The Merrihew Family

Family Photshoot

2012-01-11T14:08:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited to have our family pictures back. In October we had Melissa Mckinley Photography and Design do a photo session with our family. I am very pleased with the way the photos turned out and I will definitely use her again in the future!

Baptism

2011-06-04T13:48:00.000-07:00

Today Whitney made a choice to follow the example of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. She chose to be baptized. What a beautiful day! Words cannot express the thoughts, feelings and emotions I felt today. It was wonderful to have so many family members and friends witness her special day. I couldn't help but think back to when she was just a baby in her blessing dress. Now here she is dressed in white in her baptism dress. The next time she will be all dressed in white will be on her wedding day.

I took Whitney to the temple grounds to have her baptism pictures taken. Whitney loves the temple and talks about it a lot. She was so excited to be going to the temple to have her pictures taken. She was disappointed when she realized that we were taking pictures outside and not going inside the temple. She always asks me when she can go inside and what it looks like. However, her eyes lit up when she saw a bride getting her pictures taken too. She said "Look mom, she got married in the temple". Whitney's favorite Primary song is "I Love To See The Temple". This song was sang today at her baptism. It brought tears to my eyes. As it was being sung I thought about how much she loves the temple and wants to go inside and be married there. I hope to one day see her in her third white dress inside the temple.

Here is a poem that I really liked and put in her baptism book:

Daughter of a king,
born of royalty.
Sent to earth to learn and grow,
a light for all to see.
You'll take many little steps along the path of life,
some are full of happiness, others full of strife.
But remember God is always there,
his blessings he send to you.
He wants you to be clean and pure
and keep your covenants true.
May the white be a reminder to stay unspotted, pure and clean,
For you are born of royalty,
the daughter of a king.

The most memorable part of the day was watching her step into the font. My mom was sitting next to me and as John raised his hand and spoke the baptismal words my mom grabbed onto my arm and pulled me close. She had a smile on her face and tears in her eyes. This was a special moment for me because my mom has been inactive since I got married. I know she felt the spirit. I watched as my daughter's sins were washed away and she became clean and pure.

After she was baptized we were taken into a room where she was confirmed and given the gift of the holy ghost. The room was full of family and friends. Everyone wrote and little something special that was put into a book for her. Then we took some pictures and headed back to our house for a special luncheon in her honor where she opened gifts people brought for her. The look on her face when she opened her own set of scriptures from mom and dad was priceless! She was so excited to finally have her very own scriptures!

I am proud of her and the decision she has made to follow in the footsteps of Christ. I pray and hope she will always stay on the right path and hold to the rod. I fear I have not done my best as a mother to prepare her for baptism and teach her about the importance of it and the covenants we make. I can only do my best here on out by being a good example to her.

It's Great To Be Eight!

2011-05-31T16:13:00.000-07:00

Whitney celebrated her 8th birthday with a pirate party! I went a little "ALL OUT" for this party and it cost "A LOT" of money! The things we do for our kids, right? Maybe I went a little overboard this year. I tell myself every year that I am going to keep it simple next year but it never turns out that way. This time I am "SERIOUS"! Next year it will definitely be more simple. I made it too hard on myself this year with a 4 hour party, lots of time planning, shopping, spending money, decorating, organizing games and activities and putting together invitations.

For the invitations we sent little messages in a bottle. It was a plastic bottle with the invitation and sand inside. Whitney wanted to go to Pirate Island Pizza but I thought it would be fun to have a treasure hunt and do some other fun activities at home. So, we ended doing both!

We went to Pirate Island Pizza first where we ate pizza, played games in their arcade and posed for cute pictures of course! I bought Whitney a pirate costume just for her party so I had to take advantage of the atmosphere. They have a pirate ship, caves, water falls, a jungle and pirate stuff that makes for cute pictures.

After Pirate Island Pizza we moved the party to our backyard. I had it decorated cute and spent a lot of time setting up for the treasure hunt.

I gave each kid an eye patch, earring and bandanna so they could be dressed as Lil' pirates.

First we did some crafts. I had bought little card board treasure chests for the kids to decorate. They had a blast adding gold coins and jewels to their boxes. I also bought little bottles that the kids could put sand in and make there own message in a bottle. We played pin the treasure chest on the X. Then I gave each kid a loot bag and a treasure map for the treasure hunt. I had clues all over the yard. Each clue led to the next clues until they found the treasure. For example: "Go where monkey's swing and sway, you can play here all day". The answer is the monkey bars. The last clue was "buried deep in the ground the treasure chest can be found! So use your hand to dig in the sand"! I had a treasure chest full of plastic coins, gum coins, jewels, rings and necklaces buried in the sand trap on the putting green.

I think this was the highlight of the party. The kids loved it! After the treasure hunt the kids broke open the pinata'. Then we had to take a break because whitney had her batism interview with the bishop. I thought the party would be over in time but it wasn't. So all the kids played on the playground while Whitney was gone. When Whitney got back we had cake and ice cream. I looked on line to find the perfect cake and I had my friend Wendy make it. It turned out so cute!

After cake Whitney opened her presents. She got spoiled rotten with so many presents. She got heelies and a DS game from us and lots of toys from her friends. On top of everything else the kids got they also got to go home with a goodie box filled with more pirate stuff!

It made me feel good when Whitney thanked me and told me this was the BEST party ever!

