Memorable Memorial day weekend...

It has been quite a week. Emily opened her mission call! She is going to serve in the Salt Lake City, Utah Temple Square mission and she enters the MTC on August 18th. We are excited for her and look forward to sharing in this experience with her through her emails. If you want some video entertainment, go to her blog at kissthecamera.blogspot.com and watch the video of her opening her call. It is priceless.

Sean and Bethany were officially engaged last Saturday. They have quite a friendship-romance story to tell from meeting in 10th grade math class to Sean coming to church and seminary during their final days of high school to him being baptized, going to BYU and on a mission to Chile. He returned from his mission last October and they began dating again in February. We are thrilled for both of them and are excited to have Sean as part of our family, although we have loved him like a son already for 4 years. Wedding will be in the Portland temple, August 13th with reception at our home on August 14th. Exciting summer ahead.

Graduation night, June 2006

Las Vegas trip with the Cudahy's April 2010

(and no they didn't get married there...haha)

Engagement photos are coming!

Water Polo: those girls can play!

Katie just completed her first season of Water polo. It has been an exhausting, grueling and amazing at the same time. She started out playing JV and after a few weeks began also playing and practicing with the Varsity team. Her improvement over the season was fantastic. She made lots of friends and suited up for the State tournament. Curtis lost in a heartbreaking championship game 3-4 in favor of Gig Harbor HS. She is looking forward to water polo in the coming years at CHS.

Sunsets

Christian has been taking amazing pictures of the sunsets with his camera. Here are just a few. We are so blessed to live in this beautiful corner of the world.

Mod Prom 2010

Christian had a really great evening at Mod Prom with date Chloe Roisum. Ben went with Greta Lybbert and then there was the whole gang from the West Chapel. This dinner and dance has become a wonderful tradition each Spring for 16-18 year old LDS youth in Tacoma and Puyallup.

Vancouver Temple

I took Katie, Kelsey, Hannah and Preston for a quick trip to Vancouver BC to see the new temple! We had such a fun time...spent the night in Bellingham and then drove over the border early Saturday AM and toured this beautiful new temple. We loved touring each room. Our only camera was on our phone but this gives the general idea. It was a wet and rainy weekend but still fun times!

Whirlwind

SPRING BREAK APRIL 2010

Warning: This is the longest post ever...

Where to begin? We just returned from an amazing Spring break trip. We drove to Utah, spent 5 days there, then went to Las Vegas for 4 days and then drove home. The drive home took us 24 hours minus the 6 hours we slept at the Motel 6 in Wells, Nevada, Population 800. The kids were troopers.

First event: Emily's Junior Recital which was amazing!

So happy to be done!

And so happy to have her grandparents attend!

And the whole family....

And her Vienna Study abroad family...

Preston took great pride in handing out the programs before the recital. He then listened to the first couple songs and fell asleep for the rest of the program. Sean helped entertain him after the show.

CONFERENCE

We loved listening to conference on the weekend. Saturday afternoon, Emily, Katie, Kelsey and I were able to attend in the conference center. It was amazing!

YW photo!

We were one of the last ones into the main floor of the center and sat in the special needs seat on the very last row. Leg room was awesome!

We ran into a handsome bunch of Soundview men walking out of the conference center.

Random fun at the Provo Mall....After seeing the movie, The Last Song, with the girls while the men were at the Priesthood session, the kids had a blast doing this bungee/trampoline jump at the mall.

Preston was fearless and a pro at doing somersaults.

EASTER SUNDAY

We had a great time at Ben and Rachel's...eating a yummy Easter dinner, Easter egg hunt and visiting. Our whole family was there, and grandma, and also Merlene with most of their family. Also fun with new boxer puppy, Max.

Ben and Rachels new Boxer puppy, Max.

Little Birgita is so cute!

Skiing at Brighton Resort, Big Cottonwood Canyon.

This was quite an adventure. We haven't been skiing for about 5 years and so Preston and Hannah did ski school for a few hours in the morning. Then they loved skiing on their own for the afternoon. Christian got right back into snowboarding and had a blast. It made it especially adventuresome since the mountains recieved over 30 inches of snow during our 2 days of skiing. It was so powdery and light.

The Bateman Boys!

It was great to ski with Rachel, Braden and Christian too!

VIVA LAS VEGAS!

So, we drove from snowy SLC to 80 degree Las Vegas. What a fun contrast! We enjoyed our pool at the Grandview Resort, Preston learned to swim without his life jacket which he has been very attached to, we enjoyed walking the strip and attending a few shows: KA Cirque at the MGM grand, Lion King at Mandalay Bay and The Blue Man group. Everyone's favorite was KA.

Hannah and Preston made some new friends! Eva and Noah from Los Angeles. Their dad is the producer of the bachelorette and their mom is an actress! I had fun talking with her at the poolside while the kids played together.
Walking the strip.....M&M store, CocaCola store, the lions at the MGM grande....so much to see.

BAPTISM
It was so fun to be in Las Vegas for the Baptism of cousins Jackson and Leighton. They are the cutest, funniest and biggest 8 year olds and we love being with them and their family.

APRIL 10th, 2010

Christian's 18th Birthday...after the baptism, we celebrated at a local park.

We are so proud of Christian. He is headed to BYU Provo in the Fall! He is suffering from Senioritis and looking forward to graduation in June.

Getting ready for the 24 hour drive home.....

Celebrations of Life: 4 Birthday parties and 3 funerals

I've been pondering about the beautiful lives we each have been given. Life is truly a gift.

This weekend our children have been running here and there to different birthday parties for their friends. Birthday's can seem fairly routine--like an everyday occurrence, but they are a reason to celebrate! Each individual is unique and has been given a unique family and circumstances to grow and develop.

This weekend we have also attended 3 funerals for 3 special people.

First, Monique White who at 9 years old had completed her mission on this earth. She was a special child totally dependent on others for care. She has a very special family who loved her so much and it seems her presence affected the lives of so many. At church, we will miss seeing her brother Jacob push her in her wheelchair to sit by their family and her primary class will miss having this special child in their class.

Kathy Williams was a wonderful wife, mother and new grandma who was an inspiring woman of faith. She led a life full of service to her children and to others. When she became sick 8 months ago, she never complained and her faith grew stronger. She was an inspiration to all who knew her and will be missed by many.

Eric Allen was a young man who was a teacher and football coach at Lincoln High School. For several years, he lived life to the fullest even as he suffered from brain cancer. He inspired his students in the game of life: "This is why I coach, to teach the kids that life is more than football. There are going to be hundred of challenges in life and you have to be strong enough to get through them. If you can handle football, you can handle those challenges."

Roger and Veronique White summed up their feelings very sweetly:

"During this difficult time our family testifies of the reality of the resurrection which is a gift from our Savior Jesus Christ and are filled with an overwhelming sense of love and hope. We take strength in a sure and peaceful witness that our Father in Heaven loves us and has prepared a way for our family to be together now and throughout all eternity."

I am also thankful for my knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that we will be reunited with loved ones again after we die. I know that we were given this life to learn to be obedient and to serve and to love. Each day of life is truly a gift and I am thankful for it.