BABY MAX IS FINALLY HERE!!!

Max Ika Taukei'aho

8 lbs. 4 oz. 20 in.

June 27, 2008

Congratulations Angie & Fred!!!

UNEMPLOYMENT... It's been a nice break!!!

Surely unemployment shouldn't be fun but I guess knowing I have a job to go to makes things a little easier to enjoy a few days off. I woke up at..... oh yes... 8:45 and then did some catching up on my blog. We then headed over to my grandparents to mow their law. That is my new chore for Tuesday's. Grandma Wardle and my mom then took us to Sonic for lunch. Then we headed for the swimming pool. The water was perfect and the sun was hot, it was great. Then Wesley said that he wanted to go to my mom's by himself so I called Fred and he picked him up on his way home from Salt Lake to give him and his brother a break from each other. Their dad and I get a break from them every other week but those two are always together and always participating in the same sports. It is good to give them a break from each other so that when they get back together they are buddies again.

Good Bye Castle Rock, Hello ReMax Results

As many of you know the mortgage industry has been pretty bad lately. Last August I was working for Aegis Wholesale and had 24 hour notice that they were shutting down. A few weeks ago I started to get similar signs of when Aegis imploded and I thought there is no way I could go through that again. I thought I would start by getting my resume out around Spanish Fork and see what would happen. Well, that was just a thought because I was sitting at work and I received a call from an old friend who had referred me to a Real Estate Company back in February but the timing wasn't right for me to take a pay cut. She told me that they were going to be calling me again for their Spanish Fork office. I was pretty excited and knew that this was the right time to take a pay cut and get a job closer to home and hopefully a little more stable. I was informed 2 weeks ago of 3 employees that were going to be layed off last week and I knew that I was going to be next because there wasn't very many of us left. I accepted the job on Thursday and as I told my supervisor she said, "I am so happy". I said, "You are happy that I am leaving?" she said, "No, I am so happy you found a job because I was being told that I had to lay you off tomorrow" I went through some different emotions but in the end I was ok leaving. I start my new job tomorrow as an Office Manager for ReMax Results and I am really excited about it. I know it's still in the real estate industry but I have some pretty good agents in my office that are still going strong. I am excited to be out of the mortgage industry and to be moving onto something new. I have done this type of work before and it is something that I really enjoy. I hate change and I hate starting a new job but in the end I think it will be for the best for me and my family.

DISTRICT TRACK MEET

Derek & Wesley both made it to the District Track Meet.

Wesley was in the softball throw and the 4X100 relay. He took 5th in the softball throw which was pretty good because there were a lot of boys in this part of the meet.

GOOD JOB WESLEY!!!

Derek was in the 50M run and the 4X100 relay. He tied for 2nd in the 50M run and his relay team took 1st. Their relay team was awesome and they were way ahead of the 2nd place team.

GOOD JOB DEREK!!!

Derek was able to qualify for the State Track Meet this weekend at Mt. View High School but he will be playing baseball in Evanston, Wyoming. He was asked by a younger team to go with them to this tournament so I am really excited to see how he does playing with kids his own age. He has been playing up 2 years on the Blaze which has given him a lot of good experience.

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE TIME!!!

Whenever anyone wants cookies (or cookie dough :) ) we just send Sisi or Tyler to Grandma and they say, "Grandma, will you please make cookies?" If they ask her the answer is usually yes and she is all over it. Sisi is 3 and for a year now has been able to tell anyone what ingredients go into making them. She has improved greatly on her egg breaking skills and is so good to help out. I couldn't help on Father's Day to take a few pictures because Erika was in town so of course my mom made it possible for all of them to help.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDPA!!!

We recently celebrated my Grandpa Olsen's 82nd birthday. Wesley and Derek had 2 baseball games and Dee's wife Tami was in Salt Lake but everyone else was able to make it. It was a great tribute to my grandpa and what he has done for all of us.

My brother Ryan was in charge so naturally it was going to be funny. Brenda has so much talent in writing music and coming up with words. Ryan sang a solo for my grandpa to the tune of
"I Love to See The Temple"

I love to paint the Temple

I paint it every day

There's paintings on my walls and

I've given some away

I've walked the hill of the Temple

General Mormon I have played

A big knife I did carry

Turkey dinners I have made

I love to see the Temple

I work inside some days

If you forget your recommend

I'll turn you right away

(Chorus)

So you see - my dear progenitors

Listen up while we're together

Its and awesome place to spend your time

Where families are forever

For those of you who don't know my grandpa he is an incredible artist. He played General Mormon in the pageant for 30+ years. The pageant just isn't the same to me without my grandpa on the hill.

All of the grandkids were asked to get up and tell some of their most memorable story or stories about grandpa. There were so many stories and so many more that could have been shared. We could have been there all day.

I feel very lucky to have all of my grandparents still with me. I love them so much and am greatful for all that they have done for me in my life.

