HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY HAILEY DEAR!!!

Hailey turns 14 years old today! She is totally excited about it!!!


Here are 20 questions with Hailey (conducted by Sadie):
1. Which has been your favorite birthday and why?
my 8 year old birthday when we went to Disneyland! Total Surprise!!!

2. Who is your favorite person in the Book of Mormon and why?
Nephi, because that is as far as I've gotten.

3. Fill in the blanks:
I've got my mother's: hormones?! (crying)
I've got my father's: cleanliness; organization

4. You quit dance a few months ago. What do you spend your time doing?
Bike riding to the gym. Blasting my iPod. Going to school basketball games. I should have tried out for the basketball team:)

5. Who is your boyfriend? or who is the man who has your heart?
I might have had a boyfriend if I wasn't moving, but I have a little (really small) crush on Beebs. That is his nickname!! I'm a heartbreaker.

6. How do you like to do your hair?
Either with a round brush or curled. Anything cute!

7. How many text messages do you send/receive a day?
Too many!! Too many to count and I delete them all!

8. Who is your Rebel boyfriend?
#0 Oscar Bellfield!!!

9. Why are you so good at Rock Band?
Cuz I'm musically talented like my dad. It's a gift!

10. Diamonds or Pearls?
I like both but I'm wearing pearls right now.

11. Where do you hope Mom & Dad go on the mission?
Las Vegas! but since that's not an option the US would be easier but somewhere foreign would be super cool.

12. What will you miss most about Las Vegas?
Family first, friends, Rebels, roller coasters, Christmas Eve, the ward, my bed, my home, everything.

13. What is going to be the biggest difference now that you are 14?
I'm getting older? I'm not as kiddish? stupid question! Padded bras?

14. Do you hope you get your first kiss in the US or outside of America?
He has to be super hot & have a sweet heart wherever it is!

15. Are you going to start wearing make-up now that you are 14?
I wear mascara occasionally. When I have time. And care.

16. What do you like most about...
Kristen: she's a good mother.
Tod: he loves his sisters & cares about them.
Sadie: she's always nice and willing to help.
Megan: she's funny.

17. Would you rather play with the little kids or talk with the adults?
Little kids. I'd rather play Basketball with Tanner.

18. What do you hope are in your presents tomorrow?
iTouch

19. Sweats or a dress? Heels or tennis shoes?
Victoria Secret sweats. Flip-flops.

20. Did you enjoy the 2 hours it took to fill this out?
With Sadie, YES!










We love you Hailey! We hope you have a WONDERFUL birthday!

how sweet it is!

ADAMS LEADS UNLV TO 76-70 WIN OVER BYU!

I'm not going to lie...I wasn't expecting this outcome from the Marriott Center last night. The track record of wins in that building alone is outstanding. But, I have to say, this win is a season HIGHLIGHT for me! I am so happy for my rebel team and Coach Kruger as well! WAY TO GO!
RE-BELS, RE-BELS!
U-N-L-V GO! FIGHT! WIN!

good news minute

1- we got a new bishop yesterday, derrick hodson. i learned some new things about bishop hodson as he spoke in sacrament meeting! i had always thought he was just a really fun person, who loved life and all it had to offer. i had heard him bear strong testimony on several occasions, and i knew what a wonderful husband and father he is. i wasn't aware that he had so much self discipline and determination, that failure wasn't ever an acceptable outcome for him, even if he had to die trying. that kind of will power is amazing to me. i am very excited to learn about the many other sides of him i don't know yet! we love jan and their family as well. sherwood cook and rollin thorley are his counselors. our ward will be blessed during their time of service i am sure!

we have loved bishop lords and brothers peterson, dye and coffey over the past five and a half years. they have been so good to us! we love them, and we are grateful they will still be with us as a part of our ward family. they have served so faithfully, may the Lord bless them forever!

