Dransfield Diaries

The Sabbath Day

2009-11-22T12:03:00.002-07:00

In Exodus we read the 10 Commandments given to Moses. One that I am thankful for today reads:

" Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it Holy. Six days thou shalt Labour and do all thy work: But the seventh is the sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work. For in 6 days the Lord made the heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day; wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it. "

Today, with sick kids I had to go to Walmart to get medicine. As I looked around , at the rush and business of a packed store on the Sabbath day, I was filled with sadness and almost brought to tears thinking how blessed I am to have the knowledge I have. I cannot imagine spending my Sabbath like the rest of the world. I am so thankful our leaders have not swayed with the popular decisions of the world to disregard the Sabbath. I look forward to this day each week where I can meditate the things of the Lord, spend time learning about gospel truths, slow down and think of the things I am thankful for, have my family all to myself, rest from the cares and business of life, and spend time with loved ones. What an inspired commandment... I do not believe others know just what they are missing out on each week. One more reason to share the gospel with friends and loved ones!

In God WeTrust

2009-10-11T15:47:00.002-06:00

So, we got a letter from the new owner of Frontier, Bryan Bedford, CEO of Republic Airways. This was the second letter we recieved from him and in his first he mentioned some of his beliefs and I guess he heard commentary on that and so this was his response. For those that are religious if you had any doubt why to fly Frontier here is one more positive reason!!

"Good afternoon, I hope this note finds you and your families well.

I’m pleased to welcome our Frontier coworkers to my weekly letter. By no means is this mandatory reading and you should be forewarned I do not limit my writings to purely company business matters; far from it. I believe it is important that people who work at Republic should understand how I tend to think about issues whether they are political, commercial or philosophical. The more you know and understand me and our management team’s approach to life, the better you can understand and appreciate how we are trying to run the business. One thing I’m sure is already getting a fair bit of debate is our vision statement and our reference to God as our creator. Gasp … he talks about God in public and to his employees.

Let’s be clear, believe what you want to believe; there is no “belief” litmus test to work at Republic. Work hard, be responsible and take great care of guests and coworkers and you can believe in the tooth fairy. Buddhist: no problem; Christian: no problem; atheist: no problem; Democrat or Republican: no problem; undependable worker … problem.

If you don’t like what I have to say in my letters you have a choice: don’t read them. You won’t miss anything terribly important. There are plenty of other company-specific news channels that broadcast important company information such that you don’t need to read my weekly missives to stay in the loop. However, if you want to get my unique (some might say crazy) view of the world, then by all means tune in and take a read.

Some will ask “why does he share his religious views with us?” First thing you have to know is I’m not trying to evangelize or convert anyone. About nine years ago I had an epiphany; I discovered I could not be an effective leader and continue to compartmentalize my life in to separate business, political and religious silos. I realized in order to be most effective in my role as CEO; I needed to be a whole person in all facets of my life each day. So nine years ago I brought God to work with me and we’ve been building a business together ever since.

I could give you dozens of examples of how I think we are a stronger and more successful company specifically because we acknowledge the glory of God as our creator in our everyday work. I could tell you how I’ve felt His presence in overcoming significant challenges in our airline over the past nine years. Some of these experiences are nothing sort of extraordinary. I could tell you how prayer has been a powerful influence in our continued success. For those of you who pray, I will ask for your prayers for our coworkers, their families, our airline and for our management team to find wisdom to make good decisions for our collective wellbeing and security. And I will pray for you and your families’ health and safety. For those who are freaking out about this I simply ask you to relax and keep an open mind; the worst thing that can happen is you will get to know me in ways no other CEO would dare allow their employees to see. You can judge whether you want such insight or not. In the end it is your choice."

I love someone who doesn't care about political correctness. I wish we all could go about our daily lives at work, school, and in the community and take our beliefs openly with us. If you don't belive in God and profess that openly in school that seems to be ok....but if you do and profess that then you are in real trouble. I am thankful for a leader unashamed of his beliefs and willing to share them openly with his employees. Good for him...I can't agree more that hiding our beliefs for fear of being politically incorrect is a diffcult way to go through life. It is much easier and we live more honestly with others and ourselves if we are the same at work, at home, and at church.

Gratitude Journal -Week 7

2009-10-11T15:07:00.002-06:00

Today I am thankful for:
1. Work. I have finally found the perfect job for me. The hours are 9-2, the staff is phenomenal and kind, the setting in DTC is great, the work itself is interesting and keeps me busy the entire time I am there, and I am learning all kinds of new stuff which makes it fun. I am happy to get to go to work. I know that sounds weird but in our economy I am blessed to have the perfect job for me right now. My kids know I work but I take them to school and then pick them up after school. It truly has no effect on them as far as I can tell. I am thankful to the kindness of those who thought this may be a perfect fit for me and were absolutely right.
2. The colorado sun that I have missed some this week. I am glad it is back today although still quite cold.
3. The Office, Heroes, Biggest Loser and So you think you can Dance! These are my favorites and I am so happy for a new season. Thanks Pam and Jim for the recent Wedding episode! Loved it!!
4. Ebay. So I needed a couple of MaryKay items and I got them on E-bay for $6.00 total including shipping. Normal price would have been about $40.00. I guess no one was bidding that day or I have horrible taste in colors! Regardless....I love the thrill of outbidding someone, even if it is by 5 cents.
5. Hot Cocoa and a nice hot bath on a cool Fall night. I love a big mug of hot cocoa, with lots of marshmallows, a great celebrity style magazine provided by LaMar (and the passengers who toss them), and a long hot bath on a cool fall night. What a relaxing way to spend a half hour before cuddling up for the night! Love it!
6. The fact that I will set sail in just 2 weeks on a cruise with my sweety and our friends from Kentucky! I can't wait for hot lava cakes each night, laying by the pool with a good book, eating way too much yummy food for 7 days straight, seeing Belize, Cozumel, Grand Cayman, and Honduras, laying on a hot sticky beach with waves crashing in the background, lots of uninterruped sleep...except maybe the sound of an anchor as we pull up, going on daily romantic dates with my hubby, and lots and lots of laughter at the crazy's sure to be around us! Carnival Valor here we come! Yahoo!

