Monday, November 12, 2012

So much unsaid lately!

Wow!  I am getting behind!  

I'll try to remember a few highlights...

Love is an amazing thing.  It multiplies faster than we can appreciate it.  I love being a mother!

In September, I got to spend time with my girls...and my grandson!  It was wonderful!  Taralynn loves having company and it is obvious in the way she treats us when we come to visit!  She is awesome!  Kory was away hunting...so the girls got together!  I told Taralynn I was beginning to like hunting season more than I thought!  She wasn't so convinced quite yet that hunting season is her favorite, but we did have a great time!

Bowen is growing up so much!  He was 8 months old then and is nine months old now (!)--has gone from the army crawl, to a regular crawl, to a climber in a short amount of time!  When I was there he wasn't too fond of sitting up!  Funny boy.  So we practiced.  But he mostly wanted to be down moving or in your arms eating!  He also enjoys a relaxing "reclining" position if anyone is willing to be there for him to recline on! 

Check out the cute moccasins!  He's got the BEST MOM ever!
Not sure who is cuter!  Aunt Amy loves this little man!
Sitting up all on his own!
He LOVES this blue dog!
Saying goodbye to this handsome boy  is never easy! But we knew they were coming to AZ in a month!


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When you are passionate about something everyone feels it! And it becomes contagious!

I am sad to report that I never took a camera to church ball.  Jason had an amazing season with the 30th ward Priests.  Everyone loved watching him play.  He is fast and talented!  He's got a sweet shot always, but when he's hot there is no stopping him!  Jason has a passion for basketball, just as I imagine my Dad did when he was that age (by the stories my Dad tells me).  I am so proud of him!

Church ball is an interesting game.  Take boys of all shapes, sizes and ability, add a coach who loves and encourages them, add some devoted ward members who love each boy almost as much as their own (and who love when they win!), include some referees who love the game of basketball and do this as a service, no matter how hard the job becomes and then let them play ball!  Sometimes it is more challenging than others.  I'm certain that everyone involved feels challenged in his own way.

From my perspective...I loved watching Jason play his heart out.  I loved watching him include all the boys on the court when he could and assisting them in having a good game.  I loved watching the boys encourage each other...and cheering when someone had a really good game (or a really nice shot or rebound)!  I loved watching the coach encourage them and wanting to win as much as the boys!  I loved when Jason was hot--and was a scoring machine for our team - one game alone - 48 points! Other high scoring games for Jason included 37 and 32 point games! (side note:  Jason made some good money from his Dad, who always gave him an incentive...oh my!)  

30th Ward didn't have a team of basketball players.  They had some, but what they did have was a team of young men who worked together, loved each other, did their best, had fun and...almost won the championship!  AHHH!  Winning is not what church ball is about, right?!  But it would have been SO SWEET!  Second place isn't so bad!

One thing our Stake has started in recent years is an Extravaganza Night at the end of the season.  Each ward can have one young man participate in three events--free throw shooting, three point shootout, and dribbling obstacle.  Jason has a really sweet three point shot.  He was chosen to go first (always pressure!).  He did great.  7/15.  He was tied by another fine young man so they had to do it again (more  pressure!)!  This time Weston got to go first.  He made the FIRST SEVEN shots IN A ROW, finishing with 13/15!  WOW!  Yes, this was tough to beat.  We were disappointed when he only got 8/15.  Only?  Who does that?!  He did GREAT!  Jason got the Most Valuable Player award and had a fun and growing church ball season.  We love church ball!

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Families that play together, laugh together and bond!

October Break.  Jason wanted to do what we did last year.  So we did.  Six Flags and the beach with many friends from Mesa.  It was a blast.  Of course, since our numbers at home are dwindling and Amy had to work and we still have a suburban...we filled it up and took Amy and Nathan Garry with us!  SO FUN!

This was the Six Flags group.  The beach days were added by several more families!

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Halloween at our house means the ward party in the yard--chili, games, costumes, and visiting all in an hour!  We love it.  I never dress up (I know, lame), but I did take pictures of some who did to send to Scott.  Here's some that might interest you...AND here's Bowen in his Halloween costume too!  He would have loved the party!

It was fun having Marki here for a week!  She and Mel found some treasures--they looked great and smelled of moth balls!  We love and miss Phyllis.  Her moth balls preserve everything in every closet!
Jason, Smith and Nathan
My angel friend, who I spent time with in the temple two years ago!

BOWEN'S FIRST HALLOWEEN!
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Families Are Forever - I Love Mine!

Are you tired yet??  Well, I have one more thing to add--Taralynn, Kory and BOWEN came to visit for a week!  This was our holiday week with them and we tried to enjoy every second! 
  • of course, eating was involved!  Kory even had an Arizona request this time!  Spinatos Pizza!  We hit, Someburros, PeiWei and Scottsdale Culinary Arts School restaurant!
  • the weather was perfect to golf!  Kory ships his golf clubs here and Jay tries to entertain him on the course!  They also golfed with Scott Clifford, Dave Allen, Robert Upchurch and Jason. 
  • groupon for a Segway tour!  Fun and something we would definitely do again!  We missed Scott on this day, especially!
  • Bowen got to see the Phoenix Zoo's exhibit at Kade's birthday party! Got to touch a snake and a farret and other animals!
  • Israel Night
  • visiting with extended family and friends
  • watching the election night reports
  • lunch with Grandpa and Grandma Andreasen!
  • Games!  Amy tried to re-name Idiot
  • Shopping, computer clean up
  • and lots and lots of playing with Bowen!  

 





REAL LIFE is so much better than Skype!
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Life is good!  No complaining here.  We still love our Wednesday letter day from Elder Scott Allen!  I kept missing his calls (he needed his SS number to make a bank call).  AMY got his call!  I was so determined to stay home all day today until he called.  Then, I got distracted.  I'll blame it on Jason!  We ran an errand together.  Missed hearing his voice!  Can't believe it!  But he will call in 10 days when he leaves for Russia!  We are excited for him to get there!  Amy reports from his call that he sounds great, says he is doing "so good." and is "so ready" to get to Russia!  We love and miss him!

Jason will not play basketball for Mt. View this year.  Their loss.  He will gear up for track season.  Amy got her official acceptance letter to grad school, which will begin in January!  She is thrilled.  She and Jay continue to run, training for the Phoenix marathon in March.  Everyone is happy and healthy and blessed.

love,
Lori