Why The Utah vs BYU Game Is Just Like Disney World

ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR!

Jay is ONE of FOUR assistant coaches nominated for the Football Scoop Assistant Coach of the Year Award!

He needs your vote!

Sooooo, VOTE HERE!

It has arrived! RIVALRY WEEK

First may I direct you to the links above. Some people have great talent...These songs are so funny! Good job p1 Jared!


We have had a famine of family Sunday dinners. So to have Heidi invite us to Rob and Cindy's home in Orem was so exciting. Even though, taking 4 children (Jacob is so busy I decided to count him as 2) was a risky venture, the thought of sitting down at a set table where the adults out number the children eating something other than microwaved mickey mouse chicken nuggets was enticing. My mother, by example, taught me when invited to dinner, always take something that will add to the meal. Since this is rivalry week and we were going so close to "cougar town" I thought it appropriate I should take an offering of sorts....

So it begins...

A day at the spa

A PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE FACIAL, THAT IS....

Great for those frown lines.....

Perfect for crows feet...

Significantly reduces saggy jowls...

The results.....

PRICELESS....

First Snow

BLACK OUT!

Gimmicks or not, the UTES pull off another amazing win! It has been a while since I have done a game post, but just so you know ALL the games between this post and the last game post we have WON! :)

So here are the top ten highlights of the TCU VS UTAH football game:

#10 Reading Ashtyn's sign she made for the game

Ummm, yes it says 'even Obama likes the Utes' and 'Babies are better than TCU' oh and Undefeatable....Where does she come up with this stuff?

#9 Hot Chocolate on arrival.

#8 Alayna's red hair, sign and singing (London Bridges, of course)

#7 Being a part of the University of Utah's first ever blackout

#6 Sharing Costa Vida with Emily

#5 Beating 11 ranked TCU with only 48 seconds left

#4 Seeing a very happy and very cute Jay Hill wink at me
#3 Being at the game with my girls cheering for the Utes and Jay And Jacob home asleep...:)


#2 Emily and I being told by the fan behind us at the end of the game, "You two are more fun to watch than the game"

(hmmmm....mariskahargitay)




#1 Highlight to the Utah vs TCU win


Jay still has a job! Wahoo!

Grandpa

One of my more recent and favorite memories of Grandpa occurred a summer or two ago, up at the cabin. Grandpa asked if I wanted to go see the horses. NEVER missing a chance to go to the horses with Grandpa, I said sure. Grandma, Grandpa, the kids and I all loaded up in the Sable. Grain in the bucket, halter on my lap and headed down the bumpy old highway. We let the kids pet and feed them the grain. Grandpa asked if I wanted to ride Smokey bareback. "Of course!" I replied. Smokey was the horse Grandpa defaulted into buying. The poor thing had been horribly treated and when Grandpa first looked into his mouth, Smokey's tongue had almost been severed in half by a bit. This being the case he was a jumpy nervous horse. Grandpa led Smokey over to the trailer where I was standing on the wheel cover to get on him. Smokey was very not sure who I was and what I was doing. As I slid my legs across his back and down his side he moved forward and I was too far back on his body and he bucked a few times to get me off. Grandpa growled at Smokey and then came to check on me and make sure I was o.k. Mostly my pride was hurt that Smokey didn't want me to ride him and I got bucked off. As we finished up at the pasture we got back into the car and Grandma was so distraught and kept asking over and over why Smokey would do such a thing. After a few minutes Grandpa just started giggling into his laugh that still echos in my head and said, "Well, Smokey has NEVER been ridden bareback and Ive never dare try. I just wanted to see what he would do." I love this experience. It is exactly what Grandpa is to me. He trusted me to ride Smokey bareback. He knew I can be tough as nails and let me know that he knew it and was proud of my toughness. He taught me to try new things. He made sure I was o.k. and made sure Smokey knew he was not. He had a sense of humor and could laugh about funny things.

Grandpa, tell me 'bout the good ole days.

Sometimes it feels like

This world's gone crazy.

Grandpa, take me back to yesterday,

Where the line between right and wrong

Didn't seem so hazy.

Grandpa, everything is changing fast.

We call it progress,

But I just don't know.

And Grandpa, let's wonder back into the past,

And paint me a picture of long ago.

Did lovers really fall in love to stay?

Stand beside each other come what may?

Was a promise really something people kept,

Not just something they would say?

Did families really bow their heads to pray?

Did daddies really never go away?

Whoa oh Grandpa,Tell me 'bout the good ole days

It is cheesy to use such a cliche song, but He and his family did bow their heads to pray. He fell head over heels for his lover and it did stay. This world has gone crazy and I want to go back to the 'good ol days'.

Even when you know it is coming and you can 'prepare' yourself, or brace yourself, it still stings. I wish my children could know more of him and what he believed in. I guess now I am left to carry forth those things. And I must teach my children to love their spouse, even if they think Pam is the best way to get snow off the roof. I must teach them to love animals and especially horses and schnauzers. I must teach them to be tough. I must teach them to show genuine love, respect and interest in others. I must teach them the importance of a testimony. I must teach them of their heritage....

I am grateful I am a Kern. I am grateful He was such a significant part of my life. I will miss him dearly. I am grateful to have the memories of him by so many others as well. And will reread each of them by going Here Here Here Here Here Here. I love how she put it Here "You can't write a kiss, you can't write a hug..." Those are the things I will miss. Because of his genuine love and concern for his children and grandchildren, I always thought I was his favorite, until so many others said they thought the same thing...Still, I'm sure I am his favorite favorite...

I can only hope to keep him near and the way he made me feel by learning to make others feel that same way.

I love you Grandpa, and will see you soon.

Say Cheese!

HALLOWEEN!

Most of the time I LOVE Halloween. I love that kids are so excited the day the calendar turns from September to October. 30 days of anticipation. There are a few days in October that I think, "man, I wish this holiday would just hurry up and get here so my kids can stop planning it". BUT most of the month I am right along with them. I was excited to go to Emily's neighborhood, dress up and have a ghoulish time. The passing of my Grandpa changed our plans. Halloween for Me, my brother and 2 sisters was spent in Ft Collins for his memorial. For our sibling Halloween adventure you can go to my albums on facebook. click here.

Luckily for me leading up to Halloween the kids had lots of opportunities to wear their costumes. From school parades and trunk or treat, they had quite the week of festivities. It was much easier to leave them knowing we had already done the costume drill multiple times. Here are a few of those practice drills leading up to the real deal.

Family Pictures

A few weeks ago I decided I would like to have family pictures done. I started lurking around the web to find poses and photographers I liked. After filing a folder on my computer of copied poses and a few recommended photographers, I remembered Jay's friend has a sister that was getting started in photography. I checked her blog and called her. I was so excited when Raquel said she was in UT and available for the weekend. She did such an amazing job. Especially since Jay only had 2 hours to fit in pictures AND Alayna's soccer game. (Her game was in KEARNS about 30 minutes or more away). Looking back I would have just skipped the game. I felt like we rushed Raquel and didn't get all the poses or options I had so carefully researched. (Although I don't know if that would have been possible with 4 hours and 2 photographers). BUT even with the rush, a short 45 min session or so, Ashtyn forgetting part of her 'outfit', Jacob ready for a nap and Jay complaining....we got some good stuff. You can see more of our pictures and her photography blog here. So here are some of the pics

The DOCTOR is in!

When I came home from attending Grandpa's memorial services in Colorado, there was a sign posted on the wall....

I was so glad to know I had come home to such good hands. After spending a weekend road trip with my siblings and father you are sure to have "Problams and Sitchuashins"

So if you need help and are among "the best" come on over.