Merry Christmas!

Hi everyone, this will be our families Christmas letter this year. No stamps, no mail, no fuss :) We appreciate the letters we have received so far, it is always good to hear from friends and family.

We are grateful to be where we are in our lives. This time of year, once finals are over, gives us time to reflect on the past year and on the blessings we have received. We are blessed with two adorable children that are healthy and bring so much joy and fulfillment to our lives. We are blessed with employment and the ability to make sure our kids are fed and clothed, as well have a home to live in. We are blessed with wonderful neighbors and live in a ward of our church full of really nice people. We cannot forget our loving families, both near and far. Both Leslie and I are blessed with wonderful parents, loving siblings, and great aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. - all of you mean so much to us. Your presence and help in our lives cannot be thanked for enough, but thank you nonetheless.

Of course, at this time of year we cant help but be grateful for a loving God whom gave His son, Jesus Christ, as a Savior for all mankind. All human beings are blessed by a loving Heavenly Father, rather they acknowledge His presence or not. What a loving gift Jesus gave - the gift of salvation and example. As we start a new year shortly, we hope to live better lives and to try and follow His example with more diligence. We also want to be able to spend more time with all of you; which is something we have not been able to do often enough this year.

In standard boring Christmas letter tradition, here is an annual update on our family:

JIM - I am busy as sin, as usual. I am still working at UVU in the parking department. I work with some great people. I also still janitor at a local doctor's office, and of course do my writing/editing for RC Heli Magazine. The writing is my favorite job of the three, and is the one which I hope to grow on and move towards as a career over the coming years; time will tell. I still enjoy spending time with my beautiful wife - even though there isn't much time to do so. I still love her with the fervor of a young honeymooner, but now with the added deep attachment our time together has brought on. She is the most important thing in my life, followed closely by my two children. I take any free minute I have to spend with my kids. I love playing with, reading with, and just being with them when I can. They are a pain at times, but they mean the world to me. Anyway, enough emotional crap eh. I am still flying RC helicopters every chance I get and love to build, setup, fly, and talk about them. I am also still an avid reader and tinkerer. This year I got to help do quite a bit of work on our house, I say help because Mike and Joy really did a lot of it. We were able to put in new windows, a new front door, new kitchen counters, a dishwasher, and a new hot water heater this year.

LESLIE - Leslie is great. She has been going to school again - looking at radiology as a trade. In addition to running the home and school, she also started working for 4H this year. This job as an after school leader has given her a lot of fulfillment and joy. It takes quite a bit of her time, especially in the evenings - but she has found joy in it. She is really busy as well, but Leslie does so much for our family and is the rock for our children; she is truly amazing. She still enjoys seeing her friends and family when there is a chance, as well as working on home projects and scrapbooking (something she hasn't had enough time for lately). She really enjoys her calling as the Primary music leader at church and she does great at it - the kids love her. And for some reason she still loves and puts up with her large and sometimes crazy husband; trust me he knows how lucky he is. Leslie also still loves the arts and hopes to find time to dabble in acting once again. We try and see as many plays/musicals as possible as theater is one of her true loves. She loved seeing "How Newt Ginggrinch Saved Christmas" at the Desert Star last week.

JO - Jo is nearing four years old now. Her biggest achievement of the year is that she is basically potty trained. She still has her moments, but she is becoming such a big girl and helper. She loves going to nursery and looks forward to primary next year, as well as pre-school. Her favorite activities are going to her grandparents and friends houses, reading, playing house, watching her movies, and shopping. She learns more everyday and is a cute little girl - even though she has a mean streak that rears its head occasionally. She is truly a blessing in our life. She is my little girl, and I already worry about her more than I do Ryker; as all dad's do with their daughters. She really has a big heart and a lot of love to share with everyone.

RYKER - What can you say about Ryker? He is my little buddy, my "mini-me". He is truly a sweet little boy that loves boy things. He is now 19 months old, talking a little bit, and smart as a whip. The kid loves anything technical. He loves to put things together and take them apart. Give him some cars and trucks and he is in heaven. Every time a helicopter or airplane flies by he points up at it and says "woohoo!". He loves to help me fly on my simulator as well as help me fix helicopters (Jo does this as well). Ryker also has a knack for climbing and getting himself into trouble. He can climb almost anything and because he is so tall and big (he wears 3 year old clothes), he can reach things that a 19 month old just shouldn't be able to get to!! We adore Ryker and are grateful for him in our lives.

