AALC

How awesome are we?!?! This is my Administrative Assistant Learning Community group! We are seriously rad! We meet once a month for four hours and learn and laugh and talk and cry and eat. It has been such a great experience for me each month. I have learned so much and I have been able to gain confidence in my work at work and in myself in everyday life. It has been such a great experience!!

Kaydon & Colton Play Soccer!

Last night, Kaydon and Colton had their first soccer game. They are on the same team... thank goodness! I hurried home, picked up the quorum, dropped Jackson and Braxton off at Jordan for the Sophomore game and Jackson's practice, then hurried down to the soccer fields at Dimple Dell. Kaydon and Colton have a fantastic coach, who is so great with the kids. They have a great team. Colton scored the first goal!! Their team won 2-0! Kaydon is a defensive master! After the game, we rushed back to Jordan. Jackson was named player of the week!!!! Boo-yah! I'm so proud of him. He works so hard. It's Friday... that means I travel to wherever Layton High is playing to watch Josh coach. Tomorrow is a day full of soccer and football games!

Braxton Plays Soccer

Last night was Braxton's first soccer game of the season. Love this kid! He is taller than anyone else on his team, even though he's the youngest. He played great! He makes me giggle because when he played soccer three or four years ago, he was hillarious! He would sit down in the middle of the field and pick dandelions. He would hang on the bars of the goal posts. He was just so funny. Yesterday, he face planted two or three times and told me that he "almost broke his ankles and his knee cap!" I just smile because he is so dramatic... but that's what makes him SO awesome! They lost 3 - 1, but he had a blast nonetheless. And a BIG thank you to Uncle Brandon for the new cleats and the new soccer ball!!

Football, Soccer, Football

Jackson's team played Kearns on Saturday. It was our team's first loss, and it was a rough one. Jackson played defense in this game. I was really proud of the way he played! Papa, Grandma, Uncle Brandon & Aunt Carrie attended with Josh, Brooklyn and I.

Friday night, Josh's Layton High played their homecoming game. They won big... playing a great game! Brooklyn was too busy playing with a balloon to pay much attention, but she always gets a kick out of the "blue man."

Braxton, Kaydon and Colton started their soccer season. Nana offered to take them to their orientation and first practice, thank goodness, because it was at the same time as Jackson's game. I am so thankful for her help. Uncle Brandon bought them new cleats and a new soccer ball. Thankful for him too!

B. Beck

B. Beck. She's the best... at everything. B. Beck and I met 11 years ago. Her oldest is Jackson. My oldest is Jackson. Kota and Braxton were in a play group together. I got to stand and bounce Gracie at Cafe Rio one day. I have been able to watch Em grow up to be the prettiest little lady you'll ever see. B. Beck was the first person, besides medical personnel, to hold my Colton. She came to the hospital, wheeled me down to the NICU, picked Colton right up out of the incubator, held him for a minute, and then handed him to me. This is a woman who has faith beyond anything that I have ever witnessed. Ever. She KNOWS her place here on this Earth, that there is a plan for her and her sweet family and she does everything in her power every single day to ensure that her family finishes this race we call life together, with the grand prize of eternal life. She has loved me through the good and through the bad. I look up to her every day of my life. Yesterday, she made me lunch. SO yummy. She gave me six huge garbage bags full of hand-me-downs for the quorum. I got to hold Lilly bug for a minute, okay maybe not even a minute, but I treasured it. I got to visit with the Janer. She made me laugh. I got to sit and talk with B. Beck. She had her eighth baby four months ago, and buried him a few days later. I got to see close up pictures of this sweet angel. Oh, he is so perfect. She always talks of her faith, her family, her love of the gospel. You know what her standards are within seconds, literally. Oh, my B. Beck. I love you to the moon!

BYU vs. Utah

This is the view from my office...

And so it begins. I work with a man with the last name "Allred." I now call him "Mr. AllBLUE." He is a Ute fan. I am not. He wears red. I wear blue. He does some lame "U" sign with this hands. Big whoop. I do a big "Y" sign with my arms! He has brought red and white stuff in everyday this week. Every time I see someone go for a chip or a butter mint, I exclaim "SAFETY FIRST!" It's wrapped in red and white, after all. Just trying to save the world, one Y fan at a time. I notified him that he is going to get it! Now, I just have to devise a totally amazing plan to take care of this situation that I have! GO COUGARS!

Don't Give Up!

Don't give up. Don't you quit. You keep walking. You keep trying. There is help and happiness ahead. You keep your chin up. It will be alright in the end. Trust in God and believe in good things to come. This is from my FAVORITE Jeffrey R. Holland talk ever. It is my favorite talk period. The message is profound, yet so simple. It is meant for everyone and anyone within ear shot of these words. Everyone needs to hear this. Don't give up. Keep walking. It will be alright in the end.

Football, A New Job, & Laser Tag

Our lives are full of football. Like... FULL of football. It makes for some hectic, crazy days/evenings, but we are loving it. Jackson is learning the game, and trying so hard to make his coaches and teammates proud of him. I am proud of him. He never, ever gives up, he gives it his all, and he is doing his best. Joshua David Christensen has a new job! He is now the running backs/outside linebacker coach at Layton High School, his Alma Mater. How great is that?!?! I am so proud of him. He was born to coach. He is great with the kids! AND, Saturday night, we went with Papa and Grandma to play some laser tag. We might be a little teeny bit competitive. Oh well. Brooklyn wasn't too fond of it, until the very end. Then, she was all about shooting people! The boys had a sleepover at Papa and Grandma's house. Brooklyn threw a pretty big fit about that. She is SO not ready to have sleepovers yet, but she sure didn't want to go home with us! She wanted Grandma, and she wanted Grandma bad! She missed brothers, too, and couldn't wait to pick them up on Sunday. It was a great three-day weekend. MUCH needed!