End of a Blog opportunity

Beazer family,
It is with regret that I notify you of the end of a great opportunity. I have noticed that with one exception (Alexa) the past two month have only had posts by Roberts family members. Due to the lack of interest or time on the part of everyone with the last name of Beazer, I am going to discontinue the beazersbusinessblog beginning tomorrow, June 1st.
The main purpose of the blog was for us to stay connected as a family, Hey, we tried and it just isn't the right forum for our family at this time. I love you all and hope to stay in touch by whatever means you find most comfortable.

Love,
Becky Lynn

AHHH!

OH MY GOSH!!!! I am a nerd, but I am SO excited about this. Today my Spanish class went on a field trip to the Nokia Center at the Grammy Museum. We got to look around and see clothes that people like Kayne West, Beyonce, Michael Jackson, and others wore performing at the Grammys. Then we got to go into a room and listen and meet Vanessa Anne Hugdgens, Aly Michalka, and Gaelan Connell, all from Band Slam, a new movie realeasing August 14. Then we took group pictures with Aly and Gaelan. Afterword, Aly was saying by to this one girl and I turned around and we made eye contact and I yelled "Bye!" like a loser fan! I have wanted to meet her since FOREVER and I used to be obsessed with her so it was an amazing experience that I never though in a million years would happen!

Happy Mothers Day

Happy Mothers Day! I'm fortunate to have an amazing mom. I got a lot of my best qualities from her, so I try and use them to make her proud. She taught me, among other things, creativity, curiousity, patience, perserverance, honesty and - most importantly - how to laugh.

Yesterday I watched a lot of my friends graduate. It's weird/exciting to know that one year from now, I'll be up there instead. So mark your calendars - you're all invited. Also, you're apparently allowed to bring air horns to blow in celebration when my name is called. We will have to figure something out, and seat you all at various places across the stadium to make the maximum amount of noise.

I'm taking the summer off from school, but keeping busy. I'm working at the movie theater, helping to start a local TV ad production company and co-writing/co-directing a sitcom for UATV.

Also, I picked up some added responsibilities for next year of school. I was hired as the new Promotions Director for UATV, the campus cable station, and was asked to be a News Producer. It's going to be a lot of fun.

I'm really at a great time in my life when I have the opportunity to do and learn so many things. Its tough to pick and choose.

Happy May

May is a beautiful month where Spring actually seems evident. There are flowers blooming everywhere. This month is busy with Mother's day, birthday's and for some of you, the end of the school year. Take time to 'smell the roses' and enjoy time as a family.
Love,
Becky

My Finally Exciting Life!!!

Hello everyone! In my last few updates, I have said that not many new things have been going on. But since my last post, quite a bit has happened! First, school was boring as usual (I improved my grades-I raised two of my B's to A's :D). We completed the swimming unit which was fun until my groups' synchronized swimming routine. We messed up so bad-I think we all failed! But it was so fun doing the routine, it was something I will always remember! My group got the loudest applause in my class, because we were the worst ha-ha!

Blake and Maren's family visited, and that was fun! We all had a great time playing and having a small family get together. I gave Jessie and Eliza my old American Girl Dolls, so I really hope they enjoy them! The only down part was that Jessie was sick and I caught her illness also! I heard all of the kids in their family also got sick! I started with a fever and migraine for a few days, then a really bad cough, and pink eye, and I got hives during all that. Then, we thought I was getting better after my pink eye went away, but then I woke up with a very bad headache on Sunday, and we went to the doctor today and found I now have a sinus infection. I have been sick since April 6th! It is not very fun!

Another very fun thing during our two week Spring Break is going to Hawaii! I was sick the whole time, but it doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it! We went to Pearl Harbor and the Missouri, we visited Ashton up at the BYU Hawaii campus, went to the PCC, visited the Big Island and saw a volcano, waterfalls, and the a black sand beach. We also visited South Pointe. We enjoyed ourselves on the beaches (the water is SO much warmer than California!!!) and relaxed. It was definitely a vacation I will never forget! I cannot wait to go again! I decided I want to go to BYU there. :D I will post a slide-show of the pictures.

So basically, that is what has been happening. Some other small things, I finally saw Twilight, read the rest of the series and now I am in love with it. I also finally saw High School Musical 3 today on Pay Per View! I decided I want a really chubby chiwawa.

