06/24/12 Tuacahn, cleaning and new job

6/24/12

It's been a good week staying busy.  

Girls Camp preparations are coming along.  We leave Wednesday morning.  We will have 14 girls if all come who said they would. I heard last night that one of the girls is getting baptized next Saturday.  I am really surprised and not sure it is true.  We'll see.  Her brother did just get baptized last week so it could be.  

Bryce's birthday is Tuesday, so I told him his birthday starts today!  Since I won't see him much on his birthday.  His driver's ed teacher didn't call and didn't call and then he called and we had like no time left.  So Bryce had to drive 4 hours Saturday, he'll drive 4 hours Monday and 3 hours Tuesday morning.  Then at lunch time we'll go get him his driver license.  (Not right when it opens as is tradition.  Oh well.)  He didn't seem to care but if he doesn't get his license right away we'll have to pay $15 extra because his permit expires.  That helped motivate him a little.  He is way less excited about getting a license than I am about him getting a license.  He's still kind of timid about driving.  I guess he hasn't gotten out as much as you and Dallas did.  Dallas takes him everywhere instead of me so he really doesn't have many opportunities.  Might have to continue driving with him for a little while.

We went to Tuacahn Thursday night with Neil and Cheryl and saw the musical Hairspray.  We went to Red Robin first for dinner and then over to the play.  It was pretty fun except that it was still at least 90 degrees at 11 p.m.  It was SO hot!!!!  I was even uncomfortable!  I got free tickets from work.  They are usually $30-$40 each.  Wow, huh?!  Cheryl was pretty excited.  They have been saving to go to Maryland this year to visit their kid and didn't think they'd get to go to any plays.  

Yesterday we performed a deep clean of our bedroom.  It took all afternoon.  Ugh.  We got rid of several boxes of books and put all the utahpreps equipment away and out of sight.  The business is officially sold.  We need to scrape the windows off the cars now too.  Got rid of all the posters and stuff.  Lot of stuff.  After we were done I looked in the closet and just sighed.  That's another days work.  One day at a time, right?!  

Dad's been working lots with his new website.  Maybe a little more than he thought he would be.  Hopefully once things settle down he won't be working quite so much.  

Today is stake conference so we are getting ready to head over to that in a few.  We had the sharp kids and the Riley kids over last night during the evening session.  I wasn't done all my cleanup/out projects yet so I didn't even try to get over to that session.  The kids had fun playing though.  

The boys are starting a mission prep class tonight that is every other week over at the Telegraph chapel from 6-7 p.m. So we are going to try to get up to Gma and pa's earlier and get them back for that.  See how they like it.  

Well, that pretty much wraps up the week in review here.  Nothing too exciting.

Oh yea, by the way LOVED your letter home last week.  That was so thoughtful and nice.  What a great reward -- really was awesome!

Any requests for your birthday box?  It's getting to be about time to throw that together and ship it off.  In a week or two anyway.  XOXO mom

06/17/12 Lucky to be mom to such great boys!

6/17/12

Another busy great week behind us.  (I hope you agree!)  

This week I had to write a letter to Dallas and Bryce telling them how much I love them and appreciate them and how the church has influenced our lives.  I also encouraged them to go on missions and marry in the temple.  It is for them to get a camp Helaman next week.  (I gotta remember to get them over to their leaders!)  It was nice to take a few minutes and reminisce about you kids and how special you are to me.  I sent the letters over to Dad and he wanted one too!  So I spent a few more minutes thinking of some of the many great times in our history and why I am so thankful to have him as my eternal companion.  The girls are jealous and ordered a letter too but I haven't had time!  

So I'll take just a minute of this letter and tell you just how blessed I feel to be your mother.  I remember from the time I found out you were coming I was so excited and scared and unsure of what to expect.  You challenged my abilities as I tried to figure out how to make you happy and clean (you were always puking) and get you to sleep etc.  You were pretty fun to have around.  Dad LOVED taking you places and having people come up and say how cute you were and ooohhh and ahhh and stuff.  Kinda funny!  I am glad you two became such good buddies.  I think it was good for both of you to develop such a strong friendship.  As you grew up you became a very smart driven kid.  Remember reading all those Harry Potter books?  I'd read a chapter at night with you and then send you to school.  While you were gone you would read 2, 3 sometimes 4 chapters and then tell me what I missed?!  Katie is busy reading those now and she is all CONSUMED with them!  Course there are more now.  When you were young they stopped at book 4.  Now there are 7 books.  She just finished book 6 and is starting book 7.  I think all that reading really helped you to develop your brain.

I am thankful that you chose to be valiant and keep yourself out of trouble with young women.  I know that is a tough thing to do these days.  I am also thankful that you have been such an amazing example as you prepared and then have gone out and served the Lord.  I still pray regularly that our next two boys will follow in your footsteps, and I think they will...but I think that you will have had a great influence on them taking those steps!  Thank you!  I am thankful for the gospel in our lives to help us know right from and the wisdom (usually) to then do what we know to be right.  

