Welcome To Our Life

Mike and Jen's Family Visit: The Last Day or a Night in the Park

2011-10-16T20:14:00.000-07:00

We spent the last night at Town square hanging out.........

A Carousel

Yes even the teenagers........

Kissing frogs

(As long as that's all it is :)

Bananagrams!

The adults played games.....

(Not chess)

My nephew J is the only one outside of family approved to wear Indy's hat

(and he wears it well)

Oldest is J's favorite southern cousin.

What an awesome weekend and we are so glad they chose to spend it w/us!

Now to look forward to when you come back for Thanksgiving.............

Mike & Jen Family's visit: Sandhollow

2011-09-22T22:50:00.000-07:00

(Just a reminder that Oldest was still out of town)

We had alot of fun while M&J & Fam came to visit, but one of our favorites was the afternoon we spent relaxing at the lake. It was wonderful!

We spent it......

Underwater.......

Above the water..............

And (some of us) jumping into the water..........

Side note: These picts were taken on a disposable water camera so they aren't the greatest, but I didn't have to worry about the camera. One day we will invest in a waterproof digital.

It was a great weekend (yes all of that into 3 days)! We just went & went all day & crashed hard at night (some sooner).

We finished the weekend off playing games................

(stay tuned because there is a little more)

Reflections at Red Cliffs

2011-09-22T22:17:00.000-07:00

The day we went to Red Cliffs we din't find much, but the water was being very photogenic.

As we were sitting and relaxing I noticed the reflections in the water around us. The water was very stagnant (and disgusting), but it was like a mirror. It made for some great photo opportunities.

What do you think?

One of my favorite subjects!

Mike & Jen's Family visit: Red Cliff's

2011-09-22T22:16:00.000-07:00

So Mike and Jen kept us hoppin while they were here. One afternoon we headed to Red Cliff's in hopes to find water (even though it was August and highly likely). We found water but not the kind you want to get in.

So we hiked and looked and then left.

We did find these tadpoles everywhere though............

(hard to believe anything could live in that yucky stuff)

Stay tuned for more.............

(I did take some great reflection picts I will post next)

Mike & Jen's Family's Visit: Kanarra Falls Hike

2011-09-19T22:58:00.000-07:00

This part 1 of Mike & Jen & family when they came to visit in August.

*A side note: This was the weekend Oldest went on the high adventure up north at the family camp ground. So you will not see him in any of these posts.

We went to check out a hike we kept hearing about. Up the Kanarreville canyon is beautiful scenery, waterfalls and some great weather.

I didn't know what to expect on this hike. The girls had been before, but we still weren't quite prepared. I needed to be in better shape (I did make it to the end though) and we needed more water.

These pictures do not do the scenery justice, but it just might make you want to come visit us just to go on this hike :)

We had to climb up this very sturdy ladder (well sort of) to get up to the big waterfall........

(Sorry about the sideways video)

The waterslide they were looking forward to.

A cool tree growing upside down from a rock. I had to zoom in with my camera to make sure it was a tree.

We LOVED this hike! We hope to do it again maybe next year, but I have some work to do first.

We had a great time exploring it with Mike & Jen and family!

We definitely recommend it if you are in the area!

It's Here Wheather We Like it or Not........

2011-08-18T23:06:00.000-07:00

(So I know I am behind, but I wanted to get these posted)

What's back?

Well for one......School is back in session!

(Wheather we like it or not)

Not usually a happy day around here, but the favorite part is NEW CLOTHES of course!

Middle and Youngest did a bit of babysitting and other jobs this summer so they could do some shopping for the new year.

Youngest is starting her second and last year at the Intermediate School (7th grade).

She bought this whole outfit............

(I should have taken picts all week so you could see all her new outfits)

Middle is "offficially" at the high school as a sophmore........

(also starting the year on the Varsity & JV volleyball team)

And we can't have a first day of school without her BF J.......

(Aren't they gorgeous?!)

So there's a good story that goes with this next pict.......

Only sophmores have to start school @ 8am on the first day. Upper classman don't have to go til noon. So Oldest sat around and watched movies. I was going to snap a pict of him in his pj's in the bean bag, but had to get myself ready for work :) Anyway he was still in his pj's when I left so I didn't get a pict of him in his first day outfit.

Luckily someone else did......

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Lucky for me the local newspaper was there and even got him with his BF J (Indy) (on the front page). Being a senior this year I need to catch every moment I can wheather I do it or the paper as long as it gets done!

Our neighbor and friend J is with them and if you look close you can see part of Middle and her BF J in the background.

All went well with the first day we all survived and should make it through another year.

(P.S. I am under protest. Each first day of school brings a last and another year gone.......so I protest!)

By the way did you read the part about him being a senior? Just wanted to make sure you got that part. It's a big part of the reason I protest.

Best wishes to you & your kids for a great school year!

(If you have a senior also my thoughts are with you.)

Summer Artwork

2011-08-07T23:14:00.000-07:00

One of our Saomoan friends, Azra, came and decorated our wall in July for a party Oldest had.