Thanks for reading this, I know its wordy and boring, but it is our Christmas letter and tradition demands that these letters be such. We do hope that you all, near or far, have a Merry Christmas and that you get to spend some extra time with your loved ones.

Love, The Innes family.

I can breathe!

It is 11:59 PM on Wed the 12 of December. I am actually going to get to bed before 1am maybe. This is the first in a week or so.

That said, I am officially done with school for 2007! I loved my Medical Terminology class but the psychology class was so rushed I am afraid I didn't even get anything from it but a headache from no sleep. But. nevertheless it's over and I am glad. I am grateful to get to go to school for low cost and a husband who supports it, so I shouldn't whine.

Now School is Over I plan to finally...

1- CLEAN my house.. I have never gone this long with a un-mopped kitchen floor!

2- Finish the Christmas tree, its been up since the Sat after Thanksgiving but with Jo taking all the ornaments off to "match da colors" and Ryker turning them into rollable balls, I have had to redo it 3 or 4 times. So maybe I will the get the bows on it and post a pic.

3- Get my shopping done as I am usually done by Dec. 10, what a shame :)

4- Spend some time with my family ..Jims works party, Zoo Lights at Hogle Zoo, a movie...

5- And... well work. I still get to work but you already know I love that! Just not at finals time!

So good luck to you who all still have tests and stuff! Take Care--I am off to bed!

A New Look

Just wanted to be festive so I changed the blog up a bit!

Hope all is well wherever you are!

Some pics for San Antonio Texas

This is a little town called La Villita. It was just a hop skip and a jump from our hotel. It is the older part of the town, just down the river from the hotel full of artistic shops and stuff. This amphitheatre is still used and the 5 bells represent the 5 missions in Texas. I bought some cute skirts and a hand made pottery plug in nightlight for the kids here!

Then a pic of me at the best and cheapest place we ate at, The Mexican Manha

ttan. A ton of Jim's helicopter bud

dies from all over the nation told us to go the

re. True

 authentic Mexican food in very

 large portions. I also left this hat there but was lucky to get it back that evening. 

Then while on the Riverboat Ride at night we drove passed one of the bigget malls ever

 right on the river front. This river is 

more like a canal but man its a neat tourist attraction and the food is good and not too pricey. How would it be to take a riverboat taxi to work everyday?

Next is the famous Alamo. It was a very n

eat place. What an incredible story

 it has to tell. We were there when unfortunately a huge school group came with young kids and it was a little

 crowded and loud.

 So later that evening we went back and were fortunate to see it lit up in blue lights for the Worldwide Diabetes Awareness day. I guess lots of famous landmarks were lit up in blue, The Eiffel Tower, The Empire State Building, Leaning Tower of Pisa and some more. I mean how many people can say they saw the Alamo in Blue.

Like I said in my earlier posts. It was a nice get away the people were kind and I really could have stayed another week and been entertained.

THANKSGIVING!!!

Hey All

First of All!!! We hope you all had a very nice and relaxing Thanksgiving! We are grateful for you all and miss all of you we haven't seen in a while!

It's pretty cold here and I hate it. If it's gonna be cold there better be snow. I am seriously considering being a Sunbird when I am older! HEHE

So some of the radio stations have been playing Christmas music since Oct right, and the stores have the stuff out way early now right. Why? Money? However, Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays because its all about family, and blessings not present or some imaginary gift giving person or animal. We don't have to break that bank if everyone does there part, we get to just eat a ton of food, gain 10 lbs and not fill guilty and reflect on what we have, not what we don't. I am so grateful for this day and I wish it wouldn't get skipped in the worlds view you know. I like Christmas and all but man the earlier you start it I feel the sooner you want it to get here and get over with right!
OK so... that said....

We have soo much to be thankful for. As I sit and ponder I just can't get the little homeless boy we gave food to in San Antonio out of my head. I am so grateful to have a warm home to come home to with food in the cupboards (even if it's just soup sometimes) and fridge. I am grateful for my awesome husband who works his tail off to provide for us the lifestyle we both want. I am grateful for my little kids even though they drive me up the wall sometimes. I am also grateful for my new job and the fulfillment it has brought to my life. I am very grateful for medical insurance. And last I am ever so grateful for both my extended families who are always willing to help us out in many different ways and love us unconditionally.

