Holy Toledo!

Wow! The other night we went to the mother of all awards banquets. It was 5 HOURS long! The Academy Awards has nothing on the Mission Hills Football program for awards ceremonies. Granted, we did have dinner, but that only took about a half hour. I realize that a football team has a ton of players and for the most part the proceedings were pretty interesting but it was hard on the bum and the bladder to sit there for 5 HOURS. Since there are so many players on a team and they play a lot of different positions it's kind of hard to just give out the usual 3 or 4 awards so our coaching staff decided to go the other way and give out about a million. I was wondering how they would honor the many players who contributed so much to our season with only a couple of awards like best defensive player, offensive player and MVP. There were just too many good players who needed to be recognized so they came up with some really intricate titles for their awards. My favorite was "Best Sophomore to Play on the Defensive Line". What was so funny was that there was only one sophomore who played on the defensive line. He was the best of....1, himself. He definitely deserved recognition but I thought it was funny the lengths the coaches had to go to to create recognition. Since we had an amazing running back and tight end who deserved every good thing we could give them, I wondered what, if anything, they would give Hunter. He had a really good season but he's only a junior and these other two guys were amazing and they are seniors. They got MVP and Offensive Player so they invented one for Hunter, "Outstanding Junior". I was happy but my competitive sons thought he should have gotten "Co-Offensive Player". That's o.k. There's always next year. It will take me that long to recover from this incredibly loooooong ceremony. Thank heavens I only have to do it one more time!

Only a few more days!

In just a few more days my whole family will be together again! I'm so excited. I love my family. I can't wait to see my sweet baby, Ava. She is sitting up all by herself. She laughs and smiles constantly. Still no hair but I don't care. Also, my second child graduates from college. Way to go, Kyle! It only took 250 years because of little distractions like a mission and basketball but it's finally here. I didn't graduate from college so I have the utmost respect for those who do. I'm very proud of Brandon, who has a master's degree, and now Kyle, who has a bachelor's degree. You guys are my heroes and your twin brothers aren't far behind you. Keep plugging along guys. It'll come. I'm also very proud of Tanner for being brave enough to have a child while going to college. Very scary but very worth it. He's going to school fulltime and working his head off so his wife can stay home and take care of their baby but it's working and he is getting blessings by the ton for doing it. I'm proud of you, Nan! You're the man! I can't wait to have all of the Mighty Moores under one roof in just a week and a half. As the Grinch and Flan are fond of saying, "Oh Martha! Oh Christmas!"

It's over...but what a ride!

Well, our season is over but I'm totally O.K. with it. We lost 28-7 but the score looks worse than it really was. We fought like demons and held them to nearly nothing until they broke through on a couple of plays. Of course, they fought like demons too and held us to less. They said we were the toughest team they've played all year. My son is battered and bruised but certainly not broken. I am so proud of him I can't really find the words. He got slammed to the ground on his left shoulder early in the game and was hurting the rest of the game but no one in the stands could tell. The picture on the front page of the paper today pretty much tells the story. He spent most of the game either running for his life or trying to get off a pass really fast. His line fought hard but that Polynesian (translate - V E R Y T O U G H) blood runs hot. Hunter showed no fear and didn't back down at all. I have the utmost respect for him and every other quarterback to ever play the game. The pressure is incredible. He's not just "one" of the receivers or "one" of the linemen. He's "the" quarterback. He is amazing though, always as cool as the other side of the pillow. You would never know he gets nervous at all. I love our team and I was very proud of them. The emotions ran freely (translate - tears) after the game. That was the last time this team will ever play together and after all the hours they have spent practicing and playing, they really are a band of brothers. I'm so glad we have one more year to enjoy this. Maybe more. Some college coaches have started to express interest. Can you say Colorado St. and Oregon St.? Now it's on to basketball. I love high school sports. Go Grizzlies!

What?

Today in our local paper they had a big article about the game tonight. They were going over the strengths and weaknesses of each team and putting out predictions, etc. Right in the middle of the article they wrote that the #6 team and the #7 team play tonight for the right to face Oceanside in the final at Qualcomm. Oceanside? Has this game been played yet? We were so mad. Terrible journalism. Unbelievable that they would write that when the game hasn't even been played. I hope so bad that we beat them and then the paper will have to eat crow for a year. The only good thing was that Oceanside's coach said our quarterback is dangerous and scary. My little baby-faced boy, dangerous and scary? You betcha! Especially after that stupid newspaper writer screwed up so bad. Tear 'em apart, Grizzlies!!!

Texting

I love texting. I'm so glad it was invented and that I finally learned how to do it. It is so handy for talking to multiple people at the same time. When I am giving a play by play of Hunter's games to his three brothers in Utah I only have to write things one time and all three get the messages. Unfortunately I am kind of slow and so when things get going fast and furious during the games or I get overly emotional I just throw my phone at my 13 year old daughter and say "Take over!" The Utah boys get a kick out of the texts that say, "Hi, it's Sav. Mom is bawling so I'm taking over". She is much faster than I am. I also like to personalize my messages and sometimes they can be confusing. I texted Alana "How are my two favorite girls who live in Provo?" (meaning her and Ava, Michelle lived in Orem at the time). She saw Michelle later that day and said, "Did you get the text from Dyanna?" (She thought I meant her and Michelle). Michelle hadn't gotten that one because she didn't live in Provo so Alana was confused and thought she had hurt Michelle's feelings. It all got straightened out after a few good laughs. I also love it that the boys can text me during work or school and stay in touch with me. They aren't big talkers so it's hard to get them to call me but by being able to send little messages we are able to keep up with each others lives. I'm so glad I was born in this day and age when everything is so cool!

MVP!

We had the middle school volleyball awards banquet at our house last night and my baby girl won most valuable player along with her best friend! I'm so proud. She was the varsity setter and she had the team record for most serves. The coach said some very nice things about her like how naturally athletic she is and how she will go far in sports but the only thing that Van heard and cherished was when the coach said how sweet and kind she always is. That's what my daughter wants to be known for! What an angel. I have been so lucky with my kids being gifted in athletic ability because that goes a very long way toward building self esteem which is huge for teenagers. I have been very spoiled because I don't have to work hard finding things for them to excel at so they can feel good about themselves. The Lord took care of that part for me. All I have to do is cheer them on and I LOVE doing that. Now on to basketball in the spring and then we are done with middle school sports forever!

Oceanside

Well, we squeaked by Grossmont last weekend (35-7) in our first playoff game and now we face the mighty Oceanside Pirates for the semifinal game. They haven't lost a game in almost 3 years. They are large, talented Polynesian brethren who are very used to winning. Sounds like David and Goliath you say? Not hardly. The Mission Hills Grizzlies are no slouches at 9-2. We have just as much chance of winning this game as they do. I did pause for a moment though when I read an article on the guy who is supposed to take my son's head off every play. He is the defensive player of the year for our county and he is very large and very talented and very Polynesian. Luckily I continued reading until I got to the part where his future plans include a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Whew! How mean could he be if he's a potential elder right? Just in case, I told Hunter to go up to him before the game starts and introduce himself as Brother Moore. Just a little insurance :) If we win this game we get to play in Qualcomm Stadium for the championship. Go Grizzlies!

