Max and McKenna. . .

I snapped a few quick shots of these two cute kiddos a couple of weeks before Christmas.  They are just so darn photogenic!!

I'm thankful for the times I get to spend with these sweet kids and for the friendship they have with my sweet kids!!

Update. . .

No doubt, it's been a rough summer.  But now, it's over.  Festival season has officially ended. 

September usually kicks my butt anyway, due to the fact that I'm juggling back-to-school stuff while we are wrapping up the last of our busy season, but this time, my butt was already kicked. 

I hate to complain or feel sorry for myself because so many people are going through things that are far worse so I'll just focus on the good things.

 

First of all, Gloria has settled in to Sawtooth Middle School in a BIG way.  She has taken ownership of who she is and what she wants out of life at this moment.  It started with the aquamarine hair- a bold decision to make the night before starting at a huge, new school.  She nailed it.  Then she decided she wanted to be a cheerleader.  Even though she didn't know anyone on the cheer leading squad.  She had her first game on Wednesday and she gave it her all.  And nailed it.  She's in choir and drama along with the rest of her classes.  She's mastered her locker and the 3 minute allowance between classes.  She's tackled the bus and homework and made a slew of friends.  I don't mean to brag, I'm just so proud of the way she has handled herself with this new experience.  So far she is balancing school, family, quizzing, gymnastics, youth group, cheer leading, homework and her social life with style and grace.  I wish I would have had half of her confidence when I was her age. . .

As long as I'm bragging, I'll say that Zach is managing his sophomore year exactly the same way he faced his freshman year- study, study, study.  He's so focused.  He manages his time well, he meets all of his deadlines and he puts a huge amount of effort into doing the best that he can in every class.  In spite of a busy class schedule, he has devoted a large amount of his time to church.  He's working with Scott and Katie on children's sermons and recently finished the membership process.  He spent a week at Yearly Meeting this year and I think it encouraged him to continue working on leadership skills.  He definitely has convictions about things but is willing to learn and discuss and change and teach.  Sometimes it makes my mind spin and I have to ask him to give me a break from the intense discussions he likes so much.  I love to hear him process ideas, though, especially when he comes to realizations that alter what he once thought was set in stone.  His core values stay the same, but he's much more willing to think outside the box.  I'm very proud of who he is and who he is becoming.

And. . . the business.  While the economy has hurt us over the last couple of years, we are gradually changing our focus and I see some good things happening.  I think it's a HUGE thing that Bronco Sports sought us out to provide their radio stage.  Even if we don't see immediate results, I think that ultimately it will impact us in a big way.  We put a lot of thought into what it should look like and were very happy with the final result. 

We have two home games behind us and the powers-that-be seem to be happy as well.

We've also become BBB certified and have a fancy new phone system.  We have several projects in the works that should keep us busy for a couple of months and our retail sales seem to be gaining momentum.  Not HUGE momentum, but it's a good start.  I'm trying to think positive and not see the light at the end of the tunnel as an oncoming train.

And last, but not least, I've enjoyed spending time with these kiddos.

 Life is short and I want to make time for the people in it.  I'm learning and right now it takes a conscious effort to put work aside and enjoy the things that matter. 


So, there's my update.  And I'll keep trying to look on the bright side. . .

Peas In A Pod?? Not Exactly. . .

I wish I could say that I was just like Gloria when I was her age. 

But I can't. 

 In fact, you might even say we would have been complete opposites if we had been in school together instead of being mother and daughter. 

 I would never have considered coloring my hair turquoise the night before the first day of school. 

Especially if I were a first time attender at a huge, new school, filled with bazillions of new people. 

I would have been too busy feeling sick to my stomach, worrying about how in the world I would fit in. 

But I would have really admired the girl who had the guts to do it. 

And I"ll bet we would have been friends. . .

 

Happy birthday, Zach!

It's the strangest thing.  I now have a kid who is 20.  I used to be 20 and it doesn't seem like it was that long ago. 

There are not enough sappy sentiments in the world to say how I really feel about this grown-up kid but I'll try. . . (not in any particular order!). . .

This kid is smart and wise.
He is kind and empathetic.
He is responsible and reliable.
He is a fun big brother and a caring son.
He loves his grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins dearly.
He wrestles with thoughts and ideas with an open mind yet with grounded values.
He is willing to change his mind if the situation calls for it.
He loves God.
He tries to be like Jesus. (He's even been told he looks like Him. . . )
He reads his Bible like the Best Seller that it is.
He will make someone an incredible husband someday.
He loves to learn.
He loves his mom.  :)
He still plays with his sister.
He impresses his father.
He is handsome.
He makes me laugh.  Often.

