---The Spoons are Sharpened--

The family blog has fallen by the wayside while I .......ummm.....well, I really can't account for my laziness and inactivity here in bloggerland. The main reason is that my computer is like an original prototype for the Commodore 64 (y'all over age 35 know the Commodore 64) and I am an inpatient person and would rather poke my own eyes out with a spoon than wait for pictures to upload. But I have the spoons sharpened and standing by because: THIS IS AN UPDATE!!

January: We froze, swore and muttered at the weather and watched a lot of mindless TV. Also, we watched Kat play basketball.

February: I turned 29 - again! Drake planned and held his Eagle Scout project which was a blood drive. We held it at our church house and we got SO much help and support from our ward it was very humbling and fantastic at the same time.

We watched Kat play basketball where I yelled encouragement to her and told anyone listening in the crowd, "That's my girl!!"...yeah, I turn into "THAT Mom" at these games.

March: Good Grief! What did we do in March?!?

 April: Easter at my Aunt Jolene's house. I love to get together with my family and eat. And celebrate.

Curtis and I went to Vegas to get out of town and see the Greatest Show On Earth, that's right, DONNY AND MARIE!!!!! Little known fact: I am seriously crazy for Marie Osmond. Crazy. Stalker Crazy.

May: Kat finished 11th grade and Drake finished 9th grade. Now I have two kids in High School. 

Her two kids in high school

They tell her that shes uncool

'Cause she's still preoccupied

With 1985

Woo hoo hoo. 

June: Lehi Rodeo Days. How I love to watch the Lehi parades in the boiling heat with no shade, sweat rolling down the middle of my back, a cold Diet Coke in one hand and a fist full of salt water taffy in the other, listening to my brothers-in-law discuss this particularly sadistic family tradition of parade watching us sisters have. I love the friends and neighbors I see only once a year around town this week. I love the memories of doing this with my Mom and Dad and watching my sisters ride their horses down Main Street in the Thursday night Horse parade simply because if you did, then you would get free entrance to the Rodeo that night and you would get to parade your horse around the rodeo arena just like a real rodeo queen. I love that moment at the Rodeo when the sun is down and it is finally cool and the train passes by on the east side, the mountains in the background are beautiful and the horses and cowboys in the arena are performing and everyone is a cowboy or cowgirl for one night. Yeah, I'm a townie :)

Drake turned 15. My baby! He's 15 and taller than I am. And turning into such a great young man, I am very proud of him.

 July: The Annual Driveway of Fire and Jana and Mark's house. A blast as always and nothing was burned to the ground, yep it was considered a success. Drake went to a high adventure scout camp with Curtis and Kat is going to her last year of Girls camp. Kat had her Senior pictures taken last Friday. I went with her to be the Ultimate Stage Mom but I couldn't do anything but hold back the tears. Just so you know, this is SO UNLIKE me. I was blinking away the tears with every picture. I couldn't even talk. It was like a huge realization of how fast it has all gone. She has grown up and I feel like I haven't got enough of her. Oh, how melodramatic, I know but still, Ugggh! so sad.

Now friends, family and innocent onlookers: I pinky promise to keep this thing better updated so we can keep in touch across the country or across the street. Love ya, Norma

p.s. Here is Curtis on a Pogo Stick.  The only reason I took pictures was for insurances purposes but he Pogo'ed like a pro and no medical bills followed.

Happy Holidays

We went to Heber Valley Girls Camp on New Years Eve with my parents, five sisters and their families. We stayed overnight in the (unheated) cabins. We played, ate and had one big poker tournament. On New Years Day we went sledding and ate some more. Curtis and Drake on the sledding hill.

Drake and Zac had to dig out the wood pile from about 3 1/2 feet of snow to get a fire started. Of course they had to dig out the fire pit also. So glad for teenage boys.


Mom and Dad

Some of the gang waiting on the back of a truck to be carted back up the sledding hill.

Kat and Ciara...they weren't much for sledding but they did add comic relief.

Drake and I on the way down. Not going as fast as Drake would've liked.

We had a great time with our family. The missionary caretakers came up in the morning to check on us and informed us that the low was -12 that night...burrrrrrr! We are thinking about St. George for next year...

This is my one Christmas picture. I decided to "Skip Chirstmas". Not entirely of course, but I simplified the decorations, did not make the huge Christmas Eve dinner, kept the shopping to a minimum and didn't even send out Christmas cards. Looking back, this picture was appropriate. I sort of feel like the Grinch! Next year it's back to full steam ahead Christmas! I found I missed the busy and memorable traditions I had skipped for the sake of simplification. I feel my heart growing two and a half sizes already.

Fall 2010

Curtis and Drake took a "Man Trip" with some friends and went to the BYU-Air Force Game in Colorado. They had great seats and a great time. Even though we lost. boo..


We got chickens! Yes -- I'm not sure why. No eggs yet... But they are eating alot of bugs and our dog is entertained.






Back to school time for the kids. (Yea!) Drake is in the 9th grade and Kat is in the 11th (!!)They really are growing up so fast. I love having teenagers.