Gratitude Journal-Week 6

2009-09-20T20:56:00.002-06:00

Today I am thankful for:

1. Panera...my all time favorite. I love the pick two and usually get the turkey artichoke panini and the apple orchard salad. Anyone wanna go to lunch this week??
2. People that know how to plant beautiful flower gardens. I was thankful this week while at the LDS temple in Denver for those that put in the beautiful gardens. Talk about gorgeous. Go check it out this week if you have not been recently. They have some new arrangements that are breathe-taking. I wish I had that talent!
3. A husband that can fix anything...literally. Our hot water heater was broken this morning and I thought I would have to do a service call. My husband got home and 45 minuted later it was fixed. The man can fix anything. It amazes me because I can barely put together a kids toy. We save so much money thanks to this gift he has.
4. The young man from the Tuscany Ward that is about to serve a mission in El Salvador that bore his testimony of the Savior and more at conference Saturday night. I thought wow, what a wonderful young man with the most sincere testimony I have heard in a while. I have a lot of work to do with my kids to prepare them as this young man as been prepared by his parents. I know he will serve well and represent the church and his family beautifully. I do not know this young man or his family but was inspired to do more in my home so that my children will be able to touch lives as this young man has when they are 19. Truly amazing!
5. Happy people. I love those that smile all the time and are truly happy and joyful and spread this to all they know. Thank-you~to all those that bring joy to my days!
6. The Seminoles showed up to the game Saturday night. They looked like the teams I knew back in the day!
7. The apple pie ala mode apples my friend Kiffon brought me twice in 2 weeks. They are the best caramel apples I have ever had. Imagine a granny smith apple dipped in caramel, then white chocolate, then rolled in cinnamon and brown sugar. Yummy! Thanks Kiffon!

Gratitude Journal-Week 5

2009-09-07T17:35:00.001-06:00

1. I am thankful for LaMar. My husband is gone often, but last week he was gone for 7 nights in a row. LaMar is the type to help with homework, get the kids ready for school, help with dinner and cleaning, and just do anything that needs to be done. He also keeps the peace with the kids and helps me find balance. We all missed him and the kids would ask everyday when he would be home. We noticed a definite void in our home and are thankful that he usually only goes 1-3 nights at a time.
2. I am thankful for good friends. A few times in the past week I have needed a little help. I have no family in town, but some of our good friends here fill the void when needed. I am thankful for help with my kids and good people to bounce ideas off of. I know I could not do it without all the good friends in my life. They always say yes when I need help even if it is not convenient for them. We are truly blessed by the friendships we have here and all over the country in places we have lived in the past.
3. I am thankful for work. In a time when so many do not get to go to work because of the bad economy I am blessed right now to have found great part-time opportunities with great poeple. I know it is a blessing to have the jobs I have right now and I am thankful to those who have hired me and are working with me and helping me minimize the time away from my kids when they are home from school.
4. I am thankful for clearance at Target. Yeah..I am addicted. I LOVE Target. I only allow myself to go once a month. This week I got a $300 cute wicker style love-seat bench and table for my front porch for $30. It was 90 % off and I have been looking for something like this for years. I got many other things too for a steal, but will not bore you with the details. Let's just say I can spend 3 hours in Target and still want more time there. Sad, but true!
5. I am thankful for my scale that reminded me today that eating cookies and Olive Garden over the weekend has its consequences. For those that doubt that every action has a reaction and that bad choices have consequences, just watch my scale after the weekend. It does not lie and puts me in my place. I have a lot of work this week. Good thing I have a new found love for long, grueling bike rides.

Gratitude Journal- Week 4

2009-08-21T22:16:00.001-06:00

Where to start this week is a hard one. Many blessings and joys have come...
1. I am thankful LaMar still has a job. This could be a post that could take 10 pages. However I will keep it somewhat brief. Republic Airways won the auction for Frontier Airlines. We believe that will keep LaMar employed for a long time to come. If Southwest had won they were going to dismantle Frontier and only take the top 400 pilots. About 4000 employees in Denver would have lost their jobs and LaMar would have been one of them. The pilot negotiators would have gotten a fat raise but decided to not sell out the rest of the company and other pilots to fatten their own pay-checks. It amazed us that there are great people like this that my husband has the privilege to work with. The under-dog won and for Denver passengers your flying rates will stay low instead of doubling over the next 5 years!
2. Corn on the cob in Colorado in August. Yummy! With each bite I stay amazed at just how yummy it is. Corn does not grow like this in the hot South!
3. Texting Relationships with our cute daughter. So Allison got an awesome cell phone for her birthday. She can only call and text family. She will text LaMar sometimes 20 times a day. He feels quite loved and says to me "I am developing a solid texting relationship with my daughter before anyone else can". They are too cute. What a daddy's girl!
4. Cute kiddos on the first day of school. Tyler started the count-down 10 days out and would wake up so excited to say 9 more, 8 more, etc. He was all smiles on Monday. Jared is quite the stud with his new contacts and fashion style. He is the most fashionable of all of us. Not sure where he gets that from. I did have the Abercrombie merchandising job and e-bay job when he was a toddler and use to drag him through 3 states, mall to mall. Maybe all that rubbed off!
Allison loved middle school today. I walked in with her and realized "were not in Kansas anymore" . What a different feel from elementary school. Yikes!
5. I was blessed with a huge blessing and answer to prayers today. My lesson this Sunday for RS is on Elder Scott's talk about Temples from General Conference. I prayed all week to understand the blessings of weekly temple attendance. I will not give it away on here yet, but I want you to all know that beyond the spiritual blessings, huge temporal blessings will be given for faithful temple attendance. I received more than my share tonight. I will share more next week, but just know that the Lord will bless us when we sacrifice and trust in Him.

