the doorway to heaven

*i luv this woman, i called her grams.

*she named her pony "PET"

*she was raised in Las Animas, CO

*she was an only child so when she married she wanted lots of children (she named them Bill, John, Bob & Julie because "they needed simple first names because Freeze was off the wall"...she dedicated her life to them.

*she luved life, laughing, music, reading, church, friends.

*my grandpa was the love of her life, the man of her dreams.

*my grams luved her grandchildren, all 16 of them. she had the way of making you feel like you were the most important person in her life. she was fun!

*she luved party's and family gatherings...every birthday Angel Food cake and confetti sprinkled over the head of the one celebrating.

*grams was a best friend to me growing up. after granpa died, i spent usually 3 nights a week over at her house to keep her company. she spoiled me...5 course meal breakfast's, night shows of Green Acres/MacGyver/Murder She Wrote., the countless conversations - how did she put up with me, helping me with school projects (Madam Currie), her example: her love and devotion to God, Terrific Tuesday's, her piano, her Honda, her red lipstick, her laughter.

*my grams passed away this past week after a very long 9 year battle with Alzheimer's. i feel so blessed because i was in town visiting my family when she left us. i had the chance to sit by her bedside, hold her hand, and rub her soft arm. i got to say good-bye. i'm so happy for her because i know she was tired and ready to see my grandpa...

she had an amazing life...

i will always miss her.

*i wrote this last year as a tribute to grams for her 80th birthday.

I think of grams a lot...most of the time the memories just pop into my head for some reason and I instantly miss her. Last week Cameron and I were walking home from the San Diego State Basketball game…it was a beautiful day…and as we were walking I noticed all the leaves on the ground. Immediately I was taken back to my “world class” leaf collection that grandma helped me to put together in the 5th grade. When she brought me back a cotton leaf from her trip to Arizona (to see John and family), I knew an A+ was headed my way. That was the thing about grandma…she always made you feel like you were the most important thing in her life. I remember watching grandma get ready for bed…washing her face, the smell of her Oil of Olay face cream, the water pick, etc. I remember one night watching her tidy up her eyebrows by using a shaver. It seems like yesterday, that after she got snuggled into bed, I got up to “use the bathroom” and wanting so much to be like my grams I shaved the first fourth of my left eyebrow right off. I immediately started to cry and grandma comforted me – I bet she was laughing loud inside but she hugged & calmed me (and yes, she even penciled it in a little for school the next day to make me feel better…the life of a sixth grader). I think a lot about the year grandma lived with us in Provo after my freshmen year of college. It wasn’t the easiest time but I remember some of the conversations we had together at nighttime and they are some that I will always hold sacred to me. I hope that I can be like her in so many ways… sweet, patient, loving, funny, beautiful, smart, and humble. I hope that someday when I have grandchildren, they will love me as much as I love her. I think of grandma every night before I go to bed when Cameron is either rubbing my arm or I am rubbing Savannah’s…because it was grandma who would rub my arms for hours before I feel asleep. I miss my grams and I hope that she knows how much I love her. Happy Birthday – “Woman to Woman”.

mArcH MaDNess

Savannah turned FOUR!!!

Happiest birthday Vanny girl

...we luv you!

Our FOUR FAVORITE things about Savannah:

1. How she luvs to sing & dance

2. She says sweet prayers and always points out that we should use words like "oh dear" instead of darn and gosh

3. She still takes a nap in the afternoon because she plays hard...

and likes giving her mommy a break!

4. She luvs to read, is a super sister, give good kisses & hugs, is a good friend and shares her toys, she is sensitive, she has beautiful eyes and a sweet smile, she likes to listen to music before she goes to bed, she has fun nicknames like Vannah/Vanny/Sissy, she likes to swim (okay that was more than 4!).

"Cousin Ellie was in town for my birthday!"

Cupcakes ~ My nanny Brittany (we LUV you!) ~ the next American Idol

My cousins & friends!

Blowing bubbles ~ Giselle / Enchanted Pinata (felt bad about hitting the Princess with the bat...but you gotta do what you gotta do!)

Cute in PINK!

I luv my new chair...

My birthday breakfast with my cousins, my very best friends! Thanks for the swimming Barbie Nanny! Sack lunches with my friends!

A lady bug charm for my bracelet from my daddy!

