Grensing Family

She's a Champ!!

2009-08-03T19:39:00.001-07:00

Silver (100 back), Bronze (200 back), and Gold (400 IM relay)
Aubrey had a "coming out" I guess you'd say at this Junior Olympics. Her goal was to make sectional times ( 3 times before Olympic trial times; jr. nationals, NCAA, and then Olympic trials). She made 2 and almost 4 ( 3 seconds away from junior nationals). The reason she wanted this so bad now is so she can begin training with the national group when school starts. She set this goal a year ago and it seemed so far off and really hard to do. The coach said last night people were starting to take notice of her at the meet. Whatever, I'm just really proud of her. It takes sacrifice for all of us but she's the one who gets to all those workouts even really really early in the summer and on Christmas break. She knows this is a high and there will be lows but if she just sticks with it all she has quite a career ahead of her in swimming. She did take the time to Praise the Lord and give Him honor in her success. She is learning that it is important to look to Him in the good and the hard times.

Next up......starting high school.....iyaiayaiyaya

Brie's wedding

2009-07-27T14:58:00.000-07:00

All the sisters and proud dad conducting ceremony. Everything and everyone looked so beautiful but it was really HOT!
Mylee ran off during ceremony and Tryce followed

Ahhhhh....it think. Hope Tryce isn't hurting her

Megan, Gentry and Aubrey......3 of my favorite gals

Nicole and Andy.....still newlyweds themselves

My beautiful friend and Maid of Honor, Holly

Great pic with bride and mom. Everyone really looked great

I'm so happy for you, Brie. Glad you got a wedding day to treasure.

Our great friends the Briggs minus Spencer

The brother of the bride, Colby and his beautiful wife, Laurie. She got the prize for getting Paxton, the bride's son, to sleep.

Janae, Dan and Emily from Kevin's side of the family. Is always good to see them.

Amber, another sister of the bride, with Nate, Natalee and Noah. What a cute pic......luv it!

It was a great time. Thank you everyone for including us on your special day.

San Diego.....beach

2009-07-27T14:15:00.000-07:00

After we got to San Diego, Justin and Christy were nice enough to let us run off for the night for an overnight date. It was fantastic!!! Thank you J&C!!!!
We got back and hit the beach. Tryce loved the sand but not the water. It was really cold.

The kids building a castle. Aubrey and Gentry thought the water was too cold as well. Luckily Justin and Christy both had wet suits for them to borrow so they ended up spending many hours boogie boarding.

Okay, I had to put this up just to make fun on myself. Seriously......my hair is curling better than the waves.......HA

My fam

Tryce would literally lay in the sand. He just loved it. The first day Greg and Justin seemed to let that bother them. The next day, they relaxed and Tryce freely enjoyed the sand. Thanks again to Justin and Christy for sharing their home and hospitality. This is always a highlight of our year. We have really reaped the benefit of you staying put a little longer. Love ya!!

We got to enjoy Forth of July sitting on the sand in Mission Bay. It was great.

Genty, Justin, and Christy

Those are the dudes......they cover a few generations....ha ha

determination pays off. They started making homemade ice cream and anticipated it only taking about 45 min to an hour...................................................................................................................................well a few hours later it was finally done and delicious.

The weather is hard to beat. Found a nice park and played boci ball. It was great.

Not sure who won in the end.......doesn't really matter.

Girls weekend

2009-07-27T10:47:00.000-07:00

Holly's family always invites us to their girls weekend. This year it was in St. George. Of course we have a picture of us all gathered to eat. It is always so fun to get together with all the ladies. This year we included the kids, too.
Here are the little ones in the window of the cafe playing and making a lot of noise and a big mess

My one-of-a-kind special friend Holly

Father's Day 2009 weekend

2009-07-27T10:36:00.001-07:00

Stan has been so kind to invite us over each summer to spend some time enjoying his amazing pool, bb court and other outdoor fun with his family. He and his wife are just so sweet and kind. The girls insisted on taking tryce down the slide into the pool. He survived and cried.

Thank you, Stan!!
Greg and I took Tryce and Koda to the splash park. These two really had fun. Koda loves to get wet and did pretty well being around other little kids.

Greg is an amazing dad! Celebrating Father's day for him is a treat.

I have to say, I miss seeing my own dad and grandpa though.

Annual trip to Lagoon

2009-07-27T10:26:00.001-07:00

This was our first time to see our friends, the Briggs completed new home. It is so amazing as is their friendship. Becky is a master homemaker.
This was our first chance to meet Paxton. He is Holly's youngest sister, Brie's baby boy. He is precious and before long will be running along side all of the older cousins.

My camera broke at Lagoon so not many photos. As usual Tryce and Mylee had a ball together and Lagoon has so many fun rides for them with no lines.

You 2 always make me smile!!

Puppy drama

2009-07-27T09:43:00.000-07:00

Well, our family was so excited to get our new puppy, Nala. We did get her and just fell in love with her immediately. After having Cheyanne for 17 years, we all just embraced her completely. She was so tiny and after a week we lost her. What we think happened is Tryce put her up on the table and she fell to the ground. I found her alive and rushed her to the vet. The vet checked her out thoroughly they said with x-ray, ultrasound and exam. What they found is that she was okay except her stomach seemed overly full. We had not overfed at all. We brought her home and with the help of some great friends we watched her all evening even while our family had an event to attend for a few hours. When we got home she seemed to be uncomfortable and attempting to throw-up. We contacted the vet again. She stated that that could be normal due to the fullness of stomach. I decided to literally stay up with her. I stroked and held her. At 1:30 in the morning, she attempted to vomit again, but this was it. She gasped and then went limp. She died right in my hand. It was truly devastating. Greg and I cried and held her for awhile during the night. What was equally as hard was waiting until morning for the girls to get up and tell them the devastating news. They were heartbroken. She still remains the perfect puppy. She was just too young and the fall must have ruptured something internally that the vet missed.

Gentry, mourned Nala but immediately started searching for a new puppy. I had restrictions on what I would allow and how much we could spend. After a week she found a family a few hours north of us that had some puppies that they were willing to drive to Vegas for us to look at. We met them and picked our puppy that I now feel was truly meant to be all along. He is a mix of a poodle, maltese and pomeranian. We all love him tons!! Tryce now calls him his best friend. His name is Koda.

Disneyland!!!!!

2009-04-26T14:30:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed celebrating Ally's 9th birthday at Disney. Tryce gave her a big hug after giving her a nice new Barbie.

We all celebrated with a special dinner with the princesses. Snow White was Tryce's favorite. He has all the princesses memorized. Dad is so proud....ha ha.

The big kids enjoyed all the rides twice in a row due to the switch passes that they hand out to families with little ones. It was a great benefit.

This is how Tryce handled his fear. He covered his eyes a lot. His favorite rides were the teacups, driving the cars and It's a Small World.