Whitney's Dance Review

2011-05-21T16:11:00.000-07:00

This has been a VERY BUSY year with Pizazz Dance Team. I guess we really didn't know what we were getting into before we started. Whitney and her friend Shandelle wanted to take dance together. My friend Melanie had a neighbor who danced with Pizazz and that is how we heard about it. It's a professional dance team with a lot of technique and structure. There were endless mandatory practices and performances. They performed at "The World Senior Games" and during basketball games at every High School in the valley. They also competed in a competition. Here are some pictures from the dance review. It was a special night. Everyone dressed up, each dancer got a rose, was escorted by their father, had their name announced and had a special daddy daughter dance. I of course got teary eyed as I watched John hold Whitney in his arms as they danced to "Butterfly Kisses". I thought back to my wedding day when I danced with my father to that same song. Time really does go by too fast! I don't even want to think about Whitney's wedding day.

I do however LOVE to watch Whitney dance and reminisce back to when I was a dancer. It was fun to watch her perform at the basketball games. It reminded John and I of being in that high school moment all over again! LOL

I have to say my favorite moment was watching Whitney perform her ballet dance for the first time. It took my breath away! She was so beautiful and graceful. She had so much poise! She must take after me because ballet was always my stronger point. I didn't care much for jazz and I was not very coordinated. But when it came to ballet it just came easier for me. Whitney always talks about wanting to do ballet. That was the whole reason I signed her up for dance. I guess I need to find something that focuses more on ballet and less on jazz or hip hop. Her ultimate goal is to do ballet on point but you have to be at least 12 years old to start.

Whitney decided she didn't want to do Pizazz again next year. I think she was too overwhelmed with all the practices and performances on top of school, homework and no time for friends. I'm still hoping maybe after having a break she will want to take a ballet class because she is so good at it!

Whitney before the show

Whitney being escorted by her daddy

Whitney dancing with her daddy

The Pizazz Team

Whitney and Shandelle

Whitney and her friend Emma

Whitney in her ballet costume after the show

Garbage Man Truck

2011-05-19T15:37:00.000-07:00

My cute little boy LOVES the garbage truck. He calls it the garbage man truck. Every Friday when he hears it coming down the street he goes running outside as fast as he can while yelling "the garbage man truck is here!" He will stand at the curb and patiently wait for it to get to our house. As the truck drives up he says hi to the driver. He watches intently as the garbage cans are dumped. Then he waves bye to the truck as it drives away.

Well, Caysen had a special visitor come to his pre-school. That's right, the garbage man truck came. Caysen was in heaven! He showed the kids how the truck worked and also talked about recycling.

Then he let Caysen dress-up in the "garbage man truck" clothes.

Kitchen Remodel

2011-05-17T11:28:00.000-07:00

The day we bought our house I hated the counter tops. They were grey, white and black speckled fir mica. Soooo ugly and they didn't match anything! Finally, after seven years of living here we got new granite counter tops in the kitchen and both bathrooms. We decided on a nice neutral color of granite. We made the kitchen counter step up so we have a bar. John had to build a wall so it would step up and to support the weight of the granite. We had to put bead board on the front to cover the 2x4's john used to build the wall. It turned out really nice. I love it! It is a nice face lift for our home and makes a big difference. Here are some before and after pictures.

Easter 2011

2011-04-24T09:52:00.000-07:00

This year we spent Easter in SLC with my mom and dad because we were already in town for my grandma's birthday party. I love spending holidays with my family. I don't want my mom and dad to be alone. With my kids being the only grandkids it makes it fun for Papa and B-Ma to spend the holidays with their grandkids.

Aunt Courtney helped us color eggs. This is always a favorite for my kids! Our tradition includes coloring eggs the night before and leaving them out for the Easter Bunny to hide. Then in the morning we have to find the eggs so we can eat them for breakfast. This year the Easter Bunny had new hiding places because we were at B-ma and Papa's house. He hide Whitney's basket in the closet downstairs in the play room and he hide Caysen's basket behind the curtain in the living room.

My kids got spoiled with three egg hunts! Before we went to SLC our ward had an Easter breakfast and an egg hunt for the kids. The day before Easter we took the kids on an egg hunt at the park with our friends April and Richard and their kids. The kids got to see the Easter bunny and have their picture taken with him. Then on Easter B-Ma put together an egg hunt in her yard for the kids. She filled plastic eggs with prizes like candy, money and toys! The kids loved it!

Another tradition is to buy new matching church outfits for the kids and take their pictures. Here are a few of the many photos I took.

My Grandma Turns 90!

2011-04-22T09:28:00.000-07:00

My only grandparent I have left accomlished a new milestone. She made it to the grand age of 90! I love my grandma Eulalia May Blair. She will always have a special place in my heart because I was named after her, I was born in the month of May, I named my daughter Whitney after her and she was also born in the month of May. We took a trip to SLC for the special event. We had a big birthday party in my parents backyard. All of the family came which was great! it had been a long time since I had seen a lot of my cousins. My Aunt Beckie had a video put together as a surprise for my Grandma. It included photos of my grandma growing up, photos of her children and grandchildren and interviews from her children. It was a touching video that brought tears to my eyes and many others. We had a nice BBQ meal with delicious sides and some homemade cupcakes for dessert. Grandma got spoiled with gifts and had a great time!