Wonderful Week

I had a wonderful week with the fam. Saw a great movie (The Blind Side), had really good Thanksgiving food, lost a million card games to my kids, watched my boys play football in the annual Turkey Bowl (they won), saw BYU beat Utah, watched Hunter win his first playoff game and go undefeated on our home field for the whole season and even got a little rain! Loved sitting in my decorated living room playing Nertz with Van and Shell while the fire was roaring and the rain was pouring. I have so much to be thankful for.

Traditions

My family totally cracks me up. We have an annual tradition of putting up the Christmas lights the day after Thanksgiving. This has evolved into a hilarious undertaking. The one-liners fly fast and furious. This year Pat came up with a goody. I was filming the fiasco and Pat was saying that we always put the most expendable child on the top of the ladder. He proceeded to announce that Kyle has been at the top of the ladder for several years now. Kyle nearly ended up at the bottom of the ladder because he was laughing so hard. Everyone has their assigned job and they all take them very seriously. Hunter is supposed to lay all the strands out and then stand around trying to look busy which he does very well. Logan tests the lights to see if they work and then Dad hands them up to Kyle to put on the house. Tanner does a great job of blustering about and seeming important while essentially doing nothing and Brandon doesn't even pretend to do nothing, he just does it. This year he didn't even come outside to watch. Me and Savannah hang the lights on the fence and this year Michelle helped us. We were done in record time (girls). Tanner and Alana didn't get to come down this year and we missed them. I love this tradition and hope it lives on for many years to come.

Christmas already?

I'm a little embarrassed to admit that my house is almost totally decorated for Christmas and it's only the middle of November. I usually don't start until the day after Thanksgiving but this year a little voice kept calling to me to decorate NOW. This little voice started in on November 1st when the time changed and it started getting dark earlier. I tried to ignore the voice but it kept coming back louder and louder until I finally gave in and started decorating in the first week of November. By the way, the voice's name is Hunter. Since he only has one more Christmas after this living in our home I gave in. Now, mind you, decorating for Christmas in this house is not a couple of hours event. It takes me days to get everything just right. So, I figured that since it's such a big production I might as well start early and enjoy it a little longer. I'm glad I did. We love snuggling up at night in front of a puzzle and football video games and just enjoying the spirit of Christmas, even though it's not even Thanksgiving yet. I'll save the tree and the outside lights for after Thanksgiving but for now, Merry Christmas from the Moores!

Oh...My...Gosh!!!!!

Last night I watched one of the most exciting comebacks in high school football. My son engineered it! I can't tell you how proud I am of him and how much I respect him. He's a 16 year old boy and he brought grown men to tears, literally, last night. I know that sounds silly but it really happened. I, of course, was bawling my head off. We played a very cocky, very physical team that we don't have great feelings for (OK, I'll say it, Escondido) and we beat them 31-28 in the last 31 seconds. In past years our varsity team has had a lot of trouble beating them and hasn't done it very often. I have a feeling that Hunter's last drive to score will be known throughout our town as "The Drive" for quite a while to come. He had a 75 yard touchdown run that tied us up and gave us our first inkling of hope for a possible victory. We were down 28-24 and he started marching us down the field. He almost got sacked several times but scrambled for his life and made such amazing throws to such not wide open receivers that the whole crowd was on their feet and several were actually crying. It was so amazing to see a young boy fight so hard and make such great decisions to pull out this win that the air was electric. Afterwards some of our toughest players' dads came up to Hunter and told him that they actually cried because of the overwhelming emotion of seeing such a performance. My boy grew up a ton last night. I have to say that I like the San Marcos type of wins (aka blowouts) better because they are way less stressful but the aftermath of a very hard win like this is infinitely more satisfying. I love my town, I love my team, I love my son! Go Grizzlies!!

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

After making up my son for Halloween last night I was struck by the contrast of a couple of days before. Is it really true that you can't judge a book by it's cover? I'm not so sure. People put their "covers" on for that very reason, so you will know who they are. Interesting....

Super Studette

My girl is a stud. She is the perfect combination of boy and girl. She is a tall, elegant, blonde haired, blue eyed beauty who can put most boys her age to shame in the athletic department. She got all of her dad's athletic ability and her mom's long legs. She is the starting setter on the 8th grade volleyball team and she is awesome! She can serve like no other and her sets are near perfect most of the time. I am in awe of her. If she had her dad's disposition and not her mom's she could be truly great. Pat is much more confident and aggressive in sports than I am. Savannah has the "Miles" personality of being gentle, kind and humble to a fault. Luckily, those are the traits she will need to be a successful mom and she will be a mom waaaaaay longer than she will be a volleyball player. I'm loving watching her perform in the athletic arena for now and know that what she learns there will benefit her for the rest of her life. You go, girl!

Hallelujah!!!

It's over! After 15 years I am finally done with Boy Scouts! Yippee! Yahoo! My last son was awarded the position of Eagle Scout last night and I am so happy and relieved and excited and...well, you get the picture. I can't count how many hours my husband and I have put into helping our 6 sons achieve Eagle. And we are finally done! I'm giddy. The Young Womens Personal Progress Program looks like a walk in the park now, mainly because I only have to go through it ONCE. Oh joy! No more merit badges, no more scout camps, no more sewing on patches and no more Eagle projects. I'm dancing a jig right now as I type. I'm immensely proud of my sons and all the hard work they put into earning these awards. Excuse me while I puff out my chest a little and proclaim that ALL of my sons are Eagle Scouts. That was so fun to say. Way to go, Moore boys! You da men!

Families

I've been pondering on the dynamics of families lately. Everyone is born into one and then most people create another one and then that one starts creating other ones. Who do we actually belong to and how do we loosen the ties to the other ones?

I had a really good childhood as far as I can remember (which, with my Halfs-Heimers isn't very far). I thought of my family as very close. My brothers and sisters were my best friends, my mom and dad were very cool and very good looking so I was really proud of my family and thought we were really tight with each other. I didn't think I could love anyone as much as I loved them. As we grew up our differences were magnified more and more. Now that we are all grown we are still pretty good friends but we don't really hang that much with each other.

I have spent my entire adult life loving the family that I created with my wonderful husband and I am now quite positive that I could never love anyone as much as I love them. We are way closer than my first family. As they grow up, though, their differences from each other are standing out more and more. They are still great friends but they are discovering that they can love someone even more than they love each other.

This is actually God's plan but it can be a little painful letting go and going backwards as my family slowly shrinks back down to eventually being what it was in the beginning, me and Pat. In the end, we really only have our eternal companions. We go from being the center of our childrens' lives to being a bit player who is still greatly loved but definitely not who their lives revolve around. Thank heavens I picked a great partner.

Holidays are the times when these changes really stand out the most for me. The days of having everyone in our home for the holidays are pretty much gone. I have children in just about every walk of life right now. I have grown children who live at home, college students, married children, a missionary and some who still depend on me at home.

The oldest is definitely old enough to be out on his own but because of changes in his choice of careers he has taken a little longer to get where he wants to be job-wise. He is very pleasant and no trouble at all but a little part of me wants him to experience the joy of being on his own and starting a family.

The almost college graduate will be back home in a couple of months and isn't really sure what he wants to do with his life career-wise so I worry about him a little. I also want him to experience the joy of being a husband and father.

The married kids are very happy with their little families and so am I even though I occasionally (OK, frequently) miss having them in my home. I know they are experiencing the same joy I have felt for 28 years but I still miss them.

