Four Years Later

Since we have lived in LA, we have been out of town for EVERY SINGLE Mormon Dodger Night...until this year.  

 It was SO HOT when we first got there!!
The sun was right in our faces and we were SCORCHING!!
Can you tell most people don't get to games on time?!
Especially when you are sitting in the "Mormon" section:)

 Tyson was excited (despite the fake smile)!

 I was excited...and VERY sunburned.
We had spent the day at the beach before heading to the game.
I certainly was relieved when the sun went down and the burning stopped.

 It was fun to sit with friends!!  

I don't know if we could've survived the 16-1 defeat, if we had been by ourselves:)

 You should have seen how fast these two moved apart when they announced the kiss cam:)

 And of course, we had to stay for the fireworks!!  

Too bad I didn't get any good pictures, they were actually really good...

and we only got home at 11:30pm:)

Every OTHER Year

A few years ago, Mike and I decided that "friend" birthday parties would be held every other year (instead of every year).  So far....we've eaten our words:)  Parties are just too fun...at least that is what the kids think!!  

After the craziness that was Kya's birthday party last year, I was happy that 2013 was an "off" year.  

(June 2012)

 But this year, started to look suspiciously like a "friend" party!!  

We had cups and plates...

 ...balloons...

 ...ordered a cake...

 ...oh yeah, and she invited 6 friends:)

They even stayed for breakfast!!

I think the birthday girl managed to squeeze a full-fledged "friend" party out of us!!  

But her big sister did the same in February, so I guess we had no choice!!

She's Been Busy

 So far, 2013 has been busy for Kya!!  

She learned about the history of the telephone (can you spot Jordan in this pic?)...

 She preformed in her very first piano recital...

She got her very first mani/pedi...

 She build a city with her school class...

She grew by leaps and bounds as a softball player!!  She was an amazing pitcher, catcher and first baseman...not to mention she can run like the wind!

She just finished 4th grade AND is about to turn TEN!

This is what my life has come to....

I was at a church activity recently, and when a 10 year old was asked what her mom's favorite thing to do is she answered, "Driving"...not diving, d-R--i-v-i-n-g!!  As the kids grow up, the life of a mom is a lot about driving around...and waiting around.  Normally, when I know I will have to wait in the car, I prepare myself.  I either bring a book or my Kindle or something.  Well yesterday, I had to pick Jordan up from piano and her piano teacher decided to keep her about 10min. longer than expected.  So, I think it's great when she does this because, hey, it's free:)  But I was not prepared.  I was left with absolutely nothing to do (did I mention, I am one of those few people withOUT a smartphone?!).  So I resorted to acting like a teenager...ie. taking random pictures of myself.  And somehow, I ended up with this picture, that really looks nothing like me:)

 

My Dancing Queen

 Yesterday was Jordan's year end dance recital.  She was in two dances;  jazz and ballet (I finally convinced her to sign back up for ballet after she quit when she was 7).  She did great.  When I watched her up on stage, it was hard to believe it was Jordan.  She looked so grown up!! 

 All ready for dress rehearsal...

 

Had to take a picture of the perfect bun...

  

This is the only picture of her on the actual recital day!  I guess it's not cool anymore for your mom to take a million pictures of you in front of all your friends...who knew?!

 

I couldn't resist posting this pic of Jordan in her first dance recital...2007!!

Summer, here we come...almost!!

You know how to tell it's almost summer?  Our spring activities are starting to come to a close.  Tyson had his last soccer game of the season yesterday.  It's been a tough season.  We haven't won many games and we had to miss a couple because they were on Sunday, but I think Tyson still had a good time.  We sure had fun watching:)

Thoughts on marriage...

I read an article a couple weeks ago about marriage.  Then yesterday, I was having a conversation with my hubby where he suggested that marriage as we know it, is slowly becoming obsolete.  I started thinking....and now, you get to read about it...if you want:)

Once upon a time...a time not too long ago...marriage was a necessary part of society.  1)  You needed a man and a woman to make a baby.  2)  You needed a man to work to provide financial sustenance.  3)  You needed a woman to take care of the children and the home (cook & clean).

These days everything is different.  1)  Just about anyone can adopt a baby (male, female, single, married, gay, straight).  You can also make a baby in a lab and transfer it to any number of carriers.  2)  Woman can now work outside the home and become equally as successful as men.  3)  With more money coming in, nannies and housekeepers can be employed to rear our children and clean our homes.

Now each of these things is not a bad thing.  Actually, most of them are quite positive strides for society as a whole.  BUT, working together, they are making marriage less and less necessary for survival in this day and age.  Why get married (or stay married), if you don't need it?

So what is the answer?  I'm not sure.

I've been thinking though, that at some level husbands and wives need to NEED each other in order to make marriage work.  When you feel needed, you are less likely to leave.  You are more likely to feel valued and fulfilled.  When you need someone, you are less likely to leave.  You are more likely to feel gratitude and love.  Our world seems to put too much emphasis on finding what WE want and doing what feels good to us, rather than being what someone else needs or even finding what we need.

I hope marriage isn't going to disappear.  I love that two people can fall in love and then spend their lives working side by side and raising a family and striving to become better people.  I love having someone who knows me, relies on me, needs me, loves me and shares with me.  Marriage is a good thing.  It can work.  I personally think, it is the best way...although, not always the easiest:)

Shortly after we were married, Spring 2000 (Provo Temple)

Bad Luck Charm

BYU VS UCI

Mike and I went on our very first date to a BYU volleyball game (March, 1999).  Apparently, they were undefeated for the ENTIRE season...except for that one game...on our first date.  Since that day, Mike and I have watched A LOT of BYU sports games together.  I remember assembling our wedding announcements while watching BYU football, sitting in the stands at a basketball game all big and pregnant, and riling our kids up at the excitement that was Jimmer Fredette:)  There were some good times, BUT I have to admit, a lot of the games I was actually able to watch, were kinda like our first date...BYU would lose.   

This past weekend was the Men's Volleyball championship tournament.  We went to see them play UCLA not long ago, and were sent home with a very disappointing loss.  But Thursday, Mike took Jordan to the first tournament game and BYU won (of course it was probably because I wasn't there).  So, yesterday we took the kids to the final tournament game, hoping for a similar experience....but we forgot, the bad luck charm was there...me.

BYU.  LOST.  THREE.  GAMES.  IN.  A.  ROW.

And, did I mention we couldn't even go to Diddy Riese because it was too busy?!

Sorry BYU, I should have stayed home:(

(Tyson was tired of watching us lose)

 

(Luckily we had some friends there to keep us from crying)