Broken Femur

2011-03-28T10:10:00.000-07:00

I went to SLC for a photo shoot. John was supposed to stay home with the kids but he wanted to go snowboarding with his friends. He called and asked my friend Melanie if she could watch the kids while he went snowboarding. I had my photo shoot for the Mrs. Utah pageant. After the photo shoot I went to the mall to shop for an evening gown. I was enjoying myself when suddenly I got a phone call from John's friend Sam. He told me that John had broke his femur but that he was going to be okay. I was in a panic thinking about my kids and the fact that I was out of town and now John would not be returning home to them. I immediately called Johns mom but she did not answer. I called his sister Becca and she didn't answer either but I got a hold of her husband Fred. He said they could come to St. George to care for the kids and be at the hospital with John. I was thinking maybe John was trying some kind of a crazy trick but he said he went to the side of the slope by the trees and followed his friend over a little bump. There was a turn after the bump and John didn't have enough time to turn and miss the trees so he threw his body to the side but his leg hit the tree. He tried moving his leg but only the top half moved and he knew it was broken. His friends got help and they put him on a sled and took him down the mountain to the clinic. He was in excruciating pain but they claimed they were not aloud to give him anything and that he had to wait for the paramedic to come. The ambulance ended up getting stuck in the snow on its way up Beaver mountain. John was put in the back of a pick up truck and taken down the mountain to the ambulance. By this point it had been 2 1/2 or 3 hours with no pain meds! They gave him morphine when he got in the ambulance but that didn't do anything for his pain so they gave him something stronger. He was taken to Cedar City but they did not have proper equipment for surgery so the ambulance had to drive in a blizzard to St. George. The ambulance ended up having engine problems along the way so they stopped at a Wal-Mart in Cedar city to get parts. The driver did not know how to fix the problem so John had to walk him through it while he was drugged up and laying on a stretcher. He finally made it after a 4 hour journey from Beaver to St. George. I left SLC first thing in the morning so I could get back to the kids and see John. He ended up having surgery. He had to get a steel rod drilled through his hip and down through the center of the femur with a screw to hold it in place. it will be permanent. It is going to be a long recovery and he won't be able to wake board for awhile or work for a couple weeks. HE is using a walker right now and will slowly graduate to crutches. Here is a picture of his x-ray.

Mrs. Utah US Continental

2011-03-14T14:28:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I was crowned the new Mrs. Utah US Continental. After several pageants I finally got to experience my crowning moment as my dream came true. My husband, kids and parents were there to support me during this journey. My journey was long and exhausting as I prepared mentally, physically and emotionally for the pageant. I spent countless hours finding the perfect evening gown and the best aerobic wear that was the most flattering for my not so perfect body. I spent more time at the gym than usual trying to get into shape for the pageant. I spent a lot of time filling out my application and judges biography form. I also spent time driving to SLC for meetings and photo shoots and the actual competition. Of course you can't take part in a pageant without all that glamorous stuff so I spent more time getting my hair done, buying new make up, getting a tan, getting my nails done.....But, I think I spent the most time preparing my platform. I put a lot of thought into what would be the right platform for me. I decided on "Reach Out And Make A Difference". Because of my experience with fund raising, community service and helping others I felt it was a perfect platform for me. I am so excited as I embark on this new journey.

Disnayland

2011-03-12T10:40:00.000-08:00

It's a tradition every year that my mom and I take the kids to Disneyland over spring break. This year Grandma Z came with us. Usually St. George has an earlier spring break than everyone else which ends up being the last weekend before the busy peak hours start. This makes it nice because the lines are not that bad. For some reason this year Disneyland was PACKED! I guess the spring break schedule changed for some states. Instead of it being the last weekend before the peak season it ended up being the first weekend of peak season. It was horrible! We tried to make the best of it. Whitney went on the Tower of Terror the last time we came to Disneyland and it scared the crap out of her. This year she absolutely refused to go on it again but my mom and I talked Suzan into going on it. She didn't know what to expect. It was so funny to see her reaction. I think it kind of scared her too. Caysen was in car heaven when he saw Mater and Mcqueen. He was checking out the wheels and their mouths. He was starring and touching and loving it! He couldn't get enough and we had to drag him away! Even though Whitney is seven years old she still insists on being in a stroller. She says it's not fair that Caysen gets to sit in a stroller. So we always rent a stroller. Besides, it makes it easier for us to get around and do things faster if we can just push the kids. Whitney NEVER takes naps! Ithought it was funny that she actually fell asleep in the stroller. Crazy how us adults are the ones doing all the work yet we have more energy than the kids and can't get enough of Disneyland but the kids get so worn out LOL. I wonder if she will still be in a stroller when she is 10?

Halloween

2010-10-31T22:00:00.000-07:00

We had a very busy Halloween season. We took the kids to the corn maze and pumpkin patch, we had Halloween parties, school parties, trick or treating at the mall and around our neighborhood and John and I even went to a haunted house!

This year for Halloween Whitney chose to be a Monarch Butterfly and Caysen wanted to be Thomas The Train. The kids kept me busy. I went to Caysen's class to watch him learn how to Trick or' Treat, exchange candy and go on a "Bear Hunt". Caysen loves to go on a bear hunt. They listen to a story and do actions to what is being told in the story. It was fun to watch. We went to Whitney's school to watch the Halloween parade. It was fun to see all the different costumes. I helped out with Whitney's class Halloween party. We decorated the room spooky and had a smoke machine. Then we decorated cookies, played spooky BINGO, ghost bowling and had a coloring activity. When John got home from work we met my friend Kori at the mall and we let the kids trick or treat at the mall. They got a lot of candy but that didn't even make a dent compared to all the candy they were about to get. After the mall we went trick or treating around our neighborhood on our 4 wheeler. The kids loved it and so did I because I didn't have to walk. It was great because we could get around to the houses faster and all I had to do was sit and drive.

Autumn

2010-10-25T09:29:00.000-07:00

I love this time of year! The weather is perfect. Being in St. George where you have a lot of heat in the summer this time of year feels great! Not only do I love the weather but I love living out in the fields where you can see all the farmland growing corn, hay and cattle feed. I love seeing the yellow butterflies flying around and I love taking pictures this time of year. It has become a tradition to go to the pumpkin patch and take family pictures then go to the corn maze at staheli farm. The kids look forward to this tradition. They love going to the farm to ride the tractor, go on the cow train, play on the playground, go to the pumpkin patch and get a bite to eat.