2- thursday night we had a little sleep over at grama susie's. mike and kristen got to spend the night at the new encore hotel, some free deal for locals? (i don't know how they got it but i'm glad they did!) do you know i have almost perfect grandchildren? they are so sweet and fun! this is what our night looked like.









when it was time to put lauren to bed, i sat down next to her and asked her what song we should sing. she told me, "child a God, thats lauren's favorite song." next was, "pimary (primary) colors", then "temple", and last, "cuz i ben given much, my daddy's favorite song". then she told me to lay down next to her and she feel asleep quickly. every time i tried to move off the mattress though, i would wake her up. "where you going grama?" finally i told her i needed to go get beau ready for bed and she said ok. that was the last i heard from her until 8:30 the next morning. she climbed in bed with sadie around 3, but she was a GOOD sleeper:).

when jon and i got up at 6:45 and beau was still sleeping (i put him down about 10 the night before), he reminded me that we never had any children like this. i told him i knew and that it was because i was a bad mother. he said, "no, you just gave them everything they wanted", and then he said, so i wouldn't feel bad, "they were just rotten kids". i'm sticking with, i was a bad mother. i'm glad kristen and mike have the schedule thing figured out! that sweet baby is 3 months old and he sleeps all night! we all had a fun night and morning!!!

3- saturday night some of hailey's friends threw her a surprise birthday party!!! what a sweet surprise! she was shocked! she was confused! she asked me if she was still going to the rebel game? no. you are staying at your party:) thank you christina and megan!




4- the rebels had a V-I-C-T-O-R-Y!!! we had dr. marlon's seats. they are on the front row, center court. i had my recital yell going, i think i embarrassed my daughters! you know the players look much taller and wink looks very strong when you are up close and personal! hey reb gave lauren and i a high five...it was a fun night:).




5- school and work are both starting tomorrow. i'm sorry for my children, but i think i need to clean up my house, and when everyone is home, i don't do that very well! here's to a routine again:).

five on thursday...

i just thought it was time to post something new so i'm going to try to come up with five things to say...

1- all of my children (minus mike-i like to think of him as half mine) and lauren and beau were at my home, together, for lunch yesterday. by accident. that was a special treat.


2- hailey in the midst of ALL of the life changes around here, decided not to spend her last six months in las vegas, at bunker dance center. she wanted to go to her school's basketball games, try gymnastics and tennis again, and maybe take up golf! last week jon said to her, "you don't regret quitting dance, do you?" her response was, "are you kidding? did you see the email? they have to dance friday night, then twelve hours on saturday, and all day on the martin luther king holiday!.. i think it is the best decision i have ever made!" (i will miss seeing her cute face on stage! little knife pain in my heart)



3- jon, at age 50, had his first colonoscopy this week! he lost ten pounds doing the prep for it. we are ALL (the girls living in my house) considering doing the prep ourselves...a good cleansing does a body good, right?


4- i am hoping my rebel basketball team can find their heart on saturday night! it must have been a totally sickening experience to lose to CSU last night! i remember the days when we didn't expect them to win, and every time they did it was so exciting. i am a fan thru and thru though, win or lose. GO RE-BELS!


5- megan has started attending early morning seminary again this week instead of doing the home study course. she has been a little tired:(. luckily she is liking her teacher and her fellow students. ohhh the pressures of a senior in high school!


p.s.- happy birthday molly! & congratulations on finishing high school!

a new year

i had to laugh yesterday, as i decided to start making bunker-cru/vol. 2 - january - june 2008, when i read my first post of last year. i started thinking my list of to-do's has probably been the same, year after year, for many years! i was talking about digging out and reclaiming space in my house, and finishing my parent's life histories on dvd. well, it seems to me, i have no choice but to accomplish those two things in the next six months.

i have sooo much stuff! i have always told myself that either i or one of my children would use my stuff, but now i know it is time to get rid of it! i can hardly bear the thought of throwing it all away, or giving it all to deseret industries, so i might set up a table in my garage, and from time to time, take pictures and see if anyone would like anything! i have tons of scrapbook paper and tools...i will never use! i have decorations...i haven't taken the price tags off of! i have kitchen stuff...it is time to let others enjoy! so this is my plan, go through it -a) take it to the garage and put it on the table -b) give it to d.i. -c) put it in the garbage, or -d) put it in a box to store.

my parent's life histories? i am taking the tapes to costco on monday to have them made into dvd format. then i will finish working with my mother, and hopefully make them into wonderful treasures for their posterity! where will i find the time? where there is a will, there is a way, right? (start praying for me now!)

