Paula our Brazilian Daughter

Some of the girls on Easter Sunday.

(L to R) Me, Sunny, Major, Tia, Cambria, Paula & Kiana
Paula camping at our Family Reunion on Cedar Mountain.

Paula is such a great BIG sister to Sydnee. This is after Sydnee's Dance Recital.

My three girls who look like sisters. People ALWAYS ask me, "I thought you only had 4 kids, where does Paula fall in the line?"
*************************

Paula joined our family on December 19th, 2008 and we now have less than a week before we have to say goodbye to her. We have had a wonderful 5 1/2 months with her. We feel very honored that she chose our family to share in her American experience. We couldn't have asked for a better foriegn exchange student. Paula has become a part of our family as much as you can without being biologically born into a family. We love her so much, she is just like one of the kids and one of MY GIRLS. I am going to miss her. Everytime I think about it, my heart starts to feel heavy. I can only imagine how her mother felt all the way in Brazil. I am sure she is counting down the days till Paula arrives there. I know that Paula misses her family so much, but I do know that she has had a fabulous time here in Utah, in high school, young women's program, etc. She is an amazing young woman and her parents should be very proud of the great person that they have raised. They did a fabulous job. Thank you for sharing your beautiful daughter with us, we have enjoyed her and hope to see her again. Thank goodness for modern technology.

We love you Paula!!!

We have PUPPIES!!!

Chloe is exhausted after becoming a mama.
Here they are: Diesel is the black one and Chewy is the brown one.

We came home from our family reunion and Chloe had just had her puppies. They were probably about 20 minutes old. They are so cute. There are two of them a boy and a girl - the boy is 3 oz. and the girl is 6 oz. we named the girl "Chewy" and the boy "Diesel". The kids have had a blast with them. It's going to be hard for them to give them away, but there is NO WAY I am having four dogs. Chloe is so protective, she just about bites Bruzer's head off everytime he goes to take a look at the puppies.

Annual Bauer Family Reunion Campout

It is so typical-We get there and it's RAINING!!!! Camping and me don't mix but when you add rain, we really don't mix, but I survived!!!
The girls stayed in the car until the rain subsided.
Trevor, Bryan and Charles hurried up and put the tent up when it was sprinkling, after they got it up it stormed and the heavens opened and dumped a ton of water. In the tent we stayed dry.

Cambria and Grandma Horlacher

Us in front of the tent, before the rain hit!!!

LUNCHTIME!!!!

We wrote notes to Grandma and Grandpa Bauer as a way to honor them on Memorial Day, and put them in the balloons and sent them up.

Our family before everybody went their separate ways. We were only missing Duaine and his family. We thought about them often.

We went to the annual Bauer family reunion CAMPOUT!!!

CATCH UP!!!!

Bicycle built for two. My kids have had a blast with this bike. Cambria and Brody thought it would be fun for part of their date. Sydnee after her dance recital with her favorite person ever - HER DADDY!!!
Sydnee and Paula

Every year we get a picture of Tori and Cecilee in this famous chair in Beaver.

*** STATE CUP SOCCER***

Cecilee in the goal at UTAH STATE CUP in Orem, Utah. She played awesome!!!

Cecilee and some of her team in between games. They are awesome girls.

Cecilee's team at 7:00am before their first game.

Paula & Cambria shaved Brody and Drew's legs for the fun of it!! You never know what might be next. Why not, the hair will grow back!!!

CHEESE!!! It took about 20 minutes per leg.

ALOT has taken place since my last post of mother's day. We have been up north watching Cecilee Play in the State Cup for Soccer, lots of friends over for fun, dance recitals, etc. We are so excited for summer.

My Mother, my wonderful example

All seven of us kids with our wonderful parents.
My parents who have been married for 40 years and still happy.

My mom has the most amazing sisters. This is her sister just older than her. Aunty Laida is #7 and my mom is #8 out of 14 children. They are all such amazing women and mothers. Only because they were raised by THE ULTIMATE Mother.

My mom is the most amazing woman I have ever met. Ever since I was a young little girl, she taught me sooo many things, from cleaning, cooking, baking, entertaining, teaching, smiling, lov ing, hugging, smiling, and the list goes on. I was always amazed at how much she could get accomplished in one day (24 hours) and how our house was always emaculately clean. She always did everything to the highest level. We always had people over at our house to have dinner and entertaining. And you better believe my mom did not use paper plates or plastic silver ware. It was crytal all the way. Her cooking was always the best and she always made us kids a hot breakfast before we went to school. She also has the most amazing relationship with our Heavenly Father. I always tell her that she has a one way line to him and always ask her to pray for me because I know he hears her. My mom is the best example to me of the type of mom I want to be. I also remember her running up and down the soccer field on the sidelines yealling, "Kick it to my kid". She would run as much as we would in a soccer game. She was always so full of fun and mischeif, especially with my Aunty Joyce. They were like La Verne and Shirley or Lucy and Ethel. You never knew what the two of them were up to. They kept our lives very interesting and fun. I loved my childhood and I always thought of my mom as my best friend. She would come and check me out of school every now and then and take me to lunch and shopping. I love those times together. I love my mom and the bar that she set so high for me to TRY and achieve. I hope to be a fraction of the type of mother that my mom is to me with my children. I love her so much and couldn't imagine my life without her. To this day, I still rely on my mom for advise, love, and her prayers. Even though we are all grown and out of the house, my mom probably spends more time on her knees in behalf of all of her kids & grandkids. I love you mom so much!!! Thanks for all of the wonderful memories and also the ones you continue to make for us. You are truly the matriarch of our family.

Pageant Night

Me and MY very own Princess, Cecilee.
The old Royalty with their escorts.

Cecilee with 2 of her good friends: Landon & Dillon

The Old Royalty with the NEW Royalty

The Contestants being sung to by my Dad.

The Contestants Party, we had a Chocolate Fountain and Pizza.

The Old Royalty helping with decorating.

The Contestants during dress rehearsal.
******************************

This weekend was the one that I've been working on for the last few months. We had 8 girls participate in the the pageant. If anything could go wrong, IT DID!!! But, we rolled with the punches and were able to survive the evening. The girls were amazing, through all of the technical difficulties. My sister-in-law, Becca was even MORE AMAZING, with all of the times we had to throw her out on the stage to STALL. She is a show in herself, I had sooooo many compliments on my MC. They said they could've listened to her all night. I owe her 2 pans of brownies. We had some beautiful girls come into the royalty. I am just so glad that that evening is over. Next year should be alot better. I couldn't have done this without the Royalty Parents and their help.