So on to the BIG DAY!!! We had dinner at the Herberts this year with about 25 people, lots of kids, very loud, but it was good food. My favorite is the yummy carrot pudding my mommy makes for one of the 12 desserts and I love candied yams. I did homework I know boring but that is what I get for procrastinating my psych online course, while the family played cards, the Wii and watch the ballgames. It was a great time. In the evening we went to Mama Innes' house and just hung out it was nice to just relax.

Since this lovely holiday we have accomplished much at home. My parents have been here several times to put the finishing touches on our kitchen, I got some homework done, we finished the kitchen, we put up our Christmas, did some shopping (yes I am one of those crazies that likes to go out the day after Thanksgiving!) and managed to make it to Sacrament ALMOST on time this morn. No really I know you are all laughing but this is a big thing for us. We have early church, only 6 more weeks or so WAHOO!!, and the kids and I hate to get up the morning. WE are NOT mornin people so JIM will tell you it takes much to get me up.
And then we just sit in the foyer because Ryker is soo loud in and our overflow echos.. so anyway, we almost did it today, however, we had to leave early because Ryker smacked his head on the rock wall in our foyer and it needed medical attn. Just a small puncture wound is all and we took some advice from a nurse and superglued it together. It wasn't fun, he cried but it worked.
I know you also are all thinking what silly people, super glue, but really that is what they use in the war fields and it absorb into the skin. I didn't want the poor little guy to have to go through the trama and pain for 1 single stitch at the ER. And thankfully my mom, a nurse agreed as she looked at it tonight!
So yeah that has been our weekend. I will post pics of my beautiful kitchen when I get my new curtains done. I hope you are all doing so well.

PS.. so Jo thought since we set up our tree that it was Christmas last night. WE just could not get her to understand it was far away even with the calendar so I was bracing for major upset this morning. But since she loves church soo much, nursery really, she didn't even think about it not being Christmas this morn thank goodness.
Christmas coutdown...29 days!

Update! and Dancin Kids!

Just a quick update!! We just got back from the beautiful San Antonio Texas on Friday! I will post pics soon! It was so fun! Jim and I got to do some touring, shopping and ALOT of walking! The kids got to stay with both grandparents and got spoiled rotten! I also did a lot of psychology homework while Jim went to his classes for work.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SOME NEWS not nearly as exciting as Jake and Kerries though!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OUR HOUSE!! Last Saturday Jim and a friend in the ward put in NEW WINDOWS in our 40+ yr old home and what a difference it as made. It was hard work they worked from 9am -10pm and the next day Jim was sore! I am so glad though. We have been wanting them since they day we closed. The ward friend, Jon Gledhill, works for Jones Paint and Glass here in Provo. we purchased them through Jones' and then paid him only $500 versus the company cost of $1300 for labor. It's so nice! The kids rooms aren't freezing when I go to check on them anymore. The heater is not on ALL Night Long and the outside noise is almost unheard. And my house looks good now to just paint the siding, put the new doors on and shutters!YEAH!!!

MORE** Friday afternoon we pulled up to our house and who is here Papa Spike! My dad was here with the kids working hard and giving me an early Christmas Present!! He and my mother built a whole new beautiful countertop, got rid of the old 60's white with gold speckled, and put in a dishwasher! YEAH!!!

Today Sat we have been working on just touching up the cupboards and re texturing the wall that had the old fermica on it! It's really coming along! We will post pics when its all done!

ME!!! I have just been working away getting the mentoring program started at my school however I am lacking mentors hopefully my one will recruit 9 friends. I love it though. Here comes the real fulfillment in my life, changing others hopefully. I also sang in relief society with some ladies a few weeks ago it went well. School is going well. I only missed 1? on my 3rd Medical Terminology class and I was excited because I had just realized I had the test 2 days before so I hadn't even read the terms. My other class is a whole other story.

