another post

Hey all,
Sorry no pictures today. I am still unpacking but we are in our apartment (have been for a little over a week now). I just wanted to update everyone one things. The day after I posted my grandfather passed on. He is in a better place with the love of his life now. His funeral was on Saturday and due to our moving I was not there. My mom did make it out though (I don't know that her doctors were happy about her going). From what I heard it was a simple but loving and sweet funeral. As for an update on my mom, her health is declining again and her memory is being affected by it this time. My dad has started to keep a much closer eye on her which I don't think she like much. She thought he was keeping a close eye on her before.
Robert is liking his new house but wants all of his old friends here with him. I like it because it isn't all white. Thank you to all who sent me a happy birthday. I am hoping it will be. We are going to Portland for my birthday and will be going to an All British Field Meet while we are out there. I am excited. I promise pictures next week and they will be of all our little trips.
We love and miss you all

Still out and about

Our apartment is still not ready and so I am enjoying more time with Bryce's grandparents. Bryce on the other hand started work today and so I wont see him and it is our anniversary. Oh well there will be another one next year. Robert is missing all of his friends and asks for them all daily. His best friend right now is a dog by the name of Muffin. Then to top things off I might have to fly to Utah next week. My grandfather is stopping dialysis and the doctor's say he has a week maybe a week and a half if he does. So I may end up at a funeral on my birthday and not out here at the All British Field Meet like I want to be.

But things we have done since we got here. Lets see, we went to the zoo and to see the waterfall and to Bryce's old houses in Longview. Um as soon as I can I will post pictures of our little trips. We have had a lot of fun. And we miss all of our friends very much and hope all is well with you. Until next I write...
Amber

Graduation weekend

Graduation weekend was so much fun. Bryce's mom and dad came out from Chicago to see their wonderful son graduate. We also took a trip to the air museum the Idaho history museum craters of the moon and the old nuclear power station. Now the serious work has begun and we are packing like mad men so that we are ready to move on Friday August 1st. Now for the pictures because they are my favorite part!
Robert wants to be just like Daddy so when he saw daddy's cap he had to put it on.
Robert and Grandpa at the airplane Museum

Yeah daddy did it. we are so proud of you Bryce!!!
Bryce and his parents at graduationAll of us together. Thanks Shaun for taking this for us!All of the graduating mechanical engineers (well those at graduation)

Bryce and his Buddy Matt. We will miss you Matt!
The graduation Picture that everyone takes
Robert and Grandma at the Idaho Museum in Pocatello
I'm going to impress grandpa and figure out how to work this
Brittany I saw this sign and thought of you. Thanks for the Dilbert video it made this sign even funnier. My mother in law and I were joking around that it was from this that the term the knack came to be.

The view from the top of one of the volcano mounds in the craters of the moon national park

So this was the weekend that took us until Wednesday to fully recover from and now we are going into full packing mode. I probably wont post again until we are set up in our new home in the wonderful state of Washington. I want to tell all of my friends how much I love you. You are the best friends a girl could have. To my family you mean the world to me and I can't wait until I see you guys again. I know it wont be for a while but I still look forward to it.

Utah Stuff

Over the fourth of July weekend we went to Utah for my family reunion, and two sealings. The first was for my brother ans sister to be sealed to my parents and the second was for another of my sisters who got married. It was a great weekend. Seeing my family was so much fun. They are a blast to spend time with. Here are pictures to highlight the trip being as pictures say more than words. The only thing I don't have pictures of is my visit to see my cousin. He is home now and continues with therapy and we are so proud of him and his family they are such fighters.

This is my niece Rebecca at the pre fourth of July fireworks show at the Canyons in park City.
Robert Dancing with Rebecca at the same party.
Robert and his Uncle Coby on their way to get food with mommy.The guys preparing for the family reunion.

My mom talking to family members and having a good time. I love you mom!
This is my great aunt Lisa. She started the biggest water fight at the family reunion and had all the older kids (her brothers and sisters) dumping water on people. I stayed out of it.

