SAN ANTONIO

As part of my job, I attend a Special Education Conference 3 times a year.  This gives me the chance to see a variety of places around the country and since I love to travel, this has been great.  In February, I had the chance to go to San Antonio and my mom was able to come with me.  This is the first time that anyone has traveled with me and it was so much fun. We left early on Monday and were there until Thursday afternoon. We were able to spend quite a bit of time before and after my meetings seeing the sights.  We went to The Alamo and I have to say, I was somewhat disappointed.  I expected it to be bigger, much bigger, especially when you see it in the movies. I guess everything is bigger in Hollywood..right!  We were able to spend some time on The Riverwalk shopping and eating.  We also went on the boat (barge) ride that takes you on the river and learn about the history of the river and San Antonio.  We were hopeful that the weather would be warmer, but it wasn't it was chilly.  Overall we had a great time.  My mom and I have decided to make it tradition that she comes with me once a year. 

The Alamo

On The Riverwalk, a tree growing out of a building.

SKIING BUDDIES

Last year Justyn learned how to ski. Utah offers free ski passes to 5th and 6th graders and we took advantage of this. Last year when Justyn was in 5th grade, we got the pass late in the season, but Allen was able to pass on his mad skiing teaching skills and got Justyn hooked. This year, we got the pass very early in the season and they have been going and loving it. Jusytn's friends are also enjoying it too. He has one friend who skis and the other 2 snowboard. Justyn is getting better each time they go and I really think that Allen is loving having Justyn old enough to enjoy this sport with him. Allen really wants to get Jayson going as well. We did try it last year when we first took Justyn, but it takes a lot more time to work with Jayson. I am glad that Justyn is enjoying this sport and hopefully it will be something that bring him and Allen closer together.

Allen and Justyn Solitude

Justyn Solitude

Zach, Chase, and Justyn at Brighton

ONCE THERE WAS A SNOWMAN!

We finally received some snow and the minute it started snowing, Jasyon wante dto go sledding adn build a snowman. When it stopped, we went out and did just that. Jayson and I built a snowman and Justyn and our cousin David built a snow fort. It was a fun few hours. It has been a long time since I took time to build a snowman. I am grateful for an active son who wants to do all of these fun things and nags me to go out and do it with him.

CHRISTMAS

Christmas was amazing this year.  I really wanted to try and create a more spiritual, meaningful, and giving Christmas this year.  I found a great way to do the 12 days of Christmas online through inspirational stories and decided to create it for our neighbors and friends and then I made on for my family.  Each night we would gather in the living room, read the story and get the token or treat that came with the story.  My boys loved this and could hardly wait each do to do it.  We did this as the last thing, before family prayer, each night. It created such a feeling of the true spirit of Christmas in our home.  Our home was more reverent and peaceful.  Christmas wasn't all about the gifts or what we were going to get or give. We were focused on service and the spirit of Christ.  I really can't wait until next year so that I can find something else to incorporate. 
This is the first year, in a very long time that I can remember not having snow for Christmas.  It was eery and weird.  I think it was like 55 degrees on Christmas Day.  Christmas Eve, we took our boys out to dinner and then to Shopko for them to shop for each other.  This has been a fun tradition and the boys really like it.  After that, we drove up to the Bountiful Temple and read the story of Christ that they have around the temple and then we drove around and looked at Christmas lights.  Jayson was beside him self with anticipation.  When we got home, we set up the NORAD Santa Tracker and he sat there for almost 3 hours watching where Santa was an clicking on the spots he had been.  We also had a special visitor that stopped by.... Santa himself stopped to make sure that the boys were being good and getting ready for bed. 

Christmas morning was funny. Allen and I were awake at 6:00 waiting for the boys to come and get us, we heard Justyn and then he went back in the bedroom, finally at 7:30 we decided to get them up. We had to wake up Jayson, but he was a live wire and so excited to go in a see if Santa came. Allen's dad and mom came over for a bit, it was a Sunday and they were in the special choir program so they couldn't stay long. After we opened gifts, we had breakfast and then got ready to go to Orangeville for a few days. It was such a nice morning and a beautiful celebration. I am so grateful for all that we have been given and for the joy we felt this season.

WIND STORM

We had some really rough weather hit Bountiful before Christmas.  We had a bad wind storm come through that took out trees, power lines, roofs, parts of homes, it was crazy. In our neighborhood block of 7 homes, we lost 24 large pine trees.  Allen and I were awake all night listening to the wind howl and wondering what was happening to our yard an house.  I got up around 3 and our trampoline was still up and so were all the trees.  We got back up at 5:40 when we heard a bang.... the tramp had slammed into our house between our sliding glass doors and the porch off our bedroom.  At 6:00, we heard more noises and looked outside again, the tramp had moved and was now sitting on the back porch and banging against the double doors in our bathroom.  We went outside to try and strap it down so it didn't go over our house.  This is when we noticed that 2 of our neighbors large pine trees were now in our back yard and one had crushed the swing set.  We got the 4-wheeler and strapped the tramp down to the winch to keep it in place, but the tramp enclosure was destroyed.  We also noticed that half the fence along the back had blown down or away and the fence between us and our neighbors the Brimleys' had fallen over.  This made us wonder and worry about our family in the neighborhood. We decided to go and check it out and to go downtown to see if we could get a chainsaw.  By this time Jayson was up too, so we all loaded in the car to head out.  As we got out front, we saw that our huge Colorado Blue Spruce in the front yard was down and had bend the black wrought iron fence that runs along it.  We then started noticing that the transformers through the neighborhood, and across the street were popping and exploding.... this was interesting.  We were able to get downtown, albeit strategically through downed power lines and trees. we were able to get a chainsaw and head back up to our house. By the time we got home, our power was out.  We spent the rest of the day driving around, or inside without power, we did go and get a generator in case we needed it.  It was so cold that we couldn't start working outside at all.  The next few days some amazing things happened.  First was the support and help we got from our neighbors the Auld's.  They were so wonderful to come and help clean up our yard and I am so grateful to them for this.  I think this also helped to build our friendship with them.   Next was our neighbors, Cameron Wright and his construction company, they came in with all of their big equipment and helped to clean up our neighborhood for several days. It was so amazing.  The team organized and assembled outside our home everyday and we got to see and be part of them as they went their separate ways and then would come and park their equipment.  They worked so hard and tirelessly and entirely voluntarily! They brought their big equipment in and took out all of the stumps around our yard and then went through the neighborhood doing the same.  They did this for not only their ward boundaries, but ours.  We were so blessed to have them and I hope that they received many blessings for helping. We will be getting a new roof in the spring as our shingles off the back blew off and a new swing set, tramp, and new fences.   Our yard is still in disarray with limbs and debris, but hopefully the spring will bring new energy that we can get it taken care of.  We still have a ton of work ahead!