Martin & Co. EST 1992

Winter CHA 2012

2012-01-31T00:53:00.000-07:00

Tom sent me a picture of Doodlebug's booth at CHA. They always have a cute set up. Lori, a designer of Doodlebug sent me a picture of Tom cleaning up the booth. I am posting both pictures. I am also going to include some information about items that have been released at CHA. Cute stuff!!! For ideas on how to use Doodlebug product you can follow Doodlebug on Pinterest, Doodlebug on Facebook, Twitter or their blog.

Booth at CHA

Tom always has a smile ! ;)

My favorite product released at CHA

Doodlebug has posted their CHA releases on their blog. Check it out. They have some really cute glitter paper that has come out as well. I should be in sales for them.

Doodlebug

2012-01-28T16:16:00.000-07:00

I don't like it when Tom is out of town. I miss him. But it is good because it makes me appreciate him so much more. He is so helpful with the boys and around our home. He is so supportive of me too.

He works for Doodlebug Design. Doodlebug is an amazing scrapbook design company. Tom is the Director of Sales. He works for the best people. I am kind of jealous of where and who he gets to work with. I had a lot of fun looking at their blog this weekend. There are some great ideas. Some people are so creative. I got a sneak peak at some of the new items that are being released at CHA (trade show Tom is at) in Anaheim this coming week. Once product has been released I'll see if I can post some pictures.

Doodlebug now has their own line of fabric by Riley Blake Designs. I saw a fun variety of prints in Doodlebug colors and I saw some really fun black and white prints (tuxedo).

Tuxedo

I am not the most creative person. I think I enjoy looking at what other people have done than doing anything myself. But Doodlebug has inspired me to to at least try.

Trick or Treat

Feeling Groovy

Christmas Candy

The Good Guys

2012-01-12T12:17:00.000-07:00

"West Wing politico Bradley Whitford reinvents himself for this entertaining free-for-all, a loose blend of buddy comedy and police action that's also an affectionate nod to series like Starsky & Hutch." - Tom Gliatto, People Weekly

Tom and the boys have been talking about a TV series "The Good Guys" for a few months now. They have been watching the series together on Netflix. They are always cracking jokes about Dan Stark. I finally decided to give the show a chance. It really is hilarious. It is about two cops An older cop, Dan Stark (Bradley Whitford), who is known for saving the governors son in the 80's. He is kind of stuck in the 80's. He doesn't always abide by the rules, but he is hilarious and always gets the bad guys. He is partnered with Jack Bailey (Colin Hanks) who is a young, smart detective that always plays by the rules. Bailey is assigned to Stark to help keep him in check. Julius Brown (RonReaco Lee) is the informant that gives Stark information and has often saved Stark and Bailey from danger. The district attorney (Jenny Wade) is the love interest of Bailey. Lt. Ana Ruiz (Diana Maria Riva) is in charge of Stark and Bailey. The chemistry of the actors is great. It is a well written comedy. I am bummed out that it only lasted one season. I think this series would have done well on USA. I'm not sure why it did not make it to a season 2. According to Andreeva (2010), "despite getting a preview run behind American Idol, the series starring Bradley Whitford and Colin Hanks never gained traction and performed underwhelmingly for its entire 20-episode run" (deadline.com).

Spencer's first band Christmas concert

2011-12-29T16:51:00.000-07:00

Spencer decided he wanted to participate in band this year. We let him choose any instrument.....he chose the drums. I was worried about his choice. But he has done well and enjoys playing. He had his first Christmas concert this year. He even had a solo. It was a lot of fun seeing him in action.

He gets to be in band with his 3 best friends, Barbara, Braxton and Gabe. His next concert is in the spring.

Spencer is growing up on me so fast. I took him to buy some pants a few days ago. He needed to try them. As we were going into the changing room he said, "mom, um you don't need to be here......I am in the double digits you know."

Barbara, Spencer and Braxton

Braxton, Spencer and Gabe

What.......17 years old!!!!

2011-12-29T16:34:00.001-07:00

Tanner turned 17 last week. I was teary eyed off and on that day. I was feeling overwhelmed with how much I love him and what a pleasure it is to be his mom. I also feel a little anxious knowing that he is growing up so fast. I remember the day he was born so well. It seems like yesterday. When he was about a week old I was holding him and loving him and I began to cry. Tom asked me why I was crying. I told him that I was sad because I loved our new baby so much but I knew that he was going to grow up and move out one day. Tom laughed and said he has 19 years until he leaves for his mission, you have plenty of time, enjoy it. That 19th year seems all to close now. Tanner-man, mommy loves you! Happy Birthday!

Spring Skiing....Alta

2011-03-05T20:58:00.008-07:00

We finally got a ski day in as a family. Spencer and I have been out together a few times this year. Tanner has been out with friends, but we finally got Tom out with us at the same time!! Great family day! Spencer has improved leaps and bounds each time out this year.

Spencer on the ski lift

Tom and Spencer

Spencer, Tanner and Kim

We might even be able to go at least a couple more times before the snow melts. Living in Utah is AWESOME!! Winter is definitely beautiful in Utah.

Valentien's Card

2011-02-14T21:27:00.001-07:00

Life has been a little crazy. Probably not any more than usual, but I am trying to help myself feel a little better about not getting Valentine's Cards out to family and friends. Rachel took this picture at Christmas of the boys in our backyard. I wanted to use this for our Valentine's cards. Sorry all. But here is the picture and maybe I will send them out to you for Christmas next year......LOL. I will get them in the mail before too long. It is one of my favorite photo's of them because they both look so happy.

Long weekend...........

2011-02-06T22:56:00.003-07:00

I had an ear ache this weekend. I did not go to work on Friday. I have done nothing but stay home and rest. Spencer introduced me to Mario Cart on the Wii. I have had a lot of fun with it. In fact we have put in about 3 hours as a family playing Mario Cart this weekend. Hmmmmmmmm....maybe I should have an ear ache more often. Both Spencer and Tanner dominate when we play. Tom and I are still getting the hang of it. After the boys go to bed at night I am going to play a few rounds of Mario Cart so I can be competitive when I play with them. I love playing with them. It has been a blast.

Mother of a sophomore!!!

2010-08-23T20:57:00.003-06:00

I remember my sophomore year of high school like it was yesterday. So it has been difficult to believe that Tanner is now a sophomore. I think I have been more anxious and nervous for him than he has. He has been pretty excited for this upcoming year. I hope he has an awesome year!! Going from a charter school to a huge 5A public school is going to be an adjustment!!

First Day of School!!!

2010-08-18T08:36:00.003-06:00

WOW! Summer is officially over for Spencer. I just dropped him off for his first day of school at Channing Hall! He is in the 4th grade this year. I cannot believe my baby is now in 4th grade. I feel like 4th grade was just yesterday for me. I remember my first day of 4th grade. I went to Bonneville Elementary and had Mr. Holyoak as a teacher. Great times. Spencer is car pooling with his best friend this year. He is pretty excited for a new school year. I hope that excitement lasts through out the year. School shopping for the boys isn't too bad. It is great when they have uniforms.
Spencer's school teacher this year is Mrs. Winnie. He sits right across from his other best friend, Gabe. Spencer and Gabe spent a lot of time at the water park this summer. It is great that he will have a good friend in class with him.

Rock Hill

2010-08-16T01:08:00.005-06:00

Ha! I said I would get back on sometime before summer was over and write more about our trip to Rock Hill. The above photo is a shot of Catawba pottery. It looks like it was made on a wheel but it is all hand shaped and a wheel is not used. My great grandma Sanders is well known for her artistry. Aunt Mahovie gave me a wedding vase that my great grandmother made.

The above photo is where my dad went to school when he was little. It is now a cultural center. The photo below is what it looked like when my dad went to school. My great grandma worked in the small cafeteria. One of my dad's memories of his grandma was her saving extra deserts for him after school. I think that is a cute memory.
The shot above is the old school house that has now been converted into a cultural center.
This is a water hole. This is the same little creek my dad used to get water from to do dishes, etc. He remembers bathing in this little water hole too. One time he was playing in the water and he remembers his dad yanking him out pretty hard and fast. There was a water moccasin coming right toward him. His dad was able to get him to safety.
This is my great grandma Arzada Brown Sanders. I was able to see some of the tools my great grandma used to make her pottery. Grandma made pots to sell to people for money for her family. Her mother, Rachel Brown, was also a talented potterist

Summer!!!

2010-08-08T16:29:00.018-06:00

Kayla, Anna, Tanner, Dusty, Spencer & Trevor at the Moab Diner.

