Ryan's Birthday Pic's

We had such a nice time hanging out and visiting his grave.... Ryan was with us every second of all the funny jokes and good times talked about :) I love and miss him dearly... His kids are just growing up too fast, but I'm enjoying every minute

Happy Birthday Ryan

We thought of you with love today,
But that is nothing new.
We thought about you yesterday.
And days before that too.
We think of you in silence.
We often speak your name.
Now all we have is memories.
And your picture in a frame.
Your memory is our keepsake.
With which we’ll never part.
God has you in his keeping.
We have you in our heart.

There is so much I wish to say and I think about you every day. I can't see your wave and your smile... We won’t stand on the street and visit for a while… No “how you doing Sis” with a big hug to follow…. No “what are you doing tonight” or “I’ll see ya tomorrow”… All of these things, I cherish so dearly … In my heart, I remember so clearly… I miss your laugh, I miss your smile, neither lost nor forgotten...

I imagine them often and it just doesn’t seem real that you’re not around. I find myself still looking for you when I think or need you… it's been 3 years since the day my loving brother passed and I still talk to you... I know you can hear me… Today I spoke of you and before I finished my sentence…. I could feel your presence, Then a coincidence, or was it a sign? The song that reminds me of you began to play… As If you knew I was thinking of you this day... I smiled.. feeling you were there with me, Again, I sat remembering - Tears filled my eyes as I listened to the song "The Dance" by Garth Brookes. But this time I accepted that you are gone.

Three years later, I know it seems like forever…. I’ve asked myself and I’ve talked to God….. How could he take you away, the only answer that makes any sense is You’re in God’s hands now… As he planned Watching us from above… An Angel in heaven who will always be loved

Tomorrow is Ryan's 32nd birthday which we'll all be in Salt Lake celebrating this day with him at the gravesite. I'll be posting those pictures once I get home...

HUGE FAN.....

I am a huge fan of Sugar land. I love the fact that Heather Nettles (Gorgeous) for one, Kristian Bush (not to shabby) himself... Two that they write their own music on top of their amazing voices to sing these meaningful songs with such passion and real feelings.... She has the ability to change her voice, I love her personality, her positive outlook of life! She says life is short. We are reminded not to take ourselves too seriously. Some days we can just take a step to the side and let go laughing. I got to see them live at the country jam this year 2008 - and it was fabulous! They sang some of their new release songs for the first time there that were released on this deluxe album. I bought this right when it was released... AWESOME ALBUM!!!

She has a good point by this, People stereotype country music to be about "your dog dying, your mama dying, your wife leaving, your husband cheating, losing a job, etc, etc." If life were perfect and there were no conflicts to resolve, where would any artform be? This song is called "VERY LAST COUNTRY SONG"

Today is my birthday and all I want, is to dig through this box of pictures. In my Kitchen 'til the daylights gone,

This one here's my mama with the long, brown hair. I'm 40 years older today than she was in that picture there

But if life stayed the way it was, and lovers never fell out of love, if memories didn't last so long, if nobody did nobody wrong, if we knew what we had before it was gone, if every road let back home, this would be "The very last country song"

These are all my babies, lord knows how we survived, The first one was hard and the last wasn't planned, what a big surprise. That's him with is daddy's eyes

I loved the man in this one, it's faded but I don't care. There are nights when I wake up and know he's beside me I swear, Sometimes I feel him there

But if life stayed the way it was, and lovers never fell out of love, if memories didn't last so long, if nobody did nobody wrong, if we knew what we had before it was gone, if every road let back home, this would be "The very last country song"

If I knew what we had before it was gone, If every road led back home, this would be the very last country song.

I love every song on this album, but one I want to share is "Fall into Me"

When the weight of the world bears down so strong, you leave footprints on the street. And there's too many miles to face

Without a few more hours sleep, the storm clouds overhead won't shed, any rain to quench your thirst - I wanna be the one you reach for first

When your faith is stretched so thin, that you can see straight through your sole. And you can't find a nickel to buy a smile

'Cause your pockets all got holes, you wanna shut the door and hide before the day can get much worse - I wanna be the one you reach for first

Fall into me, my arms are open wide, and you dont' have to say a word. 'Cause I already see That it's hard and you're scared, and you're tired and it hurts and - I wanna be the one you reach for first

I wanna be the bottle, you've been drinking with your eyes, or the road you run away on! You've been running all your life, The third row pew, that you last knew as a child in church - I wanna be the one you reach for first.

Before you turn the key, before you fall asleep, before you drift away to fight those demons waiting for you in your dreams, before your arms are stretched wide open, before you reach into the sky, before you're searching for direction and all the answers to you why's

Fall into me, Oh, my arms are stretched wide open, you don't have to say a word, because I already see, that it's hard and you're scared. And you're tired and I know it hurts, and I wanna be the one you reach for first.

Fall Season

Yes fall is here, and I love it :) Another year is coming to an end. Summer's almost finished, and Summer's almost gone, Winter's round the bend. Fall is piles of crunchy leaves, orange, gold, and red. Fall is sweaters with long sleeves and blankets on the bed. Fall is footbell, Fall is pumpkins, Fall's where summer ends. I love that the leaves have wonderful frolic. They dance to the wind's loud song, They whirled, and they floated, and scampered. They circled and flew along.

The moon saw the little leaves dancing, each looked like a small brown bird.
The man in the moon smiled and listened, and this is the song he heard. The North Wind is calling, and we must whirl round and round, then, when our dancing is ended, We'll make a warm quilt for the ground.

