Matthew's Spring Soccer

Matthew just finished his spring soccer season. They had a great team, and a great season. Their team was un-defeated until the final 3 games of the season. They had beaten all three teams previously, one of the teams practiced specifically to beat Matt's team, one got helped by the officials, and one got lucky.

Matthew loves soccer, and if only we could light a fire under him, he'd be pretty good. He is getting better all the time, we just need to teach him to be a little more aggressive.

The problem with spring soccer is that it is COLD!! We missed a couple of games because I refused to go. One time Matthew wanted to play so bad, even though it was freezing, I sat in the car while he played in the rain!

Good job Matthew!!

Jordyn's Dance Recital

Jordyn just finished another fun year of dance classes. She dances with "Miss LeAnn" at Esprit de Corps dance studio. She takes a combination class of tap, ballet, jazz and tumbling. Jordyn can't wait until she's old enough to dance on a team like the big girls and like her sisters did.

Jordyn let me put make-up on her for the recital, you should have seen those eyelashes!! Her class did two dances. The first was a tap dance to "Twist and Shout".


They also did a dance with maracas to "Conga". She did great, and it was fun to watch her!

In With the New!!

On April 2, 2010, we closed on our new house in Mapleton. We started moving in the following week. It was spring break, so I had all of the kids home to help, along with some great friends who stepped in to assist.

This is the master bath.

Master Bedroom

Laundry Room, yes, laundry room!!

Front Hall

Kitchen looking into Dining and Family Rooms

Family Room looking into dining room and kitchen

Jordyn's room, bet you couldn't tell, huh?

"Mud Room" entry from the garage

The boys rooms weren't clean, so they don't get pictured, and it was wet and rainy the day I took pictures, so I'll have to do the outside of the house later. So far we are getting settled and love it here. It's starting to feel like home, and we're really happy with our new ward and neighbors. Hopefully it lasts!!

Out with the Old.....

After building our home, and living there for the past 16 years, it's a little hard to leave, but it was time for a change. We loved our home, our neighborhood, and our ward, and it is the only home that our children have known. Only Jayme remembers living anywhere else. Dennis lived longer in this home than anywhere else in his life. I still had a few years to go to pass my length of time in Orange. But all good things must come to an end. I don't know why, but I felt increasingly unsettled in our home, and a need to move on.


We had 1/3 of an acre, which was great. Lots of room for kids to run, and room for fruit trees.

When we first moved into this house from the 3-plex, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Every morning as I walked down the stairs, I thought, "when are the real owners going to come and kick me out?" We had 2300 sf finished, and an unfinished basement. Three bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, a family room, dining room AND a living room. What was I ever going to do with so much space?


Our living room was perfect for Christmas. It looks so nice with the tree and lights and all.

We ended up enclosing the loft for another bedroom, and finishing part of the basement. You could say we now have 5 bedrooms and almost three and a half baths. There is still room for another large bedroom in the basement, and the room that has been Jayme's bedroom could be another family room.

We have now moved to Mapleton, only 3 miles away, but it feels much further.

Alex Amundson

It's been over a month, almost six weeks, and I still don't know how to do this. On March 11, Alex was killed in a Trax train accident. He was in Salt Lake for some training for his job at KFC. Part of the training was to visit other stores and see how they did things. Alex was driving with three other people in his car. We don't know why, but he went around the arms at the train crossing, and was hit directly by the train. He was killed instantly along with one of his passengers, and the other two were badly injured.

In 1988, when we moved to Utah from California for Dennis to attend BYU law school, we lived in an apartment at Amiron Village in Orem. The day we moved in, before we even started unloading, Jana and Bryan Amundson came over to welcome us and help us unload. We were instant friends, and have been more like family ever since. Alex was born just a few days later.

We lived in the apartments together for a couple of years, then they bought a house in Orem, and we bought one in Provo. In 1994, we built homes next door to each other in Spanish Fork so that we could raise our families together. We spent holidays, birthdays and vacations together. Two families couldn't have been closer.