This summer is getting away from us. It has been enjoyable. Busy, but very enjoyable. Our summer typically starts off with the Martin Family Reunion in Moab. It is Tom's favorite day of the year. The boys love it too. It is a great time for us to see lots of cousins we don't get to see a lot of. It is a great time for me to hang out with Ruth (she is fun). The boys also spent a week in Moab with Krappa Louie and Grandma Zan. They went fishing and spent time at Brown's Hole. They also went camping with a few other cousins as well.

Our next trip was 10 days in South Carolina. We flew out to Charlotte, NC and met my parents. We drove to Rock Hill, SC. Rock Hill is where my dad is from. We got to visit with lots of family. The last trip I took out to Rock Hill was when I was 4. It felt so good to go back with Tom and the boys. We stayed with my aunt Mahovie and Uncle Dennis. I was able to interview some people and get great information for genealogy.

Tom and I were able to go to the Columbia temple with my parents and aunt Donna. It was a wonderful experience and a memory I will never forget.

Tom and in front of the temple. The weather was humid and there were palm trees all around. It reminded us a lot of Taiwan.

We went to the book store across the street from the temple and picked up a few things. Then we headed back to Rock Hill. But not with out stopping at Bojangles (thanks Jonathan). Gotta love them southern style biscuits! We actually ate at Bojangles a few times while we were out there.

Tanner, Spencer and Dad

We were able to spend time on the Catawba Reservation. Tanner and I were able to enroll in the Catawba tribe and get our names on the roll. Spencer's information was never recorded so I sent everything for him to be enrolled in the tribe after we got home from our trip. Dad and I were able to attend a tribal council meeting. It was very interesting. I am anxious for my tribe to pull together and prosper. There are great opportunities out there for the tribe. They just need to pull together and work as one to make things happen. Currently the Chief of the tribe is Chief Donald Rogers. I met him and had a minute to visit with him. He is a great man with lots of connections in Washington DC and with the BIA. It is great to now that a man like him is leading the Catawba Nation. Tanner and Chief Donald Rogers

Chief Rogers was at Walmart when we stopped to pick up a few things. He was kind enough to let us get pictures with him and to spend time speaking with us about some of the politics going on with the tribe.Aunt MahovieUncle Dennis

We stayed with Aunt Mahovie and Uncle Dennis. I feel so blessed to have had this opportunity. It was great to get to know them and for the Tom and the boys to have an opportunity to know them. We got to know them and love them more than imaginable. Aunt Mahovie looked out for the boys and made breakfast every day. She shared stories about her brothers and sisters and memories of her parents. We loved staying up late talking with them and playing Phase 10. Dennis let the boys use his pellet gun to shoot targets and they got to help feed the chickens and collect eggs.Spencer and Uncle Dennis

One of the memories I had of my last trip back to SC was Aunt Mahovie taking Kevin and I to Carrowinds. I really wanted to take the boys, Tom and Kevin and go to Carrowinds again. So we did. We had a blast. Here are a few pictures from Carrowinds.
Well, I am running out of time here. I will have to finish our summer in a "part 2" post. The above picture is Tanner, Spencer and Kevin in front of one of the 12 roller coasters. Spencer is with Snoopy in the next picture.

The trip did a lot for me. It reminded me of who I am and where I come from. It made me so thankful for the gospel and the knowledge of eternal families. I got to know family members that have passed on from stories of family still here. I feel like I got to know my great grandparents. It has been a great jump start on genealogy. I will go back. I won't wait another 34 years this time. I would love to be able to go back at least 2 times a year to participate in tribal counsels.

The light at the end of a long tunnel......

2010-04-14T23:09:00.002-06:00

Wow! I can't believe the time has finally come. I have been a senior at the University of Utah for 15 years. I have always wanted to finish up. Kids, moving around and money have always played a role in my schooling. In a week and a half I will be done with my BS degree. Now, I finally feel like I can see the light at the end of a tunnel.

One day, I will go back and get a masters degree. School is important. I want my boys to understand that education is a must. I hope they understand how important it is to work hard and go to college.

Wow! I still can't believe it is almost over. I am a little excited and very grateful.

December 30th, skiing at Alta

2010-01-01T20:40:00.003-07:00

I thought it might be nice to take the boys up for a few runs up at Alta. It was our first time out this season. I decided to take advantage of Alta's "Ski Free After 3" deal. Ha ha ha.....it was an adventure. We left our house at 2 and did not get home until 9:30 that night. When we got to the mountain and read to hit the slopes, Spencer found out his boot would not click into his bindings. So that cute little smile on his face in the picture didn't last too long. I told him that there wasn't time for us to take his boot and ski's to the shop to get fixed. By the time it would get fixed, it would be time to go home. So we told Tanner to take off and get as many runs in as he could before we had to go. Spencer and I made our way back to the car and loaded up our stuff. A huge storm had hit and the snow was come down fast and heavy. I started to worry about Tanner being out there a lone. He found us and we decided to leave right away to beat the traffic. But everyone else had the same idea. 45 minutes into our ride home we had only gone 3/4 of a mile! It was dark and the snow kept on falling. Suddenly, to make the trip even more fun, the car died. I couldn't get it started again. Some nice guy tried to jump start the battery but it didn't work. We had to leave the car on the side of the road in a snow drift. A sheriff came by to help us. He told me that he could get us to a ski bus to get us down to the bottom of the mountain. We had to get our car towed before 10pm or it would be impounded. My cell phone battery died and I had no way to call Tom. He was at work and I don't know his work # because it has always been in my cell. I quickly realized there are only a handful of numbers I know. The sheriff let me use his phone and I called my mom. She told me not to worry and that she would get a hold of Tom. The sheriff got us on a nice and warm UTA ski bus. We sat in the very back, the only few spots available. The boys were starving. A nice grandpa and his grandson were on the bus and shared some oranges with the boys. We got to know them quite well. The bus ride was a 3.5 hour bus ride. Another gal and her daughter sat by us as well. Spencer made 2 new friends and had fun playing with them. Tom met us at the bottom of the canyon and we got home nice and safe. The lovely tow company charged us $300!!!! But it was a nice adventure. Now I know that I will always have a PBJ and some healthy snacks in my back pack even if we are only skiing for a short time as well as have my cell phone fully charged!

Temple Square

2009-12-29T04:22:00.003-07:00

We made it to temple square this Christmas season to see the lights. We made the mistake of going on the last Monday before Christmas. It seems almost all the families in Salt Lake County had made the same plans for FHE as we did. It was really crowded and so cold! We went with the Strickler family and Joe and Joy's family. We had a great time.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-24T09:37:00.007-07:00

It is Christmas Eve. I got up early this morning and made sugar cookies and fudge to give to neighbors, Tom's home teaching families and my visiting teaching sisters. We have a full day planned. It is the last day to prepare for Christmas. Our Christmas shopping is all done. This evening we have a family Christmas party. The kids are putting on a little Christmas pageant and opening gifts from grandparents. Tomorrow we are hosting Christmas dinner.

Below are pictures of Tanner and Spencer that we used on our Christmas cards this year.

We procrastinated so long this year that I had to take the pictures myself. I took the pictures right by our mailbox. The snow was softly coming down. It was great.

Merry Christmas everyone! Our Savior Jesus Christ lives. He knows us by name. He loves us.

The Christmas Tree Is Up!

2009-12-10T09:35:00.003-07:00

Typically, in our home we have our tree up and decorated by the first Monday of December. Since Tom's promotion at work, he has been working longer hours. Tanner seems to have YM, basketball practice, home work group or school activity each night of the week. Spencer has a reading class and basketball practice as well. So it is hard to get us all together one night to do our family activity. Our Christmas Tree went up in phases this year. One day while Tom was at work and the boys were at school I pulled the tree and decorations out of storage. The boxes sat in the family room for 5 days before I had a chance to get the tree out of the box, set up and branches arranged. Spencer was so anxious to get the tree decorated. Tom and Spencer got the lights working on the pre-lit tree. I love the tree when the lights are working. But that is a story for another time. One night when Tom and Tanner were at scouts, Spencer and I decorated the tree. I put the hooks in the ornaments and Spencer decorated the tree. It took us an hour. Once he was done it was time for bed. Tom and Tanner came home and giggled when they saw the tree. I looked up and realized I hadn't help Spencer put any of the ornaments on. He reached as high as he could and managed to get the lower 3/4 of the tree decorated. I wish I would have taken a picture of that. Tom and Tanner helped get the top part of the tree decorated. This year was Spencer's turn to put the angel on the tree. He was really excited. Last year we got a new angel and the boys thought it was so cool. Spencer climbed on Tom's shoulders and got the angel on top. I am so glad it is up. It seemed like it was a lot more work to get it done this year. But it is so nice to have that extra Christmas spirit a tree brings into your home. We have been working diligently as a family and individually to read the Book of Mormon by the end of the year. Our stake president challenged each of us at the first part of November to set this goal. He said if we did, we would have the best Christmas ever. I don't think that means we will have the biggest Christmas ever. I think it means we will all have a better understanding of the spirit of Christmas. I pray that we can accomplish this goal as a family and as individuals. It has been fun for me to see the boys reading and marking their scriptures. Hopefully this weekend, we get to Temple Square to see the lights.

