Looking back on 2010

Josh and Ammie.  It was about 105 degrees that day.

Linz - This person needs Saaavvving!!!!!  

Jake, Soph and Liam

My girls!

My Sweeties! Ammie, Liam, Livi, Sophia and Nya

Got to love spending time here!

My baby boy!

This year has been and interesting one for the Halls.  A few highs and a few lows.  As we stand right now we are the proud grandparents of five beautiful grandchildren, the last one Nya, being born this past July.  We are still loving our home even with the challenge of keeping it clean but it is still my most happiest place to be, then Disneyland is my close second.   No big vacations this past year, just time spent in our boat, weekend in St. George and a great trip to Powell in September.  Jake and Linz got moved into their new house the first of December and it is perfect!  Gratefully this year we have not lost any family members except Kevin's uncle Kenneth.  The year has been busy and has gone by so quickly.  We have watched alot of our "kids" come and go on missions, each one with excitement.     Nic has turned 18 this month and my heart stops beating when I think of it being my last year with my son.  Things are never the same when they come back and I  know that.  I suppose it is that part that makes it even more difficult for me. Kelsey turned 21 last month and I am still trying to figure out how that happened.  She is perfect! As always I wonder about the challenges of the new year.  I think you are never really prepared for what comes your way. Never could I have anticipated the events of this past year.  


I am truly grateful for my amazing family.  As I always say, they are my reason for breathing.  When they are here together I just look at them and wonder what I did in Heaven to deserve my children.  I can't imagine my life without them.  I appreciate my great husband. He has been my rock this year and has dealt with alot of tough days I am sure he didn't enjoy.


I am grateful for health and the strength to go out the door in the morning and head to my job.  Once taken for granted I appreciate it much more now.  Grateful for the people that are my work family. They are my sisters.  They counsel with me and help me in so many ways.  


I am grateful for the gospel and the things that it teaches us. It helps us to be better and gives us a reason to strive to be the best we can.  I know it is true and I always have.  I love the prophets both past and present and I am so grateful for prayer.  What a gift.  Blessings come to us in interesting ways, not always easy to see.  But we have to remember they do come, we just have to keep our eyes open.

Looking forward to a great year, spending time with the kids at Disney World, watching my baby graduate from high school, boating this summer and preparing for a missionary.  Certainly a year to remember:)

Happy Birthday Brownie Girl!!!

Where does time go?  My little brown eyed girl is now all grown up.  It is impossible to top last years birthday, spent in Disneyland with all her family around her.  I wish we could afford to do that every year. it was an amazing week.  I was thinking today about Kelsey and the circumstances that brought her into our family.  I had to do alot of praying and talking to myself about the whole idea of having another baby.  When I think of how amazing she is I am so sad that I even questioned the idea.  How grateful I am for decisions made, even when it seemed quite ridiculous:)  How grateful I am to have listened to the spirit and not the world.  Now here we are 21 years later and that my little brownie is all grown up.  We all love her so much and each one of us look up to her as an example in our lives. I miss her when she is away and wish I could keep her here forever.  She has so much to look forward to in her future and I am glad to have a front row seat!  Thanks for the amazing women that you are and for all the joy you continue to bring to our family.  I love you! Happy Birthday Brownie Girl!

Round 3

Stephen off to Spain, Daniel in California, Nathan is next to go,  Nicolas and Zac in Argentina
My Boys!

The first time I met Stephen he was on my doorstep with another young man with a plate of cookies to welcome us into the neighborhood.  That was six years ago and here we are watching him leave to serve a mission in Spain.  It has been fun to have Stephen next door. He and Nic will scale our fence to go to each others house.  We are proud of Stephen and wish him the very best for these next two years.  We will miss him.  Oh and Stephen, if you need me to take care of the life sized cardboard cutout of Johny Depp you have been teasing me with let me know! 

Maple Mountain Homecoming 2010

My handsome boy! 

Nic and Mikel

Being silly!  Best buds!

Nic and Mikel Jackson headed to their last Homecoming. These two are the best of buds. They had a blast shopping for something for Nic to wear.  She is a sweetie!  Man I love that boy!

Sophia

6th Birthday at one of our favorite places

Lake Powell

Our Cute Girl

Nic and Soph - Buds forever.

I love the look on her face!  They adore each other!

We have been without a mouse on our computer and that makes for some really difficult maneuvering around. Hence here it is a week late for my post for Sophia's 6th birthday!  Lots of things to say about this girl.  She is as sweet as sugar and has a serious sweet tooth.  She loves to draw and is very good at it, just like her daddy.  Sophie  loves school and is very smart.  She loves girly things and is a princess at heart, but she amazed us at Disneyland when she kept Tower of Terror busy as one of her favorite rides.  Each birthday she has makes me a little sad to see her grow up.  This year we got to spend the whole day with her on her birthday at Lake Powell.  She makes us smile and we love her so very much.   Don't grow up to soon Soph a doodle:)

Time

Ever have those moments when the quick passing of time slaps you across the face?   I have had a couple of those recently and I stop and wonder how I got to this point.  Where are all the moments in between.  I sent my baby to his Senior year last week.  I went to the school to look at his Senior pictures with him and when I looked at the picture of him in his cap and gown  my heart skipped a beat. Where did time go?  We walked to the car and he gave me his usual hug and as I sat in my car watching this young man walk back to the school I thought back on the day that I watched him walk into Larsen Elementary for the first time. I remember that day, that feeling, and hoping he would never grow up, just like I had felt three times before.  Each time I have gone through these moments with the kids I wondered how I would ever let go of them.  Without a choice and under protest I did.  Last Friday I was with Lindsey watching Sophie play soccer.  As we left the  field I saw Fran Jones. It had to be just yesterday that she and I were there with Jake and her son Nic playing Junior High football.  But there we were again, now watching our grand daughters, and again I asked myself, how did I get to this point?  Where are all those moments in between?  On my blog are the lyrics from a John Mayer song, "By the time I recognize this moment, this moment will be gone."  Who knew I would again recognize that moment so many years ago talking to Fran at the football game, or watching my baby walk into Larsen for the first day of school, now at this time.  Each day I watch my amazing kids go through their lives, the ups and downs, and wonder when they will recognize the moments they are living now.  I think at the time we think we do, but we really don't recognize how these moments  feel until they are long over and done.  Everyday has a new moment, holding the baby, making cupcakes with the grandkids, Disneyland trips,  and  listening to Soph tell me about her first day at school.  I keep reminding myself to take each day and tuck all those moments away, hold them tight and recognize them .  They are priceless.

Livi is two!!!!

In our family we have a little girl that is a cute little firecracker .  If you know her, you know exactly what I mean. She is tiny but full of personality and has a little bit of a bossy streak sometimes.  She loves to eat, have treats, her blankets and her mommy.  She has recently turned into a little mommy herself and takes very good care of her dolly. At our house Nic and Kevin are the preferred family members and she knows how to get what she wants out of both of them.   We love her tons and she can always make us smile!!!  Happy 2nd birthday Alivia!  We love you!!!!!!!!  (This is one of my favorite pics of her!)