Freshman Year In The Books!

 

School ended sooooooo late this year. Much later than last year! June 25th has come and gone and I am glad!! Noah has changed and grown quite a bit since school started last year. He grew three inches taller which makes him 5'7 and weighs a bit more than he did last year. I can't believe his freshman year has come and gone and that we are now summering. Here's hoping for a summer that doesn't go by too fast! 

Growing Up!!

 

I took these photos last September before school started and as I look at these pics I have to say that he surely has changed. His baby face seems to be vanishing year after year and I am not liking it one bit! He is about 5'3 in these photos weighing at least 120. He's so sweet and funny and has the cutest smile. He may be losing his baby features but in my eyes he will always be my baby! More pics below....

Hugh Jackman at Radio City Music Hall!

 

Tickets to see Hugh Jackman was the perfect Father's Day gift for Jon. He is such an amazing entertainer and it was so interesting to learn more about his history with acting. I had no idea he did so much theatre before he became an actor on the screen. It was a perfect evening and it was so cool to have Richard Marx as a special guest. Hearing him sing "Right Here Waiting" brought back so many memories of my teenage years (good and sad) and I have to say that Richard Marx is better looking now than he was in the 80's! I wish I would have paid more money for better seats so that I could take better pictures but instead I sat back and enjoyed the show. I recorded a few videos but the images are not the best! Still... It was a beautiful evening in New York city and there is no other place I'd rather be than to watch Hugh and Richard with my best friend! 

Summer Solstice in Times Square!

It has been one heck of a first six months into the year and some days I lack motivation to do anything with all that is happening in the world. I haven't had the will to blog or share anything online lately which is why I'll be sharing some the things Ive done to keep me sane from the last two weeks of June. 

Yoga....

Not All Immigrants Are Criminal!

 

So far the month of June has been an emotional one. First with my dear friend passing away and now with all the ICE raids going on in LA and spreading around the whole country. Because of this chaos I haven’t felt the need to post or share anything adventurous so instead I’ve been sharing the passion that I have for my heritage and POC and for what’s happening in the world on my Instagram stories in hopes that those who think the opposite, will have some compassion instead and try to understand why this is wrong.

In Memory of Marielle.

On June 1st, the day of my daughters first wedding anniversary, one of my sweetest and dearest friends passed away. It was a bittersweet moment as we did the four hour drive to and from Boston on the same day. It was raining but somehow the rain seemed so fitting for a funeral. I was so happy that we made it and that we met the rest of Eddie and Barbara's family. Everyone gave the most beautiful talks of memory about their mother. Every pew in the chapel was filled to capacity. Marielle was surely loved and a legend! Oh the things she accomplished while she was living.

A Sweet Little Birthday Celebration!

My momentum in blogging has gone downhill and as I was scrolling though my phone importing photos and deleting duplicates man have I left out a lot of the past two years! I really want to get back into writing and blogging. I sure do miss it at times. Since we had Trent's 8th birthday party last week I decided to post about his birthday last year. We have totally adopted this kid as my second kid and Noah's "little bro." Noah didn't make it to his party last year. He was at a campout but luckily both my girls were here and since his party fell the day after Lexie and Hyrum got married they decided to come. 

It's Great To Be 8!

We first met Rachel and Trent when he was a just a little baby and last week we celebrated his 8th birthday celebration. It seems like yesterday he had his 7th birthday celebration. Time certainly does fly and this year Noah was able to make it. He had so much fun playing with him and the other kids. He definitely was the "big brother" of the group. They all played tag, and Noah constantly was going Trent piggyback rides. Trent is an only child and Noah is the only boy so they are lucky to have each other. They both long for brothers and having Hyrum as a brother in law and Trent as a "little bro" makes Noah happy. It was such a beautiful day and the weather turned out nice. Such a fun space for kids to hang out and play and be themselves running around free in the courtyard. These kids need to stop growing!

Strawberry Picking!

Summer is just around the corner which means that farms are opening up and the time to go picking is upon us. My friend Sandy and I woke up early last Thursday and were among the first to go strawberry picking. And let me tell you after days of rain picking strawberries was the perfect time. Although the field was wet and a bit muddy we were lucky to have had an area where all the strawberries were vibrant, juicy and huge! We picked a ton and later that evening Sandy made strawberry shortcakes for the gathering we were having and it was delicious! I'm so happy she invited me because I sure miss going picking with my kids. All my girls are adults now and Noah is almost 16 and most likely he will come if I ask him but he's not a huge fan of strawberries anymore. He loves apple picking in the fall but when it comes to summer picking he'd rather go to the beach! 

Scenes from Memorial Day!

Snippets of Memorial Day weekend included going to Grants tomb for the hundredth time, a walk down Riverside park, enjoying the somewhat less crowds in the city and topping it off with our fave from Wafels & Dinges. It was a beautiful spring day honoring those who have fought for our country and still continue to fight! Thankful! 

My Firstborn is 3O y'all!

How in the heck did this happen and where in the heck did the time go! My oldest daughter Sierra turned 30 a couple of weeks and I'm still in shock! I feel as if she was born yesterday and that I am still mothering her. One thing I have learned all these years that she has been away from me is that the worrying for any of my kids never ends. That the mothering will never stop. And that giving advice will always continue. However, I am proud of how Sierra has come so far in her role as a human. She is still that smart cookie and a phenomenal writer. She is the head poetry editor at UVU in Orem and studied so hard this past year to continue her education. She got her associates and hopes to graduate in spring of 2026. I know she will do it and I'm just so dang proud of her as to never giving up. Despite all the obstacles she has faced in her life she managed to lift herself up and continue her education in a field that she loves! She will always be my musical bookworm! Happy 30th sweet Sierra! 

You can read a short story I wrote about her here if you'd like to read!