Making Memories

How do you fit ten days of memories of Utah and family into one little post? I can't even try, so I'll have to go with the narrowed down, highlighted version. Even then this may end near novel length. So much for my ability to give only the absolute minimum amount of information necessary. But seriously, where's the fun in that?

And we are off! There were smiles and happiness looking forward to our trip home to Utah. We drove up to Cincinnati and flew out from there so we could have a direct flight. I love knowing once that plane takes off and lands you are there.

What a good looking bunch (of course I am biased being their mother and all). I have brag that they were incredibly good on the plane. I guess after doing this trek home at least twice a year for seven years makes for some seasoned and exceptionally well behaved young travelers!


The Provo Utah Temple. Doesn't this just look like a postcard. Rich loves Rock Canyon. This is a two minute drive from Rich's parents home and where he grew up.


Mt. Loafer, Salem, Utah. This the most beautiful mountain! I love it. This is what you get to see everyday from my parents front yard.

On Saturday Rich's family had a BBQ, we swam and my family came up for the party. I wish I could have gotten a picture of Charlie, Julianne and Emma, Rich's Mom, Andrew, Danny and Taylor. I don't know what I was thinking! Sorry guys!

Jenny, Jacob and little Ruby Howlett. Jenny is Rich's sister. Her husband Andrew had an emergency appendectomy while we were out visiting, then their family got the flu. Talk about getting kicked when you are down! Hope you all are 100% now!

Heather, Kris and Jackson Woolley. Heather is Rich's sister and lives in Phoenix. They came out for the week. When they lived in Boston we went up to visit them. It was so fun for all the Jacksons to be together.

Danny's wife Brynn with little Kalle. Kalle was blessed while we were in Utah and it was the first time we got to meet her. She was born in Hawaii on our twin girls birthday, March 25. Brynn's father is the painter Greg Olsen who has painted many well known pictures of the Savior. We call this Brynn big little Brynn. You can't call her big Brynn when she isn't that big!

After the blessing we had a Jackson family photo taken in the backyard. I think it turned out quite well. We were all in denim and white and there were six babies to deal with! I'll have Rich's family send it to me and I can post it later.

Later that night we headed down to Springville to visit.


Most of the men in my life. What a lucky girl!

Jeff and his mini-me Matt.

Nance guys: Rhett, Brad, Kurt, Jeff and Dad


Grandma Nance, my mom, me and the girls.

OK, this thing was seriously dangerous. It was a PowerWheels Barbie 2 seater and the kids discovered it in Jackson's gym. I strapped Kaitlyn in next to Kamae and off they went with 3 year old Kamae driving on high speed. They did an amazing quick U-turn and hit head on into the wall. Ouch! Later we found the slow speed, but it's didn't help much. I have to admit I was laughing so hard through all this. I really wasn't setting a good responsible, parent example, but who could stop giggling when your kids are zooming around, hanging on for dear life. Yeah, may you could, but I guess I'm still a kid inside!


Traci Underwood and her crew met up with me and my gang at Cafe Rio. Great food and even better company! Thanks for making the trip down to Provo! Just for the record I ate at Cafe Rio three times in one week. Heaven!

This is the new and first high school in Salem. It will be called Salem Hills High and their mascot will be the Sky Hawks. It will open next fall (2008) and my little brother Rhett will be a senior there. Salem has grown! It now has three elementary schools and now a high school. Amazing!


I ran over to BYU campus to get the new Stephenie Meyer book Eclipse from the bookstore after every Deseret Book and Seagull Book and Tape sold out by 10:30 AM the morning they were released. The campus was as beautiful and well manicured as ever, but I left thinking when did the EFY participants looks like they were 10 and the counselors looks like they were 12. Seriously I didn't look that young in college!


Happy 3rd Birthday Kamae on August 7th! She is Rich's sister Heather's daughter. After her birthday celebration, Rich had to head to the airport and was off to his physics review course in Sacramento, CA.


Some of the Jackson cousins. Left to Right: Annie, Kamae, Halle, Jacob, Josh and Matt. The Jacksons have 13 grandchildren with 12 being 6 and under. We were all there during our trip. Talk about chaos, happy chaos, but crazy nonetheless.


Rich's wonderful sister Rosie holding Danny's little baby Kalle.

The boys loved swimming in the Jackson pool, playing air hockey, shooting in the gym and playing with their cousins. It was hard for them to leave!

On Wednesday I went up to SLC to have my eyes checked and then met my family at Chuck-E-Cheese. We can't go home to Utah with out at least one visit to the kid's favorite place!

That evening Kurt went through the Provo temple for the first time. After we celebrated at Chuck-A-Rama. My Grandpa and Grandma Larsen, Grandma Nance and my family were there.

Josh loved hanging out with Uncle Brad. They went to the driving range twice, shot baskets on the sport court and had an intense game of baseball in the backyard. Thanks Brad for making Josh feel so special.

Visiting with my mom's parents Grandma and Grandpa Larsen. Since my kids have 11 (yes that's no typo) grandparents we have to be very specific in describing them. These two are referred to as the ones with Legos. Very descriptive I know!

We lucked out and were in town for Salem Days. This is one of my favorite things. It was always the last hurrah before school started. This year Brad, Jeff, Kurt, Rhett and I ran the 5K Fun Run Race. This was a crazy idea, since I hadn't run 3 miles for over two years, but I knew I could keep pace with one of my brothers so off we went. Brad and I finished together at 29 minutes. I was sore for a week!

After the race you walk up on to Knoll Park. It is more like a hill that over looks Salem Pond. It's beautiful. There you can eat a free breakfast of pancakes, eggs, bacon, orange juice and milk and shake hands with the city council. It really is the City of Peace.

Next up is the parade. If you ever go, I'm warning you BEWARE OF CANDY. This is one parade you honestly have to duck from the massive amount of candy tossed. I got nailed right in the eye and my mom and I were shielding the girls with our bodies. You know the kids have enough when they start discriminating and leave the less desirable candies on the ground by their feet.

