Graduation

Michelle & Andrew

What a proud moment for David & I. Our sweet Michelle and her wonderful husband Andrew graduated from Brigham Young University - Idaho on July 23, 2009.
Michelle with her Bachelors in Child Development
and Andrew with his Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering.
They will be returning to Rexburg for the fall semester for Michelle's internship and for Andrew to finish his last 9 units. We are so happy for them and all their hard work!

HAPPY GRADUATION ALEX!!!

On June 5, 2009 Alex graduated from Redwood High School. We are so proud of Alex and all that he has accomplished during his time in high school. He was involved in FFA, played Water Polo and Swam all four years, as well as being on the honor roll (well most of the time). He will now be taking some classes at our local community college while preparing for his mission. If all goes as planned, he will turn in his papers the beginning of October and then report in January after the Fall school semester. We are so proud of him and the decissions he is making in his life. It was so fun to share his graduation with our family (Thanks Uncle Jon, Lance, Sierra and Teddy for coming up). As always we are so grateful for the support of my parents who are there with us to share in all the important events in our kids lives. It was also so fun to be with our "Nichols" family in the stands and cheer for our boys. We have watched Derrick and Alex go through Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Junior High, Swimming & Water Polo together and so it seemed only right that they should be walking together for their graduation. We will surely miss all the associations that have come through Alex's activities - but we know that he is on his way to even bigger and better things in his life. We love you son!!

PROM

Oh what it would be like to be young and georgeous!

Blakely & Alex

The "brothers from different mothers"

Alex and Derrick

So Handsome! Wow, does time fly!

Senior Prom has now come and go. Alex had a great time. He and his best friend Derrick went together (along with 42 of their other "close friends"). They started out at Derrick's date's home and then met up with the rest of the group and took a lim"bus"sine to Fresno for dinner and then back to Visalia for the dance. In-n-Out after the dance and you have the perfect evening.

Stake Formal Dance

Our area had a tri-stake "Formal Dance" recently. The girls had so much fun getting all dressed up and going to a great event. They had a really nice sit-down dinner before hand. I spent the afternoon doing Abby and her good friend Tearra's hair before the event. They looked so pretty.

Easter Outfits!

We had a really great Easter. I always love when the kid's get dressed up in their new "spring duds". I do have to say, Ben is not too thrilled with the idea of matching outfits with Josh. I guess I was just missing the days when I could dress up my girls alike. And it was much easier to buy Easter dresses for Abby when she was little. It is so hard to find age appropriate, modest dresses for young women. I did really like what she ended up with. Poor Alex did complain that he felt left out because I did not get him anything new. I keep reminding him that I will be purchasing many new clothes for him in the next few months as he prepares for his mission!

ONE WORD ANSWERS!

Thanks to my good friend Kim, I've been tagged again!

Give one word answers with no explanation, then tag five bloggers
1. Where is you cell phone...pocket
2. Where is your significant other... riding
3. Your hair color... questionable
4. Your mother... amazing
5. Your father... character
6. Your favorite thing... bedtime
7. Your dream last night... crazy
8. Your dream goal... unity
9. Room you're in... bedroom
10. Your hobby... cooking
11. Your fear... failure
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years... sane
13. Where were you last night... home
14. What you're not... skinny
15. One of your wish-list items... car
16. Where you grew up... Corona
17. The last thing you ate... Sal's
18. What are you wearing... jeans
19. Your tv... large
20. Your pet... missed
21. Your computer... busy
22. Your mood... content
23. Missing someone... Michelle
24. Your car... worn
25. Something you're not wearing... shoes
26. Favorite store... Target
27. Your summer... busy
28. Love someone... family
29. Your favorite color... blue
30. Last time you laughed... afternoon
31. Last time you cried... today
and I tag... Rhonda, Cyndi, Tricia, Liz, Kathy
Yes you are welcome!

KINDERGARTEN TIME!

I can't believe it, the time that I thought was so far away is rapidly approaching - Josh going into kindergarten. Tomorrow I will be registering him for school. I remember when Ben started school and I was so excited that my last kiddo was in school and I would have some time for myself in the mornings for the first time in many years. Then in February 2004 we found out that Heavenly Father had a big suprise for us - another baby! Well, after my initial shock & awe wore off, I realized that it would be another 5 years before I had all my kids in school - which seemed like a lifetime at that point. Well, time has sure flown by. Josh is getting ready to start school - and is he ever ready for it. So, beginning is August when he goes to Kindergarten I will finally have my last kiddo in school - after 21 years of having kids at home all day. WOW!!! I am so excited for both of us, but also a little sad because it means my baby is growing up, and I can't believe it, but I will really miss him. He has been a great little companion for me.

TWENTY-TWO YEARS!!!

David and I just celebrated our 22nd wedding anniversary on Valentine's Day. Unfortunately we were both terribly sick and in bed the whole weekend (and not in a fun way). I did have plenty of time to think about our relationship over the years and how grateful I am for this man and the life we have created together. I thought it would be fun to do a time-line of our relationship.

