Highlights of the Year 2021

The year 2021 has been an eventful one for our family! 

After having six adorable grandsons, I finally got my first grand-daughter.

(Respecting my daughter's wishes to not show her children's faces.
Scumbags on the internet ruin everything.)

My oldest son, Cody, turned 40! We celebrated with an open house. 

Cody loved having his friends from  Turn Community Services there.

Katelyn, who happens to be my youngest child, turned 30! What?! How?!!

Boyd and I went to Fort Worth, Texas to see my BF from high school and her family.

My sister, Camie, and her daughter, Lainey, came and 

spent a few days with me. We braved Vegas for a day.

Beverly and I went on our first girl trip without our daughters. We had a great time, even though we had to wear masks on the rides. (And we really wished the girls could've come.)

On a sad note, my step-father passed away. I am glad he's no longer suffering. 

CANCER CAN SUCK IT!

Boyd and I made the decision to cash in on the insane housing market in St. George and move out of town. We bought the cutest home in the perfect location and moved in the first Saturday of September.

Within a month, I landed a job as an EL Interventionist at the elementary school close to my home.

(Ignore the typo in my text.) 

Cody is adjusting to his new day program. He really wanted to be Goofy on Halloween. 

We've enjoyed a couple of snow storms (which rarely happened in St. George).

We hosted our first Thanksgiving in our new home and just ended the year with a very Merry Christmas.

Looking back, I feel blessed beyond measure!

Bring on 2022!

To you and yours...

It Might Take a Year, It Might Take a Day, but What's Meant to Be Will Always Find Its Way

Ten months ago I was heartbroken and pretty much expected that I was destined to go through the remainder of this life without a partner. My heart ached when I saw other couples, whether old or young, enjoying companionship and I realized that I no longer had that blessing in my life. I plead over and over with God "Please, there has to be someone out there whom I can love and will love me back...someone who will love my kids and my grand kids, who enjoys the same things I do, who worships and believes the same way I do, etc." Each day I went on and on and was very specific in my prayers with my wants, my needs, my desires.

Then, one day last fall, I was having a conversation with a coworker and good friend, Colleen. I told her that unless God basically drops someone in my path at Walmart, church or work, I will remain single, because I don't typically go anywhere else and there is NO WAY I am going to do the online dating thing. She responded to my pitiful, negative attitude by letting me know that a couple of her daughters met their husbands on LDSsingles. As I pondered on her words for a few days, I decided I would give the website a try. 

It didn't take long before Boyd Beatty messaged me. As I read his profile, I could not believe how much we had in common. I seriously thought that he had read my profile first and then changed his answers to match mine! It took a lot of convincing on his part to get me to actually go out on a date, but he was patient and his persistence eventually paid off. 

Despite my broken spirit from past relationships, he was able to win me over and prove to me that good guys do still exist in this world. (He even went to the police station and had a background check run on himself to prove to me he has no criminal history.)

Long story short, I am so glad I had that conversation with my coworker months ago and that Boyd reached out to me online. He is such a good man. He loves and respects me and he loves my children and grandchildren. There is not a day that goes by that he doesn't tell me "I love you! I am so grateful to have you and your kids in my life!" But most importantly, I learned a lesson that I will never, ever forget and that is God does hear and answer prayers. It may take years (as was the case of my divorce) or it may just be a few short months (like Boyd and I finding each other), but God does have a watchful eye over me and Cody. This I am absolutely positive of.

On Thursday, June 1st, Boyd and I had a small, intimate wedding ceremony in a private dining area at the Cliffside restaurant overlooking St. George. Here are a just few of the photos from that very special evening. I will share more on Facebook for close friends and family.

Grandpa Boyd telling our grandsons it's okay to lick the frosting off the tray.

I LOVE this pic SO much!

The only way the evening could have been better is if Casey and Kelly could have been there (they are in Las Vegas and expecting a baby soon) and if River could have lived to see her dad marry again. Rest in Peace River. We know you were with us in spirit.

Happy Birthday Cody!

It's this dude's birthday today. This guy trusts like a child, loves unconditionally, and is doing his part to make saints out of sinners. He has proved doctors, psychologists  and educators wrong, beat the odds more times than I care to remember, and has touched the heart of each person that is lucky enough to know him, while at the same time, tested every fiber of their patience. Gosh, I love him! 

Happy 34th Birthday Cody!

Carolina Cousins and Coca-Cola

Have I ever told you how awesome my husband's family is? Well, I will tell you now...they are. Marrying into a family with southern roots just might be the best decision that I have every made. 

Recently, my children and I were able to meet some of Don's "kinsfolk" from South Carolina... Don's cousin Greg and his lovely wife, Bonnie. I instantly fell in love with them! Bonnie walked in the house, immediately approached Cody and initiated a greeting that was so appropriate, it caught me off guard. It wasn't until the next day, when I stalked Bonnie on facebook, that I learned she was a registered nurse for the South Carolina School for the Deaf and Blind. No wonder she was so at ease with Cody! How did we not know this about her?

