Val's Surprise 40th Birthday Party

Val's Surprise 40th Birthday Party!!!

Date:  June 13, 2015
Time:  6PM-8PM - please arrive by 5:45PM to ensure a surprise
Location: 1429 S 325 W Hurricane, UT 84737 (John & Val's Backyard)
Who:  All family and friends
Theme:  since Val is a WONDERWOMAN, please wear something that reflects a "superhero" - all superhero themes are welcome!  Please come even if you don't have anything like this.

Notes:

• No gifts please
• Please bring a dessert to share
• Please park in the cul-de-sac - and for those latecomers after the surprise can park in some designated neighbor driveways
• Please RSVP on this blog or email John at johnscotth20@hotmail.com 

Valerie is turning 40 on May 29th

Hello family and friends,

I am hoping you can help me create a 40^th Birthday gift for Val from all her family, old and new friends, and acquaintances throughout the years.

Needed by Thursday, May 28 (though OK if after this date)

I'd like to collect short notes, memories, kind words and encouraging messages from everyone in her life. Please post responses to any one or more of the following messages at http://johnvalscott.blogspot.com/

- What you love / admire / appreciate most about her

- What you value about your relationship with her

- How she may have brightened your life in some way

- Relate your favorite/best memory of her

- Any thing heartfelt you would want her to know

With so many friends and family, I am nervous she is going to find out about it, and I want to keep this top secret - so mums the word!

More to come about a 40th Birthday Party for those local.

Thank you so much for helping make this a happy 40^th for Val!

Oh What Did You Do in the Summertime?

I am in denial about the end of summer this year.

It was a jam-packed season and we enjoyed so many awesome activities.

We cheered on Alison and Sarah during swim meets and

rejoiced during Lauren's first ever organized class which was swim lessons!

We reunited with cousins and had a wonderful time!

We watched Alison perform as The Cat in the Hat and

Sarah perform as a Who Mom

in Seussical the Musical.

We celebrated Lauren's 4th birthday!

Happy Easter!

I promised my mother-in-law that I would post a picture of the girls yesterday! There is nothing more motivating than a promise to get me back in the blogging world. Easter was fairly uneventful. We had a family dinner Saturday night and so after we took John to the shuttle on Sunday afternoon we ended up having ramen for our "Easter" dinner! The girls were thrilled and I didn't mind not having a kitchen to clean up!

My girls are beautiful! If I do say so myself. Not just on the outside, but the inside too. What a blessing to have such good girls.

Back to School!

Just in case anyone thought we had fallen off the planet...we did, but now we are back! It's been an incredibly overwhelming 6 months. Someday I will catch up on what we have been through, but for right now it's about the future. School starts tomorrow and the girls are really excited about 3rd and 5th grade! I am excited about PTA...so much to do, but it's going to be great fun.

Lauren is thrilled about following me around. No school for her just yet, but I may change my mind as we go through this next year. Happy to be back in the blogging world. You may have not missed me, but I missed you!

BACK TO SCHOOL!!! HERE WE GO!!!

Wicked!

John and I just spent a fantastic weekend in San Francisco. All I asked for for Christmas were tickets to see Wicked and wouldn't you know... the closest place it was playing was in a familiar city. It was an incredible show and we had such a wonderful time. Highlights of the weekend were eating awesome Japanese food, staying in the beautiful Omni Hotel, visiting with two of my favorite and oldest friends from San Leandro, Ghiradeli Square for the best hot fudge sundae around, the show and dinner with John and Susan, and a catch up with one of my college roommates that I hadn't seen in 12 years! I don't mean to make my kids feel bad, but the other great part was just being with John! Life is a little easier when you aren't worried about three other little people's needs.

Happy Halloween

Thing 1 and Thing 2 had fun dressing up this year! We loved having cousins down to play with. Spent the day at the school carnival and the evening loading up the bags with candy! Can't wait to turn some of the candy into the dentist for some cash! Now...onto Thanksgiving!

Witches' Tea

Had a lot of fun with some friends at a gathering of witches.

Rock Climbing

John and the girls have enjoyed a few days out among the rocks with some good friends. It is a great time of year to be outdoors and appreciating the beauty that surrounds us.

Swiss Days

John has caught the family history work bug.