Gratitude Journal-Week 3

2009-08-09T21:17:00.003-06:00

Well.....Here I go again. This week I am Grateful for
1. Cakeballs. Thank you Bakerella for introducing me to these scrumptious treats. I saw these on her blog a while back and then my friend made some and I was hooked. I finally made some today and they were delicious. Who doesn't love cake crumbled up and mixed with frosting, formed into balls, and then dipped in chocolate. Yummy! The bast part is that my cakes always turn out crumbly here in Colorado...now they are still put to good use!
2. Church. Church today was great. Sacrament meeting had some great talks on Obedience and the blessings we receive. LaMar gave a great talk and I always love to hear my hubby bear testimony. Relief Society was a great lesson by Melissa A. She talked about Charity and did an outstanding job. What a special lady! Her spirit is so beautiful and pure. If only her adorable baby had been awake so I could have held her then it would have been a perfect day! J/J.... kinda!
3. We booked our cruise and my sister-in-law is kind enough to watch the kids. Cruising is my all-time favorite vacation and this time we found a great deal and are going to Belize, Honduras, Grand Caymen, and Cozumel. We can't wait...although I gotta stop eating cake balls soon so that I can bear to take pictures in my swim suit!
4. Answers to prayers. Sometimes we get an answer we do not like and that is difficult...but the Lord can see out lives from beginning to end. He knows what is best even when we think we know better. I am trusting right now that the Lord will answer our prayers even if we do not realize it for some time to come in the future.
5. Lively, active, fun , crazy, kiddos. Summer is winding down and I get one more week to enjoy the fun days with the kids. We have a big week planned with a Rockies game, Elitches, and a trip to Mt. Evans. I am looking forward to every minute. A stay-cation is just what the doctor ordered!
6. My gym instructor that brainwashes us in class that going to the gym is something we "get" to do each day. There are many things we have to do, but we get to go to the gym and should approach it that way. Intersting how that way of thinking about anything in life changes how you go about approaching it and how successful you are!

Gratitude Journal- Week 2

2009-07-31T16:32:00.003-06:00

1. Well this week has been one full of ups and downs. I have been in tears and then I have been giddy with excitement. Right now I am in the middle as the information we have is vague and we won't really know anything more until August 11th. Frontier now has two bidders, Southwest and Republic. Both could either bring us great joy or great sorrow. It is hard to not know what the future holds, but this week I am grateful there are 2 options for the judge to look at. Our prayers will be that what is for the best of this company and our long term career will happen. All we can do now is have hope and trust in the Lord.
2. I am grateful for the cooler weather. We got to take an 8 mile family bike ride around the Aurora Reservoir. Tyler did great keeping up with us and was a joy to watch! He was so proud he could ride the 8 miles all by himself.
3. I am grateful that I am in the process of cleaning my room. It is still not done, but lots of progress thus far today. Never ask to see my room...it is for sure the scariest room in my home.
4. I am grateful for the temple in Denver. We are blessed to live so close and be able to go often. I find great peace away from the world there and enjoy the weekly temple dates with my husband.
5. I am grateful I have a responsible daughter who can babysit for us. It is the best day ever when you no longer have to pay for a babysitter. I am thankful also that the boys are well behaved enough to be left with their sister.

Goal Attained!

2009-07-22T18:46:00.003-06:00

LaMar has had a goal since the birth of our kids pretty much that they would be good enough to all ski at the same time. After a week spent down at Navajo Lake, the kids attained that goal. They all made great improvements this summer and all begged to be allowed to try this. I had my doubts but they did it. Next summer we'll try for a pyramid...J/J!

Gratitude Journal

2009-07-22T18:32:00.002-06:00

Well.....I never post on here. I feel overwhelmed sometimes with having my blog be cute like all my friends so I decided to instead start a gratitude journal on my blog. Each week I will make a list of things I am grateful for. Hopefully that will inspire me to make other posts as well. We shall see.....This week I am grateful that
1. LaMar has a job. We had our doubts 1 year ago that Frontier would still be here. With Republic buying us soon we have our doubts about other things as well, but I was reminded today atleast he has a job!
2. The Denver weather has been so perfect this summer that we have the greenest grass ever and rarely have to water it.
3. Our finished basement allows us to sleep in a cool spot and not turn the a/c on except maybe once a week. Number 2 and 3 combined has meant us saving alot of money this summer!
4. Tyler can swim across the pool like a pro which means I am a less nervous mom. He also has learned to ride a bike this week. He is so proud of himself for both of this things which makes me smile!
5. My kids are home for summer and I am here to enjoy them. They are 5, 8, and almost 11. It seems they are growing up way too fast and I am thankful I have had this summer to enjoy every moment. Most moms are ready to have them go back to school. Not me..not yet atleast. I love these days! Lemonade stands, bike rides, boating, pool time, picnics, camping, road trips..can't beat the fun days summer brings!

Oprah has said for years to start a gratitude journal.. After some news I got today, I was a little down, but I must admit taking time to be grateful for what I have is maybe just what I needed today!

School Days

2009-04-24T17:15:00.004-06:00

This has been a great year in school for all the kids. Tyler is finishing up pre-school with Mrs. Jen who he LOVES. He has told me atleast 10 times that he will be so sad to leave her next year and that he will cry everyday. He is reading and writing well for a 4 year old and is very well behaved. Jared has Mr. Gaede this year. He has been phenomenal and Jared LOVES school. He goes to boys club twice a month and loves hanging out with his friends and super cool male teachers in 2nd grade. It has been a real turn around for Jared this year. It is amazing the difference that the right teacher can make. Jared does well in school, but more important to us he enjoys going and looks forward to it. Allison will finish elementary school this year. I am having serious anxiety attacks about Middle school. The good news is that she is a good girl that loves school and performs well in class. I know she will be fine....it is the other kids I worry about. J/J Anyway, I put up a picture of Jared doing a school presentation on the Tree Frog and of us helping Allison with her science fair project on the best brand of popcorn. By the way, Orville killed the competition with the most volume per batch and most popped kernals. It also tasted the best, although that is just my opinion (not scientific at all)!

Easter 2009

2009-04-24T17:01:00.003-06:00

We hope you all had a wonderful Easter. The kids enjoyed an Easter Egg hunt, baskets, and way too much candy. In fact, we are all enjoying the candy still. After church, we had a yummy dinner with friends and ate way too much as always. We had Ham, Ham balls, rolls, homemade Mac and cheese, broccoli and cheese casserole, cobb salad, baked beans, deviled eggs, jello eggs, cupcakes and lava cake a la mode. Anyway, it was a nice day and a wonderful time to reflect on our Lord and Savior. Tyler all day kept saying that he was grateful that Jesus lives. We are happy that he gets the true Easter message amid all the sugar and fun.

Help, I can't bake in Colorado!!

