New Beginnings

So here we sit.  We are at the end of the first month of the new year!  Time sure does fly.

Many new things are on the horizon for us.  Scott and I had many discussions and have both decided to complete our education and are pursuing our BA.  Scott is only a few credits away and he is done.  I, on the other hand, am just beginning.  Well I guess that isn't entirely true.  I am a few credits shy of my AA so those credits will be transferred to my BA pursuit.

Tonight I officially posted my first assignment to my college class.  It makes me a little nervous.  I know I can do it but my nerves come from being out of school for so long and that I will be finishing my classwork in between working, driving kids to various functions, breaking up fights, making dinner, doing laundry.  Oh wait I forgot I am a mom and it comes with the territory.

Scott also had some amazing news tonight.  He has been working on the laptop all day and decided to try to find any information he could on his biological father's family.  For those of you who know Scott, you are all well aware that once he sets his mind to doing something there is no stopping him.  He is like a pitbull.  Once he grabs on he doesn't let go.

Anyways,  he found out some wonderful information.  He discovered that he has 4 aunts and 3 uncles from his father's side of the family.  He also found the phone number of a cousin he didn't know he had.  He spend over an hour talking to him and learning things about his family and father.  He then got a number for one of his aunts.  He then spent over 2 hours on the phone with her.  It was a crazy emotional day for him.  His family has grown for him in leaps and bounds.  He is excited at the prospect of meeting his aunt within the next few months and possibly having a family reunion in the very near future.

He also discovered during this family history work that many of his ancestors temple work has already been completed.  His biological grandparents have had all their work completed as well as being sealed to each other.  It is an amazing thing.  Just proves that there is a plan for us all.

He is at peace with the knowledge that even though  he has no memories of his grandparents he will see them again and that they have been given the wonderful gift of their temple work.

Christmas Card

Click on the Link to view or Christmas Card.

http://sendables.jibjab.com/view/SdkiD1BS5VkHT2Gs

Thankful

11/11/11- What a date!  On this day we, as a nation, say thank you to all the men and women in the armed forces (and their families who sacrifice hugs and kisses and contact with their loved ones).  We celebrate them with parades in towns and cities across the country.  How many of us wait until a day like today to give their gratitude and thanks?  We should be giving thanks 365 days a year.

This date also marks the end of Scott's and my first week at our new jobs.  Things are looking up!  It just makes me realize how grateful I am for the blessings in our lives.  I know I need to learn to count the blessings I have and not worry about what I don't have.

We are blessed with a beautiful family, healthy children and the freedom to express ourselves.  To have a voice in the world.  Everything else is just icing on the cake.  

Have you expressed your gratitude today or counted your blessings?

ASU Homecoming

So we (Scott and I) decided that we, as a family, needed some family time.  Scott has a friend who works for a local radio station and gave him 6 tickets to the ASU homecoming game.  Of course the tickets were in the nosebleed section but who really cares.  We had a great time.  

Christian was not exactly with us however.  He took the spare ticket that my dad and grandfather had in the loge section of the stadium.  He got all you can eat hot dogs, popcorn, soda and cookies.  But he had such a great time with my the grandfather and great grandfather that he asked if we can get season tickets.

Since we had a spare ticket we took an old friend of ours.  We have known Johnathen Lewis since he was about 2 years old.  He was an old neighbor.  He "struggled" at the game for his family are die hard U of A fans.  Despite this fact I think he had a good time too.

Behind us in the picture is the ASU alumni band.  We were in a sea of gold shirts!

Go Sundevils!!!!

Serious cheese going on here!

FEAR THE FORK!!!!

The meaning of CAGE

Hey there, this is Scott.  A few friends have asked why am I go by CAGEtrucker and CAGEdad and Kim is CAGEmom.  Well, when we were getting tattoos years back we wanted matching ones.  We thought and thought and decided on CAGE which is the kids initials.  Christian, Alexis, Garrison and Elizabeth.  When I was driving truck I also have my LLC which is CAGE4 LLC.  Anyway hope that answers the question of, "What is CAGE?"

Homecoming

This past weekend was Mesa High School homecoming.  Now generally we don't go to homecoming but this year we did.  Scott figured since we are back in Arizona and we have a child who goes to Mesa High we should go (if for no other reason to do the loving parental thing of embarrassing our child).  

I keep telling people that they really need to read the back of their child's birth certificates.  It clearly states (of course it is in ink that only a parent can read) that it is our civil duty as parents to embarrass your children at every opportunity.

Well Scott was able to see many people for the Hare Band of 1991.  He had a good time and Scott was glad that we went to the game.  The team lost their homecoming and their band is extremely small but all in all it was still a good time.  I feel the best part of the entire night was that not only were Scott and I shouting at Alexis to get her attention and to let everyone know who was in the immediate area that we love her but the group we were with joined in on the "parental fun."

Next year we will have another child in high school who can share in Alexis joy of knowing her parents are in the stands.  Only next year we will be celebrating Scott's 20th reunion.  I can hardly believe that we have been out of high school for almost 20 years.

Carry On Mesa High!  Carry On!  

Well I tell myself again and again that I need to make it a practice of writing on our blog everyday.  Again here I sit looking over this blog and realizing that I haven't touched it in almost a year.  Pretty typical for me.  Well me just do a quick recap of our year.

We moved to Washington State. Stayed there for about 7 months and as a family we decided that we needed to move back to the surface of the sun (Arizona).

Scott went back over the road as an Over the Road truck driver leasing a truck with Prime-Inc.  So we now have an LLC that Scott named CAGE4 LLC.  As soon as school let out he came home picked up the boys and off they went for a summer adventure on the truck.  They were gone for about 2 1/2 weeks and visited 37 states.  They had a blast.

With the boys out of our way, the girls and I packed up the house in Washington and with the help of my terrific cousin and some great friends we moved back to Arizona.  The girls and I made it back in just enough time to go to Scott's cousin's wedding.  Scott brought the boys home to Arizona and we prepared them to start school.

The house we are renting in directly across the street from the house I lived in when Scott and I met.  Small world.  We are close enough to the elementary school that the boys walk to school.  Beth began her last year of junior high.  Next year she will join Alexis at the high school where Alexis is currently a sophomore.

Alexis is currently going to Mesa High.  It is crazy to think that she is attending the same school that Scott and I did.  It is even more crazy that she is exactly the same age that I was when Scott and I met and started dating.