Champs in Champaign!

This is Dann writing my first (and maybe last) post on the blog.... Brian and I were able to capture the title in Champaign capping off the week on a great high!

It is amazing how life takes you through so many ups and downs. Just last week I hit the low point of my tennis career losing two bad doubles matches and then a third match in singles to none other than my brother, Brian. I thought that it was about time to hang up the rackets for good.

After hitting bottom, I decided that I would just try to enjoy every moment on the court this week and let the tennis results take care of themselves. They sure did! It was great to win, but I would have been almost just as happy losing as I was having so much fun out there!..... Thanks to all of you for your support, and thanks to Stephanie Hodnett for the picture!

Finally in the Finals

Well, they did it. Tonight Dann and Brian won again, this time in straight sets (7-5, 6-4), and will play tomorrow in the finals in Champaign. Way to go!

Success in Champaign

Dann and Brian won their second-round match tonight against the number one seeds in Champaign, Illinois. I am happy they won, but sad that Dann isn't coming home quite yet! I guess I can wait a few more days. I would sure love to see them win a tournament! Way to go guys!

They will play a semi-final match tomorrow. I will post results after the match, or you can check the draw here

Since We've Been Back

I know it's a lame excuse, but I lost my laptop charger and have had a dead computer for some time now. I just got a new charger, so I have a lot to catch up on! We (the kids and I) are currently in Roosevelt at our own house. It is wonderful. I am really enjoying just being home, and I think the kids are too. I am working on putting things back together and moving things upstairs since we had it rented out while we were gone. Dann is still on the road, and currently in Knoxville, Tennessee. He hasn't had much success with tennis lately but is still sticking with it and hoping things will improve.

We were in Las Vegas for about a week and a half before coming here. While there, I scheduled a dentist appointment for Sam as soon as I could to finish the dental work he needed to have done. It was on my mind constantly while we were in Europe. Before we left he had one cavity filled and a crown put on, and needed to have 6 more cavities filled. I was happy that Dann could take him because I knew this visit wouldn't be much fun. Sam did okay and even got a new train out of the deal.

This is Sam, happy to be done with the dentist and have a new train! Notice the swollen lips

Also, the ward there had a Trunk-or-Treat activity a few days before Halloween (first one I had been to) and we all loved it.


On our trip to Utah, we hit bad weather and somehow got a flat tire. There was too much snow on the sides of the road to pull over, so we were just kind of stuck. Luckily, traffic was moving really slow at the time as the result of an accident ahead, so all the cars just went around us. After a few phone calls and kind people stopping to offer help, a tow truck was on the way. When the guy got there, he hooked up the front part of our van and towed us (while still inside the van) about 8 miles to Cove Fort, which was the closest place to get our tire fixed. The kids loved that part! We ended up getting 4 new tires. It was all quite an ordeal, but we were very blessed that things went as well as they did and that we were safe.


We only made it to Provo that night and stayed at a hotel there. The next day was my birthday, so for Dann's present he watched the kids for a few hours while I went shopping. Then we headed to Roosevelt. When we got here, we found that my family had moved all our furniture back upstairs (my sister and her husband rent the downstairs and had been storing it for us since we had other renters upstairs who had just recently moved out). It was a wonderful surprise! The kids were so excited to see all of their toys and beds and all the things and people they love.

We enjoyed a fun party at my Aunt Lana's house where we played games, decorated pizzas, hunted for ghosts, and drank witches brew.




Halloween was fun for the kids, though I think they actually liked giving out candy at our house better than trick-or-treating. Sam was a frog (the cutest I've ever seen), Lily was Cinderella (of course), and Bella was a ladybug. My wonderful Mom took Dann to the airport that night to catch his 1 a.m. flight to Virginia, and we haven't seen him since.



We own some land near Roosevelt (about a 15-minute drive from our house) with my parents and last weekend we all went out there to feed the animals. The kids loved seeing the llamas and cows and even a stray dog that has made the place his home.

Home Again

We made it back to Las Vegas safely and are so glad to be here! The flight back was long, but the kids did great. The afternoon we arrived, we got word that Dann and Brian were given a wild card into the Calabasas Challenger in California. Dann drove there the next morning to meet Mark and Brian who were already there. They requested a late start, which they got, and played their first-round match today. They won it 6-3, 6-3. Dann said he is happy to get a win.

The kids and I decided to take a break this week from the traveling and are spending it in Las Vegas. Our sleeping and waking hours are all messed up, so the kids have been getting up around 3 a.m. Hopefully we can all get adjusted soon!

Paris, France

We had a last minute change of plans (surprising, I know...) and are now in Paris, France! Dann and Brian decided to try to play a challenger in Calabasas, California next week, so we are heading back to the U.S. 

They lost their second-round match on Thursday to the number one seeds. They haven't had the best of luck with their draws here in Europe...each week has been pretty tough. Still, they gained a lot of fans in Denmark and sold all of the rackets they had.

We left the hotel in Kolding yesterday and drove about 15 hours (traffic was pretty slow), getting here after 3 a.m. We passed through 4 different countries this time: Denmark, Germany, Belgium, and France. Dann left early this morning to drive to Milan where he will drop off our rental car and then fly back here to Paris tonight. We all fly to Las Vegas tomorrow morning! 

It has been a great trip and I am so glad we came.  We have had some memorable experiences, but I am really looking forward to going home! The kids can't wait to see Nana and Papa and everybody in Roosevelt! We will see you all soon!

Bella Marie

I had to write something about my sweet little Bella. She is now 6 months old and just got her first tooth breaking through today. She also has started sitting up on her own this past week. She is getting bigger, though she isn't too chunky. She is longer than I remember the other kids at this age. She is just starting to splash in the bathtub and really loves to play with her big brother Sam, who loves to play with her as well. She loves to eat, and of course wants anything we eat. She is a content baby and always has a smile for mom, though not always one for strangers. One of her favorite places to be is on her dad's shoulders, pulling his hair. She has been quite a few places in her lifetime and is really turning into a great traveler.

She is such a joy to me and I am so grateful to have her!