Toothless

Aimee lost her first tooth today during lunch. Thanks to a pretzel it came out with ease and no tears Ü

Wonderful Weekend

We had a wonderful weekend.  It was our Stake Conference and we were blessed to have Elder Johnson come and stayed with us Saturday night.  What an incredible man.  His messages on Saturday and Sunday were so uplifting and the spirit was so strong.  All who spoke at the conference did an outstanding job.  The music was as if from heaven.  Sunday for lunch we had chili, cornbread, and Grandma Foote's yummy pear pie and apple/apricot pie.  It was a delicious Texas feast and Elder Johnson was very kind and complimentary on it.

To also add to the weekend events, the Mercedes was sold and we bought Grandma Foote's Honda.  The following are pictures of Grandma's new Outback Subaru and our new Honda.  Grandpa Foote still has his car he wants to replace.  So stay tuned for the last of the car swap-a-roo!!

Yoko and Hula Hoops

We are blessed to have Yoko stay with us for a few days.  She is from Hon Kong and will be flying up to BYU to interview and hopefully be accepted into the PHD program there.

Yoko has the most incredible hula hoop.  It is one that can be taken apart and easily stored and carried to places she goes.  On her mission, she hurt her back and the hula hoop is what she used for exercise and for a back massage.  She can hula and read her scriptures at the same time thus getting exercise and a spiritual lift.

Aimee got a hula hoop for her birthday and thus the competition of learning how to work the hoop is on. Ü  Darin beats us all hands down.  He even attempted reading and hula hooping together.  Allan can do pretty good too. The hula hoop in the pictures below, belongs to Yoko.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AIMEE

GUESS WHO IS 6?????     

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AIMEE!! WE LOVE YOU

Oh Julianna, I did my best on a cake.  I had to have some help from My Little Pet Shop animals.

E-Bay Success

Wednesday evening the auction of the Mercedes was completed and we sold my pretty bluish green car to the highest bidder.  The gentleman will come on Saturday to pick it up.  It was a success through e-bay. Ü

Goodbye Marshmallow - Hello Flex

With a little bit of sadness, we announce the departure of our faithful White Marshmallow aka - Foote's 15 passenger van.  It has served us well and we will miss the enormous amount of space and luggage room.  Darin and Aimee had a few tears to shed since it was the only car they've ever known. 

Saturday, Jeff found an incredible deal on a Ford Flex and on Monday we traded and bought a used 2011 Ford Flex.  It has a little over 8,000 miles and pretty much loaded with leather seats, navigation system, sync system and seats 7 people.  So welcome Flex to your new home!!  I'm in need of a name for this car, so any and all suggestions are welcomed.  Yes, it sort of looks like a gangster car, but I can't go with that.

   

SHE SAID YES

YEAH!!!!! Brian and Janet are now officially engaged

SHE SAID YES Ü

What a delight it is to share this wonderful news.  Darin's comment after we told him was simply put -  "Finally" with a big grin on his face.

Allan's Poem

Allan has been working on poetry in his English class.  Here is a fun one that he with some of his dad's help put together.  I thought you all might enjoy it especially Brian and Janet.

The Day After Christmas

By Allan Foote

It was the day after Christmas,

All sunny and bright,

We were all getting over

Our late Christmas night

When my brother’s girl Janet

Came into town,

With her beautiful eyes,

Of glistening brown

We all sat on the couches

And talked a whole lot,

I could tell when he looked at her,

He thought she was hot

I thought she was cool,

Because she didn’t have warts,

Still better yet

She said she loved sports

My brother then mentioned

That she was a black belt,

I knew if I messed with her,

My face she might pelt

Hot chocolate and pizza

Ended our day,

But I could tell she’d be back,

Because she now knew the way

As she left on her way

He gave her a kiss,

And I boldly predicted,

Future marital bliss

It's e-bay time

Saturday was spent washing the Mercedes and taking pictures of it.  We are getting ready to put it on e-bay.  Jeff enjoys the challenge and does well when it comes to buying and selling things through e-bay.  I really hope we can find a good home for the Mercedes.  It is a sweet car to drive.  I have found joy in having a sun roof in my car.