I miss my missionary like crazy. I know that now that he has gone on his mission, the next time I see him he will be a full grown 21 year old man. He will never be my baby boy again and even though I've gone through that 5 times it doesn't get any easier.

My high schooler is fun and challenging and part of me is thrilled that I still get to go through this fun time with more kids and part of me is kind of weary of doing this.

Thank heavens I had a girl for my last child. I never and I mean NEVER wanted a girl. I thought they were way too much work and I didn't want her to feel some of the feelings I felt about my mom growing up which I'm sure are very normal for every girl. I'm so glad the Lord knew better. She is the joy of my life. She is my best girlfriend and I can't imagine ever fighting with her. I have learned so many things from my relationship with my own mom and by watching others with their daughters and I am determined to have a wonderful relationship with my daughter for our whole lives. Plus, I know she will never completely leave me even when she gets her own family. Little girls will always need their mothers to be in their lives to some degree.

So, as painful and as wonderful as it may seem, in the end it's just me and Pat and the more I think about that, the happier I get. If my children could love their spouses even half as much as I love their dad then they will be the happiest people in the world.

My Sweet Baby Girl

I went to Utah last week to see my little granddaughter and had a blast. She is 4 months old now and smiles constantly. She still has no hair but she is adorable. I love her to pieces. I wish she lived closer.

Kymimo

Yesterday was my little boy's birthday. He is 26 years old now and not very little at all. He is 6'4" tall and has HUGE muscles. How well I remember, though, 26 October conference weekends ago when he finally (after being 6 days late) showed up. It was at 6:10 p.m. on conference Sunday. Everything about his pregnancy was wonderful and nothing about his birth was wonderful (except him, of course). There were massive complications to getting him out and I can honestly say that he has caused me the most pain of all of my children, bar none. Luckily all that ended at his birth. Since then he has given me nothing but joy and happiness. Of course a mother is entitled to selective memory but, really, Kyle Miles Moore has been the epitomy of his scripture alter-ego, Captain Moroni. You can't get closer or hold tighter to the rod than Kymimo. He is brimming with integrity, kindness, obedience and goodness. Now if I could just find a wonderful young lady that he could shower these attributes on I could die a happy woman. He will graduate from BYU in December and then...??? I'm quite sure the Lord has wonderful things in store for Kymes, I just can't wait to see what they are! Anyway, thank you son for being such a fun, entertaining and terrific child to raise. Happy Birthday and I love you Moore than anything in the whole wide world!

Nash

My daughter and I went to the Miley Cyrus concert with 2 very fun girls. Nikki Nielsen and Ashleigh Tanner are best friends and are always together so I am going to start calling them "Nash" (Nik and Ash, get it?) I love these girls. They are half my age and Savannah is half theirs so we make quite a diverse bunch. Somehow, we all relate to each other though. They are the sweetest, funnest girls and I just love being with them. We have a lot in common. You might wonder where I would find girls who are young enough to be my daughters to hang out with. Nikki is my daughter-in-law's sister-in law and Ashleigh is friends with all of my sons. They are so mature and such good role models for my real daughter. We have had so much fun watching Hannah Montana concerts on T.V. with 3-D glasses and dancing around in my living room. We play Catch Phrase and do puzzles during the holidays. I love having them over to my house and now I love going to concerts with them. I hope we do it a lot more. Nik is already part of my family so now I need to work on getting Ash in there. I still have a few single sons :) Nash forever Moore!

Goodbye Hannah, I Miss You :(

Well, she never said it was a "Hannah Montana" concert. And it definitely wasn't. I guess I now know that it was Hannah Montana I loved and not Miley Cyrus. Me and two friends took my 13 year old daughter to see Miley Cyrus in concert last night and we all came home sad, disturbed and thinking we had just wasted a lot of money. I guess it wasn't really Miley's fault since we were the ones who expected something else. The whole time I was watching her I was thinking, "Are her parents watching her right now?" "What could they possibly be thinking?" There she was, a 16 year old girl wearing nearly nothing, shaking her body in ways no 16 year old girl should know how to shake and screaming rock and roll lyrics at decibal levels that may have permanently damaged sweet Emmerson Claire's ears. No sign of Hannah anywhere. I felt bad for the scared little kids in the audience who were probably wondering where Hannah Montana was. Again, not her fault as she never said it was a "Hannah" concert. I will be much more careful the next time I consider taking myself or my daughter to a concert. The whole way home I couldn't help but be very grateful for a church that espouses very different values than the ones I saw last night. I'm pretty sure that my beautiful Mormon girl would rather die than ever be seen doing those things, in those clothes, in public or anywhere else. So I guess I will have to be content with watching Hannah Montana reruns on T.V. Sniff, sniff. Goodbye Hannah, I miss you:(

The First Law of Heaven

On my walk today the thoughts that ran through my head seemed to form themselves automatically into a blog post :) So, here I am up on my soapbox (and at my height this is a dizzying feat). I was thinking about certain friends and family members of mine who are not very happy right now and why that might be. My first thought was that they were not being completely (or in some cases not even remotely) obedient to the things they have been taught. Obedience is the FIRST law of heaven. First being most important and having the most weight. What is obedience? Back in the day the people needed the Law of Moses to guide them because they just weren't quite there in understanding the spirit of the law. They had to have the letter of the law and believe me they utilized every letter of every alphabet known to man. They measured steps and had a law for every breath they took and were instructed down to the nth degree on everything they were supposed to be doing. Guess what? We are waaaayyyy beyond that now. We are so advanced and so cool and so "above" all that that we now have a higher law. This means that we are supposed to be able to understand "why" guidelines are given to us not just that they "are" given. So when we just barely keep the laws as we choose to interpret them, it looks like we are really chafing at those laws and are not really understanding the purpose of why they were given. We are just obeying because we are scared not to. When we drink every caffeinated drink except coffee and tea or wear immodest clothing right up until the day we go to the temple or use words that sound so much like swear words that they have the same meaning then we are showing that we don't really understand the principles of good health, purity and modesty and Christlike thoughts and language, we are just fulfilling the letter of the law so we don't get into trouble with our parents or our church. I submit that when we fully understand and live the law of obedience out of a true desire to receive the blessings waiting for us by doing so that then is the only time we can truly be happy. If we think about the purpose and love behind the law, we might see it in a different light and live it in a different way. As an added bonus we might help the Mormons keep that wonderful reputation of being a "peculiar" people.

I Love My Job

Can you tell I'm in the mood to chat? After reading a friend's blog I was reminded, once again, of how much I love my job. I am a stay at home mom and it is my favorite job in the whole wide world. I've loved it since the day I got it which was on February 25, 1982. I won't be silly and say that I've loved every single minute of it because early on there were several minutes when I was not so happy and might have even been a little bored but overall I wouldn't trade it for any other job. I happen to believe that it has been the absolutely most important way I could spend my time while on this earth. It has been challenging, overwhelming at times, frustrating and monotonous but the end result has been so rewarding and has brought me such joy that I couldn't imagine spending my time on anything else. The other thing I've noticed is how short of a time it has been. I've completely raised 5 children and almost completely raised the last two and it went by in a blink! I still have plenty of time to do all the things I thought I wanted to do while I was raising them. Pretty soon I will have so much free time I will probably need to be put into a loony bin because I won't know what to do with myself. Every sacrifice was worth the relationships I now have with my kids and husband. Looking back it seems like such a small amount of time and effort even though I know it was huge in both areas. 27 years and counting! Thank you, my dear husband, for making it possible for me to stay home and raise our babies to the best of my ability. I will always be grateful to you for that blessing.