He is a great artist!

EFY, Party, Friends & Monkeys!

2011-08-07T22:20:00.000-07:00

Just a few things we were up toin June............

Middle went to EFY & rode up w/a friend that lives up there.

(I am hopeing to get her to post some picts soon)

Youngest planned a swim party, but it was put off because the neighbor's pool was not working. So this was the stuff they bought, but didn't get to use till July.

FHE with the Hayes and Sandi..........

A few monkeys I found in their backyard..........

Birthday Sushi

2011-08-07T19:16:00.000-07:00

This is Donna.........

For Van's birthday she came down to teach him and other sushi lovers how to make it. The tricks and tips. She also made us some yummy chicken and some great noodles, but I believe the sushi was his favorite part. He has since spent the summer trying to perfect his sticky rice (supposedly it takes 7 years to do this in Asian countries). So far his dessert rice is very good!

This where he spent the night trying to get a taste..........

This is how he got it...........

(sorry if this distrubs you, it does me anyway......YUCK!)

Thank you Donna it was so fun to be able to do this for Van! It was a great present! When he perfects it we will have to invite you back!

Visitors for Father's Day

2011-07-16T21:48:00.000-07:00

Grandma & Grandpa W. came to visit over father's Day weekend. It has been over a year since seeing them while they served a mission.

It was a nice weekend w/good food, shopping & movies!

(For the Wilkinson clan this pict really shows you how tall the kids are getting)

For Father's Day the kids & I got Van chairs for the back yard & added some color w/flowers.

Van has worked hard this summer on our yard. He really enjoys yardwork (when the weather is cooler) & with a cooler spring & summer he has accomplished alot this year..................

This is the north side of the house with all the rose bushes.

He laid all the rocks for this path that will eventually go back into the backyard (hopefully this fall).

A new rose bush joined our family of rose bushes also over father's Day weekend...................

A beautiful violet purple one

We are so glad Van had someone else to show his roses off to (mainly his Mom)!

Thanks for coming G'ma & G'pa W.!

A New Job

2011-07-15T20:11:00.000-07:00

Youngest asked Dad one day what she could do to earn more money.................

Be careful what you ask for!

Roses in July!!!!!

2011-07-15T20:01:00.000-07:00

So here in our hot southern weather we normally don't have roses blooming in July.

Well this year is not normal...............

This is the end though.............100 degrees + is back!

End of the School Year Videos

2011-07-03T23:33:00.000-07:00

Enjoy some videos from end of the year band & choir concerts and a volleyball tournament!

Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park

2011-07-03T23:04:00.000-07:00

So I started his post quite awhile ago, but the summer life has taken over (a.k.a. lazy days).

Over Easter weekend we grabbed a picnic lunch, shovels, my camera and our friends and neighbors the Clements family and headed south to The Coral Pink Sandunes State Park.
We had a blast digging and jumping in the sand. We had never been there before, and we really enjoyed the weather and the beautiful scenery.

Check out all the fun we had................

THANKS Clements!

We will have to grab you again and go back and see more park!

Monthly FHE w/the Clements

2011-05-17T20:51:00.000-07:00

Since last fall we have tried to get together with our friends and neighbors the Clement family for one FHE each month. And each time we have a GREAT and enjoyable time.

These pictures are from one we had in April. We had a minute to win it night where each family planned 3 games. Youngest planned all ours.

Thanks for many memories Clements and we hope to have many, many , many, many MORE!

Photography 101

2011-05-15T21:16:00.003-07:00

(Something happened to some of my posts so this is being reposted)

For Christmas Van gave me a new camera and a chance to take a photography class. I have been trying to better myself and I have had fun with it. None of these have been photoshopped, they are just in their rough stage.

Music Video Directorial Debut

2011-05-14T18:58:00.000-07:00

Oldest has directed, starred in & edited many movies and videos this last year.

Here his first music video he had to do for his film making class.

(Let him know what you think)

(Also you can watch other movies of his by searching tootallpro on youtube.com)

Fifteen

2011-05-04T22:16:00.000-07:00

YES the title is correct.........Middle turned 15 on the 10th and is so excited to be 1 yr closer to a drivers license.

She actually started celebrating with her friends the night before, they just "hung out" and went to the mall. Oh and received a few presents like 2 tubes of cookie dough......

Then Sunday she invited some friends for cake and ice cream......

And then this finished off the night.......a surprise sign from the YW!

Happy 15th Birthday Baby Cait!

Thanks for 15 years of laughter & joy!

Easter Sunday 2011

2011-04-28T23:15:00.000-07:00

We hope everyone had a beautiful Easter weekend and felt the love of their Savior. Without the Atonement we would not be where we are with all the opportunities we have!

FYI: Easter dresses and tie were bought at the D.I all costing a total of $15

Happy Easter with a Special Easter Message

2011-04-24T17:00:00.000-07:00

We hope you have had a BEAUTIFUL family filled Easter weekend!

We love and miss our FAMILY!