Way too long!!

2009-12-08T09:45:00.008-07:00

It has been way too long since my last post!! Since last May so much has happened. We had a wonderful summer. It was busy but wonderful to have the time and opportunity to spend with family and friends.

Tanner is now in 9th grade and will be 15 this month. He is working diligently to get his Eagle before he turns 15. As soon as his project is approved he will complete his project and be done. He is playing jr. jazz this year. In school he is taking Chinese and has been really excited about that class. He found that he loves geography. He also does very well in biology and English. He is a social butterfly and calls everyone that says hi to him a friend. He is a good boy. He is so helpful around the house and a patient big brother. His favorite activity this summer was the week he spent at BYU for EFY. He said "It was the best week of my life!"

Spencer is now in 3rd grade. He has enjoyed school so much this year. He had to miss a couple of weeks the first month of school to get his tonsils out. He did well but then had problems with some post-operation bleeding and had to stay home an extra week. We were worried he would have to go back in for surgery again, but so thankful he did not. Spencer's favorite subject is now reading. He recently played the part of John Adams at school. He loves to read just like Tanner and his dad. Spencer loves books about the Titanic, tornadoes, volcanoes and glaciers. He also loves Star Wars Legos. Some how he has managed to become a BYU fan. I'm not sure how this happened since our entire family cheers for the team in red. But we still love him.

Tom is a director for Stevens Henager College. He has been working their since March and really likes his job. In his spare time he enjoys being with family and friends. He loves to read. He mostly reads history books and political books. He has a side business with his best friend Nathan, sourcing and producing projects for their clients.

As for me (Kim), I am no longer a Lope (Antelope, the GCU mascot) working for GCU. One day corporate flew in and decided to close the Utah office down. It happened fast. I was shocked, hurt and then a little angry. It is hard to find closure when you don't have the opportunity to say good-bye to so many people you saw every day. Now I am ok. I feel blessed that they are still providing me with a scholarship to complete my schooling. I will graduate in May. Then I will continue on and get my master's degree. Right now I am home. It has been an adjustment to go from a working mom to a stay at home mom. For my own sanity I will need to get at least a part-time job. I thought by staying home I would get home work done and have all this free time. Well I still have daily house cleaning tasks, but there are always so many projects that need to be taken care of. It seems I was better at getting my home work done when I was busier. But I am thankful to be home during the holidays.

Jobs are scary right now. I lost my job, two weeks later my younger brother Matt lost his job. He was blessed and got a job right away plus a nice severance package. My brother-in-law just found out last Thursday that this coming Friday would be his last day. His company his going under. He has only been with that company for 2 months so he will not be getting a severance package. Please keep him and my sister in your prayers.

Tanner aka Jiffy...................

2009-07-01T21:33:00.003-06:00

Tvyea posing after the play

Last month Tanner starred in Channing Hall's school play Fiddler on the Roof. He played the part of Tvyea. First, we had no idea he could sing. It was quite impressive to see him in the spot light and hear him sing. He has a cute personality. It was really a lot of fun for us to see. I don't mean to brag but really, he did well.

Tanner is the 3rd one from the end

Tanner also graduated from Channing Hall this year. He will complete his 9th grade year at Summit Academy. He chose this school because he really wants to get his Chinese back. At Summit he will be able to study Chinese. Leaving Channing Hall was hard. They had a small class. So they were really close and have cute friendships. I love all of Tanner's friends. He actually goes by "Jiffy" at school. It used to drive me crazy, but I am okay with it now. His 6th grade teacher gave him this nick name. Tanner wore a Jiffy Lube hat to orientation. There happen to be 2 Tanner's in the class. So Mr. Worthley started calling Tanner "Jiffy" and it stuck. In fact when Tanner's name on the play program's said "Tvyea played by ...Tanner "Jiffy" Martin", everyone kept saying, "What, your name isn't Jiffy?"

Maddie, Tanner and Lauren

This is it for tonight. I have some fun stories about Spencer to post a little bit later.

What is homesickness?

2009-05-23T19:21:00.005-06:00

Jia Yi, Taiwan

Dictionary.com (2009) defines homesick as being sad or depressed from a longing for home or family while away from them for a long time. I had always limited it to my parents. But lately I have had an ache in my heart and a longing to visit Asia. I miss Jia Yi. It was our home. I miss the people. I miss the smells. I miss the rice fields and the sweet smell of spring. I never thought I would feel this, but I miss the crazy drivers and the adventure of getting from one place to the next. I am grateful for what we have here. But I miss Asia. At times I even dream about it and wake up yearning to be with the people I miss so much. But for right now, this is where we need to be.

China countryside, 2007

Good Books

2009-04-23T12:27:00.002-06:00

Here are a couple of great books I have read this year. Some of it is just great stuff and some is just for fun.

The Message by Lance Richardson

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Read this book! It is incredible. For me it was one of those life changing reads. I felt the spirit so strong. I have never had such a desire in my heart to find acts of service I can do for those around me.

View all my reviews.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey

My review

Great book. The tools in this book can be used at work, at home and on your own. Great stuff. I will have to read this book a couple times a year and apply what I read.

View all my reviews.

3 day weekend in Moab....

2009-01-19T01:19:00.000-07:00

Larry & Kari

This weekend we had the pleasure of hanging out with Larry, Kari and Dusty. We went down the river road and on a few short hikes. It was a lot of fun to spend time with them. Larry is a hoot. He made us laugh the entire trip.

Along the river road

Dusty and Spencer

Spencer and I almost stayed home this weekend. When he realized he would have the chance to hang out with Dusty, he instantly decided Moab was the place to be this weekend. He loves his cousin.

Spencer

What a ham our little Spencer is. He loves to ham it up for the camera. He is been this way since he was a baby.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year....just a little late ;)

2009-01-12T18:00:00.001-07:00

Tanner and Spencer

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone! I know it is late and this poor blog has been neglected. I did get some Christmas cards out but definitely not as many as I know I should have. Please know that if you did not get one, we love you. It is my fault. I am struggling to balance my time. I hope to get better this year.

We feel blessed and feel like we have had a wonderful year. We are so thankful for the gospel and for the birth of our Savior. We love Him. We love knowing that families can be together forever. This is our greatest desire. We love knowing that He lives. We pray that we can do our part in building up the kingdom of God.

We feel so blessed to have the Draper Temple in our stake. We have had the opportunity to watch it grow from the ground up. It has been a joy to watch it be built step by step. I had the wonderful opportunity of a private tour last week. It is absolutely beautiful inside. We look forward to our family taking a tour of it together.

We have had the opportunity of Josh living with us part of the year too. The boys have loved it. Uncle Josh often takes the time to go out and play basketball with them or watch Sponge Bob and even put together Star Wars Legos.

For the holiday season this year my parents came and spent a couple of weeks up in Utah. It is always great to have them here. We were worried Christmas dinner would be canceled to due a major snow storm. But it let up just in time for everyone to get to our home. It started up again just as everyone left.
I must mention our Ute football team!! Well done! Well done!! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone. Sorry I am so late. We love you all.

48-24..........Go UTES!!!!

2008-11-22T22:08:00.000-07:00

We had a great day and loved the game. Go UTES!!!! Wahooo!! 3/4 of our small family love the Utes. We have one Y fan in the crowd. We won't name any names!!

We went to Orem to enjoy the game with friends (yes, Y fans). It was a great way to spend game day.

5 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake

2008-11-20T18:09:00.001-07:00

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE

4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
A small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly.
Pour in the milk and oil and mix well.
Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again.
Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts.
The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!
Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.
EAT! (this can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous).

And why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world ?

Because now we are all only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time of the day or night!

My sister sent me this recipe. I haven't tried it yet. It looks like a fun recipe to do with my little guy.