Alex was especially close to Jennifer. They were good buddies, and usually off on some adventure together. We used to joke that they would get married some day and travel the world on one adventure after another.

Alex was a sweet and funny boy, and always brought a smile to my face. He was always into mischief though, and was very imaginative in his activities. We always loved him though, even when he was being naughty.

Alex was outgoing and fun loving. He was fun loving, and had lots of friends as a little boy.





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When he was in 9th (?) grade, he grew from a beanpole into an oak tree. Alex became a huge man at 6"4" ish and 280 lbs when he died. He had some struggles with life, but he was working hard to turn his life around, and was on the right path. He had been clean for six months, passed his GED with high marks, and was preparing to serve the Lord on a mission. He was a good boy with a loving heart who had just made some poor choices.

How do you comfort your friend when her son dies? How do you be a strength to someone when you are hurting too? I was certain that Jana would fall apart. I thought she would hide in a hole and never come out. I couldn't have been more wrong. She has been so strong, I have been amazed. I know it's been harder than I can possibly imagine, and I'm sure she is putting on a good front, but she is an inspiration to me.



When Alex was released from jail in September, he wrote in his journal about his experience. He shared his testimony of the Gospel and of the love he felt from our Heavenly Father. They put this testimony into several copies of the Book of Mormon, and have given many to his friends, and to missionaries so that they can be shared with those who are searching for the truth. Alex got his wish. He is serving the Lord as a missionary. Not in the way any of us imagined, but nonetheless he is serving and helping others to find the peace of the gospel.

I am so grateful for my knowledge of the gospel. We are so blessed to have temples and to be sealed to our families forever. I know that Jana and Bryan will hold their boy again, and I know that we will see him again. I know that he is ok, better than ok, I know he is doing well. I know our Savior lives, and that we will too. Thank goodness for eternal families!!

Matthew Basketball

Matthew played basketball again this year. His coaches were Dennis and Adam. He had lots of fun playing with his friends, and learned a lot.
















Matthew played great defense.

















Adam was a great coach, and very patient.

Ammon's 8th Grade Wrestling Season -- State Champ!!

Ammon had a great year wrestling for Champions wrestling club this year. We had to play the school vs. club game again this year, but it went much better for us. Ammon attended 12 different tournaments this year with a final record of 28-2 with 20 of his wins coming by pin. He took 1st place at the Caleb Williams Tournament, Delta Duals, Wasatch Open, and the Juab Open. Ammon likes the quick pin, so one time when he was "toying" with his opponent
to get more mat time, his coaches were all yelling at him to just pin the kid. It was funny and Ammon ended up with a double technical fall because of score keeping errors!

Ammon has a unique way of intimidating the other wrestlers. He makes friends with them! That is really unusual in the wrestling world where teams and individuals tend to keep to themselves. Ammon goes right up to them and asks who is his weight. He talks to the guys, finds out what
his competition is, and totally relaxes them.
It catches them completely off guard when he attacks!

Ammon has learned a lot this year, and has done really well. He also had to learn some tough lessons, and thanks to a wonderful coach, Craig LaMont, has been able to get past a couple of hurdles determined to work harder and get even better. Even though he will only be in 9th grade and still in jr high next year, Ammon will be wrestling with the high school team. He is more than a little overwhelmed and intimidated by that
thought. Because of his size (he wrestled at 170 lbs. this year) he will most likely be wrestling older, more experienced kids next year and wasn't looking forward to taking a beating every week. Especially after winning so much this year. Coach LaMont has helped him see his potential better, and Ammon has committed to working hard in the off season ( well, except for during football) so that he will be even more competitive next year.


Ammon ended this season with a repeat as state champion. It was a loooong couple of days of wrestling in Roy, but he was able to walk away with a gold medal. The junior high team also took first and the middle school team took second. These are a bunch of great kids, and I'm glad Ammon has the opportunity to be around them and learn from them. He's made some good friends, and had some excellent role models. I'm very pleased with the young man Ammon is growing into. He's becoming
something pretty special. I love you Ammon!!