Driving Lessons with Bryson

Bryson has his learner's permit for driving now, he's actually had it for a while - the kids can get it when they turn 15. I was primarily the one who took the older 3 kids out to practice driving when they had their learner's, so I excited to be able to go out with Bryson. This picture was taken the first and last day I took him out on the road. We'd already spent time during earlier days practicing in the parking lot and neighborhood. Bryson did such a good job. I was impressed with his calmness. H really is and will be a good driver.

It isn't his driving at all that causes me to stop driving with him. It's my heart. I wasn't really nervous driving with him, but because he's just learning and I was the one teaching him, I had extra adrenaline flowing in my veins - and that made my heart stress out. It calmed down easily once we came home and I was able to take my meds, but there isn't any reason to stress my heart when I can prevent it.

(I don't know why that first line is underlined, and can't figure out to to take it off - oh well. haha)

Christmas 2009

Bryson putting ornaments on the tree.










Cathi unwrapping bells and ornaments for Bryson to put on display.












Our Christmas animal collection.











My Christmas Village.















Just before turning out the lights on Christmas Eve.













Bryson's excited to open his gifts.











Larry laughing because Cathi gave him the exact same music CD last year: C.W. McCall's Greatest Hits - and he still hasn't listened to the first one! (Maybe that's why she didn't remember giving it to him.)













Cathi got a bird feeder that will hang from her bedroom window.

















Larry opening his book of letters.....













and realizing what it was.








Bryson gave Larry a gift certificate to Weapon Blender, so Larry could get his own airsoft gun and join Bryson in using them.

Random Photos for May and June '09

It must have been funny, whatever it was!














Ostrich anyone?












Zoboomafoo Bryson!





Bryson and Cathi had a date to go see "Treasure Island" at Hale Center Theatre. Bryson had given Cathi the tickets as part of her birthday present. Cathi gave Grandma Lynn a ticket for her Mother's Day present, and Larry and Cathi gave Dustin a ticket as part of his birthday present. It was an evening of laughter and fun.










An exchange for an exchange...









On Mother's Day, Cathi received two copies of "Fiddler on the Roof", so she exchanged one for a copy of "The Sound of Music", which she had forgotten she had received the year before. Sio that was exchanged for "Somewhere in Time" and it arrived in the same box that Larry's Father's Day DVDs arrived in.







A moonlit view from our front porch.

Happy 27th Anniversary to Us!

27 years...a long time for some. Barely half way for others.

What an adventure it has been.

And the best adventures are those you take with your best friend, for which we are both very grateful!

We're even more grateful, however, to know that 27 years is just the beginning of eternity!


Celebrating the anniversary of our wedding day - May 14th, 1982 - at Madeline's Steak House.

Slow Dancin'

A couple of nights ago, just before bed, we were listening to "Love Songs" on the radio - not something we usually do, but it was fun.

The radio program allows listeners to call in make requests and dedications. One lady called dedicated "Unchained Melody" to her husband, whom she fell in love with in high school. She had special memories of dancing barefoot with him to that song. Before "Deliliah", the radio personality, played the song, she said, "Turn down the lights, go get your hubby and re-create those memories."

I jokingly said to Larry, "You should follow her advice."

And to my happy surprise, he did. Bryson snapped a picture so we can keep the memory fresh.

Aren't spontaneous acts of love perfect?!

(One funny note: We were doing the old-fashioned slow dancing, where you basically just spin slowly in a circle. About 2/3's of the way through the song, we had to start spinning the other direction because my oxygen tubing had wrapped around our legs, making it difficult to keep going. )

2008: A Year in Review

There were lots of changes and memory making events in our family in 2008.
Here are some of them:

Family
Christopher and Briana's wedding
Our trip to Disneyland in March (Larry, Cathi, Dustin, Bryson)
Nicolas - our foreign exchange student from France

Larry
Promotion to Manager of Refuse Collection for Salt Lake County Sanitation
Released as 1st Counselor in Bishopric
Called and sustained as High Priest Group Leader
Remodel of Master Bath and Bedroom - right down to the studs
Repainted Laundry Room
Purchase of new dishwasher, washer and dryer

Cathi
Going on dates to the plays at Hale Center with Larry and each of my kids.
4 hospitalizations in one year (after years with none)

Dustin
Moved home after ending his engagement to Emily
Moved to his own apartment in Murray
Promoted to 'Dispatch' and then 'Trainer' at IHC courier department
Beginning school at Weber (Jan 2009) - "Criminal Justice and Forensics"

Christopher
Married Briana Beatse on December 27, 2008
Became 'pepper spray' certified
Continued schooling at BYU
Switched major from mechanical engineering to manufacturing engineering
Continued employment as security guard at BYU Harold B. Lee Library and IHC courier
Served as ward activity chairperson
Moved twice

Briana
Married Christopher
Got to go to London to do study abroad over the summer
Continued education at BYU - Drama Education Major
Moved twice


Niki
Turned 20!!!
Continued schooling at UVU - majoring in Sign Language Interpretation and Deaf Culture
Moved apartments (they turned her 1st apartment into married student or men's housing)
Continued employment at IHC
Switched IHC departments from food prep to housekeeping in the nutrition offices
Highlighted her hair red
Pierced her ears
New clothes style, new makeup - blossomed!
Had both previous employers (IHC and Salt Lake County) say they HAVE to have her work
for them during the summer - they can't live without her. So...she worked long crazy hours for
both of them.

Bryson
Soccer!!!! Bryson has said several times that soccer is what keeps him sane. He plays year round
- indoor (winter) and outdoor (spring, summer, fall)
4.0 GPA for 1st quarter of 9th grade
Finished 8th grade as an SBO officer and Secretary of the SBO organization
Started 9th grade as a member and officer of National Junior Honor Society
Completed Operation DPC (Dry Pack Canning) - His Eagle Scout Project
Decided on his own to apply for a 'sweeper' position at Heartland Elementary - and got it.
Received "Excellent" for his duet festival and "Superior" for his concerto festival

Family Scripture Reading

Family Scripture Reading....



























College Age Style....