California Screamin' was definitely the big kid favorite along with Tower of Terror.

Tryce loved seeing the "real" Lightning McQueen and doing everything with Mylee

Mylee and Tryce love each other!!!!!!

Seeing Mikey is always exciting, however, Tryce had just hit him in the face with his car. You can tell Mickey is leaning the other way.

Holly and I thought this was pretty ironic. As we were sitting on a sidewalk waiting for the dads and big kids, we saw this water hole cover. Bingham is Holly's maiden name and Taylor is my maiden name.....pretty cool.

We all had so much fun with the Yeager's in Disneyland. It was great being with each other. It made our Spring Break more special!

We Are Getting a New Puppy!!!!!

2009-04-26T12:31:00.000-07:00

The girls were so excited to hold their new little puppy.
She is a chi-chon which is a Bichon Frise Chihuahua mix(not pure-bread chihuahua). She won't shed and wont get very big(small deposits and less food).

We had to decide between three. They were all so cute that we didn't know which one to pick so we picked the one that was most like its dad and mom. We picked the one in the middle.

This is the momma Chihuahua.

This is the daddy Bichon Frise.

Easter

2009-04-26T12:22:00.000-07:00

Tryce really enjoyed the Easter egg hunts this year. We had a really nice group participate in our own neighborhood hunt on Saturday morning. The very organized sweet Butler family did a fantastic job planning and preparing.

These are our cute neighborhood kids!!

This is Terri. Her and her husband John had us and some other families from church over for a spectacular Easter celebration. The food and fellowship was just great! Thank you so much!!

The kids did a giant Easter egg hunt in their neighborhood and got lots of goodies. We all had so much fun and had a such a special day.

2009-04-05T08:28:00.000-07:00

Well there.....got some stuff caught up. We are now headed to Disneyland to meet up with the Yeager's from Utah. They planned a surprise Disney trip for Ally's 9th birthday. We are excited to head out for a few days of Spring Break and celebrate her birthday and enjoy our time together with them. The girls are finishing up a swim meet today and Greg will get home later from the final four in Detroit. Then off we go!! This week, Easter or Holy week, is my 2nd most favorite holiday to Thanksgiving. Some things to think about each day this week:

Monday: The Day of Judgement
Reflect on what is keeping you from full devotion to God. Confess your sin to Him.
Tuesday: The Day of Conflict
Ask God to help you forgive those who have hurt you. Ask other who you have hurt for forgiveness.
Wednesday: The Day of Silence
Make some time today to reflect on God's love in silence
Thursday: The Day of Preparation
Prepare your heart by reading Luke Chapter 23
Friday: The Day of Suffering
Reflect on what God did on the cross and consider the seriousness of sin for Jesus to die so that we could be forgiven
Saturday/Sunday: Celebrate the Resurrection!
Rejoice and give thanks, for death has been conquered and forgiveness has been secured.

Happy Easter!!

Visitors and End of Season Happenings

2009-04-05T08:08:00.000-07:00

Before Tryce's first haircut done on 3-7-09

Just about all done. He did very well but ready to leave the salon.This was hilarious!! I went in to get Tryce up from a nap and he had removed his diaper. While I was cleaning up a very wet bed, he was happily running around free and easy. Soon he came running into my bathroom with this stick saying, "mommy look my poop, poop on my stick, come see." Of course, I could see that he had proudly skewered some poop and yes right there on Gentry's floor.....there it was. It was really funny. Tryce was so proud of his deposits that we only talked about how not to do this ever again and got everything cleaned up.

This was our last home game. Tryce got to run and play afterwards. Lots of fun for him!!

We all had matching shirts. It was "white out" night.

Tryce got a Rebel man tatoo on his cheek. The only bad thing was he was always wanting to look into the mirror.....all the time.

A few weeks earlier Greg's mom, Helen, and sister, Nancy, came out for a really fun visit. They got to see UNLV beat BYU for the second time this year. We went down to the strip to see the water show and look around. It was great to see them. Thanks for coming out!

This is most of my group of ladies that I'm leading through a few bible studies this year. I love all these women!!! Each brings with them an amazing testimony and heart for God. This day we had just finished a valentine project for some of the men at church that work behind the scenes.

Whew......almost caught up

2009-04-04T22:09:00.000-07:00

Just catching up with some posting to document events and happenings since Christmas. I'm really a procrastinator when it comes to these kinds of things. I really love the Blog idea since scrap booking has never really got into my blood. I have 2 more posts coming in a day or two and then I'll be close to caught up.

Tryce Really enjoyed turning "2"

2009-04-04T21:47:00.001-07:00

Is he really 2 already? Are we really 2 years older?

Danielle and Taner came over to celebrate.

Just love the joy in these faces!!

My dear friend Sandy came over, too.

Webbie did it again.....a race track for Tryce. Tryce was SO excited!

These two are a special pair....really !

The stuff just kept coming.

Looking for the next gift, I think?

These were some of his gifts from family out of town. We let him open the day before. Everyone was so generous and kind. Tryce has really enjoyed everything.

His first remote control car from Justin and Christy. I can't believe this still works but it does. Tryce has been really rough with it. He has thrown it many times but still works.

After a few more days went by.....another gift......

The Yeager's, Binghams and Parry's really treated Tryce. Got a pic with his Kyle Korver autograhed ball. They also got him a jersey and a Diego set. The really amazing gift was the handmade blanket. I feel so blessed that they would all take the time to make this for Tryce. We really treasure it.

Thank you to everyone near and far for making it a memorable and special birthday for our son.

Christmas 2008

2009-04-04T21:24:00.001-07:00

Christmas was extra special this year because my parents came to visit from Oklahoma. My Dad and Pat playing the "favorite" game....5 in a row with the girls.

Each of the ladies got new Ugg boots and the girls in their new True Religion jeans. These are the discount variety straight from China, literally.

Tryce was thrilled to get a new basketball hoop. He absolutely loves basketball especially the Rebels. I'm doing this post in April and our season is over but Tryce was singing the Rebel fight song all the way through the grocery store parking lot this week. He can shoot pretty well but dribbling will take a little more practice.

This is Tryce with Webbie (Mike). He is a friend of ours that lives here. Greg and Mike go way back. Webb went to almost every basketball game with us this year and Tryce asks to go to Webbie's house all the time. He is a great friend and like family to Tryce.

This is Gentry, Ellie, Olivia, Madelaine, and Katlin after their Christmas choir performance. These girls have been very tight since the fourth grade. They are all very sweet. Gentry will be in 2 choirs next year.....ayyaaaiiii

We got to ring in the new year with the Leavitts. First we watched UNLV beat Louisville in a thriller. It was the highlight of the season. I was too nervous to really watch but captured a pic right before the game winning shot. We were then treated to a show with everyone. They arranged a babysitter for Tryce and we all got to go see Mystre at Treasure Island. It was so much fun and are so thankful to the Leavitts for treating us all so very special.

