Memorial Weekend and Baseball Games

Chilling out on a Sunday evening! Isn't she so cute!

Saturday... Our weekend was pretty much relaxing (other than my Friday/Saturday trip to Mesquite). Well I am sure Matt's Saturday was a crazy day since he babysat four kids (our neices and nephew). He spent the whole day with them along with Brooklyn. Daddy and Brooklyn were able to get a quick swim at the Lehi Pool before going to get the other kids. Brooklyn had a blast at the pool and finally went down on all the slides. She even went with Daddy on the big spiraling tube ride. They walked to the top and she was really excited until she realized they were going to be riding through a dark tunnel and she started say No, no, no! Matt comforted her and said its okay it will be fun and she said No, no, no but they went and she was fine after that. Of course she didn't want to go down that slide again but she enjoyed everything else! Its so fun to watch her grow and experience new things. Later on in the day Matt and kids were in the garage and Matt had sudden urge to cut his hair (thank goodness! I love Matt's hair shorter than longer... It reminds me of our engagement pictures). He had clippers and adjusted it so it only cut so much off and the kids had a blast cutting of their uncle's hair! They did a pretty good job! Matt also took the kids all for a motobike ride in the field near our home and they loved it! Later that evening I got home from Mesquite and met up at with Matt and stayed with him until my brother and his wife got home. We made to bed at midnight all tired out.

Sunday... we enjoyed church... Well Brooklyn and I did. Matt wasn't feeling good in the morning. Church was really good with two great lessons, Service in Gospel Principles class and Daughters of God in Relief Society. I love going to church and getting a re-fueling of the Spirit. It's amazing how we need to have the Spirit in our lives so we can be happy and be able to make the right choices. Just like I can't go without food, I can't go on without my spiritual feeding. Sunday afternoon we went to my parents home and the WHOLE family was there for visiting and a good dinner! Its been a long while since all my brothers and my sister and their families were all together. We had such a good time chatting, laughing and even taking a little snoozer together while the cousins ransacked the house. I made bread pudding for dessert! I love that stuff! Thanks John for the recipe! Its been a big hit! I have made it several times now and I just love it!

Monday... Matt and I stayed home and enjoyed quality time with Brooklyn. We lounged around, read, cleaned, napped, and then Matt took off with his Dad for a motobike ride, he said two hours... always add two or three hours to that because to them when they are riding their motobikes, there is no time! :) Later that evening Matt, Brooklyn and I went to Olive Garden and enjoyed a scrumptious dinner! Matt had the Tour of Italy (fried chicken, alfredo sauce with noodles, lasanga). It's his favorite dinner along with salad and breadsticks. I had the.... oh I can't remember what its called but is the soup that is white with potoatoes and spicy sausage... MMMM! I love that soup! I could only eat one bowl of soup since I ate so much salad first! Yummy salad though. I love how they give little Andes chocolate mints at the end to curb the sweet tooth I always get. I told Matt how I remembered the first time I had Andes chocolate. A friend of mine gave me a box of them for Christmas when I was in Jr. High. and it was the best gift and thing I had ever tasted. I savored them because they were so good and I was sure I was never going to get more. Back then I appreciated all the candy or sweets I got because it was a special treat to get any dessert or anything, it wasn't like it is today how we can just get it without even thinking about it... I wish it was still like that... Made life more fun! :)

Tuesday... Adam (my cute little brother) had a baseball game at the Gates Field at Kearns High. Its a way nice field for a high school. Adam made the All-Star team and started the game on first base. Again all the family was there plus Grandma and Grandpa Groen. We had so much fun cheering Adam on and just being together. The kids had a blast playing on the green hills and playing catch. It was such a nice weather with the good ole smell of hotdogs and hamburgers. Don't you just love summer night baseball games! Unfortunately Adam's team lost but nevertheless it was worth the trip with all the family there. I was even able to see my friend Robbie and his beautiful wife, Jesika. Robbie was the AP (assistant to the president) in the mission we served in, in Portland, OR. They both are great people and I was telling Matt that they both just radiate! They really do! What a neat couple they are! Jesika's brother was on the same team as Adam and they are from St. George. To make the world even smaller, Jesika's family live in Cam and Michelle's ward! Crazy how small the world can be! Its always small in the LDS community! :)

Adam taking a swing!