JIM...This last Thursday... Jim discovered he has kidney stones and passed one last Thursday afternoon. It nearly floored him and since they say its almost worse than childbirth I sympathize. He has been quite a trooper though. So with this...we told Jo she couldn't crawl on him because he had rocks in his belly, so she told him " Daddy you are not suppose to eat wocks they're gwoss" pretty funny, we thought. And all the weekend she keeps asking him if he is ok, or if he feels better as she brings him little candies, gum, apples... to make him feel better. On the trip he felt great!

JO...Another funny things she said this week.... I was getting ready for the day and she was in her room, she asked for my help and I said in 1o mins. Soon 5 mins. passed and she walks by on her way downstairs and says " you took too long!" and just kept walking. What an impatient bunch of kids we have. She is getting smarter and working on her letters. She can recognize the SWTYJO... so thats a start!

RYKER! He hit his big 18 month birthday on the 9th. He is such a joy so funny to be around. He has started saying cheese and loving the camera. He loves to play with any blocks, and microphones and of course his cars. When he plays he jibber jabbers in that cute little high-pitch voice and it just makes me giggle.

Another funny thing he did this week while at grandpa and ma Herberts!

Mom had just put him to bed in this crib, and went to shower. When she got out she heard a loud thump and then pitter patter or little feet, the toy cupboard open, the basket of toys being pulled out of it and then she looked out of her room and there was Ryker. He has shook the very old crib so hard that the side fell. Got out (its a very short crib) and then went to play. When my mom walked out he started running in circles and grinning from ear to ear. He was so proud of himself!! Little Stinker!

LAST... We were exploring other people and family members blogs before we left on our trip and we came across Cousin Nicky's band myspace page: "So Called Tragedy". Here is a clip of the kids just dancing to their music from the webpage! ENJOY!!! we did!

Twick or Tweating!

Here are some of the halloween pics of our kids! 

We tried to go to UVSC Halloween get together the night before halloween but after waiting in Disneyland lines just to get a pumpkin we were done. Too many people in too little spot.

Halloween was nice. After searching all day for Ryker a costume I found this cute doggy one at shopko.. I hated to pay for it though. Costumes are sooo expensive it was $25 and that was 50% off. I would never have paid $50 but we were down to our last 2 hours. He make a cute puppy but hated the head part. He liked to wear it to the side kinda like he had a dog coat. morbid I know. BUT HE was cute!

JO was a cute doctor. Gma Joy made it. She has matching one and it cost nothing because she got the doctor set for her good potty training about 2 months ago. Which she is doing better on... much better.

I bought myself a cute little holland girl costume but just decided it was too cold to sport it so I grabbed my old authentic 70's retro outfit and wore it. 

Jim was Darell from the show "The Office" we love that show. He was messin with the camera so all you get is a pic of his shirt until angela gets me the family pic we took at moms. 

While Ryker was sleeping JO and I went trick or treating around the neighborhood. She did well as this was her first year really twick or tweating she called it. She just wanted more and more! She said to me " thank you mom his is pun (fun) your da best!" I love it when she says that as I know as she gets older I will not hear that often or even at all. 

After Jo and I returned Jim was down to 8 pieces of candy so we headed to Lehi first to gma Innes took some pics and then to G Herberts. It was good times!

OUR NICE WEEKEND

Hey All!

Here are some pics from the district wide celebration I was part in charge of. Angela n Ross were nice enough to come and help out and play with the kids.

Also I just really liked this cartoon. I don't care if you don't agree with it I just thought it was funny.

And this hair do of Jo's was a little mistake but she loved it soo much and so did everyone else!!!!

So this past week and even weekend was a busy one. I had 2 scrapbook things a

t my house Thurs and Fri night that went late late. This left Jim with kids till late too. On Friday we decided to invite the Humes girls over to play help us out and play with the kids. We had a good time. They helped me with the kids, Jo adores them, and they helped me with the scrapbook clean up on Fri. On Sat while Jim was flying for once and I was at the primary program practice they were my sitters ages, 12 and 9.

I was soo excited to come home to kids that were dressed with hair done and all, the house picked up and just happy kids. Which started off the day well. I got to thinking about how those types of babysitters that actu

ally play with the kids instead of watching tv, and those that pick up the house are hard to come by now a days. Which is why I think that the pay for a babysitter at 2.50 and hour is too high. When I sitted for people I cleaned the house and I had a babysitting kit. Anyway... I am so thankful for my Humes Girls and hope to teach Jo to be a good sitter like them.