2009-04-24T15:14:00.002-06:00

I have told many of you the problems I have baking since moving to Colorado. Many of you know that I love to bake and that it has been quite dissappointing not being able to adjust to the high altitude cooking. People use to beg me to bake them cookies, now they eat one politely and then I have the rest left over. To show just how bad it is gotten I took a picture of the last cake I made. It was from a box mix, for crying out loud. This is not a partially eaten cake...this is what happened when I tryed to frost it. It crumbled and fell apart. Anyway, any tried and true Colorado recipes would be appreciated. For now, I am resigned to buying store bought treats....how could a South Carolina girl ever show up to a party or ward event with a store bought cake...I would be mocked in SC and no one would bother wasting the calories on it! Seriously for the best treats and cakes ever just go to an LDS event in the south and you will be in for a real treat, home baked goods that would have a place in the window of any upscale bakery around the world! Oh, how I am missing home!

Allison's First Ski Trip

2009-02-21T13:20:00.002-07:00

In Colorado, all 5th graders are allowed to ski free all year with a special ski pass. I think they just want to get future ski addicts so they spend lots of money in the future. LaMar took Allison up for the first time last week. She did great. LaMar is the best ski teacher ever. By lunch time she was going down green hills and cutting back and forth. She also learned to get on and off the lifts and by the time she left in the afternoon she could go all the down....only falling occasionally. Anyway, I am sure she will show me up soon. I have only been about 5 times in my life. Jared is next and looks forward to going on the next trip.

Christmas and New Years Eve Photos

2009-01-27T18:56:00.008-07:00

Here are a few photos and pictures from Christmas and New Years Eve. Allison and Jared love their new DS games they got from Santa. Tyler loves his Black and Decker Tool Work-bench. We had fun watching the kids squeal in excitement. They were so thankful for everything they got. Thanks Michelle and Chris for hosting our crazy familes for a fun night New Years Eve. We had a great time as always with you all and enjoyed all the yummy food. We hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Years Eve.

Blog Update

2009-01-27T18:08:00.004-07:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. It is so sad that I am saying that on January 27th. We have had a busy 3 months. The blog has taken a backseat for now, mostly because I am obsessed with work, facebook, exercising as always, and finding good quality time to spend with LaMar and the kids. It is really hard to balance life when you are a working mom. I am getting better at it slowly. Thanks so much to Kiffon, Michelle, and Cheryl for helping so much with our kids lately. We could not do it without you. Thanks also to all the other great friends and family who give us such love and support during stressful times. We love you all...friends and family near and far that make us laugh, smile, and enjoy life more. One thing we have enjoyed as a family is our finished basement. We have a storage room, bedroom , bathroom , and family room. For Christmas from LaMar's parents we got a new 52 inch Samsung LCD, HD tv. We love it. We do not have a couch yet, but I enjoy viewing either from my treadmill or from the queen size bed we have down there. It is so comfy that it will be really hard to give it up someday when we can afford a couch. Here are a couple of pictures of the set-up. Thanks LaMar for your hard-work in finishing the basement.

Halloween Tricks and Treats

2008-12-06T22:38:00.002-07:00

For Halloween we had some neighbors over for a soup potluck. We then went trick-or treating. We had a fire pit set out front and hung out by the fire for a while and ate yummy treats and way too much candy! What a fun night!

Florida Trip

2008-12-06T22:27:00.003-07:00

There are a few things we all love about going to Tallahassee to visit LaMar's family.....toys that only come out for the kids, lots of cousins, yard work paid at about $6.00 an hour or more to the kids, FSU football (Jared went to his first game), and lots of yummy food cooked mostly by Peggy. We had a great time over Fall Break going out to visit. Thanks for a fun visit!

Utah Trips

2008-12-06T22:18:00.002-07:00

Over the past few months we have been to Utah a couple of times. LaMar took the kids one time to visit their Great-grand-parents. The 2nd time LaMar was on a trip with Frontier and had a long lay-over so we decided to fly over to join him. I have to say that is the best part of his job. We had a great time. We even got to eat at Cafe Rio finally. My friends Skye and Ann love the place and have raved about the Pork Salad for years. I have to say it lived up to the hype. We also had a great time at Temple Square and This is the place park.

Do you want to play Dudes?

2008-12-06T21:45:00.002-07:00

Every once in a while Tyler comes to find Jared and says...Do you want to play Dudes? They then Dress up as above and act like 2 cool cats. It is quite entertaining. What is funniest is the liitle attitudes they give off when in the above clothing. It is a side I am sure they will resort to in the all to near future. Scary thought!

Softest, Cuddliest Robe Ever

2008-12-06T21:37:00.002-07:00

So...when I went home for Thanksgiving my mom gave me an early Christmas gift and I have to say I love it. She gave me the Bath and Body Works Softest, Sweetest Ever Cream Robe. I have had many other robes in the past..but this one is definitley the best. Any husbands out there looking for a gift for their wife, should go and pick one up. Anyway...the funny thing about this is

Tyler's infatuation with the robe. Atleast 5 times a day he goes to get it for me along with my slippers and he says "Mom, Can you put your cuddly on so we can snuggle up?" Tonight he said, "Mom you are soft like a lamb, the softest lamb I ever seen" Anyway, he has been really fun and I have to say that Mom,you did a great job this year!

Sorry for the huge lapse!

2008-12-06T21:28:00.003-07:00

Just wanted to say sorry for the huge lapse in postings. We have no real excuses,besides work and adjusting to all the new changes in our schedules. We have had fun the last couple of months just being blogspot lurkers. We hope to get fully updated real soon....maybe this weekend.

Super Dad to the Rescue!

2008-09-26T16:15:00.007-06:00

Homework done 2 days ahead of schedule.......Check!

Getting all kids ready and to and from school..Check!

Updating the Blog.................................................Check!

House Super Cleaned...........................................Check!

Laundry done and put away...............................Check!

Dinner Cooked and dishes all cleaned................Check!

Playdate with 4 boys planned and executed....Check!

Groceries Bought..................................................Check!

Baby-sitting for another mom............................Check!

Kindness and Patience to all................................Check!

Lots of Reassurance to Mom...............................Check!

One Awesome, Super Husband and Dad...........CHECK! CHECK! CHECK!

