My Amazing Family

I don't mean to brag, but I really do have an amazing family! I love them all so much, and enjoy watching them in their various activities and competitions. Here is a summary of what they have been up to the last couple months:

WRESTLING

Jade (junior) and Jens (freshman) both wrestled this year. Thy both did very well, and qualified for state, Jade in 3rd place and Jens in 6th. Lucy and I were able to travel up to UVU with my mom to watch them wrestle at state. Jens didn't place, but he did awesome considering he has been fighting two types of the flu, mono, and epson bar all season - plus, he is only a freshman! Anyway, Jade did a great job and placed 6th in the State. It was so much fun to watch them, a little tense at times, but fun! Good job guys!THE STUDS BY THE BRONCO WALL OF FAME

(JADE & JENS)

JENS (DOWN) AGAINST GRAND

JADE (ON TOP) AGAINST DOVE CREEK

MISSIONARIES

J.J. returned with honor after serving two years in Guatemala, and then just one month later Jesse entered the MTC. After 9 weeks of studying the gospel and the spanish language he will head to Sacramento, California where he has accepted a call to serve for two year as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. These two awesome young men shared a meeting, both giving incredible talks that edified all who were there to listen. Afterwards we had a super yummy dinner for friends and family at the Middle School. Best wishes to both of them in their future endeavors!THE ELDERS GROVERELDER J.J. GROVER, MEETING MISS LUCY FOR THE FIRST TIMEJJ AND HIS BEAUTIFUL GIRLFRIEND, TAMRA, AT THE DINNER AFTER THE MEETING

JESSE WITH ALL HIS NIECES AND NEPHEWS JUST BEFORE LEAVING FOR THE MTC

CHURCH BASKETBALL

Jens was the star of the 6th ward church basketball team this year, and they made it to the semi-finals! I was only able to watch one game, but he did great! He is the red guy (#3).

VOLLEYBALL

McKady is not going to be outdone by all these athletic brothers of hers! She was on the 7th grade volleyball team last fall, and is participating in JO Volleyball this spring. I was able to watch a few games, and I was very proud of her. She has improved so much in the last few years! Good Job McKady, it was fun to watch you play!

MCKADY AT THE NET #18

JUNIOR PROM

Well, we have a tradition in our family where the girls do what we call a "mixed up" breakfast for the boys and their prom group their Junior year. Jade was a junior this year, so we opened up the "Breakfast of Champions" kitchen for him and his group the morning of Prom. They were each given a menu where they chose from a list of sports items such as a football or running shoes; each item stood for a breakfast food, like pancakes or eggs. The best part about this breakfast is that they have no idea what they are ordering. Of course we let them order again after they receive the first round, just in case they got a bowl of cold cereal with no milk or something like that. You can see here that Jade, far right, is eating his breakfast with chopsticks, which is what he chose off the menu as a utincil. This was a fun group, and they were very good sports about it all. After breakfast we had them all put on the jersey that was on the back of their chair and pose for a picture - pretty good looking group, don't you think?

BACK: WHEELER HECK, KELLI MEYER, KENDRA PARKER, JADE GROVER

FRONT: HANS HURST, TISHA JACOBSON, JOLENE KIRK, TAYLOR FRANCOM

I was honored when my niece, Brielle, asked me to do her hair for her Junior Prom. It turned out great, and I think she was the most beautiful girl there! Thanks Brielle!

DON'T YOU THINK SHE LOOKS LIKE CINDERELLA?

The kids did a great job with Promenade, but my pictures were aweful, so I will spare you. However, I did get pictures of the royalty, since Brielle was the queen and Jade was the 1st attendant. Congratulations guys - you totally deserved that honor!

BRIELLE FRANCOM (QUEEN), WHEELER HECK (KING), JOLENE KIRK AND JADE GROVER (1ST ATT), KENDRA PARKER AND TALON JACK (2ND ATT), KELLI MEYER AND BEN ALDER (3RD ATT)

JADE AND HIS DATE KENDRA PARKER, ALSO HIS PROMENADE PARTNER

It was so much fun to see all the girls in their beautiful dresses, and the guys dressed up, trying to act like gentlemen. I was impressed with how many modest dresses there were - and I know they are not easy to find (or cheap) - good job girls!