Shoes and Jr. Jazz Basketball

2008-11-17T21:19:00.000-07:00

Shoes!!! Some how its not so fun for me to buy shoes when they are not for me. This year both boys have gone through so many shoes. My boys have funny feet. They are square. I call them "Flintstone Feet". Because they are so square they don't grow in length as fast as normal feet. These cute, funny little Flintstone feet usually stay in one size shoe for an entire school year plus the summer after. Not this year!! Tanner has gone through 2 sizes of shoes. His new basketball shoes killed me! He now wears a bigger size than Tom. He is even an inch taller than Tom now. Now that is not hard to imagine (per Tom), but I didn't expect it to happen all of a sudden like.

Tanner is playing Jr. Jazz. He loves basketball. He is also trying out for the jr. high team. In his mind if he can play Jr. Jazz, for Channing Hall and church ball he will be in heaven. It is fun to watch him play. He is a sweet kid. So if he fouls some one he apologizes with a smile and asks if they are okay. Funny kid.

I didn't take very many pictures at his "practice game". I will get more as the season moves along.

Best Friends

2008-11-17T20:20:00.001-07:00

Spencer & Oat

Spencer and Oat have been best buds for about 4 years now. That is a long time for an 8 and 6 year old. Spencer and Oat love to play the Wii together. They like playing lego's, in the dirt with cars, playing at the park together and just hanging out. Spencer had his first sleep over at Oat's when he was 6. Oat had his first sleep over at our home about a month ago.

Oat

Oat is from Thailand. He spent a summer in the U.S. 3 years ago. He learned a lot of English that summer. Oat speaks fluent English now. He learned so fast. Before he spoke he English, Spencer and Oat still managed to communicate and play with one another.

Spencer

Spencer is a fun kid. He loves anything about the "Titanic", legos, "Star Wars", playing with Oat and being a goof ball. Just Friday he told Tom and I that Oat is his favorite cousin.

WOW...........its already November

2008-11-11T05:19:00.000-07:00

Since I have started working it is amazing how fast time goes by. I am feeling bad for not being more diligent in my blogging adventures. Just so you all know, we are doing well. We are huge University of Utah fans and we have been absolutely loving this season. Our team is ranked number 7!!!!! Wahoooooooo!! It has been really fun. It would be great if we could meet up with Florida in the sugar bowl and play Meyer. A lot of fun stuff.

Both boys are doing great. Tanner started basketball this week and loves it. I am so glad he enjoys it so much. It is always fun to watch him play. He has been so active with school activities and YM's. He is such a fun kid. It scares me to think that in only 5 years he could have his mission call and be preparing to leave. I only have 5 years left to help him become the best man he can be. It is overwhelming and scary.

Spencer is our little tease. He is constantly teasing Tanner, Dad or me. He likes to hide and jump out and scare us when we least expect it. He loves Star Wars and legos. He and his best friend Gavin love to play Stars Wars after school.

We are going to NM for Thanksgiving to spend time with my parents. We haven't been that way for almost two years. This will be fun. I am excited for a road trip. I am taking an extra day off from work so we might spend a night in Moab as well. We will see.

My traveling buddies went to Italy and France last month. I didn't go. Work, finances and being a mom kind of took over this time around. Maybe the next trip I can go. I would really love to do Italy with Tom.

Sorry, no pics today. I will try and get some up later this week. Have a great day!!

Halloween!!

2008-11-02T21:27:00.000-07:00

Darth Vadar (Jacob Dayton), Jango Fett (Spencer), Punk (Tanner), Obiwan (Kyle Dayton), Jack Sparrow not quite dressed up (Michael Dayton) and cute, little, blue eyed blondie (Alex Neubert).

Tanner spent Halloween with his best bud. They went trick-or-treating and came back with at least 3.5 lbs of candy!! Is that insane or what? Tanner had a blast.

Spencer went to Orem to go trick-or-treating with his best bud Oat. They did quite well too. I think all in all the boys had a good Halloween.

We got to see Lindzie, Bailey and Jarom dressed up at Lindzie's brithday party. I have never seen a cuter skunk, monkey and beautiful princess as I did that day.

"Best Buds"

This is kind of fun.......

2008-10-16T23:08:00.000-06:00

Take the Quiz and Share Your Results!

This is kind of fun. Tell me who you end up being!!

I love the fall weather!!!

2008-10-08T22:08:00.000-06:00

Sorry it has been a while since I have posted anything. Working and evening activities have swallowed up my time.We made it to Little Cottonwood Canyon today. We have been trying to get to the canyons to see the leaves before the snow storm that is suppose to be here this weekend. The weather is perfect right now. In the morning we have that crisp, cool air. I absolutely love it. The smell in the air right now is perfect. I can't describe the smell nor do I know what it is, but I love it. The boys loved hiking on a little path we took. It was beautiful. Spencer is already anxious for snow. He loves to ski.

Spencer and Tanner posing.

Tanner also goes by Jiffy at school. I don't like it but he loves it.

Spencer is my little buddy.

Little Cottonwood Canyon

Working Mom

2008-09-05T22:18:00.000-06:00

Now that my boys have gone back to school and left me home alone during the day I have decided to go back to work. I have been blessed with a wonderful opportunity to be an enrollment councilor for Grand Canyon University. I am impressed with everything this school offers. I am excited to be part of it. This also allows me to FINALLY finish my B.S. degree and get an MBA. I am totally stoked about this opportunity.

Tom and the boys are totally supportive of this. Tom has been so helpful in getting me out the door in the mornings and the boys off to school. Tom, Tanner and I have managed to fit in jogging in the morning before work and school. It has been awesome.

It does make things busy. When I get home I have to fix dinner, help with home work and keep the laundry moving. I do my best to keep the boys on their sleep schedule. Spencer has cub scouts on Thursdays and a special reading group right after. Tanner has scouts or YM's on Tuesday evenings and Chinese class on Thursday evenings. Basketball starts up in October for both boys. So we keep busy and understand now more than ever the importance of a weekly calendar meeting to go over everyone's schedule.

I am so excited for this opportunity. I feel like it is an opportunity to make myself a better person and by doing so maybe helping others grow and develop their strengths.

Obama vs Pailin

2008-09-02T21:57:00.001-06:00

Immediately after McCain's surprise pick of Sarah Palin as his VP Obama's fans in the media began attacking Alaska's governor as being a poor VP pick because she is completely unqualified to be President. Every allegation of lack experience thrown at Palin by the media actually applies to Obama just as much as it applies to Palin. Palin has nearly a decade of executive experience as mayor and governor as well business experience in the private sector. Obama has neither. But rather than look at what jobs Obama and Palin have had it is far more enlightening to look at what they have done in their current and previous jobs and how they got them.

Palin challenged her own party, blowing the whistle on corruption in Alaska's old boy network. This is not usually how one ascends to the top post in your state. In fact, standing up for what's right against powerful incumbents is often a career ending decision. But Palin did the right thing despite her career. (We don't really know her motives, but it's either what I just wrote or she's an evil freaking genius.) I believe Palin did the right thing career be damned and voters appreciated her back bone and values. Now she's the youngest governor in the history of Alaska.

Contrast Palin's career path to Obama's. Obama came to power in Chicago, the most liberal and nepotistic city in the country. This is the city where the phrase "vote early and often" was born. So how did Obama rise to power in this liberal and corrupt political environment? He embraced it.

Obama launched his political career in the home of former terrorist Bill Ayers. Bill wasn't a guy who made a one-time mistake, he was the founder of the Weather Underground organization which bombed the US capital and planned to bomb the pentagon. A few years ago when a reporter asked Ayers if he had regrets about his terrorist past he responded that not only did not regret bombing the Capital building, he felt like he and Weatherman didn't do enough.

Obama basically lied when asked about Ayers and said he was just a guy that lived in his neighborhood. In fact Ayers gave Obama one of his first jobs as the director of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge (CAC) which spent over $100 million to improve Chicago's schools with no measurable impact. The records for the CAC have just been released, but I'm afraid all the records showing a connection between Ayers and Obama have been removed and destroyed.

Even though Jeremiah Wright damned the very country Obama now seeks to lead, Obama sat in Wright's church for years and said nothing. Obama didn't challenge Ayers or Wright because these were the very men who gave Obama his start in politics.

Either Obama is an extreme radical with the same politics as Ayers and Wright and his move to the middle is the biggest con job in history or Obama is a purely political animal with no foundation of values who simply seeks advantage in whatever situation he's in. My guess is that both are true. I believe Obama is much liberal than his platform suggests in an effort to appeal to mainstream America and he's the kind of person who is intelligent enough to constantly consider how is words and actions will impact his long term career and makes adjustments accordingly.

