We have been blessed with...

School has started! Ashlyn has Mrs. Gourley and is in 3rd Grade. Lachoneus is in 8th Grade and has 8 teachers as Jr. High kids do. Both are doing great in school so far. It sure helps when they want to go to school because they like it.
Lachoneus is in football again this year. He has had to work to earn the $160.oo to play this year. They had their 1st game and won 20 to 0. He has the same awesome coaches as last year. I am glad that they moved up with the team.
Lachoneus recieved his Patriarcal Bless one week ago. The Patriarch came to our home to give him the blessing. He gave him his blessing and then sat down to explain and answer and questions that Lachoneus had for him afterward. The spirit was very strong and Lachoneus was told some wonderful counsel. I feel blessed to be his Mother.
Ashlyn was invited to take swim lessons with Lisa's kids. Their teacher is a sister in our ward who let Ashlyn be included with Lisa's boys for free. She is a real fish and seems to have no fear when it comes to diving or trying new strokes. They were all sad that summer is over and so are swim lessons. Ashlyn had another friend pay to sign her up for volleyball this season. I am sure she will do awesome there too. Ashlyn also earned money to buy a first day of school outfit and shoes.
The Lord has blessed us with some wonderful blessings for our whole family while Dean has been out of work. Opportunities for the kids that there is no way we could have done for them.
Including the blessings of letting them earn the money to pay for their sports or clothes.
Ashlyn woke up one morning with yucky goo coming out of her right ear. Then it turned to blood coming out. I got her into our Dr. who washed out her ear and we could see something blue among the red and swollen, bloody ear drum. Ashlyn wouldn't let him us an ear loop to get it out so he gave us antibiotic drops and sent us to an Ear Nose and Throat Dr. without charging us for the visit. They were able to get us in the next day and they suctioned out Ashlyn's ear in the office. (She was really brave even though it was loud and painful for her!). We have to put ear drops in and come back in a week to have it checked. I had asked before we came in if we could make payments since Dean had been out of work for 9 months and was just starting a part time job. So when I went to pay a little on our account the Dr. assistant came out and said that there was no charge and she said the Dr. said to go buy groceries. Can I tell you how humbled and blessed I feel. No, there really are no words.
I did say that Dean has found a part time job. But now there are two part time jobs. One in Park City, one in North Salt Lake. Both are doing accounting. One is to help set up and teach them how to use an accounting program so they can do their own books. That is the one in North Salt Lake and it is a temporary job. The other one is to straiten out the book and who knows where it may go. Meanwhile Dean will still be on the search for something full time and more permanent.

Wow! Does Time fly or what!

Wow, does time fly or what!

Since I last posted Ashlyn got Baptized.




The snow has left and school is out. Summer is here and hotter than hot.
We have had the flu and been quarantined (but didn't really care because we were so sick).

Dean has been out of work and looking, looking, looking.
We even took a trip to Kanab for Dean to interview for a job. The trip was good even though he didn't get the job we had a fun little vacation.





We were home for a week and then took another quick trip to help move Teancum and Karen to Cheney Washington where they will be going to the University of Eastern Washington. As you can see they are on the top floor but there is only one flight of stairs, if I remember correctly Teancum said there were 31 stairs.



Waiting for pizza at a pizza place not far from Teancum and Karen's new apartment. If you can't
tell we are all almost falling asleep waiting for the pizza to come.



On the way home we stopped in Preston at Jenny and Jim's to visit with them and Jonathon and Teri and their families. We ate a yummy dutch oven dinner and had a lot of fun visiting.



We came home and both Lake and I got sick. Lake had a virus and I ended up with Bronchitis just in time to celebrate my Birthday on the 3rd.


4 th of July at Scera Park in Orem



And summer continues to breeze by so quickly and the kids are already talking about school starting and football season.

Changes in the last month

I fixed Geeko up a three floor crawl up.

Then after Ashlyn's puppy came and all the training commenced I sent him back to live with Teancum and Karen. Feeling a little whelmed to keep up with bird, gecko, puppy, kids and all.

Our Snowman turned gorrilla morphed into an alien and now :'( is no more.

Alec is home from jail and is doing so much better. He completed a program called the OUT program while he was in jail and he is such a different guy than he was before he went into jail this time. I can see my son coming back to life instead of the lost sould he was before. The judge has ordered him into a residential rehab program. It is one that will help reinforce the journey to stay clean that he has begun. He is preparing to go to California to a program Called teen challenge that is a year long. I am so much more hopeful for him and his life than I was even 60 days ago. It is so good to see joy in him again.

We are all happy to see this good happening for Alec!!

Puppy has gotten bigger. She has learned how to sit, lay, shake, come, fetch (we call it get it and bring it), is working on release. She is doing ok on the housebreaking. Any ideas on how to get her to quit bitting would be welcome.

Dean is still trying to figure out our income situation. I am sure praying something wonderful this way comes--soon!

We find ourselves chugging along with hope, faith, and love.

Christmas And New Years

Merry Christmas!!!!

Angels blessed our kids for Christmas so they got spoiled and it took away that stress for me and allowed me to enjoy the season more fully. The Lord hears prayers of a mother.

Alec was in jail and so I had mixed emotions. Sad he wasn't with us but glad that he was in jail and I didn't have to worry about where he was and if he was ok out there on the streets. (things that a mother of a child with alcohol and drug problems who lives on the streets worries about). We went to visit him on Christmas Eve. Maybe this time he will realize the importance of family that loves you and life of staying clean and sober.

Teancum and Karen stayed over night Christmas eve. It is always great to have them here. Lachoneus helped me make Pavlova and Australian dessert for Christmas eve. For Christmas morning I had Tim Tams and Milo available for as Tim tam slam, you haven't lived until you have had one.

Ashlyn got a beautiful little puppy that she has named Angel. She is a shorkie which is a Shitzu Yorkie mix. She is a smart little puppy and she is fun to have around.
Ashlyn when she sees her new puppy is really here.

Ashlyn and Angel

Happy New Year!!!!

New Years Eve from 1:00 to 5:30pm we spent with our friends at Mellor Hidden Meadows (our friends Lisa and Hollis Kirton's reception and catering center) playing games, eating good food, and visiting. Then we came home for awhile and then went to the church for another party where I worked on a humanitarian project while the kids square danced, played volley ball and played group games. At 11pm I was exhausted and so we all came home to take to puppy out and settle in to welcome the new year in at home where the kids banged pots and we all yelled out a welcome to the new year.

Boys playing catch over girls heads Ashlyn and Lucas dancing

Lisa and Becky cleaning up after the party

Dean and the kids built a fun snowman that has two sides to his personality (note the happy face on one side and the straight face on the other side.)

Several day snow storm changes the size and look of snowman to snow gorrilla.

So the challenge is ---- Take on 2009!