Uncle Cody and Brooklyn, What's wrong you guys?

Mommy and Me!

Posing for the camera... what a cutie!

By the way... He passed his 2nd test today! He is officially done with studying (unless he decides to go back to school and study more!) I am so proud of him and he sure is happy to be done and to have his life back again! We have missed you honey!

Grandma, Grandpa, baby Olivia and Mom (Sherrie)

The photographer! Why is it that everyone has the cool camera and I don't? Just kidding, Matt loves his new camera and has been taking pictures like crazy! Thanks Matt!

A Trip To the Small Gamble City... Mesquite

This past weekend I was able to drive down to Mesquite, NV and spend some time with my mission companion and her sister in law. The one night trip was not what we had expected but still we made it fun and enjoyed the time being with just us girls! We drove out Friday morning after I dropped Brooklyn off with my Mom (thanks Mom for all the times you watch Brooklyn, she sure loves Dama!). The weather up north was cloudy and raining, we brought that with us to Mesquite! We had planned to get some sun out by the pool but instead we ended up on the tanning beds... I know not good for me but hey I wanted some tan and its not like I do it everyday! We rode Go-Karts in stead and met a sweet old man named Ray. We call him Ray-Ray. He was from Minnesota and had made several trips to Las Vegas from Minn. Then one day he told his wife, "By golly, I don't want to live here no more and I'm gonna to move to Mesquite whether you come with me or not!" I asked, so did she come? He said, "Of course! She believes that the wife goes where the husband goes!" Aren't old people so cute! After we rode the Go-Karts, it started hailing! Yeah in Mesquite! My darn goodness! We had planned to go minature golfing but that was out the window so we drove to Walmart, the next best thing to do if you don't gamble, and bought some Phase 10 cards. We had fun roaming Walmart and checking out all the sales. We then ended up back in the hotel and gave ourselves our own pedicure, manciure and facials! It was quite relaxing and fun! We also relaxed in the hot tub and took a dip in the freezing cold water then of course back to the hot tub and shared our most embarrassing moments. The next day on the way back north we stopped in St. George and spent the day there shopping and visited my brother's fitness facility, Fitness Ridge (http://www.fitnessridge.com/). It was a quick trip but fun to get together with my friends! Thanks Cindy and Shannon! I had a great time! I forgot my camera but Shannon took pictures and I don't have them so this will be a pictureless blog entry!

Updates...

Brooklyn's good friend Hailey. They love to play together!

Brooklyn happy that Grandpa is getting better

Brooklyn's favorite ride at Chuck e Cheese

She's not so sure she likes the jeeping move. It was the biggest ride there.

Brooklyn made this for me for Mother's Day... So cute!

Feeding a baby horse with Daddy

Brooklyn: "Not sure if I want you to stick your head out"

Enjoying some grass!

Here some updates from the past 2 weeks:

Brooklyn made a cute hand print for me for Mother's Day in the nursery (she loves that class, especially being with her friend Hailey). Hailey lives in our ward and is such a sweet gal! 

A family in our ward breeds race horses and we were able to go and visit horses, many of which were new born. Brooklyn had a blast looking at them all and helping feed them. The were bred by past successful race horses. 

My dad is getting healthy after finding out he does not have cancer! It was a hard time for me to see my dad in pain and not feeling right at all. Instead of cancer he had a bleeding ulcer which is now being taken care of. No more worrying dad! 

On Saturday recently, Cam and Michelle invited us to go to Chuck e Cheese with their family for the kids birthday. Matt was actually gone motobiking with his dad and sister Lacey (a trip planned a few weeks before). So Brooklyn, Kash (my nephew) and I met up and had some fun! Brooklyn loved all the rides and went on them at least 25 times. She had such a blast!

Matt passed his test! He got an 89% on his series 7 test! For those who don't know what that is, it's a license required to have to work with investment stuff (stocks, bonds, etc). Matt has been studying all day, all night, every day since February! He never got sleep and we never got to see each other! I am soooo glad that part is over. I am so proud of him because he worked so hard and prepared himself well for this test. He has one more test to take but will only need to study for 2 more weeks. He really enjoys his job at Fidelity and we are both so blessed he has a job he enjoys.