On to 2009.........

"Fabulous Fourteen!!!"

2009-03-18T10:15:00.001-07:00

AUBREY MARIE GRENSING

The first little blonde Grensing Child...Aubs was a cutie

Aubrey has made such a strong commitment to her faith and beliefs and for that her dad and I couldn't be more proud!

She dabbled in a little modeling and as you can see is quite a beauty, however as a growing teen my prayer everyday is for her inward beauty to match her outward beauty in all she does.

Aubrey is an athlete. She is more dedicated than I ever dreamed of being. She is very talented in swimming and works tremendously hard. She makes a lot of sacrifices to train to be the best swimmer she can be.

Since she was a little girls she always wanted to hold a Koala. She was able to do just that last summer in Australia. Aubrey has quite a sense of adventure and given an opportunity she will do just about anything. She is quite fearless and a lot of fun.

Happy "14th" Birthday Aubs. Dad and I are so proud of you in so so many ways. You growing up isn't always easy for us and we realize that we might not always seem as cool as you once thought we were. Know that we love you more than anything and would do anything for you but at the same time will have to be tough on you at times and it's because we always want the BEST for you!!

Mom and Dad

Whew Whew look who's "2"

2009-01-28T17:04:00.000-08:00

Happy birthday, Tryce

We really can't believe he is 2 already. We are having a very small celebration tonight. He is very excited to have cake and pizza. All you parents know how hard it really is to put into words the impact our kids have on our lives. It is the most enriching and love-defining experience. This boy is so precious to us and has added the most energetic hilarious dynamic to our family. Will try and post about his birthday soon.

(professional cake decorator....that's me alright :) )

Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday 2008

2008-12-24T13:41:00.000-08:00

"Happy Birthday to you"..... Recognizing a birthday, some one's very existence, is done all the time. There are so many different ways that people celebrate but the theme that resonates is that of GIVING and RECEIVING. These two things are a perfect pair. Today is the paramount birthday. Happy Birthday Jesus Christ, my Savior. As I was sitting in church last week a 3 week old precious little baby boy was right in front of me sleeping. He was so tiny, so peaceful and the parents on each side of him were glowing with pride and hope. Can you really take in the fullness of the miracle of Jesus' birth? He is perfection that came to US just like that precious baby boy in church. We celebrate Christmas in so many different ways but this year, a year that has been so rich with adventures and relationships, Christmas is more simplified in my heart as a day of "good tidings of great joy". Why? There is so much uncertainty really, but not with the life and love of Christ in my heart. It's not always easy but when I live with my heart, the life of Christ which all began today removes my fears, improves my hope, and reminds me that the greatest gift of all is love. There really is no greater love than that of our Heavenly Father shown to us through His son, Jesus Christ. Our Father gave to all of us the greatest gift of all and receiving this gift is life.

So....Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday!!! Celebrate life today and have peace for tomorrow because the One we celebrate today is the very person who holds our tomorrows.

*MG*

SNOW DAYS IN LAS VEGAS!!!

2008-12-18T11:25:00.001-08:00

The beginning of the snow
about 2 hours later

The snow is sticking to the palm trees....what a rare sight.

Now, the snow is sticking to the road.....CRAZY

About 4 hours after the snow began. The palm is pretty weighted down. I was really worried about our big tree in the front yard falling but fortunately it stood strong.

Our new neighbors coming over to play int he snow for a little bit before we headed out into the craziness of snowfall in Vegas to head to the Rebel basketball game. We ended up making it to and from safely. The game was really fun. During the game the girls heard from friends that school would be cancelled due to the snow. Really, can you believe it? We got to stay for the entire game since school was cancelled and enjoy and really nice Rebel victory.

Ahhhh, Tryce kissing his very own snowman.

Yes, snowmen in Vegas get palm branched for arms.

Gentry helped out. Aubrey is sleeping in until lunchtime....seriously.

Thanksgiving and Halloween 2008

2008-12-18T11:02:00.000-08:00

Mylee and Tryce playing with their booster seats while eating pizza after a Rebel game Thanksgiving weekend.
These little ones were trying to take a nap on Thanksgiving day. Guess what....none of them stayed put.

Gathering up some full plates of wonderful food contributed by everyone.

Kevin digging into the potatoes

As Doug was carving the turkey he came across this little silver thing. He stops and tells everyone to come look. He claims it is the bullet that killed the Turkey. It really did look like it but actually it was the tip of the thermometer from checking the temperature of meat. We all got a good laugh.

These were just the appetizers....Yummy

Tryce and Mylee having fun Halloween weekend in Utah

These two got the hang of getting candy really quickly. They did a good job and had a lot of fun together.

Tryce with Kyle Briggs

Megan and Gentry

Spencer and Aubrey

Dallon had a spook alley that was really fun and Kevin and Holly had hot dogs and hot chocolate and games. They had a lot of friends come. I didn't get pictures of Dallon and Ally...bummer

Mommy and Tryce before a Halloween party in Vegas

Greg and the Girls before the party.

Thank you to Stan and family for inviting us to a really fun party and to the Briggs and Yeager's for taking care of us in Utah for the weekend. We really had a great time.

Happy "12th" Birthday Gentry!!

2008-12-04T07:44:00.001-08:00

Wow, it really gets me that you are 12 years old. You are really growing up. Gentry is such an amazing BIG sister to Tryce. She is so so helpful and Tryce really enjoys all of Gentry's attention. She has become a little OCD lately. She got some new necklaces over Thanksgiving so she got every outfit ready for every day of school this week. She hung each separately in a row on her wall with Jewelry and everything. It looked like the doors of a dressing room where they display clothing on the outside of the doors. She loves to play school, still. She will be getting all kinds of new school supplies today for her birthday. I strongly encourage any preschoolers or grade-school children to drop by. They will definitely learn something. Gentry you really are a sweetie. You have a tender heart and a strong mind. I love that you are able to make independent decisions and aren't easily swayed by the popular train of thought. I'm excited to see what you become in the new year. I love you with all my heart. Mom

Universal "Self" Care

2008-11-05T16:15:00.000-08:00

Okay, so many of you know I have been involved with Juice Plus for almost a year now. It has been the catalyst for me to learn volumes over the past months about nutrition's role in disease. My mom was ill my whole life up until her passing when I was just 14 years old so maybe I'm a little more open to doing whatever possible to prevent living another 14 years or even 1 day with a friend or loved one battling disease in and out of hospitals and taking handfuls of prescriptions daily. The world health organization stated at their last gathering that 70% of our common diseases can be prevented by simple changes in our lifestyles such as improved nutrition, regular exercise and decreasing stress. If you think you are doing okay then take at look at some of the current statistics.

*1 in 3 children are overweight.

