Annual Update....coming soon!

Catch up.....

I am way behind! It is just like scrapbooking, plus I have started the darn "facebook" thing and it is keeping me busy too! To much technology to keep up with! Life has been crazy - we have moved back to Payson and will be moving back into the "hood" and home that we love so much this next week (July 6th). We have been at my parents since the end of May but have spent very little time there! We miss Benson very much and the peace of the people and area but are extremely grateful for the time we had there and the many people we became lifetime friends with. Below you will find a lot of activity in our lives, enjoy and hopefully I won't get behind again!

Road Trip....

Toward the end of June we had craziness explode, my nephew came home from a camp with a confirmed case of the swine flu so we had to leave my parents house in order to protect the kids from getting it. Rob, Casey and Jaynee left and drove to Las Vegas to spend some time with Rob's parents and I stayed with a friend in order to get some work done. Then we received sad news that Rob's Aunt Judy had passed away from a very short(5 weeks) battle with lung cancer. So we along with Papaw Ray joined Rob's mother and family in Alamogordo New Mexico for the services. It was a nice celebration of her life and a blessing to be surrounded by family. Rob sang at the funeral services a very fitting tribute to his "country girl" Aunt Judy. "Sissy's Song" by Allan Jackson. On our return drive to Las Vegas MeeNaw and Papaw decided to take a spontaneous trip to the Grand Canyon! It was amazing we had never been there and loved it! It is amazing what God has created for us to enjoy! We rode the train and took a bus tour it was awesome! We are celebrating the 4th of July in Las Vegas now with Rob's parents and all his nephews - Zach, Jagger, Jackson and our kids love the pool at MeeNaw and Papaw's house!

Vernal Stock Show

The first week of June was spent at the Uintah Basin Jr. Livestock Show - Casey was able to show and sell his steer "Thomas" and did a great job. We enjoyed Thomas very much it was a challenge for all and it taught us a lot. Thanks to all our friends for teaching our son and helping us along the way. Casey was amazing in the show ring he is such a natural! He WON showmanship which came with a great big 'ole belt buckle that he is very proud of! His dad made him a deal challenging him to win so now we have to pay 50% of a 4-Wheeler (and helmet!) and Casey will purchase the rest with his savings. He is a great kid! Jaynee and Casey will both be showing a pig and a lamb at the Utah County Fair in August - we love this stuff! Great way to raise kids. Casey's philosophy about raising market animals is "buy 'em, feed 'em, show 'em, eat 'em!"

Spanish Fork Stock Show

Casey did amazing at his first stock show this year! His pig placed 14th over-all (that was out of 226 pigs!). He is so serious and focused it is fun to watch the 11 year old do his stuff! He placed 3rd in the Jr. Showmanship Class he loves to show and it is definitely apparent when he is in the ring! He and his pig named Red were awesome together! We are so proud of him! We are so looking forward to the Vernal Stock Show where he will show and sale his steer Thomas. Jaynee and Casey will both be showing a lamb and a pig at the Utah County Fair in August! We love this stuff!

Graduation Day

It finally arrived....well graduation has come and gone but what a weekend! We were really busy but I am so glad that I decided to walk. I really didn't want to because we were so busy but now that I did it was worth it! A great ending to a long road traveled! I feel so blessed to have such a great support group! Rob and the kids just tag along with me whenever I want to do something crazy - like move to Logan or move back to Payson - they are amazing! My parents and Rob's parents joined us for the weekend, my entire family has been so supportive and encouraging! My brother Curtis also graduated from the University of Phoenix so we had a joint celebration dinner, thanks to all those who were able to join us we appreciate everyone's encouragement! We are excited to move back to Payson the end of the month! We will certainly miss Benson and the many wonderful people we have meet but are anxious to return to our home and neighborhood! I will also miss the easy life of a college student I will be teaching at Maple Mountain High School part time starting a new FFA chapter there and teaching at Springville High School part time and working with their FFA chapter also - fun, fun, oh and CRAZY!!

Dance Performance

Casey and Jaynee had a dance performance last week - they did an awesome job! Casey and his partner Cortney are really coming together. Jaynee actually had to dance with a new partner at this performance and they did great for dancing together for the first time!

Aggie Classic & Easter Weekend 2009

Easter weekend was an exciting learning experience for all of us! We had a house full of people! It was the Aggie Classic - Thomas' first show, he tried to shove us around a bit but Casey showed him who was boss and had fun! Monica's sister Wendi and her kids came to see us, our friend Nicole came and spent the day with us teaching and doing whatever it took for Casey and Thomas to do well in the show ring, and Chris a student from Springville also visited! Hectic but fun, we were privileged to celebrate Easter as a family and be reminded of our Saviors love and or course the kids did enjoy the Easter bunny treats! This week Casey is in Colorado at the Marlett Ranch and we at home are excited for the State FFA Convention!

Busy Saturday!

Today was decent enough weather that we spent the afternoon working with the animals, giving baths and cleaning pens....no better way to spend a Saturday! Monica started a quilt for the SHS 4-H/FFA Livestock Booster Auction this week and just prays she gets in done! Rob got a new truck a couple of weeks ago and loves it! He has started is Insurance Adjusting license school, and we bought a lap top! So fun - we are excited for change and will keep you updated! Should have details in a week or so. Saturday Rob took Monica out to a very nice "authentic" Italian restaurant - we couldn't even read the menu and to the movie "New in Town" it was a well planned fun, and a nice date!! Great guy I am married to huh!

