August 2010

Hardings
Things continue to get more and more chaotic in our lives here in St George.

Will has been putting more and more time in at his shop that he has opened. It slowly is doing better and supporting itself. Being self employed is definitely way stressful, but hopefully pay off once it is developed more.
Amy continues to work at the hospital at nights and is working on finding a good day shift that will work well with everyone's schedule. She has also started a Master's degree in Health Administration this last month. Definitely no spare time anymore.

Kaleb has been learning so much still. He now can count to 20, knows his basic shapes and colors, and can spell his name. He has quite the imagination and loves to rough house with Thomas and Kimberly already. He can barely wait for them to get strong enough to hold their own.

Thomas and Kimberly both have been getting around the house way too well. They officially turned 1 and have the pictures to prove it. They had such a great birthday. We were lucky enough to have a visit from Grandma and Grandpa Sawyer on their birthday. I'm pretty sure that they will never visit in the middle of July again. Poor dad was melting, but hopefully enjoyed hanging out with his grand kids. Kimberly loved sitting with Grandpa and playing games with Grandpa. Kimberly has been doing extremely well with copying sounds. She has mastered mama, dada, papa, and other sounds. She always pretends that the tv remote is a phone and talks her special way of talking. Thomas is doing pretty well with his words as well. They are not quite walking yet, but working on it.

It was great again to have a visit from Mom & Dad. Will was especially grateful as Dad built a nice set of shelves for Will's work. They are definitely being used. Will and I have been trying to slide in some fun every now and again to keep us sane. We took the family to the community pool. This was by far the most awesome city pool I have ever been to. Kaleb loved the water slides and river.

Well, that is about it for us this month. I hope everyone had a great month.

Mom and Dad
Becky and kids filled one week with fun and laughter. We always enjoy having any of our family come for a visit. It is always amazing to see how much they are all growing up way too fast. After stuffing belongings, kids, and things for the Hardings in the car, Becky rode on the booster seat in the front to Lehi. We didn’t even have to stop very often and the kids were great. We literally dropped them and their stuff off on the curb and took off for St. George where we spent the weekend with Amy, Will and kids. If you think birthday cake for one one-year-old is messy, try two one-year-olds. While there Dad built a workbench/shelf for Will’s shop. We decided we definitely don’t want to live there. It was great to get back to our 90 degree weather from the 113 degree there.
We enjoy having Mark and family nearby. Rachel thinks we should build a house next door to them and let Mark build Dad’s shop between the two houses so he will have total access to Dad’s tools. They came over one Sunday for a dinner of grilled fish from their trip to Alaska. While here Mark and Dad were in a debate over a song that had been sung in priesthood meeting and a bet ensued with Mark’s tractor as the wager. . Because Dad was the chorister he was sure that it was “I Know That My Redeemer Lives” and Mark was sure that it was “I Believe in Christ”. So they called the person who had conducted and he agreed with Dad. Mark still wouldn’t give in so they called another friend and he had no idea, but his son said it was neither. So it is still out for further research, or maybe we’ll just let Obama solve it. Mark says, “But he will just give it to Dad!”
We hope you all enjoy a few more days with our grandchildren before school begins and that our Arizona grand kids all have a great school year.
Love to all, Mom and Dad

Brian and Jessica

Another month is gone already?? And is it really already August?? It’s been another busy month which started with our trip to Wisconsin which was really fun. It was good for Brian to see a pretty part of the state during a nice time of year, and my family really enjoyed getting to know him better. After that, I’ve been busy with work and Brian had his Manly Man Trip to Alaska, which I’m sure others will have plenty to say about. I know Brian had a really good time and we will be reaping the benefits for many many months (sea bass tonight!). Now we’re starting to get things in order for Africa in September. Vaccinations are checked off the list as of yesterday.

Steve and family

July was a very interesting month in our household. The family started off on a surprise trip to Utah, Idaho, and Arizona while I was at a basketball camp in Denver. I wasn't sure if they were ever coming back, but eventually they made it. I was so sure that they weren't coming back that I decided to move into a VAN DOWN BY THE RIVER! I hope they never leave me again....

The boys and I headed to Alaska for a week with the Sawyer bro's and their male offspring. What a blast it was! I stressed out the whole time about whether they would like it, would the fish bite, would the weather cooperate, and would we all get seasick or not. I also wondered if the rest of my stuff would be gone when I got home!

As it turns out, we caught about 300 pounds of actual fillets of salmon and halibut. All seemed to have a good time. And my family and stuff were still there when we got back. The weather could have cooperated a little better, but I was impressed that none of the kids complained once (and they could have).

