Kevin's 7th Annual 29th Birthday

Kevin had another birthday but don't worry because he is holding out on 29 still. It is a great math problem for our kids now and the older ones figure out his real age pretty quick. I am so grateful for this man. He is a great husband, father and friend. I am so glad that he has the same goals and desires for progression like I do. He leads our family better every year and takes care of us. I look back to when we first got married and it amazes me at the progress both of us have made and that we make it together. He is so amazing to me. I'm glad I can call him mine and he can call me his. Here's to 29 again!

Samantha's 12th Birthday

Yes, we have a 12 year old at our house and she is definitely getting older. She had a great birthday and a party with her friends.

We gave a spotlight for her at New Beginnings so I will just paste it here so you can know how amazing she is!

New Beginnings Spotlight Samantha

Samantha has many interests. She dances with Sunshine Dance on the junior team and joins her brother and mom in karate lessons sometimes. She plays on a co-ed basketball team. She loves reading, writing stories and poems. Her 6^th grade teacher enjoys her imagination and the talent she shows with each writing assignment. She likes to cook and has the opportunity to at least once a week to make dinner for her family. She is interested in Greek mythology and reads all the books she can about it, fiction and non-fiction. She loves music and plays flute, piccolo, piano and recorder, and also likes to sing. She enjoys dressing up and tumbling too.

Samantha’s favorite color is blue. She loves Taylor Swift music. Her favorite flavors are orange or grape for almost everything. Her favorite foods are sour cream and onion chips, bacon burgers, and apples. She loves babies.

At church she loves feeling the spirit, learning new lessons and achieving things. She likes reading scriptures, praying, and family home evening. She gives thoughtful lessons when it is her turn. She is very excited about being in Young Women’s.

Her goals are to be a teacher and a mom along with being a writer.

We love having Samantha in our home. She is full of energy and adventure. She is so willing to help and be responsible for her role in our family. She has become more thoughtful toward others and has also decided to be more responsible. She takes care of her jobs, homework and is very supportive of our family scripture study and prayers. We love Samantha and are so pleased with her desires to learn and grow and follow our Savior’s example. We are so grateful she is part of our family and we are grateful for the happiness she brings to all of us.

Derrick's Last Pinewood Derby

Derrick raced in his last pinewood derby. He didn't place but he did get the "Most Realistic" award. Kevin and I kept track of who won which race.

Grandpa's Sledding Birthday Party

 My dad invited us to his birthday party, sledding up Hobble Creek and having chili and hot chocolate. This was such a great time! The kids loved celebrating his birthday with him like this. We were so glad we could come and we were so glad he invited us to his party!

New Years Off-Road Trip 2014

I tried to get a video of Kevin pushing through the brush and weeds and that's all I got. It was definitely entertaining in person! The kids in the truck sure enjoyed it too!

Red Neck Sledding

Kevin hooked up the hood to the Bronco and they were off to the fields for some sledding! This was definitely their favorite activity this winter! We have done this with cousins and friends. It's such a great time!

2013 Christmas

 Samantha was Mary for the community Nativity this year!

They were blinded by the camera flash! It's not often all three have their eyes closed in a picture!

Busy December

 We went to the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas and had a great time!

 We cleaned out an out building so we could use it as a gym on the farm.

 We joined my family at Thanksgiving Point to watch Jerusalem. After we made blessing bags as our Christmas service project this year.

 We visited Grandma Erickson at her assisted living home. She is doing so well there!

 Derrick finished his first semester of karate. I joined him and we have loved learning self defense. I just need to learn to block my nose better since that is where Derrick always aims! We love our Si Fu!

 Samantha played in the 5th-6th grade band concert and even did a short solo. She is sounding better and better!

 And look! Our nearly 12 year old lost another tooth!

My birthday!

Winter Dance Recital

Samantha and KayDee started taking dance this year in September and have really enjoyed it. They have performed at craft fairs and care centers already. They had their winter recital in December to show the dance they learned for ballet. Both of them were in a lift for their dance which was extra fun. They will start jazz dance next semester. They both did a great job at the recital and we loved watching them!

Derrick's 10th Birthday

Derrick invited his friends over for a Lego building birthday party. They had different items to create and competed to see who could get done first. We took pictures of each item they made and then let them all watch a slide show afterward. It was fun.

On Sunday we invited local family over for his birthday dinner.

Derrick's spotlight:
Derrick has grown up a lot this past year. He is in 4th grade now and has made a lot of effort to do well in school. His teacher requires a lot of personal responsibility and Derrick has stepped up to the plate. He has started taking karate and loves it, and his mom decided to do it with him and they have loved doing it together. They are both yellow belts now. Derrick still takes piano lessons and plays really well. He likes to play the simplified primary songs and enjoys the Christmas song he picked out.  He still loves to read and loves to create things. He loves legos and erector sets, and even got a motor to put on the erector set. He loves to go shoot his BB gun and work with his dad. He has even driven the truck twice now while working with his dad, just from the shop to our house. Derrick has also done very well in scouts and has received his Bear award and is very excited about Webelos. He loves to play outside and still loves riding his bike. He just learned how to play chess and loves it! He also loves the Lego Star Wars game on the Wii.
Derrick is such a good son. He really adds a lot to our family. He is very helpful and tries his best when doing his chores which are cleaning the tub and shower and putting in the dishes. He is thoughtful toward others and really likes to tease too! He gives very nice family night lessons and is always willing to say prayers when it is his turn. He enjoys going to church and brings his scriptures each Sunday. He likes to keep things fair and likes following the rules. He has made different meals for us like tacos and ramen noodles. He also likes to tell all about his day and share stories and jokes.
We love Derrick and feel so blessed that he is in our home. He brings us so much happiness and we are so proud of the choices he makes to learn and grow.

Family Pictures 2013