i also want to make vol. 2, 3 & 4 of my blog/personal history. i want to finish the quiet book i started at the ranch. i want to read some books. i want to finish beau's christmas stocking. MY LIST GOES ON AND ON!

my reality is that i should be learning spanish and memorizing preach my gospel. i need to become a scriptorian, and have tons of wonderful quotes all memorized at the tip of my tongue. i should become a great speaker and feel prepared to constantly inspire others. but i am only me. along with that, i have to get my house ready to have me gone for three years. that is why i sat down at my computer when i had a few spare minutes and decided to start my new blog book. i am not ready to dive all the way in to the mission call yet. i am in the "avoiding and denial" stage. my little devil voice says, "you're going to be on that mission for three years. are you really supposed to give these six months too?" i am hoping my little angel voice will start working on me, and winning, when it is time!

what have i done this week to get prepared for the mission? PRAYED, got the passports ready to be sent in for renewal, and i think that is it. YIKES! i am working on loving! i plan to be really good at loving everyone! my missionaries, the people, the investigators, whoever i see, my children and my president!

anyway, may your new years goals be different each year! i think mine will definitely be different next year:). (finally!) for that i am grateful.



for your viewing pleasure! me and lauren going to see "bolt" on a snowy day in december, and beau just being cute and sweet! i'm so lucky to be a grandma!

a few changes for the bunker-cru

BIG NEWS FROM OUR HOUSE: Jon has been called to serve as a mission president and I have been called as his companion for the next three years! We are to report to the MTC on June 24th, receive instruction for three days and be at our mission on July 1, 2009. (when our official letter came it said he was called to preside over a Spanish-speaking mission. YIKES! who speaks Spanish?)

I will try to explain and answer as many questions as I can in the next few paragraphs. This may take three days to read but remember it is my journal!

When will we know where we are going to be?
President Eyring told us by the middle of February. The booklet that came later says some time in March.

When did we know? What is the process?
About a year and a half ago, Jon had an interview with Elder Anderson. He was the authority that released Jon when our stake presidency was re-organized. There were lots of men there to be interviewed. I was on my way to the ranch, and remember getting the phone call from him. He was quite sure nothing would come of the interview.

Then in September, Sherry buzzed him and told him Dallin Oaks was on the line. He started to laugh and said, "it's probably Bickmore." Sherry said, "it didn't sound like Bickmore." Luckily Jon didn't answer the phone in some sarcastic way like he wanted to, because it really was Elder Oaks on the line. He came home from work early that day and (shockingly) I was in the kitchen making dinner. He came over and sat down right in front of me at the bar and just looked at me. It took me a minute to figure out he was trying to tell me something with those eyes. I said, "you quit your job?" Aren't I in tune?

Anyway, we met with Elder Oaks in a church in Provo, across the parking lot from BYU's football stadium on September 21st. We talked with him for about an hour. He told us he was looking for red lights, or reasons why we wouldn't be able to serve. We talked about each one of our children, our parents, Jon's work, our finances, and our health. The only questions about our worthiness were if we each held a current temple recommend and if we had ever done anything to embarrass the church. That was a little difficult to answer...high school? last week?

What was Elder Oaks like?
He really was so kind! He made us both feel very comfortable, very quickly. He shared a couple of very personal experiences with us, and the whole visit was such an amazing experience. He told us at the end of our discussion that either a member of the First Presidency would call us or he would, by Christmas, to let us know if we would be called or not. He told us that they talk to about three times as many people as are called, so not to worry, our chances were three to one. Then he took us outside to meet his wife. Just like we were old friends!

After that, we had some doctor and dental forms to get filled out and sent in, and then we waited. I had convinced myself that it wasn't going to happen this year by the time Jon told me we were to have a video conference with President Eyring!

