Spring is here! Yay!

Other than a day of yard work, yesterday was the first day I have been able to get out and really enjoy the nice weather we have been having. We went golfing with some good friends of ours. It was really fun even if I did have a couple of melt downs where I wanted to curse the name of golf forever. We all finished strong though and look forward to a summer of golf, tennis, and camping and hopefully moving into our new houses! :)

Happy Earth Day

I was planning on making an Earth Day post today, but I dont think I could say it better than my sister does, so I am just going to refer you to her blog. For a nice insight to Earth Day, click here, http://vanderlindenclan.blogspot.com.

P.S. We are trying to get rid of our pointless Toyota, so if anyone wants it, let me know! :)

When did this happen??

Isac, when did you go from being my sweet little baby nephew to this smart, grown up 10 year old??!!!

Today is my nephew, Isac's, 10th birthday! I can't believe how this time has flown by! Isac is my special little nephew that I was lucky enough to live with, help take care of, and watch grow up for a majority of his life and he seems like more of a little brother to me than a nephew. I know I don't get to spend as much time with him as I used to, but I want him to know that having him in my life has been one of the best blessings Heavenly Father has ever given me. I love him so much and I am grateful for the chance I have had to be his aunt. He just needs to stop growing up so fast!! It is funny because last week while I was going through stuff while packing I found a poem that I wrote back in high school after he was born. I thought it was so funny to read and also brought back a million memories from so long ago. I thought it would be fun to share. For all you writers out there, you can't make fun of my poor writing skills...I was only fifteen! :)

The Miracle of Life

The most amazing thing that I've ever witnessed took place when I was fifteen

I was awakened one Saturday morning by the sound of my sister's voice saying my name.

Selfishly I ignored her voice, trying to enjoy the pleasures of my own sleep

Although my brain was fogged I heard her make the call that meant it was time to go to the hospital.

After the rush of getting things ready to go we started on our way to Oklahoma City

We arrived and they got her settled in her room and prepared her for what was soon to come.

Thus begun "The Wait"; We were all nervous and excited for what had been anticipated for nine months.

Finally, after eight long hours of seeing my sister in pain, the moment had arrived

Joined by Chris, my Mom, and my other sister, Amy began giving birth to her son.

My dreams of ever having children were shattered after observing the head of my unborn nephew.

Contraction after contraction, push after push she successfully delivered her healthy baby into the world.

"He's here, he's really here. I can't believe it.", I thought in astonishment as we all stared in awe of the reality.

Ignoring the doctor's orders to get his blood circulating, we all stood and marveled at this wonderful creation.

Things settled down and order was restored as little Isac was passed from Mom to Dad to Wee-ma and then to his new aunt.

As I held my precious newborn newphew in my arms, I realized that I had just experienced the greatest miracle of all...The Miracle of Life.

-Arin Walker

I left my heart in San Francisco...again!

Well, San Francisco was amazing just like it has always been. We added a fun twist to the trip two days before we left, I decided to bring our 15 year old niece, Marissa, with me for the girls part of the weekend. It was so much fun sharing San Francisco with her and having some fun bonding time! She is just an awesome girl and has alot to offer everyone around her! The first few days with the girls were spent doing an unbelievable amount of SHOPPING! Some of the highlights of the trip include: shopping everywhere, eating at In-N-Out Burger, Fisherman's Wharf, walking through the neighborhoods and seeing all the cool homes, Lombard Street, taking a ferry to Sausilito, Chinatown, riding the cable cars, eating at Dottie's (most amazing cafe EVER!), enjoying the Marriott, and, my personal favorite, doing ALOT of people watching! Some note worthy things we saw: a woman helping her little daughter peeing on the side of the street, a woman yelling at us to take the next elevator b/c it was too full, men dressed as women, a woman stealing Marissa's bathroom stall and telling her, "Oh, Sweetie, I've gotta go!", alot of weird street people, two bums throwing punches over a Carl's Jr. breakfast sandwich, the frozen fish bins in Chinatown...many more things that I can't think of right now. It was nice after the girls left and I was able to spend the days cat napping and watching TV while Troy worked. It was such a fun trip and I was so happy to get to spend it with so many of my favorite people, even if I did spend way too much money on new clothes. After almost a week in the hustle & bustle and weird smells of the city, I was definately ready to come home and enjoy a little breathing room again. Now I get to look forward to moving and going home to Oklahoma!