William is ONE!

William Scott had his first birthday on August 2. It is truly amazing how time passes. Sometimes the days seem long and then suddenly a year is gone! William is a very happy spirit. I have never known a baby who is so full of joy. When he was three months old and just starting to laugh he would laugh first to get me to join in...not the other way around. Now he "tells" jokes and expects us to laugh along. He is really funny! He thinks he knows how to walk and will try to make it across the room only to fall on his face...and laugh. Sometimes when he is crying he will forget what he is crying about and start laughing instead. He squeals and exclaims at everything that interests him. We have to leave church meetings because he is so loud even though he is happy. He is a social little guy who loves to be around people. He will leap out of my arms for his Dad or Grandpa Bergeson. Balls are his favorite toy and he loves to play rolling catch with his big brothers. Anna likes to carry him around and play with him although he will let her know when he doesn't want to go! He has a wonderful crooked grin and his eyes absolutely twinkle. What a blessing it is to have him in our home! I don't know why we were chosen as the parents of this joyful little soul. Happy birthday William!













You gotta love that chunky, birthday suit!

Annual Young family reunion

We had another great Young family reunion this year! It was held in Midway and Grandad invited all of Mary Jane and J. H. 's kids and their kids. We made some fun memories!

Grandad helped Owen get some prizes at the fishpond.

William hung out with his Dad and ate A LOT of watermelon.

Anna and Tanielu made some great hats for the hat parade with their cousins and did some very entertaining skits for the talent show.

And after spending time together I know that when moments like this happen ...

...I can blame it on those wonderful Young genes!

4th of July 2008

I really love the 4th of July! There is something great about spending a day that focuses on the freedoms we enjoy here in the USA. I love the heat, the parade, the fireworks, the food and especially spending time with family. We started out the day at the Provo parade with Grandpa Bergeson. It has been a tradition since I was a child to go to the parade together. For the second year in a row we lucked out with a great spot under a shady tree. The people who had been there since 4 am saving it decided they didn't need all that room just when we showed up.













Anna and Tani loved the parade. They would stand and high five the people going past and wave and cheer for all the floats. It was fun to watch them enjoy it so much! Owen decided he wanted a baby horse for Christmas after a few went by. William really liked the Curious George balloon. He would point and exclaim in delight at the parade.

We had a yummy BBQ with family later in the day. Rod made some tasty, gourmet onion and garlic burgers. Then Rod and Jefferson put on a great fireworks show in the backyard. Do you think Owen likes the fireworks? He covered his ears for most of it. I don't blame him. They can be pretty loud! After our own personal show we watched the big P.G. fireworks show from our balcony while we ate yummy, homemade ice cream. It brought back memories of my childhood. What a great day!

Tanielu and T-ball

Tanielu played on his first T-ball team this year. He just finished up the season. It was really fun to watch these cute 4-5 year old kids play. The first game nobody knew where to run or what to do. Some even hit the ball off the tee and ran to get it. On Tani's first time up to bat he got ready, took a practise swing and burst into tears! It was all a bit too much with the crowd watching him. However, on his next time up to bat he hit it like a pro. By the end of their season Tani was easily the best on the team. (Am I allowed to brag on my own blog?) He could solidly hit the ball off the T, would run quickly to the base, and could actually throw the ball all the way to the bases when he was fielding. Rod was an unofficial assistant coach and really was great with the kids. He patiently taught them to bat and helped them in the field. It really was fun to see Tani play his first team sport.

Sunday afternoon hikes

We love taking drives on Sunday afternoon/evening after church. These pictures are from a drive up American Fork Canyon to Tibble Fork reservoir. It is a quick drive from our house and is one of the things we love about living in Pleasant Grove. When Rod and I were just friends, we loved going up the canyon hiking. I used to think that I would like to marry a guy like Rod. Duh. Now I am just thankful that I finally got smart. Rod is a great Dad who always wants to go do something fun as a family. He teaches our kids to be tough and active. Tani used to cry and want to be held while we hiked. Now he leads the group! He always wants to know what animal has been around and thinks he can figure it out by the poop he finds...disgusting but true. Anna is great at finding the way across the creeks and streams without getting wet. She has amazing balance. Owen loves to jump off of all the big boulders and rocks. William already is showing the signs of being a tough, mountain-loving Young. He just needs to learn that rocks are for throwing, not eating! I love being together in the mountains.

The Good, the Bad and the Clever

Anna performed in her first dance recital on June 13 and 14, 2008. She was given the role of a Matador in the wild west ballet "the Good, the Bad and the Clever". Back in January she started taking a combo class of ballet and tap. She really did a great job! In one dance the director had her stand in front of the rest of the girls so they could follow her. She had practised a lot at home and knew it perfectly. She never for a moment looked afraid of being in front of an audience...not that I was surprised really. She smiled her gorgeous smile and danced her heart out! Anna decided she wanted to be just like "Tuco" the star of the show and was on a first name basis with her before the performances were over. Anna even made her a bracelet.Anna's cute cousins Megan, Sarah and Cami came to see the recital too.
Grandma and Grandpa Bergeson also came to support Anna and brought her flowers. Our little ballerina really enjoyed her night in the spotlight!

End of the school year

Time sure can pass quickly! Tanielu had a cute graduation program at the end of the year. He has loved preschool. He is a smart little boy. I have been surprised at how well he can focus on his "homework". He says he needs to "get smart like Anna". He knows all of his letters and sounds now and can actually write them quite well. He gets along well at school and is VERY social for a little boy (where in the world does he get it?) I think he would do well in kindergarten next fall but he misses the cutoff by 9 days. I think in the long run it will be good though. He has an extra year to mature. Look at this smile. Can you just feel his giant heart? Anna finished up first grade with flying honors. Her teachers said she is a very bright girl and a leader! She even won her class spelling bee. I am so proud of her! We are starting at her new school in the fall and it was a little hard to say goodbye to Kids Village. It really has been a great school and has been heaven sent for us in the past two years during our diabetes adjustment time. I am so thankful for the wonderful people there! Anna is really becoming a confident, focused girl who loves learning.