On saturday I was able to help with a humanitarian activity where we worked on quilts and dresses for girls in Africa. The dresses were such a neat idea. We had regular t-shirts that were in different colors and we sewed material to the bottom of the shirts to make it look like a dress. They were pretty cute and I am sure the children will love it. I was thinking to myself how blessed I am with the things I have. I often take for granted what I have and at times think oh I need this or I need that when really I don't! I need to be more grateful for what I have and think of others more. 

Memories.....

I scanned this picture my mother has of my family when I was really young. From left to right, Amie, Dad, me, Matt. Brooklyn looks so much like me when I was young. Almost a spitting image. Its crazy how our kids look like us when we were young. I think Spencer looks alot like Amie in this picture and Matt, I am not sure who I think looks the most like him but I can see some of Dyllon in him. Dad looks so young and he still is! wink wink. Matt and Amie, I am getting copies of this picture if you want me to get a copy for you to frame as well. I think I am going with a 5 x 7 although I may want it in a 8 x 10, let me know if you want a copy!
I miss being young and innoncent.... Life seemed so free, safe and full of fun all without having to worry about all I do worry about now! Yet, being a mom and a wife has its rewards and I would never change that for anything.

Happy Graduation Matt!

On Friday Matt graduated from the Univeristy of Utah! It was so good to see him in his cap and gown getting all graduated! I pretty much had to convince him to walk. Matt has been done with school since Dec. 2007. He had to wait to walk though since they only have graduation but once a year. I wanted to show off to everyone how proud I am of him and how much he has accomplished! I am so in awe with all he has done and how hard it must have been but fun too! I gave him a graduation card along with some gifts and part of what I wrote in the card was this, "...you have accomplished such a great thing and not everyone can say they have served a mission, went to college and swam while in college and complete all three--100%!" Matt has spent hours studying, preparing, swimming and being on road at the swim meets and has done so well. He was also a full time Dad and husband which made his load very heavy but not once did I ever him whine about it. He actually loved everything, well maybe not so much all the homework but he did it!

Matt's parents, my mom (my dad really wanted to make but was unable to, but we know he was thinking of him), and Brooklyn and I were there to cheer him on! I also made some signs for the car to show how excited I was for him. During the graduation, Matt's Mom had Brooklyn. Brooklyn wanted to see Daddy who was one section away from where we were. So Dena told the graduates to pass Brooklyn over to "Matt" in the next section over like you would with a big ball during a game. Brooklyn was crying and shaking so bad as she was passed over as she had no idea what was going on. Everyone was wearing these black gowns and black square hats so they all looked the same! Finally when Matt got Brooklyn she was screaming and saying, I want Dama (Grandma), I want Dama and Matt had to tell Brooklyn it's Daddy, it's okay. She was shaking really hard. She finally calmed down and enjoyed the time with her dad (who by then had already gotten his diploma).

Matt had such good eyes and found an interpreter. Come to find out, it was the mother of a friend of mine and they were saving two seats (the only two seats left in the front row) but the people they were saving the seats for never showed up. Mrs. Featherstone, the interpreter said, well these seats must have been meant for you and your mom then! She was really sweet and I thank her for interpreting so I could enjoy the graduation as well.

After graduation we took some pictures, as you can see and then off to Chuck-A-Rama! Matt's favorite place, literally! Cody met up with us for a fun feast! Matt, Brooklyn and I went to his house to watch the Jazz game and fell asleep before they won the last game of the series. We were all tired out! Brooklyn fell asleep upon arrival and fell asleep in Uncle Cody and Aunt Kristin's bed. She had a fun filled day but my goodness... she was somebody's cute but moody daughter! :)

Congratulations Matt! We are proud of you! We know you will be successful in all you do!

Matt Graduates Today!

Today (May 2nd) Matt graduates! I am so tickled for him! And he wasn't going to walk! Now who would do a silly thing like that and not walk after accomplishing such a great thing! I'll be back to post pictures and comments about the day!

I LOVE YOU MATT!

I AM SO PROUD OF YOU!

I La You DADDY! CoNgWaDuWaTiOn!