Happy 15th Anniversary, Robert!

I have been married to my best friend for 15 years. They really have been great year. I love Robert because he loves me unconditionally. He is my better half and even though he has, at times, seen me at my worst,he never gives up. The Lord definitely has had His hand in our dating, courtship, and continues on in our marriage. Robert is my shoulder to cry on and a fantastic listening ear. He knows what to say to make me smile and even laugh.

He will take the kids on car rides or long walks so I can clear my head and be a better mother and wife. I have been able to take the older kids on one-on-one outings to anything from Saturday errands to flying to different states. He supports me in my endeavors in that he will take time off of work so I can do this. I also have been able to go to "sister's weekends" with my sisters to different places while I leave him home with all seven kids. No worries, he has also been able to get away to places such as Texas, Washington D.C., Nevada, Canada, Missouri, and others I can't remember. Sometimes he has also taken me to business trips such as Italy, San Diego,  and Las Vegas. We also have been privileged to get to other destinations with help from family to watch the kids.

He also is very supportive of my violin endeavors, as I call them.   He has been to many symphony performances, plays, guest artists, musicals, and more. I enjoy teaching violin lessons and he is great to help me pursue that decision.

I honestly don't know where I would be without him as my confidant, my rock, and my best friend. I love you, Robert. Mahal Kita.  Here is to eternity :)

15 years ago was a beautiful day at the Logan Temple 7/11/2001

A new level of love as I watch him as a new father

Esplin, Family of 4

Days away from having Hannah, I was excited to support Robert at his graduation of concurrently getting a Bachelor's and a Master's in Engineering. He is a hard worker.

Hannah's blessing day at just a week old so we could move to Idaho Falls the next week.

Our new Temple when we moved in 2005. Robert has always had the Temple as a central focus in his life.

We try to get to a temple when we are traveling. The San Diego Temple is beautiful.

Robert is a great dad. He told me before we were even dating that he wanted 20 kids. I may have heard him wrong.

He is also a fantastic son and brother.

Esplin, family of 7

He makes family home evenings fun.

Taking Molli on a one-on-one to Arizona while Robert stayed home to watch the other kids

Robert supports our kids in their activities, even if he doesn't want to sometimes.

Robert has even run a race or two (or more..) carrying a child on his back or pulling the wagon.

Visiting Washington, D.C.

We have fun as a family.

Happy Anniversary! We love you :) !

Thinking over the past 20 years

Disclaimer:
This is a bit long, and not really updates on my family or kids, but a history of the past 20 years of my life. Have a fantastic day :). 

This year is my 20 year class reunion of Olympus High School class of 1996. I will not be making it to the reunion in Salt Lake due to the production of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" that is being put on in our community and I am in the pit. The 2nd night of the production is the same night as the reunion. Also, four of my kids are in the cast so I will be there to support them.

So, in honor of my 20 year year reunion, I wanted to think back as to what I have done these past 20 years.

1996 - year of high school graduation - I worked for the summer at Los Hermanos and C. Kay Cummings Chocolates in Salt Lake and then headed to Snow College in Ehpraim, UT for two years. During the summer of 1997 I worked in Jackson Hole, Wyoming as a housekeeper at the Antler Inn and as a server/ hostess at the Westerner Family Restaurant.

Heading back to Snow College in the fall of 1997, I participated in the dedication of the the new Student Building on campus.

1998- I graduated with an Associates Degree from Snow College (I walked for graduation, but because of the switch from semesters to trimesters I was one credit short to get my degree and ended up playing in "The Messiah" one more time in December to get my degree in December). I worked in Jackson Hole again until October when I went back to Salt Lake to await my mission call for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I worked at Deseret Book and Los Hermanos for four months. I received my mission call in December of 1998 to the Philippines Baguio Mission. It was really quite a surprise.

1999- In February of 1999 I left to serve my mission for 18 months. I was able to teach many people and was honored to serve a mission to such humble people. It was one of the hardest things I have ever done, but truly rewarding.

2000- Four days after returning from my mission I went to USU to continue with my education. It was a very fast transition. I had tried out to be in the orchestra, but with a somewhat hiatus from playing the violin for 18 months, I didn't get in. I registered for Institute Choir instead and that is where I met my future husband, Robert.  Robert and I had a short dating and courtship- meeting in October, first date in December, engaged in April and married in July of 2001 in the Logan Temple.

