a trip and go see Erin again this spring I am having fun looking at pictures and what not from our last trip to California. I decided I would share this great video of Spencer "on guarding" the ocean. This was February 2006.
I'm so looking forward to the footage from our 2008 trip!!

About that Sadie Hawkins picture...

So, about my last post. I got a phone call from my mom who had just read the post about John and I and she'd seen the pictures I put up from high school. She was just wondering if it would be ok with me if she put her copy of our Sadie Hawkins '94 picture back in a frame and put it out. This made me laugh but I told her it would be fine.
The thing with this particular picture is that it has haunted me over the years. It quickly became one of my mom's favorite pictures and she framed it and put it in the family room shortly after the dance. Which for a few years was fine. Then I wasn't dating John anymore, but that picture would not go away! There were other boys that I dated and were invited to my parents' house, and still that picture would not go away! And here is the part that made me crazy...my mom would show said picture to new guy and gush over how much she loved the picture, and how nice John was, and isn't he so good looking? and on and on. Oh yes, tact, pure tact. New boyfriends all loved hearing all about how great John was and how good looking he was and so on.
No matter how much I pleaded with my mother this picture just Would. Not. Go. Away. Eventually I took the picture out of the frame and hid it.
John found it a little odd that I thought it was so funny that my mom called me about this picture and it crossed my mind that he had not been there for the years post break up when this picture was a source of much eye rolling. So I told him the story. He loved it. He laughed and thought it was great. You know, puffed out his chest and flexed his biceps. And strutted, I'm pretty sure he strutted.
For a while I was free from the burden that this picture presented. And now she wants it back. I suppose I'll have to find her a copy.

Another Valentines Day

This Valentine's Day has got me thinking about Valentine's Days gone by and of where my life has been the past Valentine's compared to where I am now and where I'm going. I thought it would be a fitting time to tell a Valentine story from my past that will tie in nicely with my Valentine story this year.
It was February 1994 and I was at a dance at the Star Valley High School Annex building, a Valentine's Day dance. Not a formal dance~just an annex dance, but these were "the place to be" on a Friday night! I was 15 years old. My friend Shanie and I got a ride from her dad to the dance and our friend Leda said we could get a ride home with her and her brothers. So at this dance there was a boy that I really wanted to dance with, and a couple of times I almost went and asked him to dance but my courage wasn't quite there. I'd never met him before so the chance of him asking me to dance wasn't oh so high. I finally decided that the dance was almost over and I had to meet him so being the brave girl (that I was forcing myself to be) off I went to ask him to dance. He was surprised that I was asking him instead of one of his friends but he said yes and then I waited while he wrestled with his friend Jason to give him his hat back then out to the dance floor we went. I don't remember the song, I can't believe I don't remember the song, but for the sake of letting the story flow we'll say it was probably a Bon Jovi song:). We introduced ourselves then he propped his head on mine and chewed his gum through the whole song~and I was giddy! When the song ended we did the high school kid protocol and I went straight back to stand with my friends and he went right back over to his group of friends & shortly after that the dance ended. As Shanie and I were leaving with Leda I was kind of kicking myself for not talking to him more, and thinking that at school on Monday I'd have to be creative to find him. Then we got to the car and there he was!! I was happy to find that he was one of Leda's brothers and would be giving us a ride home! I am sure I was much too nervous to say anything on the rest of the car ride but just sitting behind him was ever so thrilling! A few days later he called me and the next few years were a whirlwind of wonderful wistful happy first love memories being made. Really wonderful the memories we made, keep in mind that we lived in one of the most beautiful places I can think of so so many of these memories take place with gorgeous backdrops, beautiful mountain trails, meadows by the river, breathtaking sunsets. Oh, and a blue car. I'm so thankful that he was in my life then.
Then we were out of touch for a decade. (I will gloss over the "end"~we were so young and immature and I was a brat).
And recently he has walked back into my life. And I am amazed at how lucky I am to have a chance to be that silly, giddy, twiterpated, smiling , laughing girl with him again! I am amazed at how it feels like it still just fits after all this time and I am amazed at the depth of my feelings after all this time. I think maybe you can only fall in love like that once. And how lucky are John and I that we found our way back to it?

Spencer's Dad, the Famous Bull Rider

The other day I told Spencer I had a surprise for him, then I said that actually it was John who had a surprise for him. Spencer's reply was "I know mom, you guys are getting married hu?!". This made me laugh a little knowing that the actual surprise would be much more exciting for my little boy. I told him that no, the surprise isn't a wedding but that John got us tickets to the PBR rodeo in April.
Spencer was so excited! He loves bull riding and he was so excited at the idea of seeing the 'famous' bull riders. He said "Mom, this is where all the most famous bull riders are isn't it? The best ones?" I told him that was right and watched his eyes light up even more as he said " Then my Daddy will be there riding! He's the most famous bull rider!!!! We'll see Dad there!"
How cute is that? To any of you who know Doug, you know that while his bull riding career was a very fun adventure, he was by no means famous. And his bull riding career was called to a screeching halt the day Spencer was born and Doug realized that he wanted to be around to watch his son grow up and that bull riding, especially Doug style, wasn't oh so safe. I just think it is so wonderful that Spencer sees his parents as super heroes!
I did have to let Spencer know that no, Dad won't be riding at PBR this year, but I do hope no one bursts his little bubble too soon. How fun for him to think his dad was a famous bull rider! And how fun for him when he's older and Doug can tell him how it really was and they can laugh over it together.