Curtis went fishing for a few days with some friends to Lake Powell and caught Lots and LOTS of fish. Thankfully he didn't bring any home to cook:)

20th Wedding Anniversary

My sweet husband of 20 YEARS brought me a bouquet with 20 flowers in it. One for each year of marriage. He told me he choose yellow because it's been "Sunny"! awwww! We went to Ruth's Chris Steak House in Salt Lake and ate like there was no tomorrow. Twenty years has gone by so fast. I can still remember our wedding day so clearly. I was not nervous at all. I had my six sisters, one sister-in-law and one cousin in matching red dresses. Ahh, yes, they were the height of fashion. Red taffeta with a red lace overlay, big bows on the shoulders...I wonder if anyone still has one. My sister Julie played the piano for us and looking back it was hilarious. She was (and still is) a 'beginner' player. I think there was alot of cringing going on. I had my cedar chest on display with all my "trousseau " items in it. I still have that dusty pink Tupperware. We Honeymooned in Jackson Hole WY for a week.
20 Years is just the beginning. I love him so much. We are a great team. I can't wait for the next 20!

MORE Summer 2010

Scorpions/Tesla Concert - USANA 8/16/10

If its too loud, your too old!!!!!
Uh, yeah, it was pretty loud...but it was fun having a 1986 Flashback

Girls Camp - Heber Valley - 2010
Kat on the Challange Course

Kat enjoying camp. I got to go again this year and it was the best time ever. I love girls camp.

Drake went on a backpacking trip with Curtis and the YM

First half of Summer 2010

Basketball on the Driveway --Favorite Family Pastime


Well, So far our summer has consisted of basketball camps(4!) and scout camps. We have managed to hit the pool, the SnoShack, and all the Lehi Round-Up festivities but still had alot of just hanging around the house which is what I love about summer. No schedule! No school! and the heat, Oh the heat! I love it.


Fourth of July -- At our Family B-B-Q and Driveway of Fire Extravaganza

Forty - it's the new 30!

Top 5 Great things about turning 40:
5) Instant respect from complete strangers. They hold the door open for you and call you "Ma'am"
4) No one questions your need to take a cat nap at 3:00 in the afternoon
3) All the "cool" CD's are now in the $5 discount bin
2) Not worried if that crying baby is yours
1) Just that much closer to the AARP discount!!!

Wednesday is garbage day

Hey Look!! The garbage man came by today...

Winter Update

In place of actual journaling - I am doing "Family History" by Slide Show. Here is our winter, so far.

Drake and some friends spent a day at Grandpa Bronsons. They pressed some yummy cider. (Try it in the crock pot with a pork roast - YUMMY) and helped him burn a huge pile of branches. My Dad lives in north Lehi and feels that he should be able to burn any old time of year - just like the old days. The Lehi Fire Dept. didn't feel the same way. Dad was just glad that they were almost completly burned when the 2 fire trucks showed up at his house. Good times. Good times!

Katherine turned 16. That magical number where dating and driving become legal. Heaven help us!

Here is Grandma cutting her Birthday Pie - no cake for her. I can't believe she is 16. Where has the time gone?!? I love her so much and we are very proud of her.

We are a competitive family and love to play cards. We usually have a few hands of UNO or Phase 10 every day in the winter.


"Uhhh, I think he's cheating"

Christmas morning came and we had to force the kids out of bed (!)at 8:30.

Apparently Santa thought we were good girls and boys, because we all received lots of great gifts and treats. Finally awake and excited.

Christmas morning is a good reminder of how much we are blessed and lucky just to have each other.

I baked and cooked (and ate) way too much. I hope you had a Merry Christmas!!

BYU v UT

We had an awesome tailgate party for the BYU vs UT game with our family and friends. (Side note to Jason: you are #1!!)


Curtis' brother Doug, his wife Amber, and their kids, Madi, Bronson, Jackson and Carson came all the way from Washington to visit and see the game. We had a blast with them.




The food was great and the weather was amazing for the end of November in Utah. We are already looking forward to next year.

Thanksgiving

With so much to be thankful for this year - I will focus on my Grandmas good cooking and the pies waiting patiently on the washer and dryer. YUM! This my favorite part, just seeing all the food lined up - oh, the anticipation!


Drake and Bronson



I am so glad our "Washington Puzeys" came down to spend the weekend with us. Here we all are waiting for the feast to begin.



Mom and Dad Bronson


Katherine and her cousin Jade and Aunt Jolene. Looks like the tall genes skipped a few families!

MMA

MMA - Ever heard of it? Nope, me neither. It stands for Mixed Martial Arts. It's where grown men (and two women!) kick the crap out of each other in any way they can until one submits, or gets a compound fracture, or an eye kicked in, or irreversible kidney damage. I know, I know, "Why?" 'cause they're men.

Anyway, the MMA was having a brawl, er, a match - I don't know what it was but it was at the McKay Events Center at UVU and my men HAD to go. I was apprehensive...such violence and debauchery. Will they come home all violenced out? Will this have permenant effects on my impressionable 13-year-old? Will this lead to new and improved wrestling moves? Yes -- to the new moves...but WHO could they practice on...hmmmmmm. This is what a Saturday morning looks like at my house.


Don't worry PETA - Licorice was loving it





This is where I drew the line. When Licorice was declared the champ and set on my counter.