2001- For our honeymoon, we returned to the Philippines in August to visit our missions (he served in the Philippines Ilagan Mission) and to introduce people to my parents who came with us. We spent two weeks there and got back about two weeks before 9/11 happened. I worked as an assistant to an administrative assistant on campus. It was nice to have a job as a college student.

2002 - Our first child, a daughter, was born eight weeks early in August of 2002. She spent four weeks in the NICU, but is a happy and healthy almost 14 year old now.

2003- I graduated from USU while pregnant with our second child. My degree was in Marketing with a minor in International Business.

In 2005, two weeks after our third child was born, and Robert had graduated concurrently with a Bachelor's and Master's in Engineering, we moved to Idaho Falls where we still live today. By October 2008, we had five children six years old and younger. Four years later we added another son and 14 1/2 months after that, our seventh and final child was born. Our youngest was also early (6 weeks) so he spent some time in the NICU as well, but is doing great as a rambunctious two year old.

In 2010, Robert and I took a quick trip to Italy for business. 2012-2014 I was PTO president at my kids' elementary school. Christmas break of 2014 I took my three oldest kids on a humanitarian trip to Guatemala.

Since 2010 up to the present time, I have been keeping busy with my violin, currently teaching 12 students. I have played in over 15 productions such as plays, musicals, and operas. I will be entering my 4th season with the Idaho Falls Symphony in the Fall.

So that sums up what I have been doing since High School. If anyone will be visiting Yellowstone or heading to BYU-Idaho for any reason, feel free to stop in and say "Hi." We love visitors and I would love to chat for a bit.  

Some pictures

I have a few minutes to post some pictures from our happenings. First I will post the week before school started. I wanted the kids to have something fun to do every day of the week so summer would leave with a bang. On Monday we went swimming at the Apple Athletic Club where I work. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures there, but here is the rest of that week.

On Tuesday we went bowling

On Wednesday the kids went horse back riding

On Thursday we went to a place called Squealers (Go-Karts, bumper boats, etc.)

On Friday we went to a Chukars game - the local Minor League Baseball Team

And Monday they were ready to head off for the first day of school.

The summer was full of T-ball games for Evan, Girl's camp for Molli, Pine Basin (a school sponsored camp for a week) for Michael and Hannah, and Hyrum finished soccer at the beginning of May.

We stayed in Idaho Falls for the fireworks over the 4th of July and Michael got to walk down the parade route. This was the first year we have ever seen the parade. I was entertained the whole time.

Our trip in the RV in June was the highlight of the summer. Here are some pictures:

We went through some cool tunnels on the way to South Dakota

We stayed one night at a state park by a lake. It was really pretty.

Approaching Mt. Rushmore from a distance - first sighting

Michael, with a broken arm, climbing a rock wall at the KOA

Standing in front of Mt. Rushmore

Zoomed in

In front of Crazy Horse Memorial

Enjoying a pic-nic lunch

Another cool tunnel

Some kids went to the dinosaur museum and others went to The Declaration of Independence Hall

Independence Rock

Our first and last place we stayed. The weather was better the second time.

A picture inside the RV before we had to return it.

This was Pine Basin, about four days after we got back from Mt. Rushmore.

 Okay, so I started this post a long time ago and now it is the middle of February. In December we spent some time in Salt Lake and in Logan. It was fun to be with family and make memories. When we got back from Utah, Molli and Hannah got their hair cut about 10 inches each to donate to Children with Hairloss. Here are some pictures as a more recent update.

Molli and I (in the pit) were in Peter Pan. Molli was a lost boy.

Molli with Wendy

Molli and Hannah did their own hair :)

Michael's first trip to the Temple for Baptisms for the dead

Sledding at Grandma's house with the cousins

Visiting Temple Square

The Nativity

I decided to highlight my hair and straighten it. It takes a long time to straighten it..

Michael gets to be Principal of the Day on this Thursday, so that is pretty cool. Molli is The Rat Queen in her school's production of "The Pied Piper." Michael, Hyrum, and Evan enjoy Chess club once a week. Michael is doing well at his flute and tried his luck at ski club twice. I am now a shift leader at my nursery job at the athletic club, so the whole family now has memberships there. Robert comes swimming with me about three times a week. Hannah is tolerating her piano lessons, but I can see some improvement. Jacob will be two on Friday and that is still weird to think about. Jonathan does really well with his colors and corrects Jacob every time he says a wrong color.

Well, that should be long enough now to catch everyone up and ease my guilty conscience for not posting sooner.  Hope you enjoyed the read :).