Hunter's 1st touchdown in high school

Hunter's first touchdown in high school as a freshman. It was so much fun to watch, I was video taping the game and it is so hard to watch and tape at the same time. The best part was that his Grandma Udall, Uncle Bobby, Aunt Marcie, Cousins Tona & Laci were here from AZ and was able to see it. The team won 60-0.

Where to begin......

It has been so very long since I have posted. We have been so very busy and had a fun, exciting summer. I will have to post more about all of that later. I have decided to just start back with school pictures and what we have been up to lately. It hurts my head to think about all of the things I could write about and tell about.

The kids first day of school pictures:

Jessica with her friend Andrea, who came from AZ to visit us for over a week was there still on Jessica's first day of school. This is them before leaving to go to seminary. Jessica is 16 and a Junior this year. She is on the Varsity Volleyball team and loving the sport.

Hunter is a Freshman this year. He starts high school and seminary. He is 15 and is on the freshman football team playing outside linebacker. He has grown to 5'9 this summer.

Spencer is 10 and in the 5th grade. He is currently playing fall baseball and loves it. Taylor is 9 and in the 4th grade. She is playing volleyball at the YMCA. She is the youngest and smallest one on her team, but everyone thinks she is so dang cute. I need to be better about posting and hopefully I will catch up more later, but for now this is all I can do.

I am Loved

Ever since my kids could eat solid foods I made heart pancakes for breakfast for Valentines day. I would always put a note in there lunch with a special treat, and a little box of chocolates. This year it was on a Saturday, so no note in there lunches with a special treat. I did make them our annual heart pancake breakfast. My hearts did not turn out as great this year, but I was in a hurry because I had a Stake Young Women's Leadership meeting in the morning from 10 to 12.

We had some extra special kids with us on Valentines day morning. Who enjoyed our tradition. Jessica and Hunter are not in this picture, because they were just getting up.

I left that morning in such a hurry I did not have time to clean anything up and left my house a mess. I wished everyone a Happy Valentines day and left for my meeting, which was 30 minutes away. When I got home I was really wishing that my family would have cleaned up the huge mess I had made from that morning. This is what I encountered when I came home:

This beautiful note on the back door inviting me:

It immediately put a smile on my face. I walked into the house and it was immaculately clean and the table was set just like this. A peach rose from each on of my kids and white roses from Doug, with a special note/card from each of my children and a love letter from my husband.

With a dinner Menu of what they were going to serve that evening for dinner. I had to wait in the other room till they were finished and they called me into dinner and this is what the table looked like. I wish I would have taken one with all of the kids sitting down. Doug made it all. It was heavenly, and plenty left for the next day and it was just as good the second day. Thank you Doug, Jessica, Hunter, Spencer, & Taylor for making me feel so loved.

I love you!

Tennessee Football game

Doug's boss gave him his four season tickets to the Tennessee vs. Kentucky game this past weekend. We took the boys. The girls stayed at their friends houses.

(Thanks Lynn & Marianne)

On our way to the game, in our new Suburban, the boys playing video games.

In the hotel room snuggling up.

Spencer & Doug

Renee & Hunter

Me and my boys.

Doug & I at the game The boys at the game

Part of the halftime show. It was fantastic. They did the twelve days of Christmas for the University of Tennessee. It was very funny.

Here is there "T"

My boys enjoying the game. It rained most of the time, but we had ponchos and we kept warm the whole time.

Spencer really enjoyed himself.

Hunter will watch football 24/7 now days if I would let him.

On the way home, Hunter was tired and Spencer was watching a movie.

I love these moments

Jessica

Hunter Taylor

Spencer with duckie (from Grandma Udall) and otter (from Grandma Slade)

Fireside

Our stake put on a fireside for the whole family last night and Tonly Ingle the head basketball coach at Kennesaw State University was there to speak to us along with Shawn Bradley who he recruited and coached at BYU. Shawn Bradley stands 7'6" and is a former BYU star, played 12 years in the NBA for the Philadelphia 76's, New Jersey Nets, and Dallas Mavericks. He is such a wonderful speaker. Hunter, Jessica and I were able to go and listen to him speak. We could have listened for hours to him, he was so funny, spiritual, and entertaining. When he stood up the crowd just aaahhheedd. He is so tall as you can tell from this picture. When we were leaving he was outside and Hunter was standing by him and asked if he wanted a picture with him. I just happen to have my camera, because of Hunter's football game from the night before, but my batteries had died, but I was able to get it to work. Hunter is 5'6 mind you, Shawn was two feet taller.