Update

2010-10-22T13:51:00.000-07:00

We found Mr. Jingles! I was eating lunch at Five Guys when my cell phone rang. It was a man saying that he found Mr. Jingles and he was not in good shape. I asked if he was alive. He said yes, he is very much alive and biting everyone's toes! He said that his 11 year old daughter and her friend were playing at the park and they heard a kitten crying. The investigated and followed the cry. He was in the mud by the river. He was coughing aand did'nt look too good. She took him home and gave him 2 baths. One with flea and tick remover and one with shampoo. She got him all washed up and insisted on keeping him. She went and bought him toys and a litter box. He said he had to figure out a way to tell his daughter that Jingles has a home. I hesitated for a moment about just letting her keep him and just let Whitney think that he was never found but it broke my heart every time she cried for him. When Whitney got home from school I told her I had a surprise. She said where is it? I told her it was not here yet but that she was going to be sooooo happy! She asked if I found Jingles? I told her I did and she said lets go get him. The guy who called said he had to work but that he would drop him off later. Shortly after he brought Jingles back home. He said he told his daughter and she said the right thing to do was to give him back to the rightful owner. He said she proved the she can take care of a kitten and he is going to get her another one. I'm so glad that I made those flyers and posted them and Jingles was found in only 2 days! I reminded Whitney that God does answer prayers :)

Lost Kitty

2010-10-21T13:44:00.000-07:00

Yesterday at about 4:30 Whitney and I crossed the street to go to our neighbors house and Jingles followed us over. We left him out on their front door step. I visited with my friend for about an hour and when I left her house I did not see Jingles. I figured he went back home but when I got home I did'nt see him anywhere. A storm was starting to come so I figured he would run home for shelter or go find shelter. At 8:00pm it was raining and he was still not home. Whitney was sad. I told her it was time for bed. She said she could not sleep because she was too sad. I told her we could say a prayer to help us find Jingles. She said that prayers don't always work. I reminded her that whe nThor was lost I said a prayer and we found him so we said a prayer together. At 9:00pm I went looking for Jingles out in the rain. I went up and down the street calling for him but I could not find him. I left the garage open a little for him in case he came home. This morning he was still no where to be found. I spent 2 hours today making flyers and posting them around the neighborhood. I think some one found him and thought he was a stray kitten and took him into their home. All we can do now is wait!

Camping at Lake Mead

2010-09-26T18:07:00.000-07:00

Every year we go to the Tige' boat part party at Lake Mead for all the Tige' boat owners. This year we decided to spend the weekend and camp out. I invited Shaunna and her kids to come and John invited his friends Sam and Ty. Ty also brought some buddies of his. Of course Jingles our new kitten came too because I just got him right before we left and Whitney was so excited and wanted to bring him along. We got there Friday night and set up camp. The boys got up early Saturday morning so they could get in a good wake boarding session. They came and picked up us girls and the kids after breakfast and we spent the entire day on the lake. We took turns riding the tube and wake boarding at the same time so we could get some awesome pictures from the tube. I put on my water skies for the first time this year. The water was perfect and it made for the best water skiing ever! We set up a spot on the beach so the kids could play in the sand and water and we had lunch. After a long day on the water we went back to camp and made hot dogs for dinner and roasted marshmellows over the grill because fires were not allowed.

New Family Addition

2010-09-26T16:04:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the family jingles! Whitney has been begging me for almost 2 years for a kitten. Not just a kitten but an orange one that looks like her "Amber kitty" (beanie baby). I went to petco today to get dog food before heading out of town to go camping at Lake Mead. They were having a pet adoption. I spotted a little orange kitten right off the bat. I made the mistake of stopping to not only look but hold this kitten. He immediately stared purring and nestled right up on my shoulder and in my hair. I was there for at least 2 hours debating weather or not to get the kitten. Needless to say I brought it home without John's permission or Whitney knowing. When she came home from school she was holding her "Amber" and said she took Amber to show and tell. I said, "don't you wish you had a real Amber"? Just as I finished my sentence Whitney saw the kitten sitting on the kitchen counter. She said "kitty! Is it mine? Hello kitty. He's so cute momma!" Then she showed her Amber to the kitten and said, "look here is a friend! Whats his name?" I told her he is her kitty and she can name him whatever she wants. She chose Jingles! We had plans to go camping that day and I did not want to leave the new kitten home alone with Thor so we took Jingles camping with us.

Goodbye Grandpa

2010-09-11T14:51:00.000-07:00

I did'nt even have time to mourn the loss of my grandma before losing my grandpa a week later. Now I have to grieve for both of them. My poor mother, I can't even imagine the pain of losing both parents at the same time. Atleast they are together again right? This is the letter I wrote to my grandpa and read at his funeral.