This was evident the last debate where McCain gave straight forward answers where as Obama talked around issues. On abortion McCain took a stand and said he was pro life. Obama indicated he was pro choice but also said the issue of when human life begins was "above my pay grade." What job is Obama applying for again?

Obama befriended political radicals (not radical by Chicago standards, but definitely radical by mainstream America standards) correctly believing they could help him launch his political career in Chicago. Only later, after entering national politics, did Obama condemn the very politics that launched his career. Did Obama suddenly have a change of heart about Wright and Ayers? More likely he simply didn't need them anymore.

The contrast between Palin and Obama is striking. Palin rocked the boat challenging members of her own party to end political corruption in Alaska. Obama managed to navigate the political waters of Chicago without making so much as a ripple. Even his most ardent supporters cannot name an accomplishment outside of becoming President of the Harvard Law Review, getting elected to the Illinois Senate, getting elected to the US Senate and becoming the Democratic nominee. But what did Obama accomplish in these jobs other than give wonderful speeches and plan his next career move? Even his supporters don't have an answer.

Some may think Palin's resume isn't long enough to qualify her as the next VP of the United States. But perhaps no job experience compares with being the VP or the President and instead of experience we should instead be looking at character instead. Abraham Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt were great presidents because of their character, not because of their prior job experience. Palin's fights against political corruption offer ample evidence of a solid ethical and moral foundation.

Obama's moral compass seems to point to the White House via the path of least resistance.

By Tom Martin

The Next President of the US

2008-08-26T08:07:00.000-06:00

Not long ago Obama looked unbeatable, but that is no longer the case.

Recent successes in Iraq makes the Republicans look like they knew what they were doing when Democrats were calling for withdrawal and surrender. China on the rise and Russians on the march make the world a scary place. As poorly as the 3am call ad flopped, it's true and American's know it. American's just didn't appreciate Hillary saying it because...well, she's Hillary. But war hero McCain will continue to make this charge and it will stick.

Inflation, a weak dollar, housing and auto industries in the toilet and bank failures make for a scary economic landscape. Most Americans are smart enough to realize government regulation and higher taxes are not good for America, especially now. The have-nots might embrace socialism because they stand to gain from it. But I think most of the working middle class believe big government is not their friend, even when its well intended, and run the other way.

McCain should pick a qualified conservative woman as his running mate. He'll nab a bunch of Hillary supporters and for the next two months we can watch multiple sound bites of Biden ripping Obama courtesy of the committee to elect America's Favorite Grumpy Grandpa. Not to mention the "pay grade" commercial that's coming courtesy of Mr. Smooth himself.

America may support generally the right for a woman to have an abortion, but most American's are not comfortable w/ the idea of late term abortions. The thought of fetuses surviving abortions and Obama somehow defending this horrible practice will hurt Obama. If the Dems can shift the debate to Roe v Wade this issue could favor them, but if the Republicans can keep the focus on late term abortions this will favor McCain.

Perhaps the greatest weakness of Obama, Pelosi and Reid is their claim that drilling for more oil will not help reduce the cost of oil. McCain wants to drill to save America from OPEC. Obama wants to save the world from warming by drastically reducing American consumption of oil and he's willing to let the American economy take a major hit to make this happen. Obama has pie in the sky pipe dreams about clean energy saving the planet but his only answer is to throw billions of taxpayer dollars at the problem. This approach failed in the 70's and will fail again. Having the government try to guess which technologies to back is a losing strategy. The end result will be billions spent on failed technologies and solutions that require permanent taxes and subsidies to keep them viable. Why not allow the market develop efficient sources in the first place? The one safe and effective renewable source of energy is nuclear and Democrats won't even consider it. We need more oil and more nuclear energy to keep American going while renewable technologies like solar and wind are being developed.

There is no reason for America to jump off the cliff of global warming and hope the solutions will be there by the time we hit bottom. All of the scientific studies on CO2 and warming have proven correlation (they occur at the same time) but none have proved causation. Even Al Gore's pop culture pseudo scientific documentary shows that warming has historically occurred slightly before increases in CO2 levels. Global warming may actually cause increases in CO2 (by facilitating its release from the oceans) instead of the other way around. A recent study measuring the temperature of the oceans for the last five years shows that the oceans have not warmed at all. A recent discovery of plant fossils in the arctic areas proves that thousands of years ago arctic regions were much warmer. In fact the earth has gone through several ice ages and warmer periods. Man obviously wasn't the cause of these warning and cooling periods and polar bears and all the other species on the earth today obviously survived. Species adapting to their environment is the foundation of Darwin's theory of evolution, but apparently liberals only believe in evolution as a way to keep God out of our schools. If warming and cooling are normal for the earth's environment, why are liberals asking us to sacrifice our prosperity in an attempt to maintain the temperatures of Al Gore's childhood? Because despite all the talk of scientific studies, saving the planet by halting global warming has become a matter of faith, a new liberal religion. Unfortunately, liberals are working to make warming the official religion of this country and force all Americans to sacrifice for the cause, regardless of reason, logic and science. And when liberals fail to get their policies adopted via the ballot box they will do an end run around democracy and have them adopted and enshrined by the courts.

McCain is old, ornery and possibly unbalanced. I pray he gets elected.

By Tom Martin

Spencer's Baptism

2008-08-19T01:26:00.000-06:00

Tom and Spencer

On August 9th Spencer was baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Tom baptized and confirmed him. He had such a special day. So many people came to support Spencer on his special day.

Shelby and Spencer

Spencer and Shelby Burdette were baptized during this service. It was a wonderful day.

Spencer and Lindzie

Spencer had lots of friends and family come to support him. Both sets of grandparents made to the trip to be there for him. His cousin Kelly and Grandpa Watts gave talks. Grandma Zan gave the closing prayer and Uncle Matt and Uncle Joe were witnesses. Afterwards we had a nice luncheon.

Draper Temple updates

2008-08-06T16:29:00.001-06:00

Angel Moroni was placed on top on July 9, 2008. I can't believe what a difference it makes in the look and feel of the temple. It has been incredible to watch the progression from the ground up.

Presiden Gordon B. Hinckley, broke ground and dedicated the site for the temple on August 5, 2006. "It is a great tribute to our people," he said. "They are so faithful in temple attendance and it is for this reason that we construct this beautiful house of the Lord." Construction of the temple is expected to be completed in 2008. We have heard it will be completed by November but that has not been confirmed.

Angel Moroni being placed on the top of the temple marks an important milestone in construction and coincides with completion of the exterior granite facing.

The Draper Temple is the 12th temple to be built in Utah and is the 3rd temple to be built in the Salt Lake Valley. (http://www.ldschurchtemples.com/draper/)

Skoose

2008-08-03T19:44:00.000-06:00

Skoose

Dear Suzanne (aka: Skoose, Sister Grannis),

I want to publicly thank you so much for everything. Thank you for creating my super cute blog site that I get so many compliments on. Thank you for being the wonderful friend that you are and for the wonderful memories in Taiwan. Some of my favorite memories in Taiwan are with you and Sister Bailey. You two kick started my Chinese. I still can’t speak as well as you but I can get from here to there on my own.

Thanks for sharing your adventures. I have enjoyed following your life From Jia Yi to the US and now with your family in Shanghai. Life is awesome.

Thanks for being you! Love you.

Kim

Bear Lake Scout Camp...

2008-07-30T22:44:00.000-06:00

"I sail! I'm a sailor! Ahoy!!!" -Bob Wiley

Tyler, Tanner, Nathan, Tanner Brown and Max

Tanner, Max and Tyler

Wet and having a blast. Good boys. We are blessed to have Tanner in a ward with a group of good boys to hang out with.

Spencer

Spencer manged to get to scout camp, again. He went up early this morning with Tom. Tom and Spencer will be home tomorrow evening. Tanner is gone for the week. They are all having fun.

My guys are on the left. First one in the green is broth Seltmeyer. The blue tongue belongs to my Tanner, next to him his Tom and then Spencer.

My Great, Great Uncle Chief Sam Blue

2008-07-29T22:06:00.000-06:00

I have many weaknesses that I was sent here to this earth to overcome. I believe one of my biggest if not "the biggest" is to be continually forgiving as Christ was and is.
A story told by my great, great uncle Chief Sam Blue of the Catawba Indian Nation has been an incredible example of Christlike love and the love a forgiving heart can offer.