Our family spend a few fun-filled days with Greg and Bonnie and we hated to see them go. The entire time that they were here, I kept having this nagging feeling (in a good way) that I had known them my entire life.

This evening, UPS stopped in our cul-de-sac and left a package at our front door. Don, upon bringing the box inside, looked at it carefully and commented, "I don't think this package was suppose to come to our house." You can see from the picture below why he would make that assumption...

After further inspection, Don and I noticed that the package did indeed have my name on it and that it was sent from Taos, New Mexico, one of the many places Greg and Bonnie were visiting on their drive home. 

Imagine my surprise when I opened the box and saw this little note...

...and this awesome Coca-Cola phone inside!

Have I ever told you how awesome my husband's my family is?    :)

Turning 50 Part 4

Katelyn's husband, Matt, wrote this one. Don and I love having him as our one and only son-in-law. It makes us happy that, after being around our crazy brood for a couple of years now, Matt will still claim us. By the way, if you saw Katelyn's rock, you would approve as well! :)

This one is from my aunt Cindy. I am blessed with some pretty wonderful aunts, but I've got to admit, Cindy is my favorite. She is only seven years older than me and, for that reason, I spent more time with her than any of the others. I have soooo many fond memories of her! Obviously, she was a great sport to include me on her dates. 

Best girl trip ever...up to that point. 

We were at this mall in Rancho Cucumonga, CA...

and, as we left the H & M store, I noticed one of the zippers on my backpack was down. I searched my backpack for my wallet and couldn't find it. I was sure someone had unzipped the backpack and stole it. Beverly, Jennica, Katelyn and I looked everywhere and Bev was really close to jumping a guy that "looked guilty" standing by the trashcan. I phoned my husband back home and had him call the bank to put a stop on our credit cards. Then, when we got back in the car, I looked in my backpack one more time, and there was my wallet. 

I think it was Jennica who took this photo of me from the back seat. As you can see, the girls still won't let me forget that moment in time. 

Talitha is my daughter-in-law. She is a fantastic cook and such a good mom! Talitha must also have a great sense of humor and a lot of spunk to be married to my son Chase, who is a big kid at heart and loves teasing everyone.

Much like my brother-in-law's note on the last post, this is another "you had to be there" moment. John is a co-worker and good friend. 

Susan is John's wife. We DID have a great time watching the taping of Wheel of Fortune! You can read about it here .

Bridger is my great-nephew (my sister's grandson). Reading children's handwriting is my favorite! I am so glad Bridger had a good time at my house eating pizza. :)

Of all the teachers I've worked with over the years, I've been with Susan the longest. She is amazing! Never has she made me feel inferior or asked me to do anything I am not comfortable with. Consider yourself blessed if your child was/is lucky enough to have her for a teacher.

If you missed the previous "Turning 50" posts, here are the links...

Turning 50 Part 1

Turning 50 Part 2

Turning 50 Part 3

Turning 50 Part 1 (Yes. It Was THAT Good!)

I did it. I hit the dreaded, milestone 50th birthday yesterday and I've got to say, it wasn't at all bad. In fact, thanks to my awesome kids, fabulous extended family and amazing friends, it was the BEST birthday I've ever had!

The morning started off great with Cody giving me a C.O. My facebook friends know the story behind this gift. For those of you who don't, Cody has wanted to get me an electric can opener (C.O.) for my birthday for awhile now and not because I need one. Cody, in all his autistic glory, has WANTED me to want one.

When I arrived at the school, Mrs. B. had these sitting on my table, along with a cute card...

She and the children sang the birthday song to me and, when the Kindergarten students wanted to know my age, I responded, "I'm a grandma, so how old do you think I am?" One little girl shouted "18!", which was much kinder than Cody telling me I was almost 100.

After work, my husband treated me to lunch at Olive Garden and, when we got home, Casey had been at our house and left a card and this gift on the kitchen counter...

A 50 dollar iTunes card for my new iPhone! Hellzzyeah! :)

AND...

Throughout the entire day (week/month/?), I had NO idea THIS was going to happen...

I had to erase the address and phone number. Obviously. :)

You will want to stay tuned for Turning 50 Parts 2 and 3. I promise it gets even better!

Happy 30th Birthday Chase

Chase, my second son and #1 blog fan, turns 30 years old today. Last night, while still in his twenties, our family celebrated some of his final hours of youth. We had a grand time. 

Asher, Casey and Kelly

They are a crazy bunch, but I love them (despite the headache they gave me).

Chase and his Mini-Me

Casey actually WANTED to play games. It's crazy what a girlfriend will do. ;)