*1 in 11 women in the world will get breast cancer by age 75 and 9 out of 10 have no family history of breast cancer.

* Our nation has had a 6.9% increase in spending for health care which is 2 times the rate of inflation.

*1 in 4 deaths are due to cancer.

* Someone dies every 2 minutes from heart disease.

*Children have surpassed the elderly in prescription drug use.

*80 million people have some form of heart disease.

*1 in 3 women and 1 in 2 men will have cancer in his or her lifetime.

*By the age of 12, an estimated 70% of our children have developed the beginning stages of hardening of the arteries.

*1 in 3 Americans born in 2000 will develop diabetes.

(sources: American Heart Association, American Diabetes Association, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Cancer Institute)

Type II diabetes is on the rise so much that doctors have stopped calling it adult onset diabetes. If a patient is diagnosed with diabetes, a doctor is taught to automatically treat for heart disease. A 17 year old has been documented having a triple bypass and with so many children being diagnosed with diabetes, bypass surgery in children and teens will be common. All of this is so scary to me!!! Sooooo....I say all this to get back to Juice Plus. Juice Plus is 15 different fruits and vegetables that have been organically grown, picked fresh and juiced. The juice is then dehydrated at a low temperature to retain natural enzymes and the powder which is left is encapsulated along with a couple of grains. You say not possible, well if you were dehydrated and all the liquid was removed you would fit into a capsule. Juice Plus has been around for 15 years and is the most researched nutraceutical product in the world today. Numerous clinical studies published in peer-reviewed scientific journals have demonstrated the following benefits of Juice Plus:

*It helps to support the immune system by delivering key antioxidants into the bloodstream.

*It helps to repair DNA damage to our cells.

*It helps to reduce damage to our cells from oxidative stress (free radical damage).

*It positively affects several key indicators of cardiovascular wellness.

I just heard at a conference in Memphis several world renowned doctors speak about the state of health in our nation. Dr. David Katz, director of the Yale Center for Disease and Prevention (him and his family take JP everyday) stated that many things need to be done to change the trends. Improved nutrition is essential along with daily exercise, drinking more water and finding ways to alleviate stress. Only 10% of the population eat the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables (7-13 servings per day). I know that no matter how hard I try, I do not eat enough fresh fruits and vegetables everyday. Juice Plus bridges the gap with a consistent variety of fruits and vegetables working in synergy everyday. I have customers say well I've been taking it and I just don't feel any different. I urge them to remember prevention is not felt immediately nor is disease felt immediately. The research is sound. The increase of key antioxidants are documented in the research and the decrease of toxic substances are equally documented in many different cultural populations. The research institutions also really impressed me. Some of them are the University of Arizona, University of Florida, King's College in London, University of North Carolina, BYU, Yale University, University of Sydney, University of Maryland, and UCLA.

I can't in good conscience not tell people about Juice Plus now that I know what I know. Taking it does not mean that you will never get sick, or be cured of all disease but it will make a positive impact in your health compared to doing nothing at all. Here are some resources:

http://www.americanheart.org/

http://www.cdc.gov/

http://www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov/

http://www.healthierus.gov/

http://www.nih.gov/

www.davidkatzmd.com/nutritiondetectives.aspx

http://www.fitness.gov/

http://www.mypyramid.gov/

http://www.juiceplusfitnesseffect.com/

http://www.childrenshealthstudy.com/

www.scienceandhealthnews.com

It costs $1.38 a day to put into your body the nutrition from 17 fruits vegetables and grains. (Kids can get it free and there are free products offered for exercise participation) I believe if you decide to spend that amount by removing $1.38 a day of bad stuff in your diet, all the better.

All this to say, I'm dedicated to making a positive impact on peoples health and wellness...pure and simple. I care, I really do!!

http://www.grensingstakejuiceplus.com/

Family trip back to Oklahoma and Kansas 2008

2008-10-02T17:35:00.001-07:00

Okay there are a ton of pics posted mostly for my memory of a great 12 days with family and friends in the Midwest. Above is Helen, Greg's mom and her dog Sadie. She lives alone in the country on a farm. She still watches out for her cows each Spring and Fall and overseas some harvesting. I think she is an amazingly strong well-grounded lady. We are glad to call her mom and Grandma.
On her porch. We had been running around and watching some very unusual looking hummingbirds.
These are some very close friends in Topeka, Doug, Torrey, Jennifer and Lori. Thanks for Dinner, Doug.
The Kids. It all started with Matt who is 14 then Aubrey who is 13, then Gentry who is 11 and Morgan who is 10. Crazy us, each of our families had one more to add. The Hutchinson's have Jack and we got Tryce. It is always so fun to get together with them. We really miss them and love them all tons.
Jack was getting ready to go to school. He is in Kindergarten this year and was struggling when we were there but I have heard he is now doing much better. We are proud of you, Jack!
We got creative and took several pics of Tryce as a little cowboy on the farm. The farm has always been a very special place for the girls and I think with these pics, you can see it is for Tryce as well. He's wearing and old hat that Grandma found and daddy's old boots.

Had to add a sunflower...after all it is Kansas

Here is Grandma with all her grand kids. Blain is the girls only true blood cousin.
The whole Grensing family at Nancy and Larry's house. They live in Mulvane, KS now. It is a really nice neighborhood. They have a pond nearby where we were able to take Tryce and feed the geese. Nancy is always so fun with the kids. She played some mean badmitten.
Tryce really loves Blain and Blain was really great with him. I just wish we were closer so we could see him more.
A few more farm pics
The girls just love to get to the farm and run and jump on the hay. I think they could do it for hours. Love the simplicity of it all. Beautiful sunsets out in the country.

Time with my grandparents is truly priceless. They are both in their 80's and are doing so so well. They both still drive. My grandma has always had a servants heart and does a lot through her church. My grandpa still goes fishing whenever he can and can still fix just about anything. They take really good care of themselves obviously and are two people who exemplify the benefits of a simple life, love of family and friends and proper nutrition.
Tryce really got connected with his great-grandparents. PaPa has always had a knack with young kids.
Such sweet kisses
My grandpa pulled out this toy that he probably made in the 50's for his own children. He made everything by hand. It has a cowboy riding on a horse. It is electric and still works. I should have gotten a better picture to show off the craftsmanship of his carvings of horse and cowboy. Toys R Us has nothing on this craftsman.

So much love.
Gentry went fishing and these are the fish they caught that day. They were delicious. There is nothing better than eating PaPa's fresh caught fish prepared by MeeMee and eating it at their house.
Looking great!!
If only Tryce really could learn to enjoy fishing with PaPa. Such a precious photo.
They really had a time playing with the fake bunny in the front yard.

This is very special. This is my mom and brother's tombstone. Tryce is named after my brother. We just changed the spelling a bit.

