Wedding Day - April 29, 2006

Chuck-A-Rama

On President's Day - February 18 - our family went to Enoch's mom's house in Bountiful. His brother- Hoyt, his wife LeAnne, and their children were in town visiting from Seattle. Enoch's mom took all of us - total of 16 kids and 10 adults- to Chuck-a-Rama, a buffet restaurant! Cassidy was soooo excited about the fact that she could have "refills" on her food. She said, "I've never been to a place that gives refills on my food before! This place is so cool!" After eating we went back to Enoch's mom's house and had a surprise birthday party for her. It was a lot of fun. Enoch's mom - Annie - is one of the most amazing people I've ever known. She has the biggest heart, and is so giving to everyone around her- she's constantly spoiling us. She is full of faith, and I'm so grateful for her example. Many of us gathered in her family room as she told stories of her life - her conversion to the LDS church, how she met Enoch's dad, and how she used to be a model for women's under-clothing! That was news to all of us! She even showed us a slip that she had made in a factory when she was newly-married making $0.75 an hour!

One of the hardest things about getting divorced was worrying that I wouldn't have as great of in-laws as I did before. Little did I know I would get to be a part of Annie and her husband Ed's lives! They are so incredible. Love you Mom & Dad.

Let it Snow, Let it Snow

Poor Enoch - it seems like all he does is travel for work and come home just in time to shovel the snow again! Just thought I'd add a couple more cute pictures of him and the kids shoveling. Because I just overcame Bronchitis and pulled my rib muscles from coughing so much, I haven't been any help. While Enoch and all the other kids were shoveling, Brighton conveniently fell asleep on the couch! So I had to add a picture of him too. Enoch spends numerous hours on his only day off shoveling, just to make sure I can get in and out of the driveway. The last storm had 70 mile/hour winds that created a snowdrift 5 feet high. You couldn't get to our front door for days!

Last week, on Feb. 13, we had a snowstorm adventure. H2 and Cassidy were on the bus on their way home from school, when a huge white-out storm hit. The bus got stuck for 1 1/2 hours, until it could finally turn around and go back to the school. I was stuck at work, and the highways were closed to the house and school, so the kids were at school until 10pm, until a neighbor -Brad - could get to the school. He piled our kids in the car with his kids, went the back roads, and got stuck at McDonald's because all of the roads were closed off to get to our neighborhood. Fortunately, H2 and Cassidy's dad just so happened to be stuck at a restaurant next door, because the roads were closed to his house too. So he picked up the kids, and eventually took them to his house, but didn't get there until 1 am. H2 and Cassidy had taken a different bus than they normally do in order to go to the Miller's house. Had they taken their normal bus, they would have been stuck for 6 1/2 hours. Those children finally got back to the school and had to spend the night. Needless to say, it was a frantic evening - trying to get to the kids & worrying about them, but a lot of miracles took place. Hunter told me he had said a prayer on the bus, and knew they would be okay. I'm grateful they had taken the other bus. I'm grateful for the community of friends and neighbors who all worked together to help get my children home. I'm grateful their dad was nearby, so he could get them to warm beds. I'm grateful that I was able to get home that night with a friend who had 4x4 so we could take the back roads into the neighborhood making it so I didn't have to sleep at work! I'm grateful that all of my other family members and friends who were traveling that night through the storm were protected from harm. It's events like this that help you realize how blessed we are, and also remind us of the need to be prepared.

Temple Square

A couple of weekends ago I took Forest, H1, and Brighton to Temple Square, before picking Enoch up at the airport. Dan and Candace came along, thankfully - because Dan was able to keep up with the boys! H1 thought it would be funny to take Brighton's hat and throw it over the ledge at the Visitor's Center, and of course it landed with a thud on the display overhang! The janitor had to come, turn off the escalator, and knock the hat down with a broom. Nice! So when the boys thought it necessary to run around and continue throwing hats down staircases, Dan picked them up, put them on a couch and then sat on them! Then when we got outside, he dunked their heads in the fountain. I don't think the boys learned their lesson - they kept asking to be dunked again! Overall the kids were really good (I promise!) and we had a great time. We were able to see the Joseph Smith movie, take a tour of the conference center, and take some lovely pictures.

Shadow-a-Parent at Work Day

Last week, on Wednesday Jan. 30th, Forest joined me for a day at the office! We had a lot of fun hanging out - especially during the lunch break! We went to the nearby mall, tried on crazy hats, played in the playground, and rode the Merry-Go-Round. And of course, I had to introduce her to one of my all-time favorite completely unhealthy snacks: Cheese-on-a-Stick. I love hanging out with Forest because she isn't afraid to be goofy with me! As one of my co-workers said, "Oh no - double trouble!"

In all seriousness, I never imagined I could love children so much, even though I didn't give birth to them. I really do love Forest, H1, and Brighton just as much as my own biological children. I feel so blessed to be a part of their lives. Little did I know that I would have the opportunity to love so many children in my life! Thanks to Michele- their biological mother- for allowing me to be another mom to them. And thanks to Lisa- for being such a great stepmom to my children- Hunter and Cassidy. Having a blended family comes with it's challenges but it's so nice to know there are so many people in the world who love the children I love.