The Forces of Good

Rob overhears MK and four futsal teammates:

One asks another, “Hey, why didn’t you text me your thought last night?”

MK interrupts, “What are you talking about?”

“We all text each other thoughts after we read our scriptures at night. Want to?”

“For sure!”

This next generation has got work to do, and they are ON IT. No need to stand alone when there’s a fight on your hands.

There's always hope....

MK called me from school, “Um, Mom? Could you excuse me from 4^th period? I left my gym clothes at home, so I’ll have to walk around the gym the whole time.”

“Uh—let me see if I understand the situation.... You want me to excuse your sluff, because you came to class unprepared…is that right?”

She sighs, “Nevermind.” [click]

Don't you just love big brothers?

M&M Meet the Jazz

 D-Will! Mia's excited that he leaned into her :)
My little sister (left of Kirilenko) invited M&M to meet the Jazz players last week. Lots of freaking out.

Okur towers.

Korver was a little stand-offish. No biggie. D-Will is what it's all about for my girls.

Ronnie Price went to school with Uncle Craig.

Jerry Sloan.

A new favorite—Wesley Matthews. All because he said, "Pass it [the ball]... There it is." He musta said it cute.

Ronnie Brewer and Paul Millsap.

Boozer was sick :(

Our new kitchen centerpiece.

The Year in Review, 2009

I came across a few ideas for journaling at year's end, and it inspired me to do my own version:

Favorite outfits of 2009:

Dressy/casual

Contents of my purse. Highlights for me include tripled-up asthma inhalers (for panic attacks—ha). Earplugs for car rides with too many kids. Lists, lists, and more lists. A giant packet for picking fresh fruits and vegetables (never used). Grocery price deals from 2006. Can you believe it all fits in there?

Calendar Highlights

January: Night tubing. Rob sees the light at the end of his 4-month tunnel. 

February: Rob goes back to work for Moss. 

March: Hackings visit from New York! Mr. Self starring as Thorn in Mia's Side.

April: Late-night egg hunt by flashlight with Cattens. Rob's "no conflict" campaign. I start playing indoor soccer after a 13-year hiatus. 

May: Elle spills A LOT of milk in the front room. Several rookie and professional attempts to eradicate the stench. Pulled up the wall-to-wall carpeting. Twice. Wadsworth's visit! Man camp at Lake Powell. I get mono. 

June: MK's barf-day. Built a kitchen desk (-er someone else built it). School's out. 

July: Laguna Beach. Knott's Berry Farm. St. George with Wadsworths. Dance Utah. Hiking the "Y." 

August: Hell Week for high school soccer tryouts. Doubled-up tackle football schedules. School is back in session. MK gets her braces off! Pool party.

September: Dew Tour. Football in a big way. High school soccer JV/V games.  

October: Odyssey's Thriller production. Dousing the dining room walls in Chocolate Soufflé (the color, not the food). BYU and Snow College football games (go Clint!). 

November: Our fun-loving, sociable, up-for-anything-on-a-moment's-notice McKenzie is ALIVE and kickin'! (Leaving Riverton just about knocked her flat.) Jazz games. Grant and Tonya move to Alpine! Back to MBA school for Rob. Eight months to go....

December: Class talent shows and invite to perform in the teacher's lounge ("Wow, Mom, I didn't even know this place existed....")

Resolution!

Family Night theme: Resolutions, 2010

A few of our goals:

MK 

"Social—get out of my circle

Physical—work on my shot and a move" [soccer]

Mia 

“Make track team and dance company

Give people hugs [currently averse]

Speak in public better” 

Getty 

“read my scriptures every night 

finish my Faith in God 

be a good egsample 

say thank you more 

learn how to break dance 

learn more alderbra”

[Didn't see that list comin'. Getty's full of surprises. See why he's one of my six favorite kids?]

Cam 

“Go to the park! 

Helping with Dad! 

Go to the Carnibal!” 

[Mom's goals for] Elle 

Ditch my red-tagged blankies 

Board the potty train 

Graduate to my big girl bed that I pretend isn’t sitting in my room all cozied up for me 

Cy 

“eat a froot every day
I want to do Sunday Stashins [Stations] 

4 in grads 

make noow frens” 

[and may I add, no more night terrors] 

Me

Maintain family scripture schedule

Maintain temple attendance goal

Remember morning prayers

Do Scout calling with a great big toothy grin on your face

Build nutrition into snacks

Early to bed, early to rise. This is the year to alter your body clock permanently!

Attend at least a day or two of BYU Education Week

Create unique memories during Mama Mondays

Incorporate more testimony in "Evans Edition" family journal

Rob

Read 'Mere Christianity'

Finish MBA

Ask kids often, "WWJD"?

Drunk on Cute

Mom's having a little too much fun with me...

(How long do you think Elle will humor me?)

Christmas Faves

Camcorder for Getty. I know. Rob's idea. Getty is in heaven. Thanks, Uncle Mark, for the rockin' deal!

Zhu Zhu hampsters. (Again, Mark's the hero.)

Beatles Rock Band. Zero musical talent. Plug your ears.

Mia's futon. Number one on her wish list with new bedding to match. She likey.

Madden 10 for Cy. Enough said.

MK's new phone. Beats the tar out of her duct-taped, beat-up red one.

In keeping with tradition, Rob returned both gifts I bought him, and I thanked him for the many gifts I gave myself over the past few months while shopping for "the kids."

Christmas Dinner at Granny's

Granny passing out gifts. She's the one underneath all the grandkids.

Surprise! Uncle Scotty's back!

Scotty and the Vietti's.

Take a good look, 'cause you'll never see MK all in PINK again. Still makes me laugh. It's against nature....

Over the River and Through the Woods...

A Christmas visit to Great-grandpa Rawlin's home. Soda tagged along (far left).

Elle and Cam got rides on the Pacesaver M94 Titan (—er something like that...) electric wheelchair. 

Don't you just love the vintage avocado carpet? Classic grandfather digs.

Whoa. Thanks, Grandpa!

Great-grandpa's MEGA magnifying glass for reading the daily mail. Old age has its perks.



Rawlin and grandson Rawlin. Love to the man who begot my man.