What??

Some other things I love are the BYU Cougars and the Oakland Raiders. Most people who know us know that we are Mormons and so the Cougar thing is pretty much automatic and very understandable. The Raider thing? Not so much. Everyone says, "How can you be Mormons and like the Raiders?" Simple. They are our "home boys". Pat and I grew up in Santa Rosa, CA which was the training grounds for the Raiders for years. We lived through their glory days and ALL of their Super Bowl wins (something Charger fans have yet to experience) and when you go through stuff like that with a team there is a bond formed that holds you together through the tough times (which are happening right now) as well as the good times which we know are coming back someday (maybe when Al Davis passes on to the next life? or when someone teaches Jamarcus Russell how to throw an accurate pass?) Anyway, as long as the silver and black are around we will be diehard Raider fans. Just win, baby!

Mama's Boy

I'm going to start thinking of and writing about the things that make me happy. One of those things comes to my mind right away. On Fridays I help other football moms serve lunch to the varsity football players at Mission Hills High School. There are almost 70 football players and maybe 7 or 8 moms who help out. I know a lot of these moms and I know that they are very close to their sons. They come to all the games and I even hear their sons tell them they love them and speak very respectfully to them. Something that has never been cool for a teenage son to do in front of his friends though is give his mom a hug. Hunter and I are single-handedly trying to change that without even really thinking about it. Hunter is the quarterback of his team and although not a captain because he's only a junior, he is still a leader and an example to the rest of the team. After every lunch he comes up to me and gives me a kiss, a huge hug and tells me he loves me. I hope that by his example some of his teammates will not be afraid to show affection to the mothers that I know they love. Hunter is a very good boy and he makes me very happy.

Big-Game Hunter

Holy smokes! What a game! I am still walking on air. I can't believe this is happening to us. All my fears were for naught. We KILLED San Marcos. It was 49-12 and they only got the 12 on our 17th string defense. Hunter was magnificent. He threw a school record 4 touchdown passes and rushed for another touchdown. He had 306 yards and completed 11 out of 12 passes. I'm in shock. He got interviewed by The North County Times, The Union Tribune and The Prep Pigskin Report. We had a ton of our dearest friends and family in the Sky Box with us cheering their heads off. The next day was like Christmas morning when we opened the newspaper. There was a huge headline on the sports page that said "Big-Game Hunter". I was freaking out. They had a big article about him and he was the passing leader for the week too. I feel like I'm in a dream. I'm so happy that all of his hard work is starting to pay off and that he is still in one piece. Next week is Eastlake. We'll see if the magic can hang on for one more week.

The Big Time

Friday night is Hunter's first home game as a varsity quarterback. It would be scary even if we were playing someone we don't know anything about or don't care about. The whole idea of playing in front of the home crowd just makes me nervous for him. But, of course, we aren't playing just some "no-name" that doesn't matter and that is located so far away that none of their fans would come. We are playing the 6th annual Discovery Bowl against our archrivals: San Marcos High School which, in case you didn't know, is located right in our own city. These are boys that Hunter has played against or with his entire life so they have quite a rivalry going on. We have won this game every year we have played it except for the first year when our new high school didn't have any seniors and we almost won that too! So, no pressure. That means that pretty much the entire city will be in our stadium (O.K. I might be exaggerating a little tiny bit). As if that wasn't enough, it will also be Pop Warner night which means that all the little Pop Warner football teams and their families will be there (maybe I wasn't exaggerating!) It is also September 11th AND some Charger cheerleaders are coming to shake their booties for our fans. But the icing on the cake is that the very popular Prep Pigskin Report from KUSI will be filming the whole entire game as the North County Game of the Week! Kill me now! Does anyone know what a very slow heart attack feels like? Well, I'm in one right now. Two of my three sons are coming down from Utah to watch us hopefully kill their alma mater and they will be cheering for OUR side. I know I've waited a lifetime for this, I just hope I can stay alive long enough to enjoy it. GO GRIZZLIES!!!

I'm Exhausted!

I just went on the most emotional rollercoaster ride this past 24 hours. Hunter finally got his varsity jersey with his name on the back. He's only been waiting his whole life to wear one of these. He was so excited. After he left for school I got the morning paper which showed that our coach had named his son the starting quarterback and not my son. I thought my son was better and deserved the job (typical parent) so I was really sad. So, we get to the game and we are definitely not expected to win since we are playing the #6 ranked team in southern California. I'm sure that was because of last year's performance because they lost a few guys and they were not very good (in my humble but most accurate opinion). Of course, we didn't look so hot at first either but we were hanging in there. Then, our quarterback goes down with a broken arm! Now, being a mom and being a very emotional female I felt sick to my stomach. I hate injuries more than anything. They are such a waste! I couldn't imagine what he and his parents were feeling. He's a senior! First game and it's all over. What could be worse? I felt terrible. Then I realized that my son was going to have to go in after this terrible injury and try to play his first varsity game ever. Then I was really sick to my stomach. I was so tense that if anyone would have touched me I think a piece of me would've broken off. I saw other parents surreptitiously looking up at Pat and me and I was trying really hard not to cry while I was praying my guts out. I was so nervous for Hunter. He had pulled a groin muscle three days earlier so I was worried about that, I didn't want him to get injured or be scared, and I certainly didn't want him to mess up after I'd been feeling that he deserved the starting job. So, his very first pass was an interception. Oddly, all I felt was relief that he'd gotten it out of the way early and that it wasn't run back for a touchdown. After that he settled in and played like I know he can play and wonder of wonder, miracle of miracles, little Mission Hills beat the mighty Tesoro! Hunter threw a touchdown pass and ran for some yards and didn't get hurt or mess up too bad and now I can't stop smiling even though I'm emotionally exhausted. I feel terrible for Aaron but I can't help feeling elated that after 27 years of anticipation, we finally have a varsity quarterback. Whew! I need to take a nap.

"And a Very Big Child Shall Lead Them"

I was so proud of Hunter the other day. His coach was trying to teach him the finer points of being a varsity quarterback and he wanted Hunter to be more vocal and forceful in the huddle (he must not completely comprehend that this is a "Moore" he's dealing with) and to vocally reprimand his troops for falling apart and letting people tackle him. The coach went into a huddle and demonstrated what he wanted by screaming and yelling and swearing profusely. Later he asked Hunter if he understood what he wanted him to do and Hunter said "Yeah, I think so but can I do it without the cussing?" The coach was so embarrassed that he apologized and told H that he would try harder not to use bad language in front of him. He said, "Hunter, you are going to make me a better man!" I was so proud. Way to go, Deuce!

Sarah's Gone :(

We are not actually wearing black but we are still officially in mourning. Sarah is gone :( She went back to Provo yesterday and you would think that someone had died by the faces of the people in this house. We are missing her like crazy. Pat gave her a priesthood blessing before she left for school and after that it was just floods of tears until she pulled away and actually for awhile after. Her bubbly, sunshiny spirit and wonderful booming laugh will be sorely missed. We love you, Sarah! Please come back soon.