Grandpa,
I can’t believe we are doing this all over again. Maybe it was because of your love for grandma and the need that you felt to take care of her or maybe it was because grandma was always so dependant on you and she needed you to be with her so she came and got you. The only thing that matters is that you are together again and you have reunited with your son Rory whom you loved so much and talked about all the time.
I remember the stories that you would tell me about Rory. After Whitney was born you hid a Lullaby CD under my pillow. You said it reminded you of Rory.
You were always sneaky, my fondest memory of you was when I was a little girl and every time you would come to visit you would sneak into my bedroom and move things around to be silly. You were also sneaky about slipping money into my hand. For some reason you felt you had to pay for my gas to come visit you.
You loved going for walks and you would look for treasures along the way. If you found any toys you would give them to me or Courtney. I also remember that you would keep the prizes from the cereal boxes and give them to us.
You loved working in the yard. Maybe that is where my mom gets it from. You always had a beautifully landscaped yard that was well manicured. You had a beautiful rock collection in your garden from all the rocks you collected from Quartzite. I remember the year that we went to Quartzite for Christmas and I helped you find rocks. Sometimes you made creations out of the rocks.
I will never forget the time that you were babysitting Courtney and I while my mom and dad were on vacation. I’m not sure where grandma was but I had to go to school and of course I had to have my hair done so I looked pretty. At the time I had bangs and my mom would curl them. I didn’t know how to use a curling iron so I asked you to curl my bangs. You of course did not know how to use a curling iron either but you attempted to do your best. Unfortunately, you burned my forehead and I went to school with silly looking hair.
I remember when I turned 16 and I just got my drivers license. I was driving you home from somewhere and my driving skills scared you because you said I was driving too fast. You reminded me of this moment several times throughout the years.
I would have to say one of my best most recent memories of you happened 3 years ago when you and grandma came to my house to visit for Whitney’s 4th birthday. After the party we went swimming. You didn’t have any swim trunks with you so you borrowed some of John’s high fashion board shorts. You looked so cute and “in-style” sporting around in those swim trunks and showing off your diving skills. I think you caught us all by surprise when you literally dove into the deep end at the age of 86 years old. I was even lucky enough to catch it on camera.
You came back to visit 4 months later for the blessing of my son. That was one of the moments that I will cherish forever. I was so blessed that you were able to take part in the circle to give my son a blessing. It meant the world to me to have you there!
I also have a lot of memories of your truck. Just little things like the rides we would go on to get ice cream or go ride on the big hills in the Avenues. Your homemade camper, watching the truck pull up in front of my parent’s house as I anticipated your arrival, the time you sold it and my mom fought to get it back, which she did. She gave it to John to use for work. We have your truck and camper stored at our shop. She told us we cannot get rid of your homemade camper until she dies because it will be too hard on her. She must have many great memories as well.
My mother loved her “daddy” so much! She always talked very highly about you. She adored you and loved your funny personality and sense of humor. She was definitely a “daddy’s girl”. I don’t think you could have asked for a better daughter. You made the right decision by giving her your power of attorney. She did everything in her power to give you the proper care you needed in your final days; Even though that proper care came with a price tag. It’s a good thing that you thought you were staying at a hotel that the phone company was paying for.
Unfortunately because of grandma’s behavior she was not able to live with you at Brighton Gardens. After a long 2 years you can finally be together again unless grandma gets kicked out of heaven for her behavior.
Even though grandma was difficult to live with you still stood by her side and took care of her. You have always been so caring and passionate towards others. You didn’t have a mean bone in your body.
You looked forward to grandma going on her trips so that you had some time alone without her nagging at you and you could actually go visit your brother and sister.
You had an amazing sense of humor and personality all the way up until the day you died. I remember the last time we came to visit you at Brighton gardens you were sitting in your wheelchair and you used your foot to grab Whitney’s foot and pulled her shoe off. This was a game you played with her. You were such a joy to be around.
I’m glad your two year battle with dementia has come to an end. It was so hard to see your confusion between me and Whitney. Every time you saw her you thought she was me and sometimes you would confuse me with my mom. It broke my heart every time I had to remind you who I was. I’m glad you are now at peace.
You were the best grandpa in the world! I will miss you dearly and will always remember the good times we had. I love you grandpa! Goodbye, until we meet again!

Love, Mindy

Goodbye Grandma

2010-08-28T13:16:00.000-07:00

My grandma and grandpa were 8 years apart. Who would have thought she would go first. She was put into assisted living about a year ago. She enjoyed her first few months there then she began to go downhill quickly. She fell and broke her arm, she had urinary tract infections which caused other problems and infections and she had some dementia. She was on oxygen and in a wheelchair and stared at the walls until an aid came by and moved her somewhere else. Not a quality of life at all. Her suffering has come to an end. This is the letter I wrote my grandma and read at her funeral.