I spent some time with my little sister Ruth this weekend.  We went for a 4 mile walk and during that time she bore her sole to me.  She told me of many of her sorrows and short comings and disappointments in life.  I did not lecture her, just listened.  But on reflecting I can see where so many of her unhappiness in life can be traced back to her falling away from the gospel and not grasping the principles that she was taught as a young girl.  Again...not saying this to her.  I don't think she is ready to hear that and it would probably drive a wedge between us but it makes me ever more grateful for the choices I have made and the results I have.  Enough about that.  

So to conclude me little mini letter in a letter...I love you and am so proud of you and all that you've done with your life so far.  I hope that you will continue to grasp the gospel and follow it in your life.  I hope that as you hit rocky patches in life you will turn toward your heavenly father and not away from him and also come to your parents.  We were given to you to help you through this crazy thing called life!  XOXO

Back to the letter.  So I was blessed with some infrequent quiet time this week and wrote some letters that the kids will be getting next week.  We decided to make the quick trip up to SL this weekend and that was really fun.  I had an extra busy work week and was out of hours at 10 a.m.  Friday morning.  We went over to Golden Corral and had breakfast with the girls (after Dad played basketball and the girls hung out at the rec center).  Then we came home and packed up.  Dad finished some stories for his new job.  We drove up to E&D's house and got to see baby Luke for a minute and Rachel took our girls back to her house for the evening.  They had "girl's night".  It was fun to go out on the town with Dad in the convertible.  Drove through SL with the top down.  The weather was perfect.  Saturday me and Ruth and her boys went for our 4 mile hike.  The boys were really good (surprised me!!!).  In fact they were MUCH better than the last interaction I had with them.  I was ready to write them off last time but this time they were pretty mellow and sweet.  We then went over to Gpas house and had waffles and then 12-2 a swim party.

Intermission on that...we ran to Smith's to get a father's day gift for Gpa Laurito.  When we entered the parking lot a car came flying through the intersection behind some other cars right in front of us.  Dad had to stand on the brakes to stop us and it was pretty close.  Yikes!  I am very thankful for your dad's cat like reflexes and for the little guardian angel that was watching over us!!!!  There were 2 more people in the lot that 'bout backed into us.  We decided we don't like shopping parking lots in SL!!!

The party was fun.  Rachel and fam, Ruth and fam, Suzanne & Dad, Eldon, Johnny, Demas and Luke came over.  Marcus was working and so was Diane so we missed out on them. Gpa had bought us some delicious food and we had a nice BBQ.

Well as you can see we are staying busy and hopefully doing good things! I hope that you will continue to learn and grow and progress in the gospel and enjoy it!  I love you lots!!! XOXO mom.

06/13/12 GS Camp & St. Geo Hydrotube

6/13/12

Hi Kiddo!

It's Sunday afternoon and I'm in my usual spot writing to you! Hope you are doing great! The heat of summer has arrived and I feel pretty lucky to be in my a/c bedroom right now!

It has been a busy but good week  Kerry, our treasurer has been in Hawaii...lucky ducky...so I had the pleasure of doing my job and his this week.  Kept me pretty occupied and made time FLY!  It went pretty well.  Couple of little problems but nothing too horrible!

Wednesday we took the YM/YW to quail lake for a boating trip.  Really fun.  It was more like a YW trip...and then a YM trip because the boys came so late that we mostly just ate and left -- but it was really fun and the kids are begging for another boating trip.  Brother and Sister Olsen have said they'd love to do it again so maybe we will!

Dallas is getting over his tonsils.  It's been a pretty long week for him I think.  I believe it hurt a little more than he expected.  But he is on the good side of it now.  Should get better and better.  He starts DXATC tomorrow.  Hope he likes it.

The girls go to GS camp this week so that should be fun.  I dunno what is going to happen at work because I plan to go with the girls but EVERYBODY that is involved with court is gone this week.  The judge is fishing up the canyon somewhere, judge Carr will come instead on Tuesday. Kathy is in Alaska for 10 days and then I plan to take off Wed, Thur and Fri.  I may have to to in before we leave Wed and come back once we get home Friday.  3 days of leaving my work unattended might be too scary to return to on the following Monday.

Dee got married yesterday.  We were thinking about going over there but didn't make it.  We did however see Benjamin Squires get baptized last night and that was cool.  he is pretty cute.  Those boys are all very good looking but kinda naughty!  My favorite is #3, Mitchell-Moose...but he is probably the most naughty!  He is just so dang cute.  i took them swimming once so now every time I see them they ask when I will take them swimming again.  Pretty funny.