As the day went on Jim was flying for the first time in like 2 months and so we all decided to rake the leaves and jump in them of course, and swing. It was a good time.

When Jim got home w

e went to Lehi to my mom and dad and Jim and my dad went to the Innes to get their old couches and some book shelves and brought them here. Mom was soo gracious to give us h

er old couches from her sitting room. They are blue so I was having a hard time wanting them in my red, black and tan front room but... they are sooo comfortable I don't why I hesitated. PLUS!!! It gives me an excuse to re-decorate the word Jim hates to hear hehehe THANK

S MOM and DAD Innes!

We left Jo and G & G Herberts for the night because Sunday morn is not only hard for us to get to church (we are ALL night owls) but it was the Primary Prog and she wanted to stay with the Humes girls again. The Primary Program went really really well. All my sweet kids did great, evening the soloist, duos, trios, and groups! Jim only had Ryker to take care of and he was a challenge. Jim said every time he saw me stand to lead he wanted me OOH so cute! but not so fun. Needless to say sacrament time is a hard time for us and we spend ALOT of time in the foyer. I was soo shot when we got home that Ryker and I took a long nap while Jim worked on his heli that had a unfortunate crash sat. :(

For Sunday dinner it was the Innes side Sunday, and man it was nice. It was just us, and mom and dad. What a small group to discuss our week and life with. However, I missed the big family dinner we usually have but everyone is off and about living life and that is ok. I just really want a bigger family someday too. That is SOMEDAY not TODAY!!

Because I haven't got to bed past 2 ok at all this passed week it was good time to sit and relax. Jo was taking a nap at the Herberts so when she arrived at the Innes' she was excited to put together 2, 100 piece puzzles with grandma JO. Ryker played with the toys and Jim and I cut coupons while watching some TV. What an eventful night eh? It really was nice to sit and relax I don't say that often as I like to be busy but I have had a lot on my plate lately and so it was nice.

Now back to the grind, another week but what a fun one ahead its Halloween and we will post pics of the adventures ahead!!! Take Care!!!

Snowballs

Hey all
So Jo said something cute this morning, but first I must preface...
We are having an awful hard time getting Jo to sleep with covers on let alone sleep at all, so last night it was another adventure. I told her she had to go to sleep, close her eyes, and put her covers on because it was going to get cold like Winter when we have snow.
So this morning at 3, 5, 7, and 9 (yes all of them) she kept waking up and saying mom, dad wake up its daytime.... so yeah great then at 9 I hear...
"Mom I am ready to go throw snowballs" isn't that funny. I thought so too
However I hate snow, she loves it and I am glad because afterall it is only Oct and its snowing already up here. It's gonna be a LONG winter I think!

(posted by Leslie on October 23rd but it was spammed to death so I had to repost it for her and enable comment moderating. Gotta love spammers)

I belong in LONDON!

I took this quiz.. it is fun try it! I am anxious to see your posts of where you belong! Really I would take either one!

A little old fashioned, and a little modern. A little traditional, and a little bit punk rock. A unique soul like you needs a city that offers everything. No wonder you and London will get along so well. What City Do You Belong In? http://www.blogthings.com/whatcitydoyoubelonginquiz/

Jim belongs in Rome

VERY LONG AND OVERDUE Written Update

I have to say we have been so busy that I totally forgot this blog existed. I am sorry to those of you who look forward to its frequent updates. Let me just start with when I went to stay at home mom to stay at home mom working 45 hours a week and going to school for 5 credit hours.

In August I started my new job! It is a great job and nice pay, however been a bit overwhelming and time consuming for our already busy family.  I am the Site Coordinator for the Orem Jr. High 4H Afterschool and Mentoring Program. It has brought me much joy. I really enjoy making a difference in these kids lives.  I get to go to the school from 2:30-5 on Tuesday through Friday. While there I run and direct 130 kids a week for the 4H Afterschool program. We have 8 clubs, 2 a day 4 days a week. I am in charge of rounding them all up, doing announcements, snack, pledges, and wiggle games. Then they are excused to their 1 hour club. It has been alot of fun but ALOT of work. So I work 10 hour a week out of the home and then I pick of another 10 shopping for supplies, doing the red tape part of the job and going to meetings. Ryker and Jo to go to my VT house and play for 2 hours with her 5 kids, 3 of the days,  and the rest of the time they are with Jim. The kids love the change in environment I like the time away and hopefully it will take over the cleaning job in a year or so.