Oh, and something else VERY exciting, I was in a commercial on Saturday!!! My friend and I were at the promenade, and we saw a big crowd so we went to investigate. A Pizza Hut commercial was being filmed. One of the producers asked me and this lady I was standing by if we would be an extra. My friend asked him if she could be in it too and he said yes. We walked by the camera about 5 times. (We walked RIGHT in front of it, so you will be able to see me). It is a Pizzone one. The two main guys are in flannels, so I'm in that one. I have on a maroon sweater dress, black tights, and gold shoes. My friend has one beige and white shorts, a yellow sweater, and she has black hair. It wont air for awhile we believe (her mom is in the fashion and commercial industry so she says that it takes awhile for them to edit-we are thinking about a month), but look for me! Its my big debut!

So I hope you all are doing well! Enjoy yourselves and I hope I will be seeing you all soon!

xoxo

Anna Marie

My anniversary

I was married to my true love 26 years ago today. Way back then My mom was 38, my dad was 42, Bob was 21, Brian was about to turn 17, Brenda was 13 and Blake and Brent had just turned 12. Do the math and figure out how "old" I was.
It has been a great adventure being married to Michael and I have been able to see a lot of this country as well as parts of the world. He is a terrific husband and no matter how badly I was shaking while trying to put the wedding ring on his finger, I was glad to be marrying him. I'm still glad.
May all of you find the love of your life if you haven't already and may you kiss the love of your life if you have!
Becky

Hello!
I hope everyone is doing good & staying cool... It has been very hot here the last few days!
I miss everyone very much!

HAPPY late BIRTHDAY
Blake & Brent!!!!

Love, Alexa

p.s. 1 more month til I turn 23! :(

Ho paura di altezze (I'm Afraid of Heights)

This is an essay I wrote for my Essay Writing (Creative Non-Fiction) class about my trip to Rome last summer.

Ho paura di altezze (I'm Afraid of Heights)

“Ho voglia di un gelato, perfavore,” I told the street vendor, trying to make my accent seem natural and not forced.
“Sure, would you like chocolate or vanilla?” he asked.
It quickly became obvious that I should have been learning Latin instead of Italian. Everyone here spoke perfect English, and somehow figured out that I was American before I even opened my mouth. “Sono Americano” was never necessary.
All the signs had English translations written underneath, but the ruins did not. Catching an underground train and navigating the bus schedule was easy. Figuring out what the ancient letters"M AGRIPPA L F COS TERTIVM FECIT" written on the front of the Pantheon were supposed to mean was a different matter.
I spent all day at the Vatican. I was smart and got through the Sistine Chapel line early, and so I had time to spend the afternoon walking around St. Peter's Basilica. The prayer room that was sequestered off to the side was crowded. Mixed together in the quiet, candle-lit sanctuary were two distinct groups of people. There were the devout - easily picked out by their large crosses and bowed heads - who had come for a quiet time of devotion. And there were the weary, map-toting tourists who had realized that kneeling at a pew provides excellent relief for tired legs.
I stepped outside to get some fresh air, when I saw a simple green sign that was not translated into English.
I had no idea what it said, but it had an arrow pointing to the left, and a small note reading '5 euro.' I had plenty of extra coins and I'm always up for an adventure, so I followed the sign. If I'd simply asked a tour guide and learned what it read, I never would have walked down the stone path and given the fare to the wrinkled nun in an equally wrinkled habit who had trouble keeping her Official Holy See badge clipped on her chest pocket.
I received a ticket that had a picture of St. Peter's square on it, and joined a line of people waiting outside two large wooden doors. The green and orange-colored fanny packs told me that I was with fellow tourists. I stayed as quiet as I could and circled around, hoping to pick up bits of conversation that would give me some idea as to what was going on. German, French, Japanese - every language on the planet was spoken in that group, except for the only one I knew.
The doors opened and we started to climb. And climb and climb and climb and climb. The circular staircase was from a Frankenstein movie. The steps were short and obviously built for a time when Europeans didn't grow their legs so long. Every so often there'd be a wooden torch on the wall. We had enough daylight filtering through the gaps in the cold grey stones that we didn't need them.
I lost track of stairs somewhere after 1,000.
Turning around and going back was not an option. We had to stop frequently so the fat man two spots ahead of me in line could turn his body and squeeze through the narrow, rounded walls. I turned too, to avoid touching the sweat he left on the stone sides.
I don't mind closed spaces, but I am terrified of heights. I have no idea why, I just always have been. No matter how much rationalizing I do, the fourth step of a ladder is about all I can handle before I find myself paralyzed and trying to shrink to the floor. My senses are numb, and nothing – not the paper dryness of my tongue, not the spongy sweatiness of my palms or the wind chime jitteriness of my legs – seems real except the gap between myself and the ground.
I knew we were going up and I began to prepare myself mentally, but it didn't work. After about 20 minutes or so, there was a window. I was not happy. We were towering above the Sistine Chapel, which now looked more like a gingerbread castle.
Finally, the climbing stopped. We were shushed as we walked through another doorway and into an enormous circular room with a hole in the middle. It was like I was walking on the flat half of a cut bagel. I glanced across the chasm and realized that we were in the dome of St. Peter's – the tallest dome in the world.
It took me about ten minutes to summon the courage to look again, and about ten minutes more to finally walk over to the steel metal cage that kept us from falling, even if we'd tried. There was a mass going on, and I had to take some pictures.
My hands were shaking too much. With the flash off, all of my photos were sure to be horrible. I was sweating on the camera enough that I had to wipe off the dampness every few shots anyway.
I did the best I could. I marveled at the dome for a while, and even looked straight down a couple times. There was a mass below. The red, white and black figures moved up and down the aisles, drinking from the tiny golden up. Once again, I wished I had studied Latin, or at least Catholicism, as the reverent, strange sounds echoed up hundreds of feet. They bounced off the towering statues of the saints, up to the frescoes of the prophets, up to my ears and up to the clouds that were painted at the top of the basilica – up to God.