Thanks LaMar for all you have done since I have started my job. He truly makes it all look easy and effortless and never complains. He has all the neighborhood mom's jealous as they wonder how he is able to do it all. I am certain he is much better at this than I was when I was a stay at home mom. Things have never run so smooth, on time, and with such patience for the kids. They are blessed to have him home so much and miss him when he goes on trips Thursday -Saturday! What a lucky gal I am! Thanks again LaMar!

Can you hear me now?

2008-09-26T15:43:00.003-06:00

I just wanted to give an update of my job status. Many of you know that due to the events that have occured with Frontier that I decided to get a job. The decision was not an easy one, but we feel it is what is best and needed for our family at this time. 3 weeks ago I started a job with Miracle Ear. I must say thanks to Meridith Haag for getting me the interview with her husband Todd and thanks to Todd for hiring me. Thus far I love the job. I have 2 months of training to muddle through and I am very thank-ful to have a very patient and kind boss...Todd. I never imagined there was so much to learn and do as a Hearing Care provider. On a daily basis I will be cleaning, fixing, and fine-tuning hearing aids. I also will spend about half the day giving very detailed hearing tests and helping clients decide which hearing aid will be the best fit for them. There is a lot to learn...but once I get past that I think it will be a great job. The best part is that I will usually work only 3-4 days a week. That allows me to still get to focus on my other duties as well. I am thankful to all those who made this transition an easier one. LaMar hurt his back for about 3 weeks so it was a difficult transition, but we had countless friends help us out with dinners, rides, and childcare. We even had 9 frozen dinners brought to our home, prepared by a lot of our friends here. We love you all and are thankful for the support and love we have felt.

Allison D. for V.P.

2008-09-26T15:25:00.004-06:00

Well for those who know me well....we all knew it would happen eventually. Allison caught the Student Council Bug from me and decided to run for Vice President of her school, Buffalo Trail. She gave it a good hard fight....she had 7 other kids running against her and guess what......SHE WON! We are so proud of her. She made posters, gave a speech , made phone calls, made and gave out stickers, and went around at lunch and before school asking kids to vote for her. Jared helped a lot too and shored up the 2nd grade vote for her. Some of her slogans were...KISS BORING GOOD-BYE!.........THE GIRL WITH THE SMILE WILL GO THE EXTRA MILE.........PARDON ME, CAN YOU SPARE A VOTE? She told me the reason she won is that she stayed positive and believed she could do it the whole time. I asked her....so who has been teaching you the "SECRET"? She was happy to have lots of great friends win the other offices, Tina won President, Amy won Secretary, and Sheridan won Treasurer. Maybe it is the year of the girls.....Go PALIN! Anyway, thanks Aunt Rosey for the help last weekend. Congrats Allison on giving your best and winning!

Tyler's Day with his pals

2008-09-24T15:29:00.004-06:00

LaMar got brave and took Tyler and some buddies to Cherry Creek State Park. As you can see...they had a blast! No group of kids has ever played harder in the history of playing.

We love Aunt Rosie!!

2008-09-24T15:19:00.002-06:00

Rosie came to visit last weekend and it was a great visit. Melinda and the kids took her to the zoo and the we all went to Castlewood Canyon State Park. It was beautiful and everyone had a great time hiking through the canyon. Tyler found a "bear cave" and is pretty sure that he doesn't want to go back to that park.

Allison's Birthday

2008-09-24T15:08:00.002-06:00

Allison turned 10 on August 30th. Wow!! double digits!! A fun time was had by all. Happy B-Day Allison!!

Back to school

2008-09-24T14:11:00.002-06:00

The end of summer was exciting for Tyler because he got to start pre-school. He absolutely loves it. He goes to school on Tuesdays and Thursdays and he is always calculating what day it is so he can see when the next day to go to school will be. The other day Jared was singing a song about not wanting to go to school. Tyler said, "If I sang that song it would just break Miss Jen's heart. Jared is going to break Mr. Gaede's heart."

Summer at the Lake

2008-09-24T14:05:00.002-06:00

The summer was short....but we tried to salvage the latter half with as much time on the lake as possible. The kids all improved a lot and had a great time waterskiing.

Tyler has been tagged!

2008-07-23T21:16:00.003-06:00

Q: What is something that mommy always says to you?
Tyler: I love you.
mommy: all day long...
Q: What makes mommy smile?
Tyler: "when I say..I am so proud of you.
mommy: He is proud of me for the funniest things...like when I take him to the park.
Q: What makes mommy sad?
Tyler: that I be mean
mommy: Tyler mean..never.
Q: How does mommy make you laugh?
Tyler: That I make a big giant, big, giant mess. That could be funny too.
mommy: I spilled 2 cups of rice all over the kitchen. He loved it.
Q: What was mom like as a child?
Tyler: Liked to eat lots of food.
mommy: Still true today.
Q: How old is mommy?
Tyler: 20
mommy: Yes!
Q: How tall is mommy?
Tyler: Let me count..1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10
mommy: He counted me with his hands.
Q: What is mommy's favorite thing to do?
Tyler: Read Books and do computer.
mommy: Shows where I spend my time.
Q: What does mommy do when you're not home?
Tyler: You babysit yourself.
mommy: I wish!
Q: If mommy could be like someone on TV, who would it be?
Tyler: Hannah Montana
mommy: I will take that as a compliment.
Q: What is mommy really good at?
Tyler: Computer and Exercising.
mommy: Way too much time on the computer lately. It stinks looking for a job.
Q:What is mommy NOT good at?
Tyler: You can't pick up a giant bad monster.
mommy: Thats right..I would run.
Q: What is mommy's job?
Tyler: To clean up.
mommy: So true!
Q: What is mommy's favorite food?
Tyler: Everything...bread.
mommy: yummy! I could eat some right now actually!
Q: What makes you proud of mommy?
Tyler: When you hug me.
mommy: Thats all I have to do, I try way too hard.
Q: If mommy were a cartoon character, who would she be?
Tyler: Phinneaus and Ferb
mommy: Who's that?
Q: What do you and mommy like to do together?
Tyler: Exercise and play and kiss.
mommy: I do sit-ups while he sits on my belly.
Q: How are you and mommy the same?
Tyler: Our hair.
mommy: you betcha!
Q: How are you and mommy different?
Tyler: You are bigger.
mommy: In many ways.
Q: How do you know mommy loves you?
Tyler: You tell me and you kiss me.
mommy: atleast 100 times a day
Thanks for the tag Jess.

