And So It Begins...

Graduation is finally here! Be prepared for a lot of posts and pictures over the next several days!

We started off the celebration(s) with a 'low-key' lunch with several of Seth's classmates and their wives/fiancee. This was actually put together so that we could finally meet Petko's fiancee, Nellie (I'm sorry if I spelled that wrong). She got in last night from Bulgaria and it was so great to finally meet her. Petko, Jake, Ben and Seth all became friends during their first semester. Petko was the only one without a wife, so the first chance he got he went home and proposed to his girlfriend of 6 years! Guess those "family guys" started to rub off on him. Petko has become such a dear friend and family member!
(This is a bad pic, I know, but the only one I got of these two today - Hopefully Wendy will email me the group shot - hint hint! :))

Later on was the Graduation Reception for all of the graduates. Seth received 2 awards. One for being a Campus Ambassador and the 2nd for being on Honor Council. While we were sitting there, it really hit us that we're done, FINALLY! (Now we just have to work on the job thing!)
Here is Seth recieving his medals! (With the Swine Flu going around, they asked the students to not shake hands or hug and they had them all come up afterwards to recieve the awards - instead of going across the stage and shaking hands with the President - So, I had to improvise this shot!)My beautiful and talented friend, Erika Decaster. Erika and her husband are BOTH graduating tomorrow!

Oh and did you wonder what we did with Colton?

He stayed with our neighbors, David and Linda. They are the BEST neighbors ever! We have loved having them right next door these last 2 years and we are going to miss them terribly!










Colton LOVES their son Brent and Brent is always so kind and sweet and gives in to all of Colton's whims!

The Happy Dance!

Our computer is working again... It contracted an awful virus and had to go see a specialist who, after many tries, finally had to just clean it out and start all over again - reload everything that came with our computer when we first bought it! Thankfully it only cost us $80 for everything and I am so grateful to have it back... I feel lost without an internet connection. Is that bad?

Well, anyways we had a great General Conference Weekend and Easter with our families. Colton loved all the Easter egg hunts he got to go on and this year he actually collected the eggs, BEFORE he opened them. I think the light bulb went on that he could get more candy that way!
Of course it just would not be General Conference without "Pull-a-Parts" YUMMY! (Sadly I just discovered that this is the only picture I took all weekend... These must have left a strong impression on me! Ha Ha - they were good)

Easter egg hunt on the Thunderbird Campus lawn


I couldn't resist taking this pic of Colton as he walks towards the biggest prize (in his eyes) -- the handicap button for the door.

We got to have another Easter egg hunt at my Aunt Holly's and Uncle Matt's. Can you tell how into it he is now?

Here's Colton and his cousin, Cooper, going through their stash at Oma's and Opa's.



It was 2 great weekends to spend with family and listen to the words of our Prophet and Apostles and celebrate the resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

The Mortal Instruments Series

"A thousand years ago, the Angel Raziel mixed his blood with the blood of men and created the race of the Nephilim. Human-angel hybrids, they walk among us, unseen but ever-present, our invisible protectors.

They call themselves Shadowhunters...

For a thousand years, the Nephilim have protected the Mortal Instruments. But that was before the Uprising, the civil war that almost tore the Shadowhunters' secret world apart. Though Valentine, the Shadowhunter who started the war, is long dead, the wounds it left behind have never healed.

Fifteen years have passed since the Uprising. It's August in New York; the streets blistering with heat. Rumors run rampant through Downworld that Valentine is back, at the head of an army of Forsaken warriors.

And the Mortal Cup has gone missing..."


I just finished the final book in this series, City of Glass, by Cassandra Clare. These are great books! I found them after reading Twilight... and the third came out last week. These are great books, especially if you liked the Twilight series. AND (GASP!) I think I might even like them more than Twilight :) There's definitely more action and it seemed faster paced. Plus, with the final book already out, you won't have to wait and wait and wait for a resolution!

So, if you've already read these books, did you like them?

Have you read something else that you liked? If so, let me know... I need a new series!
And now I must go and finish all of the housework I've been putting off so I could finish this book!

WHEW!

What a weekend we had...

It started off on Friday night. I got to go out to dinner with just the girls from Thunderbird! We went to Claim Jumper - YUMMY! The IWFC club paid for dessert too - yes, I even ate a big piece of this chocolate cake: (It was a foot tall!)

On Saturday, we headed over to another student's house in Scottsdale for a BBQ and then went from there to Seth's parents house. They watched Colton while Seth and I went to the "Divine Performing Arts" at Gammage. They are a touring group from New York and feature classical chinese dance and music. We had 6th row seats too! It was very beautiful. By the time we got back to Glendale, though, it was midnight! (Thankfully Colton slept until 8 the next morning)

The next morning, Sunday, we headed out to Surprise (yep, that's the name of a city in AZ) to attend Lane Lincoln Eagar's blessing. He's the newest Traeger grandson - there are 3 in all now(Colton, Cooper and Lane)! Aren't they cute? (This was the only picture that wasn't blurry - hopefully Anna or Claire got a better one!) Oh and it just made me realize how BIG Colton is getting too :) He is such a cutie with Lane. He's always trying to share toys with him (wish he'd do that with the kids his own age).

We also decided to go to Seth's parents in Gilbert, that night, for dinner. You can't pass up Oma's Chicken and Rice!

It was a great weekend with friends, family and food!

Best Idea EVER!

Ok, I know - another month has passed!

Last semester my friend Wendy had the best idea. She suggested a dinner swap - she would cook on Monday nights for her family and mine and then I would cook on Wednesday nights. I made sure, of course, that she knew I was not the best cook! It was such a nice change of pace not to have to cook one night a week and it was really easy to just cook more for her family. Well, this semester (I can't imagine telling time without the constraints of "semester") we added our friend Abby to the mix. Now I get Mondays and Thursdays off from cooking dinner! Oh and they are way better cooks than me :) Seriously how did I get so lucky! On Monday, we ate homemade lasagna and a home made baguette and tonight we had pork with a cranberry sauce and mashed potatoes! This is probably the only reason I'm going to be sad to graduate - no more nights off from cooking!

So, if you have a friend who lives close (Abby, Wendy and I are all in the same apartment complex) and whose family size is about the same as yours then suggest this great idea!

P.S. I just noticed that nice "smudge" on the camera... guess Colton's been sneeking it again!

Good Friends = Good Times

I think I was around 9 years old when I was driving in the car with my mom. I had just watched another mom and her teenage daughter in a big fight. I looked at my mom and with all the naivety that a 9 year old has I told her: "I'll never talk to you that way!" Well, of course, my mom just laughed it off and said that I probably would, even though I promised her that I never would (yep, she was right)... but the thing I remember most about that day was that she told me there would be a time in my life when my friends would be more important to me than she would be and that the only thing she hoped is that I would pick good friends... Well of course she was right and thankfully from Jr. High on I always had a good group of friends.

Some of us got together last week for a play date at the park and then again on Saturday for lunch (without the kiddos)! We had a great time, it was so nice to see so many of them again. I realized that a few of them I've known for almost 20 years now! Yes, we also talked about how old we were getting... it'll be 14 years this May since we graduated high school.

Here's some pics:

Colton (looking a little wasted) and Tommy Maxwell. They're only a few weeks apart.

Lauren Folsom and Colton

With Micah and Tricia at Tia Rosa's
No Kids + Good Food = FUN!

Good to see you Trish!

For My Canadian Friends!

This is what we saw driving to Mesa the other day. Luckily I had the camera in the front seat so I wasn't driving too erratically - although this guy probably thought I was a little crazy :) You might have to click on it to read his license plate.