SWEET SIXTEEN

"Sweet" for sure! "Never been kissed?" hmmm

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TYLER

More Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Cake...

Tyler got a new TV for his bedroom - one with a power button!

Now when we can't find the remote it can still be turned off...

A few things about Tyler at 16 -He's way into snowboarding, wakeboarding, video games like Halo3 and RockBand, and hanging out with friends WHENEVER he gets the chance!

Tyler is a great son, brother & friend...We love his fun-loving personality! I am so grateful everyday that he is my son. We have a really great relationship and I know that time flies by so fast, it doesn't seem like 16 years, all of a sudden he will be gone on a mission! But, while he is still at home - I'll make sure to treasure every day that goes by!

I love that smile - and those eyes...

And the Obsession Continues...

After the show in Mesa Tuesday night -

with "Link, Tracy & Seaweed"!

Jessica, Mackenzie, Megan & Emma with "Amber"

"Seaweed & Penny"

"Motormouth Maybelle"

Mama, I'm A Big Girl Now!

Well, Jessica's 19 years old! Holy cow - how old does that make me?

We won't talk about that...
For her birthday she and some of her friends - (and me, Courtney and some of our friends) went to see "HAIRSPRAY" at the Orpheum in Phoenix. Jessica and her friends went out to dinner first at Rigatony's and then to the show. Everyone had a great time - even the boys admitted they at least "liked" the show!

Brooke, Jessica, Matt, Garrett, Talmage, Adam, Katelin, Taylor & Craig

We Love Link!

The Boys with Tracy You Can't Stop The Beat!!
Lexi, Courtney, Kylie, Brekyn, Emma & Rachel all loved the show too!
On Sunday for her birthday, we had her favorite dinner- tacos, at home. And let's not forget the traditional Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream cake from Baskin Robbins that we love so much!!

She got a sparkly accoustic guitar for her birthday - maybe next year for Christmas Eve, Jessica and Kristen can play us a duet or two!

Our Annual Utah Ski/Snowboarding Trip

Every year for a few years now, the Skousen family has gone on a ski/snowboarding trip to Utah the week after Christmas. We barely have time to even gets the presents put away and off we go on our trip! Most of the family goes. Even Grandpa and Grandma... Jessica didn't go with us this year - she hates the cold and is moving to Provo in February, so she didn't want to have any extra "cold time". The rest of us all started our drive to Salt Lake City early on the 26th of December. We don't usually get there very fast - lot's of different cars with lots of people needing to go potty - makes for kind of a long trip. But, the kids all have a fun time riding in eachother's cars.
We got there on Wednesday night, and Thursday morning we were off to the slopes at Brighton! Courtney and Tatum wanted to learn to snowboard this year, so they were in a lesson - for the first time in a while! Rachel, Kyla, Max and Maggie were also signed up for lessons!

Courtney and Tatum - first time on the chairlift on a snowboard.

Maggie in her "skiiving" lesson...

The first day at Brighton was so freezing cold, we could hardly stand it...(the parents anyway) The kids seemed to be just fine - they happened to be the very last ones off the hill that day.

Rachel, Kyla, Alli, Emma, Dillon & Courtney - the last to leave the hill. Kyla & Rachel
Dillon & Rachel

Emma, Alli, Rachel and Dillon going on the chairlift Courtney - 2nd Day

Rich, Dillon, Tatum, Courtney, Kelli, Alli & EmmaDave the "Abominable Snowman"

Courtney & Tatum - 3rd Day

Max on the "Magic Carpet"

Dillon and Max

Tyler, Haley, Robert & Shannen

We pretty much only saw Tyler if he was hungry or too cold. On the last day, he was out all day with Robert, Shannen, Richie, & Haley. They had a great time and didn't want to quit at the end of the day, even though it was snowing so hard you could hardly see.