Steve

The Weavers

It has been a busy busy month. We started off the month with a little visit from Peggy and then the kids and I rode back to Boise with her. And then we hung out with Mom and Dad for the week. We had a great time and got a bunch of sun. It is nice to get to see Mark's family too. We came back with Mom and Dad on their way to st. george.

We have been playing a bunch of softball and we did well enough to win t-shirts this year. Hopefully this next season we can get another shirt.

Early this month I got called as a Primary President. I have been so busy. I am amazed at how many phone calls I have had to take. But we are getting organized and getting things together so hopefully it will feel less crazy as time goes on.

Toward the end of the month we went to Kolob for a long weekend. We love to be able to get away and have no worries besides hanging out with my family. This kids did well and that really makes a difference.

July 2010

Brian and Jessica

How is it possible that June is already over?? Nothing major to report except, for some fun weekend excursions. We decided last minute that we wanted to go to Yosemite and were able to secure lodging for the first night and then found a place to camp the next night. The park was beautiful and we were fortunate to have some bears welcome us as we drove in. The next day we did the Panorama hike which started at the top of Glacier Point and ended back down in the valley – not that we were counting, but it covered 9.5 miles and 3 amazing waterfalls. The next weekend we headed off to Pebble Beach to watch Saturday’s round of the US Open. It was my first golf tournament…why not make it a major? It was fun to hang with Phil, Tiger, and the rest of the boys at a pretty spectacular site. I’m currently writing this from Wisconsin and Brian will be joining me tomorrow for a weekend of family fun on Washington Island (which is located at the tip of Door County in Lake Michigan). Let’s hope he doesn’t have any delays flying in…I was three hours late because they shut down the airport for President Obama. Other than that, we continue to get used to this marriage thing, work has gotten really busy for me, and Brian has made it 7 weeks without killing one of the cats (although I am a tad worried to have him alone with them right now). Happy summer everyone!

Mom and Dad

This summer is passing by much too quickly. Even though we haven’t been so busy it seems like time is flying by. We made a flying trip to Colorado to be with Steve. Even though the circumstances weren’t the best, we were glad to be able to be there. The upside to such a long trip is that we had a short, but pleasant, stop at the Weaver’s. We always love any excuse to see any of our family.
The strawberries are finished bearing and we were able to get some jam and berries in the freezer. The raspberries are beginning to redden – so they are the next produce from Dad’s garden. He has been working on an irrigation system for the garden and putting it on a timer. That way we won’t be so tied to home that we can’t get away for a few days.
Our love and condolences are with Lisa and her family.
Love, Mom and Dad

Jazzi (Jessica)
Hello everyone!

Not much happened last month. I started my classes and loving going to school. I didn't realize how much I missed learning and school. Other then school just lots of work. Also I've been trying to help mom get the house looking a little better! Oh my how could I forget I am also enjoying the time I get to spend with Bradley, and the new puppy drake!!

Hope everyone is doing good!

Love you all,

Jessica


The Weavs

Another busy month has passed by. The boys were in the thick of their baseball season. We had so many rain/snow outs earlier on so this month they did the make ups. We had 2 games and a practice a week for each boy. That is a lot for t ball and coach pitch. The boys loved it and we really saw a lot of improvement in Brenten this year.

I had girls camp. It was my first time going since I was in y/w. It was so fun. The girls were great and the weather wasn't bad. Christian's mom came up so I didn't have to ship the kids all over while Christian was at work. I made it so much easier to not worry about things going on at home.

Christian is still working hard. He is looking for new work but is still doing his very best for F Matics.

We are also playing softball on Fridays. It is so fun and we won tshirts this season. That is a big deal. Our team was pretty excited. We are in the middle of tourney right now so we will see how we end up for the first season.

I miss and love you all.

Becky

June 2010

Brian and Jessica – May Newsletter

It’s official! Brian and I were married on May 15 and I am now a Sawyer! The beginning of the month went pretty smoothly leading up to the wedding. We were busy moving in the rest of Brian’s things (including about 15 boxes of cereal) and getting things as cat hair free as possible before the big day. Luckily, we didn’t have any last minute issues and were excited when people began coming into town for the wedding weekend. Although some were surprised by how cold San Francisco can be, overall it seemed like people had a nice time. Brian was able to show several people the town on Friday while I spent time with my family. Then after a nice dinner with Mom and Dad Sawyer and my mom and step-dad, Brian and I met everyone else for a chilly but fun night at the ballpark. The day of the wedding brought warmer weather, and it was so nice to have most of the Sawyer clan there for the sealing. I was super nervous but luckily Brian was cool as a cucumber! After the ceremony came Brian’s favorite part…hours with the photographer! We then met the family back in Palo Alto for dinner. The dinner was also a really nice time and we agree that one of the highlights was when Steve, my brother-in-law Griffin, and Brian’s travel buddy Peter cut and fed each other part of the wedding cake. HYSTERICAL (and a first for our photographer who has shot a bazillion weddings)! By the end of the dinner, everyone knew our honeymoon destination except me. I was very pleased to find out that we were headed to Turks and Caicos Islands then next morning. We stayed on Providenciales which had the whitest beaches I have ever seen. Over the course of the week, I was introduced to the world of snorkeling. I rocked it after I overcame some gear issues (and a tad bit of nervousness). We also went on a kayaking excursion and were a few feet from several lemon sharks while paddling around. It’s okay Mark, we were perfectly safe…I hear you are easily freaked out by sharks. We had a fabulous time and it was very hard for us (especially me) to come back to reality! But so far, reality hasn’t been too bad!