Red - the pig is growing good & likes a bath too!

Thomas cleans up good!

Weekend of Fun!

We have had a fun time these last few days. Monica and the kids took a quick trip to St. George with Grandma and Grandpa - they enjoyed the sun - swimming, miniature golfing & the wildlife museum! Casey and Jaynee also got to bring a friend home from Payson for the weekend. Taylor & Winston it was so fun to see them playing together again we thoroughly enjoyed them. We also had Micheal and Tyler out for Tyler's birthday dinner! As you can see we got a new dog....not really that is Jack with a knew doo...poor thing he looks like we starve him to death but we really don't! We were tired of him getting burs in his hair from the foliage down by the river so now he is naked! Enjoy the pics!

Oregon State Visit

Monica's trip to Oregon was a lot of fun, she was reminded of the beautify of the Pacific North West. She visited her good friend Mandy and her husband Ryan for the weekend and they had so much fun it was good to see them. Oregon State University was beautiful and they treated Monica well and really challenged her to think (that is hard for her ya know LOL)!

So cute!

FFA Baby

We got to visit cute baby Joseph with parents Kassi and Dustin!

February Update - final snow storm!

Well the year is going by way to fast! We enjoyed February even the very COLD days! We hope that this picture was our last snow storm...it was a big one! Rob was good to Monica on Valentines day YEA! Our niece/cousin Ava turned one! Our animals are keeping us busy - we are reminded what it is like to have to stick around when we have animals to feed, and Monica defended her thesis and as her professor put it passed with flying colors! March will be very busy too, Jaynee will hopefully be taking sewing classes, Casey has a Boy Scouts Pow Wow he is going to, Monica gets to go to Oregon to see her friend Mandy and interview at Oregon State AND she has spring break - an entire week of nothing! Rob will be busy of course at work as spring picks up - he is also very excited we have found a truck to buy and will have it sometime in the next couple of weeks! FINALLY!

Ava turns 1 - and she is so cute!

Piggy's Red & Blue - are growing fast and looking like good eatin'!!

Thomas is looking good!! Casey's first show April 11th!

Valentines Day!

Rob was very sweet and gave me a dozen roses for Valentines Day! Nat also came and spent a day and half with me that weekend and we had a great time - shopping and playing with Ava.

Big Day!

We had a lot going on this weekend. January 31st was Jaynee's birthday and her baptism day. We had a very nice day with family and friends. Jaynee was so excited to be baptized. Grandma made her the most beautiful dress she looked so precious! We are so proud of her for making that decision. For her birthday she got a new bed from her mom and dad and Meenaw and Papaw sent a cute new comforter set that she is proud of she has made her bed 2 days in a row! She got a lot of nice things for her birthday and a fun day! Grandma and Grandpa, Aunt Nat, Uncle John, Ava, Michael, and Tyler all came to spend the day with us as our good neighbors Rosalee and Danny joined us also.

The pigs also arrived saturday morning so another chore to add to Casey's list! They are freezing but will grow so fast it won't last long!

AND YEA....Monica is an FFA Grandma! One of her students and a good family friend Kassi and her husband Dustin had their baby on Jaynee's birthday. An 8lbs. 1oz. little boy named Joseph Wade McCain so cute!

Trip to Ohio

As we turn to the next page in our lives we are not sure where we are headed. Monica is currently looking into a few PhD programs across the country. Rob and Monica took a quick trip to Ohio to interview and enjoyed the trip and sight seeing. It is a huge city and a beautiful college campus. Right now our list of prospective programs include Ohio, Oregon and Iowa so we will keep you updated. The "SHOE" at Ohio state is amazing and it was way cold there! While we were there Monica was able to see a very good friend Robin that she use to work with when she worked for Monsanto it was so fun to see her and her family! Dr. Birkenholz and his wife Pam were great host and made us feel right at home! Grandma Kay came and stayed with the kids a great way to spend her first week of retirement - she did great, the kids loved it and we appreciated it so much!

Vegas - Menaw's Retirement

One of the most exciting parts of our Christmas break was a quick trip to Las Vegas to surprise Rob's mother Kay with a retirement party. She retired on 12/31/08 after 42 years of working for the government. She has done her time and deserves a break! All of Rob's family was able to join us and Ray was a major part of pulling off the surprise. We surprised her at a restaurant for dinner and then bombarded her house with grand kids and hungry people for 3 days! She loved every minute of it!! She said it was a fitting way to end her career - she started her career for her family and ended her career for her family! She now has a full-time grandchild babysitting job as she flies from state to state to visit us! We also attempted family pictures while we were all together (minus Adam - we missed him dearly!) that was an adventure! Congratulations Kay! The grandkids enjoyed eachother and of course we headed to the fun park race track and the big boys had more fun then the little ones. Our niece Jana got engaged over Christmas and her fiance Rick joined the entire family for a few days - we hope he still wants to marry her!!

Christmas Memories

I thought I better get an update on all of the exciting things we did over the holidays! We had a wonderful Christmas in Benson, the kids were in our church nativiy presentation Casey was Joseph and had an awesome costume! Jaynee was a beautiful singing angel. Tyler our nephew was able to join us for Christmas. We spent Christmas morning at home and then headed to Payson to see Monica's family. We enjoyed time with Grandpa & Grandma, Curtis & his family. Garrett our great-nephew was the center of attention and so fun to love and be around! Sorry for all the slide show I just love to share so many pictures and it is the best way, ENJOY!