Football Season is here again!!!!

Football season never really goes away here in Georgia. They play all year long it seems like. We started in March and then ended in June, but started right back up the second week in July. Hunter has had football practice Mon, Tues,Wed,Thurs,and Sat. mornings from 2 hours to 3 hours a night. It is crazy needless to say around our house in the evenings between volleyball, football, young women's, scouts, young men's we are pretty much not ever home in the evenings. Hunter's team had their first scrimmage last Saturday night and they were doing great until the second half, were they did not score anymore and the other team did. I think they lost by twenty. Their first official game is this Saturday. Here is Hunter in his game day Jersey they all wear to school the day before the game. They play on Saturdays, so that everyone can attend the High Schools football games Friday night. I told you they are serious here. Hunter is playing linebacker, and tight end. He plays for the 8th grade team at his school. He loves the game of football and can't wait for the Arizona state sun devils to play also this weekend. I just wanted to take a picture of Hunter while he was waiting for the school bus. He needs a haircut!!!! He doesn't think so though. Hanging out before the game watching the 7th grade team play. Getting ready to run through the big sign. I think the boys love this just as much as the cheerleaders love to watch them do it.

First day of school

Jessica is a Sophomore this year. Last week she tried out for the J.V. volleyball team and made it. She is so excited to be playing a new sport. Here in Georgia softball and volleyball are played at the same time in the Fall. Jessica played softball last year and chose to play volleyball this year. Today was also the first day of seminary. Jessica loves seminary and is always eager to go and learn more about Christ. She is studying the New Testament this year. Hunter is a 8th grader this year. He is on the 8th grade football team. They had tryouts this year for football for the first time, because their was to many boys. Hunter plays corner and wide receiver. He has grown over 4 inches just in two months. Spencer is in the 4th grade this year. He chose not to play football this fall. I am grateful one less practice to worry about. He is still in cub scouts. This year he will be switching classes between three teachers. His Social studies and reading teacher is my good friend Lora. Her son is one of Spencer's best friend. Taylor is in 3rd grade this year. She was so excited to start school back up. We met her teacher last week and she already had a homework assignment for the first day of school. She needed to bring in three things that described her. She brought her stuffed kitty, a book about kittens, and some pictures that she took. She loves kitties, reading and taking pictures. She is going to start piano lesson's here soon. I went down to the church building and took this picture of Jessica and a few of her friends from Seminary. We have 32 kids enrolled in Seminary this year. That is awesome. She is smack dab in the middle. We have a great group of youth in our ward.

Hunter's knee surgery

Hunter had to have knee surgery last September. It was just the beginning of the football season. He had to sit out the whole season. He tore his menial meniscus. Which is the outside of his knee. He is shooting basketball before surgery. They let me walk him back into the actual operating room and hold his hand until he started to fall asleep from the anesthesia. Then they started the iv on him. He did not feel a thing and was a real trooper. It was harder on me than it was on him. He was in surgery for about 45minutes. Then they took him back to the recovery room where I joined him. It didn't take long before he started to feel sick from the anesthesia. They were so kind to him giving him cold rags to put on his head. He was so tired and groggy. He went home from surgery on crutches and the next day he was off of them. The doctor couldn't believe he was off so quickly. He started physical therapy two days later and only had to do it for four weeks instead of six. He surpassed what the Dr thought. This picture is of him when they took the bandage off for the first time at physical therapy. They made three tiny incisions and that was all. They did have to cut away some of the cartilage, but he is 100% back to normal. He did have to sit out of basketball, but he was able to do baseball and now is back in football. Hopefully he will be able to have a great season, with no injuries.

Diamonbacks vs Braves

We took the kids and their friends to a baseball game last Saturday. It was a perfect day to take in a baseball game. We of course chose to go to a Braves game when the Diamondbacks were in town. We are still Diamondback fans, even though they are not doing so well this year. Taylor did not want to go to the game, because she was invited to her best friends house. It was a hot day, but as you can see we are under the terrace and was shaded the whole game. There was a breeze the entire time. It was pretty much perfect. Jessica and her best friend Alyssa, with Spencer sneaking in the shot. Doug and I love to watch games together, especially watch our children watch the excitement of it all. The Spencer & Ryan enjoying a nice big snow cone that left them with blue mouths all day. Hunter and Stanton came away with red mouths, which did not stay as long as the blue.