We had a district wide celebration for Awareness about Afterschool Programs  last week that I was in charge of with my other 4H site coordinators. It was ALOT of work, but I got to bring my family and we ate free food, played fun free carnival games, and I got paid. That is what is soo cool about 4H they are very family oriented and all about low income alternatives. All the programs are funded by several grants so its is no or really really low cost for the program to run and the participants of it. I also run a mentoring program for 10 of the 130 kids in Afterschool 10 hour a week. I haven't quite started this as its our first year with the program in middle schools but it will be fun I think. They also provide 2 nights a month where I get to take my family to work with me at night and do fun stuff like Festival of Trees, Ice Skating,... for free.  So in other words I get paid to play with my family, mentors, mentees and friends. WAHOO!! Really I love it!

I am also in school taking a Psychology class online and a Medical Terminology class on Wed nights afterwork. I will be applying for the Weber State Radiology Program in Jan or 2009 and because I took some of the wrong sciences, trying to take the easy way out, I have to take some more to even apply. I get free tuition at UVSC because of Jims job and so I am  just getting them out of way.

OKAY so ENOUGH about me!!!

My kids are just growing up soo fast. They are just learning to get along still,,, aren't we all?

Ryker is almost 18 months and is 33 bls. He loves to climb and move, all over the place and constantly. He still squeals like a pig but now says "thank you-bye bye-mamma-papa-Jo-and hello" and then he signs "please, food, and more." 

He gives great kisses sometimes like a dog and is gettin too smart. He is a mini Jim for sure. He loves transformers, or cars of any kind, legos, to be outside, helicopters, football and more! 

He still loves all food.  He loves Jo and to just be with her all the time, she is not loving that part too much. He likes to swing outside in his swing, ride JOs bike and be with his grandparents and aunts and uncles of both families. 

He just cut 4 new teeth, his canines ouch! He is doing well through it but its taking along time. When Jo teethed it wasn't long.. she was up all night, the next morn had 2-6 teeth. Rykers have taken a bit longer and he bites everything in frustration including us. That is no fun, he draws blood.

He got to go to nursery this last week with his dad and had a blast!!!  Jim did too as he has spent the last 5 months chasing him around the church while I do music in primary. We just love to get him dancing or laughing because he is just soo fun to watch.

Now on to Jo...

JO is 3.5 will be 4 at the end of January. She is a spitten image of me, as you can see from the pics. We have had some probs with discipline with her a little lately but things seem to getting better. SHE IS POTTY TRAINING can you tell I am excited! She might get to start a preschool in Jan if she can get in. She needs it. 

She is in to puzzles lately. The Barbies, My Little Ponys, and Dolls are really not her thing. She likes to watch TV a station called Qubo it has lots of the old shows like "LambChops" and then new ones like "Veggie Tales." She also likes 2 new shows on PBS called "Super Why" and "Word World" they both teach letters, reading, words, and problem solving. 

She loves to read books, we can't get her to go to bed without at least 2-3. She is still having a problem with wanting to go to bed at a decent hour. She likes to draw and right now her choice of art are spider or ghosts. 

She is a smart little cookie, one day she did a 100 piece puzzle all by herself. She is still doing this and has since moved on to 150 pieces. She is so funny to watch while she does it and is soooo PROUD when done. She will pick up a piece, look at it, the colors then look at the puzzle,  then she will start to place it. She works from the outside in which drives all the Innes family members insane as they work from making an edge and then inward. Jo just does groups at a time. We are really proud of her. She also likes to paint and color with her Aunt Jo, Angela, Amy, and Cortney. She is working on staying in the lines.

We are excited for Christmas as it will be lots of puzzles, books and movies really.

She counts to about 17 and can recognize numbers 1  to 13. She knows she is 3. "Thats how old I are huh mom" she says. We are working on the ABCS. 

She also loved to play tea party with her grandpa "spike/mike" cousins, or Uncle Digger. She loves to roughhouse with Digger alot and we can't wait for them to have kids to play with too. hint hint!