I patted myself on the back for overcoming my fear and walked through the door labeled “Uscita” for “Exit.” It wasn't until I was already five or six steps into the staircase that I realized we were going up and not down. There was something seriously wrong here.
But the stairs continued upwards, with the loops tightening and narrowing so that if I'd walked faster I'm sure I'd have gotten dizzy. A few hundred steps later, there was another open entrance; one that looked suspiciously blue.
There was no going back, so I walked out and quickly ascertained that there was only a flimsy banister to separate me and a 450-foot journey into ancient concrete. I kept telling myself that there was no reason the building would suddenly collapse after 400 years of stability, but the wind kept blowing and making me too nervous to be reassured.
I bent my legs and hunched down. I was now a foot shorter. Only 449 left to go.
Every instinct in my body said to lay flat on the ground and inch my way over to the exit. But at the same time, I knew I couldn't possibly come all the way up here and not take a photo. I slowly stood up. Very slowly. In order to capture my movement, you would need a time lapse camera like the ones they use to watch plants grow.
Somehow, I made it over to the front of the balcony, and looked at the city. It was late afternoon, and you could see the sun reflected off the Tiber, the orange glow of the houses and the shadow of the basilica on the shadows of the apostles, a hundred feet below me
It was breathtaking. The city seemed to grow out of the hills, like a Chia Pet of houses. The river didn't look like a snake, but more like a blue ribbon, with a green tree trim, laid over the tan rectangle wafers made of brick and stone. The color of wet cardboard sprinkled the city. These were Caesar's bricks, reminding me that I was in the new part of town.
I steadied my camera and took some photos. The pictures had no chance at capturing how incredible this was, but they might make some people jealous. I turned around and craned my head to see that about a foot of curved roof was all that separated me from very top of the basilica. The only way I could possibly get any higher was if I were to balance tip toe on the top of the cross.
I looked down at the roof of St. Peter's. I was looking at the tops of the haircuts of some of the same statues that I'd been afraid to look up at earlier in the day because of how high I thought they were. Ha!
I was more than a bit proud of myself. I had been too chicken to visit the top of the Vittoriano across town just yesterday. And now here I was, practically leaning over the railing with my camera now, on the very top of a building twice its height. The accidental nature of my triumph was a detail I planned to leave out when I told the story to my dad.
I got some more photos, looked around and left. This time, I made sure that the stairs were going down.