Leave My Church Alone!

At church on Sunday I saw a presentation of how effective anti-Mormon literature is in the media today and how we need to be more aggressive, as members, in getting the truth out to the general public through our computers. I have always been puzzled by the term "anti-Mormon". What in the world could possibly make people upset about our religion? What, about our lifestyle, could possibly be offensive? Is it the not drinking, smoking or taking drugs? The abstinence from pre-marital sex? The lower than usual rate of divorce? The way we teach self-reliance and service? The tons of supplies and money and hours we have donated to those in need all over the world? What, about any of that, would make a church preach against us? Are we harming anyone? Do you EVER hear us preach against another church? We don't believe in some of the things they are preaching but do you ever hear us bash their beliefs? NEVER! Why would they do that to us? I could see if we were advocating practices that would harm them or their children or society as a whole but with the lifestyle we preach? Really? Have you ever met a Mormon you didn't like just because they were a Mormon? Unbelievable! No REAL Mormon living on this earth at this time has ever practiced polygamy. We send missionaries out to offer options to people who can certainly say "no" if they choose to. Most of the Mormons in any given community are talented, happy, friendly people who wouldn't hurt a fly. So what is the "anti" for? I just don't get it. And as for the claim that we aren't "Christians", what the....????? Jesus Christ is the center of our church and our lives. The name of the church is "The Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter-day Saints. What the heck is a Christian? Isn't it someone who recognizes Jesus Christ as the son of God and follows His teachings? What part of that is my church missing? I would never say this to anyone's face because that's just not how I was raised in my good Christian home but I get a lot braver when I'm behind a computer. So for those of you who don't agree with my beliefs (and I'm guessing 99% don't even know what they are) how about you keep your uninformed opinions to yourself and don't knock it till you've tried it! Now I will go repent and pray for more charity.

Natural Moms

I was thinking the other day about how impressed I am with the amazingly quick and natural way Flan and Shell (my daughters-in-law Alana and Michelle) have taken to motherhood. Only Flan has actually had a baby but both of them are raising her and they are doing a marvelous job. Flan had a C-Section and recovered from it in record time. She never seems to get flustered or anxious when it comes to baby Ava. She is always so calm and confident. Shell handles the baby like she's had multiple children and is totally experienced. These girls are only 19 and 20 years old! Besides being great moms they are unbelievably good wives. My sons are blissfully happy with these women and that is all a mother really wants for her adult sons.

What's in a name?

While I was on my walk this morning I was thinking about how fun nicknames are and about how many my silly family has for each other. It is definitely a sign of affection and we give them to everyone who comes into our family. Their origins are varied and the most ridiculously obscure ones can always be attributed to Hunter.

I don't have very many but the most common is probably "muth", short for mother. Some of the kids call me "mams" and Pat calls me by my middle name, Lynn. Pat is "Paps". Pat calls all of the boys "Ed". Brandon goes by "Beer" most of the time but has also been known to answer to "Brenda", "Beernard" "Brandoni" and "Bran Flakes". Kyle is "Kymimo",(the first parts of Kyle Miles Moore), "Kymes", "K-dog" and a multitude of unprintable names from Brandon. Tanner and Logan are "Ren" and "Nag", (the first part of their names backwards) along with every possible variation of those names and I call them Nanny and Nodie (what they called each other when they were little). Jensen is "Nez" which is his name backwards and "Fronies" (no clue). Hunter calls him "J-Dove", "J-Sleuce", "Doverly" and countless other things. Hunter has always been "Hunch" but also answers to "Hunchamabilia", "Hunt", "Superman" (please) and "Deuce" (his football number). Savannah is "Vanicula, Vannie or Van", Dad calls her "Squish" (huh?) and Hunter came up with "Ovularious", "Ovula" and finally "Ov". (Told you.) Now that Alana and Michelle are in our family they have been christened with names also. Michelle is mostly "Shell" (big stretch) but I call her "Smelly shelly belly". Alana got some real humdingers. Kyle labeled her "Lawndart" (?) and Tanner calls her "Tacos" which originated with her dad saying he liked to go to Mexico for tacos y flan which then moved to everyone calling her "Falana", then "Flan" and then just "Tacos" (tacos y flan? Get it?) Tanner calls his daughter, Ava, "Taquito". Since my niece, Sarah, has been staying with us this summer I have started calling her "Sarajevo" while everyone else calls her "Sare-bear".

There is no explaining the strange working of the Moore minds when it comes to nicknames but if we have given you one then you are pretty special to us.

Wicked was Wonderful

Well, even though our seats weren't the best and I sat behind the biggest twit in the theater, Wicked was awesome. The sets and the voices and the story and the songs were so cool that 3 hours just flew by. It was so fun to finally figure out what some of the songs meant. The dialogue was very clever and entertaining. I loved it. So did Savannah. Yay! The only downside was the girl in front of me. She should never be let into another Broadway musical again. She was a hyper twit who couldn't sit still and couldn't keep her hands out of her hair and every time she shifted or lifted her hands to her hair I couldn't see any of the stage. I had to keep leaning back and forth which, I'm sure, thrilled the people behind me. She kept looking at her phone (which was very bright in the dark auditorium) and fanning herself with her program which then prohibited Pat from seeing anything and as a grand finale she got so hot that she took her sweet time putting her hair into the highest bun I've ever seen so that my vision was completely obscured and I had to practically lay in Kyle's lap to see anything. I don't know if she saw any of the show since she was so busy trying to ruin it for the rest of us. She should save her money next time. Other than that, Wicked was wonderful :)

I Thought I Loved You Then

I've been feeling a little emotional lately. I know this may come as a shock to those of you who know me well but I've been quite teary-eyed the last couple of days. I'm not really sure what's going on with me but I think it has to do with up-coming goodbyes, the start of football practice, another school year almost upon me and basically the passing of time, way too fast. Brad Paisley has a new song out and, as always, he has an amazing way with words. The song talks about a man going through the different stages of his life with his woman and realizing as time goes on that he just keeps loving her more and more. He thinks he can't love her any more than he already does and it just keeps getting deeper and better. Being past the halfway mark in my own life I am really feeling this. I love my family so much it physically hurts. Sometimes I think about how fast they are growing up and leaving me and I just ache. Hunter only has two more years in my house. Savannah can wear my clothes now. Sarah and Kyle are leaving in 17 days. Tanner and Logan have other girls to love besides me. I don't really want to go back to the days when I had 7 kids under 14 but deep down in my heart I kind of do. Thank heavens I still have the love of my life and always will. Sharing all of this with him really gives that song special meaning to me. "Now you're my whole life. Now you're my whole world. I just can't believe the way I feel about you ,girl (family). Like the river meets the sea, stronger than it's ever been. We've come so far since that day and I thought I loved you then". Thank you, Moores, for making my life worth living.

Wicked!