Dubai Trip

2008-07-20T22:14:00.002-06:00

I finally have had a moment to post a few pictures of our trip to Dubai. The haze you see in the pictures is constant in the summer. It is actually clean air so we are told. That is mostly small sand particles caught up in the humidity I believe. We have had a very intersting 3 months. We learned more about Dubai than just about any Geography teacher on the planet. We got over there and pretty much everything we learned was true. It is hot, though not as unbearable as I imagined in my head. The traffic is horrible, but if you time things right not so bad. The construction is out of control. This is the truest statment yet. When they say that 20 % of the World's tower cranes are in Dubai right now, they are not joking. They are building stuff everywhere. They definitely live by the Wayne's World Motto...."if you build it they will come". The shopping is amazing as advertised. It makes Mall of the America look like Wal-mart. The architecture is bold and beautiful. They do not skimp on the details and everything you see is over the top. The service is amazing. I was at a Super Target type store looking at a hair straightner. A service rep, not on commision, comes over and starts to plug all the models in and test them on my hair. Imagine that kind of service here ....Yeah right! All employees at stores call you sir and maam and go out of their way to help you. If they cannot help they find someone who can. Restuarant Service was great also and the food amazing. I sent something back one night and the chef came out and apoligized. He was sincerely apologetic and I felt bad for sending my food back. (the caesar dressing was way strong on anchovie and egg) I also felt very safe in Dubai as advertised. There is virtually no crime. Amazing the results that come when you get severly punished for committing crimes...the crime rate drops to zero. I think we should try that here. For example, a drug dealer would get the death penalty. Yikes, but hey whatever works! The Arab women were beautiful in their native clothing. Some of their outfits cost up to $12,000. They decorate them with real diamonds, rubies, and emeralds. They also have them made to fit their bodies perfectly. It was truly amazing to see people from over 100 countries living together peacefully. It is a true Global community. I would say while there I saw as many Arabs, as Indians, as Europeans, and as Westerners. It is a real mix with no predominant culture among those 4. We had a good experince overall. While things did not work out as planned we know that staying in Denver is what the Lord wants for us right now. We are thankful for this unique opportunity to learn that indeed we are all God's children and despite where we are from and how we look we all want the same basic things in life and we all value the same things as well. It is a good lesson for me as well to know that someday when I serve a mission with my husband, I think I can be sent just about anywhere on the globe. I am a lot more adventerous than I originally thought. This trip made our Globe seem a lot smaller and also helped me understand that while America is the best country in the World and I am grateful to call it home...there are a lot of great people and places all around the World that could make a great home away from home if needed! I am very thankful for this opportunity and thankful for everyone that made it possible, esp. my in-laws that stayed with our kids. My kids were spoiled rotten and were sad to see us come home. We are hopeful that Frontier will make it and that we will get to stay in Denver for some time to come. That is the plan for now.....and hopefully we will be sticking to it!

Dubai bound

2008-07-03T19:54:00.000-06:00

It's not the greatest picture, but this is an Emirates Boeing 777 at the gate in JFK. My flight leaves in about 90 minutes. Melinda took off an hour ago from ATL. So we'll be in Dubai in about 14-15 hours. Many more pictures and lot's of info to come.

World's Greatest Dad

2008-06-15T22:27:00.003-06:00

The kids had fun day with dad today. They woke up early and helped fix french toast and bacon. They then gave him cute cards and coupon books they made. We then went to church together. After church, we fixed steak, salad, corn on the cob, salad, baked potato, french bread, and watermelon. What a feast! Then LaMar traded his coupons in for a massage from all the kids. He managed to fall asleep and get a good nap. He woke just in time for warm cookies and ice-cream. For Father's Day we decided to do some chores LaMar normally does to help ease his load. Saturday, after some help from a neighbor starting the Lawn-mower (who knew you had to prime the gas pump) I mowed the lawn and the kids helped with the raking. Then we all washed and cleaned the van. We hope LaMar knows how much we appreciate all he does for this family. The kids love and respect him so much and cherish all their time with him. He is a great daddy that adores his kids and works hard all the time to make out lives better and easier!

One Tired Boy!

2008-06-15T22:22:00.002-06:00

After a long week full of fun with the the kids home from school I found Tyler asleep on the stairs, worn out from all the fun! I sure wish I could sleep anywhere like Tyler. Amazing that this is the spot he picked to take a nap on!

Tyler's Birthday Wishes

2008-06-15T22:09:00.004-06:00

On Monday June 9th, Tyler turned 4. He is so happy to be a big kid now, instead of big boy. Dad was sick with the stomach flu and could not enjoy the festivities. After Tyer blew out his candles, Allison asked what he wished for. Tyler said, "That my daddy can feel all better." That is just how sweet this boy is most of the time. Later in the week, I was sick and he wanted a new cake so that he could wish me better as well. We are so grateful we have Tyler in our family. He adds so much joy and is full of pure love for all his family members. He always tells and shows us how much he loves us. We are so blessed to have this sweet spirit! He got a leapster for his birthday and a new video called Leapster Letter Factory. He has learned so many letters and their sounds this week. I highly reccomend it for all pre-schoolers.

Cousins, Cousins, and more Cousins!!!

2008-06-01T19:25:00.002-06:00

This weekend LaMar's sister Wendy and her family from New Mexico came to visit. They were here just one short night, but our kids all had a blast. We had 10 extra people in the house....but somehow found enough beds, couches, and air-matresses for everyone. Thanks Wendy, James, Grand-ma, Amber, Brooke, Chrystal, Dahlia, Emily, Forrest, and Grace for driving such a long way to see our family. We hope to do it again soon. Wish all the other cousins could have been here too!

Sack Races, Water Balloons, All out Water Gun Fight=1 Fun Boy's Birthday Bash

2008-06-01T19:08:00.006-06:00

For Jared's 7th Birthday we decided to go old-school and have a birthday party at the park with sack races, water-balloon tosses, a pinata, cake, ice-cream, and one major water-gun fight. The boys had a blast and Jared had the "best birthday ever", in his words. Happy 7th, Jared! You are such a fun kid that brings so much laughter to our home. You are the best!

