Never Forget!

This is a day I will never forget....I will always remember watching TV and trying to figure out what just happened, then seeing the 2nd plane fly into the 2nd tower....then later the pentagon....then the plane diverted onto the ground by brave passengers and not knowing what was going to happen next. Then, the quiet skys of West Valley...it was strange to do recess duty at West Valley Elementary School and have the skys so quiet, it was a bit disconcerting especially for us who live in the flight path of the Salt Lake Airport, it was so quiet it was eirie....I think of those families who lost loved ones that day...my heart will always be with them....The Pledge of Allegience....The Star Spangled Banner....our flag.....One Nation Under God, I hope we can always find a way to remember.

School/Work.....it's that time again.........

It's that time again!!!!! I started back to work last Tuesday...I really like my job so it wasn't a big deal...I like the people I work with and I especially like the kids. We have some of the best kids around and it makes my job that much better...oh, and I am starting this new year at a differnt desk in a different office!!! I will be honest, I had really mixed feelings when I was told I would be moving, but after setting things up...and looking behind me, at my desk...I have a HUGE WINDOW!!! I was in a windowless room before and if you really know me, I LOVE light and windows! BONUS! I can always walk across the hall and see my old buddies when I need to...it's all good! We started with a week of registration....busy, busy, busy! Kearns High started this year with the option of mailing in your registration...something only a quarter or less of the parents did....after standing in a registration line for 1hr and 45min...hot line might I add...I think they will re-think next year and get their registration mailed in...so much easier and FASTER!!! I always mailed in our kids registration...no lines for me! Anyway, even after 7hrs of non stop registration on Friday, we are only half way there....the problem is, we only have a few hours next week earmarked to register kids...lots to do..lots to do! I am happy to be back though
















These are our halls for the next week...quiet and clean.....then on August 22nd the
action begins and another school year is in business! BRING IT ON! We are ready..(or not hahaha) ready or not, 2011-2012 school year here we come!!!

Saying Goodby to Grandma Schroeder....'Till we meet again...

Thursday, July 21, 2011...we left for the final destination and goodby's for Grandma Schroeder. We stayed the first night in Las Vegas then Friday we left for Hemmett/Riverside California. We met at Sherrie's house where we met her husband Ron and their two friends who were there to support Sherrie. Grandma's brother John and his girlfriend Betty who was adorable and sweet andter Ellen and Herb who have always been most gracious always were also at Sherrie's waiting for us. Sherrie and Ron provided a nice meal, we talked and got to know each other, then we left for Riverside Vet Memorial Cemetary. We met at Grandma's grave...she had already been buried. She and Grandpa are located in the most BEAUTIFUL spot at the cemetary. They are under a ridge of trees overlooking a beautiful landscape....we couldn't have picked a more perfect place for their resting place. It was early evening and just a beautiful night as we stood around the gravesite to give honor to Grandma. We cried, laughed, and remembered this "complex" women...Kati gave opening prayer, Kristi read her obituary, and Staci read a couple of hymns she loved...she loved music. Gary then talked a little about his mom...her complex personality and the fact that through it all...she loved her family, each and every one of us. He then dedicated her gravesite and gave a beautiful prayer..I then gave the closing prayer. We stayed behind to talk and be together as family, we not often get to spend time together. It was again a nice, beautiful day where we could feel love for each other and for Grandma Schroeder...Families are Eternal and we will be together again...thank heavens for our Savior and the Atonement, that we can be forgiven of our sins and for offenses we may have made to others....we will see grandma again.....the reunion will be great as it was for grandma on that day July 15th 2011 where she met with her husband, sister, brother, parents and others she loved. God be with you 'till we meet again grandma....we do love you.

Grandma Schroeder 8/26/1925 to 7/15/2011

Grandma Schroeder passed away July 15, 2011. She was 84yrs old and was living in Washington Terrace at the time. She will be missed, but it was a good passing. Grandma is now with Grandpa, her sister who passed away when she was 5yrs old, parents and many family and friends she loved and longed to see again. Grandma will be buried in the Riverside Veterans Cemetary in Riverside California on Friday July 22, 2011 with her husband/grandpa David Kurt Schroeder. And small family graveside service will be held at 1pm that same day with granddaughter Staci Jacobs reading her favorite Hymn, Kristi reading her obituary, Kati giving opening prayer, Son Gary dedicating grave and daughter in law LuAnn closing prayer. Hopefully in attendance will by her sister Ellen Hensen and brother in law Herb, Neice Sherrie and her husband and her brother John Welch. Her other brother Jerry, younger sister Betty as well as parents and Husband preceded her in death. What a grand reunion it was when Grandma passed this life...in a struggle to not leave and move on...but to see her family again. Till we meet again Grandma Schroeder....we Love you.

I Love JULY!!!

I Love JULY.....I Love the fact that July is REALLY Summer...I Love JULY because it's soooo patriotic.....I Love the Scouts hanging flags in my yard and how great it looks to have flags all over the neighborhood...Thanks Scouts!....I Love to Celebrate our Country.....I Love to be reminded that we live in the best Country EVER....I Love the USA....I Love ALL those Military men/women and their families who have sacrificed so much for me to LOVE THIS COUNTRY! It makes me so excited to have these wonderful Holidays in JULY....the 4th with all it's celebrating and fireworks....I LOVE Fireworks.....and parades and watching families....watching the looks on childrens faces on the parade route....the excitment...the cotton candy and snowcones all over their faces, hands and cloths....the SUN...the HEAT....the BARBQUE's....Rocky Mountain Speedways SOUNDS....





and the 24th of July....for those Pioneers who sacrificed EVERYTHING to come to Utah and make this a great State..I love the PARADE and all the excitment...handcarts...Trek...junk food at the parade...happy faces and tired people everywhere...the horses in the parade...I Love that the Gospel was established Here in UTAH and that I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints....I Love the Values and Principles it teaches me and that we can be Eternal Families FOREVER....I Love having a son on his MISSION teaching that gospel to those who want to hear ....it's a BEAUITFUL month!