When the goldenrod is yellow, and leaves are turning brown - Reluctantly the summer goes in a cloud of thistledown. When squirrels are harvesting and birds in flight appear - By these autumn signs we know September days are here.

Love of ART

I love art, I love it's definitions, it's passions, it's beautiful ways!!! I try to always show my girls my interests in art and want them to know in so many different ways that art isn't just drawing or coloring its much more than that!! Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it, we go nowhere, I want to thank anyone who spends part of their day creating, I don't care if it's a book, a film, a painting, a dance, a piece of theater, a piece of music--anybody who spends part of their day sharing their experience with us--I think this world would be unlivable without art and I thank you -

The best reason to paint is that there is no reason to paint....I'd like to pretend that I've never seen anything, never read anything, never heard anything...and then make something....Every time I make something I think about the people who are going to see it and every time I see something, I think about the person who made it....Nothing is important...so everything is important.

Talent! What they call talent is nothing but the capacity for doing continuous work in the right way.

There is no must in art because art is free

The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.

If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude. Don't complain.

If apple is the language of the future, then art must be the core.

Good art is not what it looks like, but what it does to us.

the object of art is not to reproduce reality, but to create a reality of the same intensity

A painting is never finished - it simply stops in interesting places.


Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures.

A work of art which did not begin in emotion is not art.

The true work of art is but a shadow of the divine perfection

"Frame It"

We are in the business of making our kids feel good about themselves and reinforcing self-confidence. Sometimes that little positive reinforcement is enough to change a kid, or at least guide them in a direction towards creating more and more art.

I always tell my girls - Your artwork is never bad, There's no right or wrong way, your efforts makes you feel glad, You could draw anything, an ocean or a bay. Bright colors, lines are bold; artwork is like gold, Art is literacy of the heart :) Painting is just another way of keeping a diary

I am so "PROUD" of both my girls.... They both have such a drive for Art. It's so amazing to me to watch them learn and grow, they both have such an artistic mind. I love to support them in this wonderful activity, they is so much in the "art" world. As my dad always told me and I carry on to my girls "No amount of skillful invention can replace the essential element of imagination"

"Color is the keyboard, the eyes are the harmonies, the soul is the piano with many strings. The artist is the hand that plays, touching one key or another, to cause vibrations in the soul."

"Little bonding time w/Dad"

Mitch has started a daddy daughter day with both the girls... It has been such a wonderful experience for all three of them! Not only does it give them more time to have one on one together, but they build projects together... Mitch loves to build, he was born to do it and found that Home Depot does these Free workshops, and thought this would be so cool to do with his girls! I love to see their faces when they come home and are so excited to show me what they did and how dad helped them every step of the way. They tell me how proud dad is of them :) We each try to do One on One's once a month with the girls - also trying to do things that are free so that we can teach our girls the value of quality time.

The Home Depot's Kids Workshops offer useful projects including the creation of toolboxes, fire trucks and mail organizers, as well as more educational projects, such as a window birdhouse, bughouse or Declaration of Independence frame kit. The workshops teach children do-it-yourself skills and tool safety, while at the same time helping to instill a sense of accomplishment. Additionally, this fun time allows for quality one-on-one time between adults and children. In addition to the newly constructed project kit, each child receives a kid-sized orange apron, similar to The Home Depot associates' aprons, and an achievement pin.

"Little bonding time w/Mom"

I love hanging out with Kassidee and Maddison! They are my two best friends! ----- We decided to bake some blueberry muffins and a chocolate cake together... It was so much fun talking and making a mess together :) They both have such adorable personalilities, and I LOVE watching them grow up! It is such an amazing feeling being their mother, the bond we share is priceless....I am so blessed to have them in my life.... They definitely keep me on my toes :)

Let's Dance!!

My good friend Alica Dobson (also Kassidee and Maddison's dance teacher last 2 years) has decided to open a dance studio! Alicia approached Mitch and I to be her general contractor on the job... It's been a great experience so far, talking on the phone and making deals is what I do best :) I love to do this kind of work and can't wait to see the final results! The studio will open tenatively October 1st, 2008 - It's a great location, with lots of great dance classes! I know she'll do so well... Another one of my favorite forte's is Marketing - so I am promoting her business, she is a wonderful person, teacher, director, etc....... So if you know of anyone that wants to "Dance" send them her way :)-

We are pleased to announce a brand new space (under construction) dedicated to our specific needs. It is located at:"the Centre at Dinosaur Crossing"(the corner of Mall Drive and Riverside Drive)St. George, Utah This space will house a student waiting room (shoe changing area) with benches and cubbies, two bathrooms, drinking fountains, and two dance studios. Each dance studio will be ready with sprung dance subflooring, “marley” style dance floor covering, double dance barres, and large mirrors. The location has ample parking and two entrances/exits.

The 2008-2009 dance season will be our SEVENTH year. Classes are available for ages two and up; from beginning to advanced. Classes offered include: Ballet, broadway, hip-hop, jazz, lyrical, modern/contemporary, tap, and more. We offer a variety of competition, performance, non-performance, and just-for-fun classes to meet your specific needs. Refer to the Class Schedule for more details.

Mail: Desert Edge Dance Company - P.O. Box 911153 St. George, Utah 84791

Phone: Alicia Dobson, Director 435.632.6843 E-mail: desertedgeance@yahoo.com