These are my grandparents with their kids. Uncle Gary, Aunt Kay and Aunt Diane
This is my cousin Ricky with his three kids.
Here is my Aunt Diane with her two grandsons, Jacob and Tyler. I appreciate them all so much for taking time whenever we come into town to see us. It really means a lot. Love you all.

The girls always look forward to going up to Edmond to see my cousin Nicole and her kids. They have such a great time together and seem to really know each other which is amazing due to the little amount of time they have actually spent together. Nicole is my youngest cousin and we really have a lot in common. I respect her a great deal. She had a wonderful dinner for us, too. Ava is with Gentry and Cole is with Aubrey.

Houston is chasing the ball.
They had a motor scooter that the girls could ride. No no that is not Ava, that is Tryce wearing Ava's pink coat. He makes a pretty cute little girl, too.
Here is the whole family with us. We love you guys.

We began our trip in Guthrie at my dad's house. Alina and family were there, too. I really can't explain how much fun we had. Alina has 4 girls and they just love each other to death.
Sleep-over in the living room.
Sophie is one year older than Tryce. She made the trip for him. He followed her everywhere and they got along really really well. Wish I would have gotten more pics in Guthrie. Thank you so much to the Silvey's for making the drive to spend some time together. It was very special.
My Aunt Pat and Uncle Paul and cousin Tony and his son Seth drove over to see us. It was unexpected and so great to see them. As a young girl I used to spend a lot of time with this Aunt and Uncle and they still to this day love telling some pretty embarrassing stories about me.
Here we are with My dad and Pat. They are just incredible. They own their own health-food store in Guthrie. It takes a lot of work, dedication and faith to own a small business in a small town and make a go of it these days. I am so proud of them. I just can't wait until they retire so they can travel and see us more. We miss them so much and love them dearly.

It was obviously a very special trip. It started with a rain delay in Vegas while stuck on the airplane for 3 hours with no air conditioning for part of the time. Of course we made it and packed up and moved 6 times in 12 nights to make the most of every minute with as many loved ones as possible. I know this is a very long post but I just wanted to be able to document some of the memories from a wonderful trip. Love to you all!!!

Happy Birthday Greg!!!

2008-09-23T16:37:00.001-07:00

Greg is such an amazing DAD!! Those times when I really want to stay aggravated with him, I am quickly reminded of him as a father and just can't stay that way. He also handles my emotions so well. I am so proud of how he tries to better himself as a husband, father, friend and coach.
Recently we got to go back to Omaha for a Kyle Korver event. Several of Greg's former players were there and the time he got to spend with them all was just priceless. Creighton had a lot of success over the 11 years he spent there as a coach and the relationship he has with these guys is amazing. There were about 7-8 years that the guys really formed a lasting brotherhood. It is so nice of Kyle to offer this opportunity each year for them to all get together. Many of them went and helped build shelving for Habitat for Humanity. I heard that Greg used power tools...whew whew. The picture above is of some of the guys discussing who was the most talented player over that span. They were so into it. It was hilarious.

Again, Happy Birthday Greg. I love you.

Just Reflecting and Journaling

2008-09-08T17:21:00.000-07:00

I have just had so many thoughts swirling around lately and with only a 1 year old at home to listen, I just felt like babbling on my blog. As another school year has begun, I notice how much quicker the days go by. Before I know it, the Rebels will be playing, Thanksgiving will be celebrated at our home with friends and our Christmas gathering with family in Vegas will have passed. Our family had a really special summer due to many travels but as it has all soaked in, it really wasn't the destinations that were so special. The memories with family and the forming of new friendships were priceless. I just feel so privileged to have such great friends that come and visit, to be included in Rebel-land in such a special way, to have so many friends that are there for me when I need a helping hand, to be acquainted with people who are such wonderful parents to children who are gifted and to children who have special needs, to have witnessed through friends their survival after the loss of children and other loved ones, to get to visit a dying woman who looked so beautiful eagerly waiting to meet our Heavenly Father in heaven, to be invited to dinners, to experience love of family, to feel so connected and valued in church, to have celebrated another anniversary with my man, to watch my children mature and to have learned so much about nutrition and health through JP. Although these are all positive and meaningful, life is real and there were and will continue to be many struggles. We have really missed some special friends that moved away. While we have all been very healthy and safe that is not the case for everyone. Our family is reminded daily of some friends who are very ill and how tragedy can strike in a moment in peoples lives. As I take time to reflect and after time in prayer, it is so amazing to recognize the Holy Spirit indwelling in me and empowering me to be who I cannot be just on my own. I guess what it is that has made me so sentimental is just a huge amount of gratitude and satisfaction within even though there is sickness, financial struggles, confusion, sacrifice and uncertainty. Our Lord is so amazing that even in a world of chaos there is HOPE and certainty for EVER. I'm eager for the days ahead to reveal themselves but am so thankful that God has allowed time for reflection. Okay, I promise to lighten up and post some pics soon.

Rebel Australia Tour 2008

2008-07-11T19:12:00.000-07:00

This is Bridget, Gentry, Bekah and Aubrey all cozy ready for take-off to Australia. It was cramped but on the way there, we flew at night and everyone slept really well.

We arrived in Sydney too early to check into hotel, so the first stop was at Bondi Beach. We all ran off the bus and down to the surf. The sand was so soft but really cold.

We walked around the beach and found this pool for lifeguard training right on the ocean. The girls loved it and wished so bad this was where they did their swim training 6 days of every week. Heck, I might swim in this location.

This is a really nice shot of the Sydney Opera house and the harbor bridge. You'll see the girls got to climb the bridge and they loved it.

The Opera house is an amazing structure. We got a full tour and found it very interesting. If your kids need an idea for a topic for report in school, I would recommend the opera house. It would make an interesting paper.

Another stop in a neighborhood overlooking Sydney before checking into hotel

This was some of the fans that went along. We all got together for a really thrilling and cold boat ride around the harbor.

Here's a picture of one of the boats in action. It was fun. We did spins and got soaked. Nice view of downtown in the background as well.

Above was a picture of the kids after one of our ballgames. That particular gym was like a barn and was freezing cold. We won that night....yea! Next, were photos of the girls and the gang that went on the bridge climb. It's easy to tell how much fun they had by their smiles. They all had to wear jumpsuits, ski pants, jacket with pouch, headset and walkie-talkies, gloves and heavy thing that connected them securely to bridge. Thanks to Wade(Arthur) for treating the girls. It wouldn't be the last treat. Below is a photo of Manley beach. Greg and I went over there while the girls were on the bridge. The beaches are much nicer than they appear in photo. The sand is so soft and extremely clean.