Best Friend!! Worst Enemy!!

Spencer and Darien have such a unique relationship! These cousins are 10 months apart in age. They are each other's best friend and also they are that person who can really push the other's buttons!
I am so glad for their friendship and have so much fun watching it grow. These two make me laugh so much! They really have a strong bond, it just depends on the day if they say they are
BEST FRIENDS or WORST ENEMIES.
These two are like siblings, they love each other more than can be measured and can fight just as much.


Most of their time is spent getting along really well and plotting all sorts of crazy adventures. These two have been known to open their own counterfitting business (they were making enough money to buy ALL the toys at Toys R Us....$43!!), they have been known to go on crusades and all kinds of crime fighting adventures. They have been spies and super heroes. They have gone time traveling together and opened their own pet shop. They spend hours whispering and making "plans" that they never tell anyone else about. They also have a wonderful talent to make each other laugh and laugh and laugh.
On days I go pick Spencer up from his cousin's house I am greeted with a round of "you can't take him!!" then Darien will physically protect him from me. Spencer will then help Darien stow away in our car so we can take her home when it becomes apparent that Spencer has to go home.
One great adventure these kids get to have is that they are in the same first grade class! On the first day of class Spencer came home a bit disillusioned and a little confused and sad. He told me that part of his day was horrible because at recess Darien played with GIRLS! "Mom, she didn't even play with me, she only talked to GIRLS! I can't believe she just played with GIRLS!" Meanwhile at Darien's house Charlotte is hearing "Spencer just played with BOYS at recess!!! Why would he do that mom?? He didn't want to play with me, just with BOYS!!" They were both so crushed! They soon worked it out, which is a tough thing when girls have cooties and all. Months ago they lost the privilege to sit together at the same table because they couldn't stop talking. This last week was parent teacher conference and Spencer is doing very well. The advise Ms. Wangsgard gave me was this "Never let Spencer and Darien be in the same class again". To which I replied with something along the lines of how glad I am that they have been able to have this experience. What a great childhood memory to have been in the same class! I am so thankful Spencer has this friendship and special bond with his cousin and I'm so glad they have had the opportunity to be in the same classroom this year! ~I do perhaps feel a little sorry that their spirit has been trying for their teacher but that doesn't come close to comparing to how great it is that they have had this fun adventure! Charlotte (Darien's mom) predicted that we would feel pity for the teacher but happy for these kids when we got the news that they had been placed in the same class. She was right!
It has been wonderful to watch these kids grow up together and wonderful to watch this friendship grow. I am so thankful for family! And so thankful that the past couple of years Spencer's cousins have been just around the corner!

You are Out of This World Valentine!!

Spencer has finished making his Valentine cards for his party at school! He worked for a long time to create these great alien valentines. His party is Thursday afternoon~I'm sure it will be great fun!

My 'littler' boy

I found this video while searching for some pictures on my computer. I had totally forgotten about it and was so happy to hear Spencer's 'littler boy' voice! It brings back so many sweet memories! He has grown into a big boy in such a tiny blink of an eye! I love hearing this little toddler voice! Being a mom is my favorite thing ever, I do love every day and every stage he goes through but everyone was right, it goes SO very fast! I miss those days with this tiny boy. Tiny boy BIG attitude!
Spencer had his tonsils out a little over a year ago. His voice is so different after the tonsils are gone so it is such fun to hear this!

Cookies Cookies Cookies!

Spencer has been busy this weekend selling cookie dough for his school fund raiser. He is very motivated to win the i-pod by selling enough tubs of cookie dough! Trouble is is that he needs to sell 75 tubs to win the i-pod and that is a lot of tubs of dough for mom to deliver when it comes in! He is doing well though and has already sold 28!!!
He has become quite the salesman, even finding ways to sell cookie dough to people who do not like cookies! There is an M&M cookie dough that Spencer has pointed out that if you don't like cookies you just pick out the M&M's and eat them, get rid of the other part!
I talked with Spencer about what he would do with the i-pod and why it was the prize he was so excited about. He said he wants his very OWN i-pod so he can put his favorite music on it, (The Devil Went Down to Georgia~Charlie Daniel's Band, Cowboy~Kid Rock, I Wanna Talk About Me~Toby Keith, St. Mo~Moses Guest and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer~Burl Ives). And then he informed me that Gran puts books with no pictures on her i-pod but with someone as smart as Uncle Colin around we could figure out how to put books WITH pictures on an i-pod!

Our new blog site!

While doctoring the old blog page I decided we needed something new. A fresh start to go with all of our wonderful fresh starts of late!
So here we are. This will be a great way to share our little stories and wonderful moments with our loved ones!