At night they have a little pageant (it's usually painfully bad) and the night ends with a wonderful firework show. The boys even said they liked it as much a Thunder (no way!) because they didn't have to walk to two hours and wait for eight. True. I do love sitting on the hill overlooking the pond with fireworks over head. I know I grew up in a very special place.

Happy 16th Birthday Rhett! August 11, 2007.

The Nance Family Celebrating Rhett's 16th birthday at Chili's on Saturday. Happy Birthday little brother! Can't believe you are old enough to drive and date!

This was the only day it felt hot to me. I guess all the Kentucky humidity is making me stronger. The boys had a ball miniature golfing. We tried to let the girls join in the fun, but they didn't quite under stand the concept and tried to run away. They were soon fastened in the comfort of the double stroller.
I am Tiger Woods. Just kidding. Josh was prepared though. He packed his golf clubs, his golf glove, a collared shirt and khaki shorts so he could play with Grandpa at Riverside.

Not many six-year olds can drive a golf ball 200 yards straight down the fairway. At least that's what Grandpa said! Maybe Josh has a future in this. We'll see.

We all had to say good bye to Kurt for two years. He will be entering the MTC on September 4, 2007. He will be serving an LDS mission in Taiwan and will learn to speak Mandarin Chinese.

We all met up at Jackson's on Sunday morning and then flew back to Lexington.

Thanks for the memories that we'll treasure forever! It went by too quickly and we are already looking forward to Christmas. Love you all!

Lunch Time

Matt, Trey and Josh enjoying hot lunch at Veteran's Park Elementary.

Ever since Trey started kindergarten I tried to go and eat lunch with him as often as I could. In Louisville, I could go to lunch with him alone when Josh and Matt were in preschool on Monday and Wednesday, but most of the time I would take them with me on a no-preschool day so they could enjoy visiting with him. Josh and Matt loved it and were excited to someday join the ranks of hot lunch kids.

Last year, Matt and Josh had preschool Monday- Friday so the girls and I would go to lunch with Trey. It was fun, but we were never all together. That is until this year. Matt and Josh are finally big time like their older brother, but they were still a bit apprehensive about lunch. The solution, make it a group project. Yes, technically I'm not supposed to bring a stroller into the always crowded lunch room, but honestly I don't really have a choice. It makes my heart swell to see their faces light up when they spot me waiting for them at the entrance. Josh's class eats first at 11:10 AM, Matt comes in about 5 minutes later and Trey arrives about ten minutes after that. For just a few brief minutes we can all be there together. What fun!

Each morning we scan the lunch menu to see if they boys would eat what they have to offer. So far it's been thumbs up for taco nachos, chicken tenders (what a surprise), chicken sandwiches and Trey thought the lasagna was just so-so. They often take sack lunches filled with healthy things like Cheetos, Fruit-by-the-Foot and Capri Suns. Yum.

I was doing so well with lunches, until yesterday that is. The minute I spotted Matt walking down the hill after school, face scowling, shoulders slumped I knew something was wrong. When he saw me the frown deepened before he exclaimed that I didn't put his sack lunch in his backpack and he had to eat disgusting nachos. I HATE NACHOS he exclaimed. Not a second later I glanced up to see Josh running down towards us with Matt's sack lunch attached on his bag. Oops. Wrong backpack.

I do have to say I made three sack lunches this morning and triple checked to make sure they were zipped safe inside the correct backpack. Matt will be pleased. A+ for me!

A whirlwind of a week

Whew! What a BUSY week! We got back from Utah on Sunday, August 12, the boys started school on Monday August 13, and I left for my brother Jeff's wedding Sacramento, CA on Friday, August 17 and got back to Lexington on Sunday, August 19. Talk about major hours on an airplane gaining and losing time. The past few days I have been playing catch up, storing suitcases, cleaning bathroom, killing ants (I actually think I am winning the battle now thanks to Kristi and Home Depot) and loving being home.

Rich was such a trooper for this wedding. We decided it was too far and too short of a trip to take the kids to the wedding in California. Rich had to work on Friday too, so I was the only one who made the long journey out West. I have to give a huge THANK YOU to Jonni Badger for taking my kids on Friday. Not many sane people would have agreed to watch five little ones when you have a 5, 3 and 10 month of your own. You were a lifesaver and I knew they were in great hands!

Once Rich got the kids on Friday night I relaxed a bit knowing they were home with Dad and Jonni wasn't stressing over my five anymore. Rich was amazing. He took the kids to Burger King and then to a park to play on Saturday night. Early Sunday morning he had the kids up in Sunday best, shirts tucked in and hair combed and on time to church at 11 AM. Did I mention that I married the best guy ever? He can cook, clean and sew (that part may be just on the body though)! The house looked great, the laundry was folded, but the best part was coming home to my little family that I missed so much.

As for the wedding, it was amazing for many reasons. I got to be my Grandma Nance's companion and roommate, spent time with all five of my brothers and parents and finally met Sarah, Jeff's soon-t0-be wife. There was always someone laughing, joking and smiles on everyone's faces. It had been far too long since my own immediate family was together like this.

The highlights of the weekend were our incredible shuttle type van we rented from Budget appropriately named The Beast (who needs the bright yellow Porsche 911 spotted out side out hotel when you've got the Ford E-series!), our sugar and caffeine run in our Sunday best to a little gas station with Kurt toting a whopping 64 ouncer of Dr. Pepper across the five lane street with me teetering on 4 inch heels hanging on to his arm, the inconceivable fact that Brad is still not married, our new Polynesian family members we met outside the temple (random strangers that attached themselves to Grandma- see photo!), the World's #1 Best Man, being coerced into putting cake on a car, reminiscing about He-Man and stories of our childhood, Greg and Jeff's singing, celebrating little Michael's 2nd birthday and other various strange, but funny little happenings. Maybe we are nutty, but at least we think the same things are humorous. As Brad would say in his little accent, Very Nice! What memories.