Amy and Will
Okay, I guess I should stop being such a huge slacker! Life has been crazy, but full of adventures at our place. May was so much fun. We celebrated Kaleb's birthday early including M&M birthday cake and nerf guns. Kaleb loves laying on the floor in our living room and trying to shoot darts at the moving fan. He actually does pretty well. If it isn't the fan it is the TV, shooting at Zurg from Toy Story.

One of Will's friends in town got married the first weekend in May so we got to attend that wedding in the St George Temple. What a nice break from our crazy lives. We definately took advantage of the alone time and went out to eat for lunch.

Then we made a quick trip over to California for Brian & Jessica's wedding. That was such a treat to see everyone there even though it was for such a short amount of time. It definately made me grateful for everyone. Even though we don't get to see each other very often I felt a strong feeling of love while we were in the temple and hanging out at the temple. Thank you Jessica for the lend of your place. It was so comfy!
After the wedding Will has been busting his tail to open his shop. So, he is official open for business and he already has 10-15 units in or will be in the next week. I just hope that the business continues to come. Even though it is hard work and long hours, Will has always wanted to open his own shop. We are hoping that it will grow and develop into a great machine/performance shop some day. We framed out a little play area for the kids so Will can continue to work while I am at work. So far it is working.

So, Will decided that before Kaleb gets out of the corner he has to count to a certain number all by himself. Even though Kaleb still doesn't like going to the corner, I think he is starting to like to count. He can now count to 20 all by himself.
Kimberly & Thomas are becoming more fun as they are starting to play together and with Kaleb more. It is still so fun to watch both of the get around the house by crawling/scaling the walls or furniture/etc. Even though it is exausting, it is so fun to watch sometime. Now if I can just keep all my kids from hurting themselves. Thomas cut his gum all the way up and Kaleb hit is head enough to cut and goose egg it. Luckily we have an awesome clinic we take our kids to that will just slide us in and peak at our kids to make sure they are ok. Most the time they are, but they are so patient with me. What is next.

We ended may with a little yard sale. I have never done a yard sale before but it was a pretty good turn out. Living on a main street helps a bit. I think I had a total of about 40-50 cars pull by and look at what we had to sale. So, I just might do a second round once I have time to go through all my stuff.
Memorial day weekend I worked most of it since there were so many people wanting it off with school out and all. So nice to work though because of the benefits. Other then that I was wiped out.

Well, that is about it for us St Georgians. Hope to hear from everyone this month!

Will, Amy, Kaleb, Thomas & Kimberly

Mom and Dad
Of course, the highlight of this month was sharing in Brian and Jessica’s wedding. What an exciting day that was! It was especially nice to have so many of our children together in the temple and to feel that specially closeness there. Thank you Brian and Jessica for making that weekend such a memorable one.

Dad is continuing to improve and walking without assistance, which makes life much easier. He is enjoying learning the CNC program that he and Brian bought and are trying to develop together. I am looking forward to seeing the projects they will be able to create, and am thinking of things I might want made.

I have been trying to keep myself occupied by working on humanitarian quilts and getting some scrapbooking done.
Have a great summer,
Love, Mom and Dad

Becky and Christian,

Obviously the highlight of this month was going to Brian and Jessica's wedding. I can't wait to go back to San Fransisco and get to really see it. It was a quick trip but christian let me go without the kids. I got to meet Brian's friends, Peter and Kelly and they were kind enough to take me around with them and then we met up at the giants game. The sealing was amazing. It was so fun to see Brian and Jessica so happy.

Toward the end of this month Brenten graduated from Kindergarten. WAHOO!!! It was on this day that I met the girl Brenten has been telling me he is going to marry. If this is true he is going to have to grow a lot. This girl is a good foot taller than everyone else in their class. He was excited because his award was the Best Reader award. He has really improved this year and has learned a lot.

