2007- Year In Review

In honor of the Christmas newsletters, I decieded to do a 2007 year in review blog. This year has brought many highs and many lows. We have kind of been on a roller coaster and are very glad that 2007 is over. We look forward to making 2008 great! After all 8 is my favorite number!

This year for Dave was probably the hardest year of his life. He lost his Dad to a five year battle of liver cancer. Luckily, we were able to spend about 4 weeks with him during part of June and July. We enjoyed that time that we had learning from him, and just being together. We went back down to San Diego in August when we got the news that Dad took a turn for the worse. We were able to have about 3 good days with him. We got to say our good-byes while he was still coherent. Then we drove back home and waited for 10 days. It was like we were in limbo, just waiting. When we got the call that he returned to his Father in Heaven, we got back in the car to be with family and to have a beautiful memorial service for him. It was such a great tribute to such a great man. We will always miss our wonderful Father, Popie, and Friend. We love you Dad!
Dave's highlights are his family, his job, and his duck hunting. Dave is the best Dad! His kids are so lucky to have him! I am so lucky that he is so into his kids. I could not do this without him! He is very hands on! He loves his job. He gets to take people to lunch, take them golfing, or even duck hunting. Yes, how cool is that! I think you call that smoozing. He feels very blessed to have a job that he truly enjoys! This year brought him two new ducks. He shot a drake Common Merganzer, and a Blue Bill. We also enjoyed getting together with a bunch of his mission pals at a mission reunion in May. It was good to see so many people and reconnect!

I spend most of my days cleaning, and taking care of kids. I am such a homebody. Although I do leave the house to go to my dance class which I absolutly love! I love to get out and move. I am no dancer, but this class sure is fun! We will be preforming in April so if any of you want a good laugh, feel free to come and watch me! I started a new lifestyle where I kind of went Vegan. I gave up meat, dairy, and sugar. Inspite of the strict eating restrictions, I felt fabulous! I ate for fuel, not for enjoyment. It was great to lose weight, and to feel so good! I did not have a migraine the whole time that I ate like this, which in itself is a MIRACLE!!! Then, you guessed it , we got pregnant, and that lifestyle went out the window! I could not stand anything organic. No Rice Milk, or Soy Milk, no vegenaise(like mayo-but no eggs, or dairy). I went back to the good stuff. I still can't drink milk, and I eat all meat very sparingly. But I did have a Chadders hamburger the other day and it was so good! (For those of you who don't know, Chadders is a knock off of In and Out). Anywho, I will go back to that kind of eating when I can stomach it. I felt so good, and after watching my father-in-law suffer so horribly, it scared the snot out of me and I want to do all I can to take care of my body. I was able to go to San Diego by myself this past year. Two weeks after Dave's Dad passed away my mom fell and broke her hip. I waited to go down until she was out of the hospital. So In the middle of October, I went down and spent four days, just being my mothers daughter. It was such a blessing! I had never left the kids with Dave for any long period of time, so I was curious how he would handle it, but of course he did beautifully! I was so impressed when I came home, everything was clean and the kids were happy! I think I will have to make this a yearly thing! You know, since he did so well! I can't wait for this year to be over since the last three months of this year I have been SICK! I have never been sick like this with any of the other kids, so this is a new experience, and I must say I could have lived without it! So hopefully 2008, I will feel great!



Lauren turned 8 this year. We celebrated her birthday by taking 9 little girls to the Sweet and Sassy salon. They had a hairdressing session, followed by a fashion show! So cute:) Lauren started 3rd grade this year. She loves school. She likes to be the teachers helper, even when the teacher does not need help. She takes piano, violin, and dance, even though we said this year we were going to SIMPLIFY! Lauren was baptized in July and we were so thankful that we were able to baptize her in San Diego. This inabled all the family to be there. Which of course was worth the entire trip. She loves achievement days, spending time with her friends, and she told me the other day that she wants to be a fashion model. She also said that she would have to get all new clothes because fashion models always wear nice clothes. I told her nice try!




David turned 6 with a Star Wars birthday party, complete with a huge lightsaber fight against Darth Vader. (Which was Dave dressed up in a Darth costume) . David is in the first grade and he loves to read. He has lots of friends. They come over and play out back in the ponds. They just do little boy things, and it is fun to watch. His new interest, which thrills his father, is duck hunting. He begs, and begs, to go out with his dad. He can't shoot or anything, I just think he likes to be outside, with his dad, I love watching him get ready, he lays out all his clothes in the order in which he puts them on. So the hat is first, the shirt is next, then the pants, and socks, and shoes. It is funny because we have picture of Dave doing the same exact thing when he was little. Like father like son! David also got to play soccer, t-ball, and flag football this year. He liked all of them the best.

Kathren and her frilly slip

Kathren turned 3 at Sea World in San Diego. We had such a fun time, we even got to pet dolphins. The day ended with a fireworks display- some of you might know this as the Summer Nights firework show, but we told Kathren it was for her birthday! That is the beauty of being three, you believe everything your parents tell you:) Kathren is a firecracker! She keeps us on our toes! Her daily wardrobe consists of a frilly slip that she got from her Aunt Lillian. She insists on wearing this slip everyday, so she can dance and twirl around! Kathren's big accomplishment this year is that she is FINALLY potty trained! She also lets us leave her in Nursery. She started taking dance this year and loves to watch herself in the mirror. Even though she hears from the teacher every 10 seconds, "Kathren eyes on me" . Kathren also goes to Ms. Karli's preschool, and absolutely loves it!



West turned 2 in November. He is such a good boy. He loves to give hugs! He has a sweet fro, which I can't cut, even though sometimes people think he is a girl! I know when I cut it those curls will be gone, and I am not ready for that! West loves the movie Nacho Libre. He laughs at him, and likes to wrestle anyone who is laying on the floor. He also likes the movie cars. This movie has created quite the obsession with all things that roll. He loves cars, motorcycles, you name it. If you can push it, he loves it. We got a trampoline this year, with a net, West loves to go out and jump. I love to watch his hair go up and down:)

Guests that we enjoyed this year were, in no particular order... All the Schimpf kids, some more than once. We actually saw Marla Hartpence while the Schimpf boys were here. Also Amy Pulsipher made a few cameo's while her friend Steven was here. The Fagerwold family, The Royce Family, Grammy Moreau, Kevin and Donna Moreau, and Zephyr. Alex Moreau, Jim and Diane Hutchings, The Konold Family, and The Hill Family. We love having company! So if you have never been to visit, repent!

We are glad that the year is over, and are looking forward to the new year! Yeah 2008!
Have a Happy and safe New Years Eve!