YOU GOTTA LOVE IT BABY

Last night Glen and I went down to SLC to watch the Jazz kick Houston's butt. We had a great time. It was an awesome game. I had bought Glen tickets for his birthday. I have now decided that I will never buy upper bowl tickets again. The tickets we had for last night's game were 28 rows from the floor and it was great to be sitting so close. The Jazz played awesome! It was a "PLAYOFF" atmosphere and there was so much energy in the crowd and it got very LOUD! I am so glad we were able to go.

Before the game, we went down closer to the floor and watched the players warm up. While we were sitting there, a nice little oriental couple came and tapped Glen on the shoulder. Glen turned around and the gentleman asked Glen if he was Alan Jackson. I guess all they saw from the back was glen's gray mullet and assumed he must be a country singer! HA HA! We laughed about it all night long.

Me and Alan Jackson

The trip home was a bit hairy. We had snow, rain, sleet and hail. It was only raining in SLC but hailing from North Salt Lake to Lagoon and then from there it was snow. The canyon was snow packed until we started coming down and then the roads were just wet. We didn't get home until 1:30 since it was such a late game, but worth every minute and every penny.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEETHEART!

Today is my dear husband's birthday. He is 50 some odd years old! He is a great guy who deserves to have the very best. That's why he married me I guess ... Ha Ha!

He is such a hard worker and such a softie. His family is the most important thing in his life and worries about them and cares about them all so much.

I was able to get him lower bowl tickets for the Jazz game against Houston next Tuesday night. He was so excited! We are BIG FANS so we'll have fun. We only get a chance to go to a game about once or twice a year.

We will have dinner this Sunday to celebrate with Jade, Brit, Kandice and Josh, and then next Saturday we've planned a barbecue with all the kids when Chels and Brian come home for the weekend to celebrate again. I guess when you're as old as him, you have to have several celebrations as there are so many years to celebrate!

Roxy loves you too!

I love you sweetheart. Thanks for being my best friend and partner for nearly 28 years!

To Grandmother's House WE Go

This past weekend I was able to go to Spanish Fork to visit my family for the first time in months. Each time I have even thought about planning a trip down, it has snowed. It was very nice to be able to go and spend time with mom and my sisters and brother. They all live within 30 miles of each other and sure do wish I could live closer to all of them. We always have so much to talk about and have a lot of fun. They all have young children and it is great to see them. They are all growing up so fast.

Grandma and all the grandkids

Last fall we had a very busy three months ... my brother and sister-in-law, Jedd and Kaycee, had a baby boy, Bennett, on September 30. On October 26, my son and daughter-in-law, Jade and Brittiney, had my grandson, Branson, and then, on November 21, my sister and brother-in-law, Aspen and Corbie, had a baby boy, River. THREE BOYS born within three months. They will have so much fun growing up together.

This was the first time we had been able to get all three babies together and my mom and I were so excited that everyone was able to make it. All of mom's kids and grandkids were there except for my daughter, Chelsie, and my brother and sister-in-law, Lynn and Jolene, and their kids, Sheadon and Kallie. We missed them and hope they can be with us next time.

Mom and my brother and sisters

Amanda, me, mom, Jedd, Shelly, Aspen

Needless to say, it was a house full of people and lots of catching up and tons of food and fun!

OH SERIOUSLY!

What in the world is going on with our weather. It is a beautiful sunny morning. I think to myself that it is going to be a nice day. I glance down at the temperature in the bottom corner of my computer. It says:

ZERO DEGREES

What in the world is going on? We haven't been above 29 degrees for a daytime high since last week. This is getting so very old. WHERE IS SPRING??

GLOBAL WARMING???

I woke up this morning to 6 or so inches of snow. Went out on my lunch and shoveled at least 8 inches off the driveway and sidewalk and neighbor's walk. Just now took Roxy and Buddy out for their last romp before it got dark and shoveled another 2 inches. ENOUGH ALREADY! Didn't we just SPRING forward this past weekend? I am protesting that too. I don't have enough hours in the day, why do they want to take one away from me?? It will take me weeks to catch up for that one hour!

This picture says it all ... even Mr. Snowman has had enough of winter!

Roxy does love the snow though. she loves to smash her ball down into the snow and then dig it out of the hole with her nose. At least someone likes it. This picture of her was taken after the first snowfall this winter. We have much, much more snow than that out on the grass now. We have at least another 3 feet in some places from where the snow has been piled from snow blowing and shoveling. I was just getting to where I had some grassy spots coming through on the south and west side of the house. Now it is all covered up again. At least we know that winter won't last forever (or we hope). It should be warm by the 4th of July. Only four more months ...

Houston, we have a problem ... do you see a black spot in the tree on the left-hand side? That is Roxy's ball. This afternoon while playing ball, after shoveling snow, I threw the ball up for Roxy to catch it and OOPS, it stuck in the branches of the tree. I probably couldn't do that again if someone paid me a million dollars to do it! So funny to see Roxy try to get it down. I thought she was going to climb right up the trunk of the tree. After she nearly had an anxiety attack, we finally had to go in the house and get her a new ball. Good thing we buy them by the dozen.

WEEK OF SURGERIES

This is a crazy week for our family! First of all, my mom's husband, Earl, had total hip replacement last Wednesday. He is home now and doing okay, but mom says he's in a lot of pain. He was in so much pain before the surgery, I hope he will feel better soon! He has my mom to take good care of him. I am sure she will be ready for a break before too long. She works so hard all day at Shopko and is on her feet constantly. Don't forget to take care of yourself too mom.

Secondly, Jade had hernia surgery today. He had a hernia repair when he was 8 years old on his left side, and today they repaired the right side. He didn't go in for surgery until after 11:00 and was home and doing okay by 3:00. It seems kind of like drive-through surgery to me! He has suffered with it for a long time waiting for insurance and vacation pay from work. Not a very fun way to spend your vacation Jader ... we love you and hope you heal quickly. Remember to take it easy and not try to do too much too fast. Good thing he has Brit to take good care of him!

Finally, Chelsie has her wisdom teeth removed on Friday. She has been having problems with them hurting her for a while now and that is how she is spending her tax return money ... also not a very fun way to spend money, but has to be done ... good luck Chels and hope you feel better real fast. Brian will take good care of you. It is a good excuse to eat lots of ice cream and pudding, so there could be worse things I guess!

I wish I could be in three places at once to help out with all of you, but I can't so I can only send my love and prayers.

The best thing about this whole day was that I got to watch Branson while Jade and Brit were at the hospital. He is sooooooo darned cute. I love spending any time with him that I get a chance to. He has taken to sucking his two middle fingers, alternating with his thumb, and loves to have his blankie close to his face. He has mastered the art of SQUEALING and is learning to grab toys of course everything goes right to his mouth. I can't put into words how much I love the sweet little guy!

WHERE IS SPRING???

Roxy and I would really like to know when it is going to warm up. We watch the weather every day and they say it is warm everywhere but here in COLD Cache Valley. Roxy is tired of playing ball in the mud and snow. Since she insists on playing ball at least four times a day, playing in the cold is getting really old! Hopefully it will warm up soon ...

Roxy would really like to play in her pool and Buddy hates for his paws to be wet. It is his worst thing. We are all ready for warm weather and sun. I am even ready for yard work!