BALLROOM DANCING

My brother Jordan is a student at BYU, and a member of their local ballroom dance team. They have performed a several local events in the Provo/Salt Lake area. He has also competed in some competitions, and done very well. I was so excited to be able to go watch him this last weekend. We missed the standard ballroom comptition that took place on Thursday, where he danced with his partner Natalie. But we were able to watch the Latin competition on Friday, where he competed twice with his partner Ruth. They did awesome, and it was so much fun to watch him dance, I could tell he really enjoyed it!

This is a type of dance that I am not very familiar with, but I LOVED it! Good job Jordan, and thanks for giving me the opportunity to watch!

MORE MISSIONARY NEWS

my nephew Taylor just got his mission call! Look out Seattle, Washington; you are about to get the fastest, most hard working missionary there is! Good luck Taylor, I know you will do awesome!

Nine months old - and on the GO!

Well, Lucy started crawling THE DAY she turned nine months old. Most babies start out with an army crawl, or a stink bug move to get around before they get the crawling motion, but not Lucy, for her it was all or nothing! She has been getting up on her hands and knees for over a month now, but then she would just sit there or rock back and forth, then go back to a sitting position. For the last couple weeks she has been moving backwards, just kind of pushing with her hands and sliding on her knees, but now she has finally got the forward motion! On February 16th when I got off work I set her down on the floor and started to build a fire, the next thing I knew she was coming up behind me. It was the cutest thing, almost like she was taking baby steps, but crawling. Of course I ran to get the video camera, and the battery was dead. By the time my battery had charged she had gained more confidence, and was crawling more normally, so I totally missed the first "steps"!Now that Lucy has figured out how to move herself around, she thinks she has to move ALL the time. She used to just lay there while I changed her diaper, but now she tries to roll over and get away. Also, if you are holding her while walking around and suddenly just stop, she starts grunting and leaning forward to indicate that you are supposed to keep moving. Lucy is also starting to climb up to things, and she loves to stand next to the table, couch, or her piano toy.
Lucy still loves to eat, but we have found some things she doesn't like, and I can't say that I blame her! Meat baby food is just nasty (I've never tasted it, but the smell is enough to make a person gag!), and green beans and peas are not too far behind. With her newfound freedom, she has tried eating some things besides food as well - mud, manure and small pieces of wood. Not that I TRY to let her eat these, she is just too fast and finds EVERY little spec on the floor! Thanks to this love of food, Lucy is growing like a weed! She now weighs 18 lbs, and has grown out of ALL of her clothes.
I am probably a little prejeduce, but I LOVE Lucy's eyes! They have stayed blue, and her lashes have grown thick, dark and long. Also, they are so expressive - even if she has her binki in, you can tell when she is smiling. Other than her beautiful smile face, she has some other cute faces too. When she gets really excited or worked up about something she makes a big 'O' face and makes the cutest little grunting noise in her throat. And when she wants to, she can make a cute little crusty face. Usually this happens when her Grandpa Grover is paying more attention to her cousin Aspen than to her. These two cute girls usually get along really well, until Grandpa walks in, and then the competition is on! It is really amazing that kids this young can be so competitive for the attention of someone. Lucy also does this cute little chuckle that seems to come from her throat - I haven't figured out how to mimick it, but it is SUPER cute!

Here are a few cute "Lucy" faces:

Lucy is a super good baby, and is happy most of the time. She is such a joy to have around!

Thanks so much to Candice and Suzie and ALL of my family for taking such good care of my kids while I am at work! It is so nice to know they are in good hands. I can't thank you enough!!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I was kind of a scrooge this year, and didn't plan on doing much for Valentine's Day. I got Stetson some Valentines to take to his friends at school, but that was about it. I probably would have forgotten all about it, except that Kenny's dad brought Lucy and I some beautiful flowers Sunday evening. I have to say this is probably one of my favorite things about being in the Black family. There has not been a Valentine's Day since I have been married that I didn't receive flowers from my father-in-law. Even when he was in Africa, he remembered to have flowers delivered to all his daughters, daughters-in-law, and granddaughters. I hadn't even thought that Lucy would get some this year. Thanks so much dad! The flowers are beautiful, but they mean so much more than that! We love you!