The rest of the month has not been near as exciting. The whole house, minus christian, got strep throat twice. Once before the wedding and once after. It was no fun at all. We are looking into getting Landon's tonsils out and possibly taking out his adenoids. I told the doctor we still need to pay off Brenten's surgery.

Also at the end of this month I had the first person near my age to die. She is a little older than I am and was one of my mentors at BYU. She had been dealing with breast cancer and then other cancers after that for the last 3 years. So here is my reminder to my loved ones. Go to your yearly check ups. Early detection is key. I think I have a brother or two who have said that before. :)

I love you all and think of you all the time.

the Weavs

May 2010

Mom and Dad
May was a month of healing for both of us. Dad has been able to spend a little time outside and has the berry garden shaped up and doing well. He works outside for a little bit and then comes in and puts his foot up to let the swelling subside. We think doctors don’t tell the whole story ahead of time or people probably wouldn’t have work done. Can you just imagine him wearing tennis shoes with his suit to church. Mom has been able to find ways to get things done around the house, but has certainly appreciated and enjoyed having help from Mark and family. They should hire out as cleaners and weeders. (:
It was great to have Becky and kids here for a week. When we don’t see our grand kids very often we notice how much and how fast they are growing. Lauren is quite the soccer player and it has been fun watching her aggressive and determined attitude shine out on the field. I wonder where she gets that from…
We are grateful that you are all a part of our family.
Love, Mom and Dad
Jimmy and Vanessa

We haven't written in awhile, but still can't think of a whole lot to update. There's not much that happens or changes when going to school. Just started a new semester, and loving the warmer weather. Braden loves to be outside and runs around everywhere. Even though he's mostly out of the stuff in mouth phase, it's like it started all over again when he's outside! Mostly dirt and rocks, and it drives us crazy! But he loves the swings, grass, bark chips, other kids, and babies! He talks quite a bit now, and has quite a few words which is fun.

We got an internship for January which is exciting. We're not sure where they're going to send us yet, but it's for Western Summit Construction out of Denver. Pretty excited to start that when it comes around. Other than that, we're just enjoying the weather, trying to keep up with classes and homework, and trying not to blink so we can see Braden grow!

Love,
Jim, Vanessa and Braden
The Weavers
April was a busy month for us. It started out with doctors appointments at the ENT for Brenten and Caitlin. Caitlin's tubes are doing well and she has really improved. Brenten had a hearing test and we found out he hears nearly nothing. So we scheduled him for tubes.

The kids and I left Christian to fend for himself and went to Idaho to go hang out with Mom and Dad and to do somethings with them. We had a great time. The boys love all the time at Grandma and grandpa's house.

I don't think it was too miserable for Christian while we were gone because he got to go the gym everyday and hit the batting cages.

As soon as we got back Brenten had his surgery for tubes and then had allergy testing. The surgery went great and the allergy testing came back negative. So apparently he just has bad ear anatomy.

I had my 32nd birthday and Landon had his 4th. We just had small family things, since we were all getting over strep. I wouldn't have it any other way. Not the strep but the small party part.

Brian and Jessica

I’ll have to admit, April seems like a bit of a blur. I remember drama surrounding my wedding dress (I may have slipped into Bridezilla mode once or twice…or a handful of times), meetings about flowers and cakes, getting a marriage license, a visit from my mother, and a lot of work before my Kauai trip last week (because of course it’s customary to take a week long vacation two weeks before one’s wedding). Oh yeah, and I had a birthday in there as well. Brian was a trooper with the daily email updates, although I am sure he’d be happy to never EVER hear about dresses again! Now that we both have something to wear on the 15^th and the rest of the details are falling into place, we are getting excited about having most of you come into town next (!!) week. Brian moves in the rest of his things Saturday while the cats are away on holiday (for those of you who like animals unlike my future husband, rest assured that the cats are staying with a friend through the honeymoon) and then we’re pretty much set. Let’s just hope Bridezilla doesn’t rear her ugly head again in the next 11 (!!!) days.

Safe travels to those of you coming to the Bay area…we’ll try to schedule some warm and sunny weather for people.