August, 1985 ..... Met David at a ward Beach party where he got my attention by pouring wet sand down the back of my swim suit.

November, 1985 ..... Our first date

December, 1985 ..... David & I had first "marriage" discussion

April, 1986 ..... Officially engaged (for way too long - don't recommend for ANYONE)

January 1987 ..... David graduates

February 14, 1987 ..... Wedding Day!!!

April 1988 ..... Moved from our 1st apartment to Corona (the same ward that I grew up in)

August 7, 1988 ...... Michelle born in Riverside, CA

November 29, 1990 ..... Alexander born in Corona, CA

June 1992 ..... bought our 1st home - a condo in Corona (still same ward)

January 1994 ..... David starts work at Ironwood State Prison in Blythe, CA

(commuting home on weekends)

May 26, 1994 ..... Abigail born in Corona, CA

May 1997 ..... David transfers to S.A.T.F./S.P. in Corcoran, CA

July 1997 ..... Family moves to Visalia, CA back living together full-time in 3 1/2 years!

(first time we will be more than 5 minutes away from my family)

March 29, 1998 ..... Benjamin born in Visalia, CA

April 1999 ..... bought our first home in Visalia

December 2003 ..... bought our first "brand-new" home in Visalia

February 2004 ..... Surprise!!! Pregnant again after being told not possible.

June 2004 ..... moved into our beautiful new home

October 7, 2004 ..... Joshua Alviso born in Visalia, CA

June 2006 ..... Michelle Lela graduated from El Diamante High School

January 2007 ..... first little birdy leaves the nest - Michelle off to college!

November 2007 ..... Alexander receives his Eagle Scout award

December 27, 2007 ..... Michelle Lela marries Andrew in Fresno Temple

We have been incredibly blessed in our life and our relationship. I am so grateful for a loving husband who loves me and his children dearly and takes such great care of us. I am thankful to have the Gospel of Jesus Christ in our home and that my husband honors his priesthood responsibilities. I am so blessed to have 5 amazing children that our Heavenly Father has trusted David and I to raise for him here on earth. I am thankful for an amazing extended family who has continually supported David and I in our marriage and in the raising of our family. What a lucky woman I am! What amazing experiences we have had in our first 22 years of marriage and I can't wait to see what the next 22 years has in store. We are looking forward to more graduations, missions, marriages, and grandchildren to love and spoil!

CRUTCHY!

Well, those of you with teenage son's know that sometimes it takes their brains a while to catch up their actions! So is the case with Alex. The last weekend of Winter Break (1/9 & 10) he went with some family friends to their home in Cayucas (the central coast). He and his friend Kyle decided it would be a fun thing to climb the sea wall along the shore as the tide was out. Well, Alex being the billy goat that he is got about 2/3 up the wall - 2o feet or so, when a rock that he was using to pull himself up pulled out of the wall and he fell straight down onto his feet and then onto his back. I guess he is not as good of a billy goat as we thought! The result, a severly sprained ankle (which is still bruised badly & swollen) and a compression fracture of his L2 vertibrae in his back. He was unable to start practicing with his swim team, the following week and is now in an air cast on his ankle and a back brace to keep his spine straight while it heals. So, now I have been driving him around for the past few weeks, and he is driving us all crazy because he is bored out of his mind since he is not in the pool - which is where he spends most of afternoons of the year. He will be able to get back into the pool the first of March, so he will be working hard to catch up and get ready for competition. He is happy that he will only miss 2 of the swim meets and will be back when league swim starts. We are just so grateful that his injurys were not more serious as they could have been. In the mean time - we are all having fund teasing him. His cousin Kaylene came up with the nickname "crutchy" for him and it really fits!

Eternal Happiness!

What a great day!! We so love being with our Turner family - and there is no better place to be with them then at the temple celebrating the Celestial Marriage of one of our children. Saturday we were blessed to witness the sealing our our sweet Jordan to his beautiful Ellie. David always loves the opportunity to catch up with Mom Turner and receive the wisdom and love that she shares with him. We love spending time with Annie and Rob and all their kids and stengthen our eternal bonds of love and friendship. And, watching Dave and Robert is like going back in time - they have such a close bond that has been growing for 39 years!

Ben - The Snake Hunter!!

This past weekend we were visiting with our family. They live on 6 acres which is heaven on earth for boys - especially 11 year old boys. Ben loves to feed the chickens and gather eggs. When he went down Sunday afternoon to feed them, he saw a snake move close to his feet. He did what he was supposed to and came and got his Uncle Rob. Rob & Ben (along with Jordan, Ellie & Joshua) dashed off to see it and low and behold it was a baby rattle snake! The rule on the property - rattler's die - other snakes live. So, here is Ben's dead baby rattle snake. He was so proud of himself! I on the other hand was a little freaked out!