Mother's Day

2008-05-17T18:51:00.002-06:00

I was treated wonderful this Mother's Day. Allison took me to a Mother/ Daughter Ettiquette Dinner. It was very fancy and nice and Allison this year has learned some great skills at Activity Days. Jared and Tyler took me to a Mother's Day Brunch at School. It was very yummy and fun. On Sunday LaMar and the kids woke up at 6:30 to clean the house and make me Breakfast in Bed. What a treat! I truly was spoiled on this Mother's Day! I love my family so much and am so thankful to be a mom.

May 2008- School Days!!

2008-05-17T18:38:00.002-06:00

What a busy month! The school has kept us busy. Jared gave a Corcus Performance at school and did a great job as a clown. We got to go to a wonderful performance from Allison' choir. All year they practiced once or twice a week at 7 am. Mr. Ford has to be one of the best teacher's we have ever had. He loves the kid's and really goes above and beyond his duties as the music teacher. We also had snake night at the school. One of the middle school teacher's here keeps about 25 snakes in her room at school. The kid's could hold and touch any of them, including giant Boa's. What a cool night. Jared loved every second of it and thinks we need a snake now.

Melinda's Birthday

2008-05-17T18:19:00.002-06:00

My birthday this year was awesome. Thanks to all of you who thought of me and gave me a call or e-mail. Two friends here threw a couples dinner party with yummy pizza (my favorite), salad, bruschetta, and awesome desserts. Thanks also to all the friends who contributed to making such a wonderful, thoughtful picture and memories collage for me. I will treasure it forever. LaMar took me to Vegas for the night while Michelle watched our kids. I have never been and wanted to see the sights. We got upgraded to a huge suite and enjoyed buffets at the Bellagio and Planet Hollywood. Our diet was definitly not on our minds. We had a great time and really appreciate being able to get away for a night! Thanks everyone for making by birthday so special. I love you all!

We Love Frontier!!

2008-04-11T20:32:00.004-06:00

FRONTIER AIRLINES CONTINUING NORMAL OPERATIONS FOLLOWING CHAPTER 11 FILING
On April 10, 2008, Frontier Airlines Holdings, Inc. filed voluntary petitions for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, in the Southern District of New York. This action followed an unexpected attempt by Frontier's principal credit card processor to substantially increase a "hold-back" of customer receipts, which threatened to severely impact Frontier's liquidity. Frontier Airlines intends to continue normal business operations throughout its reorganization process.

As you know we have now been at Frontier Airlines for 2 years. We love the company and the job. We are hopeful that LaMar will keep his job and that the company will be able to bounce back even stronger. Many of you know that we have been through this many times in the past. While we were hoping that we would not have to go through this again, I guess it is just part of the Airline business, especially in these difficult times with fuel prices above $110 a barrel. For now, we have a job and everything will continue as normal. LaMar works with a lot of great people and we are hopeful that Frontier will pull through this. I am grateful for my dear husband and his parents that taught him to work hard, be honest, and always take care of his family. No matter what happens these traits will get us through this once again even stronger! Thanks to everyone for the calls and letters of concern today and the yummy, beautiful fruit bouquet that a couple of friends sent. It meant alot to both of us!

20 Worst Foods In America

2008-03-26T18:25:00.002-06:00

Click on the Link Below to see the 20 worst foods in America. It is sad to say that I have eaten many of these items more than once. I love awesome blossoms from Chilis or Outback and burritos from Chipotle. The awsome Blossom has 2700 calories and over 200 grams of fat. The burrito I love has almost 1200 calories. It may make me think twice next time, but knowing me I will order it anyway.

http://www.menshealth.com/eatthis/worstfood.html

Easter 2008

2008-03-26T18:06:00.001-06:00

We love American Idol!

2008-03-12T15:34:00.003-06:00

American Idol this year is hands down the best season ever. There are so many talented and unique contestants. We are down to 12 contestants and out of 12 I would say that 6 of them will have contracts when this is over and on any other season any of those 6 would have blown away most of the top 2 of other years. If you have not watched yet make sure to tune in next Tuesday night. It really is worth watching this year. I have watched every season thus far and never have seen so many great performances at such an early stage in the competition. Some of our favorites are David Archuletta (age 17 and awesome...by the way LDS), Carly Smithson, David Cook, Jason Castro, and Brooke White (also LDS). We added an idol poll on the blog. Make sure to vote!

New First Presidency Picture

2008-03-09T09:07:00.003-06:00

Here is the first picture of the new Church Presidency... President Monson, President Eyring, and President Uchtdorf. We are grateful for these great men to serve as our leaders and look forward to being able to sustain them in General Conference. For as long as I can remember President Monson has been a favorite speaker of mine at any conference. He always has the best stories and great experiences to share. Though we will miss President Hinkley dearly we are so grateful for the order of the church and the knowledge we have that these men were chosen by God to serve at this time.

Jared - the Dolphin Trainer

2008-03-04T22:29:00.000-07:00

The kids were trying to pet the dolphins. Notice Jared's hand motion right before he got splashed. None of us knew that he was actually giving the signal to splash. The dolphin complied with his request.

Shamu!, Shamu!, Shamu!

2008-03-04T13:40:00.006-07:00

We went to Sea World in San Diego and everyone had a blast. We enjoyed 70 degree weather while it was snowing in Denver.

Mall of America

2008-02-29T15:36:00.000-07:00

I'm in Minneapolis tonight so I came over to the Mall of America. It's the largest mall in the country. In addition to every department store you can imagine, there are another 520 specialty stores. There are dozens of restaurants, a movie theater, an enormous aquarium where you can walk under the sea life in a tunnel, at least four roller coasters, a log flume, a dozen other carnival rides, virtual reality arcades, lego centers, and a lot more. It's 6 stories in some places and 4 stories for the rest. It is certainly a shopper's mecca...so I won't be staying long. I got my haircut, something to eat and I might catch a movie before getting out of here. Wish you were here Melinda. (Without a credit card)

Seattle

2008-02-16T15:50:00.001-07:00

Seattle was overcast and rainy this morning when we took off. The tops of the clouds were about 9000 ft. Mt. Rainier was a beautiful site as we climbed on top. It's 14,411 ft.