How Great Thou Art

2011-04-24T16:45:00.000-07:00

We were watching this show the other night and each commercial break they kept promising us that "Carrie would bring the house down and stop the show!"

Well they were right and what an AWESOME surprise when she started singing this BEAUTIFUL song!

ENJOY!

Shadow Message........

2011-04-18T22:05:00.000-07:00

What do you think the message is?

18 Beautiful Years as Friends and Eternal Companions

2011-04-18T21:55:00.000-07:00

Conference weekend also brought our 18th wedding anniversary!

It has been a WONDERFUL 18 yrs that I will always cherish FOREVER.

We have been blessed with three GREAT kids , lots of memories and the knowledge of being together forever!

We celebrated by staying home. We slept in, went out for breakfast & dinner, went to a movie & even did a little shopping! Low key, but a much deserved celebration none the less!

A Completed Look

2011-04-18T21:50:00.000-07:00

We started with this.............

And created this................

I think it completes the "teenage" look they were going for, don't you?

*The girls picked out the fabric, I tossed some ideas around and pinned and ironed while Middle sewed it.

Conference was GREAT!

2011-04-11T09:00:00.000-07:00

Besides listening to an awesome Conference last weekend (oh we also celebrated 18 WONDERFUL years together. A post will follow on that.) the kids spent the afternoon session relaxing. We listen/watch Conference all weekend, but we watch Sunday mornings together and allow the kids to go on their own to watch the afternoon one. As long as they are listening they can do whatever they want............

(YES he did just turn 17 and YES those are army men.) The army men were a gift from his Uncle Dave a little while back. Uncle Dave painted them himself.

Not sure her eyes were open the whole time (which is why I snapped the pict at the beginning), but she looks comfy!

And this is what happens when you save homework til Sunday...............

What an AWESOME Conference it was! To learn more click here lds.org and ENOY!

Remember This..........?

2011-03-18T14:24:00.000-07:00

*(If you have been following us at all you will remember)

So do you remember when we got this car and they were so excited and couldn't wait to do.....

this?

Well after much deliberation and feeling really bad about smokin' out the neighbors it has been sold and replace with

this.............

It is almost as old (20 yrs. instead of 21), but that didn't stop them from being excited..........

Well just a little bit anyway.

Change is good, right? Especially for the neighbors. Sorry about that dear friends and neighbors, but you will still hear him leave, but just won't see the evidence of it.

Ok so remember when the girls were soooooo excited to have their room painted?

This is what it looked like when we were done (about 3 yrs ago).......

Well give them some time and chances to learn how to paint on their own (oh and the opportuunity to by the paint themselves) and this is what happens.................

Now I don't mind it. I like the green and brown. It is just a little adjusting to the brightness of it. Van isn't sure yet if he likes it. I know he will like it better when they finish the touch ups =) At least I think he will.
So again change is good.........and they learned a little along the way.
Looks GREAT girls!

17!!!!!!!!

2011-03-08T23:16:00.000-08:00

YES he is 17; YES we are old enough to be his parents and YES we are proud of it too!

He didn't get a party this year,but he said it was one of his best birthdays ever.

He loves movies-watching and creating them. So we got him a FLIP camera to help him with the creating part (Which he proudly took to school that day claiming he needed it for a class).

G'ma Pat's box came later so enjoyed more presents after school. One was this "Oldest" sized very soft blanket that both dog and boy took to quickly. (Which kept them both warm and comfy when he- the boy- came down with pneumonia a few weeks later).

I arranged with one of his friends for him to have surprises all day long. I gave a bag of REESES PB cups to her with instructions to pass them out to other girls. Then they were to give them to him as the day went on and say Happy Birthday. It went AWESOME! Not only did he get them at school, the REESES followed him to work that night (yes he had to work and it so happened this girl works with him. I didn't even think of that when I asked her). And if you know him at all you know that RESSES are his absolute favorite! (I borrowed the idea from a friend who did it for her son last year with kisses on his 16th.) What a great idea and an even better reaction from him then I thought I would get. He figured out I had something to do with it after the 3rd or 4th cup, but didn't figure out who my accomplice was til he got to work, which made it all the more better.

We love ya Bud and hope you have many more birthdays like it (including the Reeses and the girls)!

Junior Prom 2011

2011-02-23T21:42:00.000-08:00

He asked,

and she answered................

The clean up help.........

The BIG night........

Great food!!!!!!!!!!

He had a great time and said it was one of the funnest dates he has been on!

Valentines Tree

2011-02-23T21:04:00.000-08:00

It started as a little bit of a joke and turned into a pretty cool Valentines tree

(which was down 2 days before the actual day :)

My designers..........

Their work............

Thanks girls! It was fun while it lasted!

Hmmmm lets see what next year brings..........

Perhaps a St Patricks or 4th of July tree?

Beautiful Girls

2011-02-21T20:16:00.000-08:00

Don't you agree?

Merry Christmas to Us!