The family is doing well.  Allan has a new video game which has kept him entertained.  Darin's favorite saying lately is that school is boring because I've already learned everything.  Aimee has been having fun being an author and illustrator and has created several books lately.  Kacie has taken up running with several of her friends and Elena is down to using one crutch and silently endures the pain in her knee.  She has a follow up with the doctor this week and we'll learn more about meniscus transplants.  I am engaged in planning and preparing for girls camp which has high expectations of being awesome.

Beautiful Sun Shine

I love sunny days.  It makes life seem brighter and our burdens lighter Ü

The best news in all the world came yesterday.  My dear sister Wendy is off her chemo treatments.  The doctor feels that she has done so well over the nearly 5 years of treatments with no new tumors and the little one she does have, has crystallized. I don't know what that means, but getting to stop treatment is wonderful!!!  They will still watch her closely to make sure nothing begins to grow, but they have high hopes that she may be free of this.

Subaru's - My New Love

Grandma Petersen stayed with us a few day last weekend and we took her car shopping.  We had full confidence that the Toyota Camry would be the car to consider buying. Then we went over to the Subaru dealership and we all were impressed with their cars.  Grandma fell in love with a pearl white Legacy.  (My new love is the Forester, but that is for another day.)  We were offered a good deal on the car and after a good night rest, Grandma still felt good about the car and the purchase was made.  I am so proud of her!!!  It was a big decision and her first one to make on her own.  She shed a few tears but has reported in that all is well.  With the cooler weather today, she can enjoy the nice heated seats.  Yes, she will miss her Toyota Avalon - it is full of beautiful memories of her and Del Var, but in following the steps of her sweetheart, the car will be in good hands.

Picture from 2011 to share

This is Allan, Darin, and Aimee dressed up for Halloween.  A gladiator, ballerina and scientist

Elena, Kacie and Aimee in their Halloween costumes
(a southern bell, who girl from Dr. Seuss, and ballerina)

Even I got a little country for the ward trunk or treating event

 Julianna and Thomas came to visit us in Texas.  Jared joined us a few days later.


Jeff and Thomas enjoying a little snuggling time

Julianna made Darin a great Harry Potter cake.  It was delicious!!

Darin ready and excited for his baptism.

A happy picture with all of us getting ready to go to Darin's baptism

 A four generation picture of handsome Foote boys 

Thomas and Leo becoming friends

Allan, Aimee and Thomas enjoying each other

Thomas having fun with our house of balls

 A Foote family Christmas.  What the family didn't know was Brian's little tease to the family.  A third of the presents wrapped were old toys and stuffed animals of the kids re-wrapped and labeled to Brian so that he could have the biggest and most presents to him.  It was so funny as the kids watched and exclaimed - "hey, that's my dog" or "hey, that belonged to me."  Aimee finally had to scold Brian and remind him that those were her toys and he had to give them back.  We all got a big laugh out of it.

Jeff and Kacie

Elena, Allan, Darin and Aimee

Grandpa Foote, Grandma Foote, and Brian

 
Jodi - we all got new pajamas for Christmas and enjoyed having several pajama days throughout the holiday.

Even Kelli joined us through skype to enjoy opening Christmas presents.

(Rob was taking a friend to the airport early on Christmas morning, so it was fun to have Kelli join us.)

A New Beginning - 2012

Happy New Years !!!!

I love new beginning.  2012 is going to be a wonderful year.  There are lots of events going on in the Foote Family.

1. I have four 2012 graduates - Jared, Rob, Kelli and Elena.  
2. I have two moves - Jared & Julianna will be moving to Texas for medical school and Kelli & Rob will be moving to Kentucky for dental school.
3. Kelli & Rob have their first baby coming in July
4. Brian's met a cute and darling young lady - Janet, and so wedding plans are in the air.  We're just waiting for the announcement of an engagement ♥
5. Thanks to Elena re-injuring her knee, the doctor is recommending a meniscus transplant in the near future.
6. Planning and preparations for another exciting young women's camp
   

What great blessings we have to look forward to except for the surgery, but even with that what a blessing medical technology is and procedures that can fix and repair the body.

