Some things never change...

My friends. They are the greatest and I feel incredibly lucky to have them. Although we have grown and changed through the years, 22 years for some of us, we have stayed very close and can really depend on one another. We can also depend on the fact that whenever we get together, regardless of how long it has been since our last reunion, we are in for a fabulous time and feel as though nothing has changed. I love them dearly and I cannot wait to see them more as we are moving back to Utah.

Oh wait, I haven't made that announcement yet, but YES, we are moving back! More details to come...

Bob's 60th Birthday Bash/Jon's Farewell Party

My dad is the big 60. No one would believe me, however, because he is in better shape than most 20-somethings, still has plenty of hair, has quite the adventurous spirit, and still works hard. He may not be super happy about that last one, but we all know that he wouldn't know what to do with himself if he wasn't working day in and day out. I love him dearly and am so glad he is 60 years young.
We held a fabulous party for him as well as Jon since he was going on his mission. It was such a fun night full of food, family and friends-a great recipe for the perfect party!

Elder Curtis

That's right, we have a missionary in the fam. Jon, the baby of our family, just left for the New Hampshire, Manchester Mission. We are all so proud of him and thrilled that he has such an adventure ahead of him. I will really miss him as will my kids. We have had so much fun these last few months with Jon home from school and just waiting to leave for his mission. There was lots of bonding time filled with games of him throwing balls as high as he can, jumping for lost balloons that only he could reach, puppet playing-he does a little gig that the kids love with this weird monster puppet, taking walks, and playing at the park. Not only was it fabulous to have all of his help, but he is hilarious and we will miss his awesome sense of humor. I know he is doing the right thing and that he will do an incredible job as a missionary.

The Farewell Talk:

One thing is for sure, he already did a fantastic job on his farewell talk. There were close to 500 people there on Easter Sunday, which can be daunting to say the least, but he put his anxieties aside and pulled it off. Here is a much relieved Jon right after church:

Jon with his two favorite sisters...really he just wanted to feel tall so he decided to use us:All of Jon's buddies-several of them have their calls as well, but Jon is the first to go!The Setting Apart:

The Stake President gave a beautiful blessing as he was setting Jon apart here in my parent's house.The MTC, Missionary Training Center:

What is it about that video that makes me bawl like a baby? You know the one-with "Called To Serve" is playing throughout the production. Maybe it isn't so much the video, but the fact that immediately after, they ask the missionaries to exit on one side and the families the other. I broke down and had to be the first to leave Jon before I started a scene. Jon was a champ through the entire process and proved to us that he was definitely ready. We are so excited for him and love him to pieces!

See you in 2 years little brother!

Easter Sunday

The kids were thrilled to get Easter baskets this year. Who knew the dollar zone at Target would be such a success! As fun as it was to play with their new trinkets and toys, the egg hunt that their cousins Spencer and Eli put on was even better. Eli was just as excited as the twins were (ok, probably more so) as he would direct them to the next bunch of hidden eggs. I got it all on video, but of course ran out of battery right at the end, so I will post that later! Here are a few pics of our Easter holiday...

Graveside Service for Baby Kingston

Last Friday, April 10th, Cheri and Cody held a graveside memorial for their son, Kingston David Ford. It was the perfect service that included the grandpas, Mark Ford and Robert Curtis, sharing their thoughts and wisdom as well as bearing their testimonies, followed by Cody giving a beautiful blessing and dedication of the grave. There was such a neat spirit that made us all remember the importance of our gospel and eternal families. It was particularly special knowing that Kingston was going to be buried on top of my brother Dave. My brother always had an incredible bond with children and I was saddened to know that he won't be able to have his own children yet. However, he now has Kingston to look after for the next little while which makes me so happy because I know how much joy the two will bring each other. I am still heart broken for what Cheri and Cody are experiencing, but am so excited to see these two as parents both in the hereafter and hopefully soon here on earth.

At the end of the service, Cody's parents brought out a bunch of white balloons for everyone to release. As much as Capri LOVES balloons, even she let go and watched them all float up into the sky:

Cody and Cheri:

The Curtis Family:Tucker was great to go exploring with the kids during the service to prevent any inappropriate screaming, hitting, laughing, jumping, etc...My boys:

Capri knew Cheri was sad and upset so when I asked her to give Cheri kisses, she didn't even hesitate:

Roman looking like such a stud:

Richard taking a turn playing with the kids:

Kingston David Ford

My sister Cheri and her husband Cody were anxiously awaiting the arrival of their first child in August. We were so excited for them as we knew they would be the best parents. Just as we were ready to find out if we were going for blue or pink, we got some terrible news. A multiple screening test and and ultrasound indicated their child, sweet boy, had anencephaly and was not going to survive. We all were devastated and absolutely miserable and my heart ached for what Cheri and Cody were going through.
They decided to induce labor early to prevent any problems with future pregnancies and we all felt this was the right thing to do. Last week on April 4th, Cheri delivered Kingston David Ford. Though he didn't make it through the delivery at just 21 weeks, the proud parents were able to hold their little boy and enjoy a few moments as a family. I am grateful I was able to be there and see how beautiful Kingston was with perfect hands and feet as tiny as they were. More importantly, it was incredible to have a deeper knowledge of what our gospel means in being part of an eternal family. Cheri and Cody will still be Kingston's mother and father and they will be forever. They are such a strong family and I am grateful they have each other.

Solitary Observations

Alysha and the kids took off to Salt Lake on Sunday morning leaving me alone while I finish up the work week. I’ve made some observations that indicate that I am as completely dependent upon my wife and kids as they are to me.

1. I have found myself walking much more slowly around the house. I shuffle to the kitchen, then shuffle to the bathroom, more shuffling to the couch. The shuffle consists of a half-stride with little bend of the knee and fair amount of side to side motion not unlike a zombie sans the outstretched arms and the insatiable desire for brains.
2. I take the stairs one step at a time rather than running up taking two or three steps as usual.
3. Every light in the house is off as is the heat. This completes my transition into my father.
4. I looked in the kitchen from the family room and noticed that all the cupboards and cabinet doors were open – I was unaware that I don’t close cupboard doors.
5. I am a really messy person, I like to have things clean, but I don’t put anything away if I don’t have to. I suspect that my wife is endowed with superhuman powers of speed or perhaps the ability to stop time, otherwise it would be impossible to keep a spotless house as she does.
6. It is much easier to exercise when my wife is around. I theorize that I feed off her boundless energy much like a tapeworm or hagfish feed off their hosts.
7. I sometimes speak my thoughts out loud, immediately after I scan the room to make sure that nobody heard me, then I chuckle at the absurdity of it all.

So there you have it. Alysha is one part Martha Stewart, one part Mother Teresa, one part super model with the ability to stop time. She is married to a messy, zombie-like parasite who doesn’t close cabinet doors and is too cheap to turn on the lights.

+ + = ME