"One day my eleven-year-old son went squirrel hunting with six other Indians. He saw a squirrel run up a tree and climbed up to scare it out on a limb. After he had done this he called to the others to hold their fire until he could get down. One of the Indians in the hunting party had always been jealous of me and my position as chief. He and his son both shot deliberately at my boy. He was filled with buckshot from his knees to his head. The Indians carried my boy towards home and found a spot where they lay him while they ran for the doctor.

A friend came and found me and said, “Sam, run home at once; your boy has been shot.” I ran all the way home and found my boy near death. The doctor was there and said my boy would not live. He was right; the boy died in a few minutes.

The man and son who had done the shooting were in my front yard visiting with members of the crowd that had gathered. They did not appear to be upset at their deed. My heart filled with revenge and hatred. Something seemed to whisper to me, “If you don’t take down your gun and kill that man who murdered your son, Sam Blue, you are a coward.”

Now I have been a Mormon ever since I have been a young lad and I knew it would not be right to take revenge. I decided to pray to the Lord about it. I walked to my secret place out in the timber where I always have gone to pray alone when I have a special problem, and there I prayed to the Lord to take revenge out of my heart. I soon felt better and started back to the house. But again I heard something inside whisper, again I turned back and prayed until I felt better. On my way back to the house I again heard the voice say, “Sam Blue, you are a coward.” I turned again and went back to pray and this time I told the Lord he must help me or I would be a killer. I asked him to take revenge out of my heart and keep it out. I felt good when I got up from praying. I went back to the house a third time and when I reached the house I went out and shook hands with the Indian who had killed my boy. There was no hatred or desire for revenge in my heart." (See Marion G. Romney, The Power of God unto Salvation, Brigham Young University Speeches of the Year [Provo, 3 Feb. 1960], pp. 6–7.)

I am reminded that we don't have the strength on our own to forgive, we only have that power through Christ. It is ok to ask for that strength as many times as we need.

“Since forgiveness is an absolute requirement in attaining eternal life, man
naturally ponders: How can I best secure that forgiveness? One of many basic
factors stands out as indispensable immediately: One must forgive to be
forgiven.” Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball,
(2006), 89-101

Spencer's Birthday

2008-07-24T21:35:00.000-06:00

Spencer turned 8 years old today. I can't believe how fast time goes by. 8 years ago this morning he joined our family. He came in at 4 lbs 8oz and 17 inches long.

Spencer picked out his favorite breakfast for this morning. It happens to be buttermilk pancakes...made by dad. I must admit the last part of that sentence hurts a little bit. But I am so glad that Tom was able to be home with us today to spend the day with Spencer.

The next activity was swimming at Draper Park. There are better pictures I could have used but I thought this one would be fun for Spencer to look back at in years to come. So he could remember what the Draper pool was like when he was 8.

Spencer is a huge Star Wars Lego fan. He has the games on his Sony Play Station and has a Star Wars shirt to wear each day of the week. His favorite gifts were a couple of new Star Wars T-shirts and some Star Wars Lego toys. He is excited to get building.

This evening we went to Murray park to have cake and ice cream with family and friends. His favorite cousin from Arizona (Anna) was able to be there. He was really excited about that. His best friends Gavin and Oat were able to be there as well. Uncle Joe, Aunt Joy, Kelly, Natalie, Abby and Bailey were there. Uncle Matt, Aunt Heidi and Jarom. Uncle Nathan and Oat. Uncle Tim, Auntie Ruth, Andrew, Kayla, Anna and Trevor. We had a great time.

Spencer I think the most precious point for me today was when you told me you are so glad you turned 8 so you can be baptized. I love you little buddy!! XO XO XXX OOO!!

Birthday Suit

2008-07-21T22:16:00.001-06:00

Spencer posing in his new suit for Aunt Rachel. What a ham this little guy is. He turns 8 this year. He has decided to be baptized. He is anxious for this day.

Martins, Martins and more Martins

2008-07-18T23:46:00.001-06:00

Bailey and Spencer Martin

Tom's cousin Tim and his family are visiting from Mesa, AZ. Tim and Ruth have 4 kids...Andrew, Kayla, Anna and Trevor. Andrew is Tanner's age and Anna is Spencer's age. So the kids have a blast together. Tom's youngest brother Joey and his wife Joy have 4 girls...Kelly, Natalee, Abby and Bailey. We all got together on Friday and took the kids to the aquarium in Sandy. After we went out to lunch. Then we headed downtown to see the Joseph Smith movie and take the kids to the Church History Museum. It was fun. Very hot, but fun.

Tanner and Andrew

Kayla and Anna

For sure the coolest part of the aquarium is the stingrays. The kids had a blast petting them. Come on, where else in Utah are you going to get to pet a stingray?

Abby and Anna

Trevor and Stingray

Anna, Ruth and Trevor

Bailey, Joey, Spencer, Tom, Ruth, Trevor, Kayla and Abby

Trevor

Abby

Spencer

Spencer and Tanner

Spencer and Tanner at Temple Square. I think this is the first picture Spencer has had a real smile since he was a little guy.

Andrew, Trevor, Tanner, Spencer, Bailey, Kelly, Kayla, Abby, Natalie and Anna Martin

Tanner and Andrew

At the church history museum while the little kids were playing the big boys decided to enjoy themselves too. They crack me up.

Our nephews and niece on the Watts side of the family.

2008-07-14T19:45:00.000-06:00

This is our little Jarom when he was only 5-6 months old. He will turn two at the end of next month. He is going to be a big brother in February. Matt and Heidi are excited for another one. I don't know how excited Heidi is to be pregnant again. She pukes for the full 9 months. We are sorry for that part of it but we are so excited to see our family grow.

How cute are they? This is my nice Lindzie and my nephew Bailey. Jonnie and Rachel's kids. They are so sweet and fun to have around. Lindzie is the only granddaughter for my parents. She is nick named "Princess". Sometimes I think she really believes she is one. She is girl all the way. Pink everything for that one.

Bailey is my medicine. He can always make my worries melt away. He is the sweetest little guy.

We expect to see Bailey and Lindzie have a new little sister or brother within the next year or so.

The boys in Moab for a week+.....

2008-07-09T17:03:00.000-06:00

The boys have been in Moab for over a week. They have been staying with Grandma Zan and Grandpa Louie. They look forward to this trip every year. They love to spend time with their grandparents and cousins.

Spencer can't quite swim yet. So aunt Kari makes sure he floats by doubling up.

Spencer went hiking in Arches National Park wtih Aunt Kari and Dusty.

Trip to Northern California. 1998

2008-07-05T20:57:00.001-06:00

We took a trip to Northern California and spent an entire week with Mel and Carol Platt. It was awesome. They took such good care of us.

Tanner was so impressed by the beauty of the ocean. We couldn't keep him out of it.

Tanner started chasing the water and it chased him back. Emily wanted to do it too but she didn't want to get wet. So Mel ran for her. He is a good dad.

Emily and Tanner. Sweet kids. Tanner liked to tease her a little. But I think they had a great time together.

My Little Brother Matt!!

2008-06-20T12:43:00.000-06:00

Heidi, Jarom and Matt

My little brother Matt is always doing what is right. I am so thankful for the example he has been to me and my family. Even from when he was a little guy I could tell he had a sweet spirit about him. We are ten years a part so I got to see him grow up. I remember when he was about 18 months old my aunt gave him some candy. Matt smiled and went to everyone in the room to share his candy with before he even took one. He is just a good kid.

What ever Matt does, he does his best. He puts his best foot forward and tries his best. He has always had good grades, good friends and a good sense of humor.

While he served his mission in Madagascar we always enjoyed his weekly emails. You could hear of his strength and humility and we watched him grow.

This last spring Matt graduated from Weber State University with a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology. Matt invited family to the commencement exercise but didn't mention that he was graduating in the top 2% of his class. He didn't know it would be announced like that either. He is amazing. Love you bud.

Mom, Matt and Dad

Tag.....I am it....

2008-06-18T17:42:00.000-06:00

Heidi tagged me. I hope I do this right.

Five things (under $10) I can't live without :

* Hugs and Kisses from Tom, Tanner and Spencer

* Red Box

* iTunes
* Hiking

* Board Games with the boys

Five favorite movies :

* Fever Pitch

* The Fugitive

* While You Were Sleeping

* Breakfast at Tiffany's

* As Good As It Gets

Five favorite kid names :

* Tanner

* Spencer

* Taylor

* Madison

* Emily

Five songs I could listen to over and over :

* Falling For The First Time - Barenaked Ladies

* Another Post Card - Barenaked Ladies

* Save The Last Dance For Me - Michael Buble

* Love Me Tender - David Archuleta

* Anxious - Housemartins

Five things that stay in my purse at all times :

* Sunglasses

* Loose Changes

* Reciepts

* Tylenol

Now I tag : Alyssa

Family Home Evening.....Draper Temple

2008-06-16T21:37:00.000-06:00

For FHE tonight we went to the library (boys choice) and then stopped by the temple on our way home to get some pictures for my blog. It is coming along. It is supposed to be done by November of this year.