I LOVE RED WHITE and BLUE....and Freedom! THANK YOU to EVERYONE who has made it possible for me to LOVE JULY!!!!!

Did we really decide to do that?

One thing I can say for sure....never say NEVER! I have really learned that in the past, but of course I forgot...early on in our marriage I said I would NEVER have a station wagon...well shortly we inherited a small Ford Station Wagon, YUCK!, then I said I would NEVER have a white car...well we have had 2 white cars since, many times before I had kids I just knew I would NEVER do certain things when I had kids...hahaha that was a joke, what the heck...how could I EVER use my son's shirt to wipe his boggars off his face, or let a child cry throughout the store just so I could finish what I had come for, or bribe my children to make peace...etc etc...well, it has happened again...GEESH! I said we would NEVER EVER move from our home of 25yrs..that we would stay forever and ever...well, time to eat my words again! WE have our home on the market and boy did we pick an awkward market to put it on...but yes, the time is now to move on. We need a rambler type home that is large enough for whoever is living with us....including my mom whom we will move in as soon as we move. The stairs are just too hard on her now so we really need something different. We have had one offer that was an FHA loan involved, but it required us to drop our price $10,000! Their initial offer was $5,000 less than we were asking and with the FHA loan we would have to pay their closing costs which would be around $5,000...not good, so we countered...We are kind of thinking they aren't going for our counter since we haven't heard from their realtor for several days...they seem to be ignoring our realtor...I'm sure it's a pass but that's ok...they also wanted our stove which is brand new and our refrigerator...can you say they wanted everything for nothing...yup! Love this economy, but since we are not in a rush to sell, we are not going for that offer...anyway again we won't say NEVER because we may end up taking one similar if it gets to that point just not so soon, we are also having trouble finding something to buy that isn't in short sale or bank owned....wow, we did pick a good time to finally do something we thought we would never do...but I just feel it's the time and that said, I also know it will happen when it is supposed to and we will find our home that we can live in forever and bring mom into as well. I have to have a clean home all the time just in case...that's a nice perk.....anyway....advise I give to all NEVER SAY NEVER!!!

Through the eyes of a Mom.....and Grandma....

I have been reading everyone's thoughts about Mother's......what a nice day for us all to stop and reflect on all the mother's in our lives.......here are a few of my thoughts...kind of cheezy and lame, but these are things I've been thinking about lately....

#1 It is darn hard to be a mom!!!! Can I put that any clearer. The pregnancy, birth
then allllll the responsibility that NEVER goes away! GEESH! But, through it all, I
would NEVER trade a moment of my experience of being a mom and a grandma....

Here are the reasons I LOVE being a mom.......
**4 of the most WONDERFUL and SPECIAL kids in the entire world!
honestly, there is never a dull moment in our home. Because of
these kids, I have grown as a person so much and learn something
every day. The times we laugh so hard....it's bathroom time....
the times we cry so hard you think the pain will never go away...
but through it all...through all these experiences, we are being
molded into the people we are now.

**Waking up every morning to get kids ready for school..making
sure everyone is dressed, lunches packed, backpacks on and the bus
is made....I especially loved Summer's and Day's off from school
I loved having my kids home around me more than anything.....
(I hated homework)

**Loved going on excursions with the kids...we always seemed to come
up with something to do from grabbing Staci out of school and hauling
all 4 kids including a 6wk old son to the airport to see the 1st
Pres Bush land in SLC....to trips camping in our HUGE family tent!

**Our vacations...they were "Schroeder Adventures" for sure...something
ALWAYS seemed to go wrong...from multiple skunks in the camp ground forcing
us to hide out in our tent all evening...to doors breaking on the van
in Anaheim.....to "someone" we all love riding her bike out of control
heading towards the rushing river....to LIGHTENING hitting the ground
in front of the cabin creating HUGH thunder and blue light...flat tires,
trailer carrying our stuff breaking down....running out of gas in the
boat and the girls getting stuck in "quick sand" trying to get help...
hiking into back country only to find out mountain lions are watching us...
need I go on...hahaha...but we are "Schroeder Vacation Survivors" and they
are not over.....stay tuned!

**With those 4 wonderful kids, there are a lot of hard challenging times,
some we made it through with a few "bumps and bruises" and some we are
still working on making it through...through these times, as hard as they
are...I see the Lord's hand in EVERYTHING...and I am in aww at how
courageous and strong my kids are...how they move forward through their
challenges...with all the Faith they need to take the next step in their
lives....oh, through all the tears and TIGHT hugs, we have all been able
to move forward...it's the LOVE we share that helps, and the fact that
each of my kids have the courage to do what they know they should no matter
how hard it is at the time...they are my true HERO's.

**Then, the icing on the cake with all of this is being Max's grandma. I
LOVE that little man so much and it's such an honor to be his grandma...and
watching Staci be his mom...she is such a great mom...it makes me proud...
Oh how I love being a Mom and a Grandma....I love my family in such a big
way, I am so greatful for the experience I have had so far, and am so
so excited and anxious for ALL the experiences to come.....thanks to my
Mother and Grandmother for all they did for me and the love they have
shown and taught me through out my life..........

Another great reason for this day....I get to talk on the phone to my missionary
son whom I haven't seen for exactly 5 eternal months....I can't wait!

**MOTHER'S are the BEST!