There is so much more I could say but I mostly want to say that I have loved him from the moment I found out about him.  I'm so very thankful that I get to be his mom . . .

Moving Forward. . .

So. . . I have a lot to say but no idea how to say it.  Obviously our lives were turned upside down last month and, no matter how you look at it, nothing will ever be the same.  So I guess the question is, how do I process my own thoughts/feelings about this in a "public forum" without causing pain and/or more grief to others who were far more affected by this than myself??  And maybe the answer is, "I don't".  My blog tends towards the "light and fluffy" but I can't find light or fluffy at the moment.  I still feel shock and outrage when I think about it.  And I think about it often. 

We had our first family birthday party yesterday without Matt.  In the dashboard section of my blog, I have photos from the last family party we had just waiting for me to hit the publish button.  It was Max's 2nd birthday party and everything was normal.  I haven't found words to use to post those pictures yet so they might sit there indefinitely. 

But. . . we still have good memories to make and sweet children to hold onto so I'm posting the pictures from yesterday's party.  We had FIVE birthdays to celebrate:  Jeanie, Marreen, Kelsey, Zach and Cody.  I'm all out of words these days, so the pictures will have to speak for themselves. . .

Matthew Burton. . .

I cannot do this post justice right now because it's all so incomprehensible to me.  All I can say is that Matt was a wonderful man: kind, patient, quick with a smile, an amazing father and devoted husband.  I will always be thankful that he and I were part of the same family.  I will miss him.  We will all miss him.  Rest in Peace, Matt.  I'm so sorry Marr, McKenna and Max. . .

Boys. . .

I love these boys:

I've watched them grow up into handsome, responsible men who are going out into the world to make a difference.  And I honestly believe, with all of my heart, that they will.

Adventure. . .

When I was about 14 years old, I took a Greyhound bus to Gooding, Idaho to spend a week with a friend that I met at camp.  I don't remember too much about it but I don't remember being at all afraid to ride the bus alone.  I guess that's one of the reasons I didn't really have a problem putting my kids on a bus and sending them off into the wild blue yonder this morning.

Of course, Zach hardly qualifies as a kid anymore, so that helps, too.  Mostly, I'm just really going to miss their company.  I enjoy my kids most of the time.  They certainly have their moments that push me towards the edge, but for the most part, they are pretty responsible and self-sufficient.  (Note to self: knock on wood.)

As I write this, they are (probably) comfortably situated at Gil and Louise George's house in Woodlawn, Idaho.  For 10 whole days.  (Ha! Just got a text from Gloria to say she is "good".)

When Louise called a couple of months ago to say she was contemplating putting on the play, Fat, Fat Jehoshophat at her church, I quickly volunteered my kids to help out.  After all, who can play King Jehoshophat better than Zach??

This is Zach playing the King in 2005:

The entire cast in 2005:

Zach in 2008:

And the entire cast in 2008:

So, you see, we just couldn't pass up the opportunity to do this again!!

I'll drive up and watch the play on the 29th and then drop Zach off at Quaker Hill where he'll be a counselor for 2 more weeks!! 

Really looking forward to seeing this older, wiser Jehoshaphat. . .

Movie Review. . . The Quaker Games. . .

The Premiere last night was fabulous! I'll write more about that later but in the mean time, here is Tami's take on it:

What's Up Arnett

Movie Premiere!!

This is the trailer to the short film that Zach, Gloria and Madison have been working on for the last month.  What impresses me the most is that it was all done with an Ipod Touch and Windows Movie Maker.  And plenty of skill and talent from the three producers!

The premiere is tonight and we'll all watch it on the big screen together!! 

I can't wait!!

Dale. . .

Dale and Brandon are visiting the states from their new home in Germany.  It's always great to see them but this time it was especially special. 

I'll have to back up for a minute to explain this first picture.  When Dale used to work with us, he and Gloria had a love/hate relationship.  Mostly love but they picked and picked and picked on each other.  Keep in mind Gloria was much younger then- we worked with Dale off and on from about 2001-2007.  They even had pet names for each other.  Gloria called him BobB (emphasis on the last B) and Dale called her Georgetta. 

One of the things he would do to get her attention was to poke her in the forehead.  Repeatedly. 