A Rude Awakening

Lots of exciting things are happening here at the Foote Homestead.  First, Kacie has her drivers permit - way to go Kacie!!!!!!   (We had to wait 4 hours at the DPS place, but we finally got through the line and she scored super on her test!)  She is nervous to drive, but is doing very well.

Allan made first chair trombone.  He is happy and very much aware that everyone is trying to take his chair away from him now.

The San Antonio area is trying to get as many members as they can to list a profile on Mormon.org  Jeff and I both have our profiles approved and you can search for us by name - search Jeff in San Antonio TX or Jodi the same way.  Kacie and Elena are working on theirs too.

The San Antonio Express News came and took pictures and interviewed the youth during their mutual activity last night.  They had a lot of fun and I think the reporters were pleased with the information they received.  This morning the reporters went to another ward's seminary and were amazed by what they learned and felt.

Anyway, it is exciting to be here in San Antonio with the work going on to spot light the church here in this area and others.  Great missionary opportunities!!!!!

Last night was wild.  At 2 a.m., the horn on my van went off and it was just blaring.  We battled with it for about 10-15 minutes.  At 3:30 it went off again - just randomly decided to wake the whole neighborhood.  Finally we got it stopped but Jeff wasn't going to take another awakening so he got in the car and drove it away.  He ended up sitting in the Wal Mart parking lot waiting until 7 so that we could put it in the shop and get the horn fixed.  Only things like this happens to us.   Turns out, the horn is connected to the airbag and so the mechanic disconnected the horn, and installed a button for us to push for when we need a horn.    It is one thing to get up in the night with kids to love and tend to their needs, it is another thing to get up and babysit a van with a misbehaved horn.

I'm back

It has been a long summer and one I'll never forget.  I have had rock bottom, dreadful lows and unbelievable spiritual highs that have brought the sweetest joys in my life.  How can two opposites exist together????  It's called life.

My summer began with Allan and helping out at his 11 yr. old scout camp.  Then I was privileged to help transport youth during youth conference.  My dad began to struggle more with his cancer and I went to be with him and my mom for a few weeks.  I then spent an amazing week with the young women in our stake at girls camp only to find myself returning back to be with my parents.  Kelli and Jeff came down to be a part of a big celebration with my dad as he turned 77.  Elena and Kacie attended E.F.Y and then we took a two week trip to Utah.  Upon our return, I went back to my parents and was able to be by my dad's side as he passed on to go and begin his new adventures back in Heaven.

The sorrow and sadness of loosing my dad puts a big hole in my heart.  I will miss him tremendously.  Having had the privilege of caring for him side by side with my mother, brings the greatest joy and sweetest feeling of love that I will always cherish and cling too.

My summer has been full.  Lots of activities that have helped to strengthen my children's belief in Jesus Christ.  We have been able to see the full circle of Heavenly Father's plan for us from birth to death.  I am so grateful for a loving family - for my children and my wonderful husband, for my parents, for brothers and sisters, for extended family members aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews and nieces who help to strengthen and build ties of unity during hard times like these. 
 

I've got pictures

YAHOO!!!  I got my camera and computer to be friends again.  Now I can post some great pictures.

First of all here is my grandson Thomas Jared Foote.  Doesn't he look great with his awesome mommy and daddy!!   These pictures are a little over a month behind in getting posted, and so you will have to go to Julianna's blog to see how much he has grown.  (Just click on their link to the right, Our Foote~Steps, and it will take you there.)

Thomas's blessing day

3 generations of Foote's

A proud Grandpa

Grandma loves you

 Now for other updates in the Foote family life.  The following are pictures of Elena and her fun adventure with her knee surgery

Here is Elena on her way to have her knee operated on.  Aimee has lots of things to entertain her as she goes to visit her Grandma.

This is Elena before her surgery.  She is excited to get this over with and to get her life back to normal.  

We love you Elena!!  All kinds of things to make her feel better.  The bear, well Brian encouraged the family to get it for her because it is just a cool thing to have.  Sprite is huge and huggable and Elena loves it!

This is Elena 2 days after surgery on her way to the Mormon Prom Ü

This is what's hiding under the dress

Kacie was a huge help in getting Elena ready.