Getting Better

Things are going a little better now with time to process what happened. The kids are getting through this better than I hoped. Anthony's funeral is tonight so we will be attending that. I'm looking forward to the chance to meet his mom. I wrote her a letter and tried to express the fact that she will see him again. This has been a growing experience for our family and helped us discuss gospel priciples with each other. The community has really come together and is banding together although everyone is mourning. The boys say school has been eerily quiet (interspersed with crying) all week. Hopefully we will all grow stronger together.
Adam auditioned for an entertainment role at Six Flags and got a callback yesterday. They're acting like he has it, so hopefully he does. He'll be singing and dancing in the pavillion where they have their restaurants for the guests, so it should be something he'll really enjoy. Of course, that commits him for the summer, so it looks like the mission papers aren't going in yet.
Emily is still working hard with her color guard girls at the high school. They have a competition this weekend in Austin so it'll be good to see if all this work is paying off!
The rest of us are plugging along; trying to work hard and stay busy. We feel really blessed to have the gospel in our lives and are thankful for Christ's sacrifice for us. We love you all!

We're So Sad

Last night about midnight Adam and Emily both got texts from friends at Domino's that said "Anthony's dead". We were so shocked to find out that there had been a terrible accident just down the road (we could hear the sirens for a long time) and that their friend Anthony and the friend he had been driving with had been going too fast and rolled their car over several times, throwing the driver from the car and crushing Anthony inside it. Anthony had a twin brother named Nick, and Adam left our house immediately to go check on Nick and stay with him until his parents got home from the hospital. We were up most of the night with all the kids, since Alex and Evan knew him from school, talking about what happened and what will happen with him now. Even Adam asked, "what is happening right now with Anthony in heaven?" and I told him that Jesus is holding him. Adam said "I sure hope so." It is still so new and shocking; I couldn't go to work today and we all just stayed home together and it was very comforting to be here with just us. Having a 16 and 17 year old die so senselessly and so violently is very upsetting to the mom of teenagers, and I am so glad we have our testimonies and our faith to lean on. Please keep our family and the boys' families in your prayers. Thank you.

Let's Catch Up!

Well, it certainly has been a while! Let's see, Emily finally came home and we've been so happy to have her back. She had a terrific time in Utah and is trying to get back into the swing of things. We're all pretty much the same as we've ever been. My parents came for a quick visit at Thanksgiving and we were so happy to see them. Then December slipped quickly away for us amid band concerts and wedding receptions and jobs and school. We definitely looked forward to a break at Christmas time! When Christmas finally got here, the main present for the kids didn't get here! And has yet to get here!! That would be the Xbox 360 that we ordered in NOVEMBER...the Rock Band stuff got here and Emily's laptop got here, but not the game system, so we haven't even been able to play! Hopefully it will be here in the next couple of days.
Tom and I both took off the week after Christmas and enjoyed staying home and hanging out with the kids. We played a lot of games and watched a lot of movies together. Fun was had by all! Now we've got school starting back up tomorrow and work for Tom; I'm still off until Wednesday. Adam and Emily are still working at Domino's and Emily is still working at the high school with their color guard. She loves it. She is looking at starting school herself either in the next week or so, or maybe waiting until spring. She is looking at going local and then transferring to the University of Oklahoma or BYU; I think she prefers OU. Either way I don't want to let her go! She is excited though, and it's fun to see her make her plans.
Well, this was just a catch-up; hopefully I will do better to stay on top of this. Our love to you all!

Nothing New!

Well, Emily's been gone to Utah now for two weeks and we miss her tons! She is having a great time, playing in the snow, visiting her friends, shopping and travelling. She is going to spend a few days at Thanksgiving with Tom's parents so they'll get to spend some time with her. She will be home Dec. 4th and that can't come soon enough for me. I don't know what I'll do when she goes off to college.
We are so waiting for the weather to change down here. It was 85 degrees today! Where's our winter weather?? Last year it was freezing on Thanksgiving day for the ward Fun Run and Turkey Bowl, so maybe there's still hope for some cooler days ahead.
There's not a whole lot of new stuff going on right now. The boys are done with marching season and on to Jazz Band and Regions if they make it. They don't really want to but it's required so it'll be interesting to see how hard they try! It's nice to have them home in the evenings and not at practice til 8:00.
We're all just moving along with our everyday lives, just like you all are. We think of all of you often and send our love.

Happy 18th Birthday, Emily!!

Happy 18th, Emily! I can't believe the tiny little babe I used to cradle in my arms is an 18 year old woman now. And quite a beautiful one at that. Her birthday was yesterday, and we had a couple of her closest friends over to have cake and ice cream with us after dinner. We had such a good time that the girls were laughing until they cried. It was too much fun!
Emily and I are going to Time Out for Women this weekend; just the two of us. We are going to spend the night on the Riverwalk after the Friday night session and walk over early Saturday morning for that day's events. We are very excited to get to spend some time together before she leaves for Utah next week. No boys allowed!
Alex is healing nicely after his "severely sprained" ankle from last week; he even went to school today with no crutches. He's been hopping and hobbling around the house since someone jumped on his foot (accidentally) on a trampoline after a dance last Saturday night. It was humongously swollen and gross and purple for a good week afterwards but looks much better now. The doctor thought he might have broken the foot or the ankle; it was so swollen that we couldn't tell if it was the foot or ankle, but the x-rays were negative, thankfully.
Adam is looking at working at the UPS store in the time he's not working at Domilno's so he can save money faster for his mission. I personally just think he should go and let us worry about paying for it, but he's trying to help. He is a good boy...or man, I guess! Oh, and anyone wishing to donate to the "send Adam on his mission" fund is welcome to contact me! Hee hee!
Evan is doing great and just plugging along. He's doing a great job on the drumline and really enjoys it. He's trying not to get a big head since the drumline has a reputation as being the most prideful members of the band, but I think it's grown a little!
We send our love to all our friends and family and hope to see you guys soon! Great day to all!

Happy Birthday, Evan!

Happy Birthday to my dear baby, Evan. You may be fourteen today, and may be taller than me, but you are still my baby. I hope you love your new phone and that you have a wonderful day and a wonderful year!

Much Ado About Nothing

Not much exciting going on here, just the everyday madness! I think we've finally settled down to a routine with the younger two kids in seminary and school. We're trying family prayer in the morning before the kids go to seminary and scripture study at night before bed, and that seems to be working well. Hopefully it will continue to work well! Alex and Evan did really well at their first band competition on Saturday. Their band took first place in several events and overall. For the first competition for the high school's first year, it was outstanding! We are so proud of them when we see them marching on the field.
Emily had two high schools fighting over her to have her work for them assisting with the color guard. She chose to work with Johnson, the school the boys attend. She worked with many of the girls when she was on the color guard in high school last year. She's very excited and begins work today.
Adam was promoted to Assistant Manager at Domino's and is enjoying having more money to spend and more money to save for his mission. He is doing well and enjoying life, maybe a bit too much!
Tom is so happy to be retired from the Air Force. He is doing the same job he did while active duty, just as a civilian now. He likes having all the pressure off and having a more relaxed day. He is happier when he comes home now.
I'm still working at the Distribution Center for our church, and I really enjoy it. We are losing our manager because she is getting married in December. I'm very happy for her but sad for me because she is such a sweetie and I will miss her. It will be hard to get used to a new manager with a new style but hopefully it will work out okay.
That's about it for us now. I've been working on scrapbooking and making Christmas cards and that has been a stress-reliever for me. So when you get your cards at Christmastime from us, remember they were made with love!
'Til next time....