Then Kenny stepped up to the plate and cooked a SUPER yummy dinner for us on Valentine's Day - Steak & Shrimp. He did such a great job, I think HE should take over being the mommy for awhile.

Since Valentine's Day is the holiday of LOVE, I would just like to take this opportunity to send my LOVE out to ALL my wonderful family - you guys are the BEST!!!

I'm the Mommy

It was Sunday morning, and I was getting ready. I had my jewlery out, trying to decide what to wear, when Stetson came to "check" on me. He picked up my long black bead necklace and put it on. Then he said, "okay, I'm the mom". I thought that was pretty cute, so I decided to play along. "Oh good, this mommy needed a little break," I said. "Since you are the mom now, can you make breakfast?" "Sure", he said, strutting away like he was the COOLEST mom in the world. A few minutes later he said, "Dad, breakfast is ready." Of course Kenny thought he was talking to him, so he went into the kitchen. I could hear Stetson say, "you aren't the dad, mommy is." Laughing, I said, "so what's for breakfast, mom?" He came and got me and took me into the kitchen; there was a gallon of milk and a block of cheese on the table. By this time Kenny and I were both just rolling, but Stetson remained very serious. "Here you go," he said, and then left the room (I guess moms aren't supposed to eat).

Looking back on it, I realize that Stetson would probably eat cheese and milk for every meal and be perfectly happy. Oh that we could simplify our lives like little children. I am so thankful for all the things my kids teach me!

Welcome Home!

On February 3, 2011 the Grover family headed up to Salt Lake City to welcome home a missionary we had not seen for two years. All the kids were so excited to see Elder Grover again. Stetson got a little nervous with all those people around, but that was okay because he stuck close to mom and didn't get lost.Lucy was her happy self, waiting to meet J.J. for the first time. I think Kenny was more excited that anyone, he was really looking forward to having J.J. help him on the ranch!It seemed like we waited FOREVER after his plane landed for him to come down those stairs. But once we finally saw him, it was definately worth the wait! J.J. has been in Guatemala, and has fought with parasites and other strange diseases, so he was a little skinny - but other than that, I think he looks GREAT!I love this picture because it shows just how much J.J.'s nephews look up to him. Thanks for being such an awesome example Elder Grover! I'm sad this picture turned out fuzzy, but I wanted to include it anyway. It was definately a tearful moment when father and son reunited. And I think this is the happiest mom in the world! I've come to realize more and more what a sacrifice it is for moms to send their boys out into the world, but so worth it when they return with honor!These two boys grew up next door to each other, went to school and scouts together, and played on the same sports teams. Elder Josh Lyman spent two years in France and Elder J.J. Grover spent two years in Guatemala. How cool that they would arrive at the Salt Lake City airport, just four minutes apart from each other! It was great to see these friends reunite!We love you J.J.! Welcome home!

My wedding ring

So Kenny and I celebrated out 10th anniversary in November, and almost exactly a week later my wedding ring came up missing. Was this some kind of sign? Probably not. I had been thinking for the last couple months that I needed to take it in to get it resized because it was getting pretty loose. I should have stopped wearing it, but I didn't. I didn't tell Kenny that it was missing for a couple days because I was sure it would turn up somewhere. So after two days of secretly searching, I told him. I was half hoping he would smile and say, "Christmas is coming" (meaning he was getting it resized for me as a Christmas gift), but he didn't. We both searched everywhere we could think of, but no ring. I felt awful! Not so much because it was worth a lot of money, but because it was my wedding ring! I almost felt naked without it - what if people thought I wasn't wearing it on purpose, like we were having problems or something? I started looking at the cheap designer rings, just so that I would have SOMETHING to wear, but Kenny got all offended. I guess if I was wearing a cheap ring on my wedding ring finger it would make him look cheap, but I figured it was better than not wearing one, right?

Well, I held out, still hoping that my ring would turn up. Finally, when we were in Richfield for Region Drill and I found a designer ring at Wal-mart that I liked for $8, so I got it. And then, just two days later, at 5:00 in the morning, I was getting ready for the day and opened a little drawer if my jewlery box to get out a hair tie, and there it was!!! I was so happy and excited, I wanted to scream and yell, but since my family was all asleep I just celebrated quietly.