And the madness continued with NCAA Hoops! Em, Matt, and Landon came into town to watch the first round of the tourney at the Pepsi Center. We had legit seats and didn't have to pay an arm and a leg thanx to Em & Cam! The games were more boring than an afternoon at the library (JK!) but they were pretty much all blow-outs...we still had a great time though...and got a little press coverage being interviewed by the WBchannel2.

Lucky Notre Dame Leprechaun...who needs luck, right!?!? The Duke Blue Devils could have used some, totally let me down.

Here's to: Silver dollars, "and the guys look cute in their uniforms", lots of $5 Diet Coke cups, the weird WEIRD guy on the train on the way home (that Cam is imitating), "WINtrop" nuff said, ESPN Zone, the guy on the escalator "do I know you?", Em & My cute matching t-shirts, the greasy guys scalping tickets - oh wait that was Cam & Landon, the very sad/odd cheerleaders from Winthrop - seriously that ruined the game for me more than the score did, Pick 'em Right bracket..

Lucy-Lu...18 months and I couldn't luv this stage more. She luvs to play, be tickled, and cry for gummy's. I just luv being with her...she sure keeps us on our toes...sweet & smily, sneaky & silly. I just gave her a little haircut, it was starting to turn into a mullet...so we are working towards a bob for the summer!

swimming, swimming, swimming...luv you Morgy & Beau!

Savannah finally starting her swim lessons that I promised her a year ago (better late than never)...she luvs to swim and is getting better every week!

Young Women's Basketball...I guess that full court press the other ward put on us at the beginning of the season really helped us! We ended up winning the Stake tournament...we won by 2 points at the end of the game and it was legit, seriously the girls were pumped (um, yeah and so was I - booyah!!!). You'd think the domination would end there but we went to our multi-stake tournament two weeks later and WON! All about the teamwork...we had a fun pizza party at my house...I luv these girls...GO BLUE SHOES!

LEAPING it up...

What could be better than celebrating your birthday with your dad...let alone on Leap Year...something special we have always shared...I luv you dad.

*In years past, the newspaper would always come over and interview us for a story for the paper...we always joked it was our 15 minutes of fame...probably less than 15 minutes because of my hair-do's...yikers on those bangs! Anyhoo, here is our 15 minutes of fame for this year..click here

This year for my 7th birthday...Cam surprised me with a trip home to UTAH to see our families...I was so excited because I have never spent one of my Leap Year birthday's away from my dad...it was a surprise to my dad too!

THE BEST teammates a girl could ask for (wish you could have been here AMY!). Not only was my trip to UT a surprise but my sisters, mom, & Cameron planned a surprise party for me & my dad. I hate surprises so I was pressuring them on what we were doing for the day and they led me to believe we were having a fancy catered dinner. So since Cameron had packed for me (scary, I know) I went and got a cute new outfit and was all excited for the evening. Needless to say, my sister Jessica picked me and dad up from the movie theatre...blindfolded us...then brought us into a room at one of the local churches and had us put on our LEAP YEAR LEGENDS uniforms (Cam had specially made jersey tops!)...we could hear cheering and music in the background. She led us out to the hall and opened the door to the gym and we ran through a banner to music and Cameron announcing the stars of the night! It was so much fun to see friends and family there...we had an awesome night! It was a basketball theme...with "Concessions" (pretzels with cheese, pizza, popcorn, soda, bubble gum, etc)...we played fun hoops games like knock-out...they had the Wii set-up on the stage for everyone to play...phenomenal decorations / sweet banners...they pulled out all the stops...it was a birthday that will go down in history for me...thanks so much you guys, I luv you.

Nurse Jamie...it was so great to see you, luv ya girl! Rion & Lindsay...what a cute couple, who set you up again...you got married, now you have two cute little boys?!? (oh yeah, that was me!)

The Idaho Kesler Krew...thanx for making the trip you guys!!!

Chad in his legit uni...Kim 2 weeks post baby...Brad & Meg ...luved the "bling-bling" necklace and fake tattoo...would expect nothing less!

Erin & Spencer...old school ballers...luv you guys, Parker is legit!

Luv the banners Em! So fun to see the Christiansen crew (Shelli, McKay, Alex, Brynn, Sadie!)! Ballers that think they are hard core...Scotty Dogg, Matty, Chris! Always luving my nieces & nephews!

Props on the sweet cake, phenomenal announcer, and mom always in charge of giving T's!


My favorite gifts! Luv you Lucy & Vanny...Cam you rock, it was tight babe!