OUR OWN PERSONAL FAMILY CHEF (Ryker) AND SOUS-CHEF (Syvanna)

When I homeschooled Syvanna and Ryker we would have cooking time every other day and look up recipes and go buy the ingredients and then come home and wash up, cut up, and cook up everything we needed to cook dinner for that night. About 2 years ago Ryker really started getting really interested in cooking, and especially on creating his OWN recipes. So, we started letting him take one day a week to create anything he wanted for dinner and we would have whatever he made. He was seriously great at soups...mostly anything he wanted to make them out of from the fridge and cupboards and whatever spices he wanted from our spice cupboard....they all seemed to turn out great. Then he ventured into pastas, making sauces for the pastas as well as for some chicken dishes. For some reason he still has not lost interest in doing that and we still have him "throw something together" at least once a week. Sometime , about a year or so ago, Syvanna wanted "in" and Ryker took her on as his "SOUS-CHEF" which I think he learn that whole option from the movie "Ratatouille"...and they have been teamed up on that mission ever since. Their ideas and creation are always a joy and usually quite tasty but for me ...my favorite part is watching and listening to these darling friends plan, cut up, create and just laugh together in this function....and to always see how proud they are of themselves and eachother when we have our official "presentation of the dish" to the table that night. I never could have planned it better myself to have these two bond in this venue....they are so blessed to have eachother and our family continues to learn from the 2 "youngest"in our home! We love you Chefs Ryker and Syvanna.....we look forward to being the recipients of millions more of your tasty culinary masterpieces....always made with your signature ingredients of love and laughter!

Exclusive Interview Footage with the Chefs

MY 40th BIRTHDAY-May 6,2008

This was my FOURTIETH birthday! What a year...what a life! When I was in kindergarten I remember thinking that my brother Steven was soooo much older than me, because he was in THIRD GRADE! I thought the third graders were so cool and soooo much older than me...It did'nt even go much farther than that for me, I guess because that was my goal....to be as "big and cool "as a third grader I guess. When I was in third grade I remember going to my sister Michelle's Class (she was Lisa then) and getting her attention and she knew what that meant...she would give me her glasses so I could borrow them for the rest of the school day without my mom and dad knowing so I could look "older and more mature" to my friends and I wanted to be as "big and cool" as Michelle was. I could go on and on, when I was 9 or 10 I wanted to already be 12 so I could be in Young Womans already, then at 12 I wanted to be 16 so I could be "big and cool" by driving and dating and so on.....I imagine some of that is fairly normal, and some of that was driven by my "growth challenges' so I wanted to compensate somehow, but it is crazy to me that whatever went on during those years in my progression....
I now of course cannot believe how fast those ages came and went....where did 40 years come and go?,...and have I made enough out of that time?, have I spent most of that time climbing as close to my potential at this time as I could have? Should have? For me , I say YES!...for atleast 2 reasons: one, as I watch my children grow and progess through their ages I have seen at times what appears to be wasted time, or unproductive spans...but as time has past I have seen more clearly that EVERYTHING that they engage in has taught them something about themselves and what they really want and the feelings they want to keep around and the ones they want to avoid! It short, it is making them who they are today and who THEY will be when they turn 40, 50....110! So, for my point,....I choose to believe the same has been my growth and progression pattern-- and every day, whether productive, happy, thrilling, rewarding,and peaceful or challenging, painful, unproductive,and fearful the gift of those days have accumulated into who I am today at 40, and I really like Stephanie Suzanne Du Bois Simmons, not only for who I am today and all the experiences, people, and love that have gone into who I am , but for the road I am on and if I stick to this road (no matter the bumps, and speed limits set along the way) and be patient and humble with all of the unexpected road construction and repairs that I will continue to run into.....
I am pleased with what ultimate joy and peace my life's road is leading to. So I guess what I am saying is HAPPY FORTIETH BIRTHDAY TO ME and even more importantly HAPPY FOURTIETH BIRTHDAY to all of you who have enlarged my capacities and my joys along my journey!
I said there were atleast 2 reasons....but really the 2nd reason has 6 sub-set reasons:
1.Ronald Brent Simmons-2. Rylan Brent 3. Shayli Suzanne 4. Selleka Marie 5. Syvanna Skylar
and last but definately not least, especially in energy...6. Ryker Ammon!
I really feel with those blessings alone, promised to me eternally, my Heavenly Father has granted me a life way beyond what I feel I have earned up to this point....thank goodness I have more than 40 mortal years to show my love and gratitude for this most divine plan of
happiness that we have been and will most definately keep living!

My HAPPY 40th BIRTHDAY SONG video

SHAYLI'S West High Choir Concert April 2008

Shayli had a great experience being in her high school choir this school year and her talent in singing as well as her confidence in sing in and for the public increased dramatically as well which also encouraged her to participate in the high school play "Grease" as well. These pictures were taken at Shayli's end of the year choir concert.
Shayli,we are so thrilled at your example to set a goal to do something that is difficult for you and then work to overcome insecurities by putting faith in your divine nature to eventually accomplish that goal. You did wonderfully in excelling in a talent while reminding us of the exhilaration and the thrill that can come from continued progression and development...Thank you for sharing your talents and example!

SYVANNA'S 9TH BIRTHDAY PARTY- May 1, 2009

For Syvanna's 9th birthday party we had the Birthday Olympic Games in honor of the 2009 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China. It was a total and complete blast and a great success. Ronald even went as far as letting our backyard grass grow as long as possible so that he could mow giant "olympic rings" into the grass--Shayli and a friend dressed us in kimonos to help be hosts as chinese ambassadors--Ryker, Rylan and a friend acted as olympic security and were very much in character throughout the games--Selleka and her friend were event planners/olympic volunteers, and Ronald and Iwere judges and the all around olympic committee---it was so awesome! We had a marvelous time celebrating such a world class young lady with such a world class theme! We love you Syvanna, you are worth more than a million gold medals to our family and we are proud to have you represent our family in any event life brings you!