We are now in Brisbane. During our first day there we traveled to the Gold coast and got to play at the beach. The girls rented boogie-boards and had a great time. Aubrey took a hit into the sand by a huge wave and got slammed down but was alright except for a little scratch and bruise.
Pictured here are our new friends Chet (Chuck), Wade, Judy and Janea with the girls. All of them helped make our trip extra special. We are so grateful for there generosity and extending their friendship.
This was after one of our games. The host team and their parents served up a really nice meal for everyone. They also served fresh baked goodies during and after game. While in Australia you'll never have to look hard to find a fine pastry of some sort. They are everywhere.
These are mostly UNLV fans that traveled with us. They were all just so great and seemed to always be having a really great time.

We are now at the Australia zoo, home of the late Steve Irwin. We rushed in to hold a koala and they were getting ready to close this part. We talked them into just one photo. The little koala was so soft and cuddly. Holding a koala was at the top of my girls list of things to do in Australia.

They had a huge kangaroo habitat. It was so nice. With a little food these kangaroos seem like instant pets. They are so soft, more so than a koala. We had a really fun time loving on these animals.

The girls got to hold this huge boa constrictor snake. They didn't hesitate but thought it was really heavy.

Gentry held onto this critter for a bit longer so Bekah could jump into a photo. She was scared but did it.

Beas making a free throw near the end of another game and another victory. The team went 4-2 on the tour and made progress each game. The officiating was really bad most of the time but especially the very last night. I was really proud of the players. They played hard and most took advantage of new opportunities and adventures on the trip. If you want to know more go the the UNLV men's BB website and you'll find blogs and photo galleries.

These girls became tight during the trip. The older girls, Jessica, Cory and Allyssa were so nice to our three. They seemed to all connect and enjoy each other like girls do at camp. It was special to see.

Gentry getting to hold a koala again in Cairns.

Aubrey gets her turn.

I even got to hold him.

We took off into the rain forest and went Bungy-jumping. We are trying to look scared but this is before we saw what we were going to be jumping off of. I didn't have to try to be scared at that point. I just was.

This is the platform we climbed onto to jump. It is 50 meters in the air which I think is about 17 stories.

This is the bottom. Pretty

That's me. I was the first to jump off single. A few went tandem prior. I got dunked pretty good at the bottom into the water. That really made me disoriented.

Here's Gentry after her fall. She was next and got dunked just a little

This is Aubrey. They told her to avoid getting dunked to jump as far out as she could. She really did and really looked like a pro.

This is Greg. He went last and did really good. There wasn't any drama. Just good ol fun. Most of us said we'd do it again and agreed it was the highlight of our trip.

This is Coach Kruger and Barb on the Mingin swing. It's a lot like the ride at Lagoon that you pay extra to do. They really enjoyed it.

Now we are at the Great Barrier Reef. We had about an hour boat ride over. I got really cold and many got a bit green. While going over they talked to us about the option of scuba diving. Greg, Aubrey and I decided to go for it as well as some of the players. I think this is a really cute pic of Aubrey with Renee and Matt in their wetsuits.

Here's Wink, Beas and TreVon on boat.

Here are all the girls together again. They really did have so much fun.

Now back to getting ready for dive. We had a dry lesson of about 10 minutes and then about a 5 minute lesson with gear in the water. Aubrey had no troubles. I thought getting used to breathing through tank under water was scary at first. Greg was never real comfortable. We managed and had a great instructor. She stuck with us the whole way and guided us through the water. I swear the instructor and Aubrey pulled Greg and I along. We got to touch some pretty coral, saw a small shark, knelt a few times on the bottom to look around and hold a sea cucumber. It was a great experience.

This is the coral rising to the surface. About 20 days of the year it does this. It literally surfaced in some areas right before our eyes. The reef is so vast and the sealife that you get to see just snorkeling beats any place I've ever been before (Hawaii and Disney Island).

The highlight snorkeling was seeing one of those giant sea turtles swim right by us and watching the players in the water. They were really funny.

The family before heading back to hotel

The girls feeling on leaving Australia. Aren't they cute in their matching pajamas?

It really was a fabulous experience. The trip home was too long and the recovery this week took 3-4 days but WOW....I'm still conviencing myself that I really was there and got to do all that fun stuff. Thank you to UNLV who took care of Greg and my travels and to coach Kruger for allowing the families to go. Also a huge thanks to the wonderful fans that went along.

I know this post is really long but trust me I really had to work on what to put in and all the stuff to leave out. Lastly thanks to the Barton's for allowing their daughter to travel with us. Bekah was such a sweetheart the whole time. She also provided a great buffer between Aubrey and Gentry. The girls handled themselves well.

Tryce's vacation to San Diego

2008-07-10T16:29:00.000-07:00

Well here they are the Grensing brothers, one 30ish and the other 1 headed to the surf. Now how many can say that??
Oopps...little bro didn't like the water
Happy as can be playing ball
Thinking about creating a masterpiece
TaDah!!! I'm pretty sure he had a lot of help.
Tryce already loves basketball and is being taken care of by Justin and Christy while the rest of us are in Australia with the Rebel team.
Look like a perfect family at the San Diego zoo
Tryce does a great monkey imitation and apparently after the cougar growled at him, he just gave a nice deep growl right back.
Christy took him to a fair and he loved the kids petting area.
What I see in all the pics is that Tryce is very loved and cared for by Justin and Christy. We just can't thank them enough for all the loving care and sacrifice they gave to Tryce. You guys are the best.....REALLY!!!

American Idol 2008

2008-07-10T14:48:00.001-07:00

After a wonderful trip to Australia and an exhausting 24 hours of travel we decided to still find the energy to go the American Idol concert. Thanks to Greg's contact at the Thomas and Mack we had great free seats. We are so glad we went. It was a really great concert. We pictured our favorites below. Jason Castro did a really good job but he was not one of our favorites. The crowd went crazy for David Archeletta. Brooke White has an album already on itunes. We are anxious to get it.

David Cook was really great but Archeletta got the biggest roar from all the screaming girls.

We were able to take along our great friends, Elaine, Sydney and Natalie Deems

Michael Johns was so good!! He was entertaining and was spot on with vocals.
Kristy Lee Cook did a really great job. She's really cute and got one of the few standing ovations while singing. I really think she will be something in country music.
Brooke White is infectious. She just makes you smile and is so musically talented. She sang a song "Yellow" that I have never heard but we already have on itunes. It's great.
Syesha is a star already. She is a knock-out and so comfortable on stage and just blows you away with her amazing vocals.

It was a really fun night. Thanks for going with us, Deems and BIG thanks to Greg and Tommy for the tickets.

