~JOY to the WORLD~

(Josiah.....was really focusing on opening this present!! Love it!! *had to share*)

My Christmas day was a quiet one...For the first time...it was just us:me, ry and the kids...My parents were not able to make it. It has been a family tradition to wake the kids...read the Christmas story found in Luke...then wait for my parents to show up...then share our Christmas with them...but his year...as you may know...my dad is not doing well. He only leaves the house to go to dialysis...and that is about it...It is hard to think about this being his last Christmas with us...I was blessed...however....about 5 that night...to get a phone call that said my dad and mom were on their way!! Yay!!! So we had a nice dinner together and showed grandpa all the fun stuff we got for Christmas.. :) I hope you all had a blessed Christmas with the ones that mean the most to you!!

Luke 2:10 "And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people."

Merry Christmas!!!

~Merry Christmas~

The kids did a very good job at our churches performance! It was called "Christmas Delights". Jurney and Sherri are at the piano getting ready to play a special. Jaden, Joshua and the Montoya boys are saying a Christmas poem.

Isaiah 9:6 "For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called: Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."

Happy Birthday to....

Jurney!!! I love this girl!! She is 16!! Yes, I am having a hard time accepting this! haha!!

She is a help to me and to anyone who needs it. She babysits. She is one of the piano players for our church. She is driving (still learners permit, but I am in NO hurry to move that along!). She is now allowed to wear mascara. She is a real blessing to me! Love you Jurney, and I hope that you had a very Happy Birthday!

Proverbs 31:29 "Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all."

~A dog named Zues~

We had a wonderful time dog sitting for our friends a couple of weeks ago!! My boys loved this dog!

Genesis 2:19 "And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof."

~Happy Thanksgiving part 2~

I am hoping that this will not be the last Thanksgiving with my dad! He is back in the hospital...day 6....already!

I am thankful for the time with my dad....for everyone being able to be together for a nice family meal....for the chance to take a last family photo!

I love you, dad!

Ephesians 6:2"Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;)

~Happy Thanksgiving~

Psalm 100

"Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before His presence with singing. Know ye that LORD He is God: it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with THANKSGIVING, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name. For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endureth to all generations."

~A Thankful Heart~

I love this time of the year....the air becomes crisp. The leaves change and fall... Thanksgiving is just right around the corner...I am so thankful for my kids! I am thankful for my husband! God is so good to me!

2 Corinthians 2:14 "Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triump in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of His knowledge in every place."

Happy Birthday to.....

Joshua!!! He is 4 years old... Where did the time go?? I would have to say in the last 6 months...He has really grown up..

He loves to answer the phone (Joshua Hansen speaking, he thinks that is his real name...it is so cute...)

Other things he loves to do are: cooking, praying, bossing Josiah around, playing with the kids at school, singing songs from church (he does this at the grocery store even), giving loves to his grandpa and grandma, learning, helping his dad with just about anything, and wrestling with his big brother Jaden.

His eye is doing well, in fact we will be going for our 6 month out appointment with the surgeon sometime this month!

.

.

Happy Birthday to my little guy Joshua!

.

.

1 Samuel 1:27 "For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of Him:"

Ryan's new JOB

I am praising GOD!! He has been sooooooo good to us! God has blessed Ryan with a job!

Thank you God for Inovar!

Ryan loves his new job. He is an official "Electronic Technician"!! I am so proud of Ryan for all the hard work that he put in at school, and for all the hard work he puts in at his job! I love you Ryan! I thank God for you! Hugs and Kisses...Love me!

Psalms 92:4 "For thou, LORD, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands."

Happy Birthday to......

ME!!!

I am so happy!! I have: a home in heaven, a great marriage, a fantastic man, and some pretty wonderful kids!

(This picture is old...but it was so much fun! We did a skit one time..I was Sister Big Hair...we were acting like we were those TV Evangelist...you know..the ones that smack people in the head and yell at them to heal them... Yep those guys!!)

Well, I have had a great day...tomorrow my hunny is taking me out to dinner! Sweet!!