April

Hello everyone. If I don't get a response to this post, I will know it is time to discontinue the Beazer's Business Blog. I thought it would be a great way for our family to stay connected, but so far it seems more a chore than a pleasure. It is lovely weather here in California and I am looking forward to this weekend when Blake, Maren, Abram, Maggie, Richard, Eliza, Jessie, and Brent come to visit us. It will be a quick but fun visit. Next week Michael, Arica, Anna and I leave for Hawaii for a visit with Ashton and for Arica to check out the BYU-Hawaii campus. It will be a nice break for all of us. April is also tax time and for us that is a four letter word. Owing money is never pleasant!! Don't forget it is Rhonda's birthday on Sunday. And General Conference is Saturday and Sunday. Love to you all!
Becky

Adam & Andrew on UATV

Andrew doesn't come on until about 7:30 in

Heyyyy

Hey Everyone!

I just wanted to say hello. My life is still same old same old. I did catch a gross cold though. Nobody at school wanted to be around me haha. I used a whole entire box of kleenexs one day. Luckily, I do feel much better! I'm glad I dont have what my mom has!

I am pretty excited to have Blake and Maren's family come and stay with us for a couple of days this Spring Break. I am also excited for this summer! It will be so much fun! I cannot wait for the Cloud Nine concert and CD.

Well, I hope you all are doing well! Enjoy your life :D

xoxo

Anna Marie

Blonde Moment

Ok, so in my last post I reminded everyone to set their clock ahead one hour Saturday night so they would be on time Sunday morning. Guess who forgot??? If it hadn't been for Arica's phone alarm automatically changing to day light savings time, we would have been an hour late for church instead of 1/2 hour late. Oh well...
I hope you are all doing well. I know Brenda was sick late last month. I hope you are feeling better. I caught a cold while mom and dad were here and it just wouldn't go away so I finally broke down and went to the doctor. Good thing because it turns out I have a severe sinus infection as well as an ear infection and swollen lymph nodes in my neck. I guess I waited too long. I can't breathe and my head feels like it will explode any minute. I am hoping these antibiotics kick in quickly because I am about to drill a hole in my head and hook the vacuum up and suck all this snot out!!! I was generous enough to share the cold with Anna and she has missed 2 days of school this week. Stay healthy!
Love,
Becky

March Already

Hello family,
It sure was nice to have Mom and Dad come help me celebrate my 45th birthday. We had a really nice weekend. Friday Rhonda, Alexa and Rex came out and spent the day. Saturday we went to the farmers market in the morning and bought some great fresh produce, then to the beach (mom got a little sun) and that night to the temple. Sunday Rex came and spent the day and we played a few games. Monday dad cut fresh strawberries and mom and I made some jam. Yummy. It was a wonderful visit. Michael was in Washington DC on Monday and Tuesday (just in time for the snow storm) and is happy to be back home to the sunshine.
Don't forget to set your clocks forward Saturday night before you go to sleep.
Love you all,
Becky

CALIFORNIA VISIT

We've had a great visit with Becky, Michael, Arica, and Anna. It was really nice that Rhonda, Rex, and Alexa came out for a visit too. Enjoyed the couple days of warm weather and a trip to the beach. We are on our way home tomorrow.
Love to All,
Mom (G-MA)

one more try

I meant to send a different picture of Jessie but I am still figuring out this tricky computer stuff. Here she is with her butterfly cake (and yes, that is BANANA BREAD in front of Eliza, that's what she wanted!) Love Maren

Happy Bday to Becky!

Hey family,

I told Becky her birthday present was that I would get on the blog and post some pictures of our recent birthday girls. Jessie turned five January 29 and Eliza turned six on February 7. We love you Becky! thanks for your work on the blog!

love Maren and the rest of the Blake Beazers

Heyy

Hey Everyone!

I am sitting here next to the most amazing grandpa named Richard Don Beazer in the whole entire world. And the best Grandma Gail Sue Beazer is sitting across from me. Ya. Oh good luck Maggie and Abby in your play tomorrow! Break a leg (knock on wood) hehe Anyway, hope you all are doing well. Enjoy your life. Remember to smile :D

xoxo

anna marie

Valentines Day

Valentines day always fills me with good memories. First of all I remember Mom getting us those small heart shaped boxes of candy, often with a cartoon character on the lid and a cute card. She never failed to remind us she loved us. I also remember negotiating (or just taking) for the caramel candy in everyone's box.
I remember decorating a shoe box to take to class and then addressing valentine cards to all my class mates, making sure to put extra conversation hearts in the envelopes of the boys I especially liked. I remember in high school wondering what color carnation I would receive and how many and from whom. Red was love, Pink was Friendship and White was secret admirer. Junior year was a bad one because I only received one pink carnation from Karin Baumohl. By the time I was a freshman in college and Valentines day came around, I was already madly in love with Michael. I can't recall what he gave to me, but I know that I spent hours writing poems and drawing pictures that I put into a booklet for him. I was whooped for sure!
Now Valentines day reminds me of how many people I love. My parents, grandparents, siblings, nieces, nephews, sons, daughters, in-laws and especially my sweetheart Michael. May you all know that I love you very much!!!!
Love,
Becky