Now I am going to get my ring resized, then wear it with pride as I recommit myself to be a better wife.

Lucy is 8 months old!

Lucy is growing so fast! It seems like as soon as I get her some new clothes, they are already too small! She weighs 17 lbs, and has the cutest little rolls on her chubby legs. Lucy is usually happy, unless you try to put off meal time. This girl LOVES to eat! She is now eating baby food, along with cereal and formula. Her favorite is bananas, but she will eat almost anything. Lucy can get wherever she needs to go by rolling. She does get up on her hands and knees and rocks back and forth, but she hasn't figured out the crawling motion yet (and I'm not going to push her). Stetson has really been encouraging her, helping her to get to her hands and knees. Then, when he realizes she is not going anywhere, he stands her up and "dances" with her (it is so cute!). Lucy was pretty sick this last month, and after about three weeks of NO sleep, I finally decided to take her to the doctor. She had an ear infection, sinus infection, and wheezing in her lungs, so she got her first antibiotic. I am glad I finally took her in because she is doing much better now, and is back to waking up only once in the night - yay!Lucy LOVES her baths, and giggles and splashes the whole time. Here she is in her new towel, happy as can be!

Lucy has officially graduated from coming to work with mom (much to the dismay of my co-workers). I am so grateful to have WONDERFUL family members who are willing and able to take care of my kids while I have to be at work. Candice and Suzie each take two days a week, and so far it has worked out great! The kids LOVE going to their houses, and I know that they are being taken good care of. Thanks also to Kenny's parents and my parents for taking care of them on the weekends while I am gone for drill. I couldn't do it without you all - thanks again!

Plus, Suzie took some SUPER CUTE pictures of my kids - while she was tending them - can I say amazing?! Thanks so much Suzie! You do such a great job, I LOVE the pics!

Oh, another note about my beautiful Lucy Mae, she has the CUTEST laugh ever! The only bad thing is that she inherited the hiccup gene as well, so if she laughs too hard, she gets the hiccups. It's funny, and kind of sad, when her and Stetson get playing together and laughing really hard, and they both end up with the hiccups - poor kids!

Lucy is the sweetest baby ever, even when she doesn't feel well. She brings so much joy into my life - I love you Lucy!

Happy New Year!!!

Wow, is it really 2011? I remember when the year 2000 seemed far away, and now it is eleven years later - where has the time gone? I have to admit, 2010 was a pretty good year for me. I got a new addition on my house, and a new addition to my family - what more could a girl ask for? I'm not planning on any new additions in 2011, but you never know. I have set a few goals for myself, and hope to be a little better each day than I was the day before. I have so much to be grateful for, but most especially my family - all of them. You guys are the BEST! Thanks for always being there for me!

Well, we didn't get a white Christmas, but we did get a white New Year's. So on the last day of the year, the kids and I played in the snow. Stetson tried out his new snow shovel. . .. . . and there's my little snow bunnyStetson was trying to make a snow angel,so I made one to show him how - pretty good, huh?This year we celebrated the new year with my family. We ate yummy Chinese food - I even ate with chop sticks - and then played a super long game of BUNKO. I didn't win any prizes, but I did get three bunkos, a record for me! Then, to keep us all awake we played the dance game on my parents' new Wii. The winner of each round stayed in to compete against someone else. I am happy to report that I was the champion! I'm not happy to report, however, how out of shape I am! I was completely worn out after all that dancing, I guess I need to do it more often, I spend too much time sitting at a desk these days.

Well, that got us to midnight, and poor Stetson was fast asleep; he didn't even flinch when we all popped our confetti bombs and yelled and screamed. But Lucy, on the other hand was still going strong. She was wide awake and happy as can be to ring in her very first new year. What a woman, I think I was about 12 years old before I was awake to ring in the new year.The next morning we went over to Kenny's parents' house for a yummy New Year's Day breakfast. It was fun to see everyone and visit, even if we did have to leave for awhile to clean the bathrooms at the church. Later that day I took down the Christmas tree and decorations while Kenny and his dad worked on the tile in my bathroom - yay!!!

Best wishes to EVERYONE in 2011!