2011-02-21T11:02:00.000-08:00

We love visitors! Clay, Barbara & Candice came to visit us as their Christmas present to us.......YAY for us!

They decided they wanted to come down and spend time with us and take us out. Our stake conference was also that weekend so Van had meetings and we had our adult meeting on Saturday. So after a very exciting basketball game (Youngest's), they took Van and I to lunch. Then when we went to our evening meeting, they took the kids to a movie and dinner. We very much lucked out in the present department this year.

Monday was a holiday so they stayed and we headed up to the red rocks above the city.

It was a beautiful January day to walk around and enjoy some beautiful scenery and great company!

Unfortunately Van had to work, but he did join us at the end and then we went to lunch.

What a great weekend and a great family! thank you Clay, Barbara and Candice! You are welcome anytime and dinner and a movie is not required!

A New Door

2011-02-20T18:45:00.000-08:00

If anyone has seen Rocky's temporary door we would put in each time we went out of town, then you would also understand why his new door (in the wall) is post worthy.

It took some coaxing and some bribery, but he finally went through the door. It took the same to get him back in. It actually took about a week to get him to stop going to the door to be let out. Then even after that he would go out the doggie door, but bark at the back door to be let in. Now it's second nature.

A New Years Snow Storm (or just some more crazy weather)

2011-02-20T18:11:00.000-08:00

Here we go again!

This last winter has brought lots of crazy weather. Rain, snow, wind, floods all of which we experienced within a couple of weeks.

These were about the only Rocky tracks to be spotted during the storm....

Oldest got use to cleaning off his car this year

Lots of melting, but luckily no more flooding

We didn't get a white Christmas......

2011-02-20T17:52:00.000-08:00

..........but we did get a white Christmas break!

The next day...........

this actually lasted in some non sun areas of our yard for about a week.

This is pretty much how he spent that day

Wanting Mor

2011-02-17T11:02:00.000-08:00

I picked this up and started reading it at school last week. I had to bring it home to finish it. I know there is alot of truth to it, but it is humbling and fascinating all at the same time.

Basketball Season Comes to an End

2011-02-17T10:55:00.000-08:00

Basketball season ended last month. Unfortunately it ended w/o a win, but lots of fun and hopefully some new skills learned. This year Youngest moved to full court and calling all violations (well mostly).

She did get her first foul and was way proud of it! (The key is to get her angry :)

Until next season!

Christmas Day 2010

2011-02-10T22:27:00.000-08:00

"May we leave enough room in our Inn, So the Christmas spirit, can dwell within."

Merry Christmas!

Well I do hope everyone had a great Christmas season. We had a busy, but fun one. With the kids being older, we don't have to worry about getting upto early, but they are still excited and it is still fun.

It was full of things wanted and things needed and time together to celebrate our Savior's birth.

Oldest got clothes, toys, books, & a tank of gas.

All Middle wanted was a new wardrobe. Well I had fun with that! My girls and enjoy the D.I, so I (along with help from a fellow D.I. shopper and Youngest) spent several weeks before shopping for lots of bargains. She did get new jeans and other new things also.

Youngest loves to draw and design homes. So Santa stocked her up on graph paper, pencils, a new pencil sharpener, a GREAT BIG book of home plans and to top it off Home Building software.

We are very grateful to family for the fun games, gift cards and a new blu ray player. We definitely felt loved and thought of. I enjoyed using my new camera and Van is going to have fun learning to make sushi.

Christmas Eve 2010

2011-02-10T21:37:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve wih the Clements:

Involved

Presents......

Bells........

Games........

It is always a treat to "hang" w/the Clements especially to celebrated such a special day! Thanks Clements and hopefully there are many more wonderful evenings to be had this year!

Pre-Christmas with G'Ma & G'Pa T.

2011-02-04T16:47:00.000-08:00

We took advantage of having G'Ma & G'Pa with us @ Christmas time even if it wasn't on Christmas day.

It was fun and memorable anyway!

Thanks Aunt JoJo! Pictionary Man rocks!

Socks, ties and gift cards thats what Grandparents bring!

Thank You for the wonderful presents and most of all thank you for coming to visit!!!!!

Floods of 2010 (or More Wonderful Weather)

2011-02-04T16:46:00.001-08:00

A few weeks before the 6 year mark for our last floods, we were slammed with more floods. This is the same storm we drove thru the week before Christmas.

Luckily no homes were lost this time and minamal damage was done. But boy was it a sight to behold.

Oh and by the way, my parents were here. So on goes the whole blame Dad, AKA G'Pa T., for the bad weather. (just for the record I can go back in history to support his claims. With pictures.)

A New Camera, A Baptism, A Birthday (Mine), A Snowy Drive & G'Ma & G'Pa T.