Vegas fun with Utah ladies

2008-06-05T17:40:00.001-07:00

Okay really it's probably better to just look at these cupcakes from the Cupcakery but we couldn't resist. We all indulged. They are so rich.
We had a very nice dinner at Town Square after shopping. I love H&M. Thank you Glenda once again for dinner. It was delicious!
More eating of course. We had another nice dinner at the Grand Lux Cafe before seeing Phantom of the Opera. The dinner was delicious and thank you Holly. The show was spectacular!! The professionalism of the staging and talent just amazes me. We had really great seats, too.
We ended the evening at the Bellagio. They have the most beautiful gardens that are free to tour. The themes changes throughout the year. No we are not at Mount Rushmore but it looks like it, huh? I really had a wonderful time with all these ladies shopping, sunning, chatting and eating. Thanks to Greg for picking up the slack with the kids. Love you all!

Gentry finishes elementary school

2008-06-05T17:17:00.000-07:00

Katelyn, Ellie, Madelaine, Olivia and Gentry....These girls have been pretty tight through fourth and fifth grades.
Gentry and Megan Briggs. Megan is the only girl in the Briggs family, a family so special to us. They finally got to be in the same class this year.
Becky and Megan. They both look beautiful, don't you think.
I'm so proud of Gentry. She had 4 teachers rather than one this year. She leaves the house at 8:45 to go to school and then goes straight to swimming until 6:15 every night. She also practices swimming most Saturday mornings as well. She love to go to school and never complains but sometimes complains about swim practice especially on Saturdays. With this demanding schedule she managed to get straight A's all year and was also awarded a citizenship award, attendance award and presidential award for maintaining at least an A- through both 4th and 5th grades. She has a huge step next year in Middle school but Gentry can really succeed at anything she puts her mind and will into. See why I'm so proud? Way to go Gentry!!!

Memorial Weekend getaway to Utah

2008-06-05T16:47:00.000-07:00

Even though the weather was not too cooperative, we got in our annual Lagoon experience with our Utah family. Aubrey and Gentry simply couldn't wait to go and to spend time with Dallon and Ally. Tryce made his first trip and to our surprise at 16 months he enjoyed it. The pirate ship was his very first ride with dad. Mylee rode along as well.
While we were minimally entertained at the "Rock to the Top" music show, Greg took Tryce out for some rides on his own. Tryce loved the boats and bell.
Tryce was very brave to ride the helicopter and airplanes alone. You can tell he had a great time.
We took in the Myan of course with Kyle and Coach Boylan and his darling little girls. It was a treat as always.
This is a great group photo with Kyle but without Kevin after getting ice cream.

We had a great time as always and I predict that we will be in Utah again Memorial Weekend 2009, too.

Prelude Into Summer

2008-06-05T16:27:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of scorpions in Vegas. What you do is wait until dark and then go out with a black-light and hammer. The black light will make the scorpions glow but they can't see you. You move rocks and go around the fencing's and it's scary how many you will find. My kids had a blast hunting with our neighbors, the Coffman's.

BreiAnna came out for a visit recently. It was so much fun having her here with us. What is scary to me in this picture is how old Aubrey looks. Love ya Brie!
Thought some of you might want to see this little guy laughing after a diaper change. He loves balls and cars and we love him!

Creating memories with the Wheatley's

2008-05-16T08:03:00.001-07:00

Aubrey, Gentry, Sam and Alex hiking through Red Rock
Just being silly

Had a nice picnic lunch except for trying to keep Tryce in sight.

The Wheatley's are moving to the northeast this summer. We are so sad!! They have been such great friends to us. The girls were all in swimming together and Catrina really taught me the ropes. They enjoyed many Rebel victories with us,too. Thank you for sharing such an intimate friendship with us. We will miss you more than we can even imagine.

Celebrating RENEW with our couple "small group" from church

2008-05-15T22:06:00.001-07:00

Easter

2008-03-31T21:27:00.000-07:00

Tryce learning to hunt easter eggs
Tryce and Mylee....aren't they adorable
All the kids
The feast. We barely got home from the tournament and didn't even have any plans for Easter. To the rescue....the Yeager's. They drove over from Saint George and brought most of the meal to prepare. We so enjoyed sharing this special holiday with them. They truly define friendship. Thanks!!

Good ol' Omaha

2008-03-31T21:19:00.000-07:00

Going back to Omaha for the tournament was surreal. We got to see so many friends that lived in Omaha and several who drove in from Kansas and Iowa. We got to go see the bluejays win a thriller to start things off. We honestly didn't even think the Rebels were going to be in this year's NCAA tournament field. The team was amazing and full of surprises all year long. The 11 years we spent in Omaha were very special as are so many of the people who remain there. We have embraced Vegas and UNLV with everything we have so we are very content on living here. Therefore, culminating an awesome season in Omaha at such an exciting venue was simply amazing!!!

Aubrey turns "13" destination Omaha, NE

2008-03-31T21:00:00.000-07:00

At the selection party for the NCAA tournament. Aubrey wished for a trip to her hometown Omaha for her "13th" birthday. She got it!!!
After party we arrived home and her friends had decorated her room for her birthday.
Out to eat at Elephant Bar to celebrate some more and blow out candle
Beautiful teenager relishing in her room with new furniture. Thank you to all who contributed to the cause.
Love this mirror. It's a cooler room now for a teenager

2008-03-31T20:53:00.000-07:00

The amazing 2008 Rebels celebrating a tournament championship
The boys: Taner, Justin and Tryce
The Kids...well you know..hee hee
We are so proud of Coach Grensing
Red Robin presented Coach Kruger with a cake to celebrate.

The three little fans of the UNLV staff

2008-03-31T20:37:00.000-07:00

Tryce, Molly and L.J.

YEA REBELS!!!

2008-03-10T21:35:00.000-07:00

Aubrey helped me with blog but put some pics on as a page element instead of as a new post. She's a great helper. Wanted to share some of the cutest little rebel fans. We are all now wishing we knew the results of the conference tournament rather than sweating through the day to day analysis wondering if we will win enough to get invited to the NCAA tournament. A few more days and we will know. GO REBELS!!!!

We love you Cheyanne!!!

2008-02-11T19:35:00.000-08:00

Today was difficult. We had to put our dog of almost 17 years down. Cheyanne was such a loyal and loving pet. She was great with our kids and all of their friends. In Omaha she used to follow them to the neighbors yard and lay down and wait for them to come home. Tryce has enjoyed her. He learned how to say dog and bark here lately. She had gotten pretty senile these last few months and as of last week she couldn't really control herself anymore. It has been a true blessing to have such a wonderful pet for so many years but since we are reading the 4:8 Principle, we have been able to feel joy throughout what can be a very sorrowful time. Thank you Lord for Cheyanne!!

One of the things I'm reading

2008-02-11T19:22:00.000-08:00

Philippians 4:8

"Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are nobel, whatever things are just, whatever thing are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy-meditate on these things."

Greg and I have been reading this book with some other couples in what we call our "small group". It's a blast. Anyway, it really makes you think about what you are thinking and saying. It's kind of like the book, "The Secret" but based on scripture which is what matters to me. We all think and say things that can steal our joy. I strongly recommend it!!

