To the Love of My Life-Here's to Forever!

Today Dereck and I celebrate our 10 year anniversary, which we are not actually celebrating until we go to Mexico in January!!! But I have been very reflective this year about the decision I made 10 years ago to marry Dereck Jacobs. It remains the best decision I have ever made. I love Dereck a hundred times more than I did in 1998, and boy, was I ever in love then!!!I remember the first time I saw Dereck Jacobs. He was shopping at Smith's with his roommates, as was I. Dereck and my sister were conversing and my heart was pitter pattering over this tall, dark, handsome, and genuine Prince Charming. 

I saw him next in the accounting lab. He became known to me and my roommates as the "accounting lab boy". 

They liked to tease me about him. I never had a crush on anyone like this without even knowing him! One day in the accounting lab he asked if he could sit by me. My heart almost leapt out of my chest. Was this really happening to me? Was the man in my dreams really asking if he could sit by me? The next thing he asked was, "Do you like rodeos?" I told him that I really didn't because I thought it was cruel. 

I'm pretty sure that was the wrong answer for this cowboy to hear, but he respected my opinion. 

Later that same month I was trying to study for finals and I just couldn't get Dereck Jacobs off my mind. I simply could not concentrate on anything else. I said a prayer, "Please help me to forget about Dereck Jacobs so I can get some studying done." And the still, small voice whispered that I should not forget about Dereck. It was a happily received revelation!

After finals (by the way, I slept through my alarm the next morning and failed a final) and the semester ended, my roommates and I moved into the Elms apartments to be closer to BYU campus and guess who was in my ward AND my Family Home Evening group? My beloved accounting boy! From there things went quickly. There were many Sunday afternoon walks and talks. There was a trip to Canada to meet his family and to see the most beautiful place where he grew up and I fell hopelessly even more in love. 

Dereck has remained my truest friend. He has been strong and stable, constant and true, and I love him more every day! Here's to another 10 years and then another 10, and then another 10, and all the way to eternity! I love you, Accounting Boy!

Reunion Sweet

Back in August we had a fun reunion at my brother-in-law Bill's cabin in Woodlands (just past Kamas). My mom is cute with her "themes". This year it was Peter Pan, so the girls were princesses and the boys were pirates. We tubed the canal, rode four wheelers, and had a great time!

First Day of School

Kiara is loving Miss Martha's preschool. Here is Kiara and Kate on Kiara's first day. Miss Martha said Kiara "only" cried for half an hour. It was hard to leave her so sad, but I knew she would be happy when I picked her up. She was happily eating a mini bag of M&M's when I went to get her.

In the meantime, Kate was reveling in her time without having to share the shopping cart with Sister. I had to snap a picture at the grocery store. 

Kate had her own first day of preschool. We are doing another co-op neighborhood preschool for Kate's age this year.

Happy Halloween!

Yes, it's a black widow, and it was in my garage! Dereck was at school, so I knew I had to do it...I had to kill it. With steady hand, I sliced it in half with a garden shovel. I'm not saying I wasn't squealing the whole time. Just thought I would share. A couple weeks later I caught a hobo spider in my basement. I put it in a jar and Kiara adopted it as a pet, much to my dismay. She wanted to carry the jar with her everywhere. She wanted the spider to watch cartoons with her and she even put a blanket over the jar at night. It finally died a few days later and I had to rid of it while Kiara was not looking. Needless to say, we have had our house and garage sprayed more than once this fall!

Make a Smilebox photobook

I Forgot to Mention that Kiara Was in the Olympics

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A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

I recently re-finished one of my favorite books, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. I like how Betty Smith just writes down everyday events in an extraordinary way. This sentence summed up the book for me, "To look at everything always as though you were seeing it either for the first or last time: Thus is your time on earth filled with glory." 

Moves We Learned at the Canadian Barn Dance

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O Canada! (2008)

We had a great August week in Canada this year. Mountain View is a little piece of heaven on earth (especially in the summer when the wind isn't blowing). 

One night Bishop Johnson drove us across Waterton Lake and Troy and Stacy brought a delicious dinner of ribs to share. It was the most beautiful weather I have ever seen in Waterton. 

Kiara & Taylor at Waterton Lake:

My happy Kate at Emerald Bay:

One day we picked wild raspberries by Beaver Dam Lake:

One night we camped and fished at Belly River. Here's Kate with Grandma Linda:

Kiara even hopped on a little motorbike with Dylan:

Kiara was in heaven playing with all of Grandma's toys. She became especially attached to this mullet baby with a blue scribbled on face.

Both of the girls surprised us this year by not being afraid of the horses. Whenever we would pull in the driveway at Grandma and Grandpa's, Kate would say, "I want to ride" because she could see the horses out in the field. Here Kate and Daddy are on Big Fred. He is Grandpa's parade horse. What a nice looking horse!

