A season of great joy!

This holiday season has brought great amounts of gratitude to my heart.

This post is dedicated to my family who bring such great joy & happiness to me!

Courtney

My loving wife! Where would we be without you and all you do in our home. e.g laundry, dishes, cleaning up after everyone, keeping a clean home, shopping frugally (every husband loves that!) & loving everyone know matter how frustrating we can get.

With out you, I would not have my 4 beautiful children!

Thanks for putting up with all my crazy ideas even when they don't work out.

I love your creative talents that have make our house a home.

I am grateful for the sacrifices you have put forth this past year and the sacrifices you are willing to put forth on our new adventure.

What more could I ask fort his holiday season, I'm married my best friend!

I love you Honey!

Avery

You are my oldest and I am very proud of you! It is not always the easiest thing to be the oldest. I am grateful for your patience in dealing with me when I seem to put to much responsibility on you as the oldest.

I am grateful for your earnest studying you have put forth before you baptism.

I am grateful for you strong desire to be baptised for the right reasons.

I love the way you treat everyone at your school (student & teachers). It always reminds me that I too need to be polite and friendly to everyone.

You are a great blessing to this family and I thank my Heavenly Father for you!
I love you Avery!

Brielle

Where do I began my little Actress. I am grateful for ability to help me remember to be young.

I love your awesome sense of humor & deeply grateful for it. You are my bucket of laughs! I don't think anyone makes me laugh as you do. Your desire to dance is another thing I love about you, such grace (maybe that is why your middle name is grace?)!

I love you Brielle Grace!!

Chasen

My first boy!! I am so grateful that the Lord has blessed me with such a great little missionary!

Your eagerness (at 2 yrs) to help others blow me away! Though your energy sometimes drives me crazy I know that as you grow older it will be one of your strengths and it teaches me patience.
Love you Chasen!

Daxton

My barrel of fun! I have always been a smile kinda guy. I love smiles. Know one I know has more of a contagious smile than you! Even on the hardest of days I can count on you and your smile to change my countenance and uplift me.

I couldn't imagine a better close to our eternal family!

Thanks Dax I love you!

Let it Snow!!

Well we finally got our first real snow fall lastnight & continued through today. Of course for Christmas we bought our children gloves, hats, coats & boots. But the snow was to tempting & cold to wait. So we got them out early. As you can tell the kids thought is was so worth it!!!

Brielle I think enjoyed it the most. Chasen started out a little nervous and then it kicked into, "this is fun"!

As a few of you know our driveway is as steep as a mountain side. So of course we had to use it to our advantage.

Being from California this isn't my favorite thing about Colorado, but my kids seem to ease the burden.

The Richardson's

Look at this beautiful Family. Their Logan, Ashley & Reid Richardson. They were brave enough to let me practice my photography and try out my new camera on them!!!

Look at this beautiful Family. Their Logan, Ashley & Reid Richardson. They were brave enough to let me practice my photography and try out my new camera on them!!!

Happy Birthday Dad!!!!

As many of you know my dad was diagnosed with terminal cancer (Mulitiplemialoma). This cancer though terminal does have transplants to prolong life. My dad had a transplant 4 years ago. The Dr. and nurses explained to him that now with the transplant he has a new birthday!! How great is that to have 2 Birthdays!!
Though the road has not been the easiest to say the least, my dad has stood strong through the tough and even tougher times.
I had the great privilege to have my dad visit for our annual photography trip in Rocky Mountain National Park during Elk Bugling Season in late Sept. We were able to take some great photos and spend some quality time together. One of the highlights of the trip was our hike of 9,000 ft. During this time I noticed and learned some great things about my dad I never really noticed before. Like his attention to detail. We would stop and observe some fine detail of nature that I would usually just past by. Now I pay more attention to the finer things. It has helped my photography greatly as well as everyday life.
He also retaught me how to appreciate our Heavenly Father's creations. As I grew up I learned this great appreciation. As I have gotten older and have a young family I have lost some of it. It is truly a great honor to have these creatures, places, & things so close.
Last but not least, slow down! Life is an adventure and well, we should enjoy every minute!!!
It is these moments in our lives that bring us great happiness and joy. It is these moments that when our loved ones are taken we can look back on and remember the purpose of our lives and live them in a way that they would be proud of.
I know that my Heavenly Father sent me my dad because he was the best man for the job.
I am grateful to my Heavenly Father for giving me a father who has taught me about the finer things in life!
Happy Birthday Dad!!!!!!
Love your Son,
Steve

It's an ELECTION!!!