Help me out here. Tanner is a good looking kid, but he has decided to do his hair "faux hawk" style for the summer. Of course it is a house rule to have a part in his hair for Sunday. I just don't know when it is okay to bend a little or when it is okay to let him make choices with out interfering too much.

Spencer is hoping to grow into his teeth this summer. He has discovered the PS3 this summer. I am glad that I have something to motivate him to do his summer home work and chores with. But I wonder if I let it be introduced to early.

A view looking over the valley from the temple.

Our little sunshine......

2008-06-15T18:29:00.000-06:00

Tanner-man took drama his last semester of 7th grade. At the end of the year he and his class performed in a play written by his drama teacher called "The Greatest Power". This play is based on the book. He did a great job. He was the sun. If you know Tanner, you know what a ham he is and how much he loves the spot light, so this was perfect for him. He did very well and was quite animated to boot.

Overwhelmingly Fun Week.......

2008-06-08T15:44:00.000-06:00

Benjamin Van Dam

This last week has been so much fun for me. My mom has been visiting with us from Gallup, NM. We have had to share her with my sister and brothers families but always enjoy her visits.

Atalie (my bestfriend) also came up to visit. It was so fun to stay up late, share stories, giggle and just talk. We were also able to have a little get together at my home with De Jones and his son Indiana as well as Nathan and Tiffany Sorenson (and their girls Libby and Abby). It was so much fun to catch up and talk about old times. We had some great laughs. I think the greatest joy to me was to see how happy everyone is and that everyone still has a testimony (stronger now) of Christ. Nathan was able to share some incredible experiences about the power of the priesthood. I was able to feel some of the same joy that I believe the sons of Mosiah felt when they were reunited and felt joy as they knew their brethren were still strong in the faith. It is such a happy feeling.

I will add pictures later.

De Jones and Nathan Sorenson

It isn't really a visit with Justice (Atalie's son) with out a game of Risk and or Monopoly. Tom had fun playing with the boys. He talks a lot of smack (Tom that is).

They were up so late, I have no idea who even won. I do know that they had fun. I hope that we get to spend more time with Justice in the near future.

Little Sahara.....Scout Campout!!

2008-05-19T21:25:00.001-06:00

This last weekend Tanner had a scout campout at Little Sahara. He forgot to take his signed permission slip. Tom and Spencer ran to the church to give the scout master the permission slip. He said, “Hey Spencer, would you like to come too?” Spencer said, “Yes!!!” Tom was shocked. Spencer said, “Please Dad…oh please Dad!!” Brother Oulerking said, “I have plenty of gear, and lots of food.” Tom agreed!!! I was a little upset. Come on this is my baby and he isn’t even a cub scout yet. I worried and worried all night long. The boys did not get home until 1PM the following afternoon.

Spencer did fine. The pictures prove it. However, we have agreed (Tom and I), that there will be no more scout campouts unless Tom goes with or until Spencer is 12.

Spencer is the first one in the photo and Tanner is the second one!! They had a blast. However, all their laundry were full of sand!! I am glad they had such a good time.

Look at Spencer's Smile. He can't wait to be a grown up (12 year old) scout!!

American Idol.....

2008-05-11T18:05:00.000-06:00

For those of you that know me.........I have not been a big fan of reality TV. I think it is mostly because TV evolved without us while we lived in Taiwan. When we returned it seemed that every night was a new TV reality show with a different theme.....some bachelor trying to find love.....chefs trying to win praise from a mean chef.....some sort of dancing show that I could never figure out.....trying to be a director for Matt Damon and Ben Afleck....and the list goes on. I heard lots of stories about American Idol. I couldn't quite understand the rules of it and honestly, did not give it much time. My mom and sister were addicted. They called each other after the show and shared their opinions about each performance. I was again, let them enjoy what ever it was they were loving so much.

I don't know what happened to me this year. Maybe it was the long winter. It may be that I was flipping through channels and was shocked to hear some British guy sitting next to Paula Abdul just ripping on some poor sap that "thought" he could sing. That was all it took. I watched from half way through the first episode and have been glued since.

I think what has made it more fun for me is that now I feel like I have so much say in who wins (not really, but it feels that way). I watch each night and call in my votes.

David Archuleta (a Murray local) has been a pleasure to watch. We had David Archuleta day in Murray last Friday. It was a blast. The spirit that was in the air was much like what it was when the Olympics were here. You could feel the pride in the air. It was awesome. Yet, David seemed so humbled by the support he received from his home town.

Governor Huntsman proclaimed May 9th "David Archuleta Day". He thanked David for helping the economy (lots of T-shirt, button, mugs with "VOTE for DAVID" sales). David was given a huge basket from the Mayor of Murray and Granite School District. They said they couldn't give him a key to the city because he "owns" it. David continually seemed shocked and surprised by the mass support of fans he had.

Later that night he started off the Jazz vs. Laker game by leading them off in singing the Anthem.

I guess reality TV is not that bad. I really have enjoyed the contestants and judges. I think Simon is my favorite. He is usually right, I think.

Thanks for listening to my rambles....

A FEW OF OUR FAVORITE PEOPLE.....

2008-05-02T01:02:00.000-06:00

Of course Spencer and Tanner are favorites. We feel blessed to have them as our boys. They make us laugh all of the time. This picture is from Valentine's 2006.

We love our Grandma's so much. They are wonderful people. Grandma De and Grandma Zan are so good to us. We are blessed to have them as family.

Grandpa Louie and Grandma Zan at the ranch (Brown's Hole) near Moab. We always have so much fun when we camp with the Martin clan.

Grandma and Grandpa Watts are always so thoughtful and caring. We love them so much. This picture was taken in Window Rock, AZ. November 2005.

Rachel is my favorite sister. Okay, she is my only sister. But this past year I have felt a special closeness to her. She has been so good to me and has been a real strength. I love her so much.
Ha!! Its is "my" cousin Ruth. Need I say any more? She is so fun...so awesome...so incredible...such a strength....and always there for me!!! Even though she lives in the Mesa, AZ. I hope sometime we get to live in the same city as each other. Ruth is a RIOT!!! Crazy girl.

My cousin Missy has also been so great. We really got to know her again when we lived with her while we waited to close on our house. It was suppose to be a 2-3 week time frame but it ended up being 6 weeks. We had a blast. She is so much fun and a wonderful example.

Atalie, our first night in Cancun. We had a blast. Even if the first night was at a super scary motel. Our Spanish classes from high school failed us when we got lost trying to get back to our motel. It was just fun being with Atalie. She has been my best friend for 22 years!! We still talk a lot. I love her. She is family.

This is Mike and Atalie on their wedding day in Mesa, AZ. It was awesome to be there and be part of their happy day.

Tanner and his best friend, Michael Dayton. Tanner and Michael have been best friends since they were born. I have pictures of them in the tub together when they were babies. They have so many of the same experiences and grew close while we lived in Taiwan.

Shirley has been a wonderful friend. She was my boss at UPS. Then she worked with us at SRI. We have been through a lot together. It has been a blessing to have her be part of our lives.

Heath has been a great friend for years!! I can't believe it has been 18 years!! She has always been so good to come visit us no matter where we have lived in the world. She has been so awesome to invite me on some fun trips (Ireland, Scottland, England, New York, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Cancun, etc.) She was there the day we got married. She has known my boys since they were babies. She is awesome.

What a little man. This is my nephew Bailey. I love him so much. He is often referred to as my "medicine". He makes me happy. He likes to call me on the telephone. The picture above is old. He will be 3 in June. Just the other night he woke up at 2AM. He saw Rachel's cell phone on the couch. He usually calls me from Rachel's cell phone. He picked it up and some how called Matt and Heidi at 2AM. Heidi didn't answer but heard the cell phone. She listened to her message and it said, "Hi Aunt Kim"......he was trying to call me!!! How awesome is that? He is just a sweet little guy and we have a special closeness. I was there when Rachel and Jonnie took him home from the hospital and brought him home. It was such a spiritual experience to be a part of that. He is adopted. When he was sealed to Rachel and Jonnie in the temple I was able to be part of that and hold him as he was sealed. It is so awesome to know that he is part of my eternal family. I do have the greatest nieces and nephews on both sides of the family. I will upload pictures of them later.