Syvanna at the entrance of her Beijing Olympics 9th Birthday Party-
Syvanna and her birthday MYTWIN doll and their matching custom made olympic T-shirts
and-
Ronald going to work to create our own olympic park masterpeice!...What a great dad!

A MAGICAL DAY OF FIRST DATES - April 5,2008

SHAYLI'S VERY FIRST DATE---WITH HER DAD!

Shayli went on her very first date at the same moment she was born in the wee hours of the morning just as she turned sixteen...a goal she had set for herself many years prior....a very special date for that reason and for the reason that is was with the greatest guy she has ever known on the face of this planet and a perfect model of qualities she wants to find eventually in her dating experiences....HER DAD!...later in the day she was able to go on her second date with another one of the men in her life that she admires and loves so much... Her Grandpa Du Bois to the Roof restaurant, another unforgettable moment in time, and then that evening her third date... with one of her very first friends in mortality...since she was 1 years old...Thatcher Allred! It was a wonderful day filled with so much happiness for the dawn of a new season of life and surrounded by friends and family that seemed to really understand what it meant to this remarkable , beautiful spirit! These are the experiences that create the kind of eternal memories that contiue to ignite us when mortality brings it's rough spots and challenges and reminds us once again....that that it is all worth it!!!

SHAYLI'S FIRST PROM-APRIL 19,2008

DARLING DARLING DARLING- I feel I gained much more of a "mothers heart" experiencing another lovely memory with my children as we got excited and planned for Shayli's first High School Prom. I now share a little more with those of you that have had this opportunity with your own and I am sooo excited for you that still have that ahead of you. Yes, it is hard to hit reality and realize how fast this 'little babies'grow up, and Yes, it can be very emotion and somewhat unsure, but it seems like more and more those feeling are crowded out by the thrill of watching my children feel joy in those small steps and extended leaps of growth- this was one of those times that watching this beautiful gal find such thrill in this new season of hers I was reminded once more how much 'fun' our heavenly parents too must feel when they watch us enjoy our leaps into our new seasons of growth-I love being a mother

"The Hair Dress Rehearsal"

The week before Prom we had a "Hair dress rehearsal" and tried a few ideas for her hair and took photos--I suggest this for all of you that have or will have gals going to these dances--we learned alot and found out how long it would take to do it PLUS it was ANOTHER priceless memory

Cinderella Getting Ready For The Ball

The afternoon of the big date we went to Kohls to have her make up done and then when we got home her "team of experts" took the field and we made such incredible memory of everyone putting in thier personal touch. Shayli is such a great sport and extrordinarily humble. I really think I was too self centered to have allowed my mom and sister to do whatever they wanted to get me ready for my dates....Shayli continues to be such an example of allowing others happiness to magnify hers instead of being consumed with only hers. Thank you Shayli for allowing us to find so much joy in your life.

The Dress Rehearsal

Before Caleb came, we had a little dress rehearsal of another "tradition on trial". Ryker Escorting his sister to her date. Ronald was standing in for Caleb during this rehearsal...I missed videoing the real things, but it was so funny and pretty darling...Ryker is a great brother and a wonderful sport. It was very kind of Rylan to allow Ryker the honors!

Little sister taking good notes!

Syvanna was the "watchman on the tower" upstairs as she awaited the arrival of Shayli's date. Meanwhile Shayli made her way downstairs for his arrival!

It was really fun to watch Ronald during this process-It is by divine design, no doubt, that mothers and fathers play different roles in their children's lives-Shayli was so kind an respectful to her dad and his feelings-she wasn't even about to leave until Ronald ushered them to the door. Tenderness is many times UNDER rated.

Pictures With The Family, OF COURSE

Of course we took A MILLION pictures... it was great and Caleb was a superior sport-
Ronald and I suprised shayli by dressing in our "FORMAL WARE" for the pictures-very fun. It was so thrilling to help them put on his boutineere (sp) and take many fun pictures-these are only a small percentage of the pictures in our personal archives-

There They Go!

We watched them drive off --ALL SMILES!Shayli took the camera and so we were able to retrieve some visuals of their date. They drove with Two other couples to PF Changs where the met again with the rest of their huge group--and then to the dance--took pictures and had a marvelous time. In fact, when Caleb returned Shayli back safe and sound that night, he truly was beaming when he said "Shayli is SO MUCH FUN- that was the funnest date I have been on"-(and the fact that he is a year older than her we guessed he had something to compare it too:)) That did not suprise us...Shayli has a genuine feel for who she really is, she has a kind and loving, and free spirt...All the makings for 'The funnest date"

Post Date Party

We started a tradition that I planned long before I was even married---at the end of each date that our children go on--we share one of their favorite treats (usually some type of ice cream,(hopefully it won't be too frequent or we will end up as big as a house in a few short year:))and we review the adventures of that date...So it was with Shayli's first Prom- What a joy it was to see her arrive home sooo happy about how everything went. We talked about everything- where they went, what they ordered, how he treated her, what they talked about, how they posed for their pictures, what the most awkward moments were and what the favorite parts were. It was everything I could and have dreamed about for my 'first Prom'...I mean my daughter's first Prom!
Thanks Caleb for not only giving Shayli such wonderful memories and feelings for her first Prom, but more importantly for treating her like a princess...a literal daughter of God! What a wonderful experience for all of us!!