As for how we got the Beast, it was all about luck really. It was a good thing my family got there before me because there was a Disneyland size line to pick up the car. Once he got to the front, they said they had a 7 person van for us but didn't have the reservation for the second car. Brad asked, don't you have anything bigger? They said yes, they had an 8 passenger van. OK, this would work. We got the keys and trucked on out. We were laughing when we saw the maroon Beast. They should have said, 15 passenger van minus the back seat. It was too funny, but worked perfectly and fit us all. Grandma Nance was a good sport and allowed my brothers to help her in each time and never complained. It fact she did amazingly well. She had open heart surgery this past April. She worked hard in rehab getting her strength back and was determined to make the trip from Utah. She was incredible.

This trip was go, go, go! I my flight left Lexington at 6:20 AM which meant I was moving (just barely) at 4 AM to get off on time. I flew through Houston, landed just shortly after my family and spent two hours getting my checked bags, taking the shuttle to the rental car place and then waited forever to get the car. We got stuck in traffic, finally checked into the hotel, rushed to change our clothes and speed to the temple. After we went to straight to their dinner. No kids invited. Once more I am relived my brood was home with Dad. Jeff and Sarah's sealing was at 9 AM on Saturday, followed by pictures, luncheon, reception set up, reception, clean up and then a long flight home early Sunday morning. I got home after 11 PM. Losing three hours kills the chances of getting home at a decent hour. It was a long marathon few days and would have been tough on the kids, but I had a wonderful time.

Many happy years to you Jeff and Sarah! You have a wonderful life and journey ahead!

Tuesday Tell All- My Favorite Children's Books

I had to think about this topic for awhile. I have way, way too many children's book to even go through. We have a bookshelf by the computer, two downstairs in the guest bedroom and countless boxes of books I didn't even get around to unpacking a year ago when we moved in. I guess that what happens when you teach school and you are addicted to book orders. Those things are like Christmas shopping for me. I get out my pen and start circling away, so many things to choose from at such a great price!

As for my favorites, I have to make a small list because there are many different varieties of children's books and certain books were important to me at different periods of my life.

The first books I remember owning were a Disney's Cinderella picture book, a nursery rhyme book I got when we lived in Salt Lake City and kept on my bed and Horton Hatches the Egg By Dr. Seuss that my Grandpa and Grandma Nance gave to me for my birthday one year.

But my favorite book as a child was a very special Disney book that Santa left us one night before Christmas. Greg and I were in brushing our teeth when we heard jingle bells and rushed into the family room and found a beautiful golden book that contained most of the Disney stories. This was before videos and the Disney movies only came to theaters every few years. This was such a treat and I loved having my parents read to us from it. I came across one as an adult and had to buy it. I have it tucked away so the kids don't destroy it. It just brings back happy memories of my childhood.

My Grandma and Grandpa Nance had many books in their toy closet and I would pick a few and have Grandma read them to me when we would come over to visit. My favorite of her collection was McElligot's Pool by Dr. Seuss. I loved thinking about how far this little pool went and what you can find in this great big world. I also loved reading her book Fish Out of Water by Helen Palmer and P. D. Eastman. I think I may have used the line a time or two when referring to amount to feed our Betta, "Just a pinch, no more, no less!"

When I was in elementary school the two chapter books I always tried to check out from our school library were Ellen Tebbits by Beverly Clearly and Otherwise Known as Shelia the Great by Judy Blume. I don't know how many times I read these two books. I bought them as an adult and re-read them and while it was fun to read, they just weren't as great as I remembered them as a child, but they were magical to me in my youth when I read them time and time again.

In between my sixth and seventh grade year my parents and older brother went on a trip to New York City. I had read the book From the Mixed up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Franweiler by E.L. Konigsburg. This was the first time I read a book and realized that I had actually been to the place where the book was supposed to take place. That made the book real and alive. I had a new appreciation for fiction. And who isn't intrigued with the idea of hiding out in a museum?

As for books I love to read to my children. I have a few. I just can't narrow it down. Like I said I was going to compile a small list so here goes. I love Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse and Julius The Baby of the World by Kevin Henkes. I think I first read them when I was in the elementary education program at BYU. These two books made me laugh out loud and I knew I was going to read them to my own kids when they came along.

I love the book Tops and Bottoms by Janet Stevens. This has a great teaching message and it's funny too. You can never be too clever!

In the category of mystery/puzzle solving books I love The Eleventh Hour by Graeme Base. This book took my forever to figure out because each page has some seriously hard clues. It's one that makes your mind work overtime. Thankfully there is an answer key in the back just in case you can't crack the codes!

I love The Spider and The Fly by Mary Howitt and Tony DiTerlizzi. It has the most beautiful illustrations and can be used to teach your children about stranger danger.

I already did a post about Enemy Pie by Derek Munson. This is a great book for all kids and ages and it is my new favorite book in the past few years.

My favorite children's picture book for Christmas is an easy one. I absolutely love The Christmas Extravaganza by David Shannon. I love the art and the story. This is a must read during the holiday season. As many of you know I do love to decorate for the holidays, every holiday that is!

Well, the list could go on, but I had better make myself stop. I warned you, I do love books! I could still go on about books my dad loved and read to us (The Hobbit) and books I couldn't live without (Harry Potter) but I will stop with two last thoughts.

Thanks to Marcie and Sally for coming up with this little Tuesday Tell All. It will be fun to answer various questions each week. Gread idea!

And I have to say thanks to Amazon.com for all the pictures. I am amazed at the huge selection of books they have. I can remember way back to the dark ages BEFORE the Internet and wonder how we found anything. Between EBay and Amazon you can buy anything you can think of. These two sites, plus IMDB.com and good old Google, make every question answerable and that makes me happy!

Happy reading to all!!!

Tagged...The Beginning of Rich and Cheryl

1.Where did you meet your husband?