Hawai'ian Babe

Hey Beazers!!!! How are you all doing? I am doing great down here in Hawai'i. I'm not sure if you all knew this but Zach is down here too. He and I see each other pretty often, mainly because the campus is so small. We're gonna hang out this saturday at the Foodfest. Foodfest is where all of the clubs prepare something celebrating their club and we pay to eat. It's pretty fun, and people from all over the island participate. Other than that, everything is going wonderful. School is great, it's almost time for midterms so everyone is cracking down hardcore. My job is a lot of fun. I don't get a lot of free time, but when I do I make the most of it :) Anyways, have a happy February!!

Luv,
Ashton

Happy February

It is now the best month of the year. Today is the super bowl. Later this month we remember all those we love with flowers or candy (I prefer both) and then of course at the end of the month I turn 45 (yes, I really am that old). It has been so much fun reading the post for January. Thanks to all who wrote. I love keeping up with your lives and knowing how you are. I can't wait to hear from everyone this month!
Love,
Becky
ps: Andrew is still without power and is living with some friends near campus. It is like a war zone in Fayetteville. I am glad I am in the heat wave area of the country this winter. We expect 80 degrees at the beach tomorrow.

San Francisco Trip

Andrew and I recently took a trip to San Francisco while he was visiting for the Holiday's. I have always wanted to go to such a Internationaly known city with a rich history and culture I have only read about in schools or seen through the cinema. I never thought my first time to the Bay City would be with my cousin who lives across the country, so when the opportunity arose I took the chance to explore a famous city and spend some time with my cousin.

After 6 hours of driving from Santa Monica we arrived in San Francisco to the delight of the Toll Authority who instantly took our money before entering. After parking we walked the streets of the Downtown business center. Being a fan of metropolitan area's I thought the city was very impressive. We walked through Chinatown and and ate at what we thought was a local triad hangout. I learned that San Francisco's Chinatown has largest Chinese community outside of Asia, so in a way I visited China as well. After Chinatown we walked to Fisherman's Wharf and saw Alcatraz from the pier. It would've been fun to see up close but there is a $100 fee for the tour. All in all we walked a whole bunch through north San Francisco. After getting the car we drove down Lombard St. which is the most winding street in the world. Driving down that street was kinda scary because my brakes were pretty bad and the decline is so steep and has tight hairpin turns. I just thought how embarassing it would be if my brakes gave out. Later that night we drove across the Golden Gate Bridge which was cool because it's such a famous bridge that's more intimidating in person than you think.

The next day, we went back to the Golden Gate Bridge and walked across it. That morning was very foggy so the visibility on the bridge was limited. It was one of the coolest experiences walking across that bridge with cars speeding right next to us and being on top of the Ocean. After that we headed back home for the New Years celebration.

I kept saying how I could see myself living there however there were a couple things that bothered me: their outrageous toll fees which I think we payed $20 just to cross a few bridges, and their being very few streets to make left turns. Everywhere I went there was a "no left turn" sign which made it hard to navigate with ease.

I had such a fun time, especially since I got to go with Andrew whom I hadn't seen for 4 years or so. Visiting with Becky, Michael, Adam, Ashton, Arica and Anna was fun to and forgot how much I enjoy them. Easily the funnest time I had all year. That's all for me, I love you all.

Ice Storms!

Almost the entire city of Fayetteville is without power today. Andrew is at a friend's house, and I am camping in the UATV studio. It's warm in here and we have food and stuff. Best part is - no school!

Brent & Alexis and Blake & Maren Trip to Hawaiian Paradise

At the beginning of January Alexis and I celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary (July 6, 2008) with a trip to Hawaii. Blake and Maren also celebrated their 15th (December 18, 2008) so we all went together. We had a very fun, relaxing, romantic, and adventurous trip! This was my fourth trip to Hawaii, Alexis and Blake's 2nd trip, and Maren's first trip. We were able to do and see quite a bit. We had a lot of fun with Blake and Maren. We look forward to a chance when we can bring the kids with us in the future. Here is a brief travel log of our adventure:

Sunday, January 4th:
- fly from SLC to Honolulu airport
- arrive at the beautiful Marriott Ko Olina Beach Club Resort on Oahu.
- check into our ocean view room on 14th floor
- eat dinner at the resort and listen to the live entertainment
- ...