2011-02-04T16:46:00.000-08:00

Sorry about the long title, but it fits. My nephew's (Micheal's oldest boy E.) baptism was scheduled for Dec. 18th and we left to go up on Dec. 17th. My birthday was ~~scheduled~~ on Dec. 19th. My parents were also up there. So Van decided I needed my birthday/Christmas present for that trip (he didn't want me to say "Oh I wish I had that earlier."). So I got this wonderful camera and between myself, Middle & Oldest we spent part of the weekend figuring it out and the other part enjoying all the fun new buttons (Oldest is excited about the Hi-Def filming button). So hopefully you'll see a difference in the pictures in this post compared to all the others I've posted before.

G'Pa & E. on the big day

These seemed an little forced for unsaid few (like the one running away in the corner)

G'Ma & G'Pa T. made the cold wet trip especially for him

Next was my birthday (I am getting use to the fact that I have one every year so I am not trying to hide it anymore)
I got to spend my 28th b-day with my parents for a change and Michael's fam.

These gorgeous puppies are from my 'lil Sis....thanks Julie!

My Mom and her friend finished this crosstitch that she had started years ago. The frame is from my G'Ma's house and my Dad painted it. I will post a pict when it is hung.

We enjoyed good food, games, movies and memories.

The drive home was a combonation of snow.......

......rain and ice

Oh and happy kids!

We finally arrived safe and sound with G'Ma & G'pa T. in tow. Not quite sure G'Pa wants to visit @ Christmas time again any time soon. He says he is the reason for our wonderful uncharicteristic weather :-).

(More weather & G'Ma & G'Pa picts to come)

Choices

2011-01-18T22:51:00.000-08:00

We all know that making choices or having to choose between two things is not the easiest thing to do. We go through life telling ourselves that is just the way it is and to suck it up and learn from it. Well that's true, but it doesn't make it any easier to do. If you think back to when you were a teenager the choices were so hard and oh so often. It seems like every time I turn around one of my kids needs to choose one way or another and they want my advice. It's not always an open and shut thing either. Sometimes both choices are good so you win either way, but that doesn't make that one easier either. It's not always easy being the parent giving the advice either. You may have made your choice on what you want them to choose, but your advice cannot always reflect that.

Well we have had one such situation in our house recently. Oldest has been in JROTC since he was a freshman (and if you remember correctly he is now a junior). For the most part he has throughly enjoyed the program, until recently. He had actually considered dropping the program after last year, but decided to stay in it when he got accepted into Pilot Ground School (and probably to make me happy). He has very much enjoyed the class and the opportunities to get his head in the clouds (as he puts it). Flying a plane and riding in a helicopter have definitely been hi-lites in his life. But like I have been rambling on about a choice was coming. He felt like he needed to stay because his ol' mom wanted him to (and I did), but first and foremost I always want my kids to be happy. It turns out he was happier doing other things (like making movies). This last year the JROTC program changed and he no longer felt comfortable in some situations he was put in. He finally decided it was time he made a change too. I listened to him explain his decision and told him I wanted him to be happy, and I have always wanted that. He never gave up, he just changed his focus and is growing up (darn it). It turns out that if he takes a film making class this semester he can take a film class at the college next year. So it was a great choice!

I am very proud of him and I am excited for his future. He has alot to look forward to (going on a mission is STILL at the top of the list of course) and we can't wait to see what he does.

I LOVE YOU (OLDEST)!

Now I am going to go and enjoy our last two years with him home!

All my loyal readers:Thank you for listening to me ramble on and get some things out of my head!

Random Videos

2011-01-05T19:55:00.000-08:00

Enjoy!

(We never did find out what he was digging at)

*Small print:

( None of the sneezes above were real)

Christmas 2010- Gingerbread Cookies

2011-01-05T18:59:00.000-08:00

We had the Clements/Jake over for a FHE in Dec. and had our tradition of wacthing Christmas Mission then the fun of making Gingerbread Cookies.

Another Basketball Season Begins

2011-01-05T18:52:00.000-08:00

Here we go again............

So far they have played 3 games (we missed one). They haven't won yet, but in the second game Youngest scored four out of the seven points they made (they only lost by 3 pts.).

It's just the beginning and there are good things yet to come!

Thanksgiving 2010

2011-01-03T14:32:00.000-08:00

Mike and Jen and their family came down for Thanksgiving as usual this year. I think this was our fourth year....not sure but we enjoy it every year and look forward to the time with them. Good food, fun games and great memories. Usually we have great weather, but this year it was COLD! They usually go up on the mountain before heading home to cut down their Christmas tree, but the weather was so bad they couldn't do it this year. Which was fine with us, it meant we got to spend another day with them.

We even had leaves for them to rake up this year (thanks to the weather). It is reminiscent of when we used to go to my Grandparents for Thanksgiving and my Uncles would rake up their BIG Maple leaves for us to play in.

He seems a little dissappointed.....give it a few more years.

Middle really wanted to put up Christmas lights that weekend also. So they worked hard at it (she even hepled her Dad w/the lights on the house)......

.....and got it all done in one afternoon. They look good don't they?.......

It was another great Thanksgiving and we can't wait til we get to see everyone again in July for our reunion!

The Rest of the Party......