Happy Valentines Day!

2008-02-13T20:04:00.003-07:00

More Graphics at pYzam.com

So this year LaMar and I said...no presents. We will enjoy the day together and maybe go for lunch, but we decided that gifts for the kids would suffice. It is not that we are not romantic at times, but for those who know us well we are very practical people. Flowers die so I have never loved them and chocolate is out this year! So I have abided to our rule, but thought I would send him his Valentine note through our blog. Thanks LaMar for all the ways that you show me you love me 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. For cleaning the house without ever being asked, for taking care of the kids in every aspect of their lives like a pro always trying to make my work lighter, for working the max allowed limits by law so that we can have everything we need, for being happy and fun even when you have gone without sleep for 24 hours or are sick, for never complaining to me when you are having a bad day, for letting me sleep in atleast once a week while you get the kids ready for school (including packing lunches and doing Allison's hair), for being patient with me as I change clothes for the 3rd time (saying to myself I look frumpy) even when we are running late for church, for taking me on the best two vacations ever in the past few years and always looking to plan and save for more, for wanting to diet with me last year so that I would be successful in my weight loss, for always looking for ways to ease my daily burdens or for ways to make me have a great day........I hope you know that you truly are my valentine today, tomorrow, and forever. I could never have asked for a better spouse and I truly am the lucky one in this love equation. Happy Valentines Day sweetheart!

We Love Our Gym!

2008-02-12T17:22:00.000-07:00

Some of our family has asked what we have been up to lately! In January our new gym opened....Lifetime fitness. It is the country club of all gyms. They have indoor and outdoor pools with water slides, hot-tubs, steamrooms, saunas, a spinning studio with 64 bikes, raquetball for LaMar, indoor soccer, indoor and outdoor rock climbing, about 100 fitness classes a week, pilates, yoga, lap-pools, 2 basketball courts, about 300 pieces of cardio equipment and all the weight machines you would ever need and most important a kid room that rivals Chucky Cheese. Tyler begs for me to take him there everyday so that he can play with his friends. LaMar plays raquetball about 4 times a week, swims laps 2-3 times a week, and also does weights several days. My schedule I will give details for, as some have asked. Monday I do a class called F.I.T, which is a 1 hour core class with weights mostly using a bosu ball for extra core work. I also lift weights on Monday. On Tuesday I take a 1 hour spin class (biking) where I burn about 700 calories. I then swim 20 laps and enjoy the hot tub and steam room. Wednesday I lift weights and run on the treadmill. Thursday I take a Yoga Class (Can you believe it, I always swore against this form of exercise, and now it is one of my favorites). I also swim on Thursdays or do weights. On Fridays I take another Spinning Class and either swim or do weights. Saturday all the kids get to come. It is our family day at the gym. I drop the kids off at the kid center where they play Basketball or dodgeball or do the chuckee mazes or playdough, or there is a movie area, or computer area. They love it. While they are there I usually run or do the elliptical and then either swim laps or do weights. For those keeping count I lift weights (alternating legs and arms) about 3-4 days a week and swim laps about 3. LaMar usually plays raquetball on Saturday when he is home. After that we pick the kids up and go rock-climbing and swimming. We stay for about 4-5 hours total. We then shower ourselves and our kids at the gym and head home for dinner, a movie rental, and then bed. It makes for a great family day with really tired kids by the time we are done. We are both trying to get ready for a mini-triathalon this summer which is a 12 mile bike ride, 20 laps in a pool, and a 5K run. I have been swimming now for about 4 weeks. The first few weeks I admit I actully had to walk in the pool some and could not breathe and 20 laps took about 20 minutes. Today I swam 20 laps in 13 minutes and 12 of those laps were free-style. My dad was an all-american swimmer in college so it is somewhat embarressing that I swim so poorly, but I am happy to see improvement. Anyway, the gym has been lots of fun and it is fun to see improvement in our health and fitness levels. Hopefully by summer we will be ready for bathing suit season and our triathalon. I will keep you posted!

Skye's Baby Shower in Kentucky

2008-02-10T23:13:00.000-07:00

2008-02-10T21:44:00.000-07:00

This is a video of Tyler right before Christmas. It was his favorite song.

2008 Colorado Chaos (I mean Caucus)

2008-02-05T21:08:00.000-07:00

We just attended our first Caucus ever. It was amazing. In Colorado, instead of going to a poll and closing a curtain and voting for who you want, you go to a precinct meeting at 7pm and pick who your precint prefers. So here's a middle school cafeteria with about 700 people. Each Table is a different precinct. So we just went down the list and said who wants (fill in the blank) for the nomination. Our table had 23 people. 16 for Romney, 3 for Huckabee and 4 for McCain. From what we could hear from nearby tables the results were similiar so for sure our county will be Romney. We then elected delegates that will go on to attend state level meetings. It was very old style but at least there were no "hanging chads" like when we lived in Broward County, FL.

Poem for President Hinkley

2008-02-04T23:02:00.000-07:00

Prophetic Passing

I imagine he's running to Marjorie now,
Yes, running, not waving his cane.
I see him embracing his father and mother
While they keep repeating his name.

I see him now meeting his forebears,
Brother Brigham and Joseph are there.
Sweet reunion of prophets, united by service
That only such noble men share.

I see him embraced by the Savior
While Father says, "Good and well done.
So faithful in stalwart endurance,
I welcome My noble, most excellent son.

"I then hear the ripples of laughter
As he says the reception's just fine,
But he hopes that he'll get an assignment or two
Since there's no need to waste any time.

I can hear his clear voice in the stillness
At the close of this sweet Sabbath day,
Have faith and move forward — there's work to be done.
President Hinckley would want it that way.

Anna M. Molgard
January 27, 2008

Thanks for all you did for us. You will be missed... but your legacy will live on in our hearts and lives forever.

My First Blog

2008-02-04T21:38:00.000-07:00

Hello friends and family. After enjoying so many great blogs from my friends in Colorado I have finally decided to enter the world of blogging. Hopefully it will be a good way for all of you to keep up with our family and enjoy current pictures that I in the past have promised many times to send and never have. Hopefully I will learn new blogging techniques from my friends as for now my site will be boring until I figure out all the tricks. Talk to you soon.