He received a call from President Eyring's assistant on Wednesday, December 3rd to set up a time for the video conference. The day after his 50th birthday. I was having a crazy week, so at dinner Saturday night, he said, "I've been waiting to tell you this until things slowed down a little, but I'm sort of out of time...". We went to an office building Monday morning, December 8, 2008 and got to talk with President Eyring. Two prophets, seers and revelators in three months. I know what a blessing that alone has been! President Eyring is sweet, gentle, humble, funny, powerful and emotional. I felt connected to him immediately:). He would be laughing one minute and crying the next. We visited with him for about forty five minutes. We shared our worries and concerns and he gave us some really great advise, and then he laughed and said, "you probably won't remember a word I've said to you this morning." (WRONG!)

Anyway, one of the sweetest things he said was, how different Jon will find the missionaries today as compared to when he served his mission. In all seriousness and with great power, he told us that when they raised the bar, it really happened. 80 to 90 percent of our missionaries could be called to leadership positions within the Church right now. That they will do anything their President asks of them. And then he laughed and said, "but you will have a few problems too." We left the office building sort of in a fog. I had been called to serve as a full-time missionary for three years. I still have no idea exactly what that means.

How did we tell the kids? How did they react?
September 21st is Kristen's birthday. So when I was leaving town for the day, and it was her birthday, I felt like I needed a pretty good reason. I told her about our first interview with Elder Oaks before it happened. Mind you, this was three weeks before Beau was born, things were pretty emotional in her life at that time, and she pretty much fell apart. I decided right then that I wouldn't tell anyone else until I was sure we were going. Jon told Tod about our first interview while they were at the round-up, but the rest of them didn't find out anything until that night. Actually, he told Sadie at work. I can't believe she held it together until she got home, but he assured me Sadie was good when he told her in his office. That night there were many questions and tears, except Megan! She was ALL SMILES, and very happy and excited! Mike reacted the same way too. His first question was, "Can Tod and I go tracking together when we come to visit?", and "What can we do to help?" Tod is full of helpful information and advise. Yesterday when he wanted us to start only praying in Spanish I about smacked him though. I know more German than I do Spanish. Everyone is adjusting to the news now, I think. I'm sure we're in for one more jolt when we find out where we will be.

The house?
We won't sell it. I don't know more than that yet.

Who will come with us?
Hailey for sure! The rest will have to make up their minds...pray about it...see what's best for them.

What if someone gets married?
Jon can't leave the mission. So we're hoping whoever they marry might be willing to come to Costa Rica?, or wherever the closest temple is!

What am I most excited about?
Getting to know the elders and sisters that we will be serving with! I'm counting on them being as wonderful as the missionaries I know, who are serving from our ward! That gives me a great feeling...I have to keep concentrating on them!

I feel a little brain dead. I know there were lots of things I thought I should write, but I'm done for now. If you have any questions I didn't answer, you could ask and I could answer more later. I just wanted everyone to know.

We are humbled and feel very inadequate, but have great faith that the Lord will make up the difference. There are many details to work out...the feeling keeps coming - everything will be ok! I'm holding on to that!

he is a college graduate!!!

Tod finished his undergrad part of his college career minutes before he flew to cancun. He is officially finished and will receive a degree in Political Science from the University of Utah. We couldn't be happier for him or prouder of him! I believe he has enjoyed his studies. He has enjoyed pushing himself, working hard and he has found out that he is very smart and a good student! That is what I believe!


As only Tod can, he has planned and found ways to keep himself entertained and enjoying life while making his way through school. He has traveled a little, motorcycled a little, sky dived a little, watched his favorite athletes A LOT, and many more adventures (he kept to himself), I'm sure:). Here are a few pictures to illustrate!










I LOVE MY SWEET SON!


I am grateful to have him back in Las Vegas for now. It is fun to have him around!

Moving week has had some glitches! Isn't that how it always is?


I'm sure there would have been many more details if I was the one in Salt Lake moving, but for remembering sake, they loaded the trailer once, Jon drove home, unloaded it, and then drove back up to pick up the furniture that was supposed to be delivered. Tod was studying to take his insurance exam, all night. They both arrived home exhausted! (no complaining though, i promise!)

I do love the little house he is moving into. A fresh coat of paint and some new carpet and it is as good as new:). It was fun to have most of the family working together to get him set up and ready to go.



CONGRATULATIONS TOD! Good luck on your first day of work in the new office!

WE LOVE YOU!!!