So... here we go again

So church was great today and it made me think and ponder about all the wonderful things in my life. I also was a cry baby today as I really wish Kari and Sherod were here. I am going to try my best to find a way to fly Sherod home for his birthday. I figure it will be the last birthday I get to spend with him for a few years..... He posted this video the other day on facebook. So Whitney being the great daughter she is sent it to me... needless to say it made me cry. It made me think of Sherod and how hard he has worked at what he does and how I know without a doubt he is going to be a great missionary just as he is a great son, brother, friend, student, athlete! Yes, I am going to miss him and I am going to be a mess for two years until he returns but I know it is what he has always wanted to do and what the Lord wants him to do, so I will support him and love him and be strong while he is away.... check out the video!! https://lds.org/youth/video/a-work-in-progress?lang=eng

So.....

So, it has been longer than a week since I last blogged and I said I was going to do it weekly. Well, better late than never right. Well, Kari has started a blog at karihardt.blogspot.com if you want to check it out. It is so cute. Everytime I read her blog I CRY. Last night she called while she was up in Washington and said did you look at my blog? I said "no", so then I did while I was on the phone with her. She had blogged about Sherod... Which made me CRY! I said "Thanks Kari, now I am crying" she was like "Don't cry Mom".... I guess I cry because I really, really miss Kari and Sherod. It is way to weird to have them gone from home and not see them. I don't really know how to explain the emptiness that I feel when they are away. It's not like I don't talk to them everyday, because I do! But it is not the same. So that brings me to my next thougt....Well, last weekend Shaun had the opportunity to speak at a Baptism of this little old lady that he has become friends with( you know Shaun he loves to make friends!) Well after he finished his talk the spirit was really strong and then we had Brother Leseuer speak (he is a member of the 70's) anyway so it was sooooo spiritual and as we sat there I thought....I am so so so lucky, as I watched Whitney and her husband sitting there with baby Sawyer, and my thoughts went on to think of Kari and what a great girl she is and how proud I am of her and all she has done and what a great young lady she is and how much I miss her fun loving personality that would come home every Sunday after church to spend time with us , and then I thought about Sherod and how I can't even express in words how much I love him and admire him for who he is and the example he is to everyone he comes in contact with. I thought of Jayce and the amazing young man he is becoming, I see him growing up and making great choices and becoming the young man I always knew he would be. And then Denton and even though he is very dramatic, he has a super sweet spirit about him that just is radiant. And of course Hadlee and how she is always making us laugh with the sweet and innocent things that she says daily, like "Hey Whit, did you just see that person walk into Clates room? You see him, he is right there!" Which makes Whit think her house is haunted and makes me think she has a great imagination! So, I guess I was just so thankful for my family, for Shaun and how when he really wants to be Spiritual he can and how he works so hard to be the best he can be, how he loves to share the gospel and how he doesn't ever pick up after himself still after 25 years!! ha ha.... Bottom line I am Thankful! I am blessed to have such a GREAT family. I really don't know what I have done to deserve them. We might not have money, or fame.... but I have the best, family anyone could ever ask for and that is the best thing this world has to offer!

So.... It has been almost a year since I last posted or even checked out a BLOG.... Life has been crazy this past year to say the least. Whit and Marcus moved out and bought a house and had another baby (They have Clate, and Sawyer).... Sherod Graduated for Queen Creek High and left to attend College in Michigan at Michigan State University and Most recently..... Kari graduated from ASU and moved to BYU to finish off her running eligibility (well and there is a cute boy who is a BYU student as well )... Hadlee turned 3 and is amazing..... Denton is an awesome 3rd grader and Jayce embarked on Jr. High.... I went back to work full time, and Shaun is still working at Queen Creek and coaching as much as he possibly can. I will post again soon. Whitney has challenged me to try and do it at least once a week.. So to her, here is POST #1... I love my family and am thankful for all they do and all they teach me, each and every day...

Rodeo

This weekend we were in charge of doing a ward rodeo. We had agreat time and it seemed everyone else did as well. We ate BBQ beef sandwiches and chips...they were amazing! Shaun and the boys did a great job with the rodeo games. We had greased pigs, goat pinning, chicken scramble, mutton busting, steer riding, and raw hide races. We handed out a bunch of extra medals we had from track meets to the kids who won the different events, or just participated in the events...the kids loved them! I am putting up some videos of Jayce and Denton riding some steers. I missed the really good ride of Jayces...he rode the steer so long that it wore the poor thing out! This video is pretty funny his boot flies off and the ride just goes downhill from there!

Article on Sherod

Track season officially starts this Friday here in Queen Creek. Sherod is looking really forward to it as are we. He looks ready to roll.... Check out that latest article on the web.... I love Margot, she does such a great job getting kids some recognition! http://az.milesplit.us/articles/22027 ....

Denton Student of the Week

Denton was student of the week... Isn't he cute?

Whitney's Shower

We celebrated on Saturday having a baby shower for Whitney... it was so fun. We can't wait for the arrival of little "Clate".... she is due to have him on April 4th, but is hoping he arrives on March 21st... that was her Grandpa Teach's birthday :)... I guess it is always good to hope they come a bit early, but we all know that baby's arrive when they are ready. She is looking good, feeling good, and wanting the baby out!!! AHAHAHAHA.. The picture of the Pinata' was Sherods idea, he made it suffed it with Candy and almost made Whitney cry when he gave it to her for her birthday!

The rest of the family is great! Shaun passed the AEPA exam for Biology so now he has one more qualification to add to his resume' . We were all glad about that as now he is DONE taking classes just to take classes and driving us all CRAZY. Kari is back up and running. Ater returning to ASU from Christmas break she once again found herself injured. It has been a long 5 weeks for her but she is on the mend and hoping to bounce back in time for outdoors. Sherod has his first Track meet next Friday, he is looking amazing and feeling great and will turn 18 next week. Jayce is playing basketball and Shaun is his coach... they are having a lot of fun and their team is playing for the championship this Saturday. Denton is just buzy doing whatever anyone of us ask him to do.. Everyday he seems to remind me more, and more of my brother John which brings a big smile to my face. Hadlee, Hadlee, Hadlee... is the joy of the family. She is starting to talk and finally got her first tooth last week at 14 months old! She is a little sassy pants and spending her days with Whitney while I work is such a blessing, Whit takes the time to play with her and teach her how to be SASSY!! Check out the pictures!