Rich was my first blind date. Since he lived out of state and still wasn't married at the ripe old age of 23, he had been lined up with nearly 1/2 the single women in Utah County. He likes to joke that he had to wait until I grew up so we could date and get married.

I was 19 and had just returned home from my freshman year at BYU-Hawaii. My dad's younger brother Paul is Rich's dad's scrub nurse and one day a discussion ensued during surgery and the two of them decided to set us up. Rich had torn his ACL in February (on my birthday no less!) playing basketball at Stanford and had come home to Utah to have his Uncle Scott and Uncle Bob repair it. In early May he was flying home for the weekend to have it looked at so they thought this would be the perfect time for a date. Rich's dad got my phone number from my dad at the hospital and Rich called me a few days later. It the mean time half the hospital was in on this date. In the days leading up to our first meeting, my dad kept getting new stories from the nurses at the hospital about Rich. He got some details from my uncle and nurses too. I guess you could say we knew a fair bit about each other from various sources by the first time we actually laid eyes on each other.

The best part is that years later Rich's dad gave me that slip of paper with my name and phone number in my dad's handwriting.

2. What was the first thing you said to your husband?

I was in our den typing on the computer when Rich called. I am sure I said something along the lines of "so glad to finally talk to the person I've heard so much about." After hello I guarantee I talked rapidly about this and that and barely let Rich speak. I gave him horribly vague directions about getting to my house (drive for quite a while up the hill and then turn at a stop sign). My mom my heard my instructions from upstairs and started yelling down better directions for me to repeat to Rich. She was afraid he would never find our place at all!

3. Where was your first date?

I was upstairs ironing my shirt when I noticed a Jeep Cherokee pass our house a few times. I had a hunch this might be Rich trying to find our house. I quickly got dressed when he called from the car (hardly anyone had cell phones in those days) and I told him I'd meet him out front. My parents were outside too talking to our next door neighbors and best friends the Swensons. They all met Rich first and then I walked outside. The first thing I thought was Rich should be a football player, not a basketball player. He was huge at 6 feet 6 inches and had been working out like crazy at school. He seemed very nice, but I didn't think this would go farther than a date or two. He lived in California and I had a list of things I was planning to do with my life. After I left my parents and neighbors said they felt something special and thought this was the man I was going to marry.

We went to Hale Theater in Orem Utah and saw the play Fiddler on the Roof. We doubled with Rich's sister Julianne and her soon to be ex-boyfriend. I think that was the only time I met him. When we parked across the street I dashed through traffic to get to the other side not realizing Rich's knee was still healing. He got smashed into a center seat when Julianne's guy took the aisle. What a saint! We visited during intermission. I am sure I talked and talked, but really said nothing of importance. After we went up to Rich's parents home where I met EVERYONE, even Jenny's soon-t0-be husband Andrew. I left thinking that Rich and his family reminded me a lot of my own. I was impressed and thought I wouldn't mind seeing them all again.

4. Where was your first kiss?

It was in front of my parents home on July 8, 2006. He was leaned up against his car with his arms around my waist. It was a hot July night, but Rich kept telling me he was cold. He was nervous. It was cute. He was the third boy I had ever kissed and the last.


5. Did you have a long or short engagement/courtship?

We had a short courtship dating, but a very long and painful engagement. Our first date was on May 10, 1996. We got engaged on the night of August 31, 1996. It was nice to be committed to each other before Rich left for school. We got married NINE months later on April 26, 1997. Rich was in California for all but five days during those months. That was the painful part, being so far apart, but with basketball running Rich's life there was no time to get married before then. When we got engaged we opened up a calendar and found the first Saturday after BYU finals. That was how our wedding date was selected. I am sure we're not the first to use that method.

The fun part of the engagement was getting to be part of his life at Stanford. We were engaged during his entire senior year. I drove him out to Palo Alto for school, and went to nearly all the home games and went on three road trips with his parents. My family came out a few times and they were at the big Stanford VS UCLA game when Stanford gave them their worst lost in history (Stanford 109- UCLA 61). What memories! I turned into Stanford's #1 fan. People were shocked when they found out I lived in Utah and going to school at BYU since I always seemed to be in California. I planned my BYU schedule so I had an afternoon class on Thursday and no classes on Friday. This way I could drive up Thursday night and stay until Sunday night. Rich lived in a renovated garage so when I came out I could sleep there while he stayed in the main house. He had great roommates, but they seemed to be away a lot with football and water polo, so it worked out well.

Stanford had a great season and played the first round of the NCAA tournament in Tuscon, AZ. I went down with Rich's family for a second trip there that year. They won their first two games (they beat Tim Duncan's Wake Forest team) so they advanced to the Sweet 16. Their next game was in San Jose, which was close for us to travel and very, very close to the Stanford campus. Sadly, Stanford lost to the University of Utah in overtime. It was blow to the heart and I vowed to hate Utah until the day I died, even though my own paternal grandfather had been on the team years before. My heart has since been softened a bit over the years. Rich played well and had a great season. We are still friends with Brevin Knight and have gone to see him play in the NBA over the years. We also follow Stanford basketball and have traveled to see them play in San Antonio, St. Louis, Indianapolis, back to Palo Alto three years ago and right here in Lexington this past March. Go Cardinal!


6. Where did you get engaged?

My mom's little sister is my dad's nurse (doesn't it seem like most of my family is medical one way or another and all the employees are related) and when I came in to pull charts she accidentally let it slip that Rich had come into the office that day. There's really no way of getting out of that one, why in heavens name would Rich need an OB/GYN? You see my point. Anyway, I knew he had talked to my dad, we had gone to dinner at a nice restaurant with our parents and had gone to look at rings. I knew it was coming, but wasn't sure when. Then Rich told me he wanted to get dressed up and go to dinner in SLC. This was it, I knew it!