I don't know why I'm so chatty today but I keep thinking of things to share. We are going to see the play "Wicked" tonight. We have been listening to the soundtrack for a couple of years now and love the music. The best part for me about going to this play is anticipating how much Savannah will enjoy it. She is so excited and has never been to a Broadway play before. She knows all the songs and has watched many clips of the play on the computer. It's so fun being a mom and introducing your kids to new things. I'm so glad my husband makes a good living and is able to pay for fun things like this. I'm also glad he's willing to go with us even though this is probably not real high on his list of things he'd like to spend his money on. I remember so well the first time I saw Les Miserables. Me, Pat, Brandon and Kyle had listened to the tape (yes, tape) every day ( and I mean EVERY day) for 2 years. We were obsessed with the songs and the story. When we moved to San Diego we had the opportunity to see it in L.A. I was nearly sick with excitement. When the orchestra played the first notes I broke down crying at finally being able to see what I had only heard for so long. I will never forget that feeling. To this day Les Miz is my absolute favorite musical. I've seen it 3 times. I hope Vanny enjoys Wicked as much as I enjoyed Les Miz.

We got our first email from our Mexican boy and I cried the whole time I read it. He is a happy boy but going through the regular growing pains of a new missionary. He has to walk up and down steep hills all day long in Acapulco. He says it's like hiking the Y all day long. I hiked the Y! It's really hard! He is with a companion that doesn't speak any English which is actually good because he will learn the language much faster but right now he is struggling to understand anybody. Also, it is ridiculously hot there and there is no air conditioning anywhere. Jensen is burning hot and sweating all the time. He can't go into a nice air conditioned apartment or church or member's home because there aren't any cool places there. Luckily, he loves his companion and the work so while I cry and pray for him I know that "all this shall be for his good" and he will learn and grow tons while going through these experiences. Only one more missionary after this. Whew!

Utah

I got to spend the last week with my two favorite twins and my favorite granddaughter. We had a blast. Ava is smiling now! She is so adorable. I snuggled her all week. It was very fun spending time with Tanner and Logan and their wives. We played games and went out to eat and went to BYU and to the Nike outlet in Park City where Logan works. He gets a crazy discount so we went...crazy! I got a new sweat suit and shoes. Everyone else got shorts and shirts and shoes and jackets etc. etc. We got a nice surprise with the weather. I expected it to be a million degrees since it was August but it surprised me and was very pleasant. It was in the low eighties and high seventies. Yay! It was very fun visiting with my mom. She talked a lot about the past and Savannah and Brandon found out lots of things they didn't know about her and about my life when I was young. Savannah and Brandon and I went to Pioneer Monument Park in Salt Lake and saw lots of real pioneer homes. One of them was the home my grandmother was born in. It was really cool to see such an old place that had personal meaning to me. They had a book on my grandma's family's history and my mom was in it. We got all excited. The worker there let us go upstairs where no one is normally allowed to go so we could see the actual room where my grandma was born. Very cool. Wonderful trip all in all. Can't wait to go back.

My Son is Now a Mexican!

Jensen went to Mexico yesterday. We got to talk to him twice on the phone, once from the Salt Lake airport and once from the Atlanta, Georgia airport. He sounded wonderful! He got to do what no one in this family has ever gotten to do, sit in First Class on an airplane! He has no idea why but all four of the elders going to Cuernavaca got to sit in First Class on the way from Salt Lake to Atlanta. He said it was awesome. Tons of leg room (huge for him) and a great meal. He pretty much thought he was all that and his other missionary brothers wanted to pound him. They were very jealous. He got to talk to the whole family in only 5 different phone calls. We didn't know he would get to call from Salt Lake. I had a feeling though (thank you Holy Ghost) so I took my phone on my morning walk just in case and sure enough, halfway through the walk he called me. I had threatened Brandon with his life to answer the home phone and tell Jens to call my cell. Then, in the afternoon he called the house and talked to Me, Brandon, Sarah and Savannah. I then had Pat call the payphone in Georgia from work so he, Kyle and Hunter could talk. Then Pat texted Tanner to tell him it was his turn to call the payphone and then Tanner texted Logan, who was at work, so he could call and talk. Quite the well oiled machine wouldn't you say? I can't wait to get the first email telling us how the trip went and what he thinks of Cuernavaca. Missions are the greatest!

I love my Schroeder Girls

I know my other daughters read this blog because they have commented a time or two and I just wanted to let them know how much I love them. I don't get to see them very often anymore now that they are all grown up so I just wanted to let them know how much I have loved having them in my life for the past 18 years. I met the Schroeder crew when they moved into my ward 18 years ago. They had 4 girls and I had 5 boys that matched them almost perfectly in age (remember I cheated and had twins). Their mom became my dearest friend almost instantly and our families just kind of meshed into one big messy glob. We did everything together. We spent countless holidays at each other's houses, had game nights, play dates, sleepovers and enjoyed being each other's surrogate brothers and sisters. I have great memories of the Schroeder Sisters. Rae was always the only girl at Tanner and Logan's birthday parties and Jensen was the only boy at Brooke's. I think at least two of them have had to wear some of my boys' underwear because they laughed so hard they peed their pants while over at our house. They have invented games and song lyrics with and about my boys. I have several prom pictures of Calee and Kyle even though they never actually went to the prom with each other. They always went in the same group so I just took pictures of them as if they were each other's dates. I have pictures of Calee and Kyle with their mouths full of marshmallows and Nikki and Kyle with their mouths full of s'mores. Literally full. They were always in competition with each other. The girls have sung at our Eagle courts of honor, our baptisms, our mission farewells and our holiday parties and I cry every time I hear them because I'm as proud of them as if they were my own. I remember helping Calee throw her parents a surprise anniversary party. I was WAY more excited than Rita about Nik making BYU cheerleader. I loved throwing Nik her bridal and baby showers and I can't wait to do all the other girls' showers too. One of my most precious memories is of the girls kneeling down in prayer together after hearing that I had accidently run over Hunter and praying for his safety. It was so fun watching Rae see the twins for the first time after they got off their missions. She couldn't stop hugging them. I loved the Catch Phrase show down a couple of Christmases ago. Moore boys against Schroeder girls. I made sure we had plenty of Jensen's underwear handy. I always keep an extra pair of underwear handy whenever I'm around Louie because she is so dang funny. She has the wittiest sense of humor I've ever heard. She's so intelligent that half the stuff she says goes right over everyone's head but I hear it all and my mouth hurts by the time she goes home. For a very long time these girls were the daughters I never had so Nickle pickle, Calee-Walers, Rae and Lou , thanks for the memories and I hope we make many more. I love you all!

I love being right

I was totally right about the effect Sarah would have on our family. We are soooo glad she came to live with us this summer. She is a blast. She is always happy. She is a great cook and has baked us numerous things already. That is actually a negative as we are all trying to get a little slimmer but they sure taste good, nonetheless. She gives back rubs and drags us on walks. She loves to shop and swim and go to the beach and do her nails. All of our friends love her and she already has a bunch of new phone numbers in her phone. There is absolutely no down side to having her here and we are all dreading the day she goes back to school. This is the first time we've ever had anyone live with us who wasn't in our immediate family and we will never forget this very fun summer.

I'm in love

I can't begin to tell you how much I love Ava Lynn Moore. In just the 4 short weeks that she's been on this earth I have completely fallen in love with her. We had a major bonding day on July 9th while her parents were at Disneyland. I couldn't get enough of her. I kissed her until her head was soggy and just held her all day and night. She really never cries. She squeaks when she wants some food but otherwise she just hangs out and sleeps. There is nothing better than having her sleep on my chest. I can't stop kissing her when she's in my arms. I smell her too. I just inhale long whiffs of pure "Ava". She is back in Utah now and I miss her terribly. I can't wait to see her again. I long for the day when she will actually know me and when she will be old enough to understand how much I love her. Until then, I'll just have to tell the world that Granny Dyanny loves her sweet Ava Moore than anything in the world!