All of the families stayed at the Hilton in Salt Lake. It's really fun for the cousins to be together up at the mountain and at dinner at night and to just hang out together. Probably one of the favorite parts was the swimming pool at the hotel. The kids loved swimming after a long cold day and I for one "needed" the jacuzzi! Dillon dared Tyler to go outside and get some snow - after that, they didn't stop. They were doing snow angels outside and running back into the pool. Looked like total fun! I'm sure it was more like total crazy! I hope we didn't leave that door propped open!!

Skousen Family Christmas Eve

We sure had ourselves a Merry Little Christmas!

Our family is so blessed. We had such a great Christmas this year,

as we always do...

We started out Christmas Eve at my parents house for our traditional Christmas Eve dinner. We had a yummy dinner and then enjoyed a great talent show from all the neices and nephews, well, most of the anyway, and of course dad on the accordian! We were blessed to be able to spend Christmas Eve with Grandpa Neil this year. He came with us to dinner and was able to spend some time with all of the family. After the talent show, we sang some songs together, watched a fantastic slide show about Christ that Kristen put together, and then we exchanged presents. My kids always look forward to this, they get a special ornament from Grandma and Grandpa every year and they love to hang them all on the tree. It's fun to look back and see all the different years ornaments.

Christmas morning is always so exciting...Dillon was calling us at 6:00 a.m. from upstairs asking if he could wake everyone else up! So, we met them at the stairs and started the craziness!

We hope everyone had as great a Christmas as we did and pray that all that we know and love have a fantastic 2008!

WHAT WERE WE THINKING?

Jessica & Cameron have been wanting to go SKYDIVING for a while now and have had trouble getting a date and time when they could both go. Well, they finally got scheduled for Thursday, December 13th and they were really excited to go. Jess wanted me to go down to Eloy with her to watch and take pictures from the ground. So I went with them and after we watched the "SCARY" safety video Jessica asked if I could jump too. The lady said sure, no pressure though...

Well, after some prodding by Jessica and Cameron, I decided I would at least fill out the paperwork. Then I decided to go ahead and pay. I could still get my money back - until I had the pack on! We went out to the observation field and saw some of the jumpers coming in and it looked so fun and the landings looked so soft and easy - it was making it easier to say I'd do it. I still almost went to get my money back probably at least 5 times in that 1/2 hour.

I ended up with the pack on - now I for sure at least lost my money, but I wasn't on the plane yet! That's when you're in the "no going back zone"...After I met with my instructor, Jay, I felt pretty good, he said he jumps a couple thousand times a year, sometimes more than 10 times a day! We marched over to the plane and on we went!

Jessica was the first one on, which meant she was going to be the last one out! There were 20 jumpers total on the plane. The three of us tandems with our instructors, our three photographers and then 11 solo jumpers. My stomach was getting so sick on that plane with butterflies! They talked to all of us at 7000 feet and told us we were half-way up. They asked us how we were, and I flat out told them "Umm...not good, but I'm ready!" They got us all hooked up to them - and it felt pretty secure and tight to me, then he just started scooting us over to the open door where everyone was flying out! There was literally no going back - he got to the open door and rocked twice and then we were flying!

I was so scared, I think all I did was scream "Oh My Gosh, what did I do?" over and over! During the free-fall you go about 120 miles per hour. I guess it lasts about a minute - which seemed like an hour, I swear! Jessica said she loved it! You can tell, by the smile on her face.

Then the instructor gives you the pull signal and you grab onto the golf ball and "PULL". Both Jessica and I got to pull our own parachutes out. Jay let me pull on the straps and we started spinning to the left - then to the right! That's when my stomach was going to lose it...

They told us there would be no rollercoater dropping feeling - they forgot to mention the "teacup" spinning feeling, which I hate!

I got down to the ground and was so proud of myself for doing it and seriously I thought it was fun - but I don't think I'll do it ever again. Jessica got down to the ground and the first thing she said was "That was so cool - I want to go again!"

You can watch the video's of our jumps at: www.skydiveaz.com

Click on 1st time jumpers then view video - 12/13/2007