OCTOBER

It's now October. . .which means you never know what the weather is going to be day to day. Kids will be out for UEA (or just another day that we don't have to go to school). October also means Halloween and the fun that one can have. I love to look at pumpkins that are lit up and night and wonder how they were able to carve the picture into it.

NEW YEAR

Well, we are now into January and I can't believe that 2010 is over. It seems like as we get older the years go by faster. S-L-O-W D-O-W-N.
For New Year's we hung out at the house and watched movies and played Wii and had a contest on who could dance better on DDR. (Payton may have had an edge there.) They were excited to be able to stay up until midnight. Who wouldn't as a child.

Garrison is back playing Jr. Jazz basketball and knows a few kids on the team. They played last Saturday and ended up in a tie 21-21. Not bad for the first game. Now they just need to keep moving forward and show the other teams that they will be the team to beat. We'll see.

Payton is excited for dance to start back up. They will be working more on ballet this next term. I'm not sure if she got ballet out of her system yet from the holidays. She would put on her dance outfits, get the radio in the kitchen and dance to her Taylor Swift CD for hours. I guess when you love something - you can do it for hours.

Greg and I are still working and sometimes wishing we (at least for me) to have a bit of time off to be able to see the kids more during the day or help out in their school class. Well, that time will probably come eventually.

The weather is still freaking cold!!! We've had an arctic cold front come by and it doesn't want to leave. Oh well, that is winter here in Utah.

Time to post again . . .

Well, school has started for the kids and the parents just keep going to work. I don't feel like there is a lot to post by I'll try.

Payton - loves going to school and REALLY loves her dance class on Mondays. I cannot wait to see their winter program in December. I believe it will be their tap show. She has lost a few teeth so she has had the award smile, but they are coming in. She is always singing around the house and at times can carry a tune. What will she end up doing when she gets older?

Garrison - well, he's a boy. Wanting to do his own thing. We are waiting to see if he will be on a basketball super league team, but if not, we will sign him back up for Jr. Jazz which will be just around the corner. He is becoming an artist and at times I think he is acting on stage. (I'm wondering where that is coming from!)

Greg and I go to work every day - which we are fortunate for having our same jobs still. We go up to Logan at times to see the kids in their sports and watch them excel at the things they do.

SNOW?!

WOW. . . only in Utah during springtime will you have 60 degree weather one day and the next you're in teh 40's and two inches of snow on the ground. It happens every year so I shouldn't be surprised, but you never know when it's going to hit. aarrgg. . .

About a week ago Garrison was running to the basketball cout with some friends and their feet got tangled up. He fell and put his left hand out to stop the fall. He ended up with hairline fractures in both bones on his left forearm. SO, that means he is missing baseball until the beginning of May. BUT for some unknown reason, they have two weeks of preseason games that DO NOT count towards the standings!!! That is good for Garrison. Now he will only miss 6 games before getting back and showing the other teams what he can do. (don't think this is a ploy to fool the other ball teams and to get Garrison's arm ready for pitching. it's their team's secret weapon!!!!)

Then not to have sister left behind. . .she was at the club the other day playing ping pong with some friends. One of the kids accidently hit her right between the eyes with their paddle. Yes, the spot was red and a bit swollen. We're doing better now, but it's still bruised.

MOM, he loves you. . .

Last night I was standing by the stairs in the basement waiting for dinner to finish cooking and Greg was watching TV with Garrison. I said, Greg, I love you. Then I hear from the side in a whisper, as Payton is coming down the steps, "Mom, you don't have to tell him. He already knows you love him." I was laughing. It's good to know that Greg and I have told each other how we feel vocally so that our children know we love each other.

BIRTHDAYS

Well, Greg is now the proud father of twins who are 16 years old. Nathan and Rachael turned 16 on February 16th! How lucky are they. They were down this weekend and we had a great time. Garrison had another basketball game Saturday, and lost, part due to the officiating (like always)but I do have to admit his team started coming together
After Garrison's game we went and signed him up for baseball. We're always so busy between basketball and baseball the first half of the year that by the time July comes he is already complaining he is bored! Go figure.
Monday we all went and saw The Lightening Thief. Very good movie, even Payton stayed focused the entire time. All the kids in the theater were way excited when advertised as the movie coming out in the spring. . .Diary of a Wimpy Kid. We then went out to eat and then spent time watching the Olympics and whatever else was on tv until the kids had to leave to go back to Logan.
The kids were very excited to have a short week this week in school since Monday was Presidents Day. Who wouldn't be.

JAZZ PLAYER

This past week for Junior Jazz we had a chance to go and see a Utah Jazz player. Every year different players will go around to the different areas in support of the Jr. Jazz program. As always, there is some hype as to who the player is. In the past we have seen Memo Okur. This years player was none other than Andrei Kirilenko. The kids had fun listening to him and watching him make at least two baskets from half court. (okay, we were at a junior high school). It was fun to see him balance two balls on top of each other. Garrison tried it and then stated it was hard to do. That is to help with the balance. Payton, being a girl, did not enjoy it as much. Give us a dancer and she'd be right up there.

Sunday, Payton was brave enough to get up by herself in church and bear her testimony. When she told me she wanted to go up I thought, "great, she'll want me to go up with her." She got up and sat on the stand until it was her turn. Way to go girl.

This weekend the kids got their Valentine cards and put them together for school. Now they just have to wait until Friday until they have their parties all day long.

I cut my hair shorter and am enjoying it more. It was down to my shoulders and now it's a bob cut with the front longer. It takes some getting used to, but it's so much easier to take care of.

We had Nathan and Rachael down for the weekend and all the kids had fun just hanging out with each other and then watching the Super Bowl (whether or not their team won.) Now we'll be counting down the days until Saturday when it's the NBA All Star Weekend.