I wore my favorite brown suit type dress I had gotten from ZCMI (not my mom's favorite though) and we went up to dinner at The Roof. It is a restaurant on the top floor of the Joseph F. Smith Building. OK, a lot of people go to eat up there and get engaged over dinner. The food was great but I was nervous and apprehensive about what was going to happen soon! I was secretly pleading to myself that he would not ask me to marry him in front of a room full of strangers. We ate and ate and nothing happened. I was happy when we finished and a ring didn't appear on a platter or hidden in some dessert.

Then he wanted to take a walk around Temple Square. I had known him long enough to know that his dad asked his mom to marry him in front of the Joseph and Hyrum Smith statue just south of the Temple. He told me he wanted to walk past the statue. I was dying inside. I wonder if he could tell I was stressing out. I really didn't want to get engaged in the middle of busy Temple Square. Thankfully when we stopped to admire the statue, he didn't bend down and profess his undying love. What a relief.

Then we went on a carriage ride. Once again I didn't want him to ask me to be his wife in front of this strange looking driver as we trotted along South Temple. Long ride, no ring. Yeah!

Then he told me he wanted to drive up to my first home. We had lived with my Great-great-grandpa Warner and his daughter my Great-grandma Beardall when my dad was in medical school at the U of U. It is located just two blocks south of the capital. Now we were in business. I could see him asking me there. We pulled up and got out to talk. I told him about the house and my memories from living there and at the end we hugged and then to my surprise.... no proposal. Now I was getting confused. What this whole night a rouse? Was it simply just not going to happen? He told me he was going to take me home. What? Now? Wasn't he supposed to ask me something important first? Nope, not a chance.

We visited during the hour long ride to Salem. He seemed happy until we got near my house. He got quiet and when we pulled in the drive way he nearly leaped out of the car. This was not going at all how I had envision. I guess I was wrong. Yes, I wanted to get engaged and while I had hoped it didn't happen most of the night, now I was ready and he was rushing, pulling me to the front door. I thought he just really wanted to get home. Maybe another night.

And then I saw it. A single red rose on the front porch with a note. When I opened the front door I saw rose after rose. I followed and the flowers lead me down stairs to my room. In my room I found another dozen red roses in a crystal vase on my dresser. The last rose was on my cedar chest at the foot of my bed. I sat down and he got on one knee and asked me to marry him. Of course I cried and said yes. What's a girl to do when being wooed by the one she loves.

Cute huh. I was proud of him and all planning and have to give thanks to his mom and sister for coming down and setting it all up. It was a wonderful night and made for a great story to share when someone asks you how you got engaged.


7.Where did you get married?

The Salt Lake Temple April 26, 1997.

I have to say we have the most amazing families and friends. In all the temple weddings I have witnessed, I have never and I mean never seen a sealing room so crammed full of people. We had every bench from the hallway being used and there were people standing in every inch and corner. It made me tear up to see parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles and dear lifelong friends with us that day. President Merrill Bateman sealed us and I love to think about the advice and stories he told us. They are words to live by.

What made it even sweeter were the masses of people we had waiting outside as well. Over half of the Stanford basketball team came out for a wedding they couldn't even witness. What does that say for their character and commitment to friendship? Josh and Tiffany Madsen, John and Gale Bunnell, Greg Clark, and Mark and Sarah Harris all came from Palo Alto as well. We had dozens of aunts and uncles, brothers and sisters, cousins and friends. I have never seen the temple steps so crowded. What a gift of love those people gave to us that day. They came to share in our moment and it meant the world to us. It makes me smile when I think about it. What a day!

8. How did the reception go?

This is a funny one because I was raised to hate receptions. My dad thought they were a waste of money and painful and not at all a fun celebration. He had it worked out that he would send me on a cruise if I would forgo a reception. That sounded fine to me. Then I got engaged and the entire hospital was involved, my dad was our home ward bishop, Rich's dad was in a stake presidency and everyone was shocked and hurt when we told them we weren't going to have a reception. One day my dad called me and said, "Cher, I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think you need to have a reception." He was right. We decided to have it at the Springville Art Museum which is half way between our homes. We tried not to have a line and have the family mingle, but when Rich and I stood together to greet everyone, a line formed and that's what we did all night; we stood together saying hello to all the people we loved. I don't think I ate any of the food, though I heard it tasted great. I had one bite of my cake before we left, so it wasn't a sit back and relax night. Rich was exhausted and may, like my father, tell Brynn and Kaitlyn he'll send them on a cruise before he endures another reception again! But over all the music was lovely, there was food for all and we were surrounded by people we loved and they loved us!


9. How was the honeymoon?

I guess you could say we took two honeymoons. Since Rich was on the quarter system and BYU was on semesters, our breaks didn't really line up. Yes, we picked the first Saturday after I was done with school, but Rich was still a month away from finals and graduation. He flew in Friday night from Palo Alto and I picked him up at the airport. Mark Madsen was there too. It was fun to see them both and realize that this long awaited day was nearly ours. We had dinner with my family at Chili's and then our families stayed the night at the Inn at Temple Square so we could be close for our 10:30 AM sealing time.

We got married on Saturday, but Rich had class on Monday, so a long elaborate trip would have to wait. We spent our wedding night and Sunday night up at Sundance. We then came home Monday afternoon, hurriedly opened gifts and flew out to San Francisco that night. We spent Monday night at a Marriott in the city. The next day we moved into our little apartment at Escondido Village.

We went on our real Hawaiian honeymoon after Rich graduated in July. Rich had never been to Hawaii so it was so much fun to show him my island of Oahu, where I lived and worked before we headed over to my favorite place on earth (besides Disneyland of course) Kauai. We took a Zodiack boat tour up the Nepali coast, snorkeled and relaxed. It was a beautiful, stress free time. Those were the days!

And now you know the true and happily ever after story of Cheryl and Rich........

And I'm tagging Tiffany Rosenhan, Jenny Howlett, Kellie Barney and Melissa Mortenson. Just answer the same nine questions on your own blogs. I'm excited to read all your juicy details!!