My dear loving grandmother,

My heart is full of so many different emotions, thoughts and memories of you. I don’t know what to say but I don’t want to say goodbye without saying something, without letting you know how much I love you. I can’t believe your life on this earth has come to an end. I feel it all happened too quickly but I don’t think I would ever have enough time to prepare myself for your loss. Instead, I must tell myself how blessed I was to share 31 years of my life with you. You were an important part of my childhood, you got to watch me grow into a young woman, see me get married and have children of my own and be in a small part of their lives.
I have so many memories of you through out the years. I have listed my memories in order from my childhood on up. I remember when I was 5 or 6 me and Courtney had a sleep-over at your house. You cooked dinner and I told you I didn’t feel like eating because my tummy hurt but you made me eat it anyway. That night Courtney and I slept in your bed. Courtney was rudely awakened by the sound of me throwing up in my sleep. You were mad that I threw up in your bed but you later called and apologized. After that you never let me sleep in your bed again and you made me sleep on the floor with a bucket next to me.
I always loved going to “grandma’s” house. I liked the shag red carpet, beads in the doorway, lava lamps, nick knacks from around the world, the gumball machine and of course the park across the street. I remember wanting to take my friends to my grandma’s house so they could see how cool it was. The highlight was finding pennies to put in the gumball machine; until I was about 8 then I learned how to unscrew the top off using the pennies. Then I could just take a handful of gumballs and pocket the pennies. You gave that gumball machine to Whitney for Christmas and now I have it in my home to look at every day and remind me of those memories. Now my 3 year old son knows how to steal the gumballs.
I also remember you would come over and want to see our new school clothes. You always wanted me to model them for you. It was like a fashion show because you wanted to see every outfit. I of course didn’t mind because I liked to model.
Another fond memory I have was the year that we spent Christmas with you and grandpa in Quartzsite Arizona. I think I was about 11 years old. You and grandpa spent a lot of time there in the winter. We had a nice quiet Christmas as a family then we went to church at a local church house and ate Christmas dinner at a truck stop. We went shopping at a flea market. I called out “grandma” and a man working there said to you “you don’t look old enough to be a grandma”. You were tickled pink! I remember how devastated you were when you sold your 5th wheel and had to start spending the winters at home. We all know how much you hated the cold. You kept your thermostat set at 90 degrees in the summertime!
You always wanted to make sure the family was together during the holidays. Thanksgiving and Christmas won’t be the same without you. I remember every Christmas after Courtney and I opened our presents we would put our gifts in a pile so that when you came over you could see what we got. I remember that on Easter we would go to your house and show you our Easter dresses and what the Easter Bunny brought us. You of course would always pick a treat out of our baskets for yourself!
You always told me, “Stay your sweet self and don’t ever change”. I remember when I turned 11 or 12 you said that I was going to be a bratty teenager. I told you I was not a teenager yet. You said I was close enough; I was a “tween”. But you always reminded me to stay my sweet self and to never change. And you always told me how proud you were of me. I hope I can continue to make you proud as you watch over me from above.
I remember you and grandpa used to come stay at our house and babysit us when my mom and dad would go on vacation. One time while you guys where watching us you took me and Courtney and a few of our friends to Lagoon and spent the whole day with us. I remember your favorite ride was the scrambler. You had to tie a scarf around your head so your wig would not fly off.
When I reached my college years you, my mom and I took a road trip to St. George to help me register for college and find an apartment. Then we took a drive out to Kanab. You loved taking road trips and sightseeing. You always looked forward to it. I wish I had more memories of traveling with you. You had a love for traveling and seeing the world. I know you built many memories with my mother on your ventures around the world together. I wish I would have had the opportunity to travel with you to Africa or see the Panama Canal.
I remember how hard it was to tell you that I was moving to St. George. I was sad, upset and crying. Not only was I crying because I was sad but I also thought you were going to be mad at me for moving. I was sad to move away from my family and sad that you guys would not get to see my children grow. I made every effort to drive to Salt Lake to visit as much as possible. Every time I drove up you would worry yourself sick about me driving all that way. You could not figure out why my kids had to be in a car seat. You thought it was a hassle and a lot of work. But, I always looked forward to bringing my kids to come visit you because I loved to see the excitement on your face and how much joy they brought to you. I know you truly loved them with all your heart. I will never forget the times you held them in your arms and stared in their eyes, the times you fed them a bottle or kissed their entire bodies or the time you gave Whitney a bath. I will cherish those memories forever. And I can only wish that you could have been in their lives longer.
A few random memories of you are: You had an amazing love for animals especially cats. My mom would bring you to our house just so you could get your “furry loves” in. You loved See’s chocolates and circus peanuts, reading, watching your shows, listening to Rush Limbaugh and saying the word “gads”. I could never figure out why you always kissed our arms and legs. You hated noise and living by the park especially during the fun-o-rama . You were very outspoken and not afraid to voice your opinion or say it how it is. You were always paranoid about things that were out of your control and you always nagged me to wear moisturizer.
My last memory of you was when I went to the care center to visit you. We sat and ate lunch together, had a nice visit and did an art project. You sat and watched Whitney make her project. I reminded you that she was your Great Grand-daughter and you proudly said “oh, really? Well isn’t she a doll?” You were always the first to say that she had your good looks or your talents and that she was just like you. You were so proud of her and loved her so much. It broke my heart the day that you did not remember her. May you be her guardian angel and proudly watch over her from above.
Now you have graduated and moved on into the presence of our Savior. May you find peace and happiness in the arms of our Heavenly Father and have a joyous reunion with your mother, father, siblings and Rory. It is my testimony I bear to you, I know our family will be together again and live an eternal happiness. May you rest in peace til’ we meet again.

Whitney has such a sweet spirit. She wrote her great b-ma a letter and drew her a picture. The picture was of grandma in heaven with our 2 cats that have passed on and our family outside of heaven. After I read her letter and saw the picture it made me cry. Here is a picture of her picture and what she wrote.

The hardest part of all of this was seeing how upset and confused my grandpa was. Because he suffers with dementia he is forgetful. He kept asking why she died over and over again. He had to keep reliving that moment over and over in his mind. He was so upset and in tears all day. He aslo kept confusing me, my mom and Whitney. He would not let go of Whitney because he thought she was my mom. When he saw me look over the casket he asked if I was her daughter. My Uncle reminded him that I was the grand-daughter. I hated seeing my grandpa like this. it broke my heart.

We had a family prayer and had a chance to say our final goodbye. My grandpa stood up out of his wheelchair with the help of his aid and his son Randy. He leaned over the casket and tried to bend over to give her a kiss goodbye. He could not reach her so he kept trying. Finally his bishop helped by holding up my grandmother's head so my grandpa could give her his final kiss. There was not a dry eye in the room.

This was the last memory I have of my grandpa because 1 week later he died.

School

2010-08-11T10:51:00.000-07:00

Whitney is now in 2ND grade and she hates school. She is having a hard time in math. I remember the days when she loved going to school and she hated going shopping with me. She said she would rather go to school than shop. She still hates to shop but now she hates school too. All she wants to do is play with her friends. Caysen just started pre-school. He is going to a program through the state. He was tested as being delayed in speech, cognitive and behavior. He is a handful and keeps me busy. He hates school too, at least he figured it out right away. It took Whitney 4 years to figure it out. I told her to enjoy 2ND grade because school will just keep getting harder and harder. She asked me what 3rd grade was like. I told her she will learn to write cursive. I think I scared her to death. She keeps asking me how to write EVERYTHING in cursive like it's a foreign language or something. She also said it's not fair that Caysen only has to go to school 2 days a week. I tried to explain to her that it WAS fair because it was the same for her when she was 3 and Caysen will have to go to school all day just like her when he turns 5.

Kindergarten Here I Come!