Blessing

My grandbaby is officially blessed! We had a private blessing at the Salisbury's house in Valley Center. It was surreal hearing my son bless his baby. She was an angel, as usual. She looked so beautiful in her white dress. So did Alana. Tanner was no slouch either. I missed having Jensen there but was very glad that the rest of my priesthood holders could be there. Tanner gave a beautiful blessing. He sounded like a pro. You'd think he does this all the time. I love being a Mormon and knowing what all of this means. I love our new little Moore family. Great job, Talana.

Nanny & Nodie

My little twinners are 23 years old today. I can't believe it! They are both married and Tanner is a dad. They couldn't say each other's names when they were little so they called each other "Nanny" and "Nodie". I didn't know that there were two of them in there until 13 days before I had them. They were only 6 days early and had to be induced. They would have stayed in there forever! They weighed 7lb 15oz (Tanner) and 8lb 13oz (Logan). Tanner is older by 10 minutes. They have been the best of friends their whole lives. They both went to Brazil on their missions. They got married within 6 months of each other. They are both living in Provo, UT and will be attending BYU in the fall. Right now they are both at Disneyland. I love you my little twinners. Happy Birthday!

Jensen in the MTC

I got a packet of pictures from my missionary yesterday. He looks so happy! He got a terrible haircut from someone in the MTC and he doesn't even care! By the way, anyone thinking of sending a son on a mission just ignore the part of the mission packet that talks about hair lengths. It says in there that they are supposed to have it long enough to have a part but short enough to be off the neck and ears. Baloney! I sent Jensen in with his normal haircut which is a crewcut and I was a little worried that they would be mad that it wasn't long enough to part. Ha! Three weeks in they give him a flippin' Marine high and tight! Way shorter than I gave him. Part, my eye. Anyway, he sent lots of pictures of all of his buddies in his district. They are a goofy looking bunch but it made my heart sing with pride just seeing so many little boys willing to serve the Lord for 2 years. Jensen is already speaking fluent Spanish and making lifelong friends among the other elders. He isn't homesick at all and is getting to rub shoulders with the apostles and have his testimony go through the roof. The missionary program has blessed the Moore family a hundred times over with our 6 missionaries (Pat included). I am so thankful for this wonderfully inspired program. Look out Mexico, here comes Elder Moore!

God Bless the USA

Last Sunday we sang The Star- Spangled Banner in church and I bawled like a baby, as usual. The really bad part was that I was playing the organ at the time. I use that term really loosely because I don't really know how to play the organ but I have to as part of my church calling. Anyway, playing anything while your eyes are full of tears is really difficult. I thought I would share with you why my eyes were full of tears. Have you ever really listened to the second and third verses of our national anthem? They are amazing and very moving. They are as follows:

On the shore, dimly seen thru the mists of the deep, where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes, what is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep, as it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses? Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam, in full glory reflected now shines on the stream; 'tis the star-spangled banner! Oh, long may it wave o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Oh, thus be it ever, when free men shall stand between their loved homes and the war's desolation! Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n-rescued land praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserved us a nation! Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just, and this be our motto: "In God is our trust!" And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

These words just kill me. I love my country so much and I am so proud to be an American. The things we as a people have sacrificed for this country are immeasurable. The blessings we have are inumerable. Our spirits are unconquerable and our conviction, immovable. I know this is a land blessed above all other lands and I am so thankful that I get to call The United States of America "home".

Letting Go

I love my daughter so much. Being at camp with her was surreal. I never thought I would be at a girls' camp with my very own daughter. Lots of the ladies who had been with me 13 years ago when I ran the camp were there this time too and we all marveled that my 5' 8" 13 1/2 year old daughter was there with us. We all felt rather old (I'm justified as I am the oldest of them all) but enjoyed our reunion. I had so much fun watching Vannie interact with her friends and do skits and certify but I was also a little bit sad watching her start her journey to independence. She's always been very nervous in unfamiliar surroundings and likes to have me run as a buffer for her but she took the first steps of letting go of the apron strings yesterday. She knew I was there at the campsite but she didn't need me to be around her every minute. She also had no trouble saying goodbye to me today. This is a two edged sword. One side of me is thrilled that she is getting braver and stronger and not needing me as much. The other side of me is kind of sad that she is getting braver and stronger and not needing me as much. If you've read my other posts you've probably figured out that my family is my life. Some might see that as pathetic but it is what it is. The only responsibility I have that I view as being worthwhile is raising my kids. It's the only thing that matters to me. So, after putting so much effort over so many years into this one activity it's pinching a little to start letting go of my baby. Realistically I know that this has always been my ultimate goal; to raise children that can take care of themselves and make themselves and others happy. But I'm feeling growing pains of a very different kind. Time will heal all and I will be fine but right now I think I'm missing my little girl just a little bit more than she's missing me. Sniff, sniff!

Sarah!

My niece, Sarah Anderson, is coming on Monday to live with us for the summer. We've never done something like this before. We always have a pile of kids of all ages at our house but not actually "living" with us. I am very excited because I really enjoy Sarah. She is a long, skinny ray of sunshine. She is beautiful, funny, sweet and a great example for Savannah. She's 20 years old, six feet tall and loves to wear high heels. She is very outgoing so I am counting on her to take Brandon out into the cold, cruel world and bring some light into his life. I'm also counting on her to teach Savannah how to shop since I'm not very good at it and she's a professional. If we can find her a sweetheart while she's down here then that will be all the better. We're ready for you Sarah so come on down and get our house a rockin'!

Girls Camp

I get to go to girls camp with my daughter on Monday and I am so excited! I hate camping and I don't really like girls very much but I have waited my whole life to go to girls camp with a daughter and now I finally get to go. It's in Julian at Camp Cedar Glen and the last time I was there was about 13 years ago when I was the Stake Camp Director and Savannah was about 6 months old. I'm only staying one night and one and a half days but I am so looking forward to seeing her in that setting. I can't believe she's old enough to do this! So, as much as I hate camping, I love her more and can't wait to make memories with her. Off we go!

Who Am I?

Blogs are such odd things. Is it really healthy to spill your guts out to total strangers? O.K. not total strangers but still... these things are like public journals. The whole concept is very strange to me yet here I am writing one. I find it therapeutic to write things out that I am feeling but I feel a little silly thinking that anyone else will care. Still, I enjoy reading other peoples' thoughts and feelings so I guess it can't hurt to send mine out there as well. I have been pondering lately about the numerous roles I am playing right now. I have two single sons who don't want to be single living with me right now. I have two married sons who I miss very much and even though I love their wives I am still kind of wishing my little boys were MY little boys. I have a missionary who I am just missing, period. I have a teenage boy at home (my sixth) who you would think I could raise in my sleep after having done it so many times but for some reason is presenting me with new challenges. I don't know if I'm getting old and tired or if he is just bringing new stuff to the table but I'm finding that I can't really just sit back and relax yet. Then, of course, I have a brand spanking new experience ahead of me - A TEENAGE GIRL! Granted, she is the easiest, most wonderful girl in the world but she is still something absolutely foreign to me, a girl. Add to all of this the roles of mother-in-law (a little harder than I thought) and grandmother. How many things can one person be for heaven's sake? I know I don't really have one foot in the grave but I am feeling a little old to be going through so many things at the same time. In some ways I think this all would be easier if I were a little younger but in other ways I guess I need the wisdom of a long life to get me through it all. I know I have ridiculously high expectations for myself. I want to be the best wife, mother, mother-in-law, daughter and grandma in the whole world. I know it's worth all the effort I can possibly put into it but...sometimes it gets a little daunting. Now that I've had my little pity party I think I'll go take a nap.