I give up!

Dinner tonight was in full swing, that means the kitchen looks like it's exploded and there's food everywhere except in mouths, when Trey announced there were no more pickles for his hamburger. It was already 8:45 PM and we were going to be lucky to get them to bed on time. I ran downstairs to search for the pickles when Brynn followed behind and entered the storage room. As stuck my head inside the pantry Brynn grabbed the liquid Joy soap, opened it up and proceeded to pour it out onto the floor and in the match box car container. Matt realized what was going on and yelled to me. Before any of us could slip on the mess she was in the tub with the box of cars. Can you say bubbles? The sound of the tub must have alerted Kaitlyn and soon she joined us in the basement. I was back in the storage room cleaning up the soap when in walks Kaitlyn holding her diaper. Nice. Not two seconds later Kaitlyn is standing in a puddle of pee and soon we had two babies in the tub and I'm using the soap off the floor to clean the floor. Oh well. Better pee than redo Brynn's poop I found smeared on the kitchen floor and family room carpet two nights ago. Oh what fun it is to be a Mom!

Meet our new additions

When our fish died a few weeks ago, I immediately thought I'd get a new one on our next Wal-mart run. We have had a Betta fish for the the past seven years, so it seemed natural. Then our neighbor friends came home from their trip to North Carolina with two Hermit Crabs. My mind was then altered. I remembered there was a kiosk at the mall called Crab Mania. Months ago I had stopped and inquired about the crabs, the costs and of course their life expectancy. The guy actually told me they could live up to 2o years, which didn't make me more inclined to buy one. It made me think I don't like long term, committed relationships when it comes to pets. While I knew the boys would LOVE to get one, I wasn't buying....yet. But it got me thinking. I mean doesn't every kid need some sort of a pet to take to show and tell or write about in their journals? I thought so.

I brought up the idea about getting a crab with they boys and they loved it. They wanted to rush out and get one right then. When we left for Utah I promised them we would get two (they need a friend!) upon our return. Today was the big day and while the boys complained and whined about going into the mall (who doesn't like a surprise) they were ecstatic when they realized why we were shopping. They picked two crabs, one with fish painted on the shell, the other has red and black spots. Josh informed me that they were both girls. I would say it's a 50/50 guess. Josh and Matt named the fish crab Shelly and the other is Pincher. She earned her name when she grabbed on tight to Trey's finger five minutes after we got them home.

I think this will be fun. I love Hermit Crabs. Growing up I would search for them at the beach in San Diego with my family. The girls were squealing and chasing them when we let them crawl on the carpet. Josh carried the little container up to their bedroom tonight so they could sleep in their room. They are fun and hopefully a low maintenance pet. We'll wait and see. At least we have a guaranteed 14 days of bliss, since they'll replace them for free if they die before then! We'll let you know how it goes.

Great Reads

•A Long Way From Chicago

•A Single Shard

•A Year Down Yonder

•Blink

•Can You Keep A Secret?

•Candyfreak: A Journey through the Chocolate Underbelly of America

•Charlie Bone series (Children of the Red King)

•Chasing Vermeer

•Children of the Promise series

•Crispin: The Cross of Lead

•Dragon Rider

•Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation

•Ender's Game

•Eragon

•Everything on a Waffel

•Fablehaven Series

•Flushed

•Harry Potter Books

•Helen of Troy: A Novel

•Holes

•Hoot

•Inkdeath

•Inkheart

•Inkspell

•Into the Wild

•Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster

•Kite Runner

•Lincoln: A photobiography

•Lord of the Rings Trilogy

•Maximum Ride

•Molly Moon series

•Outlaws of Moonshadow Marsh: Sign of the Qin

•Peter and the Shadow Thieves

•Peter and the Starcatchers

•Pillars of the Earth

•Pride and Predjudice

•Princess Academy

•Shadow Divers

•Shopaholic Series

•Snow Flower and the Secret Fan: A Novel

•The 39 Clues Series

•The Alchemist

•The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay

•The Anybodies

•The Bartimaeus Trilogy

•The Calder Game

•The City of Ember

•The Da Vinci Code

•The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

•The Egyptologist

•The Full Cupboard of Life

•The Good Earth

•The Hero and the Crown

•The Historian

•The House of the Scorpion

•The Lightning Thief

•The Magician

•The Memoirs of Cleopatra: A Novel

•The River Between Us

•The Sea of Monsters

•The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants books

•The Spiderwick Chronicles

•The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread

•The Thief

•The Thief Lord

•The Time Traveler's Wife

•The Undomestic Goddess

•The Wright 5

•Titan's Curse

•Twilight Series

•Welcome to Lizard Motel

Can Man Live on Nuggets Alone?

Matt's good health seems to prove that it may be possible to eat only chicken nuggets and still thrive. When I think about what Matt has eaten in the last two weeks, all that comes to mind is chicken nuggets. In Utah he ate them at the Jackson's, at the Nance's, at Wendy's and at McDonald's. I guess he did eat fried chicken at Chuck-A-Rama, but that's almost like eating nuggets.

Since we've been home he's eaten chicken nuggets for breakfast (yes, I'm being serious), lunch (four in a ziploc baggie in his sack lunch) and for dinner. I laughed when I made his lunch yesterday and it consisted of nuggets, a chocolate pop tart, a Capri Sun (which he didn't drink) and a Trix yogurt. They yogurt was the only redeeming thing about the lunch.

What to do? I guess I'll just love him and hope he doesn't start sprouting feathers!

Call of the Wild

What a welcome home! Who knew after a ten day trip home, you could be greeted by an entryway and kitchen full of ants, a bathroom with spiders and even a cricket in the family room. It was like the little creatures knew we were away and decided to descend into our happy little home. Really, I was a bit shocked. I really did leave a clean house. I always think if we die in a plane crash flying home, I certainly don't want our families to think we lived like pigs! I would hope all the nasty little things don't reflect the cleanliness of my home, but grossed me out. I went on a full on Raid fest by the front door and nearly screamed when I found a little trail of ants moving up the pipes and into the garbage can under the kitchen sink. Are you kidding me? There was nothing in the can. Where did these pests come from? Anyway, I hope most are dead and the traps are set. Never in my life have I seen anything like it. We'll blame Kentucky for it, or maybe the kids. Oh well, at least we didn't find mice. Not yet anyway!