Psalm 144:15 " Happy is that people, that in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the LORD."

Welcome HOME!!!!

My dad is coming home!!! YEAH!!! Of course the Rehab Center does not want him to go home...(they want to put him into long term nursing care) ...no, they would prefer that my mom and dad pay thousands a day out of there pocket..who can afford that?? Not them..Not me! So, my dad will go home this FRIDAY!!!

I am soooo super happy!

Thank God for letting my dad get well enough that we can bring him home!

Psalm 118:24 "This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."

Happy Birthday to.........

JADEN!!! He is 13 today!! Man, it hard to believe just how quickly they grow up!

Jaden is a great helper to anyone who needs it.

He is a great big brother to Joshua and Josiah.

He loves God!

He loves to go to church!

I am happy for my Jaden in how he is growing up in the Lord!

Happy Birthday Buddy..Have a great day!

Numbers 6:24 "The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:"

The ~PARK~

Ryan and I took the little boys to the park the other day....It was so much fun! Why do I not do this type of thing more often? Joshua instantly made friends with some kids who were busy building sand castles...and Josiah just ran here and there trying to figure out what he could climb on all by himself! We only stayed for maybe 25 minutes, but the boys had a blast! Sometimes you get so wrapped up in the everyday business of life, that you forget to just "ENJOY" what God has given you! In this case, it is my children! As school time approaches, I am truly thankful for the summer break that I had with my kids! Not to mention, the "wake up and smell the coffee" reminder.....(drum roll please) that just because school is going to start and I am going to be so busy, well, it does not mean that I can not stop and smell the roses!

.

.

Psalm 127:3 "Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is His reward."

Man's Best Friend

This is Yoshi...my dad's best friend! My dad had not seen him since July 4Th when he went to the hospital! My dad felt so bad, because Yoshi was more interested at sniffing everywhere then sitting and loving on him. So I told my dad that I would try to bring him more often.

I am so glad that you are starting to get better dad! I love you!

.

.

.

.

.

Proverbs 27:6 "Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful."

~Summer comes and goes~

The summer is coming quickly to an end! I have had a nice break. I am now at the school every morning trying to get all my ducks in a row for the 1st day!

.

.

.

.

.

So many things have happened:

*Ryan graduated from college

*Ryan got a job that he LOVES!

*My dad lost his leg and almost his life

*Jurney is getting good at driving!

*Josiah can sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

*I lost 32 pounds and I plan to keep at it

*Jaden is officially a TEENAGER!

*Joshua is graduating nursery at church...

I am BLESSED!!!! I am going to head into the new school year with a different thought...

I am going to LIVE!

Sometimes you stop and you realize that the way you see everything has changed...and not for the good.

I am going to seek God in all that I do....I am going to Praise HIM and always give thanks!

1 Thessalonians 5:13 " In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

Breakfast made with LOVE!

Doesn't this look good? Joshua decided to make his dad some breakfast. This is some Kix cereal mixed with one part water 2 parts peach tea! Ryan was like...ew....looking at me like do I really have to eat that? No, you just act like you are happy and that is the best breakfast you have ever had...meanwhile I dumped it down the drain and destroyed all evidence! He did this act of kindness just after Ryan got his temporary job.

Joshua is fast approaching 4 years old. He is also extremely independent!! The other day he made himself some cereal on a plate with some coffee creamer, then ate it with a fork! How much fun!!

Exodus 20:12 "Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee."

All about my DAD!

(The picture was taken moments before they amputated my dads right leg.)

I love my dad. He has been in Ogden Regional going on 20 days. He just had his 3rd and I pray final surgery. It all started near the end of June... My dad had a sore on his foot (being a diabetic, this is common). He was going to wound care and dialysis. Well, one day they were kept late at a dialysis appointment..they spaced my dad's wound care appointment.. only to realize that the doctor had gone a vacation for several days...almost 2 weeks go by..My dad is very sick...my mom looks at his foot and notices that it may need immediate attention. She takes him int0 a everyday "horse doctor". He says yep...that's gangrene..take these pills...see ya later...I tell my mom that she needs to get him back up to wound care stat! Well, due the holiday they can not see my dad for four days...my dad was so sick with infection that he had to be taken, 2 days later, to the ER in Logan..they send him straight to Ogden Regional where the real mess begins...
(<----There is the final result!)