2008-08-12T11:09:00.000-07:00

It is offical! My oldest started Kindergarten. That makes me feel old. I remember the day I started Kindergarten. I swear it was not 24 years ago! Anyway, Whitney was so excited! The night before, I told her she had to go to bed earlier than usual because she had to get up early to go to school. I put her in morning kindergarten on purpose so I could get her used to waking up early for the next 13 years of school because she is not a morning person. She would rather have her beauty sleep! Surprisingly, she flew right out of bed! She said, "can I go to school now"? I said, "we have to get you dressed, do your hair and get you breakfast first" She said, "I just want to go to school right now"! When it was time, I walked her into her class and she hung up her backpack and gave her teacher a hug then sat at a table to work on a puzzle. That was where we said our goodbye. Surprisingly, I did not cry. Maybe it was because she has been going to preschool for 2 years. She had a good first day! She kept talking about how she got to play at the park 2 times (recess). She is starting to get used to her new schedule and She loves her teacher Mrs. Hatch.

Boys will be Boys!

2008-07-12T09:55:00.000-07:00

Grandpa

2008-07-11T09:05:00.000-07:00

My dear sweet Grandpa was recently diagnosed with brain shrinkage which is causing Alzheimer's. He also has thyroid problems and congestive heart failure. He was in the ICU for 2 weeks and then sent to a recovery center. I made a trip to SLC to go visit him. I have always been very close to him. It was hard to have a conversation with him. Every time I asked him a question he would answer with something that had nothing to do with what I was asking. I'm not even sure if he knew who I was. He was very confused and forgetful. It was so hard to see him like this. Nobody should have to suffer the last years of their life like this. I left the recovery center in tears. This has been so hard on my family, especially my mom. I wish I lived closer so I could help her. All I can do is listen to her cry on the phone and I feel so helpless.

Caysen's 1st Birthday!

2008-07-06T20:01:00.000-07:00

I can't believe my baby boy is already one! Time seriously flies by. He is getting so big now. He is pulling himself up into a standing position. It won't be long befor he starts to walk! We had a little party with family for him. I think enjoyed the sweet chocolate tase of his cake. He of course didn't understand the whole "presents" thing, but Whitney was excited to open the presents for him!

Independence Day!

2008-07-04T20:14:00.000-07:00

We had a fun filled 4th of July! We started the day off by having breakfast at the park and watching the parade in Hurricane. Then we went to the St. George park for rides. Later we went to Pinevalley Mountain with some friends. It was their daughters birthday and they have a cabin in Pinevalley. we spent the day there with lunch and a birthday party. That evening we went to the "Colgate Country Showdown" and watched fireworks after the show. To end the night, we went to some friends house to light off fireworks of our own. What a fun day!

Sad

2008-07-01T09:38:00.001-07:00

I had to put my cat down about a week ago and it was really hard for me. I am a huge animal lover and my cats are a part of my life! Hardy was 12 years old. We adopted him when he was 5 and we had him for 7 years. He was an over weight cat and because of his age and weight he got really sick. He was dehydrated and had kidney failure. He looked sick and I could tell he was in pain. Why make him suffer? The hardest part was holding him in my arms as we were driving to the vetrinary hospital and knowing that was my last time holding him. I sobbed the whole way there. When the doctor took Hardy from my arms I seriously lost it! I had to go sit in the car while my husband took care of things. The vet said that his body was in shut down mode and he did not fight it. He was ready to go and he went quickly. I continued to cry on the way home. My sweet daughter said " It's okay mommy, don't be sad, He is with Jesus now, he is happy"! She handled it very well. I think it's because she really wants a kitten. My husband buried him in the backyard. I was an emotial wreck so I went over to my neighbors house while he buried him. It took me a week befor I went to see where he buried him. It is amazing how emotionally attached we can become to our pets. All I have now are the memories and pictures. Goodbye Hardy, you will be missed!

caught red handed

2008-06-11T09:47:00.000-07:00

Caysen was being really quiet so I knew he was getting into something. I found him covered in cat food and and water. He had a good time playing with the dishes and dumped everything out of the bowls. His pajamas were soaked!

We got a puppy

2008-06-07T19:26:00.000-07:00

For those of you who know me it may come as a surprise! Yes, I actually got a dog! I have always been a cat lover and I have always owned at least 2 cats at a time for my entire life. John has always wanted a bulldog. His high school mascot was a bulldog and he has always loved the look, built and structure of the English Bulldog.

So, it all started when I was driving and saw a sign that said "papered English bulldogs for sale". I made my first mistake by stopping the car to fullfill my curosity. I already knew they would be cute, but I thought I would take a look anyway. They were even cuter than I had imagined! I immediately called John and told him he had to come take a look. He of course was too busy at work and he was on his way out of town, but I convinced him to stop and take a look on his way out of town. When he pulled up in his truck and saw the pup I was holding, he instantly fell in love! He said it was exactly what he wanted. He had the right colors and the most wrinkles out of the litter. The only problem was we were leaving the next day to go out of town for a week. I asked the owner if she would keep him at her house for the next week if we paid her for the dog up front. It was the longest week and we could not wait to get home and see him.

John wanted to name Caysen "Thor" because it is a cool name, he said. I don't know how serious he was. But I suggested "Thor" for the dogs name and of course he loved it! So, "Thor" it is!

I had not idea what I was getting myself into! I was basically signing onto having another baby in the house. Caysen is crawling right now so they are at the same level in height. Thor crawls and licks all over him and chews on all of his toys. Don't get me started on the house training thing. It is seriously like potty training a kid! Oh, and because of his short snout he slobbers on everything!

We came so close to getting rid of him but every time I look at his face I can't resist it! And after alot for thinking and debating we decided to keep him. He is so cute and fun to have around and the kids love him!