2011-01-03T14:20:00.000-08:00

So we (Christine, Middle, her BFF J and myself) were able to pull off a birthday surprise for Youngest (Back in Nov.) She invited all her friends over and then Christine showed up to surprise them w/ a tour of one of their vacation homes we weren't able to visit on her birthday. The other two and I jumped in the car and headed out to beat them there and surprise them all. With ALOT of stalling we pulled it off.

(Middle and her BFF J performed a song for her....so funny!)

We wanted to use another one of their homes that has a theater room in it, but it booked two nights before, so we improvised.

Presents, cake, candy, musical performances and Toy Story made for a great evening!

Van and I enjoyed an AWESOME steak dinner upstairs with Christine and Kendall....YUM!)

It Finally Happened............

2010-11-19T22:15:00.000-08:00

....Our baby turned 12!

She was beginning to think that life had slowed down when the last of her friends and primary classmates turned 12 in August. We definitely didn't see it that way.

On the morning of her birthday she woke up to find our lawn BEAUTIFULLY decorated in her honor by some very anxious YW. Since I had spent the last 3 yrs in YW's (until last month anyway), Sierra went to alot of activities. So it was hard for the girls to remember that she wasn't official yet andnow EVERYBODY (especially Sierra) is happy!

They wrote some great (&true) things about her too.....

Before school she had time to open her presents from the Grandparents and had to save the rest for later in the evening.

She has been wanting and watching this bike for the last 6 months. She did agree to save for half of it herself and she succeeded (with the help of lots of neighbors needing babysitters and her thriftiness).....

So being her 12th she got a birthday party this year (picts to come later), so she opted for donuts on her big day and cake for the party.

Happy Birthday Beautiful Girl!

We love..........

1. Your laugh

2.Your gorgeous blue eyes

3. Your smile

4. Your Peacemaker abilities

5. Your jokes

6. Your thoughtfulness

7. Your spirit

8. Willingness to learn

9. Your Kindness

10. Your love for others

11. Your talents

12. And YOU in our family!

An AWESOME Birthday Present

2010-11-02T19:57:00.000-07:00

Youngest's birthday was on Monday. Our wonderful neighbor, Christine, wanted to give her a ~~great~~ AWESOME present: A tour of some of thier vacation homes! Now you may be thinking "What kind of present is that for a 12 year old?" Well for this 12 year old it was the BEST gift in the world! Youngest loves to look at homes, draw homes and of course go see them! So on Saturday we grabbed her BFF J & her sister and we drove around and took the grand tour (well of some of them.)

And of course they had to pose ...........and of course I was ready with my camera..............

THANK YOU Christine (& Kendall)!

She will never forget this one (believe me when I say she'll want to go again).

It was THIS 12 years old's dream come true!

Halloween Weekend 2010

2010-11-02T18:52:00.000-07:00

Our weekend started with our ward Halloween Block Party & Chili cookoff on Friday.......

They used the neighbor's house to get ready and help her get ready

Then on Halloween night Youngest went trick or treating for the last year without parent supervision with her friends. While Middle hung out with J her BFF. We hung out with our friends and handed out goodies to the little teroors (well there was mostly spider man).

Kinda pathetic I know, but he is patient with me......

She got some great loot!

Oldest spent the evening at Sadies.........more to come on that.

***********************

All in all it was another reminder of how old my kids are getting.

Beating the Teachers

2010-11-01T22:57:00.000-07:00

It's tradition for the Freshman girls volleyball team to play the teachers on the Friday of Red Ribbon week. So they played the teachers and they beat the teachers (for the first time in many years).

Enough said.............

This was quite funny.

Middle was standing there talking to us when the witch (a teacher) snuck up and surprised her.

I just sat there and readied the camera like any good mom would.

(Hahahaha heeheehee!!!)

Then they posed together..........

This was some of her support .......

Quite a crew uh?

First Band Concert

2010-11-01T22:41:00.000-07:00

Youngest chose to play the flute this year in the 6th grade band. It was fun to watch (& listen to) her play in her first concert.

It wasn't as bad on the ears as we expected.

Listen for yourself.....

(Sorry we had to sit kind of behind her. She is the one with the green band on her wrist.)

The Wall That Heals

2010-11-01T22:26:00.000-07:00

The Vietnam Travelling Wall came to town a couple weeks ago. We took the opportunity to visit it and Oldest had a chance to volunteer thru his JROTC class.

It was a very peaceful experience..........

Quick Moves

2010-10-13T21:33:00.000-07:00

ENJOY!

Hey G'ma Pat!

2010-10-13T20:55:00.000-07:00

Do these look familiar?

For those of you that aren't G'ma Pat...... these are my old prom dreeses that my mom (aka G'ma Pat) made for me (20 yrs. ago actually. Don't you think they look like they are in style now?). Middle found them and decided to go back to her yrs. of dress up days.

By looking at this Post, you would think it never rained here....

2010-10-12T22:13:00.000-07:00

....well it does, just not very often.

So when it does, they make the best of it!

This is at the bottom of our street. It came up out of the drain and popped the cover off and flooded part of the neighbor's lawn.