Tryce's special birthday gifts

2008-02-03T12:39:00.000-08:00

Our backyard was not too toddler friendly or safe. We decided for his birthday to temporarily fence off the pool until we can teach him some water safety. My dad came and helped us with this. I think it is very functional and doesn't look too bad either. We put most of our $ into taking up rock and sodding a portion of our yard. It's nice to have a little grass and much more kid friendly. The best gift we all got to enjoy for Tryce's birthday was having my dad visit for a few days. Tryce quickly developed a bond with him and quickly learned how to say "PaPa". Thanks dad for your visit and help with fence.

Tryce's 1st Birthday

2008-02-03T11:50:00.000-08:00

I really still can't believe that we have Tryce. God is so amazing. He always hears and answers our prayers, however, sometimes His timing really is divine. Tryce is such a blessing to us. The way he has enriched our family is priceless!! We had fun celebrating his first birthday eventhough he was a bit sick. Happy Birthday with so much love and gratitude.

Next post will be his special gifts.

Christmas morning and day

2008-02-03T11:40:00.000-08:00

We of course first off celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. The girls really liked their new robes from the Hutchinson Family and Tryce was trying to digest his new football. We enjoyed our Christmas dinner with the Kruger family. Kevin Kruger had a nice nap with Tryce.

A very late Pre-Christmas Post

2008-02-03T11:24:00.000-08:00

We had fun with

Justin and Christy

before Chrismas.

I also was so

thrilled to have

fresh flowers in

my yard for

the holidays.

We send our love to you this Christmas

2007-12-24T20:15:00.000-08:00

The Yeager/Bingham/Parry/Funderburk families are really amazing. We just wanted to send a Ho Ho Ho shout out to all of you. Holly is that "one-of-a-kind" friend and through that friendship we really feel like we have an extended family. You all have enriched our lives in many ways over the last 10 years. Thank you and Happy New Year. Looking forward to a great 2008!!!

we got elfed

2007-12-07T20:57:00.001-08:00

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1233112430

Gentry's 11th Birthday

2007-12-04T10:17:00.001-08:00

Cute baby Gentry
Beautiful 11 year old Gentry

Happy 11th birthday Gentry. We are so proud of Gentry. She has really grown in so many ways this last year. She is a loving, tender and attentive big sister to Tryce. She has courageously began a new sport, swimming, and gave up the comforts of gymnastics. She has really learned how to excel in school. I can honestly say I do not know another 11 year old that is as organized and ready to be a teacher than Gentry. We love her so much but just wish we could keep her from growing up so fast.

The Rebel basketball season is underway

2007-11-15T19:17:00.000-08:00

Tryce on court after 2nd victory
Father and Son enjoying victory and each other

We Survived State Swim Meet!!!

2007-11-15T18:58:00.000-08:00

Gentry new to the sport, took time off of 5 out of 7 races
Aubrey was a medalist in every race and improved all times except one...Amazing
Tryce loved crawling around and on everything but his favorite was going in and out of his suitcase
Our friends, Catrina, Sam and Venessa. I couldn't of made it through without Catrina's help. Thank You!!!
The team doing a cheer before the finals on the last day. They are four time State Champs!!!

TAGGED

2007-11-15T15:14:00.000-08:00

I am a sucker for: Nachos and guacamole, brownies, new music, clever gadgets, a great sale and spending time in Santa Barbara.

My worldly desires: To own my current home outright and a few others, a boat with 2 bedrooms, a slug-bug, and a plane to fly in my friends and family on a whim.

My prize possessions: Greg, Aubrey, Gentry and Tryce, my bible, my diploma, some photos, my "faith of a mustard seed" necklace from my grandma Taylor and my wedding ring.

I will never wear____again: This is a hard one. Pleated front pants, stretch pants and stirrup pants, maternity clothes and shoulder pads.

Things I love: Santa Barbara, ocean breezes, victories for Greg's team, winning basketball tournament championships, home-cooked meals made by someone else, my house cleaned by someone else, chartered or private flights, organization, gift giving, laughing into tears, lobster, puppies, kittens, babies, spending time with family and friends, reading without interruptions, DVR's, internet, IKEA, Sundance, lattes, wine, Dream Dinners, Christmas music, and knowing my kids are healthy, confident and safe.

Things I hate: Feeling overwhelmed, being ignored, having to carry so much stuff in a diaper bag, being cold, when people don't do what they say they're going to do, messes, traffic, not being able to fix something or not being able to afford someone who can, paying bills, dust, snotty noses, gray hair and spider veins, not getting to spend regular time with family, my kids not being able to have their grandparents or any family around to share in all the wonderful things they do.

Randomness: There is nothing better than to know you've made difference in another life for the better! I really appreciate being appreciated. Currently, I feel joy everyday looking into the faces of my kids yet at the same time, I am longing for a little more adult time. On a lighter note, I can't wait to try some chocolate covered cinnamon bears!

Another Birthday

2007-11-02T13:36:00.000-07:00

Yes, I had another birthday. Greg, Gentry and Tryce all spent the day with me recovering from being sick. Greg did manage to get me this beautiful bouquet of flowers. They smell heavenly! I just love fresh flowers. Thank you so much, Greg and to everyone else for the cards, gifts and phone calls. Hugs to all!

Halloween 2007

2007-11-02T13:12:00.001-07:00

Asian Gentry with Tryce the Cow
The cow face on belly is pretty funny
Milk and cows...go together
On their way out
Tryce returning from trick or treating

The originally made Halloween plans changed quickly due to everyone in the family being ill except Aubrey. Gentry was recovering as was I. Greg and Tryce were beginning their illness and Aubrey stayed healthy. The girls had planned with a few other friends to go out together and dress up and "Water Women". They had made some pretty silly costumes. Half of the group became sick so soon I will get them all together and have them dress up and take some pics to share. It's always good to remain flexible. The girls still had fun. They wore their costumes from last year. By the way everyone is now healthy and on to the Thanksgiving season which is my favorite.

New faces by Tryce

2007-10-28T14:23:00.000-07:00

Tryce has started making random sour faces. There is no emotion to these faces, they are just something he likes to do. He had us and the Yeagers laughing into tears at the buffet. Pretty silly little guy.

Check out my Slide Show!

2007-10-27T21:42:00.001-07:00

Check out my Slide Show!

2007-10-27T18:55:00.001-07:00

Summer Sailing in San Diego Bay

2007-10-26T21:09:00.000-07:00

Sailing on a chartered 40 foot yacht with Justin and Christy was the highlight of my summer. Tryce was a little fussy and Gentry couldn't stop going to the galley to get treats, but all in all it was great. We saw dolphins and seals. The girls liked sitting on bean bags up front. Greg helped with Tryce and sat down below for awhile. It was beautiful. Thank you Justin and Christy for the recommendation and arranging.