TAG I'M IT

4 things I was doing 10 years ago
1. I was married & Wesley was 1
2. I was 7 months pregnant with Derek
3. I was working for Riverside Home Mortgage
4. I was living in Provo

4 things I was doing 5 years ago
1. I was working for Utah Valley Mortgage
2. I was recovering from brain surgery
3. I was living in Springville
4. I was divorced and had my kids full time because their dad was in Iraq. I loved having them all to myself!!!

4 things I did yesterday
1. I went to work
2. I started getting the flu that the rest of my family has had
3. I watched Wesley and Derek play in a baseball game that they did very well in.
4. I ran into an old friend who is going through a divorce and was very thankful that I am 6 years and 3 months into being divorced and getting on with my life. The whole serperation and divorce process is NOT FUN!!!

4 shows that I like
1. Grey's Anatomy - I refused for a long time to start watching it because I didn't want to have to worry about getting into a show that I was attached to. Once I started watching the DVD's to catch up to Season 3 I was hooked. I am excited for Season 5 to start this fall.
2. The Biggest Loser - It is amazing to me to see how much weight some of those people can lose. It gives me hope that I can lose weight and look like them someday, HA HA.
3. Deal or No Deal - I am not sure why this is a favorite but my kids like it to so if we are home and it is on we all sit on the couch, yell out which case they should pick and watch until they finally say DEAL.
4. The Bachlorette - I seem to like this show better than the Bachelor because I think the girl is really looking for love. I was pretty mad when the last bachelor left both girls standing. I guess I just have to live my love life through other peoples love lives. :)

My 4 Biggest Joys of the moment
1. My boys!!!! - I can't imagine my life without them.
2. My family & friends!!! - They are always the ones who listen to me through all of the good times and bad. I have a pretty amazing family and some pretty amazing friends.
3. That I have a job and that it pays me every other Friday.
4. Watching my boys play baseball and listen to them through all of their excitement when they do well.

4 things that you might not know about me
1. I wear size 11 shoe.
2. I have moved 12 times in almost 13 years (Ephraim, Orem, Provo, Mt. Pleasant (twice), Springville, Manti, Springville (3 times) & Spanish Fork (twice). I hope that before my kids graduate from High School we will be able to land somewhere for a while. :)
3. I am a little OCD. I am still trying to figure out where I got it from and so is my family.
4. I love eating at Cafe Rio & the salad is part of my diet so I don't have to give that up. There have been some people at work that ask me if I have any ownership in Cafe Rio because I eat there so much. I think that they spike their dressing with something, it is so good!!!

I tag Carli, Natalie, Teresa, Annalyse & Katie

Jacob's Baptism

My nephew Jacob Olsen was baptized on Saturday by his dad, Ryan. The stake baptism's were the week before but since one set of grandparents were in Isreal they were able to do it a week later. It was so neat to have the entire meeting about him and his family. Jared and Ryan gave the talks and they were awesome!!! Ryan is such an amazing speaker and always seems to bring so much of the spirit into the room.

FAMILY IS EVERYTHING!!!

This is what Ryan started his talk out with and it's so true. Jacob was lucky enough to have 4 great-grandparents there and all 4 of his grandparents along with many other family members. It was all 4 of my grandparents that were there. I feel so lucky to still have all of my grandparents around and doing so well. When Ryan and Jacob were changing their clothes Ryan had asked all of the grandparents to stand up and share their testimonies. It was so neat to hear all of them talk about how much they love their families & the gospel.

Grandpa & Grandma Olsen

Grandpa & Grandma Wardle

BLAST FROM THE PAST!!!

Well here is a blast from the past. I decided to create a blog for my graduating class from Manti High School. It has been a lot of fun and brought back a lot of memories. I have been looking through old high school pictures and my year book and have found some pretty funny photos. If any of you are interested in looking at our blog the address is www.mhsclassof94.blogspot.com. I am also in charge of our 15 year reunion next year so that was another reason for creating it. I thought it would be a good way to start finding people. It has been fun to e-mail with some of them and catch up with them through their blogs.

TRACK & FIELD

After the Hershey Track Meet a couple of weeks ago all of the kids who got 1st, 2nd or 3rd place were asked to come back and compete again. This was to find the top 2 in each age group to move onto the District Track Meet.


Derek was asked to come back and compete in the 50M run. He took 1st place yesterday with a time of 8.02 which was .02 better than his time 2 weeks ago. He now gets to participate in the District Track Meet which will be in Spanish Fork on June 18th.

GOOD LUCK DEREK!!!

Wesley was asked to come back for

the softball throw. Unfortunetley

there were only 2 kids that came. Ryan from their baseball team and Wesley. This meant that they were both moving on. Wesley threw the ball 159' which was 2" farther than the last time.

GOOD LUCK WESLEY!!!

P.S. Yes, these are pictures from the track meet a couple of weeks ago. I wasn't able to go to the track meet yesterday so their dad took them. He isn't as into taking pictures as I was. He did get a couple of Derek so I will post those when I get them. :)