This is me and Munchie. She invited me to be on her bowling team. We bowled with Carolyn and Helga for 3 years. I didn't bowl this year. I had too many conflicts. But it was so fun to bowl and spend every Wednesday with my Munchie. She was so kind to take us into her home while we waited for our home in Draper to finalize. Some thing that I really admire about Munchie and her family is that she and every single one of them (Uncle Dave, Adam, Missy and Dan) all served missions. I think it is so neat that they are all returned missionaries.

A little bit about our family.......

2008-04-30T21:29:00.000-06:00

I have had (surprisingly) a lot of requests to update my blog. I guess this is more of a disciplined commitment than I realized. Right now I do not have new pictures to upload......I will by the end of next week...so I decided to write a little bit about who I am and who Tom is. I know that most of the pictures I upload will be of the boys you will get to know them better in time.

Most of my memories come from Price, UT. A small town in UT. I loved it. I always promised myself that my boys would be blessed with the same opportunity. But some how life hasn't quite worked out that way for us. I am a graduate of Carbon High School. I was a DINO. Don't knock it because I loved it. I had the small town, great friends, awesome ward and just incredible people who helped mold me into the person I am today. I give them credit for the good things about me.

I graduated from the College of Eastern Utah, also in Price. That is where I met Tom.

Tom grew up 2 hours away from me in Moab, UT. He graduated from Grand County High School. He went to CEU in Price for 1 year and then went on a mission to Harrisburg, PA. After his mission we returned to CEU where we met.

During his freshman year his best friend became David Dayton. David is also from Price. It is funny how many times Tom and I crossed paths because he did so much with David and helping Carbon Highs debate team. Tom knew lots of people from my graduating class. We often wonder how things would have turned out if we had met then. It would have been fun to write him on his mission. He thinks he was too much of a nerd then.

Tom and I got married in 1992 (I know we are old). After we graduated from CEU we went on the the University of Utah. After graduation we took our 8 month old baby and moved to communist China (what were we thinking?) through a BYU program. We lived in Qingdao for 1 year. We had an incredible experience. It was the first time my heart had ever truly loved a group of people. It was the most Christlike love I had experienced up to that point in my life.

We also had an opportunity to travel to Beijing and see things I never thought I would see. We have had the opportunity to go back and have been amazed by the changes and how fast China is growing in every way possible. It was hard to leave. I knew that many people I had grown to love....I would probably not see again in this life time. Our Tanner-man had learned so much by the time we moved back. He was walking and talking some (20 Chinese words to 10 English words) and had a huge personality. So taking a baby to China turned out okay. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone, but for your first and not knowing what you don't know is a plus.

We moved back to our home in Salt Lake. Tom worked at American Express and went to grad. school. Once he had his MBA his best friend some how talked us into moving to Taiwan with him and his family. We did pray about it and we know it was where we were meant to be. This time we took our 6 year old son Tanner and our new little Spencer who was 4 months old. This time I had a better idea of what I was getting into. I feel like we were more prepared for a baby this trip. We moved to a smaller city on the island called Jia Yi. It was awesome to be able to attend a ward while we were there. We also had a temple in Taipei.

We were able to learn a lot of Chinese while we were here. Tanner had the opportunity to attend first and second grade at a Taiwanese public school. The first month his teacher told us she was concerned about Tanner because he was speaking to anyone and didn't seem to be picking up the language. The next month she said her problem was that he spoke to much and couldn't believe how fluent he was. We have video of him bearing his testimony in Chinese. It is pretty cute. Spencer refused to speak Chinese, Taiwanese, Thai or English. He decided to wait until we moved back to the states to talk. He was just letting us know early on that he would do things when he was ready. Tom learned some Chinese but not a lot. I was able to learn a little more because I was able to go out on splits with the sister missionaries. They taught me a lot.

Again we made some wonderful friends. It was a time for us to grow leaps and bounds as a family. We had our trials. But we have lots of fond memories and lots to be grateful for.

We lived in Taiwan for 3 years. It is something that our family thinks of often. We love to talk about good times we had there. We love to talk about the people and trips we took. One time I got stuck taking the boys to Hong Kong to renew our "green cards". We left Jia Yi at 4 in the morning by train. Got a taxi to the the Kaohsiung airport and then flew to Hong Kong. Luckily we were able to get our visas within a few hours. The boys both got sick with high fevers. After getting our visas we moved our flight up and flew back to Koahsiung. I did not have it in me to find a train or bus back to Jia Yi. So we grabbed a taxi and he took us all of the way home. Tom was being sweet and knew we would be tired. Not knowing that I had bumped our flight up, he hired a driver and was on his way to the airport to pick us up. So we passed each other going opposite directions, both planning to surprise the other. When I got home, I was shocked when Tom didn't answer the door. Then I realized I didn't have keys. I went down to our doorman and he said Tom left about 2 hours ago. I called Tom's cell phone. He said, Kim I have been looking all over for you.....where are you? After a confusing conversation we realized what had happened. Luckily we had a spare key at a friends in Jia Yi. He let me in. It was a long day. But we got our visas for another year.

After 3 years of living in Taiwan it was time to come back. We moved back to Murray, UT. We lived there for 3 years. Almost 2 years ago we bought a home in Draper. I love it here. We do get a little bit of the small town feel but we live close to the big cities.

I am not going to edit this so you get grammatical and spelling errors. Sorry. I'll try and be better at updating this.

Draper Temple

2008-02-29T11:07:00.001-07:00

This picture was taken yesterday (2-28-07). We are really excited for the Draper Temple to be in our stake. It has been so much fun for us to watch its progression. It is a wonderful blessing.

Ski Week.......

2008-02-26T22:27:00.001-07:00

The boys school has ski week in February. They get a full week off of school to ski. Spencer and I went to Alta and Brighton. Unfortunately, Tanner could not ski because of his broken foot. He did go to Moab for the week and hang out with Grandpa Louie.

Airplane Tour (2.23.08)

2008-02-24T20:49:00.000-07:00

Tom picked up a part-time job out at the airport. Tom took the boys out for a tour last Saturday.

UT State Fair 2007

2008-02-24T00:34:00.000-07:00

Tanner and Spencer posing with a pig at the state fair. This pig took 3rd place.

Sheep Springs

2008-01-30T22:35:00.001-07:00

Yep, its handsome Tom just being handsome Tom. He has been so busy. For about the last 6 months he has been working 2 jobs. One part-time job at the airport and his full-time job at Varilease Finance. We hope that he can decide what he wants to do when he grows up and go for it. But we love him for his efforts and for being the wonderful father and husband that he is.

Tanner Broke His Foot

2008-01-30T22:28:00.001-07:00

Tanner-man broke his foot last week. He has been in a boot for the last few days. He will go back to the doctor next week to get it checked to see if it is healing. If it is not healing as quickly as they would like they will need to put a cast on it. He broke it playing a game in gym and he slipped on the base. Funny guy. He has been really good about it. We love him.

Pajama Day at School

2008-01-30T22:14:00.000-07:00

This is Spencer's class on "Pajama Day". They got to wear their pajama's and read "Polar Express" together as a class. It was a fun day for him.

Spencer is still our "Titanic" expert. He has a fascination with the entire voyage, the people, engineers, captain, etc. He can tell you almost everything there is to say about the Titanic. Who knows, maybe we have a soon to be ship builder/engineer.

It has been a while....

2007-11-25T22:52:00.000-07:00

It has been a while but we are still here. We stayed in UT for Thanksgiving. We spent it with Kim's family in South Jordan. It was a wonderful day. We were able to spend some time with Grandma De and Chuck the following day. The boys are enjoying school and doing well. We are just keeping busy and moving a long.

Grandma De's 84th birthday celebration!!

2007-08-18T22:59:00.000-06:00

Today was one of those special events. An important person in our family (Grandma De) turns 84 this coming Monday. We had a party for her today at Pam and Bruce Madsens home. It was wonderful to have all of our children play together and to feel so welcome in the Madsen home. It excites me to see my children building relationships with their cousins and understanding at a small age that their relationships are different than their friends. These relationships are eternal.

Bruce set up a water slide for the kids. They had a blast. Ages were from 18 months to 12. They all loved it. It was fun watching them come down the slide.

Bruce and Pam had their little new born. She is an absolute doll. Lindsay is making a perfect big sister. It is cute to watch her with her little sister.

Kari and Larry were there. They are moving to Riffle, CO. So they are busy with the move. But we got to have Dusty and Becca play with the kids.

Joe and Joy brought all 4 girls up. They had a blast playing.