Now we try to move on to healing...I wish that it did not come to this, but it did. I would like to tell you all the medical mistreatment my dad received along the way..but I am so tired....so worn out...that I can only talk about the here and now. They really want my dad to go to another "rehab center...a.k.a. NURSING HOME...where they can "help him" get better.. I know that there is no getting better for my dad. He is at the end of his life...he is tired of fighting....I want more than anything to help get my dad home...where he can die with the respect that he deserves! I love you dad!!! I will fight for you to the end!

Jeremiah 30:12 "For thus saith the LORD, Thy bruise is incurable, and thy wound is grievous."

Happy Birthday to...

JOSIAH!!! Today he is 2! I just am amazed at how time flies. Josiah is growing up very quickly! I will tell what he has been up to. He is now potty trained. (we started this during Christmas break) He runs everywhere! (My Pastor calls him "short stop", cause he is NON-STOP!) He loves to read books. He likes to scream. (I do not like this part at all :)) He feeds himself. Sleeps in his own big boy bed. Talks up a storm (I call it speaking French!) He loves his daddy. He is a morning person. He loves drinks! (watch it, if you set your drink down) He loves playing with his best friend and brother Joshua. He goes out side when ever the wood door is left open. He likes the water. He says his own prayers.(that is my favorite) I could go on and on, but I will leave you with this.. I just love this little guy!

Psalms 127:3 "Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is His reward."

~Senior Formal~

These are some pictures of Jurney and Jaden. They had the opportunity to go to the Olive Garden and to the Utah Symphony. The kids like to call this the "Senior Formal". We do not do "the prom" so this is just a way for the kids to be able to get all decked out and practice their etiquette. This is Jaden's first time... he wanted to be able to rent a tux.. we told him, that would be fine, but you must earn the money yourself. So he did.. He earned enough money to pay for the tux, his dinner, and change left over! Jurney already had a very nice dress that she was given awhile ago..(Thank You Mrs. B.) So her goal was to get an up-do... Well, she also found several jobs around town to earn the money.. She was able to earn money for her hair, dinner, and some change to spare!
They had a great time. I am thankful for the blessing that my children have to be brought up in the Lord!

Colossians 3:16 "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord."

First TIME....

This will be Jaden's first time to wear a tux. He will be going to a Senior Formal. They go out to the symphony and to a fancy restaurant. Jurney will also be going to this event. This will be her 3rd time.. I will posting pictures of them next week.. Jurney has a very beautiful dress... Man, my kids are really growing up..

2 Peter 3:18 "But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and for ever. Amen."

Day 2!

This is day 2 for Joshua. He had his 6Th eye surgery, yesterday at the Moran Eye Center is SLC. His surgeon was Dr. Patel. I would tell you his first name, but I do not even know how to pronounce it! ;)

The surgery lasted for maybe and hour.. It seemed like way longer, but that was just me being a mom!

Joshua had a very hard time the first 24 hours.. He would not open his eyes at all. This concerned me because he only had the left eye done this time.

But Praise Be to GOD! He woke up this morning and about an hour or so into the morning he wanted to eat and watch a movie.. So we told him that he would have to open his eye first! Here's hat he looks like today. He looks very good.

We have to keep him down for the first week to make sure he does not over do it.. I thought... do they know that they are talking about MR. JOSHUA who learned how to run not walk?? Thank you to all who have prayed on his behalf.. God is good and does answer prayers!

Philemon 1:4 "I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers,"

What a MAN!

Look at what my HONEY gave to me for Valentines Day! Aren't they beautiful?!