Robert and Rebecca playing in the water together. He really loves you Rebecca!
Don't eat her face Chris you will get lunch soon!
This is Rebecca with my cousin Clayton. And just so everyone knows he is an awesome guy. I would not have made it when I lived in Utah without him. He was also a big help when Bryce came home befoore my sisters wedding because he had classes. Clayton stepped in and helped me with Robert and was there to cheer me up when I started to miss Bryce (which didn't take long). Clayton will always have a special place in our hearts and dude you are welcome to come and visit anytime!!
This is my other niece Elizabeth with her mom Ashley. They will be moving to Rexburg to finish school either next month or the beginning of September.
And this is my one and only (for the time being) nephew Christopher. Isn't he sweet!!

Lots of pictures I know but they are the best way to remember parts of my life. For me pictures hold lots of memories and are glimpses into my past.

Life it is never as fun as the game

So all I can say is life goes on. This last week or so has been very long. My cousin was in an accident around the time of Robert's birthday. HE was flown to Children's Memorial in Salt Lake city and is still there. On the 26th he woke up from the coma he was in but still does not have control over all of his body. He is having a hard time with that but can not voice it being as he still has not been able to speak since everything happened. We love him very much and pray for him every day. That was the bad/ sad/ hard to handle news. Then there is the stressful stuff like the fact we are moving in about a month and I have not started to pack. Yeah panic mode kinda set in when I realized that. Then there is the Taylor family reunion this weekend so that takes more time away from other things I should be doing. Bryce will be coming home from it by himself being as my sister decided to get married on my husband's birthday. Now I wont see him until dinner on his birthday. I am so going to have to make it up to him some how. Oh and funny thing we are leaving for the reunion tomorrow and I have as of yet to pack everything. I finally got my list for the trip made yesterday. So I will probably not get sleep just so that we are ready to go. I did however finish all of my little projects that I had to get done for this blessed event. I am happy to be going. I am just stressed because of everything I still have to get done so that we are ready to go. That and Bryce graduates in two and a half weeks and I just yesterday got the announcements for it finished so that I could send them out. If it gets to people late I am at a point that I can't so anything about it so I may as well not worry about it. Well until after the reunion have fun and stay cool.

The Party

After the morning of frosting and a now sore back from said frosting it was time to party. The kids had fun playing in the water and the adults got a chance to talk and eat cake. It was over all a great party. I know I had fun and so did Robert. Bryce even said we did a good job and that is saying something being as to him his mom is the queen of birthdays. He has always said that his mom made his birthday's a special day just for him. That is what Linzi and I tried to do for our kids. I think it worked. They loved it and had fun playing with their friends!

A picture of my birthday boy in the special hat that Linzi got for him. She got one that looked like and elephant for Rylee!!!

Rylee opening presents on her mom's (Linzi) lap.

Robert loved the bubble machine he got along with the 2 monkeys the bubbles the ball and glove and the Buzz Lightyear bubble machine. Thanks everyone!!!!

Let them eat cake!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

After presents and cake was done. The parents had a chance to sit and enjoy each other's company while the kids played in the water a little ways away.

I hope that everyone had fun. I know we did. Thank you to everyone who came you made it even more special by being there. Laters!!!!

Birthday party (the Work)

Ok so Robert and Rylee had their birthday party yesterday and I did the cakes for it. Little did I realize that it would mean 4 hours of baking and a little over five hours of frosting and that was with my friend Susie helping me. They did turn out really cute though.

A before picture of all the baking!

Another before picture!

This cake was made using 16 mini cupcake tops and a 15x11 cake. then add about 2.5 tubes of frosting and there you have it!!!

This was Rylee's cake notice the flower on the ear. (and the fact the banana says Rylee)

This one obviously was Robert's.

We had a jungle/ water party. Both of the kids love monkey's thus the monkey cakes. They were a lot of work but the kids liked them and it was fun being creative with something that I got to eat after. I don't think I will go into business though. It takes me to long to do these right now. Maybe after I get more practice and get faster and better at it I will think about it. So don't ask!