First (1/2) Day of School

The boys first day of school was today, Monday August 13, 2007. It would have been Josh and Matt's first official full day of kindergarten, if all had gone smoothly. Fate had other plans. Our flight leaving SLC was supposed to depart at 2:50 PM on Sunday, August 12. We got to the airport with loads of time to spare. We were then informed at the gate that the airplane was having some problems. Uh-oh! Soon they were issuing food vouchers to feed the hungry, restless passengers and while $42 of California Pizza Kitchen dinner was great, getting home seemed even better. Our flight finally left after 5:30 PM. Add two hours for the time change, plus an extra hour when someone accidental took our car seat (they did come back and switch), a hour and a half drive home from Cincinnati and a ten minute dash into Wal-mart for milk and you find yourself tucking your kids into bed at the insane hour of 3:30 AM!!

We missed the open house, had never met Matt's or Trey's new teachers and didn't think crazy tired kids would equal a happy first impression, so we let them sleep and took them at noon. They go from 7:45 Am- 2:35 PM and kindergarten is all day. They got in a few hours that first day so I guess it still counts.

The best part was hauling all ten bags of supplies in an extra large laundry basket (I had a hard time lifting it) to the school. I am not allowed to go to the classroom, so Trey, Josh and Matt looked like little pack mules weighed down by their stuff. That would have been a great photo. They were happy when we picked them up and are excited to go back, so I'd say it was a good day indeed!

(Note the laundry basket full of supplies and the stack of Kleenex's on the ground!)

Coming Home

"Absence makes the heart grown fonder, or forgetful." Maid Marian

I have to agree with both parts of that statement. My years living away have made me appreciate all the wonders and beauties of Utah. I am in love with the dryness in the air, the mountain peaks, easy to navigate streets and addresses and the friendly, kind people. I love that there is a church on nearly every block and that temples dot the valley. I love being close to family and letting my children create relationships with their grandparents. As for the forgetful part, I forget how much I love the Timpanogos and Mt. Loafer, how beautiful the Salt Lake Temple is, how the stars are finally in the same place as when I learned them, how Utah grass beats the scratchy Kentucky Bluegrass any day, how it hurts to live far away from our parents and how long the airplane ride home can be. You also forget all those things once you get home because it seems like you never left in the first place.

No matter how long it has been, no matter how long it takes or how short you can stay, coming home is like getting wrapped in a warm, clean, soft blanket. You just want to sit down, wrap yourself up, close your eyes, relax, snuggle in and stay for a while. The days, months or even years that you missed seem like seconds and you just fit right back in. Of course you notice the new shopping center, new streets, new subdivisions, the new clock on the wall, the new paint in the bathroom, but that doesn't make a difference, you still belong. You are truly home.

It had been seven months since we ventured home last December. The girls were just crawling and had little pink helmets on the their heads. They could not speak and Brynn never broke a smile at any new faces. Now the girls can say a few things, climb up and down the stairs, and love to explore each and every nook and cranny in their new surrounds. Brynn actually giggled and smiled last night, well some of the time. I miss the gates and confined spaces, but being with family is worth all the chasing.


The boys are in heaven. They played with eight cousins, five aunts, seven uncles, and four Grandparents just yesterday alone and swam in Grandma Blackhair's pool for hours at a time. They remembered all the important places; where the air hockey, Foosball table, PS2 and NBA Jam are located and are fascinated by the laundry shoot on the second floor. They love Great Harvest bread, Fat Cats bowling and are counting down the minutes until we eat at the "bean place" (Cafe Rio). They will have a hard time leaving, especially having so many fun aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents to play with.

Rich was giddy on the drive to the airport, like a child eagerly anticipating Christmas. He doesn't get home as often as the rest of us, and his face radiated happiness. He loved having his Dad pick us up at the aiport and visiting with him on the hour ride home. He spent more time in the pool yesterday than he had all summer, got some sun on his face and shoulders and is hoping for a tee time soon. And while the ever present need to read and study physics has not diminished, being in Utah has been a fun distraction even if it's only for four days.

Rich asked me on the plane if my shopping fibers were twitching yet. I laughed; like I never shop in Lexington. Now I had an excuse, my body would make me do it! I have already been to University Mall, ShopKo, Losee Jewelers, Seagull Book and Tape and Sam' Club so my to do list of errands is getting smaller. It's amazing how you miss certain stores when they are not available where you currently live. You have to stock up on items to last you through until your next trip back. I got to see almost all of my family yesterday when Rich's family invited them to come up to swim and BBQ. What a blessing it is to have our families so close together.

We are trying to enjoy each moment here so next week when we are back to our school routine and everyday lives we still have a bit of Utah happiness locked inside to last until our next return.

Take me out to the.... anywhere actually.

I am a firm believer that you must leave the house at least once a day. For me, this equals sanity and a brief moment when the house remains clean during the daylight hours. It doesn't matter if I stay in the car the entire time with the kids strapped in behind me, I just need time away.

I am not picky, you could call me an equal opportunity lover of outings. They can be big or small. I don't mind if we are gone ten minutes or ten hours, I just like having something to look forward to. I don't mind errands or going to five different stores in one day. I love to stroll through the mall just as much as I like taking a walk with the girls. Some days it is only a quick drive thru run to McDonald's or the bank. The boys love going to the bank and the teller is wide eyed when I ask for five suckers. Maybe she thinks I have a sweet tooth or need a quick sugar fix, but behind those tinted van windows are ten eager eyes watching her, waiting for their treats. Most days it is a Wal-mart run where I have to drag the boys away from the toy aisles or game section. Once in a while we go on a walk in the evenings when the heat of the day has subsided. This past week we have ventured to the pool. And I dream of days we can someday spend at Disneyland, the best outing of all.