Okay! I know a lot of people are already sick of this election year & I am sorry but it's time to get on my soap box!



We have an opportunity to take part in one of if not the greatest election in U.S history. I hope all who are reading this are researching, researching, & researching! This is more than electing a African American, War POW or a woman in to office. This is a chance for us to create history and change the direction of this country. It is no secret that our economy is in a horrible situation, people are losing there jobs, houses, and more. My family and I have been greatly effected by this great down turn, but this is not the time to lay down and think that all is over! More now than ever we as a nation must come together and make the difference that we all have the power to make. I get so frustrated with those who complain & complain but do nothing to help make changes! We are a choice nation! A nation that was started because our forefathers knew they could make the difference. They knew that a few that had the passion, desire & greatness was much more than a powerful government. Many times George Washington as a General had many less men who were starving, little to no clothes, many times not being paid, & not seeing their families for months on end. With these conditions we fought against the British who we all know were well equipped. Yes sometimes we lost, but the greatest and most important thing to remember is with these situations we won our Independence!!! Sometimes we feel this way. Our fellow Americans and even some of us are losing a lot that is dear to us. We feel as though the government doesn't care or no one hears our cries. It is true that we have lost a lot of trust in our government. But let us remember that it is not the governments responsibility to support us or pull us out of situations we might have put ourselves in. They are there to protect and serve. Are they failing in this? Yes.

We have become and raising a future generation of "people of entitlement" Our forefathers did not win our freedom telling the British that we deserve it! They earned it!! Some with great sacrifice & blood. We seem to be forgetting who we are and how we became.



It was great to see the 9/11 Presidential Forum last night. Both candidates spoke with no jabs or rude e comments of the other. There comments were based on service and how American must come together. I can't agree more. Our forefathers didn't want political parties, and here we are in the midst of a horrific & nasty election. I think the one thing that they are missing is the saying we all heard our parents speak,"Lead by example." I reflect on the emotions and actions of post 9/11. There was no black, white, poor, rich, Republicans or Democrats. It was all equal! It didn't matter who was on the planes, or who was buried in the rubble! We were all Americans!! Americans helping Americans. Where is this passion, love, charity, & service now? How soon we forget. Freedom doesn't pick and choose. It is for everybody!!



Growing up I remember that who you voted for was a personal thing and you could share it if you had the desire. This election, we must share, there is too much at stake to keep it to ourselves!



In the next 8 years there will be possibly 3 opportunities to elect Supreme Court Justices. This is one of my greatest concerns on who will be elected. I request that we all take this into consideration in our decision. Do we want higher taxes? Do we want to lose our right to bare arms? Do we want bigger or smaller government? Is diplomacy the only answer in foreign affairs?



Questions we all need to answer personally soon! This is the greatest country in the world. We all have the right to choose. I just hope we choose knowing the agendas & policies of who we consider.

Families are Forever!