April 2010

Brian and Jessica’s newsletter entry

March has been a whirlwind month! It started with our Meet the Family Weekend Adventure which included seven different families in two different states in a mere 48 hours. First, we flew to Utah and met up with Becky, Christian, and my sister Kristin for a night of BYU fun…men’s volleyball followed by ice cream because that’s what you do when you’re in Provo. We stayed with Kristin that night, and then had breakfast with my cousin before driving up to spend some more time with the Weavers before heading back to the airport. From there, we flew to Boise where we were met by Mark, Rachel, and Alyssa at the airport. After we picked up some Papa John’s Pizza (of course), we headed over to Mom and Dad Sawyer’s. My first concern was winning over Emily and Lauren who weren’t quite sure about this whole Brian getting married business…but a bag full of candy and gum did the trick. In addition to Mark’s clan, Amy and her family were in town, and we were happy to see Jazi again who had just visited us in Cali. Peggy rounded out the crew and I quickly felt very welcomed by everyone there. I also enjoyed seeing pictures of Brian from across his childhood J Coming from a small family, I very much enjoyed the energy that a bazillion children will bring to any situation. However, I did have to sleep for about 12 hours the night we got back to California!! The next weekend, my sister Lindsay visited us in California. I think my mother was a bit jealous that my sisters got to meet Brian pre-wedding and since then has planned a quick trip out west…she comes next weekend!

In the midst of all the family fun, Brian and I have managed to plan the most important parts of the wedding and have started the process of cleaning out my apartment and moving in most of his things. I am very happy to have a Carole Sawyer original hanging on my wall! My cats are a tad traumatized by all of the commotion, but probably not as traumatized as Brian at the thought of living with his new furry friends. We also found time to attend Round 1 and 2 of the NCAA tournament in San Jose…6 games in 2 days. Well, I should say 5 ½ games because we left the last one early to watch BYU vs. K-State …we won’t say anything more about that…or mention Cornell beating my Big Red….or talk at all about my bracket…

Only 6 weeks until the wedding!! We look forward to seeing many of you there!

Hardings
Things have been so crazy! I guess that shows you that I have been running around in circles doing dishes, changing diapers, potty training, working, laundry, groceries, church, etc. Life has just seemed hectic. Oh yeah, This month everyone has taken their turn on being sick except me. Well, I at least didn't get the virus that has been running around our house. One night Kimberly was so congested that I slept with her in the recliner and she decided to stop breathing for a little bit. She finally started breathing again on her own so I didn't work about it. Then she did it again, so I took her into the ER. I guess she was just choking because she was just congested. So, I took Kimberly into the Bronchiolitis Clinic to get suctioned out. That helped make our nights a lot more pleasant.

Oh yeah, Bishop Bowler came by our house and helped will dig out the old grass in our front lawn and layed down grass and compost. Now we have a black front yard and a 1 ton truck full of dirt and dead grass. Will and I took it to the dump and shovled it out, in the rain. Let me tell you that was a workout. I am so excited for our grass to grow in. Our bishop is an amazing person. Seriously, that to a lot of time and effort on his part.

We were a little disappointed that everyone was sick because we were excited to get out of town for a little bit and visit with family. So instead of leaving on Wednesday we stalled hoping everyone would get better before we left. Thankfully everyone was feeling quite a bit better by friday, so we headed up north to visit with Mom & Dad Sawyer. We had a great time and are so grateful for everyone that came to visit. It was nice to meet Jessica ("Brian's Jessica) and to see Brian. Kaleb had so much fun playing with Eric. He has never just ran into a house and played with kids before. Kaleb was oblivious to the fact that I was even in the house when he was playing. He definately misses Idaho. Some of the ladies(Peggy, Rachel, Alisa, Jessica and Emily went shopping with me to help me find a nice interviewing suit. It was fun to get some opinions and help picking out clothes. Will had a good ol' time playing on the tractor at Mark's house while I hopped back and forth visiting.

Dad & Mom were such troopers even though they couldn't do a ton. They even managed to take care of the twins while I was at Mark & Rachels house. I am so glad that my kids can be able to play with Grandma & Grandpa. Thank you everyone for the fun visit!

The other nice thing about going to Idaho is on the way up and on the way back there is family to visit and spend the night when there is a crazy snow storm. We just hit a few snow flurries on the way home and then we decided to stop to avoid driving in the crazy snow down south. I'm sorry Weavers! We will be sure to catch up with you next time we are up!

I have been on the search again for a Clinic Manager position around St George. I didn't get the Southern Utah Behavior Health Clinic, but I got a call to apply for a growing Pain and Spine Clinic. So we will see how that one goes. The interview should hopefully be in the next couple weeks. Well, that is about it for now.

The twins have been growing up so fast. They are both around 18 pounds and healthy. We had a fun scare with Kimberly last month where she stopped breathing on us in the middle of the night, but all is well now. Thomas has learned to crawl, sit up and is working on pulling himself up on things. Kimberly is working on crawling but can sit up by herself. It has definatley been an adventure to keep up with this kids.

Love,
Will, Amy, Kaleb, Thomas and Kimberly

Weavers

Our months have been so busy. We started off with Brian and Jessica coming out. They already mentioned the BYU fun we had. It was great to see Brian and to meet Jessica. I can't wait to go to their wedding.