I love him.. He is my only one and true love! I praise God for a man who loves me! Ryan you are my best friend, my love, my all! Happy Valentines Day! I love you more than words can speak, more than you can know!

Song of Solomon 4:7 "Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee."

The Eye Doctors

This is Joshua at Dr. Hoffman's office. Joshua has been seeing Dr. Hoffman since he was 5 days old. Joshua is going to be having his 6Th eye surgery on February the 26Th. On the way to the eye appointment he kept telling me ..."Momma, my eye is okay,".. The doctor and the surgeon told him that we were going to get his eye fixed.. So now he says that his eye is broken! I am praising God for the chance to raise my children to follow and trust in God. Joshua the other night at church, raised his hand for prayer request.. Pastor looked and him and said "Yes, Joshua?" Joshua just said, "Pray for my eye surgery!" What a blessing! I love this little guy!

3 John 1:4 "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth."

A Sunday Duet!

Jurney and Michael sang

"This is my Father's World" this last Sunday at church. It was a real treat to hear them sing. Jurney even called Michael, the night before, so that his tie could match her dress! Jurney loves to sing. She is trying to talk me into singing a Special with her.. one day I will.. My voice has been on the fritz for a while now, so I have to find the right song. Guess I had better get searching for it! :)

Psalm 144:9 "I will sing a new song unto thee, O God: upon a psaltery and an instrument of ten strings will I sing praises unto thee."

I will help you up!

We went out for my brother Ben's birthday (HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BUDDY!!) dinner down in Ogden.. His little girl Lilly falls over.. and Rylee (Ben's other little girl) and Joshua came to her rescue! They were so eager to help her out! She just laid there smiling...They ended up laughing so hard that they could not get her up.. It was so funny.. We had a fun night of visiting with the family.. Good Food and Good Fun!

Psalm 124:8 "Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth."

80's.. Just for funnies!

I LoVe.. my Jurney!!

She is always messing with her hair and doing weird things.. Tuesday she comes upstairs to help me with dinner..looking like this... she says.. MOM, is this 80's or what..

Yep.... So of course I had to capture it! She said that this look was not complete without a mouth full of chewing gum..

Love the big ORANGE earrings.. Fashion is always changing.. Life is always changing..

I am glad that I have something that is never changing..

Hebrews 13:8 "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, to day and for ever."

Schooling...with the boys...

As you all know.. I teach at a private christian school at my church.. Things are going great!!! Normally, the babies go to my friend Lara's house for the day, but they are all sick with strep throat... Soooo they have been coming to school with me. I have loved it! They follow the dress code and everything.. Believe it or not.. you barely even know that they are there.. Here they are the morning of chapel.. "Cheese!"

Deuteronomy 6:7 "And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up."

Happy Birthday to....

my DAD! Unfortunately, he is celebrating it in Ogden Regional Hospital. Yesterday he fell when he got home from dialysis. My mother had to call 911. They took him to the Brigham Hospital, where they made sure that he was stable and then made the decision to have him transported to Ogden where they could better care for him. He is having many test ran today. Some of which include: CAT scan (to look at his pituitary gland), Echo Cardiogram (to check for fluid around the heart), Upper GI ( to figure out why he always has nausea), and last but not least lots and lots of blood work! Needless to say, We love you and want for you to get better. If he is able to go home today.. we are all getting together at his house for a birthday dinner! Happy Birthday DAD!

Jeremiah 17:14 "Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise."

Ice Skating!!!

We had so much fun Ice Skating.. We went to a birthday party for my good friend's son. You would not believe this, but before we left Joshua already was getting the hang of it.. It was a lot of fun!

1 Samuel 1:27 "For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of Him:"

Happy Anniversary to...

US!!! 10 years! It seems like I have known Ryan all my life. He is my best friend. my love, my life! I can not imagine my life with out him!

We are going to have a very romantic evening together. Dinner out and then home ALONE all night.. My sister Natalie is taking all 4 of our children.. I love you Ryan Hansen!

Happy Anniversary to you.

Song of Solomon 2:10 "My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away."