Mom and Dad are up in SL today headed home from Luke's baby blessing (Johnny's baby).  They are planning to bring Eldon and Diane home with them.  We are going to go up and meet them with dinner at 6 p.m.  Should be fun.  I made bbq pulled pork, funeral potatoes, rolls, salad and I'll open a can of beans. Should be good. 

Well I hope you are doing wonderful and are happy.  I continue to receive notes from friends that love to read your blog and are so impressed with your dedication to the gospel.  I have a neighbor from NJ that just wrote me again this week to say that I should be very proud of the fine young man you are.  It is so hard to find young people that would dedicate their lives to the Lord.  And it is true.  You are sacrificing so much but you are also going to be blessed so much for your efforts.  Thank you for being that good example to all of us.  You will never know all the people you have influenced for good. 

Love you so much!

Mom

06/09/12 GS Camp & Hydro tube in St. George

6/9/12

Well tomorrow is shaping up to be busy so I figured I'd write you tonight.  You are MUCH better to write to than 

to do the pile of laundry behind me that I have to do before bed tonight!

So, what a great, busy week!

Monday and Tuesday were of course filled with work.

Wednesday morning I got up and did my usual spin class.  Then I took Bryce for his first Ag Field trip.  

Only it was a flop.  Poor kid.  I dropped him off at the H.S. like we did last year but didn't wait to confirm

rides.  He of course didn't have a cell phone.  So he goes over to the group he thinks is his only to find out

they are custodians doing a project on the school.  He waits around for 15 minutes and NOBODY shows

up.  Nobody.  So he walks home.  Over 2 miles.  It was pretty warm and he was TOTALLY bummed.

Maddy was planning to meet him for D.H. and go on the trip too.  So we call his teacher and he

apologizes.  Guess he woke up sick and called some people and let them know...but not Bryce.  And since

it took so long to find out and get home it's too late to catch the bus at Dixie H.S.  So he calls Maddy and

she DID make it and doesn't know anybody.  Double bogus.  They got to do something else instead...not

sure what...cause I went to G.S. Camp with the girlies at 11 a.m. same day.

We went to Pine Valley Mountain.  Wow it is nice up there.  Cool, beautiful.  No cell service so really was cut off 

from whole world.

The G.S. had a nice program put together.  We did lots of fun activities, hikes, crafts, fire building, tent setting 

up, cooking...all the usuals.  The girls got to sleep in a tent for the first time ever.  Holly "Holly Dolly" slept in a 

tent with 9 little girls down on a pad a little ways from us.  The girls were ages 5 - 9 I think.  Lucky we didn't have 

a bunch of crying and carrying on but they did great.  The adults slept up at another site 4 in a 4-man tent.  

pretty tight squeeze.  And Katie "Sunshine" slept next door to us in a 3 man tent with 3 or 4 little 10 year old girls.

Her and her buddy Jessica "Jesse James" both had hacking coughs and kept waking us up the first night.  The 

second night I dosed them up good with some night time cold meds and they did much better.

They went and went and went and had so much fun.  We took the girls on a hike down to the reservoir during 

our "resting" time.  They loved it.  They took off their socks and shoes and tromped around in the shallow water. 

 They found a birds nest and saw little bird eggs down in the swamp area.  They learned new camp songs and 

got to make some of their meals.

It really was a cool experience.

We got back Friday before noon and me and dad took a little siesta and then went to movie and a dinner. Stupid 

movie but enjoyed gorging myself on popcorn and dr. pepper.  

Today we went to St. George outdoor pool with the hydro tube.  Jared and Brittney and kids joined us.  It

was lots of fun.  The boys went down the slide several times and then just played in the pool.  Dad even

came (the boys were off doing band stuff so he got stuck with the girls today...he was a little bummed, but

he was a good sport about it.)  Dad played basketball with Jared in the pool most of the time.  The boys

were off doing a band activity and then were going to go swimming.  They didn't know where. Imagine their

surprise when they showed up at the St. G. pool and we are there.  It was kind of funny.  We were about

done by the time they arrived so no biggie.  We took the girls to Red Robin for their book burgers and then

just spent the evening getting ready for Holly's talk tomorrow and cleaning and doing yard work.

Anyway, I have to say, it was sure nice to not work for several days!!! I will probably REALLY regret that

on Monday but have been loving every minute of being off!!!!  

Dad starts his new job on Monday, I'm sure he'll tell you all about that.  Kind of sad for him to give up his

morning show but I think this new company will take better care of him. It seems like they will.  It would

sure be nice to work for someone who appreciates you!!!  (And pays you for it too!)

Laundry awaits...better get since I usually turn into a pumpkin by now!

Love you lots and hope everything is going wonderful there!  Saw some pix of you on Carlos' website and you 

looked healthy and happy!  

xoxo mom