Right after they left, we Cait had surgery to get tubes. It went very well. She is doing great. We have seen so many improvements. She is really a happy little girl when she isn't in pain all the time. She also started walking and thinks that she can run.

The weather is trying to get nicer so Christian and I have been going out and playing catch. Just getting ready for softball season that will be starting at the end of April.

Christian has been climbing on his climbing wall trying to get ready for some outdoor climbing.

Brenten had a hearing test and we found out he is pretty much deaf. He is getting his second set of tubes and allergy testing at the end of the month. Hopefully his surgery will go just as well as Caits.

I will write more next month.

March 2010

Steve and Sharon
My oh my how February flew by. Our family grows and shrinks on a weekly basis. Kelly has been hanging out on the couch doing on-line college courses to get them out of the way. Then she bails on us to go to Oklahoma City to hang out with Brittany for awhile.

Britt wanders in for Christmas and the off to OK City to do her internship. She is finding out that there is a lot more disease in the big city. She plans on being back at the end of March before she finishes her college career.

Sharon and the kids went to Salt Lake to celebrate President's Day with Rachel and her kids. Don't know if they had fun or not....they didn't stay long.

Brad has been slaving away on the basketball court. Getting a lot of exercise if not a lot of points. Remember what 5th grade ball was all about???

I have been working and reffing. The usual February routine. Picked up quite a few vasectomies with our annual special. The skin clinic is picking up a little steam as we get that going again. We are looking forward to the annual healthfair where we can show off a little. Of course, there is always playoff basketball. Oh, and the state is coming to evaluate my trauma program. I am hoping that they promote us to level 3! I imagine that with all of this happening at one time that March will fly in and out like a Leep or a Shion.

Steve

Mark and Rachel

Already? i know Mark won't do it so here it is for us...

I don't know what happened last month except life. Alex was playing basketball and Mark was playing old man's church ball so we were in the gym much of the month. Mark was even so diligent as to arrange his travel around the Thursday night games. I guess I know his priorities. Mark still looks pretty good on the court and his skills aren't that bad either. Alex improved quite a bit and scored some points. This was really his first year and being a 5th grader with a bunch of huge 6th graders made for an interesting season. He is taking a breather through spring but the girls are going to be hitting and kicking their way through the next few months.

The news around our house has been all the complaints coming from the kitchen. No, I didn't forget how to cook but started this 8 week eating challenge about avoiding sugar and junk. So when I made whole wheat pizza crust for dinner, everybody collectively groaned and rolled their eyes. They didn't seem to notice the whole grain flour in the cookies though! The family is doing well with more fruits and veggies but even Mark is whining about his lack of Oreos. I know it is a great relief for them to slip over to Grandma's and get some cookies that have real butter and sugar. I just laugh and hope they realize I am just trying to help them live healthier longer. And as Alex says every week, "Only 3 more weeks left!" Like something is going to change in 3 weeks....lol.

I guess that's all I can think of.

Rachel

Mom and Dad
We have both spent the month of February doing whatever we could to fill up the time until Mom's surgery. Everything went well and she is home trying not to go crazy doing almost nothing. Dad got his aircast and has another month of non-weight bearing, which did not excite him in the least, but he is learning to use Excel and has his seeds planted - just waiting for April when they will be ready to be planted outdoors. We also planted 50 blueberry plants, which fortunately, will be in the pots throughout the year.
Of course the highlight of the month for us was getting a phone call from Brian. We are so happy for he and Jessica and are looking forward to being in the temple with all of you there.
My sitting time is very limited and not much to report so this will be short this month.
We think of you often
Love, Mom and Dad

Becky and Christian
February was so busy for us. Cait got RSV for the second time. Fortunately she did not have to be hospitalized but she was one sick little girl. She had some exciting things too. She had her first birthday. It was so fun to have a small party for her. I am glad she was able to enjoy some of her cake. She is such a trooper. She is also saying more words. She loves to hold the phone up to the back of her head and say grandma. It's very cute. Along with the RSV came more ear infections so we are scheduled for tubes in her ears on the 3rd of March. Wish us luck.

Christian's parents came up for a little stay. While they were here we painted our kitchen. Christian also finished his climbing wall in the garage. It is awesome. The boys love to go out and climb. They are very serious about it. They get chalk on their hands and clap off the excess and after a couple of deep breaths they are on their way. Just like Dad.

Christian went to DC for a week or so for work. I was bummed he didn't have time to check out any of the sites. And it was no fun to have him gone. But we have promised each other we will go back on day and see all the sites.

That is really about it for this month. Hope you are all doing great.