Now JIM

He is still workin hard for us and being a great dad and husband. Me being gone alot lately has been a strain but he is being so awesome about it. We, him and I, get to go to San Antonio the 2nd week in Nov for his work for a week. It will be a nice little trip. If any of you know places there we HAVE to go let us know.

Ever since "Transformers" came out in July. He has been busy building his own new collection of them since his mom got rid of them when he was young. He says he could have put both our kids through school  with his old collection and the value of it. Anyway I think he has about 20 big and small and some that talk and move on their own. Jo and Ryker love them too.

He sets and plays with them often. I think its soo cute as he concentrates on the more difficult. When asked why  he does such things he explains that he is smart and very technically minded and as he takes time to play it helps him to stay that way. He begins to ponder about ideas and inventions. I told him okay!

He is still flying helis. We had a helicopter funfly in Sept in Lehi that we were in charge of.  It was a great success, lots of pilots, people, and prizes. Jim won the biggest prize a Trex600 worth 400 and some other stuff all for the $50 he put in to the raffle. It was really fun too and we didn't get hailed on this year. All though.. JO did have some probs, she got sick the first night, so I had to take her home at 3AM to Orem to sleep. She locked her self in the RV and then when we finally got her to open a window and over achieving friend of Jims slammed open the window too fast and her poor little hand was in it so her cut up her fingers pretty bad. She also fell over in a chair. "Just like your mom" my parents say as they laugh and reminisce about my clutziness.  The Funfly was fun. As I said Jim is still flying when he can and weather permits. The weather hasn't been to cooperative lately. He still writes for the helicopter magazine "RcHeli" and we still clean the doc office.  He is hoping to start school again in Jan.

Me... well my hair is getting longer and I have been working out some. I am still trying to stay sane with our busy life but I like it that way. I still sell AVON and Close To My Heart. I love being with my family and friends. 

We have done alot of stuff with family and friends this past year tied quilts, catered weddings,went on trips, went to funerals, played alot of cards and a card game called "Killer Bunnies" taken lots of pics and just really enjoyed being together! 

We went to Lake Mead in August shortly after the last post. I will have to post some fun pics. Ryker like the water as did JO. JO rode the water weanie, or banana some call it with her cousins. It was a nice vacation. 

In September, we had the funfly and got to spend time with Richie, Amber and Anna.

This month we have been watching our spending, been to parks and tried to embrace being outdoors. Done alot with my job. We had a new nephew born over Conference weekend names Quynton and he is a doll. Now to Halloween Jo is going to be a doctor, she got a cute FP pink set for her potty training efforts and Ryker a football player, Raiders of course.

I really look forward to the holidays ahead and seeing more family.  We love you all tons! Please take Care!

The Super Ultra Mega October Many Pics Update Show!!! (use your best japanimation voice for the title)

Hi all, Jim here. We haven't updated this thing in over two months. Here is a large picture update covering September and October. Nothing really new here, just working and enjoying life with our kids. Here are the pics, starting with my amateur photography attempts then followed by Angela's professional shots of our kids and one with their cousin Ana.










Heres Angela's Pics - Drop me an email if you want her to take some pics for you!!

WATCH FOR FLYIN PIZZA!!!

CHUCK E CHEESE

August 3rd 2007

Today is August 3rd and we went to Chuck E Cheese because it was too humid to do the zoo. We stayed for about 2.5 hours!

It was fun but I agree with Donna girls their food is pricey!!! JO loved the clock ride that takes you up in the air. Ryker wanted to be in this little teeny British car the WHOLE time and it didn't even work.

WE found it interesting that there were moms and grandmas that would hog the games that you could win multiple tickets from and had piles and piles of them on the ground while kids were waiting near by. Jim said, 'I feel like I am in a casino in Wendover!" heheh

There was something that was worth our money there. It's a cool picture booth that turns your pic into a pencil sketched pic.

We had a good time but the funniest, most memorable moment happened while we were driving home. We got about 200 meters from home and turned the corner. We heard something hit the car. Jim stopped the car around the corner and went back looking on foot. I started taking inventory, kids, diaper bag, drinks, purse, camera...then it dawned on me... our leftover pizza. ... well the picture explains it all. I just feel bad about the people driving behind.. watch out for FLYIN PIZZA!!!