As I ponder this need I have to be on the move, if only for a few minutes, I realize three things. First, I am just like my Mother. She too needs to get out like me. After I had Trey, we started setting time aside each Monday to go to lunch and run errands. I loved this time together and it was then that I developed my deep appreciation and love for Cafe Rio. When I was pregnant with Josh and Matt and then Brynn and Kaitlyn, she would get me out. It was heaven. She would drive, I would recline and just getting in the car for a short ride would make my time down bearable. Thanks Mom!

Second, I am a sharp contrast to my Grandma Nance. I love and admire her, but we are complete opposites. She can spend days inside quilting, working in the yard and is perfectly content and at peace with being home. I can't say I agree.

And third, I have in fact started turning my kids into me. It's like they have been in training since birth. They can sleep in the car or stroller, they enjoy running errands and shopping at the mall and if we haven't been out of the house all day, they too seem to feel a need to get out. I guess I've rubbed off on them.

As we are on the eve of our trip to Utah, I have to admit I am ecstatic and the boys are counting down the minutes. Yes, I love to see the family, but I thrilled too about the variety of places to go, all the things to see and do. I am hoping for marathon days, the ones that start early and end late. My family is famous for our all day Saturdays. Rich says they wear him out. He is weak! We start with miniature golfing or bowling, then have lunch, walk the mall, see a movie. Those are my favorite days. The ones where everyone is together.

Here we come Chuck-E-Cheese, the zoo, Chuck-A-Rama, Fat Cats, Hogi Yogi, the dentist, opthamologist, the temple, visits to the grandparents, Trafalga, Kalle's baby blessing, Losee Jewelers, Shopko and Grandma's pool. I don't plan on stopping, but neither do the kids. It will be a happy week for all. And we can always sleep when we get home!

Growing Up

We decided to spend the morning first at a local park and then head to the pool around noon for a picnic and swim. As the departure time approached I hurriedly began to throw pool and park items into the van creating an ever deepening pile. Who could believe you needed so much stuff for a three hour outing?

As we drove away from home I opened a Diet Pepsi in-between my legs. You would think after my Diet Coke mishap I would have ended drinking soda in the car. Once I popped the top it began to rapidly fizz out and on to the seat. Have I been cursed because of my large pop consumption? I mean I do drink diet! It wasn’t looking good, or feeling pleasant for that matter. I immediately pulled over to clean up the mess, but the damage was done and it wasn’t pretty. I had my swimsuit on under my clothes, but wet jeans are something I hate. I also wasn’t too thrilled with the idea of walking around the park looking like I couldn’t make it to the bathroom. I was only ½ a block from my home, but was it really worth turning around?

Moments later we were on our way heading to the park. I knew it wasn’t a big deal. It would dry soon enough. But it got me thinking. How I would have reacted to this situation in different times in my life? In high school the idea would have mortified me. Sure, I could have made a joke about and laughed it off, but I would have felt uncomfortable. I definitely would have wanted to head straight home to change. Such little things were life and death then. I didn’t have much perspective. I was embarrassed to have tampon in my back pack or having a zit on my face. It was a time of growing up.

Hopefully as we age, we start to see a bigger picture. We realize that some things are trivial and insignificant. We start to mature and realize that there is more to life than “me.” When you get married you enter a partnership. You find someone who you love and trust and it becomes your ultimate desire to make them happy. Then a baby arrives and you suddenly have this little person relying on you, constantly needing you and you start to forget about me all together.

I turned 30 this past February I have to admit I was ready to celebrate. Thirty great years of life, thirty years of learning and growing. It was a happy day. I was honestly excited for it. Why not? We all get older just as fast, one day at a time. I truly am proud to be thirty.

Besides think of all the things you would have to relive if you went back. Personally I never want to retake any college classes, go through any of my labors again or live through things I have struggled with the first time around. What kind of a life do you get when you are always wishing for things past or of things yet to come? You miss out on life.

So there you have it, Deep thoughts by Cheryl. Hard to believe all this stems from spilled Pepsi, but it did make me stop and think about how I have grown as a person. I hope over the years I have managed to see more clearly things that truly matter. That I have learned from the past, appreciate the present and hope for a bright future and be grateful for it all. I am so blessed!

Party at 3

You could say that Motherhood is not for the faint of heart. You could also say that Motherhood will make you faint by the hearth......from the absence of sleep!

We had been in bed for such a short time last night when Brynn's screams woke us up. I have to say I wasn't shocked she was crying since one of the girls has woken up three of the last five nights. I have learned to never count on a full night sleep with kids. I roll my eyes when people tell you their baby is sleeping through the night at six weeks old. I guess I've learn to keep my expectations low, then I'm not disappointed or surprised.

Once you hear the cries, have a dilemma, do you pick her up and hope she settles down quickly, or do you risk it and let her cry hoping she goes back to sleep before her wails wake up her sister? Then you get to take care of two unhappy babies in the middle of the night. It's always a toss up.

After a few minutes of shouts, I decided to pick her up. She was sitting in her crib, her hair and face wet from tears. She stopped crying, but she also didn't seem to tired. Not a good sign. After what seemed like hours with her tossing in our bed, talking and at times crying I put her back in her crib. The cries were ten times louder that when she initially woke up. In the end, we both headed downstairs for a late night snack of cereal, yogurt and banana hoping hunger pains were the reason for this little episode. She thought this was a grand idea and gobbled up the food. She got done eatting close to 3 AM. After she ate, she took a bottle, I rocked her and her little eyelids finally closed.

It's great to spend time with your little one, I just prefer it when the sun is out instead of the moon. I am sure I'd love to get that ever illusive nap today, but probably will settle for a bit more shut eye tonight.