(I edited for you.....at the end) JK

If you listen carefully to Youngest, she is singing some version of The Wise Man......

A Post Just to say I posted on 10/10/10

2010-10-10T23:23:00.000-07:00

What a fun date!
Just so I can post on 10/10/10, I will give you an update:
I was released fromYW's 2 weeks ago. I was blessed to serve in the YW's program for three years, and served as a teacher and as secretary. Middle turned 12 while I was in there and Youngest will be 12 in a few weeks (just barely missed her). Both Van and Oldest were in YM's also while I served. So again I say.......I have been blessed.
I am now the 2nd counselor in the Primary. I have served in many callings in the primary, but it has been several years. The program has changed, but I believe it is inspired. This time I will serve without my kids present which will also be different.
Change is hard and this one is bitter sweet. I have faith in the Lord.

I will miss you girls, but look forward to new memories and sending more girls your way!

New Pins

2010-10-01T16:37:00.000-07:00

Wednesday was the first permotion of the year.

(Sorry it's sideways and if it makes you dizzy when I flip it. But you get the point.)

You Can't See Me!

2010-10-01T16:26:00.000-07:00

G'ma Pat decided these boys needed new shirts........

They are thinking of putting ninjas on the front hidden behind a wall.

If thats OK with G'ma Pat of course.

Oldest decided he needed a new lunch box......

And I thought his dad and I were the ones who didn't want him to grow up?

Bowling

2010-09-26T23:01:00.000-07:00

We hadn't taken the kids bowling since they were quite little. So on a Sat afternoon we decided to get out of the heat and give it a go! We had a great time and Van beat us all.........

She rolled the ball so slow..............it was fun to watch it knock over the pins.

We never knew if it would knock over 1 or 12.

JROTC Cadet Staff (Or another no words moment)

2010-09-21T22:44:00.000-07:00

Another SIGH...... in my life.

(He is front row center. You can click on the pic. to see it better. Tallest cadet but in the front for a change.)
Just always plan on me saying something no matter what.

Just Pictures: No Words Needed.............

2010-09-21T07:15:00.000-07:00

SIGH...................

(OK One word, just imagine it coming from me, her Mom)

(Seriously, did you think I could go without saying a word?!)

A Day At Kolob

2010-09-19T23:08:00.000-07:00

Do you know what these are?

These are crawdads..................

A few weekends ago we took a picnic lunch and some friends and went up into the beautiful mountains to get out of the heat.

So we shared our learned secret of how to catch crawdads. First you save all your old panty hose just for the special occasion of crawdad catching. Then you gather up string and raw meat (i.e: hotdogs, chicken, bologna). You make yourself a little pocket out of the panty hose, put a piece of meat in it with a rock or two for weight. Tie on a nice long piece of string and walah...........

you got your self a handy dandy crawdad catcher. Oh and don't forget the buckets and a fishing net or two comes in handy also.

So we had a great time catching quite a few crawdads..........

Not these.............

These..............

Everybody had a great time and for most of them it was a first...............

We didn't do this..............

but some did do this...............

(by the way it was not a real warm day, hence the jackets & sweaters, but they did it anyway and claimed it wasn't that bad. "Whatever you say guys!")

But all in all we caught alot of these........

Oh and we had a little fun with them before throwing them back...............

A few of us learned how to use a wrist rocket.................

It's actually pretty fun!

Then there was the GORGEOUS ride home................

What a great way to enjoy this beautiful place the Lord has blessed us with. It was so peaceful and his creations were all around us. What an AWESOME day!

HS Volleyball Tournament (JV) Videos

2010-08-22T19:49:00.000-07:00

I could'nt resist sharing. We are so proud of Middle and so excited for her! This is the first tournament of the season. They are a young team and still learning to play together, but they did win one game and placed 3rd or 4th in the Bronze Division.

Enjoy the ACTION!

Watch carefully at first to see her in action. You may have to watch it again to see her awesome quickness.

That's So Random

2010-08-17T22:50:00.000-07:00

Just a small glimpse of our lives this last month..........

Hope you enjoyed and possibly intrigued to see more...............

CONGRATULATIONS..............

2010-08-17T22:26:00.000-07:00

Check out the newest member of the HS Volleyball team..........

She has worked so hard and has made so many improvements. When she played boader league and club she was a setter. The HS coach has been excited to get her on the team (because of her height). He invited her to try out for the Sophomore, JV & Varsity teams. He wanted all the coaches to see her. She made it thru all the tryouts w/o being cut and officially made it on the Freshman team and the coach has been playing her as hitter. This week she was invited to practice with the JV team and go to their tournament this weekend as a hitter.

We are so excited for her and wish her an AWESOME season!!!!!!!!!!

Another First Day of School

2010-08-17T22:15:00.000-07:00

Well here we go again.............. another year of school off to a good start.

Actually I see it differently....... one more year closer to an empty house.

So NOT ready for that.