From a mother's perspective, after the first few pokes it was pretty annoying.  And Dale, single-man-no-children, didn't seem to know that when a child cries, you should stop poking them in the forehead!!  In spite of the tears, they have a very sweet friendship.  We had the opportunity to see them very briefly while they were in town a couple of weeks ago.  They hugged.  And, of course, Dale poked:

And now, back to the reason this visit was especially special is because of this sweet little girl that looks like her daddy:

Yep, Dale and Branden had a baby girl!!  Rob and Gloria both wanted to poke her little forehead but I made them refrain!!  Maybe when she's a little bit older. . .

Dear Blog,
In spite of my lack of attention to you, I have not forgotten all that you have meant to me over the years.  Unfortunately, just like your predecessor, Dear Diary, I've temporarily replaced you with other interests.  In my youth, it was boys and work.  Now it's naps.  And Facebook. 

However, these are just passing interests and will fall by the wayside in time.  I know I've tried to keep you neat and orderly but sometimes crazy and beautiful just becomes chaotic and mind numbing.  I'm in that place now. 

So. . . please excuse the random, out-of-order posts that I'll be putting up in an attempt to re-connect with you.  So much has happened and is happening even as I write that I am paralyzed at the thought of filling you in on everything! 

I think I'll start with this one:

No More Excuses. . .

Love,
Tanya

Checking In. . .

So. . . Obviously I've lost a bit of interest in updating my blog.  Part of the problem is that Blogger changed their format and, in my opinion, it just isn't very user-friendly.  I don't have the time or the inclination to mess with something new right now since it seems the rest of my life is throwing things at me that demand my attention whether I like it or not.  So the blog sits quietly in the task bar of my lap top and barely calls to me at all anymore. 

HOWEVER, life continues on and I continue to photograph it as it happens.  And there are important things happening that I would like to remember someday.  And there are mundane things that I might want to remember someday.  There's just lots of things going on that, someday, I'll want to remember. 

So I won't give up.  At least for today.

Keep checking back.  I'll post retro-actively so I can keep things orderly.  I like order.  Even if it's not always obvious.  I'll post the links here as I go. . .

Zach. . .

Zach. . .

Another semester of college is behind us.  Zach is officially a sophomore now.  Once again, he did really well.  He recieved the following email today:

"Dear College of Social Sciences and Public Affairs student:

Congratulations on your Spring 2012 academic record at Boise State University! I am pleased to recognize your achievement by including you on the College of Social Sciences and Public Affairs Dean’s List of Students. Boise State University provides the opportunity for individuals to achieve their academic goals, but it is up to you to take advantage of the opportunity. You have done this in an exceptional manner."

Yep, I'm so proud.  He works hard and takes school very seriously.  I could go on and on and on about how smart he is but I won't.  Your welcome.  I will say, however, that in one of his classes he ended up with 106%.  Not too shabby, I guess. . .



Good job, Zach!  I'm so proud of you!!

Three Things. . .

So. . . Never a dull moment, you know?  But in all the chaos, I have found some hope.  Nothing really tangible yet but just a sense that things are going to be good.  Better.  Not that things have necessarily been bad but, I think, just kind of hard. 

These are things that have encouraged me lately:

The "Store". . .
While we haven't had as much time as we'd like to promote our retail space, it represents a beacon of light to me for the future. . .










I can't say much about the next two pictures except that they are proof that our hard work is paying off.  Through no effort of our own (except for, you know, all the hard work we've put into building our business. . . ) we've been presented with a couple of opportunities that could really make a difference in how we operate.  It's still very, very early in the process but just the fact that we were sought out in both cases gives me hope. . .

It's hard to put into words what this next picture represents.  This is a special edition, fancy-schmancy vocal mic.  And it's mine.  Just mine.  Obviously I co-own a whole bunch of microphones.  The difference here is that all of the others are what you might call "communal" microphones.  In other words, lots of people spit in them.  Lots and lots of people.  No matter how often you wipe them with a swab of alcohol, the fact of the matter is, it's kind of like sharing a straw.  With strangers.  The important thing about this fancy mic is where it came from.  We recently became JBL dealers which won't mean much if you're not in the music industry but for us, it's a pretty big deal.  It's more than just JBL, it's a whole line of Pro Audio equipment that, if we work it right, could be a really, really good thing for the business.  Anyway, Rob mentioned to our JBL Rep that I sing.  I could dedicate an entire post (a book, even) to the importance of music in my life but in the context of this post, this mic was a gift, to ME, from our rep as a way, I guess, to welcome us into the "family".  He's a good man and I think it's going to be a really important turn of events. . . (Just for the record, Rob intended to surprise me with the mic himself!). . .

There are other important things that have encouraged me lately but these are the three that have especially buoyed my spirit . . .