Monday, January 5th:
- run on the beach
- swim in the lagoon and pools
- take a catamaran trip into the ocean for dolphin watching, sea turtle spotting, and snorkeling
- miniature golfing
- ...

Tuesday, January 6th:
- run on the beach
- swim in the lagoon and pools
- Dole Pineapple Plantation & Maze
- BYU Hawaii
- Polynesian Cultural Center
- ...

Wednesday, January 7th:
- Aloha Stadium Flee Market
- Pearl Harbor
- USS Bowfin submarine, but we didn't pay to go on the sub
- USS Missouri Battle ship
- Hike to the top of Diamond Head crater
- Benihanas at the Hilton Hawaiian Villiage on Waikiki
- ice cream
- ...

Thursday, January 8th:
- run on the beach
- swim in the lagoon & pools
- relax on the beach & read
- play in the lagoon in the kayak
- swim in the pools
- attend time share presentation
- go to movie
- ...

Friday, January 9th:
- fly to Kuaui
- go to the beautiful Marriott Kuaui Beach Club Resort
- go to 2 different lovely waterfalls
- go on a helicopter tour of the whole island - amazing
- go to dinner with friends who were finishing their honeymoon at the same resort
- ...

Saturday, January 10th:
- go zip lining with Blake in the jungle over big canyons - what a blast!
- go exploring the island looking for a chocolate factory
- drive up the Waimea Canyon - amazing!
- swim in pool at the resort
- ...

Sunday, January 11th:
- go to church
- go exploring up the northern coast of the island
- enjoyed a relaxing day
- saw beautiful light house and look out vistas
- flew home

I am sure I missed some of the details, but I will let Blake and Maren fill in the blanks. We had a great trip! I fell in love with Alexis all over again! ALOHA!

sorry

sorry about the few mistakes in spelling I had in that last paragraph and wrong use of words haha. I cant figure out how to fix it right now but I will when mom gets home. so if you are reading it in the meantime, sorry :D

xoxo

Anna Marie

Earthquake and Update (Still not TOO creative hehe :D)

Heyyy!

The earthquake was small, but startling! I was eating pizza and watching The Incredibles when it happened. The funny thing was that it started right when I was standing up and when Elasta Girl jumped up onto the road thingy where the cars drive on the island. My first thought was What is going on?! Is the story coming to life or is there amazing surround sound or what?!?! But after a moment I realized it was an earhtquake so I grabbed my phone and ran to the nearest doorway because I had no idea how long it would last. I kept on calling Smokey to come to me so he could be safe too if it was a major earthquake but he just stated scared under the table. It passed as soon as it came though so we were completely fine. After a few seconds on retalitating, I ran into the family room to where Arica was watching a movie and was like "Did you feel that earthquake! Wasn't it cool!" Haha I was a little shaky for a minute afterwords because I was just shocked. But I was fine after awhile and peacefully got back to my movie!

And nothing new is going on really since I saw you guys in November. I grew and I formed a love of rugby I guess haha. Christmas was really fun, and it was fun to have Adam, Andrew, and Ashton here and sad when they had to go. The house is much more quiet and peacful now hehe! There was a nice heat wave for about a week or two. One day it was around 86 degrees! It was nice but now it is cold for us Californians, it is back in the 60s haha. The closest we've come to snow is a little rain. Speaking of rain, I walked home yesterday in it with my friend. She wouldnt let me call my mom so we were pretty wet when we got home. But the funniest part was that right when we were about to turn into my driveway she was like "Oh! I just realized I have an umbrella!" Wow. Thats all I could say haha. Well I'm going to go and chill so I hope you all are enjoying yourself and I cant wait to see you again!

xoxo

Anna Marie

first Earthquake

Last night while Michael and I were at the movies, all of the sudden the theater began to shake hard and everyone just went silent. Then after 4 seconds, everything went back to normal. The movie didn't even miss a beat. Kind of surreal for me. I guess everyone in California is used to this kind of thing. The earthquake was only a 3.5 and the epicenter was about 3 miles away from us in MarVista. I will let Anna or Arica tell you about being in the earthquake here at home.
So now we have experienced the fires, the Santa Ana winds and an earthquake.
Love,
Becky

Test

This is to see if the step by step instructions work for Laurel and mom and dad who have never posted to a blog before. We look forward to hearing from them now that they have all the steps spelled out.