Becky

February 2010

Peggy
January was interesting. I had no job offers in the Goldendale/The Dalles area after applying for the last 11 weeks and then all the sudden I get three job offers. Fortunately for me, Mark offered me more hours and so I had to turn them all down.

I was able to spend some time in Idaho and trying to figure out what my role is going to be in the business. It's exciting to make some positive changes in my life and be close to family.

I spent some time with Jess for a couple of weeks before she headed on to California on a new adventure in her life. I also have been able to spend some time with Mandy and her family lately. Her little boy will be a year on March 30th. He's very adorable and happy all the time. It's been fun getting to know them.

My biggest house project to finish up is the main bath. I just have a little tiling to do and hopefully it will be beautiful. So far I love it and I have learned a ton thanks to Dad and Dennis coaching and helping me through it all.

I hope every has a fabulous Valentines day. Love you all!
Peggy

Mark
Mark has been traveling a lot this month. He spent some time in New York and went to see his first Broadway show. He also walked around Times Square and saw the sites of NYC. Then he went to Chicago a few times. When he is home he is on the phone doing some more deals and greasing the wheels of business. As usual, there is always things going on at our house.

Alex is now in basketball and is working hard at improving his skills. They are undefeated in the loss category but he is improving and getting more confidence with the ball and how to move without it. Saturdays are spent at the gym and we love it.

The other kids are up to their usual antics. Eric got three stitches to the chin when he climbed and fell. Lauren lost her first tooth- rather it was removed by the dentist. Alyssa is climbing everywhere and is talking a bunch. The did some testing on her for her smallness but she is totally normal so she is just petite.

I have started painting the house. It is coming along very slowly. There are pictures on Facebook if you want to see it. I am also running seriously to try and do a 5K, 10K, and a 1/2 marathon this year. Anybody else want to join the challenge? I guess that is all that is really going on.

Wild Horse Sawyers

Mom and Dad
2010 has not begun like I had hoped. Due to aches and pains and doctor's appointments we haven't done much. One more month and Dad gets his walking boot. He can hardly wait! While he is home bound he has been catching up on some family history and some computer work. It is too bad football is about over - Olympics will have to take its place for February.
Mom has been trying to get some things caught up before her back surgery on the 25th of February. She repainted our bedroom and gave it a whole new look and has been putting together some sewing and scrapbooking projects for those recovering times.
Happy Valentine's Day
Mom and Dad

Becky
What did we do in January. It was busy that is for sure. In someways we were getting back to normal from all the holidays but then there was so much else going on I nearly forgot about the newsletter all together.

Brenten started his second half of Kindergarten. He was excited to get back. He is doing so well in school. He is learning to read and that has been so fun. I thought I would get so impatient with it but for the most part we have had a lot of fun together with it. It is really fun for him to try to teach Landon to read his books. He is way above where he needs to be at the end of the school year so we are looking at that as a definite positive.

Jazzi moved out mid way through the month. We miss her but hope she is having fun and doing well. It has been nice to get back into a routine. The boys are excited because now they have a little art room. Really that was because I was tired of friends coming over and trashing the place with paints and chalk so now it is out of site from visitors.

Landon is just being 3. He is doing great but nothing new is going on with him.

Cait is nearly one and is now doing well. We had a little bit of a rough month with her. She got sick and she was so sad. She didn't eat or drink or anything and just laid on the couch. What 11 month old is content to not move for hours and hours. We went to the doctor and she had RSV. She ended up being hospitalized for dehydration. It was there we found out she also had pneumonia and ear infections. No fun. But her hospital gown was so cute on her. We only had to be there for about 24 hours. The fluids where a huge help. She is doing so well now. We are happy for that.

Christian is working like crazy. They are getting a little more business and so he has had a lot to do. I am definitely not complaining. It means he has work for another couple of months. The business has been struggling so we are hoping this is going to be a turning point. Christian has also been working on a climbing wall in the garage. He is doing such a great job. We are excited to get the climbing shoes out and give it a try. He has been going to the gym and playing basketball too. We are trying to be in good shape even though the winter.

Aside from taking care of sick babies and homework and the house, I have been trying to be active. I have been working out really hard and am finally seeing results on the scale. I don't usually talk about it, I guess, because weight is such a taboo subject. But not anymore. I am talking about it because it really helps. Even if nobody calls me out on it, it makes me so much more accountable for what I eat. Working out is easy for me. I love it. I love being strong and lean. But eating is a whole other thing. I am 5lbs down from pre cait weight. Wahoo but I was another 6-7lbs down to be at pre Landon (which is my smallest since being married). I am hoping to be down another 3 lbs by the next time I write this newsletter. Wish me luck.

