Happy Birthday Daddy-O!

My dad is the best. He loves us all and is a great example. Hope you have a great day and year to come!

Our DIY Project

Recently mom has wanted to remodel the small bathroom on the main floor. So last weekend we went to WalMart picked out a paint color and other supplies and away we went. We picked a bright yellow thinking it would cover the wall easily but little did we know it would take 3 coats of paint to get our desired looked. Dad even got involved and hung the new light and mirror for us. It still needs a few more decorations but in the end it turned out nice and very bright just like we wanted it. The pictures do not do our project justice so do not judge the outcome by them you will just need to see it in person. Mom is already picking paint out for her own bathroom. We will keep you updated on our projects.







Sorry I did have before photos but it all my craziness to download them I some how deleted them, do not ask me how I managed that one.

Happy Belated Wishes

Let me start this post off by saying that I am an awful aunt and there are no excuses for me forgetting one of my beautiful nieces or nephews birthday.

McKinley is such an energetic and funny little girl. I have many stories about her that I love. I will share two that I always have in the back of my head and giggle everytime I remember them.

The first story is she and I were getting ready to watch the movie Tinkerbell together when I needed to get something before it started I said to McKinley I will be right back and her response was, "Don't joke me." I think she was worried that I was saying that just so I did not have to watch the movie with her but I did come back quickly.

The next story was the night of Madison's baptism. Gordon was getting her ready for bed and she asked her dad, "Dad is the hogi yogi ghost really real." How could you not get a good chuckle from that.

I love McKinley so much she has such a personality and she is not shy to show it off. She has so much energy that I get tired just watching her. She also is very affectionate and loving to others. McKinley I hope your birthday was special and you have a great year being 4.

Cancun

A group of 8 which included Aaron, Jen, Jake and me went to Cancun for the week. The sun, sand, and Caribbean Ocean were amazing. I think I could live my whole life in vacation mode. Most days were spend relaxing either on the beach or at the pool and at night we would go out on the town for dinner.

One of the days down there we went to Tulum and Chichen Itza. We had a private tour with an LDS guide named Helaman. He knew so much about the scriptures and made the ruins come to life by comparing them to the people from The Book of Mormon and Bible. It was such an amazing and spiritual experience you could not help to have your testimony strengthened in the scriptures.

Another day we went XCarret which is considered a water park but was not what I consider a water park. It was still fun and had a lot to see. There is an underground river that you can float down in a life jacket and snorkel. The park also had many animals and birds, along with a butterfly farm, and a botanical garden. It also had water sports like snorkeling, scubbing, swimming with dolphins or sharks. At night they recreated some of the Mayan rituals and ceremonies.

We all agreed that this was an awesome trip and are already thinking of our next vacation.

Jake's Mucho Back Hair

Before

Jake crossed uncharted waters and had is back waxed for Mexico. I do not think he realized what he got himself into but he became aware of it very quickly. I was pretty proud of him, he never once said a curse word nor did he scream, at least not that loud. The Senioritas better watch out for this hot stud!

After

Love Story

Last night, I found a book titled Leaves of the Lindon Tree. Its a collection of recollections from residents of Lindon, Utah which grandpa and grandma Rodeback contributed to. As I read their history of growing up and finding each other, I shed many tears thinking of the love they had for each other and how much I miss my grandma. This is what my grandma said about meeting my grandpa. I was working in a cafe in Pleasant Grove when Charles came in. My sister and I worked there for awhile and he came in with his friend. I looked at my sister and I said,"Umm, I'll take the little one, and you take the other one." Charlie was the little one. We met later at a dance in American Fork. He asked to take me home, and we became an item after that. What a sweet story this is and one that I will cherish. She finishes their part in the book by saying, We celebrated our fiftieth wedding anniversary on February 11, 2003. We have had many good years together and hope to enjoy more years with each other. And hope to spend more years living here in Lindon. Today they would have celebrated 56 years of marriage but I know that grandma still keeps watch over grandpa and waits for their reunion. You never know when loved ones will leave your life but I am grateful for the impact my grandma made on my life and for the tender mercies we all enjoy daily.

Happy 37 Years of Marriage

What an amazing love my parents have for each other and I hope many more for them. Lucky for me I get to see this everyday and their example of a happy marriage. I can only hope for the same thing for me when the time is right. I love my parents and thank my Heavenly Father that I was able to be their child and to be part of this family.