Ashton

Hey everyone! I am here back at school. I would've posted sooner except I've been really busy getting back into the swing of things. I've got a job in the Alumni office, and I work in the afternoons till 5 every week day, and no weekends, so it's a great job. I just switched rooms, and I really like the set up. Other than that, nothing is new. I am enjoying classes, hanging out with my friends, everything like that. I hope all of you are doing well!!!

New President

Today we watched the swearing in of the 44th President of the United States. It is with a hopeful heart that we support his presidency. May God bless all of his efforts and may his family remain safe. I thought it interesting that the new President is letting his Mother-in-law move in with them to help care for the girls. That reminded me of the generosity of our own father in letting our grandma live with us. I know she has had a tremendous influence in my life and I am forever grateful. I love our family!
For those who have not had the opportunity to post this month, there are still 11 days to write something!
Love,
Becky
ps: FYI Andrew cracked the bone in his ankle last night playing basketball (yes he must take after his mom) and gets to be in a boot for a month or so. Ashton says she sees Zach Beazer on occasion. It is nice he is there this semester.

VA Diddy

Just wanted to give a quick update. My arm is progressing... they have taken out the 13 staples which was so much fun. I can open my arm about 2/3 straight but can not close it past 90 degrees as of yet. I can alos get about 70% of the turn on my wrist... So I guess it is progressing. Since we can't afford to all go to Mexico this year, Olga is taking Zoram and Zammy and they will be leaving on January 22 to return on February 1. She is excited but sad that we all can't go. Maybe next year. Some people came over this weekend and helped me get most of the lights down, so that was really nice. I only have some in the two trees... But Scott will get thoes in the next couple of weeks. Other than that, we are all doing preaty good and trying our best to progress as a family.

Smiles
Brian

Family Time

I don't have any nifty pictures to post, but wanted to report that we had a wonderful time with family over the holidays. We were crunched in our tiny home, but we made do. Rex and Andrew visited SF and stayed at with someone from my family in Rio Vista, close to SF. They had a great time exploring. When they returned, it was game-playing and football games. We did not want Rex to leave and he was kind enough to stay an extra day. As typical for our family there were lots of teasing, political debates, and gospel discussions. I am grateful for immediate and extended family.

Love all,

Michael

Gone Hollywood

This weekend we finally went to Hollywood! The family indulged me and explored the Walk of Fame with only a lot of whining instead of our usual tremendous amount. It was tons of fun. We saw the Hollywood sign and went to the Kodak Theater, where they host the Academy Awards every year.

I've got so many photos from that day (when was it anyway? This vacation is nice because I don't have to know the date and time!!!) but here are just a few.

We also drove on Rodeo Dr., Sunset Blvd. and Mulholland Dr. They have so many theaters within spitting distance of each other, it is awesome. After I win the lottery, I might move to the studios they are renting at Hollywood and Vine.

Happy New Year!

Here is a picture of the ferris wheel at the Santa Monica Pier. We watched the sun set over the ocean and said farewell to 2008. It is a beautiful sunny day this first day of January here in Santa Monica. We brought in the new year by playing some games and watching a movie and of course watching Dick Clark count down to 2009. It was kind of sad to see Dick Clark try to speak. I prefer remembering him before the stroke, but it does give you some hope to know he is making a recovery.
The day after Christmas we had Rhonda, Alexa and Rex over for dinner and some games. We learned a little bit more about each other. It was hard to say good-bye because we were having such a great time. Andrew and Rex took a trip up north (I'll let one of them tell you about it) and returned from San Francisco about 7:00pm last night so they could join the new year celebration.
Of course today our t.v. is dominated by FOOTBALL. I fail to see the appeal of grown men throwing a ball, hitting each other with their over grown bodies and running around in the cold (except here at the rose bowl it is warm). I wanted to watch The Sound of Music or another classic movie. Can you believe I was out voted?
Michael, Ashton and Arica just left to take a stroll on the beach.
We are looking forward to a wonderful 2009 and hope to see all of you during the year.
Love,
Becky