San Diego

2008-06-07T08:35:00.000-07:00

We took a family vacation to San Diego. John's sister has a beach house there. We try to go once a year to help get the beach house in order for the summer renting. We had a good trip for the first half of the week then Caysen got really sick the last half of the week.

We left the morning of Whitney's birthday. When we got there we took her to Belmont Park to go on some rides then we had a little party for her with the family. She also got to enjoy her first pedicure at the local salon.

We went to The Wild Animal Park and Lego Land. We had never been to either one before. It was fun! We especially liked Lego Land. It was so neat to see all the stuff made out of Legos and all their rides are made for little kids. We had a fun time playing on the beach, riding bikes, eating out, going for walks and just relaxing!

Whitney turns five!

2008-05-31T17:59:00.000-07:00

I can't believe Whitney is already five. It is true what they say about how the older you get the faster time goes by. When I was a kid it seemed like forever to wait until the next Christmas or birthday to come around. Now they come too fast!

Whitney wanted a Hello Kitty party. I don't know how she heard of Hello Kitty or how she started to like it. I showed her a party magazine to pick out her party theme. I pointed out the Princess, My Little Pony and Strawberry Shortcake parties but she wanted Hello Kitty so that is what she got. It turned out to be a good party and the decorations were darling.

We invited about 14 kids! The most I have ever invited. It was a little overwhelming but overall went well. We had pizza, a pinata', opened presents, went swimming then had cake and ice cream. Whitney had a blast and that's all that matters. All the hard work pays off in the end when I see the smile on my daughter's face!

Lake Powell

2008-05-26T18:16:00.000-07:00

We went to Lake Powell over Memorial weekend to celebrate my birthday and our Anniversary. We camped out in our trailer for 4 nights. We took the kids with us and we also invited some friends. We spent our time riding on the boat, wake boarding, tubing, diving, fishing, eating, playing games and touring the dam. We sat by the fire and roasted hot dogs and marshmallows and cooked a dutch oven dinner. We took a long drive in the boat to see some slot canyons. It was cold and windy but a beautiful view. Both kids fell asleep in my arms (see picture below). Caysen absolutely loves the boat and he did not make a peep the whole time! Whitney loves to camp. She was anxiously waiting to go camping for the 3 weeks that we had our trailer parked in our driveway. She kept counting and asking how many more days we had left until we were going camping. She enjoyed playing in the sand with her friends, finding seashells, swimming, fishing and playing games with her friends. For my birthday we went to the Glen Canyon Dam and took a tour. On our anniversary we were going to go into town and have dinner and see a movie but Caysen was not feeling well. We decided to stay and play games with our friends and we enjoyed a nice dutch oven dinner. We had a great time. We love camping and we have a love for our boat so we hope to go to Lake Powell more often!

The month of May!

2008-05-07T07:46:00.000-07:00

This is a busy month for us. We celebrate Mother's Day on the 11th, Whitney's Preschool graduation on the 16th, Whitney's Gymnastics Olympics Games on the 17th, Whitney's dance recital on the 18th, My Birthday and we leave to go to Lake Powell on the 23rd, our Anniversary on the 24th, Whitney's birthday on the 31st and we leave to go to San Diego on the 31st. Does life ever slow down?

Mother's day!

2008-05-07T07:35:00.000-07:00

Being a mother is the most rewarding job with the most benefits. I love being a mother! Just the little every day casual things they say and do mean so much to me. I love watching my children grow and lean new things. From the time you conceive them you have that immediate bond with them. It is something that men will never know or experience.

"All is fair in love and war"

2008-05-05T14:12:00.000-07:00

John and I are celebrating our 8th Anniversary this month on May 24th. It is hard to believe it has been 8 years! I can honestly say that they have been nothing but wonderful and full of happy memories. I could not ask for a better husband or father of my children. It all started the day after Christmas 1998. I was engaged to be married to someone else. I was having doubts about marrying him because of issues with religion. I prayed to find an answer. On December 26th 1998 John walked back into my life. The moment I saw him I knew he was the answer to my prayer. I broke off my engagement and started dating John. John knew that I was engaged but that did not stop him from asking me out on a date. His mother told him that "all is fair in love and war". I could not be happier!

Life's enjoyments!

2008-01-03T09:50:00.000-08:00

John and I just recently got back from a cruise. We went to Perto Rico, St. Thomas, Half Moon Cay and Nassau Bahamas. We were gone for a week which was a nice break away from the kids but we missed them like crazy! We traveled with some friends of ours. John recently got dive certified and he enjoyed diving with his friend in St. Thomas and Nassau. He saw a nurse shark and even touched it's tail. I on the other hand enjoy staying on the surface of the water. Me and my friend went snorkeling. I am not the best swimmer. Let's just say I can do the doggy paddle. Not to mention that I have a small fear of the ocean. I took a big risk when I saw a starfish while snorkeling. I let all the air out of my life jacket and I could barely touch the bottom of the sand on my tip toes. I tried continuously to dive down to get the star fish. This was not easy for me considering my ability to swim, no life jacket, I had
to take the snorkel out and hold my breath and the waves kept pushing me away. I did not want to give up because I wanted to not only fight my fear of the ocean, but prove to myself that I could do something that I thought I could not. To sum it up, I did this for about 40 minutes until I was completely exhausted and a kind stranger heard my calls. He asked if I needed help. I pointed to the starfish and of course he made it look so easy as he dove down once, picked up the starfish and handed it to me. With the little bit of energy I had left, I doggy paddled with one hand and the starfish in the other hand back to shore to show my friend. I took a picture with it and then I threw it back into the ocean. But it was worth every bit of fighting for.
John wants me to get certified as a diver. Ha, ha, ha. I don't know if my fear of the ocean can be taken to that extent!