Ahhh...I feel better.

Wow! I got to hold my little granddaughter, finally! It was wonderful. We bonded immediately :) She is an angel and soooo beautiful. She never cries. She is the most sweet tempered baby. I love her to pieces. The whole dynamic of mixing two families and creating a new one is amazing and certainly as old as the hills but not to me. It's all new to me and, I must be honest here, a bit of a challenge. Each family has their own unique way of doing things and, of course, since it's worked for them it must be the best way. Obviously you can't do the same thing two different ways so this new union requires a bit of compromise and patience. I'm more than up to the challenge and just thankful to be along for the ride. I can't wait to see my sweet Ava again in just a few days. Talana, (Tanner and Alana) you did good!

I am having a really rough time right now. My granddaughter is in Utah and I'm not. I keep seeing pictures of everyone and their brother (literally) holding her and I haven't even seen her yet! I am so torn about not going up there right when she was born. It is very hard having grown kids and kids at home. I don't want to be away from either group. Why can't the Lord just hurry up and come back to this earth so we can all be together again? I want them all back in my house with me. I'm sure their wives' parents feel the same way but I wouldn't be averse to everyone moving in with us. I really like my sons' wives' parents. Why can't we just build a big commune and all live together? I am going up to Utah on Monday because I had a million things I needed to do before then and I wanted to give Alana's mom time to be with her daughter alone and I figured I wouldn't be needed much while Alana was still in the hospital but now I am second guessing my decision. I don't want my son to think he's not my highest priority and I'm just sitting here in my house bawling and wishing I was up there in that hospital room just hugging the snot out of that baby and my baby. Tomorrow is going to be a very long day:(

Ava Lynn Moore

I am so giddy and excited I can hardly type. I am finally a grandma. Sigh! I have been waiting so long. My oldest is 27 which in Mormon years is about 6,482. When I was 27 I had 4 kids! I can't begin to tell you what it feels like to know that my child now gets to know the joy of having a child. I haven't even seen her yet and I love her beyond all reason. I chatted with her this morning over the phone and we are the best of buds already. She was a little quiet but I'm sure that will change soon. Luckily, Grandma Terri and Auntie Ashley were there at the hospital so I got pictures and frequent updates of the whole production. Thank you! It felt almost like I was there. She is adorable. Of course she is as bald as a cue ball. That's how we roll in our families. Grandpa Pat and I were blubbering idiots all morning. We just couldn't believe the whole miracle of birth was happening to one of our beloved children. She was born by Cesarean Section at 9:07 a.m. on Friday, June 12, 2009 in American Fork, UT. She was 8 pounds and 12 ounces (a lightweight in my bunch) and 19 inches long. We have the same middle name so we already have an irrevocable bond :) I can't believe she is going to be in our family forever. I am so happy.

My Princess

Finally I get to the daughter that I never wanted but can't imagine living without. Savannah Moore (notice no "Miles", only the boys) is the greatest surprise and pleasure of my life. After 14 straight years of nothing but boys I considered myself an expert and decided I definitely didn't need to muddy the waters by having a super-sensitive, temperamental, whiny, screaming girl. The Lord thought differently, except that when he gave me this girl he forgot a few things, like super-sensitive, temperamental, whiney and screaming. Everything I was afraid of or disliked about girls was conveniently left out of my girl. Some might say it's because she was raised with so many boys. Maybe. Some might say it's because her mom is definitely not a girly girl. Maybe. For whatever reason, I was blessed with the best daughter a mother could have. Savannah is the light of my life. She is gentle, sweet, chock full of integrity, modest, unfailingly obedient, smart, hilarious, entertaining, loyal, honest (this is starting to sound like the scout law) but seriously, I could go on for days about her good qualities. The best part is that it is all wrapped up in a beautiful shell that could kick any boy's tail in the athletic department! She is the whole package: a beautiful athlete who has a brain, can make me laugh and who would be translated tomorrow if her mother didn't need her so much. I tell her all the time that she is my most favoritest girl in the whole wide world. Her scripture hero is Queen Esther because of her bravery, righteousness and faith. I can't imagine not having her in my life and I thank my Heavenly Father every day for ignoring my wishes and giving her to me anyway. I love you Savannah Moore! (finally, pink)

What Can I Say About Hunter?

The caboose of the Moore-men is one of a kind. As the whole family will tell you, there is really no one quite like Hunter Miles Moore. He is the quirkiest, goofiest, least predictable person in our family. He's a genuine, original "Mama's boy". When he was a toddler he used to threaten my best friend with bodily harm and even, on occasion, death if she didn't leave our house (without me) right now. He was very clingy and possessive. He was not blessed with very much patience but he was blessed with an overabundance of good looks and charm not to mention a ton of athletic and academic talent. He is the king of random comments. We have all had many a good laugh thanks to Hunter's unique way of thinking. He is very quick to apologize and he is rock solid in his role as good example to all of his friends. He never wavers from the straight and narrow path yet is a blast to be around. He has a million friends because every girl loves him and every guy wants to be him. His scripture hero is Joseph of Egypt because of his charisma and obedience. Hunter, my life would be a lot duller without you in it. I'm so glad you are this mama's boy. I love you Hunter Miles Moore!

The Silent Soldier

My 5th son is Jensen Miles Moore and he has my favorite name out of all my sons. Jensen is the start of my "second" family as he is 4 years behind the "Fab 4". Just when I was ready to enjoy holding and taking care of a baby (pretty much for the first time) I got Speed Racer. Jensen was born an adult and never really wanted to have anything to do with baby stuff like just laying around and enjoying being held. He crawled the earliest, walked the earliest and I guess I must have blinked because I don't remember anything about Jensen's infancy. He wanted to be on a team, any team, by the time he was 1. He wore all of his brothers' hand-me-down uniforms and wore me out with his incessant chant of "Pitch to me, Mom, pitch to me!". I must have thrown a million pitches to that child before he finally got to join his own baseball team. He is by far my most sober and serious child. He is never really silly even though he can be very funny. He idolizes his older brothers and has always wanted to be part of the "Fab 4". I think the happiest he's ever been was this last year when he got to go to college with the gang and form "The Terror Squad". This is a nickname given to my four very large, black Raider gear clad, sons. Whenever they would come onto the scene at BYU they were a very imposing sight so their friends dubbed them "The Terror Squad". For those of you who know my boys you know this is the funniest nickname ever. There is nothing scary about these very mellow guys. Jensen is a sensitive, very obedient sponge who is just dying to soak up every good thing he sees his dad or brothers do. He is always checking with me to make sure he is not ever inadvertantly straying from the straight and narrow. He is on his mission now and I couldn't be prouder of him. His scripture hero is Mormon because of his focus and soberness from a very young age and his diligence in being obedient at all times. I love you Jensen Miles Moore!