I have also been playing stake basketball and then pick up volleyball. It has been nice to find some women who want to get together and be active. I love it.

I hope everyone is doing great. Love you all.

The Weavs





Amy
Well, is it sad that every picture I have of me for the last couple months is me laying on the couch with at least one of my kids laying on me. I guess that tells you what I have been up to. I have been enjoying watching the kids grow and then working at the hospital. I also have been in the process of applying to college to get my Master's Degree in Health Administration. I feel like I am always running and rushing to get things accomplished; dishes, laundry, groceries, doctor appointments, etc. Time is definitely flying by way too fast for me. Oh yeah, I just recently applied for a manager position at Southern Utah Behavioral Health Clinic. I have already gone through two interviews and have to meet with the physicians sometime this week hopefully. I really hope to get this position as it will really help out our family and plus I think it would be an interesting job change.

Will has continued to do battery sales with Battery Supply Store and also works on four wheelers, scooters, and motorcycles on the side. He has been working on purchasing the battery store so we can just run and develop it on our own. What a process! I really hope that works out. Will also has the opportunity to hang out with the kids while I am at work. He definatley got thrown into the water with this one, but he is doing great with them. It is definately a challenge to take care of two babies and a 2 year old around dinner time. Will has learned the importance of a schedule and getting the babies and Kaleb to bed at a decent time and giving them baths. I'm sure bath time is not Will's favorite time of the day, but he does it anyway. He has been working hard trying to keep on top of life. He has always wanted to be self employed and so is working on purchasing the battery store.

Thomas, oh my Thomas. He has been such a fussy little boy. He definatley has his happy times of the day and not so happy times. We are in the middle of trying to figure out why he cries so much. At first I thought it was just he was a fussy baby, but he definately should have outgrown it my now. So, I am working with Will and the pediatrician to figure out what is discomforting him. Despite that, he loves to be an active little boy. He loves to roll and talk even more then his sister does. His favorite activity is to sit in his walker and play. He just loves standing. I think once he can walk around by himself he is going to be a happy camper. He has finallly learned that he can stand and push off the ground in the walker and push himself around. Oh yeah, he went to the pediatrician for his 6 month appointment too and he weighed in at 15.4 lbs too. He is 1.5 inches taller then Kimberly so he looks smaller, but he isn't, just skinnier. Thomas has loved to eat baby food since he was 4 months old. He is the cleanest eater for a baby. Doesn't want to waste a single bite. He is definately not a fan of nap time and always has to be in the action. I love my Thomas!

Kimberly is my cutie. We just recently took her to her six month appointment and everything is looking great. She weighed in at 15.4 lbs. She is climbing right on into the regular charts. She is starting to actually swallow her baby food instead of spitting all back out on her bib. She has such cute little baby chub rolls that are fun to tickle. She has learned to roll over and has been talking a ton. The other day she rolled over to Thomas and both of them started just talking away. Then Kimberly just started out in a full on laugh. I don't know what those two were conspiring, but they were having a good ol' time. She also has her two lower teeth that decided to finally come in after 4 months of teasing her. Kimberly is very laid back and not too fussy, although I think she is starting to learn from her brother Thomas that if you cry you get attention. Oh well, what do you do. My kids definately keep me running. I love my Kimberly!

Kaleb has grown like a weed. He is interested in anything I am interested in. I love how he likes doing a variety of activities so it doesn't drive me nuts to play with trains all day, or watch movies all day. His favorite activity lately is to take his toy airplane and go to the airport. Our small little airport sits on top of a hill/cliff. Maybe I'll have to take a picture next time we are up there. It is an amazing view of St George, well at least old town St George. If we are lucky we are able to watch a few airplanes take off and land. Since there is a flight school up there, the other day we got to watch a helicopter fly in circles flying about 30 feet from the ground right in front of us. Kaleb would get so excited when it would fly by. He also loves to watch movies on his little portable dvd player Grandma got him for Christmas. Apparently I need to screen his movies a little better because he has been coming out with some really not so nice things. The other day he said something about a "stupid head". Thank you Lilo & Stitch. He is so good about not repeating everything he hears if I tell him it is not a nice thing to say. He definitely way to serious of a kid sometimes. I just love the times where he just starts laughing. His laugh is contagious. Kaleb loves to sing. He will be playing in his room and I will hear him making up his own songs in his room. His favorite song is one I made up about playing with the kids. "I love my Thomas, I love my Kimberly, I love my Kaleb boy. We like to play all day long", and then we sing what things we like to do in the day like playing with cars, going to airport, etc. I love my Kaleb! He is so upbeat and keeps me on my toes.


Well, that is it for this month. I hope all is going well with everyone. Until next month!