Here Kiara is riding with cousin Josh.

Kiara and Kate throwing rocks into Waterton Lake, a 20 minute drive from the ranch.

The girls loved the treehouse this year as well.

Preparing for Canada

I could tell how excited Dereck was to go to Canada. He put on his cowboy boots, found his rope, and practiced his skills on the girls. Kiara and Kate had fun running past their dad as he tried to rope them.

Dereck Rides

For years and years Dereck has talked about buying a bike, but being the unselfish man he is, he has never actually bought one. So for Father's Day this year we went bike shopping and he picked out a great bike. He special ordered an extra tall frame and handle bar extension. It has been a lot of fun to watch him enjoy his bike. Along with his bike, we also bought a bike rack and bike trailer. We were glad to see the trailer did the trick at nap time while we were camping at Tanners Flat.

Pioneer Day Fun

I like our tradition of going up in the Wasatch Mountains for Pioneer Day. It is, after all, what the pioneers used to do to celebrate Pioneer Day. At Silver Lake (at the top of Big Cottonwood Canyon) there is a plaque that describes the shin digs the pioneers used to have there in July. It is a great way to escape the valley heat and to spend some quality time with family.

Some words of wisdom from one of our favorite quotable prophets:

"I am going to explore in the mountains and I invite you to go. Take your wives but not your babies unless you take a cradle to keep them quiet. The outdoor air is what the people need for health. It is good for them to camp out." 
    - Brigham Young, 1855 

Lezli, being the wonderful grandmother and great-auntie that she is, brought up some fun toys for the kids to play with. The big wheel was a big hit!

On Friday after Pioneer Day, we spent our fun ticket at Snowbird. We did the Alpine Slide, zip line, and we took the chair lift up to the tunnel that comes out in Mineral Basin. 

Kate, Zach, and I were on the chair lift behind Dereck and Kiara. Here they are going down the mountain. Utah sure has spectacular mountains!

My Little Puppies

The girls had fun at Lizzie's birthday party, where they got to pretend to be dogs to their heart's content. They decorated dog houses, ate Scooby snacks out of dog bowls, and got their own set of ears, tails, and a collar. When they girls came home they wanted to play in their dog houses. 

Draper Days Continued

The fun continued from the Children's Parade to the carnival at Draper Park. Kiara actually rode her first pony and loved it! She keeps talking about "Rocky". Hopefully she'll keep it up when we go to Canada!

Kate and Kiara both rode the traditional train (barrels pulled by a riding lawnmower).

Later that night we went to the Draper Rodeo and even stayed until the fireworks this time! Thanks to the Lowder's for joining us! I think the girls liked the snow cones more than anything. Kate didn't want to use her straw.

Draper Days

Last night we went to the Draper Children's Parade. I've never seen so many children in one place---not even at a Herriman Ward Primary. It was a lot of fun to dodge the toddlers on bikes and to make our wagon resemble the American flag. 

The kids paraded behind a Police tank to the Draper Historic Park where there was a magician show and popsicles (that they ran out of right before our turn). I think the girls had a lot of fun.

The Pony Chronicles

A neighbor generously donated a grocery sack full of My Little Ponies to Kiara and ever since, they have been found in unusual places all over the house. I started to take photos of all the different places the ponies have been and I always asked Kiara what they were doing.

Kiara & Her Ponies

"Mommy, a rainbow!"

Desk Invasion

"They're pushing."
"It's a gate."

Watching Kate Eat
Contemplating What the Ponies Will Do Next

Cool Kid

I have loved watching Kate develop her little personality. She knows how to get what she wants, but she is also so giving. When Sister is crying over a lost toy, Kate will try to find it for her, and she is almost always willing to do a trade. 

She is not just happy in the morning, she is ecstatic. When I go to get her in the morning (she sleeps from about 8pm-8am) she is jumping and laughing and so happy! She loves to make people smile and is always making friends. The other day at the park Dereck and I lost sight of her, but we quickly found her sitting up at another family's picnic table ready to be served pizza. 

She has her moments, like most 2 year olds, but she is still so lovable. I love you, Katie Bug!

Jackson

What is it about the Jackson reunion that I miss so much when I come home? For me it is a bit of "heaven on earth". It is cousins, aunts, uncles, sisters, father, and grand-
father. It is cool, dark nights and walks in the morning just to get the newspaper. It is a time to make important decisions---like what hike to go on, what game to play, what movie to watch, and what type of junk food to eat (Cheetos or Doritos?). It is enjoying God's creations. It is teasing, laughing, and loving. It is a time to appreciate my blessings.