Today was a special day for our family. Avery had a primary activity at the Denver Temple today. So Courtney & I decided to make it a family day. We arrived just in time to get Avery on her tour and I enjoyed (as you can see) taking pictures on the temple grounds. After the Primary tour ended we all sat down to have a picnic lunch in a park right in front of the temple. Previously Courtney and I decided we would go in and do inititories at 100pm for our ward. So Emily & her husband Kevin (previous employees and great friends) volunteered to babysit for us. Thanks guys!! It was great to be able to spend some time there in the temple. I was able to reflect on much and feel the Spirit of my Heavenly Father. As I sat in the Celestial room and watched all the different sessions enter, people embracing each other, some with tears of joy others with large smiles across their faces. I just sat there thinking "this is what it will be like when we end our lives here and are reunited with our loved ones again.
We ended the day with a nice dinner at the Claim Jumper. For those of you that don't know, it's all about the experience. Courtney ordered the half order of Chicken Fried Steak and it was about 10 inches across. No joke!! I ordered a The Widow Maker Burger. It definitely would be a killer if you ate it all. It stood 4-5 inches high. It doesn't end there. Courtney thought we should order the ice cream sandwich dessert. You guessed it. It was huge!! It was a cookie (that spanned the size of a grown man's hand) filled with Vanilla ice cream and topped with hot fudge. We didn't leave hungry.
Over all it was a fantastic day. It has been a long time since we have had an outing like that as a family.
Money, cars, houses, friends may all come and go trough out our lives, but our families are the only thing that is constant.
I want all my family members to know that I cherish them like the rare jewels they are. Their smiles, laughs, the telephone calls, the great but few times we spend together, the Friday dates with my beautiful wife, and my gourgous children and their beautiful smiles. There is a reason why God created

Eternal Families. I know that my family is Eternal!!Enjoy the time you spend with them here on Earth, because this day you will never get back.
Love you all!!

Zoomania!!!

Today we went on a family outing to the Denver Zoo! We packed our lunches and off we went. We were able to see alot of animals and eat over priced ice cream. I think Chasen had the best time. He loves his animals and to see them up close and live rather than in a book he was pretty excited.

We enjoyed a nice little train ride around the small track they have there in the zoo. And of course the gift shop. Can't pass that up. We look but don't buy.

I think the funniest part of the day was pulling Chasen in the wagon back to the car after the day was over. As we got closer to the car he kept falling asleep and nodding his head. It was funny!

The weather was good and so was dinner. We stopped at Famous Dave's BBQ on the way home where everybody enjoyed some good ol' messy BBQ.

Happy Birthday Honey!!!

Today is my wife's Birthday!

Happy Birhtday Honey!!!

Getting older is not a lot of people's favorite thing to do. This includes my wife. I don't really know why because she looks as HOT as she did 9 years ago when I met her.

Courtney has this tradition that if it's your Birthday then we (mom & dad) decorate your room so when you wake up in the morning you have streamers, & ballons everywhere. The kids have a ball with it! So this year mommy got her room decorated. She also got a French Toast & fresh fruit breakfast in bed. (Daddy cooks & the kids carry it up stairs to mom). Courtney we want you to know that we all (Steve, Avery, Brielle, Chasen & Daxton) think you look great at 28!!!!!

Honey, I look forward to many more of your Birthdays together!!

We love you and hope this day is a special one!!!

Independence Day!!!!

Happy 4th of July!! Being one who appreciates our country's great history, this is one of my favorite holidays.

We spent the day at Estes Park. Having had a great time two years ago, we thought it was time to go back. We camped out next to Lake Estes and had sack lunches and BBQ hamburgers for dinner. (I had my first Venison Burger! Yum!) We took a 6 mile walk (3 each way) along the lake and into downtown where we enjoyed the slides, go karts and of course ice cream. It was a lot of fun until my over exhausted son only wanted his daddy to carry him the last 2 miles. I am still worn out and sore.
Of course the day ended with a spectacular show of huge, loud & beautiful fireworks. The best part about the Estes Park show is the echoing of the loud explosions off the Rocky Mountains. It's quite the experience.

In closing I just want to thank all those who have and still are sacrificing so much in our behalf. This is a great country we live in. It sometimes can be very easy to complain and pick apart so many policies & acts about this country. But the truth of the matter is, because so many have given the ultimate sacrifice we are free. May we all remember all that has been given, so that we may live, speak, and worship the way we feel to be right!