****************************

Youngest (the Baby) off to a new school, by herself for the first time. She handled it SOOO much better then her mother!

(Another year of carpool....UGH!)

Middle......... a 5'9" Freshman. Officially in HS (but attending the middle school, which is JUST fine with her mother).

New friends to walk with.......

Oldest..........it blows my mind but he is a Junior this year and I am still trying to figure where my chubby little baby went. He was a baby (and little) once I have pictures to prove it. He was excited to find out he grew a 1/2". Not 2' like his Col. was predicting, but a 1/2" more then he thought he would. And it makes him 6'5.5".

Carpooling buddies, neighbors and best of all......FRIENDS!

So like it or not, I have to deal with it and I have decided I am going to enjoy the time I have left and make LOTS of memories!

2010 Pioneer Trek

2010-08-05T15:33:00.000-07:00

In June Oldest and Middle got to go on the Pioneer Trek for Youth Conference. All the youth were put into families with Ma's, Pa's, Brothers, Sisters, Aunts and Uncles. They were both in different families and made new friends. Middle was in a family with our Bishop as her Uncle (they called him Uncle Bishop). They treked for 3 days through the Kibab National Forrest. They said the weather wasn't to hot for the most part. They endured diff. challenges to help give them an understanding of what the pioneers actually went through. Like robbers, no water and a womens pull where all the men and boys went with the Mormon Battalion. They slept on the ground, ate corn mush, walked and walked and even sang as they walked.

Here are the pics before (oh these poor unspecting people....JK).

We had to provide all their pioneer clothing. I made Middle's skirts and aprons and we found blouses @ the D.I. Believe me these will be put away for next time. Oldest's clothes were mostly found in his closet (yes, even the suspenders).

They hiked towards the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Pictures do not do it a bit of justice.

They ended their trek @ the North Rim with a testimony meeting.

These are the after pics.........(definitely different faces in these). Check out the dirt on Oldest's legs.....YES he had long pants on the whole time.

They had a great time and both came back with a better understanding of what the pioneers endured to make it to Utah. I don't know if they are ready to endure it again quite yet, but I believe it was a faith building experience for them.

Thanks to all the leaders and Ma's and Pa's that made it all possible!

4th ofJuly

2010-08-01T21:27:00.000-07:00

(I know it's not even July anymore,but here is our 4th of July evening)

Our 4th of July was very low key this year (especially compared to our Kansas-Oklahoma 4th of July's). We joined with our new friends and neighbor's the Clements and the Labrum families. the Clements invited us to BBQ and swim at one of their vacation homes (his buissness). It turned out to be a very relaxing and fun evening.

Thanks ALL for a nice evening!

This one is just for his sake and his posterity 8-).

See y'all in Oklahoma next year (hopefully).

Haircuts

2010-08-01T20:38:00.000-07:00

Middle was getting ready for EFYand decided that she wanted to get her haircut before she went. Both the girls needed it done before school (sorry bad word) anyway. So Middle called and made appts. @ the beauty school. Middle cut off about 3 inches and Youngest got layers and bangs. Middle also wanted to get her hair colored but opted to do it herself and save money. Both turned out darling and they are ready for school (I know bad word, bad, bad word).

Mother's Day & Birthday #40

2010-07-04T19:51:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day happen to fall on Van's 40th b-day this year. Van decided he wanted to surprise his Mom for Mother's Day. So we headed up the day before and surprised ALL. Especially his Mom (I forgot to get my camera out of the car before we hid it). With his Dad's help we were waiting @ the house when they got back from the campground. We did have to wait in the shop for a little bit, because the house was locked up,but all worked out and boy was she surprised. It was a lot of fun for us and we will always remember the Mother's Day we surprised G'ma W.!

I was able to get Van's presents in the car before we left w/o him knowing, so he was surprised on Sunday morning when he had presents to open. The kids got him a JUMBO remote, I found him some cedar grilling planks and a new foam pillow. We invited alll the adults to join us for dinner @ the restaraunt of his choice on Saturday and had a great time w/everyone. Sunday we just hung out and enjoyed visiting w/everyone.

G'ma did you even think two 14 year old girls could sleep together on your couch?

We even managed to bring her some of Van's roses (which she LOVES!)

On Monday before we left we headed to the campground to check out all the changes to the tree house. It looks awesome and just keeps getting bigger! Oldest also needed to take pictures to make a slide show for a High Adventure camp he is putting together for our ward.

YEP thats a tree house!

It turned out to be a very nice (quick but nice) and relaxing weekend. We are so glad wecould make it happen! Just be prepared you never know when we might show up again unannounced!

A Birthday Surprise

2010-07-02T10:49:00.000-07:00

This is Youngest and Her BF Juli..........

Yesterday she turned 12. Middle and Youngest decided to throw her a surprise party at the neighbor's pool.

They did AWESOME and she was DEFINITELY Surprised.

It was a FUN day!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GIRL!!!!!!!!!!

Hope it was a HAPPY Day Juli! You are a beautiful Young Lady

and we LOVE you!