Ever since grandpa Stucki died he has spent a lot of time researching the Stucki side of the family which helped settle Santa Clara. What better way to see it first hand than to attend Swiss Days. It was a fun day walking through the old town and seeing pictures at the City Hall of the pioneers.

Sarah's conference weekend.

Keeping in tradition, Sarah and John headed north for Conference Weekend now that Sarah is 8. They started at the BYU game Friday night with Brooklyn and Tim, spent time with new cousin Ethan, and attended the Sunday AM session of conference. They sat 12 rows back on the side that everyone walks in from. Sarah told me that President Monson waved at her on his way out. What a special memory!

My 10 year old!

Double digits...wow! Breakfast in bed, lunch at Red Robin with G.G. whom she shares a birthday with, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs with a friend, and a very fun night with family!

Ali is a helper, a laugher, a dancer, a good friend, and a daughter that is getting too old for her mother! Thanks for being such a wonderful person Ali. We love you!

Family time.

Grandpa Stucki died Sunday, August 30th.

Santa Clara Cemetery Sept, 4th.

Grandpa's funeral was the first time that all 14 grandchildren had been together. It was a very beautiful service and a wonderful day to be gathered with extended family. Grandpa was a kind man who always took an interest in others' lives and was thoughtful in writing letters. You could always count on getting a birthday letter with $5. 'By golly' we will miss him!

Sarah is baptized Sept. 5th. It was an exciting day for her and so many people were there to support her and show their love. We are so proud of the decision she made to
follow Jesus Christ.

Surrounded by all of John's immediate family! What a lucky girl!

August

Early August marked the end of summer for the girls since they started school on the 12th. John got them up to Zion's and we ate plenty of ice cream and otter pops to keep cool.

Ali didn't technically start school until the 13th since she was home very sick the first day. It could have been nerves, but she was up and ready the next day.

Hard to believe 4th grade has come!

Sarah was surely missing grandma that first day of 2nd grade, but her new teacher is pretty awesome and she is off to a great start!

There is something wonderful about going back to school. After a very busy and somewhat stressful summer with chemo and doctor's appointments abounding it was a relief to have some routine and consistency to count on. We sure did get to visit with so many friends and family though and we will miss the freedom to roam for a little while.

Sarah turns 8!

Sarah has grown so much this year. She is such a smart and hard-working girl. I appreciate her ability to focus and get things done. She loves to make her little sister laugh, and is probably her oldest sister's best audience (or worst depending on the moment!).

Sarah is very intelligent, but definitely has a great sense of humor too! What fun.

July

Visit from the Bingham's

I don't know what it is about these two and coloring. This time it was chalk on themselves. Four years ago it was using rocks to "color" on our two cars!

Mom's birthday dinner at Rusty's. Yum!

We also had our annual visit to Panguitch for Pioneer Day and a wonderful visit with some of my oldest and dearest friends from growing up. Good times!

June part 2

June was definitely a happening month! We really enjoyed seeing so much family and spending the warm summer together.

Ali looks good as a cat! Dance Recital.

Lauren turns 2. Swimming with grandma and G.G.
Not pictured...my cousin's wedding at the Draper temple and the
Porter Family Reunion at Yuba Lake.

June part 1

John was busy, busy, busy...

Trip to California to see his brother,James, after he returned from his mission to Italy!

He turns 36! What an old man!


Youth conference trip up north to visit a temple open house, temple square, Church History Museum, the Conference Center, and the Joseph Smith Building.

May

Sarah and Olivia

Alison and Faith

Surprise trip to Seattle with the girls...such great times visiting with old friends and old places. Wish I had taken more pictures...just so focused on the people I forgot to snap away.

Had a great birthday...manicure and massage all in one day! Thanks mom.

School got out and summer fun began.

Adenocarcinoma

Reread the last line of my previous post before you read any further....

okay...

My mom was diagnosed with lung cancer this past week. It's a total mystery as to how she got it, but she is in Stage IV and we are gearing up for a good fight ahead of us. If you want to follow my journey with her through this you can read

momandherjourney.blogspot.com

We are fasting for her tomorrow: May 3rd.

She has a positive attitude and of course a million people who love and support her. Her quote of the weekend was..."everything that could go right is going right, except for the part that is going wrong!"

Thanks for all your prayers.